#they have the roast meats hanging in the front window and there's usually a guy there either making dumplings or pulling the noodles fresh

[supercantaloupe]

Lanzhou beef noodle cats

They mostly only have locations in NY but there’s this beef noodle place called Dun Huang where they make their noodles hand pulled in house. Highly recommend. I have dreams about their noodles sometimes

BEEF NOODLE CATS!! i love them so much. i would sample their wares with gusto.

[ask meme]

[silence-burns]

Please Hate Me //part 25

Fandom: Marvel 

Summary:  Based on “Imagine having a love/hate relationship with Loki.” by @thefandomimagine​

The smell hit you square in the face before you marched in. The delicious combination of roasted meat, seasonings, spices, and old man's sweat combined with the hunger rolling in your stomach made you drool. 

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Loki frowned, inspecting the crowded interior, which would be easy if there were enough working light bulbs. 

"Of course! Can't you smell it?" 

Loki, in fact, could smell a lot, but that didn't mean he was happy about it.

You grabbed his arm and dragged him to the old man leaning over the counter. The magazine in front of him looked ancient and stained, the pages dogeared as if it was passed from one generation to another. The man didn't raise his eyes. 

You pointed to the equally stained menu hanging next to him. "So, what do you want?" you asked, as if the names told Loki anything. 

"What is that?" 

"Meat." 

"And that?" 

"Spicy meat." 

"And those?" 

"Absolutely devastatingly delicious meat with a bit of—" 

"I think I’ve got the hang of it. I'll take this one." 

"And I'll take the usual for me and the kid!" you added to the man behind the counter. The heavy scent of cheap cigarettes and cheaper manners parted for a moment when he nodded without a word and moved to the back. 

Loki raised an eyebrow. "Is that normal?"

You maneuvered him through the thicket of plastic tables and chairs. "Of course, he's a real sweetheart! He always gives me some extra toppings for free. We've known each other for like 5 years, and I think he can read my thoughts by now." 

"And what's his name?" 

"I have no idea, I've never heard him speak." 

You chose the booth by the windows. There were only a few people in the room, and no one gave you a second glance when you passed them. Loki had no idea what had made him think he'd for once eat some quality food. 

At least the seats seemed to be clean, and the booth gave you the faintest illusion of some privacy, which Loki was thankful for. He looked at his reflection in the glass and ran his hand over his features again. The wet, sticky feeling of foreign magic didn't leave him. The window showed him his own familiar features, staring with defiance and anger in his eyes. The spell must've been working, though, for no one on the streets recognized him so far. 

"Still angry?" you asked with your elbows on the table. 

"Once I get my powers back, I'll show that pathetic excuse of a sorcerer what true magic looks like—" 

His promises were cut short by a boy rushing into the bar, his hair in disarray, and was clearly looking for someone. You waved and gestured for him to take the order that was just finished. 

"Hey, guys, sorry I'm late." Peter slid into the seat on the other side of the table, still out of breath. "My class had to take care of organization of the projects for the science fair and I volunteered to—”

The boy continued to spit words breathlessly, and Loki listened to him only partly. The tray the boy brought with him absorbed most of his focus. Two of the three dishes on it were quickly distributed between Peter and you, which left Loki no choice but to suspect the third was meant for him. 

"If I die," he said, reaching for the plate. "I'm going to haunt you for the rest of your miserable lives and then make your afterlives hell." 

Peter sighed with pure love in his eyes. "I'd love to be haunted by you, Mr Mischief sir!"

"Don't speak with your mouth full." 

"I'm sorry, Mr Mischief sir!" 

Loki sighed. Stabbing the dish with his fork did not ease his frustration, which was very disappointing. 

The first few bites he took, encouraged with a suspicious amount of support, were not the worst. It was difficult to feel the original flavor because of the amount of seasoning, but overall Loki had to admit the nameless chef knew what he was doing. 

"He likes it," you cheered to an equally happy Peter. The boy's plate was almost empty already. "So, now that we've secured ourselves a peaceful afterlives, tell me about that science fair. Have you finally finished your project?" 

"I have a lot on my shoulders right now," Peter said. "Especially since I agreed to help with the organization of it all, and the logistics create one problem after another. I spent last night working on—" 

A knowing smile raised your lips. You nudged Loki. "I bet he only agreed to help because MJ asked him to." 

"Who's MJ?" Loki frowned, slicing the food with surgical precision. 

"Peter's girlfriend." 

"She's not my—We don't—..." 

Loki nodded, assessing the boy with piercing green eyes. Peter slid down his seat, hiding his bright red face under his suddenly sweaty hand.

You leaned over the table and patted his arm while Loki continued with his food. "She seems really cool. And I like her temper." 

Peter cleared his throat. "I… really appreciate that, but can we not talk about it for a second?" 

"Sure. So, what's been going on, other than you struggling with the project's deadline, making ends meet with the fair, and not thinking about MJ?" 

"Well, I…" Peter looked around the place, and made sure no one was close before leaning closer, in a totally not suspicious way. "I have been hanging around the neighborhood, you know, in the suit, like I always do, and I've heard about some very nasty business going on there lately." 

"What kind of business? Someone replacing people's potted flowers with other flowers?" 

Loki stopped chewing. "What kind of person would do that?" 

"I did, when I was nine and on my way to ballet class. I wanted them to see the world, meet new people..." 

Loki looked at you without a word for a very long moment. Then he turned his attention back to the boy. "What kind of business?" 

"Well, I don't really know yet. But I'm working on it! The thing is, I hang around a lot, and meet a lot of people, and there's this one lovely old Romanian lady that always makes me sandwiches and never asks why I swoop by her balcony in the suit in the middle of the night, and she's really cool, but lonely, and that's why she sits on that balcony all the time. She's old, but she still has a very good sight, which is why she's noticed that there were so many dangerous-looking people around lately, and cars that look exactly like in those movies about organized crime and they haven’t started any trouble yet, but she doesn't feel safe. So, she told me about this and I've been looking into it for the past couple of nights, and I definitely have a lead, but I don't really have time for it at the moment."

You picked food from your teeth. Loki tried not to see it. 

"So, you don't know shit," you rephrased Peter's monologue. 

"It's not like that, I know sh—stuff! I just… have yet to investigate it properly…" 

"And you don't have time for that, which you've already unsubtly hinted more than twice." 

A blush creeped back onto his cheeks. Peter avoided your eyes. "There's one more obstacle, actually… " 

"What a surprise." Loki fished a handkerchief from his pocket and cleaned his already spotless mouth. "What's the matter then, boy?" 

Peter seemed to shrink in his seat. "I found a suspicious place, but… It's for adults. They didn't let me in, even in the suit..." 

You failed to contain your laugh, which made Peter disappear under the table more. Loki only sighed, with something close to resignation. 

"That actually explains a lot—Could you please stop cackling like an idiot for a second?" Loki snapped while you fought for breath, laying on the table. Loki decided to ignore the strangled sounds you were making, and turned to Peter, barely visible but still bright red. "I have a feeling that your little investigation hit a dead end, which usually results in asking someone more experienced for help." 

"I… Hoped you'd agree to help me. I don't really have anyone else, and the Avengers are already busy with the stuff they don't want to tell me about." 

Loki blinked. He fell into his own hole. 

You seemed to realise it too, for you mastered yourself at last and looked at him with a devilish grin. "What a coincidence, Peter, sweetie. It looks like we're not busy. Or are we, oh dear god?"

Peter watched through his fingers as blood began boiling in Loki. It probably had something to do with the proximity of your face, shamelessly grinning, to his, with a brow twitching. Peter was by no means an expert, but he had a suspicion that one more reason for Loki's foul mood could be the finger you poked his cheek with. He snapped a photo almost absentmindedly, barely touching his phone. 

"So, what do you say, oh dear god, to the pleas of your humble believer? Will you turn a blind eye to the struggles of those who can't help themselves? Will you blatantly refuse to recognize the trust put in you…?" 

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Loki snapped finally, pushing you away with his elbow. "It's not like I planned to refuse, mind you!" 

Peter gasped. "So you're in?" 

"Uhh…" 

"I knew I could count on you, guys!" 

The boy's arms locked over Loki's and your neck, bending you awkwardly over the table for the hug. "We're going to fight crime together!" 

You patted his back, wishing you could see Loki's face, currently pressed into Peter's other arm. Loki was silent as the grave. 

Peter released you after a moment. A smile was splitting his face in half, and his eyes were suspiciously watery. "I knew I could count on you!"

"Any time, kid. We fight monsters, kidnappers, and now solve crimes. We're a whole package. We should get a business card and start advertising." 

Loki was of a different opinion, but he remained silent. Watching the boy's excitement and gratitude filled him with something that, if you tried really hard, almost resembled happiness. Almost was the key word. He was above such simple pleasures as feeling useful. 

"Oh, I forgot to ask you something," Peter started, rummaging through his pockets. "I bought something for MJ, because she was talking a lot about Lord of the Rings lately, but I'm not sure if it'd be a good idea to give this to her. It's not the same as the One Ring, but it kinda resembles it, right?" 

And then he showed you precisely what your own heart desired. 

The golden shimmer, the polished smoothness and the gentle, intertwined design of hair-thin letters that spoke directly to your soul. It was everything you ever needed, if only 'ever' could be restricted to the past hour. 

Loki paled and dared a look at you. His own heart shuddered, and rose up his throat. The air was thick and full of possibilities. 

You broke into a smile. 

"Peter, my dearest boy, do you think that we could borrow it for a few hours?" you chirped sweetly. There was an edge in your voice that made Peter shiver, even though he could not tell why. 

He swallowed and nodded. He was unsure what string of events his decision would initiate—he only hoped that the world would be ready for it. At least a team of heroes lived in the same city. 

He looked at his watch. "I have to run back now, because my break ends soon, but thank you guys so much for everything! I'll call you later and give you the address of, you know, The Place!" 

The boy rushed back to school, waving to you and then the owner who didn't raise his head from the magazine. Loki watched the boy run through the whitened street, careful of not slipping on ice, and not so careful about making other people slip. 

Gold reflected in the window. He looked at the tiny ring in your hands and then at your utterly feral smile. 

"I thought we were supposed to be the good guys," he said. "The good guys wouldn't do that." 

You clicked your tongue. "Who said anything about being good? As far as I remember, we've only agreed on not being the evil ones. There's a tiny line in between those two concepts, and I must admit I feel very comfortable walking on it. Aren't you?" 

A corner of Loki's lips twitched. 

"You don't walk on it—you waltz all over it, and trample both sides equally whenever it suits you…" 

You waited. 

"...and I love it." 

[yoongi-sugaglider]

Artemis Rising

The story of a Goddess and a Demi God,star crossed lovers whose story was lost to the complexity of history. The truth is they were wronged. All because of the jealousy of a brother. Can they escape their fate in a modern age? Can reincarnation allow her to finally reunite with the ones who loved her?

genre: angst ; reincarnation/Greek mythology au ; werewolf au

pairing: Yoongi x reader; ot7 x reader ; ft: Ateez

warnings: abusive relationship, physical abuse towards reader, vengeful ot7, inaccurate description of Ateez as aggressive (they’re sweet babies I swear! But Eomma needed a bad guy), fighting, character death, of age drinking (more to be added mayhaps?)

word count: 2493

A/n: Don’t forget to read the warnings!

tag list: @w1tchcraftt

Chapter 1​

I couldn’t help replaying Yoongi’s words in my head. Over and over the image of his desperate face resurfaced before me. I’d never seen him this bad.This desperate to force me to face the fears I was trying to hide even from myself.

But when I’d flinched away from his touch the way I had I’d instantly known he’d press me for answers. Answers that I wouldn’t be able to give him.

I had to leave him hanging. It was better if I kept denying it. I had to protect him. From the truth, from the pain of knowing and being unable to stop it. From Him…

Signaling to the driver I climbed into the back seat of the blacked out sedan, knowing that Mingi would take me home without question. The young man may have had his loyalties, but he was reliable in a way that previous bodyguards hadn’t been. He spoke very little, never made his presence overbearing, and was always on time.

I sighed as the muscles of my body relaxed, even if it was only on the silent car ride home. For the moment I was safe, protected from the ever watchful public eye and allowed to lose myself to my own thoughts.

It’d been 11 years. 11 years of knowing Yoongi and his brothers, 11 years of feeling the strange urge to go to them and allow them to whisk me away from my problems. But I knew running wouldn’t solve anything. I knew He’d find me no matter where I ran. So it was just...better if I complied...right?

The mansion loomed before me. A prison encased in gold trim and alabaster stone surrounded with lush gardens filled with deadly plants disguised as beautiful floral and even deadlier traps meant to maim instead of kill. Rock gardens filled with pools of quicksand and koi ponds filled with the deadliest fish known to man. It was a haven for evil, a nesting ground for the most poisonous creatures known to mankind. It was home.

The Mercedes pulled into the roundabout that encircled the nightshade patch. Beautiful little bell shaped flowers that were slowly going to seed to reveal the blackened berries of death reflected off the sedan’s mirror coated windows as Mingi hustled around the vehicle to open my door and allow me to step out.

I swung my purse over my shoulder, steeling myself in the hopes that he wasn’t home and that I’d be able to hustle to the kitchen to start on dinner.

Mingi trailed close behind me, nodding to Wooyoung and Yeosang, the brothers perpetually tasked with guarding the front doors of the mansion should He be off on business. I breathed an internal sigh of relief at the sight of the men, knowing I’d have time to prepare food as well as getting dressed and cleaned up.

A few hours later found me dressed to the nines, laying out the dishes I’d prepared for dinner. I’d opted for Greek style tonight, since he’d be flying to Athens in three days.

Dolmadakai, grape leaves stuffed with lamb and beef stood center, surrounded by fried tomato fritters and meatballs. To one side stood moussaka, minced meat covered in tomato sauce and layered with eggplant and a bechamel sauce that had taken me ages to get just right. I’d tossed together a quick greek salad, knowing he wouldn’t eat any of it but hoping to use it myself as an excuse to eat lightly tonight. Dessert was a homemade baklava, thin layers of flaky pastry dough surrounding a mixture of butter,sugar, and nuts covered in honey and roasted pistachios. I’d baked it that morning before going to see Yoongi and hoped the meal would be satisfying enough to waylay any questions that might come up during dinner.

I stared at the table, anxiety crawling up my throat and filling my body with a nervous energy that no amount of pacing in the kitchen could get rid of.I spent my next few moments twisting and turning the various plates, moving one dish after another around the table in order to present them just right when a knock at the dining room door drew my attention and spiked my heart rate.

“Miss...Hongjoong has returned.” San’s dulcet voice cut through me, his eyes piercing me as I swallowed harshly before making my way towards him.

“Get the 2009 Rothschild Pauillac from the cellar. I had it placed in the refrigerated room about an hour ago. Make sure the temperature is right and don’t you dare open it before I’m ready for you like last time.”

He grunted, squinting down at me as if pondering the idea of refusing my orders. After a moment of us staring each other down he turned and left, heading in the direction of the massive underground wine cellar.

I paused on my way upstairs, footsteps having been long ago muffled in the Persian carpet that lined the hall between the dining room and the rotunda. Turning to the 9 foot floor to ceiling mirror I adjusted the long sleeves of the cable knit turtleneck dress I’d chosen for the night. The crimson colored cashmere did well to hide the multiple bruises that littered my arms and the heavier makeup I’d chosen hid the coal colored bags beneath my eyes from far too many nights avoiding the night terrors I’d been prone to lately.

“Y/n, my love. Aren’t you looking stunning this evening.” The smooth voice sent a shrill scream of fear moving along my spine though I turned with a rim rod straight spine and a smile pressed thin along my lips to the man who’d called my attention.

“Good evening Hongjoong. I hope your day was pleasant?”

He approached me from the stairs, arms held wide as he waited for me to step into his reach. Icy cold fingers trailed up my spine, lighting the skin up my back with chill bumps despite the protection of the expensive cloth wrapping my figure in splendor. 

“My day’s been made a hundred times better now that you’re here in my arms.” He smiled down at me, though his eyes held a fiery depth to them that I just knew would spell trouble should I make one wrong move.

“I’ve prepared dinner. Would you like to retire to the dining room?”

He tilted his head to the side, eyes scanning my face as he lifted my chin with his thumb and forefinger. “Dinner? Hmm…” 

I waited patiently. Hongjoong didn’t like to be told what to do. It came from countless years of clawing his way to the top, to his current position as mayor and his deep set drive to push further. Making the most of himself, earning the power he wielded so easily, it came with a certain need for control. A need for those who claimed loyalty to him to follow a set amount of rules that included making any ideas seem like they’d come from him.

And yet tonight he didn’t question me. Instead choosing to smile and after placing a gentle kiss to my cheek he allowed me to lead him into the dining room and to his seat.

The room itself was filled with his most trusted guards. Though Mingi and Yunho had taken up the position of guarding the front and rear doors, San and Wooyoung now stood to either side of the chair designated for me, while Jungho and Yeosang stood to either side of Hongjoong’s seat. Seonghwa was nowhere to be found, though that wasn’t unusual as he was usually tasked as the head of security with walking the grounds to ensure that the outside security stayed on task with their duties.

The bottle of red wine I’d asked San to fetch me earlier stood beside my plate and I gave him a nod of appreciation, though he ignored me in favor of staring straight ahead as the others did. Waiting for Hongjoong to take his seat I turned to the spread, motioning at it with one hand while giving him a smile.

“Since you’re going to Greece soon I thought I’d make a few samples of some of their local fare. A few things to try out so you could…”

“Figure out what my favorites are before I get there?” His tone was flat, though when I glanced at him he was sending me his usual cold smile.

“Ah...y...yes.” 

With a nod from him I began serving out the food, head down and hands trembling as I made sure none of the foods were touching on his plate. Quick fingers moved across the table, ladling and serving everything before stepping back out of his reach should anything be found unsatisfactory.

He stared down at his plate for a moment, eyes intense as he took in the entirety of the meal.

“You may serve the wine.” Again that flat tone that had me moving without hesitation towards the wine bottle.

I kept my eyes down as I poured, shoulders stiff as I watched Hongjoong slowly reach for his fork out of the corner of my eye.

“Y/n…”

I paused in pouring the second glass, a river of fear running down my spine as the sound of my name fell from his lips.

“Is there bell pepper in these meatballs by chance?”

Slowly, ever so slowly, I set the wine bottle to the side, heart beating a million miles a second as I looked up and took in the glare of pure rage now pointed in my direction.

“I...well the recipe..”

“Peppers my love...what are the rules on peppers?”

“They...well you…”

The wine glasses went flying, spilling down the front of my dress as well as the once pristine white pants of Yeosang’s suit. Glass shattered across the ground and Hongjoong rose from his chair.

He stalked towards me, hand raised in warning as I scurried away from him. Yeosang grabbed me though, cutting off my retreat in an instant. Hongjoong snatched my arm out of Yeosang’s grip, dragging me back to the table and forcing me down into my chair.

“Stupid bitch!”

The slap that came next echoed through the room as a sting began to bloom across my cheek.

“I’ve told you once if I’ve told you a thousand times over. NO FUCKING PEPPERS IN MY GODDAMNED FOOD!”

I struggled to contain the whimper welling up in my throat,knowing that any sign of weakness would only serve to worsen his mood.

“I...I’m sorry Hongjoong. It won’t happen again…”

“You’re damned right it won’t.” Hongjoong signaled to the four guards and they cleared the room, serving only to heighten the growing terror within me.

“And I’m going to make damn well sure you remember exactly who it is you serve in this fucking household. If it’s the last thing I do.”

***

Yoongi sat alone in his room, eyes roaming the dark corners of his ceiling as his mind wandered the entirety of the last several days.

They’d just gotten off tour, exhausted from far too many layovers and crossed time zones. Within moments of stepping into their shared apartment they’d split off to their rooms, collapsing into feather soft beds and burying their faces in plush pillows to chase the elusive slumber they’d so long been lacking.

Yoongi though, had other priorities. He’d immediately headed to the seclusion of his studio, phone clicked to speed dial the number of his best friend.

She had answered right away, voice calm and even as always and a welcome balm to soothe the ache his body had endured throughout their time overseas. He’d sighed, leaning as far back as his chair would allow as he told her stories of their adventures and listened in turn to what she’d been up to over the weeks they’d been apart. The previous argument had been entirely forgotten in favor of the comfort they always found in each other’s company.

She was a writer, not well known but truly well loved by those who knew of her works. Mostly dealing in fantasy and romance, some of the things she would write about critics had always cited as seeming like stories straight out of history. Though unbeknownst to them, most of them actually had been.

Yoongi rolled over, tucking his arm beneath his head so that he could stare longingly at the painting that he’d purchased not long ago in Milan. The painting itself was of 16th century Italy, bold and bright colors littering the canvas in shades of coral vistas and flower shaped rainbows. But the colors and background weren’t why he’d spent almost 3 million on it. No, instead the woman standing at the edge of the Italian balcony, long dark hair blowing in the wind as she stared off at the seashore beyond was the focus of his attention.

He remembered it well, as the painting had been completed mere months before the woman had died in a most unfortunate fire of the very same villa she’d been standing in in the painting. The panic that had gripped him when Jungkook came rushing into their own shared villa to warn him of the fire still haunted him to this day. Right along with every other death of hers that he’d had to experience over the millennia.

“Yoongi. Manager’s calling for you.” Seokjin stood in the doorway, eyes frowning in the dark in an attempt to spot Yoongi. The lights framing the lone painting distracted him.

Seokjin walked further into the room, eyes trailing the ancient golden frame before focusing on the lone figure in the center of the canvas.

“Milan?” He turned to where Yoongi lay on the bed, eyes sad and filled with understanding as he watched the ancient wolf hum in acknowledgement.

“I found it hung in one of those tourist trap galleries next to an imitation Di Vinci. This is the original though. The one Tae painted…”

“Ah, I see…” Seokjin wandered over to the bed, perching on the edge to join Yoongi in staring at the exquisite work of art. Seokjin sighed, fingers reaching out to entangle with Yoongi’s much colder hand.

“Do you think this time will be different?” Despite the touchiness of the subject the taller man only half expected an answer.

True to form Yoongi chose to ignore it, releasing Jin’s hand and rolling over to stand up slowly. Stretching his arms in the air he turned back to Seokjin, his eyes glowing their haunting golden hue in the darkness. “You said the manager needed me?”

“Mmm...the sample you sent over got Namjoon’s parts added to it. They want you to give it a quick once over before they send it to the producers for mixing.”

Yoongi nodded. He gave the painting one last glance, a heavy sigh leaving him as the two left the room to continue with their day.

                                                     Chapter 3

[tinybookgirl]

Phone Calls are Extremely Stressful- Chapter 5

((Human AU Amethyst meets her birth sisters))

Amethyst parked her car and doubled checked the GPS on her phone. She glanced up at the apartment building. She wondered which window exactly was theirs, but it wasn't like there was any way to tell.

She clicked off her phone. Apartment 6C. It was going to be fantastic. They wanted her to spend Christmas with them. That was good.

Amethyst grabbed the backpack and the sleeping back Gina had told her to bring. She locked the car, steeling herself and heading inside. She was bouncing on her feet in the elevator, unsure if it was from being nervous or excited.

She stopped outside the apartment. She could hear them talking inside, but couldn't make out any of the words. She knocked on the door.

Elle swung it open, wearing a tank top and fleece pajama pants. “Hey! You made it!”

Amethyst shrugged a shoulder. “I did say I was coming.”

Elle stepped aside for Amethyst to enter, shutting the door behind her. Gina waved from the kitchen, also in pajamas. “Hey!”

Kaylee waved a hand from were she was playing a video game on the couch, dressed in a tank top and boxers. Jayna came out of one of the bedrooms, pulling her hair into a ponytail.

“Hey,” Jay smiled. She gestured around. “You can dump your bag anywhere.”

Kay snorted. “We need to figure out a different greeting than hey.”

Jay shrugged, sitting down on the couch. Amethyst put her bag down in a corner by a bookshelf.

“I uh, I brought presents. Is there somewhere to put those?” Considering she barely knew the girls, figuring out what to get them had been frustratingly difficult.

Elle pointed towards the window, where a standing lamp was decorated with garlands as opposed to having an actual tree. There was a small pile of presents at the bottom. “Over there.”

Amethyst tugged a couple of poorly wrapped presents out of her backpack, dumping them down on the pile.

Gina was in the middle of baking something, mixing up whatever was in the bowl in front of her. “You brought pajamas?”

Amethyst nodded. She wondered how long it would take before she no longer felt strange being in their house. “Yeah. Is there-”

“Bathroom’s through there,” Gina pointed. “Christmas eve is way more fun if you’re wearing pajamas the whole time.”

Amethyst nodded, grabbing up her bag and heading into the bathroom, locking the door behind her.

Amethyst ran a hand through her hair. She needed to stop freaking out so much. It wasn’t like they were going to kick her out, like they would stop wanting to hang out with her. They were the ones who had found her. They were the ones who had invited her.

Outside the bathroom, Elle sat down at the kitchen counter. “So, are we sure the stuff we got for her isn’t stupid?”

Jay threw her arm over the back of the couch, turning to look into the kitchen. “Peridot said she would like it.”

“Peridot could be wrong,” Elle suggested.

“Who cares if she’s wrong?” Kay said, not looking up from her game. “We’ll give her the gift receipt.”

Gina poured her batter into a pan, handing the spoon over to Elle as she slid the pan into the oven. “She’ll like it,” Gina assured, although she wasn’t entirely convinced either. Getting a present for the sister you had only met a month ago wasn’t an easy task, not even when your best frame of reference for what she might like was said sister’s girlfriends. “Sharky, turn the game off.”

“Hold on” Kay grumbled. “I’m almost at a save point.”

“Sharky?” Amethyst questioned, leaving the bathroom just as Gina made her request, now changed into shorts and a tank top.

Kay rolled her eyes. “I had a shark phase when I was like, ten.”

“Yeah,” Jay agreed, nudging her sister. “And it didn’t end until you were like sixteen.”

“Sharks are cool,” Kay argued, saving her game. “And I continue to stand by that.”

Amethyst smiled, sitting herself at the counter next to Elle. Gina rolled her eyes. “Just get the game off.”

“So,” Amethyst said, “What do you guys do on Christmas?”

“We order chinese food and watch the worst Christmas movie we can find.” Jay said.

“Then we eat whatever weird cake Gina made and play cards against humanity.” Jay said, shutting off the game console.

“This is the same cake I made last year!” Gina argued. “And you loved that one.”

Kay shrugged, getting up and leaning against the counter. Elle got up and tossed her spoon into the sink.

“Okay, but the one you made the year before that,” Elle said, “was disgusting.”

“Yeah, that one was pretty awful,” Gina agreed.

“What was so bad about it?” Amethyst asked.

Jay took Elle’s empty stood. “She said it was supposed to be like… I don’t know french or something? But for one thing, it didn’t actually cook. And then the parts that were cooked tasted like dirt.”

“It was Italian,” Gina corrected. “But it was really bad. I stick to American cakes now.”

Kay tugged out Chinese menus from a drawer, dumping them on the counter. “Get whatever you want, M.”

“M?” AMethyst asked again.

“It’s short for Mini.” Kay smirked.

“You can’t shorten a nickname that’s already about me being short!”

Jay reached over and ruffled her hair, patting her head. “Yes, we can.”

Amethyst pulled her head away, unable to keep herself from smiling. A nickname off a nickname was even better than just a nickname.

Gina pushed a menu towards her. “Order whatever you want. And don’t worry about paying.”

“I can pay for it!” Amethyst said, picking up the menu. “I do have money-”

“You’re not paying,” Gina said. She smiled. “You can pay for yourself next year.”

They ended up watching some terrible Christmas romance, spending most of the movie mercilessly roasting the plot and the actors. Amethyst liked this a lot more than Steven’s party. It felt so much more casual, and so much more fun. She was still on a high from Gina’s implication that she could be spending Christmas with them again next year.

“Hey,” Elle said, “Is this weird?”

Amethyst looked up from her box of noodles. “Is what weird?”

“Celebrating Christmas with us when you’re Jewish?”

Amethyst shrugged. “I don’t think I’m Jewish, I mean, Steven and Greg are so that’s what they celebrate.” She stabbed a bit of meat with her chopstick. “I don’t think I’m anything.”

“What did you do before?” Jay asked, “I mean, you said Greg was your stepdad, right?”

“My mom and I did Christmas usually,” Amethyst said, “But not like, religiously or anything.”

The four others nodded. Kay spoke up from her spot on the floor in front of the couch. “Where is your mom?”

Elle and Jay shouted out. Gina kicked her lightly in the back of the head.”I thought we agreed not to ask that.”

Kay rubbed the back of her head. “I wanna know.”

“It’s fine,” Amethyst said quickly. “You can asked. There were some complications when Steven was born.”

“I’m sorry,” Gina said, speaking the only thing any of them felt like saying.

Amethyst shrugged. “It was a while ago. And you’know, we got Steven out of it.” Although it would have been better to have them both.

In an attempt to break the tension, Kay spoke up again. “I like Steven.”

“Why wasn’t he named after a rock?” Jay smirked.

Amethyst threw her head back and groaned. “You guys are never gonna let the rock thing go, are you?”

“Nope,” Gina agreed. “We are not.”

[ibangtanthings]

Fake Love

PART 1

You slapped the money onto the counter and put the bagel in your mouth. As you walked towards the door a familiar face blocked your exit.

“It bothers me seeing you so preoccupied. Sit down. Eat your breakfast.” He reached for you bag.

You took the bagel out of your mouth and let him place your bag onto the nearest stool.

“It’s funny that you’re the one telling me this when you spend every meal in the luxury of your studio.” You said, taking a seat.

“Do you need coffee? You seem like you’re in a bad mood.” He said, sarcastically concerned.

You didn’t say anything and just looked out the window of the store. People were heading to work sipping on their own mugs of coffee. The dull bagel you had felt stiff and dry.

“Are you okay?” He asked, this time more seriously.

“Hm? Yeah. I was just wondered what these people would do if they knew who you really were. If you took off those sunglasses Clark Kent style. They don’t seem like they would care.”

He took off his hood and removed his sunglasses.

You went wide eyed. “What are you doing!?” You tried to pull over his hood again.

“You said you were curious about what they would do.” He said loudly.

“Shh.” You giggled, taking your bag and dragging him outside towards the alley.

“You don’t want to go to work today do you? This must be one of those rare times.”

“It’s 5AM, I’m guessing you have your clothes and necessities in this bag because you wanted to spend the entire weekend working, but I’m not going to let you become like me so yeah, let’s go somewhere.”

“How?” You laughed. “Do you have a disguised other than this?”

His all black attire and sunglasses where not as inconspicuous as he thought they could be. Your grey tracksuit wasn’t that stealthy either.

What curious teenage girl wouldn’t look at a couple of people walking together, trying to figure out if they were an thing or not.

“You’re a foreigner. If people look our way it’s because of you. I can just be your tour guide. Let me just buy something that resembles a uniform and a visor maybe? You know, long socks.”

“Well you do look kind of ordinary without makeup on...” You contemplated if this idea was going to work.

“Ordinary?” He said with a gasp. “Me? Are you blind?”

You laughed, falling into him much like Jimin every time he laughed.

“Let’s go.” He said pulling your arm and leading you towards the nearest clothing store.

His excitement seemed so odd and out of place considering the whole world seemed to have just woken up.

You wanted to crash and sleep, regretting not buying a coffee but being around him lifted up your mood, even when you guys were just working for hours on end.

It didn’t take long to find him an appropriate disguise, to borrow a car, and to rent out a small house by the mountains. With peace and quiet, and a nice place to have a barbecue, you felt like this was exactly what you needed. It had been so long since you guys had a break.

“So who’s coming?” You looked up and down the aisles of snacks. They each had a favorite.

“No one.” He said taking his favorite bag of chips.

“What? Why?” You asked, assuming plans were canceled.

“I didn’t invite them?”

“What? Why?” You asked again, even more confused.

“We started arguing last night about the apartment. You know, petty stuff.”

“Like cleaning?”

“Yeah.” He nodded, standing in front of the shopping cart.

He looked into your eyes. “Is that okay?”

You looked elsewhere. “I guess, I mean, the house is nice but what are we going to do? Listen to music? Cook and then watch a movie? We’ve never really done this before.”

“You don’t want to?” He asked.

If you weren’t okay with this, you could tell him. It wouldn’t be hard. He wouldn’t mind.

It was fine being honest with him.

“I know you’re lying. Jungkook said he’s bored.” You showed him the text on your phone.

“Y/N, who else was I supposed to invite besides them? Can’t I just spend a day away from them? From work?” He sighed, the stress starting to show.

“I am work.” You pointed out. “But I understand. I’m just the last resort.” You nodded, hiding a smile.

“No, you’re not. Stop teasing me. I’m not a bad guy, stop making me out to be one. I’m buying you all this candy.” He picked up the excessive amount of snacks in the cart.

“I can pay for it, if you don’t want to.” You picked out a few more bags of junk food.

His jaw dropped and he laughed. “You’re shopping for yourself aren’t you.”

He pulled the cart away from you, making you trail after him.

“It’s the least you could do after making me your last resort.” You retorted.

“Sometimes I feel like you’re a kid, it’s so much work.” He sighed.

“That’s why they call you grandpa.” You muttered under your breath.

In the end the cart was full.

You successfully got groceries and despite what he said, he had no problem dropping them off at your house. You grabbed a few spices, and a stuffed animal to help you sleep better in a foreign house.

On the rift to you fell asleep and you wondered how he was still awake considering he must have gotten up way earlier than you did. But when you woke up, you were more alert and well rested.

“Do you want to rest some more?” He asked, before getting out of the car.

“No. Let’s take everything out of the car and I’ll prepare the meat while you get the fire going.”

“It only takes a few minutes. I’ll help you make the ramen and the rice.”

“We got too much food.” You said worriedly.

“Leftovers for breakfast. Isn’t that what Americans love?”

“Yes but that’s like on Thanksgiving.” You assured him.

“Well then today is our Thanksgiving.”

“Okay.” You agreed but secretly, you contemplated how much you could eat before he could notice how fat you were.

Needless to say, you both ate a lot.

He was a really good cook. It was strangely attractive how he was so skilled when it came to the home life. He could be an IKEA chef and set up the furniture displays too.

When you told him that, he let out the most genuine laugh you’ve heard in a while.

It was dark out now, and the sky was actually sparkling with stars. Instead of watching a movie indoors, you guys just set up an iPad by the fire and roasted the marshmallows you couldn’t resist buying earlier.

He had never roasted them before.

“You roast people, not marshmallows.” You shook your head after he told you that.

“I need to write that down. That’s good.” He said.

You giggled, already high off of the sugar.

You snuck in a few selfies with him in the background. He didn’t protest at all and he even flashed his teeth at one point.

He noticed you frown as you looked at the pictures.

“What? I look better than you?”

You smirked but it quickly faded. “I can’t post these.” You gave him a sad smile.

“You can always make a private account just for our squad.”

“Don’t say squad.” You pushed his shoulder. “I can’t post them on the internet at all. Even on a private account, I wouldn’t risk it your privacy.”

“Sometimes it feels like you’re hiding a big secret right? Like there’s a whole other part of your life you can’t talk about or share.”

“Yeah.” You answered quietly.

“I know you must feel sorry, but don’t. I don’t feel different when I’m around you. Neither do the guys. We all feel like normal people around you.”

“You are normal people.” You reminded hIm.

You reminded all of them any chance you could. Sometimes even they forgot.

Sleep didn’t come anytime soon. You guys ended up drinking for a while, just talking about life, about music, and about the future.

The tipsy feeling came quickly but it was calming and comforting even. He was a calm drunk. You mirrored whoever was around and usually if everyone was there you’d be all over the pace but with Yoongi, it was really relaxing.

You began to count the stars and he said it was pointless so instead, you visualized what it was like back home in the states and explained it to him with much detail.

He was fascinated by your life and your journey into music. He envied your knowledge of hip hop and the environment in which you single-handedly helped launch one of the best SoundCloud rapper’s career.

He was your boyfriend but things quickly became sour and you fled to work somewhere else.

It was the best decision ever.  

“Y/N do you want to know why I lied?” He asked.

Both of you were pretty drunk now. He talked more than you now.

“Because you hate them.” You laughed.

“No. I just wanted to spend time with you.”

“Then you should have just said so. You say, ‘hey do you wanna hang out?’ And then I’ll say ‘yeah, what are we doing?’”

“I was worried you might not want to spend time with me. We already spend a lot of time together.”

“Yeah but I wouldn’t ever say no. You’re my boss.”

He was quiet for a while. You began daydreaming as you watched the planes go by, sometimes looking like shooting stars.

“Do you want to date?” He asked.

You chuckled. “What are you saying?”

“I just wanted to spend time with you. Like a date. But I was too scared to ask you.”

You smiled at him. “You’re so drunk right now. Tomorrow you won’t remember any of this. Do I look pretty today or what?”

“Yeah. You make it hard to concentrate sometimes.” He said.

“Come on. You’re tired.” You stood up, half dizzy but you pulled him up too.

He was fine but you wanted to make sure he went to bed instead of going back to the kitchen.

“I really want to ask you out Y/N.” He said as he walked into his room.

“Min Yoongi, are you seriously that drunk right now? You seemed fine.”

He face planted into his bed.

“I didn’t sleep last night.” He groaned.

“Ahh that explains it. You’re delusional right now. Get some rest.”

“Goodnight Y/N.”

“Goodnight. Make sure you brush your teeth.” You called as you left.

He half mumbled a response and you were kind of impressed he was still somewhat responsive. If you had woken up before 5 in the morning you wouldn’t have made it past 10 PM, let alone 3AM.

The next morning, he didn’t remember a thing obviously. But the following week was like deja vu.

Everyone came on the trip this time and yet again, lots of alcohol put them to sleep.

You didn’t drink and Yoongi only had one beer after you teased him about last week.

This time you guys watched a movie on an iPad. A horror movie. One he tried to watch without closing his eyes for more than ten seconds. He was trying to man up in front of you but you knew better.

“Stop looking at me.” He said.

“If I look away you’ll close your eyes.” You laughed as he stared at the screen.

He faced you, looking into your eyes.

You quickly looked away.

“What?” He said, looking at your smile.

“You have a really strong gaze. I feel like you’re challenging me. I don’t want to fight.”

“We’re not wolves Y/N. I don’t want to fight you.”

You met his eyes again, this time looking into them without shame. “There’s really something crazy about your eyes. It’s intimidating.”

It was like looking at something you hated but loved at the same time. Like when you couldn’t stop watching something terrible happening right in front of you.

“Do you like it?” He asked stifling a smirk.

You felt your breathing stop. You don’t even think he realized how close your faces were.

“What the hell Yoongi.” You blushed and hid your face into your palms.

“Sorry. I was joking. Did I make you uncomfortable?” He asked, concerned.

You looked into his eyes again and he was genuinely sorry. His eyes went soft.

“No. I just-“

“Liked it?” He asked seriously, keeping your gaze.

His face got closer and you didn’t move.

Doubt ran through your mind. You wondered if this was really happening.

“Min Yoongi..” You whispered and he kissed you, placing a hand on your cheek as his fingers gently touched the back of your neck.

You responded to him without fear.

When he pulled away he looked into your eyes again.

“Do you believe me now?”

“What?” You asked.

“I’m sorry I didn’t ask you properly last time but now I am. Do you want to be go out with me, as my girlfriend?”

“How can I say no after you kissed me like that?” You breathed.

“Should I do it again?” He asked.

“Yes.” You chuckled.

______________________

Part 2

[svfedotov]

Mukbang: Korean for Eating and Broadcasting

Se-Yeon was relieved to be home. It had been a long day at the office, filled with running errands, filing papers, and answering phone call after phone call for questions she had no answer to, but was glad to transfer them. She must have made a million cups of tea and a million more of instant coffee and snuck in at least half of those to the hung-over co-workers who made her promise not to tell on them for showing up ten minutes late. She laughed and swore she wouldn’t, though she secretly kept track of all the IOU’s she was racking up when vacation time came.

          As usual, several of her co-workers gathered to go bar-hopping after the day was over and invited her to come along but she refused. They moaned and whined as she walked away, wishing them a happy and safe time. It’s not that Se-Yeon didn’t want to go out, but she had been secretly on a diet for a month and when she drank, she couldn’t control how much she ate, especially when it came to bar foods. It was a price she was willing to pay. 

         Perhaps I should go next time, she thought, not wanting to seem like she wasn’t a team player. It’s not like I have to stay the whole time. Once a week or so shouldn’t be too bad.

      She shoved her key into the lock and immediately kicked off her shoes as she crossed into her small, compact apartment. A howl greeted her from the dark.

       “Oh, Jenny!” laughed Se-Yeon as she picked up the slender white and black cat that had padded over to her. “When are you going to learn to meow like a proper lady?”

       Jenny let out a secondary gurgle that sounded like a cross between a meow and a purr and shoved her face against Se-Yeon’s chin. Se-Yeon cradled her in her arms and flicked the light switch on, illuminating her small, compact apartment. It was the standard ‘single-woman’ housing common for working women in Seoul. There were no separate bedroom or living room, but instead one medium sized room split into a bedroom and a kitchen by a counter top.

             When she first moved in, she had managed to move in her entire bedroom into the apartment, which was now doubling as a living and dining room. Her bed was her couch, her eating table was her computer table, and her small book shelf was also a TV stand.  Jenny meowed once again, a long drawn out one that translated into ‘feed me!’

             “Ok, ok, Jenny. Hold on,” answered Se-Yeon.

             Se-Yeon quickly changed into a loose shirt and sweat pants before preparing Jenny her evening meal. The cat scarfed it down greedily as Se-Yeon looked through her fridge for her own dinner. She had begun to pre-make her meals for the week so that she could keep tight to her diet schedule and a side of fish, cold rice, and a tomato and cucumber salad became her meal for the night. A glass of cold barley tea rounded out the dinner.

             She carefully carried the food to her table and flipped open her laptop. Truth be told, it wasn’t just the temptation of food that had kept her from the bars. Tonight was the latest live stream of her favorite Mukbang entertainer, Park Min-Hee.

             Min-Hee was everything that Se-Yeon wanted to be. She was petite with a round, angelic face and large, child-like eyes. Her skin was clear and pale and looked very soft to the touch. Se-Yeon had been struggling with acne for years and dreamed of the smooth skin that Min-Hee seemed to have gotten so effortlessly. Min-Hee’s stylish clothes and polite manner only sealed her celebrity desirability. But Min-Hee’s appearance was only a mere aspect of what made her so special; it was her talent at Mukbang that really let her shine.

             While there were many Mukbang eating performers who were tuned into to keep single eaters company, Min-Hee’s true popularity came from how much she ate (and it was a lot.) It wasn’t uncommon for her to eat several pounds of food in one sitting that could be made up of snacks, noodle dishes, rice dishes, salads, fried foods, meats, and sweets. She once ate a five pound meal of spaghetti and meatballs as well as an entire loaf of garlic bread and a large salad. Another time, she consumed a full KFC meal consisting of ten chicken pieces, a large side of potatoes along with a large side of coleslaw, a pot pie, and five biscuits. This was only a selection of the amazing amount of food that she had put into her tiny body which of course fueled rumors of her eating and purging. Min-Hee had addressed the rumors herself, stating that she was on a strict one-meal-a-day diet routine and worked out frequently.

             Se-Yeon didn’t believe any of it anyway. Min-Hee seemed too sweet and down-to-Earth to do anything so harmful to her body. Besides, tonight was a big night for the internet star and Se-Yeon wouldn’t miss it for the world. At the end of Min-Hee’s last broadcast, and after three very big bowls of Bi-bim-bop with a heaping side of kimchi and several small fried fish, she announced a very special meal for the next show. She immediately got peppered with questions on the live comment feed, but she only smiled, winked, and promised something truly amazing.

             As her fans waited for the next broadcast, the internet was rife with rumors and guesses, ranging from eating live insects and poisonous blowfish to a pound of edible gold. Someone even joked about her eating a pair of shoes and while highly unlikely, was met with a series of good humor laughs and suggestions for what shoes would pair with what wines.  

            Se-Yeon quickly logged in with her handle JennyBB1 and entered the stream right on the click of 8PM. The screen showed Min-Hee’s usual background which consisted of a curtain decorated with small pink roses and a white chair in front of a brown table. The chat feed started come to life underneath the broadcast window as more fans popped up. Se-Yeon spotted some of the more well-known names; people she had become friends with online.

 JennyBB1:

Hi BunMakbong, liu_dae, hobitzzz, and Parkchan190

 BunMakbong:

Hi JennyBB1! J

 hobitzzz:

JennyBB1 ^_^

 Parkchan190:

hellooo

 liu_dae:

<3 <3 <3

 Parkchan190:

i wonder whatt the surprise is!

 liu_dae:

Hope its not an actual shoes >_< ‘0_0

 JennyBB1:

Ha ha, u silly. :P

 hobitzzz:

I still think she’s eating insects.

BunMakbong:

Gross! She would never. -_-

           Se-Yeon laughed at the conversation, happy to be back in her weekly chat room. Through the few months that Min-Hee had been doing her show, Se-Yeon had become acquainted with some of the other followers. She had no idea who they were or where they were from; they had an unspoken rule to not ask or tell. She was certain that at least a couple of them were from Korea. They had also met up between shows on forums and live chat groups and would exchange gossip and jokes, enjoying their shared interest of Min-Hee.

         The chatter quickly died down as a hand reached out and pulled out the chair on the screen. Min-Hee’s presence filled the screen. She looked exceptionally beautiful! Some of the newer fans chimed in.

 Blue_Bear:

you look so pretty!

 Dank4210:

Lovinng the look 

         They were right to compliment her. She had put on impeccable make-up, highlighting her large eyes and small nose, and she was wearing a black dress with short sleeves adorned with a red stone necklace. She looked like she was about to go a date and for a second, Se-Yeon was worried that she would cut the broadcast short.

             “Hi everyone!” she said. “Thank you for coming back! It’s been quite the week, hasn’t it? I hope you’re all as excited to be here as I am. I’ve been working so much lately that I’m happy to just sit here and hang out with you guys.

 liu_dai:

Good to see you ^u^

 JJamesyung:

Whats on the menu

           “I know you’re all wondering what the big surprise is,” she said, addressing and subsequently ignoring the remarks. Sometimes she would get so many comments that she would have to pick and choose what she could answer as her feed would frequently flood with fans.

           “While I heard some of the comments that you guys made, none of you were even close, though they were pretty funny. This is something much more exotic.”

 hobitzzz:

A koala!

       Min-Hee scrunched her face and squinted.

        “A koala?” she said before breaking out into laughter. “Now where would I get that? No, it’s definitely Korean. In fact, it’s readily available, anyone can get it all across the world.”

 Parkchan190:

come on, show us!

        Min-Hee smiled and reached off screen and pulled out a crockpot that was sitting off camera on the table. She lifted the lid and instantly got assaulted with blanket of steam. She playfully swatted at it.

       “So steamy!” she smiled. “But it smells very good! It took me all day to cook, so I hope you guys like it! I had to find a special recipe and everything.”

         Se-Yeon could see rubber handles on the side of the crockpot, indicating that there was an interior metal basket that contained Min-Hee’s meal. Min-Hee brought out a large plate and a set of chopsticks and looked dead into the camera.

        “Are you ready?”

         The feed came alive as everyone agreed they were ready.

         Min-Hee grabbed the handles and, lifting up her food, temporarily steamed up the camera. Se-Yeon could just make out the Min-Hee’s figure as she turned the basket upside and something heavy thumped on to the plate. Se-Yeon thought it was some sort of pot roast but she wasn’t sure what the dark, hairy part was on the side of lump through the steamed up lens. Slowly, the steam crept away into the cool air, revealing Min-Hee’s secret meal.

        Se-Yeon covered her mouth as she tried not to scream.

        Sitting on the dinner plate was a boiled human head.

         For a good thirty seconds, the chat feed went silent as Min-Hee happily showed off the head. She turned it slowly around, from face to the back of the head and around again, like a model exhibiting the newest piece of jewelry. The head belonged to a man. He looked to be in his early sixties and had short, scruffy black hair. Wrinkles had lined his face and his thin lips sat in a permanent frown. His eyes were half open, revealing cloudy eyeballs, most likely from being cooked.

        Parkchan190 was the first to break the silence.

 Parkchan190:

This is a joke rite…

 liu_dai:

Is that a cake maybe?

       Min-Hee giggled and lightly tapped the heads forehead with her perfectly manicured finger nails.

       “No, Liu, it’s not a cake. This head is very real, I’ll show you.”

        She grabbed her pink chopsticks, ones that had helped eat dozens of meals before, and pinched the left cheek with its tips. Caught in their grip, she pulled the skin along the nose and dug out a hunk of cooked meat. Like any well-cooked animal, the flesh came away easily from the bone.

        Se-Yeon felt the color drain from her face. She honestly could not fathom what she was seeing. It has to be a prank, she thought, no one is crazy enough to do this live on a broadcast. Her hands shook as she typed.

 JennyBB1:

Are we on a prank show?

 Hobitzzz:

this is not funny if we are >:( !!

 Blue_Bear:

scary! soooo mean!

             Min-Hee kept her trademark smile.

             “No, this is not a prank show. Everything you are seeing is very real.”

             As if to push the point home, she popped the piece of meat in her mouth and carefully chewed. Suddenly, her face broke out into a beam.

             “Oooh, it’s perfect!” she exclaimed, bringing her hands to her cheeks. “So tasty! I used the same recipe that is used for goats heads in the Middle East.”

             She pulled off another strip of meat, this one off the forehead. Se-Yeon could see the slight pull of the skin and tear of the flesh as it peeled.

             “I was worried it wouldn’t cook well because I didn’t skin the head first, but it turned out great!” she ate the piece and continued. “It wasn’t very complicated. Pepper, lemon, coriander, three bay leaves, a cinnamon stick, and salt. You could definitely do it yourself.”

             Se-Yeon sat mesmerized by the scene in front of her, her own food half uneaten next to the laptop. Her stomach had started to lurch as it attempted to climb back out of her throat and onto the carpet. The dead eyes of the man were facing the camera while Min-Hee continued picking away at his face like a human crow. That all she is, she thought, a crow. A black crow, eating carrion, eating the dead.

         In Se-Yeon’s minds eye, Min-Hee’s face began to warp and the all the childlike beauty that she had once seen was glossing over with an inhuman monster. Her doe eyes suddenly became maniacally large, her pretty face bore marks of hidden insanity, and her perfect teeth appeared sharpened purposely for the consumption of human flesh. Though Min-Hee may have sat in her chair same as before, pouting and cooing at the screen, Se-Yeon could’ve sworn she was now just a demon wrapped in Min-Hee’s skin. With every bite and tear she took, her visage became more and more grim.

       I need to call the police, she thought, reaching for her phone.

       As if reading her thoughts, Min-Hee poked the chopsticks through the heads left eye socket and pulled out an eyeball.

       “I’m sure most of you are on the phone right now with your local police.”

 Blue_Bear:

Damn rite I am! They’re gonna get u!

          “I understand that you would call the police, but let me tell you a story.”

��         She pointed the eye at the camera and swirled it around.

          “Let me tell you why I’m eating this man, perhaps it’ll help you understand.”

                                                         *

 Korea’s emergency number, 119, was suddenly flooded with calls from people across the country. Emergency personal took the call and waves of “excuse me?” and “a human head?” murmured across the phone room. The operators looked at one another as call after call came in, their eyebrows knitted together in confusion. After ten calls in two minutes, they sent the alert to the National Policy Agency headquarters where a couple of new recruits reviewed the calls and looked up the website where the supposed ‘cannibalism’ was happening.  

           A quick view of Min-Hee’s feed confirmed that the calls were indeed accurate. They immediately put a system wide alert tagged as ‘crime in progress’ and woke up the entire building into full action.

             Detective Kim Joon-Ho had been in the middle of wrapping up paperwork when the call came in. One of the officers on the first floor was on the line passing on the message that Kim had been requested personally on a case and was needed immediately. Detective Kim was one of the most respected law enforcement officials in the country. He had proved himself time and again as a level headed officer with a quick mind and was generally assigned the most incredible of cases. Despite his prestige, he was almost never sent on a task that required the urgency as this phone call had.

 He put his work to the side and headed downstairs, wondering what could possibly be so important, but as soon as he cleared the two flight walk, he was surprised to see the usually orderly area of back to back desks and laughing officers now a powder keg of tension.

             Every computer screen was playing a video of young lady clasping a pair of chopsticks and talking to the camera. She had the type of modern beauty that was very popular right now, a look that Detective Kim wasn’t a big fan of. He preferred his women more classic and thought the baby doll look was in bad taste, but he could see her appeal. She was slim and pale and projected an air of innocence. But it wasn’t her looks that had drawn the attention of the entire precinct, but the fleshy, well-cooked human head that she was picking off of.

             Detective Kim froze and watched the woman giggle into the camera as she popped a piece of flesh into her mouth. The officer who called him, Officer Song Seung-Hyun, approached him and bowed. He was at least ten years younger than Kim and with his heavy jaw and serious eyes, looked more like a cop than his older partner. Kim pointed at the screen with a confused look.

             “What is this?” asked Detective Kim, forgoing the normal formalities. “Is this real?”

             “Not only real, but it’s live,” confirmed Officer Song. “She’s streaming through a live video program. See all those comments on the bottom? Those are from viewers who are watching it happen.”

             The comments were ranging from disgust and outrage to a couple off color jokes and even some encouragement. Detective Kim scrunched his face and shook his head.

             “Disgusting,” grimaced Kim. “Does anyone know who she or the head is?”

             “The head is currently unidentified, but the way she talks, we wouldn’t be surprised if she tells us sooner or later. Her user name is Min-Hee, she’s a Mukbang star. We’re not sure if it’s her real name or not.”

             “What’s Mukbang?”

             “It’s a trend online where entertainers eat an excessive amount of food for people to watch. Apparently she’s one of the biggest stars on the internet.”

             “And this is happening right now?”

             “Yes,” Song nodded. “We are currently attempted to track her IP address but it seems like she’s relaying the stream with a series of outside servers. In other words, we have to track her signal through different points and hack through their server to get to the next one until we find where she’s streaming from.”

             “How long will that take?”

             “It depends on how many servers she’s re-routing from. It could be a few minutes to hours. We can only hope she stays live until we can get through all the points.”

             Detective Kim shoved his hands in his pockets and started playing with a large ring on his middle finger. It was a gift from the police department for his years of service that he mostly kept it on for appearance. On the outside of the band that faced his palm, they engraved his name with a “thank you for your work” in small letters. Twirling it with his thumb helped him keep calm in stressful situations and this was about as stressful as it came. He felt tension set in as he realized that he could do nothing but sit on his hands and wait until they track her down. There was nothing in the video to even remotely give away her location, no window, no news program, nothing. She had planned this, he knew that instinctively. No one was crazy enough to do something this heinous, live for all to see, without some sort of precaution against the authorities.

           Who was this girl? What was she trying to prove?

             The questions ran through his mind as he watched her preen and wink at her fans. But it was the next thing she said that really got his attention.

             “Let me tell you why I’m eating this man,” she said with an eyeball caught between her chopsticks. “Perhaps it’ll help you understand.”

(To Be Continued....)

[your-fixof-fics]

Can u do a natsu from fairy tail and reader fanfic???? Thanks

A Night Alone 

What does it mean to be the girlfriend of a wizard in Magnolia? 

That’s a question you can only ask yourself as you sit at the dinner table by yourself, the plates of food cooling in front of you as they remain untouched.

You glance at the door does not change the fact that it is closed and undisturbed; and have been for the past two hours. The sun has long since disappeared behind the mountain, but you can’t bring your arms to the table to lift yourself from your seat.

There are stories - though, of course, they’re surely exaggerations - of what it means to date a wizard in other cities. It means to be showered in jewellery and gold, plenty of parties and to be under the gaze of admiration and envy by all others. They pamper you with gifts, and you put up with their arrogance and any other peeves - a fair exchange in many’s opinions.

It is these stories that had you turning away with your chin in the air when you first moved to Magnolia and came upon the Fairy Tail wizards. That was, until you found out your friendly blonde neighbour was a wizard too, and she had more than quickly rid you of any false-preconceptions of wizards in Fairy Tail.

For one, she had said, they never have the money for expensive jewellery anyway. And you had laughed along with her, as you met the cause of Fairy Tail’s financial burdens and trouble maker. And he had grinned, then shrugged, as if he couldn’t understand the whole concept of money and materialistic assets in the first place.

The Fairy Tail wizards are easy friends to make. Lucy takes you to the guild hall once, and all the other times you are the one going back. And the way they ask about your everyday life, to see if there’s anything you ever need help with, you easily understand why they’re almost considered heroes in Magnolia. In a village you came to by yourself, suddenly you had an enormous group of friends.

But just because they make great friends doesn’t always they’d make great partners.

You don’t remember the first time you felt the attraction to the dragon slayer, nor does it matter because soon, he’s hands are on yours, and you’re not just “some villager” visiting the guild hall anymore, but “Natsu’s girl”. At first, you still blushed and looked down whenever someone called you that; can’t help but keep your fingers intertwined with his even as he banters with others and calls fire to his other hand.

There is no problem with the way he hangs out with Lucy and Erza whenever he’s with the guild, nor is there really a problem with his childish mindset towards your relationship - it only makes it more endearing as his eyes widen and his cheeks colour whenever you lean forward with a kiss. You don’t mind taking it slow.

Until one day, he stops showing up at your door. Lucy isn’t there either to tell you that they’re on a mission, and usually, it means days and days of waiting - for the day when he returns. Sometimes it’s a week, sometimes it might even be a month, and there’s nothing to do but wait.

It was a while before you got him in the habit of telling you when he leaves, of saying goodbye. When the recent missions also included a phone call the night before his returns to town to tell you this, you inwardly thank what is probably Lucy’s relationship advices.

But perhaps it was better to not expect anything, than to be excited for the whole morning and afternoon, only to sit alone in an apartment that suddenly feels too big for one person, with only the quiet ticks of the clock for companion as it reminds you that Natsu isn’t here.

At last, you decide you’ve waited long enough. You wrap the food up and put them in the fridge, even the portions for yourself, because your appetite seems to have drained with your patience. Looking out through the window, you stare into the night sky of Magnolia - it’s peaceful; quiet; no sign of your raucous group of friends.

So what do you actually get from being Natsu’s girlfriend, other than nights of loneliness?

You take your time making your way across the apartment; the coat feels heavy in your hands as you put it on. There is no rush in the search for your keys, with your legs dragging on the floors before you finally make your way onto the street. Maybe you’ll head to the Fairy Tail guild; or just take a stroll by the canal and get some air.

It’s not a decision you need to make, though, as you open the door to the street. Natsu is standing there, his hand linger in the air where he was about to turn the knob. You watch the slow turn of his head, the gaze from where the doorknob was to where you stand.

“Oh, hi,” he breaks into a large grin.

Is it relief that overwhelms you? Or anger and frustration? You take a deep breath, shaping your expression into a frown as you cross your arms. “You’re late.”

Natsu scratched his forehead, looking sheepish. “We got delayed.”

Natsu pushes past you, “Can we go inside already? I’m tired.”

In the light of the room, that’s when you notice the scratches and bandages all over his body. You let go of all pretences, rushing straight to his side. “What happened? What did I say about taking dangerous missions? Don’t tell me this is another one of those where you almost got yourself killed!”

“Nah, the mission was easy enough,” It’s Gray’s voice that answers you, entering with the rest of Natsu’s team. He was carrying a large bag. “But this guy spotted a boar on the way back, and figured he wanted to catch it.”

“That’s your delay?” You resist putting your hands up in the air, exasperated.

So many hours of waiting - for what? For…

“That’s ‘cuz it’s not a real party unless there’s good meat,” Natsu retorts, with sudden energy at the mention of meat. “C'mon, you’ve got an oven in here, right?”

You blink, stare out into the night. “Aren’t you guys tired? You still want to party?”

You don’t miss the side glance Natsu throws at Lucy, the way he stammers a little as he replies, “Yeah! I want to!”

But the way Natsu’s group slide easily in to a circle, leaving a gap for you, and the way they’re fighting to recount their latest mission and any funny stories, it’s not hard to guess who’s the party for. There is already a smile on your face as you take a seat beside Natsu.

So what does it mean to date a wizard?

Sure, it’s not all just extravagance and parties. But as you look around at the warm, laughing faces of these people, who delayed a journey just to prepare for a party for you, you can’t help but be glad your boyfriend is a wizard.

It doesn’t take long before it gets loud, and you’re sure the landlady will come in the morning with complaints from neighbours. But when that happens, you will only be able to nod and accept her complaints, because you are surely one of the loud ones, joining with the jokes.

Lucy is screaming in the kitchen as Natsu suggests roasting the boar with his fire, and Gray is only a little drunk as he dares to insult Erza about something that happened in the mission and suddenly there’s a fight in your living room. Happy is everywhere, adding to the confusion as he shouts for everyone to stop.

You smile, and bring up a hand to cover your giggle. This, makes all the waiting worth it. Makes everything worth it.

[engbergsinchile]

Day trip to Bernardo O’Higgins National Park

On Wednesday morning, our last full day in Patagonia, the kids and I woke up at 6 a.m. so that we could meet Emily at 6:30 and walk down to the dock. The night before, I went to bed too late, as usual, because it always seems like – whether at home or in the farthest reaches of South America --  I have so much to do once I get the kids to bed.  And though they were in bed by maybe 8 p.m. the night before, I tried to get a few things done, and then it always takes longer than I expect, like with downloading my students’ work so I can do some grading on the plane, when not connected to the internet. Anyway, the 6 a.m. alarm clock was kind of brutal, but we got out and on our way with no trouble, and had the unexpected surprise of seeing a gorgeous sunrise emerge over Puerto Natales.  I’ll say, the town itself isn’t what we might call “the quaintest,” but it is a serviceable and well equipped base site for people doing trekking in the Torres del Paine area, and there sure were plenty of gear shops and good restaurants for our tastes.  Wednesday morning’s air was a bit bracing, but the sky was sunny and pink, especially the bottoms of the cloud of the bay.  We got to the dock, with the kids still in the very-handy double stroller, and got everyone on board with plenty of time. 

The boat was called the Agunsa and (I don’t know my boat names) was a smaller speedy-looking boar with a broad isle down the middle and rows along the window on each side, with pairs of two in the front five rows and rows of three the rest of the way.  I guess the boat could hold maybe fifty people.  It had a little food galley and some bathrooms.  We spent a lot of time on  that boat on Wednesday, and the kids even, later in the day, got to spend a little time with Hernán, the captain, in the front of the boat.

We motored up the fjord of Ultimo Esperanza again, as we had done to get to the Estancia la Peninsula, but we kept going – our outbound journey to the Bernardo O’Higgins national park was three hours.  I thought for a while about going out on the back deck, but I think based on my experience the previous days in Patagonia and the time I went on the deck at the Milford Sound in New Zealand, I though it would be freezing.  But, it really wasn’t!  I don’t know whether the front of the boat was blocking some of the cold wind, but more probably it was just a much nicer day. Out three-hour ride was manageable, as they came by with a coffee-and-cookie service, with strawberry milk for the kids, and the kids did a bit of coloring and then, we were at the dock at the national park.  We did a 1.25 round-trip hike to the look-out over the glacier.  It was a totally manageable hike and the kids did so well.  I think Rowan learned from the experience at the Estancia la Peninsula that he could not get out of my sight, so he and Emily were a bit ahead and then he’d come back.

We stopped a few times to look at the little icebergs – or chunks—floating in the lagoon, and we could hear the glacier cleaving off bit of ice!  It was a pretty crazy sound to hear, honestly, It sounded like thunder, but you could see in the distance the cascade of the blue ice falling into the lagoon off the glacier. We got to the lookout and stayed there for not quite ten minutes and saw a few more little cleavages of ice.  We marveled at how blue the glacier was and the guide told me it was because the ice has no oxygen in it.  Not sure I totally understood her explanation.  But the glacier was massive, come down steeply from a high spot on the mountain.  The glaciers in Iceland were flatter, like big pancakes coming in through a broader valley.  It was really impressive to see this glacier, and then we walked back towards the boat stopping at another lookout where we can a different view of it. 

Back on the boat, we took a quick sail to another glacier, a much smaller one, but still really impressive, with two waterfalls nearby.  This glacier was receding at the rate of a meter a year, the guide said (I think, haha), and she said that in fifty years, this one was expected to have disappeared completely, and the other one we saw before was expected to have receded completely and disappeared in one hundred years. That information – which, of course I knew about glaciers in general from being an aware human in the world –made me grateful to have gotten to see these glaciers and so sad about their recession.

We had another two hours on the boat before we got to an estancia for a late lunch, preceded by a lamp-preparing demonstration, wherein a man wielded the sharpest knife I’ve ever seen and a cleaver that he whacked down with amazing precision, sparing his fingers, to chop up a lamb roasted over an open pit in the traditional Patagonian way. While the kids and I didn’t partake of the lamb, I still found it pretty interesting to see the skills of this guy at work. He seriously whacked that cleaver down with such incredible force, making quick work of his meat-carving. This estancia was the Eberhard estancia, and they were the original immigrant German family that founded Puerto Natales.  After the lamb-meat preparation demonstration (not sure what else to call that?), we had a huge lunch in the beautiful restaurant room of this estancia.  Out on the bay was a beautiful large sailboat with the German flag on it, and one of our boat’s crew told me that it belonged to the estancia’s family, still descendants of the Eberhards. Since the children and I did not eat lamb, we were given an alternative, which was a delicious pumpkin soup, though the kids were kind of stinkers and would not eat it, though Cece eventually came around. I was brought a second course, a vegetable gratin of some kind, with a hard-cooked egg on the top.  It was very good!  The kids enjoyed that they got apple juice, so all was well, but it was a very long day.  By this time, it was 4:30 p.m. and I had heard from the hikers!  I was so relived!  They were back in Puerto Natales and were getting themselves all showered and were recuperating from the hike.  Alia and Tiffany were out getting some souvenirs and they were going to meet some Australians they had met later that night for dinner.

So, once we got back on the Agunsa after our late lunch, we had thirty more minutes of boating, and then we were at the dock! The captain actually had to try to dock the boat twice, but eventually, he got it right ;)  We had to say “bye” to Emily after a little bit of our walk, and we were so grateful to her for all her help over the few days of our touring – and it was just great to get to know her overall.  I do hope she loves her time working in Puerto Natales.

The kids and I were so excited to be reunited with Eric!  He was shaven, clean, and you would have never known he had been hiking, often in rough weather, for five days.  Eric had gotten the kids some souvenirs from a fancy hotel shop at the end of their hike, and he was thrilled to see them.  We all got ready and went to a bar/restaurant called Base Camp and had pizza and smoked-salmon salad … and a good time.  The Australians the hikers had met were there, and these Australians were in the midst of a round-the-world trek!  While we were at dinner, Eric and I had to put our heads together to decide what we were going to do for the next three nights in Santiago – stay there or go elsewhere.  We decided to book an Airbnb and use Santiago as a home-base, rent a car, and do two day-trips: one to a vineyard and one to Valparaiso.  We’ll keep you posted about how those go!

I am writing this from our Sky Airlines flight from Puerto Natales to Santiago – but we actually had to make an unexpected stop in Puerto Montt because a very old lady on our flight took ill!  I have never been on a flight before that had to make an emergency landing.  Alia is actually sitting in the row in front of the old lady who was ill, so she told us what was happened.  She had a very low heart rate and they had to put her on oxygen and they landed in Puerto Montt so they could give her emergency care.  So, we hope she will be OK.  There were four medical professionals on the flight s(doctors and nurses) and they were tending to her.

Once we get to Santiago, Tiffany will have a long layover (well, a shorter one now, with our unexpected pit-stop) and Alia, Eric, the kids, and I will get  our rental car and head to Santiago.  Alia is going to stay at an eco-hostel and the kids and Eric and I got a place in a high-rise, so we’ll see what that’s like. We’ll hang with Alia tomorrow and then do our day trips the next two days, after she’s headed back to the U.S.  We head back Sunday night. More soon -- from Santiago!