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popculturebuffet · 4 years

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Jake Reviewcaps Stuff: X-Men Evolution: The X-Impulse

Two of the series most popular characters, and one of its’ more popular ships: Jean and Xavier try to lead kitty away from charming asshole Avalanche whose trying to use her for crimes, but have trouble due to having taken stupid pills before this episode. Meanwhile Kurt and Scotty follow Logan as he confronts Sabertooth for the first time and gets cars thrown at him. No really. Abusive Romance, Flying Cars, and probable Gilmore Girls refrences under the cut.

So yeah i’m doing another one already. This pace MIGHT slow eventually, as I want to get through the show faster.. but this episode gave me a ton of material to work with so I wanted to strike while the iron was hot. So as I mentioned last time the show started with slowly shoveling characters in one at a time, giving each time for focus and to breathe a bit. So with Nightcrawler and Toad out of the way it’s time for Shadowcat and Avalanche.. who happen to be one of the biggest ships for this show.. and also one some don’t like. Me, i’ll form an opinon as I go as I don’t remmeber much of them together other than him trying to join the x-men in one episode, so we’ll see. For now it’s time for some X-Impulse. Wait isn’t impulse dc? Is there a marvel character named that too?

Yup there is! Two in fact, but somehow one is x-men related. This is impulse a member of the Shiar imperial guard I entirely forgot about because there’s like 40 or 50 diffrent members and he’s not one of hte more promeinet ones. For those who’ve never heard of these guys there the elite superpowered muscle for the Shiar Empire, an intergalactic empire whose former empress Charles Xavier dated for a while after dethroning her brother and who serve either as allies to our heroes or people for them to beat up depending on if someone sane is in charge that day or not, and who often have members killed to show off some new baddy, hence why there’s been three impulses apparently.

Their based on the less military, more heroic and more fleshed out if still hugely sized, legion of superheros from dc, which Guard co-creator David Cockrum was one of the most famous artists for and originally actually CREATED Nightcrawler as a legionnaire, but he was rejected for being too demonic and thankfully recycled into the rougish religious elf we know today. The Guard were as far as I can tell made as a wink and a nod toward that and a gentle jab at the competition and is far from the first or last time either side would make characters based on the other side. I also bring up the Shiar because despite being a sizeable part of the X-Men mythos in the comics.. they’ve BARELY been used outside them. Cartoon wise only the 90′s series used them, though to be fair....

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Given Evolution had both hinted at exterterstials apparently, and was planning on doing the Phoenix Saga in season 5, so they MIGHT have used them eventually, but I somehow doubt it and WOlverine and the X-Men didn’t live long enoguh to even consider it. As for the movies they were considered too ungrounded for them and thus were basically exiled from appearing on film for 20 years. Now the Shi’ar aren’t perfect characters, the fact before he took the throne himself Gladiator would just obey whatever assshole took the reigns due to some misguided loyalty didn’t help, but they could be used intrestingly and the guard are at least intresting in a fight, so it is a shame they couldn’t be used till recently and hopefully with the fox merger the mcu will put them to use at some point. Also for those curious if they showed up in any other cartoons.. nope. According to wikipedia, their mentioned in Avengers; Earth’s Mighteist Heroes (Which will also be covered here some day) and Legion (probably too though also probably not episode by episode if I do), and show up in two of the video games, with Ultimate Alliance being the biggest role outside of the 90′s cartoon from the looks of it, having the well, alliance, head to shiar space to get the mkrann crystal and battle with the guard and deathbird. Anyway, i’ve spent enough time on this weird sidebar, let’s get on with the actual episode! We open with a pretty good scene. We meet Kitty Pryde, your average teen whose having a weird flying nightmare.. emphasis on weird as it is a bit wonky, but the idea is fine enough.. as is the result where she finds herself having fallen to the basement and FELT it, her panicked parents coming down and Kitty only being able to sob about having fell, her mom putting it off to sleepwalking.. until her dad notices her pillow and blanket fused into the celing above, which only makes the poor girl more upset. It’s a good, tense scene and a reminder that wether your mutant powers are benign or not.. having them awaken can still be traumatic as hell, and uses this world NOT having them be a public concern well: Kitty has NO IDEA what’s happening to her, no one to turn to and is understandabily terrified. For all she knows her body is breaking down and she might not be tangible again, not an unresonable fear given her comics counterpart once ended up in that very situation due to taking some heavy damage in battle from an energy charged harpoon.. from a guy named harpoon because even Claremont had an off day with names sometimes. My point is it’s a very good scene. Naturally Charles notices from cerebro.. and with a weird computer thing that somehow fully researchs who she is because tha’ts not creepy, but It is somewhat understandable. Cue the credits. We then get a REALLY pointless throwaway scene with Kurt, now having’ been at school for long enough to be late several times apparently, late again and running into Mystique, in her guise as principal before Scott thankfully rescues him. Why Mystique is confronting her son like this I dunno, but what I really don’t is why this scene is here at all. It could’ve easily been replaced with a throaway line about Charles only wanting to have one student miss midterms or not wanting to arouse too much suspcion with the facultiy by taking too many of the kids out of school. Instead we just get this scene to establish their home. And yes they could’ve just needed to fill out the episode.. but there’s plenty of ways, that i’ll mention later, this minute of screentime could’ve been used better and we really didn’t need a whole scene of them to set up that they’d be home for their subplot this episode. Back in scene’s that actually matter, Kitty is trying to sneak off to school but her mom stops her, with her family apparently having agreed to keep her home but Kitty just wants some normalcy and her family won’t even talk about it, so her mom relucntantly agrees. I can’t blame Kitty: even if it’s a terrible idea to go to school while she has no idea what’s happening to her and can’t control it as far as she knows.. she’s also a scared kid whose body is changing in ways she can’t fully grasp, and unlike puberty, which mutation is a mild metaphor for, there’s no deep years of study on it or how it changes a body: she has no idea what’s going on and just wants to grasp onto SOMETHING normal while she’s clearly not. It’s some well done character stuff. Meanwhile Jean and Chuck are on their way to what i’m assuming is that same old place, sweet home Chicago since that’s where Kitty is from in the comics and they had to fly there anyway. Jean questions why her.. out of the three junior x-men so far she’s the least intresting. Charles explains he thinks she can reach Kitty which.. makes some sense. Jean is uber popular at school, easy to get along with and endlessly nice, so she’s a good choice. Another likely part of it, and why not scott, is scott’s powers: it’s a lot easier to sell her parents on powers doing good with someone who can lift objects versus someone whose constantly cursed to never open his eyes, and this way kurt has his buddy back home so he dosen’t feel lonely his first time without his new dad. Now granted I question why STORM didn’t come with them, as she seems like a good choice and it’d be a nice nod to her bond with kitty in the comics, but I suspect it was simply easier to just have two x-men to focus on. Maybe she was busy getting Evan for two episodes down the line...

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So then we get.. Charles being really, REALLY dumb.. like out of character dumb. See in the comics when the X-Men came to recurit kitty, they all came in civlian clothes, though ironically Jean wasn’t with them for the initial meeting because even more ironically she, Scott and Kurt were split off into their own group to try and recruit Dazzler, and Charles was nice and polite about it and promoted the school as well. a school. Granted Kitty’s parents didn’t know about her phasing here and Emma Frost was also trying to recurit kitty for HER school for gifted youngsters.. but still, there’s NO reason for Charles not to use that sort of pitch to get into the door, especially since as we learn in the scene after this Kitty’s a straight A student, retaining her deep intelgence from the comics, so there’s an easy foot in the door before he drops the mutant part in. Instead he just casually mentions he tracked her that he’s diffrent and comes off really fucking creepy and naturally they say fuck no to that. LIke.. how do they know he’s not with the goverment or forming a teen militia or just a pedophile who happens to be a mutant.. they do not and their already scared. So chuck gets a well earned door to the face. And thus I get to introduce a new running gag: The Chuck, you Blockhead, Count,. Now granted the obvious name may be the xavier is a jerk count, which i’ll probably also do but that’s more for being an asshole, like he often is due to poor writing or currently pragmatisim in the comic. No no this is for when Chuck is just out an out an idiot. Plus I love a good Charlie Brown refence so Chuck, You Blockhead Count: 2 It’s at 2 since we also have last episode where Toad showed up with his own uniform, and attacked kurt.. and Charles did nothing and questioned nothing about that. And now I mentioned that other count Xavier is Jerk Count: 1 The Scott thing is more in character but for having his test be.. have a grown woman chase a teenager with Lightning. Storm was involved too but I doubt she’ll be an asshole as much so she’s safe for now. So having throughly botched it Xavier decides to have them split up, gang: Xavier will go to social services to find out more about lance since he’s an orphan, while Jean will infiltrate the school. Now while watching this I questioned why no one in school at all questioned a random teenager they never met roaming the halls.. but odds are jean just used her telepathy to either make anyone who saw her think she belonged there or masked her self from them seeing her, the latter being a signiture move of both jean and her teen self brought to the present because complicated bollocks, so fair enough. I also thought charles was just fucking off but accoridng to the wiki he was at social services, so he avoids another count and was doing something useful, checking on lance before he tries to offer him a spot: both to make sure he’s a good fit after last week’s debacle and figure out the best course to legaly take the boy in if so, and if not knowing charles still find the kid a home anyway because even if he’s not x-man yet, he’s still a child in need asshole or not and Charles is a good man. Such a good man he had to be told 9 timelines ended in utter disaster and ruin for mutantkind for him to even humor breaking from his dream according to recent comics, and according to Moira’s notes STILL took a good 15 years in universe of attempted genoicdes , 1 actual genocide and his people being reduced to a nub to finally cave and even THEN he admits he still loves humanity and wants them to be better. While I did put up an xavier is a jerk count just now at his best Charles Xavier is a good if flawed man who, while prone to ocasionally making utterly terrible decisions, loves both humans and mutants and just wants peace in our time and only created the x-men to foster it. Meanwhile back at the ranch her mansion, Logan.. senses sabertooth.. I mean even with Logan’s adept sense of smell, I question how he could smell him over the exaust of Sabertooth’s goofy metalic penis, aka his own motorcycle, but it IS part of his mutant powers. Either that or they just have a magic force bond like Rey and Kylo Ren in the sequel trilogy.. minus the sexual tension and forced face turn for the latter.. maybe just minus the forced face turn. So Logan prepares to go fight his rival, and suits up for the first time. and while it’s in a black void for.. some reason it looks REALLY badass and really gives gravatas to seeing wolverine in costume for the first time. And since he’s one of ONLY two looks to look at this episode, since Kitty and Lance don’t get their uniforms this episode, let’s talk about it.

I fucking love it. Like Kurt’s it’s basically his comic’s costume but slightly modified.. but unlike Kurt it’s a diffrent costume than last time, going with his cool brown look that he wore for quite some time in the comics, though made a bit more orange. However it honestly STILL looks fantastic and I get wanting to go with a color that’s a bit more eyepopping in the more muted tones of Evolution. It just looks fantastic and i’ts nice to see a cartoon use an alternate costume for a character as their main look. Logan passes a returning from school Scott and Kurt, who decide to follow him and after debating which car, Scott gestures them to his.. which is scott’s sports car from bot the previous series and the comics. Why a 17 year old has this, I can only assume because Chuck is a really good dad, really rich.. and likely knows having a bunch of teenagers around means if one of them DOSEN’T have hteir own car they’ll be borrowing his rolls royce all the time and this way he can have his nights after training free to smoke a blunt with logan while they watch the next generation and eat a pile of cheeseburgers the children dropped off while crusing around out of his lack of hair, you know why you give your teenager a car in the first place.

Anyways while Kurt and Scott buddy up and go on an excellent adventure, with Kurt even bamfing inside and god I love this dynamic. So fucking adorable. But anyways while that’s going on, Kitty is at school being mocked by two alpha bitches for being sad despite her grades then is shoved in a locker. When then meet Lance, soon to be known as avalanche and the other mutant at school who decides to graffito tag the place.. in the laziest but somehow still coolest way possible by just taking his spray can and spraing one long streak along the lockers. Not as neat as doing an actual tag but it does more petty dumbfuckery faster so fair play to him. Kitty begs him to let her out.. before her powers trigger again. She tries denying it when he comments on them being cool.. before he shows off his own, making the earth move under his feet, though not the sky tumbling down a tumbling down.. that’s Storm’s job. It shakes the lockers and Kitty rather than be impressed, runs like hell. But yeah, I get the feeling, even with him having evil plans for her right after.. that he does feel some attraction to her here. And as I made clear i’ts not shipping goggles.. the way he acts.. he’s elated to meet someone else with powers, to after likely being pinballed around foster care and treated like shit by his piers over it and then finding out he has a special power but is still seen as a weirdo even by his minons.. he’s elated. It’s what draws him to her: that for once he’s NOT alone, and there’s someone else to revel in the sheer power and joy he feels using his powers and even though she runs he vows he’s gonan rock her world. Since we’re where a commerical break would be, I figure now’s a good time to talk about Lance. In the comics he had a diffrent name entirely, and avalanche was more of a one note villian who later became a retired bar owner. Here he takes bits, the long metal hair and love of his powers, from Rictor, a more heroic mutant in the comics who only started out doing crimes because he was forced to and quickly joined the original x-men’s class of mutants the x-terminators before joining the new mutants and later x-force. He’s also , as you probably know, one fo the x-men’s most prominent gay mutants, but while hinted at in comics made before this series was fully canonized years after, and like iceman who came out even later, there was no way of knowing that at the time, so it made since to use him as partial template here. It also makes sense not to use the rictor name as while it makes more sense given the earthquake motif, Avalanche is an actual villian.. and you know the obvious fact that Lance is white and Julio Richter.. is not. Granted they COULD’VE made him latino, and used sunspot for spike to ballnce it out representation wise, but this was the early 2000′s and they cared about as much for repesentation as Jeph Loeb does. Hopefully Rictor gets an adpatation at some point outside of Logan, but I get why not here.

On with the show. Kitty shows up late for track due to thing one and thing two, and has to run first and trips, while on the nearbye rooftops Lance and his two goons try to break into the administration building to get test answers. They don’t as Lance notices an alarm, and while one of his goons asks why he dosen’t just quake a hole in, Lance points out the obvious: If there’s obvious tampering they’ll just change the test answers.. and since he knows about kitty now, he has a better way and when questioned rather than explain her powers, he just shakes rattles and rolls. He also makes one of Kitty’s bullies trip but it only scares her further. I”m getting. serious heathers vibes here jesus.. I mean Lance isn’t nearly as bad as Jason Dean but still jesus. I need to listen to more of that musical good stuff.

Kitty retreats from her admierer/stalker to teh autitorim, where Jean finds her.. given Jean again slipped in here without no o ne noticing and no one came after kitty , i’m thinking she use her telepathy to mask anyone from seeing Kitty come in and seeing Jean at all so she could talk in private. Granted Lance shows up right after, but odds are Jean didn’t notice him and thus didn’t think to shield him and probably isn’t up to Charles level where he can create a psychic blindspot in an entire crowd. Anyways Jean tries to comfort kitty who’s still angsting about her powers and again hard to blame her when the only other mutant she’s met is a budding psychopath whose idea of a romantic gesture is injuring one of her enmiies for her. Jean does try to calm her down, first showing she’s a mutant and admitting she was freaked out too when she got her powers.. and given most depcitions of jean getting her powers are far from plesant that tracks. She does however make the mistake of telling Kitty, already figuring this is some sort of trick and jean will throw a puppy across the room to also try and get in her pants or something, that she’s a telepath and Kitty screams at her to get out of her head. Jean truly is taking after her mentor in thef ucking up department. Lance then shows up as I mentioned earlier, and tells Jean to backoff and that’ she’s mine and you get it. Oh and as a side note Jean DOES admit to having read Kitty’s mind so she CAN read minds, and likely has gotten a surface level look of duncan’s thoughts which I feel go a little something like this mnus the actual context of when the song’s going on.

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Lance then finds kitty, whose changed into her regular outift and promises not to use his powers this time, admitting he too felt lost and scared, and wants to help her take control and help her.. and while it is partly for his own petty scheme.. I do genuinely think he means part of that, that he does genuinely wnat her and want someone like him by his side.. it’s just in his warped head doing crime and whatever he wants is the right thing to do, that control means using this power to knock down whoever’s in your way and TAKE what you deserve.

Jean instead phones xavier and both agree that if lance fully gets his hooks in her they might never reach her and Xavier tells him to stay on her and that she can overcome lance as an obstacle.. and then bemoans that some obastacles are more annoying than others as the social services building has a large stone staircas,e a nice quip and they beat the ulitmate universe to that joke by a few years.

Meanwhile our two best buds track Wolvie to a car park because fuck if I know why he decided to make his stand there. Probably because the writers had a cool action scene in mind as we’ll see, but it still comes off dumb though given how every other x-man has been acting this episode it tracks. Anyway Sabertooth strolls up on his demonic wang-shang-a-lang,

Seriously I mocked it before but it bears repeating. While Wolvie has a normal looking, if still badass, bike Sabertooth’s.. looks like something Skeltor would ride after he man. It Looks like warlock is horribly stucki n the form of a motorcycle. It looks like the kind of bike on some random asshole the bikers from sons of anarchy would beat up forposing. It looks like he stole it from the biker mice from mars. It looks like the polution from it’s exaust alone is the reason big bird die. it looks like Creed just brought it off the joker and remonded it. It looks like something the battletoads bought and regretted. It looks like ghost rider’s first trike. it looks like Tooth lost his dick in a horrible acciden tand is compensating with theree metalic ones. It looks like something the BAND creed sold to victor creed here. It looks.. bad is what i’m saying. As for his actual outfit.. it’s okay,b asically his movie outfit with osme of the skin missing. That look isn’t my faviorite of his but it works to sell him as a savage monster and fits good with the more tactical less comic booky looks of this shows costumes.

Creed, the man not the band though he does look like the lead singer of creed, charges at Logan who simply pops his wheel while tooth falls off the roof.. and then the most rediculous and awesome part of the episode starts.... right after Scott’s car gets hit with the bike because what else did he think was going to happen when the fighting started. Sabertooth , who apparently has really good super strength in this universe, starts CHUCKING CARS UP THROUGH THE ROOF OF THE CAR PARK UP AT LOGAN. Points to the team while the setting for this fight is nonseical, it is WORTH IT for this, with great action as Logan dodges the cars bursting through the roof. it’s rediclous, over the top.. and UTTERLY spectacular and not just in a so bad it’s good way. Logan eventually slips through a car hole, a sentence i’d never thought i’d say mostly becasue that’s the moe syslack approved term for garages but it works well here too, and into the garage before sabertooth RAMS him with a car, ranting about it’s their “destiny” only one is left. Which seems like some weird “applying highlander logic to former goverment weapon mutants’ bollocks, but instead is foreshadowing for the end of the season. Nice touch. Scott and Kurt arrive, in uniform since even if he’s a bit more personably here, Scott still is no dummy, and they sucessfully save Logan, whose pissy about it because it was his buisness and all, but Kurt thinks he secretly loves them and Scott sarcastically agrees. Not a bad subplot and it makes up for a weird choice of battleground on logan’s cart iwth utter insanity. Fun stuff. Back at not so fun stuff, Kitty finds lance outside the office and takes him up on his offer, and he admits they ARE outsiders, there is something wrong with them.. but instead of moping about it, they can do something about it and revel in it. It really ties into Lance as a character: He’s probably felt, due to being an oprhan and not having a stable home life likely buffeted around foster care and acting out as a result, that he really is an outsider and his powers not only proved it.. but finally gave him POWER over all the people that cast him out. The power to take what he wanted and return what he got. The power to move you. He finally had power and he was going to make them pay for making him feel like he had none and wants Kitty to join him. And for a moment it works, kitty joyfully breaking in with him and actually enjoying her powers for the first time. Meanwhile kitty’s parents showed up, Jean having called them and somehow got them to listen.. and this is what I meant by that one minute earlier. We COULD have built up Kitty’s parents guilt and fear by having Charles approach them again.. and with them panicked over her not returning from school, have him explain what happened and help her father see how wrong he’d been to hide from it or had her argue with her dad then storm out. Instead they just show up here for the first time in almost 20 minutes so we could get a filler scene of kurt being late.

Anyways inside Lance steals the answers and Kitty is horrified to find out that “Gasp” the juvinele delinquent who hurt someone to impress her is doing BAD THINGS. Lance tries to change her grades but she refuses.. and then Jean and the Prydes show up, with Kitty’s dad admitting he was wrong, he shouldn’t of hid fro her power and shoudl’ve been a better parent.. better than her comics dad who got in bed with gangsters i’ll give him that. But Lance not wanting to loose his new sorta girlfriend knocks a bookcase on kitty and abusively tries to drag her with him.. while jean says if you go with him now, her powers will be a curse like she thought earlier... even though Kitty’s pretty terrified of lance right now and dosen’t actually want to go with him. it comes off like this bit from final space played entirely seriously

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So yeah apparently I need this too...: God Dammit Jean Count: 3 The other two are for the telepath thing earlier and the duncan thing last episode. And given the duncan thing is going to be going on till season 3 yeah i’ll need this. I’ll probably also need a WHAT DOES SHE SEE HIM HIM COUNT, but i’m playing that one by ear. But yeah kitty does the obvious and breaks it off and phases out and Lance takes it well.. by trying to destory the entire school.. my god this really is heathers! Did .. did lance kill some popular kids before this? I have questions. Jean struggles to hold things up and worries about kitty, who falls under some ruble but charles assures her to focus: She can do this.. and as we seen Chuck likely sensed kitty who phases out and reuintes with her parents before rescuing them all. Kitty realizes her powers are a gift after all and says the x-men have her best intrest and heart and Charles finally decides to have an actual discussion with the prydes which had he had one might’ve helped this episode go faster. We then end on Lance, angry and hurt starring into the distance, when Mistque approaches in her principal disguise, saying there may be an opening for her and transforms ending with a great line “I have much to teach you, my avalanche”. Which ihs a better code name than Rictor when put like that credit where it’s do. And we’re out. Final Thoughts: This one was a bit of a step down as you could tell: The main core of Lance and Kitty IS really strong, being a good way to breifly touch on toxic relationships. If this gets better in season 2 I have no idea but it’s a compelling dynamic here, with Kitty being terrified of her power while Lance loves his and both are what prop this episode up alongside the fun car park fight and great dynamic with Kurt and Scott. HOwever what drags the episode down is EVERYONE but Kitty and Lance, who act in character, and Scott and Kurt, who had no idea logan was going into combat and were just curious what their cool teacher was up to acts like a fucking moron: Logan, rather than pick a fighting ground where he has an advantage chooses one where sabertooth can easily use stealth and gives him an opening too as well as a garage full of weapons that nearly ends him, Xavier decides just randomly revealing he knows where they live wiill impress scared parents, Jean decides telling someone she’s in their head is a great idea, Kitty’s parents think not talking about the thing tht just happened will make it disappear, which is at least realistic if nothing else, and Sabertooth thought that was a valid choice for a motorcycle. The climax is good but feels unearned and overall this episode could've neen fantstic but is bogged down by bits of stupid, but is still enjoyable thanks to it’s emotional core. Next time, whenever that is, another popular charcter arrives as we go Rogue. Until then, follow for more reviews, like this if you enjoyed it, send asks iwth suggestions for more shows and episodes to cover and until then, stay safe and stay mutant and proud.

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artdjgblog · 4 years

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Innerview: Ercan Ucer / Grafik Tasarim (Turkey) October 2008 Image: Giphy Note: Take #2 of a design magazine interview.

01) How do you name yourself other than being a versatile designer? In the past year and a half I’ve come to realize that I’m not really a graphic designer. It’s definitely in there and will always be because design is a poison, like any vocation or skill can be. But, I’ve always approached the way I work as an artist first, and I don’t fancy myself an artist either. I am what I am, though I can’t always be so selfish. Am I an illustrator? I guess there is a collision of the three. Add this to a love for getting my hands dirty, plus a celebration of youth and American pop-culture mixed with Eastern European and post-WWII American Design – B.C. (Before Computer) and the product is me? “Versatile” is too defining of a word for me and way too classy. I simply like to say I make things. Each day is new and I haven’t a clue what I’m going to do. 02) What is the relationship between marketing and your designing process at different areas? (poster, packaging, logo…etc) A design is a marketing tool, no doubt. I haven’t really worked on a large scale setting with this, but I have in terms of marketing on a small scale for rock concerts and prospective CD buyers. Though, a designer plays eye-grabber, a designer is not really a marketer, but I guess it helps to attract attention or sell something. I had friends in college who studied marketing as well as design and they’d probably be more equipped to answering this question. It’s an area I’m not familiar with other than thinking of ways to attract people to get excited for a musical group, a sound, feeling or expression by way of putting a stamp on a poster, CD or logo design. It is a marketing tool especially when working with a client. It certainly is not only what the artist-designer can bring to the “product” (Though, I do think this can apply at a certain larger level with selling something), you’re also working for somebody and trying to sell an image or an item. In the case of a show poster, you’re selling a concert venue or the place the poster is hanging or even the music scene and the city and environment. I think this can be a tricky walk. I’ve been fortunate to have some small success with great clients and great projects to where things work out well. I guess it helps that independent music graphics kind of start out in left field to begin with, to where they are approached more like an art project than a product? Though, I don’t think that the work should not limit itself to a certain kind of audience. I think it’s great when the work speaks to anybody. There are times though where things don’t mix well, whether under the weather by design, client-wise or consumer. It’s just part of the deal. The work isn’t always going to be a homerun. Another deal is the way people interact with communication in marketing. Today I find that technology has a lot to do with people getting information for a rock concert via social networking sites, musician, ticket and concert venue sites. I don’t think that something like the poster will ever be dead, but technology can almost make a poster feel second-rate, a collector’s keep-sake and more for show than for the actual show. Logos are very interesting when it comes to marketing for bands because they are generally slapped onto many-many products. I’ve worked with a lot of music-related designs, but I’ve also made logos varying from a lawyer to an internet-computer company to a church before. So, these different applications encourage me to find new ways to talk to other audiences who come searching for something that isn’t entertainment, but I approach these designs with the same techniques and tools I use with the music graphics. I try to give something unique, and of a new take, to get a double-take. 03) Can you tell us about your working environment and your different feelings or extraordinary events that inspires you? Ever since I was a child growing up on a farm, my working environment has been outside and especially in my bedroom. Working environments also extended to anyplace I had my eyes open. I certainly believe in a home base or comfort zone of operations, but a lot of my more thorough processing happens while out and about and then I bring it back home with me to make. Currently I work out of a basement in my home. I’ve constructed a work space out of wood found in the street. I call it my “club house”. I love it down there despite my continual problem with having a work space that barely has room for me to work in! I collect and store a lot of things around me and still have a lot of my childhood things around me, along with piles and piles of supplies, research and things I’ve found or see the potential in for a future use. I have a mind-set that if I can’t use it today, I can easily use it in 50 years. I’m a major fan of extraordinary events and tend to find humorous and peculiar ones to be more my taste, and more-so in retrospect of the event. I feel to be blessed with a certain quality that attracts odd circumstances, or maybe it’s all in my head? Extraordinary has its own brand of “something”, but more often I find inspiration in places, events and things that are fairly run-of-the-mill and everyday ordinary for anyone, which can give them an added cushion of “extra” for me. On my website I’ve made a list of my history, the things that have been the everyday ordinary for me, but might seem very out of ordinary to others. It all depends on perspective and where you’ve been. 04) When did you discover the impulse that led you being a designer? This impulse to leave behind a paper trail of some sort on my impression has always been kicking around in me. I didn’t fully know it at the time, but I believe it started when I was young as I don’t remember a time when I wasn’t doing or making something. It’s a large part of my make-up. Much of it has to do with my farming background and watching my Dad and his Dad and others always doing or working on something whether it was building fences, planting crops or tending animals. I also owe a lot to my Grandma, for her hands-on making skills and to my parents for allowing me to grow-up fully plugged into the American pop-culture of books, toys, music, movies, video games and sports. Now, I just feed off of my former self and continue to feed for the future. It’s not work to me when it truly works and I enjoy myself. 05) Is looking at life always from a different angel, the designer’s necessarily ego? Most any area of most any job, skill, talent, business doesn’t come without some ego hurdling. The ego is amped further within the arts. Inflated achievement comes with ease when your voice gets a little loud in a “scene” or beyond. I’d like to think I’m fairly grounded, but it’s hard not to feel the eggs weight the other side when I’m told I could be sitting on a couple of golden ones. Working a day job can help matters, but it can also be a nightmare with time management. I have to just tell myself that I am a man and a man who happens to make things. Still, that can be hard. It doesn’t mean that I’m better than somebody or am a “somebody” because I’ve found a certain something within me. I just enjoy my life and feel very fortunate to even know what I want to do with it. I think one needs healthy doses of reality and a whole heap of humor to make it too. Besides, I have no answers. If you know somebody with it all figured out, have them call me! What helps me is to find comfort and ease is venturing back into my child manner. I’m much more content and find peace when I’m either looking at the world through a certain lense that I might qualify for, or just making and enjoying the act of celebration in creativity. The moment I start to think too much about it all or answer questions, that is when it can get a little dangerous in the head. I’d like to think gaining wisdom through age and maturity helps. I know that my energy and will-power have died some, and of late I’m leaning on this as a benefit. I think I say and do some dumb stuff today, though I’m positive it’s a little less than yesterday! 06) Can you inform us about graphic design’ s one of the important field, package design and your sketches? / Tell me about the sketching and process of packaging. There is a certain amount of image longevity that becomes attached to packaging. I’m not experienced in much more than musical CD packaging, but I think a long life span especially applies to this in the iconic halls of pop-culture, even on small levels. Though, that’s not the reason to put into making something and/or package something but if you can add some meaty eye candy, then so be it. I love poster design because there are endless possibilities to exhaust, many ways to work reach-and-grab-of-the-moment and intuitive, and if something doesn’t work all-around, it’s throw-away and will die soon like house flies. CDs are so different, at least for me, and they can be quite intimidating and intoxicating. Sometimes another designer’s great CD package makes me not wish to do another one, and in a good way! With my own process, I do a little bit of sketching, but more-so the process and evolution of the CD package is the sketching for me. If I’m rewarded with an ample amount of time to work on a CD I usually make it happen in three different sessions, or what I call “incubation stages”. This allows me time to sit on ideas and to come back to them with fresh perspective and clear head, to play or spin off ideas and avenues. When figuring out an image or “look” for an album, I like to at least digest the music or get a track listing. With the way in which I work, I tend to feed off of my day-to-day (sometimes minute-to-minute) emotional handy work. It can be a little strange though as I can easily obsess over wondering the what-might-have-been with something like a CD package or anything. I think that a CD package for me can be extremely different given what day I’m at. I do believe my best packages have come down on me at the last minute, intuitively and usually on the lowest of budgets. And I mean cheap, major cheap. 07) What are the benefits of making global designs for the designer? I love a body of work, one that breathes and not only serves as a timeline for the maker, but also for views and observations on life itself. Ideas that can extend globally even, throughout time. I think that a great body of work can extend to anybody, anywhere in the world. And even if it is for some other body like a client, it is always from its original body of the creator. Anything that goes global is still connected to that first breath of singular life. Due to technology, it’s so much easier today to go “global” with designs, even if one does operate on a small scale. I think it’s great to put the work out there, to share, even if it’s not marking up or wrapping up a popular product. In today’s fast-paced world of millions and billions of images and things flashing, it really does mean a lot that my meager things have made it in some strange little way. Even, if it’s just a grin or a double-take by someone looking at a little poster on a wall or in a magazine or a global internet billboard or world-wide magazine and book distribution. Though, a part of me still likes to keep some things to myself. And I’m odd because I personally don’t like to attract attention to myself with graphics on the shirts I wear or product logos on bags and things. 08) Can you explain the relationship between marketing and designing? I’m not sure if I was successful, but I tried to answer some of this in question 2. With this one I’ll try to wrap it into the way that I work, to where my designs act as marketing tools for me, as well as the product they are pushing. Until recently I’ve never had to market myself in conventional practice. For the first six years my work itself was the marketing. Everything from a poster to a package and a logo has been on the same level with causing a “Trickle Down / Word of Mouth” marketing effect. And I’ve been fortunate to keep fairly close relationships with my clients due to a small industry I work in. These clients have brought other clients. For my first two years I was living and working with several bands in a house. I didn’t have to leave and would get new work constantly. At times I’d just make things before I was even asked. Some of the best marketing can come in poster making and that is how I started to gather some attention. Posters have a short shelf life in comparison to packaging and logos, so there is always a new one to tack up. And if a poster doesn’t succeed, then it’s easy to just make another one. It’s just a poster and practice is good. After a while people start getting curious and come looking for you. 09) Does any of your designs have an unforgettable story? The “Whatever Makes You Happy” CD package design I made in my basement in June of 2002 for the band Elevator Division, is one of my most memorable moments. It was a special run of 250 handmade CD packages and my idea came at the last minute. I made an image of a hand shooting off its index finger like a missile that married the themes for the album perfectly, with reflections of war and failed relationships. It was the idea of shooting off one’s options and making decisions. It was fitting for the band-music but also for the national-world climate. Each one was hand-cut from cardboard and stencil sprayed and rubber stamped. Inserts were copied, cut, folded and glued. At the last mist of red spray paint, a crack of thunder shook the massive home’s foundation and I bolted from the basement and out the front door to a down pour of rain. I leapt off the front porch and slid head first down the front lawn embankment and into the street flowing like a river current. The drug dealing squatters of the home across the street were on their front step looking at the fire in my eyes and the red paint streaming from my ears, nose and mouth. It was a high much higher than that of chemical substance. -djg

#innerviews

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techcrunchappcom · 4 years

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New Post has been published on https://techcrunchapp.com/hi-tech-news-vod-34-20-lovecraft-territory-mystery-racism-and-monsters/

Hi-Tech : News VOD 34/20: 'Lovecraft Territory': mystery, racism and monsters

VOD news brings you the best releases of the week on Netflix, HBO, Amazon Prime Video … And we continue in the deepest of the summer, so it is not surprising that the content that arrives is quite, but generally weak. However, there are always exceptions and the big exception this week is Lovecraft Territory, an HBO series that premieres with a hitch strategy that we have not seen until now.

HBO

HBO is simmering this summer and this week more if possible: four garbage is what comes to offer, with the honorable exception of the featured title. And it is that Lovecraft Territory is not only very good, but it is available to anyone, since its first and only episode at the moment is free on YouTube.

Lovecraft Territory

Indeed, HBO Spain has put the first episode of Lovecraft Territory free on YouTube, where it will remain available until September 2. Just enough time for a few to dare to hit play … and end up subscribing to HBO, even until the series is completed. Because, I warn you, if you start it you will want to continue it (the only downside of the free chapter is that it is only dubbed).

Territory Lovecraft is based on a novel and mixes the typical terror of the American writer with the racial conflicts of the fifties with those who are still obsessed there, which in principle could set back more than one. However, the formula worked with Watchmen and – in a somewhat more pronounced way – it does it again in the case of Lovecraft Territory, which manages to hook immediately. If it maintains the level we can be facing one of the best releases of the year in its genre.

New chapters:

Axios (T3) Could destroy you (T1) Room 104 (T4)

Enter catalog:

Damned Two Dumb Fools: When Harry Met Lloyd Lego DC Superheroes: The Flash Pursuit to the Limit Power Players (S1)

Netflix

Netflix arrives as usual with a multitude of new own content, among which the coarsest filler predominates, but among which you can also find interesting things: the fifth and final season of Lucifer, a new anime series (The scammer) … and the launch we highlight, of course.

High Score: The World of Video Games

High Score: The World of Video Games It is undoubtedly the most interesting launch of the week on Netflix, at least from the cousin we have in MC: a documentary series that reviews the history of video games since its inception, addressing the most popular genres in its different chapters and with the participation of prominent names in the industry. Its main attraction is that it is not a common material due to the length of the work, but even so it knows little and will be superficial for those who have lived part of that history. If you see it in its original version, perhaps the voice of the narrator, Charles Martinet (It’s me, Mario!) Sounds familiar.

More exclusive content:

Side Effects of Love (Chemical Hearts). When a hopeless romantic high school senior falls in love with a mysterious new classmate, the two embark on an unexpected journey that will teach them about love, loss, and most importantly, themselves. »

Enter catalog:

7 raons per fugir Abulele Goodbye with the heart Naked souls Clams and mussels Black bay Under calm waters Bel Ami, story of a seducer Beyond Re-Animator Gross, dirty and evil When the dinosaurs ruled the earth Dark Was the Night Dictation Two women The attack of the five-headed shark The way of the wine The duel The infinity The Garden of Allah The legacy (S1) The evil Zaroff The worst man in the world The Polaquito The first circle The last hunter The last refuge The old rifle Ignite my passion Freaks and Geeks (T1) Freeheld, an unconditional love Escape from Alcatraz Great duel at dawn Screams in Oldfield Until marriage do us part Criminal impulse Collective unconscious (Miniseries) Joe Jubal Killer Joe The end The formula for happiness Maze’s escape Benny’s story Goodman The Best Offer The Promise (Wu Ji) The Last Hunt The truth about 5G The Adventures of Tintin (T1-T3) The New Adventures of Rin Tin Tin Lavallantula LEGO DC Super Heroes: The Flash The unexpected of love Italian marriage Separate tables Deep fear While you sleep Momentum Music and tears No refunds Night on the town Odd Thomas: Ghost Hunter Over the limit Pagafantas Paintball Untamed Romania Second Best (Difficult choice) Seven Days of May Story of Eva Temptation: Confessions of a Marriage Counselor Teo, intergalactic hunter Land of ruffians (Miniseries) Topkapi A love from movie A Bloody Wedding (Cottage Country) A Great Family Unacknowledged: An Expose of the Greatest Secret in Human History Vanished Go Hangover Revenge (In the Blood) Summer and Smoke Walkabout Welcome Home (S2) And in the center of the earth there was fire Zafari (T1-T2)

Apple TV +

Apple TV + reappears, which premieres a couple of things plus another couple that it has in broadcast.

Ted lasso

Apple TV + is resurrected once again with a series that is already applauding the critics: Ted lasso, a British comedy about the world of football.

New chapters:

Boys State (T1) Little Voice (T1)

Disney +

And we end up with Disney +, which barely dropped four crumbs.

New chapters:

Marvel’s Hero Project (T1) One Day at Disney (T1) The Incredible Dr. Pol (T4)

Enter catalog:

In search of the abominable snowman The big lie (S1) Rio Rio 2

#Technology

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ts-akhmim · 4 years

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Episode 6 | “His best Amanda Kimmel "Go girl, give us nothing!" impersonation” - Liam

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ryrU-tXQbMyAa2Sl_GFiJb61i6qUNY-x/view?usp=sharing

aj went home??!?!?! hello!? JAKE SURVIVED SO THERE IS A GOD

Who feels like shit? Meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. And now I remember why I feuded with Jakey... he literally did what ever he wanted. Which is very inconvenient for the rest of us. I know he put my name down. Granted 3 minutes ago I was sure it was Dan but after briefly snapping at him I put it together. Dan, 7:21 PM Seriously I’m not mad about it ahha I can see how my words were taken. And then I definitely said this afternoon we hadn’t talked and that was why I thought you would be the vote on my end Yeah you were a target before AJ started throwing my name out. I own up to that 100% So now it's time to play voting detective... yaayyyyyyyyyyyy (em llik) This entire vote started off with Jakey and Dan. Dan claims that he didn't bring my name up, but it would be an ass pull for Jakey to come to me with Dan wanting me dead immediately after the immunity challenge and then suddenly manifest it. Jakey immediately comes to me and I immediately come to the Dumb Betches (tm). I want Dan out but it's just not realistic as the other side isn't as comfortable playing with a pure beauty team. Next day we form the Thots R Us alliance and Jakey and Scott plead their case for AJ to leave and we, like idiots, go for it. Dan continues to campaign for me. Devon gets into the mix at some point and tells Dan that AJ is voting for him. Dan changes his vote. Now according to Augusto around this point, Jakey mentioned the possibility of having an extra vote before completely shutting it down. Claiming it to be "unnecessary". I think this sparked the idea to tell AJ about the vote under the guise of "golly gee I don't wanna vote for Dan because honor and stuff so I'm voting for you". I assume it's around then he wrote my name down. Like a bitch. Sorry I'm trying to be less hateful and aggressive but man it's harrdddddddd. My guess is that he wanted a beauty out no matter what and figured he'd have better luck convincing the others to vote for me in a situation where an idol is played. He probably also wanted me and Dan to turn further against each other. Unfortunately for him, I spent all of my impulse control that day on not chewing Dan's head off and I snapped immediately afterwords and so some things were cleared up. It has to be Jakey not just because of all the things lining up and not just because it is in his character but I genuinely can't imagine anyone else doing so. - AJ and Amir are loyal hoes. Plus if one of them did something that absurd, it wouldn't exactly benefit them. It puts strain between our relationships with the other players and honestly I don't know why they'd waste a vote on me when if an idol is played they risk losing a beauty majority. - Devon doesn't seem like he would make any waves and seems to have taken a liking to me. Granted I'm less sure about him then the others but he did put most of the work in convincing Dan not to put my name down. Plus he doesn't seem to have anticipated AJ having an idol. - Scott, to do something like this would have been risky. I'm his primary connection to the beauty alliance, if AJ were to play an idol he would have risked losing an asset. - I truly think Dan isn't lying to me because he genuinely believed if he didn't vote for AJ he'd be fucked. He wasn't comfortable with where the votes lied, to throw a vote towards me would have been pretty dumb and insanely reckless. Jakey is the only person I can think of who would go out so out of his way for something like this. Chaos is more or less his calling card. Plus it would be in his best interest to keep around someone in his majority alliance and get rid of a beauty. And he probably thought that I was a better option considering past history or whatever. :/ So now we have to sacrifice Jakey to the survivor gods not because he wrote my name down but because I can't trust him to keep his shit together and vote with us. We were going to target Dan next and he probably won't be chill with that. He probably would prefer to aim for Devon or One of the beauties. And that well, wouldn't be in my best interest either. In the mean time, I'm just going to sit still and look pretty.

Ok, I need to make a quick apology. Talking to Autumn and Duncan has been the highlight of my game thus far. Autumn went to the same undergrad as me and Duncan is one of the most genuine guys I've ever met. I feel terrible for ever being doubtful of being on the same tribe as them. Because now I really think I have two more people that I feel I can trust and move with further, which (in the words of the perfect Mrs. Kim Spradlin) means I have options, and I think this can guarantee a spot for me at merge and a really good group to make some moves with that isn't as obvious to people. If we were to go to tribal, I think my target would be Connor which should be an easy vote given his general lack of activity on the tribe thus far, but I'm also not against the prospect of blindsiding Ali as I think there's a chance he has that Apis idol and I'm certain he has a few tricks up his sleeves.

okay soooo i have two LONG video confessionals uploading from the last two days but wow stuff is happening... so first off, the nuThoth tribe voted off... AJ?! which is so unexpected, that shakes up the game completely, like now it means the game is changed... it means the brawn four on this tribe sticking together is a really bad idea, and it just... everything has changed. i'm so so glad jake has survived, which keeps one good ally in on nuThoth. I'm still scared of Augusto/Amir/Kendall/Scott, but hopefully one will go if they go to tribal again? idek but yeah a lot of this will be repeated in my video, but god is a woman. and her name is autumn, i called with autumn for TWO HOURS yesterday and it was a transcendent experience, i literally love her so much. and it was such a good conversation, like i 100% overshared but it was great to kinda link up... i talked to her about adam (more on him later), she filled me in on the brain hot goss and she is of course someone i want to stick with. on this tribe, the two i feel best about are tj and autumn - tj i was SO mean to at the start but i actually get really good energy from him now? i really want to solidify something with him, i definitely want to stick wit him. jordan i think trusts me a lot but for some reason i continue to have anxiety about him (but he is a good shield in a merge situation). i for some reason get really good vibes from connor? i think i would love to talk to him more (will pm him today) - i think connor gives off good vibes and particularly since adam's conspiracy of a beauty illuminati is over i think i could trust him a lot? we haven't spoken much but he has really good ally potential imo. adam is a tricky one. for some reason i do NOT trust him. he is in EVERYONES pms peddling this same narrative and is just doing a lot? i think he is a real slippery player, and i feel like he is a fish who if we release into the ocean of a merge tribe we will never get back? i have such anxiety about him making it far so i'd love for him to go as soon as possible. its tough tho because now that a beauty majority voted off a beauty, i feel like the brawn four on this tribe need to do similar? so maybe i need to vote off liam? its just annoying because i trust liam, and i'd LOVE to get adam out but i dont see the numbers to pull that off. so i feel like we have to vote liam to give ourselves wiggle room as brawn players, but from there idk... because i want adam GONE grrrrrrrrrr its frustrating. hopefully we win this challenge, and the other tribe has another chance to get rid of someone... like the less decisions i have to make the better at this point i take it back jordan is so sweet, he is like a teddy bear... its just whether he is a care bear or lotso from toy story

i cant remember what my last confessional said so im just gonna start with last tribal: aj got voted out ........ of all the false beautys it had to be him the ONE who actually was nice to me and was the whistleblower on that main alliance? when i said it'd ironically beautiful to me to see one of the beautys voted out he was NOT any of the ones i was talking about then we get our next immunity and oh would you look at that... THREE people have to sit out meaning there's gonna surely be another chat with 5 people in it to say lets vote adam out AGAIN.......as soon as i saw this challenge my ptsd immediately was triggered and i was trying SO hard to sound like i wanted to be in one of the things even if i wouldnt have been good at it just so i could rest easy but it didnt really work out, in fact the highlight of the challenge was actually me and duncan and our contribution of sitting on the sidelines looking pretty while they all flopped but bless their hearts at least they tried, so now we're going back to tribal, and again i didnt compete in immunity which apparenly is cause for a target now so ... im HOPING that doesnt happen again, and if it does then i probably deserve to go home! i was kinda just.... not in the mood to talk to anyone much of yesterday or even today just because um.... i didnt want to dfakdfs mostly due to that dumb bitch DeDe Pressión just making me wanna do nothing but lay in bed and torture myself by watching more real survivor but i woke up today in a better mood, the moods they come and they go, much like me i love being elusive so hopefully people just dont think im like such dumb bitch who doesnt wanna talk or whatever, because believe it or not the gorls can be so hateful over you not being able to recite their whole life story back to them at the final triabl! they ripped me to shred my first season because i couldnt tell them so and so had a purple sheep back on the farm in late october 2007 like gorl plea .... so yeah ive been trying to talk to more people today to compensate, not sure where it will go, it did reassure me a bit that liam messaged me like RIGHT after the challenge and began already saying stuff about connor like ooh gorl michael_jackson_i_love_this_song.gif, but i just need to be careful because i dont want to seem like im the one controlling the vote, because odds are im gonna get made to look a fool and ill go home, or be left in the dark, but im gonna try to have slightly more faith in these people and hope they're buying what im selling, because it's pretty good stuff, i just want to feel like im the most expensive iphone in the store you know, like i want to be able to say im building relationships nonetheless and will make people come running to ME with information but who knows. I'm either playing decently and in a good spot right now, or im a fucking delusional schizophrenic so im hoping tribal reveals something like that one way or another. at least if i get voted off i can stop letting this game stress me the HELL out in the middle of a fucking pandemic

youtube

When AJ leaves and you can trust your new alliance with the beauties and Jakey https://media.tenor.com/images/b4c2f5c658c1d3ade7e506ee7ffe3c5e/tenor.gif When you win your first tribal immunity challenge of the season https://i.imgur.com/8xzlbRW.gif When you don’t have to see Alyssa and Jess at tribal https://media.giphy.com/media/6nuiJjOOQBBn2/giphy.gif My tribe when I get to go to bed early because I don’t have to stay up stressing about tribal https://media.vanityfair.com/photos/58c16a15208b4945c3920cf0/master/w_1600%2Cc_limit/nicole-kidman-seal-clap.gif

Second tribal of the game for me and I am feeling good once again. i see myself in a position where I dont think i am being targeted and I really just have room to grow and form my social relationships. I feel bad for connor cause I think he will be going home barring anything crazy happening. He was someone I wanted to work with going into this game, but ill be honest his social game is just abysmal he needs to talk to people more. I originally thought he was just not talking to me cause he assumed we were good but apparently everone feels like they cant have a convo with him. Its way too early for me to do something crazy and deviate so I think hes gonna be blindsided tonight. Maybe I want to lock down a final 2 with TJ soon im starting to trust him more and more and hopefully he feels the same way. Im pretty confident that were gonna merge at 12 because thats the first time my legacy advantage is coming into play but im not sharing that information, that power is as locked to the chest as can be I will not tell a soul all game about it, thats how you become a fan favourite game changer sierra dawn thomas and I will not be her, married to joe anglim what a thought. Im off focus, either way Ive talked a lot about feeling very rocky in this game so far and feeling like I havent found my footing, but Im getting a foundation built now and once I get going, theirs no stopping me.

Is it seriously only Day 14..? Ugh, this game drags on for so, so long. Tonight is gonna be deja vu of Kvaloya in which I once again send home Connor, hopefully unanimously again. I respond to his fucking messages, and he's doing his best Amanda Kimmel "go girl, give us nothing!" impersonation right now. It's ANNOYING. I can't work with someone who does this!

oh duncan. oh duncan duncan duncan. every single time we play together you underestimate me as a player and it is infuriating? so this time you don't want an alliance with me? that's fine... but don't think i wont find out. i'm literally my blood is boiling that he thinks he can get away with this... grr. but also i love autumn for telling me, it shows me i can trust her and we are gonna go the distance. anyway so i do think connor is going to leave tonight and me freaking out will only make it me instead... so i will go with it. but now im waiting to see what jordan and tj say... and to see if they tell me. i dont think tj will tell me, but i do think jordan BETTER. i'm defending him to autumn, so he owes me plus he says we are a duo so he better JKASLDFAF. so now? i feel like i need to trust adam and stop being so nervous to trust him... he is on the bottom with me and we need to flip this upside DOWN. if me/adam link up, that will be good... because im not down to be stuck on the bottom for more than a vote... being on the bottom is how to go home and that's not my thing

So now that the vote is looming, I think that we have it fully on Connor now. Duncan and I came up with the fake vote of Adam which Connor seemed to take? Although he's asking questions that seem fishy, so let's just hope he buys it. And Duncan and I made an alliance of me, him, Jordan, and Autumn which is perfect to have going into merge. I still need to figure out how best to integrate the two so that they can know Jakey is going to work with us but not enough so that they don't know that me/Jakey/Jordan also have an alliance together. But this is awesome going into the next round, and I'm just praying that we don't see an idol played, because that would be DISASTER!

the way i've called adam shady for days and days and now i trust him one of the most? wow a growth arc. i'm still heated about duncan. he is SOO likable and charismatic, and is someone who is genuinely always just fun to play with? so him being in this gamebot really dry state is so frustrating because ik if he just relaxed and let his natural personality out he would snap?! he is just so fixated on doing well this season that he is getting in his own way (at least imo, but this is coming from mr im not in an alliance so im bitter KJSAFD). so anyway now that duncan is not a viable ally anymore, i need to solidify the other connections... and i think adam and autumn are the move. adam is clearly just desperate for allies and while he is over-eager, i think he is earnest so ill stop being paranoid about him. autumn is just a queen and a goddess so im gonna stick with her too... liam is lovely too... i just want duncan OUTTTTTTTTTTT he will not get away with this, i am the meddling kid(s) who will ruin his plans... will duncan go to the end as the gamebot leader... well... https://gph.is/2dmg9hV

also can i just say i love tj?! like i sent duncan very similar messages about feeling like i've been out of it, and the difference in their responses is remarkable: tj: I think everyone understands that you haven't been 100% the last few days, so I doubt anyone is going to fault you for that. And everyone knows that it's a game, real life does come first. like... sweet, supportive without being patronising? validating duncan: and i don't think things have really kicked off over here yet, i think its going to be an "easy vote" but we'll see what happens duncan.... immediately to game, almost his own conversation... i'm... over it?

well we have tribal in just a few hours, and tonight it's gonna be pretty clear cut in the sense that, ill finally have answers because um it's either gonna be me or connor ive been doing my best to lead this smear campaign against him, only because he made the wrong move by coming for me first and continuing to lie to my face about it so at this point i wish i felt bad but i dont. I could be completely delusional but I do think it's working because people have come to ME first and said they want to vote connor, because of both what i was saying and because he just hasnt been talking to many people besides right after the challenge so like... people can see how transparent that is pls also because MULTIPLE people have approached me first today telling me he plans on voting me out so unless they're specializing in some hardcore reverse psychology...i think i have a shot at it being 7-1 connor but once again i literally could be being made out to be a whole ass goof and not even know. or even worst have got all the numbers on my side but then get idol'ed out fdhaskj both very likely scenarios because things never seem this easy in this game ive been trying my best to get to know people and i feel like im slowly connecting more with some of them, so i guess tonight at tribal will be a test on those relationships because all the people ive been talking to will either, believe me, trust me, and wanna play with me, or theyre gonna listen to connor and vote me out, and honestly if they vote me out over him then i completely deserve to go home because clearly im doing something wrong my biggest fear is im hoping i havent come off too strong trying to play by painting this narrative of the old hathor's and connor being so against me, because while yes obviously i want connor gone for my own reasons, the trick is i dont want people to think im leading a charge against him (even tho i absolutely am) because i dont want that kinda target on me but truly who the fuck knows, i could very well go home but idk. this game is like walking into a serial killer convention and trying to stay alive, that's how i feel like im putting my faith in the hands of killers, it's making a bitch shook so i guess we'll see but in a perfect world..... connor will leave....which may look bad because of old tribe lines, but im really trying to wor any magic i have to where me being the only beauty on this tribe would be beneficial for me to hopefully be sought after by any brawns or brains, but if you ask me old tribe lines are about to be nonexistent. even though there will be 4 brawns next round, ive been trying to connect to some of them in the hopes that theyll ditch any old alliance they have to work with me but only time will tell so um yeah keep me in your thoughts and prayers pls

Not gonna lie, I haven't done much of anything this round but I don't mind it! Sometimes I just wanna be a lazy bitch yknow? But yeah, Thoth FINALLY beat its 0 challenge wins curse and we won immunity which I am thankful for given tribal would've been extremely messy? With the Kendall vote last round (which I think was Jakey or Jakey telling Dan to do so), who knows what would've been the outcome! Yay for safety <3

hiiiii no video because i no longer want to do them. let the record show that i was the 1st to say adam's name, if he goes, i did that. if i go, i did that.

i didn't make a confessional this round and tribal is about to start! im going to expect connor to go but this would be a shitty last confessional if i go home tonight. I'm hoping to establish trust within this new tribe. Wish me luck! XOXO Gossip Girl. also my dog just ate the cake i left on the counter >.> thats why im late.

I can't give y'all a real confessional right now cause Cagayan has me screaming but I believe Connor is going home 7-1 and I gave the green light to an alliance I plan on turning on whew so see y'all soon

So basically, tribal happened, beauties lost a number unanimously, theres pros and cons to this. Pros: ppl think the idol left, beauty is less threatening, we show loyalty to more people and build relationships. Bad: someone lied. that kendall throw away vote was to ensure a beauty went home in case aj played an idol, and everyone claims it wasnt them, so someone on this tribe has a case of the LIE-ABETES. * anyway, here is Shit I learned today aka dirt on ppl: 🎃Devon - told me that dan was afraid of an all beauties thing 🎃Jakey - told me dan Ali him and Jordan were a majority - told me Ali has the idol - told me Ali is a rat who warned lovelis - called Adam annoying and ugly - said he wants Devon out next - thinks Devon voted kendall 🎃 scott - told me Devon screwed him over and got himself voted out on brains - told me autumn and Duncan are a duo 🎃 Dan - told jakey that he thinks the brains tribe voted kendall to divide beauty and brawn 🎃 kendall - hidden secret alliance with Jakey - hates dan 🎃 augusto - super close with Devon - wants to blindside Jakey - thinks Jakey is the kendall vote

#BackWithVengeance

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oh-beyond · 7 years

Text

Saviour AU - Part 14

He wasn’t rich like the others, he didn’t really fit, but he was part of the group, the rich boys that had investments in one of the biggest companies in the country, they were powerful and handsome and they could get anything the wanted, money had corrupted their every day actions, money that Byun Baekhyun didn’t have, to what extent was he like them? You were lucky enough to be delivering the coffee every morning, you just wanted to see him, and to see him meant seeing the others too… You had faith that he was different… just don’t trust him too much he might surprise you, and not in a good way.

Business AU/Angst/Smut

Baekhyun x Reader ft. Chanyeol, Chen, Kai & Lay (Mentions of EXO OT12)

Masterlist

Saviour Masterpost

< Part 13 - < Pusillanimous - Part 15 >

Summary: Everything turns 180º, even how you felt about Chanyeol… and Baekhyun was not doing anything to stop it…

Baekhyun opened the door for you to leave and avoided looking directly into your eyes.

“Baek, Baek, just please, let’s talk about it” you tried again getting closer but he pushed you away “Baekhyun look at me!”

His eyes were blood red, his neck veins visible, and he trembled when he gave in and let you touch his chest caging him between your body and the wall.

“I can’t, I can’t, I won’t do it, I am wrong. This is wrong, everything is so wrong. You don’t deserve this, Chanyeol doesn’t deserve this, and I don’t deserve both of you. I’m filth, I’m just a pig”

“Stop thinking about other people, stop just- Baekhyun I love you, don’t kill me, don’t leave me”

Your desperate tone and the proximity. Baekhyun was having a breakdown of his own, thinking of Chanyeol as you cried on his chest.

“Leave, just leave now”

“I don’t want to… Baekhyun”

You kissed his cheek slowly moving towards his mouth. Oh he was so weak, you knew he loved you back but he was just too faithful to his friendship.

He let you kiss him, as tears fell from you and him, making the kiss taste salty, he was unmoving and his cry intensified as you deepened the kiss making you break it to wipe his tears.

“Why? We can do this together. I will never let your friend hate you because of me. I’ll talk to him, I’ll go right now if you want”

Baekhyun wiped his tears and pushed you off him again, firmly this time, gripping your forearm, opening the door for you once again.

“Leave, I don’t love you like he does. I don’t even love you to begin with. I am filth, just a piece of shit that fucked with my best friend’s love interest. Why would you want to be with someone like me? I am just using you for sex”

“Baek- don’t say those things”

He pushed you out of his apartment. His stare, cold and menacing. This wasn’t your Baekhyun.

“It’s true!” he exclaimed audible enough for all the neighbours of the floor to hear “I don’t want you! Fucking leave me alone! I got tired and bored of you! Plus sleeping with you is not even good, you have zero experience, I don’t have time to teach you how to please a man!”

You leaned on the wall trying to swallow what felt like pebbles going down your throat. You couldn’t move, you couldn’t reply, you couldn’t even breath.

That moment the door next to Baekhyun’s opened… Chanyeol. All you saw next was Baekhyun on the floor holding onto his jaw as he spit blood. The image was blocked immediately by a tall frame standing in front of you.

“Go home ___” whispered Chanyeol as his lips quivered.

You looked up to meet his wrecked face from the crying, swollen and red, a lot more than Baekhyun, he looked shattered and completely broken.

For real.

It pained you, it pained you that you were the one who caused this between best friends.

“I am sorry!” you said at loss of words “I am sorry Chanyeol-ssi”

His eyes widened at your words, you even surprised yourself that you were apologising to him. But really and trully none of this mess was your intention.

You just loved Baekhyun.

Chanyeol fell on his knees and hugged your thighs, his forehead resting at the level of your navel, you felt his nose and how he silently kept crying. You looked at Baekhyun who by now was standing, he couldn’t take it, the roles now had changed in less than a few minutes. Baekhyun had nothing to add but to leave you 2 alone. He knew that you were sweet and could at least make Chanyeol feel less shitty right now.

He surrendered to the new situation and got inside his apartment closing the door behind him.

The amount of surprises were overwhelming, and you didn’t know that you had it in you. The need to wash Chanyeol’s sorrows away, after all, he got double devastated. Lost his best friend, and the discovery of him screwing the girl he liked.

You caused this.

You lifted our hands and stroked his hair as an impulse, you didn’t really thought about what you were doing. You just wanted to. At the feeling he stopped crying and hugged you tighter.

“I am sorry Chanyeol-ssi, get up please”

He lifted his head to meet your eyes, you moved his fringe away from his forehead, he got lost in the feeling of your eyes on him, even if it was out of pity. Right now you were making him feel better. You had to make him feel better. You owed him that much.

“I don’t care what happened, I am not upset with you” he managed to say trying to dissimulate his crying voice “thank you for talking to me, thank you for forgiving me, you are so kind. You forgave me right? Am I dreaming?”

‘Thank you for talking to me’? Those words just ripped your insides, he was thanking you for consider to direct him words…

You wiped his tears and smiled at him “we are kind of making a scene, just get up please”

He jumped off the floor wiping his face with his sleeves, just like a 5 year old, he smiled and you could of sworn that the tears that were falling from his eyes were of pure joy and disbelief.

“Please come in, just wash your face and drink some water”

You took his offer stepping inside his apartment, it was a replica of Baekhyun’s they had the same exact furniture and the floorings were the same, he noticed that your surprised face was because of that. He felt how pathetic he had been all these years, he had no life besides Baekhyun, his work and casual hookups with his employees.

He got you a glass of water and showed you to the main bathroom, he stood at the door with a fresh towel wearing a dumb smile. After washing your face he gave you the towel not believing that you were in his bathroom not scared of him anymore.

“I am sorry for not making you fall for me, I am sorry for meeting this way, I wish I could be the man that made you happy”

“Chanyeol-ssi”

“Just Chanyeol or Chan”

“Alright Chan. Today was tough, on the 3 of us. Just let’s all calm down so we can think straight”

“I am going to make him pay for what he did to you, for every nasty word he said, I will make him pay”

“You did worst things. Yet here I am talking to you, Besides, don’t compare me to him, I am nothing in comparison. He is your best friend”

Baekhyun didn’t call, didn’t text, didn’t care… You cried yourself to sleep.

Chanyeol had lost his best friend but the biggest sorrow was accompanied by the biggest of his dreams. Not only you forgave him, you didn’t push him away, and you even touched his face and hair.

Rollercoaster of emotions.

Baekhyun in the other hand, drove to your place, he remained in the car, looking at your window, he saw your silhouette twice and something in him made him feel worst than what he already felt.

He had hurt you.

He had lost you.

And he had lost Park Chanyeol.

On his way back home he stopped at Chanyeol’s door for several minutes, wishing all this was just a bad dream that he’d wake up from anytime now. Just a few hours ago they were watching a movie and playing video games, eating pizza in the couch.

But his greed made him lose everything.

He understood now that his actions were wrong.

He should of never accepted your love in the first place if he wasn’t going to confront his friend. That was his original plan, he’s done it for so long… even when he accompanied Chanyeol to the convenience store 10 years ago, he’s never given in. Why was it harder this time?

‘It’s because I really love you’

He whispered to himself before turning off the lights of his room.

You called Chen but he was no where to be reached. You guessed he needed some time to think, maybe a holiday? A break from all the lawsuit drama and the tension in the office.

Eunbyeol was also missing and Saehyo wouldn’t dare to call her family. She had asked you if you could help her at the cafe. She was desperate because there were a lot of trainees, just until they hired someone else or Eunbyeol comes back with an explanation for her absence.

So you went with it, you wanted to know how would Chanyeol act when he sees Baekhyun the following morning, and if he really they were just not going to talk to each other ever again.

On your way to the corporation you stopped to buy a charger for Chanyeol, you thought of trying to smooth things up. You knew you had it in you, the power to persuade Chanyeol into listen to Baekhyun. After all he wasn’t upset with you in the slightest, it showed that Chanyeol had a good heart. And this was Baekhyun… sure it was going to be an easy task.

“For me? You got me a charger? You remembered that I needed one?”

It was only yesterday night you heard him in need of one. It felt as if you were donating him your kidney without exaggeration of how this minor thing made him this happy. He stood there looking at it before looking at your face. Man this guy had it easy when it came to tears. It amazed you.

It was a freaking charger…

He got closer and hesitated, you saw it coming, his arms came forward and hugged you. He was so much taller and it was intimidating.

Nevertheless cute…

Your hatred towards him was replaced with this new feeling…

“Thank you, thank you so much ___”

You patted his sides clearing your throat “it’s alright, nothing major”

“You are too good to me. You are too good. Period” he said detaching himself sniffing.

“Alright Chanyeol-ssi, but I want to ask you something in return for that limited edition, super expensive, hard to get charger”

Chanyeol laughed and nodded “anything for you. Absolutely anything, because I can only imagine what you had to do to get such a unique piece”

“You have a big heart, and I would hate myself if I was the reason for you and Baekhyun to-”

“He left already. He has resigned. He was never a shareholder, he was just an employee. I didn’t tell him anything. I swear. It was his choice”

“You didn’t do anything? He just simply gave up”

“I did freeze his bank account”

“What? How does one do that? Why?”

“He left me. He betrayed me”

“He betrayed you? Do you even know that he was dying inside every time we were together?”

“Well still didn’t prevent him from-” he pointed at you thinking his next word.

“I love Baekhyun. And he loves me back. Why can’t you just accept it? He is your friend”

“He doesn’t love you, you didn’t hear what he said to you yesterday? He was-”

“Don’t you even dare say something like that about Baekhyun. He asked me to talk to you, to accept your apology. He’s been fighting his feelings, just for you. You are selfish and narrow minded if you can’t see that”

“Alright. OK, I have a proposition to make you”

You crossed your arms over your chest “go ahead”

“You open up to me, give me a chance to show you what real love is. If he ever comes back to you I will give up and accept my fate”

“I am not going out with you Chanyeol-ssi”

“That wasn’t what I was suggesting. Make it hard on me. Let me win your heart, and I can assure you you will give in alone”

“I love Baekhyun. And you love him too. How can you throw him out of your life like that”

“Just the way he threw me. If he can live with it, I can too”

Baekhyun left the apartment, his bank account was frozen but luckily he had a good amount of cash with him.

He disappeared. Vanished as if he was never part of your life, not even Chanyeol’s.

Lay called you regularly, but after you knew he had gotten back to Xian you avoided long calls, you didn’t want to cause him trouble. Lay loved her and she had that dubiety problem, he learned how to live with it, accept her the way she was with her flaws, sacrifice for the woman he loved. Then again Lay was an angel…

The feeling of wanting to constantly compare him to Baekhyun was there. But one big fact was the difference. Lay loved Xian.

Did Baekhyun really love you?

Chanyeol did.

He really did, he did and it was just one of those things that you weren’t ready to witness, because you couldn’t return that love. Your heart still chose the man that left you without thinking it twice. He left you. And he left his friend…

It was beyond you… you couldn’t understand it. After all Chanyeol was the reason, wasn’t he?

Or maybe Chanyeol was right? He was just a player? A really good one that made you feel things you were sure would never feel towards anyone else? Maybe it was your fault… It felt like you persuaded him into this brief relationship you had.

Baekhyun never called, or tried to see you, and trying to reach him was impossible, no one knew where he was. He did read the messages you sent him, somehow you liked that; however never replied. He didn’t try, he didn’t want to try.

Days turned into weeks and soon into months.

Saehyo got engaged to Kim Minseok. She did it, she had him all wrapped around her finger. She no longer worked and she just visited as the big boss’ fiancé.

Love worked in magical ways.

The cafe was taken care of 2 new girls that you liked to help in your breaks.

Chen’s lawsuit got cancelled, he had won the battle against Suho, his Iseul from the legal department advised him that he didn’t have a case, and strangely he listened to her. Another fact was simply because not even Kris agreed with him. And Kim Junmyeon was nothing without Wu Yifan. The last word always was Kris’.

He was doing much better. Being in love made everyone feel much better. You were taking care of another case he strictly asked you to be confidential about, and that was what you were doing in his absence. He gave you full access to his office that made your job much pleasant, not having to be at Chanyeol’s all the time.

Chanyeol also needed of your services, for legal advise for his business that now he was taking care all by himself.

He had been nothing but a gentleman. Flowers, little details as knowing what you liked and disliked. He never made you uncomfortable and you learned to see the good side in him.

Maybe it was because it reminded you of Baekhyun, you discovered how similar they were, what bothered you is that Chanyeol was an open book. Unlike Baekhyun, but you loved that everything he had to tell you was connected to Baekhyun somehow. All Chanyeol’s stories were linked to Baekhyun, you loved hearing him and learning about him. Learn about Baekhyun through Chanyeol.

Something you never thought possible.

It bothered you that deep down inside Chanyeol was also hurt that Baekhyun just left, you knew how much he missed him.

But not as much as you did, it was almost a relief having Chanyeol close because it felt like you were filling Baekhyun’s gap.

“Thanks for the help, it didn’t know how complex being a lawyer was, you are amazing ___”

“It’s my job, I’m getting paid in return” you replied arranging the last folder before end of shift.

“Can I today perhaps take you somewhere before dropping you home?”

“Chanyeol, I think we already spoke about this, and I agreed to take me home. Don’t be greedy” you tried to reject him smoothly with a smile.

“Please, it’s just an extra half an hour, instead of going home the short way, let’s take the longer way, I want to show you something”

“Chany-”

“Please, look, if you feel uncomfortable I will straight away take you home. No arguments”

You finally nodded in defeat, as you watched Chanyeol enthusiastically raising his fists in victory.

You took your jacket and locked Chen’s office, you looked at Baekhyun’s closed office door sighing, you couldn’t believe you were doing this.

But you were.

Chanyeol drove to the city centre in silence, you had an idea where he was heading. He parked the car and opened the door for you offering you his hand with a bright smile.

Your heart thumped in your ribcage because all you were thinking of was Baekhyun.

You walked alongside with Chanyeol arriving at Cheonggyecheon stream.

The Seoul Lantern Festival (서울빛초롱축제) was being held, it was beautiful. For a moment you forgot about everything and a smile was drawn in your face.

“Let’s toss a coin, to make a wish” he suggested taking your hand in his abruptly.

You didn’t have the power to pull it away and just walked behind him. He gave you a coin and and stepped in the place where you throw the coins from.

“Now I will go first, alho you already know what I will wish for, I am already thankful that we came along this far, I thought you’d never forgive me or talk to me. Thanks you ___”

Chanyeol closed his eyes and stood trowing the coin towards the well, but missed.

“Can I go again?”

“No Chanyeol it’s only one go you get, now it’s my turn”

“That just means that it’s not time, next time I will get it inside” he smirked.

You took his place closing your eyes about to throw your coin you felt his hand around your arms.

“Wait!” he exclaimed.

“What?”

“Please… think of me when you wish”

“I will, I was actually wishing for you Chanyeol, believe it or not”

“Alright then, go”

You closed your eyes and wished, for Chanyeol, for Baekhyun and for yourself.

‘I wish I could find Baekhyun, I wish he makes up with Chanyeol and get their amazing friendship back. I wish Baekhyun accepts my love for him and I wish Chanyeol accepts it and be happy for us. And finally I wish Chanyeol finds a good woman that loves him’

You threw the coin and it went right inside the little well, you opened your eyes and jumped out of happiness, even this little silly thing gave you hopes.

“Well done ___” said Chanyeol wrapping his arm around your waist.

He lowered his head to give you a kiss in the cheek.

“Chanyeol!”

“I’m sorry, not doing anything more. I promise”

“Chanyeol… Chanyeol this- I like you a lot, like a friend, like Baekhyun likes you, same way”

“Well ___, I sometimes questioned myself if I would just marry Baekhyun and fuck it. Our friendship could had developed to that extent. So I have hopes for you and I”

He made you laugh. You actually snorted.

“Him also. I know the way he looked at me, he wanted to kiss me so many times I tell you”

You laughed louder this time, he was nice to hang out with. Just Baekhyun was missing to be the perfect picture.

After laughing your laugh died and actually made you realise how much you truly missed him.

“No don’t cry, come here” he pulled you close to him.

You gave in and let him hug you, you really needed that hug because you were falling apart, you totally responded and wrapped your arms around his waist. You felt him resting his chin over the crown of your head.

“If you just would open up for me ___, I swear I will make you the happiest, just give me a chance”

You felt your phone vibrating in your handbag, you detached yourself wiping your tears, you took the phone and saw Kai’s number.

“Hello?”

“___, where are you?” Kai’s voice worried you.

“Why? I’m just- I’m out with Chanyeol-ssi”

“I found Baekhyun hyung, tell me where you are I’ll pick you up”

“Really? I’m at Cheonggyecheon Stream”

“Great, I’ll be there in 5 minutes, cross the road and wait for me at Gwanghwamun Square”

You placed your back in your bag, by now Chanyeol was questioning your change in mood, you couldn’t hide the happiness and excitement.

“Baekhyun?” asked Chanyeol defeated.

“It was Jongin-ssi, he found him”

“And you are going to go see him… I get it”

“I’m sorry Chanyeol, I am really sorry”

You left him standing there, he saw you taking the stairs to cross the road. He knew that he was nothing to you, you didn’t even give him the chance to add anything. He had just realised how insignificant he was. He was in denial, but seeing you disappear to go meet Baekhyun made him really wake up. No matter what he did Baekhyun would remain. He still couldn’t hate you.

He still couldn’t stop loving you.

You stood waiting for Kai, after 2 minutes his silver car stopped in front of you, you opened the passenger’s seat door and jumped inside, Kai sprinted the minute your door closed behind you.

“Tell me where is he? Where are we going? You are worrying me”

“___, I just want you to be strong, he-”

“Is he hurt? Where are we heading?”

“He is not hurt on the outside, but he is…”

“What!?”

“There is a bag at the backside, jump in there and put the dress I got you on”

“You want me to change here? For what?”

“Do it! I will get out of the car, let me park”

He drove to a small alley getting out of the car leaning on the hood crossing his arms around his chest looking at his watch. He looked nervous.

You jumped to the backside opening the bag, there was a long black dress, you took it in your hands finding it super odd. It was heavy and covered in sequins, you just couldn’t put your finger on what was happening. Without further delay, you took off you jacket, pants and blouse, slipping inside the dress. It was amazing how Kai remembered your size, it fit perfectly. Inside the bag there was also a small makeup set and perfume.

Kai knocked on the glass “are you done?”

“Yes get in”

“Jongin… what is happening?”

“Put some makeup on, and use the perfume”

“Jongin!”

“Put it on! I will explain as I drive there”

You used some lipstick and mascara and perfumed yourself well.

“He is gambling, he is blowing the little money he has, he’s there every night, I don’t-”

“How? Where? How do you know?”

“I just went out with Sehun one day to that casino, and he was… we were… you know… some girls”

“What are you saying?”

“It’s a casino and…” Kai stopped for a second “a strip club”

“What!?”

“He’s spent millions of wons already, he’s wasting himself, we’ve never seen him like this before. I couldn’t even approach him, he took us by surprise”

“And Sehun-ssi, is with him?”

“He’s just there to make sure he’s alright but he hasn’t made himself noticeable, we guessed bringing you to him…”

Kai made a turn and stopped in front of a luminous fancy place, it looked like a regular casino. Kai helped you out of the car, he wanted you to hook your arm on his, but you were not willing, you were shaken and very worried of what to expect inside of this place.

You entered skeptically, this was really not your place, the atmosphere was something completely new, rich people gambling, old men having young women around them for good luck, the amount of money being spent on the tables was beyond what your understanding. Bustling ambience that made you uncomfortable, you couldn’t believe Baekhyun could be here, being surrounded by women full of greed.

“Are you alright?” asked Kai patting on your back.

You nodded and kept walking. You headed to the bar where Sehun advised he would be. Finally seeing his unmistakable frame.

You found yourself walking faster to get to him, your nerves on edge, your legs not taking you to Sehun fast enough.

“Hi __-”

“Where is Baekhyun!?”

Sehun didn’t answer, instead he pulled Kai to his side and whispered to him something on his ear.

“NO! TELL ME WHERE HE IS! WHERE? ISN’T HE HERE?”

“___, listen you are not calm enough, can you just relax so we think how to get him out of here?”

“Take me to him! Now!”

You were not joking, you were prepared for everything right now, you knew you had the power to make him come with you, you just needed him to look into your eyes. Whatever he was doing he was going to stop doing it and come home with you.

Sehun walked in front and Kai next to you, there was a set of golden double door and 2 gorilla-like guards at the sides.

“Open the door” demanded Sehun.

“Yes Oh Sehun-ssi but… this is no place for a lady”

“I am not a lady! Open the fucking door!” you didn’t know where you gathered your strength and confidence that moment, but it seemed to be in place.

“You heard her, open!” added Kai.

And the doors opened, at it was nothing like what you imagined because this looked like the gate of hell.

Red lighting, deafening ear-spliting music, a platform with women swinging themselves around dance poles wearing… almost nothing. You couldn’t believe that Baekhyun would be in a place like this.

You’ve heard an imagined what a strip club looked like, drunken men throwing money at strippers, vulgar… cheap… but this…. this was nothing like that. If people at the casino were rich, people inside this inferno were the elite of filthy rich people, it almost scared you, what was doing Baekhyun among these people? They could crush him in a second if he were to mess with the wrong person.

He was there. In front of a roulette, his outfit outrageous, his chest peeking out of his blazer, his hair disheveled. He was far, but the heavy eyeliner was obvious. The girl whispering on his ear was also obvious, he didn’t move while she was all over him, running her hands over his hair. You saw him push her hand several times, however he didn’t seem too bothered, because she tried different approaches, and because she was simply still there.

His lucky charm?

“Shhh just don’t look” said Kai before encircling his arm over your shoulders covering your eyes “he will be alright”

You didn’t find it in you to argue, you went with it, you trusted Kai unconditionally, he will make this mess better, he knew Baekhyun needed you and you weren’t going to go all crazy and demanding right now.

You walked to a quieter place.

“Stay here” said Kai removing his hand.

You found yourself in a circular booth, it had a red velvet couch around it and it’s own x-pole for private services.

“But where is this? What are you going to do?”

“Sehun and I are going to go get him, wait here”

“What if doesn’t listen?”

“I’ll just tell him you are here, he will listen, if he doesn’t care we will figure out another way, just please when he comes… if he does… don’t get upset”

“Wha-”

“I’ll go now just wait here”

Kai and Sehun approached his table, they made themselves visible to him, Baekhyun had no reaction and just kept playing, wasting his money. They knew he wouldn’t have much left, they knew what were his limits.

“Alright pretty girl, this guy is calling it quits” said Sehun pulling the girl away from Baekhyun lightly.

She whined and complained, she didn’t get much out of him, she hoped for money and a good night with a youthful beautiful man like Baekhyun.

“How about he decides for himself” she said playing with his hair again “or perhaps you are interested?”

“I’m gay, so is you potential sugar daddy, and oh, this beautiful sun-kissed man with perfect lips is also gay” added Sehun grinning at her making her want to smack him.

Kai hooked his arm on Baekhyun’s and pulled him away, Sehun blew a kiss to the girl before joining to Kai.

“What do you want fuckers? Leave me the fuck alone” growled Baekhyun.

“OK hyung, I must admit that she was hot” said Sehun “I guess I don’t have any chances with her after what I said for you”

“I don’t fucking care, leave me”

“No, we have some other plans for you” added Kai.

Baekhyun tried to set himself free but in vain, the taller youngsters just dragged him to the booth where you were seated bitting on your nails.

Kai opened the door without previous warning shoving his hyung inside closing the door behind him.

“Baekhyun!” you gasped.

He acted disinterested, he sat down resting his legs along the couch.

“What are you doing here? Changed the coffee and law business and you plan on giving me a private striptease? You are full of surprises, so diverse and intriguing”

You went on your knees next to him and cupped his cheeks “Baekhyun! Why are you doing this? Let’s go home and talk about it, you know Chanyeol is not that hard to talk to”

Baekhyun scoffed straightening himself “you are going to tell me how my fucking best friend is? The irony, are you stupid or just acting stupid?”

You sat next to him trying to take his hand in yours “I don’t blame you that you are confused and upset, but Baek, trust me we can make it work”

“I heard you are going out with Chanyeol anyway, so what happened? He fucked you and he wasn’t as good as me? Do I fuck you better? Is that it?”

You stood up exhaling “don’t be vulgar, don’t talk to me like this. Don’t you dare use my love for you to attack me. Don’t hurt me Byun Baekhyun”

Baekhyun stood next to with a smirk, he did have power over you, that was an undeniable fact. He walked forward slowly till his nose was almost touching yours, feeling his warm breath on your face, instantly forming goosebumps on your skin.

“You do look good cupcake, it’s been a while”

“Baekhyun” your voice giving you away, you were so at his mercy.

“You smell expensive, and inviting, like a delicacy”

Your hand travelled to his chest, feeling his skin with your thumbs “come home with me, I missed you”

His hand pulled the strap of your dress to one side crushing his lips on your shoulder blade making you moan instantly.

He loved it, he loved that effect he had on you, unlike before that made him feel guilty, he just loved how easy he could have you, knowing that you only belonged to him.

“You’ve missed me cupcake?”

“Yes, yes I did! I can’t live without you Baekhyun, let’s just go home or run away together and forget about everything and everyone”

His hands took a hold of your neck, you felt it, it was a tight grip, you didn’t know what he was doing but you went with it.

“Baekhyun, I am choking”

“I like your neck cupcake, all the things we didn’t get to do, all the possibilities…”

“Come with me and show me” you were begging at this point your hands inside his blazer feeling his warm skin.

Your lips traveled forward and you kissed him, you were kissing Baekhyun’s lips, they were on yours again, the familiar taste and the softness.

“Baekhyun” you spoke on his mouth “kiss me, kiss me back, Baekhyun please”

He just opened his mouth for you to kiss him, to show him how much you loved him, he did want to feel it, even tho still killed him from inside.

Your tongue found his and you titled your head to deepen the kiss, you heard a grunt and it drove you crazy. Your hands wanting to undress him, you wanted to feel him again. Make sure he loved you.

“Baekhyun, Baekhyun I need you”

“Tell me cupcake, so has Chanyeol been telling you about us? How we were? What we were? How we thought that never nothing or no one could ever come between us?”

“Everything will go back to normal, I know Chanyeol will accept it”

“So are you planing in giving us both love? A threesome maybe? I’ve always been curious about Chanyeol that way. Maybe you are the one who can make that happen. Who would you like behind and who would you like in front?”

You detached yourself, it hurt you. It felt too real, this nasty tone.

“Baekhyun this is the last time I am going to ask you to stop being like this and come with me and resolve this problem together”

“If he hasn’t fucked you yet… has he at least kissed you? Has he looked at you at told you that he loves you?”

“I love you Baekhyun, I don’t care about anything else”

“Unlike you cupcake. I do care about something else. Maybe I am not as important to him as he is to me, but this between us is not happening. Because I cannot love the woman he loves”

“And what is your idea? Waste all your money? Live this life?”

“I have nothing worth living for and as long as I can afford it why not? Women here are not bad to look at”

“Then why did you kiss me?”

“I didn’t. You did… all I did was proposing a threesome” he smirked again.

“You are an asshole”

“The sooner you see it the better cupcake”

“Don’t call me that. Ever. You think you are right acting like this, but you aren’t. Your friend won’t come back to you doing this, you are hurting me, and most importantly hurting yourself”

You opened the door your tears already flooding your face, when Kai saw you he pulled you at his chest.

“What happened? ___, what?” asked Kai worried.

“It’s useless, let’s go home Jongin”

_____________________________

A/N: Have faith… he loves her I swear ^_^ you might feel he doesn’t but he is so delicate right now.

Thanks for reading, feedback always welcomed.

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