#the ceo of their company found out and was ready to break them up for jin and his group's sake

[amourane]

nightmares no more

pairing: yoon jeonghan x reader

genre: fluff, ceo au

w/c: 0.8k

summary: everyone wants yoon jeonghan and you were lucky enough to score him.

warnings: none

a/n: this right here is my man, love of my life, aaaaa i love him so much, also disclaimer this post used to be under my old url httphannie <3

It was already well past midnight and you were still sitting at your desk, paperwork laid out in front of you. To anyone it would look like an uncoordinated mess but you had everything in the right place. There were the legal documents that you were settling for the contract with another company and there were the marriage plans over there. Your bulletin board behind you was pinned with various arrays of dresses and contracts. 

You rubbed your eyes, tired from the work. If you went to sleep now you wouldn't have the preparations for tomorrow's meeting ready, not to mention you had to go see the venue for the wedding with Jeonghan. Your week had been busy and you hadn’t gotten a good night's sleep in what seemed like forever. 

Being the secretary of the CEO of the biggest company in the country and trying to balance planning your wedding was hard. You were constantly rushing everywhere; trying to get everything perfect. Not to mention the nightmares you had been getting. It was a big enough scandal when the press found out you were dating your boss but now they knew you were engaged to him. 

Yoon Jeonghan was one of the most sought out bachelors in the country and even when the both of you had announced your relationship, there were still some delusional girls who would try to hurt you. Every night you woke up in a cold sweat, the same image of not being able to breathe and hands grabbing you from every angle haunted your mind. That was partly the reason why you were still up working.

There was a knock on the door and Jeonghan popped his head around. “I thought I told you to take a break.” You rushed to him, embracing him tightly, inhaling his comforting scent. “I missed you too, my love.”

It was as if the barriers that were protecting you fell apart and you felt tears start rolling down your eyes. You couldn’t stop them from falling while you hiccuped continuously. Jeonghan hugged you tighter, running his fingers through your hair, untangling the kinks. 

“Why’re you crying? You're making your beautiful face look sad.” He pressed a kiss on your forehead as he stared at your glassy eyes. 

“I don’t know.” You sniffled. “It’s just that I’ve got the contracts to prepare and then we have the wedding, not to mention all the nightmares I’ve been having. I just feel like I can’t do anything, you’re the one handling all those people, Hannie.”

Your fiance frowned, tucking a strand of hair behind your ear. “That’s not true. Who’s been handling all these business papers, even though I told them not to worry, and who’s been holding this wedding on their shoulders?” Jeonghan smiles. “There’s so much light in you that it blinds me sometimes. You’re a wonderful person and I love you, so it doesn’t matter what people think. Much less people who don’t even know you.”

“Why are you like this?” Your cheeks were still stained with tears but your lips were curled into a small smile.

“Like what?” Jeonghan gave you a cheeky grin, he blinked innocently up at you. “I’m just telling the truth. You stole my heart the moment I saw you.” He gasped dramatically, clutching his chest, before giving you a wink.

You giggled, pulling him in for a kiss. It was sweet when your lips touched, both of you had been so busy that it had been so long since you shared such an intimate moment. His lips were warm and you couldn’t help but feel at ease when he was with you. 

Jeonghan picked you up suddenly which made you squeal. He didn’t let you say anything, carrying you out of your office and into your shared bedroom. He threw you down on the bed, arms pinning you both sides. A second of silence ticks by. You stared lovingly at your fiance before tugging him down onto you.

“Are you trying to seduce me, Yoon Jeonghan?” 

“And what if I am, Y/n? Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for my charms already.” His tongue flicked over his bottom lip. You didn’t get to reply before a yawn escaped your mouth, your cheeks flushed and you diverted your eyes. 

Jeonghan grinned and he leant down so his forehead was touching yours. He let out a light laugh. “Sleep, my love. I’ll keep the nightmares away.” 

You knew you didn’t have a choice by the way he was looking at you, it was the same way he’d stare down his partners to get a good deal out of them. Reluctantly, you nodded, letting him tuck you in and kiss you goodnight.

“Take two weeks off, the company can survive without you 24/7.” Jeonghan placed a finger against your lips, knowing you were going to start protesting. “That isn’t a question, you’re far too stressed, just let me handle things.”

“But Hannie-”

“No.” He placed his hand on your cheek, the warmth spreading through his palm and across your face. “From now on, you’re not allowed in that office, you leave all the work to me. I’m the CEO for a reason Y/n. Promise?”

You sighed, knowing it was no use to try and protest. “Promise.” 

Jeonghan smiled, placing a kiss on your cheek. “Sleep well, my love.”

[krizariel]

Stripper jason dating CEO Timmy :X

Big thank you to @galkyrie for indulging my midnight jaytim brainworms, helping me make sense of them and adding more to it. This is basically me putting together our convo, so not much of a fic.

FYI, for those who care about this: This AU ended up being switch because we can't help ourselves hence why I tagged both jaytim and timjay. Generally my AUs are more vague on that regard but on this one there's mention of both dynamics so figured, fair warning on this one.

They met at a small party thrown by Dickie and Kory (dating or married idk, whatever fits your fancy) for Dickie’s birthday. Tim is like a little brother to Dick and by extension, to Kory. Jay is close friends with Roy and Kory.

Somehow Tim and Jay had never crossed paths before; with Tim taking over higher responsibilities at the company because his father is ready to retire and leave it all up to him - he is proud of his son and despite whatever Tim says, Jack knows his son is more than ready - Tim has been busy and barely had time to socialize and well, have a life out of work.

They start talking, they hit it off pretty well. Somehow what they do for a living didn’t come up in their conversation because they were too busy talking about their hobbies, Star Trek, AngBang (Sauron has a ship and Jason couldn’t stop talking about it) and  whether or not smore’s count as dinner.

They exchanged numbers but Tim never got to call him again until one night he saw him performing at the club. It was Tim’s birthday and as a surprise, his friend dragged him to a popular stripclub. Roy worked as a bartender there so he’d slip them free drinks every now and then.

When the show started, the room went crazy. Apparently, Jason was very popular and indeed, he was amazing. At some point Jason actually noticed him and even waved at him while he was spinning on the pole.

Steph: I’m sorry… did Mr. Beefcake actually waved at you!? 

Tim: Looks like it

Steph: YOU KNOW HIM?

Tim: Well, remember that guy I told you about that I kinda liked, mayyyybe had a little crush on?...

Steph: YOUR CRUSH IS A STRIPPER?

Tim: I DIDN’T KNOW THAT PART!

Tim was a bit embarrassed and figured it was probably for the best that he never called him to ask him out, as he saw Jay work and all his audience ogling over him… he didn't know how he felt about dating a stripper. Plus, who knows if he’d even be interested… he must have many people behind him and flirting and looking like a sin incarnate is part of his job.

They met again out of work but Jay didn't even want to talk to him again because he figured Tim was just another uptight asshole who just judged Jay for his job so he didn't call him again and avoided him. Tim felt like a real asshole and figured it didn't harm to be friends... Jay was really cool and Tim enjoyed his time with him. Tim apologized for how he came through at the beginning.

Since then, they became friends, sometimes they would text or meet for coffee. It’s not dating - he tells himself-  and every time he’d make a stop by the stripclub to grab a drink, hang out with Roy and Kory at the bar, ~~maybe catch a glimpse of Jay as he danced, flirted and got flirted back~~ he was always reminded of it.

Sometimes he’d get a lapdance himself. What’s the harm…nothing is gonna happen anyway. But oddly enough they’d mostly talk about their day. Tim would be the kind of guy that would sit on his hands to not touch and Jason found it really cute. He enjoyed teasing the little guy.

Other times, Tim pays for a private room/dance to give Jay an hour break from being on the floor, because he notices he is tired. Jason was surprised at first because he thought Tim was finally pulling moves on him but nope, instead he wants nothing but to give him a break and spend time with him, pulling his laptop to watch Star Trek since Jason hadn’t watched it and was interested. Jason just kept falling and falling for Tim’s little gestures. He knew Tim found him attractive, it was obvious, but he was always the proper guy, never making any advances, just making Jason feel cared… which WAS WORSE! because he was starting to imagine it was Tim instead of those men or women who’d he’d dance for. Jay just wanted Tim to fucking snap and fuck him senseless in that stupid couch from the private room. Meanwhile, Tim was starting to finally stop being in denial and was working out the courage to ask Jay on a date because he knows he caught feelings hard.

The next time Tim paid for a private dance, Jay was having none of it. He was going to put on a show and was determined to make Tim snap. 

Jason, rolling his hips so his abs are almost brushing Tim's face: who'd think a CEO would be so timid … (Art here )

All the while Tim’s hands are hovering over his skin and not yet touching. Jason's kind of expecting him to get aggressive, or super eager, once he does touch him, but Tim's almost reverent when his fingertips brush along his outer thighs. Tim really -really- wanted to ask Jason out first but he is just about to lose it. And he does, eventually, snap and fuck Jason senseless on the couch. While they are cuddling Tim finally tells him he has been meaning to work up the courage to ask him out... Tim just tells him he wants to date him for real, he deserves to be dined and wined and maybe they are doing all this out of order… and Jason doesn't know how to respond because how is this man so damn cute and yet so savage. Jason asks him if he is sure… he doesn’t want this to be a on-time thing but he’d understand. Most of his previous lovers have ended quickly because they tried to pull the “savior” card, couldn’t get past what he does for a living and he doesn’t have plans to change this for anyone. But Tim is sure, he thought about what this means and he really wants to try if Jay will have him. Tim brings Jason flowers when he picks him up for the date and opens his car door for him. Just total romantic shit that Jason should be too jaded to fall for, but...it's Tim.

So it works on him, because he's already gone on Tim.

By the fourth course Jason's already daydreaming about peeling Tim out of his fancy suit and having his way with him on whatever stupid fancy couch he has at his penthouse. When they get back to Tim's place and Jason eases himself onto the couch and pats his lap like: I think it's your turn to be the one in my lap Tim: hope I don't need to dance because let me tell you already, I suck. But Jay walks him through it, gives him directions and suddenly Tim is taking orders. He finds he likes giving away control if its Jay.

For a while they were dating secretly but it was just because Tim didn't want the inevitable attention on their relationship and wanted to have privacy for them to develop their relationship first. He respected Jay’s job, he did it because he liked it and he was certainly amazing at it - but then Tim realized Jay might not be ok with Tim always introducing him as a friend even among their close friends because he thinks Tim is ashamed so he took Jay as his date to a Wayne gala. And of course people around Tim take it as a license to badmouth Jay and mock Tim by insinuating they had seen all there is to Jay (since some of them apparently went to the strip club Jay worked at). Jay was actually very charmed with Tim because unlike other boyfriends he’s had, Tim didn’t try to make him quit his job. Truly it took a lot from Tim at the beginning to get used to Jay dancing and everyone ogling over him… sometimes some men or women would recognize him while they were on a date and talk so amicably with him essentially ignoring Tim’s presence…but Tim focused on the fact that only Tim got to see how Jay sang while he cooked; how he genuinely laughed like a dork; how he screamed Tim’s name when he reached climax, how he slept like a starfish, etc, and slowly found he loved that more than any jealousy or insecurity he could feel.

and if you missed it, timjay art here

[captainofthedauntless]

Hello!! I just wanna say first I love your work and your doing amazing and if possible I'd like a to request something.

It's my birthday today, and I was wondering if you could write the bayverse tmnt boys and how they would celebrate your birthday or their birthday's if that's ok? I love you and have a great day👋

Hi lovely! Happy Birthday :] I hope it's still the right day LMAO

(Thank you BTW! You are so kind and that means a lot.)

Post-movies HCs below!

I think they all go a little apeshit for birthdays TBH. They are very aware of mortality, risking their asses all the time, and love any excuse to celebrate life.

(Since you didn't specify romantic or platonic, I'll try to do a bit of both! I think the guys would make an effort to know their brothers' partners anyway, so if you're with one they're probably all excited to celebrate with you LMAO)

Don's a sweetheart, okay? Like, to his core. He's sweet and thoughtful and caring, so if you're important to him then it's important to him that he do everything he can to make your big day as special as possible.

This guy totally keeps a list of all the things his loved ones mention through the year that might make good gifts. Things you need fixed, things you need replaced, stuff you want to do- he writes it all down (literally or mentally, I'm not sure). So when your birthday comes around, he's got ideas ready and waiting!

The remote for your TV that only works if it's held at a Very Specific Angle, with a muttered prayer and a sacrifice of chicken nuggets? Replaced, and it probably controls your lights now, too.

You mentioned your computer running slow? He gives you a very professional looking purple coupon for one free computer cleaning, courtesy of DuzMachines LLC, signed by the CEO himself, Donnie Tello. (He looks way too amused by it, honestly.)

Or your hidden passion for table tennis that you only brought up off-handedly six months prior? Well, you better be ready to stretch your wrists, because he assembled a table for it and found a net and paddles and he and Mikey have been practicing to kick your ass.

If you guys are dating, he makes absolutely sure that he gets some solo time with you, away from his family. He leaves all of his tech in the lair (except for his phone and an Absolute Emergency Only panic button, because he's been doing this "save the city" thing long enough to know that if he actually goes off without a way for his brothers to get a hold of him, he'll come back to something on fire or someone bleeding or some sort of bomb going off in Central Park) and takes you for a nice drive. You guys go out in the middle of the night when the traffic is as easy as it'll ever get, and he puts you on DJ duty, and you spend a couple hours just driving around and enjoying each other's company until you end up parked in a quiet spot and he's pulling out a cooler bag of your favorite dessert to share with you.

He stutters a little, but he tells you how much he loves you. How happy you make him. How grateful he is to get to be yours. He kisses you so sweetly that it's even better than the dessert, and when you finally break apart you're smiling and he looks absolutely lovestruck.

"I mean it, you know that?" he says softly, cupping your cheek is his hand and squeezing ever so gently. "I love you."

Leo is micro managing the shit out of his family. Every inch of the lair will be cleaned and prepped for celebrating, okay? If he sees a single pizza box out of place he will be a bitch about it.

He really, really wants to have everything perfect for you.

He's really big on meaningful gifts. He works with April to get you a nice copy of one of his favorite books and writes a heartfelt little note on the first page, wishing you a happy birthday.

Or maybe he's painstakingly curating the perfect playlist of songs that make him think of you and burning them onto a CD, writing your name on the front in that perfect handwriting of his that makes it look like he cares about each letter.

He's the one coordinating all of Mikey's big plans for your big day, too. Leo makes sure everyone's at the lair and settled on time, makes sure that every gift is accounted for and wrapped, makes sure that you know exactly what to expect so you're fully prepared when you walk in to a very happy (read: loud) family gathering.

If you're dating, it's even worse. Everything gets double and triple checked. He makes himself and everyone else a little insane.

And then you come in and grin at him and suddenly the mismatched wrapping paper and clashing bows are more charming and homey than they are frustrating.

Leo makes absolute certain that he gets you alone at the end of the night. It looks like a really natural transition to you, but you know from the big fake yawn Mikey puts on that he isn't nearly as tired as he claims- and knowing your boyfriend, you suspect he had a hand in the comfortable privacy the two of you find yourselves in.

You almost call him out on it, but he's looking at you with so much love it makes your heart ache a little, so you decide to skip the teasing. (For now.)

He gave you a gift with the rest of the group, sure, but now he digs out a cute little box. When you open it, there's a bracelet in just the right metal to contrast gorgeously with your skin, lovingly shaped and formed and perfect.

He's nervous, but it only takes you looking up at him and going "Oh, Leonardo," for him to smile at you again.

"I'm happy to make adjustments to it, if you want."

"If you think I'm letting this out of my sight long enough for that, you are spectacularly incorrect."

He chuckles, and he helps you put it on, and he presses a kiss to your forehead so tenderly you think you may melt right into the floor.

He immediately gives in to you tugging him down to kiss his lips, too.

Obviously, Mikey has exactly zero chill. He goes a lot apeshit. We're talkin' hand-painted banner with your name that goes across the entire living area, a table cloth in your favorite color, every single game and activity you have ever mentioned enjoying all stacked up nice and neat so you can pick whatever you want. You want to play Twister? You bet, baby- he'll even go easy on you. More of a Charades person? He's rounding up the whole crew to play, and Splinter is damn good at it. Mario Kart? You get first dibs on characters and cars. (He will not go easy on you, though. He has a reputation to protect, birthday or not.)

Do not get me started on food.

This guy goes ham. April gets a novel-length shopping list, with your favorite snacks and all the ingredients for your favorite meal and your favorite dessert and he's making mixed drinks that have edible glitter in them. Booze optional- he's a mocktail master, alright?

Leo happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time when Mikey does a test run of your meal. Leo proceeds to be stuck because Mike needs a taste tester, and "C'mon, Leo, it's gotta be perfect!", and "No no, just one more tweak, 'kay? Then you're free to go be boring."

(It was not just one more tweak.)

Now, if you're more lowkey, he tries- really really really tries- to keep it chill for you. He does. But he doesn't know how not to do a little something, so you're still getting some Chef Mikey action. Sorry.

If you're dating? Hooooo boy. You are getting smothered in as much affection as you can stand- and he's pretty good at gauging that, so it's only good vibes here. No overload from Mikey, not on your big day! But if you're receptive, you're getting texts right at midnight (despite him being on patrol, BTW) full to the point of bursting with emojis. He follows that up with good morning texts when he gets up. Then it's you coming down to the lair and celebrating and eventually, when things start to slow down a bit, he tugs you away to a secluded corner of their home for cute smooches and big hugs and "Happy birthday, Angel."

("You have a good day?" he asks, eyes big and hopeful and sweet, and when you say yes he scoops you up and spins you just to hear you giggle.)

Raph is actually the only one of the four with any kind of chill- mostly because he is terrified of ruining your day. Birthdays are a huge deal to him, and if he screwed up yours he would legitimately feel guilty until the day he died.

So he keeps it pretty simple. He's a crafty guy, so he might carve you a little wooden decoration for your place, or make you a bowl out of clay, or knit you a big blanket in your favorite color. It's thoughtful, it's either useful or gorgeous, and it's easy for you to carry home.

He's the one that keeps Mikey in check- tries to keep some of the bigger, crazier schemes in line, but he does it without raining on Mike's parade.

And if anybody catches an attitude on your big day? They have this guy to deal with. He takes zero shit. Seriously, Leo's getting bitchy? He gets one (1) warning look. Vern turns up and does anything even remotely annoying? Raph's behind you, silently threatening anything and everything Vern holds dear. Mikey gets too noisy? Raph's bumping his shoulder and having some silent sibling communication. It's all so subtle it's almost off-brand, but it's his way of making sure you have a good day. He's protective!

And if you're dating? Please.

He's doing whatever you want. You need a massage? You're hungry? Tired? Like two degrees too cold? He's got you.

You're having the perfect day if he has to cut his own arm off to make it happen, okay?

He's perceptive, too, so you probably don't have to ask for much.

The gang tries to sing and you look a little uncomfortable? "Happy Birthday to you, blah blah, cake time." And he's winking at you and passing you the cake cutter and it's so no-bullshit that everyone takes the hint but it makes him the center of attention long enough for you to relax again.

(And if you're not a cake person, he totally has Mikey organize another treat, just for you. He helps Mike in the kitchen, too. That shit is made with so much love.)

The night ends with the cuddles of your life. He gets kinda quiet, and it's easy to think he's just tired, but you look over at him and he's staring at you and he looks like you're built out of stardust.

"Shit," he mutters, nuzzling into you and hiding his face in the process. "Love you."

[sundasystems]

2. The Footprint of a Giant

I've said before that Sunda Systems was a global company, but I don't think even I understood the scale of the investigation I was undertaking. The first thing I needed to do was get a sense of the scope. To do that I needed to understand the corporate layout.

To start, Sunda is an umbrella company that has quietly (and not so quietly) purchased a lot of technological companies.

Sunda Systems had complete ownership or majority stake in things I'd never imagined.

Some things I would have anticipated. For example, in 2021, they purchased the internet radio company Re:Mx and they had controlling interest in a broadcasting technologies company called Ressepont. For a corporation focused on wireless connectivity, these things made sense to me.

Engineering and satellite companies? Sure. Even the three laser research companies kind of made sense. I could talk myself into the idea of using lasers for fiber optics.

But then there was the medical research. They outright owned Brainwire, a tech start up that wanted to create a human-computer interface. They also owned Lotus Clinical Research and it's subsidiaries.

What on Earth would that have been for? A sideways purchase in the name of portfolio diversification?

It got stranger when I found court documents of Lotus trying to fend off a hostile takeover. Brainwire seems to have gone smoothly. If you started tiny company in your back shed and a giant like Sunda approached you with a truck of money, you're not going to turn it down. But Lotus appeared to be functioning well on its own and the CEO, James Pepper, did not want to sell.

Until he suddenly did.

Hundreds of documents and depositions were attached as exhibits to this Order.

When Mr. Pepper first files his injunction to stop Sunda from buying Lotus, it was because the swing vote on the board, John Delphine, began behaving strangely. Here is testimony from his initial October 1, 2008 filing:

It appears that John has lost his mind. Years we spent building this company from the ground up. We wrote protocols together late into the nights. We found medical equipment anywhere we could. We found doctors willing to work with a couple of scrappy upstarts. And god damnit we did it. We made this company profitable. And now? Sunda Systems waves a couple dollars at him and he's ready to sign the company over? No. No chance in hell. No amount of money is worth the work we put in here, and he knows it. I don't believe he's in his right mind, and I would like him assessed by a professional. It had to be some kind of nervous break or an addiction or something! There is no other reason he would come into my office in the state he was in. Talking so fast about the wonderful multinational conglomerate that wants to buy us out. I was only catching every three words. He was maddened! That wasn't the John I knew.

Mr. Pepper fought tooth and nail against the sale of his company by his partner. The suit lasted three months. Mr. Delphine never got his psychological evaluation. Instead, Mr. Pepper simply gave up the fight. This is a retraction that Mr. Pepper gave on December 21, 2008, leading to the closing of the case:

I now see what John saw back in October, and I apologize for thinking what I thought about him. I'm still worried about the zeal with which he approached me, but the points he made were valid ones. Ego kept me from seeing the truth. It is my wish to retract my claim of mental incapacity and move forward with the sale to Sunda Systems and I am very excited to work with them in a subordinate position so that I can continue to shepherd out company to greatness.

The recorder who took Mr. Pepper's retraction noted in the filing that the man appeared tired and defeated with red eyes.

Mr. Pepper and Mr. Delphine are now high ranking executives in Sunda's Clinical Research Division, and both have offices in the Eden Springs Campus.

I reached out to them, posing as a reporter following up on the sale years later. I asked if they'd had any regrets selling Lotus to Sunda. Oddly, they both answered the exact same way, verbatim:

"It is a wonderful opportunity to work for such a forward thinking company. I wouldn't leave it for anything."

It sounded obviously rehearsed; even more so after I heard it the second time.

During my call with the men, the webcam light on my laptop came on again, only turning back off after I had hung up. That seemed far too much of a coincidence. I don't want to believe that someone in the company is keeping tabs on me, but a company dedicated to the internet has to have someone who can hack a webcam.

I'm proceeding with the assumption that I'm being monitored. I wondered if I should try to get a new router, but every time I think about it, it seems so overwhelming. My provider uses Sunda equipment exclusively so I'd have to find a new provider and cancel my service and it just all seems too much. I'll just keep it. What harm could it really be doing?

The last piece of information I found today was an old classified add for the home of the Delphine family. They listed their Eden Springs home in early 2009 and it sold for $349,000. Quite the windfall for that era of history.

Out of curiosity, I looked up John Delphine in the Avery County Tax Assessment records and found he and his wife's new address.

They live on-site at the Eden Springs Campus in an apparent outbuilding on the same property as the offices.

Perhaps it's time for a visit to North Carolina so I can get a real look at Maple Hall.

[justhere4kpop]

Chapter 13: Paid Vacation.

“Just until this all dies down, think of it as a paid vacation.” The words rang out in my head as the phone call played again and again. I got too comfortable, I got too cocky….of course, they’d be mad about this….of course, there were consequences….ones I had to pay. I opened Twitter again, refreshing the search bar on my name…Why did I have to pay? Weren’t they happy? Weren’t we all happy? Was I using them? Just making a name for myself before leaving? Was I just…lying? How are there more pictures?

I felt the tears sting behind my eyes calling for me to be fired. My throat tightening and drying out. Were we not happy Mingi?....Yunho?

“Final Boarding call for flight 1896 for Seoul….Final Boarding.”

I got up from my seat and made my way to the gate stowing my phone away. Do I listen to the company….or do I risk everything and run back?

The chime of my plane ticket rang out.

“Welcome Aboard.” the flight attendant smiled sweetly.

“Thank you.” I nodded and made my way on.

We’ll send someone to get you at the airport, don’t worry this will all be dealt with. The text messaged from the CEO stated. The messages left on read. 

 Where are you? I don’t know anymore Yunho…..I’m scared….

The flight was long, I couldn’t sleep. Couldn’t work on anything. I threw up three times. I pulled up my hoodie and left for baggage claim. I could get my camera, get to the company headquarters and I could explain myself. Of course people found out what plane I was on..of course I was the target of all the girls yelling at me to leave the boys alone, get fired for inappropriate conduct… It was one date…. I just need my camera and then I can leave if I can just get it. It was one date…one kiss…

I pulled my bag off the belt and made my way to the driver they sent for me, more insults hurled my way. We got in the van and I opened my camera bag only to find tears falling from my eyes….my equipment…my lenses, my stand…my camera…broken. I bit my lip for the third time, blood pooling from the tear I created.

“We’ll get you a new one, it’ll be okay.” the driver said upon realizing my horror.

“It’s fine.” I whispered. “I won’t need it.”

My phone began buzzing, Mingi. Just let it ring. Pretend you’re sick. Anything.

"Y/N thank you for coming back. Look, we'll get all this handled, just take a break, let everything calm down and we'll get you back out there." CEO Kim sat me down. "We'll say it was all a misunderstanding, I mean you three have known each other since high school. You kids are going to go out sometimes, it's perfectly normal."

"The fans…" I mumbled into the floor.

"We'll worry about the fans. They'll be fine, you know how people can be."

"They're calling for me to get fired for unprofessional conduct for going out for sushi with my partner."

"I know y/n….this is going to be rough but we'll get through it. Think of this as a paid vacation. Just give it some space."

Yeah…. space.

"Are you going to tell them?" I looked at my phone ringing again.

"Here." He held out his hand for my phone.

He got up and answered my phone call. I couldn't listen, he was telling Mingi I just needed to take a leave. I'd just be working from the home offices for a while and that there were already great photographers on hand and they would be in good hands. They were right….right?

“Y/n, take the day off, go home. Get some rest. Just take it easy and call me when you’re ready ok.” Kim looked at me. “They understand, you’re going to be okay, let this die down.”

I nodded and was lead back to the van leading me home to my apartment.

It’s cold here. No let me rephrase that…there’s no warmth here. I can pile on all the blankets I own and I still don’t feel them. I threw my phone down, alert after alert, tweet after tweet. I couldn’t take it. So I sat there. I curled up in my couch and I sat there. 

I didn’t move for four days. Turning off the tv when the news got to talking about music, the mysterious girlfriend all over social media, and music news, everywhere. Fans were waiting for KQ to make a statement, everything was crashing down. I was ruining everything by being selfish….I wanted them both…I flew too close to the sun. My dad always told me, I’d never be good enough. I picked up my phone one more time….One text…

~Prev/~Next

tags: @yunbug, @byuntrash101, @gxlden-bxbyy

[thedummysdummy]

Pregnancy Tests

A secondhand request from one of @perhaps-in-anotherdream 's anons. Hopefully it hits the spot!

Months of patience had finally paid off. Relief and joy cascaded down the girl’s body, starting as a warmth at the top of her head and radiating outward toward her fingers and toes. She clutched the piece of paper handed to her by the doctor as if it were the most precious of her belongings. “This is the best possible news! Thank you, thank you! Victor is going to be so happy!” 

As she left the hospital, the girl’s mind ran with a million different ways to break the news to her beloved. It had to be something grand and memorable! But what? She considered a million different ideas on her way home, still having settled on nothing by the time she arrived at their shared home. 

She hurried inside and folded up the results, stowing them away in her bedside table drawer until she could think of a way to present them. What was the rush, anyway? She had nine months before their little bundle would arrive.

The next few days passed in a bit of a blur. Her company was filming a documentary in conjunction with Loveland TV, which was obviously a big deal. Despite her nagging nausea and fatigue, she did her best to hide her condition and be there for her crew. By Friday evening, she practically stumbled over to Victor’s car and collapsed into her seat. 

“Tired?” Victor teased, reaching over to buckle her seatbelt for her. She nodded and closed her eyes, her hand resting over her stomach. He glanced at the slightly pained expression on his girlfriend’s face and frowned. “Not feeling well?” She shook her head and Victor started up the car. “Well, then I’ll run you a bath when we get home. You’ve been working very hard this week and need some rest.”

The confession was on her lips the entire drive. It would be so easy to just say, ‘Victor, I’m pregnant with our baby.’ But that was so unromantic! So she simply kept her eyes closed and her left hand enclosed in Victor’s until they pulled up in front of his home. He pushed the button on her seatbelt and hurried to her side of the car to open the door. “Can you walk?”

She rolled her eyes and stepped out of the car, amused by Victor’s usual level of concern. “I’m not made of tissue paper, Mr. CEO. But I won’t say no to a nice bath.” She took Victor’s hand and followed him inside where she sat down to take off her shoes. Her movements were slow, betraying the depth of her fatigue. Victor watched, hovering, until she had her slippers on before scooping her up from the chair and carrying her toward their bedroom. “Hey!” she giggled, hearing his heartbeat as her ear pressed against his chest. He squeezed her in response with a broad grin on his face. 

“That’s better,” he chuckled as he set her down on the bed and headed for the bathroom. “That grimace on your face was making me feel ill myself. You just relax while I get the bath drawn.” The girl nodded and Victor disappeared through the bathroom door, where she soon heard the sound of running water and caught the scent of vanilla and jasmine. She undressed as she waited, figuring she might as well be ready when he got back.

Victor returned and a cheeky grin spread across his face when he found her nude. He again scooped her up and carried her to the tub, gently lowered her into the hot water, and kissed her on the forehead. “Do you need anything else? Painkillers or anything? You haven’t exactly told me what part of you feels unwell.” 

“I’m just a little nauseous. But I’ll be okay!” She gave Victor her most earnest ‘I’m fine’ face, which only drew a sigh from his lungs. He shook his head, patted hers, and exited the bathroom in search of anti-nausea pills. The bottle had gone missing from the medicine cupboard and he stood in the middle of the kitchen for a moment with a confused look on his face. When had they last used those? Knowing the girl tended to take them and go straight to bed, he figured her bedside table was probably the next best place to look. 

So he returned to the bedroom and opened the little drawer. Sure enough, the bottle he was searching for rolled to the front to greet him. However, he was distracted by the folded sheet of paper with hospital letterhead peeking out and pulled it from the drawer. He scanned the information quickly, a mixture of emotions swirling in his eyes as it dawned on him what he was reading. 

The girl heard Victor’s footsteps approaching, but the speed at which he opened the door and arrived at her side caused her eyes to fly open. He looked…annoyed? No, not annoyed. His eyes were sparkling too much for that. It wasn’t until she realized what he was holding that she understood the situation. “Victor, I-”

He cut her off, his voice sharp with emotion. “Why didn’t you tell me?! You had such good news for half a week and didn’t think I should know?!” He waved the pregnancy test results from the doctor and sat on the edge of the tub. “You should have told me immediately! I would have arranged for Anna to take care of the shoot this week. You shouldn’t be working that hard.” 

“I was just trying to think of the perfect way to tell you! I wanted it to be sweet and romantic, not…not like this. You ruined the surprise.” She scrunched her eyebrows together in a chastising kind of way, which caused Victor to fall silent with a small pink flush beginning in his ears. “But also I would have gone to work anyway. You’re not keeping me on bedrest for an entire nine months, Mr. Victor Li!” 

Victor scowled and set the results on the bathroom sink. “Fine, but I’m calling the doctor to make an appointment so we can check your health and the baby’s health. You worked way too hard this week for someone carrying my child.” His features softened and his hand caressed her cheek. “I love you. I just want what’s best for you and for our baby.” He felt a shiver of excitement roll down his spine as he thought about those words. ‘Our baby.’ They were the sweetest arrangement of letters he could possibly imagine. 

“I suppose that’s fair. But if the doctor says I’m perfectly healthy, then you can’t spend the whole time treating me like I’m made of porcelain. Fair?” 

With a chuckle, Victor pulled out his phone to make the call. “Fair. But you relax this evening and let me worry.” 

~~~

Monday morning, Victor and the girl arrived at the hospital the moment their doors opened. He had insisted on the first appointment of the day, his anxiety over the baby refusing to calm down until he was reassured by the doctor. They were welcomed in with smiles and told to sit down for a few minutes until the doctor was ready for them. 

They didn’t have to wait long. “Come on back with me, loves,” the nurse said with a smile, leading the couple through the doors into the long hallway of exam rooms. She took them to the first one on the right and Victor carefully helped the girl up onto the exam table. “Please put on this gown while you wait, okay?” 

Victor accepted the gown from the nurse, who exited and closed the door behind her. Before Victor could even ask if the girl wanted him to wait outside while she changed, she began undressing. He shamelessly watched since she didn’t seem to care and handed her the gown when she was ready, then helped her secure it. “Do you think we’re going to have a boy or a girl?” the girl asked as he tied the strings.

“A boy, obviously. First children should always be boys so they can protect their little sisters.” Victor sat down in the chair next to the table with a completely straight expression, though the girl recognized the teasing glint in his eyes. She smacked his shoulder with the back of her hand and he laughed. “I don’t care if we have a boy or a girl. As long as they take after their mother.” 

Warmth filled the girl’s heart just as the doctor entered the room. “Ah, Mr. and Mrs. Li! I’m told you’re concerned about your lovely wife’s health? Congratulations, by the way. Let’s check the basics first, hm?” Neither party felt the need to correct their doctor on their relationship status, though Victor and the girl shared an amused glance as the doctor turned to the cabinets to get some supplies. 

He checked her heart, her temperature, and her blood pressure before pulling out the ultrasound machine. “You’re a little warm, my dear. Nothing too bad and it could definitely just be the pregnancy. But be sure you’re drinking plenty of water, okay?” 

The girl nodded as the doctor instructed her to lay down on the table. “Let’s open the middle of your gown so we can check that baby, hm? This is going to be a little cold.” He squeezed some gel on her belly and turned on the ultrasound machine, waiting a moment for it to power on before beginning to sweep the sensor over her abdomen. 

His chatty demeanor changed as he moved the device around and stared at the screen. His eyebrows lowered a little, causing Victor and the girl to become a little concerned. After a few moments he put down the sensor and turned back to the cabinets. “I’m going to take a little blood and run another pregnancy test, okay? It’s probably just too early to see anything on the ultrasound, but I want to be sure. You can put your clothes back on while I’m gone.” 

The girl’s heart sank, but she nodded wordlessly. She looked away as the crimson liquid filled the tube and was whisked away, and Victor reached out to take her hand. “Hey. If the first test was wrong, it’s okay. We can try again, hm? And then you can surprise me any way you like.” 

Victor helped her dress and held her hand until the doctor returned with a somber expression on his face. “I’m sorry, but I have some bad news. It seems like there was an error and your previous pregnancy test results were incorrect. You’re not pregnant and I didn’t find any sign of miscarriage, so it seems you never were. I’m so sorry.” 

The girl pulled on Victor’s hand and he stood, pulling her into his arms where she buried her face in his chest. “Thank you, doctor. Did you find any sign of what has been causing her fever, then?” 

“We did check for any bacterial infections in the remaining sample, but didn’t find anything. It’s most likely just a mild virus. Some rest, plenty of fluids, and everything should be fine in a few days. If not, give the nurse a call and we’ll get you back in for more tests.” The doctor seemed ready for a negative reaction to his news, but Victor remained quite calm while he held his trembling girlfriend against his body. 

“Very well. Thank you again.” Victor nodded to the doctor as he took his leave, allowing the two a few moments to compose themselves before they left. Victor kissed the top of the girl’s head and lifted her chin to look into her eyes. “Hey. Everything will be fine. Let’s get you home, and when you’re feeling better, we’ll try again.” He raised his eyebrows in a meaningful way and the girl giggled a little through her tears. Hand in hand they left the hospital, hearts heavy, but hope light. Just an excuse to spend some more time with each other, that’s what this was. Everything would surely work out.

[ash-and-books]

Rating: 5/5

Book Blurb:

The third and final installment in Nisha Sharma’s beloved Shakespeare-inspired rom-com trilogy—an ode to Twelfth Night—is the perfect friends to lovers romp featuring an accidental wedding, meddling families, and plenty of sizzling chemistry.

Veera Mathur has been through a lot in the past year. Both of her friends found soul mates, the man she fell in love with got engaged to another woman, and her father fired her before selling the family company. When her twin sister, Sana, tells her there is no way of getting her old life back, Veera feels lost at sea: a single, unemployed mess with a bad tattoo and tons of talent, but nowhere to go.

Deepak Datta hasn’t had the best luck either. To secure enough board votes for the CEO position at his family's company, Illyria Media, he’s ready to marry board member and famous beauty influencer, Olivia Gupta. That is until he wakes up to a get ready with me video announcing their separation. Despite his immediate relief, Deepak needs to do something fast to repair his image.

After a series of convenient mishaps bring them together again—including a literal shipwreck, way too many drinks, and a sunset elopement on the beach—Deepak and Veera realize their accidental wedding might be the solution to their career aspirations. Together, they plot against the very company that ruined their lives in the first place.

As they try to convince the world their friendship was a ruse for romance they’ve felt all along, the line between fake and real begins to blur. Now Veera and Deepak must ask themselves the terrifying question that has haunted them since the first time they met: will love ruin everything?

With her signature humor and heartfelt storytelling, Nisha Sharma writes a messy, spicy romance about identity, family honor, and love. In Marriage & Masti, readers are sure to love the highly anticipated finale of this beloved trilogy.

Review:

The last book in the Shakespeare inspired rom com trilogy featuring two best friends, one fake marriage, and a chance at falling in love! Veera has been through a lot in the last year: fired from her job, her best friends are both married now, and the guy she has a crush on is engaged to someone else... and to top it off her twin sister decides to tell her that she's opting out of their business plan right as they get off a boat accident and has lost both their wallets leaving them stranded without any cash.... and now Veera has to call the one guy she wanted to avoid to ask for help, the guy who broke her heart, Deepak. Deepak has only one goal in his life: to become the CEO to his family's business. He entered into an arranged marriage as a business deal to secure more votes to get him the seat on the board that he needed to get the CEO vote. Yet when his fiancee breaks up with him on the internet the only person he wants to talk to is Veera, his best friend and the only person who gets him... who suddenly asked for space. Yet when she calls asking for help Deepak is more than happy to get away from his PR nightmare of a breakup with his ex and see the one woman who makes him feel safe and happy. Yet when he arrives one thing leads to the next and suddenly they are drunkenly helping out at a wedding and perform a fake marriage ceremony that might actually be very real as they followed through with all the religious steps and now in the eyes of their community and religion are very much married. Deepak realizes one thing: he is very much in love with Veera and wants a real marriage with her and he can't believe all the time he's lost not seeing her... if only he could convince her that he means it and that their fake marriage isn't fake to him at all. Veera is determined to keep her space and doesn't want to open her heart to heartbreak again but Deepak is getting harder and harder to resist. With both their reputations and jobs on the line, their families scrutiny, and their hearts... can they find a way through this fake marriage? I absolutely adored this one, it's such a sweet read and I loved how down bad Deepak was for Veera. Its a really cute read and the spice was fun. The characters are enjoyable and I loved seeing the other characters from the previous books in this one. It's a delightful series and one I'd recommend for anyone who enjoys a great rom com!

Release Date: August 27,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager | Avon for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

[90sloverwithinsomnia]

Switch Rivals - Chapter 17/21

This is one of many archived fanfics featuring 1st and 2nd generation K-pop acts that I've come across recently. It's all in good fun, and maybe a bit cringeworthy! Just to clarify, I don't post fanfics, so I hope to the people that post and read K-pop fanfics makes sense. Credits go out to the original creator 90s_love.

*Note: Nothing in their post will change (unless necessary), other than being posted here, and the (Link) will be provided to the page that i found it on.

Characters:

Kim Jaeduck, An Seungho (Tony), Moon Heejoon, Jang Woohyuk, Ahn Chilhyun (Kangta), Lee Jaewon (H.O.T.), Eun Jiwon, Lee Jaijin, Kang Sunghoon, Ko Jiyong, Jang Suwon

Summary:

Tony hit his limit and plans something to get the remaining 4 Sechskies members in trouble.

Chapter 17: Suffering

On Sechskies' side, the rest of them never noticed anything strange about "Jaeduck" and Suwon. They thought that they were just hanging out without them. The following week, the CEO decided that they should do a charity concert.

"Why a concert so suddenly?" (Jiwon)

"It's a way to get more attraction than H.O.T. You want that, right?" (CEO)

"Well, yes." (Sunghoon)

Tony gulped. That didn't sound good. Not with the charity part but with the surpassing H.O.T part. That's going to be difficult. Then he has a plan. He and Suwon went to SM secretly to tell H.O.T about his plan.

"So, you want Jaeduck to go on stage?" (Heejun)

"Yes. On the last song, which will be 'Couple', they will see that they've been treating him badly." (Tony)

"Are you sure, Hyung?" (Jaeduck)

"I'm sure. It's going to be worth it." (Tony)

It was the day of the charity concert. Sechskies were performing and H.O.T were in disguise in the back of the audience seats. It was time for the plan. They went backstage and switched Tony and Jaeduck's clothes.

"Now it's time for the closing performance. Here is 'Couple'." (Jiwon)

Everyone cheered. It sounded like this is their favourite song. Jaeduck didn't hold onto a microphone because he didn't have any singing parts. As they were half way through performing, he broke down into tears and collapsed.

"Hyung!" Suwon went to him.

The others didn't notice anything and they went backstage to H.O.T. 

"I'm sorry. I couldn't help it." (Jaeduck)

"It's okay. It's all part of the plan." (Tony)

The song ended. Sechskies were expecting cheers but got backlash instead.

"Didn't you see Jaeduck oppa was suffering?!"

"What kind of people are you?!"

"Are you even friends?!"

There were all kinds of bad stuff said to them. Then they realized that "Jaeduck" and Suwon aren't here.

"When did they..." (Jiyong)

"I don't know." (Jaijin)

"So, getting them backlash was the plan?" (Woohyuk)

"Kind of but not exactly." (Tony)

They left the arena and went back to the house.

The merchant was working on the reverse potion and was ready.

"Are you two ready for this?" (Merchant)

"Yes."

"Now, it only lasts a few days so I don't know when you will switch again." (Merchant)

"It's alright. We get to be ourselves again." (Tony)

"Yeah..." (Jaeduck)

"You okay?" (Tony)

"Oh... Sure..." (Jaeduck)

"Okay then. Here goes nothing." (Merchant)

He throws the vial and a cloud of smoke appeared. After the smoke cleared, Tony and Jaeduck were back to their normal selves.

"It worked." (Tony)

"It did." (Jaeduck)

"Now things can be normal for a while." (Kangta)

"That's great, isn't it?" (Jaewon)

"Oh... Yeah... Sure." Jaeduck's voice was kind of shaky. Tony was worried that the plan might backfire on him.

The next day, the news of Jaeduck breaking down at the concert made headlines. "Sechskies' Kim Jaeduck collapsed at a concert. Only member Jang Suwon helped him up. Why didn't they others do so as well? Currently, Sechskies and the company are receiving tons of backlash for allegations of mistreatment."

"This was not part of the plan." (Tony)

"What was the plan?" (Heejun)

"The plan was to let them see that they're mistreating him. I didn't expect allegations would get involved." (Tony)

He didn't expect anything except Sechskies realizing their mistake. What's going to happen now?

[reagans-malewife]

Escape

Trigger/content warnings: (slight) alcohol abuse Relationships: Brett x ReaganA/N: written for day 1 of @breaganweekbabeee Prompt: Karaoke night Word count: 1,297 Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | Day 6 | Day 7

Summary: After their first week in their new positions, a night at the karaoke bar seems to be the perfect way for Brett and Reagan to unwind.

Also on Ao3!

Reagan’s first week as being CEO was a nightmare. Reagan couldn’t have described it any other way, and neither could Brett, apparently. After her first day, the newly-lone head of the team had stopped by her office to ask her out on a celebratory date, but one look around the room killed that idea. Instead, Brett spent the night towing out bags upon bags of trash from the office that Rand had left in utter disarray while Reagan worked all night on her machine for The Robes.

They ordered takeout and took a short break from their respective tasks to simply eat and enjoy one another’s company, but stayed nearly silent. There was a soft blanket of happiness between them that felt fragile, as if it’d shatter if either of them dared to bring up the stress from their first day in their new positions. Once he’d collected all the rubbish from around the room and wiped down any surface that he was able to, Brett found himself nodding off on the now-tattered couch- after a solid three layers of disinfectant spray, that is. Reagan passed out much later than him, slaving away on her project for The Robes well into the morning. 

The second day wasn’t much better. The whole gang had a mission that got them back to the office late, and left Brett utterly exhausted and with a stack of paperwork that he’d hate himself for in the morning. Reagan’s day seemed equally as bad. When he’d stopped by to check on her, he ended up scrubbing down the walls where Rand had spray painted some real conspiracy type stuff. That night, Reagan was out much earlier, and Brett had taken the liberty of bringing her home to her apartment which, technically, only she lived in. However, with the amount of time he spent there and how much of his wardrobe had migrated into her closet, Brett considered it home, too.

The rest of the week continued in a similar fashion, each day being just slightly easier, and ending just a little sooner with the residual exhaustion from the day before. It wasn’t until Friday that they were both adequately rested and at a decent stopping place in their work. When Brett came knocking on the door to Reagan’s office, he was greeted by his energetic girlfriend who, surprisingly, actually seemed ready to go. The room, though still a bit of a fixer-upper, was in a livable condition, and she seemed content with that for the week. It was then that Brett finally didn’t feel bad about asking her to spend a night out. “Hey Reags, the rest of the gang is going out to that karaoke bar tonight- I was wondering if you’d like to come with us?” It was the first conversation he’d had with her this week that wasn’t work related (with the exception of Reagan asking how his dogs were doing), and honestly, it was strange, but in the best way possible.

“Sure, why not?” She answered with a shrug. Reagan returned to her desk to grab her laptop and shut off the lamp before walking out the door, placing a kiss against Brett’s cheek when she passed him. He didn’t follow her, and when she turned back to check on him, his cheeks were lit up with a soft blush and he had that dreamy look in his eyes that she always loved to see. “Come on, loverboy,” she finally said, taking his hand to bring him back to reality.

When they arrived at the bar, drinks were the first thing on both of their minds. The rest of the team seemed shocked when Reagan and Brett went for gin and tonic and long island ice tea, respectively, rather than something light, at least to start. For Brett, he just needed to unwind, and Reagan? This was the first drink she’d touched all week, and every night had warranted drowning her troubles in booze. It didn’t take long for them to teeter on the blurry line between tipsiness and drunkenness, which was quite amusing for everyone, really.

“Reagaaaaaan,” Brett hummed, sprawling his upper body over the table in order to reach his girlfriend’s hands, “come sing with me.”

Reagan’s eyebrows raised as she simply looked at Brett in pure confusion, before bursting out in a fit of giggles. “C’mon. Me? Sing? You wish.” She dropped one of his hands in order to wave it ever so slightly. Her boyfriend, who had laughed along at first, was genuinely pouting now.

“But Reagan,” he whined, pulling out the puppy dog eyes. “Just listen. Glen’ll singing God Bless America… Again.” He wearily glanced at the stage, where a still-sober Glen stood. After giving a forced thumbs up, he looked back at Reagan with a strong frown. “Come on. I’t have to erase my memory if I have to listen to this one more time.”

She looked between him and the stage, before smiling faintly. “Fine. But it’s just so you don’t have to turn that pretty brain of yours to mush.”

His smile lit up again, but then a look of confusion washed over him. “Wait- what?”

“Don’t worry about it, sweet, sweet Brett. Just go,” she shooed him off towards the KJ to go save their spot. He was about halfway across the room when he realized that he’d never asked Reagan about the song, but he decided he was too far in to turn around and ask her now.

Of course, it came as a total surprise to her when the KJ announced, “And up now, we have Reagan and Brett singing Escape.” He passed Brett the microphone when Reagan seemed frozen still.

“What the hell?” She nearly hissed, to which Brett only gave a guilty look.

“I didn’t know what you wanted! But hey! It’s a good song!” He rushed, not wanting to miss the first words.

“You’ve listened to the lyrics, right? It’s not exactly romance mat-”

She was cut off by Brett awkwardly shoving the microphone in front of her to sing the first few lines.

When the chorus came, she passed the microphone to Brett, who enthusiastically belted out the words. Reagan just watched him, a fond smile forming when she saw how much he was enjoying it. She then glanced out to the small audience, most of them her co-workers, then back to her boyfriend. With a soft breath, she shut her eyes, dancing along with Brett during the instrumental. He continued the next verse, though Reagan was more than happy to take over at the chorus. Brett moved with the beat, eyes glued to her, full of awe. Come the next verse, they attempted to share the microphone, and by the chorus, they were absolutely rocking it.

“That you like pina coladas! And gettin' caught in the rain,” they sang together.

“And the feel of the ocean. And the taste of champagne.” Reagan glanced into Brett’s eyes. He was her whole world, and she was trying to let herself be okay with that again.

She could tell the absolute love and admiration he had for her as they sang, “If you like making love at midnight, in the dunes on the cape.”

It was when they sang, “you're the lady I've looked for. Come with me and escape,” that Brett finally looked back at her, his smile saying more than his words needed too.

He gently tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear when the final chorus came, the song not seeming to matter to him anymore. It didn’t matter to Reagan either. She placed her hands on his shoulders, and suddenly everything else seemed to fade away, including the cheering audience when she finally pulled him close enough for a kiss.

[aboutmikasa]

Seriously remove chat gpt from me 🤣🤣🤣 another fanfiction requested… this time I asked dialogue and it’s not the but it has more meat 🫣

No title this time… and one of her dialogues is super off… still, I’m making this AI a rivamika Stan! 🤣🤣🤣

————

Knocked up

Levi had always been a man who liked to keep to himself. He had a successful career as a CEO of his own company, but when it came to his personal life, he preferred to keep things simple. That is until he met her.

They had met at a bar, both looking for a night of fun and excitement. They had hit it off immediately, with sassy banter and flirtatious touches. The chemistry between them was undeniable, and they ended up in bed together.

The next morning, they both went their separate ways, not expecting to see each other again. But fate had other plans. A few weeks later, she found out that she was pregnant.

Levi couldn't believe it when she called him, telling him the news. He had never imagined himself as a father, let alone with a complete stranger. But as they talked more and more, he found himself liking the idea of having a baby with her.

They decided to meet in person, to discuss the next steps. The tension between them was palpable as they sat across from each other in a coffee shop.

"So, you're pregnant," Levi said, breaking the silence.

"Yep, I am," she replied, her tone sassy as ever.

"And you're sure it's mine?" he asked, not wanting to believe that it was possible.

"Unless you've been impregnating other women recently, then yes, it's definitely yours," she shot back, a smirk on her lips.

Levi couldn't help but chuckle at her sassiness. He had to admit, he was drawn to her confident attitude.

"I'm not ready to be a father," he said, finally admitting his fears.

"I'm not exactly thrilled about being a single mother either," she replied, her voice softening.

They talked for hours, discussing their options and figuring out how they could make things work. By the end of the conversation, they had made a decision.

They would try to make it work, for the sake of the baby. It wouldn't be easy, but they were both willing to put in the effort.

As the weeks went by, Levi found himself getting more and more excited about the idea of being a father. He even found himself looking forward to spending time with her, enjoying her sassy comebacks and her infectious laugh.

In the end, they found love in the most unexpected place, and their baby brought them together in ways they never thought possible. They may have started as strangers, but they ended up with a family, a love story that would last a lifetime.

[pcrsephonies]

— SETTING: Ramzi PR ; — AVAILABILITY: closed starter for XAVIER RAMZI | ( @melpomcne )

After having returned to a place she would now call home, Halime got everything ready for her next big move. She had spent a few weeks away from South Carolina both drawing strategies to increase YZC Inc's hold in the tech world, as well as lobbying in DC for different laws in terms of network security and data transaction, however, once everything was said and done the brunette didn't hesitate in jumping on a plane straight back to Charleston and then making the quick drive to Briar Ridge so she could spend the next weekend hiding from everything and everyone.

Well, that, and of course, she had a new plan she needed to set in motion, and in order for that to happen Halime needed this meeting on Wednesday afternoon to go perfect. So, she reviewed every law, every hiccup, and she chose her words carefully so there wouldn't be any comprehension problems, nothing that would keep her from reaching her goal in that company.

When Wednesday finally arrived, Halime put on her best executive clothes: a high-waisted pair of beige pants with a white buttoned blouse tucked in and a suit jacket of the same color as her pants, and to give it a nice, serious touch, instead of her usual pair of running shoes, Halime chose a pair of classic, caramel heels. She wore her hair up in a loosened ponytail, a strand of hair covering the hairband, making it look like it was her hair holding her waves up.

As per usual, her expertise and charisma were enough to win the room from the start, explaining her plans to Mr. Ramzi and being completely enthralled by her own objectives in building him a safer, more tight-knit system when it came to his clients' data; so much, that she only noticed that Xavier had joined them when the brunette stopped to answer some questions posed by the older man and CEO, which, of course, she easily answered them in the best way she could, ensuring that he received the information enough to secure this deal and make this an even more successful partnership.

Once the meeting was over, she took the elevator towards the highest floor, then took the stairs to the rooftop to watch over the city. Halime felt proud of what she had presented, and despite being asked to wait until Friday for a response, she was deadly confident about it.

The door opened, revealing Xavier in his perfectly tailored suit, his well-shaved beard, and his boyish grin. All she could think of at that moment was desperately wanting to kiss him the last time they were together.

And she found out, looking at him, that it hadn't changed.

"Long time no see, Ramzi." The petite brunette smiled, leaning onto the rail as she watched the sky begin to change its colors. Autumn had already started making the days last less. "Are you a sunset fan, too? Or are you just taking a break?"

[khalidplsstfu]

The succession finale ruined my life

The title of this essay is not an overstatement. Somehow, against all odds, three fictional nepotism babies have taken things from me over the course of one episode that have yet to return. In this essay, I will focus on that finale episode of the series.

The episode begins with audio from a news report detailing the current situation. Waystar Royco, a legacy company owned and built up by now deceased Logan Roy, is set to be purchased by GoJo, a company owned by eccentric billionaire Lukas Matsson. With this audio playing, we join Logan’s son Kendall as he heads to the office. Once there, he asks about an upcoming board meeting, which I always found fascinating on Succession. The crew’s work brings such gravitas and drama to something as mundane as a board meeting. It sometimes feels like whole seasons lead up to these characters just sitting together in a room. And the actors’ performances in these scenes are phenomenal. The way Kieran Culkin looks physically ill with fear as Logan berates him in S1 E6 feels like a mob movie, not a show about the wealthy elite.

But back to the episode at hand...

Kendall enters the office where his team waits with more bad news (Kendall getting his bubble popped is almost a cliche in this show). Kendall has lost the votes of two key parties needed to stop the acquisition of his father’s company.Starting the episode this way give the writers a chance to slyly tell us directly: “He doesn’t have it. We know you love this rich loser and want to see him succeed, but we promise, he doesn’t have it.” The audience ignores these warnings, just as Kendall ignores the staffer trying to give him a fair warning of impending doom. "I got this," he falsely assures the man who will likely be fired when, not if Kendall fails.

Then the entrance theme starts.

and then we join Lucas Matsson and Shiv Roy, Logan's daughter and Kendall’s sister has conspired with Matsson to assist in purchasing Waystar Royco so she can become CEO. Her desire for Matsson's approval likely connects to her need for validation from her now-deceased withholding father. As they scheme, the conversation turns to Shiv's husband Tom Wambsgans, who runs Waystar’s news organization, and his future role. Shiv advocates firing Tom, calling him a corporate bootlicker metaphorically and a “highly interchangeable modular part” literally. Moments later, Shiv gets a call and we have the first plot twist: the third Roy sibling has been found.

En route to convince her brother to take her side, Shiv calls Tom and shares updates, including on their crumbling marriage. Shiv seems open to rekindling things but doesn’t know how. Even expressing vulnerability, she speaks in the Roys’ calculated way. When she finally cracks and asks if Tom will have a real relationship with her, his ambivalent "I don't know" breaks her heart and mine.

When we rejoin Kendall, he is leaving cringey messages for his friend, unaware Roman has been found. Learning Roman’s location, both siblings head his way.

Roman Roy, the youngest sibling, is at their mother's house. Shiv arrives, then Kendall, and they are ready to rumble. After getting beaten up at a protest, Roman seems to have had an awakening. In his own weird way, he tells Kendall he wants out. He sees their corporate world as bullshit, Kendall as desperately trying to fill undeserved shoes, and doesn’t want to participate anymore. With messy hair and a t-shirt instead of a suit, chilling at mom’s house, his contrast to his polished siblings is subtle but loud. Kudos to him for being over it all.

I won’t delve too deeply into the great Tom and Greg relationship here, so back to the siblings sitting together. This time it’s closer to sibling chatter than rumbling. Roman expresses wishing he could help both, while Shiv is confident she’s on the winning team. She tells them not to make this a reason for her future kids to lose their uncles. “Take it like men,” she arrogantly says, “because I won.”

In the very next scene, we learn Shiv is “pulling a Kendall.” Tom attends a tense dinner with Matsson, feeling his head is on the chopping block. This was a masterclass in Tom Wambsgans. He kowtows completely to be the ultimate corporate tool, and what does it get him?

The fucking CEO job offer, right under Shiv’s nose.

This was the first moment I ever considered someone besides a Roy becoming CEO. Here, a small-town buffoon proves hungrier and more capable than those born for it, which absolutely gutted me. Some things should be sacred, like a man’s birthright. If Kendall or Roman can’t have it, at least Shiv would through cunning. That would be appalling yet understandable given the stakes. But imagining Kendall futilely resenting his father until death without achieving his life’s mission? We must imagine Sisyphus happy.

Remember that Tom-Greg dynamic? Tom brought Greg, who sneakily got intel on Matsson snubbing Shiv using a translation app, then reported it to Kendall at the family dinner table. Before the bombshell, Greg nervously asks Kendall from the bathroom:

“Can you guys win?”

Kendall swiftly springs into action upon learning Matsson is trying to screw over Shiv, who doubts it initially then realizes it's true. Suddenly, the Roys unite like Voltron, full of fire and brimstone to stop the company sale through calls and plots. Cue “The Boys Are Back in Town”

In the next scenes, we get some of the finest family relationship development i've ever seen in media, as the Roys actually bond and enjoy each other’s company for once, like a real family. From preparing a “Meal Fit for a King” to conversing with their mother, this new dynamic humanized them. They depart as a cohesive Roy Voltron.

First stop is getting cherished items from Logan’s possessions, where we see the conclusion of Connor’s storyline. His prostitute wife very likely used him for money, and they’re splitting after a two-week marriage. RIP Connor. As they sort through Logan’s things, they share a somber moment watching home videos and silently grieving together, a surprisingly human moment. Afterward, Tom drops the bomb on Shiv about being offered CEO. Shiv reacts typically, calling Tom an “empty suit” with the man himself mere feet away. The hurt on both their faces is palpable.

The battle lines are drawn with 20 minutes left in the finale.

For context, when I started Succession, I assumed I knew how it would go. Kendall Roy would rightfully become CEO after learning tough lessons. I related to him, so when he humbly asked his siblings’ blessing before taking his father’s seat, it felt real.

Much happens in these gripping final minutes that I won’t delve into here. Please watch the brilliant finale and podcast for the full emotional weight. We fast forward to the pivotal board meeting and shareholder vote.

Kendall confidently walks in ready to claim his birthright, all charm and politics. After pleasantries, he demands that approving the deal requires firing him first. He pushes for an immediate vote, and quick no’s sound off until Shiv’s turn, when she walks out. When questioned by her bewildered brothers, she utters Kendall’s worst fear:

“Uh, I might’ve changed my mind.”

“What the fuck?” Kendall replies.

In the last 15 minutes, I watched my favorite fictional family implode. From rehashing past wounds to Kendall lying about a big secret to the childish fighting, this was clearly the point of no return that severs the family indefinitely.

In the end, they sell the company. Tom assumes the CEO role. Kendall grapples with suicide by a river. Roman grabs a drink at a bar. Shiv becomes a CEO’s wife. Nobody got what they wanted except the corporate yes-man. And yet...

Seven stars on the high-speed scale for this devastating finale.

[danganronpasurvivoraskblog]

Want for Justice.

Thanks for contacting me so quickly.

Well, we didn’t really contact you. We gathered everyone here, told them the situation and then just...waited.

Yeah, we were ready for you this time.

Good, good. I take it that means you’ve had a look at my big contract then, huh?

...

...

...

By now everyone should be aware of the situation. So, I gotta ask...How we all feeling?

Honestly...?

REALLY CONFUSED! What is going on!?

Hahaha...Yep, that’s about the reaction I expected.

I just think it’s some freakish coincidence. Komaru, Toko and Akeru came to the states to meet Yodogawa in the first place...

It was to meet with him and discuss that we had taken custody of Akeru but...I never imagined it’d be like this.

Let me get this straight 404...Seishi Yodogawa. HE’S who you want to go after?

Believe me...If I had the choice, I’d love to do SO much more than that. Problem is, given the CEO’s circumstances, that’s more than a little difficult.

What do you mean?

Seishi Yodagawa and Emilia Feng share one thing in common. Neither have made a public appearance in many ages. Yodogawa’s last was 3 years ago.

Ever since his company developed that fancy-schmancy hologram tech, all of his public appearances have been made using it.

And obviously, I can’t attack a hologram. So I’ve been trying to track him down. 

What do we know about Seishi Yodogawa so far?

Not an awful lot that really stands out. In Japan, he was born to a pretty wealthy family, and started his career as a Mystery Novel Author. He even attended Precepts Peak Academy because of his skill.

But then later on, he had a very drastic career change. He got more into modern technology, and eventually went on to found LegionTech.

Assuming that he is Akeru’s father, that interest in tech likely came from Shinitani Yozora, or some other source.

...

But I still don’t understand whatever this mission of yours is. Are you absolutely sure that this is the right guy?

I agree. You’re making some pretty major threats here 404.

He’s the CEO of a multimillion dollar company, so yes, he’s obviously got SOME things he would like to hide from the public...But what could he be hiding that would make him a target for ERR0RM3SS4GE?

The way I see it, Yodogawa’s a good guy. He’s even got a good sense of humor from the way Makoto described it.

Not to mention his inventions are changing the world. His innovations in AI, the hologram technology, the creation of Noxus...

Yeah, exactly. So? What terrible terrible thing could he have done? Is he dodging taxes? Funding fascists?

...

...404?

Let me put it this way...What you’ve said about Yodogawa is correct, and that he’s a nice guy but...Yodogawa isn’t really my true target.

Huh?

What?

What the hell are you talking about!? Why would you give Boss and co. tickets to see Yodogawa if he wasn’t the target?

Unfortunately, telling you the truth of the situation is a bad move for several reasons. I doubt you’d believe me, and even if you did, the truth would be far too overwhelming at this point.

Then what do you propose?

Hm...I think it’s better if I SHOW you.

Show us? Wait...how?

Remember how I said that I’d been trying to track Yodogawa down? I haven’t had much luck. LegionTech’s security is run on the same AI program that most of their tech is. Because of that, it analyses my movements and predicts my next action if I try to get into the mainframe, immediately coming up with a solution to stop me. It’s like I’m in a hacking battle against 10 other real people.

Is the AI really that advanced?

If only Chihiro were here. I imagine he’d be impressed. Then again, since Chihiro is the Ultimate Programmer, he could probably do it and better.

I’m sure he could. But the point is, even though I wasn’t able to locate my target himself, I found his home in Manhattan. 

Ok? So...what’s the plan?

I’ll be blunt...I need you to break into Yodogawa’s home.

Huh!?

WHAT!? Break in!?

Don’t worry. The building itself doesn’t have the tightest security. There are no guards and really only a door alarm, which I easily disabled. All you’ll have to do is walk up to the gate, get over it and go inside. I’ve actually already done it myself.

And if Yodogawa catches us?

Didn’t you just hear him? 404 hasn’t been able to locate Yodogawa. If he’d been at home, he would have by now.

True. Yodogawa is never home. I’ve staked his house out for 168 hours straight and I got nothing.

So he doesn’t come home the entire week...I guess that’s reasonably good chances.

But why are we breaking into Seishi’s property in the first place?

...Because the things you’ll see in that hellhole...Oooh boy.

404? That sounds really ominous, wh-what are you talking about...?

I know how it sounds...Then how about this? I’ll give you a little bit of a motivation boost.

And what do you mean by THAT?

Let’s just say that if you do this, then you can discard this laptop or put it back where you found it. The next time we meet, it will be in person. With my REAL face.

*The screen goes black

...

He disconnected.

You really think he’s gonna go through with that?

Whether 404 keeps his promise on that front or not is the least of our worries.

Ok. So, are we doing this?

I’ll admit, my curiosity is piqued. Yodogawa certainly doesn’t seem dangerous, but 404 is set on thinking he is.

While I don’t really trust either party, it wouldn’t hurt us to at least check to see if he’s right.

So we’re breaking into Yodogawa’s house after all?

Looks like we’ll need your help again, Four and Maya.

Sure thing. But I think if this info is important, it’s best that at least some of you come with us.

Actually, I have something for this situation. We can connect it to the laptop while we still have it.

What is it?

*Four takes a box out of her pocket and shows it to the group.

It’s a special device that we were able to swipe from Fang Inc a short while ago after all their special tech started getting transferred out of the company. It’s a small camera you hang over your ear.

It processes a live feed to any monitor it’s connected to, so you can see and hear whatever’s going on.

Maya and I can bring up the rear, but it would be far more ideal if only one person were to head inside. That way, the rest of the group can run in for backup if something goes wrong.

Meanwhile, we can hang hear and watch the proceedings on the laptop. Good plan.

But that means we’ll need to assign someone the mission, right? Who’s gonna be our fall guy?

Not me pal. I’ve had enough Black Ops to last me a while. I’m much more suited to loud, explosive violence.

If things go badly, we’ll need an out. This could very quickly turn from a stealth mission to a rescue mission if we’re not careful. So we must be discreet. I suggest that I-

I’LL do it!

!!?

!!?

!!?

!!?

!!?

!!?

!!?

!!?

!!?

*Akeru’s sudden exclamation makes everyone widen their eyes at her.

You want discreet? You want stealth? Pick me! Let me handle it!

A-Are you sure...!?

Akeru, you can’t! This is dangerous!

I agree. You’d be all by yourself in enemy territory.

404 said there was little to no security, so why so nervous? Plus, it’s not like I can’t make my way around whatever comes my way.

And if something comes that you’re not prepared for? Like Mr Kuma for instance?

...I like those odds just fine.

Akeru!

I want you all to know this. This ISN’T a request!

Huh...!?

I WILL go...I MUST go...

You can’t-

BOSS!

!!?

I get that she’s your niece, but she KNOWS what she’s doing. Plus, you heard her. Her mind’s set.

It is.

Besides, it’s none of your business. You don’t tell her what to do; leave it to her PARENTS!

Akeru...

...

*She turns to Toko and Komaru.

Ground me, cut off my pocket money, do whatever it is you think is acceptable...But if you tell me I can’t do this, or that I should hold back, then I’m about to have a teenage rebellion!

...

...

Actually...I was going to tell you to think fast and kick ass and go do this thing.

...Oh...Really?

I’m not sure about this. Last time I asked you to steal something for me, you got captured.

But you rescued me. Not just from Osone, but from the past I was running from. And from the loneliness I felt after what Osone did.

I know...And I’ll do it as many times as I need to.

I won’t stop you Akeru, because I know exactly why you’re so serious about this. But I need to ask you this.

What will you do if you find out Yodogawa really is your father?

...

It depends.

Does it now?

If he’s not the man 404 thinks he is...Then I’ll do what we came here to do. I’ll reconcile with him and...explain how great my life is now that you two are my parents.

But if he’s the nasty criminal 404 makes him out to be, I’ll do what I have to...I’ll deal him SWIFT JUSTICE!

Atta girl.

*Komaru turns to Makoto and the others.

Let Akeru do it. There’s no better choice.

*sigh* After hearing that, I can barely argue.

In that case, we’re counting on you kid.

YESSS!

[masqsims4]

Aftermath of War

With many ruling figureheads suddenly taken from us by the Mother Plant, the world is left to pick up the pieces. Here is what has been reported so far:

Evergreen Harbor

In a shocking turn of events, heiress Giuliana Maximus willed over the company and ruling position of CEO to her brother in law, Lord Xzav Maximus, and his wife, Dr. Clementia Bongrin-Maximus. The Council of Kings has recognized this decision and will welcome the new king and queen at the next world summit.

Henford-On-Bagley

In a strange and sudden twist, the peaceful farmlands of Henford again find themselves owned by a King. While valiant horse back riders joined the war effort, land owner and home broker Blair Yoshikawa presented his proof of ownership of many prominent farms and properties through the area and declared them his kingdom. He is backed by his fiancé, war hero Arana Hakzar, the former candidate for the Seindu Royal Guard.

While the people of Henford have strangely accepted the proposal, the Council of Kings refuses. Topics of how one becomes King of a new land will be a topic at the next world summit.

Willow Creek

With army captain Aera Braieforma victoriously returning from the Invasion, having dealt the final blow, the kingdom celebrates their new hero. Aera Braieforma, a princess of the Braieforma Alliance, announced that while victory was to be celebrated, the loses were many and the willing participating was very few. She petitioned today to draft citizens into defense courses or military training to boost chances of survival for the next Invasion. Queen Samantha Braieforma struck the motion down immediately.

Oasis Springs

Faltal Industries introduced servo soldiers to the battle to reduce living casualties in Invasions. However, eighty six percent of the autonomic forces were wiped out in battle. It remains to be seen if the servo will be necessary in further military actions.

New Windenburg/New Sixam Empire

With the death of Prince Yan Beerloith, the last level head in the schism of the Empire, Windenburg has succeeded in separating itself into two countries. The council of Kings feels it has no choice but to include the Kings of both territories into its ranks and work out a peaceful solution before any more fighting can break out.

Again, the Council of Kings will discuss how one becomes a King of a new land in the next world summit.

In the New Sixam Empire, King Kolt "Caesar" Seindu V announced a replacement of heirs to the throne. With the Second Queen Aroganta Faltal-Beerloith, twin boys with no trace of the Royal Condition were born, and the movement was made to change previous heirs. The first born boy, Crown Prince Kolt "Crown" Seindu VI, was stripped of his title and duties in favor of his younger brothers, and the First Queen Catalea Seindu-Beerloith was sent to another property of the Crumbling Isle to care for the growing population of children.

Sulani

The Island Divine mourns the death of its highest figurehead, Divine Luca Kani, who was involved in talks of restructuring the cult into a respectable society. Taking control of the Island Divine is the growing radicle member Kiraseindu Megumi, who has declared the Island Divine a ruling power. Previous members of the Divine are beginning to abandon the movement and flee the islands. It is possible that the Island Divine is crumbling and taking the local government structure with it.

Glimmerbrook

The WhiteTree Coven mourns the death of its High Witch, Samara WhiteTree, who passed before her daughter could begin ascension. Former High Witch Rhomari WhiteTree, in an unprecedented move, took back position as a regent until her granddaughter and heiress, High Apprentice Celeste WhiteTree, is ready to begin her training.

The former High Witch has also made a statement that Jewelry Casting, created by Lady Freya Bongrin, is not recognized as a form of magic and witchcraft the WhiteTree practices. Lady Freya Bongrin could not be found for retort.

Brindleton Bay

As the kingdom mourns the death of King Emmett Braieforma-Seindu, Dowager Queen Winter Zilvu-Beerloith-Seindu formerly announced her decision to have her first born son, Crown Prince Ari Seindu, become the King within the year, once the regency is over.

Queen-regent Nifsara La Croy could not be reached for comment.

[ecodweeb]

Austin Goes Electric: Orlando Bloom rode my Energica at Circuit of the Americas

It’s not every day that you get invited to a MotoGP race and have a celebrity take your bike for a spirited parade lap!

So I am sitting at my desk working away, getting ready for my first work-related travel for my first customer deployment of charging equipment, when my friend Rick (from Orlando) pings me and asks what I’m doing October 1-3 and I told him I’d be getting ready to go to Jacksonville, FL for work. He tells me that Stefano, the US CEO of Energica, is trying to find customers who will lend the company their bikes for a parade lap during the MotoGP race at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. He said that if I could meet them in north FL, they could trailer my bike and I could ride in their van (which is converted into a camper and has room for their two Energica Ribelles). I said let me talk with my boss...

I hadn’t even been with the company a month yet, but given that my boss is a race fan and another team member is a motorcyclist himself... they told me to go and to use that unlimited PTO. So without hesitation, I told Rick that I was in and texted Stefano to tell him I looked forward to meeting him in person finally, and began to figure out how I was going to get down there.

First, I needed new bags to hold everything. I had work gear, clothes, and other supplies that had to travel with me on two wheels. I found a good sized bag at Cycle Gear that was on sale. I was able to get it to latch onto the back of my bike seat, and I’d take my IKEA backpack as well (the one that I bought with my Energica EVA when I went to IKEA back in 2019).

This pack was huge, and it was going to create problems for me down the road -- but I was too excited about this amazing adventure to care. Next up, I needed to determine my route. I hit up my buddy Austin who lives in Columbia, SC and he said I could crash on his sofa so I could break the ride from Raleigh, NC to Lake City, FL up into two days. So I’d leave Tuesday the 28th from my home and ride down to Cacye, SC (about 230mi). I would be stopping in Moncure, NC and Wadesboro, NC and then topping off in Lugoff, SC at a Chevy dealership before I’d make it to Austin’s home (where I would overnight charge on his Level 2 charger). From here I’d head down to Augusta GA, Dublin GA, Tifton GA, Valdosta GA, and finally arrive in Lake City FL to meet up with Rick and his wife Sabrina -- about 400mi total. 

I left the house at 4pm and arrived at my first charging stop in Moncure at 4:46. I like this stop because it’s at a mini mart with a kitchen/cafe and a picnic table. While charging, I took a half hour work-related call and then saddled up to head to Wadesboro.

I arrived at Wadesboro (this location is no longer in existence) around 7:15pm. This charger is at an Electric Member Cooperative (EMC) office, and there is nothing within walking distance of this place. After charging, I headed off to Lugoff Chevrolet - my last stop before I’d get some much desired sleep.

I arrived in Lugoff just before 10pm. This charge was free, and I’m really thankful that they leave the DC charger out in the open like this and don’t power it off at night. I didn’t stay here long, I was only 30-ish miles from Austin’s house. I remember that we chatted a little bit when I arrived (I don’t remember the time). I told Austin he needed to go to bed because he gets up at like 4am to go to work, and I needed to get some rest myself. I made myself at home on his sofa and fell fast asleep.

The next morning I departed Austin’s house with a full charge and rode 74mi down to Augusta -- but not before stopping at a Waffle House for a steak and eggs breakfast!

I arrived at the Kroger in Augusta at 10am and started my charge then headed over to the Great Clips to get a haircut. With the sides of my head shaved, and some water procured from the Kroger, I set off for Dublin - where I’d be eating lunch.

I got to Dublin just before 2pm. This Georgia Power ChargePoint charging station is located at a Burger King, which meant it was ChaKing Chicken Sandwich time. I do like their chicken sandwiches. After eating and charging, it was off to Tifton.

In Tifton I completely repacked all my bags and moved the big bag to the tank. This made things a lot easier on me, especially since I’d taken most of the heavy stuff out of my backpack so that my back would stop hurting. After laying out in the grassy field (this station is actually in a hotel parking lot), I headed off to Valdosta -- the last needed charge stop before the rendezvous with Rick and Sabrina.

Valdosta was a trouble stop -- it took two or three attempts to get the charger to work, and the bike was very hot and reduced its charging speed to a max of 9kW. After getting enough juice to make it the home stretch, it was off to Lake city!

I arrived at Lake City sometime after 10pm, Rick and Sabrina showed up with their van and trailer about 10:30pm. We loaded my bike up then pulled across the street to a motel to rest for the night. What a good sleep that was!

Thursday we drove from Florida to Texas. I don’t remember where we stopped to sleep, but I remember we made it to Texas. The next morning we headed out early and arrive at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin sometime in the 10am hour.

Now the confusion starts. We had to take COVID tests and get our badges, and the tests had to come back before the events started on Saturday or we wouldn’t be allowed in the paddock. It took several calls and driving around the exceptionally large race track before we finally found Stefano and Chris Paz from Energica who escorted us to the place to get our COVID tests and badges. 

Chris and Stefano had brought a bike from the local dealer, and another customer’s bike to the paddock already. We unloaded our bikes and left them for the event the next day. We went to our hotel and decompressed for a bit while we wanted for Livia (Energica CEO) and Giampiero’s (Energica CTO) plane to land. Once they touched down, we all coordinated meeting up for dinner at Cooper’s Old Time BBQ.

It’s not every day you get to eat dinner with the CEO of a motorcycle company, and Livia is the sweetest person on earth. It was so much fun to talk with her about life, motorcycles, electrification, and the differences between Italian riders and American riders -- notably the difference in listening to music or podcasts while riding. I also found out that it was Livia who insisted the Energica bikes have a reverse function -- a key feature that made me want one.

Livia and  Giampiero were naturally exhausted and ready to retire for the night after our delicious BBQ dinner. We all said our goodbyes and headed back to our respective hotels for some shut eye.

The next morning we headed to the track around 10am. Today was the big day where our bikes were going do their parade lap. Now, there was even more confusion about who was riding the bikes. Up until we got to the track on Saturday, we thought that we were going to be the riders. But once we arrived on scene, we were given some forms to sign and told that celebrities will be riding our bikes around the track. Well, that’s cool. Who are they?

There were several European influencers - they gravitated to my bike for reasons unknown (one guy said it was the most upright and familiar riding position to him), and they proceeded to do wheelies and all sorts of stunts. Livia could tell we were all a tad concerned, especially since one of the shorter guys nearly dropped my bike not once but twice -- both times people standing next to him grabbing it to prevent it from going down. Livia assured us that if anything happened to our bikes that she’d make it right. These were not all the celebrities, we were then told that a former MotoGP winner (Kevin Schwantz) and a movie star were going to be taking part in the parade lap.

Some time later, Livia walked up to me and took my hands. She told me that Mr. Orlando Bloom (yes, Legolas from Lord of the Rings) has chosen to ride my motorcycle. Now, earlier I’d joked that the movie star would choose my bike because it was the only blue bike -- all the others were some combination of grey, black, and red. Well Livia tells me “Mr. Bloom is a bit superstitious and will not ride a red bike, and your bike is the only on that’s not red.” She again assured me should anything happen, they’d make things right. I was never a huge Lord of the Rings fan, but I knew he was in that franchise. I really didn’t know anything else he had been in, so I started Googling and it turns out he’s quite the avid rider.

At some point we moved closer to the track to watch the race. Then the race paused and people came out with helmets and told us it was time to move. We threw on our helmets -- mine was far too small for my head -- and jumped on our bikes and followed a golf cart around the paddock and onto the track. Mr. Bloom was front of the pack, so I rolled right up to the front to hand my bike off to him.

Mr. Bloom is a very, very soft spoken and sweet guy. He asked me if the bike was set to medium regen, and I said yes -- and asked if he’d ridden one of these before and he said “once or twice” and I could see the smirk on his face despite the helmet. He clearly knew the bike controls because he left in Traction Control Level 6 and came back in Traction Control Level 2. My battery had lost 20% of its state of charge and estimated I could go 29 miles on 69%.

Mr. Bloom took my bike around for an additional lap -- something that I don’t think he was supposed to do, but he was having way too much fun. After he came off the track, a swarm of media and cameras rushed him. We were told to stay behind the film crew until we were told otherwise, so that’s what I did. During this interview process all the riders signed the motorcycles.

We did not know that they were going to do this, and not everyone was thrilled to know that their bikes were going to get Sharpie autographs. But I was thrilled to have Orlando Bloom’s signature!

Chris Paz said he’d send me a new center insert so I could preserve the original signature, which was super cool of him. After the event, we went to an after party at the local Powersports dealer that carries Energica. It was a complete mad house there. I don’t know that anyone else from our group made it to the event, and we had parked the Van in such a spot that we had to wait for everyone to leave before we could go. Honestly, things are a blur this far out from when it happened that I don’t even remember what we ate for dinner.

Sunday was the official race, but our passes didn’t allow us into the paddock. We were allowed restricted access to a viewing area, and the event provided a catered lunch for us. After lunch, Rick said we should go find a sports bar where we can watch the race and drink beer. So we (he, me, Sabrina) all loaded up into the Sprinter van and headed out to find a watering hole. We found one, but we had trouble watching the race. Eventually we wandered back to the track to load up our bikes and later we had dinner with Livia and crew. Rick and Sabrina wanted to call it an early night since we had to get on the road the next day, but I wanted to stay out a little longer. I had them drop me off at a gay bar that happened to be hosting a Karaoke night. I ended up singing Little Red Rodeo before taking an Uber back to the hotel, and drinking a lot of pineapple something something holy shit I’m drunk goodness.

Monday was a marathon drive back east. I forget where we stopped for the night, but I remember we had Hibachi for dinner. Tuesday we finished driving back to Orlando, unloaded the bikes, and I did some errands before packing up my stuff and calling it a night.

Early -- like 5am -- the next day I woke up and saddled up to head north to Jacksonville for work. I stopped and charged at a Harley dealer in Ormond Beach, and topped off at the Harley dealer outside Jacksonville. I arrived and attempted to check into my hotel, but I was too early. My boss let me store my stuff in his room, and we piled into the rental to head to our job site. I told all the stories here, and more, to my boss and coworker. Oh, and before I forget here is an official MotoGP video of Orlando Bloom’s ride (and you can see me in it in a couple spots). I can’t embed the video because Dorna Sports prevents it -- boo. I also was interviewed and you can see that interview at 5:47 in the video below.

[biaswreckmepls]

Echo Chorus

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12635313/chapters/28790823

Author: smiles

Rating: Teen and Up Audiences

Relationships: Min Yoongi/KIm Seokjin

Status: Completed

Chapters: 6/6 (95746 words)

Tags: Persuasion AU, Idol AU, Producer AU, Break Up AU

Summary:

Persuasion AU. Five years ago, Seokjin was persuaded to break up with the only man he has loved, brilliant producer and adoring boyfriend Min Yoongi. Now, just as Seokjin's record company is failing, Yoongi returns, cold and seemingly indifferent. As they continue to circle around each other and navigate the idol world, Seokjin must determine his future, and if Yoongi has a place in it.

AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12635313/chapters/28790823