#probably someone already drew it but i didnt see it so i had to satisfy myself now thst i know how to draw this man

[nyankoizumi]

He's making sure dice's sacrifice isn't in vain (or so he claims)

[queerhargreeves]

Family realizing that Luther's first time was technically rape? He was under the influence, and wasn't himself, so it was so way that he actively consented and instead just kinda went with the flow of whatever's happening. Luther didnt really get it but he felt used and dirty and cheap, but doesn't understand why. But someone realizes this (Klaus? Diego? Both??) And realizes how traumatic it must've been to wake up naked with a stranger and done something that is said to be sacred.

I’m really sorry this took so long - I greatly appreciate your patience! I hope this is what you were looking for. 

TW: discussion of non-consensual sex and explicitly written panic attacks

con·sent

/kənˈsent/

noun

1.permission for something to happen or agreement to do something.“no change may be made without the consent of all the partners”

Consent. Clear consent. That is a concept that Diego and all of his siblings learned from a young age. When the Hargreeves were old enough, fifteen to be exact, Grace gave her children a lesson on what consent means and why it’s important. Diego doesn’t think Reginald put her up to it, as it wasn’t as smooth as her usual powerpoint “rehearsed” scripted lessons. It felt much more personable - much more intimate.

She called the children into the study after dinner one night, which usually they spent that time helping clean up. But she insisted that this was important and the dishes could wait. Of course, they obliged. It was a twenty-minute lecture. Grace sat at the front of the room, sitting legs crossed on the desk, hands held loosely in her lap.

She gently explained that in order to have any sexual contact with another person, there must be a clear “yes” given. She especially emphasized that even if the other party seems like they are wanting whatever is going on, that there must be a clear discourse on both ends that ends in agreement on what is going to happen. Grace laid out the facts and statistics about rape and sexual assault to the kids. Not to scare them of course, but to make sure they were aware of the epidemic.

Klaus, who was infamous for interrupting practically every lesson with comments varying from inquisitive to straight up annoying, was uncharacteristically silent the entire time. His eyes were transfixed on Grace as he sat at the desk with his mouth slightly agape and soaking in every word that came from their mother’s mouth.

No one spoke a word until quiet, little Ben raised his hand and asked, “Mom, can boys get hurt like that too?”

Grace’s features immediately softened as she leaned over to his desk and placed her hand on top of his.

“Of course they can, Ben. I want you all to be careful. I don’t want a single one of you getting hurt.”

Which is why Diego is sat frozen at the dinner table, the rest of his siblings watching him with varying degrees of confusion and concern. He’s replaying a scene in his head. Well, a scene that he wasn’t really there for. He’s only heard bits and pieces of the event.

But Klaus mentioned it again tonight. It was a simple, passing comment. Nothing too out of the blue coming from their brother. It was a typical Klaus-style, harmless jest. He made them to everyone, not just Luther. Whether it be a “brooding Diego” comment or a “baby boy Five”, they all knew it never came from a place of malice. It was never intended to harm.

But the look on Luther’s face spoke volumes. And that’s when it all clicked.

Luther was raped. Luther, their valiant leader, their beloved captain ‘o captain, was taken advantage of. He was touched sexually without consent. Not only that, but he had never had sexual contact before and he cannot even remember his first time. God, Diego felt like he was going to be sick.

“Diego?” He finally heard Ben’s gentle voice call from his left. That snapped himself out of his thoughts. He shook his head slightly and swallowed roughly, staring blankly at his plate. He didn’t even know how to start with this, how to even wrap his head around this newfound information. He’s pissed at himself for not putting it together sooner, for not realizing.

“Diego, is something wrong? Are you hurt?” Five quipped, his voice raising with each question.

He shook his head, finally looking up and scanning his siblings. Should he tell them? Should he bring it up now, in front of everyone? Would Luther want that? Probably not, no. This isn’t something that you bring up at the dinner table. Something like this isn’t easy to swallow. Luther deserved to be told alone.

“No yeah, I’m okay. Sorry, I just,” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “It was something Klaus said. I sorta…got lost in my head is all.”

“Oh?” Klaus spoke up, the crooked grin he wore during meal times gone. “I didn’t realize…I say a lot of daft things these days. I’m sorry if I upset you.”

“No, no, it’s okay.” Diego pressed, waving a hand in his direction “It’s um.” He shifted his gaze from Klaus to Luther, who was watching him with furrowed brows and concerned eyes.

“It’s fine, man. Don’t worry about it.” Diego picked up his spoon and forked another bite of rice pilaf in his mouth, adamant on the conversation not going any further. The rest of them seemed to get the memo, none of them wanting to get stabbed (not physically of course - a threat at worst). So they all eventually resumed their previous conversation, Klaus’ grin back.

Dinner went on without a hitch after that, the seven of them eating in casual conversation. It was Luther’s turn for dishes that night and Diego immediately jumped to follow him into the kitchen, stacks of plates in both of his hands.

“Hey bro, let me help with that.” Diego said, dropping his stack into the sink and grabbing a hand towel along the way. He placed himself at Luther’s side, drying the dishes Luther already washed and placing them on the counter.

“Oh, thank you Diego. I appreciate it.” Luther met Diego’s eyes, a genuine smile plastered on the blonde’s face. Diego felt his heart break ever so slightly at the sight. He’s still working himself up for this conversation. How do you explain to your brother that he was sexually assaulted? How do you even begin to unload something that heavy, that life altering, into conversation?

Well, the answer is you simply do not. Diego and Luther worked in silence, forming a comfortable rhythm. There were a few passing comments about Diego’s boxing or Luther’s poetry class here and there, but nothing more than that. The two of them were able to finish the dishes within ten minutes and they said their parting goodnight’s for the night.

Luther, walking off to his bedroom and Diego doing the same. Well, that is until Klaus quite literally intercepted him, placing himself right in front of Diego in the middle of the hall, arms crossed.

“Di, I know something’s up. Spill.” Klaus raised his eyebrow, watching Diego with a certain intensity that he only saw when he was interrogating Five about his sleeping habits. He wasn’t going to let this go easy, that much was evident.

“Klaus, buddy, listen it’s not really my place so…” Diego trailed, but Klaus wasn’t satisfied with that answer.

“Ben said it was my Luther cherry popping comment that made you all,” Klaus waved his hands in a vague, frantic gesture around his head.

“It isn’t the first time I’ve said something about it so what exactly was so offensive this time?”

Diego sighed and nodded his head towards his room, silently asking Klaus to follow. To which he did, trailing behind his brother until the two of them were sat on the bed. Klaus was able to quickly read the urgency of the situation however as he saw how tense Diego was. His shoulders were hunched and his jaw was clenched, things he only did when something was really, really wrong.

“Dude, what is it? I’m sorry if I like…I don’t know, crossed a line? I do that, I know.  I’m trying to get better at that shit though. Ya know, being more sensitive to everyone and stuff so if I messed up, let me know?”  Klaus said frantically, eyes bouncing between both of Diego’s.

Diego was silent for a few more moments, trying to form the words in his mind. He couldn’t sugar coat this, no. There was no way you could make light of the situation.

“Luther was raped.” He drew out the statement slowly, careful to not let his emotions come out too much and stutter. It was too early for that.

Klaus sat there, blinking about 20 times a second. Diego could see the wheels turning in his head, his pursed lips and furrowed brows speaking for him.

“What do you mean raped? You mean his lil lady friend from the club? He was fine, bro - wait. Wait no. No, no, no…” Klaus shook his head his head furiously, running his hands over his face.

Fucking hell. How did Klaus not put that together? He fucking congratulated Luther on “popping his cherry” the morning after. He had the audacity to not only rob Luther of his agency to tell the others, but he’s continued to bring it up since that night. Since the “almost end of the world”.

And every time he does, Luther stays silent. Not that that is too unusual for him, but he should’ve known. He should’ve known better. How could he have dismissed this so easily? It’s not like he’s never woken up next to a stranger with no recollection of the events the night before. He remembers how terrifying it was the first time. But that being your actual first time? He couldn’t even imagine.

“Diego I..I fucked up. I gotta make it better. Does he even, like, know? Or realize?” Klaus’ voice was barely above a whisper.

Diego shook his head slightly, “I don’t know, man. Tonight, when you brought it up he just sort of… froze? It was different from his usual adamance to your antics. It was the first time I noticed it, which is why I got all,” Diego mimicked the vague, frantic motion Klaus did earlier which caused the curly haired man to give a small smile.

“You’re right though, we have to tell him.” Diego agreed.

“He’s usually in his room working on his poems or art after dinner, right? We should do it now. The sooner the better, I think.” Klaus suggested, pointing his thumb at the door.

“Yeah, okay. Let’s go.” The two brothers walked out of the room and down the hall to Luther’s. Diego knocked lightly at the door, his stomach twisting.

“Come in!” They heard Luther call from the other side. Diego took a deep breath and opened the door, finding Luther at his desk and working quite diligently on a painting.

It was beautiful. It looked to be the view from the moon. The black sky shone with accents of glitter and the moon surface itself seemed to be illuminated. The Earth had a beautiful mixture of blue and green, and at the very center was a small red heart. Right where New York is, where they all are. He was definitely getting better at painting, something Diego cursed at himself for not commenting on before.

“That looks really good, bro.” Klaus said with a smile, pointing at the painting. Luther seemed to absolutely beam at the validation.

“Thanks, Klaus. It’s fun. Helps me clear my mind and all. And it’s a better coping mechanism than isolating myself.” Luther said lightly.

“So what’s up? Not that I don’t want to hang with you guys, but you both seem sorta tense. Is everything alright?” Luther’s big brother voice came out as he shifted in his seat to face them more.

Diego and Klaus shared a glance before sitting themselves on his bed. Klaus was playing with the hem of his shirt in between two fingers and Diego just stared off at the wall behind Luther. Neither of them really rehearsed this, no. But they both knew this conversation needed to happen.

“Listen, Luther. I, uh,” Klaus started, “wanted to talk to you about something. It’s about the night club.”

Luther tensed as Klaus spoke. He hated talking about that night, hated remembering it. He hurt Klaus, he hurt him so badly when he was just trying to help him. He got him killed, he knew that. And it’s something he’ll never forget.

“Klaus…I’m sorry for being so inconsiderate and stupid I-”

“No, no Luther this isn’t like a lecture or anything. I know you’re sorry and I forgive you. Lord knows I’ve done even more stupid things.” He reached over and gave his gloved hand a squeeze, hoping that would relieve some of Luther’s tension.

“Luther, that night.” Diego finally spoke up, voice unusually soft, “You were…that woman you met. Do you remember anything?”

“I uh, no. Not really, no.” Luther gulped, his eyes dancing between his two brothers. “Why?”

“Lu, you were high. Like, unbelievably so. You didn’t… you couldn’t have consented.” Klaus said gently, “It wasn’t consensual, was it?”

Luther opened his mouth to say something but immediately shut it. He shifted in his seat, taking shallow breaths. It was getting harder to breathe.

“I-I don’t know. I don’t feel right about it. It doesn’t feel right. It…” He squeezed his eyes shut, wiping his eyes with his sleeve. Luther felt his heart race increasing, his palms getting sweaty. He stood up but immediately started to tumble back. He felt lightheaded and he managed to knock one of the planes off his shelf.

Which, shit. This isn’t good, Klaus’ brain expresses the obvious out loud. Diego and Klaus waste no time rushing towards their brother. The two of them place a firm hand on each shoulder.

“Hey, let’s sit down, yeah? It’s okay, Lu.” Klaus led the shaken man to his bed, rubbing his hand on his back in circles.

They needed to get Luther to calm down, to breathe. The last one of them to have a panic attack was Five. They all have instructed him through them before, Luther being the best at it. But Luther needed their help now. They needed to be there for him like he always was for them.

“Listen to my voice, okay? Breathe in for seven seconds, hold for four, out for ten. That’s it…” Diego instructed, taking initiative and following the orders himself. Klaus followed suit, meeting Diego’s eyes in mutual panic.

“You’re okay.” Klaus said with a nervous smile and Luther shook his head, his breathing becoming more and more labored with each second.

“C’mon, Lu. Listen to Diego. In for seven…that’s it, good man. Hold! And out…”

The three of them sat in silence as they listened to Diego’s counting for the next few minutes, repeating the exercise over and over.

The worst of it was finally over by the tenth run through and Luther took a deep, shaky breath. It wasn’t pretty, he choked in the air, but it was much more even than it had been before. And he did it again, gasping for air.

“Back with us?” Klaus asks, voice calm and hand still rubbing circles on the small of Luther’s back.

The blonde gave a shaky nod in response.

“Sorry.” He manages to croak out.

“Nothing to be sorry for, Lu. Take your time.” Diego pressed, placing a hand on Luther’s arm.

“I-I didn’t, I don’t,” Luther shakes his head in frustration, “I feel dirty. It shouldn’t have happened. I shouldn’t have done it…I didn’t want to! I didn’t!” Tears are falling freely from his eyes now as he starts to turn in on himself. He lets out a pained, heart wrenching sob. His wide body jerks in response. It wasn’t possible for this man to look small, but right in this moment, Diego and Klaus have never seen him look any smaller.

“It’s not your fault, Luther. Okay? You’re right, it should not have happened. B-but it did…and I’m sorry. But it doesn’t make you wrong. You are not wrong.” Diego stresses.

He hated seeing Luther in this state. Strong, stoic Luther. Their fearless leader was hurting. Even at their worst, even at every single one of their Hargreeves-typical destructive and dangerous times, Diego never saw Luther break. At least not like this.

Luther always put on a brave face; he was always so adamant on making his family believe this facade that everything is going to be okay. He felt that as the big brother, it was his responsibility to make sure his siblings were okay. But Luther isn’t okay. And that’s something neither of them ever could’ve been prepared to witness.

“Luther, buddy, we love you. I’ve been in similar situations and it hurts. God, it fucking hurts. It’s scary and I get how isolating that feeling is. I’m so sorry I just dismissed you so quickly. I should not have done that, whether I realized what happened or not. But I promise you I’m gonna help you get through this. We both are.” Klaus took hold of Luther’s hand, giving it a tight squeeze. He was going to be there for Luther. No matter what he needed, no matter how long it took, he wasn’t going to leave his side. And he knew Diego wouldn’t either.

Luther looked at the hand in his and met Klaus’ eyes. They were so much more bright nowadays, gleaming emerald even in the yellow lit room. And right now his eyes were filled with nothing but compassion. Luther believed him. He turned to Diego who had a matching look on his face. The brown eyed man gave him a firm nod, a small smile tugging on his lips.

“We love you, Captain.” Diego said, his tone light.

Luther closed his eyes and let out a watery chuckle at his childhood nickname. He sniffed a few times, his face still hot from the episode that barely passed. He wrapped his arms around both of their shoulders, leaning down to plant a kiss on the top of both of their heads. His brothers, his family, would always be there for him. He didn’t have to handle shit like this alone, he knew that. But sometimes it can get hard remembering it. But they’d be there to remind him.

“I love you too.”

[writeouttaluck]

A story about Racing, Police ignorance, and Love Ft. This Corny Ass Title.

((Wrote this over two days. little editing, lots of writing.))

The camera in my hand could hardly hold steady and I had a grin ear to ear on my face like a village idiot. From the passenger seat, I could see the excitement on Jessie’s face as she brought the car to a slow. It was 1:00 AM and she had somehow gone undefeated, back to back, in a series of drag races on the street. Five races, five wins, and a whole lot of promised money would probably make anybody grin ear to ear.

I turned the camera to her and without missing a beat, she turned and stuck her tongue out at me.

“Tell me, Jessie, How does it feel to win three grand without lifting a finger for work?” I asked in my best fake news anchor voice.

“Feels fucking good!” She shouted, slapping the steering wheel in joy.

I was caught on a laugh and it almost felt like that teeth chattering cold feeling running up my spine. Pure electricity. We were both having the time of our lives and I felt closer than ever to her.

“Woah, what the hell?” She murmured under her breath.

I must have held the camera on her longer than i thought because when i turned to look out the windshield, the crowd was dispersing fast. All the people that were once watching were now either running to cars, their friends with cars, or just plain running. They scattered like ants before us. I zoomed my camera in and followed two people as they ran and hopped a fence into someones backyard.

Thats when we both noticed the bright red and blue flashing lights up ahead. Fuck.

A portly man jogged through the crowd and towards our car, reaching to his hip. He stopped in our headlights and yelled something. To our suprise, he drew his gun and aimed at us through the windshield.

“STOP RIGHT THERE. STOP RIGHT THERE” He shouted at us.

I looked to Jessie who seemed to be weighing her options. She stared at the cop infront of us and chewed her lip, a nervous tic i've noticed over the years. Illuminated by the flashing lights, she grew a small smile.

“Put on your seatbelt” she said quietly.

“Its already on” I replied.

“Good”

She shifted the car into reverse and stuck her hand out of the window, raising her middle finger.

“FUCK YOU, PIG!”

I didnt even have time to laugh at her tenacity before I was thrown forward in my seat. She had hit the gas so hard that we spun the tires going backwards. She turned around in her seat to look out the back window and I raised the camera out the windsheild. The cop knew that pointing his gun was useless since he had no real reason to use it. He wasnt about to kill us over a drag race.

He started talking into his radio and I laughed. I laughed hard. One hand on the steering wheel and one on the top of my seat, Jessie watched the road behind her as she drove backwards at high speeds. I watched her through my camcorder. Her eyes said determination but her lips said fun. I looked at her skinny form admirably. Her dyed hair fluttered in the wind and her silver lip piercing caught the dashboard light just right. Watching her in her element like this was stunning. She did it all with such a natural grace. Her motions sharp and accurate like a blade under flesh.

She dropped back into the drivers seat and wrapped her hand around the e-brake. With one hand grabbing the ‘oh shit’ handle above me and another on my camera, I braced myself.

She yanked the handle back and spun the steering wheel, throwing our momentum to the left. As the car spun, She grabbed the shifter and threw it into first. She dropped her foot into the gas pedal and the car caught traction. I sank back into my seat as we took off again. The engine roared in a fury, drowning out all noise around us. A light flashed on the dash and she hit the clutch, shifting again. The car lurched and went faster.

She was grinning wide as the blue lights became distant behind us. She shifted again and gained more speed. The houses, trees, sidewalks, all became a blur as we blasted through the neighborhood.

All of a sudden a police car with the blues on pulled out infront of us and stopped, blocking the intersection ahead. Jessie laid the gas into the floor and shifted again. I looked over at her like she was crazy. She smiled and concentrated on the car ahead. We must have been going at least 80 at this point.

The car was getting closer when all of a sudden i felt our momentum swing again. Jessie had pulled the e-brake again and hit the gas, sending us swinging around to face where we came. I could smell the burning rubber around us. The smell got worse as Jessie put the car in first again and slammed the gas, taking off in the opposite direction of the cop car.

I looked behind us to watch as the cop car turned to follow. Of course, considering how Jessie was driving, I wasnt sure If it would be able to keep up. The car lurched as Jessie shifted. The mustang revved hard and kept pace, sending us down the street.

Two more cop cars showed up in the distance. I could see their blues before i could see their headlights. They were headed straight for us, side by side. No way around them.

I watched Jessie analyze it all. She was quick like this. She knew the curb was too high to climb without popping any tires. She also knew that these dumb ass cops werent backing down.

One cop car behind us, two infront of us.

She took her chances with the one behind us.

She slammed on the brakes, coming to a skidding stop in the middle of the street. The cop behind us, who had been picking up too much speed, had no choice but to either crash into us or swerve around us.

The cop car swung itself around our vehical and came a stop in the center of the intersection. This also blocked off the two cop cars ahead. Jessie threw the car in reverse once more and hit the gas, sending us backwards. She looked behind her for an opening and as soon as she found herself in a spot with no cars parked on the side of the road, she swung the mustang around again and put it in first, launching off for the final time tonight.

We peeled out and we were gone.

…

The street lights strobed through the windshield as the mustang flew down the street. Tunes poured from the radio and filled the car with good vibes. Every so often the car would lurch as Jessie shifted, but otherwise it was smooth sailing. Cops were long gone, probably trying to pull the fingers out of their ass so they could keep harassing people like us.

“Fuck the po” Jessie stated, turning down the radio a bit.

“They really are fucking worthless around here” I replied in earnest.

“You think theyre still stuck in that intersection trying to figure out how to get around one another?”

I laughed a bit at that.

“Probably” I said.

It was quiet for a bit with no other sounds save for the engine and the semi quiet radio. I stole glances at her from the passenger seat and I could tell she was thinking kinda hard about something. It made me wonder what the next step in the night would be.

“Tonight has been fun” she started, “but it kinda sucks that im gonna have to have my car painted again”

“Why is that again?” I asked

“Well, I cant exactly drive around freely in this thing when the police are on the look out for a red Ford Mustang. Kinda beats the point of running from the police”

“I get that...Still, you made a good chunk of change tonight. I imagine it wont run you too much to paint it, will it?”

“Nah” She replied, “but I dont know… I liked the red. I thought it looked nice…”

“Well I think you look better when youre not behind bars…” I said softly, almost wishing she didnt hear me at all.

“Yeah, its not exactly something I wanna see in the mirror every morning”

We sat in silence for another moment before i could scrape up the words to keep the conversation going.

“What color?” I asked.

“Hmm?”

“What color are you gonna paint it this time?”

The corner of her mouth twisted in contemplation.

“Well it was black, then that color got too hot...I liked red but this just isnt gonna do anymore…”

“How about pink?”

“Ew, no” she grimaced, “Talk about a big red flag saying ‘Im a female and i think its important above all that everyone should know that””

“I think thats a bit of a stereotype”

“Yeah? Well stereotypes exist for a reason.”

“Ok, ok, what about something fancy?”

“Like…?”

“Well, ive seen a few cars do a sort of sunburst color. Im not sure how expensive it would be to get that, but i think it could look nice. Besides, you could still use the red on your car for either the top or bottom depending how you do it.”

“Hmm...ya know, thats not a bad idea….”

“I also think it would be cool if you made the center black. Like a zero sun or something”

“Im gonna have to have someone sketch something but… I think i dig the idea of it…”

Jessie pulled the car to a slow and turned into her driveway. Hitting the button she had strapped to the visor, the garage door slowly rose open. She drove the car inside and hit the button again, closing it behind her.

With that, she turned the car off and opened the door, getting out. I followed suit.

As I stood from the car, the first thing Jessie did was pop the hood and walk over to the mini fridge in her garage. She leaned over and opened the door, grabbing two beers from the rack before shutting it. She brought one over and put it in my hands before cracking her own and taking a sip.

She sighed deep and walked over to her tool box, grabbing her socket wrench and bits, before standing over the engine bay.

“Timing is always a bit off with this thing…” she muttered as she went under the hood.

I cracked the top of my own beer before sitting down in the office chair she had lying around. I took a hearty drink from the bottle as I was quite parched. Moving fast and dodging cops really worked up a thirst, even though i was only filming it.

I watched Jessie tinker with the motor again. I don't think she will ever be satisfied with it even though it does the job just fine. Thats one part of her that really gets me. She loves her car a lot, Almost too much. She loves it to the point where I sometimes wonder if she really can really love another person beyond a one night stand. I can almost understand such a fondness for something inanimate, I mean, I love my camera to death and I use it almost as much as Jessie drives her car, but it almost makes me feel... Jealous. And even thinking that makes me cringe a bit. The idea that I would be jealous over the way someone treats an inaminate object over me is just silly. But god damn it if sometimes i dont get frustrated.

Ive had a crush on Jessie for nearly 2 years. She means the world to me and im not sure if she even knows that. I spend most of my free time with her. Ive loaned her cash many times either to put into her car or on tools. I mean she always pays me back and thats fine, but i just wish that I could say the thing that I wanna say without coming off as some weirdo. I dont even think she sees me in that way and it hurts.

It hurts really fucking bad.

I take another long drink from the bottle until its empty. I place the empty bottle on her work bench and grab another from the fridge, quickly popping the cap off.

Its not even her fault. Its not her fault at all. Its my fault for always being such a chickenshit anytime the moment arises. She even teases me about getting a girlfriend so she can steal her. (She is bi, but i dont think she would actually do that to me. Jessie is a good friend and if anything, she would probably act as my wingman. Shes cool like that.) It really blows that she pretty much sees me as a brother...or a lamp.

I dont wanna be a fucking lamp.

I watch as she cranks away at some form of machinery under the hood. Youd think after all this time spent around her, talking about cars and racing, that i would learn a few things. And i cant tell you that youd be wrong. I. Am. A. Dumbass. When it comes to cars.

Ask me about film or editing or what-have-you and i can pull answers out of my ass all day long. But anything beyond a standard oil change? No idea.

I watched as she went to take a sip from her own beer only to find it empty.

“Hey nerd boy, wanna grab me another beer?”

And like the whipped dog i am, I got right up and grabbed her another bottle.

I set it down on the car just a tad harder then i intended and winced when she took notice. It did not damage the car or anything, but there was a notable change in mood.

Fuck.

She set a hand on my shoulder before i could go sit back in my pity corner.

“Is something wrong, dude?” The way she looked at me pierced me. I was stuck. And if i didnt say something soon i was gonna look like a weirdo.

I sorta shook my shoulder, the one her hand was on, a bit to see if she would remove it. She didnt.

“Its nothing, really. Im just thinking about something shitty that youtube did, thats all.” I spoke quietly before looking away.

Her hand stayed on my shoulder, firmy clamped. Not enough to feel pain, but enough to know she was squeezing it in consolement.

My lonely ass practically shivered at the touch. Ive been starved of human contact for far too long.

“Yeah, im not buying that. Look at me” she said firmly.

When i didnt move my head from the side, she set the tool in her hand down on the car and grabbed my jawline, moving my head to face her.

She stared at me in something mixed with concern and...i guess something like motherly instinct?

“Why dont you tell me whats really going on? I know you too well to know that something small would bug you this much.”

I decided that I could probably get away with a half lie. Probably.

“I uh… Ive been having trouble with this girl…” I started sounding more unsure than id hoped. Motherfucker…

Her eyes lit up for a second. Shock? Suprise? Yeah I wouldnt believe me either.

“You actually found a girlfriend?” She asked quickly, somewhere between suprise and excitement.

“Well, I uh...No… Its more like I have a...crush…on this girl.” I spoke slowly trying to keep my tone even.

She then let go of me and speed walked over to grab both of the wheelie chairs and set them so they faced each other. All in one motion, she made sure we both had bottles in our hands and we were sitting down facing each other.

“So…” She started, “Tell me about this girl…”

I sat and thought about the most vauge things I could bring up so that I could wiggle out of this.

“Well, uh, shes got shorter hair. Not quite short, but about shoulder length. She has these beautiful eyes. Amazing, stunning, eyes…. Shes uh, a bit on the shorter side but i think thats adorable, really…”

“She sounds cute!” Jessie started, bouncing her legs in place excitedly. “Whats she like?”

“What do you mean?”

I knew what she mean.

“Ya know… like her personality or whatever…”

“Oh, yeah” i said rubbing the back of my neck nervously, “She uh...Shes real tom boyish, likes to play rough and have fun on the wild side of things...She also isnt afraid of anyone or anything and could probably take down people twice her size anyday of the week...She also has a really cool music taste...Shes one in a million, really”

I saw something flash real quick in her eyes before switching back. Oh fuck. She knows…

“Well she sounds like someone special” She said taking a sip of beer, “Have you thought of how youre gonna tell her?”

My heart started pounding. It was pounding harder than it was when the police were on our ass less than an hour ago.

“See now, thats the frustrating part. Im always trying to figure out how im gonna tell her...but im afraid she will be put off by me…”

“And whys that?” Jessie asked me.

“Because...uh...because…” I stammered trying to think of something to say.

Her eyes shined brightly and bored into my own. She concentrated on me like I was the only thing visible to man. I could feel my palms start to sweat.

“Because….me and her...got really close over the past two years...and i dont think she shares the same feelings...thats why its frustrating.”

Jessie leaned back in her office chair and drank down the rest of her beer before continuing.

“I see…” she started, “And would this girl happen to own a red ford mustang that she enjoys racing with and using to run from the police when the occasion arises?”

I looked down at my feet and nodded my head yes.

I heard the glass of her bottle clinking against the concrete floor before she rolled her chair closer to mine. I felt her hand around my jaw line again. This time it was more of a caress than a grab. She slowly lifted my chin up to meet her and my first expectation was to get laughed at for my burning red cheeks.

Once we were both staring at each other, I saw her move in closer to my face.

Her eyes drifted shut and before i knew it, her lips were against mine. It was a light kiss with hardly any movement. Timid and testing, like a deer investigating something new in the wild. I felt her head tilt more to the side and i did the same in the opposite direction.

I….I didnt really know how to feel. I was overwhelmed, trying too hard to read the situation at hand. My brain was going so fast i felt like my head was gonna explode.

And before i realized how amazing this moment truly was, she broke away from the kiss.

To my suprise, her breath was actually a bit laboured. And she stared at me with a big smile on her face.

“Ive been waiting....two long years for that, nerd boy.” she whispered so softly.

This time, I grabbed her chair and pulled her too me as I met her with my lips again. Our faces came together and this time it was all a lot messier. She moved her lips against mine, roughly, hungrilly even. I tried to mirror what she did but to be honest, my experience with kissing was minimal. Then I felt something poke between my lips and at my teeth.

I opened my mouth a bit more to accept her tongue. I could feel her reach behind my head and grab on, shoving us closer together. I ran my hands up her back, watching not to cross any boundies.

It was like a dance, really. She lead and i followed. And what a dance it was.

We broke apart for air and stared at each other. My hands had rested at her hips and she had a hand on each shoulder. We were both just about hanging off the edge of our chairs.

Out of breath she spoke quietly.

“Backseat?”

I nodded frantically, like my life depended on it.

“Backseat”

[ahgaru]

Happy Days // Day6 fic; Days Gone By inspired

Pairing: Young K x Reader, and secret :P Word count: 1,269 Characters: Young K, Reader, minor mentions of other Day6 members, Eric Nam, Park Jimin/Jamie, Baek Ayeon

Past and present, reminiscing, happy days to happier days.

Did not proofread, excuse the mistakes

Younghyun looks at his side and meets your eyes. You smile at him as you continue to walk down the aisle. That small curve of lips you show him reaches his heart and he can’t help but smile back.

As you fix your eyes in front again, he lets out a soft breath. He moistens his lips as he puts a hand in his pocket.

As your feet stride forward, his mind runs back down his memory lane.

“Penny for your thoughts?”

You flipped your head towards him because of his sudden query. You gripped the railing and straightened up before shaking your head. You darted your eyes back on the sunset.

“I was just wondering how many sunsets we’ll be able to watch together,” her eyes traced the reflection of the sun on the surface of the sea. “A thousand more?”

Younghyun’s lips stretched into a smile. He drew you closer to him, causing him to side-hug you. “A million more. Or a billion more? We have eternity together so I’m sure we would lose count.”

“Eternity,” you nodded. “Let’s ask someone to put our bodies together when our time here on earth ends,” you chuckled. “So that even if our souls are elsewhere--still together--our remains here on earth would also be still together. Now that’s eternity,” you laughed loudly.

Younghyun almost shook his head. He bites his lower lip to curb himself from chuckling.

Now you’re walking to the path of your eternity. He looks up once again and his gaze shifts a little bit towards the right, and it lands on Eric and Jimin (both your and Younghyun’s good friends) standing, holding a mic, and singing. There’s also Wonpil who’s accompanying them with the piano.

As he looks back to Eric and Jimin, who are now facing each other, still singing, another series of images flash in his mind.

“What do you want to be in the future?” You quizzed right after you plopped on your seat across him.

He was reading a book, probably reviewing for exams tomorrow. He stared at you blankly, trying to figure out why you asked the question out of the blue.

“A billionaire?” You chortled. “A singer? You’re good at singing! Or perhaps a musician! You and Eric could be a duo!”

Younghyun creased his forehead. “Eric is old.”

Your jaw dropped and you threw him an accusing look before playfully slapping his arm. “He’s not old. And he doesn’t really look like older than you.”

“You’re saying we look like we’re at the same age? Do I look old?”

You laughed and threw him a piece of crumpled paper that was on the table. “I was saying that Eric just looks young. It’s just 6 years.”

“Yeah, and by the time I’d be on my mid-twenties, he’d already be on his early thirties.”

“That doesn’t matter. Now back to the question, what would you want to be?” you leaned forward and pierced your eyes on his.

He thought for a bit before a playful smile started to form. “I want to be a father of a soccer team.”

You furrowed your forehead and it was his time to laugh.

“Only a soccer team?” You challenged. “Do you want to add a basketball team?”

His laughter halted and he gazed at you mirthfully. He leaned forward. “I’m really so lucky to have you.”

You grinned as you drew your face closer to his. “I know,” you let out a soft chuckle before planting a peck on his lips.

Remembering those days fills his heart with warmth. He’s satisfied. He scans the faces of the crowd. They’re overwhelmed. Most are all smiles and few are in tears. He looks ahead and sees Jae and Dowoon, looking more handsome and in their suit and tie, and with their hairs done. Dowoon, the one whom you think of as a little brother, is almost as red as the carpet you walked on. Jae, your childhood friend, is showing a tight smile, preventing his tears from falling.

Everything is almost a blur. Younghyun can’t really comprehend what people are saying or the solemniser in the center since the beginning of the ceremony. But he hears every word that leaves your mouth when you say your vow--loud and clear--while holding the hand of the man you love the most, your eternity.

You’re so beautiful in your white long dress that is hugging you, showing your curves. You aren’t really the sexy type, yet you look so perfect in it. You’re the most beautiful today--not just in one’s eyes, but to everyone in the place.

You’re beautiful like your memories together. You had little quarrels but there were really no sad days. There was comfort in silent conversations. There was security with each other’s gaze.

"Ah, what happy days. It was like a dream. Now though there won’t be more I’m going to leave them in the past... " Younghyun thinks and smiles silently as he lets his gaze linger on you.

“You may now seal your union with a kiss,” the vow master pronounces as the crowd gets excited.

“Go get it, Park Sungjin!” someone cheers and everyone laughs.

The groom, Sungjin, shakes his head. He bites his lips and brushes his palm on his shaved head before sealing the marriage.

Younghyun smiles at the sight. There’s no regret. Sure, the period after your break up was hard. It was a very rough road. He missed you a lot. Pain and sadness engulfed him. But it’s been long. And he has accepted it for quite a while now, too.

Delicate fingers grasp Younghun’s hand. He looks at his side and his eyes meet hers.

“You okay?”

“I’m okay, Ayeon,” he smiles at her as he intertwines their fingers. “I’ve always been okay since you found me.”

He was lost. He kept on walking in circles, trying to forget you yet always find himself trying to get back to you. He didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know which way to go. He was trapped in a maze and he would always find himself at the starting point. But she found him and led him out of that maze.

He told her everything. She knew about you. He told her how much he loved you. She knows how much he loves him now.

Yes, there’s no regret.

Younghyun looks at her intently. He can’t believe how blessed he is to have Ayeon by his side. She saw how broken he was yet he accepted him. Now he’s whole again. She knew the risk she was going to take, the uncertainties that would haunt her, the doubts that will keep knocking on her mind, yet she opened her heart. When Younghyun entered her heart, the fear slowly faded.

She has learned how to believe in what he feels for her. She came to believe in what they both have.

Younghyun’s thumb caresses the back of Ayeon’s hand before he lifts it close to his mouth and plant a kiss on it. “I love you,” he whispers.

Ayeon nods and shows a soft smile. “I know. I love you, too.”

Younghyun squeezes her hand softly yet firmly before looking at the newly wed couple again. You sure had happy days together--days gone by. Now both of you are in a different journey for happier days you’ll have in your lives.

“Someday,” Younghyun utters softly, almost whispering. He doesn’t intend for Ayeon to hear it, but she hears it still. “It will be the two of us standing in front, sealing the vow of our journey-to-be to never ending happy days.”

--

I didn't put YoungK/Ayeon and Sungjin/Reader in the relationship/pairing because tadaaaa~! Surprise surprise! Sorry for those who were disappointed bc of YoungK/Reader expectation till the end but ended up with different people.

Also, I changed the usual "You may now kiss the bride" line.

Anyway, thoughts?

scream at me on twitter (@kohiiby) or curiouscat (daelisix) thankies FIC MASTERLIST

[sensationalscenarios]

[Dépaysement]

original requests can be found here

based on SF9 as: Mafia au found here  

i’m not 100% satisfied with it but i didnt wanna keep yall waiting any longer so after five hundred years i present to you mafia!taeyang; 

+ admin L

    “Dépaysement—n. When someone is taken out of their own familiar world into a new one.”

    Taeyang whistled cheerfully as he made his way towards Mr. Chung’s offices to collect his debt. Youngbin had already done Mr. Chung the kindness of extending his deadline by three days, but with today being his last day and no payment in sight, well Youngbin was not pleased. Taeyang hoped he would be able to use his bat today and rough him up some since his previous jobs had been rather uneventful. Very few would dare to miss a payment for the Red Dragons, and if they did they simply hadn’t meant Taeyang yet.

    He winked at a group of girls walking past him, smiling to himself as he heard their giggles behind him. Taeyang always got what he wanted, and that was exactly how he loved it. He enjoyed being the cat, and everyone else the mouse under his paw.

    Upon reaching Mr. Chung’s offices Taeyang was pleased to see that the receptionist was a young girl. It would be easy for him to get access to Mr. Chung after all. Taeyang took a few steps forward, stopping as his breath caught in his throat. The girl had turned slightly in order to type on her computer as she spoke on the phone, and Taeyang noted that she was rather cute. Really cute. He thought, staring for a few seconds longer. Focus Taeyang, you have a job to do. He blinked, regaining his composure as he put on a smile and walked up to her.

    “I’m here to see Mr. Chung. He should be expecting me.”

    ~~~

    You were typing away on the computer, composing emails while speaking to a customer on the phone. The receptionist job was a tedious one, but it paid well, though was it worth dealing with pretentious people? Debatable. You sighed in relief as you hung up the call, pausing your typing to rub your temples. The man on the phone had been rather angry that he wasn’t able to meet with Mr. Chung, but there was little you could do if he didn’t have an appointment scheduled.

    Turning back to your monitor, you continued writing the email to a local restaurant confirming the menu for the upcoming banquet this weekend. You’d just hit send when the sound of footsteps approaching drew your attention. Looking up, you were taken aback by the young and handsome boy in front of you. He looked like a university student, dressed in jeans and a hoodie, a backpack on his shoulders. Your eyebrow rose slightly at the sight of the baseball bat poking out from his bag, but figured he probably played for the university’s team.

    “May I help you?” You asked politely.

    “I’m here to see Mr. Chung. He should be expecting me.”

    “Name?”

    “Taeyang. Yoo Taeyang.” The boy leaned on the counter, and smiled at you.

    “Give me one moment to call him please.” You said, trying your best to ignore the heat rising in your cheeks. “Hello Mr. Chung? There’s someone here by the name of Yoo Taeyang. He says you were expecting him? Is that so? Yes, of course sir.”

    You hung up the phone once more, steeling yourself for the argument to come. “I’m sorry Mr. Yoo but unfortunately Mr. Chung will not be seeing you today. He is a very busy individual and has a strict schedule to follow. He also insists that you no longer disturb him and if you return I would have to call security.”

    “Is that so?” Taeyang asked, head tilting to the side slightly as he stared at you.

    You nodded, unsure of what to say. Mr. Chung’s response to hearing Taeyang’s name was unsettling to say the least. The man had spoken as if in a panic, the sound of rustling papers and curses only confirming that for some odd reason Mr. Chung was suddenly in a hurry to be elsewhere. You felt as if he almost didn’t believe you when you had said Taeyang was here, asking you to repeat his name once more. You wondered what connection these two had, for Mr. Chung to seem so afraid of a boy.

    “Well this won’t do. Mr. Chung knows today was his last day to-” Taeyang paused as the elevator doors down the hall on his right slid open, a distraught man all but sprinting out of it. “Ah, Mr. Chung! Just the man I was looking for.”

    Mr. Chung paled, eyes widening in terror. “Ah yes, good evening Taeyang!” He cleared his throat, attempting to regain his composure as he adjusted his tie.

    “You know why I’m here, correct?” Taeyang was amused to say the least. This was always his favorite part of his job, watching people squirm, knowing they had no choice but to give him what he wanted. He strode towards the man, hands in his pockets as he smiled. “Don’t worry, just pay me what you owe Youngbin and we’ll be all good.”

    “I-” Mr. Chung cut off as you stepped out from behind your desk.

    “I’m sorry but Mr. Chung has already stated that he will not be seeing you today, regardless of whatever...business you may have with him.” You had absolutely no idea what you were doing or why, but you wanted to de-escalate the situation as much as possible. “I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave before I call security down here.”

    “Look sweetheart, I know you’re just doing your job, but this is a matter between your boss and me. I’d appreciate it if you don’t intervene, otherwise you’re gonna end up hurt.”

    “Sweetheart?” Your eyebrow rose as you stared at him. If there was one thing you hated, it was guys like him talking down on you as if you were some weak child. “Alright listen, for one thing, don’t call me ‘Sweetheart’, and for another, you’re going to have to leave. Now. Unless you want me to kick you in the balls with my heels.”

    Taeyang was rather surprised to say the least. This was the first time someone had genuinely stood up to him in such a manner. He had to admit, the girl had balls. He’d been about to respond he noticed Mr. Chung pulling something out from his suit pocket. Eyes widening, Taeyang grabbed your hand and pulled you behind him, shielding you with his body. “Stay behind me!”

    “What-” You gasped, grip tightening on Taeyang as you looked past him at Mr. Chung, who was now aiming his pistol at the two of you. “Oh shit.”

    “Mr. Chung, you really don’t want to do that.” Taeyang said, eyes fixed on the gun. Under normal circumstances, Taeyang would’ve been able to handle the situation just fine, but now he had you to consider and although Taeyang is both reckless and ruthless, he would never allow an innocent civilian to get hurt. He’d also never admit that perhaps his desire to protect you came from more than just you being an innocent bystander.

    “Oh yeah? What difference does it make? You’re going to kill me anyways.” Mr. Chung laughed hysterically, on the verge of losing his mind. “You know what? I could kill you so easily. Right here, right now. How would Kim Youngbin feel huh? Knowing that I killed one of his little boys. That’s what that bastard deserves anyways, threatening a man like me! He should be scared of me.”

    Taeyang stared at the man, trying his best to keep his own composure as the other spoke. He knew whenever he handled a negotiation that people would always have plenty of choice words to throw at him, but if there was one thing Taeyang absolutely would not stand for, is disrespect towards his brothers and especially disrespect towards Youngbin.

    He took a deep breath, and while Mr. Chung was still rambling on, he whispered to you. “I need you to trust me in the next thirty seconds. I won’t let him hurt you.”

    “Trust you?! You idiot you’re the reason he’s even waving that gun towards us!” You whispered back.

    Taeyang smiled. He definitely liked this girl. Mr. Chung stopped as he noticed the boy’s smile, his anger flaring. “Oh so you think this is funny? You won’t be laughing once I put a bullet through you!”

    Everything that happened after seemed to happen in slow motion as Mr. Chung tightened his finger around the trigger. Taeyang ducked towards the right, pulling you along with him as the first shot fired. Coming to a stop, he pushed you behind a large potted plant and handed you his backpack as he pulled his aluminum bat out from the side. With a quick ‘stay here’ Taeyang ran out as another shot fired, ricocheting off the pot.

    “You wanna play this game? Fine let’s fucking play.” Taeyang said, hands tightening around his bat.

    Mr. Chung laughed. “Let’s see if that bat can save your life boy.”

    Taeyang ran forward, jerking towards his left as Mr. Chung fired. It was only a short distance, and as Mr. Chung struggled to fire his next shot, Taeyang dropped, sliding the remaining distance. He swung his bat, landing a clean blow to Mr. Chung’s left leg, and as the other man fell in pain, Taeyang swung again, this time at his head. The older man coughed,spitting out blood, but grip still tight on his gun. Turning, he fired another shot, but Taeyang was quicker. He’d jumped over the man’s body just as the bullet flew by, only narrowly missing his arm as he placed his bat under Mr. Chung’s neck and pulled upwards, mimicking a choke hold. Mr. Chung dropped the gun as his fingers clawed at the bat.

    “Hey sweetheart, I need you out here.” Taeyang called, kicking the gun away with his foot.

    “What did I say about you calling me that?” You groaned as you cautiously poked your head out.

    “You know you like it.” Taeyang grinned. “Can you do me a favor? Look into Mr. Chung’s account here and take out thirty grand. I know he has the money.”

    “[Y/N] don’t...don’t you dare touch my money!” Mr. Chung choked out.

    “Shut up, you’re not in the position to be making any demands.” Taeyang hissed as he pulled on his bat again. “Besides you owe us that fucking money. That’s what a loan is. You borrow money and you pay it back in full.”

    “Alright well, cash withdrawals can only go up to ten grand before the bank would have to report it, but if Mr. Chung here signs a check, we can cash it in full.” You replied, quickly typing on your computer. Security would be here soon and you knew you’d have to get this done quickly. Pulling out a checkbook from your side drawer, you walked over to Mr. Chung with a pen in hand. “Mr. Chung just sign your name here and Taeyang will let you go.”

    “Fuck you!”

    “Hey, you don’t speak to a lady like that.” Taeyang snapped, pulling once more.

    “Just sign it Mr. Chung. Please.” You waited as Mr. Chung shakily signed the check, cursing the whole time and swearing that he’d get you both arrested. Once he was done, you hastily grabbed the check back before looking up at Taeyang. “Knock him out.”

    Taeyang rose an eyebrow curiously before doing so, Mr. Chung’s body crumpling to the floor. You cut him off as he opened his mouth to speak. “Come on we have to go security’s going to be here any second.”

    You grabbed his wrist and pulled him along, the check and his backpack in your other hand. You were thankful that your heels weren’t too high as you nearly ran down the street towards the bank. You didn’t stop till you were outside, breathing a little heavier. Taeyang, however, looked like he hardly broke a sweat as he stared at you wide eyed.

    “The guy’s a douche.” You rolled your eyes at him. “Besides, you saved my life, figured I’d sort of save yours by getting you out of there. Now stay here I’m going to go inside and cash the check for you. They know me since I often come here for Mr. Chung.”

    True to your word, after a few moments you came back out with a fat envelope filled with cash. You handed it to Taeyang, who held it in a way as if he were testing its weight.

    “There’s actually forty grand in there. Mr. Chung had the money to spare so I figured why not.” You blushed as Taeyang looked at you. “Like I said, you saved my life back there, so I owed you one.”

    “Well here, you deserve it.” Taeyang said, handing you the ten grand from the envelope. “You risked a lot by helping me today. Hell, you weren’t even supposed to get involved and you wouldn’t have if only Mr. Chung had been so kind as to let me in his office.”

    “Taeyang I can’t take this.”

    “[Y/N] please.”

    You paused, surprised that he’d actually remembered your name. Hesitantly,you took the ten grand, staring at the money sadly. “Thank you. I guess I will need it now since I’m pretty sure I’m fired.”

    A pause.

    “Oh shit. What am I going to do now?!” You panicked. The severity of the situation was finally sinking in and you realized that once Mr. Chung came around he would no doubt tell everything to the police which means jail time for you. You felt your life crumbling to pieces around you as one thought after another raced through your mind of all of the possibilities of what could happen next. Hell what’s going to stop Mr. Chung from really killing you?

    You felt yourself blushing again as Taeyang held your chin between his finger and his thumb, tilting your face upwards so he could look directly into your eyes. He smiled, a small smile, but one that confirmed your feelings that what you did was right, and that it was worth it.

    “Hey, if you’re worried about Mr. Chung, I swear on my life that he won’t hurt you. He won’t even be able to get within a hundred feet of you as long as I’m still breathing.”

    “Taeyang, I appreciate it, but we both know you can’t always be around, and uh, I’m guessing your line of work, whatever it is, requires you to be at the ready twenty four-seven. Also, I’m pretty sure your work and the people you work with or for, are your main priority.” You hesitated, before continuing. “We don’t even know each other. Like we’ve spent a total of what, maybe two hours together? I just really don’t think it’d be a good idea to-”

    The words died as you felt a pair of lips on your own. After what felt like a year, Taeyang pulled away with a grin on his face. “You talk too much you know that? But I guess it’s one of your charms. Besides it doesn’t matter how long you’ve known someone, if you feel like it’s the right person. Trust me, for as long as I’ve been in this business, I’ve never met someone like you.”

    “I-what?” You blinked, still feeling high from the kiss.

    Taeyang laughed. “I have a proposition for you sweetheart. If you don’t like it you can walk out anytime you want but it’ll be a way for me to keep you safe, and I’ve got some people who would be interested in meeting you. It’ll be temporary, just until I can guarantee that no one’s going to come after you because of what happened today, but it can become a permanent thing too. I mean only if you want to that is!”

    By this point Taeyang was rambling on, so you moved to cut him off by pecking his lips in return, both of you equally blushing. You played with the hem of your shirt nervously as you looked at him. “So what exactly is this proposition Yoo Taeyang?”

    Taeyang took a deep breath, and the world silenced as the two of you felt your hearts accelerating. You would never know, until much later how great of a risk Taeyang was taking in this one moment, in trusting you, a stranger by all means. Taeyang knew in his heart though, that he never would have been able to walk away from you anyways. From the moment he saw you he already knew how much you’d mean to him. He would do everything in his power to ensure your safety after what he’d done to you today, and Youngbin would understand, surely he would, along with the rest of his brothers. So, with another breath, he spoke.

    “Come stay with me.”

[monstersmonthly]

Choose Wisely when Heading to an Arena Monster Truck Show

This time of year, monster truck fans are always looking for that show that is worth the trip.  Factor in how far the show is from home, the amount for tickets, gas to get there, and even a hotel as needed.

Stadium shows at the larger venues are always the hot ticket, but the reality is that there are more places that host a hockey game or basketball in the country instead of an NFL team.  This means most shows are held in a small arena, but no two shows are the same, and no two setups are the same either.

Over the years, arena shows have drastically changed.  No longer is a show headlined by tractor pulls with a car crush exhibition, nor does it strictly involve side-by-side racing in such a small space.  Instead, many different monster aspects are showcased, but again, no two shows are the same.  No two shows have the same lineup, and there’s certainly no two shows that are run with the same concept.  Only common theme among all the promoters, and even the drivers, is simple…win, but put on a show.

For me, the opportunity to see someone else put on such a show aside from who I have seen in the past, is not very often.  But, a trip to Youngstown, Ohio, allowed me to get a chance to see a promoter I haven’t seen live.  But, thanks to video and photos of prior shows, the Toughest Monster Truck Tour seemed to be the right fit to start my season, and also see some new trucks.

What I also got to see was a conventional show, but without the drama of feeling the need to run equipment to the brink of failure in order to please the fans.

Immediately the show was getting high marks because of the caliber of trucks.  Sure, when Bigfoot is in attendance, the show already is getting high marks, especially when the truck there is their newest and best piece.  Add in a talented driver, even if that driver is doing a fill-in role, as Josh Gibson was doing.

But it wasn’t he that really upped the show value.  The team from Indiana of Dirt Crew and Quad Chaos ultimately gave the show some of the best credibility it could have.

One thing when I look at indoor shows, especially those with dirt being brought in, is the track layout.  After the last several years of seeing the “pod” as it has been called, it was a welcome relief to see something different.  The setup was old-school to an extent.  The racing lanes were made of dirt rather than just a dirt ramp with cars.  The racing lanes had dirt plateaus, with the end of the dirt being stuffed with a pair of loader tires.  Those tires gave the trucks a bit of a “pop” during the wheelie competition, something that some tours aren’t doing as much.  They go with a skills challenge, seeing how one can handle a truck on two wheels, whether it be the two front, two back, or side to side.

There’s nothing wrong with a classic wheelstand, because it still excites a crowd, so that definitely is one thing that caught me right away.

The biggest thing that made me enjoy the overall weekend was the fact yes, these trucks are putting on a show, but they are not going completely over the top in order to put on that show, especially when the equipment is owned by the drivers themselves, and not some corporation.  When parts break, it’s them that eventually must foot the bill for replacement and/or repairs.

Case in point:  Kreg Christensen and Aaron Cain.

Christensen destroyed the third member in the rear end of his Dragon Slayer, which is attached to the axle in order to turn the planetary gears in the hub.  That was an all-day job, but he and team got everything ready to go for the second show.

The first night, Kreg Christensen had to repair only one main part. After night two, he needed to make a lot more.

Cain had a lot more help, but a bigger issue.  After losing gearing in the transmission, he had to take the broken one out, and put a new one in.  Problem was, no one was available to rebuild the broken one on Saturday, so plan B needed to be implemented.  One call to the team shop meant a long ride on Saturday morning to get a transmission to the venue to be put in.  Sure, it was the backup and it wasn’t the normal one used in the truck, but it would be enough to get through the show, before going home and doing the real repairs.

Everyone pitched in to get all these trucks ready to go both nights, even if it meant just cleaning the bodies so they looked good for the start.  But by the end of the weekend, a couple of the trucks not only needed a lot of repairs, they needed to be repaired enough just to get them in the hauler.

Christensen caught the side of the center double stack, and it kicked him sideways so hard it planted the front end in the ground, tearing a four-link bar and suspension caving under the chassis.  It became a long night for the team from Utah, but then it was after the show that made a major impact on how I viewed the tour.

No matter the team nor what the end result was, when it came time to leave, everyone pitched in to get the teams ready for their ride home.

It certainly made it easier when the equipment used to build the track also was equipped to haul our some of the parts to make these trucks run.  Teams were taking off the big tires as quick as they could, then putting on the transport tires to fit them in the hauler.  But, when one team was already done, they then hopped into the bobcat and then began hauling out other teams’ tires to their haulers so they can get loaded up.  Within maybe an hour and 15 minutes, every team minus the Christensen camp was already “tired down” and loaded up.  Sure, many decided to hang out a little bit longer to say their goodbyes, but it was one of the easier load ups that I have seen.

When I began leaving the show with my friend Kevin, who was one of the crew guys for the Quad Chaos and Dirt Crew duo, we both were talking about how good the show was.  He had been there the last few years, but this was my first experience.

We both left satisfied, and actually left in surprisingly good moods, even though we left a bit later than we expected based on our time of staying behind.

After dropping him off and heading home, I realized this was the first show where I knew a majority of the backstage crew rather than just the drivers.  I got to see the duo behind the Monster Blog, who actually are hired on as lead photographer and videographer for the tour, and even got to witness something I’ve not seen since I was a young child.

Seeing this happen at this show made me go from being age 33…to being only six years old.

It was in November when I officially met Gary Bauer, the owner of the Lon Ranger and now the one who owns the clone Ranger that was debuted in Auburn, Indiana, at the Hall of Fame.  This time, however, he got to drive it into the arena for the crowd to see, and then do something that honestly only the parents in the stands can recall.

Sure, it may not be big air, or a crazy move, but back in the day, a car crush was something that drew a crowd like nothing else.

So seeing the Lon Ranger hit just two cars, and getting the front tires off the ground, for even the oldest of fans was exciting.  It also provided a moment that I have not seen from any other promoter in recent years.  With all these old trucks being restored or cloned, it’s not often that these trucks get to be shown in front of a modern audience.  The worst, or maybe disappointing, part of this aspect is that modern day fans, especially the kids, don’t have as much understanding of where this industry began.  It wasn’t all about getting big air, or skying a truck to the roof of a building.  It was hitting a set of cars and either landing on the crushed metal and driving off, and then doing it again.

Seeing Bauer wear his original driving jacket, then put on a helmet, and hit the cars so hard that the nose of the truck would wheelstand before crushing down on the roofs of the cars under him…it just was delightful.

There’s very few promoters that are bringing in the classic trucks, and letting them do their classic show.  In many ways, it’s education for the younger generation, before there was all these precision tools to ensure every piece of the truck is where it needs to be.  These classic trucks were images in one’s mind, as fellow Hall of Fame driver/owner Marty Garza once said.  But it was an opportunity to show that a monster truck wasn’t always a technological piece that was built in bulk as some cases may be, but instead was one truck, in one shop, and it was usually the only one a driver owned.

That moment on both nights of the show, made it.  Hands down, it made it.

Sure, other tours may or may not bring in a classic truck, probably because of show format and such, but when a classic truck is involved, that makes the show that much better.

In the end, the grade the Toughest Monster Truck Tour is getting from me is an A.  They had a good flow, they kept the crowd involved, and they didn’t need a whole lot of “fluff” to keep the show entertaining.  It was trucks, freestyle bicycles, trucks, a classic car crush, and finally the trucks.  In between, there were t-shirt giveaways, a free pizza for a fan, and both a wave to the crowd from all the drivers and track crew after the show.

It was a show where there wasn’t a need for crazy bodies, or music, and that was perfectly fine.  Honestly, outside of my home town shows, it was one of the better arena events I have been to.  And you can bet I will be back.

The Toughest Monster Truck Tour will have All About Horsepower back.  When…well time will tell.  But, it will happen.