#2 episodes without Cats incident

[episodes-without-incident]

1/23/2025:

2 episode since Drawfee last referenced Cats (2019)

12 episodes since Drawfee last referenced Everytime We Touch (2005)

[bonzos-number-1-fan]

What DPHW Means, and Its Relationship to Smirke's 14

The following contains spoilers for all of TMA, TMP (eps 1, 2, and 3 released currently if you’re in the future), and the ARG. Spoilers for all of this are throughout so I would advise against reading any of this unless you've listened to everything mentioned. It could also spoil episodes of TMP that have yet to release but if it does I don't think it will be a major spoiler. If I'm right I think I'm only right about a fairly trivial piece of information. 

Theory of Fears; or, Zur Furchtlehre

Part 1: Opticks

Smirke's 14 isn't the truth. With or without Dekker's +1. It is, however, necessary and correct. It has also been talked about ad nauseam and isn't a topic I want to dedicate a lot of time to. Smirke's 14+1, or even TMA in general, isn't the focus of this theory nor is it that relevant past its necessity as a point of comparison.

There aren't 14+1 distinct entities in the TMA cosmology. There is a singular entity that has been given divisions by fear and labels by those that have witnessed it. There is no objective line in which to draw these divisions. No matter where you put them or what you name them these concepts will always bleed into each other. Aspects of one Entity will manifest in another because the labels are invented and Fear is a storm of concepts crashing into each other. That's not a flaw in Smirke's list but its strength. A single entity of that scale is impossible to discuss in meaningful terms, the concept has too much gravity to be properly conceptualised and so an entire spectrum of fear must be divided in order to combat it. Categorisation is a vital part of TMA's cosmology and Smirke was as correct as anyone to put those lines down where he did. The real flaw with Smirke's list is forgetting the spectrum exists and stopping seeing the shades in between the Powers.

Finding a way to categorise this concept is important, but the methodology isn't. Smirke's 14 isn't the truth. The only truth is there is a singular whole. But branding goes a long way both in terms of research and in terms of following. This branding lacks accuracy though, it is in large part arbitrary and by its nature removes the shades and the bleed. TMP takes a different approach, one only hinted at, but one that I think is now fully explainable. 

Part 2: Lost in Translation

Perhaps the most interesting mystery in TMP thus far is DPHW. However, I think based on episodes 1 and 2 of TMP (and now 3), and the Klaus excel sheet from the ARG, we have all we need to explain its utility.

In order to show that conclusion in a satisfactory manner some basic facts need stating, and the order of my thoughts on those facts needs explaining. Firstly, each DPHW is 4 digits. Secondly, each DPHW is read as 4 numbers rather than, say, a pair of 2 numbers. Thirdly, these numbers can change independently of each other. Fourthly, incidents may share CAT#R#'s but have a different DHPW as found in the Klaus sheet (a German document listing OIAR-style incident reports). Finally, the German equivalent of DPHW is TSHU also found in the Klaus sheet. We can use those facts to determine something important. Each letter of this initialism is paired with a digit meaning that DHPW is a group of 4 categories. If that is true we can intuit some of its meaning. It is likely that these numbers are a rating of sorts for each category there. To prove that's the case we would need to know the categories and fortunately we have a starting point to understanding it, German.

If the categories that DPHW describes start with the letters TSHU in German then what needs to be done to find the categories is quite simple. You pair each letter up and then find a suitable word to categorise the supernatural whose first letter starts with the respective letter from the initialism in its language. D/T, P/S, H,H, W/U. After some brainstorming in the Statement Remains PLUS Discord server we had come up with strong candidates for 3 of the 4 pairs.

The first was Deadly/Tötlich, a seemingly solid start that gave this theory some legs. Next was Painful/Schmerzlich which was a distinct enough category for the threat of an incident that proved this was a strong direction to head it. H/H proved more troublesome. To my mind the two strongest contenders here were Hypnotic/Hypnotisch or Helpless/Hilflos. Both sound very reasonable but that in itself is a problem. However the last one was found relatively easily as Weird/Unheimlich. With 3 of the 4 it seemed like this was all but correct at this stage. However, I had been thinking about this backwards and it wasn't until I had a revelation that the pieces really fell into place.

Unheimlich sounded familiar when it was suggested but not in a way I could place. It wasn't until the next day that the aforementioned revelation happened. The ARG had a huge focus on Germany, and Ep 1 of TMP revealed why. FR3-D1 uses German source code which makes German the original language for the OIAR's methodology. Meaning DPHW is the translation, and I now think it's a shoddy one at best. The reason unheimlich sounded so familiar to me is because it's a fairly important part of psychology's history.

DPHW's Weird isn't weird, DPHW's Weird is uncanny. A direct translation could give you weird but a more accurate one, especially in this instance, gives you unheimlich. Unheimlich as in Jentsch's "Zur Psychologie des Unheimlichen", and Freud's "Das Unheimlich". Both of which are essays on the uncanny. It's all about the fear of the unfamiliar, and a central example of this is Olympia from Der Sandmann, a seemingly living doll.

The German word unheimlich is obviously the opposite of heimlich, heimisch, meaning “familiar,” “native,” “belonging to the home”; and we are tempted to conclude that what is “uncanny” is frightening precisely because it is not known and familiar... - Freud, The Uncanny

This is incredibly relevant to a lot of what has been discovered so far. The uncanny as a topic in psychology was kickstarted by two Germans, and a central part of their essays was the German Der Sandmann, and a German, SSandman, was a large presence in the ARG. The strength of this connection all but solidified this theory in my mind. And, briefly, this is also related to Masahiro Mori's uncanny valley hypothesis which I'm sure I won't need to explain.

The obvious way to test this is to take the few W ratings we have been given and compare them to the incident to which they're assigned. The first is from Ep 1, “dolls comma watching”, and was given a 7. This is a good start both in that a 7 feels appropriate as an "uncanny rank" but also that a doll is a focal point on the essays on the subject. Also in Ep 1 is "Reanimation (Partial)", again with a 7. Another very appropriate number. The last in Ep 1 is "Transformation (eyes)" with a 5. Certainly less uncanny than the previous examples so this is still strong. In Ep 2 we get a 5 for Bram Stoker's Dracula, which seems more than fair for a strange man like him, and a 7 for Frankenstein which gives parity for another story of the resurrected dead. Finally we get "Transformation (full)" at a 7, more uncanny than "Transformation (eyes)" which tracks nicely.

With what I felt was such a strong theory for the W/U pairing it helped clarify the ideas of the others. The final digit rating the uncanniness of an incident gives an idea of how these categories work and the breadth of their definitions. Up until this point I was leaning towards Hypnotic/Hypnotisch for our H/H pairing. But giving it more thought, and comparing it to TMA's own groupings, it becomes apparent that Helpless/Hilflos is more appropriate. Hypnotic effects are too aligned with things that would already be very aligned with Uncanny ones, the Stranger's Not!Them alter memories and prey on the fear of something being not quite right, so as a categorisation tool I think it makes less sense because of the greater overlap. Helpless on the other hand works better for things like The Dark, The Buried, or The Lonely. Aspects which I don't think show up in our current other 3 groups. But given the current definition of the strongest category, the fear of the uncanny, I think that helplessness is a more apt label. The fear of helplessness. Which makes H Helplessness/Hilflosigkeit.

With this level of breadth established re-examination of the final two categories is warranted. Painful/Schmerzlich is more likely to be Pain/Schmerz. Not just incidents that are themselves painful but the fear of pain, possibly including the emotional. A comparison to TMA gives this rating a strong affiliation with Entities such as The Desolation, The Corruption, or the Flesh. Similarly Deadly/Tötlich should now be broadened beyond the fear of things that will kill you, to the fear of death in a broader sense. Which makes D/T Death/Tod instead. To compare again to TMA this is The End, The Extinction, or The Slaughter. Although, while I might be describing these ideas as the fear of ____ I think it's important to know that they do appear to be more conceptual in nature rather than just if something is scary or not.

Comparing each of these assumed categories against current DPHW’s strengthens this argument. “Dolls, watching” scored 1157. It’s a very low fear of death and pain, but they present a medium fear of helplessness and a high fear of the weird. For a fear that’s rooted in paranoia that makes good sense. “Reanimation (Partial)” got a very similar rating, at 5257, but it being a corpse cranks up its fear of death. “Transformation (eyes)” got 2155 which, again, seems to fall in place with what we know. It’s more human than the doll is so it’s less weird but a physical and alarming transformation naturally seems like more of a terminal concern. Combine that with some good ol' internet death threats and it's not nothing, but not much.

As a small aside, while it's not come up in the episodes so far the Klaus sheet shows DPHW's are 0-9. There is a good bit of evidence to suggest 0 might be read as 10 here. 0 most commonly showed up in that sheet for P and the incidents often had the notes "Kriegsvolk". Literally "war people" but more accurately "army/soldier". So pain of 10 for those would track better than P of 0, and it explains why things like the watching doll rate a 1 for D and P instead of a 0, and Dr. Webber's infection is a P of 1 despite entirely removing physical and emotional pain as it goes. Because 1 is the lowest.

For Ep 2 we start with Dracula scoring a 7465, he’s undead and a killer for high death, if he kills you it hurts but it’s not extreme, he’s both hard to physically stop and has mental tricks, and he’s just a weird dude in general who always seems off somehow. Frankenstein at 5337 has aforementioned parity with the reanimation incident as you’d expect but notably less on the helplessness rating as he is just a man. Next is “Transformation (full)” at 1567. This is generally a more severe rating overall than Transformation (eyes) and you’d expect that, but I think it does show something interesting. At no point did Daria want to end her own life. The transformation is far more severe, arguably looks more life threatening, and was clearly more painful but it is explicitly and repeatedly not about dying. I take that as a suggestion that these ratings take into account more than just the mundanely observable nature of the incident. She looks very sick which would make you think of death but it rates low for it because of the emotional, or maybe supernatural, purpose of the incident. She didn’t want to die, the manifestation didn’t try to kill her, and so despite its appearance it’s low on death.

Then finally in Ep 3, we have "Infection (full body)" with a 8175. (Although I'm assuming that's a misfile and it should be Infection (Arboreal)). I think D and H here are more interesting to dig into. P is pretty obvious it's the lowest rating because it seemed actively pain-numbing as it went. W being 5 tracks too is certainly uncanny and has strange geometry but it's not full Distortion levels. So with those two out of the way we can get to the good stuff. D is the most interesting of the two to me. Because while it's pretty clear he died I don't think that's got much to do with it. Rather I think the 8 is more specifically about the way it deals with death, decay, and rot in relation to new life and the growth of other things, plants and insects. Thematically, I think there is a lot more emphasis on death as a broader concept beyond the terminal nature of the infection. For Helplessness there is also an additional element beyond whether or not he was able to do something about the infection, and that's whether he wanted to. As the symptoms worsened his desire to treat them decreased. Initially he was worried about the infection and determined to seek attention when able, then he was happy to let someone else help instead (a hallucination, which makes things more helpless), before finally wanting it to happen. These sorts of elements are things I think we're going to see factor in quite a lot.

In summary; it is my belief that DPHW is a way to rate incidents that the OIAR catalogue based upon the strength of the fear they elicit in the categories of death, pain, helplessness, and weird (uncanny). This system is effectively the TMP equivalent to Smirke's 14 from TMA. Rather than assigning each statement to an Entity each incident is rated for those qualities. These systems are distinct methodologies but each is a way to categorise the supernatural.  

Part 3: On Analogy

That is the juicy bit of this post out of the way so now I have to put a bow on it and touch upon the overarching analogy here. As alluded to by the title and some turns of phrase, it's colour theory. It's a somewhat common analogy for TMA's fears but I think it applies in equal measure to TMP and taken together might provide an insight into how the cosmologies will differ. So, to me, colour theory is not only the perfect lens in which to view the Fears as a whole, it's the perfect lens to view these methodologies.

Smirke is Newton. He broke up a singular spectrum into wide chunks. The Dread Powers themselves are very analogous to a colour wheel. Colours bleed into each other and the boundaries of where one stops and starts is up for debate but red is still red, and blue is blue. That is a useful context for them, it aids discussion. Try talking about red without ever saying red and only referring to a representation of a divided whole. But all too similar to Newton's 7 colours Smirke's 14 lacks nuance, it lacks shade.

On the other hand we have DPHW and this is all shade. DPHW is CMYK. It's not one thing or another with DPHW. You don't have the pitfall of Smirke's methodology where one manifestation is in one arbitrary box. Here, assuming I'm correct, each incident is made up of constituent parts. The OIAR, and presumably its German forebear, are less interested in Smirke's occult ancient gods and more interested in bureaucratic precision. Smirke was doing research while the OIAR are doing administration. As such DPHW takes a wholly different approach. It's now all shades. This has its own problems in that it's harder to discuss in broad terms. It's such a specific methodology that it's lost a lot of what Smirke triumphed with. This is well represented already given that no one has been shown to know what it means at all yet. But if there is a truly different cosmology at play here we might see the axes of DPHW being where alliances fall.

All that leaves us with is a comparison of these two. The only way to really do that is to talk about how Smirke's 14+1 would fit in DPHW's system. This is something I touched upon briefly. Death is strongly related to The End, The Extinction, or The Slaughter. Pain to The Desolation, The Corruption, or the Flesh. Helplessness to The Dark, The Buried, or The Lonely. Weird to the Stranger, or the Spiral. But that's not all of them and even within those it's already clear that something like The Vast isn't just about helplessness, and we've already seen Daria who would likely be an avatar of the Flesh rank highly in Weird. Which hits upon what I feel is the most interesting aspect of this entire theory. We've seen what happens with Smirke's boundaries on the Entities. We don't know if Entities even exist in this setting, or if they do exist whether they'll be the same ones, or even if they're not the same ones whether they'll function under similar rules. But now we get to see what happens when there aren't those boundaries. We get to see much broader mingling than TMA showcased. It was hinted at there, especially early on before the lore really settled, but now that mingling seems to be the whole point.

And as a brief mention, and to further labour the theme, I don’t think there is enough information to really discuss how CAT#R# works but there are some analogies to work with here. From the Klaus sheet we can infer that CAT# has the following values 1/2/3/12/13/23/123. Or three non-mutually exclusive groups. What those groups are is hard to say right now. There is some soul/body/spirit stuff for the alchemic tria prima that's got some nice connections but doesn't map well now that Ep 3 is out. Either way, this is RGB. An incident can be all red, or red and blue, etc. R#'s values we can infer to be C/BC/B/AB/A/S with maybe an AS in there too. That's a linear scale of similarly unknown value but could represent something like potency/threat. If that is the case then R# is saturation. Some things are more intense than others. We also know from the Klaus sheet that CAT is the German from the "kategorie" meaning "category" the R was from the German “rang” meaning “rank” and so probably has more meaning to it than currently implied.

[melefim]

Swearing in Dead Boy Detectives: Episode 4- The Case of the Lighthouse Leapers

Episode Overview:

29 total, 14 different words said by 8 characters.

Edwin: 1 Damn

Charles: 1 Fuck, 1 Shit, 1 Hell, 2 Bloody, 1 Bloody Hell, 1 Wanker, 1 Sod

Crystal: 2 Fuck, 1 Shit, 1 Ass, 2 Hell, 1 God, 1 Jesus

Jenny: 1 Fuck, 4 Hell, 2 Jesus, 1 Screw

Tabby Cat: 1 Fuck

Calico Cat: 1 Whore

Dagfinn: 1 Damn

Charles’ ‘Friend’: 1 Tosser

Curses Per Character:

Edwin: 1

Charles: 8

Crystal: 8

Jenny: 8

Tabby Cat: 1

Calico Cat: 1

Dagfinn: 1

Charles’ ‘Friend’: 1

Uses Per Word:

Fuck: 5

Shit: 2

Ass: 1

Damn: 2

Hell: 7

Bloody: 2

Bloody Hell: 1

God: 1

Jesus: 3

Whore: 1

Wanker: 1

Tosser: 1

Screw: 1

Sod: 1

Lines:

Jenny: Jesus! Okay, what the hell is this?

Crystal: Sorry, I've just been dealing with some shitty stuff with my ex.

Jenny: A. Go to hell. B. It's none of your business. And C. It's not even a big deal, so just… go to school.

Jenny: Ok, so you're what? You're just, you're not gonna leave until I explain this even though it's private and go the fuck away?

Jenny: Screw the past, you can be anybody you want. Hell, maybe you can even be somebody with a bank account.

Charles: Sod it. Can't spy on people without a spyglass, can I?

Dagfinn: I need someone to get these damn ghosts out of my lighthouse

Charles: Bloody cats. You all right, mate?

Edwin: Now, unless you have more damnable spells, I should go. I have a case to solve.

Charles: I've had enough of secrets about that wanker.

Charles: What the bloody hell is down there?

Crystal: God, it's driving me crazy.

Crystal: What in the hell was that?

Crystal: Jesus, she thought about it too, like she definitely knew something and then it was just riddle.

Jenny: Who the hell are you?

Jenny: Wait, why am I upstairs? And why am I taking to myself? Jesus, Jenny

Calico Cat: You’re such a whore.

Tabby Cat: Fuck off. The kid had a sardine.

Crystal; You fucked with my head, I'm gonna fuck with yours.

Charles’ ‘Friend’: He surfaced! You tosser!

Charles: I'm also bloody angry.

Charles: Every day, I'm fucking smiling.

Charles: I sure as hell couldn't stop my dad from beating the shit out of me.

Crystal: Niko- thanks for like, saving my ass today.

Crystal: And I am tired of riddles and spirits and demons and not being any closer to finding out who the hell I am.

Notes:

Previously on Dead Boy Detectives…

Shown in this episode’s recap but not counted above:

Edwin: What the bloody hell is this? (Episode 2)

Updates:

- Added in calico cat’s ‘whore’, updated counts and charts.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

More Dead Boy Detectives Swearing Posts:

Masterlist

Swearing by Episode

Swearing by Character

Swearing by Word

All Swearing Posts

And if you like lists of things like I do, you can check out my other Dead Boy Detectives ones here!

When Charles’ Shirt Colors Change

George Rextrew’s Edwin comic inspo board

Full soundtrack with timestamps

Moves, Incidents, and Cases Masterlist

First pass at finding where the songs in the score are used- full post with timestamps in progress

[captainjacklyn]

Twisted Wonderland x Dragon!Yuu PART 3

Context : Yuu is dragged by the headmaster to who knows where while they carry on their arms, a very feisty fire cat. Upon arriving in the room full of strangely dressed people, a couple of incidents happen to take place just a couple of minutes later.

Tag List : @candlewitch-cryptic

Warning(s) : none really, fire with butts on fire, riddle is mean like he canonically was in the prologue, if I missed anything please notify me.

Prologue [Fiery Issue] - Episode 2 :

loud sounds of footsteps and incomprehensible mumbling could be heard across the hallway. A confused dragon in human form tried to reason with the presumably called 'headmaster crowley' to explain their situation, all while handling a very angry raccoon aggressively biting their hand.

"Sir Crowley, you must understand that there is a huge misunderstanding, I woke up here out of sheer coincidence and not once was I informed of attending a school for humans- I mean wizards. I myself aren't fit for such a position considering my level with magic-" He was quick to cut them off with a statement of his own, "There is no need to utter such nonsense ! The school wouldn't just pick up a student on the street to attend in this prestigious establishment ! Consider yourself lucky and flattered !" while saying the last part he smiled in satisfaction.

[lucky how exactly ?] Yuu thought to themselves while trying to keep their composure and find a way to tell them to let you go without revealing your identity. Of course you could just do so and get on with it, but not everyone reacts very well to the revelation. "MMHMHM !" the irritated fire cat muffled out it's own claims but to no avail as Yuu gripped him a little tighter and spoke under their breath. "Hush, you'll get back home in a minute, just calm down alright ?" "mmhm.." they groggily groaned back and the struggling temporarily stopped.

______________________________________________________________

Mirror Chamber - Entrance ceremony

Chatter filled the room as students began to get up from their seats to head out with their assigned group. "Is that all for the new student dorm assignments ? Listen up new students. Here in Heartslabyul I am the rules, break them and its off with your head." a red haired boy spoke firmly, another man with Lion ears followed with an introduction of his own. "..Uuugh. The stuffy ceremony is finally over. We're going back to the dorms, Savannaclaws follow me.."

"To the new students, congratulation on entering this academy. Enjoy your life here to the fullest." a confident boy with glasses welcomed the other individuals, "As the dormitory leader of Octavinelle, I will support you to the best of my abilities." then, a beautiful man brought the attention to something else, "By the way, where did the headmaster go ? he flew out right in the middle of the ceremony.." "abandoning his post.." A floating tablet commented.

"Did he get a stomach ache or something ?" another boy with a turban added his own assertion, only to be interrupted by the sound of doors slamming open and the voice of said headmaster. "Not at all !" "Ah he's here." the red haired boy uttered once more. "I cannot believe you all. We were missing one new student so I went to find them." crowley explained as he then turned his attention to Yuu, "You are the only one yet to be assigned a dormitory. I shall watch over the raccoon, step in front of the Dark Mirror."

[....I should just play along and hope that relic doesn't prove that strange man right...How could I go from one of the admirals of the Harmony faction to a human pupil..] Yuu let their mind run free as they hesitantly walked towards the Dark mirror that soon asked, "State thy name." [..In the name of Thor..I'm going to have to curse this artifact..] "Yuu/(Name)." their (e/c) eyes lighting up faintly whilst answering.

"The shape of thy soul is.." it continued, but didn't keep going as if waiting for something to happen.

"..." it's 'eyebrows' lifted, surprised. Yuu waited for an answer, the suspense making them somewhat tense up.

[..it's working..]

"..........." the Dark Mirror's expression turned to confusion.

[...how long does this last.]

"........................." it then started to presumably frown.

[...so..?]

"I do not know." [YES !] Yuu lifted their fist up to try and inaudibly express their relief with success in being able to cast a spell. "Come again ?!" Crowley exclaimed, "I sense not a spark of magic from this one..No color, no shape, all are nothing. therefore they are not suited for any dormitory." [harsh.] for all that, they didn't really need to care anymore, as long as the result was what they wanted. "It was as I told you, I do not possess any magical prowess."

"But an ebony carriage would absolutely never go meet someone who can't use magic !" he tried retorting Yuu's claims, "In 100 years there has not been a mistake in student selection. So why in the world.." he placed an thinking hand under his chin, not realizing that his grip on the fur ball loosened. "Mghmgh..Pah !" it yanked it's head away, seemingly angry about the whole ordeal as it declared : "Then I'll take their place !" The headmaster snapped out of his trance and tried scolding it, "Stay right there ! Raccoon !"

"Unlike that dumb human, I can use actual magic ! Let me in the school instead !" the raccoon defended itself, "if you need proof I'll show you right now !" it continued before positioning itself on all four and inhaling a strong breath in. As if to understand what was coming next, the red haired boy yelled out "Everyone get down !"

"Nnaah !" the talking cat puffed out his infamous fireball, "Waah ! Hottt! My butt's on fire !" the boy in the turban panicked as fire caught on his backside, "Tch ! Suck ups.." the man with lion ears groaned. The beautiful student from earlier couldn't help but comment on the lion's irritation, "Hmm ? Aren't you good at hunting ? Doesn't it look like a nice, plump snack ?" The beastman snapped back, "Why me ? Do it yourself." the boy with the turban was jumping up and down trying to get rid of the flames on his back side. "Umm, hey, could someone put out my butt fire already ?!" he screamed.

"At this rate the school will be a sea of fire ! Somebody catch that raccoon !" [can he get rid of anymore responsibilities...?] the dragon in disguise human let out an exasperated sigh "Hey." a stern voice broke the commotion, Yuu stood in front of the source of chaos.

"huh ?" it's eyes widened in confusion, "Fnagh ! You ! How did you get here so quickly ?!" it yelped in surprise, not knowing how this strange being shifted from one place to another without making a sound. "I told you to calm down earlier, did I not ? Is it that hard for you to not cause trouble ? That creature really acts like a member of the chaos faction.." they mumbled the last part under their breath as they stared down at the grey haired fur ball. Meanwhile, it was too busy being paralyzed out of fear, why was its fur standing on end ? Surely it isn't that intimidated.

The next thing that was expected to happen was a blow, but nothing came. "Stop. it." Yuu scolded as they aggressively patted his head, slowly pushing him down. "You. need. to. stop. You're quite literally burning down the school you so dearly wish to attend." They began to tap grim with their fingers in an attempt to annoy him to end his foolish acts.

Surprisingly..

It did work.

I hope you stay tuned for part 4 !

[cerseimikaelson]

Episode 2: Wakeup Call [AO3]

Athena wasn't just a morning person.

She was the morning person.

While the passage of time wasn't technically important to immortals, not even they could afford to entirely dismiss the importance of a structured routine.

Athena had that down to the T.

Wake up at dawn. Exercise. Bathe. Get ready. Eat protein and drink fluids. Check on the news. Read her to do list again to make sure she didn't forget to write anything down.

The goddess of wisdom loved the quiet atmosphere of the morning, particularly those rare times the palace wasn't filled with the sound of steps and shouts from her fellow deities. It was the best time to work peacefully, and Athena took advantage of it to the fullest.

Out of all the challenges Athena considered would come with having a roommate (even if said roommate was her wayward daughter) a clash of routines just hadn't occurred to her.

Her first mistake. 

There. Athena admitted it. 

Viola just. Wouldn't. Wake. Up. 

Athena was seriously starting to think the girl was physically incapable of getting up before 8AM. 

Even though such a thing was impossible.

Living with Viola was a test to her sanity. 

Now, the first time it had happened, Athena had honestly thought the girl was ill. What other reasons would a person have for staying in bed this late? 

When the clock had struck 10AM, Athena had walked into the girl's room. Not to check on her, mind you, but she supposed ensuring Viola was breathing and hadn't chocked or something fell under the whole "rebuilding the relationships between Olympus and Faerie" thing.

Or whatever the terms of the treaty that they still wouldn't let her read were. The audacity of some people.

The Fair Folk were serious about their contracts. Athena was almost impressed.

Back to the demon.

So imagine her surprise when Athena had walked in to find Viola sprawled on the four poster like a star fish, dead to the world and not even stirring when Athena had cleared her throat.

Thrice!!

Eventually, she had to resort to more drastic measures.

Apologies to the startled servants that her furious yelling might have unsettled a bit.

"Wow, wow, easy!" Ares had walked in just as Athena was preparing to refill the bucket of water. 

Viola, who looked like a drowned cat with strands of auburn hair plastered on her face, bristled.

"What are you doing here?" Athena asked disdainfully, mind still focused on the task at hand.

"You do realize they can hear you on the other side of Olympus, right?" Ares raised a brow. "Zeus sent me to make sure you weren't murdering the girl. Apparently the Fae will be less than pleased. Try not to start a war over a wakeup call, will ya?"

His shit eating grin told Athena he was enjoying this. 

Athena tossed the bucket at this head (he caught it) and stalked out of the room, ignoring the girl's furious protests about her wet nightclothes. 

Which brought us to today. Three full weeks after that mortifying incident.

Things were... gradually improving. 

The same way snails gradually moved.

Athena had woken up at 5AM as per usual, gone for a run because there was absolutely no one on the streets of Olympus except a trio of bleary-eyed partygoers that didn't even notice her, gone through three chapters of her book and eaten breakfast in the community hall of the pantheon.

Enough was enough.

With a determined set to her jaw, Athena dabbed her lips, straightened her posture and got up from the table. 

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" Hermes asked Athena as she stalked past him. The messenger god was looking rather windswept already, as if he had spent several hours cloud hopping in his winged sandals- or just skipped his morning Starbucks.

"I have to go wake up my demon." Athena responded briskly without even bothering to slow down. 

Hermes, to his credit, didn't even blink. Then again, of all the animals in the cosmos he could have chosen as his pets, Hermes had chosen the talking, sentient, perpetually hungry snakes. He had seen some shit.

"Good luck with that." He didn't outright scoff, but it was a close thing. "Try to tone the yelling down this time, okay? We don't need the sentries thinking we're being attacked and raising another alarm."

No, they really didn't. It had taken forever for Athena to explain there was no need for evacuation, surrender or a strike back against whoever imaginary foe.

"I'll do my best."

"Don't pour another bucket of icy water on her either."

"Well, so far she's stayed true to her name. I might exorcise her."

If it got the demon child out of bed, Athena was willing to forgo the minor detail about it being a Christian technique. 

Gods above, her life was unravelling.

Predictably, when Athena got to her own private palace, it was silent as a tomb.

"Have you heard anything from the Lady Viola this morning?" Athena asked a servant who was dutifully dusting the bookshelves.

The nymph glanced at the clock and turned to her with a raised brow as if the question was utterly ridiculous.

"I am afraid not, my Lady." 

The nymph wasn't quite smiling, but her cornflower blue eyes twinkled with a hint of amusement.

"Of course not." Athena muttered under her breath. "Thank you, you may go back to work now." 

If the nymph put on a pair of earplugs as Athena was leaving the room, it was discreet enough that the goddess could pretend not to notice. 

Steeling herself, she gave an experimental knock on the girl's door, just in case she was awake and still getting dressed. 

No such luck.

Athena walked in. The room was pitch black and smelled faintly of the cookie dough aroma that seemed to follow the girl everywhere. Viola was buried underneath a veritable mountain of blankets, wrapped like a burrito or a homeless kitten.

Athena took a deep breath, preparing her vocal cords.

She should invest in a honk.

"Get your hide out of bed lazybones, it's already 9AM!" she shouted.

Viola reached blindly for the nearest pillow and threw it in the general direction of her voice. Athena avoided the projectile with ease. 

"Viola!" she barked. "Get up this instant!" 

The motionless lump on the bed then proceeded to tug the covers above a mass of tangled auburn hair. 

Athena felt her eye twitch. 

"You have duties and studies to attend to! If you think you can laze about in bed languishing the day away under my roof you are very much mistaken!" she shouted.

"Geez, you woke up today and chose violence, huh?" Viola's groggy voice reached her ears, still rough with sleep. 

Athena mentally counted to five.

"I have little time or patience for your theatrics. It's bad enough I have to waste precious time to get you out of bed every morning."

"Then go away and leave me be. Problem solved." Viola finally cracked a grey eye open, glaring at Athena.

"I don't think so. I expect you to adhere by my rules while staying under my roof."

Viola huffed at that grumbling something akin to "as if I want to be under your roof".

One, two, three, four, five.

"If you don't get up this instant-"

"Jesus Christ, don't get your feathers in a twist!" Viola shouted, rubbing her eyes and finally tossing the covers off her. "I am up, okay?" 

Athena watched with an unreadable expression as the girl attempted to collect herself. She didn't bother with a robe or slippers (if those feathery heeled things could even be called that) but made a beeline for the fancy coffee machine stashed in the corner of the room, jumping over a pile of clothes on the way.

"First item on the agenda is to clean up in here. You've turned this room into a battlefield." Athena wrinkled her nose.

"Your closets are fucking tiny. They only fit about half my stuff!" Viola protested as she punched buttons on the machine.

That actually made Athena pause.

The closet was the same size as the one she had in her own room, and Athena was pretty sure some of her own selves were empty despite putting all her garments in the same closet regardless of season.

"Are you serious?" she asked incredulously. "How many clothes do you own?"

Viola shook her head at her. 

"Not all of us are content to go out in 1730s fashion. When was the last time you went shopping?" 

Athena opened her mouth to deliver a scratching retort (something about at least not dressing like she belonged in a Moulin Rouge production) but it suddenly felt too loaded. 

Viola, evidently pleased that she had gotten the last word, (or so she thought) poured herself a generous cup of coffee, reaching for the packaged sugar.

At the fourth one, Athena raised an inquisitive eyebrow. 

The girl seemed to sense it. 

"Say something about my caffeine intake and I will test your immortality." she growled, hackles raised. 

The eyebrow went higher, but Athena wisely refrained from commenting. 

"Duly noted." she said drily. "How do you expect to be a productive member of this household if you can't set a manageable sleeping schedule?" 

"A: Who said I have to be productive? B: Some people are night owls." Viola cackled at the pun.

"A: I did. B: Hilarious." Athena said, unimpressed to a fault.

"Whatever, Feathers." Viola rolled her eyes. Athena's own (and they were bloody identical, damn it all to the Fields of Punishment) twitched again. This insolent child would be the reason she developed anger issues.

Viola took another sip of coffee that must have scalded her throat. 

"So, is there a particular reason you dragged me out of bed first thing in the morning? Have special tortures planned for me?"

"You're acting as though I am a slave driver." Athena rolled her own eyes at the dramatics. "Wash up, get dressed, then join me for training." 

Viola looked up at that.

"I am training with you?" 

"Did you think I was going to let you frolic about the entire year?" 

"Frolic." Viola mouthed to herself, then shook her head. "But you seriously want to train with me?" 

"What did I just say?" 

"No, I heard. What happens when I win?"

Athena actually laughed out loud at that.

"The Underworld freezes over. Because you won't win."

The girl's eyes flashed with a competitive glimmer Athena knew all too well. 

"You do realize I trained with the Court's knights back in Faerie, right? The elite squads that protect the royals. Those guys' whole brand is that they can kick anyone's ass." Viola said. 

"You do realize I am the goddess of wisdom, war tactics and strategical thinking, right?" Athena retorted in the same tone. 

"You can still go down." Viola looked definitely awake now. "As long as someone finds your weak spot."

"Even if that were the case, that someone won't be you."

Viola smirked, slow and devilish.

"Game on, Feathers." 

See you for next week's Episode 3: Period Cravings

Tagging so nobody gets left behind: @sarnai4, @firinniee, @greekmythstan, @rhmis-user-2020,

@i-ship-bullshit-2020, @mushroom-the-trauma, @saint-michael-the-archangel

[lilmisssona]

࣪ ִֶָ☾. A Knight In Christmas Armor ࣪ ִֶָ☾.

(Pt.1)

࣪ ִֶָ☾.Pairing - Seungmin x Fem Reader

࣪ ִֶָ☾.Plot - When your aunt leaves for a Christmas trip, she gives you the keys to her house and cats to look after, and you eagerly accept. However, strange and creepy things start happening, culminating in eerie voices echoing through a chilly night. After a scream sends your annoying ex-best friend, Seungmin, to your door, you find yourselves trapped inside with the cats and mysterious voices, as the faulty door won’t lock or open properly.

࣪ ִֶָ☾.Genre - Supernatural, Action, Angst, Comedy, Fluff

࣪ ִֶָ☾.Warnings - Supernatural stuff, blood, a lot of swearing, mentions of sacrifice, action, angsty, hurt to comfort, fluff, horror comedy, non idol au, ex best friends to lovers

࣪ ִֶָ☾.Word Count - 9.7 K ࣪ ִֶָ☾.Screenshot Count - 1

࣪ ִֶָ☾. A/N - Episode 7 of Staymas is here, bringing a mix of supernatural fantasy and comedy because what’s Staymas without a hint of horror? It’s my first attempt at this genre in a while, and while I feel it’s a bit rushed, I’d love to hear your thoughts! (Slightly proofread, so apologies for any mistakes 🙂‍↕️ ) Split into two parts because Tumblr, as always, hates me 🙄

SKZ Masterlist STAYMAS Masterlist

Part 2 Here

December had finally arrived, bringing with it the familiar chill of winter and the steady approach of Christmas. Yet, this year felt lonelier than ever. Your parents had decided to visit your grandparents in Busan, and with your office rejecting your leave request, you were stuck in Seoul, surrounded by festive cheer you couldn’t bring yourself to enjoy.

That’s when Aunt Choi called, her warm yet teasing voice breaking through your gloom.

“Would you mind babysitting Pepper and Sage for a week?” she asked, explaining she’d be heading to Jeju to spend Christmas with her family. Her beloved cats needed someone to look after them.

At first, you hesitated. Spending the holidays alone in your quiet apartment wasn’t exactly appealing, but the thought of staying in her cozy old house with two fluffy companions seemed like the perfect distraction. “Sure, I’ll do it,” you agreed.

When you arrived at her house on a frosty winter afternoon, Aunt Choi greeted you at the door with her usual mischievous smile. Her hands were cold as she pressed a set of brass keys into your palm.

“Take care of Pepper and Sage kindly,” she instructed, her tone light but firm. “They’re shy and take a while to trust new people.”

You nodded, ready to reassure her, but then she added something strange. “Also, the house whispers sometimes. Just ignore it.”

“Whispers?” you repeated, your brow furrowing.

“You know, old house noises,” she said with a nervous laugh. “Creaks, groans, things like that.”

You shrugged it off. “Alright.”

She started to leave but then paused, her expression shifting to something darker. “Oh, and one more thing.” Her voice dropped to a near whisper. “If you ever hear her scream, leave immediately.”

Her scream? A chill ran down your spine. “What do you mean by....”

Before you could finish, Aunt Choi was already walking briskly down the street, her coat billowing in the wind...

----------------------------------------------------------

The first day passed without incident. Pepper and Sage stayed distant, watching you from the shadows as you unpacked your belongings. You tried to coax them closer, offering gentle words and treats, but they remained cautious. By evening, the house was quiet. You curled up on the couch with a bowl of steaming ramyeon, a lighthearted K-drama playing softly in the background.

And that’s when you heard it.

“Hello,” a faint whisper echoed.

Startled, you glanced at the TV, thinking it must have been part of the show. The scene on screen was tense, the kind of moment that would have eerie background sound effects. You laughed nervously and resumed eating.

But then, it came again, clearer this time.

“Can you hear me?”

Your chopsticks slipped from your hands, clattering loudly onto the table. Your pulse quickened. Pepper and Sage, who had been lounging nearby, suddenly sprang to attention. Their fur bristled as they hissed, their wide eyes fixed on the kitchen.

You turned toward the kitchen, your gaze following theirs. The room was dark, shadows pooling in every corner, their shapes shifting as if alive. It looked empty, but a nagging sensation told you it wasn’t. Someone or something was there, hidden in the darkness, watching.

Heart pounding, you rose slowly from the couch and grabbed the metal bat Aunt Choi had left by the living room door. Its cold weight steadied your trembling hands as you tiptoed toward the kitchen, each step echoing in the stillness.

Reaching the light switch, you hesitated for a moment before flicking it on. The room was suddenly bathed in brightness, every detail sharp and clear. The counters were spotless, the cupboards closed, and there was no sign of movement. Nothing out of place. Nothing to explain the voice.

You let out a shaky laugh, your breath misting in the cold air. “Nice try, Aunt Choi. I’m not falling for it,” you muttered. But as you turned to leave the kitchen, you couldn’t shake the feeling that the house was listening.

That night, something unexpected happened. Pepper and Sage, who had avoided you all day, climbed into bed with you. Their soft fur and rhythmic purring brought a surprising sense of comfort, one you didn’t realize you needed.

“You two like me now, huh?” you murmured, running your hand over their silky backs. They nuzzled against your neck, their warmth easing your thoughts and lulling you into a peaceful slumber.

But peace was not what the night had in store.

At exactly 2:30 a.m., your phone alarm blared, shattering the stillness of the house. Startled, Pepper and Sage leapt off the bed, their claws skittering against the wooden floor, while you fumbled to silence the piercing noise.

“Stupid alarm,” you muttered groggily, your hands fumbling with the screen until the sound ceased.

Stretching to shake off the awkward stiffness in your back, you swung your legs off the bed. Thirst clawed at your throat, so you decided to head downstairs for water. Pepper and Sage watched you closely, their glowing eyes glinting in the dim light before they cautiously followed, their steps soft but hurried, as if they didn’t want to lose sight of you.

In the quiet kitchen, the cool water refreshed you as you drained two full glasses. The house was eerily silent, save for the faint hum of the refrigerator. As you set the glass down, a chilling realization gripped you: your phone didn’t have an alarm set for 2:30 a.m. In fact, it wasn’t even with you, it was still lying on the coffee table in the living room.

“So… what was that?” you whispered, your voice barely audible over the thundering of your heartbeat. A chill crawled up your spine as the truth began to sink in.

And then, as if on cue, the kitchen lights went out, plunging the room into total darkness.

Your breath hitched, the sudden shift pressing an invisible weight onto your chest. The hairs on the back of your neck stood on end. Pepper and Sage hissed, their bodies stiff as they fixed their eyes on something, something right beside you.

You clenched your fists, forcing your eyes shut. You didn’t want to look. But then it came, a cold, unnatural breeze brushing past your ear, sending icy shivers down your spine.

Summoning what little courage you had, you opened one eye.

Standing before you was a faint silhouette. The figure, a woman, was pale and translucent, her very presence draining the warmth from the air. Her lips moved slowly, unnaturally, as she spoke in a voice that seemed to echo from another world.

“Do you love me?”

Your throat tightened as you tried to scream, but no sound escaped. You were frozen, paralyzed by fear.

Pepper and Sage hissed louder, their tiny bodies trembling but steadfast. The woman’s hollow gaze flickered toward them, and just as quickly as she’d appeared, she vanished, her form dissolving into wisps of smoke.

Relief washed over you, but your legs gave out beneath you. The last thing you remembered was collapsing onto the cold kitchen floor before darkness consumed you....

----------------------------------------------------------

When you opened your eyes, sunlight was streaming through the curtains. You were back in bed, Pepper and Sage curled up beside you, purring softly.

“Just a dream,” you murmured, rubbing your temples. But your body felt heavy, and an inexplicable ache lingered in your chest. Shaking it off, you got up to start your day.

The second day passed without incident. After feeding Pepper and Sage and tidying up, you left for work. The office was its usual dreary self, but the thought of returning early to the cozy house and your feline companions kept you going. By the time you arrived back, the sun was setting, casting a warm orange glow across the sky.

Pepper and Sage greeted you at the door, their tails flicking as they meowed softly.

“Missed me already?” you joked, scratching behind their ears. They followed closely as you made your way to the living room.

But as you stepped inside, your breath caught in your throat.

On the coffee table, where you’d last seen your phone, lay a single white rose atop a folded note. The sight sent a chill through your body. Slowly, with trembling hands, you picked up the paper. The edges crinkled as you unfolded it, revealing a message scrawled in red ink:

Do you still miss me?

Your stomach churned. The words were hauntingly familiar, but you couldn’t place them. Glancing nervously around the room, you half-expected the ghostly woman to reappear. Pepper and Sage stayed glued to your legs, their low growls breaking the silence.

Grabbing the bat from the corner of the room, your hands trembled as you searched every nook and cranny of the house. Shadows seemed to shift in the corners of your vision, and every creak of the floorboards set your heart racing. But there was nothing. No one. The house was empty, or so it seemed.

When you returned to the living room, the rose and note still sat there, an ominous reminder of the night before. Deciding to send Aunt Choi a picture, you reached for your phone only to find it displaying a "no service" message. Frustration and fear bubbled up as you stared at the screen.

And then, a notification pinged, shattering the tense silence.

It was a text.

From him.

Rage bubbled inside you as you glared at the screen. He was the one who betrayed you, and now he had the audacity to play the victim to accuse you of clinging to the past.

The nerve!

With a frustrated sigh, you shoved your phone into your pocket, dismissing his words. Marching to the kitchen, you tried to channel your anger into something productive, like making dinner. For now, you shoved aside thoughts of the rose, the note, and the unsettling events of the night.

After preparing a quick meal and feeding Pepper and Sage, you retreated to your bedroom, desperate for the sanctuary of sleep. It wasn’t even 9 p.m., but you curled up under the covers, exhaustion and frustration weighing heavily on you. The cats climbed in beside you, their warm bodies pressing close as if they could sense your unease.

But peace was a fleeting luxury.

The temperature in the room dropped abruptly, the chill seeping through your skin and pulling you from the brink of sleep. Pepper and Sage perked up, their ears twitching and their bodies tense. Then, you heard it again,the whispers.

“Y/N…”

“Hello…”

“Can you hear me?”

The disembodied voices swirled around the room, weaving through the walls like tendrils of smoke. You froze, pulling the covers tighter, hoping it was all in your head. But the whispers grew louder, relentless, burrowing into your thoughts like a parasite.

Your breath hitched as the whispers suddenly ceased, leaving an oppressive silence in their wake. Slowly, you lowered the blanket, daring to peek into the room. For a fleeting moment, you thought it was over.

And then it came.

An ear-piercing scream tore through the house, raw and unearthly, making you cry out in terror. Pepper and Sage bolted under the bed, their tails puffed up in fear. Trembling, you clamped your hands over your ears, desperate to drown out the horrific sound.

Then came the knocking.

At first, it was faint, like a hesitant tap. But it grew louder, each knock reverberating through the house, demanding attention. You stared toward the hallway, your pulse racing, the bat from earlier still lying beside you.

Gripping it tightly, you forced yourself to move, your feet feeling like lead as you descended the stairs. Each knock seemed to echo louder in the suffocating silence. With a surge of courage or sheer desperation you reached the door and swung it open, the cold night air rushing in.

There he was.

Seungmin.

He stood on the porch, his eyes wide, his breath misting in the icy air. His expression was a mix of concern and nerves as he shifted awkwardly, clearly caught off guard.

“Sorry to interrupt,so late…” he started hesitantly, his voice low. “But I… I heard screaming. I live next door and thought...” His voice trailed off as his gaze met yours, recognition flashing across his face.

“Y/N?”

“Kim Seungmin,” you muttered, your knuckles whitening as you gripped the bat.

“What are you doing here?” you snapped, the anger from his messages still fresh in your mind.

“I told you, I heard screaming,” he replied defensively, his hands raised slightly in surrender. “I thought something was wrong.”

“No need to be my knight in shining armor Seungmin.I don’t need your help,” you shot back sharply. “You can leave.”

Before he could respond, the house plunged into darkness. The lights flickered out, and a suffocating silence enveloped the air.

Then came the thud.

It was loud and heavy, reverberating through the house like something or someone had fallen. The scream followed, raw and blood-curdling, ripping through the silence and freezing you in place.

Instinctively, you jumped forward, colliding into Seungmin’s chest. His arms wrapped around you protectively, steady despite his own trembling. You could feel his heartbeat pounding as fast as yours.

Even then, he still managed a dry, sarcastic comment.

“Wow,” he murmured, his voice low and steady despite the chaos, “looks like I am your knight in Christmas armor.”

“Shut the fuck up!” you snapped, stepping out of his embrace and furiously brushing yourself off, as if his very touch burned. A flicker of disappointment crossed Seungmin’s face, brief but undeniable, before he masked it with his usual composed, neutral expression.

“Look, Seungmin...” you started, your tone sharp and unforgiving, but he silenced you with a finger gently pressed to your lips.

“I don’t want to argue with you right now, Y/N,” he said, his voice calm but edged with urgency. “We’re in danger, and we need to get the hell out of here!”

Before you could retort, he grabbed your hand, his grip firm and unyielding. But you yanked it away, your glare sharp enough to cut through steel.

“I’m not leaving without Pepper and Sage!” you snapped, your voice cutting through the tense silence.

“Who?” he asked, clearly baffled.

“The cats!” you barked, exasperation dripping from every word.

Seungmin let out a heavy sigh, running a hand through his hair in visible frustration. He closed his eyes briefly, likely summoning the last shred of his patience. “Fine. We’ll take them with us!”

Wasting no time, you called out to Pepper and Sage. The two cats darted out from their hiding spot, their wide eyes glowing in the dim light. Scooping them up, one in each arm, you held them tightly as you and Seungmin rushed toward the door.

But just as you reached it, the door slammed shut with a deafening bang, the sound reverberating through the house like a warning. You staggered back, nearly losing your grip on the cats.

“No! No, no, no!” you cried, panic rising in your chest, your voice cracking. “This can’t be happening!”

Seungmin stepped forward, his jaw tightening as he rolled his eyes. “Relax. It’s probably just the wind,” he muttered, gripping the doorknob and giving it a hard pull. When it didn’t budge, he tried again, his knuckles whitening as he applied more force. Still, the door refused to move.

“Great,” you hissed through clenched teeth, carefully setting the cats down on the floor. Crossing your arms tightly, you glared at him. “Just great!”

Seungmin turned to you, his frustration mirrored in his expression. “We can just call a locksmith or something...”

“Oh, sure,” you interrupted, your voice dripping with sarcasm. “Go ahead. Try it.”

With a scowl, he pulled out his phone, tapping at the screen. A moment later, he groaned in frustration. “No signal,” he muttered. “Can I use your phone?”

You let out a bitter laugh, holding up your own phone to display the glaring lack of signal bars. “It’s been like this since I got back tonight,” you snapped.

Seungmin’s eyes narrowed with concern. “Wait....if the house has been acting like this, why didn’t you leave earlier?”

“That’s none of your business!” you shot back, your voice rising as fear and frustration tangled together. “And for your information, this is my aunt’s house. I’m here to babysit...”

A low, guttural growl rumbled through the room, cutting you off mid-sentence.

You froze, your breath hitching as your hands instinctively gripped the edge of the couch for balance. The sound was unnatural, deep and resonant, vibrating through the walls like a living entity.

Seungmin’s head snapped toward the hallway, his grip tightening on the bat he still held. His voice dropped to a tense whisper. “What the hell was that?”

“I...I don’t know,” you stammered, your voice trembling as you unconsciously inched closer to him.

Pepper and Sage hissed in unison, their fur standing on end as their unblinking eyes locked on the dark hallway. The growl faded, leaving behind an eerie, oppressive silence that seemed to breathe around you.

Seungmin’s jaw clenched as he finally spoke, his voice barely audible but filled with resolve. “Change of plans. We’re not just leaving...we’re running. Find another way out. Now!”

----------------------------------------------------------

A chilling laugh pierced the air, sharp and mocking, wrapping around you like a blade. It was followed by a rasping voice, low and menacing, as if it came from the very walls themselves. “Trying to leave, aren’t we?”

You froze, every muscle in your body locked in place as terror coursed through you. The oppressive silence that followed was suffocating, a vacuum that seemed to pull the air from your lungs. The voice lingered, a haunting echo vibrating faintly, as though the house itself was alive and listening.

Pepper and Sage were tense, their fur bristling, their tails puffed up like bottle brushes. Low hisses escaped their throats as their wide eyes darted between you and the shadowy hallway ahead, their movements jerky and panicked.

“We’re wasting time,” Seungmin muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. His grip on the bat tightened, his knuckles white against the wood. His eyes flicked to the shifting shadows that seemed to stretch and crawl across the room. “We need to move. Now!”

Before you could reply, a bone-deep chill swept through the room, cutting into you like icy needles. The air grew heavy, suffocating, pressing down on you with an unseen force. The lights above flickered erratically, their glow casting fractured shadows that twisted and danced unnaturally on the walls, almost as if they had a life of their own.

And then it hit you, the scent. Sweet, cloying, and overpowering. Roses. The fragrance filled the air, suffusing every corner of the room, thick and inescapable. It wasn’t just a smell; it was a presence. It crept into your lungs, your head, your very senses, leaving you lightheaded and trembling.

Your heart dropped as recognition struck like a lightning bolt. It was the same scent as the rose on the table. The same one from the note.

Your breathing hitched, your chest tightening as fear clawed at your throat. And then, through the flickering light and twisting shadows, she appeared.

At first, it was just a faint shimmer, a ripple in the air like heat rising off asphalt. But slowly, it solidified, and a figure began to take shape at the far end of the hallway. She was draped in a tattered wedding dress, its once-white fabric yellowed with age but somehow glowing faintly in the dim light. Her veil fluttered eerily, though no breeze stirred. Her translucent form carried an unsettling beauty—until you looked at her face.

Her eyes were voids, bottomless pits of shadow that seemed to pierce into your very soul. And her smile… it was soft, almost serene, but beneath it simmered something twisted, something that made your knees weak and your chest tighten.

“Do you love me?” she asked, her voice a haunting melody that resonated unnaturally, each word vibrating in your bones.

Seungmin immediately stepped in front of you, gripping the bat like a lifeline. “Stay back!” he shouted, his voice cracking under the weight of fear he tried to mask.

The bride tilted her head, the motion unnervingly childlike, though her smile widened with sickening sweetness. “Why would I hurt you, Seungmin?” she purred. Her hollow gaze flickered to you briefly, then back to him. “You promised me, remember?”

Your stomach churned. “What the hell is she talking about?” you hissed, grabbing Seungmin’s arm.

“I don’t know!” he snapped, but the quiver in his voice betrayed him. His uncertainty sent a chill down your spine.

The bride’s smile faltered, her expression darkening. Her voice dropped to a whisper that dripped with malice. “You don’t remember me?” She glided forward, her movements too smooth, too unnatural. “The promises you made under the moonlight? The vows you swore would last forever?”

Seungmin’s face went ghostly pale, his lips parting as if to speak, but no words came.

“Seungmin,” you said urgently, shaking his arm harder now, “what is she talking about? Did you....”

“I don’t know her!” he shouted, cutting you off, his voice frantic.

The bride’s soft laughter rang out, each note sharp and mocking. “Oh, but you do,” she murmured, her tone venomous. “You may have forgotten, but I haven’t. I remember everything. And now…” Her gaze snapped to you, her smile curling into something cruel. “You’ve brought her here. To replace me.”

Your breath hitched as the air around you grew colder, sharper, biting into your skin. The bride’s serene expression twisted into one of rage, her voice deepening to a guttural growl. “Do you love her, Seungmin?”

Seungmin stumbled backward, his free hand clutching yours tightly. “We need to move,” he whispered urgently.

“Where?” you demanded, panic rising in your chest.

“Anywhere but here!”

Before you could take a step, the bride raised a ghostly hand. Behind you, the door slammed shut with a resounding boom, and the windows sealed themselves with echoing clicks.

“You’re not leaving,” she said coldly, her voice echoing like a dreadful chorus. Her translucent form shimmered, her presence looming larger. “Not until you answer me. Do you love her?”

“Run!” Seungmin yelled, dragging you toward the stairs.

But as you reached them, the wood beneath your feet shifted. A sharp crack filled the air, and the steps flattened, sending you both tumbling painfully to the floor below.

Groaning, you clutched your side, wincing as pain shot through your ribs. Above you, the bride’s laughter rang out again, taunting and merciless. “Told you,” she sneered, materializing before you once more.

“Are you okay?” Seungmin asked, his voice tight with worry as he helped you to your feet.

“I’m fine,” you muttered, glaring at the bride through the haze of fear and pain. “What do you want from us?”

Seungmin raised the bat again, his voice shaking with anger. “Leave us alone!”

The bride’s veil fluttered unnaturally as she cocked her head, her hollow gaze almost playful. “So brave,” she murmured. “Very well. I’ll let you go… but only if you prove yourselves worthy.”

“Worthy of what?” you snapped, frustration and fear boiling over.

“Of love,” she replied, her lips curling into a sinister smile. “Complete my tasks, and I shall set you free. But fail…” Her voice dropped, becoming a bone-chilling whisper. “And you’ll remain here. Forever.”

Suddenly, Seungmin’s gaze locked onto an opening, a window. His grip on the bat tightened, and without hesitation, he shouted, “To hell with your tasks!” Grabbing your hand, he yanked you toward it with frantic urgency.

“Seungmin, wait!” you cried, stumbling to keep up, but he didn’t stop.

The ghost bride’s laughter echoed through the room, chilling and mocking. “Do you really think you can escape me?” Her voice slithered through the air, dripping with malice.

“Watch me!” Seungmin snarled, raising the bat high as he closed in on the window.

But as he reached it, the window slammed shut with a deafening crash. The sound reverberated like thunder, leaving the room trembling. Seungmin’s jaw tightened, and with a growl of frustration, he swung the bat at the glass with all his might. The force sent shockwaves up his arms, but the glass didn’t crack. It didn’t shatter. Not even a scratch appeared.

“Come on!” he bellowed, swinging again and again, each strike more frenzied than the last. His breaths came in ragged gasps as he poured every ounce of strength into breaking free. Yet the window remained unyielding, a taunting, impenetrable barrier.

The ghost bride’s voice rang out, dripping with cruel amusement. “Oh, Seungmin,” she taunted, her tone honeyed but wicked. “You can’t break what isn’t real. Haven’t you realized yet? You’re mine.”

Seungmin’s frustration erupted in a guttural yell as he slammed the bat to the floor with a force that rattled the room. “Dammit!” he shouted, his chest heaving, his breath uneven.

You placed a trembling hand on his arm, your voice barely a whisper. “Seungmin… stop. It’s useless.”

He turned to you, his eyes wild with a storm of anger and helplessness. “So what? You want us to just sit here and play her twisted games? No way.”

But despite the fire in his voice, he sank onto the couch, his shoulders slumping under the weight of defeat. You followed, sitting beside him as the suffocating silence of the room pressed in from all sides. Neither of you dared to speak, the tension as heavy as a thick fog. Your hands shook uncontrollably in your lap, curling into fists in a vain attempt to steady yourself. But the tears came anyway, silent, relentless, beyond your control. Exhaustion made you indifferent to wiping them away.

The quiet stretched on, unbearable and thick. Finally, the weight of everything overwhelmed you, and the tears fell freely, a quiet admission of the helplessness consuming you.

“I’m sorry,” Seungmin muttered suddenly, his voice barely audible. He stared at the floor, his expression unreadable.

You shook your head, your voice raw. “It’s not your fault. None of this is.”

----------------------------------------------------------

Before you could say anything else, the room flickered to life. The television powered on with a loud click, its eerie light casting shifting shadows against the walls. Static buzzed briefly before clearing. Words began forming on the screen, their playful, sinister font twisting in an unnatural dance:

“Make a meal together; it warms your heart with every bite.”

Seungmin’s jaw tightened. “What the hell is this?” he muttered.

“She’s toying with us,” you said, your voice trembling.

The bride’s laughter rang out again, surrounding you, suffocating you. “A little teamwork never hurt anyone,” she cooed, her voice as mocking as it was chilling. “Show me your love, and perhaps I’ll let you leave.”

Seungmin shot to his feet, his fury igniting as he glared at the screen. “This is insane! You want us to cook for you? Are you kidding me?”

“Oh, it’s not for me,” the bride’s voice replied, smooth yet ice-cold. “It’s for you. For each other. Love begins in the little things, don’t you think?”

You scoffed, running a hand through your hair as frustration bubbled over. “This is ridiculous. We’re not doing this.”

Seungmin’s voice softened, almost breaking. “Y/N…” The fear in his eyes made your stomach twist. “What choice do we have?” he whispered. “If we don’t do what she wants… we’ll never get out of here.”

You hesitated, your jaw tightening as you fought the logic in his words. Memories of distant promises and the ghost’s accusation, ex-best friend, lingered in your mind like an unanswered question. “This is so messed up,” you muttered, your stomach twisting. But finally, you nodded. “Fine. Let’s just get it over with.”

The television clicked off abruptly, plunging the room back into a chilling silence.

Then, without warning, the kitchen lights blazed to life. The space transformed before your eyes, now immaculately pristine yet unnervingly surreal. Neatly arranged ingredients and utensils lined the countertops, every item positioned with unsettling precision as though the scene had been waiting for you.

You and Seungmin exchanged a wary glance, unease rippling between you. But with no other choice, you stepped toward the kitchen.

The ghost bride’s voice slithered through the air once more, smug and cold. “Make it with love,” she whispered. “Every bite counts.”

“Tofu, gochugaru, chicken stock, kimchi, soy sauce, garlic…” Seungmin scanned the ingredients, his eyes darting between each item. His lips quirked into a small, bittersweet smile as he murmured, “Looks like we’re making sundubu jjigae tonight… just like old times.” His eyes met yours briefly, flickering with a shadow of something you couldn’t quite place.

You glared at Seungmin, the warmth of old memories clashing with the simmering anger in your chest. “Don’t,” you said sharply, your voice cutting through the tension like a blade. He flinched, the weight of unspoken guilt evident in his expression. “Let’s just get this over with.”

The air between you was suffocating as you both moved to complete the task, the ghost bride’s ominous laughter still lingering like a cruel echo. Despite the charged silence, your movements synced in an odd, unspoken rhythm. There were awkward moments, a brush of fingers here, a fumbled handoff there but neither of you acknowledged them. Slowly, the dish began to take shape. The tofu, sliced into precise cubes, bobbed in the bubbling broth, rich with the tangy heat of kimchi and the vibrant red of gochugaru. The aroma of Sundubu Jjigae filled the space, stirring memories you had long buried.

Finally, the dish was complete. You both stood back, staring at the finished stew. The vibrant hues of the kimchi and tofu stood out against the dark, glossy broth. It looked perfect, almost too perfect for the chaos surrounding you.

Seungmin shifted beside you, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. “It smells... just like before,” he muttered, glancing at you.

You ignored the pang in your chest and picked up a spoon, the warm aroma curling around you. The first bite brought a rush of flavor that made your eyes widen in surprise. The stew was rich, spicy, and deeply comforting so much so that for a fleeting moment, the oppressive weight of the room seemed to lift.

“It’s... good,” you admitted, the words slipping out reluctantly. You hated how it brought a small, fleeting smile to Seungmin’s lips.

“Yeah?” he asked softly, hope flickering in his voice.

You didn’t answer, instead handing him a bowl. The two of you ate in tense silence, the quiet punctuated by the occasional clink of spoons against ceramic. For a moment, it almost felt like old times, like you were a team again. Almost.

But Seungmin broke the illusion. “YN,” he began hesitantly, his voice low. “I’m sorry... for everything. For ghosting you. I should’ve been there.”

You froze, your spoon hovering mid-air, before setting it down with a sharp clink. “Don’t,” you said, your voice brittle. “You don’t get to do this now. You left, Seungmin. No explanation, no goodbye. You don’t get to apologize and expect it to fix everything.”

His jaw tightened, guilt flashing in his eyes. “I know,” he murmured. “I don’t expect you to forgive me. But I....”

“Enough,” you interrupted, your voice rising slightly. “It doesn’t matter now.”

The air crackled with tension, thick and suffocating, before the ghost bride’s mocking laughter pierced through it like a blade. Her voice echoed from every corner of the room, cold and taunting. “Ah, such delightful drama,” she purred. “But you’re not done yet.”

---------------------------------------------------------

The room shifted suddenly, the air growing colder as the lights dimmed. The kitchen vanished, replaced by an unsettlingly romantic setup. Candlelight flickered across the table, casting eerie shadows on the walls. The scent of roses overwhelmed your senses, sickly sweet and cloying. A table for two stood at the center, adorned with fine china, silverware, and a bottle of wine that seemed to gleam ominously.

“What is this now?” Seungmin asked, his voice tinged with disbelief.

You shook your head, your lips pressing into a thin line. “Her idea of a joke, apparently.”

The ghost bride appeared in the shadows, her translucent figure floating effortlessly. Her grin was sharp, her voice dripping with malice. “A romantic dinner. Just the two of you,” she cooed. “I want to see love rekindled.”

Seungmin glanced around the transformed room, his brow furrowed in confusion. “I... didn’t expect this,” he muttered, disbelief thick in his voice.

“Yeah, well, neither did I,” you replied, avoiding his gaze. “What are we supposed to do here? Pretend this is normal?”

He let out a nervous laugh, his hands fidgeting with the silverware in front of him. The suffocating awkwardness in the air was almost tangible, made worse by the ghost bride’s cold, knowing smile hovering in the background.

“So, uh... this is romantic, huh?” Seungmin said dryly, reaching for a wine glass in an attempt to lighten the mood.

You raised an eyebrow, scoffing. “Romantic? We’re trapped in a haunted house with a ghost forcing us to make dinner, and who knows what else.”

“Right,” Seungmin murmured, a nervous chuckle slipping out. His eyes darted to yours briefly before he hesitated, his expression uncertain. “Okay, so... do you want to talk about anything? I mean, since we’re here.”

The question hung in the air, thick and heavy. The tension between you was palpable, but an odd thread of humor weaved through it as you both fumbled to make the situation less unbearable. Reaching for your wine glass, you were stopped short when Seungmin grabbed it first.

“Hey! That’s mine!” you protested, leaning forward with a grin to snatch it back.

“No way,” he countered with a smirk. “I’m the one who gets to drink first.”

“Oh, I’m sorry, did I miss the royal decree that makes you the king of wine?” you shot back, an eyebrow arched.

Seungmin snorted, clearly amused. “At least I’m not the one trying to chug all the wine just because this is supposed to be a ‘romantic date.’”

You narrowed your eyes in mock irritation. “That’s it. I’m leaving.”

“Go ahead,” he teased, his smirk widening. “See how that works out for you.”

Before you could fire back, the ghost bride’s chilling laughter echoed through the room, louder and more pointed this time. “Oh, come on, you two. Can’t even enjoy a meal together?” Her voice dripped with mockery, her head tilting in amusement as if she were thoroughly entertained by your awkward exchange.

You stared down at your plate, your appetite fading. “What’s there to talk about?” you muttered, your voice sharp with lingering resentment. “It’s been what months, Seungmin ? You disappeared without a word.”

Seungmin flinched at the accusation, his guilt evident in the way he avoided your eyes. “Yeah... I know. And I’m sorry. I should’ve....”

“Don’t,” you interrupted, your tone flat and unwavering. “I don’t want to hear it.”

He faltered, his mouth opening as if to respond, but no words came out. The silence that followed was suffocating, every scrape of silverware and shift in posture amplified in the stillness. The weight of unspoken words hung heavily between you, while the ghost bride’s watchful gaze loomed over the table, as though eagerly awaiting the next spark of conflict.

“So...” Seungmin tried again, forcing a weak smile as he gestured to the food. “What do we do now? Eat?”

You gave him a look of pure exasperation. “Yeah, I guess that’s the whole point.”

The two of you ate in tense silence, though neither seemed to actually enjoy the meal. Seungmin kept stealing glances at you from the corner of his eye, only to quickly look away when you caught him. You, in turn, picked at your food, determined not to meet his gaze.

Then, cutting through the oppressive quiet like a blade, the ghost bride’s voice echoed once more, her tone icy and amused. “You’re so quiet. Is this how you two always eat together?”

You looked up, startled by the ghost bride’s sudden intrusion. “What do you want from us?” you snapped, your patience wearing thin. “We’re eating. We’re doing what you want.”

The ghost bride smiled that unnerving, disembodied smile again, her voice syrupy sweet. “How can you say that when you’re so distant? Where’s the love? Where’s the spark? I demand to see it.”

“Spark?” Seungmin stammered, glancing between you and the ghost bride, clearly baffled. “We’re barely even talking, and you want... that?”

“Love is in the little things,” she cooed, her tone dripping with false sweetness. “The way you feed each other, the way you smile at each other, the way you share a quiet moment. Let’s see if you remember that.”

Seungmin shot a confused look at you. “Uh... YN?” he said, his voice heavy with reluctance. “I guess... should we share a bite or something? To, you know, show the ‘love’ or whatever?”

You blinked, taken aback by his suggestion. “What? No. You don’t just... share food to rekindle a spark,” you said, a half-laugh escaping you as you shook your head at the absurdity of it all.

Seungmin’s eyes widened in realization, and a nervous laugh slipped from his lips. “No, no! I’m just trying to make the ghost lady happy.”

The humor fell flat, and the tension returned, thickening the air once more. You sighed, deciding it was better to just get it over with. “Fine. Let’s just do this.” With a mixture of reluctance and exasperation, you held out your fork, offering him a bite of your dish.

Seungmin hesitated, his face caught between amusement and discomfort. “Alright, here goes nothing.” He leaned in to take the bite, but as he did, he knocked the plate, splashing sauce onto his shirt.

You burst out laughing, unable to stop yourself. “Smooth move, Seungmin,” you teased, the laughter easing the tension, if only briefly. “Guess you’re really ‘sparking’ things up now.”

Seungmin, his face flushed with embarrassment, managed a sheepish grin. “Yeah, well, guess I’m not the expert in romance.”

Just as the awkwardness seemed to subside, the ghost bride’s voice echoed through the room again, cold and mocking. “How sweet. But this is not enough. The next part of your task begins now...”

----------------------------------------------------------

The ghost bride clapped her translucent hands together, a gleeful smile stretching across her eerie face. “A dance! Let’s see if you can move as one, with grace and passion.”

Seungmin groaned. “A dance? Really? We’re in the middle of... whatever this is, and now you want us to waltz?”

You shot him a sharp look. “Oh, come on. It’s not like we have a choice here, Seungmin.”

“Why do I feel like this is some kind of sick couples’ therapy?” he muttered under his breath, earning a half-snort, half-smile from you.

The ghost bride’s voice cut through the air again, dripping with authority. “Enough stalling. The music begins now.”

Suddenly, a hauntingly beautiful melody filled the room, the kind of tune that sent chills down your spine. The ghost bride drifted to the side, her expectant gaze fixed on the two of you.

“Alright, let’s get this over with,” Seungmin said with an exaggerated sigh, extending his hand toward you. “Try not to step on my feet.”

“Oh, please,” you scoffed, taking his hand. “If anyone’s stepping on toes, it’s you.”

He grinned, leaning in slightly. “Bold of you to assume you’re that light on your feet.”

You narrowed your eyes at him but didn’t respond, allowing him to lead you to the center of the room. As his hand settled on your waist, a flicker of awkwardness sparked between you two, a reminder of the tension that still lingered, unresolved and thick in the air.

The dance started off slow, almost too slow. The melody swayed between romantic and ominous, and you couldn’t shake the feeling that you were being watched. Oh right, the ghost bride. Of course, you were being watched.

“Okay, not bad,” Seungmin said, his tone a mix of surprise and approval as you twirled into his arms without tripping. “Maybe you’ve had some practice.”

“Are you saying you didn’t expect me to be good at this?” you shot back, raising an eyebrow.

“I’m saying I’ve seen you trip over a flat surface,” he replied, fighting back a laugh.

You opened your mouth to argue, but he spun you before you could. For a moment, it felt like you might actually fall, but Seungmin caught you effortlessly, pulling you back into him with a smirk.

“See? I’ve got you,” he said, his voice softening, almost teasing.

You stared at him a beat too long before glancing away. “Don’t get used to it,” you muttered, focusing on the steps instead of the warmth of his hand on your back.

The ghost bride’s voice sliced through the music like a blade. “You call this dancing? Where’s the passion? Where’s the fire?”

Seungmin shot her an incredulous look. “We’re trying, okay? Maybe lower your expectations.”

“Passion doesn’t need to be tried,” she snapped. “It comes naturally.”

“Well, excuse us for not being the leads in some ghostly rom-com,” you retorted, earning a stifled laugh from Seungmin.

The ghost bride’s chilling smile returned. “Let me make it easier for you, then.” With a wave of her hand, the room seemed to shrink, forcing you and Seungmin even closer. The music grew louder, more insistent, as if daring you to falter.

You stumbled slightly, your face inches from Seungmin’s chest. “Great. Now she’s making us claustrophobic.”

“Just focus,” Seungmin said, steadying you with an arm around your waist. His voice had lost its usual sarcasm, and for a moment, he almost sounded reassuring.

But then his next words shattered the moment: “Unless you’d rather call it quits and let her haunt us forever.”

“Oh, you wish,” you shot back, pulling away just enough to regain your footing. “I’m not giving her the satisfaction.”

You moved in sync again, the tension easing ever so slightly with each step. The occasional bump of knees or misstep drew soft laughs, though neither of you dared to acknowledge the deeper emotions lingering beneath the surface.

Just as you started to think you might survive this without further embarrassment, Seungmin’s foot caught on yours, sending him off balance. He grabbed onto you for support, pulling you down in an awkward heap on the floor.

“Well, that was graceful,” you said, struggling to suppress a laugh as you sat up.

“Totally your fault,” Seungmin replied, wincing as he rubbed his elbow. “You distracted me.”

“Oh, sure. Blame me for your two left feet.”

Before he could respond, the ghost bride loomed over you both, her expression unreadable. “Pathetic,” she sighed. “But entertaining, at least.”

You exchanged a glance with Seungmin, the humor of the situation bubbling up despite everything. “Guess we’re better at comedy than choreography,” he muttered, a small smile tugging at his lips.

For once, you didn’t argue. “Yeah. At least we’ve got that going for us.”

The ghost bride’s disapproving sigh echoed through the room as the music faded. “Enough. Perhaps you’ll do better in the next task.”

Your stomach sank. Next task? You glanced at Seungmin, who looked equally apprehensive. “What do you think she has in mind this time?” you asked.

He shrugged, helping you to your feet. “Knowing her? Something even worse.”

“Fantastic,” you said dryly, brushing yourself off. “Can’t wait.”

----------------------------------------------------------

The ghost bride’s voice dripped with amusement as she announced the next task. “One fine blood-red rose from the terrace garden under the moonlight. Alone, of course.”

“Alone?” you repeated, narrowing your eyes. “Why? Isn’t this a team thing?”

She let out a chilling laugh. “Not this time. You must do this alone, my dear.”

Seungmin took a step forward, his jaw tight with defiance. “This is ridiculous. I’m not letting her....”

“Any interference will result in consequences,” the ghost bride warned, her voice sharp as a knife.

You sighed, rolling your eyes. “It’s fine. I’ll do it. Just… stay here, Seungmin.”

His expression was etched with worry, but he nodded reluctantly. “Be careful. Yell if anything happens.”

“Great advice in a haunted house,” you muttered under your breath as you headed toward the staircase.

The air grew colder with each step, your breath visible in the dimly lit corridor. The shadows seemed alive, shifting and flickering as though they were watching you.

Halfway up the staircase, a loud thud echoed behind you. You whipped around, heart racing, but saw nothing, just the empty hall.

“Okay,” you whispered, swallowing hard. “It’s just the house messing with me. That’s all.”

When you turned back, a porcelain doll was suddenly on the step in front of you, its glassy eyes locked onto yours. You let out a startled yelp, stumbling back.

“How did you…?” you began, but before you could finish, the doll’s head slowly turned to the side with a faint, deliberate creak.

“Nope. Nope. Nope,” you muttered, sidestepping the doll and hurrying up the stairs.

At the top, the faint sound of a child’s laughter echoed through the air, sending a chill down your spine. You glanced over your shoulder to find the staircase now filled with dolls, all standing eerily still, their unblinking eyes following your every move.

“Wonderful,” you muttered, forcing yourself to keep moving. “Just me and my creepy doll fan club.”

The terrace door loomed ahead, and as you reached for the handle, it creaked open on its own.

“Of course,” you muttered, stepping outside. The garden was bathed in silvery moonlight, its beauty strangely mesmerizing. But the eerie calm didn’t last.

As you approached the rose bush, the sound of footsteps echoed behind you. You froze, your heart pounding. “Hello?” you called, your voice trembling.

No response.

Taking a shaky breath, you turned back toward the rose bush, only to find a shadowy figure standing between you and the flowers. Its face was obscured, its form flickering like a dying lightbulb.

“Who ? what ? ” you stammered, stumbling back. The figure tilted its head, and before you could react, it lunged at you with a guttural scream.

You shrieked, ducking just in time as the figure dissolved into thin air.

“Okay, this is officially the worst idea ever,” you muttered, your hands trembling as you approached the rose bush again.

The blood-red rose glowed under the moonlight, its vibrant hue almost hypnotic. You reached out hesitantly, your fingers brushing the petals. As soon as you plucked it, the ground beneath you crumbled away.

A scream tore from your throat as you grabbed onto a nearby vase, your legs dangling over the void below. The once-beautiful terrace was now a crumbling expanse of nothingness, the wind howling in your ears.

Back in the dining room, Seungmin shot to his feet when he heard your scream. “Y/N!” he shouted, sprinting toward the terrace despite the ghost bride’s warning.

Meanwhile, you clung to the vase, your arms trembling. A narrow rope bridge materialized in front of you, swaying dangerously in the wind.

“Really?!” you shouted at the void, your voice dripping with sarcasm. “This is the solution?!”

Seungmin burst onto the terrace, his face pale with fear. “Y/N!”

“Oh, hey,” you called weakly, your voice trembling. “Fancy seeing you here. Just hanging out. Literally.”

His eyes darted to the rope bridge, then to you. “What the hell is going on?!”

“Long story. Not the time!”

Ignoring the ghost bride’s warning, Seungmin stepped onto the rope bridge, his arms outstretched to keep his balance as the wind howled around him.

“Stop!” you yelled. “She said...”

“I don’t care what she said!” he snapped, his voice laced with desperation. “I’m not letting you do this alone!”

As he inched closer, you felt your grip slipping. “Seungmin,” you whispered, tears streaming down your face. “I can’t hold on.”

“You’re not falling,” he said firmly, his jaw clenched. “Not on my watch.”

When he finally reached you, he grabbed your arm, his grip steady despite the shaking bridge. With a grunt, he pulled you into his arms, holding you tightly as the void disappeared and the terrace returned to its original state.

You clung to him, your breaths coming in short, ragged gasps.

“Thanks,” you murmured, your voice barely audible.

He held you tighter, his voice low and filled with emotion. “I’m not losing you. Not again.”

From the shadows, the ghost bride observed with a satisfied smile. “Well done. The rose is yours… but your journey is far from over.”

The air grew heavier as you and Seungmin descended the staircase from the terrace. Without warning, her chilling voice echoed around you once more. “Oh, how sweet you two look together. Let’s dig deeper, shall we?”

Before you could react, the world around you shifted. The air turned icy, and a dense fog engulfed the staircase. You turned to Seungmin, but he was no longer beside you.

“Seungmin?!” you called, panic gripping your chest.

“Y/N!” his voice echoed faintly, distant and unreachable....

----------------------------------------------------------

The fog swallowed your surroundings completely. When it cleared, you found yourself in a dimly lit room. Shadows flickered along the walls, and at the center stood an ornate mirror, glowing faintly. On a pedestal before it lay the blood-red rose you had plucked earlier.

The ghost bride’s voice slithered into your ears, soft and sinister. “To move forward, you must confront the truth. Pick the rose, and let it reveal what you’ve buried deep inside.”

Your hands trembled as you reached for the rose. The sharp thorns pricked your finger, a single drop of blood welling up. The mirror rippled like water, and an image began to form.

At first, it was blurry, but as the scene sharpened, you realized what you were looking at, a younger version of yourself, no older than eight, sitting cross-legged on a playground bench. Beside you sat Seungmin, his cheeks flushed from the autumn chill, his dark hair sticking out in all directions. In one hand, he held a popsicle; in the other, a bright yellow bandage, which he clumsily pressed against your scraped knee.

“Stop squirming,” he mumbled, his tongue poking out in concentration.

“It hurts!” your younger self whined, tears welling up as you winced.

“Well, maybe if you weren’t always trying to show off, this wouldn’t have happened,” he retorted, exasperated but not unkind. “Just… stay still, okay?”

Despite his words, his touch was gentle. His small hands carefully smoothed the bandage into place. When he finished, he leaned back with a satisfied smile.

“There. Good as new,” he declared, holding up his popsicle triumphantly.

Your younger self sniffled, managing a weak smile. The sting of the scrape faded in the face of his earnestness. “Thanks, Minnie.”

“Don’t call me that,” he grumbled, though his pink cheeks betrayed his embarrassment.

It was a small, fleeting moment, but it had set the foundation for your entire friendship. Seungmin had always been there for you, through scraped knees, school struggles, and the awkwardness of growing up, you’d been each other’s constants.

The scene shifted, and the golden playground light was replaced by the hum of fluorescent bulbs. Now high school-aged, you both sat on the rooftop of your school, textbooks spread out between you.

“Do you think they’re right?” Seungmin asked suddenly, breaking the comfortable silence.

“Who?” you asked, looking up from your notes.

“My parents,” he murmured, barely above a whisper. “They’re always saying I’m not good enough. That I’ll never amount to anything.”

His words struck something deep within you, and without thinking, you reached out and placed a comforting hand on his arm. “That’s not true, Seungmin,” you said firmly. “You’re one of the smartest, most talented people I know. And you’re kind. Who cares what they think?”

He turned to you then, his eyes filled with an emotion you couldn’t quite place. For a moment, the world narrowed to just the two of you, his gaze heavy and unwavering. Then he gave you a small, shy smile and nodded.

“Thanks, Y/N,” he said softly. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

The rooftop scene dissolved, replaced by the hustle of a university library. The two of you were surrounded by a mountain of books and empty coffee cups, deep into finals week.

“Alright,” Seungmin said, snapping his fingers to get your attention. “What’s the answer to question five on the practice exam?”

You groaned, burying your face in your hands. “I don’t know! I’m going to fail, drop out, and probably end up living in a cardboard box somewhere.”

“Relax,” he said with a laugh. “You always do this, Y/N. You freak out, and then you ace the exam like it’s nothing.”

“Says the guy who crammed the entire syllabus last night,” you shot back, rolling your eyes.

“And yet, here I am,” he replied with a grin that lit up his entire face. “Maybe I’m just a genius.”

“Shut up,” you muttered, fighting a smile.

“Y/N, you’ve got this,” he said, his voice dropping to something softer, more earnest. “You’re one of the hardest-working people I’ve ever met. And, just so you know, you’re kind of a genius too.”

His words made your cheeks flush, and you turned your attention back to your notes, mumbling, “Whatever, Minnie.”

He laughed, warm and carefree, and you couldn’t help but smile despite yourself.

The scene shifted, and suddenly, you were standing at the entrance of the house, the night of the party. Your past self lingered at the doorway, smoothing down your outfit nervously as if it could steady the whirlwind inside you. Felix was the first to greet you, his ever-bright grin lighting up his face as he extended a drink toward you.

“Finally! The life of the party is here,” he said, his cheerful voice cutting through the hum of conversation and the pulsing music.

You took the drink with a small smile, your fingers trembling slightly as you gripped the glass. The party was alive around you, laughter, vibrant chatter, and the warmth of so many people gathered in one space. But your focus wasn’t on them. It never was.

You stood near the bar, fidgeting with your drink as your eyes roamed the room. Your heart pounded with a mix of nerves and anticipation, every step forward feeling like a delicate balance between courage and hesitation. It felt as though everything in the past few months had been leading to this moment. Every unspoken feeling, every stolen glance, and every night you stayed up thinking about him, all of it had brought you here.

And then you saw him. Seungmin.

He stood across the room, near the far corner, casually leaning against the wall as he laughed with a group of mutual friends. He looked just as he always did, relaxed, effortlessly composed, and with that soft smile that always sent your heart into a frenzy.

But tonight, there was something different. The way his eyes darted around the room, almost searching, sent a flicker of hope sparking in your chest.

“Maybe he’s looking for me?” you thought, the idea igniting a warmth within you.

You hesitated, the weight of what you had decided to do pressing heavily on your chest. Your palms were clammy, and your stomach churned with nervous energy. You had promised yourself tonight would be the night. You would tell him how you felt, how he wasn’t just your best friend but your everything.

Taking a deep breath, you clenched your hands at your sides and took a tentative step toward him.

But before you could reach him, a familiar voice slurred behind you, freezing you in your tracks.

“Y/N…”

Your stomach sank as you turned and found yourself face-to-face with Hyunjin. His disheveled appearance and glassy eyes told you everything you needed to know, he was drunk. The redness in his cheeks wasn’t from the party but from something far more troubling.

“Hyunjin,” you said cautiously, stepping back as he stumbled closer to you. “You’re drunk. You shouldn’t be here.”

“Drunk? Maybe,” he said with a bitter laugh, his words slurring as he gestured loosely with his hand. “But I had to see you. I needed to see you.”

Your heart tightened as he took another unsteady step closer, his expression shifting from bitterness to pleading. “Y/N, I made a mistake. I was stupid. I…I want you back.”

His words hit you like a tidal wave, but not in the way he probably intended. You took another step back, your voice steady but firm. “Hyunjin, we’ve been over this. It’s over. You need to let this go.”

But he wasn’t listening. His desperation took hold, and before you could stop him, his hands grabbed your arms, pulling you into a tight, forceful hug.

“Please,” he whispered, his voice trembling and raw. “Just one more chance. I can be better. I swear.”

Your breath caught, anger bubbling beneath the surface as you struggled against his grip.

“Hyunjin, stop it!” you snapped, your voice rising. “Let me go!”

The mirror zoomed out, revealing something you hadn’t noticed that night, a shadow in the corner. Your heart sank as the image sharpened to show Seungmin.

He had been watching the entire exchange.

Your breath hitched, your chest tightening painfully as the mirror captured his expression in that fleeting, raw moment. Gone was his usual calm demeanor, the quiet confidence that made him seem unshakable. Instead, his face was a storm of emotions: hurt, betrayal, and anger. His jaw was clenched so tightly it looked like it might shatter, his fists trembling at his sides. His eyes, usually soft and warm when they landed on you, were now ablaze with a mixture of pain and fury.

From across the room, Seungmin’s gaze locked on the sight of Hyunjin holding you. Your face was obscured, pressed against Hyunjin’s shoulder, and in Seungmin’s mind, the worst conclusions took root and twisted deeper with every passing second.

Tears gathered in his eyes, but he refused to let them fall.

The mirror panned back to Seungmin, and you could see how quickly the anger began to smother the sadness in his expression. His thoughts spilled into the room like whispers from a wound too deep to heal.

“Of course you’d choose him… Why wouldn’t you? I’ll never be enough for you, Y/N. Not for you, not for anyone.”

You stumbled back a step, your voice breaking as you whispered, “No. Seungmin, I wasn’t...I didn’t…”

Suddenly Seungmin’s thoughts faded as the mirror darkened, leaving only his broken expression burned into your mind. You reached out instinctively, as though you could change the past by touching the glass, but your fingers met only a cold, unyielding surface.

The reflection twisted, the room behind you flickering like a dying light, and when it settled again, you were staring at Seungmin, only this time, his lips were pressed against Beth’s.

Your heart stopped, the image searing into your chest like a brand.

But the scene didn’t stop….

࣪ ִֶָ☾.Tags - @atinyniki @writingforstraykids @yangbbokari @theo4eve @jinnie-ret  @livelovelaughmiko @silverstarburst @galaxycatdrawz @skzoologist @shua-f4lmings @iknowyouknowminho @krisstheidiot @hyunjinhoexxx @gho-ster @ezlynkisses @elmoslungcancer @b1nn1e-1s-cut3 @seungseung-minmin @cuddlylonelyperson @jeonginsleftcheek @oreoqueen @freekyfangirl

Comment your @ If you wish to be added or removed from this list ⸜(｡˃ ᵕ ˂ )⸝♡

࣪ ִֶָ☾.ENDNOTE - Everything Here is a work of fiction and my own imagination. This does not represent the real life characteristics of Stray Kids. Make sure to like, reblog comment, and follow me for new updates!

[sonicasura]

Resident Evil's Leon S. Kennedy getting dropped in Kaiju No. 8 would feel like a vacation to hell for him. Even moreso if he's human or an Infected with visible deformities. (I'm talking @polarspaz's Verdugo version or @beanzbeanz001's Infected iteration levels of bad.)

If Leon's human then he would be so confused at first. Raccoon City, Umbrella, and every single viral/parasitic incident doesn't even exist. Neither is the government keeping him away from an actual normal life. Sure he'll try find his way back if possible since Leon does have friends in his hellish home world. Then the man experiences his very first Kaiju attack.

An immediate 'What the Fuck' that evolves into 'This is actually worse'. Like even the worst abominations he faced could be taken down with bullets at the very least. Kaiju practically shrug off everything unless you aim for their cores but also have the firepower to pierce through.

At most Leon can do is blind and run from any attacking monster. Otherwise he's chilling in a bunker or has to join the Defense Force for a kaiju fiber power suit to defend himself. The latter would definitely be hard considering Leon has trust issues and the two tests he has to take without any proof of his existence.

Best chance the bloke has is to be noticed by someone nicely high up in the Defense Force. A plausible task although he might have to purposely endanger himself involving a Kaiju/Honju/Yoju. If he's infected then oh boy.

Leon isn't going to have a fun time as he will be mistaken for a Kaiju from his appearance. He'd also struggle fighting monsters around his size since they could have dangerous abilities even if given info about their cores. Plus I think him being infected could even worsen his situation should Leon get captured.

The Defense Force definitely won't like the idea of a possibly spreadable zombie virus/parasite on their problems to tackle. (Pretty sure everyone shivered thinking about a zombie virus spreading kaiju.) Leon would be constantly monitored with scheduled humane experiments at BEST in their custody.

Also I imagine our boy just hanging out with the family of the little girl Kafka saved in episode 2. She just sees Leon huddled in an alley behind a dumpster looking miserably. Pure sopping wet cat energy that makes her think about 'Mister Kaiju' when he asks her to go away.

Her poor mother practically having a heart attack when her daughter brings Leon home. (That lady is seriously questioning if it's appropriate to flirt with kind monster men. She was conscious enough to see Kafka.) At least Reno won't be alone in the 'keeping your inhuman friend alive' compartment.

[shinygemstone]

HERE IS A LIST OF THE 30 MAIN KIPO AUs I WANT BUT WILL NEVER HAVE BECAUSE THE FANFIC COMMUNITY IS TINY IN ORDER OF SPOILERINESS (FEWEST SPOILERS FIRST OBVIOUSLY)

1. An AU where Kipo doesn't end up on the surface in the first episode, and has to go through the events with the mega monkey still looking for her

2. An AU in which all of Kipo's people are actually dead, and she's the only survivor. Depression for everyone!!

3. An AU where Margot never betrayed Wolf, and the two have a very close and codependent relationship. Bonus points if Wolf gets kidnapped by Scarlemagne

4. An AU where Wolf's wolf parents never actually betrayed her and raised her alongside the other children. Wolf girl wolf.

5. AU where the protagonists end up separated after Ratland, with Kipo and Benson trying their best to escape Scarlemagne's place without Scarlemagne realizing they're there while Wolf, Mandu, and Dave try to save them

6. AU like #1, except Lio fucking dies and Kipo's body now assumes it is in danger a lot more. So now she's dealing with the mega monkey and turning into the mega jaguar

7. Kipo gets along a little too well with the timbercats, and they kind of adopt her. Parental Yumyan and Molly. They're not surprised to find out she's part cat and teach her how to properly kitty

8. In which Lio turns out to be the mega monkey, somehow.

9. In which Kipo was raised on the surface, and is kind of known as the local feral half cat creature. Naturally, Scarlemagne kidnaps her for weapon usage and oops. Guess he has to teach the feral out of her

10. In which Jamack joins the protagonists (if you didn't think my man would be here you're wrong)

11. Let Kipo get upset about the whole mega jaguar thing PLEASE

12. Song and Lio raise Kipo, while Song is suppressing the mutagen and struggling more and more as she gets older.

13. Song turns out to fill Dr. Emilia's role, and is actually trying to end mutekind.

14. Emilia gets her hands on Kipo, but mistakes her for a normal human (somehow) so Kipo grows up in the science burrow believing mutes killed her parents and that what Emilia is doing is justified. Bonus points if she's Emilia's protege/assistant/intern

15. Emilia gets her hands on Kipo, knowing that she's Song and Lio's daughter, and decides she can use Kipo as a weapon. This would involve a lot of dehumanization and likely good brother Scarlemagne/Hugo. Also Lio? Totally dead

16. AU where Lio manages to yoink Hugo. That's the AU. Hugo and Lio and Kipo as family.

17. AU #16 with angst: Lio gets captured, so it's just Hugo and Kipo. Bonus points if Kipo grows up in Ratland

18. For even more angst, Scarlemagne kidnaps Kipo, raising her in his blooming empire. Except Scarlemagne has no idea how to raise a child, especially not one who's half mega jaguar.

19. Where Mulholland doesn't help Kipo, and Scarlemagne's coronation goes as planned.

20. Where Emilia kidnapping the mutes was a trap, and it works as planned. Kipo is in for such a bad time.

21. Where what Emilia did to the mutes she kidnapped mutes is a lot more horrific than in cannon.

22. WOLF BOTHERS TO REPLACE STALKY

23. Margot changes her mind about betraying Wolf sooner, and Emilia never captures any of the protagonists. Consequently, Emilia sneaks into timbercat village to conduct her evil plans.

24. Instead of Yumyan, Kipo gets hit by the cure. Consequently, the decision is made to have the mega jaguar deal with all subsequent human incidents. This prevents It's a Trap from happening.

25. Kipo gets hit by the cure, except it works. No more mega jaguar, but she gets back to timbercat village.

26. Kipo goes through with sinking the cruise ship. Insert huge crisis (and maybe Song, Lio, or both of them rejecting Kipo/treating her like a monster. Please. I live for angst)

27. AU where Dave kills child Benson, and is a reoccurring side character who's literally just a bastard

28. Fun Gus Monster Emilia. Like just IMAGINE if she took Gus' DNA instead of the mega walrus. Sludge monsters are underrated imo, and she could do so much fucking damage.

29. Emilia gets stuck as a half mute, and gets shoved in prison. Maybe with Hoag.

30. SCARLEMAGNE LIVES

[nat-without-a-g]

Spoilers for DNDads season 2 up to episode 48, but—

When season 2 started and Grant said something about how he already saw some of himself in Linc (implied to be a bad thing), I really didn’t give it much thought. I mean— Linc is super into video games and soccer, two things that Darryl tried very hard to understand when Grant was a kid to relate to his interests, so that’s probably what he meant. But I think I know when his anxiety about Linc becoming a “monster” like him or however to phrase it might have started becoming more real.

I KNOW i shouldn’t give to much flack to Linc for this since he was a little kid and therefore probably not fully aware of the damage he was trying to do, and Matt admits it was the worst thing he’s ever done, meaning nothing like that happened before or since. That being said: Linc put laxatives in other children’s drinks. I feel like we’re missing a few details (how old was linc, how old were the other kids, how many laxatives, did anyone actually consume the laxatives or was he caught, did anyone get more hurt than a stomach ache because most brands of laxatives are probably not safe for children) but I think no matter what the answers to all of these were, I think the knowledge that your kid is remorseless enough to poison another child was Not healthy for Grant or Marco.

Like, they probably only considered the group homeschooling thing because they felt bad about how little Linc got to see other kids now that school was starting up and still wanted him to have time to socialize with others. And he seemed to take to it well at first, but then grew kind of cold to the other students as the whole family grew more acclimated and as Grant you’d probably be like. Oh this is just growing pains or something, me or my husband are always present so I can tell these kids never pick on him or obstruct him from doing what he wants. He’s just shy, and that’s kind of our fault for not giving him more time with others his age, they’ll start playing together soon, totally. And then your son attempts to poison all of them with tablets out of the pantry.

What’s worse is that this isn’t a situation where he thought it was candy or something, he figured out that those tablets are Not good if you don’t need them and could probably hurt him (probably BECAUSE of Marco and Grant warning him not to touch them), and used that knowledge against the other kids. Already disturbing, especially if you’re scared your murderous tendencies are going to rub off on your kid, but it’d be easier to wave off as a singular incident. There is a chance Linc could have hospitalized another child, though I feel like Matt would have mentioned it. So. Already a rough experience from Linc, Marco and Grant have to leave the homeschooling group and act like their family isn’t kind of marked to other families in the area, even if no one got hurt and everyone laughed it off. This is probably part of the reason the rule about him not straying too far from his dads specifically when around other kids (he was allowed to go into a different group of dance classes while Marco and Grant did ballroom dancing! That’s more than 2 and a half feet!) was put into place, honestly.

Without the context that Linc doesn’t like when he feels like he’s going to lose the attention of his dads to another kid, which I don’t think he was able to verbalize as a kid, it comes off like the nightmare scenario. It explains so much more about why they always put Linc as the center of attention and treated him like they were attempting to mitigate nonexistent behavioral issues. And why they might have chosen to preemptively get rid of the cat when they saw Linc was being (Matt’s words not mine) cruel towards it. It’s so much wilder to think of the weird aspects of Linc’s childhood of you consider it being not just to keep Linc safe, but to not let Linc hurt anyone else.

All of this is to say, I can see why Grant was a little more worried about Linc being remorseless towards harming others, because between the cat and the other homeschool kids, he had a track record before he was 8. I literally did not understand where he was coming from At All before episode 48.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

the episode of savanaclaw chapter 2 spoilers

Before anyone asks, the English scanlation is not yet out (please refer to turtlesoupscans in the coming weeks for that). The images in this post are pulled from the original Japanese release.

***MANGA SPOILERS AHEAD*** 🤡

OH MY GOD, WHY IS GRIM SO CUTE IN THIS CHAPTER 😭 First he got a new ribbon for the Sunset Savanna event, now he’s got a whole ass DETECTIVE outfit in the manga... AND HE MATCHES WITH YUUKA........ . .. . . ...... . . .. ... . .. . . .. . . 

LOOK AT HIS LITTLE TOE BEANS... . . . ... . . .. . .... . . .. HE COULD BE A TUNA CAN PAW MODEL OR SOMETHING qebihrgqyofyadsfsabpAOBHFh

WE NEED THIS GRIM GROOVY IN THE GAME ASAP, WE NEED P.E. GRIM PLAYING MAGICAL SHIFT. MAKE IT HAPPEN, TWST DEVS 🤡 Crowley needs to stop looking so damn smug about keeping this golden Grim groovy out of my greedy clutches I WILL KNOCK DOWN HIS DOOR TO SEIZE THAT GROOVY YOU CANNOT CONTAIN ME

OH, AND DON]TR ASDBASDILVYASFIYADVIYADFLADF EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE PRETTY BOSYS ASHASNUDqbuIUPBIYQERY LOOK AT THIS SHIT, LOOK AT IT

IS. IS THE REANFABHRre A READSON?????? THAT yoU GOTTA????? ?SDPARKLAE WITH FLOWERS IN THE BAVKGROUND LIKE THAT??????????? WHY IS THE HUNTSAMSN WINKING?????? ?? ??????? HJOW IS THIS OKAY, HOW IS THIS ALLWOED ?????f?fs,lmnqijfnoiqsinoadvpoadv2I9GT7027BQEBFPBFPA?????

thEN WE GOT THIS BVITHC

whY’S HE. SMILING RLEIKE THAT AGIANST THAT OMINOUS BACKGROUND, WHY’S J WORC D Got ahIS HAND POSED LIKE THAT. IS HE A CAT IS HE RELATED TRO GRIM WHY’S HE SLY MAN’S LITERALLY ABOUT TO CHASE afYER THE GROUP OTL ASD JVVHLIYLDVNR8269G1R3F19BOFASADSHBHOaiutvdsubsahbbh

SPECIAL SHOUTOUT TO MY DUDE FLOYD, HE KNOWS WHERE THE GOOD SHIT IS AT, HE YOINKED THE FLUFFY CAT UP STRAIGHT AWAY 👍ASHBDBIASHBILASBIDFIOYBEWQQIOQFNA Floyd goes from cute to scary in under 5 seconds flat 🥰

ADBHGYOAFAYVFSIBsfiobSBL THIS SOUNDS BAD BUT. I love the frightened expression on Grim here, I think it’s because the angle of the second panel emphasizes how round his face and snout are. It makes him ultra cute!!

Also! Not pictured here because this post was just for me to scream about cats and eels (not give away the entire chapter) but 😔 we also get to see the injuries people received as a result of Ruggie manipulating their bodies, and the manga makes it pretty clear these injuries are substantial. For example, Trey is in crutches following his incident... 

There’s a big dramatic panel closing up on Trey after he has fallen to the floor, MAN LOOKS LIKE HE JUST KEELED OVER AND DIED.) I suspect we’ll probably see how bad Jamil’s injuries are when the Yuuka and co. approach him for questioning. Really amazing how much detail the manga is able to add to the story without the constraints of the visual novel medium!! 

I guess what’s also notable is we get Jack exercising? Being all sweaty and doing pushups! I’m sure the Jack fans will eat that up! This chapter’s not a ton of Leona, it mostly focuses on the investigation so no, you won’t find me screeching about the Fake Cat this time.

[asraxfile]

ᴇᴘɪsᴏᴅᴇ 3 - ғᴀᴛᴀʟ ᴋɪss

episode sypnosis: once Y/n apologizes to Shuhua for blaming her for the murders, she could finally show her true colors with her partner in crime, Minnie.

word count: 2k

Series: Front page - Ep 1. - Ep 2. - Ep 3. - Ep 4. - Ep 5.

5PM

After everyone’s classes had finally finished, 5 girls could finally leave their college halls. The sun was already setting as the pink hour shined through the whole town of Woodsboro.

All students were already on their way out, walking down the entrance stairs, some alone and some with company.

Shuhua was still in the school library.

Every now and then she loves to check out some books for her studies to keep her on track and the best time she can do so is when nobody is around, or so she thought.

The school library was always so quiet, but at the moment Shuhua could feel someone’s presence even if it was so silent. She turned left, to right, but there was no one.

At some point she thought she was going crazy since these days nothing had been going well, losing a loved one, losing a best friend, and everyone blaming you for their death, what could possibly go even worse?

Suddenly she hears a loud thump just near the shelf where she stood. Shuhua peeked her head towards the noise and saw one book laying on the floor. Looking around she walked towards it and picked it up.

It was Soojin’s favorite book. Her eyes widened in shock as she looked at the place from where the book fell, it was nearly impossible for it to fall by itself unless someone…pushed it?

Before she could process she felt a pair of two hands grab her shoulders from behind.

“Boo!” Y/n yelled as Shuhua trembled in fear. She was met by her friend’s presence as she could feel her heart raise its beat. Y/n giggled innocently as Shuhua tried to catch her breath.

“Jeez, Y/n!!” Shuhua smiled awkwardly at her friend who continued giggling. “What is it, Shuhua? Cat got your tongue?” She holds her wrists behind her back as she slightly towered over Shuhua.

Shuhua scoffs as she looks at Y/n, “What is it Y/n? Are you following me to see if I’m the killer once again?” She lowers her gaze.

In response, Y/n just quietly but shortly chuckles at the question. “I came here to apologize for the exact reason.” Her tone became more serious. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have barged out like that. It’s just…” she starts.

“This week has been tough for everyone, especially for you though and I’m sorry for expressing it on you.” Her words were final before the silence took over the room.

“I mean, these murders feel kinda…personal, you get me?” Y/n furrows her eyebrows, crossing her eyes as she towered over Shuhua more. She could feel the coldness of Y/n’s words send blazing chills down her spine.

“...Your point?” Shuhua held the book tightly to her chest as she didn’t break the confusing eye contact with Y/n. “Nothing just,” she starts, “Whoever is doing this just knows where to hit the hardest, right?”

Shuhua swallowed tightly, cold sweat taking over her. For her, Y/n has changed in such a short time and she didn’t know why or how. She shifted slightly away from her, signaling that she’s uncomfortable.

“Y-yeah, but,” Y/n blinks as she waits for her to continue. “That doesn't mean we can just easily turn on anyone when we have to stick together.” Shuhua looks up at Y/n, this time without fear.

“Maybe it’s just you who’s obsessed with incidents like these, how come you’re so chill about it when your two best friends die just like that?” Her serious tone sent Y/n unexpected, widening her eyes at the thought.

“Obsessed? Yet you’re the one I need to apologize to.” Y/n tightened her crossed arms, smirking at her.

Shuhua looked away, biting her lip as she fought to keep her cool. “I’m trying to cope with this just like everyone else. It’s not easy for me either, especially after losing…her…and now Miyeon. But if you think I’m hiding something—”

“I’m just wondering if any of us have secrets they shouldn’t be keeping. The killer could be hiding in plain sight.” She stated, interrupting Shuhua. “You know you can tell me anything, Shu, your secret is safe with me.”

Y/n was always a trustworthy friend, no one could deny that, but how she’s acting these days makes Shuhua lose trust in her.

“Promise you won’t jump into any naive concussions again?” Shuhua held her pinky right in front of Y/n’s nose, startling her a bit, while making her chuckle. She agrees and intertwines her pinky with Shuhua’s. “Promise.”

And so Shuhua finally leaves the library, leaving Y/n in there.

When she made sure Shuhua left the library, Y/n shifted her figure behind and called out.

“You can come out now, Min, hope you heard everything.” Y/n turned her head behind her, waiting for her lover, Minnie.

Suddenly a dark shadow peeked out of the distant, yet close shelf of the library. “I always forget how good of an actress you are, Y/nnnn.” She slowly walked up to her lover, teasing her a little.

Y/n just chuckled proudly in a response as she let Minnie hug her, burying her nose in the crook of Y/n’s neck, placing a gentle kiss on it making her gasp in shock.

Minnie’s arms snaked around Y/n’s waist as her other hand held the back of her neck. She made a bolder move and slowly pushed Y/n to pin her against one of the library shelves. Kissing her neck softly, Y/n relaxed under her touch. “Y’sure are needy today.”

Minnie slowly stopped in her trance and smirked up at her lover, exiting a proud giggle. Suddenly, her tone changed in just minutes.

“We need to talk though, about…you know.” She slightly backed away from Y/n, her face being unreadable.

“I think we made ourselves a little suspicious… you should really watch your tongue, Y/n.’’ Minnie warned, looking Y/n deep in the eyes.

‘’I know, I’m sorry… it’s just that… whiny bitch getting on my nerves…’’ Y/n said, a hint of guilt in her voice.

She traces her fingers on Minnie’s cheek.

‘’But, I promise you, no one’s going to figure us out. ’’ She takes Y/n’s hand and kisses her knuckles, locking a tense gaze with her.

“Know we’re in this together and we’re the only ones who know what happened, so let’s keep it that way, okay’” Minnie tilts her head.

Y/n nodded at her words, “Okayy, I’ll try to be more careful.” smiling softly at Minnie, with a look of love.

Minnie takes a short glance at Y/n’s lips, eyes, then lips again. Y/n knew what she had to do and so she passionately kissed Minnie once again, tightly holding her waist. The kiss grew hotter and the tension rose up with each passing second.

They should be considered lucky for no one to be near the library at the moment. Minnie’s tongue danced along with Y/n’s as the kiss became rougher. Minnie’s lipstick stains all over Y/n’s face.

To make the tension even more interesting, they switch positions. Now, Y/n pinned Minnie against the tall bookshelf. Minnie couldn’t help to not release a couple of moans during the session.

Through all these murders they’ve done, they never had the proper chance for each other again. Though it’s like this moment is finally made for just them.

As they broke the kiss to gasp for air, they were still close to each other, catching a breath and exchanging a laugh together. And so, they continued, with Minnie's hands taking Y/n’s hands near her shoulders and traced a path down her torso.

Y/n smirked in the kiss as she slowly slid her fingers under Minnie’s shirt, sending cold chills down Minnie’s whole body due to Y/n’s cold fingers. Y/n’s fingers traveled up Minnie’s torso just below her bra. As the kiss deepened, Minnie could feel her knees go weak for Y/n.

The moment started to heat up with each passing second and with each shared touch between Minnie and Y/n. The thrill of their little secret made the moment even more exciting. Y/n’s hands traced along Minnie’s skin as both killer lovers felt an electric breeze wash over their strange kiss. And so, Minnie finally pulls away, staying close to Y/n.

Minnie rested her hands on Y/n’s shoulders as she gazed up at her. Y/n rested her forehead against Minnie’s as they laughed like there was no tomorrow. She glanced down, catching her breath. “We have to be careful, love. One careless word or one wrong move…it can lead us to downfall.”

Y/n’s gaze darkened with a weighty look, holding Minnie’s chin to look up at her. “Nothing will ruin this for us, we won’t let them, I won’t let them.” Though her voice was deadly deep, she managed to reassure Minnie.

Minnie’s eyes softened at that, her fingers tracing along Y/n’s hand. “I know,” she whispered, her gaze expressing a slight worry but she knew Y/n was right. You two started the murders and you two are gonna finish them.

“But if it comes to it… if anyone ever suspects us, I need to know you’d choose me over everything else. Over anyone else. Even them.” The unspoken warning yelled in the air, heavy and intimate.

Y/n nodded, her fingers brushing over Minnie’s cheek with a gentle touch. “Always you.” she said, sealing her promise with a final, heartfelt kiss on Minnie’s forehead, as the psycho killers vanished into the darkness.

Freely planning their next move, at tomorrow's halloween party.

[episodes-without-incident]

4/30/2024:

2 episodes since Drawfee last referenced Cats (2019)

0 episodes since Drawfee last referenced Everytime We Touch (2005)

[7association-was-here]

//The ultimate Seven blog “#Lore?” timeline list (from oldest to latest). Posts marked with “bonus” aren’t necessarily important to the main plot but have additional information in them or just silly mini-arcs and interactions.

//Also I couldn’t get every little mini arc in here since scrolling through about 100+ posts and nitpicking them is tricky without accidentally missing one or two, so apologies if I missed a few sillies or infos here and there.

The First Hunt arc

Seven’s Tumblr Debut

L.O.L (bonus)

Cookies

Cookies part 2

Cookies part 3

Cookies part 4

SnakeHead’s ask Debut

SnakeHead’s ask Debut part 2

The Dessert Agents Debut

The Dessert Agents cheesecake incident

Faust’s Encounter

Heathcliff’s Encounter

SnakeHead’s tip

Workshop Murder

Jinx (bonus)

Heathcliffs?

Heathcliffs? part 2

Clock friend (bonus) (technically)

Clock friend learns of tumblr (bonus)

Clock puppy (bonus)

Clock puppy part 2 (bonus)

Durante Buttercream Sigye the 10th (bonus)

Heathcliff’s report

Catfished

Gal-pals (bonus)

Heathcliff update

Best boi blog Debut?? (bonus)

Golf Cart unlocked

Durante status (bonus)

On the way

A big oopsies

The First Hunt

Random Interval Moment

Mirror identities (bonus)

Thoughts (bonus)

Clock conundrum (bonus)

Clock conundrum part 2 kind of (bonus)

The R.B. (bonus)

S.A.D. (bonus)

S.A.D. part 2 kind of (bonus)

That one with the isopods (bonus)

That one with the isopods part 2 (bonus)

That one with the isopods part 3 (bonus)

That one with the isopods part 4 (bonus)

That one with the isopods part 5 (bonus)

That one with the isopods part 6 (bonus)

Raccoons VS. Isopods (bonus)

Current arc

Instagram Grandma’s Debut

“Why are workshop owners getting killed?”

Normal prescript outing

Normal mailbox delivery

Normal cat

Do not contact the normal cat

SnakeHead’s blog Debut

The beach cruise episode

Outis’ first report

Coincidence?

Exchange

Umbrellas?

Beginning of a war (bonus)

War initiated (bonus)

Hostage (bonus)

Hostage part 2 (bonus)

The End of the war..? (or is it) (bonus)

Just a silly guy, whimsical even

Number 111

Walking adventure

Walking adventure gone wrong

H.R.B.M, or Birds of a feather

Whistleblower

Walking adventure conclusion

All aboard the Pequod

Yellow flowers?

Indecisive clues (bonus)

Strange encounter (bonus)

Bird friend (bonus)

Back on track

Inquiry (bonus)

That sounds bad

Chicken wing detour

Fox Hunt

Catherine

Words from another world (bonus)

Another expedition

Expedition complete

“Yaoi revenge”

Whistleblower returns

Whistleblower returns part 2

A very bad feeling

”Don’t eat those! Oops!”

Boat shenanigans

The end of the cruise episode

[melefim]

Swearing in Dead Boy Detectives: Esther Finch

Overview:

21 curses total, 6 different words said in 5 episodes.

Episode 1: 1 Jesus

Episode 2:

Episode 3: 1 Shit

Episode 5:

Episode 6: 1 Fuck, 1 Damn, 3 God

Episode 7: 2 Fuck, 2 Damn, 1 God, 1 Screw

Episode 8: 3 Fuck, 4 God, 1 Screw

Curses Per Episode:

Episode 1: 1

Episode 2: 0

Episode 3: 1

Episode 5: 0

Episode 6: 5

Episode 7: 6

Episode 8: 8

Uses Per Word:

Esther’s favorite word is God, which she says 8 times. After that is Fuck, said 6 times, and Damn, said 3 times.

God: 8

Fuck: 6

Damn: 3

Screw: 2

Shit: 1

Jesus: 1

Unique Words:

Esther, Crystal, and Jenny are the only characters who say Screw.

Percent of Total:

Esther swears 21 times throughout the season, which is 6.5% of all cursing in the show.

Rankings:

Who Swears the Most: Esther’s 21 curses puts her in 4th place overall.

Curse Word Variety: She is tied for 4th place for cursing variety with the Cat King, with 6 different curse words each.

Individual Words: She is tied for 1st place with Edwin for most uses of Damn. (3 each)

She is tied for 2nd with Niko for most uses of God- 8 times each.

Lines:

Episode 1: Monty! Jesus! I'm trying to threaten some kids!

Episode 3: Quit loitering you little shits.

Episode 6: Oh, God, well without her precious little dead boys she'll be snake food in no time.

Episode 6: God! You're not going gaga for the uptight boy?

Episode 6: I mean, this is why we had a plan, Monty, so I wouldn't be the one traipsing through the goddamn woods!

Episode 6: God, I love final moments.

Episode 6: Teeth Face, what the fuck?

Episode 7: I'm gonna wring that chic little kitty's goddamn neck.

Episode 7: Oh, god.

Episode 7: I know you blew up Monty's spot, you little fucking snitch.

Episode 7: And I'm gonna take that power, and get this goddamn town under my thumb.

Episode 7: You, you.. you think that you're the only one who's ever been screwed over? You're not. I fucking deserve this!

Episode 8: God, you're nosy.

Episode 8: Don't ever trust a goddess to grant your wishes, because she'll definitely screw you over good.

Episode 8: Oh, God! Oh, God, no, my face… Is fine.

Episode 8: Oh my God, my own sacrificial knife? I'm impressed. But I'm not fucking around that you're also gonna patch that wall before you die too.

Episode 8: Who the fuck are you?

Episode 8: What the fuck? Hey hey hey no! What did you just do?

Notes:

Esther is the only character to swear in another language- in episode 8 she has the line “Oh, shoot. Or as the French say, merde.” — ‘Merde’ is French for ‘shit’. (Not included in count above)

Updates:

Updated Percent of Total Swearing chart.

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More Dead Boy Detectives Swearing Posts:

Masterlist

Swearing by Episode

Swearing by Character

Swearing by Word

All Swearing Posts

And if you like lists of things like I do, you can check out my other Dead Boy Detectives ones here!

When Charles’ Shirt Colors Change

George Rextrew’s Edwin comic inspo board

Full soundtrack with timestamps

Moves, Incidents, and Cases Masterlist

First pass at finding where the songs in the score are used- full post with timestamps in progress

[dorizardthewizard]

Galactik Football season 3 rewatch, eps 13-15

Episode 13:

Funny how the Pirates, who have the most motivation to find the contact, are the ones supporting an immediate evacuation whereas Brim Simbra is going for the “no need to panic people” route

Brim Simbra: He's right. Especially since many people will leave Paradisia right after the final anyway. The evacuation has to take place calmly.

Well fuck all the retail workers and support staff on Paradisia then. You guys are at more risk because we'll only announce a proper evacuation once all the visitors are gone <3

Again they missed their chance to have D'jok and Sinedd taunt each other at the start of the match, their roasts used to be hilarious

The way Mei is just watching them with her hands crossed sfdjhds girl, be ready!

Man I complain about Sinedd but D'jok's behaviour is annoying me more

Lol why did they just let the cat walk in, didn't they know about the incident at the start of the season?

Damn they really joker-ified Harris

Brim Simbra this wouldn't be a problem if you'd just ordered an evacuation

Luur came to watch the match in his football kit I guess

Damn, Galactik Football tournament finals can never go on without a disaster huh?

Why does it look like everyone has left the stadium already (that is a FUCK ton of people by the way, SEVERE danger of fatal crowd crushes. Which wouldn't be happening if you pre-emptively evacuated everyone, BRIM SIMBRA) but D'jok, Mei and Sinedd are still taking their time getting off the pitch?

I find it a bit hard to believe that D'jok's so far gone he'll literally just stand there as the stadium falls apart around him. In season 2 it was because he was in shock at least, and anyway this is all kind of a re-hash of the end of season 2 but worse

This is so funny they're just standing there 😭 Unbothered

I do love Sinedd saving D'jok and that his excuse is that he can't fight him if he's dead dsfjkdf it's hilarious

Seeing the flux effect on the 2D animation is so uncanny!

They seemed to be able to switch to using the flux for different purposes pretty quickly, like in football it mostly just gives them more power/speed/agility but they immediately have no problem channeling the Breath outwards and shooting it at stuff

It's a huge moment though, seeing them use the flux outside of football. If there were more seasons it could have been cool to see this as a can of worms opening and a debate around the potential loosening of the rules, with a balance between the benefits flux can bring vs the dangers

Sinedd you dumbass they would have left already, that's how evacuations work. Although I see him being too scared of losing them again to think rationally

TRAIN BRAWL! TRAIN BRAWL! Spider-man 2 eat your heart out

RIP Harvey, a real legend. And flux war veteran!

Of course she's a serpent lady

ooo look you can see the space jump gates! Cool little bit of background lore on how travel works in this universe

Where tf is Sinedd

Ahh Phoenix is going down with the ship, pretty cool moment

DAN DAN DAAAAAN

Episode 14:

Aww Thran and Ahito holding hands 😭😭

MARK JUST... DANGLING MICRO-ICE BY THE LEG?? It's kind of cute he's comforting him in his own way, although Micro-Ice's very valid reaction to all this is still played for laughs lmao

Ok so how sentient ARE the robots in this show? Sidney is obviously very sad about Harvey being gone, and we've seen the Technodroids have normal conversations before. But everyone's reaction whenever Sidney gets sad is just 😬😬😬 awkward LOL. Are robots like second class citizens in this universe? No one believes their emotions are as real as humans? But are they?? So many questions

Artegor coming over to help Aarch with unpacking sdhsdfjj and blaming himself for encouraging them to go to Paradisia 😭 Their hug 😭😭 Going feral over them

Wuh... in the middle of a good natured conversation he just,, throws the trophy? Why? It's so random 😂😂

So did Aarch and Artegor actually resolve their dispute, as dumb as it was? Oh it was just thrown in to have drama for a couple of episodes and now suddenly they're good? Ok sure

Aw Norata seems so much happier now, look at him excitedly showing off rare flowers

So these kids just.... use the flux? And NO ONE has noticed this yet? It's just... they were notified IMMEDIATELY that Rocket had used the flux to save Tia, how is this continuous use going undetected? I guess we already had that question considering Tia already knew how to use the flux in season 1, but with her you could at least make soooome sort of assumption of her being sheltered somehow as a daughter of diplomats. Maybe the flux society only noticed Rocket's flux use so quickly because they always make sure to track GF players really closely, but still if these kids are just chilling using it all the time, on GENESIS, it looks like the flux society are worryingly shit at their job lol

But that's the thing, season 3 introduces SO many crazy new concepts – new tournament, mixed flux teams, players moving to other teams, using flux outside of football, characters moving to different roles to shake up the status quo... so much interesting stuff but the execution just flubs it, especially with the character development.

Damn Tia's got gymnastics skills!

Oh so the last time we saw Sinedd, he was running back into a collapsing stadium to find his parents and we had no idea if he'd made it or not, and now the next time we see him he's just chilling walking with his team? I don't know much about direction in shows like this but I feel like we should have had a scene where he reunites with Mei at least before this??

Actually come to think of it, D'jok ends up on the Snow Kids' ship during the evacuation and we never get to see their reaction to him! Of course at first they all just want to survive and are obviously worried about him, but what about after? Was it awkward? Did they talk? TELL ME

Sinedd is a dick cutting Mei off like that but kind of sweet to see him refer to the Shadows as family

Wait have D'jok and Sonny interacted since Sonny got healed? I feel like we're sorely missing some father and son interactions here, and D'jok has been really needing it! And where's Maya in all this??

Mei is right to question the “parents” with how sketchy they're acting, but it's tough. Sinedd's finally got that part of himself back and there's no way he'll consider the idea of losing it again.

New flux society guy agreeing to move the date of the GFC, ooooor you could try and catch this guy? Useless mfers

Episode 15:

Show really doesn't give us any detail on how someone actually masters another flux. Like how does it work?

Oh Mei's getting sick now from the Smog, but how did Sinedd get over it? He did have symptoms of Smog poisoning in season 2 but I don't remember him ever getting cured like Artegor did? Aarch had to quit the Shadows because it had gone too far, is it actually something you can just overcome? Is it different for everyone? Is it down to overusing it? So many questions!

I like that Mei was just like. NOPE this is hurting me, even if I liked you I ain't staying! As she should.

Ooo Yuki's mastering the Elektras' flux!

Wait so everyone thinks team Paradisia are actually from the planet? Which iirc only became habitable not that long ago? I'm confused on the origins of these girls, how are they cyborgs? Do they have any lives and family outside of the team Lord Phoenix assembled? I mean they're not androids? I feel like since they're closely connected to a main character, they should have gotten some more backstory.

Oh so D'jok left team Paradisia already? Why exactly? He seemed all about winning with them. We don't even get a scene of him leaving them and their reaction??

What?? D'jok's just decided to do coaching all of a sudden? Because of one little encounter with kids playing football?? He was obsessed with winning tournaments like 5 minutes ago how did this change come about??? Like. I can SEE the vision and D'jok becoming a mentor figure is a fun idea but... we need to see the steps of getting there!

That Lightnings girl is so cute though

Mei says she only left temporarily but um... sis that was not the impression we got lol you disappeared abruptly and sent everyone heartfelt farewell messages

English dub goofs up again: D'jok says he'll never go back to the Snow Kids after what THEY did, but then goes on about how HE messed up and they'll never take him back. And again, what made him realise he was behaving poorly? You can't just set up a character's development, then suddenly show them once they've reached a conclusion. Was is the near-death experience? The fact Mei still wanted to help him despite how he'd acted? His loneliness finally catching up to him? I WANT ANSWERS

Mei: Don't you want to play for the cup? D'jok: We've done it, Mei. We've won twice! What's the point?

OK this is super interesting, I'm gonna link @millimononym 's post here about D'jok's potential arc (hope that's ok!) because I think it fits really well with this. For a guy obsessed with destiny, hitting his peak early could really mess with him. You could have such an interesting arc about this and accepting that life goes on and that our lives don't have to be defined by reaching some greater goal or purpose. It's about doing it with your friends and, if the show delved a little bit more in the whole post-flux war climate, it's also about being a symbol of hope for a planet that basically suffered the apocalypse. People joke about how the Snow Kids won three times in a row straight away, instead of doing the anime lose -> train to get better -> win scenario, but you could actually address this and use it to the story's advantage!

Aww Lun-Zia can't do it :( I can't remember what happens but it would be cool if she actually couldn't master the Breath, sometimes no matter how hard you try things just don't go the way you want

Wait so um... is no one questioning how the Paradisia girls still have their flux even though the planet is dead? And what are the girls even doing right now? They have no home and no Lord Phoenix, who took care of everything for them. And where did Nina-8 come from??

The Elektra's support of Yuki is so cute. Also kind of interesting lore that their planet is far from the other planets, and hence its residents find it very hard to connect to the flux, so much so it was assumed they didn't have one. A cool explanation for why the team hasn't shown up yet!

Oh she's been selected by the Wambas!! Of course they would want her on their team after seeing her play at Paradisia. Well that wrapped up nicely! Still, this confirms she was just some rando on the beach. And what was she up to before the tournament anyway? I wish we got to know more about her

Mark immediately has a crush on Nina-8 but somehow not Nikki-4 who looks just like her? XD

I don't mind Yuki staying with the Elektras actually, its the Elektra's first GFC and I can see her wanting to go further with them. And sometimes that's just life! Going on new adventures

[ohplagg]

I Love Yoo Timeline Part 1/4

The Evidence Part 1

This is part 1 of 4 of my I Love Yoo Timeline as of Episode 241.

Part 1 and 2 consists of laying out all the detailed evidence with descriptions, screenshots and episode number.

Part 3 consists of explaining the evidence, connecting the dates and some math because the I Love Yoo universe (or as I like to call it, Yooniverse) uses letters instead of numbers to represent official years.

Part 4 is the I Love Yoo Timeline.

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Seeing Nessa alive in Kousuke's flashback of his highschool graduation day made me question everything I though I knew about the timeline so I have read, reread, and re-reread this webtoon; I've researched old reddit and tumblr posts, Quimchee's old Curious Cat answers, the wiki, and so much more.

(Just in case someone is worried, all information presented is free and publicly available. I was told that in Quimchee's patreon I could possibly find more exact information but I decided against looking there since I wouldn't be able to share my findings outside of patreon and my goal is for everyone who is a fan of I Love Yoo to be able to see this mega post.)

Because of the huge ammount of information I've decided to split my original post in 4 different parts so it's easier for everyone (including myself) to come back and find the information without having to endlessly scroll.

I encourage you all to go read/reread I Love Yoo with the new information you learn with this timeline in mind because oohhh boy does the story hit different. (Also take that opportunity to like all the episodes to support Quimchee!)

----

Turns out there's a lot of information in a 7+ year old, 240+ episode long webtoon; who would have though? Not me!

Anyways, there's so much information scattered all over the place and everything is so connected to everything that it was hard to organize it.

The evidence and information is in ' Whatever Order I Remembered It' order , but even so I tried my best to keep it organized by categories.

----

Episode 222 News articles

Here we got a lot of information in the presentation of news articles. So I'll keep this information as it's own category.

Let's read them up close.

Let's start with "Randulph Hannesson appointed as temporary Chairman of Hirahara Corp"

In it, it states how in March 27, 20WZ Rand gets appointed as temporary Chairman of the Board. At the same time, according to the public, he is "seeing" (dating?) Yui. Before becoming temporary Chairman of the Board (which we know he became permanent) he was CFO of Hirahara Corp. And before that he "founded a successful finance firm, Hannsesson Finance, which Hirahara Corp. has since acquired."

Now let's focus on the newspaper that's right under. In it, it talks about how an ilegal immigrant woman was found dead (assumed to be suicide) and her son is no where to be found. All arrows point to this woman being Nessa, Nol's mom.

It doesn't have a title but it does have a date. Newspapers normally publish these type of news the following morning from which the news happened meaning that Nessa died December 21st, 20XP

No wonder Nol hates his birthday week.

On the US Asia Daily Herald newspaper, "Chairman of Investment Giant Hirahara Corp to Step Down." When Rand was still CFO he was one of the witnesses that helped Young-Chul Kim be held accountable for all the SA he did. So that's where Nol got his sense of respecting and standing up for women. And that this happend in Octobre 31st, 20WY

Not really adding information to the timeline but just in case someone doesn't know, Yu-Jing has the police department interview transcripts for Nessa's death investigation

Lastly we have "Prestigious Prep School Closes SA Investiagtion With No Charges Filed" where it states that on March 20XW the 16-month long investigation of 50 years of SA with over 100 cases was basically dismissed.

Right before Nol was sent to the mental facility

Episode 150

Episode 150 starts with a flashback right after the brother incident where Nol is getting locked up in the mental facility ambulance. (This is confirmed in episode 210 because the dialogue matches up with the one in Kousuke's flashback)

And right after the flashback we get this news article that Yu-Jing has. "Troubled Child, Aftermath of the Hirahara Extra Marrital Affair."

So now we know that the brother incident that got Nol into the mental facility happened 1 year after the supposed marriage reconciliation between Yui and Rand.

Episode 210

We see a glimpse of the immediate aftermath of the incident.

It happened at night while raining.

Kousuke doesn't know what happened.

Yui's hand is bruised.

Nol is taken directly to the "Hirahara Mental Health Institute"

I'm very proud of my following discovery

The trees have no leaves.

Why is leafless trees so important and why am I so proud of my finding? Because trees lose their leaves during the Fall and by Winter they are completely leafless. This whole scene has all trees leafless meaning that it's winter. But hold on, it can't be winter winter because it's raining and not snowing. Bingo. It's early winter. And winter starts December 21st.

Episode 239

The pain I felt reading this after I figured out when in the timeline this happens.. my heart hurts.

This is the brother incident (at least the start of it).

Nol had no prior connection/relationship to the Hirahara's before this (he used the address on the letter's Rand send his mother to find them)

Nol went to Kousuke's house because he needs help, because he has no where else to go because his mother is gone.

If you're having a hard time keeping up, all this basically means the night Nessa died Nol went to look for Rand and his other family for help which is also the same night the brother incident happened which got Nol locked up in the Mental Facility which is why in both news articles Nol's whereabouts are unknown, because he was immediately taken away. (and all of this happened on his birthday :D).

After Nol got out of the mental facility

Episode 99

Nol presents himself using the name Yeong-gi.

Dieter and Nol met on the summer right before their first year of highschool.

Dieter met Nol before Soushi did.

At this moment in time it's been 5 years since Nol last saw his mom.

Episode 157

Nol was trying to befriend Soushi at the same time Kousuke was still in college.

Episode 155

Nol got out of the Mental Facility "roughly 6 years ago"

Nol spent "almost 2 years" inside the mental facility.

Kousuke mentions that the Yeong-gi name was something he started using after he came out of the Mental facility.

Episode 205

A while after Nol got out of the mental facility, Nana arrived.

"Until recently, I've been by myself."

Episode 129

Nana and Yui met for the first time after 5 years

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This is just part 1 of 4. Go keep reading:

Part 2: The Evidence Part 2

Part 3: Math and connecting the dots

Part 4: The Timeline