#Dramatic weirdo character

[golden--flowers]

Sam Witwer's portrayal of Maul in Clone Wars and Rebels is sooo so good, I love it

[apricotopera]

saw a post on reddit the other day that i can’t stop thinking of that was saying that xehanort shouldn’t have gotten a redemption arc in kh3 and like 1. not a redemption arc, he just had a moment of humanity and characterization as he died, different things 2. we have been humanizing xehanort. since his first appearance. the literal first time we see xehanort original flavor is as a kid standing on the beach at destiny islands wishing he could see the world. that’s our literal first encounter with him! and our second encounter is him taking a kid who he thinks is dying to that same beach so he can die in peace! did he also kill that kid? very much so! but he has been a complicated and deeply human villain since he showed up of course as he dies his friend forgives him. of course he does.

[pinktinselmonstrosity]

glen powell is such an odd actor to me because WHY does he only ever play hot guys™️ when it's so so clear he was supposed to be a character actor??? he's so so good at playing all of these ridiculous hitman characters and lest we forget his best role (chad radwell of the dickie dollar scholars) and yet he only ever plays boring hot guy hero man in Blockbuster Rom-Com #12500 or Blockbuster Action Movie #300400. i need to see this man in a wes anderson movie!!!! put him in the next robert eggers film i'm so fucking serious

[arlathen]

i wish I had astarion brainrot like the rest of u. it seems so nice JJsjsjsjs

[greyedian]

.

[yurioyuratchka]

im sooo sick of seeing smut of minors normalized on this app..

There is an unbelievable amount of smut and weird posts about minor characters on here. ( e.g: the students at kyoto/jujustu high, the majority of haikyuu characters, project sekai, my here academia students and SO many more.)

(And also before another person gets on me about this, I am talking about the pre-timeskip era of these fandoms or shows because I know shows like Haikyuu! and MHA have a time-skip but, I am referring to before it because there is infact alot of smut or nsfw works of these characters pre-timeskip when they are underage.)

I feel like this shouldnt be a conversation that anyone should have to have because it should be obvious to everyone that it is NOT okay to write smut about CHILDREN.

And ive seen people try to excuse their actions by saying “oh well im younger than them so its okay!!” “theyre just fictional characters it isnt that deep!!”, neither of those things make it okay because they are still MINORS whether you think it’s okay or not.

It isnt that hard to not be a weirdo and some of you guys need to get that through your heads!!! and I dont care if you think im being ‘dramatic’ im just saying what i think is true.

and i’ve noticed its usually a bunch of big creators and they ALWAYS get away with it and everyone eats it up like its normal. As someone with a small following its weird no matter your following.

( P.S my tags are random just to get you’re attention please don’t pay them any mind >_< )

bye bye :P

[wickworks]

Lancer Tactics dialogue layout crisis of faith

(from this month's backer update)

Every so often, I'll run into something in development that eats away at me until it pushes me to a crisis of faith and I have a breakdown, burn down a bunch of work, and build something better from the ashes. These are moments of transformation and we're almost always able to come out the other side with something much better than what we started with.

This all sounds very dramatic until you take a step back and see the issue in question is just, like, the layout of a menu. But if medieval priests were able to have schisms over angels on pins I can have strong feelings about graphic design, dammit!

This month's episode revolved around how we're doing character dialogue. For reference the plan was to do a standard 4-slot visual-novel talking heads layout. I call it a 4-slot because there's usually four positions that characters can stand; two on the left, two on the right:

I had it ingame, and it was working. But... something felt off. Do you see the difference between every one of the above examples and this?

It's all about perspective, baby.

Answer: all the character art in those examples are drawn at a slight angle so they can be flipped back and forth to be made like they're looking at each other.

Trying to do this with the perspective we chose early — straight on — makes for a chorus line of weirdos who are looking directly into your soul as they ostensibly chat with each other. Credulity is strained; the illusion of these puppets interacting in the same space is paper-thin.

(I was skeptical of choosing this perspective for this reason, but we ultimately went with it to make the customizable assets in the portrait maker easier to fit together)

We tried a bunch of different layouts, but they all at least one of these problems:

they'd stare into your soul while ostensibly directing comments elsewhere.

they felt like text messages; this would be fine if that's what we were going for, but we wanted something that could represent face-to-face conversations. (Tactical Breach Wizards was able to pull this style off because they had little 3D dioramas to go along with it)

or, most damning of all, they felt like zoom calls.

So, my heart aflutter and spirit in want, I spent a day doing a research dive into various dialogue layouts (bless the Game UI Database!) to see if any other games had managed to pull this character art perspective off. I ended up with this massive non-chronological taxonomic tree:

(fullsize here)

The type of layout that particularly caught my eye was this style where each character had their own little box. These layouts borrow a concept from comic books called "closure" where the space and time between characters are left blank. Freed from the constraints of trying to simulate a single space, these layouts allow the reader to fill in the blanks with something that feels more true-to-life than anything we'd be able to render ourselves.

I was especially impressed with the dynamism of Tales of Symphonia and The World Ends With You; rather than sticking to single slots they would animate the entire panels moving around to indicate motion an relative position of characters.

So we threw out the old code and copied them. Here's what we've come up with:

We'll be able to have portraits interact, like smacking each other (I felt like a kid hitting two action figures together, lol)

We can also apply effects like princess-leia-holograms and full-screen "lighting" effects like warning banners:

Carpenter and I came up with a number of arrangements that the portraits can smoothly transition between:

I've also implemented support for choices during a dialogue, potentially leading to branching paths.

Overall, I feel SO much better about this system than our initial designs. It might feel a little more cartoony, but I think we're making a cartoony game so that's not a problem.

Whew. We bit a lot off to chew with this project. I feel like I just made a second visual novel game engine inside of the first. Fingers crossed that it all ends up worth it.

[hiraethwrote]

there's a lightness in him

summary: finally, the day has come where you get the chance to meet gojo. but megumi doesn't handle it as well as you had hoped

[ loner!megumi x popular!reader ]

cw: college au, modern au, f!reader, fluff, gojo cameo, some angst, aged up characters, no use of y/n

word count: 2.9k

You really wanted to meet Gojo.

For reasons unknown to you, Megumi became even more quiet than usual whenever he was brought up — nearly blatantly refusing to talk about him at all.

Your curiosity was obviously peaked — who was this mysterious individual, who through unfortunate circumstances had ended up basically raising what had turned out to be your perfect boyfriend? Was this where Megumi had gotten his closed off demeanour from? Were shared dinners around the dining table spent in utter silence?

The few things you had gathered about Gojo: he was NOT Megumi’s dad. That was the most important thing you’d learned. Because how dumb were you when you simply assumed the adult man he lived with was his father?

You had also learned that there was a new level to Megumi’s frown that always grew deeper whenever he talked to Gojo on the phone. Granted, he was never happy whenever he was on the phone, but it was something entirely different when he talked to his… guardian?

“What do you mean you haven’t met his family?!” Kasumi exclaimed in pure disbelief once you told her, head tilting up from her doomscrolling.

“As far as I understand, there isn’t much family to meet. It’s mostly just this Gojo figure.”

“And that’s his dad?”

“God no, he’ll bite your head off if you assume so, but whoever he is, he’s the closest thing he has to a parental figure.”

She tried to blink away the worst of her surprise. “But you’ve been together since high school.” It seemed like she wanted the statement to be a question, but it definitely came out more as a judgemental remark.

“Look, his family situation isn’t ideal,” you trailed off, thinking about the few things he had actually opened up to you about — both his sister and his absent father, and you had quickly understood family was a fragile topic for him. So whenever you dared approach the situation about Gojo, you just wanted to be cautious in case there was anything serious he just did not want to talk about.

However, lately, the idea of anything seriously worrisome being the issue had slowly ceased to exist. Megumi genuinely only seemed to be annoyed with whatever it was Gojo said or did — nothing graver than that.

“Does that mean you’ve never been to his house?” Yet another shocked question fired at you.

“No, I’ve been to his house plenty of times,” you chuckled. “It just so happens that Gojo is never home. He’s apparently sent out of town a lot for work.”

She quirked an eyebrow, shaking her head and turning her attention back to her phone. “Your boyfriend is kind of a weirdo, not gonna lie.”

A small, smitten smile automatically grew on your lips. “Yeah, I guess he is,” you said, probably mostly to yourself.

“I have to go now.”

“What, already?” You whined, bottom lip sticking out in a dramatic pout as Megumi got up from his seat beside you. He met your pleading gaze, leaning forward to capture your lips in a tender kiss to ease his departure.

“It’s probably gonna take a while today,” he sighed, walking over to the door. Before his hand had even managed to clasp around the handle, you were already at his side, staring at him with doe eyes while your arms were tucked behind your back — like you always did when you wanted something.

“Then why don’t I come along?” batting your eyelashes at him.

Whatever your ulterior motive was, he was weak for the look you gave him — sucking in his cheeks to smother the smirk you were slowly pulling from him.

“You wanna come along?”

“I wanna be with you as much as possible!”

“You gonna help with errands, too?”

Your innocent smile was pushed into pursed lips instead. “I can watch?”

He instantly let out a taunting scoff. “Cute,” he sighed, placing a quick kiss on your cheek and opening the door to leave. Before he got too far, you already grabbed ahold of his wrist.

“So, you’re going home for these errands, right?”

And once you said ‘home’, Megumi immediately understood why you had suddenly decided to be so persistent in tagging along for his duties, when you always preferred he just get it over with so he could return to you once he was done.

And his body slowly started to tense up, because unlike you, Megumi really did not want you to meet Gojo.

Why? Well, Megumi could list hundreds of reasons why he wanted to shield you from the menace he had lived with most his life. But he knew those reasons were all superficial, and he never really dared put into words what really plagued him about the situation.

“Megumi,” you spoke his name softly, slowly letting go of his wrist. “I want to meet your family.”

There it was again, your genuine interest in him — somehow always catching him off guard despite you proving it to him from the very first moment. He just didn’t feel deserving of it.

It was written all over your features just how important this was to you — guilt striking him as he couldn’t understand why he had been so selfish as to deprive you of meeting his family, when he had no real reason to.

But what wasn’t he willing to do for you? With a clear of his throat, he tried to set aside his ever present anxiety about the situation, grumbling a low “fine” as he pulled out his phone to send a quick heads up to Gojo.

“Wait, really?” The fragile sentiment in your voice was replaced by an airy relief, not quite expecting him to surrender so easily — especially considering how long you’d bothered him about it all.

“Has to happen eventually, right? Might as well get it over with.”

The nonchalant shrug of his shoulders and the look in his eyes was all it took for you to feel your stomach tickle with butterflies — you saw he was trying to power through his stubbornness for you. He wasn't going to let his own struggles triumph how important this was for you.

“You’re just so-“ endless giddiness spilling over in your expression, unable to finish your sentence. You cupped his face and placed the sweetest kiss on his cheek, before you rather abruptly interrupted your own actions by yanking him after you towards his car.

For the entirety of the ride, you held a mostly one sided conversation, hoping your casual talk would calm him down — but it didn’t stop his knuckles from slowly turning paler when his fingers gnawed at the steering wheel, hoping you didn’t catch how his teeth were grinding against each other.

But he wanted to try — for you.

Pulling into the driveway, surrounded by the familiar scenery of the neighbourhood he grew up in, none of his nerves seemed to disintegrate. Even when he opened the door for you (like he always did) and you laced your fingers with his, the nerves remained knotted inside him.

“If you really don’t want to do this-“

“No, ‘s fine,” he interrupted you softly, reactively squeezing your hand to ground himself. “Let’s just get-“

A blaring voice shouting your name cut through the sad tension, both you and Megumi jumping at the sudden outburst.

Capturing your wide eyed glare, you were met with a freakishly tall man staring directly at you with the most intense blue-eyed stare one could imagine and untamed hair of the purest white — and lastly, a somewhat off putting grin that was overflowing with outgoing charm.

This was Gojo? The Gojo? The very same who had raised your stoic and quiet boyfriend? The one who seemed to have too much pent up energy in his body, despite the size of it? This was not at all what you had expected.

You were about to take a polite bow to introduce yourself, but Gojo simply waved his hand. “No need for formalities. Feel like I know you already.” His smile never wavered, even when he took a step back to let you in.

Megumi was already grumbling to himself, unable to stop how his fingers clenched harder on your hand as a reaction to Gojo’s first appearance — and heat was rising up his neck, slowly colouring the tips of his ears red with embarrassment.

“So glad you finally managed to convince him,” Gojo nearly sung, leading all three of you into the kitchen. “I’ve tried desperately since that day he first visited you. But Megumi never listens to me.”

He was so far from the character you had created in your mind, taking some time let the new impression replace the old one. He leaned so casually against the kitchen counter, while Megumi acted on instinct and pulled out the stool for you, taking a seat next to you.

“I couldn’t quite believe my eyes when he came back home that evening, and he smiled. You know how hard I try to make him smile?”

“Oh, it’s not so hard,” you laughed along, turning to look at your boyfriend only to see he was looking at Gojo with chronically furrowed eyebrows. The lump in your stomach formed immediately, hating just how displeased Megumi appeared to be — reaching out to grab his hand under the table, head turning to look at you, smoothing the crinkles on his forehead. You started to believe he wasn’t even aware of the way he was looking at Gojo, because all evidence of annoyance was gone when he shifted his eyes towards you. “He smiles plenty.”

“Hmpf,” Gojo pouted, arms crossing loosely over his chest. “Well, maybe you just share the same bad sense of humor.” The comment caught you a little by surprise before the genuine laugh slipped past your lips, while Megumi went back to shooting him an ugly scowl.

“I’ve been wanting to meet you too for a while.”

“Is that so?” His tone sounded accusatory as he met Megumi’s eyes. It didn’t take a genius to understand the subtext that Megumi had served him excuse after excuse on why he’d never introduced you.

“Yes, but my schedule is crazy busy,” the lie rolling of your tongue so easily, Megumi almost believing it himself. “Something always came up whenever we tried to make it happen.” It was a small gesture, yet Megumi’s heart fluttered lightly at how you tried to make this as comfortable as possible for him.

“I’m very pleased you finally got the time,” he beamed, seemingly buying into the lie.

And then the conversation flowed as smoothly as butter. He asked questions about your studies and your family, showing a real interest in your life. And he was funny — the clutching-your-stomach type of funny. You didn’t even notice when Kuro and Shiro walked into the kitchen, Shiro lightly nudging your hand for pets before both of the dogs laid down by Megumi’s feet.

But the conversation consisted mostly of your and Gojo’s voice, Megumi only contributing with a weak “hm” or “sure” whenever fitting, which definitely put a thorn in the atmosphere of the company.

“How about we get around to those errands?” You suggested, bringing an end to the constant rambling you knew Megumi had probably prayed would stop.

“Yeah, we probably should,” he mumbled lowly, quickly jumping out of the seat he had been glued to since you arrived. “I just have to get something upstairs-“

“Just go,” you giggled, knowing he was about to ask if you were alright with being left alone for a second.

Megumi hurried away, leaving you and Gojo alone. It didn’t take long before he broke the silence again.

“He’s not usually this cold towards me.” His tone had completely changed, now full of sentiment, one you could only assume came from genuine love for Megumi. “It doesn’t look like it, but I’m sure he secretly likes me. The death glares are at least kept to a minimum when it’s just the two of us.”

“He has a tendency to be a little cranky.” He smiled then, a small and almost shy smile.

“I’m going to make this quick, because he’ll be back down any second,” he took a deep breath as he straightened his posture. “After you came along… I’ve never seen him like this.” Your breath hitched in your throat at the slightly ominous statement. “There’s a lightness in him I’ve never seen before. You clearly mean a lot to him, which is why he exaggerates his frown. He’s just being protective.”

With further clarification, your shoulders found rest, starting to shuffle towards the front door, Gojo close behind. “Believe it or not, he brings me lightness too.”

“No, I believe it,” he smiled as Megumi came down the stairs, both of his dogs following him. “I see it in you too.”

“Ready to go?” Megumi asked in a monotone voice, already having put on his shoes and opened the door.

“It was nice meeting you, Gojo,” you bowed.

“Looking forward to the next time.” Megumi didn’t manage to fully conceal the quiet groan that escaped him, both you and Gojo deciding to not pay it any attention.

“I’ll be back in a few days,” Megumi sighed, already halfway down the pathway, simply waving goodbye over his shoulder.

“I’ll miss you!” Gojo yelled dramatically after him, your boyfriend never sparing him a second glance. While he opened the car door for you, you decided to pay Gojo the decency of a smile and a tiny wave.

Megumi did not hesitate to start the engine, his childhood home quickly disappearing behind you.

Then silence hit — thick silence, nearly suffocating on all the thoughts you could so clearly tell was swarming Megumi’s mind.

“I like him,” you breathed, leaning back on the headrest.

“Yeah? I’m glad.”

“You don’t sound glad.”

“Sorry.”

His eyes were glued ahead, as if there was nothing more interesting than the boring scenery and the asphalt going straight ahead.

“Megumi?”

“Hmm?”

“Why didn’t you want me to meet Gojo?”

He didn’t answer — he only let out a deep breath through his nose which you suspected had been trapped in his lungs since the moment you first pulled up in his driveway. Then he pulled over, the car slowly rolling to a halt.

Your pulse quickened, eyeing how his hands had left the steering wheel only for him to pick at the skin around his nails — a nervous tick you only saw him do when he was extremely anxious.

“I don’t want to mess this up.”

His confession was quiet, and had it not been for the fact that there was not a sound in the car or any distractions outside, you would not have been able to hear it.

“Meeting family… it brings expectations. And if I am to mess this up-“

“Don’t say that, you’re not going to mess this up!” You cut him off, hands cutting through the air to intertwine your fingers with his, stopping his bad habit.

“You don’t know that.” His voice still came out low, eyes directed at your hands. “After last time-“

“Stop it,” you interrupted again, bringing one hand to his face to force him to look at you, breaking your heart when his eyes had turned glossy. “We’re past that now, okay?”

“I know we are, it’s just-“ he took another deep breath, “for some reason, I just felt like that if I kept you from meeting him, I could contain the damage and disappointment if I were to screw it up.”

“I didn’t know you felt this way,” you sniffled quietly, fighting not to let the tears take over. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I don’t know,” he averted his gaze again, back to fixating on his lap. “Scared, I suppose.”

“You’re not in this alone. You can always talk to me about these things, okay?”

“Mhmm,” the weak sound was barely heard.

Once again you cupped his face, wanting his eyes on you when you said “I’m on your team, Megumi.” His nostrils flared, not wanting the tears to spill. “Please just let me be on your team!”

Yet again he took another deep breath to steady himself, slowly beginning to nod along before leaning into your touch. “Okay,” he whispered.

He didn’t say it, but you could sense how he had actively reached within himself to fint sparks of confidence to give himself over to your request.

Megumi was just used to doing things on his own, never depending on anyone but himself. And up until he met you, that had worked perfectly fine. But faced with a relationship, he had found himself between a rock and a hard place, where exposing himself emotionally to another human being was necessary for it to work — and you were worth every ounce of dedication. Every other aspect of his life had turned miniscule in comparison to you.

He hadn’t exactly made it easy for you to cooperate when it came to his feelings. But that stopped now, fully surrendering to the fragility one could not avoid in a relationship. He knew you’d be there.

“You want me to drive?”

“No, it’s fine,” he sighed, the evidence of tears gone as he sat back up in his seat. He removed your hand from his face to place a soft kiss on your knuckles.

“You’re not still going to run errands, are you?” Your pulse finally started to calm down when you spotted a small smirk lurking at the corner of his lips.

“Not a chance.”

“My place and order in?”

“Sounds perfect.”

tags (taglist is open)

@sad-darksoul @nyahctrl @ssetsuka @aceakariii @chxlexauriana

@ps-forgetmenot @thejujvtsupost @acowboykisser @rixo-19

@aestheticallyvini @iheartlinds @rory-cakes @tiffanyandrson

a/n okay idk what's happening but i'm not quite vibing with my writing lately... words aren't wording iykwim... however, did yall catch me teasing some angst in here tihi?? look forward to that

[vbecker10]

I found the prompt “this isn’t a double date, we’re just third and fourth wheeling” and thought it would be perfect for a Loki/reader to be the third and fourth wheel-maybe another couple is trying to set them up and both Loki and reader are alllllllll the way in denial. Would love fluff, idiots to lovers, and female reader character if possible. Thanks so much! 💚

This isn't a Double Date... Right?

Pairing: Loki x female reader (Y/N), Bucky x Natasha

Summary: Natasha has been taking her role as your best friend and personal match maker way too seriously lately, setting you up on dozens of awful blind dates. After finally convincing her to stop, you resume your place as the official third wheel on Natasha and Bucky's date night. Or at least that's what you thought the plan was until you find out Bucky invited Loki to go out with you all and now he's the fourth wheel... because this isn't a double date, right?

A/N: I'm really, really sorry this took so long! I absolutely love this idea, thank you so much for sending this request! I hope you like it! 💚

Also... this is way longer than I thought it was going to be but I just can't seem to finish multi-part fics lately so I didn't want to risk only writing half of it lol

"I hate when you two are being cute," you roll your eyes as you walk into Natasha's apartment. You didn't bother to knock, you never do on blind date nights. The spy and her super soldier boyfriend know your routine by heart and are not at all surprised to see you.

Nat has been setting you up on blind dates for the last four months and each time you come straight to her apartment after. You can't tell who is more excited to see you, Nat because she is a surprisingly hopeless romantic and desperately wants to help her best friend find her perfect match or Bucky because he always has a snack ready to hear about how this date was so much worse than your last one.

Bucky's arms are wrapped around Natasha's waist as she cuts up fruit, his chest pressed against her back. "Hello to you too, grumpy," Nat laughs, shaking her head lightly when you close the door and take off your coat.

"I'm serious, it's gross," you fight back a smile as Bucky steals a piece of strawberry from the cut pile to eat.

"Those aren't for you," she swats his metal hand away before he takes another piece and he chuckles. While she's distracted with Bucky, you reach over the counter, taking a few pieces of fruit and popping them in your mouth. "You're as bad as he is," Nat laughs, throwing the top of a strawberry at you with expert precision. You fail to block the small piece of fruit and wipe your cheek as you bend down to pick it up off the floor.

Resting his chin on Natasha's shoulder he smirks at you, "I'm going to go out on a limb here and guess the date didn't go well... as usual."

"I'm going to die alone," you inform the couple, sitting at the island across from them. You drop your head dramatically on the counter and a laugh escapes Bucky.

"No you won't," he says with less sarcasm then you expect. You lift your head slightly to look at him and he smiles, "You're going to tag along with Nat and me until you die."

You lower your head back to the counter heavily with a loud sigh.

"Be nice," she looks up and scolds him.

"I didn't mean it in a bad way," Bucky tries to defend his comment. "I just meant cause she always goes out with us when we go on dates anyway."

"Not making me feel better," you groan without lifting your head.

"You are not going to die alone," Nat finishes dicing the fruit and adds it to the blender. "I'm going to find you someone, I haven't given up yet."

You sit up, "Well, I'm giving up. Look Nat, you're an amazing friend and a completely bad ass spy and I love you to death but you are horrible at this whole match making thing."

"Just let me try one more time," she reaches across the counter and grabs your hand. "There's a new guy in-"

You cut her off, "Nat, I'm serious. You set me up with one more weirdo and I'm going to make sure the next mission I assign you to is in the Bermuda Triangle."

You walk quickly down the street, holding your thin jacket closed against the wind as the museum finally comes into view. Nat waves excitedly when she sees you, Bucky's metal arms possessively around her waist as always.

"Sorry, the last debrief took way longer than it should have. Lang was giving the overview of his mission yesterday in ridiculously specific detail," you hug Nat then Bucky. Laughing, you add, "He'd probably still be going on and on if Loki hadn't very strongly suggested he learn to summarize his thoughts before sharing them with everyone."

"Well I'm glad you were able to escape," Nat smiles and links arms with you, turning to walk up the steps.

"Hold up, we're still waiting on someone," Bucky says, putting his hands in his jacket pockets.

"Who?" you raise an eyebrow and look suspiciously at Natasha. "You agreed, no more blind dates and you know I can't stand blind double dates, they're even worse."

She shrugs, "I didn't do anything, I have no idea what he's talking about. Who'd you invite Bucky?"

"Steve?" you guess.

"Oh, there he is," Bucky doesn't exactly answer your question as he looks past you down the street at the mystery person. You and Nat turn to see who he's looking at and your eyes widen in surprise. Loki looks left then right before quickly crossing the street against the light.

As he gets closer you can't help but think he looks amazing as always. He's wearing black dress pants, black dress shirt with the top two buttons open and a dark green pea coat which flows open around him as he walks. Loki raises his hand to wave at Bucky and you can see the surprise in his eyes when he spots you and Nat on the first few steps of the museum. Clearly he wasn't expecting to see anyone other than Bucky which is good, you think, that means this definitely isn't a surprise double date.

Loki smiles as he walks over to the three of you. "Sorry I'm late," he apologies, you and Nat rejoin Bucky on the sidewalk.

"Don't worry about it. I should be thanking you for getting me out of that debrief in the first place," you tell him.

He chuckles, "I did it for purely selfish reasons I assure you but I'm glad it worked out for you. I hadn't realize you and Natasha would be here as well."

"Hopefully that's not a bad thing," you smile, suddenly feeling a bit nervous as he takes a step closer to you. Bucky moves to put his arm around Natasha's waist but you barely notice. You're too busy trying to decide if this is the longest conversation you've ever had with the incredibly hot Asgardian outside of what you needed to discuss for work.

He smiles, his eyes focusing only on you, "I'm not disappointed."

"Good," you rub your hands together from the cold then joke, "We needed a fourth wheel. I'm a bit tired of being an awkward tricycle all the time."

Loki gives you a confused look but when Nat laughs he nods, understanding your meaning. "I know how you feel, I seem to be the third person in Thor and Jane's relationship quite a bit lately. I imagine they're excited to have a night out without me for a change."

"Well their loss is our gain, right?" you reply, your mouth moving faster than your brain. Loki smirks at you and you blow lightly into your hands, looking down in an attempt to pass off your blush for being cold.

When you look down, you miss the wink Bucky gives Natasha and her nodding in approval of his secret plan. "Now, can we please go in?" Nat asks, "It really is way too cold to keep standing out here."

Once inside, you immediately go to the hall to your right, wanting to see the new exhibit and Loki follows you. The two of you move to the first painting in the almost completely empty hall, unaware that Bucky and Nat haven't joined you. You begin to read the small metal information card next to the painting to yourself and Loki leans closer to read over your shoulder. Smiling when you feel him close, you read the rest of the brief description outloud as his eyes drift up to the large oil painting. When you finish, your attention shifts to the painting, enjoying the colors the artist used.

"Would you be interested in a fairly random fact about this piece of art?" Loki asks and you look up at him. You expect to see his signature smirk but instead he seems genuinely unsure of whether you're curious or not as he waits with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Oh, absolutely," you nod excitedly. "I honestly love random facts and weird trivia. Let's hear it."

He smiles, his posture becoming more relaxed as he tells you what he read about the painting years ago. You listen to him as you both move to the next painting where you once again you read the small card to Loki. After you finish, he describes the method the artist used to mix his paints to get all those different color variations.

At the third painting it's finally your turn to tell Loki something you learned about the painting. Unlike the prince's information which comes from art history books, your fact comes from someone you follow on TikTok but you aren't about to tell him that. When he doesn't respond right away, you immediately get a sinking feeling, filling with worry that you are actually wrong and now he thinks you're an idiot.

After a moment, he smiles. "I've never heard that before but it makes sense." You relax, walking to the next painting as Loki adds, "I have to tell you how nice it is to talk to someone who actually wants to have a conversion with me, especially about something like art. I honestly feel like most of the time, Thor invites me to go out with him and Jane because he thinks if he doesn't, I will just sit in my apartment alone all night."

"Would you?" you ask.

"Most likely yes, I don't enjoy going out alone," he answers. "But I'm perfectly fine sitting in my apartment and reading all night. That was my plan for tonight until I ran into Barnes right before our last meeting."

"So as far as you know then, this isn't a double date right?" you ask. "Nat's been setting me up a lot lately."

He shakes his head, "I honestly had no idea you or Natasha were going to be here. To be fair though, I didn't ask. Barnes said he had an extra ticket to the museum for tonight and told me to meet him here after work. I did think it was a little strange since we've never spent time together outside of missions." He chuckles lightly, "I just figured Thor told him to take me out so he could spend time with Jane."

"Oh, like it's Bucky's turn to babysit you?" you can't help but laugh.

He nods, "Something like that, yes."

You walk to the next painting, quickly falling into a comfortable pattern. You read the card that is placed next to the painting and then either you or Loki shares a fact you've learned about the artist, the subject matter or the style. You try to focus on the beautiful art in front of you but it's hard not to notice how Loki seems to stand a bit closer to you each time you move to a new paniting.

At the last painting in the wing, the back of his hand brushes against yours and you find yourself fighting the urge to thread your fingers between his as you listen to him tell you about the artist's failed attempt at making sculptures. You laugh, envisioning the clay collapsing in a heap around the artist the way Loki describes it.

"Would you like to see the next hall or do you need to find Natasha first?" he asks when you've contained your laughter.

Looking around, you realize for the first time that they aren't in this hall. You assumed they followed you but honestly you were so distracted by Loki you forgot to even check. He smiles, waiting patiently for an answer. "I'm sure they're fine without us," you tell him.

"I agree," he holds out his arm and you take it, blushing as he leads you to the next hall.

You giggle, covering your mouth as you look up at the first painting in the next hall. "Care to explain what's so funny darling?" he asks, your giggles cut short by the sudden use of the nickname.

"I just-" you clear your throat. "No, it's going to sound stupid."

"Tell me anyways," he insists, moving closer to you so his hand brushes against yours.

"Well..." you point to the couple sitting on the bench facing the lake with their arms around each other. "There's Nat and Bucky..." then you point to the woman sitting on the bench next to them. She's eating a sandwich that she very obviously stole from the couples picnic basket while they were distracted with each other, "There's me."

He laughs, "Ah yes, I see it!" You hit his arm playfully and he smirks, "You are much prettier then she is though."

Your face heats up and you barely manage to mumble, "Thanks," in response as Loki walks to the second painting, turning to make sure you follow.

Loki and you walk down the steps of the museum to meet Nat and Bucky about half an hour later. "I see the double date's going well," Nat jokes. "You two snuck off pretty quick," she winks at you.

"We didn't sneak off," you roll your eyes. "And we've already established that this isn't a double date, cause you said you weren't setting me up with people anymore."

"Fine, fine," she says as Bucky puts his hand on her lower back and you all start walking down the street.

"But, this is definitely the best 'not a double date' I've been on ever," you add and she smiles at you over her shoulder. You walk another block and shiver as you wait for the light to change, wishing you wore a warmer coat.

"Cold?" Loki asks, a hint of concern in his voice.

You fold your arms around your body tighter, nodding quickly. "I guess l grabbed the wrong jacket when I was leaving. I didn't think it was going to get this cold out."

"Here," he unbuttons his coat and you shake your head no. "Frost giants don't get cold," he insists as he takes his coat off. "I bought it cause I liked it, not because I need it."

"Well, it does look really good on you," you smile up at him as he puts it over your shoulders.

He smiles when you slip your arms into the sleeves. "I actually think it looks much better on you." You can barely keep from giggling as the blush creeps up your cheeks.

You laugh as you sit next to Loki at the restaurant, your knees touching lightly under the table when he leans closer to you. "Wait, do you ever sit between them when you see a movie?" you ask.

"I hate when you do that," Bucky says from across the table, his contribution to the conversation ignored by both you and Loki.

"No!" Loki laughs loudly, putting down his nearly empty drink as he looks at you. "Y/N, I must say, you truly are an evil genius. I'm absolutely doing that to Thor and Jane next time."

"Or you two could just go to a movie together," Nat suggests with a shrug. "You know, without other people? Like on a real date."

You smile at the thought of spending more time alone with Loki but before either of you can respond, the waitress walks over to your table with the bill. "I've got this," Loki says as he opens his wallet without looking at the bill sitting in front of him.

Bucky shakes his head, "You don't need to do that."

You joke, "Yeah, since this isn't a double date we should just split it." You reach for your bag but Loki waves over the waitress and hands her his credit card.

"Too late," he smiles when she walks away.

He leans back in his seat, his arm settling on the back of your chair. You shift a little closer to him and are pleasantly surprised when he moves his arm to rest across your shoulder. You look up to catch Nat smirking at you as Loki's fingertips trace circles on your upper arm slowly while he finishes his drink.

A few minutes later, the waitress hands Loki his card and the receipt. He takes his arm off of you to put the card back in his wallet and you grab his wrist lightly to stop him. "Wait, is that Tony's card?" you look at him in surprise.

He turns the card over as if he's never seen it before, "Oh, would you look at that?"

You laugh, "Loki!"

"What?" he grins as he puts it away. "Well, I think she deserves a pretty large tip, don't you?" He fills out the receipt and signs the bottom while Nat shakes her head but can't hide her smile.

"He's been looking for that for like a week," Nat says with an eye roll.

"That makes sense," he smirks as he gets up. "I needed to pick up a new series from the bookstore so I... borrowed it."

"Oh, what books did you get?" you ask as you slip on Loki's coat, you look up to catch him watching you with a smile.

"Don't encourage him," Bucky gets up and shrugs on his coat. "And borrowing it means you plan on returning it," he informs Loki.

"I'm going to," Loki responds and opens the door for everyone. "When I've finished using it."

You walk out first and wait for the others, "Do you think Tony would mind if we used it to get some ice cream?"

"I think I'll pass, I'm actually kind of tired," Bucky puts his hands in his pockets.

"Oh I forgot," you joke, "It's past your bedtime old man."

Nat laughs as Bucky folds his arms across his chest. "I'm not an old man," he says in a grumpy tone. "And if I was, that means your date is ancient."

"Okay, first off, this is not a double date and secondly... wait, how old are you?" you look up at Loki.

"1,054," he answers, chuckling lightly when your eyes widen. "But I'll live to be around 5,000 so technically I'm still quite young. Barnes however is older than the age an average human would live to."

Nat puts her arms around Bucky and kisses his cheek, "I'm gonna take my fossil home. You two enjoy ice cream in this freezing weather."

"I hate all of you," Bucky mumbles, turning with Nat to walk down the street.

"No you don't, you're just cranky cause you're tired," you giggle but your breath catches when Loki puts his arm around your waist.

"Ready for dessert?" he smiles and leads you in the opposite direction.

Your hand brushes against Loki's as you cross the street and he intertwines his fingers with yours. You smile and squeeze his hand lightly, continuing down the street in comfortable silence until you reach the Tower. The smiles vanishes from your face when he lets go of your hand but you lean into him when he puts his arm around your waist once inside the lobby.

He pushes the button for the elevator and says, "Thank you Y/N, this is the most fun I've had in months."

"I had a great time too, Loki. Shame it wasn't a double date, right?" you ask when the doors open and you both step inside.

He nods, "It would have been a perfect double date. But since it wasn't, can I take you out on a real date tomorrow night?"

You giggle, "Of course but not a double date."

"Just us," he agrees. After a moment he adds, "I'll admit, I'm looking forward to the end of our first date."

"How come?" you ask a bit confused.

He turns to face you, "Because I would really like to kiss you but I know on Midgard it's typical to wait until the end of a first date."

You look at him in disbelief but the elevator ding distracts you. You both get out and walk down the hall towards your room. "You know... we could just call tonight a date since it pretty much was one," you say as his fingers squeeze yours gently. "The museum, dinner, ice cream, lots of talking and laughing and-"

Loki cuts you off, pressing his lips to yours as you stand outside your apartment. You close your eyes and kiss him back, your hands moving to his lower back as he cups your cheek. When he pulls back he smiles and you say, "I'm assuming you agree tonight was a date then?"

He nods, "And now I'm looking forward to our second date greatly."

"Me too," you kiss his cheek lightly. "Have a goodnight Loki."

"This is your fault you know," Nat says to Bucky who's laying with his head on her lap while they watch TV.

"Goodnight Y/N," he turns and walks towards his apartment.

You watch until he turns a corner and as soon as he's out of sight, you walk quickly down the hall in the opposite direction. A few moments later you swing open the door to Nat's apartment without knocking.

"I know," he mumbles and turns off the show as you nudge him to sit up so there's space for you on the couch between them. "Tell us about your date, Y/N."

I hope you liked this!! Please like, share and comment if you did 💚💚 Please let me know if you want to be added to my taglist!

@soubi001 @mochie85 @lokiswife-dark-fox-queen @animnerd @cabingrlandrandomcrap @icytrickster17 @mischief2sarawr @mjsthrillernp @holdmytesseract @lulubelle814 @goblingirlsarah @alexakeyloveloki @siconetribal @lokidokieokie @kneelingformyloki @jiyascepter @eleniblue @ash-muses @muddyorbsblr @alyeskathewave @loz-3 @firedrakegirl @javagirl328 @princess-asgard @morally-grey-variant @soulpiercing @km-ffluv @glitterylokislut @biodegradable-glitter-fest @wolfsmom1 @simone818283 @hopefuldreamers-world @blackhawkfanatic @sabspoetic @anukulee @lovinglokilaufeyson @beaniemoon

[tonyboneysblog]

curiosity kills the cat: one shot!

parings: Touya x reader

word count: 1.3k

notes: this was originally gonna be a part in a fanfic I was cooking but i genuinely could not figure out how to write childhood friends with Dabi’s crisped ass.

warnings: none!

summary: Touya always sees kissing in movies, all dramatic and lovey dovey, is it really his fault that he wants to try it on you? just to see how it feels of course!

“this movie fucking sucks.”

“language Touya.”

currently, you were at the treacherous Todoroki household.

Why? You may be asking.

Because you wanted to watch a movie, 27 dresses specifically.

Unfortunately for Touya Todoroki, he’s your only friend to watch the movie with.

now the two of you have been friends since pre-school, kids bullied you- Touya saved you.

you stuck around him after that, much to his dismay.

“Why would you make me watch this garbage.” Touya says harshly.

You huff loudly, “to see if your cold, dark heart had anything in it.”

Touya giggles at your little comment, you liked his laugh.

you wanted to watch this movie for a week, practically begged Touya on your knees for him to even watch it with you.

Touya doesn’t enjoy cheesy rom-coms.

He’s made that quite clear throughout this whole movie.

when the two main characters tried on the dresses he complained.

when they went to the bar together, he complained.

when the characters sang at the bar, he complained then too.

yet when they kissed, Touya didn’t even open his mouth.

“yuck- want me to skip?” You say for Touya’s sake.

He’s quiet for a moment before speaking, “nah, it’s just a kiss.”

“What- you’re suddenly cool with lovey dovey stuff now?” your face is set perplexed.

Touya shrugs, “I see it in TV all the time, why should I care?”

You hum softly, “adults kiss too much.”

Touya hums in agreement, his foot starting to steadily tap.

the movie continues, you catch Touya scoff at one of the movies jokes, he seems to be…actually interested.

but that damn tapping won’t stop.

Doesn’t his leg get tired when he does that?

Finally, at the end of the movie the two main lead get married, and the main actress has her 27 bridesmaids.

cute movie.

“Did you like it Touy?” you ask with excitement bubbling inside your chest.

He responds bluntly, “No- terrible movie.”

“Liar- that was the most I’ve ever seen you pay attention to something!” You point an accusing finger towards him.

Touya swatted your finger away, “I was waiting for the guy to murder the girl.”

“What?!” You retract your finger quickly.

Touya shakes his head as if it were obvious, “He had serial killer vibes..”

You sit there on the couch utterly silent from the words that just came out of Touya’s mouth.

His brows furrow slightly, “What?”

“Nothing, weirdo..”

Touya melts into the couch, picking up the remote and scrolling through the streaming apps choices.

“Any thing else you’d like to watch?”

“Being a gentleman I see?” You hum.

Touya chuckles softly, never responding.

The room is on a comfortable silence for the moment, aside from Touya tapping his foot against the glass table his feet are propped on.

Touya’s foot staggers, “Why do you think adults kiss?”

“Because they like it.” You answer quickly.

Touya shakes his head softly, “yeah but why, why do they like it?”

“Why would I know the answer to that.”

Touya glares at your for a moment, “oh please- your parents basically make out all the time when I’m over.”

“So that means I should know why they like it?” You pick at the fur blanket that was thrown over you prior to starting the movie.

Touya hums a small, “yep” before his foot starts to tap again.

“Didn’t think you were so affected by the kissing scene…” you say under your breath, Touya heard anyway.

“I-I wasn’t affected, I’m just curious on what’s so good about it.” He says quickly, the tapping increasing.

You seriously doubt Touya’s even looking at the tittles on the screen by how fast he’s tapping the remote button.

“Well I wouldn’t know…”

Touya stays quiet for a moment, thinking.

probably about something stupid.

“We could know.”

yep, something stupid.

“What you implying Touya?” You elbow his ribs, making him yelp.

“Ow- I’m saying that…nevermind.” Touya rubs his ribs softly, dropping the remote next to you.

“I mean…you’re just curious right?”

Touya looks up at you, the tapping gets faster.

“Yeah- Why…?”

You pick up the remote, looking it over to act like your doing anything else other that what your about to do.

“We could- do it..” you say quiet and soft.

Touya doesn’t respond, the tapping stopped at least.

suddenly, Touya grabs the remote from your hand- setting it aside.

“We could.”

Great, now you’re forced to look at your best friend.

“Yeah?” You say barely loud enough for Touya to pick up.

Touya nods, his foot starting to steadily tap again.

You cup Touya’s face with your hands- oh gosh are you really doing this?

Touya places his hands on your lap, truthfully he has no clue where to put them.

the taps get faster.

You and Touya look at each-other for a moment, just to make sure you don’t absolutely ruin your friendship.

More like a “you really wanna do this?” stare.

but hey, you were curious.

so was Touya.

1 + 1 = 2.

Two kissing more specifically.

“Jus’ do it already..” Touya says quietly, his face growing red.

You press your lips to Touya’s, it was..nice? soft? kinda gross.

Touya’s lips were quite soft actually, he’d wear chap stick like he’d wear clothes though- he hated dry lips.

Touya’s hand steadily went to your cheeks as well, only difference was his were a lot warmer.

At some point, Touya’s tapping stopped.

you a Touya didn’t though, it’s normal for friends to experience things together- how is a kiss any different?

Your cheeks felt so warm.

wait no- that’s Touya’s quirk.

You starting patting Touya’s thigh as a signal to chill out.

And he got the memo, only after a minute.

You and Touya were only slightly out of breath- you might have 1st degree burns on your cheeks though.

“M’sorry…?” Touya says with his dumb cracky voice.

“you burned my cheeks.” You say curtly.

Touya groans, “I didn’t know I activated my quirk!”

“I’m never kissing you again.” Your tone gets slightly aggressive.

Touy burned your precious face though- so he deserves it.

“I said I didn’t-“

A sudden laughter breaks through Touya’s speak, one that didn’t belong to him.

You whip your head to the door way only to see Touya’s siblings, Natsuo and Fuyumi.

Natsuo is holding onto his stomach, dying with laughter while Fuyumi looks mildly disappointed- more like embarrassed.

“Touya-nii…” Fuyumi says softly.

Touya’s face goes completely red, even reaching his ears.

“You didn’t see a thing.” Touya says sternly.

Natsuo laughs more as he grabs Fuyumi, “dude we saw everything!”

Fuyumi covers her face and Natsuo starts to re-create the scene.

“Oh-la-la! Y/N please kiss me I’m so desperate!” Natsuo says through his giggles.

You can see steam coming from Touya as he jumps over the couch to get to Natsuo.

Natsuo sees this and starts to book it.

So now you have a wild Touya and a trouble making Natsuo in the house.

Fuyumi looks at you, then runs to her room- poor girl doesn’t even wanna face you.

how are family dinners your invited to supposed to go now?

curiosity kills the cat you suppose.

and you are the cat in this situation.

EP:

“Mrs. Rei, this is absolutely delicious!” You say while crunching down on whatever Touya’s mother made for the night.

Touya hums in agreement, basically halfway through his second plate.

Natsuo chuckles before speaking, “maybe you should ask her for some cooking lessons Y/N- mom’s experienced.”

Rei smiles softly, “thank you, Natsuo.”

Natsuo immediately gains the most devious smile you’ve ever seen in your entire life.

“Maybe some kissing lessons as well, since you and Touya like that too.”

Immediately silence hits the table.

Touya immediately slams his blow onto the table.

Natsuo runs for his life down the hallway as Touya almost jumps over the table to catch him.

As soon as the boys leave the room your met with a stone faced Rei.

you clear your throat.

“Fuyumi can vouch for me, me and Touya would never do something so sinful!”

Rei chuckles softly, “Fuyumi told me when I came home…”

You whip your head to Fuyumi as she takes her leave, doesn’t wanna face your wrath.

you look towards rei again, sweating bullets as you hear Natsuo screaming bloody murder from two rooms over.

“w-we we’re just curious!”

AN: yall need smth after whatever the hell that episode was😭

[itendtothinkalot]

dating apps suck (best friends to lovers)

summary: your best friend, soobin, has appointed himself as your matchmaker. but somewhere along the third guy he has swiped, he realizes maybe he doesn't want you dating someone else...i mean why date someone else when he's right there.

a/n: any of u guys out there missing soobin as much as me :(

genre: FLUFFFFFF just FLUFF!!!

characters: soobin x f!reader

words: 5226

warnings: none!!!

You could still picture the sunny afternoon, at seven years old, you’d crashed your bike in front of his house, tears streaming down your face as your knee bled. Soobin had sprinted out with a bright yellow Band-Aid and a juice box, declaring himself your “official nurse” with the most serious expression a seven-year-old could muster. 

From that moment on, he was always there—whether it was saving you from disastrous school presentations, sneaking snacks into late-night study sessions, or simply knowing how to make you laugh on your worst days. Which is why, as you sat on your couch listening to him announce that he’d signed you up for a dating app, you couldn’t even stay mad. He grinned at you like he always did, that mischievous, boyish smile, completely unaware of the sudden ache it stirred in your chest.

"I'm not... interested," you muttered, pushing his hands away as he waved his phone in front of your face.

"Not interested?" Soobin raised a brow, leaning back against the couch dramatically. "You're pushing thirty—"

"I'm in my early twenties!" you gasped, smacking his arm in protest.

"And you've never had a boyfriend—"

"What's wrong with that?!" you exclaimed, crossing your arms indignantly. "Men can be... atrocious," you added with a heavy sigh, narrowing your eyes at him. "You should know. You're one."

Soobin chuckled, completely unbothered by your jab. "Wow, true but harsh. Not all of us are terrible, you know."

You gave him a skeptical look. "Name me one guy who's not a literal trashbag."

"Me," he shot back with a cheeky grin, earning another smack on the arm. "What? I'm an absolute catch! If I weren’t your best friend, I’d totally be your type."

You rolled your eyes, trying to ignore the sudden warmth blooming in your chest at his words. "Sure."

"Don't be sarcastic," he pouted, clutching his chest like you’d mortally wounded him. "Anyway, that's not the point. The point is you deserve someone amazing, and I'm here to help you find them."

You sighed, knowing this conversation was far from over. "I’m not sure about this, Soobin. Dating apps are weird, and—”

"Which is why you have me!" he interrupted, flashing his phone. "I'll filter through the weirdos and only show you the cream of the crop. Consider me your personal dating concierge."

You groaned, burying your face in your hands. "I don't know, Bin. This isn't gonna end well."

Soobin’s grin turned softer, a rare moment of sincerity breaking through his playful demeanor. "Trust me. Please?"

"But what do you get out of this?" you asked, narrowing your eyes at him. "And since when were you so interested in my dating life?"

Soobin shrugged, leaning back against the couch and tossing his phone onto the coffee table like this was no big deal. "Well, I'm interested because I'm a great friend. Wonderful, even."

You arched an eyebrow, unconvinced. "You’ve never been this invested in my love life before. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think you were plotting something."

He gasped, clutching his chest in mock offense. "Me? Can't a friend just help another friend out. I’m truly hurt. Deeply wounded. I just want to see you happy, that’s all. Is that so suspicious?"

"Extremely," you deadpanned, though the corners of your lips tugged upward despite yourself.

"Okay, fine," Soobin groaned, running a hand through his hair. "I know I messed up three months ago with that whole Yeonjun situation—"

"Messed up?" You shot him an incredulous look.

He winced, holding up his hands defensively. "Okay, maybe messed up is not a fair term but I didn’t know he was talking about my other female friend! Look, I don’t have that many female friends, and I really thought he meant you!"

Ah, the Yeonjun incident. You dubbed it the most horrible, most awkward situation Soobin had ever put you in. Based on some sort of colossal misunderstanding, Soobin had convinced himself that Yeonjun, his old college roommate, was harboring a massive crush on you. So, naturally, Soobin had set you up on what he promised would be "the best date ever."

Except when you showed up—nervous but secretly excited—you were greeted with Yeonjun’s confused smile and the words, “Wait, when’s Arin getting here?”

Mortified didn’t even begin to cover it. You had stormed out, left Soobin an earful of angry texts, and refused to speak to him for days. When he finally grovelled his way back into your good graces, you made him scrub your toilet for an entire month—no buts, no excuses, no escape.

"You thought he liked me, Soobin," you said now, glaring at him. "And you didn't think to double-check before sending me to that disaster of a date?"

Soobin shifted uncomfortably, his usual confidence faltering under your gaze. "Okay, in hindsight, yeah, maybe I should’ve clarified. But come on, that was months ago! I’ve learned my lesson!"

"Have you?" you asked, arms crossed, though a small smirk played on your lips.

He leaned closer, giving you his best puppy-dog eyes. "I have! Which is why this time, I’m personally overseeing everything. No Yeonjuns. No mix-ups. Just quality candidates handpicked by me."

You sighed, shaking your head. "Why do I feel like this is still going to end in disaster?"

"It won’t," he said, a little too quickly. Then, softer, "I just... I want to make sure you find someone who sees you the way you deserve to be seen."

The sincerity in his voice made your stomach flip, but you pushed the feeling aside. Instead, you rolled your eyes and grabbed a throw pillow, tossing it at his face. "Fine. But if this goes south, you’re scrubbing the toilet again. For two months this time."

He caught the pillow with a grin. "Deal."

—

Somehow, Soobin had gathered an entourage. That just meant his other best friend, who had somehow wormed his way into your life too. Beomgyu had shown up uninvited—armed with snacks, a loud laugh, and zero shame—just as Soobin finished hooking up his phone to your TV.

Now, the three of you sat in your living room, swiping through dating profiles projected onto the big screen like some bizarre group activity. It was ridiculous.

"Good God," Beomgyu muttered, staring in horror at yet another man proudly holding a fish in his profile picture. "This is what you poor females have to go through?" He shuddered dramatically, sinking deeper into the couch. "That's like the fifth picture of a guy with a fish.’”

Soobin snorted, tossing a kernel of popcorn at Beomgyu. "New hobby alert?"

"Please," Beomgyu shot back, dodging the popcorn with a smirk. "If I ever post a picture with a fucking fish, kill me."

"Noted," you chimed in, scrolling past the next profile—a man with sunglasses indoors. "Wow, groundbreaking, looking like a real asshole, this one."

"Swipe left," Soobin said instantly, leaning forward like his life depended on it. "You deserve better than someone who hides behind sunglasses in every photo."

Beomgyu raised an eyebrow. "Look at you, Mr. Overprotective. What' are you gonna do if she actually finds someone? Start grilling the guy like an overbearing dad?'"

"I’m not overprotective," Soobin protested, though his ears turned red.

"You absolutely are," you teased, hiding a smile. "Remember when that guy at the coffee shop asked for my number, and you told him I was really into feet?"

"That was… justified. He looked at you funny." Soobin muttered, grabbing a handful of popcorn to avoid your gaze.

Beomgyu burst out laughing, nearly choking on his drink.

You shook your head, amused but not entirely surprised. "We’ve been at this for an hour and you’re the one rejecting most of them, Soobin."

"Hey," Soobin said, his voice softer this time. "I’m just making sure we weed out the weirdos. You deserve someone who treats you like gold."

His words caught you off guard, the sincerity in his tone making your chest tighten. But before you could respond, Beomgyu swiped right on a profile with a mischievous grin.

"It's been an hour, and you've already turned down like a million guys for being bankers or art collectors or anyone with a job." You raised an eyebrow as you looked at him.

"Art collectors tend to be pretentious," he replied with a shrug. "I can't have you dating people like that."

"Oh, this guy looks fun, he likes band music and from what I see, he lives around here," Beomgyu said, ignoring Soobin’s groan.

"I’m vetoing that one," Soobin declared.

"Too late. I swiped," Beomgyu said with a wink, kicking back as the two of you stared at the screen in dismay.

"A MATCH!" The bright words popped up on the TV screen, accompanied by an obnoxious little jingle.

“Our first match of the day!” Beomgyu cheered, throwing his arms up like he’d won the lottery.

You slumped back against the couch with a dramatic sigh. “Am I really that undesirable?”

“No, it’s just the first one we liked because someone,” Beomgyu shot a pointed look at Soobin, “vetoed literally everyone else.”

Soobin crossed his arms, completely unbothered by the accusation. “Sorry for having standards. Do you want her to end up with Sunglasses Indoors Guy or Fish Pic Number Five?”

You chuckled, pointing at the screen. “You’re being ridiculous. He seems cute—Huening Kai. He doesn’t sound like he’s from around here.”

“Yeah, well, he sounds like a loser. Look at this—he’s got a whole list of anime stats on his profile,” Soobin scoffed.

“Maybe you should date him,” you teased, laughing.

“Shut up. Something’s off about him,” Soobin muttered, his brows furrowing.

Beomgyu rolled his eyes dramatically. “God, you’re pickier than her! You’re acting like this is your dating profile.”

“She needs someone perfect. This guy… could be a weirdo, for all I care!” Soobin shot back, crossing his arms.

“Wasn’t this whole thing your idea?” You turned to Soobin, both confused and amused.

“Y-yeah, and I’m starting to think it might’ve been a bad one,” he mumbled, looking away.

“Aw, c’mon,” you said, grinning as you pointed at the screen again. “This Huening Kai kid is pretty cute. He looks like an anime character, and he matched with me! I’m a total loser compared to him—”

“No, you’re not,” Soobin interrupted firmly. “He’s the loser compared to you.”

Beomgyu nearly spilled his drink as he grabbed the remote, scrolling furiously to pull up the message on the big screen. “HE MESSAGED US! HE MESSAGED US!”

The three of you stared at the screen, where Huening Kai’s message blinked at the top of the chat:

Huening Kai: Hey there!

Soobin groaned, throwing his head back dramatically. “Hey there? Could he be any more boring?”

“It’s just a greeting, dude,” you said, laughing at Soobin’s clear annoyance. “Not everyone needs to open a conversation with a Rupi Kaur poem.”

“I mean, he could at least try. How hard is it to put in a little effort? ‘Hey there’ is what you say to your dentist,” Soobin muttered.

“Okay, Mr. Dating Expert. What would you have said?” you teased, nudging him.

Soobin hesitated for a moment, his ears turning red. “I don’t know. Something cooler. Like… ‘Hey, I noticed your profile, and you seem interesting.’”

"That's worse," Beomgyu said flatly, munching on popcorn. "You sound like that one guy who tried recruiting me on LinkedIn."

You rolled your eyes and picked up your phone, fingers hovering over the keyboard. “Fine, let me show you how it’s done.”

You: Wow, are you always this formal, or did I catch you on your best behavior?

“There. Witty, a little playful,” you said, hitting send with a grin.

Beomgyu snorted. “Not bad. But now we wait. Time to see if Huening Kai can handle the pressure.”

Soobin crossed his arms, watching the screen like it might explode. “If he takes more than five minutes to reply, it’s a red flag.”

“Oh, stop it,” you said, laughing. “You’re acting like a little bitch..”

“I’m just saying,” Soobin mumbled, eyes glued to the screen.

Just then, the three dots appeared at the bottom of the chat. Huening Kai was typing.

“Here we go!” Beomgyu cheered, leaning forward.

The message popped up:

Huening Kai: Haha, depends. Do you prefer formal Huening Kai or the version who spends weekends in a Pikachu onesie?

Beomgyu burst out laughing. “Shit, I like this guy already.”

Soobin frowned. “A Pikachu onesie? Who admits that on their first conversation? RED FLAG!”

You grinned, already typing your reply. “Someone who doesn’t take themselves too seriously. Relax, Soobin. I think it’s cute.”

Soobin didn’t say anything, but the way his jaw tightened told you he wasn’t exactly thrilled.

Beomgyu leaned back in his chair, still chuckling to himself. “Man, I’m actually liking this guy. He’s got personality.”

Soobin wasn’t so convinced, crossing his arms as he glared at the screen. “Just... don’t let him turn this into a whole ‘my favorite anime character’ conversation.”

“Oh, please,” you said, smirking at Soobin. “You’re so dramatic about this. I’m just trying to have a normal chat.” You tapped your phone screen, sending your response:

You: Definitely the Pikachu version. Formality is overrated anyway. So, Huening Kai, is that your real name?

“I’m telling you right now, he’s a definite red flag.” Soobin scoffed.

Before you could respond to his snarky comment, Soobin’s phone buzzed, causing all three of you to freeze. You grabbed the phone first, quickly unlocking it to check the new message.

Huening Kai: Yep. You can call me Kai though.

You looked over at Beomgyu, who was clearly as excited as you were. “Kai,” you said with a grin. “It rolls off the tongue.”

Soobin sighed from across the room, his gaze still fixed on his phone. “I’m telling you, something’s off about him. Here, let me test something out.”

You frowned, sensing that Soobin was about to do something unreasonably overprotective. “Test what?”

Without waiting for your response, Soobin typed furiously on his phone. After a few seconds, he turned the screen to face you. His message to Kai read:

You: Hey, Kai. Just out of curiosity, how do you feel about Annie?

“Annie? The musical?” You looked at him, genuinely confused.

Kai: The musical? I’ve never seen it.

Soobin smirked triumphantly. “There! There’s your answer. He’s uncultured!”

You couldn’t help but roll your eyes, crossing your arms. “Soobs, I’m not basing the guy I date on a musical I've never watched.”

Beomgyu leaned back, clearly enjoying the drama unfolding. “Who even watches musicals these days?”

You shot him a look, but the next thing you knew, Soobin was still going on.

“What does that even prove?”

Soobin’s expression was smug. “It proves that he’s clearly not refined enough for you.”

“Refined enough?” You stared at him. “Is this about the Annie thing or... I don’t know, your sudden obsession with my dating life?”

Beomgyu groaned dramatically. “Here we go. Soobin’s going full protector mode. I swear, this is like watching a soap opera. Someone just throw in a dramatic music cue.”

You sighed, glancing at your phone again, already typing up a new response to Kai. “Can we at least let him get past the Annie test before you start declaring him uncultured?”

But Soobin didn’t seem to hear you, too focused on his own thoughts. “I’m just saying... if he doesn’t like Annie, how could he possibly appreciate the classics?”

“Annie isn’t even a classic!” you retorted, exasperated.

Beomgyu snickered, but you could feel his amusement waver. Something else was brewing under the surface—and maybe, just maybe, it was more about Soobin than it was about Kai.

“Yes, it is!” Soobin retaliated, his voice rising in defense.

You threw your hands up in frustration. “Y’know what... you’re insane, and I’m going to get myself a cup of coffee from the convenience store. You can sit here and act Annie out or whatever.” You narrowed your eyes at Soobin, then turned on your heel.

“Oh, c’mon! I’m just tryna look out for–”

“Pull your pants up.” You muttered, signaling his falling sweatpants, before walking away.

“You’re so annoying!” Soobin huffed, pulling his pants up, but his voice quickly faded as you made your way to the door.

You paused for a moment, looking at Beomgyu sweetly. “Beomie, do you need anything?”

“Diet soda would be great.” He grinned at you, clearly relishing the chaos that was unfolding.

You gave him a deadpan stare. 

“You’re not gonna ask me?” Soobin scoffed.

“Ask Annie to get you some.”

Rolling your eyes, you slammed the door behind you, leaving them to their bickering. As you walked to the store, you couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation. Somehow, you knew Soobin’s ridiculous “test” was less about Kai and more about the fact that Soobin couldn’t seem to wrap his head around the idea of you dating someone else. Even though it was HIM that wanted you to date someone else in the first place.

Life would be so much easier if he knew how much you wanted HIM. Not Huening Kai. Not Yeonjun. Him. The thought of it felt almost too overwhelming to entertain—after all, you were just friends, right? You and Soobin had always been inseparable, but the line between friendship and something more had always felt like a hazy blur you couldn’t cross.

You shook your head as you entered the convenience store, pulling your jacket tighter against the chill. The last thing you needed was to complicate things by admitting how much you cared. Not when Soobin was so… oblivious. So focused on helping you find someone else. You grabbed your coffee and a diet soda for Beomgyu, the weight of the situation sinking in more with each passing second.

Back at home, the two boys sat in silence, the tension between them thick enough to cut with a knife. Soobin was still standing, breathing heavily, his fists clenched at his sides as if he were trying to hold back something. Beomgyu, on the other hand, lounged comfortably on the couch, a smirk tugging at his lips as he placed his hands on his hips.

“So, when are you gonna tell her?” Beomgyu’s voice was teasing, yet full of that knowing glint in his eyes.

Soobin glared at him, his expression a mix of annoyance and confusion. “Tell her what?”

Beomgyu chuckled, clearly enjoying himself. “That you like her.”

“I don’t like her. I mean, I do. But not how you think...” Soobin’s defense was half-hearted at best, as if he was trying to convince himself more than anyone else.

Beomgyu raised an eyebrow, the corners of his mouth curling into a sly grin. “Right... right. Because you’re in love with her.”

“Geez, Beomgyu,” Soobin groaned, rubbing a hand over his face. “Stop fucking around.”

“I’m not.” Beomgyu sighed dramatically, sitting back a little further into the couch. “You’re tweaking over some random guy we swiped on Tinder..”

Soobin shifted uncomfortably, his mind spinning with the mess of feelings he wasn’t ready to confront. “I just… want the best for her. Is that so bad?”

Beomgyu didn’t buy it. He studied Soobin for a long moment, the smirk fading into something more serious. “It sounds more like you want to be with her,” he said slowly, his words heavy with meaning.

Soobin’s jaw tightened, his eyes darting to the ground, suddenly unsure of what to say. His thoughts had been a whirlwind ever since he’d seen you swipe through profiles, the fact that you were even considering someone else—someone not him—a constant ache in his chest. It was easier when it was just the two of you, comfortable in your friendship, knowing exactly where you stood. But now? Now everything felt different.

“Damn it,” Soobin muttered under his breath. “I’m not ready for this.”

Beomgyu let out a low chuckle, sitting up. “Yeah, you are. You just don’t want to admit it. But I’ll tell you this, Soobin. If you don’t step up and do something about it… someone else will.”

“What, who?” Soobin asked, his eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

“I know a couple of people who may be interested in our friend.”

“What?” Soobin’s eyes widened, trying to process. “What do you mean, a couple of people? Like more than one?”

“Maybe.”

“Beomgyu, stop being so cryptic!” Soobin nearly shouted, frustration creeping into his voice. “Who are they?!”

Beomgyu leaned back, clearly enjoying the moment. “Damn, you must really like her. Getting you all worked up like this.”

Soobin clenched his fists, trying to hold back a groan. “I swear, if you don’t just tell me—”

“Relax,” Beomgyu interrupted, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “I’m just messing with you. But seriously, if you don’t make a move soon, someone else is going to. And I’m not talking about some random guy. I mean, it’s obvious. She likes you too, Soobin. But you’re too scared to do anything about it.”

Soobin froze, his heart skipping a beat. She likes me too? The words echoed in his mind. He’d never thought about it that way before. Is it true? Or is Beomgyu messing with him? Like always.

“I— I don’t know, Beomgyu. What if I mess things up? What if it ruins everything?”

Beomgyu shook his head with a small smile. “Dude, you’re so scared of messing up that you’re not even trying. You’re wasting time. She’s not going to wait around forever. But if you don’t tell her how you feel, someone else might.”

Soobin paced the room, his thoughts a whirlwind of uncertainty and fear. The truth was, he did like you. More than he’d ever admitted to himself. He just didn’t know how to act on it. The idea of losing you was too much to bear, but what if you didn’t feel the same way? What if everything changed and he ruined the friendship?

Beomgyu stood up, watching Soobin with a knowing expression. “You’ve got to decide. But know this... you're running out of time.”

Soobin looked up at him, his resolve hardening. He had a choice to make. And whether it scared him or not, it was time to stop running from it.

He took a deep breath. “Thanks, Beomgyu.”

Beomgyu grinned. “Anytime. Now go, before you let her slip away.”

"So I go now?" Soobin looked at Beomgyu, pointing at the door, a mix of excitement and doubt written all over his face.

Beomgyu nodded, smiling. Happy to help his friend.

"Now?" Soobin repeated.

"Yes, you freak," Beomgyu narrowed his eyes, clearly not in the mood for Soobin's indecisiveness.

"Like, now?" Soobin asked, still not quite convinced.

"Yes! Go! Damn, I’ll watch the stove for you. Just go!" Beomgyu gestured impatiently, pushing Soobin toward the door.

"Okay, I’m going. I’m going! I’m doing it!" Soobin yelled, finally mustering some courage, though his nerves were still running wild. "What if she doesn’t like me–"

"Dude, I will kiss her myself to hurry this shit up," Beomgyu deadpanned, not even missing a beat.

"Right. I’m going," Soobin said, nodding determinedly. But before he left, he hesitated, voice cracking slightly, "What if I mess it all up?"

Beomgyu sighed, looking at him like he was an idiot. "If you don’t go, you will mess it up. Now get outta here."

With that, Soobin finally pushed through the door, his heart racing, each step taking him closer to something that could either change everything or leave him with even more questions. But he knew one thing for sure—he couldn’t go on without knowing how you felt.

As he jogged towards the store, the thought of you consumed him. Would it be the start of something new? Or would he return, more confused than before?

Either way, he was doing this. No backing out now.

At the store, you sighed, "Honestly, he's really lucky I love him," as you picked out Soobin's favorite ice cream from the freezer, shaking your head in amusement.

You grabbed a few other items—coffee for yourself, soda for Beomgyu—and made your way home. It was nighttime, and the winter air was biting, making you huddle deeper into your puffer jacket. Your beanie snugly squeezed your cheeks, and the hood of your puffer was pulled up to shield you from the cold. As you walked, Soobin spotted your little figure, bundled up and waddling through the chilly night. Without hesitation, he ran to catch up to you, his breath coming out in visible puffs in the crisp air.

Turning around, you froze, confused. "What the hell are you doing here?" you asked, raising an eyebrow.

Soobin stood there, a little out of breath, looking like he was in the middle of some emotional whirlwind. "Doing something I don’t know if I’ll regret or not," he said, running a hand through his hair, clearly nervous.

You raised an eyebrow. "Did your butt rash come back? The pharmacy's that way-"

Soobin froze, his face flushing. "N-no. I—how’d you know I had a—"

"Sometimes Beomgyu texts me things. Things I didn't need to know," you replied dryly.

"I’ll kill him later, but... no... look," he sighed, clearly awkward.

"Why are you all nervous? It's making me nervous," you said, glancing up at him, unsure what to make of this sudden energy between you two.

Soobin couldn’t help but smile at the sight of your puffy cheeks, the hood and beanie making you look even cuter than usual. "You're really cute, y'know that?" he said, almost absentmindedly.

"Huh?" You blinked up at him, slightly confused. "Did you just call me cute?"

He nodded, a soft, genuine smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "Yeah."

You could feel your cheeks heating up as you took a moment to really notice how cute he was. The tip of his nose was red, his cheeks a little pale, and his hair tousled. He was adorable.

“You too,” you mumbled, looking up at him. “Especially like this.”

His cheeks pinked at your words. “Look... I know I've been weird about this whole dating app thing.”

“Mhm...” you nodded, trying to understand.

“But it’s only because I felt bad about the Yeonjun thing…”

“Uh-huh…” you said, still trying to wrap your mind around everything.

“Then I also thought, you know, maybe today I realized I don’t really want you to date anyone that’s not... well, me.” He whispered the last part.

You blinked, a little stunned by his words. The quiet confession hung in the cold air between you two, leaving a warm flush creeping up your neck.

"Oh," you said, trying to process what he'd just said, but your heart was already racing.

Soobin shifted on his feet, looking a little uncomfortable with the silence that followed. He rubbed the back of his neck. "I mean... I didn’t want to make things weird, but I guess I just needed to say it. You know... that, uh, I like you. Like, really like you."

You could feel your heart skip a beat at his words, the weight of his confession finally sinking in.

“Soobin…” You paused, your thoughts swirling. “You’ve been acting all weird because you like me? This whole time?”

He nodded sheepishly, a slight embarrassed grin spreading across his face. "I know. I’m an idiot, right?"

You shook your head, a smile tugging at your lips. "You’re not an idiot. You’re just... Soobin."

He let out a relieved breath, his expression softening. "I guess this is my way of finally saying it, huh?"

Before you could answer, he took a small step closer, his gaze locked onto yours. You could feel the warmth of his presence, the weight of his words, and for a moment, everything seemed to freeze.

"So," he murmured, his voice low, "are you still up for that... awkward conversation about us?"

You grinned, trying to suppress your nerves. "I’d really rather just tell you that I like you back."

Soobin’s smile grew, but it was a little shy, the corners of his lips curving up in the most endearing way. His dimples deepened as he grinned, but there was a slight hesitation in his eyes—like he couldn’t quite believe what was happening. It was cute, and you couldn’t help but notice how he was trying to hide his nerves behind that smile.

"So, Beomgyu was right then..." Soobin said, taking a small step closer to you.

"What’d Beomgyu say?" you asked, matching his movement and stepping a little closer yourself.

"That you’ve had a crush on me for a while now." Soobin's voice dropped even lower as he closed the smallest gap between you two, making your heart race.

You laughed softly, feeling the warmth between you. "It’s one of the rare times that man’s ever right. We should celebrate."

You looked up at him, the only space between you two now being the faintest gap between your lips.

"With a kiss, hopefully?" Soobin murmured, his breath warm against your skin. His voice was a little more teasing now, a mischievous glint in his eyes as he leaned in just slightly. “Not with Beomgyu though, right?” he added, a playful smirk tugging at his lips.

You snorted in amusement, rolling your eyes. “You’re an idiot.”

He laughed softly, leaning even closer, his smile growing wider. “That just means you love me.”

You raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smile curving on your own lips. "I'll think about it after I text my new buddy, Kai," you teased, your voice light and playful.

Soobin froze for a second, his smile faltering as he took in your words. “Oh...we're skipping to the toxic part of our relationship, and we haven't even started dating."

You couldn’t help but chuckle at his reaction, shaking your head. "Gotta have my freedom before I get locked down," you teased, your eyes twinkling with amusement.

Before you could even process the moment, a voice broke through the silence.

“Oh my God, just kiss already.”

Both of you turned to see Beomgyu standing there, a soda in hand.

“The soda was taking too long,” he added with a shrug, as if it was the most natural thing in the world to interrupt a romantic moment like that.

You groaned, playfully pushing Soobin away and hiding your face in your hands.

Soobin let out a frustrated laugh, his cheeks tinged with a mix of embarrassment and amusement. "Yeah, thanks a lot. We were just about to kiss," he muttered, though he couldn’t wipe the grin off his face.

Beomgyu shrugged nonchalantly, clearly unfazed by the interruption. “Oh, rats in Paris would’ve gone to third base by now.”

You shot him an exasperated look, but couldn't help the chuckle that bubbled up. The moment might've been ruined, but it didn't change the way Soobin was looking at you—how your heart was still racing.

"Next time, I'll just kiss you myself, Beomgyu," you said, giving him a playful glare.

"Please don't," Beomgyu said, dramatically stepping back. "I don’t need cooties from someone who wears jorts."

You raised an eyebrow, smirking. "At least I don’t wear socks with sandals."

“So, about that kiss,” Soobin murmured, his voice soft and low, his thumb gently grazing your chin as he tilted your face up, urging your eyes to meet his.

A slow smile tugged at your lips, and without hesitation, you leaned in, pressing a quick peck to his lips.

He pulled back slightly, a playful glint in his eyes. “That’s not a kiss. That’s more like child’s play.”

“Oh, then would you like to show me what a real kiss is?” you teased, your breath catching slightly at the closeness between you two.

Soobin smirked, his gaze dropping to your lips before meeting your eyes again. “If you’re begging.”

You could feel the fluttering anticipation in your chest as he cupped both of your cold cheeks, his touch warm against your skin. Slowly, he leaned in, his lips just hovering above yours. 

“I like you so much,” he whispered, his breath brushing against your lips, his words making your heart race.

“Did you brush your teeth before this?” you murmured against his lips, your smile tugging at the corners of your mouth.

“Yeah,” he replied with a shrug, his voice a little breathless. “I had a feeling we’d be making out.”

“Solid decision.” You nodded, unable to hide the smile that was spreading across your face.

Soobin grinned, his thumb gently brushing your cheek as he pulled back slightly, still close enough that his breath mingled with yours. “Well, you never know when a good moment will pop up.”

“And you always seem to be prepared for them,” you teased, your fingers lightly tracing the collar of his jacket.

He chuckled softly, leaning in again but not closing the distance completely. “I’m just trying to be ready for you,” he said with a mischievous glint in his eye.

You raised an eyebrow, surprised but amused. “Oh, so this is all about me now, huh?”

Soobin nodded, a confident yet playful smile on his lips. “Always has been.”

[beenbaanbuun]

air freshener w/poly woosan

It came as no surprise when San wrapped his arms around your waist and hoisted you up into his strong grip. His nose pressed into your neck as he inhaled deeply, sighing with the exhale.

“You smell of work,” he grumbled as he carried you through to the living room. He threw himself down on the couch, dragging you along with him. “That stupid lemon air freshener that Jaehyun keeps on his desk.”

You brought your blouse to your nose, sniffing it gently. Sure enough, behind the overwhelming scent of Wooyoung’s cologne (he wouldn't let you leave the house that morning without spritzing you a few times… possessive bastard) there was a hint of lemon. It was barely noticeable, but to San, it was the end of the world.

“You smell of that little weirdo again?” Wooyoung called as he poked his head through from the kitchen. He had that stupid joke apron on, the one San bought him for his birthday, and you tried to hold back the giggle that rose up your throat. The frown on his face and the cooking knife in his hand were hardly helping to make him look anything other than silly. Not that you'd ever complain about your boyfriends being adorable. “Seriously, babe! Who keeps an air freshener on their desk?”

“Someone who wants their work space to smell nice?” you lay back in San’s arms, letting him manhandle you a little until you were sat sideways in his lap, legs kicked out to the side. “Maybe he doesn't like the overwhelming scent of men’s cologne that comes from me day in, day out.”

Wooyoung rolled his eyes over dramatically.

“You smell perfectly fine, brat,” he scowled, “besides, maybe we don't want you coming home smelling like another man’s lemon air freshener!”

“It's hardly like he can control where the smell goes,” you sighed, “you're just being jealous over nothing again.”

Wooyoung went to open his mouth, probably about to threaten you with a punishment, but San shooed him away with a flick of the wrist. With a perfectly on-character stomp of his foot, the shorter man retreated into the kitchen to finish whatever masterpiece he'd decided to cook for the three of you today.

But you knew you weren't safe, even with Wooyoung gone. While he may have expressed his feelings loudly and proudly, the man behind you wasn't exactly the silent type himself. You felt his breath against your ear, and you internally groaned.

“We're not jealous, baby,” San whispered against your ear, as if trying to soothe an angry dog. You weren't angry - far from it, you actually thought this was quite amusing - but San had always been the calmer, less explosive of your two boyfriends. “We just like it when you smell of us. You know how we get…”

He kissed the shell of your ear softly. Without prior knowledge of San, it wouldve been hard to tell whether it was an entirely innocent gesture or not. You knew your boyfriend like the back of your hand, though. Before the night was over, you were going to smell like them again.

“Possessive?” You cocked your eyebrow at the man. He chuckled.

“Call it primal instinct, babe,” he said.

You snort as you giggle.

“My boyfriends are cavemen, got it.”

You could see the muscles in his jaw clenching and unclenching, and you couldn't help but let out a little giggle. It was always fun to say the role of the mouse, tempting fate by dancing around the big bad wolf’s feet. He was often more patient than the fox that was now humming a little tune in the kitchen. One would pounce immediately, while the other would let you play a little.

You were grateful you'd landed in San’s lap rather than Wooyoung’s. After the day you'd had, being a little shit sounded like the perfect way to relieve some stress.

“You're pushing your luck,” he sang in your ear, “you're lucky I sent Youngie away. If it were up to him you'd already be bent over and your cheeks would be a pretty shade of pink, hm?”

“Yeah, because he's a brat who can't stand it when anyone else gets the last word…”

San chucked darkly into your hair as his hands began to roam across your body. They were gentle, yet possessive, only further proving your point.

“He's the brat?” San shook his head, “I think we both know that you're the only one guilty of that. Youngie just doesn't like it when you argue for the sole purpose of riling us up…”

“It's not for the sake of riling you up,” you whine as if you're not lying through your teeth. As if you're not fully aware of the fact that San knows you too well to believe you, “you're being jealous over nothing. It's an air freshener, it's not like he's been fucking me over his desk.”

And just like that, a switch flipped. Whether it was the blatant lie about their jealousy, or the final comment you made that pushed him over the edge, you couldn’t care less. All you cared about was the dangerous look that swam through his dark eyes. He looked ready to pounce and if you said much else, you had no doubt that he would.

His hands came to a still when they reached your hips. Strong fingers squeezed your flesh, no doubt leaving bruises in their wake with how hard his grip was. You should've winced, but you smiled instead, getting some sort of sick enjoyment out of the dull ache you felt.

“Bold words for someone entirely at my mercy,” San growled in your ear, sharp teeth nipping at the lobe, “you know just as well as we know that that man wouldn't even dare touch what's not his. He doesn't have the balls to even look you in the eyes, hm? Let alone fuck you…”

You squirmed in his lap, or at least tried to. The grip he had on your hips was tight, and it only grew tighter as you wriggled around. Your fun lasted just a few seconds before he pinned you in place again.

“Fucking behave,” he said with gritted teeth, “don’t think I don’t know what you’re doing, brat. Carry this on and you’ll get nothing.”

“I’m not doing anything,” you grumbled. He just laughed. Loud and brash as he tipped his head back against the couch.

“Good one, babe,” he squeezed your hip one final time before letting his hand move to rest upon the button of your pants, “now shut up and let me remind you who you belong to.”

[ponett]

Do you have any advice for people making OCs/sonas? Yours are really well rounded and unique and I'd greatly appreciate the insight of someone who got a passion project off the ground!

So this is a very broad topic, and it varies a lot based on your own creative goals, what kind of characters you're creating, and where you want to use them. Creating an OC to be used in furry pinups is a little different than creating one for a dramatic story. But I'll try to give some general advice on how I do things for the types of characters and stories I tend to work with

Heads up: this will be kinda long lol

The germ of an idea

For me, I'll generally be inspired to create a character starting with a small number of core traits. These could be anything. A color scheme, a body type, a job, a hobby, a personality archetype, an outfit, a visual motif, a functional role in a story I'm working on, a noteworthy facial feature, a weapon, a relationship of some sort to an existing character, a single scene or joke I want to use them for. For furries and fantasy characters, species is usually one of the first things I'll have an idea for, which tends to get the ball rolling fairly easily since we have all sorts of cultural associations with different animals and fantasy creatures.

Any standout character trait like this that you find compelling can serve as that initial spark. The inspiration can come from anywhere, but it's often just a matter of knowing yourself and your own tastes. What do you like? What are the people in your life like? What really speaks to you in a character? What's an existing fictional character that you'd like to rewrite and take in a different direction? What's an aspect of yourself that you would like to see represented more often in fiction? It doesn't have to be something super deep or fleshed out right from the start, though. You can start with something as simple as "I want a black cat character" or "I want a character who dresses like an arcade carpet" or "I want a character who looks scary but is actually nice." Whatever it is, it's something that differentiates the new character from the ones I already have, because otherwise I'd just be using them.

Contrast

From there, you can start brainstorming other traits that might go with those core traits. Some of those may be traits that naturally complement each other. Continuing with the black cat example, maybe you wanna play into the common cultural perception of black cats and say that this character brings bad luck, or is associated with witchcraft. However, I often like to give characters contrasting or even seemingly contradictory traits, which can help elevate a character beyond a stock archetype. Real people tend to be a walking ball of contradictions, after all.

I've talked a lot about how I did this with the main cast of SLARPG. Melody is a fox, traditionally a crafty and untrustworthy predator, but she's extremely introverted and gentle. Allison is a bunny, but instead of being a meek and cuddly little prey animal she's an outgoing fighter who loves a challenge, and she has a muscular build. I think this kind of thing gives characters some fun flavor, and can be really effective for both comedy and drama. For an example from something I didn't write, take Senshi from Dungeon Meshi. He's a dwarf, and he embodies certain stereotypical aspects of dwarves - he's a short, buff man with a big bushy beard, he lives underground, he's stubborn and doesn't like elven magic - but he also goes against some of them. Instead of being an expert on mining and blacksmithing, Senshi is a culinary expert who has a deep appreciation for the natural ecosystem of the dungeon. He's a weirdo among dwarves for not caring about the wellbeing of his axe and for using his super awesome shield primarily as a giant wok. And that's what makes Senshi fun and interesting.

So going back to our example, instead of going with the stereotype, we could make a black cat character who has comically good luck, or who's superstitious and afraid of witchcraft, or who's an extremely rational person who always believes in science over superstition. Or maybe you roll with the bad luck angle, but instead make the black cat be the victim of their own bad luck in some interesting way. Maybe this black cat has terrible luck with love and can't hold down a relationship. Maybe this black cat is an aspiring speedrunner who consistently gets the absolute worst RNG possible in every video game due to their own bad luck. Maybe this black cat has accrued a horrendous gambling debt after a long losing streak and has loan sharks coming after them.

These are all just hypothetical examples, of course. I don't exclusively make characters with ironic contradictions like this. The idea is just to build on those core traits you started with in interesting ways, and that's one of my favorite ways to do so. But honestly, a lot of the time execution is more important than the sheer originality of an idea, and sometimes really putting your all into playing a trope you love straight is the right move.

Specificity

Regardless of what direction I take a character in past that initial seed of an idea, the key ingredient tends to be specificity. To give them specific details beyond the most stock possible version of that core idea you started with.

This is something I internalized from Tim Schafer, via a blog post in the behind-the-scenes backer material for Broken Age. Sadly I'm not sure if that stuff is still available, but I did save this particular post about creating characters since it really helped me, so I'll directly quote a chunk of that post here:

No two characters would approach a problem or react to events in the same way. At least, not if you’ve designed the characters well. If you’ve left them too vague or superficial, if they are merely functional elements in your story instead of individuals, then they might react in the same way. And that’s a problem. So to avoid that, I’m going to talk about one the most important parts of character development: specificity. Making sure your character is a specific individual, not a stereotype. A unique character, different from anyone else in the world. It doesn’t mean that they have to have wacky gimmicks, eyepatches and crazy accents. It just means they have to be specific. For example, let's create a new character. Let's say your story has a scene where your main character gets in trouble in school. So you’re probably going to need a school teacher. Imagine a school teacher for a bit. Do you see her in a little red schoolhouse? Maybe a bun in her hair? An apple on her desk? Thick black glasses? Let’s put a ruler in her hand for good measure. Done! We have our teacher character. She’s ready to be in the scene where our hero goes to school and the teacher sends her to the principal’s office for passing notes. Right? I mean, this character doesn’t have too many lines, so why develop her character any more? The problem is that this teacher is a very shallow stereotype of a teacher. She has no specific attributes that make her memorable. She’s the teacher you would get in a set of free clip art. She might not have many lines, but if all your supporting characters are this way, your story will be more bland than it should be. Even if this teacher is only onscreen for a minute, she should be unique and different from any other teacher in the world. Luckily, it's not actually that hard to make her so. You just have to ask some very basic, specific questions.

Tim goes on to explain how simple exercises like filling out character sheets with basic questions about your character (there are a million of these online) can help push a character beyond a stock archetype, even if it's a minor supporting character. Questions about where they're from, their likes and dislikes, their beliefs, their goals in life, that sort of thing. For minor characters especially, a lot of these details may never actually come up in a story, but just asking even a few of these questions and giving them specific answers helps you see them less like an archetype and more like a real person in your head. Maybe you never bring up your character's backstory or their favorite sport or what kind of music they listen to, but just having a specific answer for questions like that might help color the way you depict that character in subtle ways. It makes it feel like they aren't defined by just that one core trait you started with, and helps make the characters and world feel more alive, like there's stuff going on with them beyond the bounds of the story or the drawing.

It's a careful balancing act, though. It's easy for a character to feel like they're a collection of too many unrelated gimmicks and quirks. Again, like Tim said, these specifics don't have to make for the craziest, most original character ever, there just has to be something there.

Let's go back to SLARPG as an example, where I combined broad character archetypes I liked with more specific personal elements that I felt like I wasn't seeing enough in the fiction I liked. Melody is riffing on the common idea of the reserved healer character in the RPG or MMO party and the shy girl archetype, but she's the main hero instead of a supporting player in another person's story, and she's also a fat bisexual trans woman who draws a lot of little details from my own life. Her interests, her relationships, her opinions on things, her personal hangups and dreams, these all set Melody apart from other fantasy healer characters and define her as Melody Amaranth. Specificity!

But it doesn't always have to be super deep, especially if you just want some characters to draw for fun and aren't planning on writing a story with them. Take my fursona. I've always loved dogs, so I made my fursona a dog. I chose a Samoyed in particular because I think Samoyeds are the cutest, and I hadn't seen hardly any anthro Samoyed OCs at the time. I leaned into the breed's signature fluffiness to help my fursona stand out from other canine OCs. She has simple identifying traits like being fat like me, wearing glasses like mine, and having a hairstyle kinda like mine (when I tied my hair up in a bun, at least). And there you go. Fursona achieved. She's not a wildly high concept character, but she doesn't need to be

Anyway I realize that this is mostly about the writing aspect, so here's a few quick bullet points about designing a character's appearance:

Face and body type variety are good, but personally I would say lack of body type variety is worse than same face syndrome

Knowing some stuff about shape language is good, but you don't have to be completely beholden to the "circles are friendly, squares are sturdy, triangles are scary" shit. I'm generally more interested in using repeated shaping in different parts of a character's design as sort of a shape motif. Melody's body, hair, and tail are all made of round, swooping shapes, for example. (This is more applicable if you're designing cartoonier characters as opposed to realistic humans, obviously.)

Knowing some basics of color theory is also good. I like using complementary and contiguous color schemes on characters and generally try not to use too many distinct colors on one design. Black and white and grey and various browns are good as neutral colors to balance out the colors of the rainbow, and gold can be a nice accent color

A small handful of identifying accessories can be fun, but don't rely on those to make a design stand out. Ideally your character should still be identifiable even when not wearing their default outfit, or even in silhouette

Aaaaaand I'm gonna call it a wrap there! This is a huge topic, so hopefully this helps with at least some of the basics! At the end of the day, though, don't beat yourself up if you can't sit down and force yourself to come up with the most crazy awesome OC ever. Just have fun and be yourself!

[homunculus-argument]

I think it's always supremely funny when something has a character who's distinctly more Genre than everyone else in the setting - like everyone else is living in the kind of "everyone shits themselves when they die" kind of miserably drab Game of Thrones kind of low fantasy setting but there's just this one fucking guy on an epic high fantasy quest because he saw a bird do something weird and This Was An Omen That He Must Embark On This Journey, while everyone else is like "dude why do you talk like that."

Even better if it isn't even the same genre as everyone else. Just living in their own world that's clearly internally consistent but incomprehensible to anyone else. Funnier yet, when once it has been firmly established that this dude just lives like this, it's dramatically revealed that there's two of them, literally just one other person who's exactly like this, too.

Like the story is just some normal family slice of life comedy, except one of the dads is just Like That. And then some completely bat shit insane weirdo shows up out of nowhere trying to fight this guy, and the dad just responds in the exact same style of dramatic right back, with no hesitation. Nobody but his wife has any idea what the hell is going on, and she wishes it was not going on. Their kids ask their dad what the hell that was about, who is this guy.

And he just goes "Forgive me for keeping this from you. I can see now that my attempts to keep the shadows of my past a secret from you, in order to protect you, have been foolish. I should have prepared you for this day. The consequences of the failures of my youth. You see, I was not always the man that you know now as your father."

(His wife chimes in from the other room, saying "don't listen to him, kids. He's literally always been like that.")

And this other weird guy barges in like "Brace yourself, villain! I have come for my vengeance! For years I have sought you, tracked you like a beast as you have fled like an animal, but now I have cornered you here. You, traitor who were once my brother, who robbed me of the life that should have been rightfully mine!"

And without skipping a beat the dad turns to him like "You fool! Still you are blinded by your own insolent pride! It was not I who schemed or sought your downfall, but it was your own arrogance that brought you down!" And their battle continues while this guy's family calmly watches from the side.

And the mom explains that yeah, they used to know each other in college. Both of them were already like that when they met, and they were best buds at the time, almost all the way through. No, they didn't start fighting over her. Nobody else but them even knows what this beef is about. And all the while this background story is being explained, they're watching two middle-aged dudes engaged in combat with shitty mall katanas in a grocery store parking lot.

[resident-wof-expert]

Unsorted WOF thoughts part 160:

A list of reasons why The Dangerous Gift is probably my favorite book in the mainline series and definitely my favorite book in arc 3:

We finally get to check up on Pyrrhia and see the aftermath of arc 2.

The reveal that Tundra was really just a repressed weirdo, even by IceWing standards.

Glacier's death wasn't meaningless or for shock value.

Snowfall's PTSD isn't ignored.

Snowfall gets to be dramatic as hell in ways that are as hilarious as they are sad.

Snowfall and Lynx spend literally like 80% of the book by each others' sides.

The reveal that Winter wasn't actually banished by Snowfall, and Snowfall subsequently calling him a drama queen (she's one to talk.).

The reveal that Crystal wasn't plotting anything, and was literally just hanging out in Sanctuary. (IceWing royalty just LOVES to assume the worst in their family.)

More Qinter.

It introduces Wren.

Snowfall becomes the most informed character in the series, making her pov worth reading through.

We finally get an explanation and justification for the disappearance of animus magic in a way that makes sense.

Mink.

"It was inside you all along." Played completely straight finally. I'm tired of novels that hate tropes.

The book ends with Snowfall literally smashing racism and classism to pieces with her fists.

[octobelus]

hey if you want to solve mysteries as a genius detective, bumbling idiot, super powerful predator, deeply traumatized weirdo, Normal Guy, or some combination of the above, check out the ttrpg Eureka: Investigative Urban Fantasy

development is ongoing, but in its current state my character got to trigger a cascade of dramatic reveals and worsening mental health among the party where it turned out 3/5 of them were living dolls while a dead body lay at their feet and the only human was covered in its brains. I haven't played ttrpgs in yearsss and this was a hilarious way to come back to it!