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nickmaghighlights · 2 years ago

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Nick Mag Highlights - #118 February 2006

Welcome back to Nick Mag Highlights! Would you believe it: Two of the greatest Nickelodeon shows crossing over in one half-hour special? For the second time? It’s a kid’s dream come true! Again! So let’s read all about it.

So yeah, sorry for the wait on this one. A couple of IRL setbacks plus taking on a volley of different big personal projects at once resulted in quite a hit towards my motivation. But hey, we’re here now, and I’m happy to get back into it.

Little sneak preview while I’m here: One of the things I’ve been working on is a new NMH Side Issue post! One that’s covering a mag that’s ostensibly part of Nickelodeon history thanks to its connection to a very prolific creative figure at the studio. Very wordy book though, so naturally both reading it and my analysis of it is gonna take longer than normal. And then I gotta do the research and fact-checking and yadda yadda, it’ll be ready when it's ready. In the meantime I’ve always got Nickelodeon Magazine to come back to.

Read along if you’d like, I think it’s the cool thing to do!

Neopets was still Viacom (parent company of Nickelodeon)’s latest big purchase at the time of this mag’s release, with them having bought it eight months earlier back in June of 2005, so it’s not surprising seeing the new blockbuster Neopets thing getting a big ‘ole two page spread right at the beginning of the magazine.

While Neopets is famous for originally being financially supported by scientology, it was Viacom's stint with the brand that actually got me to give the site a try for a short time (thanks to a Burger King promotion of all things, if memory serves me correctly). If they don't delete old, inactive accounts then I hope my T-Rex Neopet has been doing well for itself. They can’t die, right?

I love this ad. I’m not sure what kind of vibe they were going for here but it almost feels kind of dystopian with the polluted-looking air and all the TV screens weirdly protruding out every which way. Adding to that feeling for me was that I initially thought all that shrubbery down below was a huge audience of adoring viewers. Feels like something out of The Running Man. Super cool.

Always important to check out what Nickelodeon itself was doing around the time. I remember being really excited for Drake & Josh Go Hollywood, and seeing how it went on to gross more than 5 million viewers, I guess I wasn’t alone. Really bothers me to find out it’s just called Go Hollywood and not Go To Hollywood like I thought it was all these years, but I guess I’ll live.

And speaking of millions of viewers, this section also mentions the then-upcoming SpongeBob SquarePants special “Dunces & Dragons” (oddly not actually referred to here with an actual title), which grossed more than 8 million viewers.

Oh, and it’s Black History Month. Y’know just kind of a footnote slotted in the middle there. You'd think that'd get an article or interview, I don’t know. I’m sure Kyra appreciates the shoutout at least.

Woah. Imagine living in a pre-High School Musical world. Nowadays High School Musical is the made-for-TV-movie that baby made-for-TV-movies want to grow up to be. Now we’ve got two sequels, a TV spinoff (a TV spinoff that won five Kids’ Choice Awards apparently, funnily enough), and a mountain of films that tried to cash in on that success. Mostly from Disney Channel themselves. Camp Rock, anyone?

Funny to see the not-Jumanji family classic Zathura listed as Josh Hutcherson’s big recognizable role when he’d end up co-starring in the critically lauded cultural touchstone The Hunger Games just a few years later. And now he’s starring in that Five Nights at Freddy’s movie coming out this year. What a career.

There’s gotta be some irony to me sitting here and enjoying what I probably called the “boring parts” of the magazine back when I was a kid. C’mon though, this is pretty neat! I’ll run through all the topics real quick if you’d like to learn more.

Notes From Underground - The Great Stalacpipe Organ

Still standing to this day, the instrument has been refurbished a couple times since it was featured in this magazine. In 2012 a band by the name of Pepe Deluxé composed and played the first ever song exclusively for the Stalacpipe Organ, called “In The Cave” and featured it in their album Queen of the Wave. Give it a listen, it’s a creepy kind of beautiful. Must’ve been hard to record, too!

Playing With Their Food - The Vienna Vegetable Orchestra

The orchestra is still active and has even done a couple of performances this year! I doubt they still make soup from their instruments though. But to be honest even without having to worry about viral diseases I’m not too interested in soup made exclusively of vegetables that have been blown into for several hours.

Talk About Slow Jamz! - Organ²/ASLSP

Miraculously the performance is still on track. They didn’t play a note this year but the next one is scheduled for February 5th. The second slowest performance of the piece lasted 16 hours and took place last year.

World’s Hottest Tunes - Fire Organs

I can’t really find much about this one online, but I guess it speaks for itself, doesn’t it?

Take a look at a performance and try not to think about how hot it must be in that auditorium whenever he plays that thing.

Alright, it’s time for a confession. You ready to hear the horrible truth? …Okay, here goes:

I don’t know very much about music.

I guess it was probably a bad choice for me to write about a magazine themed around music. I got pretty far without having to disclose my lack of knowledge though, right? And in my defense, Nickelodeon lured me in with that Jimmy Timmy Power Hour cover.

And I mean, don’t get me wrong, I like music. I love a bit of jazz now and then*. But still, none of the names here really ring a bell, so I don't know if any of these answers are ironic or out-of-character or so in-character it’s adorable or whatever. At least I can appreciate they spared no expense, they never usually have this many interviews. There’s even a third page with even more of them if you want to check it out.

*My top jazz favorites are Kim Scott (Spotify) and Pieces Of A Dream (Spotify). If you were curious.

It’s really cool to see something encouraging kids to make their own mix CDs. I do kinda wish there was more than one cover though. Not everybody wants to chill.

Aw man, come to think of it, is Gen-Z the last generation to do personal mixtapes and CDs? Or is that still a thing? Regardless I kind of wish I had gotten into doing that when I was younger, it seems like a fun thing to do between friends. Plus my knowledge of music would probably be way stronger than it is now. What do kids do nowadays, send each other Spotify playlists? I guess that's a bit more convenient.

I think I've talked about these Pop-Tart ads before. They were in these magazines all the time so they must’ve come up already. I think I even gave them some credit. But as attention grabbing as they were I really still don't understand the intention. What's so appetizing about seeing these little guys just get absolutely destroyed all the time? Are kids supposed to think about how they’re snuffing the life out of their morning Pop-Tarts?

A very awesome and adorable cover we have here, courtesy of Vera Brosgol (author and illustrator of the award-winning Anya’s Ghost, plus Head of Story on Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio). You can check out her website to see more of her work here.

Nice little comic by Greg Cook. And wouldn’t you know that guy’s Wikipedia article has Nickelodeon Magazine mentioned in its first sentence? That’s cool. Also I feel like the man himself might’ve written his own Wikipedia article. The lack of citations and the way it’s written like the “About Me” page for a blog gives me that kind of vibe. If so, thanks for remembering us, Greg!

Now here’s some of that Jimmy-Timmy content I was promised! I was starting to get worried.

I find it interesting how well Jimmy and Timmy bounce off of each other, but I guess now that I think about it their shows weren’t that different really, at least in terms of subject matter, were they? In broad strokes they’re both kids with big egos whose imaginations tend to get them into trouble. And seeing those big egos clash is naturally gonna lend itself to some good comedy.

In regards to the art, I love the warm colors utilized here, it’s very cozy. The art throws me off just a smidge though. Absolutely no disrespect to Scott Roberts of course, writer and penciler behind this comic (and also creator of Patty Cake, a recurring comic for Nickelodeon Magazine that we… haven’t actually encountered yet on this blog unfortunately), he’s got some great work under his belt, and Timmy and his fairies look as to be expected here. But I do think it was a weird choice making Jimmy look like a Rugrat though. That’s not just me, right? The second page in particular has him pulling off some serious Rugrats-faces. Maybe Roberts was just doing what he knows, because he actually did tons of work on a Rugrats newspaper comic strip just a couple years before this.

Aside from that, Jimmy’s lab is a bit weird. It’s not the usual cave, instead being a regular room with windows and a checkerboard floor? And the exterior shows it to be a wooden cabin? Maybe it’s supposed to be the shack that’s built above the lab Jimmy uses as a secret entrance. Doesn’t really matter, I certainly didn’t notice as a kid, but it does make me wonder if the artist wasn’t provided that much reference material.

I love that snail comic so much like you wouldn’t believe.

Throughout the years I always managed to miss out on LEGO’s constant edgier reinventions of itself, y’know like Bionicle or that one about the ninjas. I guess it helps that I was never really into the toy itself. Unlike those previous examples though, Exo-Force here isn’t ringing any bells for me, but I do find it noteworthy how they were trying to go for a more anime/gundam vibe with this one, what with the Japanese affixed to the bottom of the logo and the faux-anime designs of all the main characters. Surprised to see this one didn’t even warrant its own cartoon, instead having its epic storyline played out through a series of commercials. And while I may like an overarching commercial narrative as much as the next guy (anyone remember those Goldfish Cracker commercials that did the same thing?), I bet you any fans of this line were sore it never got the whole TV show package like Bionicle did.

Oh right, Valentine’s Day is in February, isn’t that right? How many more years do you think that holiday has, you reckon? Nobody likes it. It’s just a reason to buy more greeting cards and do nice things for people that you probably should just be doing anyway and not need a holiday to tell you to do. Eh, still though I guess if you were in a small class at school this would be a pretty useful sheet of cards.

Skyland, huh? Can’t say it rings a bell, but it certainly looks cool. How did this slip by me? I even had this issue as a kid and watched Nicktoons, so I must have just completely tuned it out. I wonder why?

youtube

Oh, that’s interesting, it seems like it's all done with motion captured 3D animation. That’s fine, I guess, but that illustration in the magazine had me thinking it’d look a bit more like The Last Airbender. I’m impressed that they spared no expense on the story at least. This intro here can barely keep down its exposition to forty seconds!

So, does anyone remember this one? Apparently it was a French production that was licensed to different channels across the world, airing on Teletoon in Canada and CITV in the UK. I’d love to know if it was any good!

Pretty good smorgasbord of facts in this month’s calendar. And I guess a blanket theme is good as any other theme. Ooh, National Pancake Day! What a great month.

The Jimmy-Timmy quiz is fun, but I wish we could’ve gotten an interview with someone a part of the production of the episode or something. Obviously they’re not going to just interview some random part of the staff (although I’d find that interesting personally), but a voice actor would’ve been cool. I like how Jimmy’s answer considers Sheen a responsibility. Maybe all of Jimmy’s town-threatening inventions were just to distract Sheen from causing any real damage. We all know what kind of terror he’s capable of.

Wow, Bill Clinton! BC himself! Pretty impressive guest for an issue of Nickelodeon Magazine, I must say. ‘Course they got him talking about eating vegetables and exercising instead of something cool, though. It is good to know that being on the receiving end of the most widely-reported-on gobbling in the United States wasn’t enough to get you disqualified from having a spot in Nick Mag.

Another neato guest in theory, Tommy Tallarico is a pretty big name in the video game music space. He’s known for having a hand in loads of different soundtracks over the years and also allegedly being a pathological liar and taking credits for lots of other peoples’ work, which isn’t as nice as the former thing I listed. If you’re interested you can check out more info on the topic in this video here by hbomberguy, which basically runs through a lot of the lies Tallarico has told throughout the years, made as a response to him using legal pressure to get a sound effect he claims to have made removed from the online game Roblox. Oof.

But yeah, to give him some credit, this interview is better than ‘ole Clint’s was. At least Tallarico’s talking about the thing he gets paid for instead of vegetables and dieting. And that “What’s on Mario’s iPod” section is pretty good, but considering Tallirco’s track record it makes me question the legitimacy of his answers… I always thought Crash Bandicoot was more of a Dead Or Alive fan.

Oh god, not QZ again. I did not miss seeing this freak, I’ll tell you that. Why was anyone encouraging this guy with any more questions? He was getting kids names and addresses and we all sat idly by! I like how he sidesteps half the questions too, only giving a direct answer when it concerns protecting a kid from bullies. Maybe he’s not such a bad guy after all…

…Nah. Screw him.

If you remember these guys, you qualify for an Apple Jack’s discount!

I’m willing to admit as a kid I was more than willing to buy into whatever brands wound up on my TV as long as they had a funky mascot and even funkier commercials (and having a website that sported a suite of Flash games and cartoons certainly helped), but the hijinx of this Rastafarian cinnamon stick and goblin-looking apple particularly stick out to me as some rather memorable marketing. I’d say chalk it up to the distinct claymation style the commercials sported (which I’m pretty sure got replaced with 3D animation at some point, which kinda stinks). I found it funny how the character known as “Bad Apple” here eventually got redeemed and just became a friendly competitor that races Cinnamon to the bowl as opposed to the villain he’s presented as here. Did the marketing team really not see from the get-go that people might have a problem with a commercial depicting cinnamon and sugar as the good guy and apples as, well, “bad”?

Still, as much as I loved the commercials, I never actually had a single bowl of Apple Jacks as a kid. Shocking, I know, but my friends told me they sucked and I remember reading one particularly nasty long-winded online review that basically said the cereal is garbage, so I stayed away. I eventually did have a bowl or two of the stuff many years later, and… they’re alright. I will agree with this comic on one thing, Apple Jacks definitely do not “taste like apples”. In fact, they don’t really taste like anything.

And that’ll do it for this edition of Nick Mag HIghlights! Thanks for sticking around, and I hope you had a fun time going through this issue with me. It had tons of fun stuff (that article on the strange and interesting instruments and that Jimmy-Timmy Power Hour comic were my personal highlights) and hopefully some of you can get more entertainment out of all those musical interviews than I did. We even got a Billy C cameo! It doesn’t get more engaging than an old president, does it?

As well, I’d like to reiterate my apology for the time it took to bring this to you all, and I’m hopeful I can pick the pace back up and rebuild my motivation now that I’ve gotten this finished. I’m looking forward to finalizing my aforementioned new Nick Mag Side Issues post, I think that’ll be pretty interesting and add a little spice of variety to the page. Guess we’ll see!

Keep on reading, and maybe listen to your favorite song while you’re at it. I’ll catch you next time!

#nmh post #2000s #2006 #nickelodeon #magazine #jimmy neutron #the fairly oddparents

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pinkandgreenarepurpleandyellow · 2 years ago

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Presenting the project that made me heterophobic:

Yep! I am the dork that painted the masks of our current five boys over the course of three-four days (easier to space than six would be and lets face it, I do not care for kurlzz). I chose the Notes from the Underground masks because I've realized that it's the album that most of my favorite songs thus far come from. I quickly began regretting my decision at the point where I realized exactly how limited my paint options were and how many cool colors I would need. More details for each mask below (going bottom to top).

Danny's mask looks almost nothing like the actual one mostly because I painted the circles first and did not realize the mask was more angular than I initially thought. I also had no gold, so we've got a lovely yellow mixed with tan for the base color. The bullets are rough but also smaller than you'd think and a basic brush set from Michaels does not, as I have learned, have super tiny brushes, so I did the best I could on the casings. I am proud of the fact that I tried to make the rust work as best as I could, and if you look really closely, you can even see the mesh in the eyes (looks a little clearer on the left eye). The smirk is present on the right side and I do think it's decently recognizable.

This one made me cry. Any criticism of the fire around the eyes will be met with the response to suck dick because, to be quite frank, I challenge anyone to do better at 1 am and remain disturbingly proud of them. I'm kinda sad that my green (mixed from blue and yellow, because my budget is two pennies and all previous supplies) dried up early cause I was hoping to get more of the Louis Vuitton-style details, but still pretty damn good. I think the pyramid and the canisters turned out nice. Also, a little bit of a cat-eye shape for the eyeholes and the fire, but that was deliberate and I will not be ashamed of it in my moment of pride (I will undoubtedly feel the shame within five minutes of posting, but that is a problem for future me).

A fun an interesting fact is that this is the second time I've done this particular mask of J3T, and both times I have realized I love doing the butterfly. It's super fun because as long as we get the basic swirls in, it's alright if they don't match length perfectly. The cracks are slightly off because the very first ones were free-handed, but I did my best to get the rest of them proper, and they even work to form the nose. Apparently the orange looks more yellow than I thought.

This one was a welcome relief after crying over the detailing of J-Dog's mask. Again, no metallic colors, so our silver is grey. The little black lines are there to add texture to the edges (as it turns out, none of my brushes added it in a sufficiently noticeable way), and this one looks the cleanest imo.

Last but not least, Charlie's bandanna (sunglasses painted over because, as it turns out, I continue to suck at painting and drawing glasses). The buildings are likely not accurate to the actual picture, but my reference photo did not show the actual city on the bandana so I just did some buildings, a fancy lil' LA and we're calling it an artistic interpretation. Also, check out that S. Coolest S I will ever draw in my life, got it right on the first try.

Anyways sorry that I didn't post this sooner cause I technically finished all of this yesterday evening, I have a flight soon so I am typing this up at 4:30 am at the airport.

(Tagging @vampswillhurtyou and @cutelittlenightmarethings cause both of you said you were interested and I have no idea whether or not this will show up in the main tags.)

Final pic to show what it looks like at a slight distance and with other object to provide scale. Note the paint palette thingy having 3 shades of grey in it because, again, shoestring budget and persistence substitute everything for us.

#anachronistic falsehood/whiskey you follow me so I'm assuming you'll see this drift on your dash without me tagging you #hollywood undead #danny (hu)#jdog #johnny 3 tears #j3t #funnyman #funny man #fm #charlie scene #I will continue to remain overly proud of this for a while #wearing these jeans at the airport rn btw #I am so tired and so awake I slept 2 hours and I have a production meeting tomorrow

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starspatter · 2 years ago

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Heroes and Thieves, Ch. 21

Title: Heroes and Thieves Fandom/Universe: BTAS, pre/post-RotJ flashback

Summary: A story about second chances, healing, and having hope.

Rating: PG-13, for references to character death, child psychological torture and trauma.

Genre: Romance/Family/Friendship/Hurt/Comfort

Word Count: 1,333 Previous Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20

Also on ff.net and AO3.

But just go to bed now you crazy kid You'll be alright I know come morning time Just let the moon rise and the sun go down Don't let the hard times make you feel alone

-Family of the Year, "Find It"

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Between.

Gotham cemetery. A place of mourning and memory. A young man exited out from a taxi cab after paying the driver’s fare, watching its tracks roll away through faintly falling snow before facing the metal gate. Winter had set upon Gotham early this year, and he idly adjusted his scarlet scarf – a single splash of color amidst the gray. …In his hands he held a similar sign of vibrance, in the form of a ruby bouquet of blossoms.

With a sigh, he steeled himself, and creaked open the steel spokes, trudging up the hill towards his destination. On his way, he passed by a huge headstone that bore the unmistakable marker of a single surname carved in bold: Wayne. He paused, uncertain, as he silently bowed his head for a minute to pay polite respects, before moving on.

When he reached his real objective (coincidentally located not too far away), he lamented a little with gnawing guilt at the sight of brown and overgrown weeds shrouding the spot, enduring despite choking chill. There was no marble slab, no erect monument of honor to stand proud the test of time – but a single plate embedded in the earth. He bent down and parted the plants, brushing off a light layer of white dust to reveal its ephemeral epitaph, running his fingers solemnly over the minimal inscription:

Steven Drake

Husband and Father

19XX – 200X

There was another grave beside it with an analogous engraving. He dutifully swept it clear as well, before gently laying the flowers down between the two. Stepping back, he shoved his palms in his pockets, breathing out in belated greeting.

“Hi, Mom. Hey, Dad. It’s been a while.”

He rubbed the back of his hair awkwardly, overwhelmingly aware of just how long it had been since he’d given his own kin any kind thought, having made zero effort to dig up the dirt of an even more distant past. Per his own personal request, Mr. Wayne had spared him any fancy funeral proceedings, employing but a simple ceremony and privately hired preacher. Burying his father’s bloated, barely recognizable blue corpse in a closed casket after importing it back from Metropolis, in order to let his body’s spirit rest in Gotham hallowed ground at least – at “home”. …Bruce had held his hand the entire time though, and the long overdue tears from that day threatened to descend now at the recollection. He shook his head though and swallowed firmly, struggling to find a way to broach conversation, make up for lost time.

“I’m sorry I haven’t visited often. I guess I’m still mad at you for a lot of things,” he grudgingly admitted, mostly addressing the male side of the equation. “But… I know you did what you felt you had to in order to support Mom and me, all on your own.”

He focused on the paternal plaque by his feet – not quite in forgiveness just yet, but understanding sympathy at least. Having seen and experienced how truly horrible a “parent” could be firsthand, he had a better appreciation now for some blessings, however small.

“I don’t know if you’ve been watching from… wherever you are. So I guess I’ll just start at the beginning. After you left, Bruce Wayne found me and took me in. You know, the big-shot billionaire? He… gave me a job. The best job in the world, I thought. I… was really good at it too. Things were great, for a while. I was honestly happy. And…” He hesitated. “You would’ve been proud of me, I think. …If you’d only been there to see.”

Glassy eyes masked in mist, lifting a lugubrious look to the clouded, crying sky. Dull and monochrome. Monotone.

“But… I messed up. Bad. I mean: really, really screwed up. I made the biggest mistake of my life, and it cost everything and everyone I love. I… did something terrible. Something you never even had the guts to do.”

His knuckles clenched tightly, reminiscing.

“Before you disappeared, you said something to me. You probably thought I was asleep, but I heard you. You… said that I’d be ‘okay’. That I had ‘something special’, something you ‘never had’.”

He lowered his gaze, returning resentfully to reality.

“You were wrong though. I’m not special,” he spat in hindsight, acknowledging the full irony of the forecasting statement. “And I’m sure as hell not okay.”

Biting his lip, he exhaled, letting it go.

“But… I’m doing better now. Since then anyway. Things have changed. I’ve got a new job – a legit one, that’s not breaking any laws,” he almost laughed in mocking jest at the notion. “-with decent salary and benefits, can afford a fairly nice place of my own; a ‘stable’ income life and all that normal shit. In general, I suppose you could say things are… pretty ‘all right’ at the moment. I’ve even made some really good friends, who helped me get back on my feet after that. And I… met a girl: Her name’s Stephanie. You’d like her, she’s got what you’d call ‘spunk’.”

He smiled softly.

“We’re getting married soon, in the spring. I… wish you could be there. Both of you.”

A beat, before quietly adding:

“All of you.”

…He whispered.

“I want you to know: No matter what, you’re still my Dad. Bru- Mr. Wayne could never replace you. …He tried though, he really did. I… don’t blame him for that. So, please – try not to hate him too.”

His fist tautened in determination.

“Even so, I won’t be like you. And I won’t be like him either. I’m… gonna find my own way from now on. Stay straight, stay clean yada yada. Stay ‘strong’ – gold and all that crap.”

Reflecting back, he mused.

“In the end, maybe that’s what you were trying to do too. The right thing. Show ol’ Pukeface who’s boss, protect me and this whole goddamn city. And paid the price for it. …Or maybe you were just trying to save your own skin.” He shrugged. “Guess I’ll never know at this point.”

Scratching his scruff again through the scarf, he found himself running out of things to say. He thought there’d be a lot more mean and angry words to let out, finally get completely off his chest; cruel criticism for all the accumulated sins committed by every contributing party involved, more bitterness built up after all this time… But somehow it didn’t seem worth it anymore.

“I suppose that’s all I wanted to come to talk about, for now. I’ll stop by again. And… I’ll bring her with me next time, so you can meet her.”

Bidding farewell for the time being, he turned and trekked back through the gathering slush towards the entrance. Crunching through ice and frost as he walked purposefully past cracked, pious structures and beneath the barren branches of trees, limbs stripped of life and leaves but still surviving – clinging on desperately by the roots. So too were the touchstone memorials, the ones still being devotedly cared for by loved ones left behind. (Like hidden trophy cases submerged just as deep underground, concealed in cold storage – frozen stasis – within a closeted cave. …Maybe, it might be more accurate to refer to it as a “mausoleum” than a “museum” at this stage, given the curator’s penchant for creeping about at night, as if a wandering ghost himself. Maintaining appearance as a haunting host for no one, no reason other than to selfishly serve his own death-seeking crusade – grimly reaping what he’d sown.) …So as not to forget where they’ve been and where they came from – a permanent, palimpsest reminder that someone was, in fact, ‘here’.

He didn’t get very far though before he came upon another fresh set of slightly larger prints beside his own, trailing to a stop before the towering tomb he bypassed earlier.

…

Blooming like budding drops of blood at its shadow’s base was something that wasn’t there before:

It was a pair of red roses.

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I say goodbye as it fades away Out past those trees I'm gonna find my way Please don't be scared for me I'm big and I'm strong You had to know that I would leave all along

#TimSteph #Tim Drake #Timmy Todd #Stephanie Brown #Batman the Animated Series #Batman Beyond #DCAU #Return of the Joker #fanfiction #starstories #bit of a shorter chapter this time but #we're finally slowly transitioning into the Beyond era whoo

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gilmores-glorious-blog · 2 years ago

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rewatching season 1 of tlovm and fuck it i’m going to liveblog it, i don’t care that i’ll already be absolutely insufferable come friday:

- my brother and i watching this for the fourth time after finally having knowledge of dnd: “oh fince is just a drow….. not a really fucked up looking human……..”

- everything about the opening scene in the tavern makes it so obvious why i fell in love with vax,, the first thing he does is flirt with a hot man and then immediately attack him of course i love him

- they really said “we want to make it as clear as possible within the first five minutes of this show that these twins are bisexual” (and i thank them for it 😌)

- it’s so fun to spot all the matts throughout the show, i really hope they continue that bit in season 2

- it’s wild how recognizable all their voices are to me now… i used to have a hard time connecting the voices to the cast members, but now i’m just like. oh yeah hi it’s you.

- the legend of vox machina song is high-key what made me fall in love with the show

- :0 an airship! (i hadn’t watched much of c3 the last time i watched this show)

- forever and always soft about sam and liam’s kids voicing the little kids on the show

- crazy to hear a child ask liam o’brien “are you a wizard?” and for liam to answer no

- vax being so soft with the children makes me so emotional,, especially when you think about how he never got to have kids of his own/never got to meet any of his nieces and nephews 🙃

- this intro is The Most Intro.

- i am so fine and normal about the raven in the intro actually

- i get so excited about gilmore even before we see him (vex going “please, with the way that man dotes on you” and vax looking all flustered.. i love them)

- i believe in pike and vax sibling dynamic supremacy <3

- TUSK LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

- my mom decided to walk in during vax and gilmore’s incredibly sexual flirting 😭😩 (she has never watched this show but she knows i’m obsessed with it)

- i love vax and gilmore so so so much i am prepared to be so unwell about them again in five days

- my mom is still here and scanlan is being scanlan :|

- wow i’m sure none of this dragon stuff is at all important later… definitely just a nice decorative rug…. 🙃

- vex i love you but you know so little about dragons all things considered,, i feel like she should at least know that they can turn human

- desmond is so viktor-arcane-core

- META PIGEON???? i never noticed that before omfg 😭😭😭

- gotta love the “titties work hard but emos work harder” scene

- i love the vax and grog prank war so much i hope they show more of it in s2 (the beard-shaving scene.. please…)

- never getting over how fucking pretty the twins look in their fancy getup

- absolutely haunted by the knowledge that matt and marisha voice the weird old couple that scanlan flirts with

- percy :( he makes me so sad :((

- simon!!!!!!! all i want is for there to be some reference to how vax got simon,, i want a thorn mention,,,,

- the scene with vax and the briarwoods you will always be famous <3

- i’m so conflicted because on one hand i feel bad for desmond but on the other hand…… no mercy percy hot.

#only watched the first three episodes tonight but knowing me i will continue to post as i watch the rest of the show #insane the amount of joy i get from this show…. it makes me so happy fr :’)#critical role #the legend of vox machina #eli.posts

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the-single-element · 11 months ago

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Good morning.

Today, our Lenten readings continue with not one, but two famous - but difficult to understand - events. The Good News is of the Transfiguration: an overwhelming, bewildering mystical experience, and one of the few things from Jesus's ministry that he successfully kept under wraps until after he'd finished his ministry. Meanwhile, our Torah excerpt is that famous, troubling story of Abraham nearly offering his son as a human sacrifice.

But while both of these stories are famous ones, at first it seems like the only common thread is that they take place on a mountaintop, and God's voice is involved. Why pair them? What are we meant to learn from Abraham's scandalous loyalty, in relation to Jesus's transfiguration?

I'll start with what might be an overly bold contention, but one that seems at least credible to consider: we know that God tested Abraham by asking for the offering up of Isaac, but we are not told if he passed.

Credit where it's due: this is a Jewish argument, albeit a minority one for which I can't find a proper citation. But the logic goes, that Abraham - who argued with God on behalf of condemned Sodom and Gomorrah lest the innocent be slain with the guilty - ought to have argued for his own son as well. Abraham - to whom God had promised that "it is through Isaac that descendants will bear your name" - ought to have challenged God for going back on his oath.

Indeed, there is evidence that the astonishingly close relationship Abraham had with God (as the only person whom the TaNaKh refers to as God's "friend" rather than "servant") grew more distant after that mountaintop trial. Before that, God often spoke to Abraham directly. And those conversations were often debates, with no apparent wedge driven between the two as a result. In contrast, it was an angel who stayed Abraham's hand, and we never hear of God speaking to him again after that. And Abraham's recompense for his loyalty seems little more than what God had already promised him.

This logic perhaps stands in contrast to the most natural way for a Christian to approach the Binding of Isaac; early Christian writers often described Jesus's crucifixion as God the Father offering God the Son as a sacrifice. Indeed, the Hebrews essayist came to the conclusion that Abraham's behavior only made sense in the context of the Resurrection, since "maybe Isaac will come back to life" would, if nothing else, resolve the contradiction of how God's promise could be fulfilled through a dead boy. As popular as this framing is, though, it ignores a rather important broken parallel between Jesus and Isaac: Jesus went willingly, but Isaac was deceived and then forcefully subdued by his father, rather than Abraham even warning Isaac what God had commanded.

With this in mind, let's return to the miracle of the Transfiguration, and consider what we see there: once again, we see God in conversation. The titans of the TaNaKh - Moses and Elijah - are there, discussing something with Jesus... whose form has changed, been glorified, but who is still recognizable as a human being.

...in this world, when God draws near to us, we often shrink from him in fear. "Let us not again hear the voice of the LORD, our God," said the children of Abraham, once, "nor see this great fire any more, lest we die." Even Peter - clumsily eager as always - in the end reacts to the vision on that mountaintop in terror.

But we, who didn't have to experience it firsthand like him, should instead take it as a sign of hope. The vision on that mountaintop was a vision of the Kingdom; how else should we interpret what the apostles are seeing - Jesus transfigured, and the presence of two holy men, one who died, one who entered heaven alive? And this means that, even in the Kingdom, God wants the kind of relationship with human beings that he once had with Abraham and then perhaps lost: a relationship where he can speak to us directly, as he did to Jesus's friends on the mountain. Jesus's willingness to come to us as a human being, as we discussed last week, should, then, be our permission to draw near to God instead of shrinking in fear. Our permission to have an honest relationship with God, even the kind that's willing to argue back like Abraham once did, to challenge him, so that we can better understand the whys and justifications for his actions (which, after all, Jesus has invited us to do, if we are his friends like Abraham was). If it is God who acquits us, as Paul puts it today, what are we afraid of? Should we not be willing to be honest with the one who already knows our hearts better than we do?

Lent is a time of discipline, but it's also a time for getting our relationship with God straightened out. Of drawing closer to God, "seeking him while he may be found". It's an opportunity to renew our own covenants with God, so that, strengthened by that relationship, we may be more eagerly ready to act upon it in the world. If that's so, then today, in that context, is a reminder that we are God's friends, not his slaves, and that he wants a relationship of love between us, if only we're willing to approach him in active love (the foundation of the Kingdom, as we've said) and not in cowed fear.

Best wishes and blessings to you and yours.

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girlreviews · 11 months ago

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Review #485: Continuum, John Mayer

The thing you need to know first about my listening to this album is that I truly have never heard it, or any songs on it, ever. John Mayer was really not a mainstream thing in the UK where I grew up and any releases of new music from him happened without anyone on that little island being particularly aware of it, with a few exceptions here and there. So please imagine how weird that is when the opening track is, apparently, one of those ones that is so overplayed and recognizable in American culture that is provokes a visceral and physical response in people. But not me. I thought it was fine.

I actually hoped to like this album, because unfortunately for me, John Mayer’s “Sob Rock”, I genuinely believe has not yet had it’s day, and it’s one of the better works of art to be put out in the last decade. It was smart, conceptual, beautiful, serious and unserious and just really fucking good man. Whenever the question of what to listen to cannot be answered, the answer is Sob Rock. AND EVEN THAT has a banished song on it, because he can’t fucking help himself. John. It was 2021. It was following a year of reckoning for us all. And you thought it was funny or cool to put a track on there and unironically call it “Why You No Love Me”. Get the fuck out of here John. You’re honestly lucky the rest of it is good enough that I will tolerate this being on there at all. And it’s terrible. Get help. Get therapy. Get a lobotomy. Whoever she is, stay away from her.

I reasonably expected that this would be as good as that in a different way if it made its way to the Rolling Stone’s Top 500, but, I don’t get it. I really sat and asked myself what the appeal is for a good long while too.

There are some, SOME, like THREE tracks that I think are pretty decent songs. They’re interesting. They have depth. The rest of it is coffee house music or a guy who is trying really hard to convince you he’s a deep, romantic, misunderstood thinker. And I’m not picking up what he’s putting down. You’re a fraud my guy, I can feel it in these songs. They’re shallow. They’re a performance. But not in a good way.

This is the same John Mayer that proudly expressed in an interview (with Rolling Stone!) “My dick is sort of like a white supremacist. I've got a Benetton heart and a fuckin' David Duke cock. I'm going to start dating separately from my dick."

Yeah, so I don’t think we are going to be reading into any of these soft boy coffee house Nora Ephron “missing each other” montage soundtrack vibes (listen to “Gravity” and tell me you can’t just see Meg Ryan drawing her curtains closed lamenting why Tom Hanks or Billy Crystal hasn’t called or emailed yet).

So look, it’s barreling towards mediocrity on all fronts, it’s especially full of shit conceptually, and I just think he needs to leave this kind of thing to Norah Jones, who isn’t really my cup of tea either but she’s not out there using the n-word in interviews, name-dropping David Duke, referring to past girlfriends as “sexual napalm”, or dating girls more than ten years younger than him that are barely adults. Just shut the fuck up John. If you’re not going to make something self deprecating that at least acknowledges what a garbage guy you are, then I’m not gonna be able to hear anything in it that’s good. That’s why Sob Rock works, you know that, right John? Cus you’re kind of a garbage guy and you’re kind of self aware in it. You’re in your forties now and this shit was never cute but I can promise you it’s just ugly now.

Honestly, I have no idea why this is critically acclaimed and the only thing I’ve got is that he is generally revered to be a prodigy of sorts on the old axe, is appreciated by his (male) peers for this, toured with the Grateful Dead etc, and this guitar is incorporated into this dull droll coffee house music. Here’s my response: so what?

Last thing on this. I once listened to Sob Rock for the bazillionth time, but I was laying in bed with it playing through my projector. I was very high. Spotify did that annoying thing it does where it puts a short animation up with the music and it was just giant on my wall. All I can say is that the vibe was ruined by John Mayer’s massive and disturbing lips. This is the duality of separating the art from the artist. Sometimes we love an album and we hate that we love it because they are such a dick and have weird lips that freak you out. If John Mayer was walking towards me on the street I would recoil in horror and run the opposite direction because his lips strike a primal fear deep in my heart. Is it rational? No. Is it true? Yes.

I listened to Continuum a second time to be thorough but it’s not gonna get a third go. But I will start a letter writing campaign insisting that the next iteration of the top 500 replace Continuum with Sob Rock and I’m pretty serious about that. My brain can’t make sense of this being better than that. I would say I’d die on that hill but I ain’t dying on no hill for this fool.

#music review #music #album review #continuum #john mayer #rolling stone top 500 #sob rock

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shadowshole · 2 years ago

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So this post caused quite of a stir, so this is in answer to everyone asking themselves: “WTF?”

In my last year of High School, we were tasked with creating some designs for these two buildings in a park close to our school. Long story short, instead of choosing two sets of designs, they chose mine and later tasked me to create more, so it could all be cohesive. The general theme I had gone with is sort of like... “Magic creatures in a fantasy land”, since it was for kids. I had to go with things that could be done quickly (We had 2 months)

So I put some Merlin references. Sadly some ideas had to be simplified, so there are only two recognizable references in the walls...

On the little columns, however...

So I’ll show you the designs, keep in mind that I was working on a tight schedule...

vs How it looked while being made

Fairies were a common fixture. If you look at him from up close you can see Merlin’s red scarf and his boots. So like... dragonlord Merlin with a dragon. (It can be Aithusa, OR it could be one of my favorite tropes, which is Arthur as a Dragon)

Another one is this design:

I think the lake Avalon, with the island and tower, is easier to recognize than the last one.

(The lighting sucks I know)

But the REAL deal are the little columns.

Top left was supposed to be white, but I was asked to turn her blue. But in my mind she’ll always be little Aithusa.

Next to it: The iconic blue butterflies from 5x12.

THE NEXT ONE IS A REFERENCE TO FANFIC OF COURSE. The Dragon Rises from Footloose, the design is completely from Mushroomtale. We made no money from this, so I just put in the reference. Also, the finished product is always different from the original.

On the bottom left we have Merthur, but like... as dragons. I threw in even more references, like the COIN, Merlin’s scarf, Arthur’s pendant, the scales that look like a crown, the transition from red to blue...

And last, but not least, a bear (with a long tail because as I said, the theme is ‘fantastic beasts’) and a merlin (with 2 pairs of wings because as I said, the theme is ‘fantastic beasts’). For those of you who don’t know, Arthur actually means bear! Also for those of you who don’t know, Merlin actually means merlin! You learn something new every day. So a bear and a merlin.

I hope this was satisfactory and answered all your questions, I’ll tag the people who were curious in the comments.. There are more designs of course, but have nothing to do with Merlin, so I didn’t mention them, but just so you know, I also snuck my OC there because she’s been with me for 10 years and I love her.

If you... idk... live in Milan or ever visit Milan and want to take a peek, This is called ‘Giardino Bazlen e Foà’ and you can find it in ‘Corso di Porta Romana’ in a hidden nook between the houses.

#merlin #merlin emrys #bbc merlin #merthur #Fanart #can i tag it as that #oh well #merlin fanart #technically it is #wall art #murales #wall mural #muralpainting

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beastdrive · 2 years ago

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hope this post is okay for me to latch onto (cw busuzima)

i've also been HAUNTED by this picture and i really do think it's mostly a gag but also as close to a recognizable reference to their shared history as the animation team could get. what's doubly interesting about it is that during BREX busuzima still thinks of stun as his "friend" at least according to that V-Jump entry, so i think it was meant to showcase their past connection and friendship

but then there's this mystery guy between them and he really DOES look like hashiba from the fang manga, you're right

in terms of BREX/game-line, i wonder if the dude in this picture might be the infamous Dr. Maxwell that's mentioned in uriko's BR1 V-Jump story, he seemed important to tylon's leadership

i agree though, the fang manga definitely reads like it's own little universal spin on the series instead of a plot-offshoot in the same timeline (excluding the crossover chapter present in BREX's V-Jump)

there doesn't really seem to be a direct expie for many of the BR2+ characters but i feel like that villain from vol1 is probably a cross between shenlong and busuzima, the rest are pretty obvious in who they're referencing or they're completely original, but it is extremely funny to think about tylon just being filled with these freaks

what i garnered from the fang manga is that the villain is a tylon scientist running around doing crimes injecting ppl with beast juice. and i feel like most of the manga characters are purposely expies of game characters so he’s just busuzima but it’s also funny, bc. is tylon just full of these kind of guys…?

hang on. mid post epiphany. i don’t feel like getting the pics necessary rn. but. that third person in that photo of him and stun that bussy carries with him. that’s him. fucker identified

#bloody roar #bloody roar: the fang #tylonpharma #headcanons #mod chatter #beast theory #or it could be shenlong in the picture...#that would be equally as silly as bug stun in a lab coat #but the animators don't have a good grasp of these characters #and there was a limited budget / amount of info given to them

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mortallychaotickingdom · 2 years ago

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#mortallychaoticdtiys

Alright friends, grab a snack and take a seat because I have some rules to explain and I clearly don't have the gift of synthesis eheh~

As you can see (actually you can’t because I probably wrote one of my longest posts, I’m sorryy) there are two different prompts! I made them to give a little win to the artists who preferred to have some freedom and also to make this little contest accessible to everyone!

However let's finally talk about rules:

-Anyone can join regardless of their skill, this is only a silly thing to have fun together, don't overthink about it! 💕

-Both traditional and digital drawings are welcomed! There are no particular limits about the media used

-The drawing doesn't have to be completed or meticulously realized, even a quick sketch made in a couple of minutes will be loved and appreciated! ✨

-blatantly traced artworks are not allowed tho (referencing is fine!) and same thing goes for AI art, every drawing that falls under these categories will be "disqualified"!

- You can choose the prompt you like most! I guess you can do both... if you want to (?) But it's not necessary and most importantly it will not be "valued" as a bonus when I'll pick the winners

-You're free to make changes to the composition, color palette, poses ect. of the drawing! The only requirement is that the "original" prompt must still be recognizable!

-Once your pwetty drawing is ready just post it as you normaly would tagging me in the description and adding the hashtag #mortallychaoticdtiys. Feel free to dm me if you notice that I might have missed your post!

-The deadline for this dtiys will be a month from now so for the 7th of February! The winners will be announced after a couple of days and I'll begin working on the prizes from the 17th/18th trying to deliver everything (comic chapter included) in about a month!

-After the winners will be announced I'll contact them privately to get references and everything about the character they would like to be featured in the chapter and/or about the drawing commissions!

-as last, most importantly, have fun!!! 💕 💕 💕

- - -

Wow... I really wasn't expecting that many rules :oo I hope I didn't forget anything! (also if you have any doubt always feel free to dm me!)

HOWEVER I'd say I bothered you enough with boring information so you're free to go! Big thanks in advance to the artists who'll join and I really can't wait to see your beautiful artworks! 💕

Little thing i forgot, in case you missed the last post here's the prizes:

-First place: a 50$ worth art commission that can include two characters (full body/full color) with no background OR one (full body, full color) character + background

-Second place: a 25$ worth art commission that can include two full color characters (bust) OR one full body full color character (both without background)

-Third place: a 10$ worth commission, one character full color bust OR one character full body sketch

(the only requirement is that it must be at least vaguely related to the pl fandom, au, oc, crazy crossovers are absolutely fine just don't ask me to make a portrait of your grandma AHAH)

And since this wasn't enough there will be 5 more extra winners that as a prize will have their characters (or even themselves if they want) featured as a bg character in the upcoming chapter of my fancomic Artemis: Behind the Legacy.

#pl #desmond sycamore #professor layton oc #Artemis #mortallychaoticdtiys #dtiys #rules #drawing contest #I'm so hyped JYGJYJYGUK #thank you again for your support <3

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age-of-moonknight · 2 years ago

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That One Iconic Black and White Suit from Vol. 7

Thanks again @luke-o-lophus for thinking of me when asking about references for your cosplay! Diving back into vol. 7 was a lot of fun! To clarify, I'm talking about doing some research into this particular suit of Moon Knight's:

which was first really put on the map in Moon Knight (Vol. 7/2014), #2 with art by Declan Shalvey and Jordie Bellaire. And I don't use the descriptor "iconic" lightly, because not only was it a marked departure from the all-white ensemble Moon Knight almost exclusively sported previously (with exception of that one time with the Secret Avengers), but it's simultaneously chock full of details and recognizable enough where I'm pretty sure one could just don a black morphsuit, a hooded cloak of a similar silhouette, and tape a crescent moon to one's chest, and most comic fans would still be able to clock you as Moon Knight hahaha But anyway, the components and other details!!!! Here are some of my favorites!

1. The Cloak!!!

Moon Knight (Vol. 7/2014), #2

The distinctive crescent shape isn't always as readily apparent, but it is always long and dramatic and furthermore, the peaked hood and considerable amount of fabric around the throat are pretty close to staples for a Moon Knight costume.

Moon Knight (Vol. 7/2014), #2

2. The Black Morphsuit

....because once the hood is down, it really do look like a black morphsuit....

Moon Knight (Vol. 7/2014), #8

Some artists chose to draw in some extra padding, like the kneepads depicted here, the likes of which seem vaguely reminiscent of the kneepads used by top-tier operators, but it's far from a consistent detail hahaha

Moon Knight (Vol. 7/2014), #14

3. The armor (i.e. crescents, crescents, crescents!!!!)

Probably one of the most fun aspect about this suit for me is that practically everything is a crescent moon:

3a. The Chest Plate and Spaulders/Shoulder armor (and you can even begin to see here how crescents are incorporated into the backs of the gloves and of course the vambraces on the forearms)

Moon Knight (Vol. 7/2014), #16

3b. Vambraces

Now these are a little trickier because they vary slightly depending upon the artist. Some artists, such as Shalvey, chose to have a set of smaller crescents along the inner forearm:

while other artists chose to forego this detail

Moon Knight (Vol. 7/2014), #13

and still other artists sort of split the difference hahaha

Variant cover for Moon Knight (Vol. 7/2014), #3

3c. Boots!

Even the boots have little crescents across the top!

Moon Knight (Vol. 7/2014), #13

Sorry for the grubby panel but it also showcases one of my other fave details which is that, similar to how top-tier operators will have gloves with padded knuckles, some artists choose to include such a detail on Moon Knight's gloves

Moon Knight (Vol. 7/2014), #13

and they also have little crescents!!!!

Finally, since we've already entered the realm of "super fiddly details," I just like how there's two last crescents at the base of Marc's thumbs (sometimes....doing this deep dive has made me aware that the artists are not always consistent in whether Marc's gloves are entirely white or not hahaha)

Moon Knight (Vol. 7/2014), #2

and the crescents at Marc's hips are actually pieces of technology used in conjunction with his trackers????

Moon Knight (Vol. 7/2014), #14 Marc what even???

But anyway, a lot of these are details that are nowhere near necessary for a cosplay (especially since not even every artist chose to include every such detail in every panel), but I hope I at least perhaps gave you some food for thought! Thanks again for the super fun suggestion; I hope you enjoy the journey of building your cosplay and making it your own! :D

#Knight Mail #???? I guess??? kind of????#Moon Knight #Moon Knight vol. 7 #Moon Knight 2014 #Moon Knight comics #this has me wondering though....would anyone be interested if I did #like #a history of Marc's various Moon Knight looks?#I swear it would only be partially motivated by my desire to remind everyone that Marc's cape used to be attached to his wrists hahaha

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btschooseafic · 3 years ago

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House of Hope/Chapter 1/let’s go to the mall

Pairing: OT7 x Reader, OT7 x OT7

Details: hybrid!bts, a/b/o dynamics, asexual!reader

Summary: The other six hybrids arrive. Time to go shopping.

Warnings: The recognizable names and personalities do not reflect their real life counterparts. prejudice, anxiety, references to controlling/abusive behavior, eating disordered behavior and body shaming. (I’m blown away by the response to the prologue! thanks so much guys!) edit 8/19/21: just wanted to add something about driver’s licenses for the world building [masterlist]

Namjoon paced in the living room.

“Are you nervous, Namjoon-ssi?” You asked, from your spot sitting on the armchair. He looked down at your legs, which you suddenly became aware were bouncing. Your fingers clenched at the fabric of your pants, willing yourself to keep still.

“A little,” he admitted. “We never housed so many residents at once. It was better to space them out, in order to give them a chance to get used to being here before having to meet others… I understand these are unique circumstances, but it does make me a little nervous to be doing things so differently… and without Uncle.”

“Unique circumstances,” you repeated. Namjoon nodded.

“It’s rare for hybrids to form bonds in a shelter. The shelters try and prevent it because it makes adoption harder.”

You nodded. “Soonyoung mentioned that it’s… painful? For packs to be separated from each other.” That was part of the reason you had agreed to this job in the first place.

Namjoon grimaced. “It feels like your heart’s being ripped out of your chest… but if you can survive the initial pain, the ache lessons over time…” He rubbed at his chest and then let out a small huff. “Actually, I’m more worried about the mate bonds. A pack will be defensive of each other to begin with, but double bonds might make it difficult for us to interact with them. I want them to feel comfortable here, for them to be able to rely on us.” He sighed. “I can’t help but feel like Uncle, with all of his studying and experience would be able to do better by them.”

“But you have a lot of experience and studying under your belt as well,” you thought. He shrugged. “And I’ll do my best to support you.” He smiled a little tensely. His ears perked up.

“They’re here.”

Soonyoung wouldn’t be accompanying them. She had met them earlier at her office. Apparently, they had seen the end of her dance practice and been fascinated, so Soonyoung had recommended a hybrid friendly class. She had texted you the information earlier. Namjoon had helped you read through the studio’s website. The doorbell rang. You jerked onto your feet.

Namjoon opened the door.

Jo was standing the front, a line of men behind him.

Namjoon let out a breath. “Welcome to House of Hope!” He bowed slightly. “Come in,” he said, stepping out of the way. Everyone took off their shoes. They pulled on the slippers Namjoon had left out. “I wasn’t sure of your sizes—so if anyone needs a different size, let me know.”

“Thank you!” One man said brightly. His hair was golden, including the secondary downward turned ears and a fluffy tail. You struggled to match his features to the pictures in the files you and Namjoon had gone over. You had never been good with names or faces. “These fit fine!”

“This is Namjoon-ssi, House of Hope’s long-term resident, and basically Minho-ssi’s assistant,” Jo told them. “And this is [F/N]-ssi, your new caregiver, at least for the next few months.”

“You’re sticking by what you said about a three month trial period, Jo-ssi?” One of the other men asked. He had black hair, with matching rounded triangular ears, and a long tail.

Namjoon frowned, shifting closer to you. You looked up at him questioningly, but he didn’t say anything.

Jo nodded. “Of course, Yoongi-ssi! I know this isn’t the case with all lawyers and officials you’ll run into… and of course, not true of all people you’ll run into in general, but I am an honest man.”

Yoongi rolled his emerald eyes. And then he looked at you.

“Are you going to tell me you’re the rare honest type as well, Master?”

“I’ll do my best,” you said again, bowing. You didn’t see several of the hybrids exchange surprised looks. They quickly schooled their expressions into something more neutral before you straightened up.

“T-Thank you, Mistress,” another one of the men said. He had fluffy white hair and a matching tail.

You grimaced. “Please, call me by my name…” You looked around. “All of you.�� One of the men squirmed, making a face at the suggestion. He had gray hair, similar to Namjoon’s, but with a bit of a bluish tint to it. You were about to ask him what was wrong when Jo cleared his throat.

“Well, I’ll be heading out, then,” he said. “[F/N]-ssi, you look more and more beautiful every time I see you.” He winked at you.

You tensed. Was he joking?

Namjoon frowned at him. “Hyung—remember what you said about trying to be professional.”

“Right, right.” Jo smiled sheepishly. “Sorry if I made you uncomfortable, [F/N]-ssi. I really will be going now.” He waved over his shoulder as he headed out.

Everyone stared at you.

You swallowed. “Um… if you don’t mind, could we head into the living room and go over a few things?”

“Sounds good!” The blonde man said, moving forward.

In the living room, you took you usual seat on the rug. The fluffy white-haired man frowned. You looked around at everyone as they stood, hovering.

“Feel free to sit wherever you like…” You chewed at your lip. “Does anybody want a drink or a snack?” Everyone shook their heads and started to sit down. Namjoon sat on the carpet to the right of you. Two of the men somehow managed to squeeze onto the armchair together. The other four sat on the couch. “Maybe we could start with introductions? I have read your files, but it might take me a while to memorize all of your names, sorry.”

The men looked around at each other.

The white-haired man sat up straight.

“I’m Seokjin, twenty-eight years old, domestic feline, Turkish Agora.”

“Nice to meet you, Seokjin-ssi…” You blinked. “Oh, I forgot to…” You dipped your head. “I’m [L/N] [F/N], twenty-six years old…um, I’m from America?”

Yoongi snorted. “Was that a question?”

You shook your head. “No, sorry. I am from America, sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize, [F/N]-ssi,” Namjoon told you quietly.

Seokjin elbowed Yoongi and gave him a pointed look.

Yoongi sighed. “Yoongi. Twenty-seven. Black panther.”

“He’s a melanistic Amur Leopard, to be exact,” Namjoon put in.

Yoongi looked at him blankly. “Yeah, thanks. I knew that.”

“…I’m Namjoon. Twenty-six years old. Grey lupine,” Namjoon continued.

“Wolf,” Yoongi muttered. “Could’ve just said wolf.”

“I’m Hoseok!” The blonde man said. “I’m twenty-six also, it’ll be nice to be living with someone the same age, Namjoon-ssi.” He blinked. “Oh, and I’m a golden retriever.” He looked over at the armchair. “Jiminie, you go next.”

“I’m Jimin,” the gray-haired man said quietly. “I’m twenty-five, Russian Blue domestic feline.”

“Taehyung,” the man next to him said. “Also twenty-five. Fox.”

“And last, but not least, our maknae.” Hoseok jumped up, gesturing dramatically at the tall dark haired man who was curled up on the couch next to Seokjin.

“Jungkook,” the dark haired man said. “Twenty-three years old. I’m a rabbit.”

“Are all Flemish Giant hybrids so tall?” Namjoon asked him.

Jungkook blinked. “We… tend to be.”

Namjoon nodded. “Fascinating…” He looked at you. “We should go over the schedule for this week.”

“Right. So, ah… if everyone is up for it, I’d like to go shopping for clothes, toiletries, and anything else you might want later today. If you would rather rest and then do it tomorrow, that could probably work as well.”

The men looked around at each other.

“Today would be fine, M—[F/N]-nim,” Seokjin answered.

“You… don’t have to be so formal, Seokjin-nim.”

Seokjin gaped. Namjoon laughed.

“[F/N]-ssi’s just teasing you, Seokjin-ssi.”

“Oh…” He cleared his throat, recovering a politely blank facial expression. “[F/N]-ssi?” He tried. You smiled at him. He flushed. “Ah, you…” He dipped his head. “You can call me Jin. Everyone does…”

“Jin-ssi,” Namjoon spoke up. “There was a note in your file that you have a Emergency Hybrid Driver’s License that’s going to expire soon. [F/N]-ssi needs to renew her international license, so maybe you’d like to go with her tomorrow?”

“I… If that would be alright with you, [F/N]-ssi.”

“Sounds good,” you said.

“C-could I come too?” Jungkook asked quietly. “I’d like to get a license also.” He looked at you wide eyed. “I can pay for it myself!”

“Nonsense,” Namjoon said, frowning slightly. “I know technically House for Hope is disbanded, but Soonyoung-noona agreed to fund the six of you as if you were normal residents, so that’s how I’ll treat you. Things like drivers licenses are encouraged and paid for by us.”

“We should go over the schedule for the rest of the week,” Namjoon thought.

“There’s the dance class on Thursday,” you said. “Hoseok-ssi, Jimin-ssi, and Jungkook-ssi, you all said you would definitely like to attend, whereas Taehyung-ssi and Yoongi-ssi said maybe. Has anyone changed their minds?”

“I still want to go!” Hoseok said.

“Me too…” Jimin said.

“And me,” Jungkook said, nodding eagerly.

Taehyung titled his head. “I think… not for now, at least.”

Jimin tensed, staring at him wide eyed. Taehyung yawned and wrapped his arms around the cat, resting his chin against the other men’s shoulder. Jimin’s body relaxed slightly.

“Yeah, what Tae Tae said,” Yoongi said, pointing at him and nodding.

“Okay.” You nodded.

“If there are any other classes anyone would like to take, they’re encouraged as part of the program,” Namjoon told them. “I have a running list of hybrid friendly classes, so feel free to ask.” He looked around at them. “Any other questions?”

“Um…” Jimin looked at you. “Master—ah, I mean, [F/N]-ssi… what about house rules?” You looked at Namjoon.

“House rules…” Namjoon repeated, rubbing his chin. “I guess we have a few—things like, respect your fellow residents, privacy, safety, so forth… keep shared areas clean.”

Jimin looked from him to you confusedly.

“I… alright.”

“Is something wrong with that, Jimin-ssi?” Namjoon asked him.

“I… I thought that [F/N]-ssi would be setting the rules, and that there would be more of them,” Jimin admitted.

Your brow furrowed. “I don’t think it would make sense for me to set any rules, since I’ve only been here for a week.”

“I understand this might not be what you’re used to. If you want a more structured lifestyle, Jimin-ssi, I could provide you with one,” Namjoon told him. “However… the end goal of this program is to help you to be as independent as possible. We could either start off with a less structured schedule immediately, or ease into it. It’s your choice.”

“I… I think I’d like to try the unstructured schedule right away, other than what we’ve already gone over,” Jimin said quietly. Taehyung nuzzled against him, smiling slightly.

After that, Namjoon showed them the rooms. Unsurprisingly, Jimin and Taehyung chose to share a room. Yoongi and Jin were sharing as well, while Jungkook and Hoseok each had their own room.

As you hadn’t renewed your license yet, Jin drove the worn down van that had been parked in the garage to the mall.

Namjoon patted the dashboard. “Uncle loved this old thing.”

“Uncle?” Jin repeated.

“Lee Minho-ssi, the previous owner of the House, who recently passed away,” Namjoon said, smiling sadly.

Jin could smell the grief wafting off of him.

“You… called him Uncle?” Jin wondered. Namjoon nodded.

“I lived with him for nearly ten years. Even if I tried to address him more formally at first, it got to a point where that just didn’t feel right anymore.”

“I thought this was supposed to be like a halfway house,” Yoongi drawled. “How come you’ve been here so long if that’s the case, Namjoon-ssi?”

“Yoongi-yah…” Jin scolded quietly. “Don’t be nosy.”

“No, it’s fine,” Namjoon said. “I’d be curious too… I stayed cause I wanted to, Yoongi-ssi. I grew close to Uncle, and I enjoyed his work.”

“Jo-ssi said if Namjoon-ssi wasn’t a hybrid, he would have officially been named second-in-command,” you put in.

“That’s impressive!” Hoseok thought. Namjoon flushed.

You bought toiletries first and then walked towards the next store. You tensed as you moved through the weekend crowd.

Namjoon must have noticed, because he stepped closer to you. Hoseok drifted up to your other side, cheerfully chatting about how grateful he was for the scentless hybrid-specific products at the last store.

“How come you brought us here if it makes you so anxious, [F/N]-ssi?” Yoongi asked. Jungkook’s nose twitched.

You smiled sheepishly. “Is it that obvious?”

“Anxiety has a particularly strong scent,” Namjoon told you apologetically.

“Sour,” Hoseok said, his nose wrinkling. You opened your mouth to apologize, but Namjoon spoke first.

“Do you want to leave?”

You shook your head. “You guys need things, and this is the most effective way to get them for you. I can handle the anxiety.”

Yoongi frowned.

“Okay. Let’s keep shopping,” Namjoon said.

At the electronics store, you and Namjoon picked out phones that fit under the family plan you’d researched. You added a gaming system you noticed Jungkook and Jin eyeing to the cart, suggesting they pick out three games to start with.

In the clothing store, Jin grabbed the first few items that appealed to him. Jungkook spent time mulling over two very similar looking shirts, and asking everyone else’s opinion. Yoongi seemed to have picked out an entirely black wardrobe. Taehyung had somehow went for all brand name clothing. You apologetically told him you wouldn’t be able to afford all that for him. Luckily, Hoseok was able to find some similar, yet less expensive items that met his approval.

Jimin approached you, clutching at Taehyung’s sleeve.

“[F/N]-ssi… other than price range, you don’t have a preference for what you want us to wear?”

Your brow furrowed. “Why would I…?”

“Jiminie and I grew up in showcases,” Yoongi commented, without looking up from the hoodie he was examining. “They tended to like us to wear flashy clothing, in order to keep the visitors’ attention and facilitate more tips.”

You had read about showcases when you saw them mentioned in the new resident files. They were something like illegal hybrid circuses where the rich elite came to watch hybrids put on performances.

“Ah, but Bangtan Shelter was sort of the opposite,” Jimin told you. “We were told to wear clothing that wouldn’t make us stand out too much, for safety reasons.”

“Safety reasons?” You wondered.

“The shelter was located in a rough part of town,” Yoongi told you. “Expensive clothes would get you jumped.”

“Oh.” You nodded. You looked at Jimin. “You should wear what makes you happy, Jimin-ssi…” You glanced at Taehyung who gazed longingly at a Gucci sweater. “…As long as we can afford it.”

Jimin giggled nervously.

“Um, in that case… would you come with me to the women’s section, [F/N]-ssi?” He asked. You blinked. He waved his hand. “Ah, but if you want me to stick to a more manly sense of fashion, I could—”

“You should wear what makes you happy,” you said again. “I shop in both the men’s and women’s sections.”

“Okay!” His bright smile made your heart rate speed up. “Let’s go~” He dragged Taehyung with him. You followed behind hesitantly.

“I’ll come too,” Yoongi said, stalking after you.

After a few minutes of looking, Taehyung picked up a dark blue skirt and held it out to Yoongi. “This would look cute on you, hyung.”

Yoongi hummed. “Maybe. Does it come in black?”

“This is nearly black.”

“Yeah, but…”

Jimin was studying a blouse. “I’m not sure if this would fit or not…”

“There’s a changing room,” you noted.

The changing room had a three hybrid per human limit. Namjoon, Yoongi, Jungkook, and Hoseok stood off to the side in the waiting room as the rest of you went inside. Your nose wrinkled at the strong smell of perfume. You looked over at a richly dressed woman who was standing in front of one of the changing rooms. A hybrid stepped out of the room, his head bent low as the woman eyed him.

“Turn,” she said. The hybrid turned around slowly. The women clicked her tongue. “You’ve been gaining weight again, puppy. Have you been sneaking food behind my back?” The hybrid shook his head, his eyes widening. “We’ll have to discipline you when we get home…” The hybrid whimpered, his whole body shaking.

Jin frowned. Jimin shuddered, gripping Jin’s arm. You opened your mouth, wondering if you should say something.

Taehyung stepped out of the changing room.

“What do you think?” He did a little twirl.

“You look cool, Tae,” Jimin told him, still glancing back nervously at the woman. Taehyung followed his gaze and frowned.

You checked the time after you bought the clothes.

“Should we stop for lunch now?” You asked everyone. “The mall’s website said they have a hybrid friendly food court.”

“Do they have burgers?” Taehyung asked, his ears perking up.

You tilted your head. “I think so.”

“You don’t have any dietary restrictions, [F/N]-ssi?” Jimin asked. You shook your head.

“I can eat anything!” You told him cheerfully. He blinked.

“Ah, no, I meant…” He bit his lip. “I meant, for us.”

“Oh.” You frowned. “No. I won’t restrict what you eat.”

They walked over to the food court. Jungkook gazed longingly at the ice cream vendor.

“Dessert after lunch, Jungkookie,” Jin chided him. Jungkook sighed. Jin glanced at you. “If that’s okay with [F/N]-ssi?” You nodded.

You ate lunch distractedly, your attention drawn to the men sitting with you. Jungkook, it seemed, would happily have kept eating if Jin hadn’t told him it was enough at one point. Yoongi tucked a bread roll, an apple, and a bag of chips away in the pockets of his baggie hoodie when he thought no one was watching. Jimin picked at his salad, and pushed it over to Jungkook without finishing it.

Afterwards, most of you got ice cream. Namjoon and Hoseok gestured widely at each other as they argued about mint chocolate being a good flavor or not.

Namjoon cursed as he somehow splattered ice cream down his shirt. Hoseok immediately reached over and started dabbing at him with a napkin.

“What material is this? We should try to get it off before it sets. Do you have stain remover in the house?”

Jimin hadn’t gotten any ice cream for himself, but reluctantly accepted spoonfuls from both Yoongi and Taehyung.

Taehyung said, “Wow, Jiminie, this is really good, you should try it!” And kept jabbering until eventually Jimin agreed. Yoongi simply held the spoonful up to Jimin’s mouth, unmoved as Jimin frowned at him.

“Hurry up, or it’ll melt,” Yoongi said eventually. Jimin sighed and took the spoonful into his mouth. “Good boy.” Yoongi patted his head. Jimin rolled his eyes, blushing slightly.

As you walked towards the mall’s exit, you noticed Yoongi giving the music store fervent glances.

The next time he looked up, you caught his eye and smiled.

“Did you want to go inside, Yoongi-ssi?”

His tail twitched. He shrugged. “It’s not necessary.”

“It could be fun, though,” you thought.

“I’d like to go in,” Taehyung said quietly. So you did.

Yoongi’s tail swished as he watched Taehyung run around the store, excitedly touching all of the instruments.

“Look at this!” Taehyung said, holding up a shiny brass instrument.

“Saxophone,” Namjoon said. “Can you play?”

Taehyung nodded. “I can play a lot of instruments!”

Jimin shuddered slightly. Taehyung glanced at him.

“Hyung.” Jungkook pulled at Yoongi’s arm, pointing to a keyboard that was set up towards the back of the room. “I haven’t heard you play in a while. Please?”

Yoongi hesitated. “I don’t know…”

“Please?” Jungkook looked at him with stars in his eyes.

“You don’t have to, if you’re uncomfortable, Yoongi-ssi,” you put in. Yoongi tensed. Jungkook’s ears flattened.

“Oh. I hadn’t thought about that. You don’t have to…”

“I don’t mind.” Yoongi squeezed his shoulder. “Really.” He walked up to the keyboard, switching it on and resting his fingers on the keys.

Yoongi seemed to lose himself in the music, freezing in surprise when he realized a crowd had gathered around him. His pack quickly moved to his side, although Jimin was half hiding behind Namjoon. Jin, on the other hand, stepped in front of Yoongi, blocking him from view. Jin’s tail bristled.

“Hyung…” Jungkook butted his head gently against the side of Jin’s face. Jin’s tail became a little less puffy.

“Are we good?” Namjoon asked quietly.

“Yeah, all good,” Hoseok said, rubbing Jin’s back a bit. Jin blinked at him.

“That was amazing!” A woman with an employee ID pined to her shirt told you. “How long has your hybrid been playing for?” Your brow furrowed.

“I don’t know… why don’t you ask him?”

The woman blinked. Taehyung laughed.

“Ah, well… regardless, it is good playing,” the employee said. “If you want to, I can give you a discount on that model.”

You looked at Yoongi. “Yoongi-ssi, would you like a keyboard? This one, or a different one?”

“It’s not necessary,” he said again.

“…But did you enjoy playing?” You asked him. He nodded reluctantly.

You smiled. “Okay. Let’s buy it then!”

“Ah, that was fun!” Namjoon said as Jin drove them back to the House of Hope. He was practically vibrating with excitement. His ears flattened. “Ah, I mean, besides whatever that was at the end—would anybody like to talk about that?”

“Not particularly,” Yoongi said.

“…Right.”

“Do you play any instruments, Namjoon-ssi?” Taehyung asked after a moment.

Namjoon shook his head, blushing slightly.

“Ah, no. I wish. I’m more of a listener than a music maker… What kind of music do you like, Taehyung-ssi? Ah, and Yoongi-ssi too…”

“I like trot!” Taehyung told him.

“Trot?” You repeated, confused.

“It’s like, Korean traditional music,” Namjoon told you. “An interesting choice for someone as young as Taehyung-ssi.” Taehyung grinned unabashedly. “Yoongi-ssi?” Yoongi eyed him for a moment.

“…I like hip hop,” he said.

“So do I!” Namjoon said. “Who’s your favorite artist? I would have a hard time choosing, really, although I have a soft spot for underground groups, and then also Epik High.”

Yoongi blinked at him. “I like Epik High too.”

“I have a good sound system in my room,” Namjoon told him. “If you wanted to listen together sometime.” Yoongi shrugged.

Jungkook and Jin helped you bring the groceries into the kitchen. Jungkook started putting the meat in the fridge.

“Ah—you can leave it out, Jungkook-ssi,” you told him. “I’m going to marinade it soon.” You started setting aside onions, garlic, and ginger for the marinade. You paused, remembering Jin’s file mentioned a garlic allergy. You put the garlic away.

“If… if you don’t mind, Hoseok-ah and Taehyung-ah don’t really like ginger,” Jin said quietly.

You blinked. “Good to know.” You passed the ginger to Jungkook, who put it away. “Do you want to help me cook, Jin-ssi?” Jin’s tail flicked, his eyes growing big.

“Really?”

You nodded. “I want to cook something everyone enjoys, so I’d appreciate your help with that.”

Jin nodded. “I’d love to!”

Jungkook laughed. “Hyung is cute.” He leaned over and gave the older man a soft peck on the lips.

Jin tensed, eyeing you.

“What’s wrong?” You wondered.

“You don’t mind us…” Jin motioned between himself and Jungkook.

You titled your head. “Why would I?”

“Well, we’re in a same sex six person polyamorous relationship, some people have a problem with that,” Jin said all in one breath. “Especially because we’re hybrids— Some owners don’t like their hybrids being in relationships with each other because they want their hybrids to prioritize the owners over everyone else.”

You frowned. “I see… that’s stupid.”

Jungkook grinned. “Yeah.”

“…One more thing,” Jin said to him.

“Yeah?”

“I’m not cute. I’m handsome.”

“You can be both,” Jungkook said, rolling his eyes. Then he looked at you, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Don’t you think he’s handsome and cute, [F/N]-ssi?” You blinked.

“Ah… I guess so?”

Jin flushed. “Jungkook-ah!”

Jungkook just laughed.

“You cooked this together?” Namjoon asked as they ate. You and Jin nodded. Namjoon’s eyes widened. “That’s impressive. The flavors go well together. I mean, I’ve thought [F/N]-ssi’s cooking was really good, but so is Jin-ssi’s—and they come together to create something just as equally delicious.” Jin flushed. Jimin frowned. Yoongi glanced between them. “If you’re interested, Jin-ssi, there’s a hybrid friendly cooking class we have connections with. I took a few lessons, but they kicked me out after I accidentally set fire to a—” He cleared his throat. “Anyway…” He blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. “The important thing is, no one was hurt.”

Yoongi snorted. “I want to hear more of that story sometime.” He leaned forward, propping his head up and smirking at Namjoon. Jimin rolled his eyes.

“Cooking classes?” Namjoon asked Jin. Jin tilted his head, his tail swaying back and forth.

“I’ll… think about it. Thanks for the suggestion, Namjoon-ssi.”

After cleaning up, you all sat in the living room to watch a movie together. Yoongi had said he wasn’t interested, but Namjoon’s disappointed look made him sigh and curl up on the armchair. Jungkook giggled from his spot cuddled on the floor with Hoseok. He whispered something in Hoseok’s ear that made him laugh as well.

“I heard that!” Yoongi hissed. Jungkook just smiled innocently at him.

Jin, Taehyung, and Jimin were curled up on the couch together while you took your spot on the rug. Namjoon sat sprawled out on the floor across from you, his back resting against Yoongi’s chair.

“[F/N]-ssi?” Jimin spoke up, from his spot curled up against Taehyung’s side. “Would you cuddle with us?” You stared at him.

“Jimin asked if you wanted to cuddle,” Namjoon translated into English.

“I…understood,” you said. “I just don’t…” Your brow furrowed. You turned to Jimin. “You want to cuddle? But we… we just met.”

“Well, some people thrive on physical affection,” Namjoon said thoughtfully. “Besides that, you’re our owner, and you’re human. It’s a biological response for us to want to be… close to you, though it’s stronger in some hybrids than others.”

“It’s not just that!” Jimin said quickly. “It’s… you smell really good.” You lifted the collar of your sweater to your nose and sniffed. Jimin giggled. “Oh, I don’t think you’d be able to smell it, [F/N]-ssi, it’s a hybrid thing.”

“I did read that hybrids have stronger senses,” you recalled. You looked at him, curious. “What do I smell like, to you?”

Jimin flushed. “Like… like fresh laundry and the best patch of sunlight.”

“Aw, our Jiminie is a poet,” Hoseok teased. Jimin glared at him.

“Scents are different to every hybrid,” Namjoon told you. “The general feeling is the same, but the way we interpret that feeling varies.”

“Anyway,” Taehyung spoke up, staring at you so intensely that you had to look away. “You should cuddle with Jiminie. He’s good at cuddling.”

“I’m sure he is, but…” You dipped your head. “I’m sorry, Jimin-ssi. I’m... not so comfortable with physical affection. I understand it brings comfort to a lot of people. My sister and Soonie are both those sort of people, but sometimes I even find it hard to touch them.” Jimin frowned. You scratched the side of your face. “But I am able to get past it most of the time because I trust them. What I am saying is... please give me a little more time. Let’s get to know each other better and build up to it.” You resisted the urge to hide behind something as everyone looked at you. “Um, could we… what movie do we want to watch?”

“Iron Man!” Jungkook said excitedly. Hoseok and Jin groaned.

You blinked. “You don’t like it?” You asked them, trying not feel disappointed.

Jin waved his arms wildly. “No, no, it’s a good movie, it’s just... Jungkookie will watch it every chance we get. So I get a little tired of it.”

You chewed at your lip. “We could make a vote? Or draw titles out of a hat?”

They drew titles out of a bucket hat Jungkook had bought earlier that day. Iron Man won.

“It’s hard to stay annoyed when he looks like that,” Jin muttered, watching Jungkook staring at the screen in rapt attention.

Later that night, you couldn’t sleep, and went to the kitchen to make some tea.

You were waiting for the water to boil when someone called your name. You jumped, wondering when Taehyung had entered the room. He was standing directly in front of you, making you feel trapped against the counter.

He smiled slightly as you wriggled away from him.

“Did I scare you?”

“A little,” you said. “But pretty much everything scares me.”

“Hmm…” He stared at you, his dark eyes unreadable. “[F/N]-ssi, were you telling the truth earlier?” You blinked at him.

“About what?”

He tapped you on the nose. You flinched. “You really don’t like touching people? Or were you just saying that to try and make Jiminie feel better?”

“It’s… not that I don’t like it,” you said slowly. “I’m just… easily startled.”

“How come?” He asked. He growled slightly. “Did somebody do something to you?”

You shook your head. “Nothing like that. I don’t know why, really.”

#bts #bts x reader #fanfiction #hybrid au #ot7 x reader #seokjin x jungkook #ot7 x ot7 #kim seokjin #jeon jungkook #jungkook x reader #seokjin x reader #hybrid bts #my fics #house of hope #ace reader #polyam

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