#my lack of self control on etsy continues

[sleepyone2three]

Ready for the night hunt, are you 😏

[nelllraiser]

cat burglar | sasha & nell

LOCATION: a warehouse in the bend. PARTIES: @sasha-r-blog​ & @nelllraiser.  SUMMARY: sasha takes it upon herself to stop a break in, and nell is on the wrong end of the matters.  CONTAINS: gun use, gun violence

Another day another dollar was all the witch could think of as Nell lurked outside of an oversized warehouse in The Bend. The human bounties were especially boring to go after seeing as they lacked any upper hand in comparison to magic. At least when she was on the tail of someone supernatural she knew there was an element of surprise- or at least something to keep her on her toes. But money was money, and she still enjoyed bringing in the assholes who skipped out on their bail. Tonight was no different as she peered into one of the windows that paneled the outside of the building, just barely clearing the edge of it so that she might duck down if her quarry glanced her way. Thankfully, he seemed far too busy with counting the pallets that littered the place, scratching his head every now and then while he jotted numbers down in a notebook. All it would take was a simple sleeping spell and he’d be out like a light. But first she needed to get closer, perhaps get a better idea of what exactly it was he was doing in this shitty warehouse. If he were up to no good once again and repeating his criminal past, she wanted to know it about it. Carefully, she pushed her palm against the glass of the window before uttering a quiet spell, and in a moment it had melted away like water, pooling in a puddle on the ground beneath her. While the liquid glass settled, she hooked a leg over the frame of the window as gently as she could, being careful not to make a sound as she made her entrance.

The Bend seemed like the perfect place to look for crime, or at least Sasha assumed it was. In all the movies she’d watched it was usually run down places like where all the criminal stuff happened. So with her makeshift costume on and her change of clothes tucked neatly into her backpack, she made her way there. It didn’t take long to find a good place to perch and keep a lookout. There was a tall, flat roofed brick building at the corner of the block that seemed abandoned. And with a few well placed jumps and some careful footwork she found herself alone at the top, with a good amount of the Bend visible to her. So that was a good start to the night. Unfortunately, it seemed like the promising vantage point wasn’t leading to much. The neighborhood was surprisingly quiet. Sasha did spot a few people, some teenagers meeting up before heading into an alley. But upon closer inspection they were just making out, and Sasha decided to keep her lunch rather than continuing to watch to make sure some murderer didn’t jump out at them. They were probably fine.

It wasn’t until an hour or two later that another bit of movement caught Sasha’s eye. Across the street, next to a large warehouse, was a woman. Sasha moved to the edge of the roof, watching as the woman peaked through the window. Okay, that was suspicious. There were plenty of buildings here that from a quick glance seemed abandoned. But this one, despite seeming run down, at least had intact windows. So probably still in use? Maybe Sasha should have done some research before coming here. But either way, the way the woman was glancing in was clearly suspicious. If it was just some abandoned building to sneak into, why all the weird snooping? Sasha was about to lower herself onto the fire escape for a better view, when she felt a buzzing against her back. Shit. Fumbling with her backpack, Sasha quickly grabbed her phone and turned it to silent. 

Stupid rookie mistake, she should have just left her phone at home. When she turned back toward the woman, the glass in the window was gone, and the suspicious woman was lifting herself into the frame. Cool, good to know that the phone had distracted Sasha so much she completely missed the woman breaking the glass and almost getting inside. That could have been useful info. What if the woman had a crowbar on her to break the glass? Or a gun? Okay, Sasha was pretty sure she would have heard a gun go off even while distracted, but still. She took a deep breath and steadied herself before heading down the fire escape. When she was half way down she took another deep breath, and vaulted over the edge onto the street below, trying her best to land just as she practiced. Classic superhero landing pose, though more Spider Man than Iron Man, she wasn’t about to fist bump the pavement and break her only weapon. 

Despite Sasha’s strangely quiet landing, her clearing throat as she held the pose was likely audible. 

Nell couldn’t help but be paranoid as the hairs of her neck prickled directly before the clearing of a throat sounded behind her. The sound made her jump, though it wasn’t out of fear so much as a gut reaction of defense, head whipping around to look at whatever it was that had disturbed her. In the same movement, she drew a knife from it’s concealed hiding place on her body, brandishing it in front of her and placing it between herself and...what the fuck? Was there some sort of convention in town that she didn’t know about? That was the first thought in the witch’s mind as she took in the rag-tag ensemble before her, eyes not even sure where to land first on the strange mixture of clothing choice. Raking her gaze over the overflow of tiger printed spandex and fake leather, somehow the most confusing thing about the get-up were the razor-sharp teeth that were printed where the person’s mouth should be, stretched over the features that they hid. Where even to begin? “You know if you need some more quality cosplay my dad has an Etsy and worked the professional costume circuit in Vegas for years,” was the only thing she could think to whisper in the direction of this newly appeared enigma. Nevermind that she wasn’t exactly speaking to her father at the moment. 

The rustling of the man moving inside the warehouse was what pulled Nell’s attention away from the knock-off cat-man that had spawned from seemingly nowhere, and she was quickly reminded of why she was here. “Look- can you go play somewhere else?” she hissed under her breath towards the newcomer, not particularly keen on having her bounty disturbed. The words weren’t meant to be demeaning, as Nell truly and simply had no idea what to do with the train wreck that had stuck their nose into her business. What a cosplayer was doing in the middle of the Bend, she hadn’t the faintest idea— but she wasn’t going to let them get in her way. “I’m kinda busy.”

As the woman turned around to look at her Sasha began to rise to her feet and- oh shit, she had a knife! Sasha froze up at the sight of the suddenly brandished weapon. But it was fine, it was cool. Sasha had her own set of knives too. Or rather, The Claw did. 

The woman’s whispering sounded loud and clear in Sasha’s sensitive ears and made her stop right before making her heroic declarations to put down the knife. “I-I’m not a cosplayer and this isn’t some sort of game...”

That sounded cooler in her head, but Sasha continued to stare down the woman. If she was randomly pointing a knife at her that had to mean she was a criminal. Sasha put one of her hands out to the side, fingers curled, ready to summon her claws at any moment. Come on, you can do this.

“I’m The Claw, and I’m here to put a stop to your break in! What’s in there? Money, valuebles, a stockpile of illegal weapons? Whatever it is, you better make your peace with never getting your hands on them.”

Yeah... yeah! I’ve got this! She’s gotta be scared now. 

The somewhat puzzled yet exasperated expression on Nell’s features only grew more scrunched as the mysterious figure spoke. It was a girl. That much she could initially tell from the voice. She’d already parted her lips to ask what exactly the masked interloper was doing here when the knock-off Catwoman spoke again, and the witch’s eyebrows shot skyward in disbelief. “The Claw?” she echoed, a hint of unshared delight entering Nell’s tone. Who the hell ran around in spandex calling them themselves the Claw? She couldn’t stop the quiet chuckle that pressed past her lips as the rest of the girl’s words sank in. “I’m not breaking in. Well- I am breaking in, but I’m not the shitty person here. Make my- make my peace?” Nell sputtered in her continued amusement. “Babe- I hate to be the one to tell you this- actually I don’t really hate it, but-” Her sentence wouldn’t find it’s end as another voice rang out, Nell’s target apparently having overheard enough of their shared noises to finally take notice of the two young woman loitering in his warehouse window.

“Hey!” He called out, already taking angry strides in their direction. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing here?” he demanded, reaching for some unseen weapon that resided in the inner pocket of his jacket.

The woman was...laughing... at The Claw. Sasha's heart sank, but she tried to replace the feeling with annoyance. The Claw wouldn’t get upset, so Sasha wouldn’t either. She would prove this woman wrong. This woman who apparently didn’t know what a superhero was. This woman who also just admitted to breaking in, as matter of fact! So yeah, even if she laughed at her that wasn’t going to stop Sasha from stopping this criminal. 

Sasha opened her mouth to speak, to cut off whatever excuse or taunt the stranger planned to throw at her, only for another voice to cut both of them off. In the window frame appeared a man, mid 30ss, not exactly friendly looking. Okay so that guy didn’t seem super happy but he also probably just didn’t get that Sasha was trying to help.

“Don’t worry!” She said, putting out a hand, her words faltering slightly when she saw him reaching for something in his jacket. “I’m here to stop this robber from breaking in. I’ve got it under control.”

Truly, Nell hadn’t intended to laugh in a malicious manner, but it was simply too bizarre to witness a self-proclaimed ‘hero’ running around White Crest, fighting crime and toting names such as ‘The Claw.’ She supposed in concept it wasn’t too bizarre. After all White Crest was in desperate need of as much help as it could get. But a masked do-gooder was a far cry from those she usually cleaned up the messes around this town. After all it wasn't as if hunters were running around in capes and hoods. Or...herself for that matter. Of course she’d never consider herself a hero in any sense of the word. She was fairly certain the people that Sasha was trying to emulate didn’t go around torturing sacrifices to bring their loved ones back from the dead. 

Nell’s head whipped around as Sasha and the man’s eyes met, and a frown was quick to turn her lips southwards as she saw him reaching for whatever he was concealing beneath his jacket. While Sasha spoke, Nell did her best to stay between the bounty and The Claw, a threatening and far more serious tone coming from her lips. “Don’t,” she commanded, the words meant both for the criminal and the attempted hero. 

“Or you’ll what?” The grungy man replied with a rough tone as he pulled a gun from its hiding place, training it on both the girls- dipping back and forth between them. “What are two little girls gonna do about it?” 

Nell kept her eyes trained on the man before saying, “Or I’ll start with breaking every finger in your hand, and then see if I wanna start on your other one.” As for The Claw… “You’ve got it wrong- he’s the piece of shit. I’m here to collect his bounty.”

Sasha froze at the sight of the gun, and just as quickly as it was pointed at them the woman moved between her and the man. It took too long for her to process, she should be quick on her feet, she knew that. What hero let someone come between them and a bullet?

“Bounty?” Sasha hated the way her voice squeaked up an octave, but to be fair, this was the first time she had seen a gun in real life and they were about two seconds from getting a much closer look if things kept up. “But you-”

Sasha may have misinterpreted things here. Were bounty hunters even legal? She guessed they weren’t any more illegal than a vigilante. She didn’t really have a good concept of them outside of action movies, and things were getting pretty actiony right now. 

She had barely heard the man speak, barely processed what the woman said either. But suddenly the man moved his hand again, a glint of metal catching in Sasha’s eyes. In hindsight, maybe it was just another threatening motion to get them to back off. But in a panic Sasha felt herself rushing past the woman. She wasn’t thinking. Maybe she should have. The next thing she knew one of her clawed hands was digging into the forearm of the man, the jacket sleeve torn and likely the skin under it as well. She didn’t hear the man's reaction, just an ear shattering bang as the gun hit the ground and misfired into the sidewalk. Sasha could only hear high pitched ringing after that, but she could see the man shout in pain and her grip on his arm tightened reflexively, as if he might pick up the gun somehow or draw another. 

“No!” Nell yelled as The Claw darted towards the man, eyes wide as she watched the girl make her attack, certain she was going to hear a gunshot pop off at any moment. And then a matching red would bloom on The Claw’s costume, staining the stripes as they seeped the girl’s life away. But no such thing happened. There was a bang, and Nell flinched as the bullet ricocheted to god knew where, and then it seemed The Claw was firmly latched onto the man’s gunarm. Had the girl brought hidden knives as well? But Nell hadn’t seen her draw them. The speed and high stakes of the situation didn’t allow for a closer look before she too was moving in on the man, fast and controlled in her approach as she kicked the man’s legs out from under him while he was distracted by The Claw. He landed hard on the warehouse floor, a grunt of pain falling from his as Nell planted a firm kick in his side once he was down. “I said, don’t!”

In the next moment, Nell tugged at her magic, using it to bend the man’s fingers into unnatural angles and making good on her promise of breaking them. While his yell filled the concrete walls, she grabbed at his wrists, taking special care to press down on the digits she’d just snapped, drawing a pair of handcuffs from a pocket and clicking them soundly around him. “Alright- okay,” she began, turning towards The Claw with a frown now that the man was no longer a threat. “Do you believe me now?” Gone was any of Nell’s previous amusement. 

Sasha only had her claws dug into the dude’s arm for a moment before the woman kicked his feet out from under him. Sasha didn’t try to keep her grip. She watched him fall and felt the sticky blood coating her hands. Oh god, gross. Her first instinct was to try to wipe the stuff off on her pants, but she really only had one of these costumes. So instead she held her clawed hand away from herself awkwardly as the woman kicked and cuffed the man.

Wait, how had she broken his fingers? Sasha blink, wondering if her eyes were playing tricks on her. Maybe like the bang had messed with her ears, the flash of the fallen gun had messed with her vision. It looked like they had just snapped by themselves. But she didn’t have much time to think about it. When the woman turned and spoke it sounded as if her voice was coming through water, but Sasha could still make out the words. 

“I-I didn’t realize there were bounty hunters here. I just saw you trying to break in and I thought...” Sasha's heart was beating hard in her chest, but as the adrenaline faded she started to feel anxiety creeping in, past the normal confidence that she tried to show as The Claw. “I didn’t realize.” 

For a moment Nell simply watched Sasha in vaguely concerned confusion, taking in the way she was holding her hand away from herself, apparently not all that accustomed to the blood she’d drawn. Another look towards the girl, and the witch could see something like shock beginning to grip The Claw’s body. It had been a couple of months since Nell had been reminded that not everyone was as accustomed to spilling blood and facing guns down, but as she looked at the costumed crusader— it was hard to miss the way her voice had changed, and Nell’s frustrated demeanour switched into something more sincere. “Hey- are you...alright? You can sit down or something if you need to. I have some water,” she said before turning to rummage in the bag she’d been carrying on her back, offering a water bottle soon after she located it. “You’re not hurt, right?” She hadn’t seen the man land a mark on the young woman, but what if that stray bullet hadn’t been all that stray, and Nell had missed it? WIth a quick and cursory glance over The Claw, Nell did her best to try and identify if she was bleeding anywhere. 

“Aren’t there bounty hunters everywhere?” Nell wasn’t entirely looking for an actual answer as she glanced once again toward the man they’d downed together. When he tried to open his mouth to speak, she granted him a warning growl before kicking one of his broken hands. Earning another howl of pain from the criminal. “Sorry- hold on,” she sighed at the girl before bending down to tug off the man’s beanie and stick it into his mouth as a makeshift gag. “There- now he won’t bother us, at least.” Taking some pity on the girl, she offered her name, hoping that might help set The Claw a little more at ease. “I’m Nell.” 

“I’m alright. I’m fine.” Sasha was fine. Mostly fine. She wasn’t hurt at least and the real bad guy had been taken down. But staring down a gun was a lot. Sasha took the water bottle, but realized she couldn’t risk taking off her mask to drink. Instead she poured a bit of it over her hand to clean it of blood, retracting her claws once they were no longer covered. 

“I’m not hurt I-” She stopped mid sentence as Nell roughly silenced the man. That was fine, all of this was fine. He was a bad guy after all. “I’m The Claw.” Wait, she had already told her that. “I um, thanks for the help. I’m sorry I thought you were trying the break in. I mean, you were, but you weren’t robbing anyone.”

She glanced down at the dude again. She didn’t exactly feel bad for him, not after threatening her and Nell. But at the same time she worried about how much she may have hurt him. “Do you do this a lot? Bounty hunting? I should probably know so I don’t mistake you for doing something bad when I’m out patrolling.” 

Nell didn’t intend to purse her lips at The Claw’s answer, but couldn’t help it as the other girl maintained that she was fine. The witch had heard that particular phrase more than once when it came to people reacting to the concerning outcomes of questionable experiences. If she were being entirely honest, she herself had used it on numerous occasions when she didn’t want to admit that something may not have been fine. But she wasn’t going to push the girl. “Alright.” At least she wasn’t hurt. Nell couldn’t help the way her eyes lingered on The Claw’s...well...claws as the girl poured water over them and her hand. So that had been how the damage was done? “That’s pretty neat,” she offered in a tone that she hoped was casual, nodding towards the girl’s hand. Was she a werewolf or something? What else had claws, but appeared to be human?

“Yeah, I remember,” Nell said with a tease in her voice, hoping to bring back at least a little levity to the situation. “The Claw. Pretty fitting I guess, isn’t it? Though...if you have more than one claw- shouldn’t you be The Claws?” A shrug later, and Nell was speaking again. “You helped, too. I mean you got the first hit on him.” Even though The Claw had successfully drawn blood and proven herself capable, Nell couldn't help the worry that was pooling in her stomach as she continued to watch the girl and listen to her mention attempted robbery. “You know...it’s pretty dangerous out here in White Crest. Also just in general. So what are you doing out here trying to stop supposed attempted robberies and shit?” Saving people in White Crest was an endless job, and more often than not you got hurt in the process. It was no surprise that Nell wasn’t keen on the thought of a spandexed and starry-eyed crusader making their way through the town’s problems. “But yeah- it’s my main source of income, so I’m generally sneaking around.” The word ‘patrolling’ only made Nell’s frown dip lower, concern continuing to grow in magnitude.

“It’s part of my powers,” Sasha said as she followed Nell’s gaze back towards her hand. “The Claws doesn’t roll off the tongue as much, I think my title is just fine.” Sasha couldn’t tell if Nell was making another jab at her, or just trying to lighten the mood, but at least the woman didn’t seem annoyed anymore. And that fact let Sasha relax slightly. 

“It’s my job. I’m here to protect White Crest.” Had Nell never heard of a superhero before? Even her reaction to seeing Sasha’s claws was weirdly nonchalant. “Not for money, not that there's anything wrong with helping for money. It is just my responsibility. I want to make sure the town is safe and those doing wrong are punished.” 

She tried to stand a bit taller, get back into the headspace of a hero. Like Nell said, she had just helped to take down a criminal. Maybe all the blood and guns was a bit unexpected but she had done it all the same. “I know White Crest is dangerous but I can handle it.” 

“Your powers…” Nell echoed as her gaze lingered on The Claw’s hands once more. It wasn’t exactly the word she would have used as she generally referred to the gifts of the supernatural community as ‘abilities’. Though she supposed it made sense for the girl to think of them as ‘powers’ if she was determined to run around playing superhero. “Are you...a werewolf?” Nell asked point-blank, seeing no other way around the question. She didn’t particularly feel like dancing around the subject, and they were the only humanoid creature she could think of in that moment that might employ their claws in such a way. 

“Your job?” Nell continued to question, not entirely sold on that description. “What do you mean by that? Why’s it your responsibility?” She could sympathize with wanting to make sure people were as safe as possible in White Crest, but she certainly didn’t consider it to be her job. It was just...something she was good at, and something she felt obligated to do. So where was this sense of duty coming from where it concerned The Claw? “Do you know?” Nell challenged, not entirely convinced. She couldn’t help but feel like she was somehow responsible for making sure this girl knew what she was truly getting into— the pain and heartbreak that lay down the line if she decided to take the weight of the world on her shoulders. “I know you wanna help- but it’s not always happy endings or whatever. Things go to shit. A lot.” And then years have passed and you don’t even know how you got here, but it’s too late to stop now. You can’t turn your back on people that need help. If Nell could spare someone the disillusionment she’d experienced over the last few years, and the bone-deep tiredness she felt half the time these days...she’d take that chance.

“I’m...no I’m not a werewolf.” Okay, Nell was clearly making fun of her now. “This isn’t some joke or silly halloween costume. It is my job. My responsibility. I have powers and I have to help people with them.” Sasha felt her face heat up. She wasn’t used to getting angry enough to raise her voice, and already she felt self conscious at it, clearing her throat and glancing back down at the cuffed man to avoid Nell’s questioning gaze.

“I know this town is dangerous. I can handle it. You don’t need to-” Treat me like a child. Act like I don’t know what I’m doing. Sasha clenched her jaw. She wasn’t going to argue. Nell had helped, but Sasha wasn’t going to try to explain this to her. 

“Are you taking him to the police?” Sasha motioned to the man. “Or wherever bounties go. I need to get back to my patrol.” It was a lie. Sasha was pretty sure she was going to head directly back to her dorm the moment she left Nell and sleep until she forgot about her annoyance and the gun going off and the feeling of blood between her fingers.

“I didn’t say it was any of that stuff,” Nell defended with a gut reaction, realizing she’d made a wrong step somewhere along the way. Certainly Nell had thought it to be a game at the beginning of their meeting, mistaking the girl for cosplay, but now she knew better. But if The Claw wasn’t a werewolf...what was she? Unless she simply didn’t know she was a werewolf. Maybe that was also a possibility. If that were the case, it would only fan the flames of Nell’s concern. How could the girl hope to save a world she didn’t have all the pieces of, and not get hurt in the process? “But you don’t,” Nell replied simply. “You don’t have to. Not if it gets to be too much or anything like that.” 

Nell recognized a stubbornness in the girl that was most likely mirrored in herself while The Claw defended her choices, and that only worried Nell more. But she also knew there was no sense fighting it if they were, indeed, alike in that trait. Any opposition would only be met with a stronger fight back. So if Nell couldn’t prevent the girl from taking a path that was rife with hardship, maybe she could at least help. “Fine,” was her short answer. “But if you have any questions— how can people contact you, anyway? Is there like a ‘The Claw’ twitter or something that you work off of?” If The Claw wouldn’t listen to her, then she’d simply have to settle for trying to keep an eye on the girl. 

The dismissal was obvious in the girl’s words, and Nell had no interest in overstaying her welcome at the moment. Besides, she did need to get this man back to the bail bonds agency. “I’m taking him,” Nell answered with her arms folded over her chest, not yet moving an inch. She usually utilized magic to get her bounties back to her employers, and though she’d already technically used magic in front of The Claw, she wasn’t about to do so again so openly when it seemed the other girl hadn’t noticed. “Good luck on your patrol.” She’d have to wait for The Claw to leave in order to finish her business here. 

But you were thinking it. You were thinking that I’m a joke. And you think that I can’t handle things either. But Sasha didn’t voice it. She didn’t want to get angrier at Nell, or vice versa, but it was already getting to that point. So she ignored the bounty hunter’s statement about what she knew she had to do or whatever, biting back a retort. Even the question about contacting her made Sasha irritated in the moment. She knew it was dumb, but it hadn’t been something she figured out yet since saving Connor and him asking her the same thing. Being reminded again that she had no easy way to contact someone without revealing who she was only made her worried that it would now come off as unprofessional to the bounty hunter. 

“I’m setting something up. Why don’t you give me your contact info and I’ll reach out to you if I need it.” A burner phone or some side account on something wouldn’t be hard, she just had to make sure it didn’t trace back to her. And behind the current annoyance and Nell, Sasha knew it would be smart to know how to contact her. Not that Sasha would need the help, but she didn’t want some weird bounty mix up to happen again. 

“Thanks.” Sasha said, unsure if Nell meant what she said about her patrol. At least she hadn’t detected any sarcasm in that, even if she seemed to want Sasha to get out of her hair soon.

Nell didn’t offer any more words as The Claw gave her a short answer, knowing that the peace between them was hanging by a thread. Instead she tucked a hand into her jacket pocket, magically summoning a piece of paper and pen from back home into her hand before bringing them back into sight. On the paper she wrote both her phone number, and the name ‘Penelope Vural’ before handing it over to the girl. “You can text me or find me on the town forum. Whatever works for you.” Friendship wasn’t on Nell’s mind as she offered the contact information, and instead she was hoping that she might be able to keep some sort of eye on the strange crusader. “Let me know if you ever need anything or whatever. Or have questions about who I’m after. Sometimes jobs take more than two hands...or claws, and I’m always down for action.” That was the best she felt she could do in making sure The Claw didn’t get herself killed, and without adding flame to the fire the witch had inadvertently built between them. 

Nell turned away from the self-made heroine, unable to bite her tongue any longer when the rock of dread was solidifying in her gut. She didn’t want to watch another person get hurt by White Crest, but she wasn’t about to stand by and let it happen either. When she turned to look over her shoulder, the other girl was already gone, and Nell hadn’t even gotten to give a well wishing of safety before the night air swallowed up The Claw. All she could think was that hopefully the town wouldn’t swallow the girl whole as well. 

[shirtlesssammy]

15x04: Atomic Monsters

Then:

Becky was an obsessed, gross fangirl, and it was not awesome.

Now:

We open to the bunker under attack. Dean is in full beard and kicking ass. Boy, the director of this episode sure knows how to make Dean pretty. He makes it to the bunker’s kitchen to find Benny (!!!!) on the floor dying. 

I don’t rewatch Taxi Driver for a reason, Show. I loved Benny and Dean’s friendship, so while this was great just to have him back for old time’s sake, it still makes me sad that he’s still gone. (And spoiler, this is Sam’s dream. I just like to think about how Sam still thinks about this friendship he didn’t want Dean to have and it haunts him to this day.)

Dean’s looking for someone. He walks into the war room and finds him: Sam, all powerful on demon blood. Dean tries reasoning with his brother, but he’s past all that. Sam kills another hunter sneaking up on them, and then he kills Dean. 

Sam wakes up from his nightmare, gasping. SAM!

He heads to the kitchen to find Dean looking for cases, drinking coffee, and eating a plate of bacon. Dean says it’s veggie bacon when Sam tries to turn down eat some. Sam also tells Dean that his self-proclaimed nickname “Meat Man” isn’t what he thinks it means. Dean apparently knows exactly what it means and he’s standing by it. Ahem. Dean also calls Sam out on not handling their recent losses. The Just Brothers show is a real bummer.

Anyway, the case Dean found is in Iowa. There’s been a string of cattle mutilations and a young woman’s body found ripped to pieces. 

Also, it was real bacon and Dean’s a dick for trying to trick Sam into eating it. 

At Beaverdale High School, Sam learns Susie, the vic, was a popular girl and there’s going to be a prayer vigil for her at the school. Two parents show up asking about the game getting canceled --or rescheduled. They’re just can’t have that happen. There was going to be a scout coming to that game for their son, Billy. 

Sam is appalled (and I’m sad for him, so close to losing family he cared about.) The vice principal shuts down the pushy parents, and after they leave mutters, “I swear, the parents are worse than the kids.” 

Sam meets back up with Dean (eating again). Dean was just at the morgue and found a vamp fang. This one’s a weird one. Vamps don’t usually tear their victims apart. Also, she didn’t even try to fight off her attacker. 

Later that night, a fellow student leaves the school only to be attacked by the camera in the bushes!! 

Sam and Dean check out where Susie was found. No blood means she was killed elsewhere and her body was dumped in the woods. Sam soliloquies about how taking care of the monsters is their job and they carry the weight of everyone. Dean drinks from his flask. They are coping SO WELL, guys!

Sam gets a call that another girl is missing. 

WHOA. Becky, fangirl and Sam kidnapper extraordinaire, is married with kids and is looking forward to having the house to herself for the day. Just as her husband and kids pull away, she sees her old ex, Chuck, across the street. Run, Becky, Run! Chuck wants to talk. UGH. 

The VP fills the brothers in on the new missing teen. 

Chuck checks out Becky’s maquettes and learns that she’s a successful Etsy seller of Supernatural merchandise. She fesses up to how wrong what she did to Sam was, admitted to counseling. She kept writing. She wrote the good stuff, amirite? Chuck disagrees and thinks that people like the monsters. (Natasha: raises hand.) Becky’s a busy person so Chuck better cut to the chase here. Chuck won’t let the whole monster thing go. 

Chuck admits to having a falling out with the Winchesters. He also tells Becky that his sister won’t help, because “she sucks.” Becky can’t believe that Chuck thinks he can come crawling back to her. She’s got a good life now. She doesn’t need him. 

Becky’s nice though (can’t believe I just wrote those words), and asks Chuck, what makes him happy. Writing. She tells him he has to write. 

Back at the high school, Dean is interviewing a man in a beaver suit while eating a hot dog. 

JESUS CHRIST ON A CRACKER. (I’m conducting an experiment with my GA co-worker about Dean is bi-Dean/Cas. I can’t wait to hear what she says about this. She did call The Breakup a “bro-fight” so I’ll keep you all posted.) 

In the school gymnasium, Billy and Veronica bond over losing Susie. Billy’s mom interrupts and he runs away. 

The third-in-line-to-the-throne cheerleader practices her eulogy alone in a gym. I obsessed over this scene in this post about stories, because it was such a strange beat in the episode. The Winchesters confront her. They ask her to head off with them alone (GURL never do that with anyone you don’t know) when Sam notices that she wears braces. 

Sam and Dean leave the gym in a huff. Vampires don’t wear braces! Foiled by braces yet again! They go back to the drawing board. 

We finally get a peek in the happy lacrosse family’s home. Everyone’s argumentative and on edge, and when we get a closeup of the dad he’s washing blood off his hands in the sink.

The camera pans through the house to the garage where the kidnapped cheerleader, Tori, lies bound and gagged. UGH.

Chuck experiences the downside of Becky-in-momland: no booze! Chuck complains that he can no longer see Sam and Dean in his head and subtly touches his hidden bullet wound. Ooooo. Becky lays out some truths for Chuck. “You’re a writer. A writer who’s not writing. And when a writer’s not writing, they feel sad and they get lost. Why do I feel this way? Why am I so sad and lost? And what is all this naval gazing and hair pulling amount to in the end? Procrastination. Distraction. Just one million ways the writer avoids doing the one thing that is guaranteed to make the writer feel better. Which is…”

“Writing,” Chuck finishes the thought. Go Becky! Except…um…now Chuck is inspired to write again. And when Chuck writes? The world ends.

Chuck takes over Becky’s computer (RUDE) and starts his next opus on supernaturalstory-onebillionparallelworlds.com. 

Sam and Dean check out the security footage from the night Tori was abducted. They nab a suspicious vehicle and a license plate which lands them at...Billy’s house. 

At Billy’s house, strife continues to be the word of the day. The parents argue that they want what’s best for Billy - whatever that is. Sam and Dean head inside, looking as dangerous as panthers.

Sam heads for the garage while Dean cues the dad into a little fun fact: they’re not FBI. No, they’re considerably scarier than the FBI. Dean pulls out a machete which is probably NOT FIELD ISSUE OKAY. 

Sam discovers that the girl has been hooked up to an IV - she’s become a slow-release food source. The mom interrupts them with a GUN. 

Danger mom escorts Sam and the cheerleader back to the living room where they have a gun vs. machete stand-off. Obviously Dean would win this matchup, okay? He’d probably, idk, stop the bullets in his teeth or something.

Becky reads over Chuck’s work. She adores it! Chuck pushes for some notes. She asks for higher stakes and while we get distracted by her rambling about the lack of classic rock and Cas, Chuck’s expression grows GRIM and DARK and VERY SCARY. (Good job Rob, you talented cinnamon roll!) 

“You want jeopardy? You want danger? I’ll give you danger.” Thanks for the trip to CREEPY TOWN, Chuck. 

Billy heads downstairs and witnesses the confrontation between the Winchesters and his parents. Dean does his usual monologue, explaining how the dad got turned into a vamp, tried to eat cows, and started eating teen girls instead. But Sam observes Billy and points out something very different. “It’s not the dad, it’s the son.” Billy confesses: he was kissing his girlfriend when he lost control and ate her instead. Man, I HATE it when that happens. 

Billy told his parents, who covered it up. They kidnapped Tori as a longer term feed option. But now their son lays it all out. He’ll take the fall for everything, including Tori’s kidnapping and assault. And he’ll take a one-way ride with the Winchesters. 

UGH now everything is terrible. Dean executes the son in a dark wooded area as the rest of the world washes any trace of the supernatural away. 

Back with Chuck, Becky finishes reading his higher-stakes take. She’s disturbed. “You can’t,” she pleads. “This is just an ending.”

“Yeah,” Chuck says, pleased. “I don’t know how I’m getting there, but I know where I’m going.” That destination, to be specific, is just a tombstone with the word WINCHESTER on it. (Can I get a hell yeah for this meta-awareness and roundabout promise that we WON’T get this ending?) 

“You can’t do this to the fans!” Becky insists. But she’s prevented from saying more by her husband’s sudden return. She starts to explain the presence of Chuck, when Chuck just ZAPS her husband out of existence. Her kids call out and BOOM they’re gone too. I start to get worried that we’re gonna have some sort of icky reverse-Misery situation here when Chuck decides to zap Becky away as well. (Can’t wait until Becky kills God at the end of the series, guys!)

In the car, Sam directly parallels Billy to Jack. Dean admits that he wanted to “cash out” in the crypt, but that Sam’s insistence that they matter pulled him back. (Me: RLY?) Sam’s bitter. Dean’s tense. “We still do the job,” Dean says. “We do it for Jack. For mom. For Rowena. We owe it to anybody who has ever given a damn about us to keep putting one foot in front of the other. No matter what.” 

Dean goes on to say that with Chuck gone, they’re finally free to “move on” and EXCUSE ME while I go throw myself into a Destiel trash bin at that phrasing. Sam’s not in the Destiel trash bin with me, because he tells us he still mourns Jessica and now we’re HURTING for other reasons. SAM BBY! 

Back at Becky’s house Chuck continues to write...INSIDIOUSLY. I can’t wait for Chuck’s next book: Sad Boys in the Impala.

______________________________

Read These Quotes Backward for a Demonic Spell:

The end of the world is the end of the world

They have no idea what’s out there

But people LIKE monsters

I need wine

Why am I so sad and lost? And what is all this naval gazing and hair pulling amount to in the end? Procrastination. Distraction. Just one a million ways the writer avoids doing the one thing that is guaranteed to make the writer feel better. 

Nobody even mentions Cas

To see your child in pain rips your heart out

We can bury them out back. Under the peonies. Everything is going to be FINE

Fans are gonna love it

Oh, Becky. I can do anything. I’m a writer

We do the ugly things so that people can live happy

Monsters are cool. What? They’re all teeth!

______________________________

[anthonybialy]

Promise Unchecked

Please review your purchase of a government. Your reminder must've gone to the spam folder. Very engaged citizens don't check results. Well, it's hard. Who wants to see if a promise was kept? Verifying is especially tricky for the biggest bluffers of all. Spot them by how they only get hired by voters.

Those who gleefully deduct a star because the Amazon delivery guy didn't close the screen door the whole way won't examine whether spending 14 figures got taxpayers more than zero value. It's so much easier to presume a boast will become reality. The only cost is preposterous schemes inflicting tremendous harm instead of curing pain.

A lack of scrutiny allows peddlers of junk to continue to avoid seeking more honest careers. It's bad enough when an Etsy craftsperson can't shape earrings like your home state. New York was crumbled until it resembled New Jersey. But at least you can kvetch about a return.

Purchases that can't be declined hurt wallets and self-worth infinitely more. Astute consumers buying their own well-being have noticed that universal health care led to crummy coverage. The money lost was never seen, so that counts as savings.

Follow the science, demand those wearing a mask helps as much as shutting down society. Smugness hopefully protects from the plague in a way today's panicky restriction doesn't. There's as little correlation with governors banning interactions keeping the secluded parties safe as there is prosperity caused by every other bit of bossiness. We naturally want to think we're protected by being stuck in pods. But there's no safety in failing to check if the weatherstripping leaks.

Hospitals charge fortunes per minute precisely because users aren't paying. Insurance's best prices and quality come in the same way as obtaining every other good deal, namely by enjoying the option to take business elsewhere.

The importance of getting someone skilled to work on your insides is precisely why free markets are crucial for anyone interested in acquiring medical attention. Health care should be guaranteed unless you want health care. Take comfort in a promise, as you're sure not getting it from treatment.

I wonder if these martinis are making it tougher to operate machinery. Shrewd detectives have noticed mandates are precisely what makes insurance costly in the first place. The mind-blowing circumstance where the solution is the cause seems too improbable for Hollywood's greatest fiction generators. Truth is indeed stranger.

A lack of control only seems scary without noticing how transactions continue. For one, why aren't we starving? There's no food mandate and yet we can afford Twinkies along with potentially more nutritious provisions. The constant negotiation between hungry people and those willing to either sell the ingredients or prepare them as well keeps prices reasonable. Or maybe there's a law banning hunger.

Enjoy reading this on an internet the government didn't ruin, or even revel in loathing it. My precious feelings won't be hurt too much. Nobody appreciates avoided disasters because it's tough to sense the collision that never happened. A lack of net neutrality made the net neutral. The precise opposite happening is a federal specialty if anyone would like to bother noticing.

Washington demands to control what thrives precisely because it's uncontrolled. Bureaucrats spewing limits would mean we'd have no options, but at least we'd be protected from their imaginations. Here in this horrifying frontier, users get to choose other companies. It turns out Twitter still isn't charging you every time you share how your Peloton ride went. But you could still switch irksome apps if they did.

Would you please be trusting? Obeying is compulsory, after all. There's no need to check up on the institution that is in charge of life. Something decent must happen if the government says the promise approaches on the horizon. It's illegal to do otherwise. How could the wise and benevolent overseer of existence disregard its own proclamations, you Ayn Rand-lusting lunatic? You act as if politicians can't control events and fate itself.

Accuse monsters who think people would be better off buying their own goods of gleefully murdering children. Once the human devils concede they've brought Hell to Earth, we'll have bipartisan unity.  Slanderers of liberty-based dissent sure are smug considering what government's colossal miscalculations actually inflict on the real world. Those who think East Germany took over the West reside in a fantasy that ruins actual lives.

Yogi Berra knew you can learn a lot by seeing what happens. Anyone paying attention to results would be shocked upon noticing, say, gun control leads to criminals controlling guns. The tricky part where they disregard laws that disarm the virtuous is an oversight that certainly can't apply to every other blasted bit of nonsense they believe.

Checking up on consequences is this whole hassle. But nothing's more important than examining if a theory works out, especially when participation is mandatory. A politician may not perform as claimed. I hate to be cynical in a world that could use more trust. But the notion that someone may make an outlandish promise in order to convince voters to get onboard will stubbornly not leave my brain.

Some people who love pointing out what a phony Donald Trump remains sure do love believing the freaking government delivers on promises. I'm sure politicians will punish themselves for lying.

[kpoptart216]

Betting on You (pt 3)

Previous Parts: Part 1 Part 2

Full Masterlist

That was probably the best first date you had ever been on. And you had your handful of those. Was it because you weren’t expecting Taehyung to even call you in the first place? Or was it because...the date was actually that fun?

You were mostly surprised by how much you both just ended up talking for most the night especially since he didn’t seem to really talk all that much the night before at the club. And that kiss? Wow. 

He caught you off guard when he kissed you again in his car, and you were even more surprised when you mustered the courage to kiss him on the cheek before you left. You weren’t sure if there was going to be a second date let alone when it would be, but you were hoping it would be soon because you knew that you had feelings for Taehyung, even if it was only two days since you met the man. 

You almost ran back to your apartment, blushing the entire way. You just wanted to throw yourself onto your bed and squeal like a middle school girl would have. As you were about to open the door to your apartment though, the door opened for you and someone had walked right into you, dropping a few things and causing you to drop your purse as well. 

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry” says the man. You both bent down to grab your things, and you finally looked at the stranger who walked out of your apartment. You probably should have been scared that someone you didn’t know was walking out of your apartment so late at night, but maybe it was the fact that he apologized or you were too happy that you didn’t really care. 

“It’s fine. Hey...you’re the guy from the club last night, right? Jungkook, was it?” you asked, recognizing the stranger. 

“Oh hey! You’re Yumi’s roommate right? Y/N?” Jungkook asks, glad he didn’t just run into anyone at almost 4am.  “I’m sorry for running into you like this” he says. 

“No it’s fine!” you assure him. You resume picking up the items that fell out of your purse. You had way too much crap in your bag and you made a mental note to clean some of this up when you woke up in the morning. 

“oh my god, is that an overwatch keychain?” Jungkook asks, as he picks up your keys for you. 

“Oh, you have a good eye! Yes it is! I got it off of Etsy a while ago” you say, smiling fondly at your keychain. You probably had 5 keychains too many, always adding more to the mix, but you didn’t really care. You were surprised that Jungkook even managed to see it, let alone recognize it. 

“You’re going to have to send me the link to that or something because now I want on! Do you play??” he asks, excitedly. 

“I...dabble in it, sure” you say, not really wanting to come off as a nerd. 

“well, if i’m ever over again, then I want to play you” he says, smiling. 

“It’s on” you smile. “Things going well with Yumi?” you ask.

“I mean, we’re just starting to get to know one another” he says, truthfully. “Not entirely sure where it’s going to go” he says, not really sure why he’s being honest with you. 

“Of course! She’s a great girl, I’ll have you know. Don’t go breaking her heart, Jungkook” you say. 

“She really is great, and that threat is duly noted” he chuckles. 

“I’d love to stay and chat but it’s almost 4am. I’ll talk to you next time” you say, trying to excuse yourself. 

“Oh of course. I’ll see you around, Y/N” he says, heading out. 

Yumi basically jumps you in bed the next morning, bombarding you with so many questions. 

“Where have you been? Why didn’t you answer your phone? Why were you dressed up? Who were you with? What did you do?” she asked, all in one breath. 

“Good morning to you too, sunshine” you say, groaning. It was far too early for this, and you needed time. You had probably only been asleep for two hours before your roommate woke you up and you weren’t a morning person to say the least. 

You slowly answered her questions as you got ready for work. You already knew it was going to be a long day, what with the lack of sleep and all. But yet, you still felt energetic today while thinking about last night. 

“Why did you tell me you met someone at the club?!” Yumi asked, bewildered. 

“It all just kind of happened so fast, Yumi! I wasn’t even sure he was going to even call me. Why would he?” you say as you put on your earrings. 

“Y/n, you know you’re fucking gorgeous right? Idk why you’re the only one who can’t see that?” your friend says. It makes you smile because for the first time in a long time, you might have believed her words.

“Look at you! You’re still blushing! I’ve tried to set you up with so many guys and of course the stranger from the club is who has you a gushing mess in the morning. I don’t care though, as long as you find someone” Yumi says. “You deserve it..” she says, with a sad smile. 

You look at her, and give her a reassuring smile. For the longest time, you swore of men after what happened in college. And after a few years, you yearned for someone to love. But you didn’t want to settle for anyone who didn’t make your heart skip a beat. And perhaps it was too soon to expect anything out of Taehyung, but you really hoped that you could continue to see the man with the box smile that melted your heart. 

You got into work even slightly earlier than usual thanks to Yumi. From the time you swore off men, you gave it all in your career. You made the right connections and worked your way up. You were now the junior partner for one of the biggest law firms in the city. While your job was nothing but stressful, you still loved to work. It gave you the independence you have always wanted. 

As you place your things down on your desk, you hear your phone ping. 

Tae: I had a great time last night. 

If only you could squeal at the office!

You: I did too :)

You set your phone down on the desk as you pull out all the work for today. You could hear your phone ping again and you wanted to so badly ignore it because you knew if the conversation continued, you wouldn’t be able to focus on work. But you had absolutely no self control so you grabbed your phone with a stupid smile on your face. 

Tae: I’m glad to hear it. When are we going out again then, beautiful? 

And like you said, you had no self control. So you did squeal at work. You just couldn’t help yourself. 

You quickly made plans to see Taehyung again Wednesday night since, but you probably couldn’t wait till then. You already missed him, and you barely knew him. 

You might have been an adult, but Taehyung made you feel as if you were a teenager in love. 

Soon enough, Wednesday evening came around. Yumi helped you get ready, picking out a more casual outfit instead since Taehyung told you to dress comfortably. Yumi mentioned that she was probably going to spend a night in with Jungkook, since he wanted to watch a few movies with her. 

You thought it was cute and you were glad that Yumi herself had found a nice guy. You could hear someone knock at the door and figuring it was Taehyung, you rushed to the door. You opened the door in a hurry, way too excited. “Hey!”

“Hi to you too” chuckled the man in front of you. “Going somewhere?” he asks. 

“Oh my god, Jungkook hey!” you say, laughing. “Sorry, I was expecting someone. Here, come in” you say. 

“Should I be offended?” he asks. 

“No, you’re welcome here don’t get me wrong. But this girl has got a date and I really don’t want to be here while you suck Yumi’s face off sooo” you joke. 

“Woah, I’m just an innocent little guy. I have no idea what you’re talking about” he jokes back. 

“UH HUH. SURE” you laugh back. 

“Jungkook hey!!” Yumi half screams as she sees him from the kitchen. She runs to give him a hug and he laughs at how cute she was. 

“Hey princess. I got the movies. And please tell Y/n here that I’m just an innocent man. She thinks I’m going to suck your face off!” Jungkook says as he wraps his hands around Yumi’s waist. 

“I mean... She’s smart for a reason” Yumi says, shyly giving Jungkook a kiss on the cheek. 

“Smart huh?” Jungkook asks, intrigued. 

“Y/N’s a lawyer! And the junior partner!” your roommate brags. 

“wow, a lawyer who plays overwatch?” Jungkook says in awe. 

“Yup, that’s me!” you say, proudly. It felt nice to be appreciated. Just then, you could hear another knock on the door. You begin to smile again, really hoping that it wasn’t just the delivery guy. 

You open the door to see Taehyung standing there. He was as handsome as ever, even if he was dressed casually. “Hey there, beautiful” he says, reaching to give you a kiss on the cheek. You immediately blush, not knowing what to do. 

You could hear someone squeal in the background, knowing it could be none other than Yumi. 

“HI! I’m Y/n-ie’s roommate, Yumi!” she says as she reaches to give Taehyung a hug. Taehyung is taken aback, but smiles as he gives your roommate a hug too. 

“Nice to meet you, Yumi. I’m Taehyung” Taehyung smiles. 

“Hyung...” Jungkook says slowly. Everyone turns to look at him. 

“Kook? what are you doing here” Taehyung asks, confused. 

“You both know eachother? What are the odds!” Yumi bounces. 

“Yeah, he’s actually one of my best friends” Jungkook says, but he wasn’t smiling as if he had just saw his best friend. He seemed somewhat concerned as he looks back and forth from you and Taehyung.

“Yeah, me and Jungkook go way back. Wow, really this is such a big coincidence” Taehyung amuses. “I’d love to stay and chat, but I promised this pretty girl a night out. I promise I’ll have her back early tonight” Taehyung says to Yumi and you could only giggle. If there was any tension in the room before, Taehyung sure made a great job of getting rid of it. 

“You can keep her for as long as you like” Yumi winks. 

“As much as I want to, I have a feeling Y/N is going to say no” Taehyung half jokes. 

“Oh hush, let’s get going” you say as you usher Taehyung out. “Bye guys, have fun! and keep it PG for the love of god” you say, joking. 

Jungkook knew. He knew about the bet. His hyungs had made it a deal to fill him in the next day since they needed to know if he was willing to bet anything himself. Thankfully, he didn’t. He might have only just met you and Yumi a few days ago, but he was really enjoying spending his time with Yumi. And talking to you was refreshing. He wanted to be good friends with you, especially after how highly Yumi always talked of you. 

But after knowing that you were seeing Taehyung, he felt his heart sink. Sure, Jungkook didn’t really date much before, but he was getting tired of these meaningless one night stands. He wanted to find something meaningful and while it might now have been the best place, he found Yumi that night at the club. He just wanted to dance with her that night, but he couldn’t help himself from starting to like her. 

She was likable, and so were you. He was serious when he said he wanted to play Overwatch with you. Sure, he didn’t know you long, but he knew that he didn’t want to see you get hurt. Let alone have anything mess up what he was starting to have with Yumi. Maybe he could convince Taehyung to give up on this bet. 

Taehyung took you the aquarium. The aquarium. 

It was full of lots of people, making the fish to human ratio smaller. But, you were in awe. During your first date, you had briefly mentioned how much you loved the aquarium and you were glad he remembered because you had been wanting to go for a while now since it had been quite a long time. 

“Oh my god, look at that sea turtle!” you jumped as you went from animal to animal. 

Taehyung could only smile. If you were so easily excited by such small things, then perhaps these next six months really were to be a piece of cake. And to be honest, Taehyung secretly loved animals too. He had a soft spot for animals, but he never really cared to show that side to many people. 

By the time you were done with half the aquarium, you had stumbled into the gift shop by accident when you took a wrong turn at the penguin exhibit. Taehyung just followed, amused. You found polar bear ears and put them on Taehyung when he wasn’t looking. He looked at you confused, but you quickly took a picture on your phone. You show Taehyung the picture and he only rolls his eyes jokingly. He quickly finds another pair of ears and puts them on you and he grabs your phone as he snaps a picture of you both. 

“Our first picture!” he says, as he hands you back the phone. We look good together you think, as you place your phone back in your purse. 

By the time you finish the rest of the aquarium, you’re both pretty hungry. As Taehyung looks up places to eat, you remember the little noodle restaurant not too far from here. You used to go there all the time when you were in college, and you had a sudden craving for it. 

“How do you feel about noodles?” you ask, and Taehyung looks up at you. He was thinking steak, but noodles doesn’t seem too bad either. 

“Sure, let’s go!” he says, letting you lead the way. You both take your time walking and talk some more, and even stopping at a few stores to window shop. 

You finally reach the noodle shop and though it looks pretty run down, the food was delicious. Taehyung made a face unknowingly, and you almost felt bad that you had dragged him to a place like this. You found out during the first date that he was in fact the son of Kim Enterprises, one of the leading companies in Korea. You were shocked, but it seemed to explain his car and apartment. He reassured you that it wasn’t anything big and you shouldn’t worry about it. 

Taehyung was also surprised to learn that you were a lawyer. Not to mention a junior partner. Most of the girls he had known were just daughters of big shot fathers. They didn’t care too much for a career, so it was nice to see a girl who cared a lot about her career. 

“we can go somewhere else if you want” you say, not wanting to force him into this place. 

“No, let’s try it. It smells good!” Taehyung said honestly. He didn’t really like the way the store looked, but the food did smell really good. Plus, there was a lot of people within the tiny little place that all seemed to be enjoying their dinner. 

You both ordered the house special noodles and as soon as it was placed on the little table between the two of you, Taehyung was surprised. The noodles looked amazing! And it was pretty cheap too. And it only took one bite to fall in love with the noodles. 

“Y/N, this is sooo good” he said with his mouth full. He seemed to even like it more than the expensive dinner you both shared on the first date. And for that, you were happy. You were glad to be showing Taehyung some of your favorite thins, even though it might not be up to par with places he probably frequented. 

“why aren’t you eating? If you’re not going to eat it, I will gladly eat it for you” he says before slurping more noodles. 

“No no, I’m just glad you liked them. But you have another thing coming if you think I’ll give up my precious noodles so easily” you joke, causing him to smile too. 

Taehyung had to admit, spending time with you was easy. Thankfully, you didn’t make it seem like a chore. He didn’t find himself putting up fake smiles or having fake conversations, and for that he was thankful. 

Soon, your little outings with Taehyung frequented and by the end of the second week, you were finally not so nervous around Taehyung. You weren’t really sure what you’re relationship was though, and you didn’t really want to start the conversation yourself though you really wanted to know where you stood in your life. He clearly didn’t just see you as a friend, did he?

While you both were driving back the movie that Taehyung had wanted to see, you heard “Be my girlfriend” out of the blue. 

“W-what?” you stuttered. 

“I’m not good at doing all these romantic things, and I wasn’t really sure how to bring this up, but I really like you, princess. I want you to be my girlfriend” he says, casually. 

“Oh.. Ok” you say, blushing intensely. 

“Ok as in you’re saying yes?” he asks, still looking at the road ahead of him. 

“Yes, I’ll be your girlfriend” you say, giggling. And only then, did Taehyung smile himself. 

It was now one month since you met Taehyung that fateful night at the club, and you were the happiest you’ve been in years. It was probably too early to say how much Taehyung meant to you, but he made you happy. 

And during this one month, you even became good friends with Jungkook! Jungkook was constantly over at your apartment, and it was easy to become friends with him since he was also friends with your now boyfriend, Taehyung. 

“Ok, just because you beat me at Mario Kart doesn’t mean you’re better at me than all the other games” Jungkook whines as you both play a game while Yumi makes some snacks. 

“But like, I beat you in those games too?? so I don’t really know what you’re talking about??” you say, laughing. 

“Babe, Y/n is pretty badass, I don’t think you really want to compete with her” Yumi says as she enters the living room again. Jungkook had also asked her to be his girlfriend a few weeks ago, and she happily said yes. And she was so happy that her best friend/roommate and her boyfriend were getting along. Y/n had a tendency to scare off any potential boys that she didn’t seem fit for her, so she was glad she accepted Jungkook. 

“Yah! Shouldn’t you be supporting your boyfriend? why are you always on her side?” he asked, pretending to be annoyed. 

“Cuz she’s my best friend, dumbass” Yumi says, settling into the seat next to Jungkook. 

Jungkook holds his hand to his heart and pretends to be in pain. Yumi just smacks him for being dumb, but laughing the entire time. 

You hear a knock on the door, and you run to open the door for none other than Taehyung. “Hey babe!” he says, engulfing you in a hug. You loved the way he smelled. 

Taehyung’s eyes land on Jungkook and he gives him a knowing look, and Jungkook doesn’t like it one bit. Jungkook had tried to convince him a few days ago to try and break the bet, but Taehyung was clear. He was going to see through these six months through and through. And if he wanted to keep things going well with Yumi, Taehyung advised Jungkook keep his mouth shut. And as much as it pained Jungkook to do so, he didn’t want to lose Yumi... or you for that matter. 

You and Taehyung had decided to watch a movie in your room instead, leaving Jungkook and Yumi in the living room soon after Taehyung arrived. Soon after the movie started, you could feel Taehyung put his arms around your shoulder and you you snuggled in closer, loving how warm he felt. 

But soon enough, your attention was taken away from the movie as you could feel your boyfriend stare at you, drilling a hole on the side of your face. 

Why aren’t you watc-” You began, but were cut off when Taehyung kissed you. And it’s not like you two hadn’t kissed. In fact, you kissed...a lot in this last month. But that’s all it ever went to, and Taehyung was getting frustrated. 

When you felt his hands at the hem of your shirt, you immediately push his hands away and Taehyung groans, breaking the kiss. “i’m sorry” you say in a small voice. 

“No, it’s fine” Taehyung says, turning back the movie. You were always like this. Anytime a kiss got heated, you always broke it off. He didn’t know why you always pushed him away like that. Were you not into him? That was impossible, because come on, who wouldn’t me? If sex was off the table for six months, then so be it, Taehyung thought. It’s not like he planned on staying faithful to you, and he already wasn’t. 

Taehyung had complained to his friends the first time you refused his advances. “Why do you even care?” Jimin asked. “You have a line of girls waiting to just spend a night with the infamous Kim Taehyung” says Jimin. 

“I don’t plan on ending this bet” Taehyung groans. “Who said anything about breaking off the bet? No one said anything about you remaining faithful.  As long as she doesn’t find out, right?” Jimin continued, not really caring about what you might feel. Hell, he never met you and he planned to keep it that way. 

“Hyung... don’t do that to her” Jungkook chimed in. “She’s a nice girl” he continued. 

“Yah, just because you’re with her roommate doesn’t give you the right to dictate what I can or can’t do with Y/n” Taehyung growls. 

“But she’s my friend now too, and I don’t want you hurting her” Jungkook says, keeping his stance. 

And that was when Taehyung had threatened Jungkook to keep his mouth shut. 

And since that night, Taehyung did have his share of flings. Sure, he would never let you know. He always made sure that his flavor of the night would never leave any marks on him, though he would gladly return the favor if they wanted. 

Plus, it wasn’t like you spent the night at his place. Though he claimed he didn’t really care, he was curious. Why didn’t you want to be with him. 

“No, Tae, it’s not fine. I’m just... really sorry” you say. 

“You do know that we’re dating right? This stuff is normal in a relationship” he says, forgetting to keep his patience. 

“I know.. I just.. I just” you say, not really wanting to dwell into the topic at the moment. 

“Just what, y/n? You make me feel... unwanted” Taehyung says. And he realized that he was being honest. How dare you refuse him?

“I’m a virgin!” You blurt out, not really having it in you to keep it a secret anymore. 

“W-what?” Taehyung gasps. A...virgin? But.. how? 

“I know.. I know what you’re thinking, and I just.. I don’t know” You say, tears start to form in your eyes. 

“Hey, hey, there’s nothing wrong with that” he says, though he clearly was judging you internally. 

“Trust me when I say I want to be with you, Tae. I really do, but I’m just so scared” you whimper. 

“Why? Are you scared of the pain?” he asks. 

“A little?” you say. Memories of college start to flood your mind and you start shaking. 

“Hey, what’s wrong?” Taehyung asks, noticing you start to shake. 

“Something happened... in college” 

A/n: I forgot I liked a good cliffhanger. What do you think happened in college? Want a part 4? let met know! 

[artist-blogger-9]

Are Artists Born Or Made? Success Tips For The Self-Taught Artist.

Through formal training, artists are mentored and guided to improve and hone their creative skills. Via an art education, the artist gets an opportunity to explore and use various media, styles, and techniques, under the guidance of a teacher. When it comes to finding jobs and internships, having a degree in fine art is a great way to make you stand out and gives you a head-start over the self-taught artist.

While I have a great deal of respect for art grads, I believe like many others, that art is an energy that is fuelled by passion – the kind of passion that cannot be taught. I believe that art is a creative calling cant be taught.

#Indian paintings #Aesthetic paintings #Zen Artist Sabrina Gill

Shop these now at https://www.etsy.com/shop/RengeBySabrina and http://sabrinagill.in

I Am Seeking, I am Striving, I am In It With All My Heart

The achievements of renowned masters like Van Gogh, Monet, the more recent M.F. Hussain, bear testimony to the fact that the lack of an art degree, does not mean a lack of talent. Vincent Van Gogh studied art briefly at the Antwerp Academy, but this had little influence on his approach to art. Some of the world’s best and most famous artists never had an art education.

A huge number of art aficionados, curators, collectors, gallerists and others from the world of art, believe that an art degree can curb spontaneity and prevent creative people from demonstrating the true depth of their talent – creativity cannot be hemmed in, structured, or taught – it has to be expressed. American Art historian Barbara Rose claims that educated artists, at times, produce art that looks “like homework.”

Unlike “homework art“ that follows the rules, art made by self-taught artists conveys a spontaneous, passionate, unbridled energy. The self-taught artist, through a process of experimentation, trial and error, adopts a completely different approach to art. Undefined by rules, the art a self-taught artist creates are expressions of passion – a passion that cannot be tamed.

Disciplined and focused, self-taught artists work well alone. They learn and pursue only what is essential to the art they wish to create. Creatively, they are able to think out of the box, and continually experiment and innovate to perfect their style of art.

There is great freedom to creating without instruction. If you don’t study art, your approach to art is entirely different. Everything comes from within you – which has its merits and demerits.

You could argue that an art degree is necessary for artists to learn the techniques of their craft and the greatest benefit of going to art school is that the system prepares you and directs you towards a job and an art career. On the other hand, finding career opportunities and openings are a struggle for the self-taught artist.

So are artists born or made? Success as an artist requires and combination of talent, perseverance and enterprise. With no formal training, what is the best route to take to grow and carve a niche for yourself artist? “Today you can learn almost anything yourself if you have the patience and tenacity”, says Ignasi Monreal, a self-taught artist. The internet has made it possible for artists to master the nitty-gritty of digital marketing and social media marketing to promote themselves. Here are some tips for self-taught artists to succeed.

Motivation

Motivation is a prerequisite to success in any field. The motivation to be the best is what drives an artist to put in the hours and master the craft. Make every art session count and take your skills to the next level.

Do the groundwork – research the market

The first step in selling your work is to conduct thorough market research. This preliminary groundwork work can help you plan and build the right website, create opportunities to further your art career and establish an identity as an artist.

My advice to newbies in the field of digital marketing is to pay an expert to build a strong website. Subsequently, driving traffic to your website and marketing your art is a job that you alone can do justice to.

Build a strong online presence – showcase your work online.

As a self-taught artist, you control all aspects of your creativity and marketing strategies. The demand for your work depends on cultivating an inspiring persona— both, in person and online – build a website where you feature your body of work and chronicle your creative journey.

Performing in-depth research and following the steps listed below, will equip you with information and facts to identify and reach your target audience.

Stay abreast of the competition

Explore the kind of art your competitors are creating by checking online and at art shows.

Harness the power of Social media to market yourself and your work.

Set up a Facebook page, an Instagram and a Twitter handle and post your work regularly. Run social media adverts and create your social media target audience. This might seem daunting and overwhelming at first, but it is quite easy to educate yourself on social media marketing via Pinterest tutorials, YouTube videos and a host of online courses available on the subject. Learn the in’s and out’s of Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and drive traffic to your website by regularly posting SEO compliant blogs.

To sell your work, you also need to use your website to develop a presence on high-traffic platforms like Etsy. Along with talent and determination, you must smartly market yourself and your work. How well you execute and follow through with what you learn can help you create a standing for yourself in the art community. Here are links to tutorials, videos, websites that helped me understand the complexities of SEO, blogging, and social media marketing – https://pin.it/Ky4CnbP, https://pin.it/4iHS9Pi, https://pin.it/3ieNQot, https://pin.it/3CF6GiM, https://youtu.be/BXgYpJQlfuk. There are a lot of free courses on digital marketing, SEO, blogging that you could enroll in. Scour the pages of Google, YouTube, Pinterest and find those courses and develop your digital marketing skills.

Beat the competition

Beat the competition by pricing your products lower than your competitors. Set a price your competitors can’t match.

Be your own worst critic

It was easy to view your own work with rose-tinted glasses but in order to grow, you need to set very high standards for yourself.

Submit your work to competitions and galleries to get unbiased feedback.

Expect nothing, but aim to be the best

It is important to be patient and enjoy the process of becoming an artist, without high expectations. It is important to have unbound optimism. This is what propels you to move forward. In fact you should certainly not achieve everything you desired when you embarked on your creative journey- if you have, you did not dream big enough.

Connect with the art fraternity – stay current with art market trends.

For artists, hanging out at events like art shows, art inaugural events, art fairs keeps you in touch with art trends, art market trends, artists, buyers and helps you forge connections with potential buyers. Every interaction and experience with the art community builds your network, audience, and brand – never lose an opportunity to hob-nob with gallerists, curators and the likes. Attend workshop sessions conducted by artists who inspire you, get yourself mentored by your dream master artist and collaborate with fellow artists for group exhibitions, online shows, etc. Energy and passion are infectious so spend time with other artists to stay inspired.

Fall in love with the process of becoming the best artist you could ever be. The goal isn’t just getting there – it is also to have fun along the way. When you enjoy the process, your goal becomes a milestone, not a finishing line.

Shop these now on https://www.etsy.com/in-en/shop/StudioSabrinaGill

and http://sabrinagill.in/

[ericakilbourn]

🦄 How is everyone's weekend! I'd like to take a minute to get kinda candid on here. Scroll away if you wish 😣 So I've been really inactive on social media for the past week or so, I've been really reevaluating my life in general. 😂 Social media (mainly IG), "building your brand", and producing as much art as possible, really took over my life without me meaning to I love all the friends I've made on here but the insane time and energy spent painting, and learning IG and Etsy, has hit an unhealthy level. I let a lot in my life really slip though the cracks and I think I just pushed my art so much because other things in my life weren't how I wanted them. Art was easy to excel in so I kept excelling. I let my lack of sleep & lack of exercise get out of control. I am really introverted so it was easy to stay inside & stay up all night to paint. My mind and body told me "enough is enough. Take care of yourself!" when I suffered a HUGE back injury in Feb. that made me quit working. After that I was told by a therapist that I have anxiety, and which brings out OCD tendencies. I knew that all along but I didn't think it was a large part of who I am. Apparently it's a large enough part of me, to give me insomnia and make me seek counseling. I really don't want pity or anything, I just thought I would share this with anyone who cares. I'm really glad I went to therapy. It was my first visit ever. Even in that one visit, it was so out of character of me, enough to make me really want to fix myself even more. I have extremely minimized social media, started going to bed at a decent hour, waking up early, going outside for walks each day with my boys, and actually cooking again. I am ashamed to say I've not made a scratch cooked meal in probably a year until 2 months ago. I miss tangible things, real moments and sunshine. I bought a planner binder (how 90's of me) and even just using my own handwriting to enter in all the calendar months and years was extremely satisfying. .. All that being said, I'm hoping to continue all of my self care routines that I've recently created, and painting is now strictly for the weekend. 💙 Thank you for reading if you're out there. 😚👍

[bludhavenbird]

SO! Since my blog’s starting over from scratch--One of my main motivations to restart was to properly document my cosplay progress as I get back into this hobby that I’ve really missed and ofc re-upload work I’ve done in the past.

That being said, first post up will be the MadMax!Nightwing variant look I put together last year. 

The initial inspiration for this actually came from tumblr user thewelshqueen back when she did a Mad Max Fury Road inspire Wonder Woman cosplay. I remember sending a few questions their way over what the process looked like for their cosplay while also sharing that they’d inspired me to give it a shot too. In the months before SDCC 2016 rolled around, I approached my friends with the concept of extending the theme to a myriad of DC characters and before long we all set to work!

Now admittedly with our limited time and budget we didn’t get to roll out as many of the characters we wanted or customize each individual look to the extent we hoped but it was still a super fun concept and one I really hoped I’d get to revisit later on--and now the opportunity’s coming! 

I’m busting this one back out and I’m gonna be revisiting/refining this cosplay in preparation of another MadMax!DC group with a more Titans-centric theme consisting of Nat as Starfire, Emanni as Raven and myself as Nightwing. I’m super excited to get another shot at this one, and I’m super pumped to see the group together once it’s all assembled at WonderCon2018!

I’ll try to periodically post updates as I continue to modify and evolve this look, especially since I’m trying to push myself to better document my cosplay work and progress. In the meantime, enjoy some of the limited progress shots I DO have from last year! I added some notes in each image about the process but I’ll put more technical stuff under the cut in case anyone’s interested!

Images (1-2): From concept to realization - I was lucky enough to remember which sketchbook had some of my original sketches for the cosplay. Obviously, the look is heavily based on Max’s own design. Early on I toyed with a more ‘war boy’ type of look for Dick, but I kept getting pulled back more towards being influenced by Max simply due to the visual possibilities involving the Nightwing insignia on the Shoulder piece and jacket. 

The henley in the original design was scrapped in favor for a grey t-shirt that, while not very well visible in the last picture is actually a self-designed ‘Bludhaven Police Department’ shirt. Due to further backstory development in the revisit of this design, that shirt’s gonna be scrapped for the cosplay and I’ll have to find a replacement for it.

Image (3): In hunting for a jacket, I knew I wanted to go with something non-contemporary. I opted for an 80′s style jacket for a few reasons: The original Mad Max was released in 79′, a secondhand jacket would already have a nice worn in or used look, and most importantly -- 80′s jackets provided me a better chance of finding a base jacket that would actually fit. I kept an eye out on eBay and ended up finding a nice women’s Bermans jacket for a decent price. It’s actually worth noting the jacket in the final image is the second jacket I bought for this cosplay, simply because the first one I bought was a different company and style, and ended up way too big for me. Before any painting could be done, I first had to remove the jacket’s iconic shoulder pads and then I actually went to a local tailor to have the sleeve professionally removed because I didn’t have the proper tools on hand to attempt that modification with any real confidence. One thing to note here is that the entire right sleeve has been removed, unlike the iconic half-sleeve that Max  sports. 

Image (4): I ended up buying two types of paint for the jacket. The base white coat shown here is the initial couple layers of white Tulip fabric paint. I’d never modified or painted anything other than a denim vest before, so there was a lot of research and trial/error involved here. In the end, even though Angelus paint is designed to be applied to leather-type surfaces, I knew the white would be necessary to get a nice pop of color and I figured the white Tulip fabric paint would help prevent wearing/cracking of any additional paint layers on top. So far over a year later of a handful of wears and tub storage in the garage, it’s held up well! Luckily, this is a cosplay that can only benefit from cosmetic wear or damage, but you always want that to be controlled chaos, so I’m hoping to prevent any possible cracking or chipping here.

Image (5-6): Close ups of the base coat. I think it took 2-3 coats of the Tulip paint to have a nice even color, and the borders during the painting process were maintained with blue painter’s tape.

Image (7): At last, the Angelus paint was applied! As previously mentioned, this portion was the biggest headache. I needed to keep track of how many coats each portion of the jacket had to make sure it stayed even, and after hours and hours of applying and staring at blue paint, you end up not knowing if you’re where you want to be in terms of the overall look or opacity of it. That said, I think I probably ended up applying about 9 coats of blue paint to the jacket before I allowed myself to call it done?? It’s tough to say, but if I think back that feels about right. 

Image (8): A WIP shot of the cosplay with the majority of the pieces together, no makeup. Here you can see a glimpse of the BPD shirt I designed for the cosplay, as well as the finished jacket complimented with painted fingerless gloves. The shoulder piece makes its first appearance here to, but just with a base coat of black applied at this point. I had originally bought youth football pads for this with the goal of modifying them myself using a Mad Max cosplay site for a tutorial. But lack of time/resources/money led me to try and search one out. I ended up finding an Etsy shop were someone sold dystopian costume pieces, including shoulder pads. I lucked out in finding a piece that seemed like it would fit me, and that (thank all higher power) rested on the same side my sleeve had been removed. 

Originally, the shoulder was a black padding piece with alternating yellow stripes, but I repainted it to match the insignia and arm line of the jacket as best I could. 

Looking back, I think there’s some more modifications I want to try and apply to pull it further away from Max specifically to just fit into the world overall. I think I’m gonna try to add more spikes, diy defensive feathers on the look, and once that’s done I’ll apply Fuller’s Earth to give the overall costume a further desert wasteland worn and weathered look to really tie it all together!

There are some other parts of this cosplay I haven't documented here, in part there were pieces I had to abandon because I ran out of time! But I’ll try to upload stuff as I revisit the boots and escrima sticks along with the other pieces that may evolve as I prepare this cosplay for WonderCon 2018. Please keep an eye out if you’re interested! For those that read this mess, hopefully it was somewhat interested or maybe even helpful in your own cosplay pursuits. Feel free to hit me up with any questions regarding the process or products I used, especially if you’re thinking of trying them out and are unsure about anything. 

[perpetually-jungshook]

Yoongi: A Very Tragic Boy with Enormous Wings || 02

Genre: angst, fantasy

Summary: Tomorrow Enterprises, the last hope for some of our… rarer species.

Word Count: 2.9k

Inspiration from “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” by García Márquez and “Winter Music and Gothic Music” by Derek & Brandon Fiechter

Link to: 01 | Next part

photo credit: merimask on etsy (go look their masks are super cool)

✩✩✩♔✩✩✩

Five days after his arrival at Tomorrow Enterprises, Yoongi still hasn’t seen his only floor-mate. Not even once. Fortunately, he doesn’t really care. He’s not here to make friends. In other news, he was officially cleared of parasites yesterday, so he is now allowed access to the common room.

In a week, Yoongi is scheduled for another examination to track the healing progress, but until then, all he has to do is eat, sleep, and apply an arsenal of lotions and oils. And those are things he’s more than happy to do. Well, maybe not “happy,” but indifferent.

Yoongi stares at the park across the street, thick floor to ceiling windows separating him from the balmy air outside. Tomorrow Enterprises has kept the entire building at a comfortably cool temperature. Yoongi has always preferred warmth. Arm chairs and sofas taunt him from just a few meters away, but he can’t bring himself to sit on any. It simply seems… wrong. So here he finds himself, knees pressed to the glass, sitting on the floor.

To his left is also the entertainment center. There are plenty of games, movies, and books he could use to occupy his time, but he would rather watch the people outside, living the life he could never seem to find.

He shouldn’t have left the Hive.

Yoongi glances down at his hands, palms and fingers covered in the intricate inky patterns that set him apart from everyone else, everyone normal. It’s why they hate him. It’s why he ended up in this damn place. At least Tomorrow Enterprises doesn’t discriminate.

Outside, green paints the earth and trees, vividly illuminated by the afternoon sunlight, both humans and common homo-fauna species bustling down the street, oblivious to the natural beauty. What Yoongi wouldn’t give for the luxury of obliviousness.

Bony hips pressing into the dark hardwood floor, Yoongi winces as he shifts positions, accidentally sitting on his right wing, pulling out a few of the long feathers that still feebly cling onto it. As he rises to assess the damage, an involuntarily string of curses leaves his mouth when he stumbles and falls, knees buckling from malnourishment.

Instinctive surprise causes his wings to beat frantically, loudly, yet weakly against the floor, shooting pins and needles up his spine. It takes a few seconds for him to regain composure, now sitting amidst a scattering of raven black, damaged feathers.

Hot anger pulses through his veins and pure frustration at his lack of self control causes an irritating stinging his eyes.

The sound of quick footsteps draws his attention.

“Hey, are you alright?” a boy rushes back into the common room, eyes wide with concern as he stoops, attempting to wrap an arm around Yoongi’s shoulders.

“I’m fine,” Yoongi asserts, pushing the guy away to stand on his own. He staggers forward a little, palm slapping against the window, leaving a streak on the otherwise impeccably clean glass.

“I’m just trying to help.”

Yoongi glares at his new baby faced companion, giving him a judgmental once over. Only then does he notice the neatly folded, peppered gray wings. The boy looks healthy enough to have been in rehabilitation for a while, muscular even, and it’s obvious what this means. Those wings are coming off. Soon. The ghost of a long forgotten emotion, maybe pity, maybe empathy, caresses the edge of Yoongi’s self-hating haze. But the feeling is fleeting.

“I don’t need your help,” Yoongi scoffs and walks away, feeling the boy’s gaze burning into the back of his neck.

Over the next few days, Yoongi mostly stays in his room, wanting to avoid another confrontation with his floor-mate. It’s not that he’s guilty or scared of facing the boy, but rather with his limited energy, he doesn’t want to expend it making small talk with some random guy who now probably thinks he’s an asshole. And rightly so.

Still, with each meal and each good night’s rest, Yoongi is able to move easier, the dark circles under his eyes begin to disappear, and while the long dark feathers continue to fall out, he can feel the telltale itching of new ones growing in.

Life is being breathed back into Yoongi’s body.

He remains wary of the staff, hating them for what they do, for their uncanny kindness. How can anyone be so casual about surgically removing parts of people’s bodies? Granted, it is technically after their consent, but a lot of homo-fauna only come here because they no longer have a choice, especially those that have run from the Hive. Yoongi should know.

The day after his examination, he finds himself in the common room again.

While the view from the bedroom is not awful, the park less depressing. As Yoongi stares intensely out the window, tracing the movements of the people below, he idly begins scratching at his palms. It’s a bad habit, but he can’t seem to break it. All he wants is to go back and remove those ink marks, remove that stigma, be free.

Untouchable.

He suppresses a wince, repressing the avalanche of memories… the glares, the suspicion, the arrests simply because of those stupid characters on his palm.

The sound of the elevator door sliding open catches Yoongi’s attention. It can’t be the doctor. Yoongi is not due for another appointment until next week. This leaves the staff or possibly his floor-mate. The latter is improbable simply because none of the patients are supposed to leave their designated wards, thus he couldn’t be on the elevator.

But then a peal of laughter echoes through the otherwise silent hallways.

“Jiminie! I stole a new keycard and- oh, hello,” a rich, deep voice causes Yoongi to glance over his shoulder. A bright looking boy stands in the hallway adjacent to the common room, staring curiously with large innocent eyes, a boxy smile, and a massive pair of antlers poking out of his chestnut brown hair.

Yoongi turns back to the window.

“Are you a patient too?” the boy audibly ventures slightly closer with each word. “Well okay, you have wings but-”

“Tae, leave him alone,” the vaguely familiar voice grates on Yoongi’s nerves. It’s the other homo-avian. “C’mon, we can hang out in my room.”

“Alright, nice to meet you,” he boy with the antlers says, giving a polite nod. “I’m Taehyung and this is Jimin if you ever want to-”

“Let’s go,” the homo-avian, Jimin? tugs his friend’s arm, pulling both of them around a corner, out of Yoongi’s line of peripheral sight.

That was odd. Homo-cervidae aren’t usually friendly around strangers. Then again, that’s also a stereotype and might be as true as the “elegance” associated with homo-avians.

Yoongi stops scratching his palms and picks up one of the damaged, black feathers that had fallen next to his leg. He slowly spins the shaft between his index finger and thumb, thinking, but refusing to remember.

—

It is a common occurrence that the homo-cervidae, Taehyung? comes to bother Yoongi’s floor-mate. His laughter can often be heard throughout the empty hallways and he always manages to come back, no matter how many times he’s scolded by the staff.

Yoongi often wonders how Taehyung manages to be so…irritatingly happy. Maybe it’s because he will naturally shed his antlers, so he has nothing to lose. His friend, however, seems to be in a similar emotional state as Yoongi. On the rare occasions that their paths cross, Jimin appears as excited as someone attending a funeral, but could anyone blame him? Who knows how many days he has left? And of course there’s always the fact that they probably aren’t on good terms because Yoongi snapped at him when they first met.

Four weeks after his arrival, the doctor orders Yoongi to begin physical therapy.

The basement houses the exercise facilities for all of the homo-fauna species, though each has a specific time slot reserved. As Yoongi and Jimin are the only homo-avians currently, they have the entire basement to themselves and their trainers. Yoongi isn’t sure whether this exclusivity makes it less or more awkward.

No matter how much he pretends not to care, he can’t help but feel the smallest bit self conscious about his wings, especially around Jimin. As Yoongi walks with his trainer to the elevator, now boxed into the small space with three other people, he can’t help but notice. Jimin’s wings are beautiful, full, with healthily sleek plumage that reminds Yoongi of the dappled patterns that form on cement when soft, morning light trickles through leaves as they are caressed by a gentle gust of wind.

Compared to Yoongi’s weathered, damaged charcoal feathers…

Jimin continues to stare hard at the metal doors, ignoring Yoongi completely.

As they walk into the fully fledged, high ceilinged gym in the basement, Yoongi’s trainer begins explaining the different exercises they’ll be working on, but he isn’t really listening.

There are all sorts of elaborate equipment pieces, some meant to exercise, some meant to provide support. Yoongi uses none of them, only being forced to endure mild flexing activities. This is mindless except for the occasional sharp jab of pain, so otherwise he’s free to watch as Jimin spreads his wings, giving them a few calculating, experimental beats.

It’s been years since Yoongi has been strong enough to fly. Even when he was in the Hive, well fed and protected enough to periodically sleep, he couldn’t manage to get more than a meter off the ground. Maybe that’s why no one wanted him. Well, that and the damn marks-

An ear piercing squeak echoes through the gym as Jimin jogs a few steps, frantically flapping to rise a few feet, only to lose altitude and skid to a halt in front of the far wall. His fist collides with it in vocalized frustration. It’s such a loud impact that Yoongi doesn’t hesitate to assume he’s likely bruised his knuckles under the bandages-

Bandages? Tan cloths cover both of his hands, matching his skin color enough to be difficult to notice. Had he hurt them? Wait, why does Yoongi even care?

“It’s okay, Mr. Park,” his trainer soothes. “That was higher than last time. You’re doing great.”

The other homo-avian lets out a string of curses, much to Yoongi’s amusement. It’s enough of a distraction to dull the pain as his own trainer, a middle aged woman, forces him to stretch, displaying his full wing span. She keeps telling him it’ll get easier, especially because they’ll be meeting once every other day for an hour and he’ll be doing a few activities on his own.

Yoongi already knows that he’ll be putting minimal effort into everything.

He’s contractually required to participate and help his wings heal, which is understandable. But why rush things? Especially when he’s getting free meals and a nice bed. It definitely beats sleeping under an overpass or getting beat with a broom.

Another shout draws Yoongi’s attention back across the room.

“I’m not doing great,” Jimin insists, but the angry determination in his voice is slightly astonishing. Why is he so intent on flying? He’s just going to lose that ability soon anyway.

Weeks pass. Yoongi continues to watch the park outside, continues clear the examinations, and continues to ignore his floor-mate and his homo-cervidae friend. The only thing that marks the passage of time is the condition of Yoongi’s wings.

The heat retaining down feathers have grown back and most of the larger, damaged flight feathers have fallen out. This leaves his wings soft and fuzzy, an aesthetic that Yoongi thinks doesn’t fit him. Nevertheless, sleek, healthier feathers have begun to poke through and he’s able to move around with less pain.

He’s even regained some weight and color has returned to his skin.

Screw Tomorrow Enterprises for taking advantage of his people, but Yoongi does admit that at least they aren’t cruel about it.

During his trips to the physical therapy basement, Yoongi’s only source of entertainment is watching Jimin struggle to fly.

Okay, that makes it sound a little bit more derisive than his actual intentions.

The other homo-avian has progressed by leaps and bounds, now able to hover in the air for twenty seconds and get up to a height of three meters. Granted, his arial navigation ability is a bit haphazard at best… but Yoongi can barely flap his wings a few times without feeling exhausted so he can’t say much.

Still, Yoongi lets out an amused huff as Jimin stumbles into a wobbly landing, collapsing on the floor and shining from a thin sheen of sweat, chest laboriously pulling and expelling air from his lungs in heavy pants.

Yoongi has grown… vaguely fond of Jimin at a distance.

Even if they don’t speak, there’s something about close proximity companionship, something about him being the only other person besides the doctor that he sees consistently, and there is definitely something in Jimin’s sheer determination that sparks an alien feeling inside of Yoongi.

Hope.

The accomplished smile that lights the other homo-avian’s face causes a small swell of pride in Yoongi’s chest as well. Somehow, Jimin had managed to fly six meters vertically, to the very top of the vaulted ceiling of the gym and hit a small button that let out a small, rewarding ‘ding.’ He’d just doubled his usual air time and distance, extreme effort visible in his flushed cheeks, trembling limbs, and radiant smile.

After they return to their ward, Yoongi mulls over congratulating Jimin on his accomplishment.

Despite their cold, distant relationship, something urges him to say something, so after a quick shower and rub down of medicated lotions, he wanders down the hallway, searching for his floor-mate. It doesn’t take Yoongi long to find him.

“I’m so proud of you,” Taehyung’s rich voice floats out of the common room. “You did it. You flew again.”

“I know,” there’s excitement, but also a solemn quality to Jimin’s response. “I got to do it one last time.”

Yoongi freezes, still around the corner, out of sight.

Silence ensues like a gaping wound.

“It’ll be okay, Jiminie,” Taehyung soothes eventually. Yoongi peers into the common room to watch the homo-cervidae wrap his arms around the homo-avian, nuzzling into the latter’s neck, or at least as much as his antlers allow. “Once I shed my rack in a couple weeks, I’ll find you and everything will be okay…”

The sound of the elevator causes Yoongi to stiffen and turn slightly to see the metal doors open, revealing two men dressed in the pristine light blue uniforms of Tomorrow Enterprises. Only when they push a wheelchair out does Yoongi realize why they’re here. He moves out of their way as they walk into the common room.

“Mr. Kim, what have we said about leaving your floor?”

Taehyung’s response is uncharacteristically tart, “You know I don’t have any transmittable diseases.”

“Mr. Kim, if you’ll please-”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll go. Can’t I just say goodbye? Jiminie, don’t worry. I’ll find you,” there’s a false calmness in his voice, a fake surety that makes a chill permeate through Yoongi’s body. “Just go back to the- the place and wait for me.”

The squeaky sound of the wheelchair gets closer as the two men turn the corner, one pushing Jimin. None of them pay Yoongi any attention, the two employees focused on the elevator and Jimin’s gaze fixed on his feet, all joy from earlier leeched from his expression, replaced by ashen terror.

The boy with the antlers rounds the corner, unable to get close to his friend as the two Tomorrow Enterprises men block the hallway. He seems to want to make eye contact, or at least reach out to his friend. Taehyung’s words waver, “Minnie, I- I’ll find you. No matter what. I will find you.”

“I know, Tae,” there’s a sudden deadness to Jimin’s voice. “I trust you.”

Taehyung lets out a breathy, somber laugh,  “It’ll be fine. You’ll be fine. I promise…”

“I know.”

Taehyung stops trying to pursue them as the elevator doors close between the two friends, his large hand splaying on the metal surface.

The silence that ensues is deafening.

While Yoongi normally insists on not interfering in situations that aren’t his business, the devastation pouring off of Taehyung seems to warrant a break in this rule.

Yoongi clears his throat, “He’ll be okay.”

Taehyung’s voice drops an octave with his reply, “No, he won’t.”

“Excuse me?”

“It’s all my fault. He’s losing his wings because of me.”

“What?”

“Nothing,” Taehyung steps back, pressing the button to call the elevator. Just before the metal doors slide open again, his gaze drops to his palms, which are decorated with intricate patterns of dark ink.

Dozens of questions immediately flood Yoongi’s mind.

Taehyung must be from the Hive too. But why is he here? Why did he leave? Had Jimin had the same stigmatizing characters on his palms? Is that why he wore those bandages?

But before a single word can leave his lips, the metal doors of the elevator close behind the homo-cervidae.

Yoongi never sees either boy again.

✩✩✩♔✩✩✩

Part of the Fauna Series.

Send me your thoughts here. Or just come say hi ;) feedback is appreciated 

Support me/Donate and get some super rad 😎 rewards

Much love ~🐰 xx

[maritzaerwin]

How to Turn Your Expertise into a Business?

We no longer live in the work world that your grandparents or even your parents experienced. Gone are the days where you loyally work for an employer for 40 years and retire with a nice pension and a gold watch. In 2018 the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics (BLS) reported that at that point, the median time that a job is held in the U.S. is 4.2 years. That number is even shorter for younger workers.

In response to this lack of work-life longevity, many people are looking beyond traditional jobs for income and professional satisfaction. For example, from 2012 to 2019 the number of Etsy sellers tripled to 2.5 million. In the fourth quarter of 2018, a total of 15.8 million people in the U.S. were working as entrepreneurs.

And while many small businesses have been suffering during the Covid-19 virus slow-down, other entrepreneurs have been feeling lucky that they have control over their own income and can easily work from home.

In this article, I’ll share my experience turning my expertise into a business, and steps for you to do the same.

1. Determine Your Expertise

The first step in the process of taking control of your work life is to determine your area, or areas, of expertise. You do not have to be the best in the world at something to be able to carve out a niche for yourself. What is important is that you believe that you have material or information to share and that you treat customers/clients well.

Whether you are a painter, an accountant, or a dog walker, there is probably a market for your product or service.

The first place to start is with the work you’ve already been doing (though hobbies and other interests are an excellent place as well). It may be that what you’re already doing could be turned into a consultancy role.

For example, my role as a professor and Dissertation Committee Chair gave me the knowledge and skills to help students finish their dissertations. With almost half of Ph.D. students finishing all the work for their degree except for their dissertation, I knew there was a market for my expertise.

Your non-professional interests may be useful in determining your area of expertise as well. For example, if you are a voracious reader, you may make a good editor.

2. Are You Passionate?

Determining an area of expertise is not enough, of course. You have to be passionate and committed to your idea and be willing to put in an enormous amount of effort. If you are not passionate about what you are doing, you may get initial customers, but the odds are that you won’t be in business for long. We can all sense someone who just wants our money. Don’t be that person; it’s not a positive long-term strategy.

Even if you’re not an expert in your field of interest, you may have more passion than others do for your topic or product and can, therefore, outlast the competition.  

Nick Ortner, the author of The Tapping Solution and founder of many tapping-related programs and public service foundations, is not a mental health professional. Yet his belief in the power of meridian tapping for stress relief and nervous system regulation led him to advance the use of tapping worldwide. He did not create the technique, but he believed in it so strongly, he has become the person most associated with tapping.  

Moreover, his passion for the technique has led him to offer significant mental health assistance to people in dire crisis situations. His passion has not only given himself and his family a good income, but it’s also given millions of people important help.

Is there something you think about the first thing every morning? Is there something (a product, a practice, or an idea) that you wish everyone could have access to? Is there expertise you have that others have asked you to share – and that you enjoy sharing?

3. Market Research

Who else is doing what you want to do? If your business is local, check out the ads in places like Craigslist or Facebook. See who posts signs at grocery stores and hardware stores.

If you plan on offering your products and/or services on a broader scale, this step is still important. Whether local or international, most people are willing to talk to you about what they do and share any insights. Collect all the information that you can.

If you find competitors, what actual services do they offer and what do they charge? If they are charging less than you can afford to charge, try to determine if they are offering comparable services/products or if they are just able to get by on less than you.

Another aspect of business that has changed since our parents’ time is that “competitors” can be our best referral sources. Connecting with those who are doing work similar to what you want to do can help you create a network to tap into for posting articles on one another’s sites, finding source materials for less, and countless other possibilities.

4. Part-time or Full Time

Are you ready to give up your full-time job and live the life of an entrepreneur? What about starting something on the side?

If you are without a job this may not be a choice.

If you do have a choice it may be easier to test the waters by starting part-time.

5. Record-Keeping

Regardless of whether you start part-time or full time, good record keeping is very important. You want to be able to determine if you are covering your costs and actually making money. This is important so that you have the ability to stay in business, and also for income tax purposes.

Don’t worry about finding software, just start with a spreadsheet for expenses, income, and a timesheet.

Source – DepositPhotos.com

6. Determine What Tools You Need

“Tools” is a broad term. It could mean a website – having a website is more than getting a domain name and putting up a page. You need to get people to go to your website. If you don’t know how to drive people to your website, then it may be a great investment to hire someone who can help you do just that.

How about physical tools, will you need display tables, a way to accept payment, brochures? Try to determine everything that you need to start – this is different than everything that you might need to grow your business. You may be able to accumulate materials over time.

7. Financial Readiness

Some sources recommend having up to months of expenses on hand when starting a business. One of the biggest reasons new businesses fail is lack of capital. If you want to succeed, you should be planning financially to make the leap. You may have a concept that can attract outside investors. External infusions of cash are great but remember you will most likely have to give up some control of the business to get the money.  

It also doesn’t hurt to start small while you still have your “day job,” to see both whether you enjoy this new venture and if it has the potential to replace your income. Straddling the line between working for someone else and going it alone can be extremely stressful, so if you go that route, be sure to set a limit on the time you’ll be doing both jobs.

Investing a little money to have a conversation with an accountant who specializes in small businesses can save you a lot of time and hassle down the road. Also, the Small Business Association (SBA) has many online/print resources and the Small Business Development Centers (SBDCs) around the country. There are a number of accounting software programs available now for small businesses. Take advantage of as many resources as you can; you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

While considering financial resources, make sure that you remember taxes. If you are an employee, your employer has been paying half of your Social Security and Medicare taxes (the total, both halves, is 15.30%). It is usually safe to assume that 35% of your self-employment income will go to some type of tax.

8. Continue to Grow

I went to a craft fair a few years ago and saw some sayings artfully crafted onto fabric and bought two. The next year I returned, eager to see if the seller had added to her line so that I could add to my collection. Everything was the same. The same thing was true the following year. I stopped checking out her material after that. Every marketing analyst knows that “new” is perhaps the most important keyword in business.

If your product stays the same, consider offering it in a number of different formats.  Nick Ortner has a book on tapping, but he also holds annual tapping conferences, offers YouTube videos demonstrating tapping (and advertising his book and conferences), and has recently released an app that offers free and fee-based options.

9. Delivery and Follow-Up

In our instant gratification world, people want what they buy as soon as possible. Think about how your product will be delivered and the options that you will offer before you make a sale. It is too late to do this after a sale; your customer wants their product.

Some small firms are sending personalized notes or emails to customers following a sale. These notes ask the customer if they’re satisfied, ask if they need assistance using the service or product, and offer advice on how to get the most out of their purchase. This type of attention can cement a relationship with a customer.

Similarly, loyalty rewards programs or points-for-reviews programs can maintain connections and encourage repeat buyers. It’s not difficult to automate requests for reviews or even follow-up emails, but few small businesses seem to do this.

Marie Forleo is one of the best examples of how to do follow-through. With every purchase, the customer receives a video thanking them for their business and advice for their next steps.  Her warm and friendly manner makes the customer feel like they’ve made a new friend, which goes a long way toward cementing the business relationship.

10. Capacity

Is your business a service that depends upon you, or do you provide a service or manufacture a product that can easily be scaled up for increased production? You can only do so many one-on-one meetings in a week, so that may put a limit on your potential income. Can you provide your service to more than one person at a time? In groups? Or, will you need to hire people in order to expand? Being ready for expansion is the next step after the start-up.

On the other hand, you may decide that you want to stay small so that you can maintain your business all by yourself.  Having employees adds another dimension to your work, beyond just payroll taxes. You’ll need to know how to manage people or hire someone who does if you want to expand.  

Considering questions of expansion may seem premature when you’re just getting started, but once you get rolling, you might not have time to mull things over. And if you just start hiring people without a solid plan of action, your business could take some fatal hits. Don’t skip this step!

11. Fortitude

You’ll also want to consider whether you’re the type of person who can withstand criticism, downturns in sales, and bleak outlooks.  Will these things depress you to the point of inaction, or will they spur you to try harder?  Can you be patient with roadblocks, or will they make you want to turn around and give up?

Besides financial capital, fortitude may be the most important key to making a business work long-term.  If you can tap into your determination and will-force in hard times, you will be miles ahead of those who’ve tried to start a business but gave up when things seemed hopeless.  Sometimes, it’s not a matter of being better; it’s a matter of staying in the game the longest.

Summary

If you are feeling called to start a business in your area of expertise or interest, I wish you much success. Undoubtedly, there will be long hours involved and maybe even some moments of second-guessing. Remember to be prepared for the ups and downs and deliver more than you promise.

If you are doing something you love, all the hard work will be worth it. Especially when you hear from your customers how much they appreciate what you do. That type of “compensation” is priceless, and it tells you you’ve done the right thing.

The post How to Turn Your Expertise into a Business? appeared first on CareerMetis.com.

How to Turn Your Expertise into a Business? published first on https://skillsireweb.tumblr.com/

[jaredweilshow]

The Worst Person I Ever Met

Last nite I met the worst person in the world at a housewarming party and they did the following socially aggressive things that made me and everyone hate them.

First, i’ll describe their appearance so you can get a good idea of who they were. She was wearing overalls and had a bob cut which seemed harmless enough until she mentioned her online shop on Etsy. That was the moment I knew we were heading over troubled waters. It’s not so much Etsy as much as she felt the need to volunteer that information.

she was full of telling people about herself and rarely responded to another person, and not “full of” like in the over-confident sense of the word, but “full of” meaning she had a story about herself for every topic that was discussed. Whenever someone wanted to say something that they felt inspired to share she’d get incredibly worked up and bulldoze over them no matter what subject to the point where everyone ran to hang out in the basement because of her. I had turned to the volume down earlier on the music thinking she’d stop shouting, however she continued to be over-enthusiastic and talk over people and we were able to hear her from all the way down there.

That wasn’t what got me. The things she would talk about were centric to her and she held onto every bad thing that’s ever happened and refused to quit until every piece of her memorized script was through. There was a moment when she talked about her mental illness which was “ADD” and as much as I want to empathize with her I feel like if you know you have it there may be apart of you that you can develop your focus to try your best to control it instead of giving yourself permission to shit all over people.

she would make excuses and have dumb reasons like when she ate all the chips and guacamole she repeatedly said: “it’s okay, I'm Italian”. Instead she should’ve said “It’s a shame I lack self-control and am embarrassed and feel it necessary to hide behind my ancestry to enable the cycle of living in misery.”

At one point she lamented about never being on SNL, and how it was a dream of hers as a little kid and still kind of is and someone brought up how I’ve done improv at UCB for 7 years, and she didn’t even acknowledge it and went back to talking about her love of children’s theatre. she had already pre-judged me as someone who lacked culture when in reality that person was a country bumpkin from Rochester New York who has never been overseas. I know this because it all came up, and I listen to everything. Whether I hate you or not I give my full attention to each and every person, and I suppose that’s a waste, but what other choice do I have. Be an asshole like them? No thanks.

EDIT:

It’s been almost a year now and I have been selling this person weed. I only see them for like a minute, but i almost can’t recognize that this person inspired this review. I wonder if they’re still like this, but even now granted that this is mean I feel like it’s a spot on assessment of this individual. and as much as I would delete this I am more curious at the fact that they stirred up this creative energy in me, and it fascinates me, and I wonder if they are still the worst person I have ever met.