#then like. 3-4 days is not unreasonable to imagine….

[latinokaeya-moving]

i’m trying to figure out the theoretical journey to take from sumeru to get to mondstadt based on random estimates/reasonable assumptions and i’ve come to the conclusion that if you were travelling by land then there’s no way you would be getting there in anything less than a week’s time

[citrustan]

for what it's worth [3/4] (jjk)

pairing: jeon jungkook x reader

genre: angst, fluff, light smut, college student!reader x crush!jungkook

summary: you make an awful revelation about your crush of two years.

word count: 3.8k

warnings: some bitchiness (or like justice? idk it's up to you really)

note: yes. there is a chapter 4 because i'm not ready to let go of this just yet. and a thank you.

1 - 2 - 3 - 4

Two weeks passed by and you and Jia pretended as if absolutely nothing happened. It was simply the quiet before the storm.

Your days seemed to blend into nights, you felt yourself slipping into a bad place mentally. Always feeling distant and fatigued.

The emotional turmoil of having your trust broken and your privacy invaded caused you to miss out on much needed sleep.

While on the outside, everything seemed pretty much the usual except for a few painfully obvious differences.

You had stopped (publicly) obsessing over Jungkook, and it initially invited a lot of concern from Yoongi and Namjoon. But they didn’t push you too much when you blatantly ignored their questions about him. You also avoided Jia as much as you could. She didn’t seem to have noticed.

Despite your crush on Jungkook, you had come to accept the boundaries of your non-friendship with him and the fact that he was deeply committed to Jia.

You had no intention of causing any harm to their relationship, as you had already shared your support with Jungkook for their secret.

It was difficult to not think of them. It often made you break into tears of anger and frustration. You had to mourn your loss.

Every night, thoughts of Jungkook would continue to consume you. You’d still imagine him to be yours. Images of him smiling at you and his voice calling you cute would linger in your mind.

It’s just pretend. There’s no harm in it.

You knew that Jia had described you as a ‘creep’ to Jungkook, but the label bothered you. You were not a creep, and you wanted to understand why Jia had portrayed you that way. No matter what you came up with in your head, nothing was a good enough reason to call you such a gross name. Sure, she hadn’t revealed to Jungkook your identity but that baffled you more.

Also, had Jungkook never wondered about this ‘creep’?

Too many things kept you up at night and you couldn’t stand being on the other side of the truth. You could no longer afford to let these things bother you. You were too fucking old for this shit.

With the final week before your course evaluations being right around the corner, you had subconsciously come to some harsh unanimous decisions. They weren’t impulsive or unreasonable. You really had thought this through. These decisions may be a risky, or bitchy, or just as sneaky as Jia was, but they’d still be within reason.

He needed to know the truth about you, Jia, and what she told him.

You wanted to tell Jia that you knew about them. It probably wasn’t going to come out of Jungkook, so it had to be you.

Why must you continue to suffer?

You didn’t want to wait around and anticipate Jia’s next move.

You’re not the type of person who sits around and ignores things like these. You had held it in for a while now.

You understood that your actions would have consequences and you were more than ready to face them. You hoped.

While you pretended nothing ever happened, Jia and you saw way less of each other.

You could count the times you interacted, or even passed by, or saw each other over the weeks on one hand.

Still, every time you’d think about your interaction with Jungkook, you were reminded of Jia too. Him and Jia. You couldn't help but notice his annoyingly deep feelings for Jia. He was so… considerate of her. It probably is just the bare minimum but it doesn’t matter. You could tell he was a great boyfriend to her. No wonder she kept him hidden.

Sometimes, it felt so wrong and scandalous to fantasize about the man. Maybe it even is so. But you weren’t just infatuated with Jungkook. You really liked him. Emotions like these don’t disappear overnight.

You longed to be loved and held by him too.

The campus shuttle came to an abrupt halt, indicating that it was the last stop. You had missed yours.

*

As the semester continued, Jungkook found himself missing the moments he had shared with you before everything became so complicated. Jia completely stopped mentioning you. Whenever he’d ask, she’d pout and demand his attention to be back on her. While he’d give into her, you still remained in the back of his mind.

It was late in the evening, and Jungkook had decided to take a break from his hectic study schedule, opting to go for a walk around his dorm on campus.

As he neared the drop-off point for the shuttle, he couldn't help but think about you, remembering the first time you had met at a bus stand.

He stood there, lost in thought, when he suddenly saw a figure leaning against the street light.

An involuntary smile crossed his face as he couldn't believe the coincidence.

"_____, is that you?" Jungkook called out, waving to get your attention. He jogs to where you now stood upright.

You turned towards him, your eyes widening in surprise as you recognized him. "Jungkook? What are you doing here?"

He chuckled and motioned to the bus station. "Well, it seems like the bus stands are our special spot. I thought I'd take a break and enjoy the nostalgia."

You let out a mix of a sigh and an awkward laugh, feeling a mixture of nostalgia and uncertainty. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

Jungkook nodded, and he noticed the hesitation in your eyes. "Would you like to grab some dinner? We can catch up?"

You were caught off-guard.

"Right now? It's not late enough for dinner." You attempt to find an excuse.

"Sure it is. There's a new Chinese fusion restaurant right off the road outside." Jungkook urged.

"Fusion? What is it fused with?" You wondered.

Jungkook paused. "I... Actually don't know. Want to find out?" He smiled, invitingly.

Not used to the attention he was giving you just now, you found it difficult to tell him 'no'.

Especially when you really wanted to 'catch up' with him.

So, you reluctantly agreed, and the two of you were headed to the nearby restaurant.

Jungkook smiled back at you as he led the way, "Do you want me to hold your hand? It looks heavy."

WHAT?

Your mouth slightly parted open.

Oh, my god? What was his deal?

You're malfunctioning.

"No. I'd rather not..." You hesitantly refuse. Jungkook slows down to let to catch up to him. "Are you sure? You look like you've been carrying that around for a while. And, I really wouldn't mind it."

More confused than ever, "Well, it is attached to me. I'm okay."

"Well, un-attach it! I'll hold it for you." Jungkook's hands graze your shoulder.

Your brows furrow. Finally, you just ask him. "What?"

"Let me hold your bag. Unbuckle, un-attach, relax." Jungkook blabbered as he switched positions to walk behind you, gently taking your backpack off your shoulders.

Oh.

Oh, no. Did you really think he was asking to hold your hand? Really now?

You big dummy with a capital 'D'.

You sigh. "Okay. Thanks, but let me just-" You cut yourself off by unzipping your backpack and pulling out a white sweater with pearls for buttons.

The two of you pause mid-way so you can comfortably wear your sweater. The temperature was dropping my the hour.

Although you don't have your matching mittens and earmuffs, it should be fine.

"That's pretty, _____." Jungkook complimented you.

"Where'd you get that?" He asked, thinking about how much Jia would like this kind of clothing.

You shyly blush and look down at your glossy, red pointed toe heels, "Thanks. I made it myself with the yarn my mother spun for me."

Jungkook looked genuinely impressed. "No way. That's got to be worth a lot then."

You stared up at him with big eyes. Nobody had ever said such sweet things to you.

(That's a lie. Your other friends have always praised your clothes and outfits. But this is different, so it's ok!)

You wordlessly, softly smile at him. Jungkook stares back at you.

Suddenly, his expression changes. His eyes grow big and his mouth forms a smile, "Ah! Could I commission you to make something just like that for Jia? She loves stuff like that!"

And just like that, your heart shattered. Again.

Your kind smile turned into a forced one. "Maybe if I have time."

You noted that he didn't demand or suggest you to make a sweater for Jia, but rather requested it and offered to compensate for it. That just tells you more about how considerate and present he is.

Every time you've talked to people about your handmade clothes, they'd beg you to make them one or jokingly ask about it so that if you do end up making something for them, they wouldn't have to pay you for your efforts. This doesn't include your friends, obviously. And, even if your friends were to act this way, you'd gladly gift them your handiwork.

Well, even though he's somewhat of a stranger to you, if Jungkook ever asked you for something, you'd probably just do it for him too. No questions asked.

Jungkook asked you about your day and your classes. And, you him.

As you were walking on the snow covered sidewalk, you mentally cuss yourself out for picking these shoes. Not only were your feet partially frozen and numb, but also you were ruining very expensive shoes.

"Oh! Puddle, watch out." Jungkook swiftly skipped over a puddle of water that horizontally covered a significant portion of the walkway from one end to the other.

You watched him regain his footing and turn back to you.

Does he expect you to leap like that? Your legs aren't as long as his! But, you don't gave a choice.

You can't step in it, it could very well be a hole of icy water. That'd be risking a potential amputation.

You can't walk around it because there's nowhere to go. And, you can't switch to walking on the road because, well it's dangerous, and there's a metal partition placed specifically to avoid mixing people on wheels and people on foot.

Jungkook puts his hand out for you to grab.

"Just put one foot out to this side and I'll pull you up. Don't worry! I've always done this with Jia." He mentions Jia, hoping to reassure you that he wouldn't let you slip.

All it does is make you more uneasy. Just the thought of Jia. It has an odd effect on you. Your body feels colder. You shudder briefly.

Your only goal now is to get past this stupid puddle without humiliating yourself. You realize that delaying this makes you look more cowardly, hence humiliating you.

So, you grab hold of Jungkook's surprisingly warm hand. Not going to lie, you faked some uncertainty just so you could keep holding his hand.

Someone has got to get you in check.

Jungkook urged you to trust him yet again. His stance showed he was prepared to pull you through.

You lift your left foot and somehow land it on the other side of the puddle. Not even a second after, Jungkook roughly pulls you to him with all his strength.

Not expecting this amount of force, you clumsily collide into his chest, immediately wrapping your arms around his torso to avoid falling back into the very puddle you were trying to get across from.

Jungkook reciprocates by circling his arms around your shoulders and head.

How you wished he held you elsewhere, but he was so respectful.

Everything happened so quickly.

Embarrassed, your breath hitched and you suddenly pushed him to the side.

"Sorry." You whisper. You don't know if he could even hear you.

You fix your sweater and continue staring at your feet, eyeing the little droplets of water on your pants.

Your tummy and nether regions were blazing fire and you felt your nipples slowly hardening. You clench your hands into fists, desperately praying nothing is visible. I mean, you were wearing white.

You wanted so badly for Jungkook to reach out, just stick his hand up your top and soothe your pretty, sensitive nips. Your breathing has become unstable for a few seconds.

You should be beaten up for having these thoughts about a taken man.

Jungkook suddenly places his hand on your arm, making you jolt. "We're close. Look, it's there." He smiles and points to the establishment.

"Great. I'm so cold." You try to play it off, just in case he noticed something.

You then cover your chest by flipping your hair back over it.

This time, he let you walk ahead of him.

On reaching the restaurant, Jungkook skipped ahead of you and pulled the door open for you. "After you." He smiled, goofily.

You blush and instantly shake it off, "Why, thank you. My fragile hands could never."

Jungkook and you were immediately hit by the warmth and coziness of the home style, Chinese fusion restaurant.

"Huh. This is not at all what I expected." Jungkook looked around, pleased with himself.

You replicated that action.

The restaurant was designed to replicate someone's home, or garage. It had unique tables and chairs. No two items were the same. Even most of cutlery was different.

You appreciated the dedication to this concept.

"Good evening! Table for two?" A very familiar voice interrupted you.

Your head abruptly turned towards the direction of the voice.

"Joon!" You exclaimed, rushing over to throwing yourself into his personal space.

Surprised by your sudden enthusiasm, Jungkook raised a brow. This was the most chipper he'd ever seen you.

Jungkook and Namjoon knew each other.

Other than from your constant yapping, Namjoon knew of Jungkook because Jungkook was actively trying to pursue Namjoon, pleading for him to be Jungkook's musical mentor. However, Namjoon wouldn't budge.

Namjoon instantaneously engulfs your whole body with his arms, rubbing your back.

When Namjoon clearly looked at the man stood behind you, his eyes widened.

No way.

Is this why you went off-grid? Had you finally managed to bag Jeon Jungkook? Namjoon was too stunned to move.

Namjoon was just about to ask you about it when Jungkook speaks instead. "Table for two is right. Thanks."

You let go off Namjoon, confirming Jungkook's words.

Whatever. Namjoon will be blowing your phone up later either way. So, he decided to let you off the hook for the rest of the evening.

Namjoon cheekily smiles at the two of you as he leads you into an isolated booth.

It was a space behind some beaded curtains, giving the illusion of the space being more private.

The table was relatively smaller and surrounding it were three chairs; two regular wooden ones with soft cushions, and one loveseat.

Then, Namjoon abruptly left.

You didn't realize what Namjoon was doing until he returned with two menus and something that looked like a candle and a lighter.

Oh, no.

No. This was NOT happening.

You frown and awkwardly wait for him to set the table up and leave.

What? There's nothing you can do or say without overreacting! It's not like you WANT to wine and dine your friend's boyfriend.

(You totally do, but you would not pull something like that purposely.)

Jungkook seemed to just go with the flow, unbothered.

You promptly sat yourself on one of the wooden chairs and Jungkook opted to sit on the comfortable loveseat.

"So, how do you know Namjoon?" Jungkook wasted no time.

"We've been friends for a while." You continue, "Jia too. She knows him."

At that, Jungkook raises a brow. Jia knows Namjoon? Jungkook has mentioned Namjoon many times before. Jia never indicated that she knew him.

Still, he brushed it off.

"How do you know him?" You ask.

"Oh, he's like rhythm and poetry royalty. I've been sending this man emails for months begging him to mentor me... I can't believe Jia- It's so weird, finally seeing the guy who kept rejecting me." He cut himself off towards the end.

He can't believe Jia WHAT? Tell me. PLEASE.

You painstakingly push your annoyance away.

Instead you laugh, "I had no idea he was being pursued by students, wow."

"Yeah..." Jungkook giggled, somewhat embarrassed.

As the evening went on, you talked quite a bit. If he noticed, he didn't mind your awkwardness.

As if you were suddenly remembering something, you hummed. "I take it you didn't tell Jia about the... thing?" You struggled to find the right words to describe it.

Jungkook slowly nodded and repeated, "The... Thing."

"Yeah. You know, about you guys? Dating?" You press your legs together, a little anxious.

"Oh! Right!" He smiled in realization, "I actually did end up telling her about it that same night." He nodded, this time, positively.

You froze and your face dropped.

Had you been drinking something at that moment, you'd have spat that out. If you were eating at that moment, you'd have dropped your utensils on the floor.

"And then we talked about you for a while. I told her you gave me your word. I mean, I'm sure she already told you..." He continued.

Jia. She knows you know.

"Because she panicked..." Jungkook kept talking but at that point you had tuned him out.

Your mouth involuntarily formed a sad pout. Your eyes which were drying out from tiredness, slowly began to fill up with tears of... frustration, and anger, and confusion.

She knew.

She didn't even try to talk to you.

You assumed she was just busy.

But, she was actually just avoiding you. Just as you her.

Your eyes were glazed over.

The humiliation, guilt, anger and paranoia set in all at once.

Does this mean... Jungkook knows? Is he toying with you?

No. That's far-fetched. Way off. He'd never do that. He was so nice to you all night.

But, he IS a nice guy. Why wouldn't he be nice?

You're starting to make less sense now.

You don't even blink because if you do, your tears won't hold themselves back.

Jia fucking knew and avoided you on purpose. She couldn't face you. She fucking betray you, and she couldn't handle it. She didn't want to face it.

Jungkook sensed that there was something on your mind. "_____, is something wrong? Should I not have told her? What's going on?" He asked, his curiosity piqued.

You hesitated for a moment. You weren't used to being impulsive. That was never you. But, lately, that streak was becoming increasingly steady.

So, you decided to open up. Like an idiot.

"It's me."

Jungkook nervously smiled, "It's you?"

"The 'creep' with the schoolgirl crush." You added.

Jungkook's eyes widened in surprise, and he leaned in, his expression a mix of shock and curiosity. "You? But... I don't understand."

He shook his head and stared at you, expecting you to keep going.

Great job, idiot.

You didn't have a choice now.

You took a deep breath and began to explain, "I had a crush on you, Jungkook. I have a crush on you. I've never been silent about it." You winced.

The tears. They're coming.

"I mean, I've never been silent about it with my friends. Including Jia."

The knot forming in your throat felt tighter.

Jungkook listened carefully, trying to make sense of this... revelation. "So, it was all a misunderstanding? There was never a 'creep'?" He reasoned.

You kept your eyes trained down at your lap, more embarrassed than ever. "I... No? I don't know." Your eyes were heavy with tears. Your nose began to sting.

You pressed your lips together to hold all the ugly sobs in, and squeezed your eyes shut.

"_____?" Jungkook questioned worriedly.

You furrowed your brows and frantically shook your head, "Jia. Everyone, my friends, everyone knew about it- that I liked you. From the day we met. The- it was like a mixer?" You slouch and let your arms fall to your sides, "I can't remember. I've liked you for so long..." You trail off silently shedding tears.

You inhale before letting out a little squeaky apology.

Jungkook only looks at you. He doesn't understand, or register anything.

"_____..." Jungkook begins.

"I didn't know Jia was your girlfriend. I'd always talk to her about you, and how good you looked on whatever, whenever- and how you, and then she..." Your shoulders begin to shake towards the end of your sentence. You fully began to cry.

Thank goodness you were separated from the rest of the restaurant-goers.

You were clearly unable to hold a conversation.

You wanted to bang your head on the table. Repeatedly.

Jungkook's brows almost touched his hairline.

"I'M the 'creep' she told you about. I'm the reason for... But I didn't know. I SWEAR. Until you told me. I knew then." You sniffle every two seconds. "I was going to tell you how I felt but then you- I'm sorry!" You finally broke down, sobbing into your hands.

"Hey. Just... breathe, okay?" You felt Jungkook shimmy out of his seat and back away from the table. He then walks over to you.

You already knew tomorrow's _____ was going to kill herself.

Jungkook pours you a glass of water.

He has no idea what to tell you.

He can't find the words to even begin to describe what he's feeling right now.

Jungkook's brain had stopped generating new thoughts. All he's thinking about is the crying girl in front of him, half-heartedly confessing her feelings for him.

Frustrated, he ran his hands through his hair. Then he looked down at you.

You are whom his girlfriend was worried about?

The same girl whom he hadn't stopped thinking about the past weeks.

The same girl who's his girlfriend's friend. His girlfriend.

His girlfriend who lied- hid things from him.

Had you planned this? Was Jia right to hide him away?

Jungkook really doesn't know what to think.

Jungkook needed to leave. He felt suffocated.

"_____, I'm sorry for the way things turned out. I... wish I had known the truth earlier." Jungkook solemnly spoke.

He hoped you believed him. He can't tell if you're in the right frame of mind to talk. He knows he sure isn't.

You sniffle harder, still appreciating his understanding. "I honestly just wanted to clear the air and be honestly honest with you...." You sigh deeply, speaking shakily. "I just thought... Maybe Jia would talk to me herself. And when she didn't--- I'm sorry I made you uncomfortable."

Jungkook just stood by you, unmovingly. It was as if he himself was trying to figure out what to say.

After what felt like forever, you hesitantly lift your head up to look at Jungkook, "I understand if you'd want to leave now."

And you meant it. You couldn't force him to watch you cry like an idiot. So, you understandingly told him he had a free will, that he could walk away.

And he really did.

Jungkook stared down at your tear-stained face for a few seconds.

Then without uttering a single word, he slowly blinked at you and walked away.

Now, you stare at the back of his head, wide-eyed.

You didn't expect him to actually leave this instance.

I mean, he didn't owe you anything, but you still felt uneasy.

The rational part of you truly understood his choice. But the emotional part of you was destroyed.

Even though you have no right to feel this way, you're so disappointed. In him. In yourself. In Jia. You think that's well deserved though; your disappointment in Jia.

Did she hate you?

Nothing else mattered.

You don’t know it yet but the biggest burden had just been lifted off your shoulders.

(Until you face Jia. But, more on that later.)

And, as for Jia; Jia had enough time to come clean. This was not on you. It was all her.

[seresinhangmanjake]

Stolen Angel - Part 3

Demon!Jake Seresin x reader

Summary: You thought you were having a one-night stand with some random, normal guy. Turns out he’s a winged, demon-like stalker who has been obsessed with you for years.

Warnings/Notes: Jake is a little dark. Kidnapping. Manipulation. Obsessive behavior. I’m sure there are typos. This used to be a different fic for August Walker, so if you see it, it’s fine. I wrote that one too.

Words: 1426

Part 1, Part 2, Part 4

JAKE POV - (One Year Ago)

He can’t stop watching you. Smiling, laughing, serving customers caffeinated beverages on their way to work. The sunlight streams through the front glass window of the cafe, the rays illuminating everything of you that they reach. Your hair, your eyes, your skin. You’re bright, happy, healthy, stunning, and it does unreasonable things to his heart.

He’s been sitting there for two hours now, not even pretending to occupy himself with a magazine or newspaper or anything that will make him less conspicuous. You’re the only thing that has his attention. The only thing that ever has his attention when he comes to this world. He spends this time, each second of it, observing your every move, memorizing every feature of your face, and when you leave for the day, he follows. Just so he can be a little bit closer to you.

You’ve never noticed him, and sometimes he chuckles at your lack of awareness and how well it works in his favor. You have no idea that he trails you from the cafe to your apartment. You have no idea that he stands outside your building as night cloaks the day. You have no idea that he leans against the same lamppost he always does when he comes to see you, his stare latched on to your window—third floor, second from the left—as you strip yourself of your uniform and into your pajamas. He’d watch forever if he could, but he, and those like him, do not have that luxury. 

The hand that lands on Jake’s shoulder is expected and he turns his head to his friend. 

“Time to go,” Javy says. “In a month you can come back and stalk her some more, but we’re cutting it close. We have to get back.”

Jake sighs, giving your bedroom window another glance. The light clicks off. “I know.”

“She’s not going anywhere. I’ve kept an eye on her in your absence and she’s had the same routine for the last six months,” Javy reminds him as he rolls his shoulders, preparing for the weight of his wings to return. 

Cartilage and bone materialize as his gray feathers, one by one, seek him out from the spot he had shed them. Each one returns to their place, layering themselves together until his wings are fully reformed. 

Javy gives them a testing flap, scattering the fallen leaves at their feet. When he sees Jake has yet to call for his own wings, he huffs. “Seriously, it’s eleven fifty-six. Do you really want to spend six months in The Tower because you chose to stare at your little girlfriend rather than be punctual…again? You literally just got out.”

Jake stands from his leaned position and a moment later his black feathers find him. He spreads his wings out in a stretch. 

“I’ll take that as a no,” Javy says with pride. “So let’s go.” Then he’s shooting up into the night, a speck in the darkened sky. 

Jake takes one last look at your window, imagining himself in that apartment, holding you, kissing you, falling asleep beside you. He doesn’t want to leave you behind. Leaving you behind is leaving a part of his heart behind. But he has to do it. For the night, you’re warm and safe tucked in your bed, and that will have to be enough for him until his return next month.

“Good night, Angel,” he mutters. “Sleep well.” Then he follows after his friend.

—

Food everywhere. Grapes smashed in between the stones of the walls; plums dotting the floor, one having rolled under the bed; juice from apple slices staining the rumpled bedsheets; the silver tray, now dented in the middle, thrown across the room. All as if some bratty tornado tore through the place. Except now the brat is missing. 

He’d guessed you would struggle to stay put once you regained enough of your energy, which is exactly why he'd planned to sit by your bed while you slept. But—albeit very reluctantly—he had listened to Javy’s advice about giving you some space for the night. A mistake, clearly, because now he has to hunt his little escapee down.

Shaking his head, Jake rubs the back of his neck and gives the room one last scan in case you got the bright idea to hide until he got close enough for you to whack him in the skull with something hard. When the assault doesn’t come, he jogs to the window and peers through it the way you were when he found you standing there the other day, your pearly wings in all their grandness cascading gracefully from your back. 

Glancing to the nearby field many stories below, he spots you seated in the grass with your knees tucked to your chest. His pounding heart stutters in relief.

How the fuck did you get out, Angel? he thinks as he hurries from the room, down the multiple twisting staircases, and through the maze of halls. You’re the last person who should have the ability to leave this place. New residents of The Tower have been known to roam the halls for months at a time, trying to find a way out until they surrender to exhaustion and return to their rooms, and yet you walked right out the front door?

When he reaches the main floor, he stops short at the silhouetted figure leaning against the doorframe. He knows that figure well, and realizing that someone he trusts has been keeping an eye on you from a reasonable distance permits Jake to take a calming breath before he steps closer. 

“She’s…content, I think,” Javy says, tucking back his large gray wings to provide enough space for Jake to comfortably stand beside him. “Doesn’t seem to want to run off.”

“Only because she doesn’t know where to go,” Jake sighs, running his fingers through his hair. And thank fuck for that. “How long has she been out here?”

“At least since four. That's when I found her,” Javy informs him. He looks at Jake, playfully grinning. “We watched the sunrise together.”

“Has she seen you?”

“No. She hasn’t so much as turned her head in hours,” he answers, then after a pause of consideration, says, “How do you think she managed to make it out on her first try?”

Jake shakes his head. He has that very same question. Anyone would. “I don’t know, but had I known she could, I would have locked the damn door.”

“Maybe The Tower felt bad for her,” Javy suggests. “You know she always made it easy for the unfairly imprisoned.”

Unfairly imprisoned. Yes, Jake supposes that is what you are. But it’s not for forever, and it’s simply to protect you while you adjust to your new life by his side. Surely, you can understand that. And then you can start accepting the happiness and love you’re denying yourself. 

“She fucking scared me,” Jake says, and Javy snickers.

“Then I imagine you're even.”

“She's not scared of me, she just has to get used to me.” Jake watches the gust of air flutter your feathers. You still haven’t moved, save for one hand's fingers which continuously weave through the blades of grass. “She's taking her damn time though.”

“Don't be unfair. She's known you for a couple of weeks—a couple of very difficult weeks—which is nothing compared to the head start you had.” Also true, to Jake’s dislike. But he’s shown you how much he cares, and that should be plenty to help you catch up. Then Javy says, “You should take her back. Just for a few hours.”

Jake’s head snaps to the right, eyes just short of bugging from his head. “Are you insane?”

Javy shrugs. “The day is coming up. It might be easier for her to be here with you if she knows she has the option to visit her world.”   

“That’s not her world anymore.” 

“True,” Javy agrees. “But don't you miss seeing her smile?”

Jake swallows. He’d give anything to see you smile again; smile at him again. Though he was gifted one when he was deep inside of you, praising you, telling you how beautiful you were, offering the same compliment since he brought you here has not elicited the same reaction. If anything, you frown more intensely, with more effort. 

“It's too soon,” Jake says. “She's still attached, and I can't trust her.”

“It's more important that she trusts you,” Javy counters. “And this could be your olive branch, my friend.”

tags: @wkndwlff @kmc1989 @sagittarius-flowerchild @dempy @oliviah-25 @rosiahills22 @xoxabs88xox @matisse556 @hardballoonlove @lynnevanss @pono-pura-vida @tgmreader @amgluvsbooks @ravenhood2792 @djs8891 @shakespeareanwannabe @penguin876 @tgmavericklover @athenabarnes @emilyoflanternhill @wretchedmo @shanimallina87 @crowsreadsarahjmaas @mamachasesmayhem @sky2nd @jessicab1991 @rosedurin @averyhotchner @horseshoegirl @roosteraloha @b-bradshaw @fandom-life-12 @hookslove1592 @buckysteveloki-me

[something-tofightfor]

A Wonderful, Awful Idea / 4

Pairing: Pero Tovar x Female Reader (Modern AU)

Word Count: 7,489

Summary: The final event of the assignment doesn't start - or end - how you imagined.

Help from an unexpected source gives you a chance to make things right ... or at least attempt to.

Rating: M: language.

Author's Note:

Splitting this into 2 parts was the overwhelming winner - here's the first one. I can't tell you how much I appreciate you all for sticking with me on this story even when it's been extended by 3 weeks - and a few chapters.

So here I am at 2:30 am with one of those "extra" parts. Enjoy.

The title comes from Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas.

Thank you for reading!

*dividers by @/strangergraphics

Even though the party around you was in full swing, you tuned the noise out. 

You’d ridden over with William and Lin, staring silently out the car’s window the entire time. Pero hadn’t picked up the phone though all of you had tried to call. By the time you parked, he’d switched it off, sending you straight to voicemail. 

It made sense that he was upset at the thought that you were only agreeing to spend time with him because you were getting paid. It made even more sense that Pero’s discovery of the contract itself was enough to make him believe it was the real one. Even though I didn’t sign it. Even though there’s nothing filled in on it aside from my name.  

He’d been in the “backstage” area of the venue when you got there, and the only words he’d spoken to anyone were to confirm that the earpieces were linked, and then to ask if he could handle the behind the scenes duties that day. 

Christina’s security had agreed that he could start off that way, but that they’d swap everyone out after a few hours, just to have fresh eyes on the guests. You’d tried to speak to him before the crowd dispersed, but he hadn’t even looked at you. Instead, he’d turned away and headed down one of the long hallways - in the opposite direction. 

You’d fought back tears at his dismissal, blindly reaching for - and taking Lin’s hand - until he was out of sight. I ruined it. I ruined everything. 

The three of you headed out and into the main party room, finding a table to stand at. Lin didn’t leave your side, her arm protectively around you as she leaned her head against your shoulder. “Do you want me to stay here with you? William can manage on his own, and -”

“No, Lin.” You swallowed hard, closing your eyes. “I’ll be fine by myself. I just need to think.” She didn’t look like she believed you, but didn’t argue when William slid an arm around her waist, stepping backwards and pulling her wih him. “Thank you, though.” 

“He’ll understand.” William frowned, eyes on you. “I’ve known him for years, and he’s stubborn, but he’s not … unreasonable.” 

“We’ll see.” You laughed, scanning the crowd even though you knew Pero wasn’t going to be visible. “I might have fucked it all up, William.” 

“It’s my fault.” He reached up to rub at the space between his brows. “I’m the one that accidentally printed up the wrong contract for your file at first. I should have shredded it instead of just sticking it in the pile of shit I need to get rid of, but I didn’t. If he would have just looked in the folder, he would have seen that -”

“Can’t do anything about that now.” You blinked back tears and then waved them off. “Just go. I’m fine. I’ll go and get a drink and walk around. If it gets bad enough, I’ll call an Uber and go home.” Lin wanted to say more, but instead of speaking, she let William lead her away, both of them turning away from you at the last possible second. 

You watched them go until they disappeared into the crowd, and then you also stepped back from the table and headed toward the bar, weaving between people until you were able to get in line. You didn’t want to get drunk, but you thought that something weak would help - and it would give you something to do as you wandered around the party. 

Sipping it as you mingled, nodding at people when you passed and even saying hello to a few people you knew, you tried to come up with a plan. Pero likely wouldn’t let you speak to him that night - and you didn’t want to try, because he was there to work. Christina and her team were paying him to complete a job, and you didn’t want to jeopardize that - or her safety. 

But the longer you thought about things, the more concerned you got. If he was serious about quitting his job with William, then he’d need something else. And Christina’s offer loomed large in your mind. It would get him out of town. It would get him away from here. 

When you caught sight of her stepping out from the back hallway into the party itself, your chest tightened. She looked gorgeous - a thin-strapped, figure-hugging dress molded to her body, the light catching on the shimmering gold and red accents sewn throughout. 

It had taken you three years to break through Pero’s defenses based on a mutual attraction, but that had happened with very little interaction between you. If he works with her, even if nothing happens while he’s on the job, it… 

You watched as she made her way through the crowd, stopping to talk to people every few feet. Two of her security team weren’t far behind, but they didn’t intervene. If that became Pero’s job, he’d have an opportunity to learn a lot about her without directly interacting. And she - even if he only told her bare minimum - would learn much more about him. It would be inevitable. 

Finishing your drink, you set the empty glass down on a table with a few others and then moved to turn back the way you’d come. You were looking for a quiet corner when you heard your name. Of course. Spinning around to face her, you plastered a fake smile on your face and greeted Chrstina, hoping that all she wanted to do was say hello. 

“I love your shirt.” She reached out, laying a perfectly manicured finger on your sleeve. “That color is stunning.” 

“Thank you.” You didn’t know if she was making fun of you, or just trying to make conversation, but you truthfully didn’t care. “That dress is great, too. And your makeup is…” You trailed off when she frowned, glancing back over her shoulder and then staring at you. “What?” 

“Did you and Tovar fight?” Your eyes widened but you didn’t have a chance to speak before she took your hand and tugged you toward an empty table. The men followed you, and you caught a glimpse of William craning his neck to see what was going on, but Christina didn’t pay attention. “I talked to him before, back in the hallway, and -”

“Do you really care?” You spat the words out and then cringed at your tone, immediately apologizing. It’s not her fault. “Yes. We did. There was a misunderstanding about the fact that William put me on their payroll for these last three events and he thought … he thought that I required payment to be around him. But the truth is that…” You looked down, feeling the tears in your eyes well up again. “I would have - and should have - done it for free.”

“So that’s why he’s suddenly interested in working for me.” She bit her lip, reaching across the table to touch your hand. “I thought he seemed upset earlier but he didn’t…” She said your name again, the sound punctuated by a sigh. “Have you talked to him? This sounds like something you could easily explain.”

“He won’t let me.” You gestured with one hand. “He left me at Lin and William’s, and came right here. He asked to be behind the scenes tonight, probably to keep himself away from the three of us.” You swiped beneath your eyes with your fingertips. “I’m sorry. You don’t want to hear this. Him asking to work for you is exactly what you’ve been hoping for.” 

“I can tell my team to make him come out here.” She leaned in, smirking at you. “And then stay close to you. Force him to listen to your -”

“No.” You scoffed. “No he’d hate that. I just need five minutes. I need to explain to him that what he saw isn’t the truth and that I’d never be such an asshole. Maybe after Christmas, I can find a way to do it.” 

“It’s going to be alright.” She nodded twice. “Give me one second.” She spun away from the table and headed over to where one of her security guys were. The two talked for a few seconds and then Christina turned back to look at you, waving you over. “Come with me.” 

Confused, you let her lead you through the crowd and toward the back hallways. You passed Lin and William, watching as they stared at you, his brows knit in confusion. I have no idea either. You followed her down one of the hallways and into her dressing room, taking a slow look around at the space. “Why am I in here, Christina? What’s going on?” 

She turned around to face you, putting both hands on her hips. “You’ll see.” She tapped her foot and glanced at the door. What is she doing? It opened nearly a minute later and you froze at the sight of Pero stepping through it. 

“Christina, what do you -” He stopped when he saw you, and you watched his lip curl, the look in Pero’s eyes going hard. “No. I don’t know what she told you, but -”

“You work for me right now, right?” She stepped toward him, hands still in place. He nodded, focused on her. “Then I’m telling you that as part of your job, you will give her an opportunity to explain herself.” She lifted a hand, pointing one finger at him. “You will listen and you will keep listening until she’s finished.” 

He reached up, pulling the earpiece from his ear and sticking it into his pocket. “And if I say no?” His voice was low, and you heard the defiance in it. “If I walk out of this room right now?”

“Then you’re in breach of your contract and you don’t get paid.” Curling her fingers in, she sighed and lowered her head. “Look, I’m not asking you to forgive her, that’s up to you. I’m asking you to listen before you make your decision.” She said his name, and then gestured back at you. “As much as I want you to work for me, I don’t want you to do it because you’re running from something.” You saw his jaw flex, but Pero’s expression was otherwise unreadable. 

Christina didn’t say anything else, but when she reached the door, she turned to look over her shoulder at you, giving you a nod. Thank you. I owe you. 

After she was gone, Pero finally turned his attention toward you, taking and then releasing a deep breath. “I will listen.” He moved to the dressing table and then leaned against it, arms crossed. “Well?” 

It wasn’t much, but it was a start, and the fact that he hadn’t immediately left the room gave you hope. What can I even say? “I should have told you that William asked me the day before we went out to dinner if I wanted to be your date for these events.” You moved a little closer, perching on the back of an armchair so that you could look at him. “I should have told you that I signed a contract to work for your company. But I didn’t want you to think that the only way I wanted to be around you was if I got paid.” 

He looked away, shaking his head. “I saw the contract. That is exactly what you are doing.” 

“You saw the first version of the contract.” Reaching into your pocket for your phone, you quickly opened the email from William and forwarded it to him. “That was the version William considered standard for something like this. But I didn’t agree to that one. Check your email. I just sent you the one I actually signed. I’m telling you the truth. I never would have agreed to that first one.”

He clenched his jaw when he looked at you again, but after a few seconds, Pero reached into his pocket for his phone and tapped the screen a few times. You paused as he looked at the device, watching as he read what you’d sent to him while holding your breath. Will it matter? You hoped so, because you didn’t want to walk out of the room and leave Pero behind, still angry at you.  

“I agreed to this because I wanted to. I wanted to spend time with you and I knew that this assignment would force it. I told you that at the beginning. The contract was stupid. But it covered all of our asses in case anything went wrong.” You twisted your fingers together. “Do you want to know what my payment for this is going to end up being?” He looked up and at you, still silent. “The cost of this shirt, a new pair of boots because the heel on the pair I was going to wear to the concert broke, and a haircut that was really only just a fucking trim, but was expensive as shit because I had to pay an emergency appointment fee to get in this close to the holidays.” 

You stood up, closing the distance without crowding his space. Pero didn’t move, but the anger was gone from his expression, replaced instead with weariness. 

“I’m sorry, Pero, that I made you feel like I only wanted to be around you if there was something in it for me. That’s something I specifically told William - in notes I wrote onto the first contract he showed me - that I wanted to avoid. I just wanted to get to know you, and if I’m being completely honest, the last two dates we went on were everything I could have ever asked for.” You wanted to reach for him, but knew you couldn’t. “I was really looking forward to tonight, and… and whatever happened after tonight, too.” 

You closed your eyes, steeling yourself to say more. 

“Don’t quit your job over this. I asked William not to tell you what we talked about and what we’d decided. It wasn’t his decision. The two of you have been friends for too long for this to be what ends that. Be as upset with me as you want, but don’t take it out on him.” You took another breath in, releasing it and hating how shaky it sounded. “I know how much your friendship with him and Lin means. I don’t want to be the thing that ruins it.” 

He set his phone down on the table next to his hip and then gripped the edge of it with both hands, head tilted to the side as he eyed you. “Why did he ask you?” Him responding to you was a start, as was the tone of voice he used - soft and even, only a hint of venom. “Why you?”

“Lin mentioned it while we were shopping, and then William had me over to sort of … gauge my interest?” You frowned, thinking. “He said that he asked a few other people that you guys have worked with in the past, but they declined.” I shouldn’t say this, it’s just going to hurt him. “They said you were too difficult to deal with, and it wasn’t worth it so close to the holidays.” 

That got a small, bitter smile out of him, which faded as you went on. 

“And I think they both asked me because they’re not stupid. They know me and they know you, and they could tell that there was something there, even if we hadn’t done anything about it.” You stepped closer, knowing that you had to wrap it up. “And they were right. Everything that I said and did when we were together was the truth, Pero. It was real. It is real. I care about you, and I’m pretty sure you care about me, too, which makes all of this so much worse.” 

You took a deep breath and then let it out slowly, giving him a chance to respond. When he didn’t, you nodded, looking down at your feet and then bringing your chin back up. This is it. What you said before you left had the potential to be the very last words you ever spoke to him. And that’s something I’ll have to live with. 

“I’m really sorry, Pero. I wish I could go back and do all of this differently. I should have.” Giving him a smile, you nodded. “You deserve better than what I gave you.” There was plenty more that you wanted to tell him; part of you wanted to beg him to forgive you, even though you knew that it would make you look weak. I fucked up and I have to own it. “Goodnight, and have a good holiday.” 

You turned away then, heading for the doorway and hoping to hear him say your name or ask you to stop. But he didn’t speak, and when the door clicked shut behind you, you knew it was over. The tears started falling then, and even though you also knew that you needed to move, to get back to the party and figure out how you were going to get home, you gave yourself a second to lean against the door to collect yourself, eyes closed. 

He knew the truth - and had seen the contract that you’d actually signed. You didn’t expect forgiveness, but it was important to you that he had access to the relevant information and wasn’t basing his decisions off of assumptions. At least he knows it wasn’t about the money.  

You steadied yourself before walking down the hallway and back toward the party, the sound of Christmas music growing louder with each step. And when you re-entered the main room, you saw that the lights had been dimmed slightly, making the twinkling holiday decorations seem brighter and casting a much more festive glow over the entire space. 

It was gorgeous - the whole party was beautiful and absolutely perfect for the season, and a quick look around told you that everyone else was enjoying themselves to the fullest. Good. It’ll be good memories for all of them. 

You checked your phone, groaning at the realization that an Uber would be at least 35 minutes out, and decided to make the most of the evening, even if you were alone. As you headed for the food tables, you caught sight of Lin and William, the pair wrapped up in each other as they swayed back and forth with other couples on the dance floor. 

It made you smile - a legitimate one - and as you joined the short line waiting for refreshments, you tried to push the interaction with Pero out of your mind. I can’t dwell on it. Either he’ll speak to me again or he won’t, but tonight isn’t going to be the night he decides that. There’s nothing else I can do right now. 

Taking your snacks and a fresh drink to one of the tall side tables, you put your back to the windows and took a look at the entire crowd, preferring to people watch instead of totally secluding yourself. There were others there by themselves - you watched them walk between tables and greet people, eyed them as they took in the decorations and overall festivities.

You wished you could join them. You wished that you felt even a sliver of the excitement you’d felt that afternoon while you got ready. Not happening. You chewed through a bite of your food, resisting the urge to start crying, and instead focused on trying to find Christina in the crowd. I need to thank her for giving me that chance before I go. 

It only took you a few minutes to spot her, the woman laughing with people about thirty feet away, a drink in her hand. You kept an eye on her as you finished eating, turning away long enough to toss your empty plate into a trash can and pick up your drink, the cool surface of the glass chilling your skin despite the patterned cocktail napkin wrapped around it. 

As you approached her, you expected to be stopped. But when she saw you, she excused herself from the conversation she was having and sidestepped toward you. “Well?” She sipped her own drink, wrinkling her nose at the taste.  “How did it go?” 

“Not as well as it could have, but at least I got to say what I needed to.” You lifted your glass, clinking the rim of it against hers. “Thank you for giving me that chance.” She nodded, her smile soft. “I’m really glad we had a chance to meet, Christina. I’m probably going to head out soon, so … good luck with the movie. And with your tour.” Her smile widened as she thanked you, and to your surprise, she then leaned in and hugged you. 

“It’s going to be alright.” She murmured the words, pulling back before she spoke again. “You and Tovar will work it out. I don’t hink he’s going to work for me after all.” You hoped she was right, and that her certainty would translate to real life. “I’m going to go and get another drink. This one is watered down as fuck.” That got a laugh out of you - a genuine sound that made you tilt your head back and close your eyes. I needed that.  

That conversation done, you spun back toward the bulk of the crowd and decided to see if you could pull Lin aside and tell her you were going to leave. But you didn’t see them from where you stood, even when you rose onto your tiptoes. Shit. I guess I’ll just text her. 

You reached for your phone, pulling it out and unlocking it. You had no alerts or missed messages, but you also didn’t have service, thanks to the part of the building you were in - and the large number of people present. Ok, nevermind then. You put the device back and sighed. Going into the crowd it is. 

But before you’d taken more than a few steps, the lights went off - and the music stopped. 

You gasped at the sudden darkness, your grip on your drink loosening as it slipped from your hand and toward the floor. Whoops. It all happened in slow motion; you heard other people gasping and shouting, calling for their friends and the people they were with. Is something happening? Is this what they were worried about? I hope they can get to - 

Your thoughts were interrupted by the feeling of someone crashing into you, the sudden motion causing you to stumble. “Hey, watch wh-” You didn’t get anything else out before you felt a pair of arms go around you, both of you tumbling toward the ground. But as you fell, you sucked in a breath, hands scrambling for purchase on the other person even though you knew that holding on wouldn’t do you any good. 

When you hit the ground, you groaned - and so did the other person, their hold on you tightening even as pain radiated through your hip and knee. Someone screamed and you heard a loud crash, and instinctively, you turned your head inward, toward the chest of the person that held you as they rolled, keeping you beneath them. “I’ve got you.” 

You gasped at the sound of the voice, and when you realized it was Pero, you clung to him even more tightly, his hold on you unyielding. He should be with Christina, not me. Why is he … The lights flickered back on - first the Christmas ones, which gave you just enough light to see Pero above you, his eyes wide. “Pero?” 

His lips were parted, but he didn’t speak until the other lights went on, too, the room brighter than it had been only a few minutes earlier. “I am sorry.” He moved his head quickly from side to side. “I did not realize I was so close. I didn’t mean to knock you over.” 

“You came to me instead of …” Biting your lip, you tried to calm your racing heart. “You’re here to protect -” 

“I know.” He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “We need to get up off the floor.” He eased off of you and then reached forward to take your hand. As you rose to your feet, Pero’s grip tightened briefly, and a look of regret passed over his features. “I need to go and check on her.” You nodded, still unsure of what to say, and only a few seconds later he was gone, leaving you alone with your racing thoughts. 

He’d come straight to you at the first sign of trouble, which meant that after you’d finished talking, he’d followed you out and into the party. It had been a few minutes since you’d parted ways, and that meant that he’d followed silently, but hadn’t decided whether or not to say anything to you until the lights going out had forced his hand. It doesn’t matter. Either way, he still… 

You looked out and over the crowd, most people laughing as they tried to shake off the sudden distraction. No one is screaming. No one is fighting. You brushed your hands over the front of your pants and realized that when you dropped your drink, it had splashed all over them. “Shit.” You rolled your eyes and then looked around again, searching for napkins.

You didn’t want to go far, because you wanted to be easy for Pero to find. And if something’s wrong, he’ll need to find me fast. So you grabbed the nearest stack and began to blot at your legs, listening to the conversations going on around you. 

No one was concerned, and if they were, they weren’t voicing it. As the music started again, and people began to get back into the swing of the party, you kept listening, even going so far as to pull your phone out and check to see if anything had popped up. 

There was nothing. 

But you spotted Lin from across the room and beelined it to her, cutting through the crowd as fast as you could. “Lin! Are you alright?” If William comes for her, he’ll get me out safely, too.

“William took off as soon as the lights came back on. Christina was on the other side of the room, though. I don’t … I don’t think he could have gotten to her.” There was no way Pero could have, either; but you didn’t tell her that. “What do you think happened?”

“I think they plugged in too many Christmas decorations, and the breakers couldn’t handle it.” You waved your hand in the air. “It’s business as usual again, right? If there was something bad happening, they’d be telling us what to do.” She nodded, but you could see that she was worried. I’m surprised William didn’t take her with him, or at least get her out of the crowd. 

“I hope you’re right.” She hugged herself, and you put an arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. “How are you doing?” She leaned into you, resting her head against your shoulder. “With Tovar and everything?”

“Christina forced him to listen to me.” You sighed, letting go of her and moving to stand so that you could look at her while you spoke. “I told him the truth. Forwarded him the real contract. Told him that he shouldn’t quit because of me. He loves working with William, and I can’t be the reason he -”

“You will not be the reason I quit.” You shivered at the sound of his voice, both you and Lin turning toward it. “I overreacted. You and William will not be getting rid of me that easily, Lin-Mae.” 

“Good.” She beamed, her shoulders relaxing. “There is no replacement for you, Tovar.” 

“William is back with Christina’s team. He sent me out here to get you.” He looked between you. “She will not be coming back out tonight, so we are no longer required.” Oh. We’re done? That’s… a good thing. “Everyone is safe. The power outage was not related to anything dangerous.” Good. That’s good. 

Lin stepped forward, clearly anxious to get to William, but after she took a few steps, she turned back to look at you. “Are you coming?” Despite the fact that you’d ridden over with the two of them, you didn’t need to go back the same way. Even though my car’s there. I’ll just get it tomorrow or something. 

“I’ll just Uber home, Lin. It …” You trailed off as you watched Pero extend his hand, waiting for you to take it. “Pero?” 

“We need to talk. I will drive you.” It felt like a crushing weight was lifted from your chest at his words, and even though you were looking at him, you saw Lin’s smile widen, her excitement almost tangible. “If you want.” 

“OK.” Your heart thumping against your ribcage, you nodded. “Yeah.”

It only took them a little while to wrap things up with Christina’s team, and while they did that, you waited with Lin, lounging on the furniture that had been set up in the center of the room. Christina’s was a lifestyle that you didn’t know if you could get used to, but you had to admit that the comfort - and organization - were nice. Especially since someone else handles so much of it.

Lin hadn’t tried to talk to you about Pero. Instead, she went over the things she needed to do for the following day, typing out a list on her phone while you gave her a few reminders and pretended you weren’t still anxious about what was going to happen after you left the venue. You watched Pero out of the corner of your eye, keeping track of where in the room he was - and what he and William were doing. 

Christina wasn’t there - and neither were half of her security, so you assumed that she’d already left and was headed home to her own holiday celebration. I wonder if she’s sad she didn’t get to say goodbye. 

“They are coming.” Lin murmured the words, pointing. “I think we are done.” You looked up, too, watching as Pero and William headed toward you, the men deep in conversation. It was a good sign, especially considering the way that they’d left things earlier that night. They paused a few feet away and you watched as Pero rubbed at the back of his neck, shaking his head while they continued to speak. 

But they parted with a laugh, William reaching out to squeeze Pero’s shoulder before they turned toward you. “We can leave.” William waved a hand in the air. “We’re officially done. There’s still a couple hours of the party left, but -”

“No, we need to go.” Lin stood, smoothing down her dress. “I can start cooking tonight.” She looked between them and then focused on Pero. “Will you still come to dinner tomorrow? We’re going to have plenty of food, I planned on you eating most of it.” That got a small smile - and a single nod - out of him, but Lin wasn’t done. “And you?” She put her hand on her hip. “You’re still -”

“We’ll see.” You briefly closed your eyes, unwilling to get too far ahead of yourself. “I’d like to, but it depends. I don’t want to make anything uncomfortable, Lin. It -”

“You won’t.” Pero said your name, pulling your attention from your friend. “No one has to change plans.” You felt yourself growing more hopeful by the minute, and when the four of you split up - thanks to Pero having parked in the back since he’d arrived early - that feeling remained. 

He didn’t take your hand again as you walked through the windswept parking lot, the chilly air making you shiver. And he didn’t speak again until you were both sitting and buckled in, the heater on low as he gave the car a chance to warm up. “We can go and get your car now, or I can take you later. I don’t want to have this conversation in a parking lot.” 

You thought for a few seconds and then turned your head to look at him, decision made. “Your house is closer. If I need to, I can take an Uber to pick it up when we’re done, or just get it tomorrow. I’m sure Lin won’t mind coming to get me, it -”

“No Uber. I will take you.” He gripped the steering wheel with both hands and then sighed. “Did you eat tonight? Would you like me to stop somewhere? I don’t know what’s open, but -”

“I’m good.” You resisted the urge to touch his knee as you spoke, instead keeping your hands in your lap. “But if you need to stop, you can.” He nodded and then backed out of the parking spot, heading for the exit. It was important that you let Pero lead the conversation, and you didn’t want to talk just to fill the time. Instead, you reached forward and turned the radio on low, just so you weren’t sitting in complete silence. 

While you drove, you tried to figure out where Pero would stop - if anywhere. Most of the places you passed were closed, and you frowned at the sight of the dark, empty buildings. But only a few blocks from his house, Pero pulled into the parking lot of a gas station that also served food. “Do you want anything?” You told him no, keeping your eyes on the windshield. It stunned you when you felt his hand land on yours, Pero asking you to look at him without pulling it away. “I am…” He floundered there, frowning as his eyes narrowed. “Fuck. We should just go back to my -”

“Pero, no.” You settled your other hand atop his. “Go get food. We’re here. You’re hungry. It’s fine. I promise.” He agreed and kept his eyes on you for a few seconds before he swore under his breath and got out of the car, leaving you in the semi-darkness as he strode toward the front doors. 

As soon as he was out of sight, you put your face in your hands and took a deep, shuddering breath. It was awkward between you - there was no denying it. But it wasn’t an angry or distant awkwardness. Instead, it was a tense one, both of you unsure what the next - or best - thing to say or do was. 

While he was inside, you texted Lin and told her the plan, letting her know that you’d be getting your car later, but that if she needed to move it from the street, she could. You were thankful that you’d given her a spare set of keys to both your house and your vehicle, but you didn’t think she’d ever need to use them. I’m sure our conversation won’t be long. Just … the basics. 

She sent back a thumbs up emoji and told you good luck, and just before you tucked your phone back into your bag, a message from Pero popped up. 

It might be a few minutes. There is a line. 

Smiling, you typed back. 

Not surprised, it’s the only place open. Don’t worry about me. 

While you waited, you rested your elbow against the window, chin settled on your hand. You hadn’t expected to end the night with Pero. And you’d expected even less for him to have confirmed with Lin and William that spending part of the following day together would be possible, either. That means he thinks this conversation is going to go well. You bit your lip, watching as a woman and a child crossed the parking lot. So that’s something to keep in mind, too. 

A few more minutes went by, and you saw a few people walk out of the gas station, though Pero wasn’t one of them. You contemplated texting again, but didn’t want to seem pushy or impatient, and so you didn’t. Instead, you pulled your phone back out and opened up Tao Tei Solitaire, distracting yourself with the game. 

Pero pulling the door open took you by surprise, as did the sound of his grumbling while he dropped into the seat and reached over to hand you a heavy  bag. “Jesus, Pero. Did you buy the whole store?” 

“I figured if I was going to spend as much fucking time in there as I just did, I was going to make it worth my while.” He sighed and then clicked his tongue, gesturing with his hand at the bag you held. “I bought you some things too. I got bored while I waited. If you do not eat them, I will.” 

“Thank you.” Resisting the urge to peek, you instead held the bag tightly, biting the inside of your cheek. You were still getting to know him, but you were absolutely certain that Pero’s love language was food. And if he bought me food, then that means he was thinking of me and if he was thinking of me without being pissed, then … 

When you pulled into his driveway, Pero opened the garage door and parked there. He got out of the car before you could and then leaned back in, reaching for the bag. Handing it over, you followed him inside and hung back a few steps while he set it on the kitchen counter and then took his shoes off, each motion methodical. “Follow me.” You also removed your boots and then trailed after him and into the living room, taking a seat on the couch - much like you’d done the last time you visited. 

Silence followed, and even though you didn’t want to be the one that broke it, the longer it lingered, the more certain you became that you needed to - because he wasn’t. “Pero, I think …” Taking a deep breath, you went on. “I need to tell you again that I’m sorry, both for not telling you what I was doing and for agreeing to do it in the first place. When you asked me to be your fake date after the restaurant, I should have just left it at that. I didn’t need to -”

“You did.” He sighed, shaking his head as he looked down. “And tonight was a perfect example of that.” He gestured to your leg. “If you’d gotten hurt when I collided with you, as a contract employee, you could have gotten medical attention and not been responsible for the cost. If something had happened at the concert, the same would have been true. I should have thought of asking William to put you on the payroll, but I didn’t… because I didn’t want you to think that it was just work for me.” 

He looked over at you, giving you a sad smile as he finished. We both had the same thought. “I wouldn’t have.” You held your hand out and he took it, linking your fingers together. “I’m not sure if he still has it, but I wrote a bunch of notes out on the first version of that contract, Pero. I flat out told William that I’d do the job for free if it meant getting to spend time with you. But I knew that having some sort of payment would make it look more legitimate, so that’s why I agreed to what I did.” His thumb moved in a slow circle over your knuckle. “I just wanted to spend time with you. I still do. And now I want that more than I did two weeks ago.” 

There was a risk with being so honest with him, especially after the earlier misunderstanding. But I have to try. 

“When I saw those papers earlier? And read your name and the amount on the line? It hurt. I was not angry, I -” He paused, thinking. “No. I was angry, but it was more than that.” He scooted closer. “I should not have made the comparison between you accepting this job and women that are paid to date men like me. I am sorry for that, because it is not the same.” 

“Pero, you don’t -” He squeezed your hand, his head whipping back and forth. 

“No. Let me apologize. I do not do it often, so…” That made you smile, but you only nodded in acknowledgement and waited for him to continue. “I should have trusted you. I should have listened to you and William, given you a chance to explain.” He sighed. “I will next time.” 

“Next time?” You cocked your head to the side. “What’s next time?” 

“I’m sure this won’t be the only thing we ever fight about.” His lips twitched as he held back a smile, and you heard the shift in his voice from apologetic to hopeful, your lips parting at the sound. “I told you before… I’m not good at this. I’m quick to judge and terrible with trusting people. I do not understand why someone like you who is none of those things would go to so much trouble for someone like me.” 

“Because I care about you.” Fuck it. Not touching him is … Reaching up, you cupped his cheek with one hand. “Because I want to.” You paused and considered your next words, inhaling deeply before you released your breath and nodded. Here we go. “Because I want you, and I need you to believe it.” 

The confession hung between you, and as you waited for Pero’s response, you wondered if you’d overstepped. I hope not. “We wasted so much time. I wasted so much time.” He looked away briefly, shoulders rising and falling with a deep sigh. “I was so afraid of getting hurt that I didn’t even want to give it a chance to happen.” He leaned in, eyes locked with yours. “It was a mistake.” 

“Pero.” He reached up and covered your hand with his before moving it down to encircle your wrist with his fingers. “What are -”

“I am going to kiss you now.” He narrowed his eyes. “Unless you don’t want me to… and I don’t want anything in my way.” 

“I want you to.” Your heartbeat was racing, and even though you were certain, your reply came out shaky. “I really want -” 

He didn’t let you finish. 

Pero leaned the rest of the way in and slotted his lips against yours, his hold on your wrist tightening at the same time your grip on his hand did, too. There was no time to truly enjoy it, though, because he sat back up and sighed, settling your hands against his thighs. “I can take you back to your car now, if you want.” He tilted his head to the side. “I’m sure you want to go home.” 

“You trying to kick me out already?” You bit down on the inside of your lip, thinking. “It’s still early, and I’ve got nothing to do until dinner with the Garins tomorrow.” His eyebrows shot up, Pero watching you with curiosity. “After earlier, I wasn’t going to go so that you could.”

“We should go together.” He hummed, nodding. “Your house is on the way.” It is, but… 

“Are you suggesting you pick me up tomorrow, or suggesting that we make a stop there tomorrow so that I can change clothes?” Just say it, you’re already halfway there. “Because I’d be open to either, Pero. But these pants aren’t as comfortable to sleep in as my jeans, and they smell like alcohol.” 

“You could always take them off.” He smirked then, Pero straightening his shoulders. “Or I could help you do it.” He wrinkled his nose when he finished and then rolled his eyes. “That sounded so much better in my head. Fuck I am bad at this.” 

“You’re not.” You stood, pulling on his hands to urge him to stand with you. “It’s actually kind of refreshing to have you be a little awkward about it, to be honest. I’d rather it be this way than have you so confident with your pick up lines that it feels routine.” He looked relieved at that, and when Pero slipped his hands free, you let him, moving yours to his waist. “If you ask me to spend the night with you, I’ll say yes.” 

It took him a few seconds to reply. You didn’t know if he was processing your words or trying to make up his mind, but whatever it was, you knew the moment that he’d come to a decision, because you saw the change in his demeanor. “I would like you to stay.” He took a breath, his hands sliding up your arms slowly. “And I don’t mean on the couch.” 

“Then you should probably eat, Pero.” You winked at him. “Wouldn’t want your growly stomach to interrupt anything.” 

... I think you all know where this is going.

[tulipscomeinallsortsofcolors]

ok wait there is so much you mentioned there that im so interested in i hope you dont mind me doing a little ramble

1. fire poker drama with roman and dot. SO interesting actually, weve seen baby logan and dot talk about the scar but no one elses reactions to it i dont think so thats super cool, im also very interested in roman specifically reacting as opposed to virgil or patton who id imagine would be equally upset about logan being hurt (my first thought was roman having more baggage around someone you think loves you intentionally hurting you but also ill let you keep it secret too pslsjs) and also like. considering the roman/dot dynamic. very interesting good concept

2. logan and the terrible horrible no good very bad week - ALSO very cool this was one of my favourite lines in the original laoft story, i love logan immortality angst so much, especially when the people he loves are still alive (another thing i can imagine slightly fucking with you a little, watching your friend/brother/boyfriend/etc mourning you when you still have your full life ahead but knowing regardless that hes not really being unreasonable)

3. dot + larry realising logan cant lie. i just find all the raising a fae stuff really interesting, kind of like growing up disabled where like. as a parent you have to accept that you fundamentally have to treat your children differently because they have different needs whilst still maintaining the balance of raising them fairly. also the realisation of like "oh yeah one of our kids is a literal whole different species there is absolutely zero guidance on what were meant to do here"

4. virgil asking shelley to marry patton - first of all just very very cute second i think itd be so funny of shelley to know for ages that LMP are about to get proposed to and having to stay quiet about it (im also now wondering about whether you think like logan and roman would tell their own families theyre thinking of proposing thats interesting too)

5. patton and logan discussing roman the day after meeting him. also just a very cute and interesting idea and also i love any LMP as kids content pslsks

ok sorry theres me being autistic about laoft in your inbox ill leave you be now

you are so chill and valid i love this

i was thinking the poker drama would come about earlier in their friendship, before Romans really had time to warm back up to her, so he's especially irate

[walkingstackofbooks]

Too many DBIP feelings! #4

Part 1: Richard's insecurity over Julian's enhancements Part 2: Richard's arguing tactics Part 3: Amsha's manipulations Part 5: Their disregard for Julian's wants

Part 4: Their 'apologies'

Both times after they argue, his parents then approach him to apologise/make amends. I've always previously assumed this was abnormal for them due to the situation, but I'm starting to wonder if actually this was quite a regular pattern that Julian grew up with. Both his parents clearly want to see themselves as "good people", and so I can imagine them feeling the need to make these lip-service apologies that --presumably, if he's made these same arguments to them before -- end up meaning very little.

Did he learn as a child that shouting was the only way to get them to listen, if only for a little while? Is he used to apologies lasting only for a short while before his parents return to the status quo?

There are imo a number of factors leading to his unusually impassioned defence of his father in the final scene, but I think this could play into it. Agreeing to go to prison is the kind of apology Richard can't just take back a few days/weeks/months later when he starts to remember how 'unreasonable' Jules was being and wonder why he agreed to it when he was in the right. I can imagine one of Julian's first thoughts being "what happens when he changes his mind?"

(Also, it has to be mentioned how shit an apology the first one was. "It's a stressful time for all of us and maybe I said some things I shouldn't have." MAYBE?? Fuck you. Really.)

[Heading towards headcanon territory: Amsha's behaviour, as previously discussed, is another reason why I wouldn't be surprised if the argument-apology model was frequent, because whether or not she's consciously aware of her manipulation, it's an excellent way to control Julian's feelings. It gives her the power of being the mediator; it puts Julian in the position of either accepting it and showing forgiveness, or sounding unreasonable. We never see his actual reaction to their 'apology', but we know they don't think there's anything too unusual about the hologram simply standing there - and Amsha feels quite at ease to reward her unresponsive 'son' with a kiss. Idk, but it seems like they expect Julian to reluctantly accept their apology, and even if he doesn't, they're now in position to absolve themselves of any reponsibility because 'at least we tried'.]

[jaehyunsprincesspeach]

Bullet to the Heart

Chapter 4

warnings: arguing (parental-y/n), arranged marriage,

wc: 1.77k

She's leaving behind her past, escaping the trap of perfection that she's been stuck in. Moving from Busan to Seoul, the possibilities are endless... though the universe has different plans for her... plans that she never in her wildest dreams would have imagined...

chapter 3 ~~~ chapter 5

She sits in her apartment… Two days have passed since she finally met Johnny. Since then she's been staring at the number he gave her. Her curiosity is telling her to text or call the number… but her rational side says what if it's a false number or what if he's some sort of criminal? She sits, staring at the phone number… her mind in a deep matrix of thoughts… until the phone rings, startling her out of her thoughts… she lets out a yelp of surprise and a groan of frustration escapes her when she sees her fathers number… with a roll of her eyes, Y/N picks up the phone

“Hi dad…”

“Y/N, we need to talk about something…”

“Yeah? What is it?”

“Well Honey, I set up an arrangement for you…”

She pauses, her mind already reeling with thoughts, and her fathers words now adding another layer to her thoughts…

“What kind of arrangement dad?”

“Well… umm… Honey… I set up… an arranged marriage…”

“YOU WHAT?!”

“Now, Dear, hear me out-”

“HEAR YOU OUT?! WHAT THE HELL DAD! DID YOU EVEN THINK TO TALK TO ME ABOUT THIS?!”

“Y/N, listen, please…”

“WHAT NOW YOU WANT TO TALK?! WHY THE HELL-”

“Y/N! We're in debt! We needed the money!”

“SO SELLING YOUR DAUGHTER WAS YOUR SOLUTION?!”

The phone falls silent… she can feel the shame from her father through the phone, but her anger clouds her mind… she feels betrayed… thrown away by her own parents…

“Seriously dad. What the hell were you thinking? Did you even try other options? Or did you just go with the first thing thrown at you like you always do?” 

“Y/N listen… I know your mother and I haven't been the best parents to you… I know we’ve held you to unreasonable standards, and we’ve said things that are not fair to you… and I know you think that this is something that I would do just to get you married off… but I promise dear, this is one thing in your life that I wouldn’t meddle in… I looked into every other option we had, even going as far as selling the family company… this was the only option that would even come close to covering the debt we owe.”

She listens to his words… She's never been close to her parents, but… they’re her parents, of course she loves them… But just like always, they’re interfering with her happiness… yet again…

“Dad, I moved away so that I could find my own happiness… and yet again, there you are, interfering with my happiness… Why wouldn't you at least talk to me about it?!”

“Honey, I couldn't risk you saying no! We need this!”

“No, YOU need this! I don't need this! How could you sell away your own daughter!”

“It's not like that! Don't you want to help your parents?”

“Honestly no I don't. If you had asked for help I would have helped, but this? I can't believe you would even consider doing something like this to me.”

“Dear, come on-”

“Don't ‘dear’ me. I'm not going through with it.”

Before her father can say anything else, she hangs up the phone, throwing it across the room in a fit of rage. She paces her living room thinking of what to do next… she cant go through with this… its not that she doesn't want to help her parents, but she refuses to be stuck in an arranged marriage with a man she doesn't even know. As she paces and paces and thinks and thinks, she finally thinks of something… not a permanent solution, but at least it's something… She grabs her phone again, making another call… She continues pacing as she listens to the dial tone till finally there's an answer, her voice cutting through first…

“Johnny, can you come over?”

“Hey princess, inviting me over already?”

“Please, this is serious… just… Come over, I'll explain when you get here.” She hangs up the phone, leaving no room for discussion or disagreement… Her pacing continues relentlessly, waiting, hoping he'll show up. Twenty minutes later there's a knock on her door… She quickly makes her way over and throws it open. She sees him with a bouquet of flowers, causing her to stop in confusion…

“What are those for?”

“Umm… They’re for you…”

Johnny holds out the flowers for her, which she accepts with a small smile, until she remembers why she called him in the first place…

“Come inside…”

She moves aside, letting him into her apartment. As he settles and gets comfortable, she grabs a vase for the flowers, and some tea for the two of them to share… When she finally makes her way to the living room, she sits down, but there's no doubt that the inner turmoil is eating away at her… Johnny gives her a look of concern before he breaks the silence…

“Y/N, what's wrong? What is it?”

She fiddles for a moment with her bracelet on her wrist before finally telling him

“I umm… I just got off the phone with my dad… My parents are in debt… a-and he told me that he set me up in an arranged marriage to get the money they need…”

Johnny's eyes are wide as he listens to her explanation… an arranged marriage? What is this, the 19th century? His own thoughts spiral as he listens to her

“So… your parents set you up in a marriage that you don't even want, just so they can pay off their debt?”

“Y-yeah… I don't know what to do… I don't want this, I don't want to marry someone I don't even know…”

“Did they tell you who it is?”

“No…”

Johnny lets out a contemplative sigh, trying to think of what to do… as he sits and thinks, the room falls silent, until finally, he comes up with an idea… a crazy idea that might get him slapped, but an idea, nonetheless…

“Y/N, hear me out…”

“Whatever it is, I'm sure it's better than that stupid plan my parents made…”

Johnny takes a minute to gather his thoughts, hoping that she doesn't immediately shut down the idea…

“Alright, hear me out… completely before interrupting…”

She waits patiently, an expectant look in her eyes. Finally he takes another deep breath and shares his idea

“Marry me…”

Her eyes bug out of their sockets

“I'm sorry, what?”

“Marry me… if you're already married, they can't force you into another marriage… it doesn't have to be official, I know people who can forge some documents to make it look real… you can move in with me for a few months so your parents believe it… I know it sounds crazy, but the other idea I have is running away, and even that isn't full proof if your parents or the other family manages to find you…”

She thinks to herself… a fake marriage… it's not a terrible idea in her mind, and honestly she's not against it… but she's nervous… this man has already been on her mind for weeks… and he's obviously into her… 

“Why? Why a fake marriage? What are your intentions with it?”

Johnny lets out a small sigh… he figured she would ask this… and he knows it's a little suspicious given how he's been pining over her…

“You asked for help, Y/N… i just want to help you… if it ends up growing into something real, I can't say I would be upset with that, but if we do this for a few months, and you tell me you want nothing to do with me after, then i'll let you go… and I won't bother you again… but I want to help you… thats why…”

She thinks further… she thinks about what could happen if she agrees to this… She thinks about potentially starting a real relationship with this man she still knows nothing about… She thinks about the potential to grow deeper feelings than she already has… and as nervous as that thought makes her, it's nothing compared to the thoughts and feelings she has about being married to someone she's never met before scares her even more. 

“And what if it doesn't work. What if your plan doesn't work Johnny?”

Johnny takes a deep breath, thinking through his thoughts… thinking through this crazy plan of his…

“It will work… I won't let it not work… you deserve someone you want to be with… someone who will make you happy, whether that's me or not, that's up to you… but i can see how much even just the thought of an arranged marriage is taking a toll on you… it's not fair to you… so i'll make it work… I'll do whatever it takes to make this work for you… I just need you to trust me…”

Trust… a strong word from someone who is still a stranger to her… she doesn't know if she trusts him… she knows who he is, finally after weeks of wondering who he was… but that doesn't mean she knows anything about him… But, how is she supposed to know anything about him if she never gives him a chance? If she never tries to get to know him… she thinks to herself, thinking about his words, and his spoken intention to help her… She thinks and thinks, the room filling with silence… Johnny fiddles with his rings on his hand before breaking the silence again

“Tell you what… if you agree to this, I'll take care of everything… I'll handle the paperwork, and talk to your parents, everything… I'll even buy you everything brand new and move you into one of the guest rooms in my house if that's necessary, and I'll pay the rent for this apartment if you have to stay with me��� Everything will be taken care of… all you have to do is say yes and play the part… that doesn't sound too bad right?”

Her mind continues its barrage of thoughts to herself… deep down, she knows this is one of the best options… If she moves away, her parents will simply track her down… if she stays, her parents will come pick her up, and take her away… if she tells them that she doesn't agree with this, they'll simply tell her it's not her choice, that she needs to ‘help her family’ who has only ever tried to control her her entire life… maybe… maybe this really is her best option… She sits quietly thinking to herself about her options…

[possibly-a-table-or-just-gay]

I saw someone else do this and it seemed helpful so here goes

Things That I Don't Think Neurotypical People Do But I Don't Know If They're Autism

autistic people your input would be very appreciated but no pressure of course

Crying and feeling like I need to throw up when loads of people are screaming around me

Constantly being told I'm "making a face" when I'm just existing

Spending most of my waking hours thinking about 1 specific show (The Owl House)

Needing to think about and imagine scenarios for said show to relax and fall asleep

Unbalanced noise??(like that thing when audio only plays through one earphone) makes me feel liek there are bugs crawling all over me

I want to flip tables and scream and cry when I have to hear people chewing (school cafeterias are hell)

Menus and the possibility of there not being something I'll eat on the menu stress me out to an unreasonable extent (idk this might just be a socially awkward thing)

I mirror people ig?? I think everyone kinda does thta though right??

Flappy hands and jumping around to get out excited/happy energy

Rehearsing scripts for social situations

I hate 3/4 length leggings, like I need to wear really long socks and pull them up if I have to wear them (the temperature difference becomes really distracting and I can't think at all)

Was bullied for being "weird" for like 4 years (I don't think this is that relevant but have been told it might be)

Need to be leaning against or touching the wall in some way when I'm walking in corridors (I end up stumbling or banging into people if I don't)

Bright lights >:[

When someone says something so blatantly incorrect and just fucking lacking any human compassion with so much condescension I get so fuckinv angry I'm still upset abt it days later

An inconclusive list but this is all I can think of right now

Big dessert spoons feel too big in my mouth hate hate hate hate them D:<

My dog went to a groomers and stopped smelling if Dog and started smelling like puppy shampoo and it threw me off for weeks

[nanowrimo]

The Art of the Pitch

When submitting your manuscript to an agent, your pitch letter is the first thing they read. But with hundreds of emails pouring into agents’ inboxes every day, how do you get yours to stand out? Author Jeff Herman has some tips:

On any given day, there’s a massive surplus of desperate manuscripts clamoring to fill way too few opportunities. It resembles hordes of famished zombies ripping at the walls and doors where a remnant of agents and editors have found sanctuary. This helps explain why the barriers to your success seem to be unreasonably extreme, not to mention insensitive and discourteous. The harsh process is a form of self-preservation for the gatekeepers. However, access is possible; sometimes you just have to reframe what you’re seeing.

Countless manuscripts that merit publication will spend eternity in the clouds because the authors failed to get agents and editors to read them. From the perspective of the gatekeepers, unsolicited manuscripts are a burden until proven otherwise; they’re an ever-accumulating digital landfill that’s humanly impossible to process and cope with, or even think about. But it’s within every writer’s power to change the math for themselves. 

The following guidance doesn’t promise to be the cure, but it does promise to meaningfully elevate the odds that your manuscript will be requested and read. My advice is the consequence of reading more than one-million pitches covering everything you can imagine.

1. Don’t be boring. Boredom causes attention to shut down. The letter should be as entertaining, compelling, and alluring as the body of work you want to read. Too many writers treat their pitch letters like job applications; imagine having to read hundreds of those a day.  

2. Don’t waste space. Avoid filler. Keep to a single page with short paragraphs (eyes detest densely packed sections). 

3. Use lively and relatable descriptions. Make descriptive lines count with language that transmits visceral and dynamic images. Imagine movie trailers.

4. Get to the point by the second line. Don’t wander into the weeds or try to be a pen pal. 

5. Say exciting things about yourself. For example, “I’m a third-generation serial killer.” Or, “I’m a former President of the United States.” (However, only share things that are true!)

6. Don’t compare your work to bestsellers. It might make you appear arrogant or grandiose. Do a little research to find the titles that best match your work. 

7. Don’t reveal how many years you’ve been trying to get someone to read your pitch, let alone your work. Don’t reveal how many thousands of times you’ve been rejected so far. Don’t expect strangers to care about your aspirations from the goodness of their hearts.  

8. Be softly immodest. Show you're a winner in ways that say it for you. Highlight your accomplishments, don’t hide them. Success tends to gravitate to people who know how to personify a successful image. 

9. Don’t stereotype yourself in ways that could undermine your chances. For instance, there’s no reason to say your age unless it’s germane to the book. (Ageism is frequently an elephant in the room, and unfortunately, publishing isn’t an exception.)

10. Keep trying. Consistently showing up and doing the work regardless of how you feel will get you far. Writing and publishing is a game of long ball that rewards tenacity and resilience. 

Jeff Herman is the author of Jeff Herman’s Guide to Book Publishers, Editors & Literary Agents, 29th Edition and coauthor of the acclaimed Write the Perfect Proposal. He has presented hundreds of workshops about writing and publishing and has been interviewed for dozens of publications and programs. His literary agency has ushered nearly 1,000 books into publication, including many bestsellers. He lives in Stockbridge, MA. His website is www.JeffHerman.com.

Based on the book Jeff Herman’s Guide to Book Publishers, Editors & Literary Agents, 29th Edition. Copyright ©2023 by Jeff Herman. Published by New World Library — www.newworldlibrary.com.

Top photo by Andrew Dunstan on Unsplash.

[polishdynasty]

Can you please rank all the portrayals of Casimirs and Jagiełłos wife’s on Korona Królów?

hello, of course!

so, casimir's wives from the one i liked the most to the one i liked the least:

1. christina rokiczana — she was exactly how i had imagined her; cunning, ambitious, clever, but not absolutely evil. at some point she started to really care about casimir and regret her choices. although i didn't like the allusions of her having some kind of romance with charles of luxembourg ( what absolutely did not have place in real life!! ) and that rush ending they gave her. i really hoped they will go more with the legend and he will send her away after finding out that she was a spy.

2. adelaide of hesse — now listen, i did not like the plot making her mad, but i can definitely see that it wasn't unreasonable: her husband was constantly cheating on her, she was feeling completely alone in a foreign kingdom and couldn't provide an heir to the throne. but after casimir basically threw her away to żarnowiec she was constantly fighting with him to get back what was rightfully hers and did not give up. aleksandra przesław showed adelaide's emotions very well. i just hoped they would show us adelaide's political engagement.

3. jadwiga of sagan — she's probably the best portraited one ( probably, because she was just in a few episodes ). but yeah, young girl forced to marry a man, who could be her grandfather and then forced to leave her daughters and not being able to see them again.

4. anne of lithuania — so my beef is more with the actress, because, i'm sorry, but i can't stand marta. the first season was rough, actors were stiff and that's my impression of her acting. but talking more about the character herself: they really ruined jadwiga of kalisz to anne's advantage and that i hated. i also didn't like her getting a cheating on casimir plot. anne needed more episodes of her getting used to life of the christian wife of the future king: after first episode that ends with casimir's and anne's wedding, there's a time ship where they already have daughters. i feel like we needed at least two episodes of anne's first days on the polish court.

now jagiełło's wives:

1. anne of cilli — she's absolutely the most underrated from all four. history remembers her only as mother to jadwiga jagiellon, her allegations of cheating on ladislaus and the fact that she was ugly ( what she probably wasn't ) but the crown of the kings really gave her new life and showed her in a better light. the most important: anne's infidelity is showed as just a rumour just as it was in history. we also see her taking action in many matters, not just sitting back like many historians claim her to do. she's energetic, but not stupid. what the series could do better? show more of her political side ( polish regalia came back to poland from buda, because of her, but series assigns it to jagiełło ) and lead her relationship with her husband in other way, but i'm happy they didn't make ladislaus hate her as some claim he did.

2. sophia of halshany — she's almost perfect. her in recent episodes as queen mother? delicious. strong, caring about her sons and her constant war with oleśnicki is one of my favourite plots. but they absolutely ruined it through her relationship with jan hińcza. sonka, just like other wives of jagiełło ( not counting elizabeth of pilica ) was accused on cheating of him with few young men, hińcza being one of them. it was absolutely not true, but the series decaded to make a love story with them. they fell in love with each other on the first sight, but sonka has to marry ladislaus, they still have feelings for each other and after his death they are having an affair. and it's so irritating to me, i absolutely cannot stand them on screen.

3. jadwiga of poland — one of my favourite historical figures, but in the series she was... not particularly bad, but well, not my jadwiga. the king-woman was known for her kindness towards poor and people in general, but in the crown of the kings i feel like this was not enough emphasised? she also loved music, dances, but we see no such scenes. also, she was a ten years old girl during her coronation: it's obvious noblemen weren't going to let her rule the whole kingdom, but the series forgets about it and treats her like an adult woman.

4. elizabeth of pilica — my main problem is how she was written in season 3. we see her as a young girl already fascinated by the king and she does nothing else than stay silent and stares at him all the time. and jagiełło stares back as if suddenly awestruck with love, smiling. historically, of course they knew each other, because elizabeth's mother was jagiełło's godmother, but love came in time and something between them builded up after anne's of cilli death. it was just unnecessary drama. however, i quite liked how they repaired her in the jagiellonians. good woman, who got through a lot and now she wants to just be happy with the man she loves, but people can't accept her.

thank you for the question!

[goodluckclove]

WIP Tag Game!

Whoa tagged again by the brilliant @ivaspinoza! Check her out if you're down for what I imagine to be some intense bloodsucking existentialism!

I'll do this for all of Songbird Elegies as a whole. I'm on book two right now - Blind Trust comes out June 20th!

Read below to hear some things about the origins of the series that I haven't actually said yet and probably won't say again.

1. What was the first part of your wip that you created?

Funny story! I hadn't written anything tangible for months since leaving my terrible copyrighting job. I was absolutely miserable. I ended up leaving my second job because of a medication problem and spent a week in bed detoxing off of Seroquel withdrawal - bad bad don't do that if you can help it. After that I fell into recovery and just had no idea what to do with my days.

The turning point was when I sent an email going fully no-contact with my across-the-board abusive parents. They did some awful things across the course of my life and I'm still spending a good chunk of time making up for their ridiculous medical neglect. I might need throat surgery because of them. Not great! But anyways, I sent that email and wrote the first 15 pages of Blind Trust later that day, sitting on the floor while my wife took a nap on the couch. It just came out. Wife said they liked it so I just kept going.

Three months and two data losses later and the first draft was done!

2. If your story was a TV show, what would the theme song/intro be?

I have so many Songbird Elegy playlists oh my God. It's hard to say, and the answer will change, but right now it's "Love Me, Normally" by Will Wood.

3. Who are your favourite characters you've made? Why?

They're all very important to me for different reasons. Scott is the one I tend to talk about the most because he captures a lot of mania and upbeat romanticism, qualities of myself that I value despite the obvious faults. Edgar is just as important, but they represent a lot of my current struggles and I'm doing a lot of healing and processing through them which is good but less - you know - fun?

Tenzin reminds me of my wife with her quiet stoicism. Katy reminds me of my older sister and everything she sacrificed to keep me and my siblings alive. She's more of a mother to me than my own mother. My sister is actually the first person to finish Blind Trust after I finished it.

4. What other pieces of media do you think would share a fan base for your story?

Disco Elysium maybe? Griffin and Sabine - has anyone else read that? The Witcher, but specifically the novels? Requiem for a Dream for later books. Tales of the City in terms of tone and character focus. Fleet Foxes and Hoizer and early Decemberists?

Good, warm soup. If you like a bowl of good, warm soup, you will enjoy Songbird Elegies.

5. What has been your biggest struggle with your wip?

Definitely Edgar's arc. Their experience with their metaphorical (or are they??) inner child and the abuse they've been working to escape and recover from has been hard to look at directly. Especially once I introduced Scott's mother, who's turned into a weird mix of the maternal figure I wish I had and the one I feel I could've been if I chose that path.

Yesterday I found myself writing how I wish it went when my wife met my parents, through Scott and Edgar meeting Scott's mom. The sharing of parental pride and affection despite potential embarrassment. It's a cute scene, but there's a lot of grief in there for me. I wonder if it'll show.

6. Are there any animals in your story? Talk about them!

Wilford Brimley is Katy's pet Persian cat. He is old and weird and a little fucked up. I had to edit his introduction in Blind Trust because it was six (small) paragraphs and Wife told me that was unreasonable (skill issue), but I can include some canon info:

He shoves his paw under the bathroom door while people are in the bathroom

He likes feet

Edgar sometimes shares little bits of cheese with him

Once he fell asleep in Edgar's lap but then peed in his lap and just kept sleeping in the piss

Edgar treat him like a weird cousin he has to make conversation with during holidays

Wilford thinks he's his brother and an equally fucked up cat

7. How do your characters get around? (ex: trains, horses, cars, dragons, etc.)

Cars mostly! Edgar has a shitty used car that's always close to breaking down. Katy has a newer car that's still used, but she takes very good care of it - I think it's a Fiat. I think Tenzin probably uses the car Scott's Dad left behind after he died, which is a vintage Cadillac convertible that Scott's Mom fixed up.

Scott is the only one without a license since he essentially has a magical dissociative disorder and hasn't yet felt safe behind the wheel. In Blind Trust he's taken every form of public transit to cross the country. I think when he was younger he used to skateboard to get around Bluerose.

8. What part of your wip are you working on rn?

I'm close to 40k into book two!

9. What aspects (tropes, maybe?) of your wip do you think will draw people in?

I have hopes that people will enjoy the tenderness of it. I'm like a reverse-whump ace writer, in that I've written a series that's aggressively pro-comfort and recovery. People start off in pretty sorry states and then make the difficult effort to put themselves and each other back together.

There's explicit ace representation in Scott and aroace rep in Katy (she doesn't know it yet though shhh). Edgar comes out as Agender and changes pronouns midway into the series, but still keeps presenting as androgynous/masc leaning. There's diversity in body types and gender identities in a way that feels warranted to me - Scott has Klinefelter's and grew up taking T, and he made a best friend that came out so she could take her E with him. Same goes with disabilities in prominent characters, though the main four focus on what I have personal experience in.

As a disabled queer writer I hope to make a series that tells a fantastical story about people like me that doesn't pander specifically to my market.

10. What are your hopes for your wip?

I hope people read it. I hope they like it. It'd be cool if I could talk to people about it. I've been pretty deep in the Songbird Elegy fandom for some time now haha.

On a more serious note I hope there's a market for non-sexualized romances that are still hyper intimate. I know I'm into it but I'm still not sure if other people are. I'd like to create more media about positive and fulfilling ace relationships, both romantic and platonic. I'm tired of people seeing that type of life as a loss. Any healthy companionship is not a loss.

I want people to read Songbird Elegies and think about the love in their lives and in themselves. All of it, in every way. Yeah.

I tag @ryns-ramblings! I wanna hear about your thing!

[bluevelvet-room]

PERSONA 3 RELOAD TRAILER SPOILERS AHEAD

as promised, i am typing up my thoughts about reload with in depth discussion on the 2 most recent trailers. i'll put that in a read more - but before that, a disclaimer: first of all, these are my own thoughts and opinions and i will not be debating anyone about anything subjective i say. second of all, i'm only discussing the most recent 2 trailers because the other ones make me unreasonably angry so i might be missing stuff. anyways.

as a persona 3 fan, i havent necessarily been excited about reload for so many reasons i wont really be going into, but these new trailers have given me some amount of hope, and i will just be mostly ignoring the glaring issues.

some things almost definitely confirmed by the two most recent trailers as well as the demo they had at the sega event the other day:

3 physical attack types confirmed to still be in the game. this is a good thing

kouha and eiha have been added to the light and dark skill set, but no evidence of nuke or psy. this is an okay thing (im glad no nuke or psy - they have no real place in the game. but i dont necessarily think that ken and koro needed to deal damage because theyre both op as shit anyways if you build them right) (this might need fact checking, but i saw several people saying it, so)

despite prior claims, there is in fact fes content in reload. "the answer" may not be in it, but there IS fes content. so it's less original persona 3 as claimed and more the journey without the answer, fes edition. we know this for certain because a fes/portable exclusive scene is shown in the character trailer (mitsuru calling the cops because she thinks junpei's room has been burgled, as seen in the hidden cameras, an fes/portable exclusive feature)

new outfits that have been affectionately dubbed "tacticool" by my brother, and i will be using that phrasing to refer to it from now on. tacticool outfits are not an immediate addition - the old armbands do exist in the game for some amount of time. from trailer analysis, i've concluded that SEES switches to the tacticool outfits after fuuka joins but before aigis does, presumably at the same meeting where fuuka is asked to join. tacticool outfits standardly include the new armband, which is uniquely numbered to each character - minato is 3, and i've been able to catch junpei's number as 5. if anyone can figure out the other numbers, let me know i'm so curious. they also include a new coat and 3 magazine clips, which (speculatively) probably mean an evoker upgrade at the same time, possibly to be able to shoot shadows - though i'm not sure how well this would work as bullets would be pierce damage and almost entirely defeat the point of ever using aigis

we got clips of the additional male teammate "scenes", which i'm very excited about. it's confirmed they wont be social links, but they will have moments with minato, which is all i've ever wanted.

the demo apparently includes a version of baton pass, which is. fine. sure. i can deal with that

new ost/battle music which i am withholding judgment on until i can hear the full thing

dlc outfits - p4 uniform, p5 uniform, and phantom thieves outfits which look ugly as hell on the persona 3 characters and do not match the vibes at all thanks atlus. why does junpei still wear his hat

when a battle ends with an all out attack, the initiating character gets an end screen like in persona 5. we've only seen minato's thus far, though

TACTICOOL OUTFITS - IN DEPTH

now imagine if you will that i spent like an hour watching a two minute trailer because i care about these outfits so hard so i am going to describe my thoughts about them in so much detail

as i said earlier i think these come hand in hand with some sort of evoker mechanic upgrade/change, and theyre only introduced after fuuka

if i had to guess, the armbands are numbered with mitsuru as 1, akihiko 2, minato 3, yukari 4, junpei 5, and so on

they all have SHEATHES for their weapons which is sick as hell as well as everyone wearing some form of glove which is also sick as hell!!!

mitsuru has a cape. this is the most amazing thing that could have ever happened ever, and i support her in her cape endeavors

fuuka has a tactical poncho and headset (probably to make it more clear how she's speaking to everyone), but no clear evidence of having an armband. if she did have one, i'm pretty sure it'd be covered up by her poncho, so ??? but it's it's possible that only the fighting members of SEES get the new armband

ken with the oversized coat is so sick. i cannot even begin to stress how cool i think this 10 year old is. atlus was like would you like the world's sickest 10 year old with a sick ass coat and im EATING IT UP

if i think of more things i will reblog this post or make a new post idk i just needed to get the Melting Brain out. i hope everyone enjoys these ramblings and gains something out of it

[pumpkinnning]

For the Weird Questions for Writers, could you answer those please:

4. What’s a word that makes you go absolutely feral

27. Who is the most stressful character you’ve ever written? Why?

31. Write a short love letter to your readers.

Thank you !

Hi thank you for asking <3

4. So because I am a basic bitch I would say "blush" and "laugh" because I use them all the time it's unreasonable !!!! Writing about grown men but they keep turning into giggly debutantes around each other it's terrible !!!! Also I have been going overboard with the fire metaphors recently. Everything's all incandescent and red hot and smoldering and shit. Cheesy but whatever it's my fic I am being as self indulgent as I want !!!!!

27. For Sanctuary it was definitely Seb. I mean there's basically two characters in this fic so far 😂 I find it a lot more easy and instinctive to write Charles especially since we're in his head. This Seb is a lot more remote and mysterious even to me, and he's quite different and more closed off than actual Seb, so I was worried it would end up being out of character. And in general Seb seems like such a fascinating multifaceted guy, I imagine it's easy to write him as too one note or not get his weird humor right 😂😂 I do like what I came up with but I'm still not sure I got it right. But whatever it's all made up anyway

31. Dear readers I love you 💛💛💛💛💛 no but it's still so surreal to me that people want to read what I write and get invested, and leave me such lovely comments. And also it's just so interesting to read which parts of the story people respond especially well to, or how they understand it - I wouldn't say it has made me change the story but I think it helped me make it better, give more weight to certain things, go deeper into some stuff. Some of them were really clever honestly it made me understand my own story better.

And when people get enthusiastic it gives me so much energy. (I have adhd so I'm hardwired to thrive on positive reinforcement lmfao). Honestly I think I would struggle to write at this point without that. Like sure it's important as a writer to love what you do for it's own sake but ngl after 100k the validation really makes the difference 😂 I also LOVE it when people tell me shit like "I'm reading this with a cup of tea after a hard day at work." Like this is my silly little hobby but it's also a little part of other people's lives for a moment that's so cool ! It brings me so much personally in terms of practicing my writing and having fun and like processing my issues or whatever and none of that would have as much staying power without readers. So thank you 💛

[thehashivetmom]

The Vet Tech Tales - Part 1

I was a vet tech for close to 15 years. I've worked at 5 different animal hospitals with about 20 different doctors, and I can firmly tell you, it's not what you think...

Let me start by saying every veterinarian is VERY different and the medical field is always growing, changing and advancing. In some practices, the doctors are very hands on and in others, the techs do almost everything you think the Dr is doing. The 3 things vet techs are legally not allowed to do are diagnose, prescribe and perform surgery. That's it. Everything else, we do. And in some cases, we "strongly encourage" the diagnosis and / or prescription for a patient. We also assist in surgeries and perform solo dentals, clip and cleans, sedated grooms, sedated radiographs and many other "not surgery" surgical procedures. We don't cut during surgery, but we scrub in and hold, twist, turn, wipe and move. (I'll let your imagination run with that, because whatever version your mind comes up with, the answer is yes).

I have loved this job and hated this job. It is very stressful and very rewarding, but at the end of the day, like most jobs, we are underpaid, over worked and unappreciated. The most common misconception about being a vet tech is that we "play with puppies and kittens all day". The 3-4 times a week that we actually get to see a puppy or kitten is pure joy. Animals like their home, their "safe space", their comfort zone. So taking them to a weird place, with crazy smells and unfamiliar people, with the expectation of them just being ok with a stranger, touching them all over and doing things to them that they are not use to, is insane. About 75% of them go into fight or flight mode. Especially the poor babies that are there because of a wound, illness or some kind of trauma. On top of all these crazy things happening that they don't understand, they are also in pain. This field is not for the faint of heart... in fact you have to have an unreasonable balance of stone cold unattachment and an overwhelming amount of love.

The techs, like the doctors, also vary in their work tactics. I did this for a long time, its literally the only thing on my resume. Yes, I obviously needed the paycheck, but I always knew I wanted to work with animals. I wanted to save them, help them, love them. I wanted to feel accomplished and like I was good at something. So I worked my ass off, I learned everything I could learn and all the different ways to do it. I was good at my job. But, the burn out is real. And it's not being burnt out with the animals. Yes, I got bit, scratched, bruised, hissed and growled at, but I never let that hurt my feelings... it's a natural response, or it's a reflection of poor ownership. (That's a whole other topic). I loved helping animals, I am good at helping animals. It's everything else that I grew to hate. The politics, the pay, the unreasonable hours, the unbelievable expectations, poor management, favoritism... basically the people. As previously stated, I wanted to work with animals, not people. I made some lifelong friends, but I made more toxic relationships. I'm honestly not a people person to begin with, I'm not great with authority and I have been known to hold a grudge. I'm not perfect. But the thing with this job, is that you are not allowed to have a life, outside of work. I have 2 kids under the age of 13, I have 2 step daughters in their mid-twenties, a grandbaby and another on the way. I'm also engaged to a wonderful man that works hard and plays harder. I have a life. But you are expected to work 10-12 hour days and weekends, I get it, I signed up for that. My daughter also gets sick a lot. My kids dad is not in the picture and with my fiancé being the main bread winner in our house, it makes sense for me to stay home with her when she's ill. I came to work with pink eye, the flu, covid (yes, I was asked to come in with covid), migraines, sinus infections, stomach bugs, I came in on my days off, I worked late and I took work home with me. But when my 7 year old is sick, I'm staying home with her. I brought her to work with me a few times, but then I was told I couldn't do that any more because she may be contagious. Last time I checked, pink eye and covid are also contagious. The shit that I caught, for having to be a mom, was unthinkable. Of course from the people who do not have kids, I got comments like "Did you enjoy your day off?" "Must be nice to sit at home all day." and eventually "If you miss another day of work within the next 6 months we are going to have to let you go." That's when I quit my last job and never looked back.

[zoydraft]

Pink Sleeves Pride Draft

June 15, 2024 | list: cubecobra.com/c/pink | deck pics | 4 drafters, 5 packs of 15, discard last 7

Sponsored by Super Nibs.

A beautiful Pride month night, just days before the heat gets unbearable. Sitting on my patio talking about traumatic work stories and Katy Perry impersonating Zooey Deschanel. "She ran the world at the time!" Drink a queer- or else gamer-girl coded energy drink so you don't die when the Kit-Cat clock strikes 10 on Father's Day eve.

I draft Bug Zombies: Brood Tyrant, Field of the Dead, Grave Titan. Dark Confidant, Phyrexian Arena, Painlands. I'm losing life, I'm tossing cards, I'm hoping to win before I fall to pieces.

To my right, on the dining chair, GL drafts Orzhov Wipes, with the dream of Massacre Wurm triggering for lethal.

Seated on the couch to my left, ML assembles all of Judith's friends across Red, White and Black, and a casual 5 one-drops.

Demanding to sit on the chaise, CC once again tried spells matter, commenting afterward that seeing more cards made it feel easier.

We'll all face each other in a round robin.

ML finishes me in 3 games, with Judith pumping out unreasonable damage. At the coffee table CC seals the 2-0 against GL, keeping Ral busy with the Mystery Booster recursive sorcery. CC is elated to finally get a match win with spells. With the draft format we each got to see over 70% of the cube, and credit is given to that.

Spotify Jam doesn't really work super well, at least not with Google Home. Still, the queer hits persist.

In round 2 my own card harm me too much. Luckily, I have lots of them. In game 3 GL dekes through my Army of Darkness (all three zombie generators online) with Exalted Archangel pumping unblockable Gingerbrute.

ML takes out CC in 3. Butcher of the Horde does whatever it needs to, and then Falkenrath Aristocrats swoops in to end the game a turn early.

I didn't see ML's 2-0 win at the dining table over GL, but it secured the 3-0 on the night. I was too busy burying CC in zombies. Persist isn't in the cube anymore, but Exhuming Grave Titan on turn 4 is also good.

I never care about winning, but usually I want to play as well as I can. On this night though, enjoying canned cocktails, back and ribs aching from improper toddler hoisting, neighbourhood denizens screaming on the street four storeys below, I wanted to see how close I could get to the sun.

In most games I took more damage from my own cards than my opponents, and in most games I was far ahead with cards, from both the copious draw and token generation. With all my cards that asked me to discard, choices got interesting fast once I'd discarded my reanimation targets.

In retail limited, a lot of discard decisions are resolved by identifying which card is the worst. In constructed, your gameplan is a lot more scripted. Here, it often felt like card evaluation didn't offer much guidance. i needed to think about the next few turns, with that decision extremely sensitive to both game state and the matchup. I loved it, even if I didn't navigate it well.

I adore the beauty of seeing whether Dark Confidant is ending my game. I love Banishing Light exiling my Phyrexian Arena. I love chump attacking with Bob, and forcing my opponent to think about the cost of taking two damage, versus the opportunity to slow my card advantage, versus the life loss that goes along with it.

I've had a pleasant recovery in my conversational skills recently, maybe imagined, maybe not. A core goal for my evening was enjoying myself. For a long time Magic was a form of mental escapism. Not into fantasy, but in the way it's mentally all consuming. I think that's still available, but I really wanted to enjoy a beautiful evening with my beautiful friends playing a beautiful game, and I got it.

[the1975attheirverybest]

Forgive me if this sounds entitled or out of touch, but I feel like this pricing thing is getting out of hand. I feel like most of the tickets were pretty fairly priced, mine was 150 after fees, and it was a pretty good seat. I mean, I'm used to paying around 300 for a good seat at a large stadium show, they aren't a small band, they won't have small band pricing. I get 20$ for a small venue standing room only show, but for a large stadium show? They wouldn't be able to pay their crew. Everything is more expensive these days, it's just a feature of the time we are living in. A concert is a luxury, and also the only feasible way for bands to make money these days because streaming is shot. Think of how much money it takes just to travel these days, now imagine a tour of this scale. I just don't really see what all the fuss is about. I mean, I get it for tickets over 500, that's a bit much, but I'm sure there are cheap tickets elsewhere in the venue. again, not trying to sound out of touch, I just feel like people are getting too angry about it.

Just cuz the prices were fair in your pov, doesn’t mean it’s the same for everyone else because not everyone’s financial situation is the same. Setting that aside, though. Your response makes several errors. Here they are;

1. The Hollywood Bowl is an amphitheater not a stadium. Those aren’t the same thing and they don’t cost the same amount to staff and fill.

2. If they want to play CA, they should expect to treat it the way they did NYC. By making it TWO nights not ONE. That’s just an industry standard for artists at their level.

3. There ARE NOT in fact, cheaper tickets elsewhere in the venue. I have friends logged in right at this moment scouring for ANY TICKET AT ALL that would not financially bankrupt them. They’re not trying to be front row girlies or anything. They just wish to be in the room in some way shape or form.

4. Just because you’re not well off, doesn’t mean you don’t deserve luxuries like concert going. That’s why we have different price ranges for different seats and views. So that you get what you pay for. Based on how much your budget is. Music shouldn’t be gatekept. Art should not have a price of admission. That’s a very dangerous thing to accept as a norm of feature of the time.

5. It’s not the norm. Nor should we accept it lying down just because it’s the world we live in. Surely there are ways around this? Doing more than one night, playing a venue like the forum (which they have played multiple times before) etc. there’s simply no reason that it had to be this way at all.

6. This is simply not how the band operates. Simple as that. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to expect them to stay true to their word. The truth of the matter is that if they didn’t want this to happen, they wouldn’t have let it happen. Every decision that went into this outcome was made the way that it was by choice. I don’t think it’s “getting out of hand” when fans notice that they’re not being treated respectfully and they become concerned.

So yeah. I’m sorry but I don’t think your position is on a level base here. Glad you don’t feel financially inconvenienced though.