#I like a ship when hating each other instils such INTENSE emotions into someone

[uchiyaandeewaran]

Listen. I like toxic fictional relationships. I don’t like toxic toxic fictional relationships.

Hope that clarifies it.

[rainbowcarousels]

You can blame @aimeelouart for asking about my keeping track of how each relationship between AGSZC progresses for the fact this meta now exists. It was somewhat hastily written in the back of my maths textbook so please excuse the lack of polish and put it down to the fact I couldn’t take another 2 hours of algebra.

Fives Company, not a Crowd

Relationships with Love

(or how AGSZC functions in the JBSWM universe*)

Cloud

Love is something that is given without expectation of return. This is applicable both platonically and romantically, he's willing to put everything on the line for the people he loves but he doesn't really expect them to do the same for him. Some of that comes from the fallout from his and Tifa's trip up the mountains and the subsequent responsibility placed on him for that but other parts stem from wanting to feel included but not being able to put himself out there so it's a lot easier to  be prickly and pretend you don't care when in reality, I think Cloud loves incredibly deeply and it's why he's easily hurt by it no matter how strong a front he puts up. At eighteen, he's still trying to find a balance between keeping everyone at bay so he doesn't get hurt and letting himself figure things out and take those risks. There's a fun parallel to Sephiroth there in that neither cut themselves any slack for mistakes so it's hard to get out there when you might make one when making a mistake – especially in his first real adult relationship –  feels like the end of the world. His only really obvious love up till that point is his mother and I do think he misses her a lot, but is also deathly afraid of letting her down and that weighs on their relationship.

The rest under the cut!

Zack

Loves to love (and he loves to dance, kudos to anyone who got that reference). The walking embodiment of a carebear, loves quickly, easily and casually. The more affection and love you throw at him, you'll get it back tenfold. The trick with Zack is that he lives his life with his heart so open that he has a natural connection with most people but it does make it more difficult to spot the differences between puppy love and intense, romantic love. This is one of the reasons he and Gen clash so much, Gen is 10000% passion and intensity and Zack always seems casual even when he's not. Ultimately, Zack is only 20 and still has a lot of trouble balancing his life between love, friendship and work. Since he's a social creature by nature compared with Cloud's more introverted nature, he's pretty decent at reading people and what they're feeling and absolutely wants to listen to them and hear about what they're feeling instead of having to guess. Compared with any of the other four really, he grew up with a strong sense of his social community and it helped instil a lot of compassion and resilience in his ability to love.

Sephiroth

Big yikes on this front. A walking talking advertisement for dysfunctional attachment and it would not surprise me in the least if he has some kind of attachment disorder as a leftover from a childhood which has probably left it's fair share of emotional scars. If I consult my Master timeline (and my attempts to make sense of Gast's timeline since he appears to have left Shinra on a fact finding mission around the time Sephiroth was born and left again for real this time two years before Aerith was born taking Ifalna with him), his first experiences of emotional connection are Hojo (yikes), Gast (who must come back sporadically from his fact finding between 1979 and 1983 so even before he dies when Sephiroth is four it's probably difficult to pinpoint as a positive attachment), Ifalna (here is where I get a little creative with canon but I do quite like the idea that if she did end up at Shinra before Gast left that he would have wanted to be like LOOK AN ANCIENT BABY and have her be like um no no that is not but also he was probably a toddler at the time and has no real strong recollection of her) and then SOLDIER. We know he served with adult SOLDIERs so I really doubt he connected in any strong way with them having had an extremely sheltered upbringing and oh yeah HE'S TWELVE. Man this one needs splitting up because it's Sephiroth.

So Enter Gen & Angeal when he's around 13, maybe closer to 14. What we know from Zack!Cloud and see from some of Zack's memories in CC, Sephiroth is not cruel but he is a hell a taskmaster and I think there's two big reasons why I put his connection with Angeal first. One, Angeal is a hard worker, he tries to do as much as he can and get himself out there and Sephiroth can respect that.Genesis on the other hand is talented, which...means he actually has to work hard at the things that don't come naturally to him for the first time and since he had the hero worship thing going on and Sephiroth was not social, they did not get along easily until they had a better understanding of each other. This is the same understanding that Gen gradually loses through degradation in canon, whereas Angeal and Sephiroth remain close-ish. Two, Angeal doesn't take anything personally and remains at a respectful distance, even when trying to connect. Sephiroth for his part was perplexed by his continual attention and has no idea what to make of it. It's only when Angeal is still doing it a few months down the line, when Gen has calmed down a little from his perceived slight, that they're able to forge stronger connections and I think there's a tandem effect with those two where Angeal is emotionally open and unobtrusive and Gen is not about to talk about anything emotional but he's physically affectionate. Most importantly of all, they aren't afraid of him, even the parts that a lot of other SOLDIERs may find disturbing, Angeal wants to just check in on and Genesis is mostly thinking 'meh, I could do that'. So ultimately, what would end up being his relationship with love is largely impacted by people who keep him at a distance or leave for a long time and then it's like a bus, you wait for one friend and two come along at once.

So then we have his concept of love being defined largely by friendship because his concept of it is so heavily defined by two people who were friends with each other and him first. The potential problem being that his world gets very wrapped up in only two people and as such, he's obsessive and possessive of them because it's all he has. Then Zack comes along and he's hyper affectionate, social, loving basically in a way he hasn't really had thrown at him and he doesn't fully know what to do with. To a degree, Cloud is easier – he's independent, prickly and does not get on with people which for him is relatable. Zack comes in like nothing he's ever experienced and the way he loves is so different that it's left him trying to figure out how he feels about this new kind of love coming into his life.

Angeal

Hands down a nurturer. It's all about putting his time and energy and heart into a relationship and letting whatever kind of love blooms happen naturally. While I don't think he forms connections easily, he tries to keep himself open and supportive of people around him and that lends itself to connecting with people. I do think he had a strong, loving role model in his parents (well, mother and stepfather, fuck you Hollander) and he had good relationships with them so he has some model by which to judge what love looks like. I also think canonly this is the thing he never really gets over losing, his mother and his connection to his parents.

I think Genesis has always been his great love story. They were, when they were a couple, one that would tell the story of how they met bit by bit until Angeal let Genesis take over telling it because he knows Gen never ever stops talking. I think it's one of the reasons they work well together – Angeal has the calm, quiet and cosy sort of love compared with Genesis who is passion and intensity 24/7. They balance each other out because Angeal does also try to push at his partners to behave, he will be passive aggressive or take small measures to try and correct things (a good example in 7s9s is that he will lock the liquor up knowing Genesis can break it but it's the fact he at least tried to get him to behave that helps him sleep at night) but ultimately, he is more passive as a person. When it was just the trio, Sephiroth added to some of the calm from Angeal but also more than matches Gen for obsessiveness. As things progress, Zack's casual nature adds to the calm but his excitement adds to the intensity and Cloud's introversion adds to the quiet but he's also a mouthy little shit.

One of the major things Angeal brings to the table is that his default setting is to care, same as Zack and that everyone at this table needs taking care of in some way. Cloud is obvious, he's struggling the most but he also feels that way with Zack because he can't completely separate the mentor-ship role even he tries to respect Zack as a First Class in his own right, Sephiroth has so few connections that being able to read him and react in a way as needed is extremely valuable and Genesis is just extremely responsive to the first instance of a seemingly unconditional love in his life and even if he would hate to admit it, loves that Angeal tries to take care of him. I think he's happiest when he can express how he feels to each person in turn in their own language and watch them respond.

Genesis

I think with Genesis there's a very large difference between his relationship with love and his relationship with romance. Romance is easy, he can be lyrical and affectionate and flirtatious at the drop of a hat but the emotion behind it being love is tricky at best. For some reason, I've always viewed him as someone who was a very clingy kid, who wanted parental attention constantly, was constantly seeking reassurance and often didn't get it. We know that Gen at that point was confined to Banora so I do think his parents would leave a decent amount when he was young and it's one of the reasons he latches on so hard when he meets Angeal. Angeal is not only present all the time but wants his attention and doesn't seem to mind that he chatters on and on. It's probably something to do with the idea if he keeps talking, he'll stay longer or trying to just fill silence because I think quiet disturbs him on some level because he's actually terrified of loneliness.

As he's gotten older and he turned out to be good at a few things, he got some of the loving responses he'd wanted but I also think as much as this reinforced the idea love is earned and you have to pay for it, a part of him from Angeal, from seeing his parents relationship with him covetously, knows that love can be unconditional but fears it's not so for him and probably spent a great deal of their early romantic relationship waiting for Angeal to realise and leave.

It's why his relationship with Sephiroth when they make the decision to expand the relationship to include him is initially categorised as casual, he can walk away any time and so can they, it's super casual, okay? Except I don't really think it was, it was just an out and then with Zack, he has no out. Zack is happening and it's love or bust. There's no out and then Zack does not seem that into making an effort and he is Not Happy about that. If you then contrast that to Cloud, who is incredibly responsive to his attentions but without demanding it. There's a lot of control on his end when it comes to his relationship with Cloud so it felt a lot less high stakes. Then Hojo happened and all of that went out the window because it was obvious how deep in he was at that point, he was willing to try and comfort Zack and keep him out of trouble, he was willing to care for Cloud in a way that isn't totally to his nature (if Angeal is the gardener, he's a very finicky plant – needs much attention and the right amount of everything to grow properly and will pretend to be dying if you miss a day) and show concern where he would usually rather jump off the plate headfirst than show emotions that vulnerable.

*This is your standard disclaimer that this only applies to how I see them in this verse, it's not applicable elsewhere but I might use examples from elsewhere to back up the point.

[notasiren21]

My Romance Kdrama Rankings and rec.:

*warning: possibly a lot of spoilers but tbh mostly just a redone synopsis of the shows*

Also a bit lengthy as hell

#12. Melting Me Softly

This show didn’t do that well as much as it was expected to, considering it even had Ji Chang-Wook as the male lead and the adorable Choi Bo-min who was introduced and quite possibly helped quick start the recognition for his kpop group Golden Child. I’ll admit I expected more of this and I don’t hold anything against the script writer who I heard did Strong Woman, but I kept in mind that the whole premise itself was also very complex to work with. Besides the fact it had two very cute and good looking male leads to draw me in, what really did it was the said premise. This is coming from a girl who is in love with Fallout 4 where the playable character was cryogenically frozen and then thawed out two centuries later, that shit slaps with me for some reason and I was excited to see it play out in this.

The romance is okay I guess, still “aww” worthy and has an intense kiss scene that’ll go down in Ji Chang-Wook’s kissing portfolio no doubt, as well as a hot kiss with his former and now aged flame that is only dreamt of. What drives the romance is the male lead with his puppy dog eyes and loving gaze, only a few have COMPLETELY mastered this in the kdrama buisness. Choi Bo-min was a complete adorable cutie who seemed to have fallen in love for the first time and I couldn’t help but fall in love with him (we’re also the same age but that’s besides the point and I’m completely in love with Rocky from Astro so like, I gotta keep this professional).

Time and time again I have issues with female leads in dramas and feel like the men pick up the slack when it comes to acting, this was one of those times. She was funny and quirky but seemed very out of focus on serval aspects. I think her most redeeming trait besides being made for the media and entertainment business in the show was her completely devotion to her brother.

#11. Suits

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again, Park Hyungsik is my favorite korean actor hands down.

I’ve seen bits of the American version, the original version, and it didn’t interest me in the slightest. I took a chance on this because I saw this cutie wearing a suit and converse and maybe that’s my kink, who knows, but I was fucking HERE for it. Now I’m a huge slave to romance and the shows, romcoms, that shit. I need to ship, I need to see the love, possibly write a fanfic of it, save gifs of the couple being cute or someone pining. But this show didn’t focus on the love story brewing on the side, it focused on its original intent and purpose which was Park Hyungsik and Jang Don-Gun’s partnership as mentor and mentee, the practice of law, and Park Hyungsik’s storyline as someone who got mixed up in the wrong crowd and fauxed having the license to practice law. The love story you get is the reason it’s on this list and why it’s ranked lower, but all in all this was a good show and one of the few exceptions to a non romance focused show.

#10. Suspicious Partner

The only reason this doesn’t have a pic is because I can only use ten and I gotta figure which would need one and which wouldn’t.

To start off, this show is fucking hilarious with the cast dynamic. It was like what, 40 episodes? I didn’t realize I needed a prolonged show until this came along. At times, it seemed like the main plot was dragging and I was reminded of why I prefer typical kdrama fashion of a one season within 12-32 episode limit, but it made up for it.

Yes, yes, Ji Chang-Wook, the god of kissing, stars in this. My first introduction to him was actually Melting Me Softly and because of how he did in acting with what he could, the emotions he portrayed, I sought out another show of his pre-military duty. God, he fucking serves in glasses and a suit. His character’s jealousy regarding Nam Ji Hyun (his romantic interest) and Choi Tae Joon (Ex best friend, slow burn, exes to friends to platonic lovers that’s one sided while the other can’t stand him, 35k words) instilled the notion that he is fucking funny as hell when needed and such a mood. You want to see the (not even romantic rival bc Choi and Nam are best friends) spraying with a water hose on your lead’s rival? Want to see a hot guy like Ji Chang-Wook panic and try shoving him out of the house when the girl catches them working out? It’s gold.

The feud with the moms -granted they didn’t realize the knew they were the mom’s of the leads-, the slow burn of enemies to friends with the girls, the redemption of a broken friendship, the crackhead and large old baby played by Lee Deok Hwa and the poor father figure who is tired of everyone’s shit portrayed by Jang Hyeok-jin. It’s everything you need for at least a week. It’s possibly a great starter show to ease one into the fact that most dramas don’t hold to that many episodes.

The romance is great, the fucking pining on Ji Chang-Wook’s side is great, the kissing scenes are fucking one for the history books, and you’re guaranteed to be giggling to yourself in several scenes.

Oh and there’s like, a serial killer but yeah, romance!

#9. What’s Wrong with Secretary Kim?

The reason why it’s not so high on my list despite being popular is quite possibly some of the side cast.

While Park Seo Joon and Park Min Young severed as a fucking power couple and their tandem dynamic was strong as hell, there were characters who made the show’s story seen to drag out despite it being 16 episodes (see what I mean by usual number??). For one, we learn that a brown haired Lee Tae Hwan is not gonna make for a silent crush in this show. No, brown haired Lee Tae Hwan just gets on your nerves and despite it being purely because his character is mentally blocked in this twisted memory, he forces the main character into staying isolated within his own pain and nightmares from what really occurred when they were children. He lies to his family, keeps it hidden from those who are close to him and love him, suffers alone. It’s what keeps him away from chasing after Secretary Kim besides his egotistical personality -which I never thought could be so great but it is. The main character’s brother in his endless pursuit to chase at Secretary Kim himself starts to gnaw on your chill as you watch him subconsciously force this notions that they’re tethered to one another, deserve each other, etc. While you can’t entirely fault him for how he is given the psychological trauma he endured, you can get annoyed with him very easily for the other accounts and purposes.

The side story of the roof top guy with the one suit -I’m sorry, he’s great in 2PM but I can’t stand him in about every drama he’s in- and the seemly rookie girl become more of an obstacle when you just want to watch the main focus. The driver of the main character is hilarious but his romantic interest is over the top at times. Sometimes it just takes away from the show.

#8. Hotel Del Luna

Ah, I wish I could’ve put a pic.

To kick this off, can we like get a spin off with Kim Soo Hyun? Thanks.

FINALLY, A FUCKING FEMALE LEAD I STAN COMPLETELY AND WOULD WATCH EVEN WITHOUT YEO JIN GOO THERE FOR A ROMANTIC INTEREST.

This bitch, IU, fucking slays in her role as a hotel owner for the dead before the leave for the after life. Everything she does is iconic -yes, the fucking cocking of the rifle, the child like smile seeing diamonds, blessing the poor boy with the ability to see the dead then let him get chased per her own amusement before business. I really would’ve watched the show even if there was no romance. Whether it’s modern times or her orignal lifetime before being condemned to a life of immortality hell and aimlessly running a hotel, she makes for a strong lead. Her reasons for wanted to avoid love seemed so valid compared to other female leads who completely brush guys off. She doesn’t want love, and yet she doesn’t want anyone else touching Chan Sung (Yeo Jin Goo) because she’s not dumb enough to let go of something that makes her feel alive. While her character is legitimately described as cold and greedy, her intentions for holding onto him reveal an insecure part of her that’s been tucked away for centuries. His dedication to the hotel and her, to helping the ghosts move on and such, it’s great and makes for a binge full night.

It’s only ranked lower because the ending sadden me when I realized it was him picturing how they would meet one another again. And because they teased us with Kim Soo Hyun, like that’s cruel.

#7. Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (aka Goblin)

Tbh, this show would be lower if it weren’t for the Reaper and Sunny, as well as Deok Hwa.

I’ll probably get a lot of hate for this, but I couldn’t stand Kim Go Eun in this. I’ve watched her in Cheese in the Trap and thought she was good and stuff, but this I found myself growing annoyed and glaring at the television while my mom preached upon her behalf. The goblin was funny, his dynamic and weird polar friendship with the Reaper is quite possibly what really made the show, but I failed to see the spark between them until the time skip. Then, THEN, I could tolerate her a bit better.

Maybe it’s because she was protraying someone around my age in high school, but she went from this independent and driving girl to someone who became too needy and clingy. She acted like a little girl in front of a crush when she could’ve handled it more marturely with the said maturity she showed before meeting him. Granted, I know she had a very difficult home life after her mom died and she saw ghosts everywhere, and her living with the Reaper and Goblin was like this warm family she felt safe in, but I just couldn’t. Her endless pursuing of the Goblin got on my nerves and she would get upset, but then again did she ever act like an adult and do the most natural thing? Aka sit down and discuss the whole situation.

“If you’re comfortable, can you tell me why you think I’m your bride?/Why is there a sword in you?/What happens if I pull it out?/ What do you want me to do?/etc”

No, instead it was a constant “I’m the goblin’s bride”, “I’m your bride”, there was this bratty entitlement laying underneath the cutest exterior that was so apparent for someone my age, and I got pissed when she admitted to have seeing the sword the first time around. Like this man has been in total agony for fucking forever and you strung him along hoping for the possibility that you may be the key to him finally getting the ending he thinks he’ll get. It was selfish, she didn’t even know him but insisted on seeing how to be his bride. She should’ve stepped back and thought the situation out carefully. It wasn’t until that blessed time skip that I started to like her better. She wasn’t a kid then and became mature like she needed to be. There’s the need to flaw a character, but her’s was always biting at me.

Oh yeah, Sunny and the Reaper are the true couple in this story and their love that’s star crossed in two lives really hits you. There was more chemistry than the main couple, there was confusion in flirtatious banter, there was stupidity for first time romance against a tired experience woman, there was the hidden history that they both remembered after the time skip. The angst, the pure acceptance, the guilt and remorse. They made the fucking show alongside the Goblin and Reaper’s bromance and Deok Hwa’s “I just want a credit card and to be irresponsible but these two dumb fucks keep almost revealing their true selves to the world and I’m fucking done with these children”, on top of God taking his body as a vessel and becoming 10x cooler with that hairstyle while drinking with Fate (such a badass who loves her children I can’t, I stan the side character too).

#6. My ID is Gangnam Beauty

Oh my god, my introduction to Astro. Cha Eun Woo (aka Lee Dongmin). My god, if it weren’t for my mom, sister and I officially ruling Cha Eun Woo as god tier in terms of looks and making him this untouchable bias we can’t have, I would have never let this adorably hot as hell dancer and rapper distract me. Really, I kept wanting to be distracted by Rocky but I felt like I couldn’t miss the visual god in the front. Blessed I finally was able to divert my attention to the one I wanted to watch so very much and became my bias wrecker. Mom loves Moonbin like he’s her own son and we’re not her children, sister loves MJ’s psychotic idiocy.

ANYWAYS, the female lead, Kang Mi Rae, was stiff as hell when watching it a second time around and at times, knowing their age gap can be bothersome, but it was a cute slow burn of her and Cha Eun Woo’s character, Do Kyung Suk (sounds badass too, doesn’t it). While he appeared stiff as well, probably could’ve played a robot if he wanted to, I felt like he did well portraying his character who grew up in a dysfunctional house where their political father’s position took presidence over family. He was taught it was unmanly you cry, he never smiled (idk how Cha Eun Woo did it, this cutie never stops smiling or laughing), he never spoke up, etc. He appears socially handicapped until Mi Rae appears back in his life and he slowly let’s go of this anger as the story progresses. She learns she doesn’t have to be so self conscious about her plastic surgery or who she used to be because he loves both.

The villian of this story was well thought out (only kdrama where my dad actively participates in the discussions because he hated her so much and says her name with such spite while bragging he knows at least one Astro member so that’s his “idfk what a bias is but I’ll go with the Gangnam kid”). She brought the tension and there was the window to pity her and realize something was most definitely wrong in a tragic way. She sought after Kyung Suk like a prized trophy when he didn’t express interest, stepped inbetween blooming relationships, set boys off a progressive course away from her, and turned one kid psychotic. That was just with her obsession to have the boys fawn after her; completely disregarding her endless efforts to knock Mi Rae down a peg or two in meticulously planned schemes. She was incredibly smart and cunning, it can’t be denied and she drove them closer together in spite of her tries to wedge between them.

Really, this made me wish that the Webtoon True Beauty that’s supposed to get a drama adaption will cast him as the main male lead Suho. It’s almost similar but Suho seems more dimensional and expressive and I feel like he would truly shine there.

Stan Astro.

#5. Extra-Ordinary You

Ah, this one hurts me. @macaknight, just watch it.

This is a young love one and one of the few that’s not absolute cringe worthy. Set in high school where yea, there’s drama and it’s in Asia so there’s that weird “all mighty and supreme group that conquers the school” called the A3, a girl (Kim Hye Yoon) with a heart condition learns she’s a character in a manga -doesn’t realize she’s not the main one tho and that’s hilarious alone. She finds a focus with this unnamed student who stays in the background and shadows (portrayed by SF9’s Rowoon). The girl, Eun Dan Oh, is someone to worship and cherish, especially since she’s so young and very promising. I thoroughly enjoyed her character and how her efforts to derail the natural progression of the story with the catalyst of student number 13, later on Haru. There’s so many fucking twist and turns, characters to let your heartbreak for as you wish to adopt them and protect them from the world, it all hurts so much but in a masochistic against yourself kind of way you can’t let go of.

Those who are aware they’re in a comic book, they all struggle to break their “character’s” roles and expectations. The second male lead of both the drama and the drama’s manga is sick and tired of playing the violin and being this unrequited love interest that’ll lose in the end, forever the friend. Dan Oh is livid she’s expected to die from her heart disease and is forced to endlessly pine for her childhood fiancé Baek Kyung who is a complete asshole to her while in character. Number 13/Haru is tired of being an unnamed background character who continuously suffers and gets toyed with by the author. Dried Squid Fairy lunch maker is sick of how he must remember shit that’s kept a secret as he tries in vain to keep the story on track to avoid repeated mistakes and consequential devastating punishments to those who don’t follow the storyline. Yeo Ju Da (the main character of the manga) wants to experience the love story she wants without the drama. Baek Kyung want to prove himself and that he genuinely cares for Dan Oh but is forced to be an asshole because that’s how he’s written.

It’s a fucking mess and it’s fucking fantastic. The friendship of A3 (Lee Do Hwa the vionlist, Oh Namju and Baek Kyung), Lee Do Hwa and Dan Oh’s powerful best friendship after being self aware and confiding in each other (honestly I want a drama with just two of them, they’re so cute and funny together), the A3 that happened outside for those self aware between Dan Oh, Number 13/Haru, and Do Hwa where they all genuinely care for one another, Dan Oh’s acceptance that her manga best friend is a bitch but nice to her and the male lackey of their group is funny, etc.

I didn’t think another self aware comic book character show could happen without ripping off W-Two Worlds, but it did. They did it.

#4. Angel’s Last Mission: Love

That song that goes “It’s alright, it’s alright” in a sad melodic way? Yeah, they play it when it’s not alright.

This show has heartbreak galore, even in the first episode for numerous reasons. They don’t want you to be alright for the most part and yet our sadistic selves can’t help but suffer through it. L’s portrayal of being an angel is such a gift, I didn’t know I needed it. I was dead set on living my life until I saw this and felt myself crumble to bits.

You want sacrifice? You got it. Tears of cute boy and a girl who can’t catch a break? Check. Plot twists? Lmao, it’s a kdrama. Yea. Angst and hurt? Fuck yep.

While you’re at it, listen to the song too so you can suffer some more.

#3. Descendants of the Sun

THIS WOULD BE AT THE TOP IF IT WEREN’T FOR THE FACT I AM COMPLETELY IN LOVE WITH THE FIRST ONE AND THESE TWO GOT DIVORCED IN REAL LIFE. I still wish the best for them and their child. I still hurt but love them.

So much fucking chemistry and angst, so much hurt and wounds (it’s legit a show with a military background and characters), so much cool fight scenes and surgeries. Their soundtrack slaps, the backstory of characters really set the tone to their current stories, shit overlaps somehow, the female rivalry is hilarious, the cat and dog friendship of the male leads warms my heart. They have such iconic stills and scenes.

The main leads connected so fucking well they got married in real life (we don’t talk about the end result, I’m still crying but I get it.) This kdrama is probably one of the staples to korean dramas in general.

Another female lead I really liked as well as the second, I just struggled at times with Song’s character at times because of the pain she put them both through.

#2. W-Two Worlds

This is my go to for recommending korean dramas to someone for the first time -I got an ex hooked on it that he cried several times throughout it/life 1/4 of the varsity boy’s soccer team has seen this because of me.

This is the comic self awareness show that I didn’t think could be redone, but kudos to you Extraordinary You, you created an orignal that breaks my heart.

This show hurts so much as well, I don’t watch them if they don’t hurt in one way or another.

Lee Jong Suk stars as the main character (Kang Chul) who is also the main character of his own comic book he stars in. The issue is that he’s self aware and that there’s something wrong with his world and life. His webtoon/manga creator is trying to kill him because having his creation alive is driving him to insanity and was the only comfort when he pushed his family away for his career and alcoholism. The creator’s daughter is alerted that her father went missing while cooped up in his room while drawing Kang Chul’s death and end to the manga without a resolution to his storyline (Think of a korean Batman without the suit and brooding personality). Plot twist that’s in the synopsis, she gets pulled in by Kang Chul inside the comic and can come and go if it pertains to him because he controls it without realizing.

You have a main character who is written as this playboy orphan and sole survivor of his mass family’s murder that questions his existence and purpose BEYOND how we do. He meets this girl who speaks almost cryptically to him without realizing and knows more about him than needed or given, and now he’s experiencing oddities besides the notion of love that he can’t understand because it’s not how he is written and the glitches in his world.

This show is twisted in a psychological sense that messes with a comic character who is now alive and real, fucks up the mentality of the creator, puts the daughter in an immense amount of stress when she was just trying to be a fucking surgeon, yes, black haired Lee Tae Hwan is crush worthy in this unlike brown haired Lee Tae Hwan in Secretary Kim. (It’s the hair, you change the hair on a character and everything is different).

The exploration of what love is that works alongside the devoting dark plot of the culprit murderer really drives this show as well as the couple’s endless efforts to save/protect one another in any means necessary, even if they both suffer from it.

These two truly can’t live without one another and it shows with all they do for each other. There’s nothing they wouldn’t risk to keep one another in their arms.

And Lee Jong Suk delivers his share of being one of the King of Korean Drama Kisses as well, gif saving worthy and iconic ones as well.

#1. Strong Woman Do Bong-Soon

Park Hyungsik. Park Hyungsik. Park Hyungsik. Park Hyungsik.

Need I say more?

We stan Park Hyungsik’s character, Ahn Minhyuk, in this blog. We basically stan Do Bong Soon as well for how happy she makes him.

This is possibly totally bias but this is one of my two white noise korean drama shows that I continuously find myself rewatching time and time again. And that’s saying something since I only have one white noise show that’s in English. Three shows total.

People had issues with the script and what the actors had to say, but for the most part I thought the love story and the rival one was pretty well written, then again I kept watching different translations on different sites. So I wasn’t bothered at all. People also didn’t like the side characters and stories regarding the sketchy well dressed gang she hospitalizes in the first episode that stuck around until the last but I felt it was important to have them to prove how having Bong Soon in their lives can change a person and how she has this affect on people overall.

My god, the love story. Bong Soon has this massive crush on police officer and high school friend she was sweet on, Guk Doo, who doesn’t seem to acknowledge her feelings and is all about protecting the law and stuff (I can respect, I’m a LEO kid). He isn’t aware of her abilities of being incredibly strong and nearly indestructible. Nah, instead, CEO of AIN Software, Ahn Minhyuk, accidentally finds out and is like super chill but excited and curious about it and her??

He hires her as his bodyguard in the mist of receiving threats regarding his family company and they find an odd balance with each other while Minhyuk falls in love with her so hard, he literally tries to protect HER from danger. He’s so wonderfully extra that it’s no wonder Park Hyungsik and Park Seo Joon are best friends in real life, they both have the ability to play someone so over the top in a cute and funny way that you appreciate it about them. A cutie with a button nose and weird ears decked out in monochrome color scheme and dark sunglasses, whistling as he rides a hoverboard around? Die for 100%. Someone who gets crazy jealous and presents it in a healthily humorous way by dramatically posing to securitygates of his company that open automatically for him? Stan. Wants Bong Soon’s attention while she’s in a room away from him so her opera sings her name loudly and dramatically? Worship.

While it’s hard to watch the slow progression on her end yet the obvious budding of it, it’s understandable since she’s been in love with Guk Doo ever since high school and has assumably never had a boyfriend in hopes that he would reciprocate her feelings. So the second time watching it and stepping back to analyze, I could forgive her.

All the while, Minhyuk making Heart Eyes ™️ at Bong Soon for literally everything she does makes you feel. The way he holds her and treats her like she’s this precious porcelain doll that could break it handled the wrong way speaks volumes considering he knows of her Herculean strength. He openly loves her when he comes to realize what she means to him -which is a lot sooner than you’d think but welcomed-, and looks at no one else but her. The love story probably would’ve also happened faster if everyone didn’t think Minhyuk was gay (that’s a solid fact, I’m not joking), only those close to her and see how he acts/looks at her realize “lmao, he ain’t gay Hunni”. Minhyuk is this cute hottie that girls wish were straight (it’s fucking hilarious) who acts like a complete lovesick dork with Bong Soon. He freaks and spazzes out when she calls him a nickname or acts cheeky with dropping honorifics, speaks aloud to himself of his thoughts regarding her, literally can’t contain himself when she acts cute to get on his good side and distract his anger.

Oh and there’s like this serial kidnapper too so there’s badass scenes of the two working together, power couple def.

Their soundtrack slaps too and you somehow end up vibing with it. The song You’re My Garden on it, I learned to sing it because it’s one of my top favs.

They’re just the cutest with their hamster and puppy dog relationship. It’s my go to show and I won’t stop watching this. It’s so obvious how Park Hyungsik grew to fall in love Park Bo Young (that’s a legitimate fact) when filming and their bts cuts are too cute, I wish they were dating in real life.

(Also, we have another King of kiss scenes -to those who watched this drama already, you know the scene, iconic 🔥🎼)

[promptosbouncybuns]

Can we please not tear ships down or character bash because of our agendas?

This somehow became super long...sorry.

Wanna know what Mai and Aang have in common?

They are normally the two biggest recipients of, honestly, really stupid accusations.

Aang is apparently abusive in that he kissed Katara once while she wasn't very consenting to it at the time.

He's 12 and does stupid things but please hold him accountable for all time despite how disappointed in himself he looked right after. He didn't even pursue her after she stepped back. He saw his error and pulled away.

He apparently doesn't care about Katara? Despite literally giving up his chance to take full control of his avatar state just to go save her from a vision that may or may not have been real. I mean he could have just been like...ok...meh...Idc. Avatar state yip yip!

Then in LOK he just used her as a baby maker...never mind that apparently Katara had enough power or sway to outlaw bloodbending. Plus...guys...she's old when we see her in that series and has always been more family centered.

Not saying she became just a regular housewife after she married Aang but as stated before, she old! She's been through enough and if she wants some peace and solitude after dealing with the loss of her Friends, her Brother, and her Husband than...let the woman be pls. Even Toph didn't really want to fight anymore since old age had finally cought up with her and she's younger than Katara! If she doesn't want to fight but instead heal, let her do as she pleases. Plus you all sound like being a housewife and taking care of your children is a death sentance. Not all fighters are in the battle all the time.

Somehow Aang is also depicted as only seeing Katara as a trophy...Honestly I don't see how this got so convoluted but anyone who saw the series can say he doesn't think or her that way. He loves her, sees her as his best friend, and as probably one of the best masters to ever teach him. He's shown her tremendous respect as a friend, pupil, and love interest. He's listened to her and has grown from her wisdom.

Its also just crapping all over Katara as a character when people have this line of thinking. She's stronger than that, and would never be a prize to anyone, not even the avatar. If she wants to be with him she will. Kinda like how in the last episode when Aang walks out, she follows and is the one to kiss him.

I've always seen them as opposites, not in elements but in personalities. Also their similarites tend to correlate too!

Katara is at times a stick in the mud and Aang helps her have a childhood with the fun he brings her. She's had to grow up fast and undertake a lot of chores around her village. She's strong and outspoken, at times very loudly. She's passionate, even in the face of supposed peril, where there is no way she can prevail. She's strong and cares for others, almost to a fault since she took up precious days till the eclipse to help firenation people she didnt know.

Aang is a playful soul that hates being tied down. He'd rather have fun, and has been raised to seek leisure instead of responsibility. Its because of this that makes him so childish, until he meets her and is shown that his destiny is to bring balance to the world. He may not be physically strong but like Katara he isn't weak willed. He's passionate about protecting people and bringing harmony back to the four nations. While his passion isn't quite so loud, he can inspire people.

She's helped curb his childishness, and has helped instill in him responsibility. She won't let him shirk things off or procrastinate. She even was willing to let Aang learn waterbending without her because it was for the greater good.

Through these actions she's helped Aang embrace his old soul vibe and have it feel justified. He sees through her that what he does now will have an impact on the world and he best be getting to it.

I've always seen them as a couple that is silly, cute, and can get things done. I can see them being older and being more familiar with each other and it can lead to them having very intense intimate energy. I mean in the series, they're kids so...not really into thinking about them that way at that age. They can communate well so, there will be less fights and a lot of understanding. Definitely not boring.

As for Mai well...apparently people just don't understand her sense of humor and personality. She's got dry humor and is very direct in a lot of things. She doesn't sugar coat things and shys away from expression a lot of times.It somehow comes off as abusive?

Her telling Zuko to never break up with her again is supposed to be a joke, seeing as the last time he did, she literally had to save his bum from being boiled alive...

Then you have the infamous scene where they were together again after season 2 and while Zuko angsts, Mai tries to redirect his thoughts from such dark depths. Honestly, what do you say to that? Should you say its going to be ok? Because that just seems empty amd shallow.

Plus Mai, being emotionally stunted, doesn't really know how to navigate emotional waters. You also have to keep in mind that they finally get to have a conversation after all these years so obviously they aren't going to really know one another and how to communicate well.

So her not coddling and not letting him angst over things neither of them can know or deal with till it actually happens is dismissive of his abuse? I don't thinks so. Its honestly saying we will have to wait and see how things have changed once you are actually back home, so lets not dwell on them so much.

Of course, then you have her bringing up what happened last time Zuko was in a war meeting which is somehow abusive too. You know, its the same thing Iroh brought up in season 1 Ep. 3. So Iroh is abusive too now. It feels like people are saying don't bring up someone's abuse, ever, even if its to help them from potentially repeating the same pain.

She's trying to stop him caring and in her very direct way says that its not worth the pain of what could happen again if he attends. She's genuinely worried about him and doesn't want him hurt more physically or emotionally.

Then they like to say Mai doesn't care about Zuko really and that she just likes his status. They also say she's abusive with how she doesn't like anything he does for her. The biggest scene used is from the Beach showing Mai non-plussed by him giving her a shell and ice cream.

For one, Zuko wasn't acting like Zuko at all that first bit of the episode. He didn't take into account what Mai liked as apposed to what other girls liked. I mean while Ty Lee may like the shell, does that mean every girl has to like it otherwise they're a complete bish? Also...who here likes having ice cream fall on them? Honestly Mai could have made a huge deal about getting it on her but chose to crack a wry, but as always, dry joke about it.

Also please note that in this same episode Mai deals with an abusive S/O very correctly. Zuko's been acting off and it culminates with him pushing a guy back who happened to be talking to her. He makes a scene and insults her in front of everyone once she calls him out on his actions. Does she get even and call him worse? Nope. She simply says that their relationship is over and thats it. Though she looks conflicted by this, she stands firm despite Zuko trying to get handsy with her twice later in the episode. She holds him accountable but says she still loves him. I'd have an issue with this if they didnt have Zuko tell her and everyone whats been eating at him so long.

If she didnt know whats been making him act so hostile and crazy then how can she know that Zuko's not just an abusive jerk showing his true colors after all this time. Not saying that it made his actions right, but I feel her knowing the why instead of leaving it a mystery helped Mai reason through forgiving him.

As for her just wanting the power of his position, thats just really, really, really, lazy. She's from a noble family and is friends with the firenation princess...or as I like to say, unfortunately trapped in Azula's orbit. She'd be well off as it is if she kept her connection to Azula, but she didn't. She chose to go against a firebending prodigy, essentially turning her back on the firenation and her family to save the jerk who dumped her by letter.

Nope! Mai doesn't give a Flamio about Zuko himself. She just wants his title.

Opposites seem to attract and in this case its definitely with personalities since...ya know...Mai can't bend elements.

Zuko is passionately driven to a scary degree. He's hyper focused on finding the avatar despite the 100 years no one's seen them. He can be hot tempered and easily set off. He cares for people even to the point he'd rather starve than rob pregnant couple for food. He's brash, and doesn't think things through.

Mai is quietly, but strongly passionate for Zuko, even if its detrimental to her as with challenging Azula. She has learned to keep her temper and other emotions under lock and key, and is not easily set off. She cares about those she's put time and energy into. She's fairly classy, choosing her words wisely and she's definitely done a lot of thinking about what she wants or needs to do as far as her actions.

Zuko's shown that its ok to be expressive, and that its ok for her to do so. He wants to see her free of her parents emotional abuse so that she won't be so guarded.

Through Mai's personality, she's helped temper....Zuko's temper. He won't be so quick to flip his lid and do things without thinking them through. Like fire to a knife Zuko's helped make Mai burn bright and she's given him a sheith for his wild emotions.

I've always seen them as the quiet but intense love kinda couple. They may not have the best communication skills and this could lead to a lot of arguments but their love for one another is stronger. Eventually the sands of time will smooth them, break down walls and allow them to understand one another better.

I'm all for pretty much any ship in atla, and I love how fanfiction can actually help strengthen my love for it more than the actual show. The creativity and OOC that some writers pull off can be amazing and help you really like a character in a certain way or open your eyes to a new pairing.

However, if you wanna like ships, like them because you can, but don't go and take obviously innocent things and blow them out of proportion.

Here is convoluted, misconstrued, out of context information to say person X is evil and shouldnt be with person Y. W shouldn't be with person Z....therefore, Person Z and Person Y should be together because their partners are obviously abusive.

The...What? Three to maybe five episodes of screentime together as begrudgingly budding friends is enough to show exactly how they will be if they got together. Which these episodes can bring about interestingly creative ideas, however people act like that this is the definitive reason Z/Y should be together and any other pairing with the other two is completely abusive.

Just to be clear...if you like Zutara, thats great, I do too. I can imagine them in any number of ways. Them being enemies to lovers, or knowing each other before becoming star crossed lovers, or everythings all good in the univers and they love each other so so much!

However, in none of these headcannons do I see the need to bash Aang or Mai. I don't need to come up with stupid reasonings for Zuko and Katara to be together. If I want them to be together in a story or piece of art, I'll do it and be classy about it. I won't have Katara say Aang assaulted her and fly into Zuko's arms, pushing Mai down saying she's a manipulative bish. Because...she and Aang aren't.

At all.

Im just tired of the mental gymnastics shippers go through to spread hate for one ship so they can have another. Half the time its not even true facts but just people seeing it from an angle that aligns with their agenda.

If you like something, you like it, but don't crap on other ships or characters wrongly to justify it.

Sorry if this is a mess but god, seeing most of these accusations against Aang had me honestly cringing. I thought it was mainly against Mai because...she got Zuko and isn't bubbly, motherly, and...well Katara. So when Anti-Kataang reasons somehow showed up on the old dash, I felt my faith in humanity plummet.

Like...I hope you guys can sleep well at night knowing you've literally slandered a cinnamon roll who's in touch with his feelings, something most of you would protect if it where for any other ship. Like people just starting the series potentially arent going to be too keen on Aang himself at all simply because of this misinformation. But no...just to have one ship you equated this kid to a sexually abusive monster. Good job. 10/10. Slow 👏 for you guys. Be proud.

[emerald-equ1nox]

Décalcomanie || 8

Summary: He needed a job done and the only people who could do it hated each other. Well as they say, you have to crack a few eggs to make an omelet.

Series Trigger Warnings: violence, cursing, drinking, smut in later chapters

“Sir!” Yoongi exclaimed, standing up straight. The boss stood before him, dressed much more casually than usual. “Come in!” Yoongi stepped aside, allowing the older man to walk in.

“Where’s my daughter?” The boss asked, glancing around the room.

“In the bedroom, I’ll go get her.” Yoongi hurried into the bedroom. He began to shake (Y/N) awake. “Hey, get up.”

“I already told you, I’m sleeping,” (Y/N) mumbled irritably.

“Your father is here.”

“What?!” (Y/N) sat up abruptly. “Why?!”

“I don’t know!”

“Fuck, fuck, fuck! Get dressed Min, hurry.”

“What?”

“Get dressed!” (Y/N) got out of bed and hurried to her side of the closet. She pulled out a blue blouse and some jeans before grabbing her bra and practically running into the en suite. Yoongi shook his head before also grabbing clothes. He slid a white henley off of a hanger and pulled a pair of black jeans out of a drawer. He changed quickly, running a hand over his hair as (Y/N) exited the bathroom. “Okay, we look presentable. Good.”

“Are you scared of your father?”

“What? No!”

“You sure about that?”

“Very.” Yoongi hummed. “C’mon.” The two exited the bedroom and met the boss in the living room. “Dad, what’s brought you here?”

“How’s it going so far?” the boss asked curtly.

“Good, we’ve just infiltrated their gang.”

“Just? I expected it to happen sooner.”

“Yes sir but-“

“No buts, you two are supposed to be the best yet you took almost two weeks to infiltrate them. Why?” Yoongi watched as (Y/N) shrunk back.

“It was my fault sir, I was worried it’d be a trap.”

“They aren’t smart enough for that.” Yoongi’s hands clenched into fists at that. These people deserved more credit than was given to them. The boss continued to berate (Y/N), making her shrink back continuously.

“They deserve more credit,” Yoongi piped up.

“What?” the boss asked.

“They deserve more credit. They ambushed us one night, eight against two.”

“Eight?”

“They brought their boss. They almost shot (Y/N).”

“Why wasn’t I informed of this?”

“Because you’d overreact!” (Y/N) snapped. “You always do! First you act like you couldn’t give a shit about what happens to me and then suddenly you’re all worried!” With a sigh, (Y/N) ran a hand through her hair. “Leave, please.”

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me. Leave, now.” The boss looked between the two.

“I’ll have Namjoon contact the two of you.” Without anything further, the boss left. There was silence for awhile before Yoongi spoke up.

“You okay?” he asked quietly.

“Great,” (Y/N) said. She turned and walked back into the bedroom. The door closed loudly and Yoongi sighed. He made his way to the bedroom slowly, stopping before the closed door. The sound of (Y/N)’s body hitting the mattress met his ears. There was silence before (Y/N) spoke again. She was obviously on the phone as she said a small hello. “Unnie, I wanna go home.” There was a slight pause before she continued. “It’s my dad, he’s doing it again. Blaming me and berating me for everything.” There was another pause. “It’s been years, why can’t he move past it? Mom’s gone and it was my fault, I accept that and have moved past it. He should too.”

Yoongi stepped away from the door, shaking his head before moving back to the living room. He had never met (Y/N)’s mother, having joined the gang after her death but he had heard enough to know that she had been a motherly figure to everyone. She had practically raised the youngest three, causing them to refer to her as Mom and (Y/N) as their sister. The cause of her death was unknown to Yoongi, everyone refusing to talk about it except to say that it was a tragedy and had sent (Y/N) into a two year long downward spiral that ended with her waking up with a killer headache and no money in a dirty alleyway.

It was hard for Yoongi to imagine what it was like to have a woman like (Y/N)’s mother in his life. Sure, his mom was great and all but she disapproved of Yoongi’s love for music and that had driven a wedge between the two. It was near impossible for Yoongi to imagine his mother being accepting of his music career and especially the path that he had chosen since then. He supposed that the poor relationship between the two of them, or in fact the lack there of, was for the best. If he didn’t talk to his mother then he didn’t have to worry about her. He didn’t have to worry about her becoming a target for people who wanted to hurt him, he didn’t have to worry about someone putting a bullet through her head to get to him. Yes, this distance was for the best.

He had no doubt that the person on the other end of the phone was Moonbyul, one of the only women in the gang and its many branches that (Y/N) ever talked to. Moonbyul, or Byulyi as many called her, was a skilled gunsman and someone Yoongi knew from his days in the underground rap scene. He had played a reluctant hand in recruiting Moonbyul to the gang and still regretted it. She had potential to become a formidable presence in the rap scene but had gotten trapped in this lifestyle the same as the rest of them. Although, as if by the grace of some otherworldly figure, she had landed a job that would span years and incorporated her love of music. She had been planted in a music corporation in order to keep the owner in line and to make sure that he paid his debt to the boss in time.

She was now the main rapper in a girlgroup by the name of Mamamoo and got to live out her dream while simultaneously living a life of crime. And she was damn good at living a double life. It was no surprise to Yoongi that she was able to pull it off. She had been doing it for years. Sneaking around behind her parents’ backs to participate in underground competitions while making it seem to them that she was the perfect daughter who would go on to make a name for herself in the medical field. It was also no surprise that she and (Y/N) had hit it off. They were more alike than many realized. (Y/N) was the type to go out and kill a person to make it seem like she was the perfect mafia daughter but change quickly after and attend the rehearsal of the latest musical she was starring in.

Yoongi had watched at most a quarter of the musicals that she had starred in but that was enough to know that she had a love for the stage instilled deeply within her. According to Taehyung, it was something she had gotten from her mother. The first musical that Yoongi had seen her in was a production of Wicked. The girl on stage was so different than the girl who walked around her father’s building. She was lively and emotive instead of cold and calculated. He supposed that he should have expected it when he heard that she would be in a musical. That was the first time his heart had beaten faster when he saw her. He had always found her pretty but something about the way the lights shone in her eyes and the way she poured her heart and soul into every song made it impossible for him not to feel funny. She was charismatic on stage and the green body paint and slouchy clothes of Elphaba didn’t stop that. Somehow, someway, it intensified it. (Y/N) was passionate and intense and Yoongi had begun to fall head over heels in the span of roughly two hours. Feelings came and went when it came to Yoongi, but this hadn’t. He didn’t think that it’d ever leave, and he wasn’t exactly complaining.

~•~

The sound of a pen clicking roused (Y/N) from her slumber. She rolled onto her right to see Yoongi sitting in front of the small vanity. “What are you doing?” she rasped.

“Grocery list,” Yoongi said simply. “Anything in particular you want?”

“Caffeine.”

“What kind of caffeine, be specific.”

“I don’t care.”

“Coffee it is then.” Yoongi scrawled the word down before standing. “Come with, you need to get out of the house.” It was true. (Y/N) hadn’t left the apartment in days. She was still thinking about her father’s visit and what he had said. She was also thinking about her phone call with Moonbyul. It wasn’t everyday that your best friend told you that she was having trouble with the job that she had been at for years. It also wasn’t everyday that said best friend discussed backing out of the gang that had been her family since her late teen years.

“I don’t feel safe anymore,” Moonbyul had said in a whisper. “It’s like someone’s watching me.” (Y/N) was still wondering if she should go to her father about Byul’s protection. She didn’t need someone to leave her like that, not again. Then again, she knew what her father would say. His voice would become louder, more severe. He’d tell her to get out of her head and that if something happened to Byul then it was her fault, not his. Everything was (Y/N)’s fault, from the loss of her mother to the flowers in the front yard wilting. Not to mention the increased number of people who refused their products. It wasn’t her fault that the people they sold to were beginning to be shipped off to the army. After all, they weren’t taken care of by a man with so much sway over the president that he could get large numbers of men out of mandatory service.

She had proposed that he use his sway over the president to get some of their most loyal clients out of service so that they were in the gang’s debt. He had turned her idea down, called it too risky. He did it four months later when golden boy Min Yoongi proposed the same exact idea. Fucking Yoongi, always on her father’s good side, always his favorite. Her father had always wanted a son, someone to run the immense crime empire when he was gone. When Yoongi had been brought into his office for the first time it was like he had found him, the prodigal son. There was no need for him to start at the bottom like everyone else had, even her. Oh no, he was given a gun and told to take care of a prominent businessman who owed them money. A job that had been promised to (Y/N) the day before. The years since then had been filled with resentment from (Y/N)’s side and a slightly confused anger from Yoongi’s.

(Y/N) was hellbent on gaining control of her father’s gang, whatever she had to do to achieve it. And fuck if she wouldn’t bed her enemy to do it. She wasn’t as drunk as Yoongi had thought that night they went to the club. One of the only good things about being her father’s daughter was that she had an amazing alcohol tolerance, she was barely buzzed when she had propositioned Yoongi. The disappointment that she had faced when he turned her down was immense and her little act had doomed her to feigning drunkenness for the rest of the night. It was nice to feel someone’s hands at her waist however. They had been gentle, almost reverent as they held her in place in front of him. Even when he had ground against her like he was about to fuck her on the dance floor his hands held her gingerly.

“Yo, (Y/L/N),” Yoongi snapped, “you coming or not?” (Y/N) shook her head slightly.

“No.”

“Suit yourself then.” Yoongi made his way out of the apartment and to his car, leaving (Y/N) in bed with her thoughts. They drifted off to her last musical, If/Then. Elizabeth was a challenging character to play what with her alternate timelines, and the musical’s message really put her life into perspective. She wasn’t sure if she had made the best decision, but she had to trust that it’d work out in the end. She had to trust that pursuing her career was the best thing for her in the moment. The feeling of adrenaline pumping through her veins when she was onstage was addicting. She supposed that she craved it in the same way that the gang’s customers craved their next high. She craved the love and comradery and recognition that theater brought her. It was a drug of its own.

She didn’t realize that her thoughts had spiraled until she found herself thinking about the times that Yoongi had watched her shows. He had accompanied the boys to her shows on more than one occasion but the most memorable was the night he watched her performance in Wicked. When she had changed and taken off most of the green makeup on her skin, she had met the seven men in the lobby. It wasn’t hard to notice that Yoongi’s eyes followed her as she laughed and talked with the others. She had even caught the way he had moved to shrug his jacket off when she began to shiver as they stood in the parking lot of the theater. She supposed that Yoongi had seen her differently that night, seen that she wasn’t just the boss’ cold, calculated, unfeeling daughter. That revelation was either a blessing or a curse.

After roughly an hour and a half, her phone buzzed with a text from Yoongi. Hey, come help me bring the stuff up, it read. With a heavy sigh, (Y/N) got out of bed and slipped on a pair of flats. She made her way down to the parking lot and to Yoongi’s car. He climbed out, sliding something into his back pocket as he did so. The two made their way to the trunk which Yoongi had popped before climbing out. They began to transport the bags to the apartment in silence. Once they had taken everything inside and put it all up, Yoongi pulled the thing in his back pocket out. He slid it across the counter to (Y/N) with a small smile.

“Thought you’d want this,” he said simply. (Y/N) looked down at it, quickly recognizing the local theater’s logo. It was their schedule for the year. She picked it up and flipped through it. “Personally, I’d recommend auditioning for Gypsy.”

“Why Gypsy?” (Y/N) asked, eyebrows furrowed.

“You’d do good in it.”

“Oh really?”

“Yeah, really.” Yoongi reached over and moved her hair out of her face. “You could play the biggest burlesque star in history.” With a shake of her head, (Y/N) made her way into the bedroom. Yoongi followed behind closely. “We need to go to the club again soon, we can’t be no-shows all the time. We also need to agree on a backstory in case they ask. How we met, how long we’ve been together, things like that.” (Y/N) sat in the middle of the bed.

“I’ve already thought about all of that. We met in our third year of high school, have been dating since our fourth and moved in together just under three years ago. We’re also planning on getting a puppy together.” Yoongi cocked an eyebrow.

“A puppy?”

“Yeah, it’s domestic and shit.”

“You just want a dog.”

“Maybe I do, you got a problem with that?”

“Nope.”

[fireinclined]

name

so, capellans don’t have last names at all- instead they have core names and family suffixes. cassandra’s family suffix is -lyn, however, after the destruction of capella, cassandra chose to take on the -ndra suffix again

-ndra is the orphan’s suffix, but more specifically…its the suffix of the unwanted. only children who are given up at birth, are completely disowned from the family, or choose to cut ALL ties to their families have this suffix.

since cassandra was given up at birth, her names have been

cassandra -> cassalyn -> cassandra

her core name is cassa, and it’s considered very rude to call a capellan by their core name unless they have given explicit permission for you to do so. in addition- cassandra CANNOT STAND the nickname cassie, since that’s what her name would have been if dulcie and her had gotten married, and what dulcie used to call cassandra when they were engaged.

tl;dr: don’t call her cass and DEFINITELY don’t call her cassie

the herald

note: the reasoning for cassandra’s ability to see others’ future’s is different from the reason given in “hello, clairvoyant? humanoid rat speaking.” this is the official “canon” reasoning, and the fic will be changed to match this, should i ever rewrite it.

every augur is given a mask by thea- ones that she makes years before the augur in question is even born. they help the augur see more than what they normally would- they amplify an augur’s abilities. however, because no two augurs see the same things, each mask is tailor made for their particular brand of clairvoyance. using a different augur’s mask will give them the sight of that augur, but it will also induce intense nausea and headaches.

cassandra had taken back her grandmother’s mask from oddfrid, the woman who killed her, and held onto it, since her grandmother had no grave to place it at. she used the mask out of curiosity, and found that she could see other people’s futures- however she had no control over who’s future she saw. her visions were usually restricted to the planet she was on, and along with those visions, she was given the knowledge of how to get in contact with those people.

this was how raelyn’s clairvoyance worked. she could see the future of random people, and with those visions she knew how to influence their future. after all, that’s what being an augur’s all about- actively shaping the future by knowing what’s ahead.

when cassandra finally go to earth and settled down, she decided not to become some grand superhero. she was going to, for once, try to be normal. however…cassandra quickly got bored, and wondered if there was something she should be doing- something to help people more than she already was as a firefighter.

it was then that she decided to use her grandmother’s mask again, and peer into the future’s of others. with her visions came the phone numbers of those she saw, and it became clear how cassandra could use this power to help others.

whenever cassandra could, she’d put on her grandmother’s mask and then call people, warning them of disaster and trying to steer them away from tragedy. she quickly became an urban legend, and people started calling her “the herald.” the more and more she called to help, the more and more popular the herald became, until everyone wanted to know if she was real, and if she was, who was she?

cassandra hated the title of “the herald”, but it wasn’t like she could come forward and say anything. as previously stated, wearing her grandmother’s mask gives cassandra intense headaches and nausea, thus preventing her from using the mask on a regular basis.

cassandra’s education

alright so, since capella fell into a civil war when cassandra was 11, that’s kind of when she stopped going to school. ioavis was such a volatile time in her life as well- and forte and theon didn’t know shit about teaching a kid (beyond their respective professions). thea helped cassandra a little bit, but cassandra’s training as an augur came first.

it was only after cassandra had landed on pyrrah and met keandra again that she resumed any type formal education. while trying to read capellan texts on her inclination, cassandra realized just how poor her reading skills were. keandra tutored cassandra- honestly, he was the only one she would trust to help her. cassandra hates more than anything feeling st*pid, and would only let keandra see her that vulnerable.

cassandra learned enough math and science to maintain and fly her ship, and studied the history of many different planets- she only has a shallow knowledge of each one, since she was aiming to learn about as many as possible. cassandra also seriously resumed her studies in astrography that her grandmother had gotten her started on.

now cassandra has an above average reading level in capellan, and average reading levels in standard and english, and a very basic reading level in french.

cassandra & crying

alright so- at about age..14 or 15, cassandra stopped crying. cassandra’s time on ioavis was marked by constant high levels of stress, and for about ten years, when faced with something tragic or something that would make her cry, instead she would just shut down. in addition to just high stress, theon was…kind of an asshole. forte and theon both were. you know that one scene in “a league of their own” where tom hanks’ character yells at one of the players and says “there’s no crying in baseball!” yeah, theon and cassandra had a similar encounter. this idea of crying being a weakness was something theon instilled in her.

cassandra did not cry after forte’s death, instead she just went numb. she didn’t speak, she didn’t eat- once she started feeling again, she turned all that grief into anger, and that’s pretty much what got her through the rest of her time on ioavis- just running off anger.

after leaving ioavis, cassandra went to train with thea, and it could not have come at a better time. thea helped cassandra work through her issues- she still struggles with depression, along with enormous amounts of survivors guilt, but thea helped her learn how to cope with it all.

but cassandra didn’t really break down and cry until she saw keandra again. cassandra was overfilled with joy and relief- she wasn’t the last capellan! she wasn’t all alone in the universe. cassandra and keandra both cried for a good twenty minutes, and that’s kind of the turning point for cassandra. when she needs to, she cries. she tends to be an angrier crier.

putting on a front

see, cassandra might seem like she’s careless with fire- when she’s around people who know about her, she does use it pretty freely. but…she’s got an insane amount of control over it. the fact that she is able to use her powers so nonchalantly is a testament to how many hours she’s put into honing her inclination. she never starts a fire she can’t put out or one that will hurt someone unintentionally.

cassandra, in general, cultivates this reputation of being carefree and just…chill but almost in a bad way. she also acts kinda…airheaded at times too.  like, oh she’s so flippant and clueless, she can’t possibly be dangerous. she wants her enemies to underestimate her.

…but when a friend calls into question her control or competence, cassandra gets very hurt. she is more than she appears to be, and she has put in so much time and energy honing her inclination and her clairvoyance- to have that insulted, however mildly, gets cassandra very upset.

cassandra & silence

after the fall of capella, cassandra couldn’t stand how silent her ship was- which seemed huge and sterile to a traumatized twelve year old. so she turned to music to fill that void. now…capellans have a slightly different view of music that humans simply because music is just…talking? or at the very least, instrumental music can be used to convey ideas and emotions. so it was less…music music and more of just background chatter.

when atlas was destroyed and dulcie died, cassandra was completely overwhelmed by the silence, both in her head, since she had gotten so used to atlas’ presence, and…in her life. paola was still there but nothing was the same. so, again, cassandra turned to music. now that her perception of music has changed from simply talking to this emotional outlet, it meant more i think?

when cassandra gets to earth, she’s that neighbor that always has her music too loud and while she always apologizes…she rarely changes it for long. it's a huge coping mechanism but she’s rarely comfortable enough with someone to actually say that.

this is why cassandra takes immense joy in how loud her family is. she isn’t bothered in the slightest and will?? never police them on their volume. her fear of silence does start to lessen, but it never goes away. and she’s honestly just developed a love?? of noise because of it.

cassandra in the lone rat au

cassandra fighting the kraang in @ratdad-ninjutsumaster​‘s lone rat au is LITERALLY IOAVIS ALL OVER AGAIN

let me explain. the reason cassandra got involved in the revolution in the first place was because she was desperate to prove her worth…to herself, honestly. she thought if she could help people and do this huge act and help overthrow the government, that meant she was worth something. if she could do good, and help people…to her, that meant her life had value.

ioavis came after a few short weeks of travel through space after the fall of capella- cassandra was feeling extreme guilt over what happened, and felt like she had no value. that it would have been better for everyone if she’d died in the snow when she was a child. so a chance to do good on such a large scale? sign her the fuck up. a role that only she could fill as the (supposed) last living capellan? even better.

now, flash forward to after dulcie’s death. cassandra never once blamed dulcie for what happened with atlas- the ONLY person she kinda sort maybe shared the blame with was keandra, in that he thought of it, and cassandra carried it out (’with dulcie’ written in a tiny font in a footnote).

so cassandra took on all the blame for freeing atlas…and dulcie died fixing cassandra (’and dulcie’s’ scribbled in the margins)’s mistake. what’s even worse? cassandra could do fucking nothing to help them. she was powerless to against atlas- she could hold her back, but couldn’t rid herself of the monster.

so…after that, cassandra is pretty much back to where she was at the fall of capella, mental state wise. it’s maybe three years after dulcie’s death and cassandra’s arrival on earth, and while she does have a much better support system in place (ie, paola), she’s still…trying to prove to herself that she has value.

now, in most verses, cassandra takes on the role of herald, the events of ‘hello clairvoyant’ take place, and her friendship with splinter, and later role as mother to the turtles in her mind, gives her value.

in this verse? cassandra stumbles onto the kraang, and finds herself…in a position to do huge acts (stopping this invading force)….with a role that few others can fill (a ‘superpowered’ being with knowledge of alien worlds and years of fighting under her belt- honestly, she’s one of the most qualified beings on earth to fight the kraang at this point)…

and without her role as herald and her friendship with splinter/role as mother? she fucking JUMPS at that chance. she throws herself into danger, tries to save the world and be a hero to prove that she has worth, that her life is worth living.

cassandra’s temper

cassandra very rarely loses her temper honestly?? she’s not the yelling and screaming type unless it’s with someone she cares deeply about - the two obvious (and mostly likely) ones paola and splinter. when cassandra gets angry, she’s far more prone to storming away and sulking than yelling, so that she can recollect herself and not say something that she’ll regret.

when does lose her temper and gets extremely angry, she starts crying. but she hates this, and if you back down because she’s crying, it’ll only make her angrier.

and in an argument, she’s far more likely to wear a poker face and map out the conversation via her clairvoyance. again, only paola and splinter really see her get worked up in the moment and just keep barreling through the argument whilst angry.

cassandra’s enemies

so the first should be obvious: any capellan that finds out cassandra was one of the people who unleashed atlas. not everyone’s gonna be as understanding as vivi, and there are a lot of capellans that would do anything to have someone to pin all the blame on.

second of all: leftover members of a cult that kills augurs. winfrid was killed by them, and cassandra was nearly killed by a member of that cult too. it took all of her allies (keandra, paola, jayjay, owl, and brooklyn) to protect her while she was. you know recovering.

third: okay so while cassandra was on pyrrah there was an attempted coup?? and of course because cassandra was bffs with the queen and keandra was the queen’s little brother they helped stop it. so idk if people are still mad about that they might come after her.

and finally- here’s the big one, because this. is actually going to happen when i rewrite season one: we’re gonna call the scientist who created jayjay and owl dr. h. cassandra left dr. h’s fate in the hands of jayjay and owl, and they decided to have her be put on trial and thrown in jail, for reasons that i will discuss when i talk about jayjay and owl. one of dr. h’s allies comes after cassandra for revenge or as part of some scheme she has with dr. h.  i won’t say what exactly happens, but. it’s not good for cassandra.

but yeah, those are the people/enemies that might come after cassandra

gravity sickness

okay so, because earth’s gravity is so much weaker than capella’s, cassandra will wake up some nights, usually disoriented by her visions, and feel almost completely weightless- like she’s just going to fly off the surface of the earth. this is a terrifying experience for cassandra- despite the fact that she loves floating in her ship’s gravity chamber, the feeling like she’s going to fly right off the earth is so scary because she has no control over it.

if she’s sleeping alone, she’ll grab the edges of the mattress, as if trying to keep herself from flying away. if she’s with splinter, she’ll usually accidentally wake him up when she wakes up, and ask him to either hold her or lay on her. the feeling of his arms holding her tightly or the weight of his body on top of her makes her feel grounded. he’ll usually whisper affirmations to her (”you’re safe, you’re alright, this is real, i’m here, nothing’s going to harm you”) until she relaxes enough to fall back asleep.

does cassandra get jealous?

it depends, really. cassandra tends to get sad jealous rather than angry jealous (’oh, of course they don’t love me, who could love someone like me, they’ll be happier with them, etc etc). and it does take quite a bit to get her to despair like that: if her s/o is just hanging out with someone else or someone’s flirting with them, and she feels secure in their relationship, she’s fine with it. they can take care of themselves (usually).

however she DOES get angry jealous in amnesiac!splinter verse, because they AREN’T together, and she’s terrified that he’ll fall in love when he has amnesia, and when he gets his memories back, he’ll love that other person more than her.

how does cassandra grieve?

she’ll isolate herself, mostly, and usually go from surrounding herself with things that remind her of/belonged to the person she’s grieving to getting as far away from anything that reminds her of them as possible.

(in verses where splinter dies, this would mean that cassandra goes from staying locked in splinter’s room for days, only to alternate to staying in her apartment for days on end)

cassandra will rarely speak and rarely eat, and honestly the only who can get her to take care of herself is paola.

i keep saying that in these situation it’s only paola who can get cassandra to take care of herself, and that’s mostly because paola knows how cassandra grieves and how to deal with it. cassandra was practically lifeless after dulcie’s death, and while paola helped take care of cassandra during this time, it was only the revelation of what the yellow flowers in cassandra’s dreams were and actually going to earth that put some life back into cassandra’s eyes.

i would argue that dulcie’s death was the lowest point of cassandra’s life, and that remains constant- even in most aus. cassandra felt closed off from the rest of the galaxy, despite keandra and brooklyn staying around her. but it…it was this distant thing. not the comfort cassandra needed, you know?

in verses where splinter dies, cassandra does have her family and she does get out of bed and takes care of herself better than she does after dulcie. she has her family to live for.

cassandra adjusting to life on earth

the thing about adjusting to earth’s climate is that everything that’s different from capella was a million times worse on pyrrah.

it was so much hotter on pyrrah than it is on earth, and definitely than it was on capella. so cassandra eventually got used to that.

as for culture…cassandra lived in france for the first…two years? i think it was? maybe three- on earth, and cassandra had done a lot of research on earth in general, but especially on france, in the two months it took her to get there. i haven’t really thought much about her time in france- that’s something i need to work on tbh

cassandra doesn’t understand american politics at all. on capella there was lot more involvement in politics and everyone was critical of it- especially because of the ‘capellan cycle’, where a government would exist on capella for a few centuries before being overthrown and replaced for a few more centuries. so especially for cassandra, who was the daughter of a political thinker and revolutionary, and a capellan who grew up at the end of the current government’s cycle, she grew up very critical of authority and very aware of what was going on in the government. so the way americans know they’re unhappy with their government, but always know exactly what’s wrong with it or how to fix it, and are at times unwilling to put in the effort to change it…doesn’t make sense to cassandra

another thing cassandra doesn’t understand is like…consumerism. like this culture of constantly buying more, or espECIALLY things being made to be broken and replaced. for most of capella’s history resources were scarce, so shit had to be built to last for a LONG time. and this mindset never went away, even when capella began trading with other planets. so cassandra’s just ???? at how everything on earth is made to be replaced.

cassandra & drowning

cassandra is terrified of drowning. like…shoot her, stab her, let her pass away from sickness or old age…just don’t drown her or suffocate her.

i’d imagine her fear comes from actually having visions in her sleep of her drowning, and then there was the time she actually almost drowned. it happened when brooklyn was with her, and her leg got caught in sinking wreckage of a ship they were on. it was easily one of the top five most terrifying experiences of cassandra’s life

the day capella fell

cassandra always gets very solemn and quiet on the day capella fell, lost in her own thoughts and guilt, and she usually reaches out to keandra (and to a lesser extent, brooklyn) on that day because they’re all in bad places on that day.

also consider- everyone knowing this is a bad day for cassandra and doing their best to make her smile in their own ways. everyone gives her 100x more hugs and makes sure she knows that they love her

what cassandra did for money during her travels

it should be noted that before getting to pyrrah, with the exception of her time without her ship on ioavis, cassandra pretty much lived off of the food stored in her capellan caravel. usually these foods are dehydrated to make them last longer, and while they’re not…especially tasty, there was enough on the ship for 50+ people to live on for one year. so cassandra really had no need for money, since capellan ships don’t use fuel like earth ships do, and there were uniforms on board for clothing.

however, most of the clothing was far too big for cassandra, who was very short by capellan standards when she was a child, and this was the primary reason she learned how to sew- so she could make adjustments so she wasn’t tripping over her pants at the very least.

when on pyrrah, cassandra began an apprenticeship under a ship mechanic, and after a year cassandra was offered a job there. at the time, she was living with the royal family, so again…she pretty got whatever she needed, and all the money she made was saved up.

later on, after leaving pyrrah and parting ways with keandra, cassandra began to take up work as a translator, working with countless universities and libraries across the galaxy and translating thousands of audio files, all recorded in capellan.

while it is possible to understand capellan without knowing the meaning of the way it’s sung, a lot of subtle details are lost that way. so cassandra’s knowledge of the capellan language was sought after by many, especially since she’s thought to be one of the last two capellans left.

working as a translator also allowed cassandra to work while still traveling- having any and all files that needed translation sent to her ship.

photographs

on cassandra’s ship there’s a bunch of pictures on this shelf of

paola, cassandra and keandra

cassandra and dulcie

cassandra’s family photo

cassandra and brooklyn

cassandra, brooklyn, jayjay and owl

cassandra, brooklyn, keandra, and dulcie 

cassandra, keandra, paola & the royal family of pyrrah

cassandra,oriel, nikola, theon, and forte

work & josie

honestly the worst thing about work is that she can’t just say “i have a family emergency” because no one knows she has a family. so a lot of people think she’s flaky and unreliable when really, she’s just a good mom trying to help her sons take on an alien invasion.

this is somewhat resolved by the end of season one, because josie becomes the new fire chief (something that might have gone to cassandra had she not had to leave work so frequently), and josie knows that cassandra is an alien and that she’s protecting…someone. josie doesn’t know about the turtles completely just yet.

by season three, josie knows everything, and will cut cassandra slack when she says she has an emergency, which helps ease cassandra’s mind a lot once the city is back in order.

fireproof clothing

fireproof clothing is the norm on capella and it’s easy to find throughout the galaxy simply because there are so many races that can create/manipulate fire or are fireproof themselves, but before cassandra got her hands on a good amount of fireproof clothes, she frequently burned off the sleeves of her shirts by accident. her fire generally starts behind her shoulders and is pushed down her arms, and then out. so eventually cassandra had…no sleeves on her shirts.

now, however, most of her wardrobe is fireproof so she doesn’t have to worry about that anymore.

final inclination shift

cassandra undergoes her final inclination shift near the end of ‘winter in the woods.’ the emotions that cassandra has used to power/anchor her inclination are, in this order; rage, guilt, wonder, and love.

after dulcie’s death, her inclination fizzles out for about six months. she feels numb, and therefore has nothing to power her inclination with. when she gets to earth, it’s a little better, but she doesn’t have that strong emotional core that she used to, so she’s relying on passing emotions.

if anything, her powers are loosely tied to her pride, since every time she uses her powers to a greater extent, she’s trying to show off. but she has no…real core to rely on here. and because she’s falling in love with this family, it’d make sense for her to connect her powers to that love.

in later chapters of “winter in the woods,” she uses her powers more and more, and it’s out of a desire to protect, because of that love she has. and once the main plot of witw is over, it’d make so much sense that’d it happen almost subconsciously.