#just don't have your volume at max and it should be fine

[epiaphany]

@buckgettingstruck you are a genius. i need to tag this nsfw i think

x, x

[ocaona]

I see a lot of criticism about the new Life is strange and I think that you should all calm down a bit.

"Where is Chloe?" If Chloe is alive, the developers will keep it a secret so that it will be a surprise when we play the game. Please do not be upset because a trailer does not reveal the entire game. If they chose the timeline where we sacrificed Chloe, we will probably find out later too, and that is not necessarily a bad thing. I would like to remind you that the game had two endings, and both were fine. Maybe we will be able to chose if she's alive or dead. As Neil Gaiman would say, Wait and see.

"She doesn’t look like Max." "Where’s her bangs?" You expect someone to keep the same head and hairstyle for 10 years? When you cross someone in the streen that you haven't seen in just 5 years, do you recognize them instantly ? No, because people change physically, especially in their twenties.

"Max looks straight now". She has literally the same style as before with a beanie. PLEASE. And you know very well that all LIS games have bi protagonists. I don’t even understand this criticism.

"I don’t care about Safi, I want Chloe". My brother in Christ, give that game a chance ! If you want to see Chloe, good news, there is a comic book about Max and Chloe and there are even several volumes. Safi might be an amazing character, like most LIS characters.

"The storyline is not convincing" ... When the first trailer for LIS 1 came out, the storyline was "A girl comes back to her hometown, sees her childhood friend dying, and finds out she can travel through time. She then tries to save her friend." LIS Double Exposure's storyline for now is "A girl sees her friend dying and finds out she can travel through dimensions. She then tries to save her friend." Stop. Judging. The. Whole. Game. From a 2-minute trailer ! Of course, the game will be more than just Max going around and talking to people. If you likes LIS 1, you will probably like this one too because they have the same character, storyline, vibe...

Edit from the 14th of june : Just wanted to add that ;)

So, please, be a little more patient and way less negative. Don't buy the game if you already think it's trash, but your negativity around the little information we have is ruining the experience of those who are hyped or just curious.

[natsuminmin]

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆ TWIRLING WARMTH -> sae itoshi !!!

ᶻ 𝗓 𐰁 .ᐟ dancing with my phone by HYBS

synopsis; in which sae decides to unwind by using a tip you gave him cw: fluffy/crack fic , ldr , sae misses you , dancing , very ooc oh my god let me believe sae is secretly a massive lovefool , sae has a facetime auto answer feature (does that exist) , use of amor , gn! , unproofread + lowercase

"dancing, i'm all alone . figuring out how i can get you home"

living in his apartment without you was easy.

or so he thought.

he was currently sprawled across his bed, his arm stretched out automatically to make space for your warmth; which was unfortunately located a thousand miles away from madrid at this moment.

sae groaned, snatching his hand back immediately when he snapped out of his trance. how pathetic, he thought. he can't be caught wishing for cuddles like some lovesick fool, he should exercise more self-control than that!

naturally, he reached out for his phone to text you, like a normal person who doesn't yearn for his long-distance girlfriend would do:

[i miss you, amor.] 7:08 pm

[coming home soon, can't wait to see you.] 7:30 pm

yes, he really had impulsively booked a flight just to see you. yes, he was still definitely nonchalant. god, what have you turned him into?

it's only been an hour, but you still hadn't replied. he had to fight another dejected groan that threatened to erupt from his throat. but whatever. it was late in your place anyway, you were probably sleeping.

however, the fact that you would soon wake up to find his little suprise, calling him almost immediately, sent a little comfort to his sore bones. he really wanted to hear your voice.

ugh, seriously. what was in the air today?

frustrated, he exited the chat box and scrolled through his playlists. he reached a certain one that you and he made the last time he was with you.

he decided to listen to the music in there instead, that always relaxed him.

─── ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ ───

"sae, when are you coming home?"

your pretty voice came out warped from the speaker. he scoffed silently, the phone could never catch your beauty properly.

"sae."

"huh, what?" "i said, when are you coming home?"

"never. don't want to." "not even for me?" "especially not for you."

"ouch, sae."

he chuckled softly under his breath, the sun filtering through his room and in turn illuminating his eyes. you had ample time to observe his face which, thankfully, wasn't pixelated.

"you okay?"

"of course. why wouldn't i be?" you rolled your eyes. well, duh, he'd deny everything. your boyfriend was capable of many things. admitting he needed to cool off was not one of them apparently.

you hummed for a moment, thinking off into space as you watched sae rummage around for a blanket. then it clicked.

a sneaky grin spread across your face, oh yeah, he'll like this idea.

you set down your phone on the table, adjusting the camera so it showed your full body. then you grabbed your laptop and started playing music. was that.....pitbull???? mr worldwide???

sae watched you with disbelief. this was rare. he was never caught speechless. he blinked slowly as his eyebrows creased ever so slightly.

"what are you doing?"

"im dancing, sae. you should join me, it'll help you relax, you know?"

he saw you swaying side to side, twirling, bobbing around your head to the beat of the song, all with the biggest and goofiest smirk on your face. he scoffed, shaking his head at your antics. there was no way he was going to dance. ever.

"you look stupid. i'm ending the call right now."

"wait, no!"

─── ˚ʚ♡ɞ˚ ───

a smile tugged on the corner of his mouth as he recalled that memory. he wasn't much of a sentimental person, but he can make exceptions sometimes.

he just....stared at the phone for a few moments, gaping at the turning disc on the screen as he hummed absent-mindedly.

fine. he'll try dancing once. he'll see if it lived up to the hype.

he disconnected his headphones and raised the volume to max as he stood up from his bed. he scrolled through the playlist again, settling on his favorite. he felt awkward, so he tried to tap his foot to the beat.

hey, this was actually really fun.

soon, small taps of his foot moved to infect his shoulders. pretty much once the song ended, he was full on dancing. just as you had shown him to do. even that stupid twirl-hand wave (?) thing you did. he couldn't even explain it, but it was entertaining to do. he'll never tell you that you were right.

but unfortunately for him, you saw him already. he had left his laptop open, whose camera was perfectly facing straight ahead on his being.

you never wanted this to stop. you were having a blast. finally seeing your boyfriend have fun in what......months now? what a blessing. and so you remained silent, captivated by the incredibly awkward but endearing dance moves. stifling your laughs took so much of your restraint though.

sae should really turn off the auto-answer feature.

"dancing with my phone, thinking about you"

a/n: this came to me in a dream and is dedicated to my dearest sae luvr ILY ELO also the song he was dancing to was suisei - tofubeats (kariya seira) which according to the wiki is his fave IT IS SUCH A BOP BTW I LUV IT can uu tell i got lazy at the end hekp

[centrally-unplanned]

I blogged before about this company, Orange, that is an AI-powered manga translation company. Essentially, their pitch is that most manga is still (officially) untranslated, a ton of manga gets made after all but few become mainstream enough to get ported overseas. They posit the barrier to that is the cost of translation; if they could automate that process, then they can make viable for release what previously was not. That concept rests on two questions - does the tech pan out, and does the economics add up?

Recently they went live, under the name Emaqi, so we can better explore those questions. What I notice on first glance is the pitch seems to have shifted a little bit in post:

You are not the translators of Vinland Saga, Witch Hat Atelier, or Magic Knight Rayearth, very obviously so. They have Sailor Moon in here lol. These are just the official translations being cross-listed into their "manga platform", where you buy it there and it lives, DRM-locked, in their app. Which is fair enough as a model, that is just Kindle, it works. Though Kindle and a dozen others already exist, so their value-add has to be the AI translation stuff right? That is why I would choose this over another app.

Which they do have, though it is kind of buried:

"Only on emaqi" - there is no mention of the translation approach, poor guys! Can't fault the branding decision I guess given the state of the discourse. When it comes to the products themselves, I went through ~6 or so of the sample chapters of different manga, did a few spot checks with the original Japanese, and read the reviews of some others who looked into it. They seem fine! I am cautiously impressed, I think there proofers did a good job smoothing out some edges, it has a "manga tone", and while small issues like the hyphenation the reviewer above mentioned do exist and are legit noticeable, they aren't common and not a huge deal. It has flow issues? Some dialogue should link together in how it is written, but doesn't. But it isn't crazy off or anything. You will not be wowed by these, but certainly if you are someone who reads bootleg scanlations you are gonna have no problems. A lot of manga uses pretty simple vocab and isn't breaking new ground on plot, I can see how a purpose-built tool could handle it well enough.

The economics though...here is where I don't think this case was ever going to pencil out and isn't now. Because I am pretty sure no one here has heard of any of the manga listed above as exclusives. (I saw 90's manga Geobreeders in there, but that was already partially translated in the 2000's, not sure if they did a new one? Setting it aside) Which, of course you haven't, if you had it probably would have been translated! Books are a 90:10 market, most books never get read and some books get read a ton. Anything big enough can justify a professional translation, and the other can't really sell to begin with.

On top of that, their model is mass translation; which means these obscure manga are presented to you with no context, no hype, no build-up. Wtf is The Blood Blooms In the Barrens?? See, if you were like a boutique publisher, selecting "the best of the best" in untranslated manga, you would promote your specific product. Interviews, social media, the value of the brand-itself as a quality seal. Publishing less is more, actually, your value as a publisher is as a quality selector. Or you could be say the porn market, where you max quantity so people can search "foot fetish breeding kink oshi no ko" and get results; they know what they want. But they aren't doing either! And to be blunt a lot of these are not gonna sell on their art alone:

I'm not mocking The Delayed Highschool Life of a Laborer here, that is better than I could do; but if you want to me spend money on a whim the bar is high and these don't reach it. Which of course they don't, they would be professionally translated if they did.

And finally, the price - $5 dollars, for volume 1's, like a 100-200 pages. The cross-listed manga typically sells for ~$10? That isn't much cheaper! If "translation" was this big cost barrier, and all you got is cutting the price of ebooks in half, I don't know if the analysis was so solid. This is a new product, I doubt they are overcharging to make a quick buck right now - this is the "sell at cost to scale" era.

In all of their lead up press they would say things like this:

Orange's process uses AI to read the manga through image analysis and character recognition, then to translate the words into English, Chinese and other languages. The technology is specialized for manga, meaning it is able to handle wordplay and other difficult-to-translate phrases. A human translator then makes corrections and adjustments. The process can deliver a manga translation in as little as two days. Orange will work with multiple Japanese publishers. The company looks initially to complete 500 translations monthly.

But this is missing a lot of context. For one, these manga are simple high school or battle manga that are ~200 pages long, many of those pages have only a few lines of dialogue, etc. Imagine you are a professional translator, and you are given that manga to translate, all the set-up done for you, all you gotta do is write. How long do you think that would take? Not that long! It could probably take like a week if it's actually all you did (calc'd from a 10k word count manga volume, 2k is a typical "good translator" per day count - many manga are shorter than that). And note how they said "as little as two days" - not median two days! Just, you know, aspirationally.

Translation is just not a big bottleneck. You gotta do layouts, lettering, proofs, etc, these can all take just as much time - and are being done by people, they still need wage workers doing all this. But that is small fry in comparison to publishing contracts, author approvals, distribution, all of that. And most importantly, product acquisition - you have to get authors to sign with you! That can be months of work. I am sure they are trying to get bulk agreements with publishers and such, but authors will push back on that, this is not an easy endeavor.

Which is why, in above, they say they hope to have "500 translations monthly". And after a year+ of work, on launch, they have...

...18. As best I can tell at least, their site deliberately obfuscates what they actually translated versus are just hosting for resale after all.

So yeah, as mentioned I don't think the economics pencil out. These aren't worth $5 dollars, they can't actually generate volume that makes "massive economies of scale" actually valuable, and their approach is currently antithetical to the idea of generating traction for any of their individual works. Niche publishing just doesn't work this way.

But it is early days, and hey I respect the experiment! I do think the tech is pretty good, and it is nice to see a company showcase it. It isn't quite good enough yet for prime time, but it could get there. I do want more manga to get exposure and audience; I will give a fair shake to any who try.

[gayf1hoe]

Part 11

“Y/N I have something to tell you” he says, his left eye clearly twitching a little. 

“Sure what is it?” I question. 

“Well it's just over the past two weeks I have really enjoyed getting to know you and I think I have developed strong feelings for you” 

I'm taken aback by his declaration, it's not that I don't feel the same way, it's the fact I don't know how I feel. I'm just starting to free myself from the stress and constraints of dating Max. I don't think I'm ready to even think about dating another driver. Plus Ollie would go mad if I started dating his friend, it would ruin his and Kimi's friendship as Ollie feels a sense of duty to protect me from everyone I have ever dated. 

“Kimi I have feelings for you too but I'm only getting over Max and I don't want to rush into anything prematurely” 

“It's fine, I understand it will take time,” he says. 

I'm kind of shocked as to how well he has taken the rejection, well it's not really a rejection it's more of a “keep that thought for later on”. I pull out my phone and put on a Netflix show and we sit by the lake engrossed on the screen. With the sounds of the occasional bird and grasshopper chirping echoing around the lake. As it's not that far from the motorhomes I can still hear some of the drivers and then I hear an obnoxiously loud females laugh and I'm not one to be egotistical but I know every driver's girlfriend's laugh but this is one I don't recognise until I look up and see Kelly and Max engaged in a water fight around 15 feet from me and Kimi abruptly disrupting the tranquillity. 

“Let's go back” I suggest. 

“No,” Kimi says, grabbing my arm as I stand about to get up. 

“He's trying to make you jealous and antagonise you. He has all that space behind his own motorhome but decides to do that infront of you it's just a ploy to upset you, don't let him get to you” 

I sigh, easing up and sitting back down before turning up the volume on my phone in an attempt to drown out the obnoxiously loud laughter from behind us that is ringing in my ears. It's at times like these I wish Ollie was here and not Kimi because by now he would have gone up to Max and insulted him a few times and we would have left, not having to endure the pain of hearing them two kissing passionately. When we broke up and Ollie found out he sent a text to Max saying:

“Stay away from my friend you Sid the sloth looking dick”

Needless to say Max didn't reply and Ollie didn't need to do that but for some reason he feels it's his duty to protect me despite me being older than him. He's like a parent away from home. Constantly checking up on me and trying to shield me from the real world despite me being a fully grown and independent adult, although many would disagree with the second point. 

After a while the sun has really set and the breeze is starting to pick up so I suggest heading back. On our way back the ground beneath us still soaking from Max and Kelly throwing water at each other, providing yet another reminder of their presence outside my head as well as inside it. 

As we approach my door I see a letter on the floor and pick it up before Kimi notices, my delusional brain thinking it would be a love letter or something from Max, him apologising and saying he made a mistake but then I remember there are 2 things on earth Max Emilian Verstappen has never done and that'd apologise and admit he was the one in the wrong. 

As I pull the paper out of the envelope I see the VCARB logo and see that it's just my copy of the contract for next year. I kind of forgot I told Laurent to drop it by today. 

“What's that?” Kimi questions. 

“It's my VCARB contract for next year” I say, shoving the paper back in the envelope, it only has the typical Red Bull family performance clauses like “you must finish the year no more than 5 places less than your teammate” and how many points I should be scoring over the course of the weekend. 

“Do you want to go out tomorrow? He proposes. 

“Sure, where do you want to go?” I ask.

“Well I actually saw a flyer today for skydiving” 

“Absolutely not,” I shout. 

“Come on, it will be fun,” he pleads. 

“There is nothing fun or appealing about jumping from a plane by yourself”

“You aren't by yourself you will be strapped to an instructor” 

“Male instructors?” I have a question. 

“If you want” 

“Say less I'm in” 

The next day I am stood in a plane thousands of feet up in the air and now I'm really starting to regret saying yes to this. It's not that I'm afraid of heights. I think it's very reasonable to be scared of jumping out of a plane and having your life depend on a sheet of fabric to stop you from plumbing to earth and dying. The instructor said that nothing ever goes wrong but the videos I watched on YouTube last night and this morning say otherwise. 

Kimi of course goes first because this was his idea so if anyone should get hurt it should be him. After this goes well it's my turn. It takes me 5 minutes just to crawl to the open door and when I look down I can just feel my stomach sink. We swing our legs over the side of the aircraft and move to sit on the edge of the floor, the instructor counts us down and as he says “1” I tense up my muscles and close my eyes. It seems like an eternity of weightless drifting through the sky before the ground comes into clear view and I've never been so happy to see a patch of dead grass. 

When we land I take a moment to just lay on the ground and become more appreciative of it. Kimi however asks me if I want to go again. 

“I would rather sign a contract with Alpine than jump out of a plane again” 

We take off all the gear and walk back to the car, well I attempt to walk as my legs feel like jelly and I can't walk in a straight line.

“So what do you want to do now?” Kimi says, fastening his seatbelt.

“I want to sit down for at least a few hours” 

“It wasn't that bad, you're overreacting” 

“Did we not do the same thing because last time I checked we jumped out of a plane thousands of feet up in the air.” 

Ollie texts both of us asking if we can go out and do something together so we agree to meet up and go to a karting track although my legs still don't feel very strong so I don't have high hopes. 

Ollie Is waiting for us when we get there and he looks pissed because we are late but the traffic is not our fault. 

“I don't want to know why you two are so late” Ollie says in a suggestive tone indicative of something other than the real reason. 

“Calm your tits Ollie there was traffic, if this wasn't last minute we would have been here on time”

“It's fine we have got the track for an hour anyway” 

We choose our karts and get changed into our race suits and helmets and head to the start line. We chose our  starting position by doing rock paper scissors and obviously I won with Kimi being P2 and Ollie P3. Ollie of course wasn't very happy but I said it will be a very realistic race for him not starting on pole. 

Immediately as we get underway I am spun by Ollie who does a dive bomb into the first turn so when I catch up to him I return the favour and push him wide but our fighting allows Kimi to capitalise and take the lead but I let him have a false sense of security until the last lap. As I pass him I maintain eye contact with him and watch his face change when he realises he hasn't won. 

“That's not fair, I want to go again. He distracted me by looking into my eyes with his amazing eyes,” Kimi complains. 

“Mate, that's my best friend, don't talk about him like that, it's disgusting”.

Ollie's comment definitely takes Kimi aback a little but he soon realises that Ollie was just joking and didn't actually mean it so he eases up. 

“You know if you two are dating you can tell me I'm not going to kill him” 

“Ollie I can reassure you we are not dating yet”

“Yet?” Kimi and Ollie say in unison.

“Well you can never tell the future and Kimi is rather good looking”

“Stop right there Y/N you are going to make me be sick” Ollie says fake gagging a little whilst Kimi’s face flushes fully red. 

After dropping Ollie off me and Kimi head to a park that's nearby to watch the sunset. It's quiet and beautiful. I watch Kimi's face increasing in engrossment. 

“Kimi” I say breaking the silence causing him to turn his face towards me. 

“I've been thinking and I would like to give us a go” 

“Are you serious?” He exclaims. 

“More than ever”

He immediately lunges onto me wrapping his arms around my torso slightly restricting my breathing before placing a delicate kiss on my lips.

“I promise I won't be a dickhead like Max”

“I know you won't because Ollie would make your life hell” 

We decide to take a photo of us in front of the sunset and post it on Instagram and immediately the comments start flooding in. 

“They are definitely dating”

“Kimi Is way better than Max”

“So did Max not matter at all to him for him to move on so quickly” 

“Some of you seem to forget Max is literally dating Kelly so I have no idea why you are coming for Y/N” 

Then Ollie phones us shouting down the other end “Kimi if you hurt my friend I will put you in a box in fact worse I will sabotage your car on a race day”. 

With the Spanish Grand Prix rapidly approaching I can't help but feel glad that the triple header is coming to a close it certainly has been a long few weeks of endless meetings, mistakes and interviews and I can't wait to have a weeks break and then come back and do it all again, but me and Ollie are going to Italy during the off week and i'm sure I can convince him to let Kimi tag along as well.

The entire paddock is pretty much packed up with just the motorhomes being left behind but even some of them have been moved along with most of the drivers. Sauber is leaving tomorrow, but the great thing about having a motorhome is that I don't have to pack up any of my stuff. I can just leave it where it is, and hope none of it falls out of the cupboards during transportation. 

When Kimi and I approach the door we can see Max stumbling around obviously drunk, which has become a reoccuring theme for him lately. Anyone would have thought he was miserable in his new relationship with Kelly, but that's not my problem. He sees me holding hands with Kimi and immediately approaches us. As he gets closer the stench of alcohol and sweat increases and when he speaks the pungent smell of alcohol radiates from his breath.

“Well what’s going on here” he says practically shouting for all the remaining drivers to hear. 

“Go to bed Max you are drunk”

“See Kimi he still cares about me” 

“No, I don’t, its just annoying having a dick stand outside your door and harass you” 

“You know what your problem is Y/N?” 

“I really don't, do enlighten me Max”

“You still love me because if this is anyone else you would have told them to fuck off by now but you havent”

I turn around and enter the motorhome leaving Max to endure the stench of alcohol by himself. When we enter the motorhome Kimi just gives me a slight smile and I walk off into the bathroom dowsing my face with cold water to bring me out of this nightmare that is my life.

At some point in the night I hear a lightly tapping against the thin metal sheets of the motorhome and assume its a branch from one of the overhanging trees swaying the wind, but it gets louder and turns into a loud knocking sound and somehow kimi is still fast asleep so I can't help but wonder how this man would act if someone was breaking in. I get out of the bed and go outside which goes against everyone's natural instinct because who goes outside when it's dark, windy and there is a strange sound. It's like the start of every horror movie to exist.  When I do eventually pluck up enough courage to go to the place where I heard the sound I soon realise its max throwing little rocks against the side.

“What the actual fuck are you doing?” I exclaim, trying not to raise my voice above a whisper. 

“Throwing stones”

“Yeah no shit Sherlock I can see that but why?”

“To get your attention”

I look around into the 3 AM darkness and look down at myself only wearing a baggy t-shirt and underwear and say “well it worked, What do you want?”

“This” he declares.

Before I can even question what “this” is he makes our lips collide and he wraps his arms around my waist and begins to pull me closer into him. The stench of alcohol from earlier has reduced, indicative of him sobering up a little. I feel the urge to pull away but my body isnt letting me. He begins to bite my lip a little causing me to groan and he seems to find ecstasy in my pain. He then moves down to the neck , biting at it whilst his hands simultaneously play with my underwear's elasticated band and that's what causes me to push him off. 

“Max I can't do this im sorry”

I then run off back into the motorhome and get back into the bed like nothing ever happened and pray that that's the last time I fall victim to Max Verstappen's charms and upfront nature. 

The Spanish Grand Prix has always been one of my favourites but that might have something to do with the fact that Fernando Alonso is my racing idol and the fact I dedicated my childhood to supporting him and attending every race I could to see him, so it's a great honour to race against my hero at his home race but it doesn't mean I'm going to go any easier on him. 

During the press conference it's me, Alex and Max and I'm in the middle of the two. Me and Max haven't said a word since the whole whatever you want to call it outside the motorhome. I'm praying he was still drunk at that point and can't remember anything from it but I keep on seeing him smiling at me from the corner of my eye. The interviewer keeps on directing questions at us that require me and Max to speak together like: “How Is Sauber bringing the fight to Red Bull?” It's almost like the media want to see us speak after breaking up. 

“That interviewer really wanted you and Max to speak” Alex comments as we walk across the paddock. 

After the press conference interview I go and sit with Kimi as he's a little pissed at how much the interviewer was trying to get me and Max to talk he was also pissed at how Max was looking at me and I can't understand why because I was getting annoyed in the interview with Max constantly staring at me. 

Ollie pulls me aside and for some reason he looks angry as well. He pulls me into some side room and makes me sit down before he starts speaking. 

“You need to get Max in line”

“What do you mean?” 

“I mean tell him there's no chance of you two getting back together because if he continues like this it's only going to hurt Kimi and you may be my best friend but Kimi is also my friend” 

“I can't tell Max what to do” 

“Tell him you don't love him and to leave you alone” 

“I can't” 

“Why not?”

“Because I still love him” 

Ollie looks stunned and confused at how I could even still live Max but even though he hurt my feelings I couldn't just stop loving him overnight after all I loved this man since day one so it's a bit hard to just turn off my feeling for him 

There is about 5 minutes of just pure silence before Ollie speaks up again. 

“You need to decide between Kimi or Max and fast”

Race day. The past 2 days have been hell Ollie has been on my case every 5 minutes asking me about my decision between Max and Kimi and I'm not going to lie he's starting to annoy me which is something he's never really done before. My head was full of thoughts yesterday during qualifying and my performance reflected that only being good enough for P5 on the grid today. 

We get off the line well and I make up a place straight away as Charles had a poor start that allows me to capitalise. 

On the very last lap I'm fighting for first against Lewis when Max comes up behind us and he dives into the turn hitting me and nearly taking himself out. 

“What a fucking idiot” 

Thanks to Max winning the Spanish Grand Prix is off the table but if he thinks I'm letting him get second he must be deluded. I return the favour and make a brave dive on the last turn to take back second and whilst it's not the race win I still beat him which is more than enough for me. 

In the cooldown room when he walks in I don't even acknowledge his existence. In the interview less than 5 minutes ago I called him “reckless” and “childish” so I doubt I'm the last person he wants to talk to. 

“good race out there” he says, extending his hand for a fist bump but I leave him hanging. 

“It was until you tried to take me out” I say quietly so the cameras can't pick my comment up. 

[imajustagirl]

Billy Hargrove

older!billy, enemies to lovers, harrington-hargrove, bully!billy, bully!max

Notes: I don't support bullying at all, I'm a victim too and I'm only writing this because a person on my messages asked me to.

This is a oneshot but this time about Billy. This is your pov and if you have any requests be free to ask🫶🏻.

Happy reading🫶🏻.

Today is my first day of highschool and I'm very excited.

I decide to wear something casual, like jeans and a shirt and of course my backpack.

"Y/n come on we're late!" Steve screams.

"Shut up asshole I'm coming and we're not late".

Steve is still in the basketball team.

We are really different but we still love eachother and we both hate Billy Hargrove and his young sister Max.

His sister was in my class and bullied me, just like Billy bullies Steve.

I get in the car and he starts turning on the volume.

"Today you'll sit with Eddie and the others".

"Why?".

"Because they'll protect you since this is my senior year dumby".

"Shut up I can defend myself".

"Sorry but you can't, remember the last years?".

"I was younger'.

"And now you're such a powerful woman right?".

"Fuck off Steve".

We arrive at school and I get off the car with him.

I sit on the benches near Eddie and the others.

They are like my older brothers, and I know I can trust them.

"Hi Ed".

"Hi princess, how was summer?".

"It was boring but good, what about yours?".

"Mine was good, we finished the campaign and had a lot of fun".

"I bet you did, how's Chrissy?".

"We broke up but we're still friends".

"Oh I'm sorry but I'm happy you're still friends".

"Maybe Y/n want to share with the school her little chat" Billy says during his boring speech walking up to us with the microphone.

"Come on don't be shy, say something" he says smirking to the team.

I can see Steve anger growing more and more.

"Fuck you" I say showing him the middle finger.

"Not very kind, am I right boys?".

"Billy shut up and come down here" Steve says screaming.

"Ohh how cute the two little brothers are defending eachother" he says coming down to Steve.

After that we go to our classes and our school hours finish.

"How was school Y/n?".

"Bad. Everyone was laughing to me and insulting me".

"Don't worry, you're in class with Dustin, Mike, Lucas and Will, you'll protect eachother".

"Thank you Steve" I say hugging him.

"You're so cute you know that right?" Billy says laughing.

"You're so annoying you know that right?" I say angrily.

In the meantime the students come near us and I hear the Hellfire Club cheering for me.

"You're just like your brother Harrington".

"And you're like your dad Hargrove".

People gasp at this and he come closer.

"Touch my sister and you're dead".

He punches me in the stomach and in the nose and I start bleeding.

"Now you're dead" Steve scream.

He starts punching Billy and I got up removing Steve before Billy punches him and I got hit in a really strong way and I fall to the ground.

He goes away with his friends and the people go away.

During that Steve helps me get up and with Eddie he puts me in the front seat.

"Dear Y/n you're ruined".

We go to the hospital and after an hour we're out.

"Y/n I promise you'll be fine, we'll protect you".

"Steve don't worry, like you said I'll be fine" I say hugging them.

We go home and I go to my room.

"Y/n mom and dad aren't home, is it okay if we order pizza?" Steve asks from the living room.

"Yeah sure".

Steve comes to my room after he orders the pizza and sits on the bed.

"Princess I'm really sorry for what happened, you shouldn't defend me, you should only protect yourself".

"Steve you know it's not a problem at all. I care about you and we need to protect eachother".

The day finish and I wake up at the usual time.

"Sweet cheeks it's time to wake up" my mom says.

"Good morning mom".

"I know what you did yesterday, and me and dad wanted to say that we're proud of you for standing up for you and your brother" she says hugging me.

I hug her back.

"Now go eat breakfast before you dad and brother finish all the pancakes" she says smiling.

"Okay".

I go eating breakfast and I get ready for school.

"Bye mom, bye dad" we say before leaving.

"Bye guys".

We get in the car and go to school.

During lunch while I'm sitting with my friends Billy comes to me.

"Hi freaks, hi Hawkins' clown".

"Hi asshole".

"So Chrissy is thinking that you can join the cheerleader team if you want to".

"And why it's you the one that's telling me this".

"Because she's shy or something. So if you want to join talk to her, bye bitches".

"Fuck you".

"I'm going to talk to her, be right back".

I go to their table.

"Hi Chrissy".

"Oh hi Y/n, sit here. Did Billy tell you to come here?" She says smiling.

"Yes he did, he actually told me that you wanted me to join the cheerleader team" I say smiling.

"Yeah, we would really love to have you on the team since we saw your energy and wanted to talk to you".

"What do you mean?".

"When you were at the park this summer we saw you while you were doing all those tricks".

"Oh well that's nothing compared to what I can actually do".

"So are you in?" She ask gently.

"I'm in. When are the practices?".

"Today at 4pm, with the basketball team".

"Perfect".

"Remember to wear a white skirt and a green top, so that we'll match, and then we'll get you a uniform".

"Thank you so much, so see you later".

"See you later".

I go to my friends.

"I'm in".

"You're in? Omg we're so proud of you".

After lunch I study for another hour and then I go home.

"Mom, dad I have some good news".

"Shoot" they say.

"I'm in the cheerleader team".

"We're proud of you princess" they say hugging me.

I go change and then with Steve I go to the school gym.

I go to the cheerleaders and Steve to his team.

"So your sister is in the team now Harrington? Bet she'll be really hot when she'll dance" Billy says smirking.

"Fuck off Hargrove".

Chrissy starts showing me some moves and I learn really quick.

"Do you feel ready to stand tall and then somersault in the air?".

"I can't wait!" I say smiling.

"Great. Guys!". She says screaming.

"What now?".

"She's ready. Take her and hold her tight".

"Okay".

I do what she tell me to and I don't even fall.

"You were born for this Y/n!" Chrissy says clapping her hands and smiling.

"Thank you Chrissy" I say smiling even more.

"Now I know this is boring but you need to meet the basketball team".

"Why?".

"I don't know either but we did it too so I guess it's for tradition or because people think that cheerleader+basketball player is a perfect match".

"Okay then let's do this".

We go to them and Chrissy tell me their names.

"And of course you know Steve, and the last one is Billy Hargrove".

"You move your hips well Harrington" Billy says smirking.

"Fuck you".

While I'm in the bathroom I hear someone behind me and when I turn around I see that is Billy.

"They all left, and Steve went with Tommy to a party".

"Why are you telling me this?".

"Because I thought that maybe you need a ride home".

"I don't".

"Or maybe you just wanna ride".

"I'm sorry?"

"While you were moving these pretty hips, you were looking at me".

"I wasn't, I was just checking how you were doing".

He comes closer and me and the sink have become one piece.

"Sweetheart, there's no need to lie or panic about your feelings".

"I'm not doing any of those, so don't be a jerk".

"A jerk that you love but you can't"

He says touching my lips.

I kiss him.

He's right, I actually love him, but I don't want to, he's a completely asshole and I hate him but also love him.

And I can totally say that I'm scared because this is my first time. I touch myself but not that much.

He remove my skirt and my top and I do the same to him.

"You're wearing this lace suit for me? How cute you are" He says smirking and liking his lips.

"Shut up and fuck me".

And he starts kissing my body, leaving marks everywhere and touching me.

He starts putting two fingers inside of me and I moan.

He moves them faster and deeper and I moan like never before.

"Like that? Wait until I use my special wand".

And after he licks me a bit under there he puts it and for the first time that day I screamed.

"After a bit you'll have the best emotions ever".

And that was true.

He knows how to fuck very well, and I like it.

He puts my leg on my shoulder and moves faster.

When we're having our orgasm Steve and his friends enter the bathroom and he sees this scene.

I gasp for air and when I see him I hide behind Billy's chest.

"What is it princess?"

"Steve".

"Omg go the fuck away pervert" Billy scream.

And when they were going away I start dressing up and I can hear them going away.

When he sit on a chair that's in the bathroom I go to his lap and start kissing him.

"I love you Hargrove".

"I love you too Harrington".

We kiss for the last before we go out of the bathroom together.

"I guess you don't need a ride anymore".

"I guess so".

"Bye Y/n".

"Bye Billy".

We kiss one more time and I can feel that Steve he's making a disgusted face.

I enter the car.

"Hello everyone".

"Care to explain sis?".

"Shut up".

"I guess you will not die as a virgin anymore".

"What do you mean?".

"I thought that you would stay virgin forever".

"Fuck you".

[alitgblog]

volume ix thoughts wooooo we're out of casa

first off, return of a legend: the beach hut

i was fully expecting the compatibility test to be more like the season 1 compatibility test with the zodiacs because that's fun but i guess that's less of a pot stirrer than a fun game to have. though the narrator poking fun at it i guess is making fun of the fandom for thinking it was gonna be horoscopes 🤣

so very obvious ass test though especially with the two answers only about the two guys you're pursuing, which I think is a missed opportunity to throw more lore about the guys in there. or at least make it not as obvious? really goes to show how surface level the characters are compared to, say, the Mr. and Mrs. Challenge towards the end of S2

I'm going for Jin and Max rn so I thought it was funny their personalities were boiled down to "funny" vs "extroverted" and my MC had to pick between the two as if they were mutually exclusive

anyway just nearly got Jin lmao

I'd like them to stop with the Claudia/Theo storyline because it feels like they've already decided they're done with each other and are ready to move on? However, Claudia being compatible with Theo on paper but like not really feeling it is an interesting idea. Like she feels she's got no other option to stay safe except for him and they like each other enough. Meanwhile Bea's settling for Liam because he's shown any interest in her at all. (Let them date each other if MC can't! They deserve better!!)

also I know that I joked about Theo being just some mildly attractive white guy to fawn over and settle for but the way that Claudia is just settling for him? actually upsetting like I'm so sorry, Theo 😟 I didn't mean it I thought he was fine after the first dates 😖

Hari mention! I was pretty sure the game forgot about him lmao

anyway the compatibility thing still doesn't make the most sense because like,,, why did all the guys get the Villa girls and none of the casa girls? I just think we should stir up some shit. I know it's annoying but it is the perfect opportunity to try to make Emel angry at Oakley again by saying he's most compatible with some casa girl. And she can show growth by not getting upset this time.

idk why but Kyle's poem to Emel is giving wannabe rap crew vibes (i.e. I'm missing S1 I'll take what I can get). Also, Claudia said he's giving game player vibes?? I'm actually so upset with how the LI's are all interchangeable because simply this cannot be the same Kyle y'all are fawning over (it's not 😭)

I'm kind of curious what it's like replaying on a straight route bc personally my heart hurts every time they show Claudia's little sad face but like I have to talk to Max it just makes more sense because MC can't couple with Claudia in stick or twist

Close your eyes and pick at random is actually hilarious as an option for stick or twist and I almost did it

i've already said my piece about Sienna, I love her design. I will admit though, her open mouth smile is a little stilted but people get botox so... not out of the ordinary lol. The bigger problem is how her hand on her hip is a little fucked up (color in between the lines, fusebox!)

as someone not on a Theo route, I really don't understand why he's sticking with Claudia unless he's got some personal turmoil he's working through and trying to actually reform his player ways. And I wish MC could talk to him as a friend and we'd see that. like in the way S2, you get to know Rocco's insecurity about never finishing university and Gary's anxiety even if you aren't on their routes

Anyway I'm still upset at the forcing MC to couple because she's single thing. They could've still had her coupled with Jin (or even with Hari it would work) and then she can either walk in single or with a casa boy. And then she's the main character: just say that the single islanders don't get dumped post casa (like it's SUPPOSED to be) because in that situation, she's the only one! Or if you need the numbers to be right, literally Emel is right there. She can come back to Oakley later if anything

still not the best stick or twist could've gone in terms of drama (or maybe that's just bc I've been looking at spoilers), but compared to S5-6, not too bad (I assume also s7 but tbh I did stop right at stick or twist for that season)

So fyi when I played Casa, I had my MC go for Shawn most of it, and then last minute switched to Max because I remembered she's a musician and I thought that would be cute. That being said, I wish it was like in the too hot to handle game where you unlock certain dialogue if you happen to have something in common with a character. Because why is Max explaining music stuff to my musician MC?

is Hari not an LI? Because they made him seem like one and then just all of a sudden we're not talking about him, it's only about Jin and Casa Boy. And I'm fine with not all the boys being LIs, but it is odd the way he's just shoved to the side in the story

Okay so I'm writing this as I'm playing and it seems like maybe he is. They just forget to mention him most of the time.

Hari and Hazel are a hot couple though. like I don't love Hari's design but like if he was drawn better?? I see it.

the swimming game is a fun idea but imagining everyone splashing around to get to MC is so funny. like I can hear it in my head and it's not the best game, but for the fictional game in the app it's fine.

although why tf is Theo suddenly interested in MC? I haven't been romancing him at all but for the chat at the pool I couldn't decide between any of the characters I'm actually kind of interested in so I had MC go talk to Theo and then he was also flirting? then the pool game he also thinks MC has the best chat?? sir I barely know you

omg not emel deflecting the drama to Claudia (and it's about her hookup with MC???) oof this is the drama I crave I think we're gonna need a movie night soon

so not too bad yet I just hope these storylines can come through!!

[y0urnewstepp4r3nt]

Trying my hand at the shovel talks. However, I really don't know how to write and can't stay in one point of view. So sorry about that it's probably annoy but enjoy.

_______________________________

Dustin and Mike

Steve walked into family video expecting to takeover for Keith and spend the next 5 hours being bored out of his mind. What he didn't expect, however, was the little shits bursting into family video as soon as Keith left.

"Steve we have to have a serious talk with you."

Henderson, of course it was, and Wheeler.

"What. What's so important that you barge in here for?"

Henderson had the nerve to look at mini Wheeler like he was already done with Steve.

"Well Steve, we're here cause you can't keep it in your pants and are now dating OUR DM. So if you screw this up like you did with Nancy and he gets sad we suffer. Don't hurt Eddie or we'll kill you."

Henderson just nods agreeing with Wheeler.

"I'm not gonna hurt him chill out."

"No Steve. Mike has a point, you're a resident heartbreaker in the worst way! You can't hurt Eddie because then we suffer aswell and maybe you need to realize that! When you hurt Eddie you'll hurt us. This isn't one of your hot girl dates that you dump with no consequences Steve!"

Before Steve could even open his mouth they had already left. Leaving him to think about what they said and if they really thought he was going to break Eddie's heart. Maybe Mike meant it, but maybe Dustin was just giving Steve a shovel talk first then he was going to Eddie's. That has to be it right? I mean they thought of each other as brother. Steve shrugged it off and continued his ghosttown shift, waiting for Robin to start.

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

Robin

"Ohhh Steve-o! Guess who came to save you from boredom!"

Robin walked in and slammed her hands on the front counter.

"You'll never guess what happened today. Tammy freaking Tompson came and gave a speech about how much the school helped her achieve her Nashville dreams!"

That was definitely something, a Muppet preaching about her Muppet voice success, iconic.

"And you made googley eyes at her the entire time cause you love her muppet voice."

"Oh my god Steeeve! I tell you one time and you never let me live it down. Anyways before you head out as your best friend I have to tell you to be careful with Eddie because sometimes you move to fast and he might get the wrong idea and be hurt."

She's started rambling so Steve cuts her off, feeling a little hurt.

"Rob, I know it'll be fine I won't move too fast he won't get hurt. I'll see you tomorrow yeah?"

"Yeah, yeah good see you later dingus drive safe!"

Steve waves and walks to his car frowning. Did he really seem like someone who would hurt Eddie? Robin had a point, he would probably freak Eddie out with his loud love. Maybe he should have thought about that, months ago, before Eds asked him out.

______________

Lucas & Max

Steve was walking up to Eddie and Wayne's trailer when he heard red yell his name and give him a come here gesture. So he turned and jogged over to her and Sinclair. It'll be quick anyway.

"What's up Red, Sinclair."

"We just wanted to let you know that when Eddie feels sad he likes to play music loud. Like at max volume. So if you break his heart just know you'll have to face us."

"Jeez guys I'm not going to break his heart why are you so intense about it"

"Steve if your going to break his heart wait a month until the break so we dont fail."

They both ran back into red's house as Steve started his walk back to Eddie's trailer. At least they said if? That's gotta count for something right, after 3 other shovel talks, if seems pretty optimistic. So Steve walks into Eddie's trailer a little less energetic then when he first got out of the car, but it's fine. He'll be ok.

___________________

[lovebillyhargrove]

Wake me up when July is around

Ch. 23/? April downpour

***

You take the midnight subway train

You're callin' all the shots

You're struck by lightning

You're in love

It's not worth fighting

You're in love

You betcha, Billy got the new Ratt's album as soon as it appeared in the stores. Well, in Hawkins there's just one music store in the whole town, but it's better than nothing. Billy is not a complete nutcase to miss out on something like that.

He's listening to it right now, the tape inserted in his Panasonic and volume set to maximum. Neil and Susan are fuck knows where, gone shopping most likely, so Billy can do the fuck he wants. In his room. The red haired leprechaun is having her friend over, the weird girl, it's not total freedom like when he's home alone.

The Panasonic's deck lid is still broken after Neil shattered it in February, but the boom box works just fine without one. Fuck you, dad.

Billy stretches out on the bed, with his arms thrown under the head.

The afternoon is pleasant enough.

You take the evening one on one

You're only livin' to have fun

You want to use me, take me home tonight

I'll make you wish that you were mine

You're struck by lightning

You're in love

It's not worth fighting

You're in love

That's the first song on the track list. The music is excellent, and the lyrics are good, but it .. sounds like an affirmation or some shit, recording the message deep in Hargrove's brain.

You're struck by lightning

You're in love

It's not worth fighting

You're in love

Through the rough chords and raspy vocals he hears distant thuds on the wall.

Heheehe that must be the shitbird. You can choke on your long damn hair, Max, I'm not turning the volume down. Get used to good music, stepsister. While I'm still around. Very, very soon it's gonna be adiós, farewell, never-planning-on-seeing-you-again.

The girls are sitting on Max's bed, all nice and cozy, with books spread out in front of them. They are trying to study for tomorrow's history test, but the dick who's in the next room, is making it simply impossible.

Max has had enough. She moves closer to the wall and bangs on it with her angry little fist

"Billy !! Turn it down! We can't do homework! We can't even talk! Turn it down!"

Glaring at the wall and addressing El

"He is SUCH an asshole. I wish he just .. disappeared!"

"But .. he drives you to school?" El is trying to stay on the bright side

"Yeah, well, I don't care. I can always take the school bus."

El is frowning slightly, taking her friend's words with a grain of salt. She is of the opinion, that it's actually cool to have a big brother who has such a badass car ready to drive you anywhere, at the snap of your fingers.

Max pounds on the wall some more.

No effect whatsoever.

Nope, no effect. The booming sounds are still too loud and too irritating.

Hargrove's lying on his back, leg on leg, shaking his foot which is on top, to the beat of the music. He's already through side One, and flipped the tape to side Two

Another blistering rock song comes on

 

I don't like your cheatin' misfit ways

I don't stand for givin' it away

Can't you see the world turn and hear the cries?

Can't you see you're burnin' me between the eyes?

You hardly notice

You're burning me between the eyes

 

Why are so many songs in this album about love? What the hell? Like there aren't other things to sing about

This one isn't bad

 

My blood is thicker than water

I'm livin' out my life

I'll have my friends forever

We'll walk the sands of time

You should know by now

I never take no chances

Don't stand for compromise

I'll find the hidden treasure

I'm only passin' by

 

Hargrove is definitely only passing by. In two and a half months he'll forget Hawkins fucking exists.

While Billy is innocently enjoying the new Ratt album in peace, the two girls have plotted to take some action. History still needs to be learnt. Loud music doesn't seem to be close to finishing.

Max and El creep to Billy's door. It's unlocked, and there's even a little crack left.

Maxine's stepbrother is lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling, a dumb smile on his lips. What an embarrassing idiot.

The girls don't know it - they shouldn't, no-one must know - but Billy is thinking about Harrington, of course.

Various moments flash through his mind, nothing in particular really. He's just picturing Steve's beautiful face. Harrington started wearing this dark gray jacket which looks so fucking good on him. He's also trying something different with his hair, giving it more volume, and it's captivating to watch it bounce.

Hargrove's been lying on his bed like that for almost an hour already.

Max pushes the door a little.

Billy is still ceiling-gazing, hands comfortably tucked under the head, a dreamy dopey expression on his face.

The album's first track is playing again.

What? It's a nice song. He wants to listen to it one more time.

The new album is alright. Too many lyrics are about stupid feelings, but the sound is good.

You're struck by lightning

You're in love

It's not worth fighting

You're in love

Max carefully opens the door wider, and Billy sees the little rat peeping

Dammit.

Two rats, not just one. A fucking rodent invasion, no less.

He reaches out for the volume control to turn it down, so that he can bark out

"Hey! How long have you two been standing there ??"

Max scrunches her nose

"What are you doing? What are you even listening to?"

El is curiously taking a peek from behind her.

"Not your damn business, Maxine!"

"We just want you to make it down! We can't do homework!"

Billy's rolling his eyes.

"Tough luck, pea-brain. Like studying is gonna make you smarter, uh-huh."

"You're a moron yourself!"

"Close the door! Frigging spy!"

Max is feeling braver with El by her side and opts for getting on her stepbrother's nerves a bit more

"What's with the song? Are you in love or something?"

"Shut the damn door, you stupid gremlin! Stop sticking your nose in my life!"

"Nobody cares about your life! Just turn the music down, asshole!"

"SHUT THE EFFING DOOR, MAXINE!"

El is whispering in Max's ear from behind her back

"He is so mean."

Max gives a careless shrug

"He is always mean."

Billy picks up a book and throws it at the door, aiming at the obnoxious redhead who's making his existence so much worse

El shrieks and Max closes the door quickly, dodging the bullet. The volume is immediately turned back up again

"He's so stupid. I hate him so much." Max hisses and takes El by the hand

"Let's go find something to eat."

"Okay. Who is gremlin?"

"Oh you haven't seen "Gremlins"? We should totally have a movie night!"

The girls go to the kitchen where the sounds of Billy's annoying music are not so ear-splitting.

***

On ao3

❤️

[foolishmortal]

Pretty Flower AU

Because I will probably never write this as an actual fic, here's a ficlet idea you can riff on if you want:

AU in which Joowon goes undercover at a massage parlour himself, instead of using Lee Geum-Hwa as bait.

Except with his big square frame and strong hands and attention to detail, he's genuinely good at being an actual masseuse, and he quickly develops a following of people who want his help working out their little kinks (shut up).

That suits Joowon just fine - holding down a full time slot at 물망초 allows him to screen all the regular customers, especially the one that comes in every week and fits the perpetrator's profile to a T. He always asks for Joowon and lays on his table grimacing and joking through the rigorous paces Joowon puts him through for his bad leg. He's politely friendly with all the women -- too carefully polite, Joowon thinks, and bides his time till his suspect slips up. "You're going to a massage parlour, hyung?" Jihoon squeaks, nearly drowned out by Jiwa's disapproving "Dongsik-ah."

"Aigoo, it's nothing like that, everyone calm down," Dongsik grumbles and nearly burns his tongue on the slice of meat Jaeyi flips onto his plate. She serves him a saccharine smile, and he repeats, "It's nothing like that! They've got someone who does nearly professional chiropractic work and charges next to nothing. Half of Munju goes to him."

"Him - !" Jihoon yelps and then, "Um, i mean, good for you, hyung. I'm happy for yo- ah!"

Jiwa unsticks her sharp elbow from her brother's ribs. "I'm sure it's none of our business," she concludes. "They're hardworking citizens that need a livelihood to survive, just like the rest of us."

"I'm really not - !" Dongsik gives up and downs the rest of his soju.

Sure, Han Joowon is exactly his type, and that voice, fuck, but Lee Dongsik would be a fool to risk losing those magic hands that have allowed him to sleep through the night without incident for months now. He can't even remember the last time he's had to refill his prescription.

That is to say, he has mixed feelings on the day Han Joowon rears back from where he's got Dongsik pinned on his table (shut up), reaches into the back of his jacket for a pistol, and storms the room across the hall.

"Police! You're under arrest!" Inspector Han Joowon shouts, and there's Lee Dongsik's godsend, gone.

Dongsik climbs into his jeans and emerges to find Han Joowon blocking the door against the other employees at the parlour. Over his shoulder, Dongsik sees a familiar face - Kang Jinmook, who Dongsik's family was well acquainted with up until Jinmook was arrested on charges of stalking and attempted murder of his wife and was sentenced to twenty years in jail. Piece of shit must have got out this year and gone back to his old ways, with a vengeance.

Han Joowon surveys the angry, terrified faces of the women who took him in when he was fresh on assignment, laughed gently at his awkwardness and included him in ladies' night out, who tirelessly scoured the streets in their scant off-hours for their missing friend. Joowon clears his throat and tells them, "Ladies, you cannot assault a suspect in custody, even if he is guilty, while a police officer is present."

And then he leaves the scene, walks back into his own room, and shuts the door. A collective shout rises on the other side, drowning out Jinmook's feeble pleas for mercy. Han Joowon flips on the radio and maxes out the volume. "Apologies, Lee Dongsik-ssi. Shall we continue?"

Dongsik barks out a laugh at this cheeky young prince. "So I guess you'll be tendering your resignation here immediately."

"I go where I'm assigned."

"Hm-m. I don't suppose you make house calls." Dongsik mentally slaps himself on the forehead. "That wasn't a line. Really. It's just my luck that ... you know you could get a second career as a physical therapist." He doubles back. "Shit. That wasn't a line either, I promise."

"It could be," Inspector Han suggests.

"You're right. I apologize. I should have been more clear."

"No. I mean ... " Han Joowon reaches out to fix where Dongsik's hastily donned jeans have rucked up the line of his shirt. "It could be a line. If you wanted it to be one."

...

"Wow," Jihoon goggles. "Good for you, hyung."

Han Joowon sits perched on his chair next to Dongsik, his perfect posture belying his discomfort. Back in his usual semi-formal, muted attire, he looks more severe and handsome than ever.

"Inspector Han," Jiwa interrupts loudly over the sound of sizzling meat. "I'm glad to see Seoul Metropolitan form a productive collaboration with violent crimes in Munju."

"I'm glad the perpetrator was brought to justice," Han Joowon replies dutifully. "Manyang is a nice town. I'm sorry it had to experience such a tragedy."

Oh Jiwa accepts these condolences with queenly poise. "And when do you plan on resuming your usual duties in the city?"

"Manyang is a nice town," Han Joowon repeats. His hand finds the top of Lee Dongsik's thigh - his good one - underneath the table and squeezes. "I was thinking of sticking around here for a while, if I could find accommodation."

"I can think of a few places that might take you in," Dongsik murmurs under his breath, and it's worth Jiwa's elbow when Joowon ducks his head and offers up a tiny, genuine smile.

"Ahjussi, I can always pack this food to go," Jaeyi threatens him, waving the tongs under his nose. "If you and your physical therapist need some time alone."

"Oh no, Jaeyi-yah," Dongsik replies cheerfully. "You know, I come from a long line of gardeners. When one has the luck to come upon such a pretty flower, you have to show it off."

[morbidanthem]

Mistletoe Placements - 1,540 Words [Ao3 Link]

Leviathan X Fem!MC

Leviathan mumbled loudly to himself, as he pulled his Devil Switch up slowly to his face, trying to drown out the sounds of his brother's obnoxious bickering over the Christmas Season Decorations.

It was such a normie argument to have, it made him actually cringe at how obnoxious they really can be.

It was hard to concentrate on his Farming Sim Game, when he could hear Asmo's screeching and Mammon's chirping ringing through his headphones.

He got fed up with the noise pretty quickly, as Mammon and Asmo's arguing had begun to reach incredible volumes, as even with his game turned up to max he couldn't drown it out.

He huffed as he got up to leave the area, wanting to seek refuge in the quiet sanctum of his bedroom, but paused on his way up the stairs as he caught sight of your door closing down the hallway.

His curiosity got the better of him, as he slid the console back into his pocket and slid his headphones off of his ears, to peek over to see what it was you were up to.

He really should have knocked first, made his presence known, but he couldn't help but peer into the crack that was left open through your door.

He could hear you humming to yourself, as you stood on your tippy toes on a little step ladder, reaching up into the high corners of your room to hang some decorations for Christmas.

He felt his face flush, as he thought about how cute it was that you still performed a lot of these tasks manually, despite having access to some of the most powerful magics known to humankind.

It's what made you so endearing… so domestic.

He was way too deep into his fantasy about you, as he had accidentally leaned on too far forward, as he was trying to discern the Christmas tune you were humming to yourself.

He fell right into your room.

Landed right onto his face.

What's worse?

He took some of your holiday decorations with him.

“Levi? Are you ok?!” You asked, jumping off the step ladder to rush over to his side.

“Fine!” He shouted, shooting up a little too fast, and dashing away towards the direction of his room without even glancing back in your direction.

‘How could you be so stupid?! You really are gross and yucky! You even ruined her cute decorations, you loser!’ he berated himself, after successfully diving into the door of his bedroom.

He all but threw himself into his bathtub, rolling around as he tried his best to quell The embarrassment bubbling up underneath his skin.

He cannot believe he let himself get so distracted by you!

Don't you understand what it is you do to him?!

He was so busy berating himself in his head, that he hadn't noticed you were following closely behind him.

He didn't even hear the small knocking on his door.

“Levi? I'm coming in, ok?” You said, opening his door, looking around to find him still all wrapped up in your garland, sitting in his bathtub with a terribly sad look on his face.

“Aww, Leviathan- are you all right?” You cooed, kneeling down next to the bathtub to begin picking off the fake string of pine that was wrapped around his body.

“M-MC?!” He flinched, looking up at you with surprise shining through his orange tinted eyes.

You just chuckled, as you did your best to untangle the string of decorations, noting the little fake berries and leaves were falling off on top of him.

He was fidgety the entire time, but he let you unwrap him, doing his best not to destroy your decorations anymore than he already had.

After successfully picking off the garland, you paused, seeing what was on top of poor Leviathan's head.

He had no idea he had a Mistletoe sitting there.

He just looked so cute! Staring up at you with those big innocent eyes, watching you untangle him while cleaning up the mess he made.

It does things to you.

“Hey, Leviathan.” You said, picking off the fake plant from atop his head. “You know what this thing is, right?”

He shook his head no, as he watched you lift it up higher over you.

“It's a Mistletoe- an old human world tradition. Should two people find themselves meeting under it, they give each other a kiss.” You said, leaning in just a hair closer to him. “Can I kiss you, Levi?”

“Ye-Yes!” He shouted, very enthusiastically, his face turning a charming beet red color.

You wasted no more time, and leaned into the tub to give him a sweet kiss on the lips.

It didn't stop at one though, as he closed his eyes and leaned into your kiss, opening his mouth to allow you to go further.

You happily obliged, plunging your tongue into his mouth, as you heard him groan while he reached up to touch your arm that held up the Mistletoe.

Right, you had forgotten all about that thing while you were inside Levi's mouth, trying to draw out more sinful noises from the Avatar of Envy.

You pulled away from him, hearing him whine while seeing a string of saliva connecting the two of you together made you shiver.

“Oh, whoopsie.” You laughed, dropping the Mistletoe onto his lap. “You know the rules, right? Looks like I have to kiss you there, too.”

You hummed, getting into the bathtub with him, as he scooted himself back to give you more room.

He was completely enthralled by you, sighing with content as he watched you drag your hands down his body, lifting up his shirt and jacket to stroke at his sides and stomach.

“Ah- pluh-pluh-please! Please!” He moaned, trying his best to wiggle away from your teasing grip. “Touch me, please, please, please!”

“Aww, my poor little Leviathan. He wants me so bad he has to beg. Isn't that so, so cute?” You degraded him, speaking in a light tone, as you lightly stuck your fingers into the waistband of his shorts.

He just groaned, throwing his head back as you slowly tugged his shorts down to reveal his already leaking cock.

You licked your lips, seeing the angry red tip twitch, as you gave him feather light kisses along the shaft.

“I gave you a kiss here like I'm supposed to, but I think you want a little more, don't you my sweet boy?” You spoke, turning your eyes up to look at him from your hunched over position atop his cock.

“More! More! Please, don't leave me like this! MC, I need you so so so so badly!” He begged, looking down at you with his wide orange eyes.

He was always so good at begging.

“If that's what my sweet boy wants.” You cooed, licking a long strip up his shaft from the base to the tip, causing him to moan out loudly.

You loved hearing his noises, seeing him bend so easily to your will, begging you for relief as he threw his head back in pleasure.

“Hmm, you're such a good boy, Levi.” You praised, licking and kissing up and down his cock as he whimpered at your praises.

Once you finally reached the head of his dick once more, it was when you decided to wrap your lips tightly around the head, plunging yourself down onto him until your lips made contact with his public bone.

You smiled, as you began to Bob your head up and down his cock, as he cried out while placing one of his hands atop your head.

He wasn't pushing you one way or the other, he just wanted to feel your movement as you continued to suck and drool over his dick like a starved woman.

The wet slurping sounds you were making were downright disgusting, as your eyes rolled back as you could taste Leviathan on your tongue.

You could feel he was close, as his whines got louder and his muscles grew taut under your touch.

“Mmm about to c-cum.” He slurred out, tugging at your hair to try and warn you about his impending orgasm.

You refused to relent, taking him deeper into your mouth, as you felt the hot liquid shoot into the back of your throat.

“MC?!” He moaned out, feeling you swallow everything, while you lifted your head slowly, licking him clean of any leftovers that may have trickled out from the tip and out of your mouth.

Once you were satisfied you got it all, you sat up to see a completely relaxed Leviathan, doing his best to catch his breath as you pulled his shorts back up over his hips.

“So- what do you think of this human world tradition?” You teased, leaning yourself onto his chest, as you snuggled up into his neck.

He rolled over onto his side, hugging you to him like you were one of his body pillows.

“It's the best.” He mumbled, nuzzling into you as you felt him begin to relax in your hold.

Mistletoe was always a tradition you found rather silly, but if this was the result of it, then maybe it wasn't so bad.

[cuntwrap--supreme]

This is what I have to deal with fucking daily. These kids sit on their balcony and make out and smoke weed and blast music so loud it sounds like it's playing in my room. I'm losing my fucking mind. If you don't know how to live in an apartment, go live in a house. For fucking real. They're both kids with very nice cars with Nashville plates. They have a $2000 dog. Their families obviously have money. Go someplace where it's not as annoying if you're an obnoxious cunt. I've covered their door in passive aggressive sticky notes. Considering sticking my head out my window and screaming along with any songs I know, just to be rude back. Maybe I'll take up learning metal vocals, but only practice when the other people who live here aren't home. Ruin their time. I was trying to read on my balcony because it's nice out tonight and now I can't read period because it's so fucking loud everywhere. I can't hear shit playing on my phone unless it's at damn near max volume. Tons of people here work construction and leave at like 5am. I have to leave for work at 7am. Tons of kids live here. People are trying to sleep right now but these entitled kids think it's ok to be as loud as they can be because loud = cool (?????). They're also smoking weed inside, which should be an automatic cancellation of their lease, but the apartment doesn't want to kick them out until their lease expires (in 5 fuckin' months!!!) because housing is so expensive. Which like sure. That's fine if it's something like you forgot to clean up after your dog or paid 3 weeks late 7 months in a row. But this is actively disturbing everyone else's nights. Literally no one wants to listen to Purple Rain so loud you can hear it the next block over. Eyes Without A Face is not so much of a bop that people on the other side of the complex need to hear it.

Any time I talk to anyone in the building they say things like, "It has to suck living next to 20. They're so loud. I can hear them through your walls. Thought it was you at first!" That kind of shit. When I moved in (same day they did) they'd parked their Uhaul in such a way that I could not get to my door, and it took 3 hours for them to move it - 5 feet, which gave me a whole 7ft of space in front of my door but not to the right of it. When I took my Uhaul back for another load (small, so I only got like my bed, dresser, and couch on the first go), they'd reparked in the same place, so I had to go find them again and ask them to move; they claimed they thought I was done, and I asked who moves into an apartment with literally just a mattress, dresser, and couch and nothing else. They were so embarrassed by that that the dude's dad helped me move my heavy stuff upstairs. The guy there has scratched and dented my car enough times that I, someone who struggles with walking, would rather park an extra 200ft away than risk my vehicle being damaged any more by this insufferable child. They also take MY spots. Parking is assigned here. My apartment has 2 spots. They're unlucky and their apartment has 0 based on where it's placed, meaning they're supposed to be parking 200ft away where I park. And I've told them before that I'm disabled and struggle with walking and they kinda just said to fuck off. My sister has seen this shit several times, and was here to help me move, and hates this guy as much as I'm sure everyone in his life does. We went to get food the other day and he wasn't home, so she took his (my!!!) spot. When we got back to my apartment, he came out, hands on hips, and just stared her down. So she loudly proclaimed that she wanted to come see my cat and just sat on my couch watching TikToks for an hour before she got bored of being a dick and went back to her boyfriend's house. He immediately reparked his car - sideways, because this guy can't park his Mercedes straight to save his life. I can't imagine the damage he's done to the cars of other students on campus.

Anyway. Every day I live here and have to listen to 80s pop or Sound Cloud rap or indie rock at max volume, I become closer and closer to morphing into the joker.

[cheatcodelife]

How to read several books at the same time.

Remember that you already have such an experience

There is an opinion that reading more than one book does not make sense. Those who think this way believe that the reader's attention will dissipate. In his imagination, the plots will get mixed up, and the characters will wander from one book world to another, which will lead to chaos.

But in fact, you can read two or three books at the same time without much effort. After all, each of us opened 5-6 books a day at school.

Let them be textbooks, not fiction. But no one confused history with geometry. And he did not say that he would not be able to read about chemical reactions, because he had just learned a lot about geographical discoveries. We considered it perfectly normal to flip through several textbooks a day. And after lessons, they could read Max Fry, Rowling or Conan Doyle, and with pleasure.

That's why you can still read several books in parallel. And also — to solve work tasks, do household chores, pass new levels in online games and watch TV series. And don't confuse anything.

Choose 2-3 books of different genres and formats

So, you want to read several books at the same time. It will be more interesting for you if these are different stories. For example, a combat fantasy, something from the classics and a book about popular psychology. Or a humorous detective story, a historical novel and an economic bestseller.

It is worth choosing books that tell about events from different eras. Let the heroes of these stories not be able to meet in reality under any circumstances.

Now about the formats. Some people like paper books exclusively. But to read outside the house, you should download the library application on your smartphone or tablet and upload electronic versions of the books you want to read there. It will also be useful to download several different audiobooks.

During the day, you can read from the screen in transport, listen to an audiobook while walking or exercising on simulators, and open a paper volume before going to bed. And your brain will not perceive reading as a repetitive ritual that will quickly turn into a routine.

Make time for reading

It often seems that there is simply no time for books. But if you abandon the stereotype that you can only read in a quiet library room, and devote at least a couple of hours to this, there will be time.

You can listen to audiobooks on the road. This is possible both in transport and when you walk. We can spend from half an hour to a couple of hours on the road a day. It will be great if you spend some of this time with a book. In addition, audio can be turned on while jogging, in parallel with cleaning or cooking.

You can always read e-books as soon as you have at least a few minutes of free time. Often people in such situations go to social networks. But it is worth opening the reader application instead of the news feed at least in half of the sudden pauses. For example, you can return to the book at lunchtime, at a time when you are waiting for a doctor's appointment or the end of a child's classes.

Paper books can be read at home before going to bed or on weekends. You can turn reading into a cozy and relaxing holiday, into a pleasant ritual that helps to restore strength after a difficult working day or week.

Try to make the reading process comfortable

Over time, you will develop your own reading habits. But first you should adopt a few simple rules:

Don't start reading two or three books in one day. It is better to make it a "ladder": add a new book every day. When you finish reading one of the selected stories, it is not necessary to start the next one on the same day. It is worth taking a pause to feel the aftertaste of what you have read. Or maybe even write down interesting thoughts that appeared in the process of reading. Do not strive to read at least a page from every book in a day. If you want to postpone a story for a day or two, that's fine. But if you haven't thought about the book for more than a week, think about whether you want to finish reading it. Maybe other stories are closer to you now, but it's better to come back to this later. Then let the book wait its turn. If you realize that you are not going to open it again, you can delete the file from the reader. Or give someone a paper volume. This way you won't have the feeling of unfinished business. In the evening, it is better not to take a book that requires serious mental stress. But you can immerse yourself in an easy and pleasant story. Or reread one of your favorite stories. Determine how many books you will be comfortable reading at the same time. Still, there shouldn't be too many of them, otherwise you can really get confused about the events and relationships of the characters. And also: do not chase the number, turn reading into a sport and assume that the more books you overcome, the better. The main thing is that you start this activity with pleasure every time.

Thank you for watching this post. As always, CHEAT CODE LIFE is with you. I'm trying to make your life easier.

[the-firebird69]

Green Day - Wake Me Up When September Ends [Official Music Video]

This is about Saturn and Earth and he did something very bad to her family in the past they say and we don't think so so it's going around and around one day she's going to ask him what happened to them and will be horrified and she will go after tons of them because of it there's a lot of people like that I'm learning about these clones and what they did and others like Trump who just go around hurting people and all these cities we're going to court have this Methodist ruining things fact that is forced to and he hates these people he knows her own garbage and was stuck here other people becoming garbage cuz we're just sitting here and it doesn't make sense but people need to figure it out on their own and stop complaining to us we have problems so it is still during the time November and it goes past Thanksgiving by a month almost a month to December 25th so he said to her this is what my brother would say but it's not really his stuff it's mine and my dad and so she said it's okay I can go on and left and her family came down and said we're not going to let you sit there with that s*** and she wept a little and said you can go and live in your life I don't want to help you for a big huge kids and he said who is this I thought we already had kids and I started laughing I don't have kids and a handful so start laughing again such as after you. Truthfully though it's very odd

Saturn is 2000 times the size of Earth by volume

Saturn has 4,000 * the stuff on it as Earth and that's twice as much but it's 2,000 + 2,000 as it says in the Bible

One month past November 27th roughly is December 25th the day of his birth in Israel and there are secrets there about him

The Bible was written by men as it was written by disciples they're not very well and they were listening to him for ideas so much to write and stories and he said we'll write allegory about you and you'll be famous and we heard it it's being said here quite a while ago and all the way up to today and said we're famous and he put it in the Chrysler supercar and now I understand why and the max are starting to think of something these boys and he's tortured by this guy and his family almost all of them and he's really really worse than this person and he is a maniac and his brother says he was telling and things like that he was Stalin and instead to try and intimidate him and also they start to freak out this is going to be bad and he didn't really say it so. Right now we're trying to make his car and we're going to say it's the other computer but that's holding the other computer off the thorium and that dances begun and it's timed. By him unfortunately. But we're going to proceed because it says it and it will be our crest not his and it's a lot of motivators the main one is to remember it and people want to do this and it's a difficult thing to do and they're seeing that and it reminds them about what they have to do so the design is coming out shortly and the shirts are coming out very soon and BG should keep in mind that the shirts might be replicated if he doesn't produce them so he's going to have to make tons of shirts he says and also he says they'll have to have a prototype and he's getting to work on that all three and he is four and it's a c4 which is really like an Aston Martin poop kind of thing and it's like the Dodge viper so he looks as I do get that and that's what he's going to do it's kind of almost a full line and it's going on very soon he's got a lot of work to do it's got people and they're getting to it and you might have people makes a Rolls-Royce and the Bradley GT designs he's going around doing it and people are not mad at him it's an amazing piece of working that car it's just really nice it's fine woodworking it doesn't split or come apart it's really nice so we are talking about all this stuff there's a lot going on tonight and tomorrow and we are wishing ours the best and hopefully people here will calm down that's a lot of lawsuits and it's a lot of doing nowhere around and around I guess or worse and it is on in the UK so we're going to print

Hera

Olympus

Zues

We heard her too don't put them between us but it says that you wrote it he says and she wanted to clarify that so it's going to be a good day tomorrow she says and he has to try and remember to get a calendar and something which I don't think you should bring on the bus and he agrees so it's going to happen that we are seeing what's happening here and actually it might be that guy who shot a girl in the video and the shooting happened up there Jones loop so it's probably a pain but here we go these things are getting close too close.

[sailorspazz]

It's been 84 years...or 7 months, rather, but felt like an eternity between updates. But it's finally here!

I was happy that we got more than 10 pages this time. Since the chapter is being released in 3 parts, I'm not sure if all of them will be this length, or it will just depend on the scenes, like how this was a complete conversation between Max and Sugiki so that's why it ended there. Next time we move to the after party, as was shown in the preview sketches from Twitter, so that'll be exciting to see...I've developed so many goddamn headcanons for the party (and even wrote a fic) so I very much look forward to seeing what actually happens.

But back to what we actually saw this time, the dialogue between these two was great, and I loved that it both went over Sugiki’s issues and ended with some much needed comedy; I appreciate that she manages to slip those fun moments in so it's not just angst all the time. Throughout volume 7, it was clear Sugiki was struggling, but we didn't get a lot of his inner thoughts, so it was nice to get some insight from him here. It was definitely heartbreaking that he's been left questioning his own feelings ever since Suzuki told him his obsession isn't love...he's possibly traumatized from everything that went on that day, and I still feel Suzuki owes him an apology (though I don't know if that's likely to ever happen).

Though there were only two characters in the scene, the way Inoue utilized Max's cigar almost made it feel like a third character lol. Whether Max was burning himself and showing off his feet, using the scent from his lighting sticks strategically, or just holding it as a very phallic object in his mouth, it was a nice visual aid to give interest to the scene. I get the sense from her previous series (like Smoker) and author's notes that Inoue has an affinity for fine liquor and tobacco, so she probably had fun drawing this scene since it's rare for this series full of athletic characters to have anyone smoking haha.

Speaking of her previous series, Max talks about his past as portrayed in Gloria. Though he tries to play it off sympathetically, for those not familiar with the earlier story, he was trying to steal the new boyfriend of his ex, so it's not like this was some innocent romance or something (I mean, it's Max, so no one should expect that haha). With his suggestion that Sugiki should try to make himself useful to the one he loves, considering that he's already done so much with his connections to help with Suzuki's development, I wonder what more he can do? Does this have to do with the fact that even Max could see that Suzuki was out of control on the dancefloor, and Sugiki is the one who can calm him down? Maybe Suzuki needs a good long look at Sugiki's totally plot-necessary nudity (thank you Sensei). And what questionable decision could Max have possibly made while glancing at that gorgeous view? He's probably more trustworthy now than he's ever been, but that ass could send anyone's thoughts into impure territory lol.

Max getting totally flustered over Norman was so hilarious. Shortly before the chapter released, I had a dream that Inoue announced on Twitter that this couple was going to become canon, so this conversation about their relationship felt like it was confirming my premonition haha. Though my previous interpretation that Max has been knowingly pursuing Norman for years was off, as he was a total tsundere here as he denied liking him. That actually makes the scene of him helping Norman during Suzuki's performance kind of sweeter, putting his arm around the annoying brat he allegedly hates haha. Also Norman is becoming a Gary Stu more and more as we get yet another lore drop about him, with the reveal this time that he really does have blood ties to royalty. I wonder if this is something Norman himself knows since it was said to be a family secret; his annoyance at Max calling him "your highness" at the Inter could fit with either option, whether it's something he doesn't want to be known, or if he's tired of hearing Max say it as a "joke" because he doesn't know the truth.

The chapter ends with some good stuff, from Sugiki showing he's back to normal by being sassy, to him choosing Suzuki's preferred liquor of rum (wonder if we'll see that reciprocated next time if Suzuki chooses vodka at the party?), to Max being an illegally hot dilf as he puts on his slutty glasses. Does his proposal involve rolling into the after party so they can go get the men they want? I sure hope so! It was so great to finally get an update again, and the character exploration was both revealing and fun. Especially after series dance consultant Ai Shimoda excitedly tweeted high praise about the chapter (which she's presumably seen all of, at least in draft form), I'm so ready to see what happens next!

10 Dance - chapter 40, part 1 summary

Following the Japan International, where Sugiki froze up and could not perform the honor dance, Max takes him back to his place to offer advice. In a discussion that includes topics such as Sugiki's inability to seek help and his ongoing feelings for Suzuki, Max also receives a shock when the tables are turned and his own romantic pursuits are brought into question.

Full summary and highlight images under the cut.

Chapter 40, part 1: Come On-a My Life

Published online on June 9th, 2023, available to purchase on Comic Days, or rent for 10 days on Yanmaga.

A freshly showered, robe-clad Sugiki sits curled up on a bed inside Max’s mansion. Max comes over and tosses a towel to him, saying he looks disgraceful and needs to dry his hair. He says he’d gone to the competition just to see the dancing of the so-called Emperor, and wonders what was up with the lackluster performance Sugiki gave. He sighs and tells Sugiki that he needs to ask for help when he needs it. As he lights a cigar, he asks how anyone could expect to receive the help they need by relying solely on others reaching out to them. Sugiki says that he’s always been surrounded by kind onlookers. Max states that that’s because even if Sugiki were about to drown he probably wouldn’t even raise his hand to seek aid. He wonders why it’s so hard for Sugiki to voice his needs, and complains that he’s a pain to deal with. He’s interrupted as the ashes from his cigar burn his bare foot, and Sugiki takes the chance to say he’s grateful, which garners a shocked look from Max. Sugiki says he appreciates the things Max has done to take his attention away from Suzuki; that feeling of detachment from the real world he had while he was accompanying Max on his adventures did allow him to forget for a while. He stretches and sighs, then confides in Max that he can’t control his feelings. It seems unnatural for Suzuki to no longer be by his side, to no longer be able to touch him, and ponders how this feeling could not be considered love.

He wonders why Suzuki kneeled down and begged at his feet, thinking he might have wanted to do the same thing. He feels a bit defeated that he can’t quite put his thoughts together coherently. He’s then struck by the scent permeating the air, and asks if it’s from the pieces of wood Max used to light his cigar. Max says he used cedar sticks, and though he rarely uses this method to light them, on days like today it has a useful effect in that it can create a calming environment.

Getting back on the subject, Max muses about how this whole saga started because of the 10 Dance, asking if Sugiki planned all of this to satisfy his own ego. Though the story didn’t turn out like he imagined, Max asks if Sugiki would be satisfied if it all ended here. If he values Suzuki so much that he wants to grovel at his feet, then he needs to become useful to him. There are multiple choices Sugiki can make from here, and Max says in his own case he chose to let go of the one he desired (referring to the man he was pursuing in Inouesatoh’s previous work Gloria). It still hurts, but he doesn’t regret it, because even though he was never able to earn his love, he’s still proving himself to be useful to him in other ways. Sugiki asks if this has something to do with the glasses Max tried to gift him with before, and Max confirms that it does, saying Sugiki looks a bit like him, though this other man is older and wears glasses. Meanwhile, Sugiki gets up and starts to get dressed out in the open, while Max silently appreciates the view he glimpses when he turns his head. He thinks about how it looks like he’s got a body that can withstand a lot, and he internally comes to some decision (unspecified from the point-of-view of the readers).

Sugiki asks if the man Max is talking about is Norman, which shocks Max and makes him ask why he’d bring up Edward. Sugiki is confused about who Edward refers to, and Max explains that both he and Norman share the middle name Edward, which Norman hates. Max claims that he hates that irritating brat right back, and says that the one he loves wears glasses, is standoffish, doesn’t listen to a word he says, and is a striking man who sometimes looks villainous. Sugiki points out that Norman fits all of those descriptors. Max protests that he and Norman have never gotten along, and the one he’s after is a Japanese man he met much later on. Sugiki says that Lucas told him Max and Norman have known each other since way back, and though it might seem at first glance that they don’t get along, once Max lays eyes on Norman he’ll definitely try to flirt with him.

Max defensively counters that it’s only because Norman is such a rare species. Sugiki wonders what he means, and Max explains that Norman is a surviving descendant of a bloodline that supposedly died out long ago that has ties to the royal family. Though his relatives are trying to keep it hidden at all costs, Max is sure that it’s true, as he spent a significant amount of his precious time and ample resources researching it. Sugiki states that it seems like he spent all that time and money just so he could get to know Norman better, and Max starts to agree, but then calls Sugiki a brat and says he seems to be back to his normal attitude. With that being the case, he suggests that they have some drinks. He asks what Sugiki would like, to which he replies he’ll have rum. Max says that they should stop quarreling like kids and move on to talking about more mature subjects. He puts on his glasses and declares that he has a proposal.

Previous chapter: #39 part 6

Next chapter: Though a specific date has not yet been revealed, according to Inouesatoh's Twitter this chapter will be released in three parts over consecutive months, so we can anticipate part 2 sometime in July 2023.

[barbiewritesstuff]

Chapter 10: Easy Peasy

-- Jake deserves the best, I love him

@because-edmund @blue-aconite

His alarm rang. The sharp beeps almost echoing through his bedroom. You were still asleep next to him, calmly breathing in and out. Jake had to fight the urge to stay and force himself to walk to the shower. He soaped his body and washed his hair,  skipping his usual routine of imagining the water washing away his worries. He'd learnt that trick in his support group, Jake wasn't sure it actually worked but it had become so ingrained into the fabric of his day that removing it altogether would feel wrong. Skipping it for the day should be fine though, Jake thought. He stepped out of the shower and dried himself. 

Shower, tick.

His phone notifications showed texts and one from his brother.

"Dude, we have neighbours!!" and "The TV is at max volume!! I can still hear you!!" were from Rooster. 

"Don't forget: dinner at 6pm. Can you pick up wine?" John had sent. He'd almost forgotten about dinner on Wednesdays and now that he remembered, he didn't really look forward to it. He was already kicking himself for calling John for help. It had felt good in the moment, but now it just made him panic.

Breathe in.

Breathe out.

He looked over at your sleeping form on the bed and calmed down. Despite knowing the list by heart, he still looked at it. Next up: work out. He put on his trackies, trainers and a random shirt he found on the floor and shot you a text in case you woke up when he was gone and left the room.

The house was silent. Jake closed the front door behind him, leaving his keys in the stone statue Rooster kept the emergency keys in. 

You were still asleep when he came back but you were starting to stir when he came out of his second shower. 

"You're up early" you mumbled in your sleepy voice, he smiled

"Insomnia does have advantages, I get to be up for every sunrise" Jake lied. Insomnia had kept him from sleeping more than three consecutive hours at a time most nights since The Incident. The only memorable good sleep nights he had had were nights spent with you or spent on a hospital bed. And Jake had stopped feeling anything but dread 

"We should do that someday, see the sunrise"

"Sure, we can do that next time you sleep over"

"You seem awfully certain that'll happen again" 

"I thought you had volunteered to help"

"I didn't know it was a permanent position" 

"Might become one" he said before he could think.

You smiled at him, Jake tried to look concerned about an imaginary spot on his floor and pretended to scrub it with his foot. He was trying to hide a blush.

"Breakfast?"

"What do you have in mind?" You asked and Jake shrugged his shoulders.

"There's a place down the road that does decent pancakes and passable coffee?" He offered.

"I love passable coffee! Let's go!" 

Jake wasn't hungry. His morning cereal was usually his least favourite time of the day simply because he never felt hungry in the morning, but like his shower ritual, he had been doing it for so long that stopping it would only disturb his daily routine. And without daily routine, he spiralled.

You picked a booth by the window overlooking the beach. 

"It'll give us the best view" you had said

"Yes, it's beautiful" Jake said, looking straight at you. You blushed.

"So, a permanent position… what would that entail exactly?" You asked

"Well, here at Jake Seresin inc. We are looking for someone to fill a very particular role. The candidate that will be chosen for this position will need to fulfill certain specific tasks, such as killing spiders, making cups of coffee if asked nicely, and of course being available for cuddles whenever needed" Jake replied

"Well, sir, I believe I am uniquely qualified for this position. See, I am one of the few people capable of killing spiders without being afraid of them. I also make a killer cup of coffee among many other drinks and I am always willing to go above and beyond when it comes to cuddles."

The waitress interrupted. You both ordered pancakes and a cup of coffee.

"Well miss l/n, ou make for a very attractive candidate. I shall contact you within the week to tell you wether or not you have been chosen for the position. Do you have any questions?"

"Yes. Are you interviewing many candidates for this position?"

"No, as a matter of fact, you are the only applicant"

"How would previous employees in the position describe working with you?"

"Well, I believe they would describe it as difficult. I can be away for months at a time and long distance -- err -- employment isn't easy for everyone." 

"I'm up for the challenge" you winked "Oh, another question, what are the benefits for this position?"

"We pride ourselves on having amazing benefits, here at Jake Seresin inc., we really value our employees and vow to take care of any need they might have" He wriggled his eyebrow "This obviously includes being given terrible cups of instant coffee, kisses whenever demanded and of course, never having to open doors of any kind ever again." He said, making you laugh. The pancakes arrived and syrup was poured. You were both quiet while you ate. 

Then, your phone rang and the phone number of one of your superiors lit up the screen. You frowned.

"I have to get this"

Jake nodded. He watched you step outside, and answer your phone with it against one ear and your finger in your other one. He had a bad feeling about this. He'd gotten enough calls like that, but when you came back, sat in your seat and said: "One of my colleagues dropped out last minute, they need me for a three week journey. I leave in an hour", Jake could suddenly smell it again. The putrid cloud coming in through the door and bee-lining for him.