#look blue jays are assholes. and we stan them for that

[dolichomorph]

im still formulating this headcanon but i am 100% convinced hunter's new palisman waffles is a straight up bitch. and we love her for that

justification ok hunter had a nice palisman in his #badboy #sadboy era to teach him about making friends and being nice. now that is 1. no longer a child soldier and 2. in his growth era, he needs a palisman to teach him to establish boundaries and value himself!! a little counterbalance to the guilt and self-loathing kinda. kinda skulking around the corner there

[deafwestnewsies]

the world is quiet here

stanley uris is finally in control. 

suicide ment.

read it on my ao3 and ff.net! 

stanley didn’t mind the empty space before him, if he was going to be honest. and generally that’s exactly what he was, good and kind stanley uris, good and reliable stanley uris, good and faithful stanley uris. 

he was now good and dead. good and gone. good and slashed-his-wrists-in-the-tub. 

people probably didn’t view him as good anymore, but great, a hero within his own right, because that’s what people would do when others took to a razor blade instead of a therapist. hell, stan had done it himself back in junior year of college, when the kid three doors down from him jumped off the balcony with a note pinned to his chest. he had shed the crocodile tear and made the poor bastard out to be someone they would all remember for years to come. the irony, the wry thought crossed his mind, is that i can’t remember his name. and they won’t remember mine. 

patty would, of course. the one of seven people he felt guilty leaving, the good and demure patty uris, patty uris who would cry at the funeral but be able to cover the expenses on her own because that’s the kind of woman he married. she was the most stable of wives and doted on him like her life depended on it, and in some instances he supposed, it did. life was not easy for a child growing up jewish in the nineteen fifties, and she would whisper with a dry throat what a nightmare it was to be a child growing up jewish and female in the nineteen fifties. her nails would rake across her arms like a nervous habit when she told him these stories until he had the sense to hold her until she stopped trembling. the tics went away eventually but the rasp in her throat when she repeated “Peacock Patty” never faded. he had dealt with his own share of names stan the man the jew with the plan but nothing that left him reeling in bed on nights when it was hard to shut his eyes. 

so yes, patty would remember. his parents too, but he didn’t need them to do him that kindness, he wouldn’t have minded being forgotten by donald and andrea uris. they had been good parents as any tried, but in the end slowly ebbed to the back of his mind with the rest of Derry. stanley always thought this was odd and patty always thought he was lying to her, but he had no recollection of his childhood. there was a name and a spot on the map with a red pin stuck through, but names and faces were troubling to recall. the only thing he could recount with complete certainty was the losers club, billstanrichieeddiebeverlymikeben. they were names he did keep from patty though, because maybe it was for the better, maybe it was for her safety, or maybe it was for his. 

eventually it would have come to this anyways. either the stupid dancing clown could bring him to this quiet world, or he could deliver himself. stanley had always enjoyed being the one in control, but not the man in charge. he would mastermind the projects, keep the schedule, and ensure that the work was done right, but he stepped aside for someone with a loud mouth to make sure it all happened. when things fell out of his control, when he cleaned his glasses four times but they still sat wrong on his face, when he flicked the light switch eight times but he still had to call patty to make sure she was okay, that’s when the fear would settle deep inside of him.

the same that reached through his intestines and pulled on his ribcage when mike billstanrichieeddiebeverlymikeben hanlon had called him, when he asked for stan to do the impossible. give up his control. 

his last exertion of power had led him here, and he really didn’t mind it, if he was being honest. which he was, because that’s just who stanley uris is. good and honest and nice and good and stanny boy and kookie kookie and a sliver of a coke bottle and dead. 

___

eddie hated it here. the walls were all fucking white but there actually weren’t any walls it was just white empty nothing that he just kept walking towards with no goddamn avail. if he had a watch he would have to guess that he had been here for at least three hours, but time and space didn’t seem to fucking matter when you’re in a white never-ending nothing. 

he kept walking because what else was there to do. 

he called out for richie once or twice, though. no one answered. 

___

stanley sat with his legs crossed, because any other way would’ve made him feel sick. he looked out into the vast blackness of the new world he inhabited, until a voice cut through the eternal silence. “richie? are you there?” a faded figure in the distance, just a shadow of a man. billstanrichieeddiebeverlymikeben. stanley tapped on his knee in groups of four. 

“rich i swear i’m not mad!”

taptaptaptap

“if this is a joke it’s really not fucking funny dickwad!”

taptaptaptap taptaptaptap 

“richie?”

taptaptaptap

“richie are” taptaptaptap “you there?”

“please.” the voice broke. stanley now lie in the aftermath. 

“please be there.” 

taptaptaptap taptaptaptap 

if stanley wasn’t smarter than that, he could swear that the man calling out was little eddie kaspbrak the asthmatic with an ass all grown up. against all of the white, he could see the blood dripping in a trail behind him. he could understand the mess, because his wrists made their own. this is how stanley uris knew he was not looking at eddie kaspbrak, because that boy would have never let himself bleed freely. (nonviable tissue, ischemia, haematoma, immunosuppression) (robin, blue jay, sparrow, bald eagle) 

“richie!” stanley almost reached for the man’s hand as he trailed by, still wailing for a man that was never going to come. he thought better of it, though. he didn’t know this man. taptaptaptap. he didn’t know what would happen. taptaptaptap. 

eventually the voice faded and stanley was left again, alone with the clean white room. and he didn’t mind it, because it reminded him of the puffy clouds against a bright blue sky, standing on the tip of the world with billstanrichieeddie- what were their names again? billstanrich- how long ago had it been? bill- what promises, mike? what did we promise? 

stanley didn’t mind the empty space before him, if he was going to be honest. and he always was, because that’s the kind of man everyone needed him to be. 

___ 

eddie hated it here. it was so fucking empty. 

i just adore writing from stanley's point of view esp. when there's no romance it's just stan being the man. also BIG sad react for eddie in this, it made me rly sad to write. please leave a comment and i will attempt to murder a killer clown with a baseball bat after yelling "welcome to the loser's club asshole!" for you

[frickfrackjimin]

The Right Reasons - 01

⇻ 2 years ago, Jay Park left you in the dust when he chose another girl over you during the season 14 finale of the Bachelor. Now, it’s your turn to find a chance at love as the new Bachelorette. Pairing: OT7 BTS x reader (ft. members of Monsta X, Seventeen, and NCT 127 bc why not include all of the groups I stan) Genre: fluff, future angst, lowkey crack/humor (this is a kpop fic version of the cringiest show on television cmon now) Words: 8.1K  Inspired by: The Bachelorette! I’ve been watching since Kaitlyn’s season and once Becca’s season started I got the inspo to write this! Warnings: Mentions of alcohol, slight language, guys being assholes (don’t take the way I portray any of them to heart, it’s simply for the plot of the story!), super cringe bc this is based on shitty reality TV anyways!!! sorry no interviews or intel on the guys… unless i decide to switch it up a bit towards the end ;-) we shall see) 

Start of Week 1:

Chae, Hyungwon (aged 28, 5’ 11”, College Professor, Hometown: Gwangju)

Choi, Sungcheol (aged 26, 5’ 10”, IT Consultant, Hometown: Daegu)

Hong, Joshua (aged 26, 5’ 10”, Pastry Chef, Hometown: Los Angeles)

Im, Changkyun (aged 26, 5’ 9”, Marketing Consultant, Hometown: Gwangju)

Jeon, Jeongguk (aged 24, 5’ 10”, Wedding Videographer, Hometown: Busan)

Jeon, Wonwoo (aged 25, 6’ 0”, Software Engineer, Hometown: Gyeongsangnam-do)

Jung, Hoseok (aged 28, 5’ 10”, Journalist, Hometown: Gwangju)

Jung, Jaehyun (aged 25, 5’ 11”, Realtor, Hometown: Seoul)

Kim, Mingyu (aged 24/25, 6’ 2”, Chiropractor, Hometown: Gyeonggi-do)

Kim, Namjoon (aged 27, 5’ 11”, Pharmacy Technician, Hometown: Ilsan)

Kim, Seokjin (aged 29, 5’ 10.5”, Physical Therapist, Hometown: Gwacheon)

Kim, Taehyung (aged 26, 5’ 10”, Music Producer, Hometown: Daegu)  

Kwon, Soonyoung (aged 25, 5’ 10”, Executive Assistant, Hometown: Gyeonggi-do)

Lee, Jooheon (aged 27, 5’ 10”, Graphic Designer, Hometown: Seoul)

Lee, Minhyuk (aged 28, 5’ 10”, Sales Rep, Hometown: Gwangju)

Lee, Seokmin (aged 25, 5’ 10.5”, Creative Director, Hometown: Gyeonggi-do)

Lee, Taeyong (aged 26, 5’ 9”, Sales Account Executive, Hometown: Seoul)

Min, Yoongi (aged 29, 5’ 8.5”, Professional Pianist, Hometown: Daegu)

Moon, Taeil (aged 27, 5’ 7”, Attorney, Hometown: Seoul)

Park, Jimin (aged 26, 5’ 8.5”, Social Media Coordinator, Hometown: Busan)

Seo, Johnny (aged 27, 6’ 0”, Translator, Hometown: Chicago)

Shin, Hoseok (Wonho) (aged 30, 5’ 10”, Fitness Coach, Hometown: Anyang)

Sohn, Hyunwoo (aged 29, 5’ 11”, Mechanic, Hometown: Changdong)

Yoo, Kihyun (aged 28, 5’ 9”, Dental Assistant, Hometown: Ilsan)

Yoon, Jeonghan (aged 26, 5’ 10”, Research Assistant, Hometown: Hwaseong)

Week 1:

The last time you felt this nervous was the night you first met Jay Park.

It was a year and a half ago. You had been invited by the producers of the Bachelor to participate in season 14.

Originally, you had no idea who the Bachelor was supposed to be. About a week before you began filming, you found out it was going to be Jay and your nerves went tenfold.

You had watched him on Jisoo’s season of the Bachelorette the year prior. He had been one of your favorites, but got eliminated after hometowns when Jisoo sent him home to pursue her relationships with the other guys.

Though you were nervous, you tried to not let them show when you got out of the limo. Walking up to him in front of the mansion, you had let all of your anxieties go as you decided to go for the corniest pick up line out there.

“Um, so I think we might need to call the cops tonight,” you had said with a serious face.

“What? Why?” Jay asked back, a concerned look spreading across his face.

“Because it’s illegal for you to look that good.”

That had made him laugh. You patted yourself on the back for making a good first impression, which continued as your relationship progressed throughout the next few weeks.

Before you could even realize it, you had fallen in love with him. So, so in love with him.

Everything he did made you feel so special; he was a gentleman, he listened to you when you opened up to him, and the conversations you had on and off camera were great in your eyes.

Apparently they weren’t that good to him though, since he chose the other girl, Nayeon, over you in the end.

Oh, but the best part was getting to re-watch you get rejected by Jay on television three months later, and watching him propose to Nayeon instead and seeing how happy they were. Yeah, that was just the cherry on top.

Even then, you still couldn’t bring yourself to hate the girl. She had been nothing but sweet to you all season, and it’s not like you could help that you both fell in love with the same guy - you knew that was a risk you had to take when you agreed to go on the show.

Still, you had taken a year off to mend your broken heart, focusing on loving yourself and spending a lot of time with your friends and family.

You also spent a lot of time continuing your work as a travel nurse. You visited numerous cities in the United States, as well as in Thailand and Vietnam, lending your services where they were necessary.

Now, you had time off and wanted to spend that time trying to look for love again. When the producers of the Bachelorette approached you and asked if you wanted to be the next Bachelorette, there was no way that you could say no.

You were ready for a second chance at finding love. This time, you had a good feeling that it would be a success and you’d be walking away with a ring on your finger and your arm around a man who loved you just as much as you loved him.

The season would feature 25 men all fighting for a chance to fall in love with you.

Now in the limo, you can see the front gates of the mansion in the distance. That mansion housed you and dozens of other girls before.

In that mansion, you experienced cocktail parties, emotional rose ceremonies, and went through plenty of drama between the contestants.

Now, it would be occupied by twenty-five of your own suitors. The role reversal would take some getting used to, but you were ultimately excited.

The limo came to a halt, making you shake your head briefly out of your thoughts. You smoothed down the front of your navy blue gown - one covered in sequin beading from head to toe with spaghetti straps and an open back.

Your producer, Chan, had said it made you look like you were red carpet ready, not about to meet twenty five men who probably would never meet your high expectations.

That was the goal though; you knew that if you looked good, you’d feel good too, and hopefully that would give you good judgment on the men tonight.

Stepping a silver heel ounto the stone driveway, you are met with the dimmed lighting of the infamous Bachelor Nation mansion, as well as the face of the show’s long-time host Bang Sihyuk.

After your typical greetings you needed to do for the sake of the camera, Bang walks into the house to await the other men.

Now it’s just you, left alone with your thoughts while waiting for the first limo to pull into the driveway. You can feel the cameras on you from their multiple positions on the driveway.

Some are already in the house, waiting to begin filming the cocktail party and rose ceremony later in the evening.

‘Just remember that they’re all here for you,’ you thought to yourself. ‘You have nothing to worry about, they’re the ones that have to impress you. You just need to be yourself. Everything will be fine.’

The first man to step out of the limo is gorgeous.

His hair is dyed a faded red color, the smile lighting up his face automatically makes your heart flutter. Taking a moment to button his suit jacket that fits him oh so well, you take notice of the black sticks in his hands.

You smile grows wider as he approaches you, arms automatically spreading out for a hug which you are more than happy to return.

“You look absolutely beautiful tonight! Like, wow, I can’t even believe it,” he praises, practically gawking at you but it doesn’t make you uncomfortable; if anything, it’s flattering.

“You look very handsome as well!” you compliment back, being 100% truthful.

“So my name is Hoseok, and if I’m right, I’m the first one here?”

“You would be correct,” you flirt back.

“Well then, I guess it’s only appropriate that we break these bad boys out,” he states, handing you one of the black sticks.

“What is this?” you ask, turning the stick around curiously in your hands.

“I think it’s time that we get the party started!” he exclaims, before pushing at the bottom of his stick. A loud pop sound came from the stick as confetti flew all over the two of you. You screech a bit, both in shock and out of giddiness.

“I guess it’s my turn now?” you giggle, pushing at the bottom of your stick as the other party popper explodes, numerous colors of shimmery paper flying around the two of you.

Letting out cheers of awe at the colors around you, you turn back to face Hoseok, your cheeks hurting already from smiling so much.

“That was definitely a good way to get the party started!” you cheer. “It was so nice getting to meet you Hoseok, I’ll definitely find you inside later!”

“I’ll be looking forward to it,” he smiles, going in for another hug that you gladly accept.

He gives you one last dazzling smile before turning and walking back into the mansion.

You watch him as he walks away, admiring the fit of his suit and thinking about what an amazing first meeting you had.

‘If the rest are like him, I’m screwed,’ you thought to yourself before turning back around.

The staff quickly came by and sweeped up the rest of the confetti before the next man stepped out of the limo.

The second man was tall and named Johnny, with wavy brown hair and a sweet smile.

The man after him had with milky white skin and surprisingly dyed mint green hair. 

He seemed really shy when he told you that his name was Yoongi, and that he looked forward to getting to know you more. 

He had quite the mysterious aura about him, which intrigued you. You made a mental note to try to break him out of his shell tonight during the cocktail party.

Three more men followed out of the limo, going by the names of Jeonghan, Joshua, and Hyungwon.

Jeonghan had a cute smile and laugh, Joshua had pink dyed hair with flustered red cheeks, and Hyungwon was tall and lanky with full lips.

Expecting a limo to pull up after Hyungwon entered the house, you are surprised when you instead heard the sound of a high pitched horn.

Looking towards the gate, you saw a man riding in on a bright pink electric scooter, scarily similar to a Jet X from your favorite childhood show, Zoey 101.

“Oh my gosh!” You exclaimed, laughter pouring out of your mouth before you could stop yourself.

He pulls up to a stop right in front of you, taking off his helmet and shaking his hair out.

“Are you ready?” he asks in a high pitched voice.

You’re cracking up at this point, but manage to utter out an, “Ooh!” to finish off the intro he had started.

The man walks up to you and embraces you in a light hug before grabbing your hands in his. His boxy smile is taking over his face as he begins to speak.

“So, I heard through the grapevine that you loved Zoey 101 as a kid, and I know you see me standing here, and I just had to let you know that you look good, my dear,” he says, theme song puns dropping from his tongue. It’s almost cringey, but he manages to pull it off.

“Well, I would love for you to see my world if it means I get to take a spin on this Jet X later,” you chuckle.

“That can definitely be arranged. My name is Taehyung, by the way.”

You almost miss his name, finally getting a good look at his face without being overtaken by laughter from the theme of his entrance.

His dark brown hair fell into his eyes a little, hitting the tops of his long eyelashes. He wasn’t wearing a tie, but he didn’t seem like he really needed one to look formal.

“It is very nice to meet you Taehyung,” you say, gripping his hands a bit tighter before he lets go.

“I hope to get to talk to you more inside later, maybe over some Blix and Sushi Rox,” he smiles.

“I would really like that.”

As he walks into the house, you follow him with your eyes. He turns around before entering the house and sings out, “Yeaaaah, yeah, yeaaaaah!” which makes you laugh as hard as it did the first time.

You can’t wipe the smile off of your face as the next limo pops up, greeting you with five more attractive suitors.

Mingyu was tall with a lean figure and light brown hair.

Wonho had soft eyes and his suit was threatening to burst at the seams from how muscular he was.

Jimin was small in stature but had a sweet smile that turned his eyes into crescent moons.

Jaehyun had a long nose and dimples.

Kihyun was adorable and just kept repeating how nervous he was, which was more endearing than off-putting.

As soon as the empty limo turned back onto the street, you heard wheels rolling against the driveway, signaling a new arrival. This time it was not a limo yet again.

A blur of a dark green suit jacket and black trousers passes your vision as the man rides a skateboard around on the stone driveway.

Your nerves are a bit on edge watching him, since the pavement was so uneven and he could fall at any moment.

The man does a few flip tricks on the skateboard, which would impress you if you weren’t so worried for his safety.

He does one final trick, flipping into a handstand on his skateboard, before flipping forward and landing right in front of you.

“Wow!” you exclaim because you really are at a loss for words.

“I’m Jooheon, nice to meet you,” he smiles, leaning in and wrapping his arms around you lightly.

“It’s nice to meet you too… wow I’m sorry, I’m still in shock from that entrance,” you stuttered out.

He chuckled. “I’ve been skateboarding since I was ten, it’s just a hobby but I figured it’d make a cool entrance.”

“Well, it was definitely cool, I was so worried you would fall though!” you laughed even though it wasn’t that funny.

“I honestly was worried too! I promise I’ll stick to my feet for the rest of the night.”

“I think that’s for the best,” you laugh.

The next few guys were strange and quirky in their own sense too.

The first man to step out of the next limousine, Namjoon, was adorable in every sense. He had the deepest dimples you had ever seen and tripped on his way up.

You felt bad for trying to contain a laugh, but he immediately began laughing at himself, stating that stuff like that happens to him all of the time. His clutziness was charming.

The next man, Seungcheol, came out with something that resembled a large egg in his arm.

You were hoping that it was something other than an egg, but you were proven wrong when he explained that he wants to be able to take care of you and be a good husband and future father.

To prove this, he would take care of the ostrich egg in his arms for the entire time he is in the competition.

You wanted to be polite, but you were a bit creeped out.

Thankfully, the next few guys were more normal.

Seokjin was the definition of handsome, with broad shoulders and thick lips.

Changkyun had one of the deepest voices you had ever heard and a somewhat serious aura to him.

Wonwoo had narrow, sultry eyes but a contradicting pleasant smile.

Taeyong looked like he was straight out of an anime with sharp features but a soft presence.

With the weird things that had happened so far that night, you shouldn’t have been surprised that someone showed up in a costume. That still didn’t stop the laughter from the surprise that came from seeing a man hop up the driveway in a gigantic grey bunny suit.

“Y/N!!!” he yells from the foot of the driveway as you continue to rumble in laughter at the sight.

Stepping in front of you, he grabs your hands with his fur covered ones.

“So, my name is Jeongguk, I’ve been told by my friends that I look like a bunny and I’m hoping to hop my way into your heart.”

You want to cringe at how bad that line was, but the red on his cheeks and his big doe eyes made you change your comment to, “Well, we’ll just have to wait and see, won’t we?”

The final limousine pulls up after Jeongguk enters the mansion, and you ready yourself for the last group of guys to exit the limousine.

The first man, Hyunwoo, had soft features and was very reserved, but sweet nonetheless.

Minhyuk was a big ball of sunshine and his nose scrunched a bit when he smiled.

Seokmin had the brightest smile you had ever seen on someone and you felt immediately comfortable in his presence.

Taeil had a soothing voice and fluffy hair that you just wanted to run your hands through.

As Taeil walked through the door, you thought that all of the guys had arrived. However, your producers proved you wrong when they asked you to stand back a bit on the driveway, closer to the house so the final man could make his arrival.

You were confused, but soon felt the wind pick up around you. Staring up into the night sky, you see the outline of a helicopter as it begins to descend down towards you.

“Oh my gosh!” you scream over the loud sound of the rotor blades. A guy was actually making an entrance on a helicopter?!

You can see some of the other guys in the house peeking out through the fence and even through the front door, observing the source of the loud noises outside.

Once the helicopter touches down and the blades slow to a stop, a man steps out of the rotorcraft. He is clad in black from head to toe, down to his black hair that is gelled back away from his face. He buttons his suit jacket before beginning to walk towards you.

“Figured that we had better save the best for last,” he starts, a quirky smile appearing on his face. “Hi, I’m Soonyoung.”

He envelopes you in a hug before leaning back.

“Well, that was definitely extravagant, Soonyoung,” you chortle.

“The view from up there was amazing, but I think the view I have right here in front of me is better,” he flirts.

You blush a bit, simply replying back, “Very smooth.”

After Soonyoung enters the house, you take a minute with your producers to touch up your hair and makeup, eat a granola bar, and stick a mint in your mouth.

With a full stomach and a fresh coat of lipstick, you enter the house to begin the first of many conversations throughout the night.

Once you arrive in the house, all of the men are ushered into the dining room for the official season photo.

They are lined up in three rows, with you being in the very bottom row in the middle. After about thirty minutes of taking photos and touching up, you make your official on-camera walk out to greet all of the men.

Entering the living room, all of they immediately start applauding you, all standing up from their seats and moving a bit closer.

You blush at the sudden onslaught of attention your way, but had to remind yourself that you would probably have to get used to it.

Namjoon approaches your side, holding out a glass of white wine. You thank him and grasp the stem of the glass between your fingers before turning to the rest of the room.

“Thank you all for being here tonight, I’m so happy to have met all of you, and I hope to get to know you all more throughout the night,” you pause a second, raising your glass. “So, here’s to a great first night, and to a great season, and to finding love!”

The men cheer at that as all of you taking sips from your glasses varying in liquors and spirits.

You feel a tap on your shoulder, turning to see Seokmin’s smiling face.

“Mind if I steal you for a bit?” he asks.

“Of course you can,” you respond, preparing yourself for a long night full of many, many conversations.

A few people into the night, you’re walking on the patio after finishing up conversation with Jeongguk - who had taken off his bunny costume once he got in the house and was instead wearing a maroon and black striped suit with a maroon button up shirt.

Immediately after he enters the living room through the large french doors, Jaehyun is taking you back to a sofa on the patio for his conversation of the night.

“So Jaehyun, what do you do for a living?” you ask, figuring it was a good starting point.

“I’m a realtor in Seoul,” he explains. “I’m normally situated near Gangnam.”

“Oh, that’s not too far from here, is it? Did you not have to travel far to be here?”

“Not really, I work a lot from home too. It’s nice when you make enough of a living that you don’t need to really work full-time.”

Something about his mention of his wealth was a bit off putting, but you brushed it off as him being proud of his success. There’s nothing wrong with being proud of your work.

You should know, you could talk about your relationships with some of your patients for hours.

“Although, it’s actually pretty funny. The other week, your ex contacted my company for a realtor because he wanted to buy an apartment somewhere. They sent me out there, and when I saw it was him and that girl he picked over you, I could immediately tell that he had awful taste because the girl he picked was definitely not as pretty and nice as you.”

That rubbed you the wrong way. Even though you know you and Nayeon will never be friends, hearing her being talked down on by someone that doesn’t really know her doesn’t sit well with you.

“Nayeon’s actually really nice, I never had a problem with her, even now,” you assert defensively.

“Okay, well, I’m just saying, I think I got the better end of the deal” Jaehyun shrugs.

That was the final straw for you. You were so consumed by rage for this arrogant man, you don’t even think you could wait for the rose ceremony to send him home.

However, for the sake of not wanting to seem like a psycho bachelorette on the first night of the show, you withheld from screaming at him to get the hell out.

“You can think whatever you want, even if it’s rude and arrogant,” you chime back at him, standing up. “I need to go to the restroom. Thank you for speaking with me. It was really eye opening.”

You stand up, abandoning your now empty glass of wine behind with Jaehyun as you enter the house and head straight towards the restroom.

The cameramen are right on your trail, having caught the entire exchange on camera.

You locked the door behind you, effectively shutting out the cameras before slumping against the door. Resisting the urge to run your hands over your face, you take a minute to collect yourself.

Being reminded of Jay was not something that you wanted to happen tonight.

Of course, maybe a subtle comment here and there could be expected, but when Jaehyun came right out and insulted not just Jay but Nayeon as well, you were shocked and really upset that he would do such a thing.

Exiting the bathroom, you begin to make your way back to the living room to find another man to talk to. A hand lightly grabs your arm on your way back, letting go when you turn to look at him.

Taehyung gives you a sheepish smile. “Can I steal you for a bit?”

You breathe a sigh of relief at the sight of him. “Depends, am I going to get a ride on that Jet X now?”

His deep voice lets out a breathy laugh. “Not tonight, but I do have something else planned I think you’ll like.”

“Then lead the way,” you hold your hand out to him, allowing him to clasp it in his own as you make your way out to a different part of the patio.

It’s more secluded than the previous place you had been conversing, with a loveseat rather than a couch as the choice of seating. You know that the cameramen are following you without even looking.

“You looked a bit down earlier, are you okay? Are you just feeling tired? I know it’s been a long night and it’s not even halfway over yet,” he chuckles, adding some lighthearted humor to his concern.

“I wouldn’t say I’m tired per say, however I will be sleeping very well at the end of the night,” you smile. “Just a little off put by some people here is all.”

“I hope I’m not one of them.”

“No, Taehyung, you’re not,” you assure him, placing your hand on his knee.

“Well that’s good, because I actually wrote something for you.”

He reaches behind the loveseat, pulling out an acoustic guitar. How he managed to hide that without you seeing is beyond you, but it brings a smile to your face.

“I wrote this a few days ago when I was supposed to be packing,” he says quietly. “It’s not finished, but I hope you like it.”

He tunes a few of the strings before he begins to strum different chords. When he opens his mouth to begin singing, your mouth drops open a bit.

His voice sounds like silk, or milk chocolate, or something else that is comforting that you can’t think of.

The extremely deep tone in his voice brings a calming sense over you.

He manages to hit high notes with little problem, impressing you even further.

You find yourself wishing he had prepared more of the song when he strums his last chord, just so you could listen a bit longer.

“You really wrote that, Taehyung?”

He blushes. “Yeah. I’m a music producer so it’s like second nature to me to write about what I’m feeling. I was excited but nervous to begin this journey, you know? I also saw on TV how pretty and genuine and sweet you were, and I really wanted to make a good impression on you.”

You smile sweetly at him. “I think you’re doing a great job at that.”

Mingyu comes over at that time, asking if he can have some time to chat with you.

You of course can’t say no, as much as you wish you had more time to talk with Taehyung.

You both stand up, giving him a hug as he heads back into the house. Mingyu takes a seat next to you, and you try to focus your attention back on him.

“So my team’s research is basically on how certain particles in the atmosphere interact with each other in different climates that they may not normally be found in. With all of the issues with global warming and pollution, it’s really cool and important because-”

Jeonghan had sat down across from you about two minutes ago, and in that time you’ve found out that he is currently getting his Master’s Degree in agricultural and biological engineering.

He was a research assistant in a lab at the local university. You were a little lost on what he was talking about, because even though you had to take numerous science classes when getting your nursing degree, you never enjoyed that part of it. 

You preferred the clinical rounds and the on-hand experience rather than taking microbiology or anatomy and physiology.

“Hey man, mind if I steal her for a bit?”

You look up to see Taeil standing over the pair of you, Jeonghan’s rambling about his research coming to a halt.

“I literally just sat down.”

“I know, I was just wondering if I could have some time to talk to Y/N.”

Jeonghan narrowed his eyes a bit at Taeil before admitting defeat and standing up.

“It was great getting to talk to you, Y/N, no matter how short our time was,” Jeonghan says, shooting a glare at Taeil as he walks away and Taeil takes his spot.

Trying to find the right time to interrupt a conversation is always uncomfortable, no matter what side you are on. You feel for Jeonghan, but you are also a bit thankful for Taeil swooping in and interrupting.

That is, until he begins talking as well.

As soon as you find out he’s an attorney, you have to refrain from rolling your eyes.

Your uncle is an attorney, and whenever he’s not working (which is rare) he is always talking down on you, thinking he’s better because he is certified to be a professional arguer.

You haven’t had the greatest of experiences with them in the past, but you wanted to give Taeil the benefit of the doubt.

However, after conversing with him for a solid ten minutes, and him asking you to expand on your answers at least three times, you felt like your head was about to explode.

Thankfully, another man came by right when you were about to excuse yourself. 

You breathed a sigh of relief when looking upon the face of Seokjin.

Taeil thanked you for speaking with him before he got up and Seokjin took his place.

“So how’s your night been?” he asks, taking a sip of his red wine.

Gulping down a sip of your own white wine spritzer, you nod at him while replying with, “It’s been good! I’ve had a lot of great conversations.”

“Yeah, I’ve noticed you’ve had a lot of conversations. Have you been able to eat anything yet?” he asks, concern laced across his features.

“I had a granola bar before I came in the house a while ago, but I’ll be okay until the end of the night,” you assure him.

He clicks his tongue at you. “You need to take care of yourself. They have all of this food catered for us in the kitchen, yet the beautiful woman we’re all here for gets nothing? I just don’t understand. That’s why I brought you this.”

It’s then that you notice the plate of food in his hand. It’s mostly desserts; two brownies, some chocolate covered strawberries, and a rice krispie treat.

Your mouth salivates a bit and your stomach lets out an embarrassing grumble of hunger at the sight.

You widen your eyes at him, being caught in your fib.

(A/N: CAUGHT IN A LIIIIIIEEEEEEEE)

He pushes the plate into your lap, and you accept it gratefully. “You’re a lifesaver, Seokjin. Thank you.”

It was really sweet of Seokjin to bring you a plate of food, even though he could have easily forgone it. It shows that he does genuinely care about your well being and making sure that you are well fed and not just surviving the night on wine spritzers and a granola bar.

“Any time. I couldn’t let all of the men pig out while you sat out here starving until morning.”

“I’ll only eat some if you have a brownie too, and tell me some more about yourself,” you offer.

“Deal. What would you like to know?” he asks before taking a bite out of one of the brownies on the plate.

Your chat ensued from there, the topic of his profession as a physical therapist and yours as a nurse paving the way for a good conversation. One that was cut short once again as Taeyong came to begin his conversation with you.

“Thank you again for the food, it was delicious, and I really appreciate it,” you say, standing up with Seokjin.

“Like I said before, any time. I enjoyed our conversation.”

You and Seokjin embrace in a lingering hug before he walks away, and Taeyong is grabbing your hand to walk with you to another place to chat.

Thankfully, there were only a handful of guys to talk to after your conversation with Taeyong.

That still didn’t mean much, considering it was nearly 1:00 in the morning and you still had to do your interviews and figure out who to send home during the rose ceremony.

Another thing on your mind was who to give the first impression rose to.

Sitting in one of the lounges with your producers, you snack on some carrot sticks while sorting through all of the photos of your suitors.

If anyone caught this on tape and it was shown on TV, no doubt the fans would get mad.

How were you, in all seriousness, really supposed to remember the names of twenty five people that you just met that day?

That’s like asking to memorize the names and faces of every member of Twice, Girls Generation, and Apink in one day. It’s impossible.

“Anyone in particular make a bad impression that you want to send home?” Chan asks.

“A few of them, actually. Which surprises me, I figured it’d be harder to try to figure out who to send home. There were a few who were rude or I just didn’t feel a connection with, I feel like this elimination is going to be the easiest,” you admit.

“That’s how it normally is. The smaller the pool and the more the relationships grow, the harder it gets.”

Setting aside the pile of those you would send home tonight, you turn back to your pile of those you want to stay.

“Now, who to give the first impression rose to is hard. A lot of them made great conversation, and a lot of them had great entrances. Soonyoung came in on a helicopter, I’m pretty sure that made a big first impression.” Chan laughs at that. 

“However, Kihyun made me laugh so hard I nearly had wine coming out of my nose, and Johnny and I had a deep conversation for it only being the first night. I could honestly give it to either of them.”

“What about Seokjin? Didn’t he bring you food halfway through the night? That was really sweet of him, and actually normal compared to some of the weird shit the other guys pulled” Chan questions.

You laugh at that, remembering how Minhyuk had brought an electronic massager to use on your back that just tickled you instead.

And how Joshua had attempted to juggle three bottles of water and ended up spilling all over himself and the couch.

“Yeah he did,” you respond, scanning the pictures and landing on Seokjin’s.

His shoulders are so broad that they had to zoom the camera out a bit on his picture, making a small smile appear on your face.

Your eyes continue to wander through the headshots, before lingering on a specific one.

You glanced at Chan through your peripherals, glancing at this man’s headshot. 

You don’t even try to contain your smile as you reminisce on his humor and quirkiness and his handsome smile.

“I know who to give the rose to.”

Stepping out of the lounge, you make your way into the living room.

Most of the men are congregated in different areas of the room; some on the couch, others in chairs, some lingering in the door frames.

All eyes turn to you as you enter the room, those in the hallways coming to stand in the living room. Everyone looks thoroughly tired, being that it’s nearly 2 in the morning by the time you did your interviews and made your decisions.

You reach toward the single rose that is sitting on a tray in the middle of the coffee table.

You remember being on their side not too long ago; having that rose stare at you, almost tauntingly, for hours on end as you sat through the first night, wondering if you would be the one that got the rose.

First impressions mean a lot, and most that receive the first impression rose stay until at least the final four.

Whispers break out among the men as you fumble with the rose between your fingers.

“It’s a big moment! You hear Joshua say to Hyungwon on your side.

“Indeed it is!” you respond, making them laugh at the embarrassment of being heard.

Taking a deep breath, you lock eyes with him and shyly ask, “Taehyung, can you come with me for a second?”

His eyes widen in surprise for a moment, before a ginormous smile makes its way onto Taehyung’s face as he stands up. “Of course.”

You grab onto his hand as he approaches you, turning around and walking to a more secluded area of the house.

You can already hear the sighs of disappointment and side comments begin to stir up in the living room from the response of your decision. You tune out the background noise and lead him to the parlour, sitting in front of the fireplace.

You look at him, blushing when you realize his smile hasn’t faded.

“So, Taehyung,” you begin.

“Tonight started off by you coming in on my dream vehicle, a hot pink Jet X, just like my childhood idol, Zoey Brooks.” you both laugh at that.

“The fact that you took the time to look into the things I like just to make a grand entrance already meant a lot. Then you catch me right after a not-so-great conversation and manage to make my mood do a complete 180 just from a smile. That song that you sang tonight was absolutely beautiful, I never wanted to stop listening to it. I loved every second I spent with you tonight, and I never felt a lull in conversation at any point. You made me feel completely comfortable from the moment we met. So, Taehyung, will you accept this rose?”

Taehyung’s eyes squeeze shut in happiness, opening them back up and saying, “Yes! Absolutely!” with uncontained laughs leaving his mouth.

You both stand up, smiles adorning your faces, as you pin the red rose to his right lapel on his suit jacket.

“It looks good on you,” you flirt, tilting the rose a bit before reaching your arms around his neck in a hug.

He wraps his arms around your waist so tight you think you might snap.

You decided to be bold and kiss his cheek when you pull back, only he had the same idea and ended up kissing your cheek as well. You both release a string of giggles.

“Great minds think alike,” Taehyung proclaims.

“Let’s see if that’s true now,” you softly speak back, leaning your head in towards his.

He meets you halfway down, his lips placing themselves on yours gently, as if asking if what he is doing is okay.

You pull back briefly, only to move back in for another kiss.

This time, Taehyung is less hesitant, placing his lips more firmly against yours for a few seconds.

His lips felt as soft as they looked; the taste of Coca-Cola on his lips surprises you, since you could have sworn he had been drinking bourbon that night.

You peck his lips one last time before pulling away from him and out of his arms. “I thought you drank bourbon tonight?” you asked, grabbing his hand and walking out with him.

“I had a drink, yeah. I’m not big on alcohol though, so I switched to soda after one glass. I’m also a major lightweight, and I didn’t feel like making a fool out of myself tonight of all nights.”

You smile at him, stopping right outside of the frame to the living room.

“Thank you for the rose, I swear I haven’t been this happy in a long time,” Taehyung admits.

“Thank you for accepting it,” you counter. “I’ll see you in a bit.”

You squeeze his hands one last time before walking back into the lounge where your producers were working.

Two hours later, the men and yourself had all finished being interviewed. It was officially time for the first rose ceremony.

Four in the morning is a strange time for anyone to be awake.

You are quite used to the late nights from work, but it’s clear that most of these men aren’t.

A majority of them you caught dozing off from the TVs in your lounge, showing what the cameras walking around were filming.

Next to you, the grand host Mr. Bang himself was knocked out, and had been for about an hour or so. Chan walked into the room after setting the dining room up into a good set-up for the rose ceremony.

“Alright Y/N, I’m going to gather the men in the dining room for the rose ceremony. We’re going to line them up, start filming, then have you walk back in to start the rose ceremony. Then we can all go home, sound good to you?”

“That sounds excellent,” you sigh, nudging Mr. Bang in the side.

“C’mon Bang, you have to be the hostess with the mostess for a bit longer, then I promise you can resume your slumber.”

He awoke from his nap, stretching a bit before one of the makeup artists came by and swiped some more concealer under his eyes for the sake of the cameras.

“Alright, I’m ready to be the hostess with the mostess. Even though I’m not a hostess.” You laugh at his ridiculousness, following him out of the lounge.

Bang walks into the dining room, taking his place by the table that holds eighteen roses on a tray. You would be sending home six men tonight. With Taehyung already having a rose, that leaves eighteen more to give out.

You thank your producer for having you practice how to pin the roses beforehand, it would definitely make the whole process go a lot faster and be a lot less painful for both parties.

Chan is next to you, waiting for your cue from the cameraman in the other room. Once he receives the signal, he pushes you forward a bit.

Your silver heels hitting the tile floor are pretty much the only sound in the room. You can tell that everyone is nervous, and honestly, you are a bit too.

You stand next to the rose table, glancing down at the multitude of roses being served literally on a silver platter. Bang is next to you, speaking to the gentlemen.

“Gentlemen, good evening, and welcome to your first rose ceremony. Most of you know how this goes, but for those that don’t, I’ll lay it out for you all. If you hear your name called, step forward to accept a rose. Taehyung, you got the first impression rose; congratulations, you have nothing to worry about tonight. As for the rest of you, if you do not hear your name, you will be sent home immediately. So, I wish you all the best, and if you’re ready, Y/N, you may begin.”

Bang backs up towards the door, merely an onlooker as you begin the process of handing out the roses.

You look at the faces of all of the men standing before you. Taking a step forward away from the table, you suddenly feel a lot more weight on your shoulders than you did ten minutes ago.

You clear your throat before speaking.

“First of all, I’d like to thank all of you for being here tonight. I know I kept saying it throughout the night but I cannot stress enough how much it means to me that you all took the time and sacrificed things to be here. It was such a great night, but this is the hard part where I have to say goodbye. Even though I have to say goodbye to some of you tonight, I am still hopeful that I can find love on this journey and I’m so thankful for that.”

Pausing after your speech, you take a look down at the platter again, grabbing a rose this time.

You fumble around with it in your hands, looking up at the men before beginning the process of handing out roses.

“Hoseok.”

He smiles from his spot on the far left end of the second row, stepping out and making the short walk towards you.

“Hoseok, will you accept this rose?”

“Always.”

(A/N: my Potterhead heart is hurting) 

Smiling, you pin the rose to the lapel of his jacket, hugging him before he turns to walk back to his spot.

Picking up the next rose, you call out Yoongi’s name.

A small smile graces his face as you pin the rose to his lapel, hugging him and continuing the process for a handful more boys, including klutzy Namjoon, skateboarding Jooheon, and even ostrich egg owner Seungcheol.

It is now down to the last rose, and there are seven men left: Jaehyun, Jeonghan, Taeil, Hyunwoo, Minhyuk, Joshua, and Jeongguk.

Bang steps out from the shadows of the room as you stare at the final rose.

“Gentlemen, this is the final rose this evening. If your name is not called, you will be going home,” he turns to you. “Whenever you’re ready, Y/N.”

You grab onto the rose, before looking back up at the group of men remaining.

You had been between two people all night, feeling a good connection with both but knowing that one needed to go home. You stared back and forth discreetly between the two of them, before settling on one and calling out his name.

“Jeongguk.”

You see him let out a breath of relief as he steps down a level to make his way over to you.

“Jeongguk, will you accept this rose?”

“Yes, I will,” he smiles.

Pinning the rose onto his jacket, you whisper to him, “Thank you for not making me attempt to pin this onto a bunny suit.”

He giggles at you before leaning in for a quick hug. Now back in his spot, Bang comes forward again.

“Gentlemen, I’m sorry, but if your name wasn’t called, please say your goodbyes.”

The men continued to do the standard bro high-five, some men hug, some shake hands as you watch from your spot at the front of the room.

One by one, each man makes his way to you to hug you goodbye, wishing you the best and thanking you for the opportunity.

You never understood why the people leaving always thanked the Bachelor/Bachelorette for the opportunity - you’re not the one who casted them.

Still, you accepted their gratitude and sent them on their way.

By the time the rose ceremony has wrapped up, the sun is beginning to peak over the horizon, signaling the start of a new day and the end of your own.

The staff brings in flutes of mimosas, everyone grabbing one then turning to look at you.

“So here’s to surviving the first night, for making amazing impressions and for continuing the search for love,” you drawl out. “Cheers!”

“Cheers!” everyone yells out, clinking glasses and sipping on their breakfast cocktail.

‘One week down, nine to go,’ you think to yourself. Your journey has only just begun.

Week 1 Callout Order Results:

Kim, Taehyung (aged 26, 5’ 10”, Music Producer, Hometown: Daegu)

Jung, Hoseok (aged 28, 5’ 10”, Journalist, Hometown: Gwangju)

Min, Yoongi (aged 29, 5’ 8.5”, Professional Pianist, Hometown: Daegu)

Kim, Mingyu (aged 24/25, 6’ 2”, Chiropractor, Hometown: Gyeonggi-do)

Lee, Taeyong (aged 26, 5’ 9”, Sales Account Executive, Hometown: Seoul)

Chae, Hyungwon (aged 28, 5’ 11”, College Professor, Hometown: Gwangju)

Kim, Namjoon (aged 27, 5’ 11”, Pharmacy Technician, Hometown: Ilsan)

Choi, Seungcheol (aged 26, 5’ 10”, IT Consultant, Hometown: Daegu)

Jeon, Wonwoo (aged 25, 6’ 0”, Software Engineer, Hometown: Gyeongsangnam-do)

Lee, Jooheon (aged 27, 5’ 10”, Graphic Designer, Hometown: Seoul)

Yoo, Kihyun (aged 28, 5’ 9”, Dental Assistant, Hometown: Ilsan)

Kim, Seokjin (aged 29, 5’ 10.5”, Physical Therapist, Hometown: Gwacheon)

Park, Jimin (aged 26, 5’ 8.5”, Social Media Coordinator, Hometown: Busan)

Seo, Johnny (aged 27, 6’ 0”, Translator, Hometown: Chicago)

Lee, Seokmin (aged 25, 5’ 10.5”, Creative Director, Hometown: Gyeonggi-do)

Kwon, Soonyoung (aged 25, 5’ 10”, Executive Assistant, Hometown: Gyeonggi-do)

Shin, Hoseok (Wonho) (aged 30, 5’ 10”, Fitness Coach, Hometown: Anyang)

Im, Changkyun (aged 26, 5’ 9”, Marketing Consultant, Hometown: Gwangju)

Jeon, Jeongguk (aged 24, 5’ 10”, Wedding Videographer, Hometown: Busan)

Hong, Joshua (aged 26, 5’ 10”, Pastry Chef, Hometown: Los Angeles)

Jung, Jaehyun (aged 25, 5’ 11”, Realtor, Hometown: Seoul)

Lee, Minhyuk (aged 28, 5’ 10”, Sales Rep, Hometown: Gwangju)

Moon, Taeil (aged 27, 5’ 7”, Attorney, Hometown: Seoul)

Sohn, Hyunwoo (aged 29, 5’ 11”, Mechanic, Hometown: Changdong)

Yoon, Jeonghan (aged 26, 5’ 10”, Research Assistant, Hometown: Hwaseong)

[jpat82]

The Dance

FBI

"Jay?" Sebastian breathed, I rushed past them grabbing my bag. I tossed my things in haphazardly, trying desperately not to think of what I was doing. I knew I told them I wouldn't leave, but Richard was the one that played his cards. He had shown is hand, forcing my next move.

"Jay!" Chris yelled, I snapped my head up to the two of them. They stood in the opening in the hall, pained looks on both their faces. My heart sank, my happy little bubble had been burst and now it was time to go back to my reality.

"It's the only way to save the both of you, I'm sorry." I said softly, slinging the bag over my shoulder. "I don't want to, but it's either bait him or ruin the both of you. And I can't let the later of those options happen."

"There has to be another way." Chris stated, I could hear the sadness in his voice.

"But there isn't." I said, walking up wrapping an arm around both of them. "I wish this wasn't happening, I wish I could of just been normal girl that lived in the apartment beneath the two of you but that's not what my life is."

"Rooftop." Sebastian sighed, nuzzling his face into he crook of my neck. "We'll find you."

"Oh Hollywood." I could feel the tear slip down my face. "You can't."

I gave  them each a kiss, I walked over to the escape window, I looked back over my shoulder at the two of them. Twin sets of blue eyes stared me, pain their faces, no doubt hearts breaking. My heart breaking as I through it open and slipped out as the sun started to set. I climbed the stairs, willing myself not to turn back around. For the first time in my life, I didn't want to run.

*

"What do we do now?" Chris asked, looking over at his friend.

"Call the police, tell them there was a break in." He replied, pulling out his phone, pressing the numbers 911.

"Seb, but Jay." Chris stressed looking back over at the window.

"You heard her, Chris." Sebastian stated as he pressed call. Chris walked over to the open window as Sebastian started talking to someone on the other end of the phone.

It did seem like it took that long before the cops showed up, asking them a million questions. Their apartment turned into a crime scene, it didn't take long before federal agents came in. And true to what Jay had told them the girl had been from out of state.

Sebastian was sitting on a stool, being questioned for the thousandth time, Chris was in one of the back bedrooms no doubt going through the same thing he was. That's when a tall red haired man walked in, scruff held to his face, his suit disheveled. He had his hands in his pockets as he glanced around the room, before walking up to Sebastian.

"Agent Richard Cater." He stated firmly thrusting his hand out, a picture between his finger tips. "Have you seen this girl?"

Instinctively Sebastian wanted to punch him, this was the asshole. Sebastian took the photo from him, glancing at almost broke his heart. It was Jay. Her was hair pulled back, and she appeared to be laughing, the haunted look in her eyes know where to be seen. FBI training academy scrawled across her shirt.

"Yeah, she works at the strip club two blocks away, why?" Sebastian asked, Chris and him having formed a plan before everyone showed up.

"She's wanted for murder in Kentucky, I've been tracking her for years." Richard stated sitting down. "She's been on the run ever since, she's very manipulative, and very good at getting people to believe her stories."

"I don't think I understand." Sebastian stated.

"She was one of the brightest at the academy, especially with psychology, her area. Then one day she snapped, forming this elaborate fantasy in her head. She's on the run cause of an abusive man, he framed her. That's been her go to for every poor sap she meets." He told Sebastian coolly, his green eyes flickered around the room. "How well did you get to know her?"

"She came over a couple times for pizza and beer." Sebastian replied, trying not to look as pissed as he felt. "Should we be worried?"

"Nah, I don't think so. Jennica generally doesn't come back to the same place twice. But you are lucky, Mr. Stan, you and your friend. She's very dangerous, if the two of you hadn't been so well known, I can't guarantee that it wouldn't have been one you in that bath tub." Richard sighed, rising from his chair. "But I'll place someone outside your building on the off chance, call me if she gets in contact with you."

Richard walked over to the door as the rest of CSI and cops had left. He smirked over at Sebastian for a brief moment, the air seemed to had turned cold. His knowing eyes glinted with darkness.

"I'll trust that you and your friend stay away from her if by the off chance you see her on the streets." There it was, the warning to stay away from her in an unofficial way. It made Sebastian's blood boil, he clenched his fists as he glared the other man down. No sooner had the door shut then Chris's phone rang.

He pulled it from his pocket, the random number flickered on the screen as it continued to ring.

"Hello?" He asked as he held it to his ear.

*

"Put me on speaker." I demanded shakily, looking through the window of a nearby building. "Can you both hear me now?"

"Yes." They both replied, I took a ragged breath in attempt to hold back tears. "This is what you are going to do."

"Jay." Chris sighed.

"No, don't start that up, I don't have time. My cell is going to ping in a couple of minutes. You are going to call and tell Richard that I called you from down at the bus station, got it."

"Why?" Chris asked, I could see his face scrunch up from my vantage point.

"Cause that's where I'll be. I'm done running boys, once he catches me my file will disappear. Jennica will no longer be a wanted criminal, and I'll just cease to exist. It's the easiest option. I just want to tell you thank you, thank you for making me forget my whole shit storm of a life, even if it were for just a little bit. Thank you for allowing me to see that love actually exists, I'll never forget the two of you." I rushed through my words before I hung up my phone, I dropped it to the floor and crushed my heel into the screen.

@kitkatkl @octobermermaid @ajosieface @irishchink @kimmiestrawberrykiwi @this-is-happening @samwinchxtr

[eddiesgazebos]

IT31 || Joined The Call

The one where an unexpected visitor joins the group video chat.

*WARNING* Detailed torture is included in this story. If that's not for you, skip this one. If you read, please remember it's just a story. Don't come at me.

word count: 4681

Thank you @zombiewhore for being an amazing co-writer!!

Read on Wattpad 

3/31 Previous | Next (coming soon)

"What's up Losers" Richie cheered as his best friends Beverly, Eddie, Bill, Ben, and Mike showed up on his laptop screen. He took a quick swig of his beer then sighed happily. They all joined in a chorus of greetings. "How's it hanging?" Richie carefully readjusted his laptop so his webcam got a better angle of his face. "How's college treating my dudes?!"

"You're really calling us on a weekend night to talk about school?" Beverly groaned and rolled her eyes. Richie let out a hard laugh and rolled his eyes too. Beverly readjusted her sitting position closer to the open window and lit a cigarette. Eddie sighed heavily but didn't say a word about it.

"It's been too long! I miss you guys!" Richie whined playfully.

"We miss you too, Rich" Ben informed him. Richie smiled wide and they all summed up the beginning of their own school years.

"Ya know, senior year was fuckin' rough. College is nothing like high school" Richie's words slurred lightly into each other. The alcohol was finally kicking in.

"You've got th-that right" Bill responded.

"I'm surprised some of us even graduated" Eddie commented, his eyes staring right at Richie's face even though nobody else could tell but they still knew who he was hinting at.

"I'm good in school!" Richie retorted with a snort. "Fuck you Spaghetti man!"

"You're smart but you never applied yourself. Senior year was like a joke to you" Mike defended Eddie while Eddie was too busy laughing.

"Ahhh, shut up!" Richie chuckled and stumbled over to his mini fridge to grab another beer.

"Are you really getting another one?" Ben asked.

"No, I'm fuckin' getting me a girlfriend to bone" Richie turned back to the webcam with a beer in hand. "Of course I'm fuckin' getting another one!"

"Don't you think you've had enough?" Mike chuckled at Richie's sarcasm.

"This is my last one, I promise" Richie held up his pinky finger. Mike held his pinky up too and they curled their fingers with the air.

They talked about everything and anything. It was as if they were in the good old days. That is until a new user logged in.

On each members' screen, a little box popped up. Each of them averted their eyes to the box and after reading, their faces filled with pain and discomfort.

"Stanley Uris just logged in" Beverly spoke softly, her voice wavering. Everybody fell silent and Richie bit his bottom lip.

"His account must've been hacked" Mike sighed heavily and shook his head. "No respect for the dead" he muttered, hurting himself and the rest of the group with his words. Stan Uris, a boy who was every one of their best friends, had committed suicide eight months ago.

"That's fuckin' bullshit!" Richie snapped and moved his mouse over Stan's name. He stared at the profile picture. It was the picture he had taken of Stan when they went bird watching. If he looked closely, he could see the blue jays in the background. A tear stung his eye and a ball formed in his throat. "I'm giving this hacker a piece of my damn mind"

"Richie, there's no use" Eddie mumbled. "You could just get blocked off the account and lose all of your messages with him" Richie sighed heavily, knowing the little man was right.

"God, I miss him" Richie sighed and pressed his tongue against the roof of his mouth. The others agreed sadly and the mood of the video chat dropped severely. "Remember when Stan brought us apple picking? Junior year"

"Oh my god yes!" Beverly smiled even though her eyes were still filled with the pain her heart felt "He was getting so pissed off because you and Eddie were having a damn apple war"

"Hey! I was just defending myself" Eddie jumped in. The rest laughed together before quieting together. They continued reminiscing about their high school days with Stan. The conversation came to a halt when Stan's account joined the call uninvited.

Everybody went absolutely silent. They stared at the added screen which was just a black box. Six pairs of eyes looked from person to person. Richie was the first to snap.

"Alright who the fuck is this?" Richie glared at the screen, staring at the black box. "You fuckin' know Stan is dead right? You're being a disrespectful bitch!"

Stanley Uris is Typing...

"Oh yeah fuckin' type, don't show your damn face huh?" Richie continued.

Stanley Uris: Do you miss me?

"This isn't funny, asshole" Beverly snapped. "Get the fuck off Stan's account!"

Stanley Uris is Typing...

Stanley Uris: Ah now, calm down Beverly. Don't you remember all of the fun times we've had?

Files then started to be shared with the group. Pictures of Stan and Beverly started filling the chat box. They all watched each picture show up and tears filled Beverly's eyes.

"Fuck you" Beverly snapped and went to leave the group.

Stanley Uris is Typing...

Stanley Uris: I wouldn't leave if I were you.

Stanley Uris: We are just getting started.

"What the fuck do you mean just getting started?" Richie glared at the words on his screen.

Stanley Uris is Typing...

Stanley Uris: We're going to play a little game. You're one for games, right Tozier?

"Fuck you, leave us alone!" Eddie jumped in.

Stanley Uris is Typing...

Stanley Uris: Ah... You've gotten braver. Hm, Kaspbrak? Good for you. But we're playing a game. And if any of you leave, well...do know there are severe consequences. Would one of you want to take that risk to show the others what happens?

Everybody stayed silent and with defeat in their eyes, they shook their heads.

Stanley Uris: Thought so. Let the games begin. We're going to play Truth or dare. But, I'll be the one hosting. Truths will not be lied about. Trust me, I will know. Don't follow through with a dare? Then you'll be punished greatly.

Everybody stared in disbelief. Were they really going to follow along with this troll? The worst they could do is send a virus to their laptops. Right? They're college students, they couldn't afford a new laptop and they had a ton of work saved. The game couldn't be that bad...

Stanley Uris: Richie. Truth or dare?

Richie rolled his eyes.

"Truth" he mumbled.

Stanley Uris: Have you ever slept with anyone in this group? If so...Who?

"What are we? Twelve-year-olds? This is such bullshit" Beverly rolled her eyes and watched Richie on her screen.

"Eddie. Woah! What news! Not like nobody else could have figured that one out!" Richie rolled his eyes too. Eddie blushed and rested his head on his hand.

Stanley Uris: Beverly. Truth or dare?

Beverly sighed and rubbed the back of her neck some before answering.

"Truth" she muttered.

Stanley Uris: Did your feelings ever really fade for Bill before jumping into your relationship with Ben?

Mike jumped in before Beverly had time to speak.

"No hard feelings after this. Agreed?" Mike asked, scanning over his friends' faces. "Doesn't matter what we say tonight"

"Agreed," the rest said in unison.

Stanley Uris: the clock is ticking.  

"Shut up" Beverly mumbled nervously. She twisted her hair around her finger.

"Beverly just say it. We agreed on no hard feelings" Mike frowned. Ben frowned, already assuming the answer.

"This is such bullshit" she bit her lip and took out another cigarette. She lit her cigarette, took a long drag, then let the smoke out in a long steady cloud toward the window.

"No, I wasn't over Bill" Beverly stared out the window, afraid to make eye contact. When Ben didn't say anything, she glanced at her laptop screen then looked back out the window and took another drag. Ben's lips curved downward and he gulped. Bill awkwardly rubbed the side of his neck.

"No hard feelings" Mike reminded them.  Ben nodded and Beverly looked at the screen.

"I'm sorry. I just didn't want you to reject me. I really liked you and I love you now," Beverly stared at Ben on her screen. "That's never been a lie. I just wasn't completely over him"

Stanley Uris is Typing...

"I love you too," Ben stated with a nod. "I forgive you"

Stanley Uris: How beautiful. Bill. Truth or dare?

"Truth" Bill hugged his knees, curled up in front of his laptop.

Stanley Uris: Wow, you're all quite boring.

Stanley Uris: Who was the last person you hooked up with?

"I can't remem-...remember" Bill muttered softly.

Stanley Uris: Should I remind you? Jog that memory of yours?

"I'd ra-rather you d-don't" Bill's stuttering was slowly getting worse as his nervousness grew. "It was a secret. He didn't-" Bill cut himself off, his tears rolling down his cheeks.

Stanley Uris: I'm feeling nice. I'll make it easier on you.

"St-St-Stop. Please" Bill could feel his heart break. Before he could protest anymore, pictures were being sent through. Everybody stared at the chat box hesitantly.

Pictures of Bill and Stan kissing filled the screen first. Everybody's eyes widened and jaws dropped. But the pictures got riskier over each file sent. Soon enough, photos of their nights together were being leaked to the rest of the group and there was nothing Bill could do.

Bill's cheeks reddened and tears streamed down his cheeks. He hid his face in his hands and his sobbing breaths were sloppy.

"You and Stan?" Richie asked. "Holy shit!"

"Richie, don't" Eddie frowned, staring at his screen at Bill.

"Sorry" Richie sighed. "Bill, it's okay" before they could say anything else, Bill quickly leaned forward and logged off. His box disappeared, leaving six screens up.

"Shit" Beverly quickly grabbed her phone and tried to call Bill but the call disconnected instantly.

Stanley Uris: And it looks like we have a loser. What a shame.

"This has gone on long enough" Richie snapped. "You better fuckin' leave me and my friends alone! That was such bullshit! I'll fuckin' call the cops and they'll-" Richie stopped as Bill's screen returned. Bill was pacing in his room and from his movements, the rest could tell he didn't know he was back in the chat room. "Bill?"

Bill didn't hear him. He kept pacing. He cried harder and held himself as if he was about to fall apart. Then there was a knock at his door. Bill stayed silent and ignored the knock. But it happened again.

Bill rolled his eyes, wiped his face with his sleeve, and walked to his door. Before he could even reach the door, the door opened and slammed into the wall behind it. Bill jumped back, blocking the camera's view of the intruder.

"Bill? Bill!" Everybody in the group chat yelled at their screens. Beverly quickly dialed the police. Loud screeching noises played into her ear as she lifted her phone to it and she quickly tossed it onto the bed.

Stanley Uris: Cute of you to think you can call the police. Your phones are no longer active. Now. Just sit and watch.

They watched in horror as a man in a black cloak walked into the room and shut the door behind him. Bill backed out of the view of the camera in fear. The man jumped forward, exposed his knife to the camera, and moved out of view too. Bill's terrified and pain-filled screams could be heard with a lot of movement.

The rest of the group screamed and cried at their screens but were worthless for anything else.

The man returned on screen seconds after the screaming from Bill stopped. He leaned down, turned the laptop, and aimed the camera at Bill who was slouched on the floor against his closet door. His neck was slit, his shirt was cut open, and a bird was cut into his chest. He was dead.

More screams came from the rest of the chat. More sobs. Bill's death proved just how real this chat intruder was.

"You fucking sick bastard!" Richie shouted through his tears. His body was shaking. Everybody was shaking.

Stanley Uris: That was his own fault. He had been warned.

"Who the fuck are you?" Beverly screamed at her laptop and pulled at her hair, curling up on her bed.

Stanley Uris: Your worst nightmare. Now, let's continue our game.

"I think it's time you fuck off!" Richie yelled at his screen, his eyes glaring at the chat box.

Stanley Uris: New rule. Talk out of turn and you are given a strike. Each strike is a punishment. After your third strike, you'll end up like your dear friend over there. Tozier, watch yourself.

Richie opened his mouth to talk but quickly shut it. Everybody else stared at him with uneasy eyes. They knew how much harder it would be on him.

Stanley Uris: Eddie, truth or dare.

Eddie couldn't talk. His eyes stared at Bill's dead body. His breathing turned into wheezing, something that hadn't happened since he moved out of his mom's house.

Stanley Uris: We don't have all night. You either answer or take a strike.

"D-Dare" Eddie stuttered out between wheezes. He quickly reached into his nightstand and pulled out his inhaler. He used it, his body trembling with fear.

Stanley Uris: Finally, somebody brave.

Stanley Uris:  Eddie, for your dare, you'll need to walk to your door and receive an item from the floor. Do this now and you'll be given the dare when you return.

"Be careful Eds" Richie warned, staring at his screen closely.

Eddie eyed his door cautiously before sliding his laptop from his lap. The camera has a decent shot of the door. Eddie got out of bed and tiptoed over to his bedroom door. He looked out through the peephole for a few seconds. One deep breath and then he opened the door and looked around in the hallway. Nobody could be found.

Eddie looked down at the floor and noticed the slice of cake sitting on a paper plate. Eddie carefully picked it up, backed up into his room, and kicked the door shut. He turned back toward his laptop and walked to his bed.

"What is this?" Eddie asked. A closer examination told him his answer. Little bugs crawled over the piece of cake and inside. A worm could be seen still trying to move inside of the cake. A small spider crawled down the side and across the plate. Eddie dropped the plate, jumping back away from it. "What the hell!"

Stanley Uris: Eddie, you'll be eating this mud cake.

"You're fucking kidding" Eddie yelled after leaning close to read what the intruder had to say. He felt his stomach turn and stared down at the cake that had fallen over on top of the plate.  

Stanley Uris: You have fifteen seconds.

Eddie picked the cake back up and tears rolled down his cheeks.

"Eddie, you have to do it" Beverly frowned. She looked at Bill's death cam then at Eddie.

"Eds, think of it as a nice chocolate cake. People do this. You'll be okay!" Richie cried.

Eddie slid the plastic fork into the end of the cake and gagged as more bugs flooded free from the disgusting creation. He scooped up a bite and looked at the screen.

Stanley Uris: 5..

Stanley Uris: 4..

Stanley Uris: 3..

Stanley Uris: 2..  

Eddie shoved the bite of mud cake into his mouth. His eyes squeezed shut as he felt the crawling creatures roam over his tongue. He gagged more harshly and held onto the nightstand for stability. The rest of the group cried silently as they watched their best friend suffer.

Eddie quickly swallowed the bite, struggling to force the little critters down his throat. He stared at the rest of the slice. Though it was small, it was filled with hell. Eddie pushed through. He took bite after bite, each one becoming harder to swallow. He could feel the cake and bugs gathering in his throat by the time he got to his last bite. He ate the last bite. He then quickly grabbed his water bottle and chugged as much water as he could to force everything down.

His stomach had twisted into knots. His body shook and his eyes hurt from crying. He gagged harshly again and held a hand over his mouth to stop from letting anything come back up. He tossed the plate and fork into the trash bin. He sat down and grabbed some juice from his fridge, hoping the taste would help him from getting sick.

"You did great, Eds" Richie tried to comfort him. Eddie just shook his head and hunched over his knees.

Stanley Uris: We will move on while he's recovering. Ben, truth or dare?

"Truth" Ben stared at Eddie, jaw tensed.

Stanley Uris: What were you really doing the night of Stan's death?

Ben swallowed hard and his hands turned to fists. Eddie slowly turned toward his laptop and watched him on his screen. Mike shook his head and rubbed his face.

"This is stupid and nobody's business" Ben glared at his screen.

Stanley Uris: Since that wasn't an answer, I'll be stating that was a talk out of turn. Strike one.

"No, stop, I'll answer!" Ben yelled. "I was-"

He stopped when his door busted open. He stared at the doorway with wide eyes and moved back on his bed further.

"Ben? Ben, what's going on?" Beverly asked, staring at his fear-filled face.

"Who the fuck are you? No! Don't!" Ben shouted. The laptop was shoved to the side, showing another man in a black cloak. The man grabbed Ben by the shoulder and pulled a razor from his bag. He turned it on, the buzzing picking up over his mic and playing in the other members' speakers. The man ran the razor over Ben's head roughly. His hair fell free from his skull, falling over his face, body, and bed. Cuts were made from the roughness.

Ben yelled and cried, staying still to avoid any more cuts. The man shaved half of Ben's head and then a bird on the other side before shoving him over onto his bed and exiting the room. The door was shut behind him.

Ben moved a shaking hand to his bald skull and touched the cuts, wincing harshly.

Stanley Uris: give an answer.

"I was out drinking!" Ben cried, tilting his head forward to hide his face. But it only exposed the damage that had been made on his head.

"Out drinking?" Beverly asked. "You told me you were sick"

"I went to a bar that didn't card instead" Ben sniffled. Blood ran down the side of his head.

"Why would you lie to me about that?" Beverly frowned.

"Guys, stop" Mike instructed. "No hard feelings. Remember?"

"Right" Beverly sighed heavily. "Yeah, Ben are you okay?" Ben didn't answer.

Stanley Uris: Mike, truth or dare.

"Dare" Mike mumbled instantly. Eddie stared in shock and shook his head a bit to try to protest Mike's choice. Mike ignored him.

Stanley Uris: Interesting.  

Stanley Uris: Mike, open your door. Your item awaits.

Mike sighed heavily, stood up, and walked over to his bedroom door. He slowly opened the door, looked out around the halls, then down at the floor. A box sat in front of him. He eyed the halls once more and without a second to think, he dashed out of his room and down the hall.

"Mike!" the group yelled at their screens worriedly.

Stanley Uris: hmm... We have a runner. As if I wasn't prepared.

Mike scanned ahead for open doors. Up ahead on the right, a door was slightly ajar. Mike threw himself to the left, hitting against the closed door on that side, and stumbled ahead. A man in a black cloak exited the room and followed Mike quickly.

The rest of the group stared with big eyes. Mike's fate was unknown and that scared every single one of them.

Stanley Uris: We'll continue our game without him.  Richie, truth or dare.

Richie stared at his screen blankly. His eyes kept shifting back and forth between Mike's empty cam, Bill's death came, and Eddie's worried and sick face. Richie opened his mouth to talk but for once in his life, words wouldn't form.

Stanley Uris: Oh? Richard Tozier actually has nothing to say?  Now isn't the best time for the cat to catch your tongue. I repeat. Truth or dare?

"Truth" he whispered weakly.

Stanley Uris: Ah, see, you chose truth last time. So I'll pretend you said dare.

"What? What's the point of answering if you switch it?" Eddie snapped.

Stanley Uris: Are you talking out of turn, Eddie? Was the mud cake not enough for you?

"No, no I'm sorry. I'm sorry"

Stanley Uris: Apology not accepted.

Eddie's door opened and tears streamed down his pale face. His screams of protest caused the other members of the group's speakers to crack.

"Eds!' Richie leaned close to his screen and watched him in fear. Screams of protest came from the rest of the group.

Eddie tried to get up from his bed but was thrown back onto it by another man in a black cloak. He struggled on his bed, crying and kicking his feet. The man shoved Eddie's legs down and moved on top of him.  He took out a lighter and a metal rod shaped into a bird.

"NO! Don't! Leave him alone!" Richie begged, crying harder as he watched Eddie's fate.

The man burned the metal rod for a long few seconds before grabbing Eddie's shirt, snapping it up, and pressing the rod against his bare waist. Eddie screamed, his body shaking heavily and tensing all over. The rod was held in place for a few seconds before it was removed and the man exited the room.

Eddie's breathing staggered and his cries started loud and faded to hopeless whimpers. He laid there helplessly.

"Eds" Richie whined and squeezed his eyes shut to escape the horrific scene.

Beverly shook her head and pushed her laptop away. She quickly jumped to her feet on her bed and kicked at the screen that was in her window. Ben watched, filled with hope. The screen snapped free and fell to the ground below. Beverly climbed out.

"I'll get you guys out of this! I love you!" Beverly called back before disappearing.

"Stay safe! I love you too!" Ben yelled, praying to anything listening that she heard him. He then looked out his own window in hopes to see Beverly running.

Stanley Uris: This night is really crashing down. Hm? Three of six left. Now that the entertainment is done, Richie, you must take a dare.

Stanley Uris: Open the door.

Richie sighed heavily and got up from his bed. He walked over to the door and opened it. A clown stood there with a wide grin. Richie jumped back and trembled harshly. The clown entered the room and shut the door behind him.

"Fuck you, get out!" Richie snapped, backing up to his bed.

Stanley Uris: I dare you to spend the rest of your night with this clown. Good luck.

The clown laughed loudly and stepped as close to the bed as he could get without getting on it. Richie moved back in the farthest corner of his bed against the wall. He stared at the clown and gulped. The clown took out a knife and held it to the corner of his own mouth then dragged it across his cheek. Blood poured down his cheek but the clown just laughed, tilting his head to the side.

Stanley Uris: It's your turn again, Ben.

"Dare, don't have much of a choice do I?" he asked, his voice cracking.

Stanley Uris: Open your door.

Ben sighed and stood up. He walked over to his door and opened it up. There, Beverly stood, bruised and cut up. A man in a black cloak stood beside her, holding her arms. Ben's eyes widened and filled with tears instantly. The man shoved Beverly inside and entered the room as well. Ben quickly but cautiously cupped her cheeks and looked into her eyes.

"Are you okay? What did they do to you?" Ben cried. Beverly teared up and fell against Ben's body, hiding her face into his neck.

The man in the black cloak shoved the two closer to the laptop to read the incoming messages.

Stanley Uris: I think she deserves punishment. Right Ben?

"No, you've done enough" Ben snapped, holding Beverly protectively.

Stanley Uris: I don't think we have.  Ben, you need to engrave a bird in her skin. Anywhere you choose.

"I'm not doing it" Ben stated firmly. Beverly trembled.

"Just do it" she mumbled. Ben looked at her and widened his eyes.

"What? No. I can't" he frowned and looked into her eyes.

"Bill's dead. We don't know what happened to Mike. Eddie's burnt. Ben, just do it" her eyes teared up and her jaw trembled. "

"I-I can't"

"Fucking do it!"

Stanley Uris: I'm getting tired of waiting.

The man in the black cloak held out a knife. Beverly took it and carefully but firmly placed it in Ben's hand. She stared deep in his eyes and pressed her lips against his.

"Just do this so you're not punished worse" she whispered. He cried harder and his hand shook. Beverly sat on the edge of the bed and pushed out her thigh. Ben sat beside her and rubbed her thigh gently, soothingly.

"I'm so sorry" he whispered. She just nodded and looked away. Just as he touched her skin with the knife, there was a knock at his door. His eyes shot up to it then at the screen.

Stanley Uris: Do not answer it.

"This is the police. Open up!" Ben's eyes widened and he stared between the man in the black cloak and Beverly. Beverly jumped up, dashed to the door, and opened it up. A police officer stood there, his hand on his hip where his gun waited.

"Oh my god" Beverly cried, tears rolling down her face.

There was a knock soon after on Richie's door and on Eddie's after. Richie scrambled to the door and opened it. Eddie struggled to get to the door but managed to get it open. Police raided each of their rooms.

Ben held Beverly close and handed over the knife to the authorities. The police found nothing but the laptop in their room. They turned to the love birds. Ben and Beverly looked around for the man in the black cloak.

"Where did-" Beverly cut herself off in shock.

"Are you two alone in this room?" the officer asked.

"No, no there was a man" she pointed at where he stood before. Her finger shook. "He attacked me and brought me here"

The officer checked every area in the room, though there wasn't much to check. The window was closed. The closet only contained clothes.

"I don't see how a man was in here" the officer stated, safely tucking his gun back into it's holster.

The police in Richie's room found no trace of the clown or its blood. The police in Eddie's room never found the metal rod but called for medics to come to check him out.

The chat box was empty as if nobody had ever entered the room. Bill was still dead on screen and each member of the group was taken in for questioning. Mike was safe at his local police office.

Any trace of the hacker and minions didn't exist. Every story that the group said matched up with each other but not with the clues.

Every trace was gone. But Eddie, Beverly, Ben, Mike, and Richie could hear the soft tweeting of birds in the back of their minds. Even in their separate rooms in the mental institution where no birds could enter.