#I loved all her expressions and reactions this episode

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Do you think that Ms. Bustier is overhated?

Not particularly. I don't have any strong feelings about her, but she's clearly a terrible teacher who is in way over her head. I totally understand why she sets some people off. If she was a real person that I actually had to deal with, then she'd probably set me off, too, because she so perfectly encapsulates toxic positivity. If you're not familiar with that term, then here's a quick definition:

Toxic positivity is the act of avoiding, suppressing, or rejecting negative emotions or experiences. This may take the form of denying your own emotions or someone else denying your emotions, insisting on positive thinking instead. Although setting aside difficult emotions is sometimes necessary temporarily, denying negative feelings long term is harmful because it can prevent people from processing their emotions and overcoming their distress.

Read that definition and then look at this scene from Zombiezou:

Marinette: But Miss Bustier, it's so not fair! It was Chloé, pulling another...Chloé! And...I'm the one who's getting in trouble?! Miss Bustier: Of course you're not in trouble, don't worry! As the class representative, I want you to set a good example for your classmates. Don't give into feelings of anger. Try to forgive Chloé instead. Marinette: I don't get it... Chloé is the meanest person I've ever known. Miss Bustier: Come on... There are much worse people in Paris right now than Chloé Bourgeois. I'm sure people like Chloé are capable of great things. The problem is, they only think of themselves. They don't understand the meaning of love, and we can't force them to change. But perhaps we can show them by setting a good example. That's why Marinettes are so important in today's world; because they have a lot of love to give. I'm counting on you. Marinette: Yes, Miss Bustier.

This is toxic positivity in action. Marinette is told to set aside her extremely valid feelings as if anger is a terrible thing, but it isn't. All emotions have their place and ignoring them can do real harm, a lesson that Miraculous really struggles with. It seems to see "negative" emotions as bad and they're really not. What matters is how we express and address our emotions, not that we experience them. If you want to see a family friendly piece of media do this topic right, then go watch Pixar's Inside Out.

There's also the fact that Chloé is never punished for her actions in this episode. She ruined a gift that probably took Marinette hours and yet Miss Bustier puts the onus to fix things on Marinette, blaming the victim and doing nothing to actually fix the situation. Canon mildly complicates this with Chloé's father's willingness to meddle, making punishing her apparently impossible, but Miss Bustier doesn't even acknowledge that here. The stated logic is that you need to be nice to your bully and that will hopefully magically fix things, which is a terrible lesson that I don't want any kid to learn! What kind of logic is that?

I'll admit that I'm a big fan of "an eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind," but that doesn't mean that you should never acknowledge harm or fight back. It just means that you need to be measured in your responses and pick your battles wisely. If this episode was about that, then I'd be fine with it, but that's not the lesson here. There is no point where the wrong done to Marinette is even mildly acknowledged. Miss Bustier's initial reaction to seeing Marinette's ruined gift is:

Miss Bustier: Well, I think this present is wonderful. It'll be my new cosmetics bag! Then I'll be able to think of both of you every time I use it.

And we go straight from that to the toxic positivity.

Something is wrong with this woman. You shouldn't even take this approach with preschoolers! While I could see this being a good final solution to something like Chloé scribbling on Marinette's drawing, Chloé's behavior still needs to be addressed. She is still the one in the wrong here. The one whose behavior needs to change.

This is one of many cases where there are two paths to take with this character. The writers clearly want Miss Bustier to be a wonderful teacher, but they wrote a victim-blaming disaster who shouldn't be in charge of anyone. If you're ever adapting her, then it's up to you if you want to redesign her into her intended self or if you want to lean into the bad writing. I think both paths have merit because the writing is so bad that there is no way to make canon Caline work as a good teacher. She's too fundamentally flawed so you either acknowledge how awful she is or do a major overhaul where she's much less forgiving and actually acknowledges things like the Chloé problem.

[coquelicoq]

rip to hiiragi in the moon-splitting festival arc though. first she paints a protection charm on natsume's arm, standard stuff, but even though right before this he was in a huge hurry to get back to everyone else to make sure they're safe, he's like okay now let's do you. and takes the brush and paints the same charm on her arm. uhhhh. okay. this is fine. okay. then minutes later he throws himself in front of her to protect her from a ton of falling logs with his fragile human body. like not only is he actively making it harder for her to do her job, which is to protect him, by doing stupid heroic shit that puts him in danger, but he's doing said heroic shit to protect HER? like he thinks she's a PERSON??? the fuck is she supposed to do with this shit!

[potter-imagines]

Brat (Satoru Gojo x Reader)

Prompt: Satoru and his girlfriend Y/n are in an argument over his celebrity crush on Inoue Waka. Y/n is ignoring Satoru which absolutely drives him crazy.

Pairing: Satoru x reader

Warnings: some swearing, light light light smut (making out), gojo being gojo

Word Count: 7k

Notes: this is set broadly around season 2 episode 2 plot, with some clear changes from the original episode. riko and suguru are included.

“You changed your home screen?” Suguru commented nonchalantly. He took notice of the sudden alteration to his friend’s phone almost immediately. The difference wasn’t hard to spot seeing as the last two years all Satoru had used for his background images were various photos of his girlfriend, Y/n, whom he loved showing off.

Suguru was accustomed to the photos being circulated in a never ending pattern, Y/n and Satoru at the beach, Y/n in a scandalous position she beat him into removing, Y/n sleeping on his chest, Y/n and him sharing sweets, Y/n on her birthday grinning widely as she sat in front of her cake, the couple doing mud masks together, Y/n in front of the eiffel tower, and so on, however it was entirely new for him to see the famous, bikini clad Japanese model as his friend's home screen instead of his girlfriend. Suguru’s brow was raised as Satoru chuckled to himself.

“To Inoue Waka.” Gojo smiled in triumph, like he was in some war that he had finally found the upper hand in. “Y/n and I are in a fight- it’s certain to get a reaction out of her.” 

Despite his explanation, Suguru found himself lost in confusion. Only a night prior to leaving for their mission to protect and deliver the star plasma vessel, Geto had been sitting in attendance as he witnessed the couple's one of many bickering sessions. He really couldn’t blame Y/n much, seeing as he also found himself disagreeing with the white haired prodigy on the regular as well, yet this fight was one hundred percent, without a doubt in his mind, Satoru Gojo’s fault. Being as the argument was his wrong doing, Suguru couldn’t understand why his friend would sink himself deeper in the grave with his strong willed girlfriend rather than admit he messed up. And he certainly couldn’t see how an image of another woman- a model their argument steamed from, in a bikini too tight her boobs were practically over spilling from, would help his case.

The pair seemed to forget where they were until the young voice of the vessel of Tengen-sama herself reminded them of her presence. 

“Listen to me!” Riko shouted, irritation lacing her words. The young girl was set to explode off on the boys like a firecracker for their rude behavior in dismissing her heartfelt declaration on becoming one with Tengen-sama and Tengen-sama one with her, when suddenly the mention of the feminine name caught her attention. “Wait, Y/n?” She questioned. Riko didn’t see another female insight besides Kuroi but she sure hoped there was a sane female mind among the brainless men sitting among her. 

At her words, the man with hair white as snow leaned against the couch and ran a hand along his face. He narrowed his gaze, giving the girl a leer as if he found it ridiculous he had to explain who this Y/n was to her. 

“My strikingly beautiful, insanely stubborn, bratty, gorgeous girlfriend.” He moaned as his head fell back against the sofa, like the explanation was difficult enough. Through his dark rimmed glasses Gojo looked over to Riko, changing the topic all together. “I bet you don’t have many friends if you talk like that.”

“We won’t have to feel bad sending you off.” Suguru muttered. 

“I talk normally at school!” She expressed in an exacerbated tone, then quickly stepped forward pointing an accusing finger in the white haired man’s face. “And it’s you who shouldn’t have any friends! You certainly don’t deserve a girlfriend if you’re calling her a brat behind her back, you should be ashamed of yourself!” She reprimanded. 

Suguru lifted his gaze, intrigued by her final comment. Satoru didn’t actually think of his girlfriend as a brat, but of course Riko didn’t understand how the couple worked and there was no time to explain how Gojo called his girlfriend a brat in an endearing way- unlike his usage for it towards her. When Gojo used it towards Riko, he meant it. If they had the time, Geto might even explain how Y/n commonly refers to her boyfriend as a ‘trust fund baby’ or ‘a prick’, both of which are factual, yet it’s out of love between the two. 

Satoru ignored her quip, finding her opinion on his relationship totally useless. He knew his love for Y/n was larger than his will to live, yet he saw no point in expressing that to this girl. Riko didn’t know one thing about his relationship with Y/n so why did he care what the girl thought? Sure, he probably did sound like a complete jerk, however he couldn’t care less if the star plasma vessel before him found him to be a bad person for what she was hearing. 

Suguru glanced at Satoru, curious to see if the sorcerer was going to give a reaction however the six eye holder simply scrolled away on his phone, searching for the perfect image of his celebrity model crush to use as his lock screen. 

“School…” She mumbled out. “Kuroi, what time is it?!”

Satoru, Suguru, and Kuroi all sat scattered around the abandoned outdoor pool of Renchoku Girls' Junior High, all thinking of different things. Kuroi found herself reflecting on the time she spent practically raising the young girl who would soon be sacrificing herself as a vessel. Suguru’s mind wandered to how they were going to keep Riko safe until making it to Jujutsu High. All Satoru could think about was why his girlfriend wouldn’t answer his calls. Dangling his shoes above the water, Satoru kicked at the murky water in vex as yet another call went unanswered. 

“Huh?! She keeps sending me straight to voicemail- Suguru, let me borrow your phone!” Satoru failed to turn around as he extended his arm behind himself, impatiently awaiting Geto’s cellphone.

Begrudgingly Suguru dug his phone out from his side pocket and handed the cell phone over to his hysterical friend. He had already seen this play out a million times before and was positive the outcome would be no different; Gojo does something easily avoidable and pisses Y/n off, they get into an argument because it physically pains Gojo to admit his wrong doings, Y/n ignores him, he pretends he’s fine and acts as if he enjoys the distance created, that lasts for a few hours at most, then Gojo acts like a crazed person trying to get his girlfriend to respond while she is clearly still upset. 

Miles away in Tokyo, Y/n saw the face of her good friend Suguru pop up on her screen. Her brain screamed it was just her idiot boyfriend trying to convince her to speak to him. Maybe it really was Suguru calling to inform her of their mission. Hesitantly, Y/n accepted the call and lifted the phone to her ear.

“Hi, pretty girl- uh?! She hung up on me!” Gojo shrieked as the line went dead on the other end. He pulled the phone away from his ear and stared the the screen in disbelief, almost as if the mobile device had zapped him like an electrical shock. His mouth hung wide, a look of absolute astonishment polarizing his features. A few moments of staring at the blank screen passed by, Gojo awaiting a returning call from his love to declare it was all some prank, yet nothing came. Suguru outstretched his hand towards his friend,

“Satoru, can I have my phone back?”

The blue eyed man gave an over exaggerated groan then carelessly tossed the cellular device back to its rightful owner. 

“Fine. Ugh! Can’t believe how dramatic she’s being! Just wait until I get back to Jujutsu High and don’t share any of my mochi with her. She’s going to have to wait at least a week until I give her that necklace I bought.” He huffed like a child. Resting his chin in the palm of his hand, Satoru gazed out at the pool. From behind he could hear a chuckle from his friend, causing him to turn his head. As expected, Suguru was chuckling to himself at his expense. Squinting his eyes, Satoru sent a scowl, unimpressed at Suguru’s amusement over his situation. 

“Well, you did go on an entire rant to her about how hot Inoue Waka is, how she’s your dream girl, then you told Y/n you’re only dating her because Inoue Waka hasn’t returned any of your fanmail-”

“That was a joke.” Satoru dismissed his argument, shaking his head, still playing a blind eye to his wrong doings.  

“And you said Y/n is lucky to be dating you… so, one might call her response reasonable.” Sure, Suguru was Satoru’s friend first, but he was also Y/n’s friend and he had no issue telling Satoru the truth when he was in the wrong, like he was now.  “Not to mention the new background which is sure to warm her heart.” Suguru pointed out. Gojo preferred to convince himself that his partner was wrong, although the nagging voice in the back of his head claimed otherwise. An abrupt quip from Geto on two of his cursed spirits no longer roaming around Riko sent all three sprinting to find her location, and still, even while the choir girls and sensei fawned over him, Gojo could not stop replaying his earlier fight with Y/n, wondering what he could do to get a response from her. 

Satoru and Riko were currently running from the chapel on her school grounds- well, Satoru was running while he had the young school girl hoisted by the back of her uniform. An unexpected attack had caused a bump in the road and now Gojo had to protect the girl on his own until he could find Suguru, not that the task would be difficult by any means, Satoru simply had his mind elsewhere. Speaking of elsewhere, his cell phone started ringing from his side pocket, and before he could reach for the mobile device, the young girl plucked it out in one motion. Satoru went to steal his phone back when she raised the phone to her ear and, as if it belonged to her, answered the call meant for Satoru. 

“Eh? Give that here-” Gojo reached his hand to snatch his phone back from Riko, yet instead she pulled the device right to her ear and began rambling. If she wasn't on the mission Satoru was certain he’d have dropped her off the building right then and there, but he had no time to make another effort to yank the phone as he needed to reach higher ground. It wasn’t until Gojo heard the sound of his girlfriend’s voice that his heart dropped straight to his ass. ‘Oh no’, he thought. 

“Is this Y/n?” The girl eagerly asked. A far off voice replied, making Gojo reach out once more to snatch his phone back, only for the vessel to jerk her head away from his grasp. He knew there was no time to stop, he had to get to higher ground and then he could steal his phone back and make things right with his girlfriend- he just hoped Riko and her big mouth wouldn’t taint that chance for him. 

Before he could try to reason with the girl and convince her not to say anything more, Riko began rambling and there was nothing he could do to stop her. Gojo could sense another curse user in their perimeter and knew it was essential for his focus to remain on keeping the vessel safe, even if she was a pain in his ass. 

“My name is Riko- yes, I am! Listen, your boyfriend is a total selfish, inconsiderate, self obsessed jerk! He barged into my choir class all high and mighty and bathed in the attention as the girls swarmed him- he even took his stupid little glasses off for them to all swoon over his eyes! He was totally leaning into their lust for him! My sensei even gave him her phone number-”

“Ah! Hey! Give me my phone back- are you trying to get me murdered?!” Nope, ah uh, not happening, Gojo thought as he tore his cellphone away from her hands. Riko turned to look at him, but the mix of fear and absolute terror on his face kept her words at bay. He sent the girl a cold glare, electric blue eyes narrowed in frustration. “My girlfriend is-”

The abrupt sound of his beloved girlfriend screaming at him sent Satoru back to reality as he glanced at the phone screen, then resentfully lifted the mobile to his ear.

“Hi, princess- why’re you yelling?! I don’t know what this crazy girl is talking about-”

Even Riko was experiencing a small twang of regret as the manic shouting on the opposite end of the line seemed to worsen with every passing second. As far as only knowing the cocky sorcerer for less than a full day, this change in posterior surprised her. Riko was taken aback to see him practically cowering at the words the girl seemed to be seething. All day he had been ranting and raving about how powerful he was- clearly the conceited type, yet here he was nearly shaking like a leaf as his girlfriend scolds him. Riko wonders for a brief moment if she should’ve minded her own business.

A minute more of screaming and cursing passed until Satoru seemed to find his voice, or rather thought of a viable excuse, and nervously cut the girl off. 

“I’ve got to go, a curse user attacked! See you later, my love!” He hurriedly smacked his finger against the red button on the bottom of the phone, desperate to end the call as quickly as humanly possible. Riko stared up at him as she dangled above the ground, and as their eyes met, Gojo rolled his, displaying his anger towards the girl as broad as daylight. 

Gojo scoffed down at the girl as he continued to hoist her above the earth by the back of her shirt, carrying her as if she was a briefcase, or bag of groceries, though certainly not as one should hold a human. Riko huffed, folding her arms across her chest, but Gojo paid no mind to her emotions, too upset with her actions and interjecting herself in his personal relationship. Jumping to the building to their right, a childlike huff heaved from his chest. 

“Jeez, you’re really a handful, brat. Now I’ve got more of a mess waiting at Jujutsu High for me.”

After the pair met up with Suguru and Kuroi, the four were beyond ready to be inside the safety barrier of Jujutsu High and left at once. After arriving at the school, the sun had long since fallen and the sky was teetering between a navy and black shade. Suguru gave his partner a curt nod, gesturing his head towards the dorm rooms, insisting he could handle escorting Riko into the tombs of the star corridor. Satoru sent his friend a grateful smile, bid the vessel and her guardian a farewell, then took off for the dorms. A small, minute, fraction of him was going to miss the kid, but she agreed to her destiny and up until now, seemed relatively pleased with her choice. Satoru jogged up the steps of the dormitory until he finally reached the fourth floor, the floor only occupied by female students. It wasn’t hard to locate Y/n’s room as he had snuck in past curfew more times than he could count, he reached her door with ease. 

His knuckles tapped against the wooden door, allowing less than a fair second to pass before he jimmied the handle. Usually a locked door would be a sign to walk away and try again in the morning, but Satoru only saw it as a slight hiccup. Pulling a credit card from his back pocket, Satoru slid the heavy black card through the slit between the frame and the door itself, shimming the card down to the lock while simultaneously twisting the knob back and forth. He gave the handle one quick turn to the left and abruptly the door swung open causing him to stumble less than graciously into the dimly lit room. 

Creeping in, Gojo carefully shut the door behind him and fully stepped into the dorm. The pink clock on her desk flashed half past midnight, but he knew his night owl of a girlfriend was sure to be awake, despite the eerie silence in the room. Tiptoeing his way towards the bed in the corner, Gojo let out a whisper, 

“Princess, I’m home! Are you awake?”

He sat himself on the edge of the mattress, placing the large shopping bag by his feet as he cautiously examined the heap hidden under a pile of blankets. Running his hand up and down the smooth fleece, Satoru could feel someone shifting around underneath. He leaned his head down, bending his body at an awkward angel, to rest it on top of what he assumed to be her side- that was until an elbow pulled back from under and collided sharply with his temple. 

A pained yelp sounded as he jumped back in surprise and fell to the floor causing a ‘thud’ to sound out. The figure on the bed threw the covers off her head as her fiery leer met Gojo’s stunned expression. 

“No.” She sneered. Though this did not deter the boy as he had previously prepared himself for an attitude filled reunion- especially due to how their last conversation had ended. Propping himself up to his feet once more, Satoru was determined to try again. 

“I brought you presents- look!” He rustled through the paper bag and yanked out four neatly wrapped parcels, and smiled while shoving his outstretched arms towards the glaring girl. However she refused to move, and instead continued murdering the sorcerer with her deathly scowl instead. Gojo let out a dramatic sigh, gesturing to the boxes in his arms once more. “C’mon, pretty girl, you gotta open the gifts-”

“Why don’t you go give it to those choir school girls- or what about their instructor-” A taunting laugh fell from her pink lips. “Better yet, send it to Inoue Waka and see if she finally responds to your love letters!” 

“Oh, c’mon, pumpkin! Are you really still upset about that?” Gojo whined. Here he was, bearing gifts in hand, and she was still angry about something that happened so, so long ago? Gojo ran his calloused hand across his face. 

“Still upset? It just happened today!” 

“If it’s any consolation, those school girls weren’t even in high school so they were way too young for me anyhow.” And none of them compared to you, he wanted to add. Y/n tossed from her position in the bed so her face was now peeking out between covers as her eyes flared. If the situation wasn’t so serious, Gojo would reach out to pinch at the cute chub of her cheek and comment on how adorable she appeared, yet he knew better than to try to weasel his way out of this one. 

“Ah, so you were flirting with a bunch of children and a cougar? Sounds a lot better that way, Satoru.” She shot back, sass soaking her words. Her rebuttal had Gojo rethinking his words. The issue with dating a woman like Y/n was she was far more intelligent then himself and simply didn’t fall for his handsome looks and boyish charm, which Gojo relied on when it came to the opposite sex. Not that this was a bad thing, so to say, it was actually one of the thousands of reasons why he loved her so much- she wasn’t shallow minded and saw him far beyond his outward appearance. Setting the presents on her freshly organized desk, Satoru ran a hand through his hair and awkwardly rubbed at the back of his neck.

“Technically, it wasn’t flirting in the sense you’re thinking of, I had to distract the class with my charm and good looks so I could sneak Master Tengen’s vessel out of class- I wasn’t lying about us being under attack by another curse user, that was true!”

“What about her number, huh?” Y/n scoffed. 

“She offered it, but I never accepted it.” Luckily he was telling the truth and Y/n believed him. Despite trusting his confession, she didn’t do anything more. 

A silence greeted the couple, neither certain of what to say next. Y/n lifted the blankets from her lap and stood from her bed in front of her boyfriend. Sure the gesture was small, but Satoru took her willingness to step closer to his frame as a good thing as his arms reached out to pull her body against his in a bone crushing hug. His forehead pressed against her shoulder while he kissed the spot. Y/n thought about pulling away for a second, she thought about making him work harder to gain her forgiveness, but his arms felt far too comforting around her body for her to shake him off. With his head buried in her shoulder, Gojo glanced up to Y/n, a softness in his eyes as he spoke,

“Do you forgive me, pretty girl? I’m sorry I made you upset… I don’t like it when you’re mad at me.” 

When she didn’t answer right away, Gojo lifted his head from her so he could properly look her in the eyes. He could visibly see the clouds of anger clearing as she quietly stared back at him. His hand then moved to wrap around the side of her face, his gentleness causing her to melt against his palm. She desperately wanted to smack his hand away, curse him then send him off to his room for the night, but she couldn’t. His touch sparked a series of shivers through her body which only made her long for him to pull her closer. 

A grin broke across his features as he accepted her lack of resistance as approval for his apology and began to move closer towards her face. If she slapped him away, then he’d know he misread the signs, but she didn’t. Their faces were so close in distance Y/n could smell the welcoming scent of peppermint swirling from his parted lips. These were the times she found herself grateful for his sweet tooth, it usually made for sweeter kisses. Wordlessly, Y/n pushed herself to close the distance and pressed her lips to connect to his. Gojo hums as he dips his head lower to gain advantage as he deepens the exchange. 

His mouth is warm against hers, inviting, as he kisses her. She can feel his tongue as it slips inside her mouth, almost like it was entering its second home, seeing as easily as it made itself comfortable and friendly against her own. Her fingers gripped at his white strands, pulling his face closer. All the frustration, all the emotions she had been experiencing towards him for the last day melted into the kiss. Satoru had one hand wrapped around her waist, holding her middle against his hips and his other swooped up around her lifted arm, leaving his hand to rest on the back of her neck, not letting her pull away even if she wanted to. 

Y/n could taste the strawberry chapstick on his lips, the same chapstick he had stolen from her only a week prior. He wasn’t lying, the taste was addictive. Gojo’s lips captured her bottom in a heated move, sucking on the skin with the slightest hint of friction as his teeth light delved into the plumpness. She had no time to muffle the moan passing through her, to which he smirked at the sound. 

A sense of shame washed over her once she realized he had won the silent battle. Instead, Y/n yanked at his hair from the root and pulled his lips back against hers, kissing him with such force he nearly stumbled back a footing. Gojo’s eyes widened in the middle of the kiss, surprised at her boldness and the way her tongue was invading his mouth. He could feel the material of his uniform growing tighter as his jeans constricted against his crotch. Y/n sucked on the silky smoothness of his tongue, small smacks sounding as she dominated the heated makeout. 

A shudder danced down his spine at the feeling of her hand pressed against his groin, his hips subconsciously grinding against her palm. Rubbing her hand along the zipper Y/n toyed with the cool metal, silently teasing her boyfriend as a means of revenge for his actions. Just as she began pulling the slider down, her lips pulled away from him at once, much to Satoru’s disappointment. His mouth hung low as a small whine sounded.

Y/n simply ignored his childish ways, and reached for the bottom of her shirt, causing him to smile once more. Peeling the shirt that belonged to him off her body, Y/n threw it to the floor then fell back against her mattress, motioning Gojo over with the flick of her wrist. Satoru stalked towards her on the bed, almost like a predator sneaking up on it’s prey. His eyes held a look of hunger she rarely saw but bathed in the heat searing from it.

Climbing over her body, Satoru placed himself so he was looming above her, his zipper hanging half undone. Y/n tilted her head, pretending not to understand the look on his face. Gojo shook his head then leaned his face so his lips could skim against her exposed neck. He let his mouth trail up the side of her skin, hot breath fanning over her coolness. His hands lifted to grope at the covering of her bra, giving the material a tug. He came to a stop once his mouth was pressed against the shell of her ear, his voice sending a wave of pleasure straight to her core, 

“I love it when my princess is being a little brat… think I need to put you back in your place.”

Without warning his lips attached to her neck and harshly began to suck at the skin, surely leaving a trail of blotchy red marks. Y/n’s whole body hitched at the overwhelming rush of excitement, her hips lifting only to be shoved back into the mattress by his own which hovered barely an inch above. 

She let her head fall to the side, allowing Satoru more access to her neck, her eyes hardly opened as she basked in the tingling his mouth brought. Hands traveled up and down his back, nails lightly scratching against him as her body wormed from his lips making love to her skin. Y/n nearly closed her eyes all together, she nearly allowed herself to get lost in his kiss, that was until a distant ‘ding’ caught her attention and the phone beside her head lit up. 

A text notification from Suguru popped up on Satoru’s phone, but that wasn’t what caught Y/n’s attention, no, her fixation settled in on the nearly naked photo of the famous model Inoue Waka. The same Inoue Waka that sparked the original fight between the couple, the same Inoue Waka Satoru called hot, the one he declared his dream girl, and same Inoue Waka Satoru said he’d be dating if she’d give him a chance- Y/n was fuming in rage. Pushing both hands on his chest, Y/n physically shoved Satoru off her body causing him to tumble off the side of the bed. His hands flailed out in an attempt to grab for stability, although failed as he rolled to the wood floor, his back smacking against the ground. Gojo laid still on the floor, his mind still trying to process the whole event as he rubbed at the ache on the back of his head. Sitting up straight she reached out for his phone and held it in his face as she screamed,

“Are you fucking kidding me, Satoru?! You put Inoue Waka as your background?!”

“Hehe… that was meant to be a joke…” The fear in his voice transcribed in shaky words as Y/n chucked the phone at him, barely missing his face as he lunged to the side. She snatched his shirt off the ground and threw it back on, covering her chest as Gojo scrambled to grab his cellphone. 

“Fine, I’ve got an even funnier joke for you,” A taunting smile full of hidden anger laced her lips as her finger jutted towards her door. “Get out!” 

His face fell all at once, a deep pout tattooed on his lips. Maybe he should’ve listened to Suguru earlier when he insisted this was a bad idea- if he’d had listened to Suguru, the two would probably be tangled in her bed sheets by now, but no, Gojo had to press her buttons even further. Opening his phone, Satoru clicked on the most recent image of Y/n and faster than the speed of light, set the photo to his new lock and home screen. 

“Aw, c’mon! I’ll change it right now- see! Look, pumpkin, it’s a picture of my favorite girl-” Gojo flipped his phone around, allowing the bright screen to illuminate Y/n’s face. She glanced up, and Satoru watched in utter confusion as her expression went from upset to lividly irate. His heartbeat multiplied in rate, obviously terrified of the disturbing reaction she held to seeing her face on his phone, or what he thought was her face. 

“You fucking asshole.” She growled. If this was his idea of a practical joke, Y/n was ready to make him single. Gojo’s eyes grew like a mass, quickly turning his phone back only to see what caused such a profuse reaction. The image hadn’t changed and was the same exact photo as previously of Inoue Waka propped up on her knees sitting in the sand as her breasts nearly poured out of her excuse of a bikini.

“Shit! I promise I thought I hit save- just give me a second, I’m panicking!” He screeched. His fingers moved at the speed of light as Satoru helplessly tried to set his girlfriend’s smiling face as his background, hoping to at least save some ground between the couple. What he failed to notice in his alarmed state was Y/n reaching out for her phone, scrolling through her photo album and setting a new image on hers. 

“No, no, it’s fine, Gojo, really. I’ll just change my background to a picture of my favorite guy.” The smile she wore was not one of love, no it held more malice, evilness like she had just completed a plot to end the world. Satoru’s head nudged to the side, his eyebrows pulled together in a line of skepticism. 

“I’m already your background, princess…” He mumbled. Clarity was granted as the girl tossed her cellphone, to which he caught with ease. Clicking the power button, Gojo gave a dramatized gasp.

“Is… is that Suguru?! How’d you get this picture? Did he send this to you? Oh my god I’m going to kill him-” 

“I think he looks cute.” Y/n smirked. Obviously it was all a ruse to get back at him for his immaturity, but she couldn’t help the sense of pride creeping up at the over the top reaction from Gojo. The photo itself came from a night out the couple shared, one with their usual third wheel, Geto. Four shots in and five mixed drinks, Suguru was having quite the time, which led to a gallery full of images that he insisted the three took together- and if Gojo would look a little closer, he’d notice the small wisps of pure white hair sticking out from the edge of the cropped image, but Y/n didn’t need to tell him that, it was far more amusing to see him frantic. 

Large blue eyes pleaded up at her as Gojo kneeled in front of the bed, his hands folded like prayer.

“Princess, please put my picture back! I changed mine back to you- please!”

Her finger tapped against the blush to her cheek, pretending to be lost in thought. This was pure torture as Gojo continued to beg at her feet. 

“Hm. I’m not sure- I do have a picture of that adorable first year Haibara in there somewhere…” No, absolutely not, that was Satoru’s last straw. No way in hell would his beautiful girlfriend have a photo of that first year sorcerer always obsessed with impressing Suguru as her background- never ever! Gojo was already annoyed their peer favored his best friend over himself, but having his own girlfriend joke about giving them attention, fuck no.  Holding her phone above his head and out of her teasing reach, Satoru screeched, 

“Ah! You’re going to replace me with a first year?! What?!”

Folding her arms in a crossed fashion against her chest, Y/n gave the hysterical teen a ‘told you so’ glare. 

“Now you know how I felt.” She said matter-of-factly. 

Satoru had to physically bite his tongue to keep the word ‘brat’ from tumbling past his lips. Yes, he used the term as one of endearment, but that was when the two were in their usual jovial mood- now was not the time and now. Gojo understood what she was hinting at, he got the message she was referring to their earlier argument and the various comments he had made towards the famous model, but that didn’t mean he agreed with her. In his mind, there was a clear difference between joking about having a crush on someone in the public eye and joking about having a crush on a fellow classmate. 

“Well at least my background was a celebrity that I have no real chance with. If you asked that first year out he’d probably say yes on the spot then pass out- and Suguru would say yes just to spite me!” His voice was teetering a cry as he threw his head against the bed. 

“I would never actually ask them out, Satoru. In case you haven’t noticed, I love you. Why do you think I was so upset about all those things you said before you and Suguru left? You basically admitted I’m not your dream girl but some famous, perfectly perfect model, who I look nothing like, is. Then you went on about how lucky I should feel being with you, as if I’m not already insecure about our relationship.” Gojo’s heart sunk at her words, regret filling his insides. “It hurt my feelings, Satoru.”

“I’m sorry, princess… I really am. I never meant to hurt you, I guess I thought I was being funny but… it’s really not true.” For the first time in maybe ever, Satoru’s tone sounded different. His voice no longer held that casual cockiness and confidence it usually oozed, no, he sounded timid… possibly the most serious he’s ever sounded in his life. The man who played life like it was the board game itself now stood before the woman he loved looking scared. Y/n’s face scrunched in question, slightly taken aback by the sincerity he expressed. 

“What’s not true?”

“What I said about Inoue Waka, she’s not my dream girl, you are.” Satoru stated. He needed Y/n to see the truth to his words, to believe she was the only girl for him, because she was. As fun as it was to tease his girlfriend, it was only amusing when she was in on the joke. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her. Satoru could see now how truly uncomfortable she was with his comments and it made him feel like a piece of shit knowing he planted a seed of insecurity in her mind. 

It was almost as if Gojo could see the shield Y/n placed around herself, around her heart. She was a hard one to crack, but getting to be the soul she finally let inside meant the entire word to Satoru and he had no intention of breaking that trust ever again. 

“And I’m the one who’s so fucking lucky to get to call you mine. You’re everything I could ever ask for in a girlfriend and more. You put up with me and you’re the only person who ever laughs at my jokes- and you know all my favorite snacks and treats… you even know all the things I’m scared of, which losing you is at the top of my list. I’m sorry that I ever made you doubt us, or made you feel insecure… I really am sorry, Y/n.”

The room turned quiet as Gojo’s confession hung in the air. Y/n didn’t speak, she wouldn’t even move. Instead, her eyes planted on the blanket in her lap, mindlessly losing herself in the pattern while her mind raced, replaying his words over and over again. Gojo examined her odd behavior, part of him perplexed at her lack of response. Y/n had a response for everything, for every situation. For the first time in their two year relationship Gojo was witnessing her in a speechless state, and for as much as he joked about her bratness and stubborn ways, he hated not hearing her voice. A minute passed until Satoru decided he had enough of missing her sound. As he opened his mouth, about to ask if she was okay, a shout sounded from her throat. 

“Ugh! I hate when you do that!” Y/n cried out. There was a thin row of salty tears teetering her waterline. Dread filled Gojo at the sight. He never meant to make her cry. Standing to his feet Satoru sat himself next to her on the bed, his hands reaching out to grasp her own in trepidation. His thumb drew anxious circles across her skin, a method he’d learned that usual calmed her down, yet her tears steadily fell. 

“W-What? Do what?” He asked in a wavering voice. With her free hand, Y/n harshly rubbed at her eyes, wiping the tears that continued to roll down her reddening cheeks. A few splashed against his hand that clutched hers, but he didn’t care. A scarlet ring formed around her e/c eyes as she glanced up to Satoru, a mix of agitation and sadness filling her. 

“When you’re all sweet and say things that make my insides feel like they’re all mushy and- ugh, I hate how much I love you. It’s so annoying!” She cried out. 

A wave of solace splash his bay at her words, along with the returning embrace as her hand squeezed his. He let out a sigh of relief, grateful his words had caused good tears this time. Bringing her hand up to his face, Gojo danced a trail of kisses along her knuckles and smiled. Still holding her hand, Satoru lightly urged the girl to lay back on the mattress and he climbed in next to her. Her head rested softly against the pillow, Gojo’s arm encircling her waist as he turned her body to face his. Once he could see her beautiful face, he let his hand wrap under her chin with a feather light grip. 

“I happen to love how much you love me, pretty girl.” 

His lips pressed a sweet kiss to her temple, then placed another to her forehead, then lastly a chaste and loving kiss to her lips. Y/n nuzzled her head against his touch, the shakiness to her breathing beginning to slow. Gojo removed his hand from her chin as he felt her wiggling closer until her head was laid up on his chest. The sound of his heart beat echoed in her ear and she cuddled into his warmth. A comfortable blanket of peace took control of the room as the couple enjoyed the feeling of holding one another. Satoru’s hand ran up and down her back in an act of comfort. His touch always made her feel more at ease. The moment of tranquility lasted a good portion until Y/n briefly pulled herself away from Gojo, an unfamiliar gleam to her gaze. Satoru tilted his head, unfamiliar to the unusual look, when Y/n lifted her hand to stroke the side of his cheek, as she spoke in a mask of sweetness,

“I swear Satoru, if you ever set Inoue Waka as your homescreen again, I’ll murder you then chop your body up and dump it in the ocean.” One might expect a rational response to such a threat would be fear, not Satoru Gojo. A cheesy grin broke out as his hold tightened around her body, pulling her closer to him.

“I know you will, princess, and that’s why I love you… even if you are a brat at times.”

Her hand smacked against her arm, faking a pout while snuggling further in. 

“Shut up, you love me because I’m a brat.” She remarked. They both knew it was true. Satoru could feign annoyance over her attitude, he could pretend she was too ‘difficult’ for him, but in all honesty, bratty was exactly the way Satoru loved her. 

“You know me too well.”

[niuxita21]

Madre Solo Hay Dos - 1.09 // 3.05

AKA Cinematic parallels pt 2

Bonus: Mariana.EXE has stopped working

[sage-nebula]

This has been spinning around in my head since I watched season 2 arc 1, and I can't refrain from putting it down to post anymore.

In season 1, Jayce and Viktor get into a fight when Viktor evades the blockade to go speak to Singed in Zaun. During their fight, Jayce snaps at Viktor that he didn't know that Viktor's friend was from the undercity, and when Viktor asks why that matters, Jayce says the above: [people from the undercity] are dangerous (earlier he had also said, "there are people down there who seem hell-bent on destroying us!"). That's when Viktor grows cold, reminding Jayce that he is from the undercity, and even after Jayce apologizes, Viktor knocks his hand away, choosing to stand up on his own.

In season 2, chembarons hired by Ambessa (though no one knows that at the time) attack the memorial for the dead council members. In the aftermath, Caitlyn calls them animals. Notably, Vi shows no reaction at all to this; she doesn't so much as flinch at Caitlyn's word choice. Instead, while she does downplay what happened to an extent ("they wanted the spectacle, they're trying to scare you"), what's notable is that she separates herself from the people of Zaun. This is especially notable when she tells Caitlyn to call off the invasion, because of the risk it poses for those not from Zaun:

"Down there, you'll be on their terms."

Viktor seems to have pride in the fact that he is from Zaun. He has love for his home. As difficult as life was there, as much as the pollution led to his illness and disability, he has no shame that he's from Zaun and he still sees value and has love for the people there. This is why, when Jayce writes the Zaunites off as "dangerous", Viktor grows cold. He is no different from them, in his mind; if they're dangerous, then so is he.

Vi is . . . different.

In season 1 arc 1, Vi expresses to Vander that she has bought into and believes that those in Piltover are more than those in Zaun:

Now, here, Vi is still grouping herself in with the rest of Zaun. But there is a level of self-hatred (and hatred for one's home) that we don't see in Viktor. Viktor doesn't see himself as lesser than those in Piltover. He doesn't see the Zaunites as lesser than those in Piltover. Vi, however, does. She states this as if it is a fact. And while she loved her family, and has parts of Zaun that she likes (e.g. Jericho's food), it's worth noting that at the end of season 1 episode 1, she isn't telling Powder that they'll liberate Zaun, or fight for Zaun, or anything like that. Instead?

"This city's gonna respect us." This city. Not our city. Here is the first moment we see in which Vi puts some separation between herself and the rest of Zaun. She wants to make them respect her (and Powder). Even if she's less than those in Piltover, she still sees an opportunity for herself to be above those in Zaun.

All of this is to say that, when she has no reaction to Caitlyn calling Zaunites "animals", when she refers to them as "they," when she refers to Zaun as "their terms" . . . ultimately, it isn't too surprising. Vi represents a type of person who does exist in marginalized groups: the self-hating type, who hate others in their group for "drawing aggression" or "negative attention."

Think about queer people, for instance, who hate those who are flamboyant or open about who they are and who they love. The ones who think, "If we just assimilate more, be less of a bother, be less obnoxious, then the queerphobes will accept us." Obviously, other queer people find this type of person extremely frustrating, sometimes even infuriating, because we know that it doesn't matter what we do or how we act; bigots will never accept us.

But what we should understand, and extend compassion for, is that self-hating marginalized people are that way because it's a defense mechanism -- a survival mechanism, really. They can't square why bigots hate them, so they reach for any kind of explanation they can find, even if that explanation ultimately blames others in their own group and does more harm than good. Not to mention that hating yourself for who you are is often a result of long-term, systemic abuse -- the exact same kind of abuse that comes from living under an oppressive regime that murdered your parents and will assault you at any given opportunity, even for something as petty as your little sister miming shooting them with finger guns.

Vi says that she, "grew up knowing [she] was less than them." This is extraordinarily damaging to the psyche, and Vi's self-hatred -- and the extension of that hatred toward Zaun, not wanting to save them but wanting to make them respect her -- is a trauma response to that. One that Viktor, obviously, doesn't share (and neither does Ekko, or Jinx) -- but everyone reacts to trauma differently.

The point is, we saw shades of this already in Vi's childhood; her statement that she's less than topsiders, but that she wants those in the undercity to respect her. So when Caitlyn calls the Zaunites animals, Vi doesn't flinch. She agrees. And she speaks of them as separate from her, because Caitlyn has already designated her as one of the good ones (reinforced to her by what Maddie told her Caitlyn said right before the memorial), and because, well, those who attacked the memorial did do something horrible. And maybe if they wouldn't do that, and maybe if Jinx hadn't blown up the council building -- maybe if they were better behaved -- then the enforcers wouldn't have to invade and do what they were about to do, now would they? Those in Zaun -- or at least those in Zaun who decided to strike against Piltover -- brought it on themselves, so Vi isn't with them. She's with Caitlyn, and is okay with referring to them as animals.

It's interesting to think about.

[hauntingofhouses]

uhhh thinkin about how mizu and taigen's relationship was described as "this meeting of the minds, this meeting of the swords, that they could not share with anybody else" in one of the netflix articles about the show

and i'm going crazy because YEAH they're both equally invested about swords and fighting in a way that nobody else in their lives are. and that's just. so important considering we're talking about mizu, who sees her sword as her own soul.

and it's not JUST mizu who's obsessed with fighting. taigen is too. cuz like after their duel at the shindo dojo, as taigen is examining his bald spot in the mirror where mizu cut off his hair, he literally interrupts his own turmoil over losing his honour, just to express his awe, openly admiring mizu's skill DESPITE the fact that mizu just beat his ass and stripped his honour and status from him

then in the next episode, mizu says a very similar line when she examines the cut flower that fowler had pinned to heiji shindo's robe.

this was also such a sudden thing to notice in the middle of their conversation (my interpretation of this is that it hints to fowler's own skills with a blade, and gives mizu information about her enemy being a formidable opponent), but the fact that mizu had such a keen eye and managed to hone in on such a tiny detail from like a foot or two away is interesting because it shows us just how attentive mizu is, especially when it comes to blades and anything to do with them

to mizu (when she's not spiralling and agonising over her own self-hatred and the way the world treats her), swords are not a mere tool for revenge, but an art form which she is fascinated by and loves and admires. we see this from time to time, during rare moments of respite, like when she admires the duel in the beginning of ep4

mizu also takes to heart all the teachings from her years training, while taigen is interestingly less strict about them, basically disregarding some of those teachings as mere pedantry, or even if he doesn't actually really think so, he at least tells mizu as much in his attempt to comfort her after her sword breaks

but that doesn't mean he doesn't care for the more formal aspects of his training at all. because in ep3 when he says this

this line about mount sumeru is not talking about the literal mountain in front of them, but is a recitation of a line from the lotus sutra, which is among the mahayana sutras that they learned as part of their spiritual training, as zen buddhism forms a lot of the basis for samurai doctrines and philosophy. the sutra given more emphasis in the show is the heart sutra that mizu writes on her body in ep7 during her rite of rebirth

so taigen saying this line, as i see it, is a way to bond with mizu, or at least make conversation over their shared knowledge, as we see him await a reaction as soon as he says this. but mizu gives him none, and he looks disappointed/annoyed/frustrated or what have you as he watches her walk off without a word

also we see a little more of their shared knowledge of swordsmanship in the last episode when it's clear that mizu has been training ringo in sword fighting techniques

and later taigen recognises it instantly

they're both nerds about swords and fighting!!! they both respect each other's skills!!!

GOD i really hope in future episodes they get to bond some more over their shared passion and common training and just samurai camaraderie in general!!! mizu clearly loves the artistry of sword fighting so much, she deserves to have a confidant who shares that with her, someone she can talk openly about these things to!!!

because like remember when mikio was telling her about the naginata, she looked soooo uwu in love!!! admiring her husband as he showed off the weapon and told her the benefits of using it!!! believing at the time that she'd found a match who she could openly share her love of martial arts with!! she was having so much fun sparring him too. everyone says fighting is part of her love language and YES it IS!!!

except the difference is that mikio—due to, among other things, their large age difference and subsequent gap in life experience—believes he is mizu's teacher, rather than her equal. this is the role he's readily taken throughout their marriage, from teaching her how to throw a knife to cut down fruit (not like she needed that particular lesson), to teaching her equestrian skills.

meanwhile taigen and mizu were both kids growing up poor in the same backwater fishing village, which means that they are and always have been PEERS. and this becomes even more pronounced once taigen is stripped of his giant ego and unlearns his prejudice, allowing them both to fully respect each other and view each other as equals

which is again why it frustrates taigen when mizu admits later in this scene that she basically doesn't care about saving the shogun. like he gets mad because it upends his initial belief in their shared goals and aligned values, believing them both to be samurai of equal standing and honour.

ALSO i'd like to add, that though mizu is the better swordsman as we see her win all their brawls and matches, she doesn't surpass him by that much, and mizu knows this.

these words coming from mizu is such a huge compliment all things considered, acknowledging that he was strong enough to deserve fighting her, because shortly before this mizu was just about to say "no one has given me much of a challenge" only for taigen to enter the scene and, well, challenge her.

now combine this with her saying that chiaki's broken blade suits him well, giving to him HER sword which SHE made AND won, as a surety, promising him a duel that he "deserves". it's proof that even though she finds taigen an annoying brat and oftentimes an obstacle to her mission for revenge, she DOES respect him and does value his skills.

IN CONCLUSION nobody else is on their level, nobody else shares their love of swordsmanship and that is such an important factor to their bond and the way they relate to each other. i rest my case your honour

[hana-no-seiiki]

YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO FIGHT ME NOT F*CK ME!

yan! school grass (most handsome/perfect guy)/rival x crossdresser! male! reader x yan! friends - part one

tw/cw: mention of abusive parents (but not reader’s) and yandere themes. also your rival has some repressed sexual urges, he really needs to get laid or some head or something-

just read migi and dali and gahd NOW I WANNA WRITE A WHOLE CROSSDRESS /GENDERBENDER BL NOVEL IM IN HORRID ROTTING

Like I imagine this the best with stoic and/or tsun yans the best. You know those types that want to be perfect but only feels perfect when they’re with reader.

ive always loved these tropes as a kid, from mulan to that one tawog episode where darwin fell in love with fem! gumball and like this was even before i knew i wasnt cis but gahd AAAAAAA

also inspired by @moyazaika ‘s rival work. go read it!!

but anyways have the fic, lowercase intentional for first part to differentiate povs.

it was a dare given by your friend group earlier last weekend. wear the girls uniform and a wig for the entire month. it was easy to get the materials necessary for the most part. your mother had several wigs and was more than happy to style her son in feminine clothing. she was just amazing and supportive about your whims like that.

it didn’t take long for you to realize that no one recognized you in your new look.

the day started like many of your other ones at the school, you’d race your rival as the first one in class and whoever wins gets rights to a smug look on their face until the next thing you guys eventually compete on.

but unlike the crestfallen expression you expected — nay wanted — from that stupid pretty boy, you were greeted by what you could only described as complete bafflement.

“what?” despite having a different reaction from what you imagined, you managed to keep a composed appearance. “cat got your tongue?”

“ah. . .”

and that were the only words he said to you the entire day. nothing else. not a single groan of anger whenever you answered everything correctly, he didn’t even attempt at stopping you mid-way or disagree with you answer simply because he wanted to annoy you.

and so you couldn’t help it, as soon as the bell rang signalling lunch time you swiftly turned around to face him.

“are you alright?”

you inquired. not at all worried about his well-being at the slightest. you hated him with all your being after all and you didn’t make an effort to be soft with your tone either.

“h-huh?” he looked dazed. like his head had been in the clouds and you just yanked him down to ground.

your rival never got distracted.

“you—“ you reached out about to smack his face to keep him in check.

“if you’ll excuse me!” he smacked your hand out of the way, screeched at you, and then left in a hurry to who knows where.

nevermind that was definitely him. that silly brat hated it whenever you touched him. he must have just been having issues at home again or something.

Haoyu was trembling — shaking uncontrollably as his breaths turned more shallow by the second. His heart was pumping blood in places of his body where it shouldn’t have been in the middle of school hours. Sweat lined his entire skin and it didn’t help how the bathroom he rushed into had nothing to keep the temperature down.

Who were you?

You sat at his rival’s seat. That nasty kid that always got in his nerves. No one questioned the boy’s absence and he would have asked the teachers on what had happened if you didn’t suddenly take his breath away.

You were, ethereal. Otherworldy even. When he first saw you he was taken away by the way your hair moved in the wind (if only he knew . . .).

Still, he was far too distracted by [Y/N]’s absence to properly let the feeling simmer.

Then, all that went away when you reeled in his mind back at you again at class. You were incredible, capable, intelligent, and oh so perfect. But unlike that stupid child that usually sat in front of him, he did not feel an ounce of envy at all.

If only who could see your eyes as you spoke; the tone of your voice conveyed so much passion that he wanted to see in those beautiful (e/c) orbs.

And his prayers were granted by none other than the goddess that is you,

“Are you alright?”

Your voice? Oh your voice! Haoyu’s heard it already of course, but each new time you spoke it was like a whole new melody, a new piece that immediately turned into his favorite.

His mind was too fried with these thoughts, thoughts that his parents would no doubt beat out of him if they found out.

His feels the parts down there suddenly move. He wasn’t completely unfamiliar with the phenomenon. He wasn’t without his hormones after all. But this was the first time it ever reacted that way so strongly, like if he didn’t give it attention himself it’d explode.

“Mmph…”

And for the time in his entire life, Haoyu does something he knew his parents would definitely be disappointed if not livid about. A hand on his mouth, and another in his school uniform’s pants.

lunch time.

you usually spent those studying or preparing for the next class as hanging out with your friends always ended with you being too distracted to do schoolwork but today you had to show up with ‘proof’ that you went through with their dare.

“yiran ? yichen ?”

no response.

you sighed. as usual, the twins were late. what did you expect? those two would be caught dead before they could be early much less found in the library.

and so you spent the entire time reading,

unaware of the crowd that formed around you while you were busy studying.

[ecoterrorist-katara]

Why I feel like Ka/taang is one-sided, despite textual evidence 

ATLA does try to convince us that Katara has romantic feelings for Aang. For example: she seems thoughtful when she realizes that Aang is a powerful bender; she’s offended that he didn’t want to kiss her in the Cave of Two Lovers; she gets jealous when Sokka says On Ji and Aang look good together.

So…what’s wrong with anti-Kataangers? Do we just lack media comprehension? 

To be clear, on their own, these gestures can indicate romantic interest. But at the same time, we have stuff like “Aang is a sweet little guy, like Momo.” We have her ambivalent facial expression after he kisses her before the eclipse, and her hedging during Ember Island Players, and her anger when he kisses her anyway. In the context of these conflicting cues, Katara’s possibly romantic reactions can absolutely be interpreted in a different way, because: 

Acknowledging a friend as a potential romantic interest is not the same as actually being romantically interested in them. (Imo this is something young women struggle with, due to a combination of romance-centrism and heteronormativity that make women feel like they should be in romantic relationships, and that boys and girls who share intimate and deep feelings for one another must be romantically into each other) 

Wanting someone to find you desirable is not the same as desiring that person. (Which is something a lot of women, especially young women, struggle with. Remember all the discourse around Cat Person back in 2017?) 

Being jealous when someone flirts with your friend is not the same as wanting to be with your friend. (Especially when you see your friends as family, or if you’re accustomed to a specific type of devotion from that friend. It is jealousy, and it is possessiveness, but it doesn’t always arise from romantic feelings) 

Growing up in a patriarchal society means that your desires are always filtered through what men want from you, sometimes in an abstract male gaze-y way, and sometimes in a very visceral and interpersonal way when a boy wants you specifically. And Katara’s reactions are just that — reactions. Reactions to what other people — including Aunt Wu, Sokka, Aang himself — have insinuated about her and Aang. She’s not really proactive in her interest in Aang: we don’t really see Aang, romantically, from Katara’s POV. Under the framework of “Katara is reacting to a romantic prospect she’s kind of uncertain about,” it is completely plausible — and indeed likely — that she would sometimes act in ways that indicate romantic interest, in addition to moments where she indicates the opposite. 

Ka/taang shippers often bring up other evidence, like Katara’s despair when Azula hits Aang with lightning, or how protective she is of him when Zuko joins the Gaang. The thing is, these pieces of evidence aren’t necessarily indicative of romantic love. The fact that Katara genuinely loves Aang makes the whole thing more complicated, not less, because — especially at that age, especially when Aang is twelve years old and grew up in a sex-segregated society of monks — it is really difficult to tell the difference between platonic love and romantic love. Their mutual devotion is layered and complex yet straightforward in its sincerity. What was not straightforward, until the last five minutes of the show, is whether this devotion on Katara’s end is romantic. The romantic arc for Katara and Aang is not really an arc, as Sneezy discusses in this classic ZK video. Katara actually becomes more conflicted over time and we never see an event that clarifies her feelings. She seems more interested in him in The Headband than on the Day of the Black Sun, and she has never been more hostile to his romantic overtures than in the penultimate episode. 

And in light of this, it’s pretty easy for fans to fill in the blanks with a different interpretation: maybe Katara’s weird expression after their kiss at the invasion means she didn’t enjoy it; maybe the kiss made her realize that she doesn’t actually feel that way about Aang; maybe against her will and her better judgement, she’s developing feelings for another person, a person who hurt her and whom she fervently tried to hate until he pulled off what is in my opinion the greatest grovel of all time in the form of a life-changing field trip. Maybe. Am I saying that Zutara has more romantic interactions than Ka/taang? Of course not. But ironically, the lack of romantic interactions means that it’s not inherently one-sided, the way Ka/taang became in the latter half of season 3.

I’m not arguing that Katara’s unequivocally not into Aang. Obviously the text declares that she is, because they get married and have kids. But I am saying that there’s a very good reason that so many people, especially women, see Katara’s interest in Aang as ambiguous. It’s not because we can’t pick up “subtle” hints of growing affection. It’s because we know not all affection is romantic, and it’s really easy for someone else’s insistent romantic intentions to muddle what you want.

P.S. I first started thinking about these topics (platonic vs romantic love, desiring someone vs wanting to be desired, etc) in the context of compulsory heterosexuality, a term describing how queer women contort themselves into relationships with men even if they’re not really into men. I saw a post a few days ago joking about why so many queer women seem to be into Zutara. I wonder if part of the reason is because as queer women, we are very sensitive to the ways in which we can talk ourselves into wanting things we don’t actually want, and Katara’s romantic interest in Aang can be easily seen that way. 

[aniesvision]

𝟐𝟖- 𝑴𝒚 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒚 𝒈𝒊𝒓𝒍

𐂂 𝚏𝚠𝚋!𝙲𝚑𝚛𝚒𝚜 𝚡 𝚏!𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛

𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜: 𝒇𝒘𝒃!𝒄𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔, 𝒔𝒖𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆, 𝒋𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒔!𝒄𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔, 𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒖𝒑𝒊𝒅, 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒂 𝒇𝒍𝒊𝒓𝒕𝒚!𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒕 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒅 𝒂 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒐𝒏, 𝒔𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒔𝒕, 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒖𝒕, 𝒂 𝒃𝒊𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒇𝒍𝒖𝒇𝒇

𝚊/𝚗: 𝒊𝒕'𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊'𝒍𝒍 𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒃𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒐𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒔, 𝒐𝒉 𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍. 𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒖𝒂𝒈𝒆, 𝒆𝒏𝒋𝒐𝒚 ☕︎

𝚜𝚞𝚖𝚖𝚊𝚛𝚢: 𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒕 𝒇𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒔 𝒂 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑪𝒉𝒓𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒇𝒆𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒔

Since I met Chris, we instantly clicked. It didn't take long for us to hang out more, text every day, and take our friendship to a different level.

It happened the first time after one of Tara's parties. We were tired and talking nonsense. His bed was comfortable, and he was shirtless next to me, one of his Fresh Love shirts covering my body.

And then, it happened again after a regular hang-out, in my place, where he stayed for the night.

And again. And again. And a couple more times.

It became almost impossible to deny the tension between us whenever we were in the same room, but we still did, keeping the truth to ourselves and telling everyone else that it was nothing. We were just friends and nothing but that.

Although we insist on saying that nothing is going on, Nick and Matt have obvious reasons to believe we're lying to them. Especially when they start teasing Chris about me, making him feel jealous of things in order to see his reactions. Chris was never good at lying to his brothers.

I'm now sitting on his bed, just scrolling through my social media as he lays on my lap, one of my hands playing with his strands. He's watching a new episode of a show he likes, the side of his face resting on my thigh as he hugs my leg while staring at the screen.

There's a knock on his door before it opens, and my head turns to look at Matt standing by the doorframe. Chris doesn't even bother to look, concentrated on the TV.

-Hey. Do you wanna go on a drive? -Matt asks, looking at me, one of his hands holding his phone and the other still on the handle.

-I'm busy, idiot. -Chris replies, holding onto my leg and adjusting himself, making me giggle a bit.

-Not talking to you, dumbass, I'm talking to her. -He rolls his eyes, already annoyed with his brother.

Seeing them arguing is normal. I see them throwing rocks back and forth all day every day, but I only see it as a sibling thing, so for me, it's usually funny. They also can't stand a whole day being mad at each other, always apologizing before sleeping, mostly Chris, this is kind of his thing. He can't go to sleep mad at the people he loves, it's cute.

Chris pauses his show, sitting upright and looking at Matt with a confused expression.

-Why are you only inviting her?

-Because she's my friend and I want to spend some time with her? -He replies with an obvious tone, putting his phone in his pocket and crossing his arms.

Chris clenches his jaw, just like he does every time he feels jealous. I know how much he loves spending time with me and how much he enjoys what we do, but it's not like we have any dating chances. Well, at least that's what we decided, what he suggested.

-Keep watching the new episode, I'll be back before you know it. -I say, trying to calm him down before he slipped any information.

Chris just nods, watching me as I slide my shoes on and get a hoodie from his closet. I wrap my arms around his body, hugging him quickly before kissing the top of his head.

Matt guides the way to the garage, and both of us get in the car. He starts driving, his playlist playing at low volume, my eyes following the sight of the window. It's quiet and comfortable until Matt speaks.

-You know, you and Chris are pretty bad liars.

His head turns to both sides, making sure the road is empty, a small smirk on his lips as he tries to focus on driving. I've heard this before, my answer is always the same, play dumb.

-What do you mean?

He chuckles, stopping the car by a Burger King drive-thru.

-He looks at you all the time, even when you're not looking back at him. He gets all mad whenever you're alone with another guy. He talks about you when you're not there.

Matt says like he's pointing topics. He was determined to make me confess, but there was not much to say. Unfortunately, that's all it is, we're just friends, with a little more that still is not enough to get us past the friends stage. I furrow my eyebrows, resting one elbow on the car door and my head on my palm.

-Yeah, well, we're close friends so it all makes sense. -I shrug, scanning the menu to choose something to eat.

-You're one of my best friends and I don't get all jealous if a guy hits on you.

I giggle, looking at him.

-He doesn't exactly get jealous, he's just making sure I'm alright, guys in L. A are not the best.

-Oh, c'mon, he was pissed at me because I asked you to hang out, you're telling me he sees me as one of those bad guys too?

-No, he wasn't. -I giggle, nudging his arm.

He rolls his eyes, looking away just to make our orders.

-When we get back I'll tell him I kissed you and we'll see his reaction together then.

Well, fuck.

I immediately felt nervous but tried not to show it by acting nonchalant.

-Suit yourself.

He gives me a look, narrowing his eyes, and making me laugh at how persistent he is. Matt is hard to lie to, he always finds out and he's good at making people talk.

-You don't think he'll care? -He asks, driving to the next booth to get our order and stopping at the parking lot.

-I mean, he'll probably think it's weird. -I shrug, eating my fries.

-Why?

Matt doesn't take his eyes off me like he was just waiting for me to show anything that'd compromise my words.

-Because why would you tell him that? It's not like it'd change anything for him to know you kissed someone, or that I kissed someone.

I insist, looking at him and taking a sip of my soda. He just stares at me for a second, leaning towards me with a knowing smirk, my eyebrows furrowing in confusion with his sudden closeness, my heart beating fast in nervousness.

-If it's not gonna change anything for either of you, then you wouldn't care if I kissed you right now, would you?

My eyes widen a bit in surprise, is he really taking it this seriously?

-Matt, we're friends, you know that. -I reply, not really sure of what to do.

-You're "friends" with Chris too and he kisses you all the time. -He tilts his head to the side, his smirk growing.

-I've never kissed Chris. -I deny, trying to stay calm.

-Are you sure about that?

-Why are you suddenly so interested in my and Chris's friendship? -I raise an eyebrow at him, taking another sip of my drink and distancing myself to eat more fries.

-Just wondering. -He shrugs, raising his hands in defense.

We eat in silence, for my luck letting the subject die. When we were done, he started driving back to his place. He didn't insist on talking about Chris anymore, but we talked normally about other stuff.

We get out of the car and Matt wraps his arm around my shoulders, knocking on Chris's door twice before opening it. Chris was still on his bed, but now scrolling through his phone, no longer watching anything. Matt pulled me with him inside, greeting his brother with a smirk that made me instantly realize what he was about to do.

-Guess what.

I couldn't do anything, if I said something to stop Matt it would make it obvious. Chris looks between us, an unamused expression on his face.

-What? -He asks, with no emotion, crossing his arms and letting his phone fall on the bed.

-We kissed. -Matt shakes my shoulders, a wide smile on his lips.

I roll my eyes, already knowing how messed up this situation was, slapping Matt's hands away and sitting on the edge of Chris's bed, a bit scared to look at him directly, so only taking side eyes to know how he was reacting.

-You what? -His tone is full of disbelief, a bit of anger in the end.

I feel myself getting anxious, my fingers fidgeting as I keep my eyes on Matt to see where this is going.

-You heard me. -Matt shrugs, looking at me with a knowing look.

Yeah, Chris didn't look so happy, in fact, he looked pissed.

-You kissed her. -He repeats like he was making sure he heard it right.

-Yep. -Matt says it with a pop, keeping his eyes on me, which makes Chris extremely mad.

There's a moment of silence I almost think Chris was about to knock Matt out, but he just takes a deep breath and shakes his head, rubbing his face with one hand.

-Get out of my room, dude.

Matt laughs and gives me a final look before leaving the room and closing the door on his way out. I turn my body to finally look at Chris, studying his expressions.

-You kissed my brother? -He asks, now his tone is different, there is a hint of darkness.

His eyes met mine and even with our distance I noticed how dark they looked, his jaw was clenched. This was not gonna end well.

-No, I didn't, but now I think Matt's sure about me and you.

Chris seems confused, propping his weight on his palms behind his body.

-What do you mean?

-We didn't kiss. He said he'd tell you this to get a reaction from you, I couldn't say anything or I'd give it up, but you kinda did, it looked like you were about to punch Matt at any second.

I move closer to him, kicking off my shoes to get more comfortable. He stays still, thinking about what just happened, and who was telling the truth.

-I don't care if he knows, just... You really didn't kiss him? He didn't kiss you?

I smile, shaking my head and slowly placing one hand on top of his, my eyes still on his as I speak.

-No, we didn't kiss, I wouldn't kiss anyone else, Chris, especially not Matt. -I giggle a bit.

He smiles, relieved, visibly calming down. He uses his other hand to cup my cheek and pull me closer, pressing a light kiss on my lips.

-I don't mind telling him and Nick if you want to. -He whispers, putting his forehead against mine.

I never thought he'd say that. When we started this crazy friends-with-benefits thing he made sure to say that "telling other people makes it too real" and he liked to keep it as our secret. I'm not dumb, I know he just didn't want anyone to know because he didn't want people to think there were romantic feelings involved. There wasn't, not at the start, but now I'm not so sure.

-We don't have to. -I deny, not wanting to make it harder than it already was.

He was kinda right, it makes things too real when we tell people about it, and I wasn't ready to pretend I was fine with being just friends with more than just him.

-Matt already knows, Nick's not stupid. They know, and honestly, if I hear Matt saying he kissed you one more time I might break his fucking nose.

I pull away to look at him, wondering if he meant what he said, but he looked like he did. Well, obviously the breaking Matt's nose part is a joke, but the rest of it isn't.

-And what exactly are we gonna tell them? -I ask, to make sure.

I need to prepare myself for what's coming. More dramatic feelings, more frustration, I'll probably just fall for him even more when we tell his brothers and they're gonna know how down bad I truly am for Chris.

-I'll just tell them you're my girl. -He says, smiling at me and using now both of his hands to cup my cheeks, his thumb rubbing against my skin, making me melt.

Am I dreaming? It feels like I'm dreaming. His girl?

-Your girl? -I ask, my voice giving away how dumb I felt, in a good way.

A large smile appears on my lips, my eyes basically shining with his words, and he seems to notice, laughing at my reaction. I was so bad at hiding my true feelings for him.

He responds by kissing me again, this time a real kiss, with a battle of tongues, but calm and delicate, different than the ones we're used to. When he ends the kiss he keeps his hold on my face.

-My pretty girl. -He whispers, kissing me one more time.

🍂

-Yeah, we already knew that. -Nick shrugs, opening a can of soda.

-You two are too obvious. And by the way, I didn't really kiss her, I tried though, and she turned me down. -Matt says, knowing his words would provoke his brother, laughing before getting an answer.

-One more word about you trying to kiss her and I'll punch your face. -Chris points at his brother, a serious expression on his face, although he wasn't really mad, he knew his brother wouldn't actually do something like this to him.

-No more talking about your girl. -Matt raises his hands in defense.

𝒕𝒂𝒈𝒔 ✍︎

➪ @riowritesitall @sturniolosarethebest @hyacinthst @deers4luv @sturncakez @watercolorskyy @delooshunalhoe @sarosfilms @blahbel668 @sturniyolo69 @sturniolosl0t @colbsposts00 @fallingforfalll2 @stvrnmc @faithlia @katie-tibo @monroesturnns @mattnchrisworld @shaquilles-0atmeal @fratbrochrisgf @dayzeandhaze @phimstarz @h3arts4harry @star-yawnznn @asherrisrandom @pip4444chris @sturniolo-fann @beansprout713 @conspiracy-ash @sophsturns @sturnsxbitvh @ivysturnss @mattsbitchh

[svt-luna]

ᡴꪫ ⋆ GAME CATERERS X SVT ࣪ ! ˓ ౨ৎ ࣪˖ ─── episode 3-1.

Game Caterers x SEVENTEEN

synopsis: Episode 3-1! Here we are officially continuing the music quiz and finishing it off with the prizes that would ultimately give PD Na a mental breakdown.

╰ ౨ৎ LUNA-VERSE MASTERLIST

╰ ౨ৎ fan reactions ╰ ౨ৎ game caterers masterlist

[added captions are in brackets] ᡣ𐭩

bold dialogues are spoken in english ᡣ𐭩

The atmosphere inside the room was electric, a mix of anticipation and playful rivalry buzzing through the air as SEVENTEEN sat in their teams, waiting for the next round of the music quiz to begin. The members exchanged glances, some quietly strategizing while others leaned back, eyes narrowing as they mentally prepared for whatever challenge PD Na would throw their way.

There was a lightness in the air despite the competitive edge— laughter still echoed from the last round, and every so often, someone would recall a funny moment, reigniting the chorus of chuckles and banter among them.

The atmosphere in the room shifted slightly as PD Na recapped the scores, setting the tone for the remainder of the game. In the lead were Seungkwan and Hoshi, their playful but determined dynamic propelling them to first place with an impressive four points. It was clear that their synergy, honed through years of performing together, had given them the edge in this competition.

Trailing behind in second place were several teams, all locked in with two points.

Mingyu and Jeonghan, are known for their mischievousness and quick thinking. Across from them, Dino and Wonwoo sat more relaxed. Vernon and Minghao, typically laid-back, remained composed but their eyes carried a hint of competitiveness, quietly content with their steady performance thus far. Meanwhile, Luna and Joshua, the game’s unexpected dark horses, exchanged soft smiles. Their comfortable teamwork had earned them two points as well, keeping them neck and neck with the other second-place teams.

Dokyeom and Jun, sitting at one point, seemed eager to climb higher. While they weren’t at the top, the energy between them suggested a duo that could quickly catch up if given the right moment.

At the bottom of the rankings sat Woozi and S.Coups, the strategic but luckless duo who had yet to score a point. Despite their low standing, Woozi’s calm demeanor and S.Coups’ reassuring presence suggested they weren’t overly fazed by the current situation.

As the 14th round of the music quiz began, a soft, melancholic tune flowed through the speakers, causing an immediate stillness in the room.

[Different vibe from previous questions]

The members, once brimming with energy and excitement, sat back in their seats, their expressions turning puzzled as the slow, emotional melody settled in. Heads turned, eyes darted from one face to another as they searched for any hint of recognition. The usual spark of confidence and enthusiasm from previous rounds dimmed slightly, replaced with uncertainty.

Luna, sitting beside Joshua, leaned in with a light sigh, her brows furrowed in thought. “Wow, I already don’t know,” she murmured to him, shaking her head slightly, her voice reflecting a mix of awe and confusion. Joshua mirrored her expression, just as lost as the rest of the group.

The room was quiet except for the gentle hum of the song, as everyone seemed to sit in a trance, trying to grasp any familiar note or lyric.

A few more notes passed, deepening the haze of uncertainty. Suddenly, S.Coups stood up from his seat, raising his hand confidently and breaking the silence. His voice rang out with their team’s slogan, “I Don’t Know Who Park Bo Gum Is, But I Love Him And Cherish Him!” His words carried a tone that often characterized his competitive side.

PD Na smiled, pointing toward him and repeating the slogan with a chuckle, “I Don’t Know Who Park Bo Gum Is, But I Love Him And Cherish Him.”

With newfound confidence, S.Coups confidently stated, “Lim Young Woong,” naming the artist.

PD Na nodded, gesturing for Woozi to take over. “1, 2, 3…” The countdown began, and all eyes shifted to Woozi, whose face froze in genuine surprise as the pressure built.

“‘I Love You’,” Woozi blurted out, his voice trailing off with hesitation.

[Confessing out of the blue]

“Wrong!” PD Na declared, the abrupt response cutting through the tension.

S.Coups let out a soft chuckle before wrapping his arms around Woozi in a lighthearted hug, teasing him for getting caught off guard.

Dokyeom quickly stood up, followed by Jun, the two determined to give it a shot. Dokyeom called out their team’s slogan, “I Get Worked Up and Lose My Temper Easily!” PD Na pointed toward them, waiting for their answer.

“Lim Young Woong,” Jun said calmly, his tone measured.

“‘When It Rains’,” Dokyeom followed with the title, his voice hopeful.

“Wrong!” PD Na replied without missing a beat, causing a wave of laughter to ripple through the room. Some of the members chuckled, especially at Dokyeom’s response.

“What’s that?” Seungkwan laughed from his spot, finding amusement in the randomness of Dokyeom’s guess.

[That's the lyrics]

“What is it?” Dokyeom muttered to himself, still processing his own answer as he sat back down.

Silence fell once again as they continued listening to the song, the first lyrics gently filtering through the air.

Jeonghan remained seated but raised his voice, calling out their team slogan, “Burt and Fart,” he said dryly, his expression unreadable. PD Na pointed to them, signaling for their answer.

“Lim Young Woong,” Mingyu said, leaning slightly forward, his voice filled with certainty.

“‘Trust Me Now,’” Jeonghan added smoothly, confident in his guess.

“That’s so close. Wrong,” PD Na said, shaking his head, causing both Jeonghan and Mingyu to freeze in shock. Their mouths opened slightly in disbelief, the closeness of their answer leaving them stunned.

Vernon, sensing an opportunity, stood up with renewed determination, raising his hand and calling out his and Minghao’s slogan. “I Don’t Like Your Earrings!” he declared with vigor.

“Lim Young Woong,” Minghao said, his voice cool and composed.

“‘Trust In Me,’” Vernon added confidently.

“You got it!” PD Na exclaimed, excitement in his tone as he confirmed their answer.

Vernon and Minghao erupted in delight, moving to the center of the room to celebrate their success with an impromptu dance, their grins wide and full of victory.

Jeonghan, still processing how close his answer had been, let out a scoff of disbelief, his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. He couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of how near he had been to getting it right.

[He knew it, but he got it wrong]

Luna, lounging comfortably in her seat, caught the moment from across the room. She pointed toward Jeonghan, a teasing smile on her lips as she chuckled softly.

“He’s really disappointed,” she giggled to herself, knowing Jeonghan’s competitive nature all too well.

[Bunny finds the other bunny funny]

At the sound of her voice, Jeonghan turned his head in her direction, his fingers still pinching the bridge of his nose. He scrunched his face at her playfully, his expression a mix of playful annoyance and affection, causing Luna to beam back at him with a cheeky smile, their small interaction unnoticed by most but filled with the usual warmth and banter between them.

Seungkwan, in typical fashion, broke the momentary silence with his witty remark, “It’s a diverse genre,” his voice carrying a playful note as he glanced at the others, earning a few more chuckles around the room.

Meanwhile, Vernon and Minghao stood at the center, the soft, slow song they had just guessed still playing in the background. The energy shift was palpable, and the two members awkwardly exchanged glances, unsure how to match the mood of the song with the high-energy dancing they were used to.

“How do we dance to this?” Minghao asked Vernon, his brows furrowed in confusion as he stared at his partner, his voice carrying both humor and genuine curiosity.

[Embarrassed]

The two simply stood there for a few seconds, unmoving, which only added to the comedic effect.

PD Na and the other members couldn’t help but laugh at the awkwardness unfolding before them. S.Coups, always ready to comment on the ridiculousness of the situation, broke into laughter. “What are they doing?” he asked, shaking his head in amusement.

Luna, sitting comfortably but with a teasing grin tugging at her lips, decided to step in. “Start dancing,” she called out, her voice carrying just enough authority to make the others turn toward her.

Minghao, in true playful spirit, took the hint and, with a mischievous glint in his eye, stepped forward and hugged Vernon as if they were slow dancing, moving them slightly from side to side.

[Let's just hug]

Their exaggerated, awkward slow dance drew more laughter from the group, with some members doubling over at the sight. But then, an idea sparked in Luna’s mind. She straightened up in her seat, eyes locked onto Joshua, and without a second thought, gently nudged him forward.

“Go do it,” she said, her voice low and mischievous, and Joshua immediately knew what she meant.

Without hesitation, he jumped to his feet and made his way to the front of the room, his movements deliberate. As soon as he reached the center, he broke into the familiar meme dance he’d performed earlier, arms and legs moving in the same exaggerated manner that had sent the members into fits of laughter during the previous round.

[Crazy Joshua appears]

[Taking the center]

Vernon, being the first to spot him, pointed in his direction and burst into laughter, his shoulders shaking as he watched Joshua’s antics. The rest of the group quickly followed suit, laughter erupting as they saw the ridiculous dance re-emerge.

[Joshua the old man]

Luna was up on her feet, phone in hand, already recording the moment, her voice ringing out above the laughter as she cheered her teammate on.

“Good job, Shua! Good job!” she called, unable to hide the pride in her voice.

The sight of her acting like a proud mom, recording her teammate’s exaggerated moves, only made the moment even more humorous. The other members pointed and laughed at her too, finding the entire situation thoroughly amusing, especially since Luna and Joshua seemed so determined to claim the ‘Most Hip Player’ title, no matter how ridiculous it was.

As the song finally came to an end, the room calmed, and Joshua made his way back to his seat, high-fiving Luna as she tucked her phone back into her pocket, still chuckling.

“You’re really good at that,” she remarked, her voice filled with amusement, earning a laugh from Joshua, who shrugged in response, clearly enjoying the moment.

The members, still recovering from their fits of laughter, began to compliment Joshua for his impromptu performance.

“Good job, Joshua,” Seungkwan said, shaking his head in disbelief.

“I’ll trust Joshua from now on,” Woozi added, the lingering grin on his face showing just how much he’d enjoyed the spectacle.

“Just trust Joshua,” S.Coups chimed in, his tone both sincere and playful.

“Joshua, that was exactly the same,” Seungkwan noted, referring to the meme dance Joshua had perfectly replicated.

“I know. He’s good at copying the dance,” Dino added, his voice filled with admiration for Joshua’s commitment.

[Maybe too much...]

[15th question]

The next song began playing, and instantly, the room was filled with chaos. The first note hadn’t even fully registered before three teams sprang up from their seats, hands shooting into the air as their slogans echoed through the room almost in perfect sync.

“Burp and Fart!” yelled Mingyu, his voice booming with enthusiasm.

“Drink Less And Talk More!” Dino shouted, barely a millisecond behind, raising his hand with equal intensity.

“Go Overboard For Show!” Hoshi followed up, screaming as if his life depended on it.

[Gold, silver, bronze]

Luna sat in her seat, completely baffled as she watched the flurry of movements and loud slogans around her. Her eyes darted from one team to another, her face scrunched in confusion. “What is happening?” she muttered to herself in awe, having no idea what the song was.

But despite all the energy and near-simultaneous responses, PD Na acknowledged Mingyu’s group first, pointing at him. “Starting with Mingyu. 1, 2, 3.”

[Team Mingyu and Jeonghan has the chance]

“EXO!” Mingyu answered confidently, before gesturing toward Jeonghan, who still remained seated, appearing completely unfazed by the chaos around him.

“‘Lovesick,’” Jeonghan said, his tone so casual it was as if he couldn’t be bothered.

Mingyu, now looking at Jeonghan in slight disbelief, blinked before turning toward him. “You said it was ‘Lovesick,’” Jeonghan muttered, simply raised an eyebrow.

“Loveshot,” Mingyu corrected his teammate.

[HYBE singers keeps mixing up SM and YG]

The second Jeonghan said the wrong answer, the room exploded. Other teams immediately tried to seize the opportunity to steal the guess, their hands shooting into the air and their voices overlapping with loud yells.

“‘Lovesick,’” Luna chuckled, clearly amused by Jeonghan’s misstep. She quickly raised her hand and called out her team’s slogan with a grin. “We Are Too Perfect, It’s Annoying!”

However, Vernon was faster, his voice cutting through hers as he repeated their slogan over and over since Jeonghan’s mistake. “I Don’t Like Your Earrings!” he yelled, his hand shooting up as he claimed his team’s chance to steal.

[Stealing the answer]

PD Na, clearly entertained by the frantic energy in the room, acknowledged Vernon and Minghao, pointing at them. “Yes?”

“EXO,” Minghao said, setting the foundation for Vernon’s confident answer.

“‘Love Shot,’” Vernon declared, his voice filled with certainty.

“You got it!” PD Na exclaimed, confirming their answer as the room erupted into applause and cheers for the winning team.

Minghao and Vernon made their way up to the front, the unmistakable beat of EXO’s ‘Love Shot’ now taking over the room. They both broke into the choreographed dance, moving in sync with the song, drawing impressed whistles and cheers from the other members.

Luna, still seated, chuckled under her breath as she watched the performance unfold. She turned her head slightly and, without thinking, her gaze landed on Jeonghan, who was seated a few seats away. Her smile widened as she leaned toward him, giggling softly. “‘Lovesick’ was amazing,” she teased, her voice low enough for only him to hear.

Jeonghan, as attuned to Luna as always, heard her despite the noise. He turned to face her, his eyes locking with hers, and with that signature nonchalant and flirty smirk, he mouthed, “Wait until later.”

Luna’s breath hitched, her cheeks heating up as his words settled in. Unable to resist the playful energy between them, she smiled back and quickly formed a heart with her fingers before making a finger gun and shooting through the heart, mimicking the ‘Love Shot’ move in her own playful interpretation.

Jeonghan caught it immediately, his smirk turning into a full grin as he winked at her, their shared moment fleeting but charged with their usual playful chemistry.

Their attention turned back to Minghao and Vernon, who were still dancing to the song, the other members cheering them on. But Luna’s amusement was short-lived as she spotted movement beside her. Joshua, with his mischievous grin already in place, had left his seat and was heading to the front.

“There he goes,” Luna muttered, watching him with growing amusement.

Sure enough, Joshua, ever the entertainer, started dancing his ridiculous meme dance from earlier, completely disregarding the original choreography. His exaggerated movements sent waves of laughter through the group, and Vernon, the first to notice Joshua’s antics, pointed at him, laughing loudly.

[Joshua appears again]

Dokyeom and Seungkwan couldn’t help themselves either, running up front to join Joshua, their bodies mimicking his wild movements as they laughed together.

The energy in the room spiked, and with the song being ‘Love Shot’, Joshua added his own twist, pretending to pour a drink and do a shot, further emphasizing the ridiculousness of his dance. The members doubled over in laughter, barely able to stay upright as they clapped and cheered him on.

[It's the love shot]

[We can't rememberthe original dance anymore]

Luna sat back in her seat, thoroughly entertained, her chuckles mixing with the laughter around her as she watched her teammate perform without a care in the world. “You’re on another level, Joshie,” she complimented Joshua, her voice cool and amused, a proud smile on her face.

As the song drew to a close, the members slowly made their way back to their seats, still chuckling at the absurdity of what had just happened.

“Love shot? Literally?” Seungkwan quipped, shaking his head in disbelief at Joshua’s wild interpretation.

“That’s what it means by a little crazy Joshua,” PD Na said, chuckling softly as he glanced at Joshua, clearly entertained.

“Yes,” Luna and Joshua both nodded, their voices in unison, perfectly synced as they agreed without hesitation.

[Is he really only a little crazy?]

PD Na, still laughing softly, gestured toward Vernon and Minghao. “Team Earrings doing better than expected.”

Vernon, clearly still in good spirits, added, “I waited for Jeonghan to get it wrong.”

[They answered 2 questions by chance]

“And Jeonghan never lets you down,” PD Na teased, causing a ripple of laughter to fill the room again.

Jeonghan, in response, gave a lazy nod, unfazed by the jab, a small grin tugging at the corner of his lips.

[He always gets it wrong]

[16th question]

The next round began, and as the first beats of the song echoed through the room, Woozi and S.Coups were suddenly on their feet, hands raised high in the air. In perfect sync, they yelled their team slogan: “I Don’t Know Who Park Bo Gum Is, But I Love Him And Cherish Him!”

[Shouting out loud]

Their outburst stunned the room, every member blinking in shock. Woozi and S.Coups had yet to score any points in the game, and the fact that they were now claiming the next song was a surprise to everyone.

Even PD Na seemed slightly amused as he pointed at them, ready to give them a chance.

“Woozi and S.Coups?” PD Na raised his brows in acknowledgment, then began counting down. “1, 2, 3.”

“INFINITE,” Woozi said confidently, naming the artist without hesitation.

PD Na turned to S.Coups next and repeated the countdown. “1, 2, 3.”

“I was going to say that,” S.Coups chuckled, turning to Woozi with a grin, knowing full well he hadn’t prepared a guess beyond the artist.

['I Was Going To Say That' by INFINITE]

“Wrong,” PD Na announced, and the room erupted into laughter. S.Coups, still chuckling, pulled Woozi into a playful hug as they shared in their defeat.

“What are you doing?” Woozi asked him, laughing as they sat back down.

Before the laughter could settle, Hoshi shot up from his seat, his loud voice cutting through the noise. “Go Overboard For Show!” he yelled, as he raised his hand dramatically.

[Taking the chance]

Seungkwan stood beside him, ready to seize the opportunity. “They can never get it,” he said with a grin, his eyes gleaming with confidence.

PD Na acknowledged them, counting down once more. “1, 2, 3.”

“INFINITE,” Hoshi answered confidently, naming the artist.

“‘Be Mine,’” Seungkwan followed, nailing the title.

“You got it,” PD Na confirmed, his voice lost under the wave of cheers that followed.

Hoshi and Seungkwan walked confidently to the front, their heads held high as the familiar beat of ‘Be Mine’ blasted through the speakers. Without missing a beat, they broke into the iconic choreography, dancing with smooth precision while singing along.

[B and S dance]

Dokyeom, still seated, joined in vocally, singing from his chair, his voice loud and melodic as it blended with the music.

[S sings]

Meanwhile, S.Coups, despite his earlier mistake, half-heartedly danced from his seat, lightly mimicking the choreography while still chuckling about their failed attempt.

As Seungkwan and Hoshi danced, the energy in the room soared, but just as Seungkwan prepared himself for his favorite rap part, something unexpected happened. The crew had used an edited version of the song without the rap section. As Seungkwan started the rap, “‘Oh, if we fight… Mine,’” he stopped short, realizing the music had moved past the rap part entirely.

[It's okay. That went well]

Laughter erupted from the members and PD Na, but Seungkwan didn’t miss a beat. He seamlessly switched back to singing, laughing through the moment as they continued the performance.

[He was flustered for a second but he gets ready for the rap again]

Determined, Seungkwan waited again, hoping for the rap section to come up in the song. He prepared himself once more, “‘If we fight… Do you hear me?’” he rapped, only for the section to skip once again, causing the room to burst into laughter for a second time.

By the time Hoshi and Seungkwan finished, the room was buzzing with laughter and applause. The two of them walked back to their seats, clearly pleased with their performance despite the humorous hiccups.

“The rap is the highlight,” Seungkwan said, still grinning as he sat back down. “That wasn’t on,” he added, shaking his head in disbelief.

“Good job,” Minghao complimented them, nodding appreciatively.

“They’re very good,” Mingyu chimed in, clapping along with the others.

“No one can beat them,” Luna said, her voice soft but amused as she leaned back in her chair, watching the exchange.

“I need an explanation,” PD Na started, turning his attention back to S.Coups. “S.Coups, what happened there?”

S.Coups blinked in silence for a moment, clearly defeated by the whole situation, before Woozi chuckled beside him. “What was it that you said?” Woozi teased. “‘I was going to say that,’” he mimicked, his smile wide.

“All I thought about was INFINITE,” S.Coups admitted with a laugh, shaking his head at himself.

PD Na, still grinning, pointed at S.Coups. “It seems you knew the dance too,” he said, having noticed S.Coups dancing along earlier from his seat.

“When we were trainees, we practiced it with Hoshi,” S.Coups explained, pointing at himself and Woozi.

“Hoshi, Woozi, and S.Coups practiced together,” Wonwoo chimed in from his seat, nodding toward the trio.

“So it’s like, I practiced it, but I don’t remember the title,” PD Na said, clearly entertained by their situation.

“It was finally something I know, so I said INFINITE,” Woozi added, laughing softly at how they had still managed to get it wrong despite their knowledge.

“I think S.Coups is having short-term memory loss,” PD Na joked, his tone light and teasing. “Since the Character Quiz, his brain is not functioning.”

“I had a mental breakdown at the time,” S.Coups admitted, grinning as the members laughed around him.

“We need to get at least one,” Woozi said, his voice determined as they prepared for the next round, though there was still laughter in his eyes.

[Next question]

The next round was about to begin, and the members waited in silence, anticipating the next song. As the first beat hit, a flurry of hands shot into the air. Luna, quick on her feet, raised her hand, but Mingyu was faster. Their team slogan was the shortest, after all.

“Burp and Fart!” Mingyu called out, earning laughs from the rest of the group.

“I was faster,” Mingyu said as he stood up, his eyes darting toward Jeonghan, who sat there looking clueless. With his mouth half-closed, Jeonghan looked like he was trying to speak without moving his lips, almost like a ventriloquist.

“What is it?” Jeonghan asked, his eyes wide as he waited for a hint.

[He doesn't know]

Without saying a word, Mingyu discreetly mimicked the hand motion from the choreography to clue Jeonghan in, his movements quick and subtle.

“Mingyu, go. 1, 2, 3,” PD Na prompted, giving him his cue.

“Aespa,” Mingyu said confidently, identifying the artist before turning to Jeonghan. He gave him an obvious hint this time. “The most famous one.”

Jeonghan buffered for a moment, his mind whirring as he tried to piece it together. Then, as if a light bulb went off, he did the hand motion from the dance and said, “‘Next Level.’”

“You got it,” PD Na confirmed.

“Yes,” Mingyu exclaimed in victory as the song began to play.

[The thrilling feeling of success]

The familiar beat of ‘Next Level’ filled the room, and almost instinctively, several members started doing the signature hand motion of the choreography, their movements in sync with the song.

Mingyu grinned, satisfied, and sat back down. Meanwhile, Dino, Hoshi, Seungkwan, and Dokyeom slowly stood up, their bodies already swaying to the rhythm as they moved toward the center. They began singing and dancing to the choreo, their energy infectious as they replicated Aespa’s sharp movements, the rest of the group watching with amusement.

[They quickly form a line]

Once their little performance was over, they all settled back down, the laughter and buzz of excitement still lingering in the air.

“I had no idea,” Woozi leaned over to S.Coups, shaking his head slightly.

“I didn’t know either,” S.Coups admitted, his voice carrying a note of disbelief. “Am I isolating myself from the world?”

Woozi chuckled and added, “I think I heard the prelude in the presidential election campaign.”

S.Coups burst into laughter, shaking his head as he processed Woozi’s witty comment, the room still buzzing with the energy of the game.

The 18th question loomed, and the members sat in anticipation, eyes locked on PD Na as they waited for the song to start. A familiar beat began to play, and while some of them recognized the tune, they struggled to recall the title. Most of them, including Luna, were completely lost.

Suddenly, Joshua, seated right next to Luna, shot his hand into the air and called out their team slogan.

“We Are Too Perfect, It’s Annoying,” he declared confidently, earning puzzled looks from the rest of the members. Luna turned to him in alarm, her brow furrowed.

“What? What is it?” Luna muttered, trying to ventriloquize her words so no one else could hear. But Joshua either didn’t notice or forgot they were a team for a moment. He remained oblivious to her confusion.

“Yes?” PD Na called out, waiting for him to answer.

“TEEN TOP,” Joshua responded, but his confidence quickly waned as PD Na shook his head.

“Wrong. That’s not it.”

Luna pouted at Joshua, playfully glaring at him before leaning in. “Discuss with me,” she chastised, though her tone was light, teasing him for his mistake. Joshua laughed, realizing his error, and draped his arm casually over the back of her chair in a silent apology.

Moments later, Mingyu stood up, determined to take his chance. “Burp and Fart!” he exclaimed, turning his focus toward Jeonghan, who had the same confused look Luna wore earlier.

“You don’t know, do you?” Mingyu pointed at Jeonghan, already resigned to the outcome.

Jeonghan blinked lazily, before Mingyu offered his answer with, “Dynamicduo.”

“By Dynamicduo. 1, 2, 3,” PD Na counted down, waiting for Jeonghan to give the song title.

Jeonghan’s response was nonchalant as if it didn’t matter whether he was right or wrong. “‘PLAYING WITH FIRE.’”

[Calm]

“Wrong. That’s not it,” PD Na declared.

The members erupted into laughter at the sheer audacity of Jeonghan’s wild guess. Jeonghan, unfazed, nodded proudly, as if his incorrect answer was still something to be content with. Meanwhile, Mingyu started pacing in front of the group, his hands on his hips, clearly frustrated and trying to process Jeonghan’s approach.

“Mingyu’s given up,” PD Na laughed, watching the younger member pace like a man in disbelief.

The song continued, the melody filling the room as some of the members bopped their heads along, while others remained completely clueless.

[It sounds familiar]

A few lyrics in, Woozi, ever the strategic player, suddenly raised his hand. “I Don’t Know Who Park Bo Gum Is, But I Love and Cherish Him,” he declared, his voice cutting through the room and shocking the members into silence.

[The team with no score raises a hand]

PD Na pointed at Woozi, giving him the floor. “Dynamicduo,” Woozi answered confidently, the other members turning to him and S.Coups, wondering if this could finally be their team’s moment.

But S.Coups, taken aback by Woozi’s sudden decision, blurted out, “Hey, discuss it with me first.”

[The duo falls out]

“Wrong,” PD Na said, sending another wave of laughter through the members as Woozi and S.Coups grinned sheepishly.

The song played on, and Luna and Joshua, still seated, exchanged confused glances as they subtly looked toward their staff. Their stylists and managers stood off to the side, silently mouthing something, presumably the song title.

[Everyone tries to cheat]

“What?” Luna mouthed back at them, trying to decipher the silent communication.

“What is it?” Joshua mimed, equally lost.

Before they could figure it out, Seungkwan shot to his feet, his arm raised high. “Go Overboard For Show!” he shouted, his enthusiasm as loud as ever.

[Professor Boo appears]

“He’s so loud,” Mingyu said, rubbing his ear as he stood near Seungkwan, his expression a mix of amusement and mild annoyance.

“Go Overboard For Show. 1, 2, 3,” PD Na counted down, waiting for the answer.

“Dynamicduo,” Hoshi called out the artist, the room going silent in anticipation.

“‘Ring My Bell,’” Seungkwan sang, nailing the song title with a proud grin.

“You got it!” PD Na announced, and the room burst into applause and praise.

[They're on another level]

As soon as PD Na confirmed Seungkwan’s answer, the familiar beats of ‘Ring My Bell’ filled the air. Seungkwan and Hoshi wasted no time, stepping forward to claim the spotlight.

[There's no choreography]

Although the song had no official choreography, the two quickly improvised, syncing their moves effortlessly. Seungkwan started first, smoothly gliding into a series of exaggerated, fun dance moves, and Hoshi followed immediately, matching Seungkwan step-for-step with a grin. Their natural coordination and rhythm were undeniable, and even without a set dance to follow, the two were in perfect harmony.

[If Seungkwan dances, Hoshi follows]

From their seats, the other members watched in amusement. Wonwoo, brow raised in curiosity, leaned over to Mingyu. “What’s that dance?”

“It’s J.Y. Park,” Mingyu answered with a grin, recognizing the iconic choreography from another popular artist.

['Groove Back' by J.Y. Park]

As the song continued, Seungkwan and Hoshi danced their way back to their seats, still moving to the beat. The rest of the group clapped for them, impressed by their quick thinking and smooth execution.

[Copy and past to the end]

PD Na, clearly entertained, offered his approval. “It works with the choreography for another song.”

Seungkwan, always full of energy, stood up again, eager to keep dancing. “Yes,” he agreed enthusiastically, continuing to move along to the beat. Hoshi quickly followed, mimicking his movements with equal enthusiasm.

[Go Overboard For Show]

From the side, Vernon, ever the voice of calm and deadpan humor, sighed, “Sit down.”

Seungkwan mock-obliged, dropping into his seat and saying, “Yes,” as if he had been commanded, making everyone laugh.

“Are you a dog?” S.Coups teased, shaking his head as he chuckled.

The group’s laughter died down as PD Na shifted the conversation. “Let’s do an interim check. Team Go Overboard For Show is in the lead,” he said, the declaration greeted with cheers. “Surprisingly enough, Team I Don’t Like Your Earrings is in second place.”

At that, Vernon and Minghao erupted into cheers. “I Don’t Like Your Earrings!” Minghao echoed, pointing at his own earrings with a cool, composed air. “I’m getting new ones tomorrow. To something cool,” he added, flashing a smirk that sent the rest of the members into laughter.

[Zero impact]

“To something cool,” Vernon, S.Coups, and Luna parroted, finding his delivery both adorable and hilarious. Minghao’s calm confidence had a way of effortlessly charming everyone.

[For the 19th question]

As the next song was about to start, Luna sat back calmly in her seat, feeling the atmosphere buzzing with anticipation. The familiar beat of the song started to play, and without a second thought, Luna’s hand shot up, pushing Joshua next to her with the other. The two of them, in perfect synchronization, screamed their team slogan with confidence, “We Are Too Perfect, It’s Annoying!”

PD Na pointed toward them, acknowledging their energy, “Team We Are Too Perfect, It’s Annoying,” he echoed with a grin.

“Maroon 5,” Luna answered with certainty, the artist immediately springing to her mind.

“‘Sunday Morning,’” Joshua followed up, effortlessly naming the song title.

“You got it,” PD Na confirmed, causing a wave of cheers from the team. Luna and Joshua high-fived with both hands, their excitement palpable.

The rest of the members couldn’t help but marvel at how quickly they had answered. After all, this song was Joshua’s go-to track— annoyingly so.

“Of course, they’d get that one,” Seungkwan muttered with a chuckle, making the others laugh in agreement.

Luna nudged Joshua playfully, pushing him toward the front. “Go on, do it,” she urged, laughing.

Joshua, always up for some fun, stood up and dramatically carried his chair with him to the front of the set. He placed it down with a flourish and sat back in it, pretending to strum an invisible guitar as he sang along to the song. Luna cheered him on from her seat, her claps exaggerated for effect.

As Joshua belted out the chorus, the song suddenly stopped mid-note, catching him off guard. He let out a breathy laugh, making everyone around him burst into laughter.

“Do your dance, hurry!” Luna called out, urging him to perform the well-known meme dance that would save him and always got a reaction from the group.

With a grin, Joshua stood up and launched into the ridiculous dance, his body moving in an exaggerated, comedic fashion. The members erupted into laughter, clapping and cheering for him as he played along.

[He dances to no music]

Once his impromptu performance was over, Joshua gave a mock bow before he picked up his chair and returned to his spot next to Luna.

“Good job,” Luna chuckled, giving him a satisfied look, and Joshua couldn’t help but smile back, both of them sharing the moment of playful fun.

As they waited for the next question, the room was filled with an air of anticipation.

[20th question]

Then, a low, deep voice came through the speakers, going, “‘Yeah, yeah,’” followed by the distinct beat dropping into rhythm. In a split second, Hoshi was on his feet, his hand shooting up, as Seungkwan, too, rose from his seat, although with an uncertain expression.

“Go Overboard For Show,” Hoshi announced confidently, his hand still raised high.

PD Na pointed at him, acknowledging, “Hoshi. 1, 2, 3.”

“BTS,” Hoshi answered with absolute certainty.

PD Na turned to Seungkwan, counting down for his turn to guess the song title. “1, 2, 3…”

Seungkwan’s expression turned blank as he realized he had no idea what the title was. His mouth opened, then shut, no words coming out. Silence stretched for a second before PD Na concluded, “Wrong.”

Mingyu stood up immediately, his voice cutting through the chatter. “Burp And Fart,” he called, determined to steal the answer.

PD Na pointed to him, beginning to count down again. “1, 2, 3,”

“BTS,” Mingyu replied confidently, naming the artist without hesitation.

Jeonghan, sitting next to him, threw him a look of disbelief. His brows furrowed, and a sigh escaped his lips. He had planned to answer the artist himself, not knowing the title either, and Mingyu’s confident response had thrown off his plan.

[Why would you say that?]

In an instant, multiple hands shot up around the set, each person shouting their slogans to steal the answer. Luna raised her hand high, determination flashing in her eyes, but Dokyeom, faster than the rest, managed to catch PD Na’s attention first.

PD Na nodded to him, “Your answer. 1, 2, 3.”

“BTS,” Jun answered, his voice steady.

Without missing a beat, Dokyeom followed up with the song title, “‘Run BTS.’”

“He’s right,” Luna muttered to herself as she recognized the song title at last.

“You got it!” PD Na confirmed.

The chorus began to play, and without hesitation, Hoshi jumped up to the front, his energy infectious.

[The leader of Team Performance appears]

Seungkwan, Dokyeom, and Jun joined him, standing nearby to cheer him on. Hoshi’s feet hit the beat exactly, and he launched into the precise and high-energy moves of the song’s choreography.

[Getting serious in no time]

Each intense step landed with the rhythm, his movements full of force as he executed the challenging moves. The members clapped and cheered, some of them watching in amazement at how much effort he put into each step.

When he finished, applause filled the set, with Seungkwan even yanking off one of his shoes and tossing it onto the floor in awe.

“I mean, how do you do the challenge for ‘Run BTS’?” PD Na praised, impressed by the performance.

[Producer Na would never get it]

Seungkwan leaned back in his seat, catching his breath as he replied, “He self-teaches the choreography.”

“That was wonderful,” PD Na continued, nodding in appreciation. “It’s not only fun, but I love watching you dancing.”

“Thank you,” Seungkwan said with a slight bow, a smile on his face.

PD Na raised an eyebrow, observing the energy on set. “By now, you should be exhausted,” he noted.

“It’s fun. I’m getting heated up,” Hoshi replied, breathing heavily but smiling brightly.

[It's almost like a fan-meet]

“When we were working on the quiz outside, we were worried about the airtime,” Seungkwan commented, leaning toward Hoshi as they took their seats again.

“I wondered if I answered too many,” Hoshi added with a grin.

Seungkwan chuckled, nodding as he leaned back. “He got too many, and I didn’t get any. So… I’m on a roll here.”

Hoshi looked over, chuckling at the teasing. “I was nervous when they were being funny,” he said, smiling as he glanced over at Seungkwan.

“Right,” Seungkwan replied, nodding along in agreement.

From his seat, Dino looked over with a curious expression, leaning forward slightly. “What’s your team name again?”

Seungkwan looked back, straightening in his seat with pride. “Go Overboard For Show,” he replied, earning a round of laughter from the members.

“That’s our state right now,” he added with a grin, his voice brimming with confidence.

After the laughter died down, Mingyu suddenly let out a deep, exaggerated sigh, his expression filled with pure defeat. His shoulders slumped as if carrying the weight of his loss, and he cast a dramatic look around the room, clearly fed up.

[That meant a lot]

Across from him, Luna caught his defeated look and chuckled, pointing at him knowingly. “Gyu-gyu is over it,” she teased, her words instantly earning a round of laughter from everyone around.

PD Na chuckled, observing the playful frustration on Mingyu’s face. “I feel bad for Mingyu. He’s always the first to shout the name,” he remarked, amusement dancing in his eyes as he nodded toward Mingyu.

“But he doesn’t know the answer either,” Jeonghan added lazily from his seat, his finger casually pointing at Mingyu as he spoke. His tone was both light and slightly mischievous.

PD Na raised his eyebrows, glancing over at Jeonghan, “Does he only know the singer?” he asked, genuinely curious.

“Yes,” Jeonghan replied, nodding in mock pity, “And he goes, ‘How do you not know?’” He mimicked Mingyu’s earlier frustrated gesture perfectly, his voice raising to mimic Mingyu’s dramatic disbelief. The impression was spot-on, drawing another round of laughter.

PD Na looked back at Mingyu, clearly entertained by the thought. “He’s blaming you when he doesn’t know either?” he asked, feigning shock.

Mingyu pointed at himself, as if only just realizing he’d been the subject of the conversation. “Me?” He blinked, then deadpanned, “I don’t know either. I’m only pretending to know.”

This admission had everyone laughing even harder, some of them shaking their heads in playful disbelief.

“But you were like…” PD Na trailed off as he raised his hand and exaggeratedly widened his eyes, perfectly imitating Mingyu’s earlier expression of disbelief. It was such an accurate portrayal that even Mingyu couldn’t help but crack a smile.

“He’s just pretending,” Jeonghan commented, his tone dripping with mock exasperation.

“I don’t know either,” Mingyu repeated, shrugging, fully owning up to it now.

“He’s annoying,” Joshua chimed in from next to Luna, his tone playful but firm, his eyes flicking to her as he spoke.

“Super annoying,” Luna agreed, joining in on the teasing as she raised her eyebrows and shot Mingyu a teasing look. The two of them exchanged a glance, clearly enjoying the opportunity to poke fun at him.

S.Coups joined in, grinning as he pointed toward Mingyu. “He is a bad guy,” he added, making Joshua, Luna, and himself laugh even harder at the lighthearted roast session.

[Here comes the question that will summon them]

As they all waited for the next song to play, the room filled with a familiar sense of anticipation. The first few opening instrumentals began to fill the space, and immediately, Mingyu, Luna, and Wonwoo reacted, recognizing the track.

“Burp And–” Mingyu started, his voice loud and eager.

“We Are Too Perfect–” Luna called out at the same time, both of them already competing, but their slogans were abruptly cut off by Dino, who shot up and shouted with more speed, “Drink Less And Talk More!”

[They all shouted at the same time]

With that, both Mingyu and Luna groaned in defeat, their heads hanging as PD Na acknowledged the victory with a grin. “Dino was faster,” he said with amusement, waiting for the team’s answer.

[Dino was the fastest]

“Wonwoo, Mingyu, and Luna of SEVENTEEN,” Dino declared confidently, naming the artists.

“‘Bittersweet,’” Wonwoo followed up, his voice steady and sure.

“You got it!” PD Na confirmed, and the room erupted in cheers. Luna and Mingyu both sighed, exchanging resigned glances — it was their song, after all, but at least one of the trio got it right.

As Dino and Wonwoo moved to the front, Vernon couldn’t help but tease, “You’re good at SEVENTEEN.”

“I think I like SEVENTEEN so much,” Dino responded with a grin, drawing more laughter.

The song continued playing, and as the soft, mellow tones of ‘Bittersweet’ filled the room, Luna began humming along, swaying gently in her seat. Mingyu, ever the performer, was up in his place, eyes closed as he pretended to sing into an imaginary microphone, completely immersed in the moment.

Meanwhile, Dino watched as Wonwoo and Seungkwan started running across the set in a stiff, awkward manner — a playful mockery of Wonwoo’s running in the music video, a beloved inside joke among the members. Their exaggerated movements made everyone burst into laughter, some clapping and hollering at the antics.

[What is this mess?]

Dokyeom, never one to miss out on the fun, quickly stood up and followed suit, doing an even more exaggerated stiff run across the room. “This is how Wonwoo runs,” Dokyeom announced as he ran, sending the room into complete chaos.

The members’ laughter echoed loudly, each of them in stitches at the ridiculous scene unfolding before them. Mingyu, still in his world of performance, remained unaffected by the madness around him, continuing to “sing” his heart out.

As Mingyu neared the end of his verse, he suddenly made his way over to Luna, who was still swaying in her seat, laughing at the chaotic scene in front of her. Mingyu, eyes still closed in concentration, offered his hand to her, making her chuckle softly before she accepted it. In an instant, the chorus started playing, and Luna’s soft voice echoed from the speakers.

Mingyu and Luna swayed together at the front, moving in time with the music. He twirled her around smoothly, both of them lost in the melody as the rest of the room slowly began to calm down from the earlier madness. The chaos gradually died down, and soon, only Luna, Mingyu, Wonwoo, and Dino remained up front.

That’s when Dino, ever the unpredictable one, began improvising a feminine dance to Luna’s verse. His exaggerated, flamboyant movements caught the attention of the remaining trio.

[The dancer appears]

Luna and Wonwoo, both introverts at heart and always on the same wavelength, felt a wave of secondhand embarrassment wash over them. They exchanged a glance, pausing in their tracks as they stared at Dino, concern evident in their eyes.

[The I type don’t know how to react]

The other members noticed this too and immediately pointed at Luna and Wonwoo, laughing at the contrast between Dino’s boldness and the duo’s awkwardness. Meanwhile, Mingyu was still in his own world, completely unaware of what was happening around him.

Finally, Luna and Wonwoo couldn’t take it anymore. They slowly backed away, retreating to their seats, leaving Dino and Mingyu up front to finish off the performance.

Seungkwan, always quick to keep a skit going, made his way over to Dino once more, and the two instantly fell back into their act from earlier. With exaggerated concern, Seungkwan placed a hand on Dino’s shoulder, as though guiding him gently away from the middle of the set.

“I called the cab,” Seungkwan said, his voice low but loud enough for everyone to hear, which made them all start to laugh. “Go home. Take the cab and go home.”

[Turns out he's the drunk from earlier]

Dino, more than willing to play along, gave a little scoff, shrugging Seungkwan’s hand off his shoulder with mock defiance. “I’ll go on my own,” he replied stubbornly, drawing more laughter from the others as he swayed in place, pretending to be tipsy.

“This is no place to dance,” Seungkwan continued, adding a stern edge to his voice as if he was genuinely concerned for his friend.

Dino rolled his eyes and crossed his arms, playing up his character. “I can handle myself,” he said with a wave of his hand, dismissing Seungkwan.

Suddenly, Jun rose from his seat, his expression mischievous, and he reached over to grab their table. With deliberate slowness, he lifted it above his head as if it were an umbrella, and then, in exaggerated steps, made his way to the front. The sight made everyone erupt in laughter, pointing and shaking their heads in disbelief.

“What are you doing?” Luna chuckled, watching him in amusement, her eyes bright with laughter.

Seungkwan finally broke character as he turned around and finally spotted Jun, his face instantly filled with feigned confusion. “Who are you?” he asked, playing up his bewilderment.

“Oh, is that an umbrella?” Seungkwan suddenly realized, his mouth dropping open in exaggerated shock.

Jun looked back with a mock scowl, a hint of pretend anger flashing across his face. “Haven’t you seen the music video?” he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm, referencing the ‘Bittersweet’ music video where it was raining. The members howled with laughter, clutching their stomachs as Jun stayed in character, glaring at them all.

“He’s short-tempered,” Joshua noted with a teasing grin, referencing the earlier joke about Jun’s personality flaw.

Dokyeom nodded in agreement, playing along with a serious expression as he looked at Jun. “I told you to keep calm,” he said, his voice filled with mock concern.

“Okay,” Jun sighed, shrugging off the table and carrying it back to its spot with a huff.

As he settled the table back down, Mingyu chimed in, waving a hand as if correcting them. “For your information,” he said, his voice filled with mock authority, “I didn’t put on the umbrella in the music video. Where did that come from?”

The group laughed, the playful banter bouncing around the room as they recalled the iconic video.

“That’s right,” Luna said with a grin, nodding as she remembered it. “He was just drenched.”

“Because it’s raining,” S.Coups and Jun explained in unison, both of them breaking into wide smiles.

The group chuckled at the memory, their laughter echoing around the set.

As the group settled in for the 22nd question, they waited, some tapping their feet and others sitting on the edge of their seats, eager for the next song.

[This will summon everyone again]

The tension lifted as soon as the song began with the opening beat, followed by a familiar vocal shout of “‘BLACKPINK!’”

That single name was enough to have nearly everyone up in an instant, hands raised, voices yelling in excitement, but S.Coups was the quickest to shout their team slogan, his voice booming, “I Don’t Know Who Park Bo Gum Is, But I Love Him And Cherish Him!”

“S.Coups was faster,” PD Na announced with a grin, glancing at the stopwatch before he began the countdown. “1, 2, 3…”

“BLACKPINK,” S.Coups declared confidently.

Beside him, Woozi looked slightly confused, his brows furrowed as he searched his memory. PD Na turned to him expectantly, counting down, “1, 2, 3…”

“‘DDU-DU DDU-DU,’” Woozi guessed, but the moment he said it, an eruption of groans and laughter filled the room. Hands shot up in the air as the rest of the members yelled their team slogans, each vying to steal the answer.

S.Coups, playing along with exaggerated disapproval, pretended to slap Woozi’s shoulder. Woozi looked over a small, sheepish smile on his face. “I’m sorry,” he said, shaking his head in defeat. “I don’t know.”

The members continued yelling and waving, eager to get the question back. Among them were Vernon and Minghao, Jun and Dokyeom, Luna and Joshua, and Mingyu and Jeonghan’s teams. Jeonghan, however, was still seated, looking around with mild confusion. He clearly didn’t know the answer but was amused watching the chaos unfold around him.

Mingyu, realizing his chance, shot up, hand in the air, and yelled his team’s slogan, “Burp And Fart!” He immediately turned to Jeonghan, eyes wide with hope as he practically begged with his eyes.

“Alright, Mingyu,” PD Na called out, counting down once again. “1, 2, 3…”

“BLACKPINK,” Mingyu announced confidently.

After a pause, Jeonghan pointed, taking a wild guess, “‘Pink Venom.’”

[He guessed]

“You got it,” PD Na confirmed, and Mingyu threw his hands up in celebration, giving Jeonghan a relieved grin as he muttered, “That was right?”

Luna, unimpressed, deadpanned, “I don’t understand why you make Hannie answer the title, Gyu.” Her tone was dry but filled with amusement, and her words made everyone chuckle.

“That’s because he doesn’t know the title either,” Joshua teased her, his own laughter mixing in with the group’s as they watched the two banter.

Suddenly, Dokyeom jumped to his feet, his jacket and mic pack discarded, and he strode to the center of the room with a determined look.

[Entering as if he's possessed]

Everyone’s eyes widened, recognizing the telltale signs. He’d performed this song before at a fan meet, and the members instantly started cheering, their voices overlapping in excitement.

“Kyeomie, show them!” Luna yelled, clapping her hands as she cheered him on.

As the song’s chorus hit, Dokyeom launched into the choreography with a perfect blend of sass and fierce energy, hitting each move as the others clapped and yelled their encouragement. They joined in on the ad-libs in the background, their voices a playful mess of loud notes and laughter as Dokyeom danced.

When the beat dropped, signaling the start of the dance break, Dokyeom went even harder, his movements sharp and filled with exaggerated drama as he embodied the performance with every ounce of his energy. By the time the song ended, Dokyeom lay sprawled across the floor in his final pose, his chest rising and falling with heavy breaths, a fierce look on his face.

[FYI, DK's in the Vocal Team]

The members erupted into applause, some on their feet, and others clapping and whistling in support. PD Na and the rest of the crew joined in, their own claps echoing through the room as they nodded in approval.

“Awesome,” Dino said, his expression one of genuine admiration.

“I never expected to see that,” Vernon added, grinning as he glanced at Dokyeom, who was still catching his breath.

S.Coups shook his head, his amusement clear as he pointed at Dokyeom. “Put your mic back on,” he said, a touch of fond exasperation in his voice as a staff member rushed forward to help Dokyeom reattach his mic pack.

As everyone settled back into their seats, PD Na gestured toward Dokyeom with a curious look. “How come he’s so good at it?”

“He did it at the fan meet,” Vernon explained, nodding toward Dokyeom.

“He did such a great job that Lee Jung, who created the choreography, posted it on her story,” Seungkwan added with a proud grin, recounting the honor with enthusiasm.

“Good job,” Joshua said with a gentle smile, giving Dokyeom a thumbs-up.

Dokyeom, still catching his breath, chuckled. “I didn’t think I’d still remember the choreography,” he admitted, his tone both proud and surprised.

Luna nodded, a warm smile on her face. “You did so well,” she added.

Suddenly, Jeonghan’s voice piped up, his expression thoughtful as he muttered, “I almost said ‘Black Venom.’”

[That's a movie title]

The group turned toward him, and laughter burst out again, with Luna laughing the loudest. Her giggles turned into high-pitched squeaks, and she leaned over, hiding her face behind Joshua’s back as she tried to catch her breath, her shoulders shaking with each laugh. The sight only made everyone else laugh harder, filling the room with an infectious joy.

As everyone settled down, PD Na glanced at the room with a wry smile, taking note of their barely contained energy. “There are only a few questions left,” he announced, his voice cutting through the air and signaling the nearing end of the game.

[2 questions left]

For a moment, a beat of silence fell over the room as everyone took a breath, eyes trained on PD Na, their anticipation almost tangible. Then, the intro beat of the next song began, filling the area with its rhythmic, pulsing beat.

The very first note had Vernon shooting up from his seat, his hand raised high in the air as he shouted their slogan, “I Don’t Like Your Earrings!” His voice carried through the room, drawing immediate attention. Minghao stood beside him, following suit.

PD Na pointed to them, nodding as he began the countdown. “1, 2, 3…”

With a quick movement, Vernon pointed at Minghao, ceding the responsibility. Minghao took a brief pause before answering with a single name, “Jessi.”

A playful look crossed PD Na’s face as he shook his head. “Jessi? Wrong.”

As disappointment flickered across Vernon and Minghao’s faces, Dokyeom was already leaping to his feet, his team slogan ready on his lips. “I Get Worked Up And Lose My Temper Easily!” he shouted, his voice brimming with excitement and a competitive edge.

PD Na turned to them, counting down as he had before, “1, 2, 3…”

“BLACKPINK,” Jun answered confidently, the name rolling off his tongue with ease.

Dokyeom jumped in, completing the guess with, “‘BOOMBAYAH!’”

A collective groan echoed as PD Na gave a shake of his head. “Wrong!”

Luna, seated beside Joshua, leaned closer, her voice a conspiratorial whisper as she asked, “Do you know?”

Joshua’s brow furrowed in thought before he sighed, “No, I don’t. Do you?”

Luna chuckled, her laughter soft but amused. “Nope.”

Meanwhile, Seungkwan and Hoshi were already up on their feet, bouncing with uncontainable excitement, arms raised high as they yelled their team slogan with almost exaggerated urgency, “Go Overboard For Show!”

Amused by their enthusiasm, PD Na gestured toward Hoshi with a nod. “Let’s start with Hoshi. 1, 2, 3…”

“HyunA,” Hoshi answered confidently, his voice steady.

Seungkwan was quick to follow, his answer sharp and certain. “‘I’m Not Cool.’”

“You got it,” PD Na confirmed with a grin, clapping his hands together in approval.

[This song will summon someone]

Seungkwan and Hoshi wasted no time, both striding to the front of the room with excitement shining in their eyes. As they prepared to launch into the dance, S.Coups’ expression turned pained, a low chuckle escaping him as he realized what was about to happen. He’d performed this dance once before on a show, and the memory seemed to both amuse and mildly torment him.

[As soon as he heard the title, he knew what was coming]

Noticing his reaction, several heads turned to him, their expressions expectant and slightly mischievous. Luna nudged S.Coups, her smile wide and encouraging. “Show them, Coupsie,” she said, her tone sweet but with a touch of teasing.

Beside her, Joshua joined in, leaning forward to gently push S.Coups. “Hurry.”

Dokyeom and Minghao joined the chorus of encouragement, each giving S.Coups a nudge until he found himself being all but pushed to the front, where Seungkwan and Hoshi were already absorbed in the opening moves of the dance.

[Summoned]

As the chorus hit, S.Coups, with his head slightly lowered in shyness, found himself nudged to the middle of Seungkwan and Hoshi. He moved to the beat with a mixture of reluctance and begrudging amusement, his dance moves a bit timid as he tried to follow along.

Meanwhile, Dokyeom was off to the side, his energy unmatched as he threw himself into the dance with wild abandon, each move exaggerated and filled with a contagious enthusiasm.

[Drawing attention]

Eventually, S.Coups shook his head with a shy grin, retreating back to his seat as the crowd clapped for him, clearly entertained by his effort. Dokyeom, however, continued dancing alongside Seungkwan and Hoshi, his energy seeming endless as he threw himself into each step.

When the song finally came to a close, Seungkwan took a step back, gesturing to Dokyeom with an exaggerated shake of his head. “I’m sorry, but why do we have an eel here?” he asked, his expression feigning confusion. “I thought he was an eel.”

Dokyeom broke into laughter as he returned to his seat, amused by the comparison, while the rest of the room burst into chuckles.

“No,” Luna chimed in with a grin, casting a playful glance at Dokyeom. “He’s like those dancing balloons.” She winked at Dokyeom, her smile warm and teasing.

Dokyeom laughed, nodding in agreement, clearly amused by the imagery Luna had painted for him.

Once everyone had settled back down, PD Na looked at S.Coups with a curious expression. “S.Coups?”

S.Coups looked up, slightly taken aback. “Yes?”

PD Na sighed, a hint of exasperation mingled with amusement in his voice. “I don’t even know how many times I’ve asked this question…” He paused for dramatic effect, eyes narrowing slightly. “What happened?”

S.Coups blinked, feigning innocence, his expression blank as he gave a small shrug, pretending not to know what PD Na was referring to. His silence only fueled the laughter around him, everyone clearly entertained by his act of cluelessness.

[Pretending not to know]

Before PD Na could continue, Mingyu leaned forward, clapping his hands as he urged S.Coups. “Do it alone. Come on,” he called out, his voice filled with playful insistence.

“Let’s go!” Dokyeom cheered from the side. “Show us!”

“Show us,” Mingyu echoed, adding to the chorus of encouragement.

S.Coups let out a reluctant sigh, slowly rising from his seat with a resigned smile. He moved to the front, glancing at the crowd as he demonstrated a single dance move, his hand waving in a vague imitation of the earlier choreography.

“This is all I know,” he said with a grin before quickly retreating back to his seat, the crowd erupting into laughter as he settled down, clearly relieved the ordeal was over.

[We demand a challenge]

Everyone was still buzzing from the previous round when Minghao, calm yet a bit on edge, leaned forward with a quick, quiet question. “Is this the last question?”

PD Na gave a small, almost suspenseful nod, his expression relaxed but knowing. “It’s the last one.”

The members perked up at his answer, a collective spark of determination passing through them. There was a shared energy, a silent agreement that this was the round they had to win.

The first instrumental beat hit, ringing through the air with a playful intensity. In an instant, Dino was on his feet, shouting his team’s slogan with a clear, confident voice: “Drink Less And Talk More!”

PD Na acknowledged Dino’s quick reaction and began the familiar countdown, his voice steady as he counted down, “1, 2, 3…”

Dino turned to Wonwoo, passing the responsibility with a simple glance. Wonwoo, already standing, didn’t hesitate. “Apink,” he stated, his voice calm but sure.

PD Na tilted his head, his tone quizzical. “By Apink.”

Dino’s brow furrowed, and he scratched his head thoughtfully, buying himself an extra moment.

Seungkwan, watching him intently, leaned forward, his voice insistent. “Pronounce it clearly. Exact spelling.”

Dino nodded and spoke with renewed certainty. “‘Only One’.”

PD Na gave a small shake of his head, his tone final. “Wrong.”

A disappointed groan came from Dino, and before he could sit back down, Dokyeom’s voice was already ringing through the air, his hand raised in a quick, enthusiastic wave. “I Get Worked Up And Lose My Temper Easily!”

PD Na turned to him with a small nod. “Team Worked Up.”

Jun took his cue, lifting his voice smoothly. “Apink.”

Dokyeom didn’t miss a beat, adding immediately, “‘Remember’.”

PD Na shook his head once more. “Wrong.”

Slogans echoed around the room as the members scrambled for their next chance, voices overlapping with their signature calls until Mingyu’s voice cut through with a loud, “Burp And Fart!”

The room stilled as PD Na nodded toward Mingyu, recognizing his turn. Mingyu started confidently, his voice clear. “Apink.”

PD Na gave a nod of acknowledgement as Mingyu glanced toward Jeonghan. Jeonghan answered with a playful grin, his voice measured. “‘NoNoNo’.”

PD Na shook his head, his voice firm. “Wrong.”

Jeonghan gave a small shrug, turning to Mingyu with a playful smile, his eyes twinkling with mischief. Mingyu shook his head with a smirk, sharing in the humor of their repeated failed guesses.

Still determined, Dino sprang up once more, calling out, “Drink Less And Talk More!”

PD Na gave him a patient look. “You had your chance already,” he reminded Dino gently.

Dino’s shoulders slumped as he sat back down, sulking a little as he folded his arms.

[PANDA is disappointed]

The chorus of the instrumental beat hit, and in that instant, Seungkwan and Hoshi couldn’t resist— they started singing along, their voices playful yet confident. Seeing his teammates so involved, Vernon jumped to his feet, raising his hand. “I Don’t Like Your Earrings!” he shouted, signaling their turn.

PD Na nodded, allowing Vernon to proceed. Minghao, standing with a quiet composure, stated, “Apink,” as if he already knew the answer.

With a point, Vernon spelt it out, “‘LOVE.’”

PD Na shook his head. “Wrong.”

Vernon’s expression turned incredulous, and he shook his head in disbelief.

“How could you get that wrong?” Seungkwan stepped forward, his voice steady and playful before he shouted, “Go Overboard For Show!”

[Professor Boo is hereto teach them a lesson]

PD Na pointed at him to go ahead. Hoshi didn’t hesitate. “Apink.”

Seungkwan took a brief, almost dramatic pause before spelling it out. “‘LUV,’” he announced clearly.

PD Na’s face lit up with approval. “You got it.”

Seungkwan didn’t waste a second, breaking into a victorious smile as he turned to Vernon. “Why is it spelled ‘LUV’ when they say ‘love’?” Vernon complained, sounding genuinely perplexed.

Ignoring him, Seungkwan simply walked up to the front with an easy confidence, starting the dance moves in front of Vernon, who couldn’t help but smile in reluctant amusement.

Not far behind him, Dino was warming up, stretching his arms and shoulders, ready to join in the dance. Seungkwan sidled up to him, a mischievous grin on his face as he leaned in close. “Dad,” he began, voice dripping with exaggerated innocence, “let’s go home after this.”

Dino caught on immediately, nodding with a serious expression, fully playing along. “Okay. This is the last one,” he replied, his voice filled with mock resignation.

Seungkwan continued, leaning into the bit with unrestrained glee. “Let’s go after this.”

“Okay,” Dino agreed.

With a small shake of his head, Seungkwan added in a final, dramatic tone, “My dad will stay here for a little more,” leaving Dino alone at the front as he backed away, casting Dino a playful smirk.

S.Coups, watching the whole exchange with an amused grin, called out in encouragement. “Let’s go!” he cheered, clapping his hands together as Dino took his place at the front.

[Prove that you're a big fan of Apink]

As the chorus hit, Dino launched into the dance with a surprising fluidity, each movement sharp and precise, as if he belonged in the choreography. He moved with such ease and energy that he seemed to embody the song’s original charm, each gesture and step filled with a playful dedication that had everyone laughing and clapping.

At one point, Dino spun to the left, locking eyes with the Jimmy Jib camera. Without missing a beat, he began dancing directly toward it, his moves exaggerated as he leaned in closer, earning loud laughter from his audience.

[Where are you going?]

The room erupted into cheers as he then spun to the right side, repeating the same move with the second camera, drawing even louder reactions from the members.

“Dino, good job!” Luna squealed from her seat, clapping her hands together in approval as Dino continued, his focus unwavering, until the chorus ended.

When the music finally faded out, the room filled with applause as Dino returned to his seat, his face flushed but smiling, clearly proud of his performance.

As Dino made his way back to his seat, a grin tugging at his lips, the others clapped him on the shoulder or gave him approving nods.

Dokyeom was the first to speak, eyes bright as he looked at Dino. “This is a really good song,” he said, the words heartfelt as he nodded along, clearly still humming the tune in his head.

PD Na smiled, nodding in agreement before raising a curious eyebrow at Dino. “Did the dance by the real fan,” he said with an amused glint in his eye. “Why didn’t you get it at first?”

From the seat next to Dino, Wonwoo gestured toward him, nodding knowingly as he interjected. “He said another track, am I right?”

Dino nodded quickly, his expression earnest as he explained. “Yes, it was in the other album.”

Seungkwan, leaning forward with a playful smile, couldn’t resist adding his two cents. “You meant ‘Only One,’” he said, giving Dino a knowing look.

Dino turned to him, his face lighting up as he nodded with enthusiasm. “That album is so good too,” he said, his voice filled with genuine appreciation.

As PD Na looked over the results with a gleam in his eye, he cleared his throat, and the room was hushed in anticipation. “Anyway, well done,” he said, offering a nod of approval to the group. “Now… the result is unbelievable. We were surprised too. We’ll start with first place.”

[The result announcement]

Instantly, the members’ heads turned in unison toward Seungkwan and Hoshi, who both straightened, excitement clear on their faces.

[It's obvious]

PD Na’s grin grew, and he continued, “Congratulations to Seungkwan and Hoshi.”

[1st place, Team Go Overboard For Show]

[They got 8 out of 24]

The two sprang to their feet with matching triumphant smiles, their hands intertwined and raised high in the air. The members erupted into cheers and applause, congratulating them with claps and whistles as Seungkwan and Hoshi, facing each other, broke into a victory dance, busting out exaggerated moves that had everyone laughing all over again.

PD Na waited for the laughter to die down before he continued, “This is what matters now. Guess who placed second.”

Seungkwan, with a teasing glint in his eye, looked around and echoed, “I wonder who placed second.”

“It could be us. We got four,” Mingyu muttered, leaning over to Jeonghan.

Jeonghan nodded. “It could be us.”

Minghao, glancing sideways at Vernon, chimed in quietly, “It could be us.”

Meanwhile, Luna leaned toward Joshua, a playful smile tugging at her lips. “It’s definitely not us,” she whispered, stifling a giggle.

PD Na’s voice cut through, naming the two teams that had tied for second. “Team Burp And Fart and Team I Don’t Like Your Earrings.”

[They both placed 2nd]

[2nd place, Team Burp And Fart and Team I Don’t Like Your Earrings]

[They both got 4 out of 24]

The announcement brought cheers from both teams, with Jeonghan, in a rare show of excitement, standing up with his hands clapping together.

[Getting up for the first time in 65 minutes]

Once the cheers had quieted, PD Na went on, “There are two for third place as well. Team Drink Less And Talk More, and Team We Are Too Perfect, It’s Annoying.”

[3rd place, Team Drink Less And Talk More and Team We Are Too Perfect, It’s Annoying]

[They both got 3 out of 24]

Luna and Joshua shared a high-five. “Good job,” Joshua said, giving her an approving smile.

Luna nodded, satisfied. “We did great.”

Joshua leaned closer, his voice just a whisper, “There’s still the MHP.”

Luna nodded, a glimmer of excitement in her eyes. “Right,” she murmured.

[Aiming for the MHP]

“For fourth place…” PD Na continued, glancing at his notes, “Team I Get Worked Up And Lose My Temper Easily.”

[4th place, Team I Get Worked Up And Lose My Temper Easily]

[They got 2 out of 24]

Dokyeom and Jun clapped, high-fiving each other as they celebrated. “Good job,” Dokyeom said to Jun, grinning.

Then, as PD Na turned to the remaining members, S.Coups gave Woozi a sidelong look and let out a low chuckle. “What were we doing?”

Woozi just shook his head in mock despair. PD Na raised his voice slightly to make the last announcement, unable to keep a grin from his face. “Woozi and S.Coups, you got nothing.”

[They got 0 out of 24]

Both of them sank back in their seats with exaggerated expressions of defeat, drawing laughter from the rest of the members.

PD Na, smiling, then went on to announce the MHP, or ‘Most Hip Players.’ He held up his hands to draw attention, adding suspense. “The MHP was a cut-throat competition. The production team agreed that it goes to Team We Are Too Perfect, It’s Annoying, and Team I Get Worked Up And Lose My Temper Easily.”

[A tie]

Both teams broke into applause, clapping for themselves with pride. Luna and Joshua exchanged a triumphant smile, while Dokyeom and Jun laughed, pleased with the outcome.

Hoshi nodded approvingly, giving them an enthusiastic thumbs-up. “I approve,” he said, clapping along with the rest.

Dino joined in the praise, looking at Luna, Joshua, Dokyeon, and Jun. “You were amazing.”

“They were good,” Minghao agreed, nodding toward them with a small smile.

[5 draw chances for 1st place, 3 draw chances for 2nd place, 2 draw chances for 3rd place, 1 draw chance for 4th place]

As the anticipation settled over the group, PD Na looked over to Luna and Joshua’s team, as well as Dokyeom and Jun’s team. “MHP winners get two additional draw chances,” he announced, raising his voice slightly so everyone could hear clearly.

Luna and Joshua exchanged pleased looks, and PD Na continued, “So, Luna and Joshua, though you placed third, you won MHP, so you get four chances in total.” The explanation made Luna and Joshua beam as the rest of the members looked on, nodding in approval.

[+2 draw chances]

Then, turning to Dokyeom and Jun, PD Na said, “The same goes for Dokyeom and Jun. You placed fourth, but you get two more draw chances, so that’s three chances in total.”

[+2 draw chances]

A round of applause erupted from both teams, with Luna clapping excitedly. “That’s better than second place,” she said, her voice ringing with satisfaction as her team members laughed in agreement.

“Yes,” Dokyeom chimed in, nodding at her with a big grin.

The two teams came together, clapping each other on the back in celebration as they united in their mini-victory.

PD Na shuffled and pulled out a large bag in his hands that contained the hopes, wishes, and prizes written by each team member, mixed in with sixty potential duds. The members’ attention shifted, and all eyes focused intently on the bag, watching as PD Na positioned himself at the front.

[The draw Producer Na’s holding contains each team's wish]

[Before the music quiz they were told to write their wishes]

PD Na held the bag steady and looked at the group with a smile. “After discussing with your colleagues, you all wrote something you want,” he began. His eyes scanned over the members, who listened intently. “Seungkwan and Hoshi, what did you write?”

“Your therapeutic variety show,” Seungkwan said confidently, making a few members laugh in anticipation of his usual passion.

“Like ‘Three Meals a Day’?” PD Na suggested, referencing his previous shows to clarify.

“Or ‘Wise Mountain Village Life’?” Dokyeom chimed in.

Seungkwan’s eyes lit up. “A chance to appear on your variety show.”

[All they care about is being on a show]

“SEVENTEEN?” Mingyu asked, raising an eyebrow with curiosity.

Seungkwan shook his head, grinning mischievously. “No, Seungkwan and Hoshi only.”

[They even care about the budget]

The group burst into laughter at his response, and Seungkwan gave a shrug, feigning innocence. “They can’t handle all fourteen people,” he explained, nodding toward PD Na. “I know you can’t.”

“It’s hard to divide fourteen people,” Wonwoo pointed out, laughing at the prospect.

Mingyu smirked, eyes narrowing in playful suspicion. “But what if… I draw the wish?”

Seungkwan was ready, nodding as if he’d thought of every angle. “So I wrote Hoshi and Seungkwan,” he clarified with pride.

“Then it’s no use,” Luna and Jeonghan said in sync, turning to Seungkwan with raised brows and a grin. The precision of their timing made the group laugh even louder.

“Right,” Mingyu confirmed, nodding at them both. “Whoever draws it takes it.”

[The person who draws it gets to appearon Producer Na's variety show]

Once the laughter settled, PD Na moved on. “Next, Mingyu and Jeonghan, what did you write?”

Jeonghan drew out a sigh, drawing the group’s attention with his usual dramatic flair. “I was jealous of Hoshi…”

“So,” Mingyu interjected, already smirking, “two hair dryers from Dyson.”

Their answer was so unexpectedly practical that it caught everyone off guard, and laughter erupted again.

[Practical shopping cart]

[Two opposite wishes]

“Just get it on your own,” S.Coups teased, shaking his head with a grin.

Jeonghan gave a playful shrug. “We decided to be practical.”

PD Na chuckled, nodding approvingly. “That’s very practical.”

Mingyu then deadpanned, giving Jeonghan a look of mock suspicion as he pointed in his direction. “That’s why he got up earlier.”

Jeonghan joined in, clapping his hands and mimicking his excitement from earlier, adding, “‘Oh, the hair dryer!’”

PD Na moved to Dino and Wonwoo, gesturing for them to share. “Alright, Dino and Wonwoo?” he asked, the curiosity in his voice sparking the attention of everyone in the room.

[What's Dino and Wonwoo's wish?]

“We love your shows, and we haven’t been on a trip in a while,” Wonwoo began with a small smile, setting the tone for their wish.

“Right,” Hoshi chimed in immediately, nodding in agreement as if endorsing their choice.

“So, SEVENTEEN’s ‘Youth Over Flowers’,” Wonwoo finished, his voice carrying a hopeful tone. At the mention of one of PD Na’s shows, where the cast is notoriously “kidnapped” by Na PD and whisked away on an unplanned adventure, the room is filled with enthusiastic applause and cheers, fully in support of the idea.

PD Na nodded, a knowing smile spreading across his face as he echoed, “Ah,” clearly appreciating the choice.

“They wrote SEVENTEEN,” Jun said with an approving clap, joining the excitement.

[They wrote a wish for SEVENTEEN]

“That’s nice,” Hoshi said with a grin, eyes twinkling with admiration.

“You’re so generous,” S.Coups added, seizing the opportunity to tease Seungkwan with a playful look.

“I hope that gets picked.” Luna chimed in, clearly interested in the concept of the show.

“They only care about themselves, but we care about everyone,” Dino said as he pointed at Seungkwan and Hoshi.

“Good. This is it.” Jun said.

Seungkwan’s eyes widened as he looked around the room, watching as their generous wish for a full group show continued to gather approval. “What… What does that make me?” he stammered, a mix of humor and disbelief in his expression as he looked at his teammate, Hoshi, and the others laughing.

[A man who cares about Producer Na and the budget]

“You're so kind.” Jeonghan told Dino.

“That's what you call a member.” Said Joshua.

“That's what we need for the team.” Followed by Jun.

[Everyone compliments]

“Seungkwanie is so cute,” Luna chuckled from her seat, observing the situation with amusement as she watched Seungkwan’s animated reaction.

“They even got all the questions on SEVENTEEN,” Mingyu said as he pointed at Dino and Wonwoo.

[Got all questions on SEVENTEEN]

Meanwhile, Hoshi, ever quick to take sides in the most entertaining way, grabbed his chair, lifting it along with him as he made his way over to sit next to Wonwoo, draping his arm around him in solidarity. “You’re so generous,” he told Wonwoo, patting him on the back with a wide grin as if they’d been teammates all along.

“What does that make me?” Seungkwan repeated, completely incredulous as the entire room burst into laughter.

“That’s what you call a team,” Hoshi declared, completely disowning Seungkwan as his teammate for a split second, much to everyone’s delight.

“You never know,” PD Na said with a chuckle, seamlessly moving things along as the laughter began to die down. “Vernon and The8, what did you write?”

Vernon looked over at Minghao, both of them smiling sheepishly. “We’re shy to say this, but we also want to appear on your show,” Minghao admitted. “We only wrote our names.”

“Alright.” PD Na nodded in understanding, barely able to contain his amusement as Hoshi moved back to his original seat next to Seungkwan, patting him on the back as if no divide had ever existed between them.

Mingyu looked over at Jeonghan, realizing the contrast in their own wish compared to the others. “That makes us look weird,” he muttered, half to himself, while Jeonghan looked unbothered.

“Only if you draw it, we’ll grant it no matter what,” PD Na reassured with a comforting smile, dispelling any worry.

“I hope we get SEVENTEEN’s ‘Youth Over Flowers’,” Seungkwan said, nodding in genuine excitement.

“Right. I only want that one now,” Luna agreed, nodding along with him, her expression reflecting her enthusiasm for the group wish.

[The next wish]

PD Na turned his attention to Woozi and S.Coups, a smile of curiosity playing on his face. “Alright, Woozi and S.Coups?” he asked, raising his brows expectantly.

Woozi leaned forward, his tone confident as he spoke. “To promote our new song ‘Super’, we want you to do a challenge,” he explained, his eyes gleaming with the mischief of his suggestion.

PD Na let out a pained chuckle, visibly wincing while the writers seated next to him clapped in delight, fully supportive of the idea.

[Mental breakdown]

“He needs to learn, right?” Jeonghan chimed in, his tone deadpan but a smile tugging at his lips as he pointed at PD Na.

“You need to learn the choreography,” S.Coups stated, crossing his arms as if daring PD Na to take on the challenge.

“You need to learn it thoroughly,” Joshua added with a grin, nodding his head in emphasis.

PD Na shook his head, his eyes wide as he feigned terror. “I noticed it has, like, sixteen moves in one beat,” he said, looking at them in mock despair.

The members broke into laughter at PD Na’s comment, each amused at his reaction to the notorious difficulty of Super’s choreography.

Woozi gave a small shrug. “I felt bad to write it, but I doubt we’d draw it,” he said, glancing at S.Coups with a half-smile.

PD Na hesitated, glancing at the camera, clearly uneasy at the prospect of having to perform such an intricate dance. “Well…” he started, his reluctance evident. “If you draw it. What’s impossible if we practice? We can do anything,” he finished, his voice trying to sound upbeat but betraying a hint of trepidation.

After a pause, PD Na straightened and turned his focus to the next team, shaking off the previous challenge as he looked over at Luna and Joshua. “Luna and Joshua, what did you ask for?” he inquired, folding his hands in front of him.

Luna leaned forward, glancing mischievously at Joshua before turning back to PD Na with a sly grin. “To increase the chances…” she began, her eyes twinkling with a hint of mischief.

Her grin widened as she spoke again. “Our team and Dokyeomie and Jun’s team decided to team up, and we wrote your challenge,” she said, gesturing toward both her team and Dokyeom and Jun’s team with an air of triumph.

[Wish collusion]

PD Na’s expression fell immediately, looking thoroughly defeated as he processed that the chances had now doubled. The writers clapped and nodded in excitement, unable to contain their enthusiasm for the twist. Meanwhile, the members erupted into laughter and applause, thoroughly impressed by Luna’s strategic move.

“If there are three, that raises the chance,” Dokyeom pointed out, his grin matching Luna’s as he raised his hand for a high-five.

Luna laughed as she high-fived Dokyeom, fully enjoying the cleverness of their plan.

[They're good at math]

PD Na, clearly desperate to reason his way out of the inevitable, held up his hands in protest. “Let me tell you. It might not help you promote your new song,” he tried to argue, his voice tinged with a last-ditch attempt to dissuade them.

But the members merely brushed him off reassuringly, waving away his concerns as they laughed even harder.

[We doubt it]

[Time to draw the wish]

[There are 7 wishes and 60 duds]

Finally, it was time for the SEVENTEEN members to draw their prizes. The anticipation was thick in the air, each member’s gaze fixed on the bag that PD Na held out with a careful yet taunting smile.

“This is it,” PD Na said, extending the bag of folded wishes and duds toward them. “It’s all about probabilities now.”

Dokyeom was the first to stand, moving to take the bag from PD Na with an air of readiness as the other members cheered him on. As he made his way back to his seat, S.Coups called after him with a grin, “Dokyeom, let’s be on ‘Youth Over Flowers’!”

“You have three chances,” PD Na reminded Dokyeom and Jun, leaning back with a look of mild dread.

“Mix well,” S.Coups encouraged, eyeing the bag in Dokyeom’s hands with hopeful determination.

Dokyeom grinned and shook the bag thoroughly, his expression amused and determined.

[Shaking as hard as he can]

“Kyeomie, no pressure, but you have to get the ‘Youth Over Flowers’,” Luna called out, making Dokyeom laugh at her particular phrasing.

Vernon nodded in agreement, crossing his arms with a small smile. “SEVENTEEN’s ‘Youth Over Flowers’ is a good idea.”

[Everyone wishes for 'Youth Over Flowers']

From the other end of the group, Jeonghan turned toward Mingyu, confusion creasing his brow. “What’s ‘Youth Over Flowers’?” he asked, leaning in with genuine curiosity.

Mingyu smirked knowingly. “It’s a therapeutic variety show,” he explained with a small nod.

“It’s your favorite,” Seungkwan chimed in, glancing knowingly at Jeonghan.

Jeonghan nodded, satisfied. “It’s my favorite,” he repeated with a soft smile.

With a confident grin, Dokyeom placed his hand in the bag, feeling around with his fingers for one of the small, folded pieces of paper. He held his breath, concentrating. “I think I can feel it,” he said, his voice carrying a spark of excitement as he finally picked one.

Carefully keeping it folded, he pulled his hand out of the bag. Jun, next to him, quickly reached in for their second chance, selecting his own folded paper. With a final determined look, Dokyeom took their third and last piece, holding the small bundle of their three slips in his hand.

They kept the papers folded tightly, awaiting the signal to reveal their fate. All eyes turned to PD Na, who looked around, seeing their eager faces and sensing the mounting tension.

“Seriously, it’d be great if we get ‘Youth Over Flowers’,” Seungkwan murmured, his voice hopeful.

“And?” PD Na gestured toward Jun, signaling him to open the first paper.

The group held their breath, leaning in as Jun slowly unfolded the paper. His face lit up in a burst of surprise, eyes widening as he looked at the slip, giving everyone a split-second pause of intense curiosity.

“Oh!” he exclaimed, the surprise and slight shock in his voice piquing everyone’s interest even further.

[What is it?]

PD Na’s face tightened with unease, eyebrows raised as he awaited the verdict. But then, Jun glanced at them with a shrug. “It’s a dud,” he revealed, the disappointment softened by his playful grin.

PD Na visibly breathed out in relief, a sigh that didn’t go unnoticed by the others, who chuckled at his reaction.

Beside Jun, Dokyeom had already begun to open his slip, anticipation clearly written on his face. Suddenly, he jumped to his feet, eyes wide in astonishment. “SEVENTEEN’s ‘Youth Over Flowers’!” he shouted, disbelief and excitement evident as he moved to the front, holding the paper up in triumph.

[No way]

A chorus of cheers erupted from the group, a mix of pure excitement and disbelief filling the air. Dokyeom, Jun, Seungkwan, S.Coups, Dino, and Mingyu all stood up, gathering around Dokyeom as he proudly held up the slip to the camera, displaying the words as proof.

From the seats, the remaining members were clapping, some in shock and others simply overjoyed by the sheer luck of the draw.

[No one can believe it]

“Really?! That’s amazing,” Luna breathed, watching the group in front as they jumped and cheered, each basking in the thrill of their unexpected win.

PD Na and his writers, on the other hand, looked up at the celebrating members, the reality of the situation dawning on them. They knew it would be an enormous production expense to take all fourteen members on the show. But the SEVENTEEN members were too lost in their excitement to care.

[The production crew are surprised]

“SEVENTEEN’s ‘Youth Over Flowers’!” Joshua cheered, joining in on the infectious energy.

“Dokyeom-ah, your luck is insane today,” Luna added, still slightly in shock at the odds they had overcome.

PD Na shook his head in disbelief, his expression baffled. “Is this true? Who wrote it?” he asked, his tone both incredulous and amused.

With a small smile, Wonwoo stood up, pointing at the paper in Dokyeom’s hand. “I wrote it,” he said, pride evident in his voice.

[Wonwoo wrote it and DK drew it]

“Let’s stop here,” Hoshi interjected with a laugh, as though calling it quits now that they had hit the jackpot.

“Forget about the rest,” S.Coups added with a grin, arms crossed as if to punctuate the statement.

“That’s all we need,” Minghao agreed with a nod.

“No, it’s not,” Luna countered, ever the voice of reason. “The challenge.”

Jeonghan nodded at her, seeing her point. “It’s even better if we keep going. There’s still the ‘Super’ challenge left,” he agreed, the pair locked in mutual understanding.

[The two greedy bunnies]

“Oh, you’re right. Geniuses, the both of you,” Hoshi remarked, clearly impressed.

“How many duds were there?” Wonwoo asked, glancing at PD Na.

“There were sixty duds,” PD Na replied, shaking his head in disbelief.

[DK managed to draw it in 2nd time]

Jeonghan turned to Dokyeom, giving him an approving nod. “Good job,” he praised, clearly impressed with Dokyeom’s draw.

“It’s like a drama,” Dino murmured, almost in awe.

[Even the drama won't go like this]

“Well done,” Seungkwan added with a grin, clapping Dokyeom on the back.

PD Na, realizing the challenge ahead, leaned toward his writers, his tone resigned. “I better talk to my company,” he murmured.

Jun, still high on excitement, laughed. “It’s meant to be.”

Luna nodded at him, still smiling. “It is.”

PD Na looked up, realization settling in. “It’s going to cost a lot. My goodness. We’ll have to rent a bus.”

[They have to worry about how to fool 14 people]

“You better set the date soon,” Hoshi urged with a grin, barely containing his laughter.

“Right,” Seungkwan agreed with an enthusiastic nod.

“We’ll cancel all other schedules,” Wonwoo added nonchalantly, making PD Na look at them with widened eyes.

“What?” PD Na laughed, shaking his head at the pressure they were now putting on him.

“We’ll make ourselves available,” S.Coups said, patting PD Na’s shoulder as though sealing the promise.

PD Na sighed, looking at each of them. “We’ll talk about it later. We always keep our promise,” he assured, finally giving in.

[We'll talk to your agency]

With that, the members broke into applause, all satisfied with the deal.

Once everyone had settled back down, PD Na turned to Jun, curiosity lingering in his gaze. “How about the last one?” he asked, gesturing to the unopened paper in Jun’s hand.

Jun carefully unfolded it, giving the room a brief flash of anticipation before he sighed, “Unfortunately, it’s a dud.”

With a small nod, PD Na turned toward Luna and Joshua. “Okay, Luna and Joshua, it’s your turn. Four chances for the MHPs,” he announced, a glimmer of expectation in his eyes.

Dokyeom, still riding high from his earlier win, handed the bag over to them with a grin.

Joshua took it first, shaking it thoroughly as Luna watched him with a steady, focused gaze. As everyone leaned in, eager to see the result, Joshua carefully reached in, plucking out two slips of paper before handing the bag to Luna, who mirrored his actions, drawing her two slips.

[2 draws each]

Joshua took the lead, unfolding his first paper. His face fell slightly, and he held it up for everyone to see. “It’s a dud,” he said with a disappointed chuckle. Undeterred, he moved on to the next one, only to shake his head as he looked at the paper. “Dud,” he confirmed with a sigh.

All eyes turned to Luna as she carefully opened her first slip. “Dud,” she announced, her tone calm and controlled, though a small smile played at the corners of her lips. PD Na let out another relieved sigh, visibly relaxing.

[Three duds]

Then it was time for the fourth and final slip. Luna’s expression turned stoic as she held the folded paper, everyone watching her intently. She turned the paper around, realizing it was upside down. Slowly, the familiar handwriting caught her eye— the flowing, almost calligraphic style unmistakably belonging to Jeonghan.

Which could only mean…

[What is it?]

Luna started chuckling, glancing up with a knowing look as she locked eyes with Jeonghan. “Two Dyson hair dryers,” she announced with a laugh.

A collective gasp filled the room, followed by a wave of delighted cheers. Jeonghan’s face lit up in sheer excitement, grinning from ear to ear as he clapped for her, while Joshua checked the paper and joined in the cheering.

“I don’t know why you’re excited. She and Joshua won it, not you,” Mingyu pointed out, chuckling at Jeonghan’s enthusiasm.

[He was the most enthusiastic]

S.Coups pointed at Luna and Dokyeom, a proud grin on his face. “The MHP luck is insane.”

As the cheers gradually subsided, Luna glanced back at PD Na, her brow creasing in consideration. “Wait, we can disregard this one since we already won the ‘Youth Over Flowers,’” she said, sounding thoughtful.

But before PD Na could even consider agreeing, Jeonghan’s voice rang out, clear and insistent. “No. Nana-ya, Don’t worry about it. Let them get it for you.”

[What?]

Laughter erupted from the members, disbelief coloring their voices. “Ya! Yoon Jeonghan, you’re really shameless. Noona already won you a Lego set earlier!” Seungkwan called out, shaking his head. “And, noona, you let him!” he added, sending the group into another fit of laughter.

Luna hid her face behind Joshua’s back, embarrassed, while Jeonghan leaned back in his seat, casually running his fingers through his long hair with a lazy smirk.

“It’s not that…” Luna started, her voice muffled, attempting to explain herself.

Joshua cut in with a pointed look in Jeonghan’s direction. “Ya! She’s my teammate. The other Dyson is mine.”

The room exploded with laughter, everyone entertained by the lighthearted bickering. PD Na looked on in amused disbelief, shaking his head at the scene unfolding before him.

“I just want Jiyeonie to win it,” Jeonghan stated smoothly, his tone too cool and composed to be entirely innocent.

[Excuses]

Luna met his gaze, and a realization dawned on her. “Ah… we’ll share?” she asked, understanding his meaning. A shared smile passed between them, and Luna nodded her tone firm. “Alright.”

She turned back to PD Na, her earlier offer of consideration now forgotten. “Forget what I said earlier… we won the Dyson,” she stated, her eyes sparkling with mirth.

[The greedy bunnies pt. 2]

The members burst into laughter, Seungkwan shaking his head in disbelief. “Those two are really shameless,” he chuckled.

PD Na could only nod, a grin of reluctant admiration spreading across his face. “Alright,” he agreed, shaking his head at their antics as the members clapped and laughed, basking in the chaos and camaraderie.

Once everyone had settled down from the previous round of excitement, the prize bag made its way across the room to Vernon and Minghao. The two shared a look of amusement as they reached in, each drawing out slips of paper in anticipation. Since S.Coups and Woozi hadn’t scored any points, they skipped their turn, leaving Vernon and Minghao with three draws. Minghao went first, unfolding his slip carefully.

“Dud,” Minghao announced with a small shrug before passing the next slip to Vernon.

Vernon, who was seated beside him, reached for the second paper. He glanced at it, and a faint smile tugged at the corners of his lips. “Dud,” he confirmed.

Minghao picked up the last slip with little expectation. He opened it slowly, glancing up with a nonchalant expression. “It’s a dud.”

[3 duds]

Everyone chuckled, and PD Na let out a sigh of relief, his expression a mix of disbelief and gratitude.

Next up, Dino and Wonwoo, who had two chances, drew with quiet determination. Dino was first, and as he opened his slip, he gave a slight nod before announcing, “It’s a dud.”

Wonwoo picked up the final paper from their turn, opening it with his usual calm demeanor. “Dud,” He confirmed, letting the paper fall as he shared a quick look with Dino.

“That’s a relief,” PD Na said, still looking slightly overwhelmed.

“It’s amazing that they managed to draw the prizes,” Wonwoo said, glancing in the direction of Dokyeom and Luna.

“Right. It’s never easy to draw it,” Woozi agreed with a small nod.

The bag then moved to Jeonghan and Mingyu, who shared a mischievous smile before each drawing a slip. Mingyu went first, pulling a paper from the bag and looking at it with a mixture of surprise and amusement. “Oh?” he exclaimed, raising his eyebrows.

Jeonghan looked over, curious. “What?”

With a deadpan expression, Mingyu turned the paper for everyone to see. “Dud.”

They laughed, and Jeonghan took his turn, carefully unfolding the paper. Immediately, he noticed the familiar handwriting on it— it was Luna’s, he gasped, recognition lighting up his eyes. Mingyu, who had leaned over to look, let out a shocked laugh, collapsing onto the floor in a fit of laughter.

“What?” PD Na asked, looking increasingly anxious.

Jeonghan held the slip up with a triumphant grin. “Producer Na’s ‘Super’ Challenge!” he announced, already standing up and striding toward PD Na to show him the paper.

[We never thought that was possible]

The room erupted, the cheers and laughter reaching a fever pitch as the members reacted as if they’d just won the lottery.

Luna sat with her hand covering her mouth, eyes wide in shock, while the others crowded around Jeonghan and PD Na, laughing and cheering, with Dokyeom even breaking into an impromptu dance to tease the producer.

PD Na, utterly stunned, could only stare at the slip in Jeonghan’s hand while his team of writers joined in the laughter.

Joshua came over to Jeonghan, glancing down at the paper with a grin. “Luna and I wrote this one. At first, it was a steam closet, but we changed it to raise the chances.”

[2nd, 3rd, and 4th places drew the big ones]

Luna leaned forward in disbelief, her gaze locked on the slip. “Ah, is it our paper?” she asked, stunned.

Joshua nodded, showing her the handwriting. “Yes, it’s your handwritting.”

Once the laughter died down, Jeonghan took his final slip, glancing at it briefly. “The last one is a dud,” he announced, still grinning.

“Have you done a challenge before?” Seungkwan asked PD Na, who shook his head, looking slightly dazed.

“No,” PD Na admitted.

“His first challenge happens to be ‘Super,’” Seungkwan laughed.

“Shall we stop here?” PD Na suggested with a chuckle, and everyone burst into laughter again.

[Not only the budget is gone, but he's also having a meltdown]

Finally, PD Na turned to Seungkwan and Hoshi. “Seungkwan and Hoshi, you placed first, so you can draw five,” he announced, handing them the bag.

Hoshi drew first, opening his slip with cautious excitement. “The first one… Dud.”

Seungkwan opened the next two at once, glancing at both papers. “They’re both duds,” he said, his voice tinged with disappointment.

Hoshi took the fourth slip, opening it quickly. “Dud,” he announced, letting out a sigh.

“One more,” S.Coups encouraged, hoping for one last win.

“Yes, one more,” Jeonghan chimed in with a grin.

Hoshi nodded, and Seungkwan drew the final slip. He opened it and immediately started giggling as he read the writing.

“What?” Jeonghan asked, all eyes on Seungkwan, who held up the paper with a mischievous smile.

“It’s our own wish to appear on PD Na’s show,” he said, earning an amused sigh and a nod from the rest of the group, while PD Na just stared at him, dumbfounded.

[They drew their own wish]

“Actually, let’s not do this,” Seungkwan said, shaking his head.

“Right. They overlap,” Hoshi agreed, chuckling.

[They decided to give up on it]

[They already got 'Youth Over Flowers']

“By the way, we picked the good ones,” Jeonghan said with a smirk, looking satisfied.

“We had five chances, but they got nothing,” Hoshi remarked.

PD Na shook his head, letting out a wry chuckle. “Anyway, I’ll need to talk to your agency about this.”

[The production crew shared the rest of the duds after the shoot]

With that, PD Na brought the segment to an end. “Good work, everyone. That was unbelievable,” he said, bowing his head slightly as the members clapped, bowing back and voicing their thanks.

The break began, with some members moving to head back to the green room, still reeling from the excitement, while others lingered on set, talking animatedly about their prizes. S.Coups gestured to Dokyeom, “Dokyeom, take a picture of ‘Youth Over Flowers.’”

Dokyeom nodded, reaching for his phone to snap a photo.

Meanwhile, Luna jumped up from her seat, a bright smile on her face, and skipped across the room toward Jeonghan. “I’m really excited for ‘Youth Over Flowers,’” she said as she slipped her arms around him from behind, resting her chin on his shoulder.

Jeonghan smiled, reaching up to caress her arms gently. “How did he manage to draw it? That was amazing.”

From across the room, Woozi’s voice drifted over, “How did you draw it? That was amazing.” he asked Dokyeom, genuinely impressed.

“We had all the duds,” Hoshi joked, pointing at Vernon, Minghao, Wonwoo, and Dino, who all laughed in response.

“The chance to draw a dud is definitely higher,” Woozi agreed with a knowing nod.

[They're still impressed]

The group continued walking around, chatting and laughing as they shared stories from the segment and captured pictures to commemorate the moment.

Luna, still hugging Jeonghan from behind, walked in sync with him as they slowly made their way toward the green room.

“You did such a good job back there,” Jeonghan murmured softly, tilting his head to glance at her over his shoulder. His tone was gentle, his expression warm as he looked at her with pride.

“Thank you. I had fun,” she whispered, pressing her cheek against his back, feeling the warmth of his praise.

Jeonghan chuckled, patting her hand. “I’m glad you had fun. I did too.”

Luna smiled, her cheeks tinged with a blush.

They continued their conversation, Jeonghan’s words filled with gentle affection as he showered her with compliments. His voice was soft, almost a murmur, as he cooed over her efforts. She held onto him tightly, savoring the warmth of his praise, and they walked out of the set like that, completely absorbed in each other.

Finally, Jeonghan glanced back, his eyes twinkling. “I can’t believe you won the Dyson.”

“It’s fate,” Luna murmured, resting her cheek against his shoulder with a contented sigh. “I think I surprised even myself.”

As they reached the open area outside, Mingyu stretched his arms, taking a deep breath. “The weather’s really nice,” he commented, glancing around at the bright sky. “Seungkwan, do you want to play foot volleyball?”

At that, Dokyeom broke into song again, belting out, “‘I love my team, I love my crew!’”

[That's DK again]

Nearby, Jeonghan, who had let Luna move in front of him so he could wrap his arms around her shoulders, asked, “Who’s on ‘Youth Over Flowers’?”

[Jeonghan doesn't watch TV]

“WINNER was on it before,” S.Coups answered, chuckling. “It’s a long-term project.”

“Is it really long-term?” Jeonghan asked with a grin as he looked down at Luna, pulling her a little closer.

“Yes,” S.Coups confirmed.

“That sounds like so much fun,” Luna said, her face lighting up with excitement.

Jeonghan smiled, leaning down slightly to press a quick kiss to the top of her head. “That’s great.”

“What does that mean?” Jun asked, curious.

“A long time,” Jeonghan clarified, content in his eyes as he looked around at his friends.

Jeonghan’s gaze softened as he looked at Luna, the warmth of her against his chest grounding him. “What about the South Pole? I want to visit the South Pole,” he said, his voice a little wistful.

Luna turned her head to look at him with a curious smile. “Why the South Pole and not the North Pole?” she asked, her tone light as she leaned back into him.

Jeonghan considered her question, then returned it with a teasing gleam in his eye. “Hmm, why the North Pole then?”

“Santa Claus lives at the North Pole,” Luna answered matter-of-factly, her response making him chuckle.

“Alright, alright. The North Pole it is,” he indulged her, his voice warm as he hugged her tighter, savoring the simple happiness of the moment.

The rest of the members continued to laugh and chat around the arena as they did their own thing, their easy camaraderie filling the space with energy and joy. But for Jeonghan and Luna, wrapped up in each other’s presence, it was as though they were in a world of their own.

As they stood there, Jeonghan could feel the day’s events fading into something distant, leaving only this moment— this effortless, quiet intimacy— as they walked toward the green room, hand in hand, preparing themselves for the upcoming segment.

[Please wait for 'Youth Over Flowers']

['Super' challenge is coming in Clip 3-2]

[To be continued in Clip 3-2]

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[ghostdiva]

ok so the new trailer for episode 3 just dropped. big hype. here are some theory's, notes, and observations.

also I took a lot of screenshots...

anyway here we go.

so the adventure is set to be "The Mystery of Mildenhall Manor". Now, I do think that Caine is gonna be the quest giver this time, sending the gang to find something inside the spooky, probably haunted manor.

small guess is that they gotta find Matilda, one of the ghosts haunting the manor, and trap her in a vacuum. idk why, it's literally just a hunch.

Jax also takes a moment to harass Pomni with a vacuum, which just makes me think of Luigi's Mansion.

anyway, the gang (minus Zooble) are gonna go in the manor and try to find whatever they're looking for, and either by agreement or random set of events, the gang is gonna split up, Pomni and Kinger being paired up. I don't really know if Ragatha, Gangle, and Jax stick together or not, as they're not really shown much in the trailer.

I am inclined to believe it is a set of events that separates the gang tho.

it's the one of the reasons I can think of that'd make Pomni climb on the door like that.

I mean... outside of the very spooky decorum.....

which Pomni has a pretty reasonable reaction to

btw, I fucking love Pomni's cartoon physics with the squash and stretch rubber-hose animation. it's so expressive and fun to watch.

anyway, it seems Caine is determined to have Zooble go on adventures. so he literally sits them down and tries to therapize them.

though with Caine being an AI with very little knowledge of how the human mind works, this goes predictably horribly.

I imagine Zooble tries on some level to convey to Caine the ludicrousness of their situation. stuck in a digital world getting repeatedly traumatized by meaningless adventures that seem to do more harm than good. though I get the feeling Caine would miss the point, leading Zooble to correct him, and/or get upset at him for not understanding. watching this verbal fight happen between these 2 will probably lead to us, the viewer, understanding more about Zooble.

anyway, back to the manor with this cute little guy.

look at him, he's so cute and squishable. unfortunately this guy is the only cute and squishable NPC here because Pomni and Kinger seems to really be going through it.

they're mostly poking around, opening drawers and stuff. maybe they're looking for a key to get back with the others or something? who knows.

they both probably stumble around in the dark for a bit, both figuratively and literally.

they might end up stumbling into an antagonist NPC, which is the only way I can explain some of these screenshots.

it looks to me like Kinger is facing something. I mean, He's missing an eye in the first one, smacking something with a gun in the second, and looking really worried in the third. Plus the fist 2 have similar lighting so I'm inclined to believe those 2 pics come from clips in close time frames to each other.

there's also another image that has similar lighting...

now... this may sound weird, but I think that either Pomni got Possessed somehow, or something tried to take her shape. Possession seems more feasible since we know at least 2 of the NPC's in this adventure are ghosts, and at least in media ghosts are known to possess people. seeing as digital circus seems to love pulling from video game mechanics, this wouldn't surprise me at all.

this would also kind of explain why in the "POMNI WAKE UP!! IT'S TIME TO GO ON AN ADVENTURE" video, in the "Kinger with a shotgun" clip, he seems to be hitting Pomni with the gun. it makes a lot more sense if Pomni ends up getting possessed somehow, forcing Kinger to hit her in order to defend himself from the ghost.

this also could tie back to the worried look on Kingers face in the screenshot before Possessed Pomni. Cause he'd know what he has to do, even though he doesn't want to hurt Pomni.

Hell, I'm pretty sure Kinger even openly protects Pomni in this episode.

because of the shot in the trailer taken from this hole's perspective

not only is Pomni hiding behind Kinger, but he has one of his hands out in front of her, as if to protect her from whatever is in that hole.

also in regards to guns, Kinger isn't the only one who gets to have a gun.

Pomni gets to wield a shotgun too, and it's likely to help both herself and Kinger fight off whatever was after them in the hole.

Ghost possession and gun-slinging aside, I do think that Pomni and Kinger have a little heart to heart in this episode.

boy doesn't that screenshot look familiar. reminds me of episode 2 with the blue lighting and concerned expression on Pomni's face. That scene in the test room where Pomni comforts Gumigoo. this time tho, she's comforting Kinger. it almost makes me wonder if this will be a reoccurring theme, with all the other characters eventually having a heart to heart with Pomni, and Pomni comforting them.

it'd really make her live up to her quote in episode 2 "I guess I just don't want you to feel like you're nothing. I don't want anyone to feel like that".

the only thing I do still have questions about, is wtf is Kinger looking at here?

I mean, it looks like the eyes of a ghost, if they could make their eyes glow like that.

ya know what, maybe he's looking at a mound of pillows or something.

yeah, like that.

[payidaresque]

MAJOR TROP S2 FINALE SPOILERS BELOW (i'm too excited not to share my thought)

While some of the theories we made didn't prove to be true (honestly, i never believed they would) I LOVED THE FINALE SO MUCH. Cause i got everything i expected from it and more!!

Got an epic fight that didn't last 10 minutes but almost HALF OF THE EPISODE (THANK GOD)

he really didn't want to harm her at first, JUST as i expected here, he was just being defensive at first. And the rest just happened in the heat of battle (which of course doesn't justify everything sauron did but hey, what did u expect? he's evil after all)

And while i do believe he used his Halbrand form to manipulate her (again, very much expected knowing who he is), i also believe that what Sauron said here is true — the way he paused before saying it and the way he looked at her tells me that he was actually being sincere. what he would've gained from saying it, manipulation wise? Sauron is not stupid, surely he understands that Galadriel would not fall for it (and she didn't) which kinda brings me to a simple conclusion that he said it because he wanted to say it

also, this was both sexy and twisted of him omg????? totally Sauron move, i love it!! I did NOT expect that

as for "proving his love for her", i actually think he did, in his own way?

because he could end her right there and just take the ring (rip adar and brimby btw, you will be missed 😔), but he didn't? even more so, i believe that if Galadriel didn't attack him first there, he wouldn't attack her back. As fucked up as Sauron is, Galadriel is still on his mind

And goddamn it he meant what he said. And again, she knows who he is, she knows his tricks, so he wouldn't gain anything by saying it, which again means, that it is indeed his desire: not just to rule, but to rule with her. he'd make the whole world worship her (which, again, is basically his way of saying he loves her)

and again, why didn't he just kill her and take her ring? what was the need of standing and looking at her like that? why try to presuade her, when he has no problems with taking what he wants by force? the answer is: because she is Galadriel. Because they are connected to each other and he feels it with every fibre of his immortal being. His expression is not even angry her, or creepy, like a few minutes ago, he's just... gazing at her.

even more so, here

he actually got scared when she fell, he even tried to reach for her hand to stop her for falling (and before u say anything — no, i don't think it was because of the ring — he could retrieve it any other time from anyone else as no one else for him is a match for him but Galadriel — it's her he got scared for. I'm convinced of it)

As for the mataphorical "fall of Galadriel" — well i hoped for it, but i never believed it would actually happened because of how Galadriel is (Also, Brimby's monologue from 2x07 with her kinda killed all my hopes for it so). However, i think s3 has a lot to explore, so i'm leaving a little bit of hope there)

i have many other thougts i can't process right now and i might share them later, but overall, i think the episode was GREAT! Charlie and Morfydd did wonders once again, watching them on screen is such a treat. I love them both so much!! I also might make a separate post about Charlie's and Charles' Edwards scenes were phenomenal, and I will miss Brimby dearly because of Charles' breathtaking acting

To conclude: I, personally, is fed well enough for it to last for the upcooming 2 years. Oh, and also: l'oreal paris — because you're worth it. Oh, and one more thing: he used Halbrand form because he knows that Galadriel feels for him too, and her first reaction proved it (an ass move by the way).

[lilybecca1]

So I noticed something when I was looking at how Izuku smiled at Katsuki...something about it just seemed familiar and I couldn't put my finger on what it was.

Until NOW

Like the way his smile just looks so fond, it's different than how he usually smiles at other people. There's just something about it that just screams that it's the look of love to me. But I couldn't really explain it or compare it to anything else before.

Well now I finally put two and two together and realized what it reminded me of...THIS MF

The way he looks at Marinette, he was so obviously in love with her, like can y'all see it too? The way his eyebrows relax and scrunch upwards, that fond smile.. IT'S LITERALLY THE SAME

I think generally animators have similar ways to show expressions, and this fondness, this genuine awe is something that I have also seen quite a lot of times before. That smile and that expression that you hold for the person that means so much more to you than anyone else, who you genuinely love from the bottom of your heart because they've shown a side to life and feelings that you never knew before. That smile is reserved for the person who your life wouldn't be the same without.

And his small laugh here ahhhyhshxhsjsj

It's such a sweet laugh like how Adrien laughs at Marinette too because he finds her awkwardness sweet.

And when you look at the parallels, it's so obvious. Like the moment Cat Noir realized he was in love with Ladybug as he looked up at her in awe:

And Katsuki's proud smile as he was looking up at Deku:

Then there's the fact that they both blindly trust each other because they know that the other would always win and save the other, no matter what:

Even Cat Noir sacrificed himself so much in the past for Ladybug to win, because he knew she'd always win..just like how Bakugo sacrificed himself for Izuku because he knew he'd never give up

"You know I like to fight by your side. But against you? Never"

"I could never hurt the person I love"

But that's not all. Remember the APOLOGY scene IN THE RAIN when Marinette fell in love with Adrien?

Yeah, now look at the Bakudeku version of it. The fact that Adrien and Bakugo both opened up and apologized and both of it happened in the rain..and look at Izuku's reaction to the apology. You can't tell me that he didn't fall in love a little at that moment just like how Marinette did. It's literally the same minus all the blushing and the smiling.

Want more? Well, here's Season 4 ending when Cat Noir reached his hand out to Ladybug, giving her back the hope after she has already lost all of it. Showing her that they can still do it, together. That she hasn't lost everything as long as he's still there. Reminds you of something?

And then as they look out at the distance with newfound hope...just like how Bakugo and Deku did at the cliff in that one Memories episode.

There are literally SO MANY parallels between them, and this is a CANON COUPLE that we are talking about, who are CANONICALLY IN LOVE. This is NOT a coincidence. Even if these are not meant to be parallels, the fact that they are so similar means that their dynamic, their relationship is very similar. So if we took bkdk in Miraculous context, then they'd be a couple. If there was even a tiny bit of flirting between them, it would be undeniable. In Miraculous, they are meant to be a couple, so it's obviously portrayed in their interactions that there is something between them. In MHA however, they are not specifically made to be canon, but their dynamic is essentially the same. They are the person that they trust the most, they rely on each other, trust each other with their life. They have no doubt in the other, they know that the other would always win. Their life wouldn't be the same without the other. They're Yin and Yang, just like Marinette and Adrien. The Sun and Moon.

Bonus:

The way she holds Cat Noir's tail reminds me a lot of how Izuku was holding Bakugo's tie lmao

When their eyes meet

Ladybug getting angry at the villain for hurting Cat Noir like Deku losing it when Bakugo gets hurt

[joeys-babe]

Joey B Blurbs: With A Little Help From My Friends

————————————————————————-

Summary: You and a few other WAGs do a prank on your boys by buying them all matching shirts for a get-together without them knowing.

Warnings: Fluff, unserious/funny, pranks

Pairing: Joe Burrow x reader

Imagine Universe: Into The Mystic

————————————————————————-

January 20, 2024 - *36 weeks pregnant*

“Joe, I have your outfit laid out on the island in the closet.” - you

Joe’s head snapped away from the TV and over in my direction. I'd just walked into the kitchen from getting ready upstairs. Joe sat on the couch watching The Office reruns, all cuddled up with Tyson and Miles - looking adorable.

“What? I can pick my outfit out.” - Joe

“I know, but I ordered you a new shirt that I'd like you to wear.” - you

“Oh, okay. What is it?” - Joe

“A flannel.” - you

“Mmm, okay.” - Joe

A few moments later, I sat down on the couch with my boys, but Joe left just a minute later to get ready himself.

Robin and Jimmy were coming in a bit to watch the twins while Joe and I went over to Sam’s for a get-together with some of his teammates.

The guys had no idea, though, that the WAG’s group chat had been super active the past week leading up to tonight.

A prank was to ensue, and it was that we'd all secretly ordered the same shirt for our men. We'd all show up one by one, and the guy’s reactions to matching would be hilarious.

Plus, Joe would look hot as hell in a flannel.

Half an Office episode later, Joe came bounding down the stairs. The greyish flannel looked amazing on him, giving off major dad vibes, paired with regular-fitting blue jeans that had been sitting untouched in the closet since I'd ordered them.

I let out a teasing whistle, Joe blushing at the cat-call.

“You like?” - Joe

“Yes. You look amazing, Joey. Do a little spin for me?” - you

Joe happily obliged before searching for approval in my facial expression.

“Love it. I need to start sneaking more of this style into your side of the closet.” - you

“Is that style ‘I have two kids and another on the way’?” - Joe

“Bingo. I told you, you're a DILF.” - you

“You love to remind me of that.” - Joe

“Because it's true.” - you grinned

——

There was a ring of the doorbell, and I went to stand up from the couch, but Joe ushered me to sit back down.

“Hey Mom, hey Dad. Thanks for watching the boys.” - Joe

“Oh, of course!” - Robin

Robin and Jimmy had barely made it into the house before they were ambushed by Tyson and Miles.

They happily hugged their grandbabies, and Jimmy picked up Miles in his arms.

“Where's your wife, Joseph Lee?” - Robin

“On the couch, she went to open the door, but I waved her off.” - Joe

Robin gave her son a proud nod, grateful that he was treating his pregnant wife as he should.

The five of them eventually walked back into the living room, and Joe plopped back onto the couch next to me, putting his arm around me on the back of the couch.

“You look great, y/n!” - Robin

“Aww, thank you. I'm feeling great as well. Baby girl is treating my bladder a lot better than the twins did.” - you laughed

“That's good! I love your dress, makes your bump pop.” - Robin grinned

“Joe actually picked it out.” - you

I put a hand on Joe’s chest and smiled up at him, a glint in his eye when he returned the soft grin.

“Wow, I would’ve never expected that.” - Robin

Laughing, I understood where she was coming from. My dress was a solid black, nothing like anything in Joe’s side of the closet.

“I picked his outfit out, though.” - you smiled

“That was my next question! That style looks good on you, Joey. You look very adult.” - Robin

“Thank you? I think.” - Joe

“It was meant to be a compliment. I think so, at least…” - Jimmy

A few seconds of laughter went by before Joe patted my thigh and spoke up.

“Ready to go, babe?” - Joe

“Sure!” - you

Joe stood up before turning around to me and putting a hand out to help me up.

Once I was on my feet, Joe let go of one of my hands but still held the other.

“We’ll be back later!” - Joe

He led me over to the garage door of the house and grabbed his keys to the Porsche off of the hook.

Sweetly, Joe walked me over to the passenger side of the car and opened my door for me, along with helping me sit down before shutting the door back.

“Whatcha wanna listen to?” - Joe

Joe always joked about my passenger princess ways, but here he was, offering me to pick the music before I even asked.

In the end, I pulled up my Spotify playlist “’60s-’70s Love Songs” and shuffled it.

Looking over at Joe as he backed out of the driveway, I giggled as he playfully rolled his eyes with a smile on his face at my music selection.

For dramatic effect, I grabbed onto Joe’s shoulder and sang Be My Baby by The Ronettes into my hand like I was holding a microphone.

“You're crazy.” - Joe laughed

“But you love me.” - you

“That I do, my baby.” - Joe

——

I had my arm looped with Joe’s as we stood on Sam’s front porch. Joe had just rung the doorbell and now we're waiting for an answer.

Squeezing his bicep lightly, Joe’s eyes darted to me.

“You okay, Mama?” - Joe

“Mhm. Just love you in this shirt.” - you grinned

Just a few seconds later, the front door swung open, revealing Sam.

“Hey, Burrow’s! Woah- what the hell? Joe, are we matching?” - Sam

I giggled to myself as Joe and Sam looked down at their flannels and then at each other.

“That's weird man, but I def wore it better.” - Joe

Sam rolled his eyes before stepping to the side to let Joe and me inside the house.

I immediately greeted Jess, who complimented my pregnancy glow, and while we were deep into conversation, the doorbell rang again.

When Sam opened the door, Jess and I exchanged knowing looks at each other.

On the front porch, Cody Ford and Evan McPherson were laughing about the fact they had matching shirts on while Tianna and Gracie stood to the side laughing.

“What the hell!” - Sam

“You guys have it too?!” - Evan

Joe was full-on cackling, and I couldn't help but mirror my husband.

The girls walked over and sat next to me and Jess, our boys all pointing at each other’s shirts while laughing.

Thirty minutes later, over ten more guys had shown up, all in the same flannel, and Joe and his guys found it hilarious each time.

The girls and I all sat in a corner of the living room, recording and laughing at the reactions coming out of the guys.

They really were adult toddlers, but that's what makes being married to one fun.

After dinner, Joe found me by myself in the kitchen and wrapped his arms around me from behind. At first, I couldn't tell who it was because all the guys here had the same long-sleeved shirt on, and all I could see were the person's arms.

The thought didn't last too long when I saw the wedding ring on the person’s finger that was too unique to be anyone other than Joe.

“Hi, Mama.” - Joe

“Hi, Joey.” - you

“Can I ask you a question?” - Joe

“Of course.” - you

With Joe’s hands on my bump, I covered them with my own and let my head fall back onto his chest/shoulder.

“Who wore the shirt best?” - Joe

“I'm kinda biased, but you, for sure.” - you

“Yeah?” - Joe

“Mhm, I'm gonna start sneaking more flannels into your closet.” - you

“I'll wear ‘em if they get a good reaction out of you.” - Joe

“Oh, you know they will.” - you giggled

I turned around in Joe’s arms and looked into his gorgeous blue eyes, my hands on his chest.

Slowly, Joe leaned in and pressed his lips onto mine.

A minute later, we were still kissing. The craving for each other was never satisfied, but we were interrupted by a loud, fake, gagging sound.

“For the love of god, she's already pregnant! You guys are disgusting!” - Ja’Marr

I leaned my head onto Joe’s chest with a giggle as he glared at one of his best friends.

“Ja’Marr, get the fuck away!” - Joe

Ja’Marr threw his arms up in surrender before walking out of the kitchen. Joe turned back to me with a sly grin on his face.

“Sorry, Mrs. Burrow. Where were we?” - Joe

I’d never get tired of him calling me that.

“Mmm, I think we might've been kissing.” - you

“Let's test that theory.” - Joe

Just as Joe was leaning in, our lips brushed together, but something made him pull back.

“Y'all nasty!” - Ja’Marry whisper yelled

“Ja’Marr!!” - Joe yelled

Sure, they got annoying sometimes, but deep down, Joe knew he wouldn't get by without a little help from his friends. Even if said help was unwanted.

————————————————————————-

Authors note: y'all, I ground out a fic for you guys. 💀

Request for this fic;

Hope you enjoyed! 💕

[love-takes-work]

I've seen a fair number of people interpret Rebecca Sugar's (and the Crew's) decision to put Ruby in a dress as subversive, and I want to discuss why that feels like a clear miss to me.

Every time--every single time--I've heard Rebecca Sugar talk about the queer relationships on this show, it comes with this expression of wholesomeness, and often glazed with a sheen of wistfulness, flavored something like "I needed this as a child and young person, and I didn't have it." Much of Rebecca Sugar's work to bring this wedding (and other unapologetic queer relationships) to the screen was framed as an emergency--as in, we HAVE to get this out there for those kids we used to be, because we know they're drowning.

Yes, it's funny sometimes when people make jokes about Sugar deliberately "adding more gay" or "making it gayer" as a big eff-you to the people who spoke against it, but that doesn't sit right from where I'm standing. It took so much strength (and resulted in so much battle damage) to fight that fight, yes. But from everything I can see from the interviews and conversations I've seen and read, this wasn't served up in a "ha-HA, take THAT!" kind of way. These characters having these kinds of relationships should have been a non-issue, and the fact that their very wholesome kids'-show wedding and very sweet kiss and very adorable love for each other was seen as Political when it should have been just two characters in love is so sad to me.

I've seen dozens of people suggest that Ruby is in a dress and Sapphire is in a suit "to fuck with the bigoted censors in other countries" or "to give the finger to gender roles," but again, I think it is simpler and sweeter than that. Rebecca's said that Ruby in a dress is how she feels in a dress. Celebration and exploration of feminine-coded stuff felt wrong to Rebecca for a long time, like it wasn't hers, because she wasn't really a woman and didn't want it forced on her. As a result she was robbed of all the beauty that should have been a non-issue, from what TV shows and toys she was supposed to enjoy as a kid to what kind of person she was supposed to marry and what she should wear as an adult.

Ruby never got a choice about how she looked really. Once she got to choose her presentation for a significant event, this is what she chose. It means so much more to see that than to construct it primarily as a reactionary measure, as if it would somehow foil the sinister censors in more homophobic countries (who, incidentally, are not therefore forced to show Ruby in a dress even though they tried to hide that Ruby was a "she" or that she was in a romantic relationship with another "she"; y'all, they just don't show the episode).

We see plenty of other examples of gender-role-related expectations being casually stepped on and squashed, like when they took the trouble to give traditionally masculine and traditionally feminine "clothes" to some watermelons to make the audience think there was a husband and wife watermelon only to have the wife be the warrior and the husband stay home with the child. With stuff like that, yeah, sure, maybe it's designed to make you think "oh isn't that very feminist of them!" Or maybe it's more "well why do I see this as a 'reversal' when it's just a thing that happened?" This show is full of ladyish beings who fight and have power. And as for Steven. . . .

Nobody has negative reactions onscreen (or even particularly confused reactions) when Steven wears traditionally feminine clothes, and it is (of course) also not presented as a "boy in a dress gag"--it's not supposed to be funny. When they go all in slathering Steven in literal princess tropes throughout the final act of Season 5, we understand that it's because the powerful Diamonds expect him to be Pink Diamond, not because the show is trying to girlify him or embarrass him or even make the audience think positive thoughts about boys in girls' clothes. It's more neutral than that in my interpretation: "these are literally just pieces of cloth, and while some of them have meaning, they don't inherently have a gender." I don't see this as transgressive. It's just in a world where putting on what you want to wear doesn't HAVE to be a political statement. (Though obviously it CAN be, and plenty of people wear a variety of clothes as a fuck-you to whoever they want to give the finger to. I just don't see that as happening here.)

Don't get me wrong; Rebecca Sugar certainly knew about the politics (intimately) and has lived at many of their intersections. She was not ignorant of how queer people are seen in this world. She was silenced as a bisexual person because her identity supposedly didn't matter if she was with a man and planned to be with that same man forever. She was shunted into "omg a woman did this!" categories over and over again, which she wore uneasily as a nonbinary person while accepting that part of who we are is how the world sees us. But what is it like if everything someone like her embraces is seen as a statement synonymous with "fuck you" to someone else?

She is married to a person who happens to be a man and happens to be Black. Her relationship isn't a "statement" about either of those aspects of his existence; her love is simply something that is. She is Jewish working in a society that's largely Christian. Her cultural perspective to NOT center her cartoon around Christian holidays and Christian morals; her choices to make an alternate world in this specific way is simply something that is. Her queer perspective as a nonbinary bisexual person has helped inform the Gems' radical philosophy of "what if we learned to explore and define ourselves instead of doing the 'jobs' we're assigned and being told it's our nature?" Her decision to include queer people in a broadly queer cartoon isn't designed PRIMARILY as a battle against baddies, or to drown out all the relentless straightness, or to deliciously get our queer little paws all over their kids' TV. It's an act of love.

So this is just to say that though I DO understand that sometimes subversion and intentional transgression are very necessary, I do not think that's the HEART of what's going on at this Gem wedding. We got a wholesome marriage scene between two of the most lovely little flawed-but-still-somehow-perfect characters, and I very much want to see their choices as being about them. About how Ruby feels in a dress. About how Sapphire feels about not having to always wear a dress. About them incorporating a symbol of their union into their separate lives so they can have some independence in their togetherness. About them celebrating their love by letting Steven wipe his schmaltz all over them.

There are many choices in the show that ARE carefully constructed to counter existing narratives, you know, giving the Crystal Gems' only boy all the healing, pink, flower imagery; having a single-sex species that's ladyish with all the members going by "she"; featuring many nurturing male characters who cry and cook and raise kids without mothers; pairing multiple fighty ladies with gentler guys; and importantly, intentionally loading up the show with stories, characters, and imagery any gender will find appealing despite being tasked with expectations to pander to the preteen boy demographic.

But it's very important to me that the inclusion of queer characters and the featuring of their choices be seen primarily as a loving act, and way way less of a "lol screw the bigots." I want our stories to be about us. Yes, I know it's a necessary evil that sometimes our stories are also about fighting Them. But every time I see someone say they put Ruby in the dress to "piss off the homophobes" or "stump the censors" I feel a little gross. Like the time I picked out an outfit I loved and my mom said I only dressed in such an obnoxious way to upset her, and I was baffled because my aesthetic choices, my opinions, my choices had nothing to do with her. Yet they were framed like I chose these clothes primarily to cause some kind of petty harm to her, when not only was it not true but I was not even that kind of person who would gloat over intentionally irritating someone.

The queerness of this show isn't a sneaky, underhanded act trying above all to upset a bigot or celebrate someone's homophobic fury. It lives for itself. Its existence is about itself. It's so we can see ourselves in a show, and it's so people who aren't queer or don't have those experiences can see that we exist, we participate, we want very similar things, and definitely are focusing way more about celebrating our love at our own weddings rather than relishing the thought of bigots tearing their hair out and hating us.

It's dangerous to turn every act of our love into a deliberate movement in a battle strategy when their weddings just get to be weddings.

I think there’s this idea that that [queer characters] is something that applies or should be only discussed with adults that is completely wrong. And I think when you realize that talking to kids about heteronormativity is just like air that you breathe all the time, it’s kind of amazing that that is not true in any other capacity. I think if you wait to tell kids, to tell queer youth that it matters how they feel or that they are even a person, then it’s going to be too late! You have to talk about it—you have to let it be what it gets to be for everyone. I mean, like, I think about, a lot of times I think about sort of fairy tales and Disney movies and the way that love is something that is ALWAYS discussed with children. And I think also there’s this idea that’s like, oh, we should represent, you know, queer characters that are adults, because there are adults that are queer, and you should know that’s something that is happening in the adult world, but that’s not how those films or those stories are told to children. You’re told that YOU should dream about love, about this fulfilling love that YOU’RE going to have. […] The Prince and Snow White are not like someone’s PARENTS. They’re something you want to be, that you are sort of dreaming of a future where you will find happiness. Why shouldn’t everyone have that? It’s really absurd to think that everyone shouldn’t get to have that! --Rebecca Sugar

[shorthaltsjester]

the thing is that the “laudna or delilah” debate i think actually misses the complexity of laudna as a character — which i think actually gets magnificently illustrated when marisha talks about and chooses her actions as laudna. like in the game, she tends to act comfortably as laudna even in those delilah filled moments once the initial indication has been made by matt that laudna feels that presence particularly in a given way. but the vehicle of a ttrpg as the medium in which laudna exists and interacts means that there is intractable ambiguity in the “did laudna do this or did delilah?” because the answer is always at the same time that both of them chose it as it is that laudna did, because matt always brings in delilah as a reaction to the choices made, either by laudna in the narrative or by marisha as the creator orienting laudna’s choices. like tonight, marisha certainly didn’t say I’m Looking At This Sword Appealing to Delilah, but she did have laudna who was traumatized by that sword engage with it while also engaged with an action she has pointedly and continuously accounted as a coping mechanism from years of solitude with nothing but the voice in her head. laudna didn’t choose to have delilah in her mind, but she did choose to ask for more power, she did choose to act without orym’s input, she did choose to use her form of dread, whether or not she chose the form which it took. especially with the the indicators that this is a storyline alluding to addiction (something i’ve long suspected but has now been affirmed by marisha in the cooldown), it is extremely compelling that laudna is both insistent of her own responsibility when it comes to intentions but is absolutely avoidant to the point of absolute denial when it comes to consequences. this was especially apparent when imogen asked if laudna’s choices and actions were all her own and laudna insisted they were, but then ended the episode with a form of dread the image of delilah briarwood fading from around her as she repeated “i didn’t mean it.”

it is particularly interesting when she is alongside imogen because i think the thing that is the most compelling to me about them right now si something that laura (iirc) alluded to in the cooldown about how imogen has chosen a significant turn away from predathos at the same time laudna has leaned in hard to delilah. in a lot of ways imogen has been very like laudna when it comes to the importance of intentions vs. consequences, at least insofar as her experience with her powers led to a different kind of isolation than laudna’s but still led imogen to experience situations in which she was confronted by the cruelty of thoughts much more expediently than she was with the cruelty of actions. and while laudna has experienced the cruelty of actions, she ties those intensely to bad intentions as well — cruel actions come from cruel thoughts. i mean, that’s what fun scary refers to — in that first interaction with those kids, we get a clear though undoubtedly unintentional insight into the perspectives that laudna and imogen both have on the cruelty that the world contains. laudna sees no harm in the fear she instills in those children because she loves kids, her intention was fun, her actions can’t be truly harmful if she never intended it. and interestingly, imogen disagrees that laudna is fun scary at all, she actually points out that laudna is scary scary, but in a good way.

and so we have this dynamic between two characters who have been the balms to one another’s solitude — which, as has been expressed in other posts, in both cases emerged from their commitments to their outlooks: laudna continued to appear as a witch on the outskirts of town, likely engaging in haunting behaviour if her actions throughout the campaign have been any indicator, and continued to run until, interestingly, someone who could read her mind was the first person to truly realize she meant no harm. imogen isolated because she was inundated with thoughts and turned misanthropic because of how often those thoughts were negative and cruel, until someone (who partakes in actions that can very easily be considered at least appearing to be negative or scary) had thoughts that were good. and they fell in love — with a confession scene where laudna raised concern that she might be a bad person, because she herself had ill intentions in reaction to bor’dor (absolutely mediated by deliliah, but her own emotional reaction that prompted that mediation). and imogen’s rebuttal isn’t a reference to laudna’s choices or her actions but to the thoughts she’s had that imogen has been witness to.

except. except it’s been months and imogen has a mother who had the best of intentions to start with . intentions that look a lot like imogen’s own, but now she stands at the side of a man willing to risk the entire world so that he can (ostensibly) no longer have to deal with divinity. imogen’s mother who allows the murder of countless people, of every member of the hells themselves except imogen, of oryms family, to get the answers and the solution that imogen herself is looking for. and as imogen has gotten further in the journey, the role of thoughts and intention has become apparent in its limits. because it’s true that they are important, it marks a difference between ludinus and liliana absolutely when it comes to likelihood that they might have a path for redemption, but it doesn’t mark much of a difference for the lives lost. and imogen has become much more concerned with this, i think maybe most clearly in her decisions around her last few predathos diving dreams because her hesitation hasn’t been that they need to consider the sides more, it’s been that, regardless of her intent to come back to the hells, to get information for their mission, her will might still lose the fight against the pull of predathos and if she’s forced to be this vessel which might allow it free, it might not matter as much what her intentions are when she dreams.

and at the same time. laudna has been confronted with the same evidence that her worldview might not paint a complete picture, but she’s still looking at that incomplete image as the whole. as is clear in her reaction to liliana, where she sets up her position to imogen by referring to her own love for her — for laudna, liliana must not actually love imogen, couldn’t possibly if the outcome of her actions is imogen growing up without her mother and liliana aiding and abetting (even if occasionally Maybe limiting) exandrias mage criminal of the decade. except, as imogen who has started to be checked on her flawed thoughts > actions perspective points out, that inconsistency isn’t one that laudna is immune to — laudna loves imogen and the hells and undoubtedly wants to see them live in a world they can thrive in, but she’ll also give up pieces of herself and make decisions without their input that have implications for those she chooses to exclude as evident in her choice with the sword,

and so tonight’s everything was delicious . when marisha’s interparty conflict beam hits it hits and it did tonight but the conversation between laudna and imogen was truly truly fantastic and so compelling because you get both laudna so locked into the familiar comforting behaviour that thinking that her intentions are all that matters is and being confronted by the fact that right now the consequences seem so enormous that the comfort is cold and imogen realizing that the thing that she’s been struggling through with her mother — and don’t get me started about imogen’s response to her mother saying she’s made her choices for imogen and the fact that laudna’s first explanation of why she chose this was a similar appeal to protecting imogen — is the same thing that has a hold of the woman she loves, though in different forms. and god, not to add another unnecessary sidebar, but laura is truly so good at coming up with heartwrenching prompts? dialogue? i dunno what to call it but the way that taliesin is insane with one liners, laura is like that with setting up conversations and then eventually spiking them into my heart because jesus the “i just watch. [as she plunges a dagger into her heart]” “i’ll always love you, i just don’t know what to do with it” “i didn’t mean it” “i know” because that’s the thing, that’s the struggle . ethel cain voice directed at laudna and liliana. imogen temult loves you but not enough to save you. because it doesn’t matter how much anyone loves laudna if she still believes in the necessity of delilah, it doesn’t matter how much anyone loves liliana if she still believes her presence at ludinus’ side is a requirement. and that’s not to reduce the degree to which they both have undoubtedly been trained to believe those things, but it is to say that both in the text and in the real world situations to which people love to refer when reducing agency to make characters more girlboss or whatever — it’s actually explicitly the role that laudna ascribes to her own emotions and choices and value that will lead her to a life where delilah does not have full reign.

the ambiguity and complexity is that as long as laudna wants (which translates to a need for her) her power, she wants delilah and whatever words that delilah will feed her to validate the need for and/or increase that power, which means that her actions are always her own, and the consequences are always hers to bear. the messiness is her continued insistence on separating intention from consequence — because laudna never means harm, for her it’s about protection, even power doesn’t seem to be power for its own sake. even with orym tonight it was about protecting orym from the sword, but also of course about finding power for delilah so that deliliah might also grant her more power so that she can help save imogen and the hells and the world. but that means when she explains to others she can make claims like i didn’t mean to, or that the choice was all her own because as incorrect to anyone else, laudna has completely committed to her founded belief that intentions matter more than anything else when it comes to the judgement of someone and their actions.