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bambihrt · 2 days ago

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Christmas in Hell

a very hazbin christmas, full of joy, cheer and a party for the ages

Alastor x reader

Reader needs the perfect gift for Angel Dust but has to ask a certain someone for help. Just a little fluffy holiday special.

You would think after death the holidays wouldn't be very important. In hell, especially you would think since they're not big fans of the big guy in charge that they wouldn't celebrate a certain someone's birth. Well Charlie Morningstar was not going to let those facts ruin her super-duper fantastical holiday party.

Christmas Eve

Despite the lack of Christmas spirit Angel Dust was booked and busy letting Santa come down the chimney in a few special videos to be released the next day. Even though his stocking was being filled early you, as his best friend, were stressing over the perfect gift to get him.

Earlier in the week, Charlie has gathered everyone in the hotel to the main space where she had set up a giant tree that reached the ceiling. Charlie and her partner Vaggie, covered in pine needles and wearing lumberjack clothing, held Husk's hat full of folded slips of paper open for the circle.

"Hiiiii everyone! Hope you're all merry and ready for a fun group bonding exercise!" Charlie began.

She was met with loud groans and signs. "Shut up and listen to Charlie she put a lot of work into this," Vaggie huffed with rage.

"Thanks Vaggie. Anyways, I've set up a secret Santa for everyone to- HEAR ME OUT OKAY yes so you'll choose a name and then on Christmas we'll swap gifts and it will be so fun!" Charlie explained while passing the hat along and giggling and staring you down when she picked a piece of paper.

Since you had died quite young, your family hadn't make it to Hell yet or they made are in the place above, so you haven't celebrated since making your way to the after life, so this sounded like fun. But you couldn't resist a playful eye roll as you chose your paper reading Angel Dust to yourself.

Husk groaned while picking from his hat and then placing it on his head, "I thought through death I escaped obligatory in-law get togethers but now I have this shit."

Fast forward back to present day you were still stuck on what you could get him. Adult toys? No give him a break from work. Drugs? Not that you want to encourage that habit. Nifty had been no help when you asked. Muttering on about bad boys and cleaning. You didn't bother with asking Husk. Sir Pentious was still being coached on the whole secret Santa concept. Vaggie and Charlie had too many good ideas but none felt right for Angel Dust. This left you with only one option.

Knocking twice on the radio demon's door, your face twisted with instant regret and immediately started back down the hallway. "Leaving so soon? Now here I was thinking you saved the best for last." The gaze of his knowing smile burned the back of your head as you swiveled around.

"Sorry Alastor it was stupid idea I'll leave you to do... whatever you were doing."

"Nonsense my dear! Why I'd be happy to help my favorite guest with a gift for a certain effeminate fellow!"

"How did you-"

Alastor let out his practiced laugh, "Discretion is not one of your strengths (y/n)."

Your cheeks set alight hearing Alastor call you by your first name, no pet name or teasing nicknames. He held the door open and you avoided his gaze while leading inside. The great radio demon sauntered over to his large cherry wood desk inside his room and sat in a leather cushion maroon chair. Due to the lack of seating options, you hovered near the edge of his bed while le smiled and motioned for you to take a seat with a teasing glint in his eye.

Mustering up the courage to break the silence you asked, "I thought you didn't allow visitors inside your room."

Twiddling with his microphone cane Alastor responded, "I can make exceptions."

"I don't have any VoxTek on me by the way. Just in case you wondered."

A sound came from him, almost like a real giggle but you must of been mistaken. "I know (y/n)."

"Well since you seem to know everything what would be the perfect gift for Angel Dust that will show I'm a wonderful friend?"

"I can only give you hints, would spoil the game if I told you."

You groaned and fell back against the bed. Of course coming to Alastor was a mistake. As if an overlord would want to help silly you buy a silly gift for a silly holiday.

"Cheer up dearie! You're closer to the answer then you might think."

Eyebrows furrowed and dread he might make a fool of you, you asked him for the first hint.

"Something to do with your weekly film Friday events perhaps?"

"It's actually called freaky Friday because of our shared love of movies from the noughties." You said with a cheeky grin. "Angel also loves a dirty joke whenever it's possible to have one."

"Ah yes you, the spider ,and the swine all cuddled together in your matching pajamas on the settee watching princess makeovers and assistant makeovers and-"

"Hey it's more than just makeovers!" However, the comment gave you an idea, "Oh my god what if I get him a Fat Nuggets blanket?"

A round of applause played while Alastor called out "Ding ding! We have a winner!"

Letting out a sheepish smile and thank you, you rose from the bed ready to search for a way to get this made by the end of the day. Then a perfectly wrapped gift appeared in front of your face and dropped into your hands. Your head whipped in the direction of the smiling demon across the room.

"Is this what I think it is? How did you have it already?"

"I know you."

With a flushed face and full arms you made your way out of the room and through the doorway. Only halfway through the walk to your bedroom did you realize Alastor knew of your movie nights and took note of the matching pajamas. The radio demon noticed you.

Christmas Day

A giant fire roared in the hearth as bells rung and music played around the hotel. Excitement filled the air as the originally dismissive group exchanged gifts to each other. You and Angel Dust hung together watching the others until you announced you had something for him.

"Aw (y/n) you're my secret Santa?"

You snatched the Santa hat off Angel Dust's head in embarassment and placed it on your own as you laughed, "Had to get something for my ho ho hoe."

After a fit of giggles said spider unwrapped his gift and his eyes lit up, "If you had a dick I'd suck it so hard right now thank you doll."

Christmas was a success and you could finally breathe a sigh of relief and a laugh at your best friend's words as he snuggled himself within the blanket along with its muse in his lap.

Charlie rose up to give her gift as you prepared yourself with being thankful and happy no matter what she gave you. Until she turned to Nifty with a gift that turned out to be a new dress for her. Filled with confusion you swore to Angel that you thought Charlie got you due to her obviousness. Then the young Morningstar turned again to look above you and smiled so brightly.

Both yours and Angel Dust moved to see what she was smiling at behind you only to be face to face, or well chest, of the radio demon. Grinning down at you with his hands behind his back he laughed and said, "Happy Christmas from your secret Santa."

"What? I thought for sure it was Charlie."

"We struck a sort of deal," Alastor explained while behind your back Charlie gave a thumbs up as the rest of the crew stopped to watch.

The gift was handed to you as you carefully unwrapped it, conscious of all the eyes currently on you or rather what a scary overlord has given you as a gift. Inside was a beautifully crafted music box with carvings of your favorite flowers and sculptures of little deer in a meadow. You opened the box and your ears are met with an instrumental version of your favorite song.

"How did you-"

"Like I said I know you (y/n)."

Suddenly Charlie's voice bellowed, "Look who's under the mistletoe!" As if you couldn't be any more red from this interaction you now looked up to see that very mistletoe above you and Alastor. Your facial expression fell realizing this was going to be so awkward, being rejected in front of everyone despite it not being caused by you. Full of thoughts on how to escape or come up with a nonchalant response to not even being wanted for one measly peck and planning when you'll disappear to nurse your ego, you were distracted from the real world. That was until a pair of lips met your own in a soft yet hungry kiss. The moment felt like eternity yet also a millisecond at the same time. Before you could return the kiss, the deer demon pulled back and with a wink, walked away.

Shocked faces and silence filled the room as no one expected Alastor's actions. Lightly touching your lips, you thought maybe Christmas in Hell isn't so bad.

#hazbin hotel #hazbin hotel x reader #x reader #alastor x reader #hazbin hotel alastor #the radio demon #christmas fic

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thewertsearch · 8 months ago

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Mega-Giga Ask Comp: Part 3

@manorinthewoods asked: I'll be honest, I wrote the Locked Tomb ask having not read the Locked Tomb series. I literally only know the starting and ending strokes of the first book. That being said, I do like the half-soul-Sollux idea, and it works pretty well with the Locked Tomb's general theme of Lyctorhood, and how knotted the whole situation with Alecto, Gideon, and Harrow ends up being. (What is even going on with Nona) ~LOSS (4/13/24) @manorinthewoods asked: You know, if you hadn't already read Gideon the Ninth, I'd have recommended it as a good second liveblog. It really does fit your preferred sort of mystery. From all the clues presented, you could probably hit very close to the ultimate solution to the Lyctoral puzzle - as close as anybody could be expected to get. ~LOSS (25/4/24) @manorinthewoods asked: The Locked Tomb's prose is pretty good. On occasion, it happens to chime with a sound of 'Homestuck', but I only recall that twice so far in my reading. I like the skelebook. ~LOSS (27/4/24)

Once again, I'm glad my hidden agenda - convincing this blog's entire readership to check out The Locked Tomb - is bearing fruit.

I agree! TLT does occasionally give Homestuck vibes, presumably because its author is a fan. For the most part, though, its prose style is all its own.

Anonymous asked: Reference to American culture: the sphere of Jade's home dropping and the timer that preceded it are references to the Times Square Ball, an annual event held every New Year's Eve. A giant ball descends down a pole at 11:59 PM and reaches the bottom at 12:00 AM, January 1. I believe that you can figure out why the reference was included in the first place. Anonymous asked: btw the gamzee page was released on new years. ‘the miracle of a new beginning’ is the new year and the lab dropping is supposed to be a reference to the ball dropping in times square

Some America Lore here that I wasn't aware of.

I was wondering exactly what Gamzee meant by 'a new beginning'. Maybe Alternia practices the tradition as well.

@omnilew asked: the way you speculate and go indepth into sburbs features and how it affects the kids, made a silly headcanon that your kidsona is reading the comic while playing out their session though this is mainly because "Eventually, we were bound to cross a couple of wires that should never have been allowed to touch" kinda references chargerkind

I like it! Maybe my 'sonas have access to a more in-depth version of Rose's walkthrough, and are adding their own commentary in quiet moments during their own adventures.

@manorinthewoods asked: Your excitement over the resurrection of Dream Jade gave me a form of suspenseful mirth. Seeing how happy you were at her resurrection, while also knowing exactly what came of it, is perhaps textbook dramatic irony. If only you'd read a panel further… ~LOSS (26/4/24)

She looked so happy to be back, too! That certainly didn't last long.

She was prototyped with a smiling corpse, though. Maybe that was just her 'default' expression, and it vanished as soon as her actual feelings asserted themselves.

@thetinygladiator asked: 'I hadn’t really thought about Sally’s ectobiological parent - but now that I am, I think the funniest possible option is that it’s her landlady.' okay but i just gotta say… this immediately makes me think about how that relates to the house-building aspect. Like, with the giant tower, are they gonna charge the Imps for rent? That might work, honestly. Where do imps even live? Bet they don't have good AC or Wi-Fi, lemme tell ya.

300 GRIST/DAY NO CRUXTRUDER NO ALCHEMY NO PETS

@manorinthewoods submitted: How many computers would you have on your person if you were playing Sburb? Jade recommends at least 5. I say I'd have a laptop, phone, a spare of both of those, and computer gloves if I need to compute really fast. Also spare gloves. Speaking of the phone - is it possible for people to put phones in their pockets? Given Karkat (and a minor gag in Act 6), we can assume that it's difficult or uncommon to carry items without using the Sylladex - or maybe it's just tied to your dexterity, and you have to hold things gingerly to avoid captchaloguing them when you pick them up. On the other hand, there's no issues with accidentally storing something you've unstored and are using - so how does the Sylladex actually work? Do people just instinctively store their items once they're done using them? Is it difficult to avoid storing something you aren't using anymore? Can you stuff phones in pockets? If not, then why develop a PDA in the first place? Given the Sylladex, it should be much more commercially viable to make a tablet. ~LOSS (24/4/24)

Since Karkat can physically pick up a book, you can probably pocket your gear - although maybe there's a difference between holding an object and trying to add it to a physical 'inventory'. Either way, the issue is easily circumvented by employing wearable tech, like the kids do.

As depicted in my alchemy binge, my primary computing device would be the Pocket Holodex, which can remote into any computer in my sylladex.

In addition, my Modular Ring shirt is also a computer, which can presumably be augmented by adding extra mod1ules over time. I'd probably also captchalogue every computer in my apartment, of which I currently have six.

I'd be exploring the Medium with a minimum of seven computers, plus one pseudo-computer, plus a phone. Jade would certainly approve.

@iris-in-the-dark-world asked: the tension in act 5 act 2 is perfect, i love it. maybe even moreso on rereads, the foreshadowing and generally ominous vibes always get to me @heliotropopause asked: You're getting to the part where the comic really starts hitting its stride. This'll be fun.

The ever-present countdown certainly adds a degree of urgency to the situation.

I'm really liking the pacing of this current act, as things slowly progress towards some critical point - one which, for now, is still shrouded in mystery.

Anonymous asked: Forwarding another ask for the person with no account ~DJ: Eridan's deal seems to be based on Wizardry Herbert - a proto-Homestuck work by Hussie. A parody of Harry Potter dealing with whether magic is real. [] But Methods of Rationality began in February 2010, so "Harry Potter but obsessed with science" might have also been an intentional reference to that.-RM @heliotropopause asked: Eridan Ampora and the Methods of Rationality sure is an idea for a fanfic. He'd be so bad at it.

Eridan would be an extremely funny choice for a ratfic protagonist. He'd be so smarmy about it - and thus, a perfect addition to their ranks.

What would the definitive Homestuck ratfic be called, do you think? I think Tool-Assisted Speedrun would be a decent choice.

@killedthekat asked: An interesting thing about doomed timelines is how they serve to prevent stable loop metagaming. As a basic example, in a typical stable time loop scenario, if you observe yourself unharmed in the future, you can throw yourself into high danger high reward situations and know that probability will twist itself into whatever improbable knot it needs to do to keep you safe. But in homestuck if you lean too hard on predestination you just get shunted into a doomed timeline for your trouble.

It's true. Timehopping just isn't fun in Homestuck, as you're constantly walking a tightrope, desperately trying to stay in the one timeline that might not get you killed.

It's a good way to prevent time-travelers from becoming overpowered - something which is probably necessary for a comic which makes such heavy use of the concept.

Anonymous asked: Now that you're updating while HS^2 is, I've realised that while I'm barely keeping up with ^2, I just yelled "Oh! Upd8!" out loud when I checked your blog, so to me? You're the real continuation of Homestuck

What an honor!

For veterans of the comic, this blog is more Homestuck: Revisited than Homestuck 2. As a woman who would much rather watch video essays about old Simpsons episodes than new seasons of the show, I completely understand why some would prefer the latter.

@manorinthewoods asked: I've since finished Worm. I think Sophia's by far the best Vriska candidate. Lisa, Amy, and Colin are less so, I think. ~LOSS (21/4/24)

Oh, nice, you got all the way through it! Worm is an absolute behemoth, and I know a lot of people who started it, and gave up halfway through.

Sophia is likely the closest match to Vriska in personality. I agree with an earlier comment, though, that the most Vriska-like character in terms of audience reaction is probably Amy.

Anonymous asked: Cannot believe someone would propose a Homestuck/Locked Tomb scenario and leave Gamzee as part of a spare pairing, when the Homestuck fic The Serendipity Gospels, written by the author of The Locked Tomb, stars Gamzee and Terezi in the proto-necromancer/cavalier dynamic. Absolutely appropriate to have Gamzee as Ninth though, since his facepaint is the direct ancestor to Harrow's. Gamzee and Terezi is such a funny pairing to go with. I'm certainly looking forward to checking out The Serendipity Gospels when I'm done with the comic - both to compare it to Homestuck and to the Locked Tomb.

As am I. Apparently it was left unfinished - but considering how long this liveblog is taking, maybe Taz will have updated by the time I'm done!

Wishful thinking, of course, but I live in hope.

@bladekindeyewear submitted:

(I started Dragon's Dogma 2 a couple weeks ago and did my best to a Gideon Nav pawn (NPC ally), facepaint and two-hander and all, and the "Jaunty Straightforward" voice selection has been EXTREMELY distracting / game-improving because her voice and attitude chatting beside my player all the time sound almost straight out of the audiobook.)

Damn, you really captured her essence. Pawn is a very fitting title for her, too :(

@manorinthewoods asked: On the topic of blood color names - Blue through Purple were renamed in Hiveswap. Originally, Vriska was Cerulean, Equius was Blue, and Gamzee was Indigo - which I like more than their modern incarnations. I think 'bronze' might also be a Hiveswap thing, although I won't dispute it, and rust might have been renamed to burgundy? Maybe burgundy is a synonym. Idk. ~LOSS (4/13/24)

I think I prefer the likes of olive, indigo and bronze over more generic terms like green, blue and brown, which would quickly lead to confusion.

Vriska's blood, for example, is also a shade of blue, so it would be a little strange if blue blood was an official term, but it didn't apply to her.

@mxamericanblue asked:hi i have been absolutely BINGING your live blog rn and i gotta just get this out this is so so cool watching you react has been giving me so much joy, i don't have a computer so i can't really experience homestuck again casually when i want to but watching you read it and react and THEORIZE??? omg your theories have been so fuckin killer it's given me a new appreciation for Hussie as a story teller and how spectacular this comic truly was thank you for this, i've been having a grand ol' time, and it's all cuz of u

Thank you! I feel like I've been theorizing a lot less since I came back from my hiatus, mostly because the comic hasn't introduced many big mysteries recently - aside, of course, from Aradia's unexplained explosion.

(Pre-posting update: Since first drafting this ask, my statement above is no longer true, as Gamzee has been revealed as Homestuck's most important character. What the actual fuck.)

@lilietsblog asked: re fifth house aradia: she's an archeolodist :)

Oh, shit, you're right.

Maybe she'd be in more danger from the Lyctor than I thought.

@ben-guy asked: Vriska's ascension to god-tier is, in my personal opinion, one of the most visually striking scenes in all of Homestuck. Also, one of the panels you didn't include (which is understandable w/ Homestuck lol. Sacrifices for the sake of brevity) specifically the one where she has him write "[…] plenty of time for that l8r" above her head… Think about the position she would have had to move him to to write that.

…jesus, Vriska. You can't just do that!

@martinkhall asked: "What is treasure but a fortune, waiting to be found?" Or stolen if you're the THIEF of Light.

Son of a bitch. That's why she's a pirate, isn't it?

Because a Thief of Light is someone who steals fortunes!

@manorinthewoods asked: Eidolons. A species purpose-built to play Sburb, while breaking every mechanic you can solely with biology. Eidolons don't sleep, and live in a hive mind. Their psychologies are very poor at recognising distinct things, with Eidolons seeing the world more in terms of a blur of colors and shapes. They thus have a very difficult time understanding Classes and Aspects, never mind that their mythology never involved deities, and they never invented chess, or games of any sort… ~LOSS (15/4/24)

The idea of a species engineered from the ground up to be Players does raise the interesting question of whether there was a first species to play Sburb.

Of course, with all the time-loops we've been working with, there might not have been a first species - unless Sburb was 'created' in some sort of metatemporal space, 'before' any loops were put in place.

@manorinthewoods submitted: You are very good at analysing Vriska's psyche. Vriska's character was executed very well, I think, and I would hate her with a burning passion platonically but to a high degree if I knew her in real life. She's just… really horrible. She's a horrible person. And half her shtick is that she keeps evading consequences in spite of that. All of her mental torture of Tavros, for instance, ends in her becoming the most powerful player in the session. What sort of justice is that, Terezi? ~LOSS (15/4/24)

She hasn't entirely evaded consequences, but it's undeniable that none of the consequences she's experienced have actually stopped her from doing the things she does.

She's lost an arm, an eye, she's been beaten up, she's bled to death, and literally none of it has caused her to let up on Tavros, even a little. Letting up on Tavros, to her, would be worse than any physical harm, because it would be an attack on her worldview.

@sanctferum asked: "Has anything come of this since, actually? I haven’t heard anything about this new comic – although I do scroll in the opposite direction any time I see a reference to Homestuck, so I guess it makes sense that I wouldn’t." - The general feel I've gotten from the community has been largely positive re: the new Homestuck 2 updates, which have indeed been happening. It's being updated once per month for now, so a lot slower going than non-hiatused OG Homestuck. But I'm enjoying it so far!

Once a month seems more sustainable than Hussie's original barely-believable pace for the comic. With Hussie no longer at the helm, expecting daily panels seems like a pretty big ask - most people don't have the time, money or energy do what Hussie did.

Anonymous asked: I don't know if you read UTDR fanfiction, but this Tavros and Vriska situation reminds me a little bit of Flowey Is Not A Good Life Coach. she's trying to push him to his limits and torture him into being someone who will kill, and he just won't. say, what's your read on comparing Flowey : Vriska?

Flowey does what he does because he's lost his emotions, but Vriska does what she does because she's consumed by her emotions.

If anything, Flowey has more in common with Aradia. They're both time-travelers whose ability to feel is somewhat compromised.

Anonymous asked: WHATTTTTT HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN BACK???????? I THOUGHT YOU WERE STILL ON A LONG ASS HIATUS BUT I JUST JOW DISCOVERED TUMBLR ISNT GIVING ME POST NOTIFICATIONS FOR YOU ANYMORE EVEN THOUGH I HAVE IT TURNED ON FOR YOU AND IT WORKS FOR OTHER BLOGS???? WHAT THE HELL. IM GOING INSANE.

This has happened before - but before, I was also removed from Tumblr's search function, which doesn't seem to be the case this time.

Is anyone else having issues with Wertsearch post notifications?

@elkian asked: So has anyone mentioned the godhood joke yet? (The God Tiers costumes have hoods. God Hoods. Badum-tish)

LOL, I did miss that.

Anonymous asked: Fun Homestuck fact! After writing Karkat, someone brought up that the writer of the 'Programming For [Expletive]s' book sounded a lot like Karkat. Andrew responded by telling them to imagine that it was actually written in all caps, basically canonizing that the 'Programming For [Expletive]s' book was written by Karkat. At least, I think that's how that went? ~LOSS (28/2/23)

And it could be any Karkat, too. Maybe one of the Karkats from a doomed timeline actually learned to code from Sollux, and became a famous ~ATH developer.

@morganwick asked: So with conversation 8=8 apparently taking place in the immediate aftermath of Rose destroying her gate (even technically during Descend), and Rose's attitude towards Kanaya in the part of it that we see, does that change how much you think her attitude in their previous conversations reflects her genuine mental state?

Oh yeah, no, I’m pretty sure she was genuinely in a bad mood here. Not really so much because of Kanaya, and I think the anger directed at Kanaya specifically was inauthentic, but the bad mood itself was real. She'd recently been injected with several months of traumatic memories, after all.

@manorinthewoods asked: That panel, of John in Vriska's 'fabulous outfit', is actually pretty neat, because you can see from the proportions how young John really is. He's small, not even fully a teenager yet, and he's been thrown into this chaotic world of humans and trolls, quadrants, violence and danger. Everyone in the game must be scared, in some degree, but none of them ever show it. It makes you wonder just how strong Skaia's children really are. ~LOSS (29/4/23)

Seriously. In what universe are 13-year-olds the people most qualified to make universes? Sburb has some very funny ideas about the optimal way it should be played.

I suppose this is something that had to be true, though, for Homestuck to be the coming-of-age story that Hussie wanted it to be.

Anonymous asked: My interpretation has always been that "the Blind Prophets" are actually just Terezi herself, in a time loop-y/predestined way. She's blind, her class is Seer, AKA prophet, and those are her numerals. Also, on an unrelated note, but to weigh in on your last ask, according to Latin conventions, the plural of lusus is lusus. Does Homestuck follow those conventions? Well…

Or, since there are two Seers in Homestuck, maybe they’re Terezi and Rose. She’s a Light Player, so a blinding would be suitably ironic.

Anonymous asked: re: captchalogue codes and the states of objects: it takes a relatively small change in the physical arrangement of atoms and whatnot to turn a ghost dad poster into, say, a little monsters poster, but the two have a relatively large difference between their conceptual nature. on the other hand, it would take a relatively large rearrangement of atoms to make the slime pogo ride be anything other than a slime pogo ride. perhaps this makes the former change state more easily than the latter? alternatively, maybe the captcha system just knows that all it would really take to make the slime pogo ride stop being covered in oil is soap and water and it's happy to do that on its own, but paper is harder to clean so it wants you to jump through more hoops for that one new question: if john had used his posters for alchemy before he was able to see their defacement, would the resultant objects also be beclowned? evidence seems to suggest that players with unawakened dream selves Will draw on their walls in their sleep and not see it until Ready, so there not being mechanisms in place to deal with that seems less likely than the alternative to me, but especially considering people who aren't them Can see the drawings, how??? would that even??? work??? what would've happened if john had done alchemy with the arms cake. i think it would be funny to see that

I think he’d still get the clown posters.

The kids keep accidentally making magic items, so It's clearly possible for someone to alchemize an object with properties they didn't foresee. Therefore, I think John would make what appears, to him, to be a normal poster - but Rose would still see it as it truly is.

Anonymous asked: any thoughts on what the horrorterrors are? beyond their (admittedly vague) intentions?

I think they’re a sign of the wider cosmology beyond Sburb - and, more specifically, a sign that there is a wider cosmology beyond Sburb.

I don't know if we'll necessarily get more expansion on them than we've already had, because their whole shtick is that they're unknowable. Needless to say, I'd love to be proven wrong.

#asks #full liveblog #act 5.2 #ya girl also thought she had more asks to finish. I swear there were like ten but there were actually only two

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fandomworld9728 · 2 months ago

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Oh! U can include Alastor, Adam, Vox, Angel Dust, Lilith, Eve, and Peter (if optional) for the MHA au! :3

(AH! LET ME FREAK OUT BECAUSE NO ONE EVER ASKS FOR PETER! AND IT'S RARE I EVER GET ANYONE OTHER THAN ADAM, VOX, & ALSTOR! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THIS GIFT!)

(I hope this is good. I struggled a bit with it)

(First part of ask)

Name: Lucifer Morningstar

Hero Name: Venus

Age: 15

Quirk: Sin/Virtue (Later gets a quirk awakening, Quirk evolves into Fallen Angel)

Summary: Lucifer is a first year at U.A. and in Class 1-A. High and from a family of high society. He is the illegitimate child of Walter Morningstar (Pro Hero: Cyrus) and Ophelia Eveningsun. He is the youngest out of all his siblings and the most naturally talented.

While most of the family detests Lucifer and his quirks, his siblings on both sides of his family love and adore him.

Name: Alastor Boudreaux

Hero Name: Hunter

Vigilante Name: Radio Demon

Age: 17

Quirk: Wendigo/Radio Frequency

Summary: With his deer features and how his quirks affect him, Alastor has always been an outcast where he lived. This resulted in everyone around him mistreating him in one way or another. The only person he could count on was his mother.

At night he is a vigilante to rid the world of the scum or the Earth, but still wanting to be able to take care of his mother (and to have a cover) he is a 2nd year at U.A. high and in Class 2-A.

Alastor falls for Lucifer when he found out about not just Alastor's secret identity but also everything that he had been hiding from everyone else and still accepted him.

Name: Adam Edelman

Hero Name: The Man

Age: 15

Quirk: Holy Blessing

Summary: Is first year at U.A. and in Class1- B. He is always in competition with Lucifer and always has been ever since they were children. It didn't help that their families were always at odds.

Adam fell in love with Lucifer when they were children but will never admit it to anyone besides his best friend.

Name: Victor Petrov

Villain Name: Vox

Age: 28

Quirk: Electrokinesis

Summary: Victor wanted to change his life but also get revenge on the people who made his life a living hell. This led him down a dark path and to form the well-known villain team The Vees.

He fell for Lucifer during The Vees' attack on U.A. when they were fighting one on one.

Name: Anothny Dobre

Hero Name: Doesn't have one yet

Vigilante Name: Angel Dust

Age: 16

Quirk: Spider

Summary: Grew up in a family of criminals but broke away from that life once he met Lucifer and the other students of U.A. With the help of them, Anothny wants to make up for all the bad he's done in his life.

Anothny fell for Lucifer when they first met, and he inspired him to take charge of his life.

Name: Lilith Giordano

Hero Name: Siren

Age: 25

Quirk: Siren Song

Summary: Works at her family's agency with her younger brother and hopes to one day have an agency of her own. Lilith is the number 10 Pro Hero in Japan and inspires women to peruse careers most people would consider were for men only.

Lilith fell for Lucifer when he came to work at her family's agency for internships and he saw her more than just a pretty face and sex appeal.

Name: Eve Athanasiou

Hero Name: Artemis

Age: 13

Quirk: Marksmen/Nature Control

Summary: Eve is a naturally gifted young lady and always praised for her talents. But with that praise comes a lot of pressure on her to be the best. She is the youngest in her class at Seiai Academy.

Eve fell for Lucifer during the Provisional Licensing Exams when he encouraged her and saw her for more than her gifts.

Name: Peter Giordano

Hero Name: Saint Peter

Age: 19

Quirk: Angelic Song

Summary: Peter works at his family's agency with his older sister, Lilith, and is a part of a wonder duo with her. Hopes to one day become a teacher at one of the many hero schools in the world.

Fell for Lucifer during his time at his family's agency during his internship and thinks he is the most adorable thing he's ever seen.

(I'd love to expand this concept more ^-^ )

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vmantras · 1 month ago

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Tata Tiago EV Review: Technology and Comfort Combined

₹11.39Lakh The Tata Tiago EV XZ Plus Tech LUX LR represents a significant milestone in India’s journey towards affordable electric mobility. As a hatchback, it combines practicality, advanced technology, and eco-friendliness, catering to the needs of both urban and semi-urban consumers. Below is an in-depth exploration of its various features, benefits, and areas where it could improve. General…

#Affordable EV #Compact EVs #Eco-Friendly Cars #Electric Car Performance #Electric Hatchback #Electric Vehicles India #EV Battery Range #EV Charging Options #EV Safety Features #Indian Electric Cars #Smart EV Technology #Tata Motors #Tata Tiago EV #Tiago EV Features #Urban Commuter Cars

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pandorasword · 1 year ago

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Chaeri as the 8th and youngest member of BTS.

CHAERI'S MASTERLIST

❒ OPTIONAL PREVIOUS READING: SILVER LIPS PT.1 | SILVER LIPS PT.2 It can actually stand alone

❒ genre: Angst

❒ words: 7.5k

❒ summary: In which a kiss leads Chaeri to a forced hiatus and, when she returns to Korea for New Year's Eve, Jungkook decides to visit her

❒ warnings: swearing; heated argument;

❒ pairing: Jungkook x 8thmember!OC

❒ notes: I've had this drabble in my drafts for quite some time but could never find the courage to finish it. I'd really like to know what you think about it, I've put a lot of effort into it 🤧

2 a.m. decisions

December 31, 2021

Jungkook found himself in a hazy state, caught between the realms of sleep and wakefulness, as he lay back on the ferry that would take him from Seoul to Jeju Island. The gentle rocking of the boat, coupled with the rhythmic hum of the engine, created a soothing lullaby that threatened to draw him deeper into his dreams.

As his eyes fluttered shut, memories intertwined with his subconscious to form vivid images of a recent meeting. It had been almost a month ago that he and Chaeri had sat before their superiors, anxiety coursing through their veins. The atmosphere had been tense, and they knew that the consequences that lay ahead would shape their uncertain future.

In a dreamlike state, the scene unfolded before him. The conference room was cold and sterile, the polished table standing as a barrier between the artists and the authority figures. The managers' stern expressions reflected their disapproval, his head had turned towards Chaeri to catch the emotion behind her eyes.

Had he ever seen her really afraid before? Not that he could remember, and at that moment the resolute set of her jaw was no different. She shifted in her seat, glancing around the room with a cool detachment.

She looked nonchalantly at the people in front of them, as if they would not tell her again that the relationship she was desperately clinging to had to end once and for all.

The thump of a manager's hand on the desk made him flinch in both dream and reality; an overhead image of him and Chaeri locked in a kiss in a dressing room began to form before his eyes.

Anger and shame at the invasion of their privacy brought a warmth to his cheeks.

"Do you have any idea how much we had to pay to keep those photos from getting out?"

Chaeri's delicate hand, adorned with a ring on each finger, swept across his view, taking the photo and studying it. The corners of her lips turned up, "Too bad, we look great in this one" she said in a mocking voice.

Jungkook wanted to tell her not to try these people's patience, but he knew that Chaeri wouldn't listen to anyone.

"This is embarrassing," the manager remarked, eyes bulging and face flushed. He quickly snatched the photo away from Chaeri, knowing that something so dangerous in her possession could become even more so.

"It's a shame there were cameras in our dressing room instead" she stood up and tapped the wood of the luxurious desk with both palms, "Should we perhaps take legal action against those who are supposed to be in charge of our privacy? How much money would that cost?"

Jungkook's heart raced as Chaeri's defiant words hung in the air. He knew that her fiery spirit couldn't be tamed, but he also understood the consequences of further challenging their managers. He felt a mixture of admiration and apprehension.

There was an uneasy silence in the room. The managers exchanged glances, their expressions a mixture of frustration and resignation. It was clear that the situation had got out of hand.

The man who had confiscated the incriminating picture let out a sigh and tried to hide his anger. He leaned back in his chair, his features softening as he met Jungkook's gaze. "We've invested a lot in this group," he said, knowing that he had to put pressure on Jungkook, that he was the weak link between the two in this case, "Our main concern is to preserve the team's reputation and stability."

Then he leaned forward, his voice filled with a mixture of toughness and false concern. "Jungkook, we have come to a delicate conclusion" he began, his eyes searching for any sign of understanding from the young idol. "In order to prevent further negative impact on the group's image and possible scandals, we believe it would be best for you to complete your military service earlier than originally planned."

"No!" the words roll out of his tongue, his eyes wide.

He did not know if his mind was distorting the memory of that day in his sleep, but he seemed to see a satisfied smile on the Executive's face. His eyes slid from him to her, who had returned to her seat, her hands clenched in what appeared to be a painful grip. She held back from speaking, knowing it would only make the situation worse.

"We've talked about enlisting and it's still a long way off for me" Jungkook added, trying to appear more composed.

Joining the army meant putting his life on hold, leaving his family, friends, activities, music and fans behind.

He didn't want to do that. He wasn't ready.

He still had so much to do.

Just as the dream reached its crescendo, Jungkook was jolted awake.

A child running away from his mother's arms had stumbled over his feet and landed on his legs.

In the eyes of others, the mask and hat made him an ordinary citizen on the ferry to join his family for New Year's Eve.

He rubbed his eyes with one hand and tried to push the remnants of that restless sleep out of his mind.

After all, he had not had to do his military service. Not yet.

He felt guilty about it, as if the blame he placed on himself was not enough.

He pinched his nose from above his mask, a little self-inflicted punishment for causing the sequence of events that had brought him, that had brought them both, to this point.

He used to do it every time the images of him and Chaeri outside the office played in his head; when he had pulled his arm away from her touch because he was too angry, too committed to how unfair the choice they had forced him to make was, to the way they controlled his life.

The following day, the staff told him and the other males in BTS that a statement would be posted on Big Hit's official account that afternoon.

Jungkook had been nauseous, ready to read about his departure into the gloomy world as a cadet. But... it did not turn out the way he thought it would.

Hello.

This is Big Hit Music.

We would like to take this opportunity to address an important matter regarding one of our talented artists, Chaeri, from BTS. As you know, we at Big Hit Entertainment prioritize open communication with our fans, and we believe it is crucial to keep you informed about the happenings within our agency and the group.

After careful consideration and discussions with Chaeri, we have come to a mutual decision regarding her future endeavors. Chaeri has expressed a deep passion for choreography and an eagerness to further explore her skills in this field. In pursuit of her dreams, Chaeri will be taking a temporary hiatus from the group to pursue a degree in choreography in the United States.

While we understand that this news may come as a surprise and possibly evoke mixed emotions, we want to emphasize that Chaeri's temporary departure is not a permanent separation. It is a strategic decision made to provide her with the opportunity to grow and develop her artistic abilities, ultimately benefiting her and the group in the long run.

During her time abroad, Chaeri will have the chance to immerse herself in a new environment and gain valuable experiences in the field of choreography. We have every confidence that she will seize this opportunity and return to us with an enhanced skill set, bringing a fresh perspective to her artistry and the group's performances.

We also want to assure our fans that BTS will continue its activities and promotions as a unified and dedicated team. The remaining members will work diligently to deliver the music and performances that you have come to love and expect from us. We kindly ask for your continued support and encouragement during this transitional period.

Chaeri's absence may be felt, but we believe that it is a necessary step in her personal and artistic growth. We hope that you will join us in sending her your warmest wishes as she embarks on this new chapter of her journey. We firmly believe that her passion, dedication, and undeniable talent will shine through as she pursues her dreams.

Please keep an eye out for future updates as we share Chaeri's progress and any developments regarding her return.

As always, we are deeply grateful for your unwavering support and love for BTS. Together, we will continue to make unforgettable memories and write a remarkable story.

Thank you for your support and understanding during this time.

Sincerely,

Big Hit Entertainment

And December 1 was the day he had to say goodbye to her.

─────────

Chaeri's feet pressed against the aged cobblestone pathway leading to her father's humble abode, and the memories of adolescence came flooding back. She felt 13 years old again, as if she'd never grown up at all.

The red tiled roof had seen better days, its vibrant hue now faded with age, but it still stood strong against the elements that battered against it for years. White washed walls with deep blue tiles adorned one side of the house, and this image was burnt into Chaeri's mind like a snapshot from an old photo album. The memory of the afternoon she spent with her grandmother, painting with her tile by tile, belonged to almost ten years.

She had been pushing for years to upgrade her father to a nicer place; something more modern and comfortable. But no matter how hard she pleaded or cajoled, his answer always remained the same: 'No'.

An invigorating salty smell filled Chaeri's nostrils, while the sound of waves crashing against the shore resonated in the air and spread throughout the way to her father's home. Chaeri smiled fondly; she was happy that her father never agreed with her after all.

The house may have been small, but in the short time that she had lived there, she had always found it to be full of love and warmth, and most of her fondest memories had dwelt there.

Her eyes glazed over as she waited for her dad to come and open the door, knocking with slightly shaking hands.

She told herself that the tears that threatened her eyes came from the strong wind that was blowing through her hair, bringing fistfuls of sand from the beach a few yards away that irritated her iris, and it was not because going back there, in the situation she was in, made her feel helpless, just as how she felt when she was a teenager.

She was an adult now, but what had been the difference?

Her life still seemed to be scripted by others.

After a time that seemed endless, but was really only a handful of seconds, her father's face peered through the door.

He had salt and pepper hair, sweet lines around his eyes and a smile that warmed her heart.

"Chaeri, my beautiful daughter. I am so happy to see you. My little cherry."

Chaeri melted into the warmth of her father's embrace. She could feel his calloused hands squeezing her, the scent of fried fish wafting from his woollen shirt and the tingle of his unkempt beard on her cheek.

She was at home.

─────────

Chaeri was finally out of the expensive clothes she'd been wearing all day and had her photo taken at Incheon airport for her return to Korea.

She had been anxious on the flight back, it was her first time back since BigHit announced her temporary (forced) hiatus, and she was concerned of how her fans would react to, but she was met with an outpour of love and support that melted away all of her worries.

In order to spend the day at home, she had opted to wear something much more comfortable and warm.

Her father had lit a fire in the hearth and although the rooms were now cosy, the chill from the nearby ocean still managed to penetrate through the sealed windows, especially when the wind blew hard outside.

As Chaeri sank into the plush cushions of the couch, her father bustled into the room with a steaming mug of hot cocoa. The smell of chocolate and warmth filled her nose, and she gratefully wrapped her hands around it, feeling the heat seeping through her fingers and radiating up to her cheeks. She took a sip and closed her eyes, letting out a contented sigh that resonated deep within her chest.

Her father sat down on the armrest of the couch where she was relaxing "How was your flight, my cherry?"

"It was good, appa" she raised her gaze to meet his, a small smile brightened her face "The fans were so supportive, it made me feel grateful for them" She took another sip of the boiling liquid, a hint of chocolate staining her lip, and just like when she was a child, he wiped her face with his thumb and laughed a gentle, fatherly laugh "I'm just happy to be back home with you"

"I'm glad you're back, my daughter. You know I love having you here with me. Your grandmother and I have missed you a lot"

"By the way!" she said, rising abruptly from the couch. She took one of her father's hands and put the steaming mug between his fingers: "I've brought you a souvenir. When is Granny coming home?"

Without waiting for an answer, Chaeri ran to her teenage bedroom, rummaged through her suitcase until she found a crumpled package "Magnet!" With child-like excitement, she unwrapped a little city skyline printed over a bright red background and showed it to her father before perching on the kitchen counter to add it to the long collection on their fridge door, Chaeri smiled to herself – collecting fridge magnets was a family tradition.

"Granny will be home soon, you know how she is. She never misses a drink with her friends" The man put the mug on the table, then walked over and looked at the beautiful representation Chaeri had bought "So, how was New York? Is life there what you expected? Have you met people? You're studying hard. Aren't you?"

She stared out the window for a few seconds, mesmerized by the fury of the sea. The waves crashed against the shore with a furious roar and salty foam flew from their peaks as they crested. Seagulls bobbed on the turbulent surface, trying to swoop low enough to snag fish but being forced back up into the air each time an especially large wave rolled in.

Her heart sank with dread.

Was she supposed to tell him the truth?

She knew her father was a kind and sensitive man; would he be able to handle learning that his loved daughter was unhappy? That his daughter had offered to take a break from her career in order to keep Jungkook from having to go off to the military?

No, she wasn't going to tell him anything

"New York was great, dad. I can't wait to go back there to continue my studies."

Her father's mouth turned up at the corner, pleased with her response. He patted her head fondly. "That's good to hear, my cherry. I always knew you were destined for great things." He leaned in closer, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "And what does Jungkook think? Your boyfriend is not going to miss you being so many miles away from him?"

Chaeri's cheeks burned as she realized he thought Jungkok was still her boyfriend.

She felt awful for not mentioning even that part of her life, thinking it would make him and her grandmother terribly unhappy. Jungkook had been a family member in their eyes, although no one else of her family knew.

Damn it, she had to stop lying.

"Dad, Jungkook and I.."

"My beautiful Chaeri, you are home!! Come and give your granny a hug"

As she spoke, Kang Myeong-ja - her grandmother - burst into the room, unannounced as always. The familiar scent of lavender and musk mingled with cigarette smoke hit her nose. Grandma's hair, dyed a deep coal black, contrasted with the few strands of white that started to sprout at the roots. She wore a smart expression on her face, complimented by a pearl necklace that hung around her neck. The sight of her grandmother made the truth that was about to spill from her tongue vanish in an instant and be replaced with an overwhelming urge to embrace the elder.

─────────

Chaeri’s stomach grumbled as the fragrant aroma of her father’s cooking wafted through the air. He had spent all the morning fishing in the nearby ocean and was now busy chopping, simmering, and sautéing a variety of seafood, vegetables, and herbs. She smiled as she heard his hearty laughter mingling with her grandmother's sweet southern drawl coming from the kitchen. Setting the table, Chaeri felt excited for a delicious family dinner.

Her father carefully placed the lengthy plate onto the table with a triumphant grin that could only mean one thing - it was time for her to take a picture for Jin. Since the first time the two met, they created a bond that was so strong and paternal, almost as if Jin were his son.

With sincere pride glinting in his eyes, her dad beamed upon her and said: “Here, take a good picture for my beloved Jin – this will make him proud.”

A delicious fried fish recipe was photographed by Chaeri and posted on the group chat she shared with her members

She spent a few moments re-reading the messages the boys had sent the day before, when she had warned them that she would only be back in Korea for a few days and would not be able to visit them.

"Text him, text your boyfriend!" Grandma giggled and sat in her rocking chair, a lit cigar perched between two fingers. "Tell him he's a punk. Holidays are supposed to be spent with your loved ones" she shook her head in slight disappointment, her eyes never losing that hint of teasing she used to play with her "That excuse of being too busy doesn't hold up. Tsk" Smoke drifted out of her mouth in rivulets, curling around each other before disappearing into the air, leaving no trace of their passage.

Chaeri's eyes turned to her grandmother's face. They reflected the sparks from the crackling wood in the fireplace and the festive lights the homeowners had carefully placed in every corner of the house.

Chaeri put her mobile phone back in her pocket and bit her lip "Grandma, please stop" She rolled her eyes with fake annoyance "Jungkook is always busy, even busier than me. Don't blame him" Don't blame him if BigHit is forbidding us to be a couple, she wanted to tell her.

"I'll give him a good scolding the next time I see him!"

"I'll have him come prepared to hear you scream"

Her father chuckled at their banter, a wide smile on his face while bringing to the table yet another plate of something that smells awfully delicious "It's good to have you home. We should do this more often, have family dinners together"

"It is not a family dinner if my granddaughter’s beloved fiancé is not with us!"

"Grandma!!! I don't even understand why you're taking it so personally, when you were young you didn't even use to celebrate 31 December"

"Are you calling me old, you little brat?"

"I would never do that"

"Come on, Mom, he'll definitely be here for New Year's Eve in February. Isn't that right, Chaeri?"

"Sure" she replied unconvincingly, purposely keeping her eyes down on the table as she committed her own hands to arranging plates and glasses to the places where they would be seated in a minute.

"I'll buy it when I see it" her grandmother huffed out another mouthful of cigar.

The ringing of the front door bell prevented both Chaeri and her dad from answering the perky old lady.

"I'll get it" the girl made her way to the front door, but was stopped by Myeong-ja.

"Let me take care of it. It will definitely be Jae-suk."

"Your neighbor?"

"Yes, she lost at Gò-Stop this morning and promised me a plate of her delicious hotteok. She better not see you, her granddaughter adores you."

"Oh, okay."

She walked just far enough away to help her father again with the serving and setting the food on the table when, a few feet away, she heard an excited shout "Jungkook-ah! Look how handsome you've gotten, my little one!" and then a thud that sounded a lot like a slap against a shoulder " You are the same old slouch, Is it right to show up right at dinnertime?"

"Excuse me granny"

Chaeri almost dropped the glass in her hand as she turned to witness that indeed, to her horror and delight, Jungkook was actually in the doorway.

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything" he said, as he made his way into the room. "I just wanted to-"

Chaeri skipped over to Jungkook, her arms outstretched. She hugged his muscled arm tightly and pressed a soft kiss against his cheek, mouthing the words "Please play along" into his ear.

With an overly exaggerated smile that didn't quite reach her eyes, Chaeri said brightly, “You just wanted to surprise me? That's so sweet, I was hurt when you told me yesterday that you couldn't be here because of work commitments.”

Jungkook's mouth dropped open in surprise before realization dawned on him. He laughed nervously and nodded. "That's right," he said. "A surprise."

─────────

Jeju was experiencing an unusually harsh winter that year, with bitterly cold winds that challenged the effectiveness of heaters and fireplaces, struggling to keep the moisture from seeping through the wooden cracks in the windows.

Despite the icy weather, Chaeri found herself feeling surprisingly hot, almost on the brink of sweating. As they all gathered around the table, seated on cushions embroidered by her grandmother, the traditional tatami table exuded a gentle warmth, which was comforting. Under the tablecloth, her leg was pressed against Jungkook's, adding to her flustered feelings.

Surprisingly, dinner was proceeding smoothly, contrary to her initial fear of a catastrophic turn of events. Chaeri had worried that Jungkook might confess to her family about their break-up, about how living in New York was not her choice, that BigHit was holding her to a contract where she had as much to gain as to lose; topics that wouldn't be ideal for a holiday dinner conversation. However, Jungkook had skillfully caught on and played along with the facade.

In those four walls that night, he was still her boyfriend. He interacted warmly with

her family, laughing with her father, pouring alcohol for her grandmother, and serving her generously. Despite the true situation they were in, Chaeri found herself yearning for a moment when she could forget everything and lean her head on Jungkook's shoulder between plates, holding his hand, and feeling the sweetness of his kisses on her knuckles…

Jungkook appeared to sense Chaeri's unspoken desires, or perhaps he shared similar feelings, as he gently wrapped his arm around her shoulders, offering her a comforting embrace. She gratefully leaned into his supportive presence, finding solace in his touch.

As the dinner came to an end, the guy spoke up, expressing his appreciation, "Everything was delicious, sir. Thank you for the dinner."

Her father smiled warmly, responding, "Thank you for coming, Jungkook-ah."

With the atmosphere filled with warmth and love, the older man refilled all four glasses, as the clock struck just a few minutes to midnight.

Dad and Grandma exchanged a knowing glance as they held up their glasses containing fizzy, alcoholic drinks. "Now that we're in our golden years..." he began, only to be interrupted by Grandma's scoff. "Speak for yourself!" she exclaimed, sparking laughter throughout the room. Dad chuckled before restarting his speech. "Alright, let me restart: Since you are younger than us..can I go on?" He asked his mother, who nodded in approval with a grin. "Let this midnight toast be for you. May life bring you joy and lead you to wherever your hearts desire, always side-by-side."

─────────

"Are you sure you don't want to come, even if it's later? It is going to be a long celebration in town" Grandma shouted over the sound of fireworks as her son helped her put on a warm coat.

"No, Granny," Chaeri and Jungkook replied in unison, still seated at the table while the rest of their family was getting ready to attend the beach festivities."Someone might recognize us and cause a big fuss, so you both go have fun instead! Make lots of videos!" she smiled.

"I can try to make a few without my finger blocking the camera," her father joked as he bundled up in a coat, scarf, and gloves to ward off the cold temperatures. "I can't promise anything though!"

"We'll appreciate the effort."

The man paused in the doorway, turning to them. "Chaeri, you remember how to handle the generator issue, right?"

The girl nodded, recalling the seemingly endless power outages during her stay at the house and how often her father had been forced to reset the electric generator in the backyard.

They all had strong emotional ties to that home, but objectively it needed a thorough renovation.

Chaeri gave his father a thumbs up and said confidently, "No problem. But why do we have to be so unlucky as to lose power just tonight?"

"One never knows" he replied, and shut the door behind him.

Maybe he just had a feeling that it was about to happen, or maybe it happened so often that it was a coincidence; but within a few minutes of her father saying that, the house suddenly plunged into darkness, leaving the two of them uncertain if they should brave the cold and restore the electricity or take advantage of this unexpected darkness.

─────────

The darkness wrapped them like a blanket, the way children build forts out of pillows and comforters to hide from adult eyes.

The darkness gave them that kind of comfort, the lines of their faces barely visible, their lips emitting little puffs of cold from the sudden selloff of the house's heating, their legs touching under the table-the only real clue that they were really side by side.

The moon was obscured by clouds that evening, failing to provide any kind of illumination inside the houses whose rooflights were off. It seemed as if it had never risen, the moon, also too busy in celebration to really care to do its duty.

From the window, at irregular intervals, fireworks rose into the sky, bursting into tiny colored teardrops in order to fall back to the ground.

From his seat, Jungkook, whenever this happened, had the impression that Chaeri was being crowned with the most beautiful of jewels.

The few seconds of dim glow from the plaza festivities and the fireworks allowed the two to be able to look at each other.

They were an inch away from each other, yet the distance weighed between them as if they were still on two different continents.

Her half-moon of dark lashes had trapped small tears at the tips, which threatened to trickle down her cheeks at any moment.

His slightly flushed nose, a synonym they were sharing the same feeling.

Gently, two of Chaeri's fingertips went to meet the small scar on Jungkook's cheek, running over it more than once. That simple gesture was able to give them both warmth in a room that had grown icy in a matter of minutes.

She didn't need to be able to see to trace every line of his face.

She knew by heart every mole, every scar, every hard line that had formed since he had become a man. She knew where his lips began and ended, where the dimples appeared of which, as a young man, he had been so ashamed to show.

Jungkook abandoned himself against her fingers, leading her to open her palm to take in his face, needy of her touch. He had always been. Even before he knew he was totally, hopelessly in love with her, he had always longed to be caressed by Chaeri.

The game of colors arising in the house from the crackling of rockets in the sky brought back to his mind an evening of many years before when, under the twinkling lights of one of Seoul's largest night markets, Jungkook had thought Chaeri was breathtakingly beautiful. And over the years, she had only blossomed even more.

He bent his face just enough to allow his lips to tangle with her fingers, and leave a small kiss on each of them, from thumb to pinky.

Chaeri's lips parted to make the slightest sound, pleased by the guy's attentions "I've missed you" she bit her lip soon after, words like that had the taste of forbidden since they had been forced to break up years earlier because of the contract they had with their company. A huge price for a huge success, her manager often told her.

But such seemingly poisoned words, how could they taste like honey? How could any declaration of love, in any form, be so destructive?

"I'm sorry," Jungkook whispered, his mouth still moving against her skin "It's my fault" he found the strength to break the contact they had made and Chaeri's hand fell back onto her lap.

"It's not your fault" she grabbed with her fingers the pillow Jungkook was sitting on, stitched with patterns of silver waves and little sailboats. She pulled him more toward her, to further erase the space between them.

She could then feel his breath on her skin.

"They forced you away because of me."

"I chose to do that."

"Because of me. I should have... I should have just done what they wanted and not complained" His eyes sparkled because of the veil of tears that had formed in front of his irises, another firework illuminated his face enough for Chaeri to see his struggling expression.

She forced herself to make a smile and, when she realized that the room had descended into darkness again, she reached for Jungkook's hand and brought it to her lips, allowing him to feel the upward curve of it "For me it's New York, I am studying what I like. That's the way it should be. Your alternative was..." a shiver ran down her spine as she spoke "...enlisting."

Just the thought of him leaving so prematurely made her stomach turn, the taste of all the fried fish her father had cooked rising in her throat in an acid grip.

"You speak English less than I do" Jungkook began cautiously, pressing his thumb on the girl's lower lip "You hate to study" his other fingers went to close around her chin "You wanted to stay with us" He exhaled abruptly through his nose, to hold back the anger that was mounting inside him "How could it be better this way? It wasn't what you wanted."

"It's okay" she told him, her voice soft but firm. She wanted the anger inside him to fade, wanted him to be fine.

She moved just close enough to press her lips to his, their legs colliding in that now uncomfortable position made her decide to sit on him. She slipped her legs from the calves down under the edge of the tablecloth. She had not sat so that her body was facing him totally, but it was enough for her to turn just enough for their noses to collide.

Jungkook's arms did not hesitate in clinging to her hips, grabbing onto the soft cotton of the sweater Chaeri was wearing with his fingertips, savoring the feel of her lips on his. Her lips were always so smooth, he thought. He had never kissed lips as soft.

His head spun as they both parted their lips to taste each other, caressing tongues. He felt like a teenager again at the first kiss, his cheeks burning and his heart going so hard he could hear the powerful pounding in his ears, muffling any other noise.

When their mouths snapped at the separation, Chaeri stuck her head between Jungkook's neck and shoulder. His scent invaded all her senses. Would there ever be anyone whose smell she would love as much as his? She doubted it.

Jungkook's hands shifted from her waist to the back of her sweater, caressing the fabric tenderly. He couldn’t get enough of her—the way her body moved with his, the heat radiating from her lips. He wanted to never let go.

"Please...Not yet" he murmured, then nuzzled against her face until their mouths were an inch apart again. "Don't stop."

Chaeri trailed her fingertips down his spine, using the collar of his hoodie as a direct access to his skin. The tips left trails of red in their wake and Jungkook arched his back, letting out a quivering breath.

She clutched him tighter as she captured his parted lips once more.

She did not want to stop kissing him either.

Jungkook lowered himself so that Chaeri was now lying on the wooden floor and then cupped the back of her head with his hand to cushion it from the hard surface; careful not to place all of his weight on top of her, he propped himself up with one elbow beyond her face and knees beside her body.

Chaeri explored his mouth; Jungkook's sweet warmth was like hot honey; kissing him felt like a homecoming to a place she thought she'd lost long ago.

She bent one leg around his hip and pressed down hard enough to make him collapse onto her, melding their bodies together.

Jungkook started giving her frenetic kisses; first at the corner of her lips, then traveling downwards to kiss her exposed throat, making Chaeri's body shudder with delight. He kissed each eyelid in turn and then undid the zipper that kept her warmth in, revealing the smooth expanse of her collarbone and raining more kisses on it repeatedly. His hands began exploring further down, massaging away all tension between them as they moved lower and lower until they finally reached hers hips again where he gripped tightly. He placed his hands behind her back, fingers pressing into her skin and leaving a trail of warmth then settled his head onto her chest.

Chaeri could feel his heart hammering against his chest as it synchronized with hers; breaths coming out in shallow gasps as both tried to calm themselves down “Let’s just stay like this forever” murmured, holding him tight in her arms and kissing the top of his head.

Jungkook did not respond to her words, too overwhelmed with everything that he was feeling; the warmth of her embrace, the faint scent of peaches clinging to her skin, and the tenderness of her touch. All he wanted was to remain in this moment, forgetting the world outside of her cuddle, forgetting why he had gone there in the first place, and that it could not be postponed any further.

"We can't go on like this" Jungkook's words were barely above a whisper, muffled by the way his mouth was pressed against her belly, but despite this, they cut like a knife through the tranquility of their hug. "We can't keep doing this. We can't keep sneaking around and pretending like everything is okay when it's not" He had to strain to make out her features in the deep darkness, barely lifting his head to look into her eyes

"No, we can't" He was right. How many more times would they have to break up because they were caught, only to fall into temptation every time they were alone and feel guilty about the group's future? They could not go on like this. Things had to change

"When I come back we should find a new company."

"Eunwoo will introduce me to a girl"

They talked over each other, overlapping but, despite it, Chaeri had no doubts about what she had heard from him.

Her eyes slowly widened as the realization of Jungkook's words hit her.

She pushed against his chest to make him end up on the ground and she sat down, suddenly the parquet floor felt even colder than before. Her mouth opened several times, but no sound threatened to come out. What was she supposed to say?

A tear escaped Jungkook's eyes and he did not even bother to wipe it away, he positioned himself on his knees, leaning back toward her who instead slid away at least another 30 centimeters "Every time we are together.." His voice trembled, becoming more and more erratic as he watched Chaeri move away from him "We hurt ourselves, or we put our group in trouble" He reached out a hand toward her but stopped it in midair "Every time we're together, it ends up worse for you, and I can't-I can't keep doing this"

Chaeri's eyes filled with tears; A mixture of disbelief, sadness and anger was getting the best of her "Don't use fucking excuses! If you feel like fucking others, don't pretend it's for my sake!" she stood up, and with her so did him.

For a few moments they just stared at each other in silence; Chaeri could feel all her emotions bubbling up inside her ready to explode.

"You know it's not like that" The knot formed in his throat hurt more and more, making choked words come out of his mouth "That's not what I want"

"Then why do you come here talking shit about wanting to meet others! Are you fucking drunk? Did you hit your head?"

Chaeri tried hard to control herself from slapping him back to his senses due to the nonsense he was saying. She understood him more than anyone else, and was sure that the decision he was making was solely influenced by the guilt he felt towards her.

"Listen," she said while nervously running her hand through her hair "This situation is incredibly negative and too much to handle. I know. But we have to face it without overreacting and being impulsive. You always tell me that, right?" She stepped closer to him and added, "Until last month, you were the person advising me. You were the one telling me this stuff. You were the one telling me to be hopeful about our future. You can't come out like that now. I don't accept that."

Jungkook bit his lip so hard he could feel the metallic taste of blood spilling over his tongue, mixed with the salt of the tears he could not contain. He must have seemed pathetic to her, he thought. As pathetic as when she had met him and didn't have the courage to even speak to her.

"We can't go on like this."

"Stop saying that!!" Her miserable self-control had lasted less than a few minutes.

She was sure that if anyone were outside the front door, they would have clearly heard what was going on between the two, as loud as her tone of voice was getting. But she didn't care

"Your problem is that you're a fucking coward!"

He shook his head and closed his eyes, shutting out the world around him. He wasn't a coward, and he knew it.

"I have always fought! I've always turned against the company to try to save our relationship. You wonder why it's always worse for me!? That's the reason, because I always put my neck on the line while you sit back and cry!" her words now tumbling uncontrollably from her lips. It was as if the usual filters between brain and mouth had failed, overwhelmed by the torrent of emotion.

The world before her eyes had transformed into a kaleidoscope of red, anger blurring her perception of reality, overshadowing all reason.

"Are you even listening to me?!"

It was then Jungkook's rage boiled over. A primal urge, unrelated to his actual feelings or thoughts, surged within him. It was an instinctive defense mechanism triggered at the wrong time and aimed towards the wrong person - a countermeasure against her barrage of insults.

"What did you expect me to do! That I would threaten everyone's hard work for a girl?"

Chaeri's breath caught in her throat when she heard the words. They sounded like they were coming from far away, and she couldn't quite make them out. She wanted to believe that she had misheard, but deep down, she knew that wasn't the case. Slowly, painfully, the meaning of the words sunk in. Her heart felt like it was breaking into a million pieces as she stood there, unable to process what she had just heard.

Jungkook's anger dissipated like a gust of wind, replaced with an icy fear that crawled up his spine. It was only at that moment that the weight of what he said hit him.

When yet another bright and colorful ray of light illuminated the room, allowing him to see clearly that Chaeri's face lost all trace of anger, replaced by a disappointment and emptiness she had never looked at him with. Only then.

With a trembling hand he reached out for her, but all he could feel was the coldness of the air around him and the emptiness in his heart. She took a step back

"No"

"I didn't mean it.." He tried to take back the pain he'd inflicted, he attempted to undo what he had done "I'm so sorry"

"You know what," she looked away from him to turn her gaze once more beyond the window, focusing on the noises, the colors, and the jagged beach just beyond to maintain her voice flat and emotionless despite the war waging in her mind "Fine. Do whatever you want. I don't care"

Her hands found their way into the pockets of her pants and she turned towards him, bumping into his shoulder before finally reaching for the doorknob and flinging it open wide.

A gust of cold air crept inside the house, the trinkets of shells that her grandmother cherished so much clinking together in a gentle symphony that filled the room with a surreal beauty and softness that seemed cruel at that moment.

The sound of her father’s clock on the wall rang loudly as it struck two in the morning, adding to the general cacophony of noise.

She turned her gaze back to him "But don't come back to me, because I'll break your fucking heart."

─────────

Apparently, Jeon Jungkook could have whatever he wanted at any time, and even if it happened to be the middle of New Year's Eve, it was achievable. Though it meant taking his staff away from their own festivities with their loved ones. He was too drained to feel bad about that now, though; but thank goodness nobody asked him anything.

He wasn't capable of answering anything at that moment.

His mouth felt foul now, like all the delicious treats he had consumed earlier that night had turned sour in his stomach. His eyes were bloodshot, two violet circles under each one, and everyone would have thought he hadn't slept in days. Maybe they'd assume he had partied so hard that he reduced himself to this state - but he thought he could detect a subtle look of worry in some of their glances.

He booked for a private ferry to take him back home to Seoul.

Late at night, on a public holiday, Jungkook had still been able to buy everything he wanted with his own money.

The money allowed him to have whatever he wanted, but it was of no use in getting the one thing he really wanted.

The seat next to his creaked under the weight of his young manager. The faint voice of the protagonist of the TV show he was watching on his cell phone reached the ears of the guy to whom he decided to turn his attention, to quiet his restless thoughts.

It didn't take him long to reconnect that face to one of the most watched series by him and the rest of the members in their old dorm; How I met your mother had kept them company during long gym sessions, lazy breakfasts, and dinnertime binges.

"Nothing good happens after 2 am," spoke Ted, the main character. Jungkook was jolted by a shiver, noticing how much the figure locked in the cell phone seemed to be looking him straight in the eye. "When it's after 2 am, just go to sleep, because the decisions you make after 2 am are the wrong decisions."

His throat tightened and a wave of nausea rose within as he considered those words.

What the hell did he do?

taglist: @alixnsuperstxr | @bts-dream | @enchantingbrowneyedgirl | @ycuvi | @cosmicwintr

#bts 8th member #jungkook drabbles #jungkook x reader #kpop female member #kpop female oc #jungkook imagines #bts imagines #bts female member #bts female addition #bts x reader #bts eighth member #bts addition #jungkook #bangtan #bts #bts scenarios #jungkook scenarios

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techdriveplay · 7 months ago

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How Many Electric Car Brands Are There in 2024?

The electric vehicle (EV) revolution has accelerated rapidly in recent years, transforming the automotive landscape. With growing environmental concerns and advancements in technology, 2024 marks a significant year for the proliferation of electric car brands. Understanding the current landscape of these brands is crucial as they play a pivotal role in shaping the future of…

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itzynabi · 9 months ago

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an: this was posted on the 28th of march, 2024

ITZY’s Nabi vs JYP Entertainment: Full Breakdown of First Day in Court

They came with receipts

On March 28, ITZY’s Nabi’s lawsuit saw its first day in court. Neither Nabi nor JYP Entertainment’s CEO were present in court.

Nabi’s lawyer alleged that JYP Entertainment would wrongfully interfere with the idol’s schedules, leaving her to have to clean up their mess. The most recent example of this was Nabi’s appearance on Unexpected Business.

Her appearance had been worked out beforehand for her to be a part of the show for four days before returning to Korea. On the day Eve was supposed to fly to America, however, Director Park Dakho told her that she wouldn’t be doing the show anymore. She asked if he had communicated with the producers of the show, to which he replied, “No, but when you don’t show up, they’ll get the message.” Nabi then messaged Zo Insung, one of the cast members, to tell him that she was facing a few difficulties, but that she would try to fix everything to be there as soon as possible. Nabi spent a long time fighting with Director Park before he told her that it was either she stay in Korea or go to America without the support of the company. She ultimately chose the latter option and travelled to America with her manager and bodyguard, paying for everything out of her own pocket.

Messages between Nabi and her brother, SHINee’s Key, were shown with the former asking the latter to come up with an explanation for her tardiness, saying “showing up and saying ‘oh sorry im late my company is the absolute worst’ just doesnt seem like a great first impression.” Key suggested she say she had problems with her luggage as an excuse.

On another occasion, JYP Entertainment interfered with Nabi’s acting schedules even though BH Entertainment was in charge of her acting career. A staff member from the set of Boyhood gave a witness statement, stating that JYP Entertainment would sometimes harass Nabi and tell her to leave the set early for no reason. It got to the point that Nabi had to turn her phone off the entire time she was filming until she had filmed all of her scenes for the day, or she would tell the company that if they wanted her to leave then they would have to fetch her from set. On other occasions, the company would refuse to let Nabi film certain scenes, such as the scene where she shares a kiss with Lee Siwoo. The company refused to let Nabi film that scene, saying MIDZY’s, her fans, wouldn’t want to watch her kiss anyone, leaving the director stressed about what to do. Nabi, however, pointed out that JYP Entertainment agreed to have BH Entertainment be in charge of her acting career and they had no jurisdiction to monitor what she did as an actor, and that if fans wouldn’t be able to watch her do her job as an actor and kiss her costar, they just shouldn’t watch the show as everything is fake and scripted.

JYP Entertainment’s lawyer hit back at these statements, saying that the company has a right to make such demands since they manage the idol, but Nabi’s lawyer hit back with the reminder that as her company, JYP Entertainment was supposed to do their best not to damage her reputation, but the two instances that were brought up showed that the company had no intention of protecting her reputation.

JYP Entertainment’s lawyer then stated that Nabi conducted herself in a way that was unprofessional, often ignoring staff members’ phone calls, not answering messages, and refusing to talk to some staff members. Nabi’s lawyer then clarified, with evidence, that the only people she was “unprofessional” to were the staff members that were in the back pocket of Director Park and didn’t do their jobs properly, they then presented names and evidence of those staff members and their incompetence. Nabi’s defence team brought up how in her until spring album documentary, there were staff members that admitted to not doing their jobs properly.

JYP Entertainment then argued that Nabi would speak to the staff in a way that was disrespectful, quoting her to say, “Don’t you have reading skills?” in a degrading tone, which Nabi’s lawyers immediately refuted, accusing the lawyers of misquoting her. They clarified that she said, “You must have no reading comprehension skills if you still don’t understand what was explained in the document,” in response to a staff member that was playing dumb and making the meeting time longer than necessary, preventing Nabi from attending other scheduled meetings.

Most reporters commented on the illegitimacy of JYP Entertainment’s claims, seeing as they were easily refuted by Nabi’s defence team. Another thing that was brought up was the fact that Nabi’s lawyer’s came prepared with evidence for each of their claims, while JYP Entertainment’s legal team only showed evidence once.

The judge asked that both parties prepare for the second trial that would take place on 4 April, with the final ruling happening by 11 April. Some netizens have already begun reacting:

i heard that some of nabi’s supporters went to court in pink clothes

The more i find out about how Nabi was treated, the more i hate jyp entertainment

Director Park you f***er!

She’s such a peaceful person to put up with that for so long

The reporters said Nabi’s lawyer was dressed like Elle Woods ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ

©️ kim nabi

#ficnetfairy #itzy 6th member #itzy sixth member #itzy oc #itzy addition #itzy added member #itzy extra member #itzy member au #itzy imagines #kpop oc #kpop addition #kpop added member #kpop extra member #kpop au #kpop imagines #kim nabi

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quicktimeeventfull · 3 days ago

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You Can Make Me Cry on Danforth Avenue: A Lawlight Christmas Fic

3k words Read here or on AO3 Content Notes: Set in Canada. Features nonbinary Light & a touch of hurt/comfort. A standalone set in the Nantes Extended Universe (hand me your hand etc.) In which L entirely forgets that Christmas Eve is a romantic holiday in Japan and therefore might mean something to his partner, Light, an international student from Kanto. Light throws a bit of a fit; L scrambles to find a suitable date.

It was clear that Light wanted something, but L could not sort out what it was. Xie had been following him around their apartment all day, close as a cat and just as underfoot.

He had tried asking outright — they were nineteen and twenty respectively, and therefore old enough to hash things out like adults. It was to no avail. All he’s gotten in return was a noncommittal murmur. Apparently part of what Light wanted was for L to figure out xir desires on his own.

And so, bereft of any other option, L had decided the only thing to do was to exercise patience.

It was nearly six PM and he was busily washing the dishes in their kitchen while Light sat on their counter, not helping, when Light finally said, “Where are you taking me for Christmas?”

L looked up, startled. Christmas was in three days. “I hadn’t been — did you want to go somewhere?”

It was the wrong thing to say. Light flushed, and looked away.

It occurred to L, for the first time, that Light might have been thinking of this as a romantic holiday rather than what L generally considered it, which was to say a somewhat cruel expose of everyone’s trauma. Light was an international student in from Kanto; L was given to understand that Christmas over there was closer to Valentine’s day.

“I’m sorry,” he said, more gently this time. “I didn’t realize you’d wanted to do anything. I should have asked. I set up a client. It’s a big day for me, in that sense.”

There were a lot of lonely people around Christmas. He charged a premium on the night before, and then he had a date with Watari on the day-of. Watari was the only person it was profitable enough to sugar for, and anyway L liked him. He was reliable and polite and safe, his favourite client by far.

It simply hadn’t occurred to him that he might be wanted elsewhere.

Light kicked xir feet. “It’s my first one as a girl,” xie said.

L’s heart sunk.

“Ah,” he said. Then, running through options in his head. “Alright. Look. I’ll move things around. The eve is the couple’s bit, isn’t it?”

For a moment, Light didn’t move at all. Then xie nodded, so quickly and slightly that it seemed conveying this information to l was a bit of a chore.

“I’ll move things around,” L said. “I’m sorry. Really.”

Light said nothing. L dried off his hands, then walked over. He hoisted himself up onto the counter. He did not look at Light. Light always seemed to find that easier.

“I’m sorry,” he said, again. “I didn’t think of it — that’s all. I wouldn’t have scheduled anything if I had.”

Light kicked xir feet. L went on.

“I want to spend the day with you,” he said. “I promise. I’ll sort it out. I’m probably stuck for Christmas day, but I can work out the night before, and I’ll be there in the morning.”

Light looked away, which was actually a good thing — when Light was really mad, xie ignored L entirely.

“Forgive me?” L said. “Please?”

Light bit xir lip, then, finally, turned to him. “Yeah,” he said. “Okay. Fine.”

Then xie leaned over and dropped xir head onto L’s shoulder. Something in L unknotted. He wrapped an arm around Light’s waist, then decided to test his luck by kissing xir temple.

Light let him, so he supposed things must have been alright.

---

Just about everything in their city closed down for the holidays — the joys and tribulations of little cities — so L elected to bring Light down to Toronto.

It seemed clear that Light hadn’t entirely forgiven him after all. Xie wouldn’t look at him the entire ride down on the GO train, which wasn’t necessarily unusual for Light, but did feel somewhat concerning.

He’d kept his morning appointment, but cancelled the evening one entirely. This was not an action without consequence. He charged a fair bit, and he liked to provide a consistent service. This was a good client. L did not want to lose him. It wasn’t only about the money he’d make today, although that was a bit of a blow. Without a pool of good clients, he would be forced to take chances on people who weren’t; he did not wish to return to living that way.

Still. Light was right. He should have asked, first.

He led Light down to the aquarium, then brought him down through the deep dark rooms of fish and into the glass tunnel. It was dark, lit and ethereal blue, and there were sharks and turtles and all manner of aquatic life swimming around them. It was quite magical, really. Romantic. On Christmas Eve, it was nearly empty — there was only one other couple, who were just around the curve of the tunnel, their bodies distorted silhouettes through the water. L thought he’d done quite a good job, here.

“This has nothing to do with Christmas,” Light said.

L turned to look at xim, trying very hard not to let his exasperation show.

Light had left their apartment dressed very nicely, in grey chinos and the nice black turtleneck which made xir neck look very long. Right now, all that was covered up with the giant black Canada Goose jacket which L had bought for xim and which xie had refused to check. The aquarium was far too hot for that, and xir face was a little pink from the heart. It would have been cute if xie wasn’t — frankly — acting like such a brat.

L was trying to be nice. He really was.

He reminded himself, once again, that this was his fault. He had screwed up. He couldn’t be mad at Light for being upset.

“You love fish,” L said. “Fish are wonderful.”

Light looked away, then hunched up xir shoulders.

“Okay,” said L. “Look. Let’s — do you want to go touch a stingray?” They had tanks out front.

Light’s lips pressed together. “Fine,” xie said.

L reached for xir hand. Xie snatched it away.

So, L decided, his hopes of being forgiven were a little premature after all. He pressed two fingers to either side of his nose bridge, then followed Light as xie stomped off to play with the stingrays.

---

Their next stop was the Christmas market. This time, L wasn’t naïve enough to expect things to have resolved, but surely xie could not be upset at the lack of Christmas.

The Christmas market was in the Distillery district, which had once been — as the name implied — a distillery.

It looked like something out of a Dickens novel — all red brick and with iron fixtures painted a deep green, the roads paved in brick, now strung with Edison bulbs which glowed warm in the dark. The winding streets were now lined with vendors in little tents selling street food and little Christmas tchotchkes.

It was romantic. It was Christmassy. Light was walking alongside L, arms crossed tightly over xir chest, lips pressed into a harsh line.

L was going to lose his mind.

“Isn’t this nice?” he said, as pleasantly as he could manage. “I always think the Distillery is so beautiful this time of year.”

“It’s cold,” Light said. It was three below. “There are too many people.”

“Let’s get you something to eat,” L said.

He headed down the alleyways, towards a tiny building with a chalkboard sign outside advertising drinking chocolate. That seems suitably romantic and Christmasy, and also suitably filled with sugar, which he dearly hoped might do something to benefit Light’s mood.

The interior of the building was warm and smelled intensely of cocoa and pine. It was stuffed with boughs of evergreen and holly and little vintage decorations — wooden ornaments painted in wam colours, hand-pounded tin lanterns, dipped candles hanging upside-down.

There was hardly enough room to turn around in, and Light stood so close to L that he was nearly knocked over, so at least xie wasn’t too repulsed to be in his vicinity.

L bought them both a cup of drinking chocolate. He handed one to Light, who sipped at it and then, looking startled, spat it back into the cup, right in front of the woman who sold it to them. She looked profoundly offended.

“Don’t —” L started. “What was wrong with that?”

“It’s not hot chocolate,” Light said.

“No. It’s drinking chocolate.”

Light looked away. “But you drink hot chocolate.”

“I know, but it’s something different. I’m sorry. I should have explained.” L took a sip from his. It was heavy and bitter and not at all bad, but he supposed it could be alarming if one were not prepared. “Do you — ah — I suppose you don’t like it very much.”

“It’s disgusting,” Light said. “I hate it.” He handed his spit coffee, to L, then turned and stalked out of the building.

L was at a loss.

---

A wiser man might have called the night off altogether, but L lived in hope. There was one more stop on his increasingly disastrous plan — Kingyo, a Japanese restaurant in Cabbagetown.

He was starting to get a little frustrated, frankly. He had made an error, it was true, but it had been a mistake and not an act of malice. Surely there had to be an end to his penance.

Light got like this, sometimes. Xie had a very easy life. L would be lying if he said he’d never thought about this with resentment. So very little had gone wrong for xim. Xie didn’t know how to handle it when things went sideways; xie expected everything to be laid with roses.

“Look,” L said, as Light sunk low into xir seat. “Should we just go home?”

“No,” Light said. It’s fine. I don’t care.”

L shut his eyes, then breathed out and picked up his menu. He fervently hoped this would be the best meal they’d ever had un their lives. Perhaps it was possible to feed Light something so delicious that xie would never be unhappy again.

They had a table in the back of the restaurant; it was surprisingly private. Kingyo was a gigantic restaurant, dimly lit, outfitted with lacquered wood and raw brick walls. A projector silently played Japanese children’s shows along one concrete wall — right now, it was showing Anpanman. It had a slouching, semi-ironic casual air to it, as if it had simply thrown together its rough wood floors and the noren curtains between entranceways. Cool? it seemed to say. I hadn’t noticed.

Light picked up xir menu, too. “These aren’t Izakaya foods,” xie said.

“I know,” L told him, as patiently as he could manage. “Izakayas in Canada are like this.”

“It’s wrong,” Light said, correctly but infuriatingly.” They really should have gone home, L decided. This was a disaster. “You’re paying for this, right.”

“It’s a date,” L said. “We’re on a Christmas Eve date. That is what you —” He inhaled, then exhaled, scanned his menu. “Oh, they’ve got fried chicken for Christmas. Isn’t that nice?”

“That’s tomorrow,” Light said. “You eat it tomorrow. Everyone keeps telling me about KFC. I don’t want anyone to tell me about KFC anymore.”

“Okay,” said L. He reminded himself that he loved Light very, very much.

---

They got grilled mackerel and a negitoro combination — or, more precisely, L ordered both these things and Light sat back in xir seat, drinking the hot sake L had also ordered.

“Look,” L said, finally, two tuna rolls in. “Please eat something. You’ll feel better if you eat.”

“I’m fine,” Light said. “I’m happy. It’s an Izakaya. You’re supposed to drink. You aren’t supposed to eat maki.” Then, abruptly, “I can’t believe you forgot.”

L put his chopsticks down. This was what he’s been waiting for all day.

“Look,” he said. “I’m sorry. I really am. But it was one mistake —”

“—and you still went to work this morning.”

“Light. I have to work.”

“No, you don’t.”

L pinched the bridge of his nose. “Our landlord would disagree. He generally takes rent in money.”

“But you didn’t have to work this morning. You pick your clients. You cancelled tonight.”

L felt anger flash hot and bright.

He didn’t feel anger very often. He didn’t feel anything most of the time, in fact — the world usually seemed quite abstracted to him, something moving tremulously in the distance. It made things easier. But he did feel this.

“Light,” he said. “I did that. I did cancel tonight. I did that for you. And that sort of thing — it makes me look unreliable. He’s a good client. I can’t risk two good clients.”

“And you’re still seeing someone tomorrow —”

“I need to, Light. I can’t lose Watari.” Then, his anger growing sharper, making him stupid. “You don’t understand. You aren’t even trying to understand. I can’t throw away everyone I know for certain is safe. You need to think about what you’re asking me to do.”

Light’s face went a little slack. As a rule, he didn’t like to talk about the aspects of his job that were dangerous; he didn’t like to force Light to think about them. But then it hardened again and L knew xie was shuttering that information away. Xie was very good at making anything xie didn’t like to think about disappear.

Xie picked up one of the negitoro and popped it into xir mouth. This was good, at least, because L highly doubted the situation would be improved by Light drinking nothing but sake on an empty stomach.

Xir face contorted. Xie swallowed, then looked up at L.

“That was shit. This is disgusting.”

L could feel himself flushing; pins and needles swept up and down his body. The world suddenly felt at once very close and utterly out of his grasp; he leaned forwards and hissed, “You are acting like a spoiled child —”

Light burst into tears.

For a moment, he felt frozen, unable to think of a single thing to say. Light covered xir face with his hands, as if this would somehow prevent anyone from seeing.

The anger drained out of him, replaced with a rush of guilt.

“Hey,” L said, He leaned forwards. “I’m sorry. Light. I really am.”

Light mumbled something through xir tears. It was too muddy to hear.

L hesitated. “I’m so sorry,” he said. “I couldn’t catch that.”

“You take me for — for —,” Light started, stuttering over the words, then swallowed and took xir hands away. Xie wiped at xir eyes with the back of xir hands, swallowed, then switched to Japanese. “You take me for granted. You just assume I’m going to be okay with everything.”

It took L a second to translate, and another to find his own words in Japanese. He was very fluent, but it was still a second language, and one he didn’t have much practise in.

“Oh. Light. No. That isn’t true.”

“It is,” Light said, more insistent. Xir was speaking louder and steadier, now. “It is. You think I understand everything you do so it’s all fine. And I do understand. But it’s not fine.” Xie tugged xir sleeve ofter xir hand and wiped at xir eyes. “Everything is different here.” Xie jerked xir head towards the maki. “It doesn’t taste like it does at home. I can’t go back for New Years. I have to talk in English all the time and I’m tired and everyone acts like I’m stupid when I don’t know every word. I wanted just — Christmas is a big holiday. I know it’s not mine but I wanted to try anyway.”

L was getting a little lightheaded. He had been aware of these things, sort of, but they hadn’t coalesced.

“I didn’t realize,” he said, softly.

“I know you didn’t. You were supposed to realize. I’m not supposed to have to tell you every single thing. You should know some things.”

“I know,” L said. “I’m sorry.”

Light wiped at xir eyes again. “I’m hungry. I didn’t eat all day.”

“I know. Maybe you could give that a shot now.”

Light picked up another negitoro and ate it. “It really isn’t very good.”

“I know. I’m sorry. It should have realized it wouldn’t stack up and brought you elsewhere.” It was good, actually, but he felt it was the right thing to say in the present circumstances. Light was right — it probably wasn’t compared to what xie was used to.

Apparently he was right because Light nodded, looking pacified, and took another.

“I didn’t realize you were having such a hard time,” L said. “I should have.”

Light shrugged. It seemed as much an acceptance as a condemnation. Sometimes the two were the same. To be told he’d done wrong was its own sort of love, sometimes.

“Maybe we ought to go home after this,” L said. “Perhaps it’s been enough.”

“I guess. Yeah.” Then xie bit the inside of xir cheek. “But they have ginger ice cream.”

L couldn’t help himself; he smiled. “Okay. Yes. We should get ginger ice cream, and then we should head home.”

Light nodded, wiped at xir eyes again, and ate another roll.

---

On the way back home, surrounded by the rattling of the GO train, the brightness of the train turning the view outside into an incoherent blackness, Light sunk into L’s arms and shut xir eyes.

Xie looked exhausted. L supposed xie must be.

Sometimes the way Light behaved was infuriating, but L knew it wasn’t easy for xim either; it wasn’t something xie was doing on purpose. Things overtook xim — strangling emotions and words and actions. L could understand that. It came part and parcel. L stroked xir hair and Light made a soft noise, then pressed closer.

Xir eyes were fluttering. L wrapped an arm around xim to keep him close and safe — his love, his beautiful girl, half asleep in the warmth of his arms.

#death note #lawlight #fic #l lawliet #light yagami #.pages #some torontonians may notice that kingyo is not like this at all anymore #sorry i miss the old one. fix it fic for kingyo #if u live in vancouver. go there. its so good. think of me when you eat at kingyo #also tbh i kind of didn't want to slander a restaurant that still exists gjlg #also everyone listen to this dala song pls trust me #i heard them for the first time on stuart mcclean's christmas show true story

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