#this is literally four pages of trash i'm so sorry

[heygerald]

Falling Without A Harness - Chapter 3

AU where Tom Ryder is still an asshole, just not a psychotic asshole. After their moment at the wrap party, Tom shows up at Parker's bookstore. How is it possible someone can be such an asshole when asking for a favor?

read the story here: prev / next

Two weeks later finds the weather outside shifting with the first hint of autumn; cooler temperatures in the morning greet Parker when she walks to work, and the coffee shop next door has started advertising their new fall drinks of pumpkin spice and cinnamon tea. She's seen her brother every day since the wrap party—partly because he always makes a point of taking some down time after finishing a movie to recover from his stunts, and partly because her and Jody have become fast friends—but she hasn't seen Tom since their moment in the bathroom.

She suspects that's for the best. The internet is flooded with paparazzi photos of him flouncing around town with models every other day, and she's still trying to forget how natural it felt to laugh with him.

But despite her brother's newly open schedule, and Jody's constant pestering to go spend a day at the beach, Parker finds her bookstore just as empty as always.

There are a few stragglers here and there throughout the day. Sometimes she gets lucky when a tour bus stops for gas and snacks, allowing an ensemble of tacky dressed tourists to flood her street for twenty minutes. On unlucky days, Mr. Chamberlain will stop in to peruse her historical section; but he doesn't have any sort of schedule or income, and those visits consist entirely of him describing last night's CSI episode to Parker before trying to set her up with his grandson. Once he bought a book from her dollar bin. He attempted to return it three days later.

On days like today, Parker is visited by a sixteen-year-old named Melissa who hangs out every so often while her mom attends overpriced Pilates in the studio down the block.

"...and then Peter was all 'no, sorry Mandy, I'm not interested". Like, hello! My name is Melissa and we've lived in the same neighborhood since we were four," said teenager was droning on from her spot atop the upcycled reading chair in the corner. She never failed to impress Parker with how much she could talk—the stories quite literally never stopped coming—while at the same time she managed to read about four books a week. Parker suspected that Melissa's brain represented something like the Rainbow Road in Mario Kart, when the music got a little too fast and the turns were a little too hard to keep up with. "Now, I have no idea what I'm going to do. There's no one else for me to ask since it's three weeks away."

Parker, only half-listening to the story, hummed from her spot two rows back. She had won several boxes of books at a local auction about a month ago and had done a pretty good job at pretending they didn't exist.

Ignoring the problem only lasted so long, however, and this morning she had ended up spilling coffee all over herself when her sneaker caught the edge of the box. Pride—and knees—damaged, she decided to tackle the issue first thing in the morning.

It was now four in the afternoon, and the books were mocking her.

"Can't you just go alone?" she asked.

"Go alone? Are you crazy! That's, like, really sad, Park," Melissa explained. She couldn't see her, but Parker could feel the judgmental look the teen girl was giving her. "Only losers go alone to dances."

"Baby did it."

"Who?"

"Baby. You know? You don't put Baby in a corner? That one."

A tut. "You should really update your references."

"Jesus. Since when did Dirty Dancing become an outdated reference?" she muttered while inspecting the spine of a mystery novel from the 70s. It had definitely seen better days, and when she shifted it, three pages fell out. Parker tossed it into the TRASH box with a sigh. "Is going to a dance with your friends considered outdated too?"

"That's the same thing as going alone," Melissa groaned.

"How? You're literally not alone."

"Because if I go with my friends, that means that I couldn't get anyone that wasn't a friend to agree to go with me. I don't need the whole school thinking that I'm a total loser."

"I went with my friends and had a blast. And I'm not a loser."

There was no response other than silence, and after a few moments Parker realized that if Melissa had nothing to say about the subject, she likely had nothing nice to say.

She cleared her throat before moving onto the next, and final, box hoping that there would be better books in it. So far, her KEEP pile was looking pathetically small compared to what was about to be binned. With a forced change of conversation, she asked, "hey, you grew up here, right?"

"Sure."

"Did you know the Sawyers?"

"Like, Miss Sawyer? Down on Oakcrest?"

"The fancy old house with the bushes shaped like dogs. I bought a bunch of books at her estate sale, and so far, they all suck. I thought she was supposed to be a big collector or something."

The sound of Melissa humming echoed throughout the empty store, and Parker peeked around the bookshelves to spot the girl lying upside down on the chair; Doc Martens stuck up in the air, long ponytail hanging to the ground as she played on her phone.

Parker rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, totally. But she collected those kid's books. Original copies or whatever. Mom said she paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for some rabbit book."

"...Peter Rabbit?"

"I guess," Melissa shrugged. There was a loud smack of gum popping before her voice rang out, "she did a bunch of donations to local art musuems and galleries and stuff. A phila-something—"

"Philanthropist?"

"—and there was some big deal about her donating everything to some charity. Mom was talking about it. Which, like, good for them or whatever but I don't understand how donating an old book is helping solve world hunger."

Parker let her head drop against the beat-up cardboard box in front of her, something despondent and miserable sitting on her chest at the realization that she had wasted time and money on nothing but crap. "Well, I wish I knew that before I went into a bidding war over this garbage. Are the Hardy Boys still cool or is that dated too?"

A judgmental laugh floated back. "Um, their name is pronounced Hemsworth, Park."

"I meant—" she started, before realizing that this was a battle she was never going to win, and even if she wanted to try the musty smell resonating from these boxes of crap had burned through her daily allowance of braincells. Something Melissa didn't seem to worry about as she puffed from her vape pen. "Forget it."

Not so shockingly, Melissa did not, in fact, forget it. Instead, she spent the next ten minutes describing in scary detail each Hemsworth brother, their looks on a scale of one to ten, their best movies, and why Chris was the dreamiest of them all. His hair and eyes were a big selling point, apparently, and as Parker listened to the teenager drone on, she couldn't help but wonder if Chris Hemsworth used box dye too.

So wrapped up in her own world of book sorting, Parker didn't notice when the front door opened with a tinkle of the bell until the shop went eerily quiet. Melissa, it seemed, had finally found a reason to shut up.

"I never liked Chris all that much," Parker said as she slowly gathered the KEEP bin and hefted it off the floor. Her lower back ached at the strain. Jesus, maybe I am old. Moving towards the front counter, she continued musing, "There's something about him in the first Thor movie, when his eyebrows were all bleached, that kind of turned me off. I think there's a word for that, right? The ew or something...."

She spots Melissa first.

The girl is sitting upright in the chair now, face flushed a deep scarlet red with a book held tightly in her lap as she pretends to read through it. Her phone and vape are nowhere to be seen, and she doesn't so much as glance up when Parker strides by.

"What happened to you?" she asks with an amused quirk of the brow. Melissa doesn't respond, and Parker turns to set the heavy box of books on the front counter when she spots the other person in the room. "Oh, sorry. I was in the back. Can I help—?"

It shouldn't surprise her as much as it does, but Parker blinks to find Tom Ryder standing on the other side of the counter staring at her with raised brows.

Tom fucking Ryder.

He looks better than the last time she ran into him. He has a nice tan going underneath a funky pair of yellow sunglasses that are, in her opinion, too big for his face. They look a little absurd with the whitewashed denim jacket he's wearing, but the yellow matches the bedazzled t-shirt he has on underneath, so she suspects it's some sort of fashion statement. Paired with an expensive pair of well-polished boots, it all looks quite absurd standing in the middle of her dilapidated bookstore.

Even more so when Parker realizes she's wearing nothing but a pair of cheap cargo shorts and an oversized Twilight sweatshirt that was covering the coffee-stained shirt underneath. (Team Jacob, always).

"Tom. Um... are you looking for Colt or something?"

In typical Ryder fashion, he ignores her question entirely to do a slow spin; blue eyes tinted by his glasses trailing over everything in sight. She can feel the judgement from across the counter, and when he finally fixes his sights back on her, his smirk is rage inducing. "This is your store. Seriously?"

Parker promptly plants her hands onto her hips with a scathing glare.

"Ok, what do you want?"

"Jesus, no wonder this place is empty," he drawls, a pointed smile tossed towards Melissa's prone form as he leans an elbow onto the counter. At being noticed, the teenager ducks her head behind the spine of her book as if she had just been caught doing something she wasn't supposed to. "Do you talk to all your customers like that?"

"Just the assholes," she retorts. Over Tom's shoulder she catches Melissa's book dropping down two inches, and the girl's face is completely aghast.

What are you doing! she mouths, that's Tom Ryder!

Parker rolls her eyes. As if she didn't know who the blinged-out asshole standing in her store was. Speaking of—he's still standing there smirking at her. "That's you, if I wasn't clear. Don't let the door hit you on the way out."

Tom snorts. "I think I got that after the fifth time you said it."

"And yet..." she gestures vaguely to him, then to her store.

Because he's never behaved like a normal person, however, Tom doesn't seem to mind the insult or the offhand comment that she didn't want to deal with him. Instead, he smiles while his gaze drifts from judging the bookstore to judging Parker. He gives her a glance over—up, down, lingering on her oversized sweatshirt, before going back up—and finishes with a snort. "If the door hits me, I'm suing for damages, and I doubt you could afford the lawsuit. Let alone a lawyer."

God! What. a. fucking. asshole!

Parker bites back the insult knowing that it won't do any good. They've played this game before, and clearly being called an asshole seemed to have lost some of its bite over the weeks. So instead, she forcefully returns her attention to the cardboard box and slowly starts sorting the books into categories. "Fine. Can you just tell me what you want so I can get back to my life?"

He shifts against the counter and over the mustiness she catches a waft of his cologne when he grabs a book at random from her pile. "Why else do people come to a bookstore? I want a book."

Parker snorts. "Yeah, sure. Whatever. Seriously, what do you want?"

There's a moment of silence. She glances up to find him pointedly ignoring her as he flips through the book at random.

"You're... serious?"

He shrugs. "You said you have a bunch of sci-fi books."

"I'm surprised you even remember that given the whole," she sticks a finger into her mouth and mimes throwing up. He doesn't find it funny or cute and responds with a disgusted glare. Parker rolls her eyes with a shake of the head. "It was a—never mind. Why not order off of Amazon? I thought you said you've never even been to a bookstore before?"

This time, it's his turn to roll his eyes. He drops the book with a thwack before turning his attention to the overstuffed bookshelves at her left. At random, he starts ambling towards one. "You should be flattered that I picked your little store to start. Most people would kill to say that you know. Tom Ryder explores rundown bookstore in the shitty side of LA. If you had a picture, the paps would run it in every paper by tomorrow morning," he huffs.

"Yeah, I'll be sure to document this monumental occasion forever," she snarks, but follows after him anyway. His pattern is half-hearted; poking books here and there, glancing for hardly a second, before moving on. "And my store isn't rundown. It just has some... character."

He snorts over his shoulder. "That's what a Mom says when her daughter is ugly."

"Don't you go through PR training or something?" she scoffs as he diverts to a different aisle. "I can't imagine Gail would like to hear that particular opinion if I sold it to TMZ."

"Gail would sue you for everything you own," he laughed while flipping through an old copy of Gone with the Wind. Parker crosses her arms at him with a glare, and in response Tom flashes a too-white smile at her. "She freaked out about the mink rug, by the way. Was screaming and everything. It was hilarious."

Parker's heart stopped in her chest, but when there was no continuation of the joke—haha I can't wait to see you served with papers!—she furrowed her brows at him. "You didn't tell her it was my fault?"

A shrug as he shoved the book against her chest.

She huffed, turning the book over to check for damages, but when he turned his back... well, a part of her did wonder why he would keep that a secret if it was such a big deal. Was it to be nice? Or so he could hold it over her head indefinitely? Then again, if this was his attempt at blackmail, letting it go for two weeks seemed like the wrong way to go about it.

Deciding not to linger on unsolvable riddles, Parker returned the book to the end cap he had found it on and asked, "so, does this mean you've decided to audition for that sci-fi part after all?"

Her question went unanswered as Tom paused in front of the SEX & SEXUALITY section. He pulled a wrinkled copy of Fifty Shades of Grey off the shelf and waggled his brows at her pointedly. "Keeping the good stuff for yourself, huh?"

Parker responded by snagging the book out of his hand and stuffing it back into place. "You break it, you buy it applies here too, Ryder."

"Half this place is broken," he said with a pointed glance at the flickering overhead light. "I still can't believe you own this shithole."

"I happen to love this bookstore—"

"Oh, trust me, I can believe that you would own a bookstore," he said, and while there was nothing insulting about owning a bookstore on its own, the way that Tom spoke made it clear that owning a bookstore was not something he held in high regard. Then again, he spent all his time reading shitty scripts, so what would he know? "I just can't believe that you would own this bookstore. Like, you actually paid money for this place?"

"If you have to know, I used to be friends with the owner, and got a good deal on the property," she started to explain. He raised his brows at her while slowly perusing the RELIGION section, and Parker shook herself. She didn't need to explain anything to him of all people. The reminder helped her find some confidence, and she fluttered her hands at him irritably. "You know what—I don't need to explain myself to you. You've never even been to a bookstore before. What would you know about making sacrifices for something you believed in?"

Tom paused in his search. She saw his jaw clench, and eyes droop towards the creaky wooden floor beneath his shiny boots, and his comment from the other day drifted back to mind.

"You can be a real asshole sometimes, too, he had said.

And while guilt did block her throat up a bit—fucking asshole couldn't even let her defend herself without feeling bad about it—this time he didn't make any such reprimands. Instead, he just shrugged, before diving deeper into the store.

He cleared his throat. "I just expected it be nicer coming from you."

"Does something about me secretly scream rich girl to you?"

Tom harrumphed. "Trust me, no one is mistaking you for rich. Uptight, however..."

"Oh, ha, hilarious, Tom. God! You're such an asshole," she laughed, but it was a mean sound, paired with a mean insult. It failed to have the desired effect, however. In fact, Tom seemed to have shifted from hating the insult to owning it and looked far too amused for her liking. Frustrated, Parker decided the best plan of extermination was a straightforward shot. Through gritted teeth, she asked, "...what kind of sci-fi book do you want?"

The rhinestones on his shoulders sparkled as he shrugged. "I don't know. I need to understand what gets nerds so fucking excited about this shit. Not too nerdy, though. Alright? I'm not trying to be a Trekkie or whatever."

There were so many things wrong with that statement that Parker wasn't sure what to pick first. So, she pinched the bridge of her nose to point out, "I have a feeling the so-called nerds making up your potential fanbase aren't going to appreciate being talked about like that."

"Who's gonna tell them—you?" he asked with a derisive glance over.

It was definitely true what they said about Tom Ryder; his effect on women was instantaneous. Parker just doubted the tabloids were talking about migraines.

"The sci-fi section is on the right," she sighed while pushing past him. It was one of the larger sections she had; it hadn't been a lie to say the books weren't selling all that well despite being her favorite. "What have you read before?"

The blank look he gave her was response enough.

"Ah, right, maybe... Altered Carbon?"

"Isn't that a tv show?"

"Well, yeah, but it was a book first."

He glanced at the book in her hand, but clearly wasn't impressed. Leaning on the shelf, he said, "why the hell would I read that if I could just watch it?"

"Sound logic," she tutted with a narrow eyed look. Parker returned the book with an eyeroll. "Fahrenheit 451?"

"Read it in high school. Not impressed."

She trailed the shelf while muttering, listing books in her head before subconsciously crossing them off the list of something he was likely to read and enjoy. "I guess that means you wouldn't like The Illustrated Man or The Martian Chronicles," she said to herself.

His arm brushed her aside to pluck out a familiar novel. "Nerds love this," he said while already flipping through the pages. She was surprised the size didn't scare him off immediately.

"Nu-uh. No way," she shook her head.

"What?"

"Dune is not a starter book."

He furrowed his brows crossly. "You don't think I'm smart enough to read this shit or something?"

You shouldn't ask questions you don't want the answers to, her mother's voice echoed in the back of her head.

"Reading Dune as your first sci-fi book is like jumping straight into the deep end," she told him in a much more diplomatic approach. "If a sixteen year old wants to start drinking, you don't give him scotch, you give him a fruity cocktail."

Tom huffed; first through his nose and then through his mouth but stuffed the book back onto the shelf anyway. To which Parker then had to put it back on the correct shelf with a huff of her own.

"Don't be a baby and just trust me that Dune isn't a starter book. Okay?"

"Well—what is? You're supposed to be the expert here."

"If you weren't so picky it would be a lot easier..." she deadpanned but returned to her search anyway. Tom didn't seem to like waiting, and scowled at her as she shifted past him. She ignored him as best she could while squatting down to the lower shelves. "Arthur C. Clarke is one of the best sci-fi writers. He established a lot of rules that still exist in writing today. And films."

Parker pulled one of his novels, before moving towards Asimov, and then finally to Sagan. They were all slimmer novels than Dune, but no less complicated.

"Contact is my favorite," she said, shoving the books into Tom's arms. His denim was rough on her hands, and she tried not to think about how feverishly warm his skin had been the last time she had been this close to him. Swallowing, Parker remained on task. "But any of these should be good starter books for you to get into sci-fi with."

He glanced at the choices warily. "My audition is next week."

"Then I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to finish these if you're really serious about wanting to get that role," she chirped.

Together, they wound back towards the front counter. The TRASH boxes sat in the middle of the aisle, and she carefully toed them to the side before trailing past. While she was pretty sure he had been joking about suing her, a workplace hazard was the last thing she needed.

"How do you remember all of this?"

"Where stuff is? I spend almost all of my time arranging books. I'm uptight, remember?"

She felt more than saw his eyeroll. "These books, the authors. You, like, know everything about them."

Parker paused. It definitely wasn't a compliment, but it definitely felt like it could have been. Then again, this was Tom Ryder. When she glanced up from the counter, she found that he already has his nose back in his phone, and the conundrum of compliment versus not was thrown out the window. Parker shot him an unimpressed look to say, "please tell me that you're not on SparkNotes right now."

It was his turn to pause. "I'm just... reading the descriptions."

"Maybe that's why you can't understand why nerds like these books," she argued, hands planted firmly on her hips now. "Why would I go to watch one of your movies if I already looked the plot up on Wikipedia?"

He ignored her point entirely to smirk. "So, you do see my movies?"

"Goodbye, Tom."

"Relax. I'm not going to spoil them, alright? What's the fun in that when I could read them instead, and then leave you a bad review when the books end up being awful?"

"You mean have your assistants leave me a bad review."

He didn't seem impressed at the jab but didn't defend himself either. Most likely because they both knew she was right. Parker shot him a smug smile that he promptly rolled his eyes at. "Hilarious. Just tell me how much the books cost so I can leave before stepping on a rusty nail or something."

"Didn't you see the sign out front? Can't come in without a tetanus shot due to liability reasons."

There was a noise that sounded suspiciously like a laugh, but when she glanced up at him, Tom was wiping a hand down his face. "How much for the books, smartass?"

Parker was pretty sure she could upsell him. There was no way that he knew those three books, decades old with ripped pages, were only worth fifteen bucks together. And with all the Gucci name brand bullshit that he wore, she was pretty sure she could get away with telling him the price was a hundred dollars and he wouldn't even blink an eye.

But he was also a customer, a somewhat work acquaintance, and someone she really didn't want to hang around any longer than necessary. Not to mention her brother's pseudo boss, and someone that knew she was guilty of wrecking a far more expensive rug than she could ever pay to fix.

"Just consider them a loan," she said before she could second guess herself. When Tom raised his eyebrows so high they disappeared into his hairline, she waved a hand at him while half-heartedly returning to her job of book sorting. "If you're that put-off by it you can always pay me an agent's fee if you get the part."

He stared at her for a long moment, not necessarily computing, definitely hearing static, before Tom spared her an over-the-top eyeroll that surely had to have hurt to perform.

From his pocket he pulled out a couple of crumpled bills and slapped them onto the counter. He didn't even look at how much money it was. Just shook his head at her, glasses bobbing on his nose, before he was on his way out the door.

"Hey! Don't you want your change—?"

The door shut with a ting.

On the counter sat seventy-three dollars. Parker wasn't sure if she should be offended or complimented.

From outside there was the sound of an obnoxiously loud car engine revving, alongside the thrum of music, before it tore off down the street.

"What a fucking asshole," she grumbled with the shake of her head.

But it wasn't exactly an asshole thing to do, when she thought about it. And she would know; every exchange they had since being introduced had Tom acting like an asshole to her.

Or, well, not every exchange. Not when he had been, almost, nice to her at Gail's party, if only for a few moments when no one else was around.

"OH. MY. GOD!" a shrill voice shrieked across the store, bouncing off of bookshelves, as two boots went crashing towards the window. Parker was reminded in no gentle terms that they had not, in fact, been alone when Melissa smudged her face against the glass to peer out onto the street. "Holy shit! That was Tom Ryder! Tom Ryder! Are you kidding me right now? TOM. RYDER."

"Yeah, Jesus, I know who that was," she winced, pinching her ear when she thought the girl's high pitch yelp may have burst an eardrum. There was definitely a ringing as Melissa tromped around.

"You—he—I can't believe after all of this time you never once mentioned that you're friends with Tom freaking Ryder!" she squeaked.

"Well, hang on, we're not—"

"How long have you known him? How do you know him? Do you have his phone number? Ohmygod everyone is going to flip when I tell them that you know him. Tom Ryder!" Melissa shouted, phone already in hand as she started typing. "My friend, my dear friend and favorite bookstore owner, is best friends with Tom Ryder! Did you see his latest movie, Good Cop, Bad Dog? Ugh! He's so hot!"

"We're not friends," she said immediately, not even bothering to dispute the fact that Good Cop, Bad Dog was a puff piece in an attempt to market him for younger fans. "He's actually kind of an asshole."

The teenager shot Parker a scandalized look, mouth popped open into an O as her brows lifted to her hairline. "What? Are you kidding me right now? He just drove all the way out here to ask for your recommendation for a sci-fi book! His house is, like, fifty minutes from here with traffic. Don't call him that when you just became so cool."

Parker frowned. "How do you know where he lives?" she asked, before adding with much more intensity, "hang on a second, am I not cool?"

But Melissa was already moving on, the sound of facetime dialing on her phone as she darted back outside in hopes of catching another glimpse of the celebrity. Parker, in response, caught her head between her hands with a low groan.

And yet, she couldn't help but think about what Melissa said.

Tom Ryder was a total, grade-A asshole... right?

She cast a despondant glance towards the crumpled bills on the counter, then the box of books at her side, before fishing her phone out of her back pocket, and pressing the second number on speed dial.

"Hey," she said, "do you want to get, like, really drunk tonight?"

Colt didn't bother to ask why before he was checking what ingredients he had in his fridge and offering to invite Jody and Dan over for dinner. Sometimes, she really loved her brother.

[incarnateirony]

Ok, I have to ask, cuz I am seeing many different takes. First of all, I loved last night's episode of TW. It got 471K views, but 0 demo? Last week it had fewer views but higher demo, so is that accurate? I am still with you that I think this show can still move forward to S2, but do you think with CW or HBOMax? At JIB, all of the actors said that they simply don't know, but they hope for TW, Walker, Windy and GK? None of J2M sounded super confident at all. Some stupid online site wrote a crap story saying that Ruth was a desperate but failed attempt at saving TW. BS I say. The K coven are back to talking smack too, but no one takes their drama seriously anymore. What is your take on all four of those shows, and Kung Fu too? Run on question, but we also haven't heard about Big Sky? If you added the 3+ and 7+ up for Big Sky, it has 4.8M viewers per week and a .4 demo? Is it possible that that will renew? And will Dean be in E13 of TW? Sorry for so many questions.

[picks up a few base assumptions in this post and moves it to the trash]

The reason sites are reporting like this is the same reason I tell people to be patient every week. Some sites are reporting just the Live audience, others are reporting Live+SD as appropros, the initial demo is not only prelims likely to adjust with the SD but are rounding down, as happens in prelims, because... they get rounded, and when the Live minus SD comes in at 0.05, which is also about normal, then if it lands on the wrong side of the dot it rounds down.

It's literally preliminary reporting that triggered the ask and all following apprehension, so I need you to understand first, I am addressing your anxiety as anxiety, not as something that actually needs concerned about.

It's fine.

We're already fine.

my last ask I literally talked about the importance of the digitals via the app as well as CW's active DVR campaign and all of it. The Numbers You Are Worrying About Literally Do Not Matter The Way Fandom Has Monkey Trained You Into Reflex Worrying About Them Vaguely. I Fucking. Promise.

Kung Fu, Big Sky I consider done, but I could be surprised. KF I'm pretty sure is buried, I just am not confident in Big Sky's position. Especially with 10P ABC closing by 2024, they're resisting it this year.

Big Sky we can say "we add all the numbers and then number big", but then you have to give that in context to the other shows on the network, and figure out what that network's expectations are. Because if we add all the number shows on the other ABC shows, then number much bigger. See how that balances out when you aren't trying to forage out the answer you're hoping for? Reality sucks but we gotta face it. I've told everyone that for years and the episode last night, much like I have told everyone, is that it is literally the plot.

TPTB are begging people to start applying context and stop applying projection and trauma reaction. It is literally the metanarrative but the fandom still isn't doing the hard work to actually look at themselves and figure out how they've been doing that as a collective, because man that sucks, and then how do you act big and confident online and stuff

Who cares what K says. Literally who cares. If you're looking, it better be to fucking laugh at the wonkadoodle shit that comes out of there. They do not matter. You are, weirdly, for some bizarre reason, obsessed with the same dozen idiots idioting the way they've idioted for the last however many years. It's very clear who's won, what's happening, and what the take overhead is on whom, so why bother? You're basically going "well if I check the Original Star Trek Incel Boys page, THEY have opinions and say bad things are happening." Who the fuck cares. They're idiots. Stop caring what long proven idiots say and pretending it has weight in the conversation. It never has and never will and that's why we have ended up where we are.

When you remove reacting to Proven Idiots like that, you don't care about their takes. You know the base reality of how the system works, what the marketing is, and what pieces are constructed in what angle and fashion, rather than it all being arguable in the randomness of the internet.

First, wait for finals. Then, realize nobody gives a shit about flat finals in 2023, and wait for digitals in app and +3 results. Then, realize we're taking a steamroller to everything around us, and then it really gets silly to realize you're worrywart asking this on prelims I warn about every week because some weirdo that faps to child incest porn has an opinion on twitter.

[haupkmn]

Copypasted from my conversation with Jolee.

Mostly me having a breakdown while ranting

I get that me saying this much probably isn't helping anything at all but ever since this callout shit started its gotten worse. I was actually out as my family, the whole situation is complicated as fuck but basically my parents don't like other gay people and don't like that I'm "committed" to being trans. I didn't want most of my IRL friends knowing I'm a system because it's fucking embarrassing and it's a fact about me I really don't like.

People have edited my skin white knowing I'm black, people have put my face on the pictures of monkeys people have posted pictures my groomer took of me that basically count as CSEM. At one point there was an kink dating account roleplaying as me and a fucking Chris Chan ass wiki.

I get that would happen in the past was wrong and I can't change that I'm trying my best to afford from it and let everyone involve who I've actually hurt heal but literally every single day I feel like they are watching me in some sort of capacity because they are friends with one of the people who groomed me.

I'm not a liar, I'm genuinely not. I just want to be left alone so I can spend one fucking day without having a paranoid episode thinking they're watching me through some camera or somehow bugging wires in my apartment which I know probably isn't real but it's terrifying because I've had people involved with this go to my parents house and throw trash around the yard or spray paint shit on the house or go to my fucking old high school and take pictures of it at night. and I just want this to end.

There was some fucking thing I got in my submit box on my 18th birthday of someone posting a a picture of them in front of my house dabbing in front of my fucking bedroom window with my parents and I weren't home.

It's been almost five years since the shift starts I've had to move twice and change my number three or four times because some people on here keep posting and there's several blogs on here with my fucking dead name on it and I just want to be left alone.

I've explained the situation with my dog dozens upon dozens of times and I understand that no one would want to believe me because I'm apparently a liar for having shit memory or bad system communication issues or generally was a shitty person in the past.

I'm so paranoid about this because I don't want to hurt anyone, I don't want to hurt children and I never have and I'm just so scared of this continuing and some people in the mod team have spoken to them before, one or two have had callouts from them.

I'm not trying to ask for pity or anything like that because I don't deserve it but please no I'm not trying to turn you against or anything, I genuinely think that you try to apologize they harass you because they've been harassing me for trying to apologize.

I've been so fucking nervous because every day I keep getting phone calls from different places where people just scream into the phone and hang up. I'm honestly at the point where if there's a fucking kiwi Farms page about me I don't want to know it and I don't want to see it because all of this has been terrifying.

I don't like adult baby shit or baby first shit I think it's all fucking disgusting because age regression as a whole is a huge fucking trigger for me that I don't want to get into with DMS with you that you're probably going to send them. My friend who calls himself a baby for just put the two words together as a term cuz it's the best definition he has at the moment and I'm sorry I can't stop shaking and crying I literally just want to be a left alone.

We'll keep saying I want to do pity but I don't. I never wanted pity. I did do bad things

I am so scared of my family finding out that I'm allegedly a pedophile or have abused my fucking dog when I haven't. I fucking haven't I will drop everything and leave work to show you the printed out texts and vet bills uncensored and a note from the police saying my mom dragged me down to the police station and made me do a lie detector test or else she was going to bash my dog's fucking skull in with a rock knowing the exact police at that station broke my fucking spine.

I want to stop thinking that they're constantly watching me somehow or that they have something going on or they're talking to literally everyone I know to the point where I can't talk to my friends anymore, I've been avoiding my boyfriend and working away from people at work because of this.

Every fucking time the phone rings at either one of my jobs I immediately freeze thinking that they got me, they're going to tell my boss about me they're going to tell my boss that I did something even though I didn't. I literally just want to fucking rest I want to be left alone so badly to the point that I dropped every single fucking convention I ever worked for and I'm coming close just asking them to blacklist me and reject all of my applications.

At any thought that moment they could be following me, they could be watching me, I don't know what they're doing or what they're planning but they're doing something that's so scary because apparently everyone I've ever known or care about might be in contact with them if they've ever used fucking Tumblr or maybe not even just used Tumblr.

Honestly if I got a fucking text from my abusive ass mother telling me that Sunny messaged her I wouldn't be surprised. I wouldn't be surprised if someone came into my job or came to my apartment or saw me on the street did literally fucking anything like recognizing my name or my face or my voice or I don't even fucking know I want to be left alone.

It has been five fucking years and I have lost a dozens of friends because of my paranoia and my PTSD episodes and literally got diagnosed with pocd because of this, I mean I had it before but I got the diagnosis probably 2 years ago when they started talking about me supporting ddlg shit which I fucking don't. I don't want to support something that literally made me a goddamn system I don't want to support that sort of thing, I support my friend because I care about them and don't like the shit that they do I literally just want to be left alone. That's all I've wanted this entire time. I'm pissed at the mods have some sort of stupid beef with them that they can't drop but I just want to be left alone.

Day in and day out I have a mutual come to me on a non message me and say something like hey they're talking about you again and then suddenly I got a fucking screenshot on Discord which I never wanted

I don't like hearing this, I don't like seeing this or thinking about it because what unquote drama like this really freaks me the fuck out.

That's probably sounds like some sort of I don't fucking no schizo rambling or something but it's the office fucking truth I just want to be left alone because I don't know what's going to happen next.

It wasn't great waking up on my 18th birthday and seeing that someone who's really close with my groomer found out I had a not safe at work blog as a kid and was we reblogging every single weird post on it that I made with my obscure fucking trigger as the header making fun of me for being 14. The age I made when I made that blog. The fact that these people knew about that blog for possibly years where I posted pictures of myself because my groomer made me it's so fucking scary, and that they saved them apparently and they may still have them. I don't know.

Something's word genuine mistakes. I didn't know about that one Nazi newgrounds cartoon I never on a new grounds as a kid and never saw the actual animation. A mutual made fan are a long time ago when I reblogged it and not knowing what it was.

Even the big mouth shit isn't fucking true. I was drunk on call a long time ago with some ex friends when they pointed out I used to dress like one of the characters from the show and we all started joking about kinning from the show assigned each other characters. I haven't fucking seen it I don't have a fjckkng Netflix account.

This isn't fun. I never enjoyed this. I don't want this. Literally all I want is to be left alone and be some fucking guy on the internet and not have people constantly tracking my whereabouts on my jobs or what fucking ever I don't care. I was never run off I remade because people kept posting my old phone number

I just want to be left alone

[diorwoo]

AAAAAAAAAAA REN im so happy to hear that you’re doing well, or…. trying to make everything fine, BUT IM SO HAPPY THAT U’RE TRYING YES BABE WE HATE LIFE BUT unfortunately we have to keep going just to spite it !!!!! (my motto 24/7) but yes omgomg we should exchange igs (i’ll send u another ask hehe)

i’ve missed u so so much and literally when i felt like i have feelings for one irl man i immediately thought of u and went,,,, my gawd ren’s gonna have a field day about this,,,,,,,, buT literally idk how and idk when but i fell for him and now im down bad IM A SIMP. THERE I’VE ADMITTED IT 😔. (i don’t even simp for san anymore 😨😨😨😨😨)

but to tell u a brieF bit abt this man (bcs if u let me actually talk about him, i could go on for DAYS), he’s literally the sweetest mf that’s living on this earth, i kid u not. it turns out, he’s been interested in me since my first semester of uni (im currently in my 5th semester) but he’s never gotten a chance bcs i get into situationships often and he’s super shy so he was not confident on approaching me at all 😭 but in the beginning of our 5th semester, we end up being in the same classes and we found out we have mutual friends and that’s when we started hanging out (at first, in group settings)!!!!

to answer ur question, yes he’s very handsome, he’s very tall, and he goes to the gym and……. welllllllll i shouldnt be thirsty on main but GAWDDDAMN he can literally headlock me n i’d say thankyou (LORDDDD IS THIS WHO I AM NOW) but yeah 😝 the first time we hungout, we’ve barEly talked, but long story short i got drenched bcs we went to a golf driving range AND THE SPRINKLERS TO WATER THE GRASS TURNED ON OUT OF NOWHERE AND I WALKED INTO IT 💀 he then offered me his shirt and it just started spiralling after that ehe (🤢 i folded 🤢)

we’ve recently been going on dates and he picks me up to go to campus even though he lives literally 5 minutes away from campus and i live 30 minutes away from campus 💀 like he spends an HOUR driving just to go to me and take me to campus then drives another hour to take me home and go back to hiS house almost everyday and he’s just…. so sweet. he’d open his car door for me all the time, never lets me pay for anything (we literally physically BRAWL in front of every cashier of every restaurant we’ve eaten in bcs i also insist in paying), is such a SHYYY person but gets loud whenever hes with me and texts with emojis with me, always waits for me anytime EVERYTIME, sends me tiktoks of cats bcs it reminds him of me, is allergic to cats but has FOUR who he loves veeery much, and thinks of the cutest activities for the both of us to do :’-)

also, one time i got him his favorite coffee (that he drinks. every. single. day.) and he literally couldnt stop going MMMMMMMM THIS COFFEE IS SO GOOD everytime he takes a sip and i was like… bro it’s the coffee u drink everyday tho????? and he went sorry it just tastes sm better bcs u got it for me 😔 AND I WENT AKAKKANFNDJSBJSJSSJNS !!!!!!!!! there’s so many things about him i could tell u but oops i realized i literally just wrote a 3 page essay about him 🧍‍♀️

ANYWAYYYSS all the simping aside, i can’t thank you enough for supporting me throughout my journey here!!!! you were the first person ever to send me an ask detailing abt how u loved my first work and that holds such a special place in my heart IM NOT KIDDING. literally trashed around like crazy when i saw ur ask ily. and i love love whenever u send me asks bcs theyre so fun to read and its so nice to get to know u!!! thank you so so much for being u, ren. i literally cannot thank you enough and im so glad we’ve met <3 i love u the mostest <3

OH MY GOD U ARE DOWN BAD ND THE THING IS U ARE DOWN BAD FOR A GOOOD ASS MAN A FINE ASS MF LITERALLY LIZ U WON IN LIFE DANG THATS HUSBAND MATERIAL

he DRIVES U HOME DOESNT COMPLAIN SIMPS FOR U OMFGGGG IM SO HAPPY FOR U LIZ IM LITERALLY SOSOSOSOSO HAPPY ND THE STOEY AAAAA IM SO ON LOVE WITH like he was right in front of u nd I'm telling u are gonna have ur happily ever after (my frnd also had the same story nd is now happily married with the guy ) MY GOD LIZ U ARE IN LOVEEEE Finally U PULLED A GENTLEMAN A KEEPER A LOVER A SIMP FOR U (when both simp for e/o >>>>>>) TELL ME MOREEEEE I WOULD LOVE TO LISTEN TO U ND YES I WILL ANNOY U 9N IG 🤩🤩🤩ND Y3S THANK U SM for coming back nd u just healed a part of me which u didn't break

[c-atm]

“So,” Heartberry started, “anyone has an idea of how to take this thing down cause I’m not crazy about being resprayed.” she leaned back with her legs crossed, sitting on Mister’s lap.

“We can’t ambush it, the thing always on guard, despite having one eye, ” Mister commented as he slumped in their recliner a little, “resilient thing too, just bounce everything off of that plum-colored skin of theirs.”

“I don’t know what to tell you. Never faced anything so docile but, oh so annoying.” Witchy groaned, throwing her hands up in agitation, before folding her arms over her breast, pouting with puffed blush crossed cheeks and steady brows.  

The subject, how to take care of a demon who, despite being non-violent, leaves its victims comatose and foul-smelling.

So very foul-smelling.

They didn't know what it wanted. What's its purpose was, or if it even had one? Furthermore, it wouldn't tell them what it wanted...That or it couldn't. 

There wasn't a mouth on its balloon-like, limbless single-eyed body, an eye that changes colors and showed a whole lot of expression based on its emotions.

It should have been an easy kill, but it did have a high payout for its defeat, for a good reason too.

It has escaped the six of them three times so far. Leaving them all unconscious and reeking. Not even Amy was a fan of the smell. So much so that she chose to abandon the hunt.

Three nights of undertaking this task. 

Three nights of failing the task.

Three nights of smelling like literal defeat. 

Defeat took a ninety-minute bath and shower to scrub off and put everyone on edge, even after a night of sleep.

 None more than the resident witch. 

She woke with her eyes glowed with prideful anger, even as Dapper pampered her a bit, massaging her shoulders and fixing his lady her favorite breakfast, which she did appreciate but was too in her pride to convey it. Still, for the sake of the morning, he let it be.

The afternoon though, things hit their boiling point when they began to plan for their next attempt.

"I think I might have an answer," Dapper came in with a book in his hand. He laid it open to a page with the despicable eggplant looking demon. "Our target defense is related to its focus. The more alert it is, the more invulnerable it is, and believe it or not, it's a bit of a punk...so it's always on alert. Though, you can't really blame it. It's a rare demon and a big payday."

"Ok, so how do we take care of it," Witchy asked with a glare. 

"We have to distract it," Dapper announced with a smirk. "And what is its weakness, you ask." with a smirk, he pointed at a simple two-line description, which the three read.

"AHHH HAHAHA!" Mister threw his head back. "Ohh, well girls, looks like this is a job for you two."

Heartberry shook her head, "I knew it was looking at me strangely...Stop laughing." Her nostrils flared. "So...That's its weakness, so how do we exploit it."

"Photoshoot? Modeling? Music video!?" Mister chuckled, getting a headlock from his Connie.

"You know what? Fine." Witchy said coolly, getting off the couch and taking HB's hand and leading her out the room. "Going to pick up Amy, and we'll see you two in a couple of hours at that demon's base."

"My lady?"

He was answered with a slam of the front door, leaving the 'brothers' looking worried.

Two hours later, Dapper and Mister were waiting in the now abandoned apartment complex, waiting for their team.

"So what'd you think they came up with?" Mister asked, leaning back on a wall, eyes closed and hand in his pockets.

Dapper shrugged, looking a bit crushed." My lady is so damn prideful. Just hope she's not going to do something..Foolish for a win."

"She wouldn't be a 'Connie' if she took it on the chin, definitely if she feels she could win."

"Sis, stubborn as well, hmm?"

"Her most alluring trait." Mister smirked, opening his eyes and turning his head left, "speaking of alluring...Stars and Diamonds." He swooned.

Dapper looked over the same direction as Mister and arched an eye. 

Heartberry, Amethyst, and the duo of Sarah and Biddy strutting towards them.

Dressed in flashy, flirty idol outfits.

Mister whistled as they walked up.

"Keep your eyes and tongue in your head, Mister," Heartberry teased as Mister playfully wrapped her loose plaid tie over his finger. "Schoolgirl style?" 

"Yup, figured since it has a thing for the female form, we decided we'd appease its base emotions."

"I see devious." Mister flirted, "So..are you naughty or nice?" 

"I'll show you later alone." She grinned, giving him a peck.

"Ummm-"

"Yes...Always." The purple demoness answered Sarah's and Biddy's question before they could ask.

"Quite the plan you came up with, ladies," Dapper smirked.

"It was actually trailblazer's suggestion." Sarah started." Alicia would have joined, but she was needed at the church."

"How did you guys get roped into this?" The demon Steven questioned.

"I was promised a piece of the reward and amusement." Biddy announced, plainly, " so far, I am amused."

"Same." Sarah nodded affirmatively.

"Dapper." HB called, getting the demon's attention, "around the corner." 

Dapper didn't need any more than that as she morphed into a shadow, rushing to his lady's side.

He found her standing behind the corner, a cloak over her.

"My lady?"

Witchy leaped, red-face as Dapper formed himself from the darkness. "The hell, Steven. Give me a heart attack, why don't you?"

"Sorry." The half-demon offered, looking at his lady, " So? What are you doing over here?"

"Attempting to preserve my pride." She mumbled, "this is so stupid." She rubbed her temples with a groan before slamming her first to the wall. 

"I really don't get why you are so angry, My lady?"

"I don't like to lose."

"I know." He chuckled

"This demon beat me four times."

"Four? We only confronted it three times."

"I'm not talking just in battle!" She growled." I mean …" Witchy clenched her fist. " You know what, trash the plan."

 "This was your idea!" Shocks evident in Dapper's voice.

"I'm retracting it then!" 

"Why? It's a good plan!"

"Why? I'm not some...Cosplaying, dallying, cutesy, pop-idol, centerfold!!" The fiery witch roared upwards, 

"I'm a demon hunter! A witch! A warrior! A CONNIE MAHESWARAN!!" She continued, a flare of outrage literally coming from her mouth.

"Spitting fire, My lady."

He received a smoke conjuring snort as a response before she turned her back to him, her cheeky face pout returning, even as he interlaced his fingers around her stomach and pulled her to his chest, though it slipped a bit when she felt the rumble of his best from him chuckle on her back.

"Don't you think you're a bit too proud?"

"No! not at all!" She argued. "This thing has made a mockery of us. I mean, come on. Look what we've been subjected to." She groaned, leaning back into him. "Three nights of foul-smelling defeats from this one-eyed demon eggplant that won the genetic lottery in terms of defense and attentiveness, whose weakness is the 'allure of the fairer sex.'  How am I supposed to feel knowing that this was the thing that beat me...Beat us."

"It hasn't beaten us," Dapper looked at his flame. "We're still here, ready to do what we do best."

"But what we do best won't work, as long as it's on guard, we can't kill it, and all we have to do is get sprayed and humiliated again." Witchy retorted, "even against the likes of Stevonnie and Steven squared. It just repels everything before blowing us away in a noxious fume." The witch sighed in chagrin." And to cater to its taste...A demon's taste...How disgraceful."

"That's kind of offensive, Connie," Dapper stated, slightly crossed. "I'm half-demon, you know."

The witch's face flushed, shamed at her callousness. "Sorry, my dapper devil. I didn't mean it like that." She gave him a quick peck. "It's just this whole 'honeypot' plan. It's humiliating."

Sometimes it's a requirement." Dapper joked yet spoke truthfully, "you've been at this job long enough to know that, and you used you womanly wiles before, so why is this so different?"

"Because it might not work, and I don't want to look bad in front of you again, "  Witchy admitted looking down. "Especially against this do nothing demon, who can't attack more than letting out a nauseating gas."

Dapper kissed her crown gently, "My beautiful, prideful flame. You really let this plant sink its roots into you." Dapper laughed a bit before kissing her temple. 

"How are you laughing? How can you find even the most smidge of humor out of this situation?"

"The fact that this plant isn't threatening the populace helps." The demon admitted, "Annoying them to the point of abandoning their home for the time, but at least they're unharmed."

"True, it's more menace than monster, but that makes it all the more shameful." The witch complained, "we've battled true nightmares and won without breaking a sweat, and yet the thing that gave us trouble can't even speak! It's frustrating!"

"Irony at its finest." Dapper jest. 

"I want to win." Witchy declared. " I want to prevail over this creature; I have to..."determination in her voice.

"Well, then. We should join the others. We're holding the op-"

Dapper words fell short as Witchy's lips met his in an appreciative kiss. He was only slightly shocked for a moment before reciprocating. It all lasted a tongue-twisting, cheek caressing, hip holding, lip popping seven seconds before breaking off with a gentle -Chu-.

Dapper, a bit dizzy, turned upwards and breathed out a small heart-shaped fume. "Talk about your hot kisses."

"Pfft!" Witchy snorted before laughing into his chest. Holding him by the shoulder blades as he did. "Thank you," She whispered, adoring.

"For what?"

"Letting me vent, without judgment." She reached up, kissing his left cheek, "For making my favorite breakfast and massaging my shoulders." She kissed his right, "for dealing with my attitude in stride.

"It's no problem, My lady." He soothed, "I know your irritation comes from your convictions, your need never to let your people down." He kissed her forehead, "one of your most attractive qualities."

"Still."

"Still nothing. You are fine, not like you did anything insulting." He grinned, "You were just a sulky little witch."

"And impulsive."  She sighed, " whatever. It is what it is." Witchy surrendered as she walked out of his grasp, peeling off her cloak and making Dapper jaw drop.

She was wearing a dark blue collared crop top with purple plaid trim around the hem and collared with a loose-fitting blue and purple stripe tie, a pair of high thighs navy suspender shorts, some dark purple knee-highs, and black collared booties. Every curve that she hid was on full display, and Dapper was burning the visage in his mind forever.

Reaching to her back left pocket, she pulled out a hair clip shaped like one of Dapper's broaches as well as a tube lip gloss.

"Mind helping me?" She tossed him the tube before clipping her hair in a left side ponytail. Dapper nodded before taking Witchy chin in his left hand and slowly stroked the gloss across pressed the lips, giving them a shimmer. "Hmm, might have given you too much."

Before the witch could complain, her partner gave her a tingling, suckling upon the brims of her mouth.

It was sweet, swift, and soothing, precisely what his lady needed as he felt her relax under his kiss.

"Better?" He asked, reapplying the gloss again, getting a breath of calmness and appreciation.

"Yeah." She felt herself grinning, " you could have asked for a kiss, though."

"True, but kissing 'a idol' off guard was too good to pass." He gave her a playful and wolfish grin, making her blush and push him away.

"Gods no. I'm no idol."

"You're my idol." He whispered, pressing his head to hers.

Witchy pursed her mouth, pouting a bit." Well. I guess that's fine…" she gave him a quick peck. "but only yours."

"Does that mean there is a chance I'd get to see you in this outfit again?"

 "I'm more than likely going to end up burning this attire once we are done." She shrugged, teasing before backing away, turning, and walking towards the corner. "Come on, I'm sure the others are impatient and probably starting to head up to the roof."

"Of course," Dapper said, staring at his lady's confident stride before following behind her; idolizing the prideful fiery witch and all her perfect imperfection, as he always did.

[paolaofthewatertribe]

suga - the bet

«bet on me just one more time»

I started to go down the school hallways to my locker. I needed to get some books before the classes began. In that moment, the sound of doors opening could be heard. I turned around and saw him.

Min Yoon Gi. One of the most popular boys at our school. He looked so good as always. I sighed. I had a crush on him for years now, but I knew that he was way out of my league.

I decided to stop looking his way, and started walking to my english class. There I found Taehyung, my best friend. We knew each other since we were neighbors, and literally grew up together.

— Hey darling — he said, hugging me.

— Tae — I smiled at him.

After two long hours of english, we finally had a break. Taehyung and I always used to eat together, but today he was going to eat with Young Mi, his crush and soon-to-be girlfriend. At least I hoped for it.

I decided to go outside so I could have a little peace since the cafeteria was filled with students of all ages. Once there, I sat down a tree and closed my eyes, wanting to rest for a bit.

— Are you sleeping? — a deep voice made me open my eyes. The one and only Min Yoon Gi was looking at me. His mint green hair was falling down his face, and his hands were not leaving his pockets, like always.

— Just resting — I said. He chuckled and I couldn't help but smile —. Do you need something? — I know it sounded a little rude, but we never really talked to each other. Sometimes just a little small talk in class but that was all. So it was obvious that he wanted something.

— Actually, yes. I know we haven't really talked yet, but I would really like to change that — wait, was he flirting with me? —. So I wondered if maybe you'd like to do something together after school.

— Ehm, sure, why not? — I said, trying not to sound too excited.

— Awesome — he said with a little smirk —. What about we meet here?

We talked about what we were going to do and then he left. When I found myself in class again, I was super nervous.

— [y/n], what's wrong? — asked Tae.

— Yoongi asked me out on a date — I said with a big smile on my face.

— What? Are you serious? — I nodded.

— We're going to meet after school.

— Look. I know that you're excited and all that, but I don't know if this is a good idea. I just don't have a good feeling about this, so be careful, okay?

— Where are we going? — my eyes were covered by his hands so I couldn't see anything.

— Just wait and see.

It was our third date already. Both dates before that had been amazing, so I had no idea what could be better than that.

Yoongi suddendly stopped, making me almost trip. But to my luck, he was there, making sure I didn't got hurt.

— Are you ready? — I just nodded, and with that he took his hands out of my face so I could see my surroundings.

I gasped at the beautiful view. I could tell that we were on a mountain, and we could see the ocean from here. The sunset lights were painting the waves, making it look like art. I had never seen something so beautiful in my life.

I turned around to look at Yoongi. He was also admiring the view. His hair, now black, was slightly moving due to the wind. I couldn't help myself so I hugged him. I heard him laugh before he hugged me tight.

— Do you like it?

— I love it.

We pulled away and looked into each other's eyes. The wind made my hair go into my face, which made him laugh. I loved to hear him laugh. He placed that hair strain behind my ear and I could feel him looking at my lips.

He started to get closer and closer. I looked at his lips too, and then at his beautiful dark eyes. As his lips finally touched mine, I felt in heaven. His touch was soft and sweet, like sugar.

My hands moved to his neck, and his to my waist, pulling me closer to him. It was my first kiss, and I was happy that it was with him.

It has been a week since my first kiss with Yoongi. We've been hanging up a lot, but I still don't know what we are. Is he now my boyfriend? We didn't made anything official, and that was all I could think about.

I was laying in my bed while looking at the ceiling, with all those thoughts inside my head. Suddenly, I heard someone knocking on my window. I got up quickly, wondering who could it be at that time of the night.

To my surprise Yoongi was there. I opened the window to let him in since it was very cold outside.

— What are you doing here?

— I've been thinking about something and I think it's time we talk about it - was he going to end things between us? I sat down on my bed and he did the same —. I was wondering if maybe you'd like to make this official. You know, this thing that has been going on between us since almost a month.

I wasn't expecting that. He wanted to make things official. I smiled.

— Are you asking me what I think you're doing? — he laughed, a bit nervous. He looked really cute when he was nervous.

— [y/n], would you be my girlfriend? — and there it was. As an answer, I decided to kiss him. I could feel him smile and that made me happy. I was Min Yoon Gi's girlfriend, finally.

Four months has passed since Yoongi asked me to be his girlfriend and I was the happiest girl alive. I loved spending time with him. Damn, I loved him.

We were at our spot, the place where we shared our first kiss. We were doing a little picnic since the weather was really nice. I stared at him.

He was eating a sandwich while looking at the ocean. His black hair looked a little fluffy, and his dark eyes we're shining thanks to the sun. His whole body was covered by the sunset's light, making him look more handsome. If that was possible.

— Why are you staring at me? — I could see him looking at me with a little smile on his face.

�� I love you — that was all I could say at that moment. For a second, he looked surprised, but then he stood up and walked in my direction.

As he was in front me, he pulled me closer to him, kissing me passionately. His own and special way of saying "i love you".

I found myself in Yoongi's bedroom. Today would be the first day we sleep together, as in the same bed, and I was pretty nervous about it. Would it happen? I took a deep breath, forgetting about my thoughts.

Yoongi was now on the bathroom, showering. It was a long day of school, and I was still finishing my homework. Frustrated for not getting the math equation right, I ripped the page and threw it on the trash can.

I wanted to try and solve that stupid equation again when something caught my eye. A piece of paper on the trash can with my name on it. I took it out, made sure I could still hear the shower, and started reading.

the bet

victim: [y/n]

steps:

1. take her out on a date √

2. kiss her √

3. ask her to be your girlfriend √

4. get her to say "i love you" √

5. sleep with her

6. break her heart

I couldn't believe my eyes. Was that some sort of joke? Tears started coming out of my eyes.

All this time together, all these six months, had only been a fucking bet. He was using me. I felt so stupid for not noticing earlier. Taehyung was right this whole time.

I saved the note on my backpack, and when I felt Yoongi came out of the bathroom, I fake-called my mom.

— What?! I'll be there as soon as possible — he looked at me confused —. Something bad happened at home, and I need to go, right now. I'm sorry.

— Don't worry babe, they need you there. Should I drive you home? — why did he have to be such a sweetheart?

— No, I'll just walk there, but thanks — I walked to him and kissed him, "for the last time", I thought. I didn't wanted to admit it but I was going to miss him.

Today was the day. The day I will confront Yoongi about the bet. I tried to act normal towards him the whole weekend, but the truth is I was hurting like hell. I spent day and night crying, with a single question on my mind. Why?

But I needed to be strong. Or at least, look like I was strong. I couldn't let him see that I was heartbroken.

— Yoongi — I said, standing in front of him and his friends, ready to tell him off.

— Hey babe — he smiled and tried to kiss me, but i stopped him. He looked confused.

— You don't have to pretend anymore. I already know about the bet — I showed him the piece of paper with the whole steps on it and his eyes widened —. I can't believe you could do that to me. But that's how life is, right? I should've known it was too good to be true — I sighed, holding back my tears. I had to be strong —. Whatever we had, it's over. And I don't want to see you again.

I turned around and walked towards the exit, feeling the tears run down my face. But the saddest part was when he didn't tried to stop me.

Hours had passed since I ended things with Yoongi. I was sitting on the grass while looking at the ocean. It was past midnight, but I didn't care. I looked at the horizont thinking about our first date, our first kiss... Tears kept falling down my face, but I didn't care.

I was madly in love with him and I still couldn't believe that he did that to me. Was our whole relationship a lie? Has it just been an act? I was mad at him for leading me in, for pretending to fall in love with me. But one part of me didn't wanted to believe that it was over.

I layed on the ground, looking at the stars. They looked so bright. I sighed. Why was love so hard?

— [y/n]? — that voice. I sat and turned around to see Yoongi standing there, right in front of me.

— Fuck off.

— Wow, you really are mad — was he stupid? Of course I was mad! —. Please, just listen to me.

— Are you going to tell me that it wasn't a bet? That it was all a stupid joke? — he sat next to me.

— It was a bet — he looked away —, but...

— Spare it, I don't wanna hear it — I interrupted him while I stand up, ready to go. But he saw my intentions and grabbed my arm, not letting me go.

— No! You're not leaving [y/n]! Please, just let me explain... — I could see how his eyes watered and it broke my heart.

— Okay — he let go of my arm, so I put my hands in the pockets of my jacket.

— At first it was just a bet. I didn't wanted to because I thought it was stupid and useless, but the boys forced me to do it. Our first dates were just an act, I'll admit it. But then I got to know you better, and when we kissed... Damn, that kiss changed everything — his cheeks were turning a little red and I found that really cute —. After that, I started to have strong feelings towards you. Everything that happened after that kiss was different. I did all these things because I wanted to, not because of the bet. You have to believe me — he took a deep breath, came closer to me and held my hand in his —. I love you [y/n]. I am crazy in love with you.

I knew that he was being completely honest with me, so I believed him. And I couldn't be mad with him. He was looking at the ground, scared of staring at my eyes. I squeezed his hand softly, making he stare at me.

— I love you too Yoongi — he hugged me with joy. When he pulled away I could see a big smile on his face. He was really cute. I couldn't help myself so I kissed him.

At the end, the bet was worth it. It brought as two together, and I was so thankful to have a person like Yoongi by my side.

[nightowlfandom]

Requested: Jungkook (The Bad Boy AU)

ALRIGHTY, LET'S DO THIS SHIT!

Requests from the prompt list RIGHT HERE .Also I should say that you don't HAVE to follow the exact list of prompts if you don't want to, it's just there to stir some ideas :)

10- "Could we go four seconds without you being annoying?"

18- "Only make that face in front of me..

20- "I'm bored. Wanna Fuck?"

48- "You deserve someone who cares about you."

I'm not sure how I did on this buuutt yeh. Hope I did your request justice! It'll take a while before we get to the good stuff as usual with me. I'm really bad with bad boy AUs.......

"Hey!!" you snapped as your favorite book fell to the floor. How dare this all black clad, bear mouth mask wearing, punk insult poetry like that. "You almost rammed me into the doors!"

It wasn't like you didn't blend in, like come on you were literally the only (insert race here) in the hallway at the moment!

Jeon Jungkook turned around, his eyes darting down at you who had managed to pick up your book, smoothing out it's pages. He walked back over to you, leaning a hand against the lockers. "Aw I'm sorry Y/N. Is the book okay?" he said in a baby-ish voice.

"Most likely not" you answered flatly. "Suffered minor damage."

"Whoops." He winked. You couldn't see his mouth under that stupid bear mouth mask but you were sure those lips were formed into a smirk. "Sorry to hear it." he shrugged before catching up with his friends. You glared at his back, shaking your head mentally as other girls secretly gawked at him.

What was the appeal? He broke rules for one, he rarely does his work, he's just!

Growling under your breath, you didn't realized your friend, Lisa had walked up to you. (It can be Blackpink's Lisa, or whoever you want lol).

"Why does Jungkook always make you so mad." she giggled.

"Because he enjoys making my like a living hell." you grumbled.

"Come on, I packed lunch for us both." she laughed, patting your back. You followed Lisa to the cafeteria. The way your school was made, you had classes in the morning, all the important stuff, then lunch around noon. Then the rest of the school day was focused on fine arts. Gym, music, art, etc. The students who decided they didn't want to follow rules we're given extra classes or worse...cleaning duty.

Exactly the reason you were the perfect student. The hell you look like cleaning floors or a tiny room that makes you claustrophobic.

You and Lisa sat at your usual spot.

"So what are your plans after lunch?" Lisa asked, furiously biting into her sandwich. "Ugh, I accidentally ate yours again. I really have to label these things."

You laughed you two switched sandwiches. "Probably gonna go to the dance studio next to the gym." you shrugged. "Work on some stuff."

"You're the only person I know who looks graceful dancing, but right after when you begin to walk, falls on your face." she laughed. You flicked a peice of bread at her, making her laugh louder. Your happiness died down at you saw 'them' enter the room. They were all laughing like the delinquents they were.

"Incoming." you rolled your eyes as your table was approached.

"Hey Y/N. When are we finally gonna go on a date?" Namjoon winked. Lisa fake gagged as you answered.

"When hell freezes over." you flatly said, causally drinking your bottle of apple juice.

"How cold." Namjoon took the sandwich from your hand and took a bite. "Not bad, American cheese?"

"Hey! That was mine!" you said disgusted as it was set back down in front of you. You used a plastic knife to cut around where his mouth touched. "And for the record, it's Pepper jack cheese!"

"Awww she's defending herself." Yoongi cooed. "She's adorable."

"Jungkook could you please inform your friends that just because I tolerate you does not mean the favor transfers to them?" you looked up at Jungkook who had taken off his mouth mask.

"Aw do you only want me to make fun of you?" he put a hand over his heart before walking over to you. "How thoughtful!"

"Could we go four seconds without you being annoying?!" You asked, raising a brow, before you face formed a pout.

"Oh another thing." Jungkook leaned close to your face, his fingers grazed your chin. "Only make that cute face in front of me."

"What face?" you snapped, while ironically making the exact face he was talking about.

"Later Y/N." he chuckled. You swore a genuine smile crossed his features. Maybe you were hallucinating.

You watched as they walked away, leaving you and Lisa. "He totally likes you." she giggled. "I can tell."

"I hope you're wrong." you sighed." I'm gonna throw our trash away."

As you went over to the trashcans, you were approached by a girl, you knew who she was but not so much her name. You kept forgetting.

She would brag about how her parents have ties to the biggest companies in the country. Good for her, she'd have some luck decided that type of idol Career she'd want to choose, that was pretty cool! What wasn't cool was the fact that she always rubbed it in everyone's face. Every chance she got.

"You think you're good enough for one of the Bangtan boys?!" she crossed her arms like a stereotypical villain.

"No. They think that I actually enjoy their presence in my sight." you scoffed. "The bastards."

"Liar! You're probably trying to-"

"I didn't ask for them to just come up to me, you can have them." you began. "I have no interest in-"

Before you could process what had just happened you fell a rush of coldness down your front. Only to see the girl with an empty cup and a smirk. You stared down at your shirt just to see foam and macha powder. The side of your face had warm liquid (most likely coffee) dripping down your cheek.

"That'll teach you to interrupt me, stay away from Jungkook."

The entire cafeteria went silent before erupting into whispers.

"Poor Y/N"

"Why did she do that?"

"Y/N wouldn't hurt a fly!"

"Y/N is so sweet, how could anyone bully her?"

You couldn't believe what had just happened, this girl purposely dumped her drink all over you. In front of everyone.

Your eyes instantly darted over to where Jungkook and his friends sat. They all stared in disbelief. Why did you suddenly care if Jungkook saw? You saw traces of sympathy, worry even. Or maybe that was your brain playing trick on you.

Embarrassed, upset, and taken aback you stared over at Lisa who quite literally jumped over the table and ran over to you.

"Y/N....Y/N speak!" Lisa shook your shoulders. You turned away from your friend, back to girl. Before you knew it, she was on the floor holding her nose. A pain shot down your knuckles in the realization that you, good girl Y/N had just punched one of the meanest people in school.

You made a beeline for the exit. You didn't run, nor did you fast-walk. You wouldn't give anyone who hated you the satisfaction of knowing you were embarrassed.

As soon as you got outside, you ran. You didn't care where your feet took you...you just ran.

This. Was. All. His. Fault.

"Y/N." a masculine voice called from behind you. "Hey!"

You turned around to meet Jungkook who had caught up with you. "Are you okay?"

"Stay away from me." you warned. "Your little girlfriend gave me a message, which I'll deliver back to you. Don't talk to me, don't look at me. Matter of fact, don't breathe around me." you began, choking a bit, " if THIS is the treatment I GET FOR JUST TOLERATING YOUR PICKING ON ME-"

"What are you talking about?!" he cut you off. "Are you crying?"

"I just got hot coffee spilled on me because that girl in there is under the impression that I have an infatuation with you!" you poked his chest. "Of course I'm crying you imbecile! She did this to me because of you!"

Before you knew it, Jungkook had whipped out a napkin and wiped the dripping coffee off your face. You didn't say anything as he wiped around your eyes and hairline.

Why was he being so nice to you?

"You really are a goody two shoes." he shook his head. "She's not my girlfriend, I don't even know her!"

That still didn't change the fact that he was the subject to the reason you got a green tea latte spilled on you.

"Then why did she-" you began. "Forget it." you turned away. You didn't even care about the fine-arts portion of that day, you just wanted go home.

"Because she's jealous that I give you all my attention!"

"Which brings me back to why? You always seem to have a new girl on your arm every time I see you. You should be laughing in my face with the rest of your friends, you should be making a snide comment, you shoul-"

Jungkook suddenly spun you around and kissed you in the middle of your rant. His fingers tilted your chin up. "Mm, when will you learn to shush."

You couldn't wrap your head about what had just happened.

...

"You still mad at me?" Jungkook asked and you angrily scrubbed a beaker. Of course the first time you defend yourself, your punishment is detention. WITH JUNGKOOK NO LESS.

You didn't answer, running the glass under water and setting it down with the rest of the lab supplies. "Hey, I'm bored. Wanna fuck?"

You almost dropped the test tube you were holding as you turned to glare at him. "What do you want?" you bit back a snide comment.

"To talk to you." he said is a "duh" tone.

"Well I don't." you replied. You just wanted to serve this detention and never get another one. "And no, I'll pass on fucking you."

"Aw maybe next time. Do you have a boyfriend or something?" he asked, leaning against the counter. You shook your head to signify that you did not. "Why?"

"Because nobody cares enough." you said flatly. "Happy?"

"No really. You're great!" Jungkook mused. "Any guy would be happy to have you."

"Huh?" you raised a brow. "What are you getting at?"

"You deserve someone who-....who cares about you Y/N. Who wants to see you happy." he said seriously. "Someone who knows you, but also learns new things about you as well." he chuckled. "Like how good of a hit you are despite me only ever seeing you read books." You focused on Jungkook's face, where was the annoying bad boy who always got on your nerves? He was still there, right?

"Whose dumb enough to care about a stick in the mud goody two shoes like me." you looked down at your shoes. "I'm all about rules and knowledge. I've never met someone who finds that endearing."

"You really are innocent." he shook his head. "Do I have to spell it out?"

You looked up at Jungkook who wore that typical smirk that didn't reach his eyes. He brushed a few hairs from over your eyes. Jungkook crashed his mouth over yours. He threw the sponge you were holding off somewhere and your hands tangled in his hair.

You leaned your head back, feeling his scalding hot mouth against your flesh. His tongue left a scorching trail down your neck. His hand contrasted in temperature, feeling cold as he slid under your shirt. Your hands rested on his cheeks, your lips moving steadily together. Before you know it, you were being lifted onto the counter.

"Does this mean you like me back?" he chuckled, smiling cheekily.

...

"Come on. If anyone says anything, I'll kick their asses." Jungkook cheekily smiled. You two stood outside the double doors of the entrance to the school. Last week was hectic and seemed like so much happened.

"Okay." you slipped your hand in his. It was like several gasps could be heard. The two polar opposites seen holding hands, stop the presses! Innocent little you was seen holding hands with the man who broke the last principal's nose.

You walked over to Lisa who was wearing a smirk. "Told you so."

"Shut up." you mumbled.

"Hey, you got an eye problem fuckface?" you heard Jungkook growl at who you assumed was someone who was glaring a little too hard. "Look somewhere else before I-"

"Aye Jungkook!" Hoseok suddenly walked up. "Calm down bro. Hey Y/N, you're looking-"

"Say anything to her that she doesn't like and there will be one less man alive today." He warned, pulling you closer to him.

"So you two are-" Namjoon raised an eyebrow.

To answer his question, Jungkook grabbed you by the waist and crashed his lips over yours, causing fake gags and "EW's" to erupt from his friends.

"Get a room would ya?" Jin rolled his eyes.

(AND WE'RE DONE! WHOO! MY POST WAS TOO LONG WTF AAAH. I HIT THE MAX POST LIMIT WITH LINE BREAKS TELL ME IF YOU WANT A PART TWO!)