#I'm always a bit shy to post about ocs

[ayrsontenna]

Do I post my formula 1 oc drawings? Idk

[sungchanphile]

we'll always have summer ☀︎ lee juyeon

₊ ⊹☼ WORD COUNT: 18.0k ₊ ⊹☼ PAIRING: the boyz' lee juyeon x female reader ₊ ⊹☼ TAGS & WARNINGS: summer vacation!au, teeth-rotting fluff, no angst whatsoever nada, juyo having a crush, reader is a bit shy at first, no plot just y/nyeon hanging out and pining for each other, dialogue heavy, a scene making out and some kisses here and there, canadaz instigating together

₊ ⊹☼ SYNOPSIS: during your post-college-graduation crisis, you meet lee juyeon during a 3 week lake house vacation with your mutual friends. serendipity watches over you as you get entangled into a whirlwind summer romance.

₊ ⊹☼ NOTES: hyung line are all the same age in this as each other, 98 line as each other and maknae line as each other! idk how i wrote 18k words of juyeon pathetically crushing on y/n but here it is! also the female ocs in this fic have no relation to any idol irl or at least was not written with anyone in mind :-) this also feels like the wrong time to post a tbz fic but i'm desperate to get this out and i'm hoping and praying that the boyz can resolve their negotiations with ist and find a good home in their new label <3

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Whoever said that university was supposed to be the best 4 years of your life didn't think about the implications of that phrase on deeply lost and terrified new grads. Sure, it was intended as an encouragement to try and enjoy your college years while you were in them, but now you're on the other side and all you can feel is... now what?

In hindsight, there was a reason that seniors spent practically the whole year panicking about what came next and applying to every internship, grad role and job listing that popped up, no matter how relevant. You too had participated to some degree but to no avail as you stand here with no employment or future education plans in mind.

Okay, so maybe going on a 3 week holiday as soon as you come out of graduation wasn't the best idea you've ever had, but technically, it wasn't even your idea. In fact, you had even rejected Kevin's invitation multiple times citing your need to job hunt in the city immediately, but he kept pestering and pestering and pestering that you eventually had to give in. The universe will reward you for at least trying to resist, right?

There were really many reasons to not go on this trip. The main one being that Kevin was the only person out of about 15 people you knew that were coming on this trip. You had met a few of his friends fleetingly before, but never long enough or often enough to form a proper friendship or relationship with them as you did with your junior year project partner turned friend. Another reason was that you were so painfully introverted and shy that meeting all these new people all at once with nowhere to run to or hide seemed like the perfect recipe for disaster. What were you going to do if it all went wrong?

Still, Kevin had managed to address all your worries and reassured you that his friends were very welcoming and aware not to overwhelm you too much.

"Remember Y/N, we're here to relax, have a good time and forget the worries of the real world," Kevin lectured you as the two of you entered the lake house together. He had been the one to organise this trip as he found the cabin slash mansion and then roped all of his friends into joining.

Chanhee and Changmin had slept the entire ride, so Kevin allocated them the job of hauling everything from the car into the house. The people pleaser in you was desperate to help, but Kevin maintained that staying up and entertaining him on the long drive up was enough and that the two boys deserved it for being so called lazy.

"There's 5 bedrooms, all with two double beds," Kevin recalled as he scoured the house, "We take the biggest room with the en-suite."

"We can sleep 20 people? Why didn't you invite more?" you plopped your bags onto the large sectional couch.

Kevin just shrugged and stepped away to investigate the documents on a table, "So we could have a bit more space. Plus, we didn't want to invite anyone else."

"Aw i'm honoured to have made the cut, Kev," you teased by nudging him on the shoulder.

He shot you an unimpressed glare, "Clearly not considering that you literally refused to come until two weeks ago."

"I'm here, aren't I?" you countered, running to the front door to hold it open as you saw the other two boys approaching with the miscellaneous things your group was assigned to pack. It mostly involved some activities like a karaoke machine, some boards and floaties for swimming and other things to keep you entertained.

Another group set to arrive later was assigned the food supplies, while the girls that were coming on the trip were in charge of drinks.

"How far away are the others?" Chanhee smiled at you appreciatively as you make their life a little easier. He set two bags down on the floor. Changmin hobbles behind him with overflowing arms, clearly not wanting to make more trips than necessary.

Kevin pulled out his phone and hummed as he checked on the drivers' locations, "Jacob's car is like only a few minutes behind. Sangyeon's car is like an hour behind and the girls won't be here for a couple of hours since Minseo had to do a morning shift at work so they left a bit late."

"Who's in Jacob's car?" you asked curiously, wondering who you were going to meet first. You'd met Jacob a few times before when you were a junior and he was always very nice to you despite not having spent an extended period of time together. However, you hadn't seen him in almost a year! Obviously you had been acquainted with Chanhee and Changmin now, but you'd only met them once before they climbed into Kevin's car for the long journey that they dozed through.

"I think Hak, Eric and Juyeon are with Jacob and Sunwoo, Younghoon and Hyunjae are with Sangyeon," Changmin listed off quickly, "Prepare yourself to meet Eric, seriously."

"Hopefully he's sleepy from the drive," Chanhee rolled his eyes playfully but fondly at the thought of their youngest friend.

While this was a graduation trip for the boys in your car and a few of the others, Kevin had still invited their friends of different ages. It was a nice way to escape the reality of adult life for those who had graduated the year before you and just a fun trip for the incoming seniors below you.

You've heard from Kevin that his friends had a vast range of personalities, which you expected considering there were 11 of them. The concept of opposites attract definitely applied to friendships too, which was how Kevin's bubbly and social self found you, a raging introvert.

By the time that Jacob's car roared into the pebble driveway, you had already unpacked your clothes in the closet that you were sharing with Jacob and Kevin- the only ones you knew and felt comfortable with. Kevin had decided to just throw his duffle onto the foot of the bed and will probably just dig out some outfits each day from the floor.

You heard commotion begin to rumble downstairs through your ajar door and fought an internal conflict whether to go down and make yourself known or have Kevin come and get you. By the end of it, they had made that decision for you when you hear multiple footsteps stomp up the creaky stairs.

"Y/N, how are you? It's good to see you again!" Jacob flashed you his signature sweet smile as he tapped on the door and opened it wider, "Can we come in?"

"Sure, it's your room too! It's also good to see you, Jacob," you replied, getting up from the edge of the bed where you were rummaging through your backpack.

"You must be the famous Y/N," someone with a boyish smile peeked from behind Jacob, "I'm Eric! Nice to finally meet you."

"Ah, I've heard lots about you!" you gave him a small but enthusiastic wave.

"And knowing Kevin, it was probably not nice things," Eric scoffed as he shot a glare over his shoulder in the direction of the staircase behind him. That was when both he and you noticed a tall boy lingering behind him.

Eric wrapped an arm around his shoulders and brought him forward, "And this is Juyeon-hyung."

Through his sleepy, lid-heavy eyes, Juyeon gave you a soft smile, "Hi, it's nice to meet you."

"Juyeon," you let the word ruminate in your mouth as to why his name sounded familiar until it comes to you, "Ah, you're one of the others who graduated, right?"

He nodded, letting his face relax into a small smile, "Yeah."

"Congratulations to you," you tell him.

"You too, Y/N," there's a softness to Juyeon's voice- a kind of kindness and sincerity that comes naturally. Whereas Eric's voice was immediately enthusiastic and upbeat, Juyeon was calmer and more demure.

Eric disappeared behind Juyeon and Jacob was unzipping his bag behind you on the bed he was sharing with Kevin. You point awkwardly to the bag that Juyeon was clutching in his hands, "Which room are you staying in?"

As if he just remembered he was carrying it, Juyeon's eyes snapped to his hold before he let out a soft 'ah!', "I'm rooming with Chanhee and Changmin. Do you know which room that is?"

If you recalled correctly, you did, "I think it's that one," you point to the door immediately behind him, just opposite of your room.

Juyeon gives you an appreciative nod and pushes the handle of his room open with his elbow, "Thanks Y/N. See you later."

"Bye Juyeon."

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Over the rest of the first day, you settled yourself on the living room couch with Kevin playing a variety of card games and planning what you wanted to do on the trip while doing so. The others dipped in and out- Jacob joining when he finished unpacking and Changmin once he got tired of Chanhee beating him at table tennis outside.

Eric was stretched out on one of the other couches, soft snores coming out of his mouth after the drive exhausted him (and also the other passengers who he was 'entertaining'). You don't know where Juyeon disappeared to, but it was probably to replace Changmin as Chanhee's opponent.

The game of dobble was getting heated with Jacob's rare frustrated side coming out, as was teased by the other players. So far, Changmin had won the most games, but that was probably because he was the most willing to scream and snatch the card away. You, on the other hand, had miserably lost every single round.

But at least you were able to plan your meals over the game of snakes and ladders you played earlier.

Once Sangyeon's car arrived and you acquainted yourself with him, Younghoon and Sunwoo, you excused yourself from the game under the guise of being a very bad loser, which you were.

You hadn't checked out the back garden and it's various facilities yet, so you were intrigued considering that was one of the main reasons that Kevin booked this place.

"Hi Y/N, do you wanna play?" Chanhee waved to you as soon as he spotted you in between serves. Juyeon followed suit.

"Nah, I'll watch for now- I just wanted to check out the yard!" you gestured to the area.

You immediately noticed the large blue swimming pool that dominated most of the garden. There were lounge chairs and umbrellas strewn around it and a little enclosure with pool floats provided. There was a fire pit with outdoor chairs in the back corner and then a stretch of grass that was perfect for net games like foot volleyball or badminton. Chanhee and Juyeon were occupying the ping pong table, but you were also standing next to a pool table in the covered patio.

The lake you were staying at was located a short walk down some steps from the front of the house, so you could only see some hills and other houses from the back. It was definitely a nice atmosphere combined with the warm weather you were having and not a bad place to spend 3 weeks procrastinating your life.

You took a seat on the cushioned furniture under the patio, covering your eyes from the sun to watch the boys play. It seemed that Juyeon was overall better than Chanhee, but Chanhee could catch him out with fast balls and spinning balls.

It was entertaining to watch them for a while, your eyes moving either side to follow the ball. They were getting competitive with each other, bringing out their vicious sides, which was amusing to watch. Juyeon seemed like a collected person when you first met him, but like everyone else, he had a different side to him in situations so tense.

"I wanna play," you heard a voice ring behind you, "Let's play pairs?"

Sunwoo appeared from the woodwork and approached the table. Chanhee and Juyeon paused their game, claiming Juyeon as the winner before agreeing to the game.

"Y/N, play with us? Who do you wanna pair up with?"

"I'm not any good at ping pong, so whoever is unfortunate enough to have me then," you got up from your comfy position and stretched out.

"Hm, Sunwoo's not bad so Sunwoo can go with me and you can go with Juyeon since he won," Chanhee reasoned, bringing up the extra paddles from the ground.

You migrated to Juyeon's side, giving him a sheepish look, "I'm sorry, but we're going to lose."

Juyeon chuckled and shook his head, "You have to believe in yourself, Y/N. Here, watch me serve and then you can serve the first ball."

He positioned himself with his body open to you so you could see what he was doing. Juyeon carefully explained what he was going to do and demonstrated the serve. Sunwoo threw the ball back and it rolled over to you.

"You can do it," Juyeon encouraged as you readied your stance.

Taking a deep breath and not wanting to disappoint your partner, you mimicked his movements and jumped in elation when it went exactly where it should have gone. Juyeon cheered beside you, which quickly faded as Chanhee returned the ball to your side, only for it to bounce twice and then land at your feet.

Juyeon was giggling as you looked at him apologetically, "The serve was good, but now we have to work on your return."

"How about I serve and then you just return all of the balls while I stand behind you?" you countered teasingly, "This isn't much of a competition for them."

"Y/N, by the end of this trip, you're going to be a ping pong goddess," Juyeon said firmly, holding up the ball to you again.

Over the next while, you started improving with your skills with tips that the other boys showed you. Juyeon did end up having to carry your team, but you had some good moments too. You didn't expect to be so open to play with the guys, but if Kevin's friends were anything like Kevin, you should have known you would have got along great.

Eventually, some more of the boys decided to come out and play while they started preparing lunch inside with the ingredients they had brought, so you retreated back inside to join Kevin.

"Your friends are nice," you told him sincerely at the kitchen island as you watched Younghoon and Changmin open up endless packets of ramen.

"I told you they were," Kevin agreed.

You had known Kevin for a year and a half, first meeting him at the start of the second semester of junior year. While he had tried to get you to meet his friends multiple times, it just never worked out properly with your schedules all the way up to college graduation. You did want to meet them properly instead of fleeting introductions and goodbyes in the hallways or around campus, but it wasn't your fault that your timetable was absolutely rammed and you were too anti-social to attend any evening events.

However, he had told you enough stories about his friends that it really felt like you did actually know them. That's why meeting them for the first time was weird- you knew lots of things about each of them.

"I don't think me and Chanhee would have ever worked out though," you frowned as you remembered Kevin trying to get you to go on a blind date with him when you first met and got comfortable with each other.

"I see that now," Kevin huffed at his failed matchmaking, "You're both divas- hey!"

You held back a laugh as Kevin's stumbled on his stool from you pushing him, "Don't spread false rumours about me around your friends! They could get the wrong idea!"

"Honey, it's a fact," Kevin snorted, "Once they get to know you better, they'll see what I mean."

Your personality slowly but surely crept out the longer you knew someone, but you weren't sure that 3 weeks was enough time. Then again, it was 3 weeks of constantly seeing them and being forced to spend time with each other, all while doing activities that might just end up testing your will.

"How about Changmin, though?" Kevin tried to whisper lowly.

Said boy whipped his head around and gave Kevin a pointed look, "I'm right here, you know?"

"So? Anybody who I set up with Y/N would be lucky to have her," Kevin jeered to his friend.

From behind you, you hear a deep voice, "Who's being set up with Y/N?"

Juyeon takes the stool beside you, an orange manifesting in his hands that he began to peel. A small smirk flashed on Kevin's face that you did not miss, but Kevin leaned forward and placed his chin and his hand, "Why, are you interested?"

You shoved Kevin again, "You are so annoying. I'm sorry about him Juyeon."

"I'm used to it," Juyeon shrugged casually as he offered up a slice yo you, "Orange?"

You quickly refused and thanked him and he carried on eating the fruit beside you. He must have got bored of the game or wanted to supervise the lunch. You vaguely remember Kevin telling you that Juyeon was one of the better cooks in the group.

After a while of silently supervising the ramen station, the doorbell sounded through the house. Kevin raced to open the door and welcome the girls in.

You had never met them before as they were some of Chanhee and Changmin's friends, but Kevin reassured you that they were very nice girls that you probably would get along with. It's not even that you didn't have many friends of your own- Kevin was just the first to ask you to come on a trip and all of your friends were diving straight into their big-girl jobs.

"I'm guessing you're Y/N? I'm Minseo," a girl with short, cropped hair approached you cheerfully, "Stick with us whenever you get tired of these boys. They get old pretty quick."

Younghoon scoffed as he walked past with the big pot of ramen in his gloved hands to bring to the table, "You three are way more chaotic than us."

"Don't believe him," another one of the girls came over with a backpack that was making a clinking sound, "I'm Suyeon! And I have some of the drinks and Jiwon has the rest."

Suyeon has copper-red hair and piercing eyes, while Jiwon has mousy brown hair and tattoos on her exposed arms. They definitely have dancer builds, so you imagine that they first met Changmin through dance.

The boys take their turns saying their greetings to the girls and Juyeon calls in everybody outside as lunch was ready. Other than the ramen, Younghoon and Changmin had managed to whip up some side dishes from what they brought, so it wasn't a totally helpless lunch.

The table was just a large slab of polished wood on some legs with long benches around each side. It was a little bit of a squeeze to get all 15 of you around the table, but it wasn't totally horrible once everyone settled and stopped squirming.

You had Kevin to your right and Jacob to your left with Eric directly in front of you. The table was too broad, however, to be able to make meaningful conversations with those in front of you without shouting.

"Is there any activities you want to do, Y/N?" Jacob asked you.

You tried to recall the array of activities you saw outside when you pulled up to the house, "I want to row a boat out on the lake. I'm kind of scared of stuff like that. What about you?"

Jacob shrugged, "Nothing particular. I just want to relax after a full year working."

"How has that been anyway?"

He sighed defeatedly, "It's nice making money, but I definitely miss college. Don't let me scare you though."

"I'm terrified enough as it is, considering I don't have a job lined up," you tried to make it sound like it wasn't weighing you down, but Jacob seny you a sympathetic half-smile.

"Loads of people are in the same boat, Y/N. Don't worry about it, honestly. There's always something waiting for you," Jacob advised you softly, "Promise you'll try to enjoy this vacation before worrying about real life?"

"You sound like Kevin, Jacob," you stifled a chuckle, "I will try, I promise.

Your conversation with Jacob is cut short by Eric yelling at the elder to pass the water with his mouth full, followed by him being scolded by the others.

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You don't even know what time it is when you wake up the next morning. It's well into summer so the sky is already bright and gives you no indication by the colour and you find that your phone is dead when you tried to check. Remembering that you brought your charger down after dinner while you all watched a movie in the lounge, you groaned at the thought of having to get up so early.

Soft snores were still escaping from Jacob and Kevin's bed, so you tiptoed out of the room, all while trying to brush through your tangled hair with your fingers. The house was so quiet that you definitely did not expect to see someone's back leaning over the kitchen counter while they sat on a stool.

At your footsteps, the mystery figure turned around with a surprised sound.

"Oh, Y/N. Good morning," Juyeon's voice was deep and still raspy this early, "What are you doing up?"

He was wiping his eyes with his fists bawled up and you resisted the urge to 'awh' at him as you fetched your charger from nearby, "I left this here last night and my phone died. I don't know what time it is, but why are you up so early?"

Juyeon shrugged, "I sometimes wake up early and I couldn't go back to sleep. I was going to make a coffee if you want one too?"

In your head, you weighed up the pros and cons of an early morning beverage. Something in you was screaming to go back into your bed and doze off the rest of the morning- something that will be robbed from you when you reach the real world- but at the same time, Juyeon was looking at you with his sleepy, cat-like eyes and red cheeks.

"Sure," you slid onto the stool beside his as he hopped off and made his way around to the kitchen side. There was only the whistling of the kettle for a while as Juyeon collated all the ingredients he needed and found the mugs in the cupboard. He only broke the silence to ask you if you took milk and sugar in your coffee.

You had zoned out so much that you didn't snap back into reality until he was sliding your coffee over to you and placing a plate full of French pastries between you as he took a seat. Gratefully, you pinched the croissant to curve your morning hunger.

"How did you find yesterday?" Juyeon began as he sipped on his drink.

"It was nice meeting everyone. I think I knew everyone's names anyway from Kevin talking about you all before and from his posts," you told him, "I'm still feeling shy, but it will just take time for me to get comfortable."

"I was the same when I first met everyone," Juyeon nodded, "We all came at different times since we're different ages, but I also get shy meeting new people, so I know how you feel. I'm glad that Kevin managed to convince you to come, though."

Your surprised look doesn't faze him, "Ah, really?"

Juyeon looked slightly more awake after a few sips of coffee as he smiles gently at you, "It's always nice to make a friend."

"Yeah," you agreed. Juyeon had a certain way of speaking that was just so comforting and he was quickly becoming one of Kevin's friends that you could see yourself being close to.

"Are you staying in the city after this?" he moved on casually.

Ah, the famous question. Your grimace told him everything he needed to know as you scrunched up your face, "I would like to, but that's T-B-D. It's gonna be stressful looking for a job after I get back from the trip- that's why I didn't want to come in the first place. But whatever. What about you?"

"I'm gonna be a dance teacher at a local studio," Juyeon told you, pride sparkling through the statement, "I'm excited about it, but my dream is to have my own studio one day, have a crew and work with some famous people."

You suddenly remembered something Kevin had told you once, "Ah, you majored in dance with Changmin, right?"

Juyeon nodded.

"Kevin took me to one of your showcases once this year, but I had to run out before I could meet you guys after," you recalled fondly, "You had a duet with Changmin and I remember being very, very impressed. I can't dance, so..."

He looks at you in surprise as you remembered it, "Oh, thank you for coming! And I really appreciate that. I'm going to miss those showcases, actually. They were always stressful leading up to them, but when I get to perform, it's the best feeling ever."

The lilt in his voice told you just how passionate he was when it came to dance. You wished that you had something you treasured dearly too, but you tried to remember Jacob's words from dinner- something will always be waiting for you.

"I'm gonna have to see you guys dance again at some point," you smiled, "I know Kevin said a lot of you guys do."

"What has Kevin told you about me?" Juyeon placed his chin on his palm, body leaning over towards you.

You paused for a minute, trying to recall all the facts you knew about Kevin's friend and trying to pick out the ones related to him, "He said you're the best cook in the group and that the world moves too fast for you. He said that you like nature too."

"Too? You do as well?" he asked curiously, "They say I'm slow, which they may be right."

"Yeah! I like taking walks and seeing the world," you affirmed, "I've never been to this part of the country, so I'm intrigued by the area. It looks so beautiful from what I saw on the drive up."

"We should definitely take walks together!" Juyeon suggested enthusiastically, "I don't know how many of the others will join, but it'll be fun."

Before you could agree with him despite how shy he was making you feel, Changmin's sleepy voice boomed out behind you, "Morning guys."

"Did we wake you up?" you asked him in concern.

Changmin shook his bed hair firmly, "Nope. Chanhee rolled over and started cuddling me."

"So you left him?" you teased.

"It got too warm," Changmin whined as he noticed your small breakfast spread, "Can I get a coffee too?"

"Hah, make it yourself," Juyeon huffed as he pointed out where the supplies were kept, "Did you know Y/N attended our showcase a few months ago? The one where we had the duet?"

Changmin laid out the items on the other side of the island and thought for a second before a eureka moment came to him, "Was that the one you had to leave early cause you had a date?"

You groaned at the thought, flopping your head in your hands on the table, "Oh, don't remind me! I can't believe Kevin told you."

Juyeon looked between the two of you, confusion splattered on his face, "Why, what happened?"

You shivered in your seat, "He was a dickhead. It was a blind date with one of my friends' boyfriend's frat brothers and it was so bad I had to actually tell him I wanted to leave."

"Oh, that bad?" Juyeon grimaced.

"He shamed me for ordering a proper meal, insinuated many, many times how he wanted to come over to my place after, picked up a call from one of his friends in the middle of it and then made me pay the whole bill when I said I wanted to leave and offered to split," you recounted, slightly more amused looking back on it now.

"That's really horrible, Y/N," Changmin offered as he stirred his drink.

"I'm used to bad dates now," you sighed in defeat, "I've never had any luck."

Juyeon made a noise of recognition from your side, "Have you gone on a lot of dates?"

"Mhm, my friends all found their partners pretty early on in college. I guess they just wanted me to have the same magical experience as them, so they'd always set me up on dates," you recalled your dating life through the past 4 years, "Actually, I went on a date with Jacob accidentally without knowing he was Kevin's friend before he graduated."

Changmin's eyes widened as he laughed in realisation and slapped the countertop, "I forgot that happened! That's so funny."

Juyeon pouted beside you, "Am I the only one that's never heard of any of this?"

"Maybe it's cause you holed yourself up the last two years in the practice room," Changmin replied sassily.

"Says you!" Juyeon turned to you, "How did your date with Cobie-hyung go?"

"I thought he was really sweet, but we decided not to go on a second date because he was graduating soon," you answered honestly, "He only did it as a favour to my friend when they worked on a project together."

"Oh, so you liked him?" Juyeon pressed on.

Your face reddened as you vehemently shook your head, "It's not like that! We just went on one date, that's all."

"Stop teasing poor Y/N," Changmin frowned from the other side, "It's like coming up to 8 now, so we should start making a proper breakfast for everyone."

You hadn't exactly established how you were going to do the cooking rota, but since you three were already down there, it wasn't a bad idea to get started. Juyeon agreed, hopping off the stool and rummaging the fridge for what they brought.

A grocery trip was definitely due with everyone, but for now, Juyeon's car had lugged along some ingredients from their college apartments that could be utilised.

"Can I be of any help?" you asked into the air as you watched Changmin check what was in each cupboard.

"Are you good at cooking, Y/N?" Juyeon quirked an eyebrow at you. You gave him an unsure look, to which he laughed and handed you a carton of eggs, "I guess I have a lot to teach you during this vacation, Y/N-ah."

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You've always preferred the sunset to the sunrise. Maybe it's because you've seen far more sunsets in your lifetime, due to your previous displeasure of waking up early. Over the last few months with finals, though, you've gotten used to being up at the time the sun peaked through the horizon, even if it was because you hadn't slept yet.

The moment that Minseo noticed the first shades of pinks in the sky, she dragged the whole group out to the waterfront and you all were sprawled out on the ground, watching as the sun dipped down. There hasn't been a good sunset in the four days that you've been here, so you were excited for the first one with the group.

You were even almost confident enough to call them friends as you spent the past four days getting to know them through lunches and dinners, boardgames and pingpong and cooking and cleaning. They were all great people with impeccable sense of humour- you were glad to have come to the trip.

You perched Hyunjae's digital camera on your tucked knees as you examined the way the sky was transforming. Beside you, Kevin was sketching in his notebook.

It was getting late, nearing 8, and you had spent the whole day in the pool with everyone playing different games and lounging around. You all decided as a group that you would take the first week easy- no plans, just relaxing. After that was when you would jump into activities outside of the lake house. You were on the winning team of pool volleyball today, but had lost every chicken fight on top of Kevin's shoulders.

After dinner, you were all drying up when Minseo called everyone out. The air was still warm, but less aggressive than the sun beating down on your skin earlier in the day. There was a mild breeze that cut through the heat, making it more bearable to be outside.

Chanhee was sat on your other side, humming a song as he scrolled on his phone, meanwhile in front of you on the small hill, Jiwon and Suyeon were playing uno with Younghoon and Juyeon. You snapped a picture of them with the camera entrusted to you, which they didn't even notice.

"Jiwon has a crush on Younghoon," Chanhee whispered in your ear. You jumped in your spot, clutching the camera tight to your chest.

"Jesus, Chanhee. You scared me!" you scolded the smirking boy.

"Oops," he patted your head in apology, "Isn't it obvious though?"

You turned your head back to the group to examine. Now that you knew that, you could put meaning to the way that Jiwon was leaning her body towards Younghoon's and the way she clung onto every word he said and everything he did.

"Does Younghoon know?" you hummed.

"I think so, or he's pretending to be dense," Chanhee murmured, "I think he was waiting for Jiwon to graduate, so maybe something will happen on the trip. They've been friends since high school, but the girls are on the dance team with us."

"That's cute," you noted, "What about the other girls?"

"Minseo and Sangyeon dated for a few months, but nothing ever came of it and they stayed as friends," Chanhee recalled in a dropped voice, leaning his lips up to your ear due to Sangyeon's proximity, "But they don't like it when we make jokes about it. Suyeon's never showed interest in anyone but Eric used to have a crush on her. Not anymore, though. In my opinion, proximity can make people think they feel things."

"What, like being around someone can trick you into liking them? Isn't that how crushes and relationships work?" you turned your body to face Chanhee.

He cocked his head in thought, "Maybe, but sometimes people develop crushes for the sake of having crushes instead of actually liking someone. Like some people feel compelled to date someone or like someone because everyone else expects them to because they're close."

"That's..." you trailed off, trying to find the right word to say, "Interesting."

Chanhee lets out a small giggle and turns back to his phone, "It's just something I've thought about after seeing so much friendship group incest."

When you swivel your head back to the lake and the sky beyond it, you find Juyeon staring at you with a perplexed look. When he noticed that you were looking back, he raised his arm in a small wave. You return one back to him, a little confused why he was looking. Suyeon nudged his arm, directing his attention back to the game in front of him.

"Have you ever thought about dating Kevin?" Chanhee asked after a moment of silence.

Kevin beside you perked up at the sound of his name, the scratching of his pencil ceasing. You met his eye and chuckled, "I think we always knew that we'd be better off as friends."

"She's not my type," Kevin dropped in as a dig. You nudged him when you made sure his pencil wasn't touching the paper.

"What's your type, Y/N?" Chanhee pressed on, "If you don't mind me asking."

You thought about his question carefully, trying to pick out what was actually important to you instead of what you would list off to your friends when they would find blind date suitors.

"I just want someone I can be comfortable with and not have to put on an act," you told him simply, "It'd be nice if they'd have some of the same interests as me, but I want someone I can find comfort in. Someone not too energetic and just someone who can treat a girl right. It's not a big ask."

"What, that's it?"

You nodded sheepishly, "To be honest, I just want to find someone naturally- to have them come to me. I've appreciated being set up on dates, but I don't want to look too hard anymore."

"What about giving Jacob another shot?" Kevin quizzed suddenly.

You release a small laugh, "I think that ship has sailed, Kev."

Jacob was a few metres away, strumming on his guitar surrounded by the rest of your friends. There was something so lovely about Jacob, but past that, you don't think you could see a relationship with him.

"Hmm, Hyunjae? He's very nice," Chanhee offered up, a teasing tone in his voice.

You rolled your eyes at your companions, "Did you two not hear anything I said? I want it to happen naturally."

You suddenly get distracted by someone ooh'ing and ahh'ing loudly. When you look up, you're instantly met by the most vibrant sky you've seen in a long time. The sky is painted in shades of cotton candy pink and vivid oranges. It was one of those bright, golden sunsets, devoid of any moody colours.

Snapping a few pictures on the camera of your friends and their silhouettes against the sky, you stood up for a better view. Through the lens, you find Jiwon and Younghoon standing together, shoulder to shoulder as they peered up. You were so preoccupied by their figures that you missed Juyeon standing up, brushing himself off and walking over to you.

"Y/N, can I have the camera?" Juyeon appeared beside you, making you jump slightly.

"Oh yeah, sure," you carefully placed the camera in his palm, not wanting to be reckless with something that wasn't yours.

Juyeon smiled appreciatively, taking one step back behind you and holding it up, "Okay, smile!"

Your eyes widened in surprise as you shook your head, "Don't get me in it! It won't turn out nice."

Trying to escape, you ducked to the side of him, but he caught onto your wrist and gently manoeuvred you back to your original place. Juyeon gave you a pointed look, "Trust me, okay? Just smile. Say cheese!"

Sensing that you wouldn't be able to get him to back down, you indulged his request and smiled softly at the camera. The digital device looked so tiny in his large hands compared to how they looked in yours that it was almost comical. He had to fumble a little to find the button, but when he clicked it finally, you broke your pose.

Juyeon looked down at the screen as you came closer to see for yourself. He turned it towards you with a triumphant smile on his handsome features, "See? So pretty."

He's probably talking about the sunset.

⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

On a morning you found yourself awake early again, you received a DM from one Lee Juyeon.

juyeon: i was about to go on a walk. care to join?

y/n: how did you know i was awake?

juyeon: i saw that you viewed my story i just uploaded :> will you come?

y/n: give me 10 minutes

When you tiptoed down the stairs at precisely 7:15AM, you found Juyeon squinting at you from the living room couch.

"Has anyone ever told you that you squint a lot?" you yawned out as you placed your shoes on the ground and slipped into them.

"I have terrible vision," Juyeon explained, "And before you ask, I don't have glasses because I cheated on my eye test."

You slapped your hand over your mouth to muffle the laughs coming out, "How is that even possible?"

Juyeon rolled his eyes playfully, "Yeah, yeah. I know!"

He stood up from his place on the couch and followed you out of the front door. With one of the spare keys, he locked the door behind him and joined your side.

"Do you even know what I look like?" you teased him.

He made you stop on the gravel track, placing his hands on your shoulders. Teasingly, he squinted his eyes at you before relaxing onto the heel of his foot, "Of course I do. I would never forget a pretty face like yours."

Shocked at his flirty remarks, you pushed against his shoulder with your hand, "You're too much, Lee Juyeon."

His laugh is melodic as he tried to catch up with your fast pace, "You should learn how to take compliments, Y/N."

"Yeah, but you're teasing me," you humphed in response.

"Maybe, but it's still a factual compliment!" Juyeon argued. You were embarrassed to know that your whole face and ears were probably lit up like a tomato right now from his words.

Instead of replying, you chose to steer the conversation away, "Do you even know where we're going?"

Juyeon shook his head, "I just thought we could follow this trail around the lake. It's a nice morning."

The air was crispy- not too hot, not too cold. Everything was pretty still, other than the few people you could see having coffee on their front decks at the other houses surrounding the river. All you could hear, though, was the chirping of the birds in nests nestled in the trees and the soft crunching of rocks and grass under your shoes.

You hadn't managed to walk around the lake with the others yet in the week you've been there already. Time was moving so fast and there was still so much left to do. You were intrigued by the flora surrounding the lake, so you were trying to find free time to explore- thankfully, Juyeon beat you to it.

"Look at those flowers," you murmured after a few minutes of walking. There were tufts of pink flowers by the water edge that you crouched down to investigate further.

You heard the shutter of a camera faster than you could see Juyeon taking a picture of you on the ground.

"Hey!" you pouted up at him, swatting at his hand, "Let me see!"

"No can do," Juyeon replied smugly, "For my eyes only."

You brushed off your legs and stretched up next to him to continue walking, "That's not fair! I'm in the photo!"

"Later," Juyeon hummed innocently, walking forward a bit faster.

He continued leading you around the lake for a while, just chatting about trivial things you could see. His hands were tucked into the pockets of his cargo shorts, eyes shaded from the sun with his cap. At one point, you spotted a paddling of ducks near the edge, so you dragged Juyeon down to crouch beside you as you took pictures of them.

"Look how small that one is!" you cooed, pointing to what seemed like a baby duck that was following behind its mother closely.

"And look how cute they are when they tuck their necks in," Juyeon reciprocated as he found a flock further away that seemed to be sleeping or resting on the water.

"I used to have a stream behind my house when I was young, so I've always loved ducks," you waft a blade of long grass in the direction of the ducks, hoping they'd come to you.

"That seems like a nice childhood," you could hear the gentle smile in his gentle voice, "What was your childhood like?"

Your eyes followed the animals splashing about in the water, amused as two of them started chasing each other, "Nothing special. My parents had ordinary jobs and I have an older brother and a younger sister, so I was stuck in the middle. I grew up just outside of the city we went to college in, so I got to visit them often. My life's not very exciting. What about you?"

Juyeon humphed in disagreement, "I'm sure that's not true. There's always something special about the mundane. I grew up not far from the city too. I have a little brother who's 4 years younger and he's kind of in his teen-angsty phase right now, so I'm staying away physically. I call home pretty often, though."

"My sister just got out of hers," you laughed in solidarity. You finally decided to leave the ducks alone as they changed course away from you, "We get along much better now."

The sun was rising higher in the sky as you reached the halfway point around the lake. At this point, you had probably been out together for 45 minutes, but no one was noticing your absence yet.

"I can't believe they're not awake yet," you murmured as you checked your notifications.

"Nah, Changmin and Chanhee were awake and reading webtoons in bed," Juyeon informed you, "I told them we were going on a walk."

"You didn't invite them?"

"There's no getting those two out so early for no reason. That one morning with Changmin was a fluke," Juyeon uttered, "Besides, it's nice just us two, right?"

His words send the butterflies in your stomach into a frenzy- he seems to have a way of doing that to you without even realising. You've spent a good amount of time with Juyeon on this trip, thinking that he was just taking you under his wing. Unfortunately for you, the man was drop dead gorgeous so it was hard not to feel giddy around him. Especially since he had such a way with words.

You have to remind yourself often that you were just friends. He treated everyone just like he treated you, right? Lee Juyeon was just a nice person.

"Right," you smile slightly, hiding your pink cheeks from him, but in turn getting blinded by the beams of light, "The sun's so bright."

Juyeon sighed beside you, "I should have told you to bring a hat."

You opened your mouth to reply, but you suddenly feel fabric encapsulating your head and the sun fade out behind the material of a cap- Juyeon's cap that he had taken off his own head and placed on yours.

"Oh, no, Juyeon. Keep the hat; the sun's gonna be in your eyes now," you moved to take it off, but he keeps his hand splayed on top of your head to prevent you from doing so.

"I'm taller than you, so the sun's hitting my face differently," he said to you sweetly.

You think he's lying, but if you've learned anything about Juyeon the past week, it's that he doesn't take no for an answer, "Thanks, Juyeon."

"You're welcome, Y/N-ie."

And if anybody noticed that you were wearing Juyeon's favourite cap when you arrived back to the house with a full spread of breakfast on the table, they certainly didn't say anything.

But when Jacob perched himself on the edge of your bed when you woke up from your post-breakfast nap, you knew you were in trouble from the mischievous yet apprehensive look on his face.

"What?" you groaned into the pillow that you smothered yourself with.

He waited for you to remove the pillow from your face before giving you a knowing look, "Kevin sent me."

"Why?"

"He's busy with Sunwoo and Hak," Jacob dismissed, "We want to know what's going on with you and Juyeon."

You sat up on the bed, looking at him incredulously, "What do you mean what's going on with me and Juyeon? Nothing."

Jacob frowned at what he thought was a blatant lie, "Don't think we haven't noticed you two have been spending a lot of time together recently. You two went out on a secret walk this morning alone."

"No one else was awake!" you protested, "None of you are morning people anyway!"

"You're not either, said Kevin," Jacob retorted.

"I'm trying to be," you huffed, "Besides, I've known the guy for one week. I'm not hiding a relationship from anyone."

"Yeah, but do you like him?" Jacob tacked on, "Kev wanted me to interrogate, so I am doing so."

"You're all so nosy," you murmured exasperatedly, "Juyeon is very nice; we're friends. Kevin would act this way no matter who I got close to."

"That might be true," Jacob nodded, "But I've never seen Juyeon act this way. He's normally pretty reserved when it comes to girls, but he's always approaching you first, looking out for you and considering you in things."

Your heart fluttered learning this new information about Juyeon, but you don't show it as you crossed your arms at Jacob with a disapproving glare, "Then take it up with Juyeon and not me."

"You know what'd be funny? To see if Juyeon will get jealous if anyone else gets close to you," Jacob tapped his chin in thought, "I've never, ever seen Juyeon jealous over a girl."

And as if the world was playing a hilarious, cruel prank on you, you heard Juyeon call your name as his feet padded up the stairs. He let out a sound of surprise when found your door ajar and Jacob sitting on your bed instead of his shared bed with Kevin.

Juyeon's eyes darted quickly between the two of you, with you still half-tucked under the sheets. His face kind-of hardened at the sight, but he quickly masked it with a half smile, "Hey, Y/N. I made you a smoothie to energise after our walk! Hi Cobie-hyung, what are you doing here?"

Jacob shot you a smug look, that you rolled your eyes subtly to, "I was just talking with Y/N. Is there something you need?"

Juyeon eyed him suspiciously, placing the cold glass on your side table. He didn't even reply when you thanked him, instead keeping an eye on Jacob, "Nah. Was it something private, though?"

"Hm, a bit," Jacob smirked. You were half a second away from shoving him off your bed for playing with Juyeon like this.

"Oh, okay. I'll go then. But we're about to go paddling in the lake so make sure you get ready soon," Juyeon backed down hesitantly and he turned his attention to you with a disarming smile, "You still have my hat, right, Y/N? Don't forget to bring that with you out. The sun's intense today."

As Juyeon left the room with the door wider than it was when he found it, Jacob rotated his body to you comically slow like he was in a movie.

"Shut it, Jacob."

He shook his head and released an angelic, teasing laugh, "That was next level, Y/N. I've never seen that man jealous let alone put on a territorial display!"

"Jacob!"

He put his hands up in surrender, "Fine, fine. I'm leaving too, but have a think, yeah? Don't want to let a guy as good as Juyo slip away."

⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

There were multiple boats scattered around the lake-side. There were 15 of you, so it wasn't an even split into pairs, but some of the boys were more confident to go by themselves.

As expected, Jiwon and Younghoon were pushed together to pair up and they strapped on life jackets first before clambering onto a rocky paddle boat at the end of a dock. Sangyeon and Hyunjae got their own boats, while Chanhee and Changmin shared one together. Minseo and Suyeon climbed on after, meanwhile Sunwoo and Haknyeon paired up. Eric, ever the brave, slid into a boat by himself, but let out a scream when it wobbled immediately. Thankfully, the activities staff was still holding the boat to keep it from tipping.

That left you, Jacob, Kevin and Juyeon to decide how to configure yourselves and you could see the Canadians' meddling from a mile away.

"Dibs on Jacob!" Kevin slung his arm around his friend and ran off towards the dock, leaving you speechless with Juyeon.

He gazed at you with shiny eyes, "Guess it's us again?"

"Ha. Us. Again," you enunciated dumbfounded at how obvious Kevin and Jacob were being.

Juyeon didn't seem to note any of this as he casually tugged on your arm in the direction of the boats, "Come on. Let's go."

You were the last ones to put on your life jackets and when you looked out at the lake, you could see your friends had already ventured far into the water. Juyeon stepped into the shaking boat first, taking a seat at the far edge.

When you looked nervous about climbing on, Juyeon held out his hand towards you, "Be careful," he said, nonchalantly.

You held your breath as you took his large hand. Your hands looked like a kid's in his large hold, but the way he wrapped his fingers around your own and made you feel secure had you less wary of getting onto the boat.

When you finally were able to sit across from him, you released the breath and the staff had unhooked you from the dock. Juyeon clapped for you in pride.

"I've always wanted to do this," you admitted to him, watching the water ripple around you.

He quirked an eyebrow at you and held the oars in your direction. He was the one currently manoeuvring the two of you further into the water, "Oh, do you wanna steer, then?"

You took the two pieces of wood from his grasp and grinned at him lopsidedly, "Can't promise we won't capsize though."

He smirked at you from across the boat, "I can swim. Can you?"

Your terrified look had him laughing in stitches as he teased you, "I guess I'll be the one saving you from your own disaster, then."

You kissed your teeth playfully at him as you tried to get into a rhythm with the oars. It was actually harder than you thought to move the boat in a smooth motion due to the drag of the water, but Juyeon just watched you in amusement as he leant back on the boat. You appreciated that he wasn't trying to take over the second he realised you weren't any good at this.

"Y/N-ie!" you heard a voice shout to your left. You looked over to find Eric's lone boat coming towards you at full steam. You watched as his face contorted into panic, realising that he didn't know how to slow down his boat.

Before it could crash into you, Juyeon reached over and held you down on the boat by your shoulders. When Eric made impact, you rocked in your seat, but less than Juyeon who swayed in his mid-standing crouching position. You stabilised him by holding onto his arms with yours.

Juyeon jumped back once he realised the crash was over, cheeks pink as he felt your touch on his bare skin. He settled back into his seat, looking unimpressed at his younger friend.

"Eric," he scowled at the sheepish boy, "Be careful. You could have tipped us over."

"Sorry," Eric pulled his lips into an apologetic pout, "I just wanted to say hi."

"It's okay, Eric. We're safe," you laughed off the incident as you brushed your hair back into place. You had passed over the oars to Juyeon at this point as you conversed with the guilty tanned boy, "Are you enjoying it?"

Eric nodded happily, "It's so much fun! I could do this all day."

Your heart melted at his enthusiasm. Eric was definitely giving you younger brother vibes through this trip with his puppy-like energy.

Juyeon swatted the oar in his direction, "Go bother someone else, Youngjae."

You glared at your boat-mate, "Juyo, that's not very nice."

"He almost killed us, Y/N," Juyeon exaggerated dramatically as he pushed the nose of Eric's boat away from yours.

Eric clicked his tongue and shook his head, laughing under his breath, "Alright, alright, I get it, hyung. Sorry for almost killing you."

You watched in disbelief as Eric paddled away at the speed of lightning, now looking like he was about to crash again into Minseo and Suyeon's boat. Turning back to your partner, you shook your head at him.

"What? That was dangerous," Juyeon whined at your glare, "Anyway, you called me Juyo."

Your hands flew up to your mouth as you burned red at the slip up, "Oh sorry! I never asked if I could call you that. I just heard Jacob call you it earlier."

Juyeon flashed you a boyish grin as he paddled your boat away from where everyone had seemed to congregate, pushing at each other's boats, "I don't mind. You can call me Juyo; I like it," then his face morphed with something unrecognisable for a second, "What were you and Jacob talking about?"

Your eyes narrowed into slits as you examined the boy in front of you. Where he was confident meeting your eyes earlier, he was now looking at everywhere other than you. It had you thinking whether there was some truth in Jacob's words, but you definitely didn't want to get your hopes up.

"Didn't he say it was a bit private?" you tried to say nonchalantly. Juyeon began to nod like he didn't care much at all, but you just laughed at him, "I'm kidding. We weren't talking about anything specific. I don't know why he said it was private."

"Oh, so you're not dating?"

You gasped at the accusation, "Me and Jacob? Why would you think that?"

Juyeon shrugged as he continued to row steadily, "You guys spend a lot of time together. He was teaching you to play the guitar last night."

Ah, Juyeon must have noticed Jacob instructing you on the patio after you expressed interest in learning to play. You had thought that he was inside making dinner with the girls, but he must have stepped out or seen you in the reflection of the glass door.

You smiled coyly, "We spend a lot of time together, but we're not dating are we?"

You don't know where this bravery came from- you weren't usually so teasing to anyone you spoke to. However, being with Juyeon showed you a new, more playful side to yourself that knew how to be a bit less uptight and closed off.

Juyeon pressed his lips into a thin line, "Right. We're not."

⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

Halfway through the trip, Minseo had the idea to have a fancy dinner out one day in the nearest town. She wanted to get dressed up and get properly ready, since most of the activities you'd been doing thus far either involved the water or getting sweaty in the sun. Because this wasn't in your itinerary, you and the three girls took their car out to shop for new dresses, while the boys searched their luggage for something appropriate.

You deduced that they didn't have anything to wear either when you bumped into Sangyeon, Younghoon, Haknyeon and Eric midway through the shopping trip with bags and bags occupying their hands. They must have been sent out by the others to buy shirts and slacks. While buying new outfits could be considered excessive, the pieces were always recyclable and appropriate for the real world that the graduates were about to go into and the working adults were already partaking in. The dresses on the other hand, were not so transferrable, but you just hoped that you'd find an occasion to use it again in. You didn't feel too guilty considering the four of you only delved into thrift and second hand shops to find your outfits for the mid-scale restaurant that Minseo found.

You got ready in the girls' room, spending more time with them since being around the boys 24/7 got tiring sometimes. They had been very welcoming to you through the past week and a half despite being a tight-knit trio already. They were also all graduated and figuring out their lives, but welcomed you into their group regardless. You could definitely see yourself keeping in touch with them after the trip ended, even if you ended up in a random city far away.

There was always something nice about getting ready with a group of friends. Jiwon had curled the back of your head while she rambled on about how Younghoon was taking his sweet time making a move on her, meanwhile Suyeon was painting pink varnish on Minseo's right hand. The four of you took pictures after cleaning up the inevitably messy room and sat cross-legged on the bed as you sent them to each other.

"Juyeon's gonna die when he sees you," Suyeon smirked as she airdropped a set of photos she had taken from you.

"Why does everyone keep thinking me and Juyeon have something going on? We're just friends," you muttered, swiping through the images.

The room fell into silence and you looked up to three disbelieving faces. Minseo rolled her eyes at you, "Be serious, Y/N. Juyeon is smitten with you."

You pressed your lips together to contain a cheesing smile. Suyeon nodded in agreement, "Don't forget we're on the dance team so we know him quite well. We've never seen him with a girl like this."

"Maybe he just kept it separate from dance."

"Then he was not seeing anyone because he was dedicated to that shit 24/7," Jiwon told you, "Trust us. He likes you."

You looked on apprehensively, "Guys, we just met. It's been a week and a half."

Minseo flopped back on the bed in exasperation, "Have you never heard of love at first sight? I feel like it's pretty common that crushes develop quite quickly, especially if you're spending all day and night with someone."

"Think of Love Island," Jiwon offered, glaring at you when you stifled a laugh, "They're locked in a villa together 24/7 and by day 3 they're married with kids making out by the pool. You're basically doing better than them!"

You giggle at her analogy, appreciating the girls trying to justify the growing affection you've developed for the sleepy-eyes boy the past few days, "Maybe, but even still, I'm not the type to make the first move at all. I still want to give it time."

Suyeon nodded in understanding, "That's fair. Don't worry though, you'll know your answer by how he reacts to you tonight. You're a literal smoke show, babe."

You side-hug her in thanks and return the compliment. Minseo pushed herself off the bed as she checked the phone, "The guys have already left. We should get going too."

Downstairs, the four of you strapped on your sandals and did a sweep of the house to make sure everyone had left and you didn't accidentally leave anyone behind. Jiwoo recalled a time to you about how after one dance show that everyone either attended or participated in, they were sorting out transport after the show and each car thought that another car was taking Sunwoo home. It resulted in Sangyeon having to turn the car around once they realised at the restaurant that Sunwoo wasn't there and a grudge that Sunwoo held for months afterwards.

When you reached the restaurant in town after a small drive, the boys had already been sat down for a few minutes. The server led you to an area where they had joined 3 tables together to accompany your large group. You could see the spaces they left in the middle for the four of you.

"Y/N," a soft voice called out for you as you reached the table. Juyeon stood up from his spot and pulled a chair out, "Hope you don't mind sitting next to me."

The girls let out some sounds of amusement behind you as they took their seats. Jiwon slid in to the sit between yours and Younghoon. With your body aflame, you returned a gracious smile, "Not at all, Juyo."

After you had sat down and greeted the other boys, you opened up the menu to confirm what you wanted despite checking it earlier. Everyone's attention had turned away from you, so Juyeon took it as an opportunity to lean closer and bring his lips up to your ear, hidden from view by the menus.

"You look beautiful, by the way," he murmured shyly.

Fighting the urge to just scream in glee and giddiness, you chewed on your bottom lip. Juyeon's hair was styled differently today with some of his hair being pushed back and away from his forehead when day-to-day, his hair fell into his eyes. He was wearing a plain button up with the top buttons undone and he had sprayed on a perfume that was completely intoxicating.

"You don't look too bad yourself," you whispered to him, masking the way your heart was racing just at the sight of him.

Juyeon returned a triumphant smile and moved back to look at his own menu. From beside you, Jiwon was practically vibrating in her seat from excitement.

"He's just being nice," you mouthed to her. She rolled her eyes and turned back to her best friend slash longstanding crush.

You were never much of a drinker in college. Sure, you partook in your fair share of college parties and bar hopping nights, but you wouldn't say that you were an expert in the matter. Your tolerance was okay, but as the dinner progressed, it seemed like a better and better idea to keep ordering more wine.

By the end of it, all non-drivers on the table were verging on tipsy, all while Kevin, Sangyeon, Minseo and Jacob watched in amusement. There hadn't been any more heart-swooning moments from Juyeon through the dinner, but just being sat in close proximity to him made you feel safe and warm.

When it was time to head back to the lake house, Sangyeon had proposed the idea of ending the night with lighting the fire outside. You had utilized it a few times already, so there was a reserve of wood and flammable materials in the corner waiting to be used. It was a clear and still night with a slight breeze, so it was perfect to light it up.

Thankfully, Sangyeon and Jacob being sober worked out as they could start the fire together without harm. You definitely didn't trust the stumbling Eric or mumbling Haknyeon to do it themselves. Even Hyunjae looked a bit out of it.

The fire was roaring strong as you perched yourself on one of the benches surrounding it. Every so often, Sangyeon was throwing a log into the flames and fanning it to keep it going. It wasn't too cold in the night, but the fire provided a blanketing warmth. You were all still in your 'fancy' outfits and everyone was taking photos at different spots in the back yard. Jacob had fetched his guitar and was strumming random melodies while Sunwoo and Chanhee sang along beside him.

To your left, you heard a click of a camera.

"Lee Juyeon, will you stop taking photos of me?" you mused as you found him with the camera up to his eyes.

He smiled softly, "What's wrong with wanting to remember this moment? You look beautiful."

Your eyes fluttered shut as his words tugged at your lips, "Juyeon..."

Juyeon let out a hearty laugh as he put the camera down and scooted closer to you on the bench, thighs pressing against each other, "I'm being too obvious, aren't I?"

Everyone else was far away enough from you to be able to hear, so you were less fearful of being subject to teasings if they heard this conversation.

You thought that the wine was giving you a bit too much liquid courage, "Keep it up and I might believe what our friends are telling me."

Juyeon's breath hitched, "And what are they telling you?"

Eyes closed, you felt Juyeon press his side more purposely against yours, "I don't wanna say," you mumbled.

"Oh come on, don't I have the right to know if it concerns me?" Juyeon retorted back, "Please?"

A burst of courage pumped through your veins, "They're saying you might have a crush."

Juyeon was silent for so long that you were afraid that if you opened your eyes, he'd have disappeared. Still, you felt the warmth of his body radiating to you. Your head was heavy, lolling in front of you while Juyeon formulated his words.

You opened your eyes to a blazing fire as Juyeon chuckled lowly beside you, "I might."

Your voice indicated the surprise you felt at his indirect confession, "You might?"

"I might," he repeated. You could hear the smile in his voice, "Hard not to."

You avoid looking at him as you find a stick on the ground and start poking the fire, "You develop crushes that quick?"

"What can I say? I've always been a hopeless romantic," Juyeon mused, stretching out his arm behind you to be able to lean on them as he shuffled in his seat.

"That's not what I've heard," you recalled the conversations you've had with his friends.

Juyeon gasped, "How much have they been talking to you about me?"

You chuckled, "You're all they can ever talk about with me, if I'm being honest."

Juyeon grumbled under his breath, "I'm gonna kill all of them!"

You paused for a moment, suddenly frowning at the orange flames, "Is this just the wine talking, Juyeon?"

He snapped his head towards you so suddenly that you do the same and finally meet his eyes. The flames reflecting back in his eyes and on his face cast a golden glow on his skin, "What? No! They might have given me the courage to say these things but I'd never deceive you."

You dropped your voice to a whisper, "Do you mean it? That you might have a crush?"

Juyeon giggled at your words as he reached up to your face and tucked your hair behind your ear. Oh, he was surely a hopeless romantic.

"Definitely."

⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

When you woke up the next morning, your heart was already racing. It was the residual effects of the way Lee Juyeon made you feel the night before. While you couldn't talk much more after Kevin plopped down on the bench beside you causing you two to jump apart, you shared many knowing smiles throughout the night.

But it left more questions unanswered than answered. Despite that, you tried to push down the feelings of uncertainty to focus on the present.

Kevin and Jacob were already awake by the time that you emerged from under your sheets. They were both applying their skincare on the bed, a Youtube video playing on low volume near them.

"Morning sunshine," Kevin's voice was too teasing that you knew you were in for it, "How was your night with mister loverboy?"

"Kevin," you warned lowly, sending piercing glares in his direction. Jacob had stopped what he was doing to listen in.

"All I'm saying is that you two looked very comfy by the fire last night," he shrugged innocently, "Look, Juyeon's a great guy. Not sure why I didn't think to set him up with you, but you two go together well."

"Can't believe you thought Chanhee was a better option," Jacob snorted beside him. Kevin picked up his pillow and smacked his companion with it.

"Juyeon's great," you affirmed, "I just don't want to go too fast or anything since I don't even know where I'm gonna end up."

"Have you heard back from any of the jobs you've been applying for?" Kevin asked softly.

Every single day, at the end of the evening, you would open your laptop in bed and send applications for every new job listing you could find, even if they weren't related to your degree. Someone would have to take you, right?

You nodded slowly, "I have a few interviews in the city after we get back. I'm trying not to get my hopes up with any of them since I've done so many interviews this past year to no avail."

Kevin got up to your bed and gave you a squeeze, "You'll find something, okay? You're too good to let go of and all those companies were dumb to not have you."

"Thank you Kevin," you said sincerely.

"Now, get up! It's beach day!" Kevin yelped excitedly.

Although you were facing a very large lake, there was still something different about going to the beach, digging your toes in the sand and dipping into the ocean. The nearest nice beach was nearly an hour away, so you all agreed to try and get up and get ready early.

You took a lightning fast shower and packed your things into your bag. The boys had brought tents with them that you could use to get changed in once you got to the beach, so you just slipped on a sundress with sandals. You met the girls in their room and then planned to go down to Minseo's car. Although you rode over with Kevin, you were definitely enjoying the girls' presence and so moved yourself to their car by their insistence.

When you were at the top of the staircase, you felt an arm brush against yours and the weight of your tote bag disappearing as it was snatched out of your hand.

"Morning," Juyeon breathed, bringing his lips to the shell of your ear.

You jumped in your spot, clutching your chest in surprise, "Oh my God, Juyeon! You scared me! And I can take my bag."

Juyeon raced ahead a few steps to keep it out of your grasp, "It's no problem. Are you going in Minseo's car?"

"Mhm," you nodded as he opened the front door to find some of the other boys loading their things in. You waved good morning to each of them as you unlocked Minseo's car with the keys she entrusted to you. They were still packing their last bits.

Sangyeon bounded over from his car, eyeing you and Juyeon, "Hey, we only want to take 3 cars instead of 4 to the beach. We need another person in the girls' car."

Before Juyeon could open his mouth to volunteer, Younghoon had rushed over and stretched his arms over the both of you, wedging you apart, "And that's gonna be me. Sorry Juyo. Get Eric or Hak to switch with your girlfriend."

Both you and Juyeon let out a trapped, muffled sound of surprise at his comment and you kept your eyes down on the gravel to avoid showing everyone your flushed faces.

Younghoon's belly laugh echoed through the lake, "I'm just playing, guys. You should see your faces- ow! Juyeon!"

Juyeon smirked innocently, batting his eyelashes like he didn't just kick Younghoon in the shin. Sangyeon tutted like them like a disgruntled dad as he returned to his own car. Through his window, you could see Chanhee, Changmin and Sunwoo all already asleep in the back of the car while Hyunjae loaded heavy-looking coolers into the back.

Younghoon dashed inside, probably to help the girls with their items, leaving you and Juyeon looking at each other wide-eyes and shy.

"Sorry about him," Juyeon sheepishly said.

You waved him off with a dismissive hand, "Don't worry- I've got used to the teasing. How was your sleep?"

"I barely slept last night," he admitted, "I was overthinking. I wasn't too much last night, was I?"

You shook your head immediately, "No, no. Of course not. We didn't get to talk much last night, but honestly, you're good. We're on the same page, I think."

Juyeon fought the smile on his face, "We are?"

"Definitely," you echoed his words from the previous night with a teasing tone. You could practically see him folding into himself in shyness, but you just tugged at the hem of his shirt with a soft expression, "It's so early in the morning to be teased together by Jacob and Kevin if we go in the same car, so I'll just see you at the beach. Is that okay?"

Juyeon nodded affirmatively, "I agree. I'm just gonna pass out in the car anyway. Have a safe trip, pretty."

Your cheeks were permanently red around him, "You too, Juyeon."

When your car was finally on the road going at a constant speed, Minseo looked at you through the rearview mirror and sighed, "I've always wanted a summer romance."

You frowned slightly, "Do you think me and Juyeon will just be a summer thing?"

Minseo's mouth dropped agape as she rushed to collect herself, "No, no. I didn't mean that. I just meant I've always wanted to meet someone on vacation and make a relationship out of it. I think it's cute."

"Juyeon's not one for flings," Jiwon uttered beside you. She was squished in the middle seat between you and Younghoon, who was sleeping soundly with his head nested in her shoulder, "He's never had a girlfriend or a situationship through college. I don't know about high school, but I don't think Juyeon's the type to play around with girls."

"And he wears his heart on his sleeve. We've always been able to tell what he's feeling- if he's nervous, if he's mad or frustrated. He's such a sweet guy so we hope you can take care of him too," Suyeon added on from the passenger seat.

You nodded slowly at their heartfelt words, "I've realised that about him. He's very real."

"Did you guys confess to each other last night?" Minseo asked hesitantly, "You guys looked really close by the fire."

"Kevin said the same thing this morning," you chortled, "And kind-of, I guess? It was more of a half-confession."

"That's better than nothing," Suyeon hummed, "You guys should talk properly before we leave."

You agreed noiselessly as you thought about it. There was definitely something going on between you- that much was clear. You were a little nervous about it all after remembering what Chanee said to you about people developing feelings in close proximity, but you thought to yourself that that wasn't something to project onto yourself or onto Juyeon without proper deliberation.

You were also in close proximity with the other boys, but that didn't mean that you developed feelings for them either. You felt that you owed it to Juyeon who was brave enough to be so forward with his feelings to explore the relationship without prejudice.

Sure, it might get hard when you start working and living your lives again, but that was for future you who had experienced it to decide. You've let your fears stop you from many things in your life before, but whenever you're beside Juyeon, he makes you feel like you should throw out all those doubts and just enjoy the present moment with him.

You got so in your head during the car ride that you didn't even notice the car halting to a stop and the locks clicking open.

"We're here," Suyeon murmured softly, reaching from the front to gently shake Jiwon and Younghoon awake. She turned to you with an understanding look, "You okay, babe?"

"Yeah," you breathed out, "I'm just trying not to worry about it."

"Mhm," she smiled softly as Jiwon stretched awake beside you with a sleepy grunt.

The beach car park wasn't too far from the sand, so you all loaded your arms with the items from the trunk in order to set up camp for the day. It was blazing hot with the sun high up in the sky, so you were all sweating by the time you decided on a large enough spot on the beach. Thankfully, it wasn't too busy as it was a weekday, but there were still some people dotted around.

Jacob's car hadn't arrived yet since Kevin texted in the groupchat that they had to make a stop to let Eric go to the bathroom halfway through. Sangyeon's car was taking the coolers and the tents down to the beach and thankfully, the tents didn't require setting up other than anchoring them down in place with sandbags and everyone's belongings.

The group decided a few nights ago that you were going to do a barbecue on the beach after you swam for a bit, so Hyunjae and Younghoon were separating all the ingredients they had brought for that into a corner of the space. Sunwoo, Chanhee and Changmin had immediately ran away with a beach volleyball to play with away from the food.

You laid out a bunch of beach mats and picnic blankets, keeping them from blowing away by placing someone's bag on each of the corners. Suyeon and Jiwon were applying sunscreen on each other, having changed into their bikinis already, meanwhile you were waiting for Minseo to change in the second tent after you changed in the first one.

"I'm so hungry," Minseo grumbled as she dropped her bag of clothes on the mat and rummaged for the sunscreen.

"Me too, but we can't swim for a while if we eat," you reminded her. You had munched on a breakfast bar that Minseo kept stashed in her car at the start of the journey, but you had to wait to eat lunch or else going into the ocean wasn't a good idea. You don't actually know if that's a myth or not, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

She squeezed a dollop of cream into your hands that you lathered all over the areas you could reach and then turned your attention to each other to help get the spots missed. You let it seep into your skin first so it wouldn't get washed off as soon as you entered the ocean.

By the time you felt ready to go, Jacob's car had pulled up and you could hear them coming from a mile away thanks to the speaker in Eric's hand already booming music. They didn't have much in their cars, but you could see a donut inflatable around Juyeon's arms.

"Hi gorgeous," Juyeon smirked at you as he placed down the ring on the mat, "You look ready to jump into the sea."

"We've been waiting for a bit," you burrowed your toes into the golden, warm sand.

"Blame Eric. He didn't go to the bathroom before we left and then chugged a bottle of water," Juyeon rolled his eyes, "It's okay, I put on sun protection in the car."

You laughed at the visual that appeared suddenly in your head, "You guys were definitely rubbing sunscreen on each other's backs, right?"

He hid a guilty smile, "Maybe, maybe."

Mid-laugh, you were struck silent as Juyeon suddenly pulled his shirt off in one quick motion. The past week and a half that you'd been swimming in the pool, he'd been wearing a top. Sure when he was drenched, the fabric would cling to his skin and you could see the outline of his abs through them if you were looking (you definitely were not), but seeing him suddenly shirtless in front of you had your mouth gasping apart. The sun made his abs reflect golden honey and his muscly arms flexed as he pulled the shirt off.

Juyeon smirked at your reaction, "You're gonna catch flies, babe."

You snapped your mouth shut, scrunching your face in embarrassment as he chuckled at you. Trying to walk away from him, Juyeon just huffed and caught your bare waist with his large hands, pulling you back towards him, "Don't be shy, c'mere."

A passing Changmin gagged as he glared at you two, "Oh I'm gonna be sick. Get a room."

Chanhee, who was walking by his side and practically attached to his hip, huffed along, "They make me feel so single. It's so gross."

"Fuck off," Juyeon smiled innocently at his friends, who flipped him off without even sparing a glance at the two of you. He turned his attention back to you, "Sorry, is this too much?"

The sliver of skin he was touching was burning under his fingers, but you pushed down your usual reservedness, "I feel like exploding, but no, it's okay."

He bit at his plump lips, "You're so cute. Let's go swim?"

"I don't know if swim is the right word. I told you I can't swim. Maybe waddle is better," you reminded him at your inability.

Juyeon ahh'ed and picked up the inflatable, "Use this, then. Or hold onto me, yeah? I won't let you drown, promise."

He held up his pinky finger at you, which you wrapped your own around. But instead of breaking apart, Juyeon used it to tug at you towards the ocean. He started breaking out into a jog, catching you off guard, and you picked up your pace to run beside him.

When you reached the ocean, you were struggling to catch your breath from both laughing so hard and the sudden exercise he made you do. Thankfully, the sea was warm under the sun, so it wasn't an added shock to the system.

Juyeon helped slide the ring over your body so that you were in the middle of the donut hole and you paddled deeper into the ocean where your feet couldn't touch anymore. A few metres away from you, Haknyeon and Sunwoo were splashing at each other.

"This is nice, I like this," you told Juyeon happily, "I was kinda scared to go into the ocean."

Juyeon placed his hand on the ring, "Don't worry, I got you. Let's go a bit deeper, yeah?"

You let him push you along a bit further since his feet were still touching the sand at the bottom and when the water came up to his shoulders, he stopped and let you paddle around him in the donut. He watched in amusement as you giggled to yourself happily.

"So adorable," he murmured. After a few minutes, when he realised that there was no one near the two of you for a considerable distance, he reached his arm out to half your floatie.

"Mhm?" you quirked an eyebrow at him as he pulled you in closer.

"Do you trust me?" Juyeon began, eyes shining with mischief.

Your eyes widened as you gripped the float tight to your body, "Oh no. What is it?"

Juyeon chuckled and reached for your waist under the water. He tugged at you, but the float kept your bodies at a distance.

"Wrap your legs around me. I'm gonna take the float off you," he proposed slowly, watching your reaction.

"Juyeon," you drawled in fear, holding on even tighter.

"I won't let you drown, come on," he encouraged, "I'm still touching the ground."

Reluctantly, you moved your body as close as you could to him. The minute he felt your legs close around his torso, he flicked the float off over your head and pulled you in flush with his toned arms. Disregarded, the donut moved steadily with the waves.

"I told you," he murmured. You had got a bit surprised from the way he pulled you tight to his body, instinctively tucking your head into his neck and squealing. Juyeon rubbed at your back with his palm to reassure you.

This was definitely the closest that you'd been to Juyeon at all- actually, it was a major step up altogether. You think that you half-confessions you'd shared with each other had given him all the confidence and courage all at once.

"Is this okay?" Juyeon asked quietly as both of your hearts thumped against your chests strongly.

He had asked you that so much, just showing how much of a gentleman he truly was, never wanting to go further than you were comfortable with.

"Yeah," you hummed softly, pulling your head back to look at him. A gentle smile rested on his features as he gazed at you. Your back was turned away from the shore, "Are they looking?"

Juyeon craned his head around you and stifled a laugh, "They're trying to act like they're not. Do you care?"

You thought about it for a moment. To be honest, they all already knew; they were the ones pushing you together at every moment. You shook your head, "No."

Juyeon grinned, moving the hair that had floated to your face behind your ear. Your hands were preoccupied hanging on for dear life around his neck, so he took it as his obligation to help, "You're so beautiful, Y/N."

A lot of guys had told you that, especially on the blind dates you've been on. Whenever they said it, it never felt real and always just felt like they were saying it to get in your pants or as a gateway for you to owe them something. When Juyeon says it to you, his words drip with sincerity.

"Thank you," you mumbled shyly, moving your head back into his neck.

Your torsos were pressed against each other, so you could feel the rumble and vibration of his body as he laughed at your reaction. You tried to unbury yourself away from him, but his hand crept up to the back of your neck and kept you there, sending shivers down your spine. Your body shook in anticipation as the silence hung thick in the air.

"I'm just gonna say it," he breathed out shakily, "I really do like you, Y/N. I know we've only known each other 2 weeks, but I've really enjoyed spending time with you. You honestly have made me feel things I haven't before and I get excited to see you every morning. That's so cheesy, I know. If you do like me back, I don't want to ask you to be my girlfriend yet, but would you be down to keep getting to know each other and going on dates after this and seeing where it takes us?"

You're not sure if he kept your face buried into his skin for your benefit or his, since his voice was shaking as he spoke. You smiled into his neck, whispering confidently, "I like you too, Juyeon. Isn't it obvious?"

"Maybe, but I like that. I don't like playing games," Juyeon released his hold on the back of your neck and moved his arm back to your waist to keep you pressed against him.

"You've only been out of college a few weeks, how are you so mature already?" you playfully teased as you peered up at him.

Rolling he eyes, he squeezed at your waist, "I've always been mature. It's a shame we didn't meet earlier; now I feel like they were gate keeping you away from me."

"You were one of the last ones I had yet to meet," you revealed, "I had met everyone briefly other than you, the girls, Eric and Hak."

He bumped your forehead with his, "Best for last, right?"

"Definitely," you grinned.

"Okay, I dragged you out just to tell you all this, to be honest. Let's go back to everyone before I lose control and kiss you or something," Juyeon suddenly blurted, taking a few steps back to the shore with you still wrapped around him.

A surge of confidence had you squeezing your legs around him to stop him, "Who's stopping you?"

Juyeon's eyes widened in surprise as he chewed at his lip. Reluctantly, he dropped his voice and leaned in closer to you, "Are you sure?" His hot breath fanned over your lips.

He'd practically made all the first moves up until this point and you could see the honesty in his eyes. You figured you'd save him the trouble as you reached forward and pressed your lips against his.

He tasted a bit salty from when he had splashed the ocean water over his face and a bit like the orange Fanta he was drinking earlier when he got out of the car. Juyeon yelped in shock against your lips, but smiled into them as he applied more pressure and properly slotted his lips between yours.

You hadn't planned on actually making out with him in the middle of the ocean as your friends watched on in astonishment, but he captured your lips every time you pulled away slightly and licked at your bottom lip with his tongue. Your hold around his neck grew stronger as his grip on your waist grew tighter.

"Juyeon," you whispered against him when you came up for air.

"Don't blame me, this is your doing," he uttered each word between deep kisses. He wasn't kidding, he felt like he had lost control when it came to you and he couldn't bring himself to pull away from you. The gentle tide was bobbing the two of you up and down, but he kept his hold tight as he kept your lips attached and slotted his tongue into your mouth.

You indulged in him, deepening the kiss even more, "I'm really glad I met you, Juyeon," you panted.

This was enough to pull him away from you, keeping your foreheads pressed together, "Me too, Y/N. Me too."

⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹

So you didn't hear the end of it from your friends during the rest of the beach day. Or the day after that. Or the day after that. It wasn't like you'd planned the impromptu make out session to be witnessed by 13 pairs of eyes, but honestly it's their fault for not looking away.

Juyeon also didn't hear the end of it from Sunwoo for letting his inflatable donut float away too far out of reach to retrieve. The younger boy forced him to send more money than it actually cost as compensation, but Juyeon believed it was totally worth it.

It was your final full day at the lake house and you haven't been able to peel Juyeon away from you for more than a couple minutes. In full honesty, you'd always wanted a boyfriend that clung to your side and kept you warm, safe and protected and he was definitely checking off all those boxes.

"Disgusting," Hak scoffed as he passed behind you on the couch. You were sitting sideways in Juyeon's lap, scrolling on your phone as he played against Hyunjae on a game you had never heard of. The competitor was sat far away from the two of you on a different couch across the living room.

"It's not my fault you're single," Juyeon clapped back without missing a beat.

Haknyeon groaned and ran away faster to the back yard. You'd already spent the morning outside- Juyeon had been making good on his promise to improve your table tennis skills this whole trip, but you definitely wouldn't consider yourself a ping pong goddess yet. Thankfully, there wasn't a time limit anymore for him to keep helping you improve.

In between rounds, Juyeon would pat your head and stroke your hair softly. You would turn to him and give a soft smile that he would return before Hyunjae loaded up the next game. You were just going through your emails, blocking out in your calendar all the interviews you had amassed from your applications over the three weeks. You were feeling more optimistic about returning to the world, even more so with new relationships and friendships making your life more exciting. You were also excited to see your college friends again; they were sulky about missing out seeing you become smitten with a man, but their teasing was never-ending anyway.

"Baby you can go join the others if you're bored," Juyeon murmured lowly as he kept his eyes on the flat screen TV. He was aggressively mashing the buttons on the controller and you actually had no idea if he knew what he was doing.

"I'm fine here," you assured him.

One thing that had changed since Juyeon confessed to you was the development of pet names. Juyeon adored calling you every pet name under the sun, no matter how shy or blushing they made you. Another thing was his clinginess; Juyeon barely touched you at all before you two bared your feelings and you had no idea how he kept that side of him under wraps. He was lucky that you indulged in each and every one of his quirks.

When Juyeon was by your side, he was either holding your hand, playing with your fingers or wrapping his entire, huge body around you. He was so much taller than you that he practically swamped you, but it made you feel so giddy. Now you knew the exact meaning of the honeymoon phase.

He showed you his affection previously through acts of service and he hasn't slowed down in that department since. In only a few days, he had committed himself to making you a morning beverage as soon as you woke up and making sure that you were warm when the nights became cooler or shaded when the sun was too hot. Sure, he may have a patch of sunburn on his back, but as long as you didn't, he was a-okay.

"You're quieter today. Are you sure everything's okay?" Juyeon hummed. Hyunjae was too busy screaming at the TV to hear anything you two were saying.

"I dunno. I'm excited to go back and explore us, but at the same time, I really, really don't want to leave," you squeezed your eyes shut with a deep breath, "I don't want anything to ruin what we have."

Juyeon's eyebrows pulled together in concern, but he dropped a comforting kiss on your shoulder to comfort you, "It might be different, which I know is scary, but that's the exciting part. It might be even better than this! We'll always have this summer together, but just give us a chance out there, yeah?"

"Of course, Juyo," you flopped your head into his chest and nuzzled yourself into his shirt, "I don't have any doubts about us, I promise. It's just that everything is so new."

"It's gonna be great, baby. I'm already planning all the dates I wanna take you on and all the things I wanna show you and everywhere I wanna eat with you and-"

Hyunjae let out a yelp of frustration as he lost the battle. You don't know how Juyeon was winning despite him rambling adorably to you.

Your lips curled into a smile at his blabbing and you cut him off by pressing your lips into his jawline. Juyeon mirrored your expression and craned his head to connect your lips together. Juyeon was definitely insatiable when it came to kissing.

"I thought the pining was bad, but this is much, much, much, much worse," Hyunjae cried out, throwing his controller on the seat beside him, "Do you two have no shame? Y/N, you were so shy in the beginning."

Your head was buried into Juyeon's neck as he wrapped his arms around you, game abandoned. Feet padded loudly on the hardwood floors as Kevin's voice sounded out, "Oh, she's only shy at first. Y/N is actually a menace."

"This is all kind of your doing, Kevin," you gestured to you and Juyeon.

Kevin bounded over and leaned down to squeeze the two of you in his arms, "And that's why I expect your first baby to be named after me! Kevin or Hyungseo, I'm not picky."

Juyeon scoffed at him and shoved him away, "Shut up, you didn't do anything. Don't give him credit, Y/N."

"You know I had to beg Y/N for three months straight to come, right?" Kevin deadpanned, "I definitely deserve thanks."

"Well it's definitely no thanks to you that I only met her now when you've known her for a year and a half!" Juyeon retorted passionately.

Kevin plopped down on the couch beside Juyeon, shoving away your feet that were perched up on them, "We had to physically drag you out of the dance studio if we wanted to hang out with you. You genuinely had a visceral reaction to the thought of leaving that basement."

Juyeon had been showing you videos of his choreographies the past few days and while he was incredibly innately talented, you also could see how much work he put into his craft. You were definitely very, very attracted to that side of him, not only for his talent but also for his dedication and persevering nature. He promised to teach you a few things about dance, but you told him not to get his hopes up in that department.

Juyeon couldn't argue with that one, so he just nuzzled his head into your body. You squealed at how adorable he was being, while the other boys around you audibly cringed in unison.

"Is it too late to back out of our tenancy agreement?" Changmin sighed, also taking a seat on the adjacent couch. Juyeon just threw a pillow at him that he caught and popped on his lap.

Both Juyeon and Changmin were employed by the dance studio to start after graduation. Since they'd been house mates for a couple of years already, it just made sense to continue living together at a place closer to the studio. Another reason why you'd never met Juyeon was that out of the batch of guys in your graduating class, only Kevin lived apart from them off-campus. Chanhee was left behind from the roommate situation after Juyeon and Changmin found a new place, but he quickly weaselled his way into convincing the incoming seniors Sunwoo, Haknyeon and Eric to live with him in a 4 bedroom house since he got a job at the university.

"Where are you gonna live by the way, Y/N?" Kevin asked curiously.

"My childhood home isn't that far, so I'll probably stay at home for a bit until I figure out everything. I'll probably get a place in town as soon as I can," you manifested to yourself, "I'm trying not to worry about it."

Juyeon gently ran his fingers through your hair, "Yeah, don't worry about it."

"You can sleep on mine and Jacob's couch if you ever need. We're gonna get a pull-out," Kevin grinned. He was giving up his solo, roommate-less life to move in with his fellow Canadian.

Juyeon gasped dramatically and trapped you in his arms, "No way is she sleeping on your couch! What if Cobie-hyung tries to steal her from me?"

Kevin reached over the couch and slapped Juyeon around the head playfully, "Stop being jealous that Y/N and Jacob went on a date before she even knew you existed."

You giggled at his pout and leaned into his hold, "Jacob has no chance against you."

A pained sound came from the direction of the back door, "Y/N! You wound me!"

"Why are you all just suddenly appearing when you're mentioned in the conversation?" you cried out exasperatedly as Jacob passed by the living room. He sent you a teasing wink, which Juyeon belatedly blocked by placing his hand in front of your face. You swatted at his hand, but he in turn just gripped your fingers in his hold.

Eventually, everyone congregated in the living room one by one. It was your last night together, so you all decided to just collate a bunch of food in the middle of the living room, put on some music and drink if you wanted to. Juyeon had volunteered to drive Kevin's car home since Kevin had a whole bottle of whiskey he was dying to finish, so you decided to stay sober with him so you could stay up on the drive without the effects of a hangover.

In the kitchen, you, Juyeon and Chanhee had prepared a bunch of snacks, ramen, meat and other food, meanwhile everyone dragged their pillows and duvets downstairs. You don't know if one big sleepover on the couches and hardwood floors was good for your bodies the night before a long drive home, but it seemed like the best idea at the moment.

It was amusing to watch everyone get drunk and recount their favourite memories from the trip, such as finally succeeding in ambushing Sunwoo to throw him in the pool. One of your own personal favourites was finally being consistently on the winning team of chicken fight in the pool once you convinced Juyeon to partner up with you. You deduced that Kevin was the problem in the pair.

When the night was dwindling down and everyone began to transition into a sleepy state, you changed the music to a calm Disney film that you could leave running in the background. Eric and Sunwoo were the first to knock out, snoring on one of the mattress they had hauled from their rooms. Two mattresses and a knocked out Hyunjae, Sangyeon, Minseo and Suyeon away, you were tucked under Juyeon's comforter and cuddling against his body. He had one arm under your head and the other draped over the top of you, his fingertips ghosting on your back. You were facing him, chin tilted up as you peppered silent kisses along the bottom half of his face and his neck.

"Are you sure you don't mind falling asleep next to me? I can move if you want," Juyeon mumbled sleepily, his eyelids heavy and closing involuntarily no matter how much he fought. Even in this state, he still put you and your comfort first.

"Thanks, Juyo. This is perfect, I promise," you cooed into his skin, "Let's go to sleep, yeah?"

"Mhm, goodnight my love," Juyeon's breathing eventually slowed down and became more steady as his heartbeat did the same. You matched his breathing and it wasn't long before you fell into dreamland with him, "See you in the morning."

"Goodnight, my Juyeon."

You never could have expected or anticipated just how much this trip that Kevin had pestered you to go on would change your life. Maybe your story with Juyeon was a whirlwind romance, but it was still just the start. You never could have foreseen the way the sweet boy with the cat-like sleepy eyes could unpick your heart and nestle himself in there. You never would have guessed you would find comfort and solace in someone like Lee Juyeon at such an uncertain time of your life.

And when he dropped you off at the doorstep of your parents' house at the end of the trip (it was definitely way too early for him to come inside), the searing kiss he left on your lips and the promise to see you the next day made you feel like meeting Lee Juyeon was your serendipitous fate - an accidental discovery, a happenstance you stumbled upon, but one that was inevitable in every way.

a/n: thank you thank you thank you for reading. find my masterlist here & all likes, comments, reblogs and feedback are so, so appreciated <3

[hamburgerndsprite]

Sprite's Favourite Fics {Bangtan Fics} Part 1

Note: This is my first time creating a list of my favorite fanfics. I’ve been on Tumblr for quite a while, and it can be exhausting to sift through all my liked posts to find a specific story. So, I'm putting together this list to make it easier for myself and others looking for some good fanfics to read. I’m still a bit unsure about how to structure this list, but let’s give it a try! Also, all the moodboards are edited by me and therefore I request everyone not to repost them as theirs.

[Masterlist]

[OT7]

{ONE-SHOTS}

➺ Coming Home by moonstruck-poet

Pairing- Kang Taehyun x sister!OC, BTS x platonic! OC Summary - Kang Ari comes back from the military for a couple of days to surprise her brother on his birthday.

➺ The Gateway to Your Heart by justimajin

Pairing: OT7 x Reader  Genre: Fluff, Cuteness, Sprinkles of Angst ↳ Magic Shop AU Words: 7.2k Warnings: None!  Summary:  ❝You gave me the best of me, so you give you the best of you.❞  

➺ Requested Drabble by minniepetals

Genre: CEO AU Synopsis: “I love you and I thought everything was okay but I guess not...“

[KIM NAMJOON]

{ONE-SHOTS}

➺ Nervous by etherealacoustic

Pairing - Kim Namjoon x Female! Reader Summary - Your husband Namjoon and BTS get an invitation to the White House. He's nervous so you comfort him.

➺ His Goodluck Charm by etherealacoustic

Pairing - Kim Namjoon x wife Reader Summary - It'll soon be Namjoon's performance but you had been travelling and were not present during the start.

{SERIES}

➺ Nine Months by gimmesumsuga

Summary: “Your due date has come and gone. Namjoon’s excited and you’re uncomfortable, but you’re both equally as impatient to meet your little girl.” Pairings: Namjoon x Reader Rating: 15+ Warnings:  Pregnancy, Birth, and all the icky bodily fluids that come along with it.

➺ A Dangerous Game by chaoticpuff17

Genre: A Yandere Mafia Au

➺ Guilty by xjoonchildx

pairing: namjoon X reader summary: as the man at the top, kim namjoon has almost everything he wants. almost. could a familiar face from the past change his future?

[KIM SEOKJIN]

{ONE-SHOTS}

➺ Real by Jiminrings

pairing: seokjin x reader wordcount: 13k glimpse: single dad!jin has all the money to blow off in the world but not time, and swim instructor!y/n just nEEDS to meet this student’s dad who’s never there to pick her up :D ft. someone’s ex that just had to be an olympic swimmer

{SERIES}

➺ The Profit & Love Statement by justimajin

↠ Pairing: Seokjin x Reader ↠ Genre: Fluff, Comedy, Angst ↳ Office AU ↠ Word Count: 105.9k / 24 parts ↠ Summary: The workplace isn’t for everyone. It can be mundane and repetitive, with some describing it like a nuisance and others as a blessing. You’re the kind that leans more towards the latter and while it does make you an ideal candidate for many things, nothing could have prepared you for the whirlwind that is the new employee.

➺ The a-listers by httpknjoon

pairing | actor!jin x famous!reader genres | humor/crack, fluff, angst, actors!au plot | Meet Y/N and Jin, two of Hollywood's hottest celebrities and couple — or are they? Media and fans have been wanting to hear a confirmation for years now. But you two are always good at confusing everyone. Watch as everyone else play this guessing game of what's the relationship between Y/N and Jin.

[MIN YOONGI]

{ONE-SHOTS}

➺ CEO Yoongi by jungshookz

→ pairing: min yoongi x secretary reader  → genre: ceo!au, clumsy!y/n because that’s always nice, jimin is ur best friend, floofy fluff, a touch of nsfw aka office sex → wordcount: 21k+

➺ Requested Drabble by jungshookz

summary- oc has this big ol crush on yoongi and she’s like hella shy around him and they’re paired up for a project and oc is debating if she should say “can you help me” or “can you hold this” but it comes out like “can you hold me” and cheeky yoongi actually does it hehe

➺ Like flowers we bloom by cupofteaguk

pairing: yoongi x fem!reader genre: bad boy au | fluff warnings: slow burn, some knowledge of flowers, yoongi is a meanie in the beginning </3  word count: 5k  summary: in which a garden isn’t the only thing you’re building with Min Yoongi 

➺ No Choice (next to you) by gukyi

pairing: yoongi x reader genre: fluff, comedy word count: 13k summary:the pros of your last-minute senior year apartment sublet: cheap, furnished, close to campus, in a gorgeous old victorian conversion home, and right next to the greek takeout place. the cons of your last-minute senior year apartment sublet: min yoongi, senior member of the beta tau sigma fraternity, and his party-throwing, vodka-loving, ruckus-making fraternity buddies, are your neighbors.

➺ One Chance by out-of-jams

↠ Summary ↞ Min Yoongi was a lot of things. A musical genius, a guy with a bad reputation, your assigned partner for your final project. And the last thing you ever would have expected. Word Count: 7.4k Warnings/Genre: College!au. Music producer!Yoongi x Singer!Reader. Fluff. Explicit language. Some angst. Mentions of alcohol. s2l. Oneshot.

{SERIES}

➺ It's a Reverse Basket by justimajin

⇝ Pairing: Yoongi x Reader ⇝ Genre: Fluff, Comedy, Angst ↳ Basketball AU, Crossdressing AU ⇝ Word Count: 90.5k / 21 parts   ⇝ Summary: The goal has never been in your favor, and despite all your best efforts, you don’t think it ever will be. But that’s right when you finally get the chance to turn things around, to do things the way you’ve always wanted to, and to go after what you truly love. However the problem isn’t if you can do it, it’s how much are you willing to do...?

➺ Love is... on tour by httpknjoon

pairing | bass guitarist!yoongi x popstar!reader genre | enemies to lovers synopsis | Tell everyone you know, Love Is... On Tour! Popstar!YN is set to start her sophomore world tour with her new hit songs, sparkly outfits, and talented live band. There are 352 days of this tour, which means 352 days of YN and her new bassist, Yoongi getting on each other's skin in every way possible.

➺ Fail-Safe by Jiminrings

pairing: yoongi x reader glimpse: growing up, your brother's best friend always berated you for not having a passion in life outside of loving him from afar. when yoongi leaves everything he's ever known for everything he's ever wanted, trying to move on from him becomes your biggest aspiration. alternatively, yoongi left when you needed him the most, and comes back home at a time when you love him the least. warning: [ a Lot of angst, eventual fluff, brother's best friend AND single dad au, So Much Yearning, unrequited love (initial), jealousy, self-deprecation, a lot of talk abt passion in an empty n hurtful way that most impassioned youngest children feel (it's a specific feeling idk!!!), eventual redemption in the next parts ]

➺ Greedy by xjoonchildx

Pairing: yoongi x reader Summary: being a loner has never bothered yoongi until now. until you.

[JUNG HOSEOK]

{ONE-SHOTS}

➺ No Time For Love by Jiminrings

pairing: doctor!hoseok x nurse!y/n wordcount: 3k glimpse: "If something happens to you, you come to me — not to the receptionist you like chatting with on your lunch breaks."

➺ Base Line by Jiminrings

pairing: hoseok x y/n wordcount: 3k glimpse: hoseok swears that you’re intolerable, but maybe that’s just because you don’t greet him good morning like you usually do

{SERIES}

➺ Guarded by xjoonchildx

Pairing: Hoseok x reader Summary: you’ve tried to separate yourself from your infamous crime family, but a new case has your carefully-constructed world crashing down around you.  now you have to figure out how to heal old wounds and handle the new man who enters your orbit.

[PARK JIMIN]

{ONE-SHOTS}

➺ A Bite of Sin (M) by sangsanghaebwa

Genre: Smut, vampire!AU, (a bit of angst?) Word count: 4748 Description: After one fateful accident your entire life changes, but so does Jimin, leaving you bitter and lonely until you both break down. Warnings: Mature content

➺ While You're Sleeping by parkdatjimin

warnings: heavy angst, reader unleashes some insecurities to Jimin while he's sleeping, mentions of divorced parents and anxiety wc: 1.6K

➺ To Love You by alessiamalfoyzabini

Pairing | wanted!Jimin x princess!Reader Word Count | 16,1k Summary | You have been separated from your beloved and your kingdom is under the rule of a heartless man, but all is not lost.

➺ Sweetheart by indgio

↳ pairing park jimin x f!reader ↳ genre e2l / lawyer!au / wc 2.8k ↳ warnings very heated make-out session LMAO / ft. bff!taekook / oc is honestly just full of rage

➺ Blooming Days by bluekyun

Genre: fluff, smut, angst & humour Word Count: 15.390 Rating: NC-17 Summary: A typical night for you begins at the library in your favorite chair underneath the lamp in the corner, only to be picked up at 3am by your best friend, Jimin. Despite having slept over in his room several times before, this certain night in Sigma house leads to far more than you ever imagined. But what is to come of your friendship once you reveal those two little lines that will change your lives forever?

➺ Rebound by out-of-jams

Pairing: Jimin x Reader Word Count: 7k. Warnings/Genre: College!au. s2l. Explicit language. Alcohol use. Slight angst. Jealousy. Pining. One shot. PG 16. ↠ Summary ↞ Who cared if Kim Taehyung slept with other people? You sure as hell didn’t. That was what friends with benefits meant, right? No, it didn’t matter that you were halfway in love with him. And no, you sure as hell weren’t going to try and make him jealous with a complete stranger. Nope, not at all. Right? Right.

➺ What I did for Love by krreader

pairing: park jimin x reader genre: angst ; fluff ; mentions of smut summary: Park Jimin had long given up on hope of finding love and thought being a sugar daddy was just an easier way to get what he wanted. but when you start developing feelings for him, to a point where he knew you loved him, he couldn’t help but wonder what love might feel like... 

{SERIES}

➺ Heartburn by Jiminrings

pairing: jimin x reader glimpse: you know it’d happen eventually and you’ve been preparing yourself for the impending hurt — you just don’t want it now. Not now when it’s nearing jimin’s little sister’s birthday; not now when you can swear love isn’t the only thing you can put on the table. alternatively, jimin emotionally cheats on you while your wedding’s six months away. warnings: heavy angst (pls i am once again apologizing to the people that cried bc of this ily), emotional cheating, emotional constipation n baggage, insecurities, broken relationship w parents, intense longing and hurt i can't put into words + specified tags in each installment!

[KIM TAEHYUNG]

{ONE-SHOTS}

➺ Falling in crayolove by jungshookz

✎ pairing: kim taehyung x reader ✎ genre: kindergartenteacher!au, workingman!au, F L U F F, tiny bit of angst at the start :-( but this is literally 98% fluff; y/n and taehyung are like two little kids with little crushes on each other ✎ trigger warning(s): implications of getting an abortion!!   ✎ wordcount: 10.5k ✎ summary: y/n is a single mom and taehyung is a single kindergarten teacher. emma knows exactly what she needs to do.

➺ Stuck with You by jungshookz

❥ pairing: kim taehyung x reader ❥ genre: university!au, enemies-to-lovers, fratboy!tae??, comedy that’ll either make you chuckle out loud or roll your eyes and snoRT or maybe u won’t laugh that’s cool too, domestic fluff because i want to go grocery shopping with tae toO (but also fluff in general!!), smutty smut so make sure to read this with your phone’s brightness lowered all the dang way, hi @ librarian!namjoon!!! fratboy!jungkook is also in here  ❥ wordcount: 37k ❥ summary: kim taehyung becoming your new roommate is definitely up there on the list of the worst things that have ever happened to you. 

➺ In Bloom {M} by untaemedqueen

Pairing: Tattooed&Pierced!Taehyung x Wife!Reader WordCount: 6.2k Genre: Angst, Fluff, Smut Summary:  A tattoo artist taehyung, and a florist's wife reader, have their shops side by side, and one day they fight, and taehyung feels bad because of which he visits her with their daughter but she’s very angry, so he plans a trip to take her to a garden where they met for the first time and they make up, with some smut and the reader revealing she’s expecting.

➺ Swoon by minisugakoobies

Pairing: Taehyung x Reader Genre: fluff, enemies to lovers, non-Idol!AU Word Count: 3.6k Summary: “You fainted…straight into my arms. You know, if you wanted my attention, you didn’t have to go to such extremes.”  Warnings: swearing, kissing, Tae's wearing his red leather jacket from his Paris trip, we've also got Disco Jungkook and Harley Quinn Jimin in here

➺ Soft Spot by v-hope

Pairing: Kim Taehyung x Reader Genre: Fluff Word Count: 2k Summary: "where Tae is super soft for the reader who is a part of the staff and everyone starts noticing."

{SERIES}

➺ Catching a Case of Doctor Blues by justimajin

⇢ Pairing: Taehyung x Reader  ⇢ Genre: Fluff, Comedy, Angst ↳ Doctor/Surgeon AU, Enemies to Lovers AU  ⇢ Word Count: 67.4k / 20 parts ⇢ Summary: When asked about Dr. Kim, a string of beautifully aligned words are ready spew from your lips. You could possibly go on and on about how his wonderful stubbornness wasn’t similar to talking to a brick wall, or how his observation skills were especially great in preparing your blood vessels for a drastic rupture or even how one gracious stare of his nearly had you on the verge of ripping your essential documents in half. But it seems that, perhaps, there was a lot more to Dr. Kim then what meets the eye...

[ JEON JUNGKOOK]

{ONE-SHOTS}

➺ Requested drabble by jungshookz

summary- jungkook and yn do this thing where they fake marriage proposals to get free stuff in restaurants until jungkook is actually seriously proposing to his long time gf yn and she doesn't get the clue

➺ if-then by Jiminrings

pairing: jungkook x reader wordcount: 7k Glimpse: you're an alien in prince jungkook's planet — both literally and figuratively. alternatively, jungkook gives his nickname for you to someone else in a fit of anger, and you've never been more upset. Warning: [ fluff, angst, painfully oblivious n dense alien koo, mutual pining (yes MUTUAL!!!!), the glaring concept of not being good n whole enough to deserve love (yikes but i Swear it gets better), mentions of injuries ]

➺ Mature by Jiminrings

pairing: jungkook x reader wordcount: 8k Glimpse: the good thing about professing your feelings to jungkook is that it'd be over with, whether or not he likes you back — the bad thing is that he rejects you, even if you haven't confessed. alternatively, crushing on jungkook who's in your friend group is, has, and will never be a good idea. Warning: [ push n pull fic YIPPPEEEEE, fluff, angst, So Much Yearning, friends to lovers trope, jealousy, dunking on a stewpid jk (as one does), arguments that kinda hit home, redemption!! ]

➺ Out of Gas? {M} by 97kuu

Paring: Jungkook x reader! Genre; jungkookbestfriend! Friends to lovers! WC; under 3k Summary; It was a setup between Taehyung, namjoon and Jungkook to get him to hook up with you in the car. However, his guilty heart and physical desire revealed that he wanted more than what he was willing to confess that night..

➺ Fifth Wish by Jiminrings

pairing: jungkook x reader wordcount: 18k Glimpse: jeon jungkook, world-class socialite and nepotism baby, should be out every night to celebrate while he’s at his prime. why should he fake-date his bodyguard instead? alternatively, jungkook regularly throws coins to wishing wells with only one desire in mind — to get rid of you. Warning: [ angst, unrequited love (at first), emotional constipation, jk is Very Frustrating to be with, so much pining, the constant repetition of the notion that one must amount to something to be deserving of love, rlly wholesome fluff, mentions of blood n injuries, whole 360 redemption arc dw i am not evil ]

➺ Tutus & Tiaras (M) by 1kook

DILF!JK SPECIAL! rating m (18+) word count 10k summary: your first pregnancy through the lens of your husband

➺ Gamer Boy {M} by hoebii

Pairing: Jeon Jungkook x Reader Genre : Established Relationship!Au, Smut Rating : 18+ Warnings : sexual content, unprotected sex, slight exhibitionism I guess?  Wc : 2.3k

[jksian]

When the end comes

You loved him with all your heart, held onto the person you knew will never be yours; but, the only regret you had was, you weren't able to tell him about those feelings.

Pairing: best friends brother JK x reader

Genre: ANGSTY, unrequited love

W/c: mid length?

warnings: depressing thoughts and implied suicidal thoughts, character dea*h, workplace harrasment, illness, family drama and step-parent, one sided love from oc' s side, tattoo artist Jk, age gape

A/N- This story is incomplete and I don't intend to continue it, but I'm still posting it because I wanted to share it with you guys and since many of you expressed your desire to read it :⁠-⁠)

It was during the autumn season when he first met you.

Not in a literal sense; but that was the day he thought he finally come to knew you. A side of you, he never thought he would be able to witness.

Just like the sight in front of him right now.

He did not even fathom the idea of seeing you like this. Beautiful eyes which once shined so brightly under the sun; are now closed. Not even a hint of flickering of your eyelashes which you usually do while being extremely nervous.

Now, autumn has returned again; but, despite the comforting warmth of the cozy weather being replaced by the harsh wind blowing away the leaves from the trees, creating the atmosphere unbearably gloomy and dull.

Because the warmth is gone, along with you.

…

15 years ago…

“Why is he coming, now!? Fuck, I have to meet Sam!” Jia was beyond frustrated after knowing that her brother was coming to picked her up from the school.

Both you and Jia had been friends since your childhood. From being scolded by teachers to helping each other in anything and everything and being the ‘crime in partners’ duo, everyone in your school knew you two were inseparable.

She was always been a free-spirited girl. Generous and helpful, she was kind of a friend who stick by your side in bad times. Other than that, there were many good things about her and one of those were, her brother.

Jeon Jungkook.

The first time when you laid your eyes on him, you couldn’t able to remove the image of his glowing face ever since then. He was gorgeous as well as kind. You were smitten by his beauty. He was popular among girls. With a face like that, it was a very common fact, girls often got trapped by his good-looks which wielded them to the world of imagination.

And, you were one of those girls.

You often found yourself daydreaming about him, made silly scenarios in your little head. Your weekly visits to his sister’s house and getting to watch him closely more than any of those girls could, doesn’t help with your increasing amount of fake scenarios growing inside of your mind.

It was a stupid little crush, but you still held onto the possibilities of those cringe worthy romantic stories in your head to manifest it into reality.

Whenever he was around, every time you got a little bit shy but you tried your best to hide it from others.

“Someone clearly isn’t happy to see me.” Your best friend’s brother sing song those words towards his sister, pointing out her scowl which was very much evident on her face upon seeing him. The fact that she was planning on meeting her so-called-date in the name of fake extra classes would be caught red-handed, made her panicked and mad.

“H-hello.” You asked him even though your heart was racing at the speed of 100 mph and your hand was sweating like the Niagara waterfall, you still conjured up some courage to start the conversation.

“Moon? How are you?” He immediately replied with a sweet smile on his face. People often compared his face with the bunny and you can say why. There are some significant similarities.

You got a little bit flustered whenever he used that name. He gave that name to you because you loved the moon. So much so that you escaped from your school with your Jia to watch the night sky.

It was the first time you witnessed the true beauty of the moon. Sitting on the edge of the river near her house, you both admired the shinning moon light spreading on the water as it sparkled.

You both got scolded for your little escaped not just from your parents but your teachers also. From that moment, he gave you the name ‘moon.’

He was in his sophomore year of college, got an scholarship to study in abroad. It was winter at that time when he got back in his own country during holidays. Even though the atmosphere was cold, Jungkook radiated warmth wherever he goes. He was always been the one who shined brightly in whatever he did.

Jia’s endless pleading didn’t helped much in convincing her brother, so she didn’t had any choice but to went back home. Through out the way to her home, she kept on cussing him.

“You go on dates too! Even, you have a girlfriend!” That was the first time you experienced your first heart break. It felt like someone had put a knife into your heart.

“So? Are you the same age as me?” Jungkook reasoned with her but the thing you noticed that, he didn’t denied it. Your friend wasn’t lying.

The brother-sister duo busy their selves in an argument about “Jia should go on a date or not” where you went silent, had a emotional turmoil within you. It was so random, your little heart weren’t prepare for that news.

The thought of your crush loving someone else who was never gonna be you, shattered your heart. That day, you cried your heart out into your pillow at night when no one was around to heard your broken sobs.

…

Thanksgiving came and it was time for celebration. It was the time for eating delicious food, show our gratitude to the universe and spending time with our loved ones.

But, you weren’t particularly enjoying.

Every year, the Jeon’s and your family celebrated most of the occasions together, due to your father and Mr. Jeon being friends apart from your friendship with their daughter. But , this year, one more family joined in. You didn’t mind if it was just another random someone, but it wasn’t someone random.

The food was excellent as always. Mrs. Jeon had always been a great cook. All the food was mouth-watering but still, you found your self concentrating more on the scene unfolding in front of you rather than your food.

Jungkook invited his girlfriend to his house on Thanksgiving. That was the first time you saw the girl, your crush was in love with.

She was beautiful would be an understatement. Long, silky hair which was dyed brown, tall with a sweet personality. Anyone could have said on the first glance at them that, they were made for each other. There were many similarities between them too, like both were studying at the same college, Jungkook being art major and she was in the literature department, both belonged to the same city but never met each other before and the most importantly, both were at the same age.

Where you were four years younger than him, basically same age as his sister.

He probably think of you as his sister. No. Definitely he did.

You were burning with rage when you saw them holding hands. Even though everyone was around them, they didn’t seem to care much. It also seemed like Jungkook’s family liked her so much. They were happy that their son have met someone who made him happy. Both their families were happy about their relationship.

When it was evening, everyone was chattering and laughing inside the house but you were on the balcony, standing alone. You couldn’t help but cry. It was too much for you. You’d been crying for days now, but now that you’ve seen his girlfriend, there was no denying that it was real. Their relationship was real and you didn’t had a chance anymore.

“Moon is watching the moon?” You didn’t noticed when Jungkook came here. You abruptly wiped your tears away from your cheeks. He came closer to you and stand beside you, you took a step away, tried harder to hide your face from him.

When he noticed you hadn’t answered his question, he continued “I picked the right name for you, didn’t I?” he asked again, tried to humor you but you were nowhere near to laugh or even smile at his jokes.

You were standing there silently, not staring at the sky anymore. You lowered your gaze and your head fall downwards, shoulders slumped. He must had sensed that something was wrong with you, that’s why he asked “Hey, are you okay–,”

Before he can finish his sentence, an ugly sob slipped past your mouth, unable to held it back anymore. This time he didn’t held back, he placed his hand on your shoulder and made you look at him. You were insistent on not to face him so he settled with just holding you by your shoulder.

Tears were streaming down your cheeks without any resistance but his hands felt comforting even though he was the one hurting you at that time.

“What happened? Does someone hurt you?” you could sense the concern in his voice, his voice was so soft like he was afraid of hurting you. That made you cry even harder.

“____, please tell me what happened?” This time he was rubbing your arms up and down, a gesture of comfort. He patiently stand there until you calmed down and was ready to talk.

When he saw you finally wiping your tears away, he took a loose strand of your hair and tuck it behind your ear. That little affection felt like someone poked a needle into your heart.

“I like someone.”

You whisper to him , tried your hardest to not burst out crying again. You saw his expression turned into confusion, so you continued “But, He doesn’t like me.”

Again, your eyes were filling with tears. The image of them together encrusted into your mind will always hunt your down for sure.

Jungkook seemed to contemplate on how to respond to you. Then, he asked “How could you know that he doesn’t likes you?”

“Because, he has a girlfriend.”

Jungkook was taken aback by your statement. He looked at you with sympathy in his eyes, like he was sad about the situation you were in.

“I- are you sure? Also, do I know them by any chance?”

You avoided his gaze but nodded to his question. You were afraid that he might know about your secret crush on him. What if, he hates you after knowing that he was the person you likes?

No no, you couldn’t let that happen.

“how old is he?”

“Same age as yours. And, I’m sure that he has a girlfriend. I’ve seen them together the other day. You- you might know him but I don’t know…” You shifted on your feet, fidgeted under his curious gaze. He was staring at you, you felt that even though you were looking at the other direction.

“May I know his nam– ,”

“No.” Before he could ask the question, you dismissed immediately. There’s no way in hell you were gonna tell him that.

After seeing your defensive state, he didn’t push that question onto you anymore.

“Okay. You know, you’re a beautiful girl, right? You’ll find someone better than him in the future who will love you.” His smile was surreal, he was looking at you like you were the only one existed in the world, Eyes so gentle.

He was such a kind person, always helping who was in need, from offering jacket to a random person at a cold night to rescuing you from getting embarrassed in front of thousands of people on your first day of period. Even if you tried to assume that he was being caring only to you, that you’re special to him, you knew it wasn’t true.

You were just a random girl who was happened to be his sister’s friend.

He took out a handkerchief from his pocket and gave it to you. Your tears were as stubborn as you were, “If he is my age then, that means he is older than you –,” the realization hit him.

“–___, he didn’t do anything to you right?” his worrisome expression made you think that why does that matter? His brows were pinched as he searched for your eyes.

“N-no, why are you asking that?”

“You should be careful from people, especially older guys. I’m not saying all the older guys are bad, but you haven’t see much of the world yet, so it might be difficult for you to identify who is good. You also haven’t matured enough–,”

“What do you mean by that!?” you got offended by the those words. Matureness doesn’t comes from age, also why was he acting like a seventy years old grandpa?

He got off guard from the sudden change in your tone. Shifted on his feet, he tried to make you understand his prospective, “I mean, many guys in our college targets younger girls like you to take advantage of, and… I don’t want that to happen to you.”

“W-why?” you wiped your nose with his handkerchief as you asked.

“Who wants something bad happens to the people they care about?” his smile was so genuine, the way he looked at you back then, made you feel things you’d never felt for anyone else.

That night you realized that, maybe, your silly little crush on him wasn’t just a crush. It was more than that. Something that might ruin you in the end but, still you let that thing to engulfed you completely.

That night, you found comfort in the person who was the reason behind your heart break.

…

That year, your father got transferred to a different country, so without a doubt, it was the time when you part your ways with your best friend.

It was painful, parting ways with the friend you’ve spend your almost entire life, but what’s more painful, was not able to see your childhood love ever again.

That was the last time you saw Jungkook on your way to the airport, walking hand in hand with his girlfriend.

You didn’t knew back then when someone’s in love, how they looked like. That radiant smile on his face and the glitter in his eyes when he looked at her shined so brightly made you think that, maybe it was the face of a man in love.

But, the sad thing was, you were not the reason behind that smile on his face.

…

8 years ago

Life wouldn’t be anymore shittier.

After you left your country, you tried your hardest to overcome and forget about Jungkook.

You left everything behind and those memories you’d made with some of the closest people there, weren’t leaving your mind even for some moments. Every little thing you did back then, reminded you of them, especially Jungkook.

Still, you managed.

You did graduated from a college and got a job. Everything was going fine until you found out that you had pancreatic cancer.

Doctors said that it wasn’t in it’s last stage yet but after thousands of medications and appointments for half an year, before that day, they declared that you only had 10 months to live only.

Not even an year.

It was so unfair. You had dreams and goals which you still had to achieve but life had other plans for you.

Your health wasn’t well enough to maintain a 9-5 job, but, you still did it because you didn’t wanted to be a burden on your family.

You were twenty-four when you realized your life was going to end soon.

“What is this!? Are you gonna present this in front of the client?” Your boss shouted at you, that bald-faced nuisance who doesn’t even know how to pronounce ‘future’. Yeah, his future was as clear as his empty bald-head.

You’ve submitted the same project for the third time, because he wasn’t ‘satisfied’ with your work, but the truth was, he doesn’t even turned the first page of it to check. Clearly, he was just messing around with you or to be honest, harassing you.

The reason behind it – rejection. You rejected his offer of ‘get a promotion just by spending a night with him’. He was adamant on sleeping with you. His flirty remarks wasn’t very subtle, you knew this pervert would come to this point at sometime.

“Make this again!” he threw the file across the table towards you. It hits you and you cursed under your breath.

“What was that?” he asked, his chimpanzee like face contort with anger once again.

He got a pretty punchable face.

“Have you checked my project, sir?” there was mockery in your voice which his one brain cell wasn’t able to comprehend.

“What nonsense are you talking about?” his brows were pinched together, flared his nose like a fucking dragon.

“I submitted the same project for the third time yet, you didn’t noticed that. Is your ego got hurt so much so that after my rejection, you’re doing this pity things to me now?”

His face goes through seven stages of grief, fear flashed through his eyes but, soon turned into rage. He abruptly stood up from his chair, banging his fist on the table, “What the hell are you talking about!? Have you forgotten your place? Don’t cross the limit, ____. You’re nothing, a good for nothing! You should know that, I’m your senior here, talk to me with respect! Or –,”

“Or what? Are you gonna complain? You know, I’m also going to complain about something…” You said, your tone as calm as ever but eyes hard as a rock.

He knew, what filthy texts he had sent you and obviously, you didn’t deleted them even though he had told you to. You thought, he might explode right at that moment out of anger, “Are you threatening me? Huh? What? Are you gonna complain about me now?”

“Yes, you asshole.”

“Bitch–,” He was going to hit you with a file but before he could do that, your colleagues interrupted and he stopped midway, pretending like nothing happened.

You stormed out of his office, never minding him calling your name continuously. Everyone in your office looked at you like you’d grown two horns on your head. You didn’t gave them any attention and straight up went to the CEO’s office.

He had threatened you countless times about how you were gonna lose your job if you don’t work how he wants you to, accordingly.

But, you had nothing to lose anymore.

After you filed a complain and submitted the resignation letter, you left that company. For good.

On the way to your home, you called your parents and told the you left your job. Your step-mom was more furious than your own dad.

Of course, you knew that would happen but what was the benefit of continuing the job when you won’t be alive anymore.

You hang up the call as soon as you heard her shouting from the other side.

You felt lost. What were you doing all these years?

Barely surviving.

You didn’t even know how it felt to live life. Not surviving, living.

All you did was, earning money with your fragile health to make it stronger but instead, it worsen even more at the end.

Now, you were on the brink of death.

Is it okay to leave everything behind? You thought. It wasn’t like you had much left in your life anyway. Your parents were stressed all the time because of you. Your sister were depressed after knowing about your condition.

Is it too soon to die in this moment? You asked yourself while standing at the edge of the bridge which connected two cities together. Staring at the river below, almost 136 meters high. You kept on staring blankly at the way water flows by, wondering where it might took you if you jump at this instance.

Before, your intrusive thoughts controlled you, your eyes landed on a bird, it’s wing crippled. It kept on chirping and tried to fly, but every time it does, landed on the surface of the barrier.

You slowly shifted closer to it, not wanted to scared it away and held it in your palms gently, “Hey, let me bandage you, okay? You will be able to fly again then!”

Fortunately, you had a small box of fast aid kit with you. Being a full-time patient and a regular visitor to the hospital, you got accustomed with the medical kits and medicines.

You swiftly bandaged the wounded wing carefully while rubbing its back.

“Do you have a name?”

The bird wiggled into your hold a little. You realized how dumb that question was, but you’d always liked talking to animals even though they couldn’t reply back to you or even understood you. All they did was, stare at your face dumbfoundedly, probably judging the crazy women in front of them.

After you were done, you released it from your hold and you saw the bird flying again.

The happiness you felt at that moment was indescribable. It felt like, you were cured from your deathly disease and your death sentence has been halt for a long period of time.

You felt like, you could live your life, just like that bird.

You felt…alive for a moment.

You didn’t knew when you started crying, tears ran down on your cheeks, on their own. You saw the bird fly happily. It wasn’t fully recovered yet, but still, the determination and courage ignited something inside of you.

At that moment, you regain the courage to live your life.

Not surviving anymore but, living your life to its fullest. At least for once.

…

Convincing your family wasn’t easy, especially your step-mother.

You had decided that, you want to spend your last days of your life in your hometown, which meant, you all had to move back to your old country where, once you left everything behind.

“I want to live my life before I die, dad. I want to live and do all those things while I’m still alive… because I don’t want regret it on my last days. Please, let me fulfil all those dreams before I left this earth?”

You father rarely saw you crying since you’d grown up. Not that you often cried in front of people, you always preferred crying silently in the dark of your room, hiding from everyone.

It was surprising to him.

But, the most surprising thing was, when you saw tears in his eyes. Your father was someone who believed that, crying was a sign of weakness.

But, he didn’t showed that to you, hiding his face from you, he said, “Then go, start packing your bags.”

You didn’t believe your own ears, did you heard it right?

You couldn’t contained your excitement as you hugged your father from behind and said, “Thank you.”

Tears breamed from your eyes after realizing that, finally you were going back to your country.

…

The streets still looked almost the same where you had spent your entire childhood, just not as much calm and warm as it used to be.

So many residents were built there now, it was more hectic and crowded. Thankfully, your old house was on sale at that time. The owner whom your father had sold that house to, wanted to sell it and your father bought it.

The walls of that house held so many memories, many untold truths and evidence of your cruel sleepless nights. The whispers of heart break buried in a corner of your room. All those memories came back to your mind and you found yourself day-dreaming about your old crush again.

“Where Jungkook might be right now?”

“What are you thinking about?” your sister came up behind you, noticing your eyes fixed on the direction of his house.

Your sister had graduated at the same year when you guys moved here. You were more than happy that she decided to start her career here and stayed with you, at least for that reason, you were able to spent your last days with her.

She knew about every single thing happened in your life and Jungkook wasn’t exceptional.

“Nothing…”

“Don’t lie. You were thinking about Jungkook, right?”

Oh god. Hearing that name after so many years, felt surreal. It only intensified the longing you were feeling all those years. Your eyes slightly widened but you dismissed immediately.

“No, you idiot. Go and do your work.”

“You don’t? Okay then, if you say so… but you should probably call Jia, she will be so happy to see you again!”

“I’ll call her later but now, my head is aching! Can you please make me some tea?” you pouted at her, gave her those innocent doe eyes. She glared at you in return, with bombastic side eyes, she left the room.

You giggled and heard her cursing back at you. You laughed a little more at that. Your bond with your sister was special. Something very close to your heart. She was the only family you had, according to you.

Your parents got divorced when you were only twelve years old, so figuring out what was going on and adjusting to the situation was difficult for you. Separating from your mother was especially harder, you thought of her as your best friend but…

No one’s gonna stay with you for forever and you learned it the hard way.

Ever since then, so many things changed in your life. Your father married again in the hope that, you and your sister might be able to experience the motherly love from her, but instead you got more pain and suffering.

She was at your throat for every single second, peace was something you used to crave, if not love. You never felt at home. When you found out about your disease, it was a disaster; but still, all she cared about was money.

How thoughtful!

You decided to take your sister’s advice and called your best friend. After eight years, you were again in your hometown. It was so nostalgic that you got emotional.

All the furniture were yet to be settled, your bed wasn’t ready to be used so you took a seat on your window, staring outside.

As you saw the canvas of the evening sky transforms into a masterpiece of hues, a tapestry of twilight unfolds, painted in soft pastels — a symphony of peach, lavender, and whispers of indigo. That moment felt celestial as your heart filled with an unknown warmth and you found yourself embracing your own body into your arms.

You had called her few times in all those years and she did too; but, with time, the busy schedules and hectic day to day life forced both of you to grew apart. The calls kept on reducing in number and, then it stopped altogether.

The call rang for four times before she picked up. For some moments, you were just staring at each other’s faces, network wasn’t working on your favor so it took time to get a clear picture of her face.

“You’re still alive?” was the first thing she asked you, very typical ‘Jia’ like behavior.

“Yeah, I’m still alive. Thank you very much! How are you?” you humored her and you saw her scoffed.

“You tell me, where were you? Huh? NO calls! NO massages!… were you gone underground or something? Oh no, wait! You forgot about me, right?”

She kept on blabbering her nonsense, falsely accusing you, dramatically thrown tantrums at you. You saw her brows pinched together as she glared at you which was supposed to be intimidating.

“Well, I’m in our hometown.”

“…What?!”

She couldn’t believe your words so you turned the camera around and gave her the view of the street where you guys used to run and play.

You saw her eyes widened and mouth gaped at the view, she scrutinized the area a little bit longer and made sure it was indeed her hometown.

“Fuck, bro! why didn’t you tell me before?”

“Because I wanted to surprise you, but well, looks like you’re not here.”

Her face turned into a sad expression from irritation, mirroring your own face.

You knew you would’ve told her, but you genuinely wanted to gave her a surprise with your arrival, in which failed miserably!

“It’s fine, I’m coming home in a few days.” That comforted you to some extent, knowing that you would be able to meet your best friend after all those years finally, before you die. It certainly gave you some comfort.

No one knew about your condition except your family, not even your best friend. The reason being, you wanted a normal life.

You didn’t wanted those sympathetic looks from others or them doing things for your just because you are gonna die soon.

No, you wanted them to act normal, just like they always did.

You didn’t wanted them to felt some urgency or pressure.

You didn’t wanted them to feel bad or guilty for you.

No, you wanted them to treat you normally, just like they had been with you ever since they met you.

Just a normal life before you die, where you can enjoy every second of your life and live it with others. Was that too much to ask for?

“Come back soon then,” Your smile held a sense of nostalgia and melancholy in it and for a brief second, you thought you saw tears in her eyes.

“By the way, have you informed others?” She changed the subject, probably didn’t wanted to cry at that moment of happiness.

“Yeah, we are going to meet at a club in this evening.”

“That’s great! Have fun then and also… is Jay coming?” she smirked at the camera and arched a brow at you.

Having a crush was different but this guy was on another level. He was head over heels for you. You never understood his obsession or love (what he used to say) for you. He was the same age as Jungkook. It wasn’t like he wasn’t good looking, on the contrary, he was charming. A guy for any girl would fall for. Topper of his class with that cute face of his, he got the whole package.

But, you never felt anything for him. So the first time he confessed to you, you straight up said ‘no’. Maybe it was a bit rude, not that you were denying but You never grasped the concept of leaving someone in ambiguity without providing a clear response, especially when it involved feelings.

“Do you want me to bonk you in the head? Why would he come to our reunion party? Come on…he isn’t even belong to our friend circle!” You said in disbelief and she rolled her eyes a little more.

“Dude, he was obsessing over you for such a long time! I’m sure he might be into you after all these year– ,”

“Jia–, you know how I feel about this–,” Yeah, she does. She knew everything, “Can we please drop it?”

She dropped the topic after your pleading. You always got irritated whenever she acted this way, teasing you by someone’s name who had a crush on you, constantly encouraged you to start dating one of them. You being you, never listened to her.

You both talked about things in general after that and then hang up.

Yeah, it was good. If not telling anyone about your sickness helped you live the way you wanted to, then, it’s okay.

As soon as you hang up the call, you felt a sharp pain in your stomach. You breathed in and out as you tried to endure it. Probably because you hadn’t took your medications yet. That’s why it was happening. You’d accustomed with all this by that time, so it wasn’t any thing new to you.

You were fine.

…

The city you lived in looked different but still, there was a familiarity in it.

Sidewalks hum with activity as people strolled, laughter echoed from cafes, and the distant sounds of traffic created a vibrant urban symphony. The evening air carried a blend of aromas from food vendors, filled your noses trills and made your stomach grumbled.

You met with your school friends at the club 15 minutes away from your house as planned. Coming to a club doesn’t made sense to you, because you weren’t able to drink alcohol, but.. well… you were there because of your… friends.

You sat on a stool which were lined the polished counter, where patrons sipped drinks and shared laughter. You watched your friends danced across the crowded dance floor, lost in their own world.

You saw Kai from your friends group, approaching you, came straight at the direction where you were seated. You quickly reverted your eyes to somewhere, acted like you hadn’t even noticed him just now, like any other introvert, focusing on your drink in your hand.

“Hey, ____! Long time no see.” Yeah, it would be longer if he weren’t just interrupted your peaceful time there.

He was grinning ear to ear like he just found some treasure. You adjusted yourself to looked at him, “Yeah, Hey! How are you?”

“Oh fine, just living the busy life of a busy man. You say, what you’re been up to these days?” oh, nothing special, just waiting to be embraced by death and, oh! Also trying to have a peaceful time which now has been disrupted. You hoped you’d be able to say that on his face but… oh, well… manners!

“Nothing special –,” He pulled a stool beside you and hopped on it, “You say?”

You watched him settling beside you comfortably. You internally rolled your eyes when you realized he probably wasn’t going anywhere soon.

He started talking about his life which you didn’t mind any attention to, you were busy finding loopholes to escaped the man in front of you. You eyes darted frantically everywhere around the club to found any of your friends, anyone, but the crowd made it harder to spot any of them.

He offered you a tequila which you politely refused. Then, he continued insisting on buying you a drink, his words laced with determination, the alcohol in his system clearly kicked out at that moment. The background buzz of the bar heightened as he tried to charm you into accepting, created a moment of tension which wasn’t a good kind.

Despite your clear signal of disinterest, he remained persistent. It ultimately left you annoyed than ever. The last time, your refusal was harsh, words came out of your mouth was rude but the situation particularly made it harder for you to be calm, “How many times do I have to tell you that I don’t want a drink? It would be great if leave me alone.”

He took that to his heart, it seemed, because the look he gave you was similar to Chihuahua dogs when angry. You never got what this boy’s problem was, even any other boy who tried to pursued you before.

Why boys don’t know when to stop and have no shame? Universal question. The whole world wanted to know the answer, included yourself.

“Why the attitude? I’m just trying to be friendly! Damn, seems like you don’t deserve that–,” He scoffed, “you’ve become more hot, not gonna lie; but, that hard-to-get bitchy attitude is still there.”

The audacity he had!

You raised an eyebrow but maintained your composure. “Friendly doesn’t usually come with comments like that. It’s about mutual respect,” You retorted.

He leaned against the counter, undeterred. “Come on, no need to be so serious. I’m just being honest here. You were always good looking and now, you looks irresistible, but the attitude…”

You sighed, contemplated on if you walked out of there or slap him across his face, “Honesty is appreciated when it’s respectful. Your comments are crossing the line.”

Unfazed, he chuckled, “I just call it like I see it. No harm meant.”

“Well, it’s causing harm. I value my personal space and expect to be treated with respect,” You stated firmly.

He scoffed again, “You know, it wouldn’t hurt to loosen up a bit. Not every compliment is an attack.”

As his audacity reached new heights with an attempt to grab your arm, frustration surged within you. You were on the verge of snapping back, but just in the nick of time, a familiar voice called your name, halting your impending outburst.

“Hey, there you are! I’ve been looking for you.”

You turned your face to your left and saw Jungkook standing there, a n knowing smile on his face which he usually made when he got annoyed or angry.

Relieved and equally surprised to hear his familiar voice, you redirected your attention, grateful for the interruption regardless.

You stared at him with wide eyes, still thinking that if he was real or not. He glanced at the guy who had attempted to grab your arm, his smile faded into a more serious expression. “Is everything okay here?" Jungkook asked, his tone carried a subtle warning.

The guy got tensed, visibly uncomfortable under Jungkook’s scrutiny, stammered, “Just a misunderstanding, man.”

Jungkook’s demeanor remained stern as he replied, “Best not to misunderstand personal boundaries. She’s not interested.”

His hand was on your shoulder in a comforting manner. With that, Jungkook subtly positioned himself between you and the guy, creating a clear physical barrier. The unwelcome intruder, perhaps sensed the shift in dynamics, made a hasty exit. His protective side kicked out.…

…Like any other big brother might had.

Being the protective big brother he was, Jungkook had a younger sister, so dealing with guys hitting on her became a familiar scenario for him. He had accumulated experience in handling such situations.

Yeah, he still saw you like his little sister.

“Jungkook…” Words came out breathy form your mouth like you still hadn’t believe him standing there. The feeling you had buried in a corner of your heart years ago resurfaced once again, the bittersweet warmth you used to feel whenever you saw him bloomed inside of your heart.

Jungkook’s gaze held a mix of familiarity and affection, and you found myself lost in the moment, the years melting away.

“Hey –,” He said softly as he stand in front of you, “Are you okay?”

When he smiled at you, you realized his smile was still the same, radiated warmth and playfulness. That boyish innocence was still there but with a mix of mature allure that time. That doe-like, expressive eyes that held a certain depth, his gaze was both inviting and enigmatic, in which you found yourself drowned.

There were significant changes in his appearance though, like the tattoos on his arm and those piercings on his eyebrows, ears and even his lips. You stared at him absentmindedly before he spoke, “Moon? I asked if you’re okay?” That name again!

“Yeah, right… I’m okay. Thank you, Jungkook.”

He smiled at your response as he said, “I didn’t knew you were in the town.”

“Yeah, no one does actually. I wanted to surprise Jia, but she is out of the country so…’

“Right, she is.” Then silence settled between you two. Before it could got more awkward, Jungkook said, “So…how is life going?” as he took the seat on which Kai was settled before.

How were you gonna answer that? Your life… you felt like it was never yours. You moved out of the country because of your father, you got a college degree so you could help your family financially, then you diagnosed with a disease which eventually going to kill you so you didn’t had much time left.

But, in all of these, what you did for yourselves? When was the time you actually lived your life?

You didn’t had an answer to that tbh.

“Nothing special. My dad got retired so we thought about coming back to our country.” You answered, swirling the glass of virgin mojito in your hand. “and, what about you?”

“Me?” He asked, his doe eyes staring wide at you, chucking a little, he replied, “Came back to my home after realizing, I’m not gonna get a job there any time soon, not bad though–,” He glanced over your shoulder as you saw something flickered in his eyes, “ –Then thought about starting my own business, now I got my own tattoo shop.”

You saw him frequently glancing over your shoulder, as if someone was behind you whome was trying to see.

“Oh! That’s awesome!”

He didn’t replied and kept staring at a particular direction behind you. When you attempted to look behind, he stopped you by grabbing your arm. “Yeah, it is.”

He let out a laugh which clearly indicated his nervousness. “Is everything okay?” you asked.

“Yeah, yeah.”

“Is someone behind me?”

“Yeah… it’s just my ex.”

He said that casually as if he wasn’t just trying to desperately snatch a glance at her. You didn’t understand, his ex?

You remember his girlfriend. What was her name again?

Nina? Nanny? Ah, no. Yes!

Nancy. She was his girlfriend whom he invited to the thanksgiving party. As far as you knew, they were still dating according to Jia even though she confessed that to you a long time ago.

“Umm– Jungkook? I need more context to understand what you’re talking about. So, fill me in what I’m missing out?” You squinted at him dramatically and he laughed a little at your ministration.

That same smile which was enough to make your heart flutter and skip a beat.

“It’s nothing, just that…” He paused midway and glanced over your head again before continuing, “We broke things up a few months ago. Decided to go separate ways because we didn’t work out eventually?”

There was a question mark at the end, you wondered why was that for. Was he not know why they broke up? That’s sounds silly. Maybe, he was confused after they broke things up and thought that he made a mistake there? He might still wanted to be with her?

Before your train of thought escalate even further, He tapped you on your shoulder and brought you back to the reality, “Earth to ___,” You saw him smiling at you, “What are you thinking?”

You were wearing off shoulders, so, the naked touch of his fingers upon your skin kindled a transient flame, imprinting an indelible mark of his presence that will linger unwelcomed for the next few days.

“N-nothing, what were you saying again?” shaking the dizziness from witnessing the stars in his eyes, you asked. It’s normal for a human being like you, feeling dizzy after touched by someone made of stars. Gotta be grounded, you aren’t allowed to touch the stars, you reminded yourself.

“I asked, if you want to dance with me. Would you?” He asked as he extended his hand for you. You knew, you shouldn’t touch the stars but the shining flow of it made you blinded to the upcoming consequences of your actions.

You should knew well, why he was asking for a dance. His ex was still behind you so the only reason would be to – made her jealous, still you reciprocated.

You warned him about your lack of knowledge in dancing, nonetheless, he pulled you to the dance floor.

Placed your hands on his shoulder and his on your waist, he instructed you to move. As soon as, you two stepped on the dance floor, the song changed to a melodic one from a upbeat song.

Apocalypse by cigarettes after sex started playing in the background and you found yourself staring at the men in front of you for a second before you broke the eye contact.

Even thought you turned you face to the other side you could feel his eyes on you, making your mind go blank.

He pulled you closer, bodies Pressed together as both of you started to move in sync with the music. His breath hit the side of your face, making your breath hitched after knowing the close proximity between you two.

“____,” He called, your name sounded pretty from his lips, “Look at me.”

It sounded like a demand but his tone suggested other wise. Tender and delicate, as his soft lips brushed against your hairline, made you gulped the lump forming in your throat.

You did look him in the eyes. His gaze, held galaxies within, each flicker echoing the poetry of an undiscovered universe, in which you found yourself lost.

“You’re doing good. Just don’t think too much and let your body move according to the rhythm –,” He said, his gaze focused on your face, closer than before. The ambient lighting casted a soft glow, accentuating his delicate features, his words gave you courage, an unfamiliar sense of comfort and his face made you thought that you had someone you could rely on.

In that shared gaze, time momentarily freezes and you found yourself falling for him, again.

“Aish…I sounded like some know-it-all, I think? don’t mind it, please.” There was nervousness in his voice, fleeting glances searched for reassurance to make sure you didn’t found that offensive.

You didn’t help but realized how thoughtful and considerate a person could be that he was worrying about something so small. It wasn’t even sounded offensive to you, it was just a suggestion, guidance to someone who doesn’t know the ‘D’ of dancing.

Like a delicate melody played on uncertain notes—a sincere expression that made his words all the more genuine and endearing and you found that oddly charming.

You couldn’t help but smiled at him, “Don’t worry, I didn’t mind at all, but… I might get offended if you don’t tell me the truth right now.” You teased, slightly grinding at him.

He pinched his brows in confusion, “What are you talking about?”

“Are you. . . Somehow trying to make your ex jealous? Because if you are, I think it’s working.”

His eyes widened a bit, clearly wasn’t expecting something like that. He, again, glanced over to the girl who was still standing at the same spot for ten minutes, observing every move you two made.

“I– No–, I mean not exactly,” He looked at you with a hint of guilt in his eyes, giving you an apologetic smile, “Well, not gonna lie. I did tried to make her kinda jealous – but it wasn’t the entire reason why I asked you for a dance.” You found a hint of panic in his eyes, again looking like he didn’t wanted to offend by any means, which you found enduring. Why does he cared so much? You thought.

You couldn’t help but saw this little things in people, especially the people you held close to your heart.

“Then, why did you asked?”

“Because, I wanted to.” He said casually, as if he didn’t just made you skipped your heart beat a little faster. You shifted your gaze to the other side, feeling weird emotions about the person you wouldn’t felt. Nonetheless, you chuckled a little bit.

“You would have told me earlier, then I might have put more effort.”

“So, you aren’t putting effort yet?” He giggled, eyes gleamed under the light.

“No – I didn’t mean that, but, now we have a mission in our hands, so we better win it!”

He made a look of knowing, realized what you were implying. He let out a chuckle, shook his head at you adorably and gripped your hand a bit firmly, pulling you a little bit closer as if there were any gap in between.

Your chest flashed against his, the burning heat of your cheeks might be visible by then, you felt his thumb rubbing slowly at your waist where he was holding you. That small gesture was supposed to be comforting but it only made your cheeks grew a shade brighter.

You thanked the dimly lights of the club.

The evening went by just the two of you holding each other close as you swung your bodies to the unfamiliar melodies. This time, there was no barrier in between you two, like, ‘he see me as his sister’ or ‘he has a girlfriend.’

…

Sometimes, It was hard for you to understand Jia.

That one time when she asked if she could borrow your white gown on her birthday. Of course you gave that to her. It was her birthday party in the evening, so you didn’t grasp the fact why she wanted to wore something …old, when she had a new dress waiting for her in her wardrobe.

But, then switched her dress to that very new black dress in the middle of that party. When you asked her, she refused to gave you an explanation, which baffled you and left you confused.

Even though you didn’t liked her odd behavior that night, you let that slipped.

“Taehyung is looking at your direction –,” one of the girls from your class whispered in your ears as she giggled like a typical teen girl next to you.

All of your friends were sitting at the cafeteria, munching on your food. It was a typical boring day at school until your eyes landed on Jungkook. He was in the senior year and also the captain of school soccer team.

When you were busy drooling over him, your friends started making their own theories.

“Yeah, I’ve seen him staring at ___ quite often.” Other girl from your same table passed a comment.

Kim Taehyung was in the soccer team as well but a year older than Jungkook, but they were like brothers, the ‘IT’ best friend duo. It was quite usual for you to saw Taehyung whenever Jungkook was around. He was with him almost all the time.

But, you never noticed him staring at you. You thought they were making silly scenarios in their little head in hope of some Juicy gossip until you noticed, Kim Taehyung staring at your direction.

“Stop, guys! He is probably looking at somewhere else or looking for someone? Who knows!” You shrugged them off, not wanted to participate in their nonsense.

The men, they were talking about was the ‘sweetheart’ of your high school, every other girl was smitten by him, so it was a bit difficult for you to accept that he might had a crush on you.

“___, you are dangerously oblivious.” Then they laughed as if they just discovered the funniest joke of the century, their laughter echoed through out the cafeteria except from you and Jia.

It was easy to assume someone’s weight just by looking at the structure of their body until you had to carry them.

“Fuck! He is heavy dude!” Jia cursed under her breath, unable to hide the suffering of carrying Jimin all the way up to the 5th floor to Jungkook’s apartment.

“He doesn’t seem like–,” You were about to trip and fall, but adjusted yourself quickly. “yeah, he is heavy.”

The knock on his door wasn’t too loud as you made sure not to woke any neighbors up 2 in the morning.

You heard a groan along with some footsteps before the door swung open in front of you and you wished that you wouldn’t saw what you’d saw.

There was Jungkook, naked and standing in his full glory. Thank God, he had a sweat pant on.

You immediately looked down out of respect and…well, shyness? Because the way your cheeks heat up was embarrassing. You were flustered and you hoped, no one noticed.

Jungkook made a surprised gasped and scrunched his brows out of confusion, “What are you guys doing here at this hour? I- wait, is that jimin?”

“Yes!! Now help us, dummy.” Jungkook grabbed Jimin’s arm but not before shooting a glare at his sister’s direction, gave her a look of ‘you better shut the fuck up.’

He took jimin from you two and carried him like his weight was nothing, held him like a feather. Before the three of you could reach out to the sofa, you saw Taehyung came out of another room.

“What’s going on in the middle of the night?” His deep voice was an octave lower, clearly he was in his dreamland. With a scowl, he rubbed his eyes and looked at his very drunk friend, “Wait – Is that jimi– Is he dead?” He dramatically gasped.

“No. But, tell me, are you two…gay?” She asked them quietly, made it more dramatic by her expressions. Her mischievous eyes shifted to Taehyung from Jungkook, then again on Jungkook.

Taehyung gave a glare at her direction, no words left from his mouth. The poor guy just woke up at the middle of the night and accused of fucking Jungkook. You held your laughter back, didn’t wanted to make it more chaotic than it already was.

“No– I mean you look like you just had a rough night and–,”

“Jia, will you shut up?” Jungkook’s voice was stern, as if he was holding himself back. His sister knew how to get on his nerves, for sure.

Ignoring the fact that she was about to bring scolded by her elder brother, she took the responsibility and filled him up with the information.

“We were at this bar and we saw Jimin there…lying on a couch. The owner was searching for his friends but, since they weren’t there, we took him here.” She chirped, feigning innocence as if she didn’t just called her brother gay.

Jia decided to met you at this famous bar, again you went along with the idea even though you knew the fact that, you won’t be able to drink anything.

At least you liked the ambience of the bar, until you found a very drunk blonde haired guy laying on a couch, almost knocked out. The owner was literally about to kick him out if it weren’t for you and Jia arrived at the right time.

“He was supposed to join us.” Taehyung shook his head in disappointment, letting out a huff, he walked over to Jimin who was finally knocked out on Jungkook’s couch. Following Taehyung’s lead, you sit beside Jimin, scrutinizing his face for any discomfort he might had.

Your gaze briefly flickered towards Jungkook, caught him staring at you, before he quickly averted his eyes towards Taehyung. You knew, it wasn’t anything you might had thought of, but the way your stomach flipped over wasn’t something normal.

“What you guys were even doing?” Jia asked exaggeratedly, squinted her eyes at both men in front of her suspiciously.

Yes, Jungkook and Taehyung was like brothers since they were in high school, probably saw shits of each other which might had never been seen by anyone, their bromance was top-notch but that doesn’t allow people to question about their sexuality. You knew, Jia was just joking and probably pulling her brother’s leg off and besides, Jungkook has a girlfriend. Or so, had.

They might broke up, but the possibility of him having feelings for her was strong, because of the dance you two had that night at the club. No person who doesn’t had any feelings for their ex would did such thing to just made them jealous. He doesn’t said that, he doesn’t had to, it was all clear in his eyes or so you noticed.

[sol-lar-bink]

Made a whole bunch of characters for my Fayre Region setting! A lot of these have been planned for ages. Some are new!

I'll write a bit with each close up! So long post... beware!

Some names may change! Gelli might be swapped out for another fairy type... but we'll see.

Team Tera! A paldean Tinkatuff finds herself in the Fayre Region after hearing about the Diamond Domain next to one of the towns. She wants to investigate it, in search of Terastal crystals to see if they can be found outside of Paldea, a quest given to her by a researcher friend. She doesn't have permission to access the Domain... so she must work up in the Guild ranks to prove her worthiness!

She teams up with Gelli, a sweet, shy little Snorunt who's always been too scared to join the guild alone. She is a remake of an old Snorunt OC I never used.

Team Ore. Originally I was gonna pair up Tinkatuff with the Sableye, but after a recent Forretress post, I wanted to make one an OC, cos I love Forretress!!! They're part of the guild too, but they're not very good... they're still very low rank. A silly duo causing some mischief. Jerry is actively seen trying to sneak into the Diamond Domain to eat their diamonds and gems... Walnut on the other hand is a rather silly fella.

Skippy is a simple Skiploom, enjoying the sunny days and exploring the region to his hearts content. Good friend of Bink's!

Arrian is a Falinks who lost his platoon many years ago in a terrible battle... they all left him and got jobs elsewhere!!!! He's a bad captain, and is overly dramatic about losing his platoon. "Oh... how could they leave me so soon... in this cold, cold world... choosing to earn minimum wage instead of ADVENTURE...!" Think Meta Knight meets Zote lmao.

The two staff at a little cafe in the town! I have yet to name the town... I'm bad with names.

Delicia is the owner! Specializing in coffee, tea and biscuits. Galarian style... not Unovan biscuits!!! Sweet lady who's an expert at her craft.

And then Lorette! A shy, kind shiny Dolliv who both acts as a waitress in the cafe, as well as dealing with the savory options. She has a crush on Bink... but after learning of Himemi, she does her best to put her feelings aside to try and help wherever she can. Another good friend of Binks.

??????

This strange figure appeared shortly after Ultra Wormholes started opening up around the region. She does not speak, her actions seem... not her own. While she's caused some havoc and fear through the region, she's more scared of you!

[forsaken-fates]

' 'This is your home now. Forever forsaken by it all.' '

>[It's been a few days since the disappearance of the previous survivors, and it's been awfully quiet. No more hushed conversations of a person and himself, no more chattering and laughing near the fireplace, no more constant flicking of a coin, nothing. The people who remain in the cabin are all worried, holding onto a false hope that they'll somehow come back, that the round was just taking a bit longer, but it was obvious that they wouldn't. They were gone, and they had to accept that.]

>[Those survivors who had spent restless hours protecting themselves and their team, running around in order to escape the killer, had all been consumed by their own hatred and rage. It seemed as though they had been driven into madness, taking lives of others in the process of doing so, seeking revenge at releasing all the pent up anger that had been kept inside them for so long. Petty rivals became enemies, and friendships crumbled down from the lack of trust.]

>[Hope isn't all lost, though. Despite the rumors spread within the people present at the cabin, they are still well and alive. Although suffering from their demises, they continue on living. The places they stay aren't too uncomfortable, either. As a matter of fact, they feel almost like... home. Be it a bit more uncanny and isolated.]

>[Communication is a limited thing for them, with the majority being forced into a solitary version of their greatest memory. But it is not as difficult as one may think. If one wishes to send a message, or communicate with these said characters, they must write a letter. This said letter must have the name of the person you wish to send it too, otherwise it will be sent to a random person - or maybe even all of them, if you're lucky enough. Although you may feel free to break through the TV and talk to them in person, that's always an option.]

>[Now, what are you waiting for? You want to send a message, don't you? Here, pick up a pen and paper of your choice and write it. Don't be shy. I'm sure they'd be pleased to hear from you.]

OOC NOTES UNDER THE CUT

-[Welcome to Forsakened Fates, an AU that explores an idea of the survivors from the Roblox game Forsaken turning into killers. The in-depth of storyline of this blog is yet to be revealed, as there are a few more gaps in my writing. But, enough of that. For now, let's put down some ground rules.]-

RULES:

1. This is an ongoing AU that is still being written by a sleep deprived high schooler that is solely being driven by insufficient caffeine and pirated music, so please be patient in case your ask isn't immediately answered. (If your ask is taking really long to answer, it probably just means there's a frame being worked on for the post. Please be patient if that's the case)

2. Obvious DNI criteria (creeps, racists, xeno/homophobes, etc.)

3. Please avoid sending controversial asks. This blog was made for fun and I'd like to avoid those kinds of topics in my blog.

4. Keep things SFW and don't get too 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝓪𝓴𝔂 in my inbox please. Suggestive and combat is okay but avoid getting into too much detail.

5. Anon magic, OCs, crossovers, and the like are all welcome! I love seeing what everyone's creativity made.

6. Characters in this blog are heavily headcanon and AU driven, so if a character ever acts off, feel free to ask about it! (Not guaranteed you'll get a straight answer)

7. I have no affiliations with souldrivenlove, nor any of the devs. This was made merely by my own with self interest.

8. This blog may involve some triggering/heavy topics such as depression, murder, blood, suggestive themes, obsession, codependency, etc. Those said posts will be tagged accordingly + will have a "Keep Reading" cut or will be given a content label.

GENERAL INFORMATION:

- There will be active and inactive characters. Active means that you are able to interact with the character as you please, as long as they follow the rules above. Inactive, on the other hand, means that the character is unavailable, and a special action must be performed in order to unlock said character. Active characters are as follows (those unlisted are inactive): Guest 1337 👊 Chance 🕶️ Elliot 🍕 Shedletsky 🍗💚 >[FileName:"Builderman"not found.]⛑️ 007n7🍔 c00lkidd🔥 Two Time🪽

- Again, responses may be somewhat slow. I plan on using Roblox Studio and/or Catalog Avatar Creator for the responses, and I'm still learning in using them, so please be patient.

- Some characters may be OOC or not act like how they normally would. I would like to apologize if I get them HEAVILY incorrect, but most of their attitudes may be because of the lore written for them.

TAGS:

best.served.hot🍕 - Elliot

gamble.with.our.time🕶️ - Chance

rtotwitpyisfoth?🍗 - Shedletsky

am.i.a.robot.or.a.doll?⛑️ - Builderman

always.be.strong👊 - Guest

its.harder.when.u.have.2.love.urself🍔 - 007n7

team.c00lkidd.join.2day!🔥 - c00lkidd

whose.heart.could.i.break.today?🪽 - Two Time

anonymous.letters✉️ - Anonymous asks

signed.letters✉️ - User asks

finally.something.happened🔪 - Rp start

still.praying.hopeless.and.in.vain🔪 - Rp end

ill.be.waiting.so.impatiently🔓 - Character unlocked

whats.that.puppet.boy?📷 - OOC posts

creativity.sells🖌️ - @/kyanitefragment (offical Forsaken Fates artist and oomfie)'s art

did.you.not.read.the.company.policy?📹 - Lore

bulletin.board.of.very.important.things📃 - Fanart/Fanworks (very much appreciated!)

[nazgulpridefest]

Unnecessarily long rant post about various tcc related things

(selfships, ships, bad headcanons, columposers, "femcels")

I like actually hate tcc selfships so much, I don't care when people say freaky shit about tcc people cause most the time they're joking and I do it too. But like genuine selfships, like drawing themselves or an self insert or an oc with tcc people (what am I even supposed to call them)

Like I hate seeing those blogs where it's like "Dylan's little girl >.<" (extremely directed, you know who you are..). Or like drawing themselves with their favs (in a not joking way), even edits and "___ x oc/reader" fics. Theres another person on TikTok who makes edits of them x Andrew blaze, it makes me so mad cause I think im finding a cool edit and then I get flash banged with some randoms face.

Also I really don't care for the "well what if they're coping, this is a coping mechanism" argument like no, I don't care, cope some other way WITHOUT SHIPPING YOURSELF WITH KILLERS. Having a crush or intrest in a tcc person is okay but like genuinely shipping yourself with them is lowk kinda weird. Cause like I hate seeing people ship themselves with Eric or Dylan (in a serious sense, not a stupid funny haha) and they're everything Eric and Dylan hate. Like I hope you know they would've shot you if they knew about that

The selfshippers are usually so annoying too, like "ohemgee!!!! Don't say that abt Dylan he's mine!!1!1!1!" And then you get doxxed or some shit, like please go outside and touch some grass. Half the time they're greasy as hell or those "ohmigod I'm such a femcel lol!! >__<" just bcuz they're tcc and a female whose just a little different.

It's a little different with movie tcc people, like Andre and Cal because they are fictional and didn't actually shoot up a school. Even those ones are on thin ice, but I don't see as much of them luckily but I do see a lot of shitty Caldre.

Shitty Caldre as in Calvin is suddenly a AuDHD he/they shy femboy and Andre is a big tough guy whose actually secretly a big softie for cal and they go on little dates. Like no oh my god you clearly did not watch the movie, the only way I think of them as "dating" (using this VERY loosely) is them just being normal teenage boys, like when guys their age flirt because they're close friends. Sometimes a little bit of Caldre is okay but only when they're properly displayed the same way they are in the movie. Same with dylric, they were just close friends and had a distaste for gay people (from what I know) and I don't really know how to feel about dylric, but anytime I see one of those "Eric and Dylan kissing and being gay boyfriends >___<" posts I cry a little.

Plus the bad headcanons attached to both pairings, like I just wanna rip my hair out everytime I see one of those long headcanon posts and there's not a single good one, it's always like the "when they cuddle.." things. If I'm gonna take time out of my day to read a headcanon sheet it better be good, or bad fanfics like why am I even reading this. Sometimes bad fanfics are good but it's always the like 100-500 word ones that make me want to peel off the first layer of my skin, cause you can tell what kind of person is lurking behind that screen, it's probably some 11/12 year old that found out about zero day but never watched the movie. I feel like sometimes most people in the zero day fandom never watched the movie, also personal opinion I don't think that Andre self harms if I'm being so real here. Like I get where they're coming from with Cal but I don't get it with Andre.

I also don't like the people who dress like Cal and Andre, I own the shirts and sometimes I wear them but I never genuinely dress up as them, I usually wear them around my house, it's more of a "oh no I have no clean laundry" and I just have to wear it. But like people who go into full cosplay, like I saw someone genuinely buy a wig for it, like please ohmygyat. It just feels like seeing a columposer and I have a hatred for columposers, like tell me why you thought it was a good idea to leave your home in a wrath or natural selection shirt, like Columbine isn't underground, it was a real national tragedy.

Liking Columbine is fine as long as you aren't doing anything weird or harmful, but I feel like dressing as them puts you in both categories. But they always think they're so cool, it's always the most basic Columbine fans. They always listen to KMFDM or Rammstein and if they're trans (9 times out of 10 they usually are) they go by Dyl or Dylan. Plus they just take all of their personality from Eric and Dylan, it's always those intro posts that are like "name: Dylan music: KMFDM drink: Dr Pepper".

Please get a real personality oh my god 😢😢 cause I see like 20 people like that a day, please can we get some originality in this community. But the kind of columposers I hate the most is the ones that think they're the next Eric Harris, like calm down edge lord you're 14... they're manifestos always sound the same like "I hate everybody..... nobody understands me... they're all gonna feel my wrath... I'm gonna be worse than Eric and Dylan could ever be... mwhahahahah..." like shut up oh my god. You are not Eric's top guy bud, then they own a natural selection shirt and when they try to actually shoot up their school they just get caught cause it's always the people in private school trying to be the next Columbine. Like it's not my fault you live in the suburbs chill out.

It's so annoying to come on this app or look at the news and it another retard who thinks they're the second coming. And I have no shame admitting that I hate that Samantha chick, she honestly seemed so fucking annoying. And I hate the stupid "ERM... if you hate her you're misogynistic..." like what 😭. Just because she's a girl doesn't mean I'm a bad guy for hating her, I wasn't thinking about her gender when I decided I hated her ass. There's a new case every week, she's not special. She honestly was the worse thing I've heard about, everytime I hear about her I want to gouge my eyes out, she was just a supreme edge lord who thought she could be Eric. She thought she was so special for hating women like she wasn't a woman, like how fucking stupid are you, plus it's kinda pathetic how she only killed two people (all respect towards them) and then just killed herself, like oh my god at that point just kill yourself in your own house.

I also know the argument of Adam being a columposer is gonna come up, like "how are you gonna say you hate columposers but you worship one". Like yes I'm aware of the fact his shooting was "inspired" by columbine but he was also delusional as hell, like he was an autistic schizo that didn't leave his house. There was a lot more going into that shooting than just Columbine in mind, I don't really think of him as a columposer because it was a lot of psychological issues as well but I get where people are coming from when they say he's a columposer.

But still on the topic of Samantha and her being a woman hater, I just fucking hate femcels, not real femcels but "femcels >___< 🎀" LIKE OH MY GYAT. You aren't a femcel you delusional creep, you're just a female on tumblr get over it, you aren't special. Theyre all the same too, I feel like all femcel accounts are run by the same person. Theyre always some cutecore shit and have micro bangs, they all look the same.

Being a femcel or just an incel is just being frustrated with the lack of sexual or romantic opportunity in their life, that is the dictionary definition. You aren't a femcel if you bedrot, like Columbine, tcc in general, cutecore, hate women or men, if you're just delusional, or a Sematary fan. I feel like no one actually knows what being an incel or femcel means and it pisses me off so much because it's like saying the sky is green. Like you aren't a femcel, there's literally men in your dm's and you have a boyfriend shut up oh my god. It's just so infuriating seeing people being wrong all the time, I hate when I see false information.

It just makes me so mad and that's what most of this rant has been about, I hate seeing people be wrong like you're wrong because this tcc person would've hated you so much. You're wrong because that's not how these people were displayed in the movie. You're wrong because you're not gonna be the next Eric and Dylan. You're wrong because you're not a real femcel.

Sorry if this came off as annoying in anyway but I feel like i genuinely needed to get that off my chest cause im tired of it all.

[seaglassmelody]

OC as a Companion

This was such an interesting challenge! I'm still not sure if I'm tooootally happy with it but it's a start at least haha

Tagged by the lovely @notyourmamasdeerbat and @antivan-sprig <3

Sabriel time~

I added a little detail and some thoughts on a questline based on @hedwigoprah and some of the other posts I've seen!

Personal Quest Line

This is a bit of a loose concept but given Emmrich is the faction contact for the Mourn Watch, Sabriel would be found outside of Nevarra— most likely location is Minrathous, where she's trying to forge a life for herself after getting exiled from the Watchers. Her backstory remains getting kicked out after the War of the Banners. If Rook is an Ingellvar, it was for an attempt to end the war that failed and still got her in trouble.

Her quest would have a structure similar to the Desperation quest in Dock Town— but probably more like investigating instances of blood magic and abuse of spirits within the area.

The investigation eventually requires her to return to Nevarra because she needs access to information. This event reunites her with her main guardian, who she's afraid to face because she feels she disappointed him and betrayed her purpose in the Watchers.

Her ending choice would be either to return to Nevarra and the Watchers or to embrace the new life she's made for herself in the world outside of the Necropolis.

Her romance lock-in would not occur until after confronting her guardian, as she wouldn't be in an emotional place to accept a relationship until that conversation.

Cold/Hostile (-75 to -5)

Unfailingly polite, even in the face of people she finds distasteful. Her tone reflects the obligate nature of her manners and she clearly takes no joy in your presence.

Greetings:

"Do you require assistance?"

" Ah, you're here."

"Yes?"

Dismissed:

"Understood."

"Talk to you later."

"Ware the dead."

Neutral/Warm (-5 to 74)

Still polite, but obviously more cheerful and friendly. Always ready to hop in and help out.

Greetings:

"Oh, hello. Has something new come up?"

"Is there something I can help with?"

"The Fade whispers are loud today. Do you have news?"

Dismissed:

"Ware the dead!"

"Don't hesitate to call me if you need help!"

"Make sure to take care of yourself!"

Friendly (75 to 125)

Obviously pleased, incredibly chipper. There's no more formality, the inquiries about your well-being are entirely genuine.

Greetings:

"Good to see you're still in one piece!"

"Oh hi! I was hoping to see you today."

"The spirits said you'd returned!"

Dismissed:

"Take care!"

"Hope to talk to you again soon!"

"Be careful! Let me know if you need any help!"

Romanced

Giggly, a little shy. Almost always in wonder that you're here, making time for her. Dismissals are always wistful, a little sad that you're leaving, a little concerned about whether or not you'll be ok.

Greetings:

"Oh! [Giggles] Hello, you."

"Always happy to see you."

"I missed you! It hasn't been that long? That doesn't matter."

Dismissed:

"Are you sure you have to go?"

"Come back soon, or I'll worry!"

"Be careful out there, all right?"

---

Gonna tag @mythals-whore, @chaosherald, @davrinsleftpectoral, @blackwall-my-tiny-husband, and @bronzieinthedas if you guys haven't done it and want to!

[sallysavestheday]

First Lines Tag

Thank you to @dreamingthroughthenoise @starspray and @queerofthedagger for the tag!

I do like this one, as a writer of many little one-shots, because it always turns up something new.

The task: Share the first lines of ten of your most recent fics and tag ten people. If you have written less than ten, don’t be shy and share anyway. (I will adapt it to say you can also post the first line of your last several chapters, for those who, unlike me, write longfics - there's no reason you shouldn't also get to share!)

I had a bit of a dry spell after getting whacked by DOGE in January, but I'm back in the saddle again...mostly. Even cranked out some cheery bits this week in anticipation of upcoming fandom events. Resilience, dammit.

So here we go with the most recent 10:

1. For the Eldar in Aman in the Years of the Trees, death was an infrequent occurrence.

With All Due Reverence (G: 1,900 words). A little faux-academic reflection on funerary rites among the Elves, ostensibly researched and written by Erestor and Pengolodh. For Silm Epistolary Week.

2. Fist-sized lump of malachite layered with copper ore, from a deposit in the hills behind Mahtan's forge.

Contents of Nerdanel's Strongbox, Preserved When Her Studio Burned (G: 176 words). What it says on the tin. Also for Silm Epistolary Week.

3. Ammë, do you remember how, when I was small and fractious, you would break coimas into the bright blue bowl and add a little water from the springs of Taniquetil, blessing and softening the crumbs?

Tender on the Tongue (T: 1,200 words). Excerpt from Lalwen's journal of the Helcaraxë, written as a letter to Indis. ALSO for Silm Epistolary week. Great event! You should try it next year!

4. It is Celeborn she asks to prick the memorial marks.

Steady Hands, Certain Heart (T: 425 words). Celeborn declares himself to Galadriel.

5. Idril has shed her shoes in their flight to the tunnel’s mouth.

A Bitter Premonition (G: 1,000 words). Idril and Glorfindel, at the Fall of Gondolin.

6. Fingon has never looked more like his father, Maedhros thinks, and winces.

Lodestone (T: 2,000 words). Fingon's plans to marry break Maedhros' heart.

7. The night’s storms have torn the canvas covering off the skeleton of the ship and blown sand around and through its standing ribs.

Hear Me in the Song of the Waves (M: 1,700 words). Sexy Tuor/Voronwë, with feelings (OK, mostly about feelings), for My Slashy Valentine. Honestly a new personal fave.

8. It is hard not to shout their joy to the heavens when they are all still grieving their losses.

Settling in My Bones (T: 300 words). My annual Valentine's Glorthelion, as the latest installment of The Flower and the Fountain.

9. Not even a direct order from Manwë himself could have persuaded Gildor to be King.

No Lark So Blithe As He (G: 730 words). Gildor Inglorion backstory, tra la la lally!

10. Tornel is taken young, swept into the nets of the Enemy’s forces as they descend on the wanderers’ camp.

Your turn, @tobermoriansass @melestasflight @polutrope @grey-gazania @eilinelsghost @idleleaves @shrikeseams @hhimring @dragonridersofficer-fiammag @katajainen. Give us your last 10 openings - old, new, chapters, fics, whatever. I can't wait to read!

Dream Dust (G: 1,500 words). Another Gil-galad origin story, and my first OC-centric fic (with a tiny peep of Maedhros at the end). For the 2025 Poetry Fiction Challenge - another event I highly recommend! This year's inspiration was Langston Hughes.

[sunnydbeam]

Why don't you share your Gamma Code fic more often? The link and all? A lot more people should read it. If I knew how to draw, I'd definitely make a lot of fanart about it! I love it, and chapter 3 really made me feel all kinds of emotions. You're really good at writing tense and dark scenes. Plus, the fact that English isn't your native language makes it even more admirable! My respect!

Aaaa???!!! Aaaaa thank you so much, that's so nice and sweet!!! 🥹♥️

The truth is... I'm shy about it 👉👈 no explanation except that I don't like to be pushy in any way. I KNOW that's the wrong thinking, I'm just an insecure person. This little blog has always been kept a bit in the shadows; I post mostly about OCs so I wouldn't be too surprised if my fic didn't transcend. This makes me feel even happier and thankful for those who have given the story a chance and enjoy it <33

Writing in another language is still a challenge for me, that's why it takes me so long, but oh so rewarding, even if it's not perfect

But uhh... yeah I have a fic heheh. If you WANT you can read it here c:

[ahrianee]

[🌿🪽] A little bit about RobuRena

[Warhammer 40K]

Disclaimer!

This is all FanCanon! I know it sounds silly to mention it when I'm doing a Canon x OC, but I'd rather make it clear from the start.

Roboute's personality may or may not be the most similar to canon, but I hope you like it.

I saw Hachii's post, and I honestly wanted to do it, sorry Hachii, I'm copying you(?)

The template I am using is from @arcandoria !! You've done an excellent job, and when you downloaded and opened it in CSP, everything was basically so well organized that it was really fun and easy.

I'm also going to describe some of the sections, but if anyone has any questions, they can ask me directly. You don't know how happy it makes me when you ask me questions about Rena and Roboute.

Verbal / Non-Verbal Affection

Rena is definitely someone who shows verbal affection, she could simply be talking to Roboute and telling him she loves him so much, in the middle of a banal conversation.

Roboute is completely someone who shows his affection physically, he is bad with social interactions, he is also bad with words, so his way of showing affection is undoubtedly some, small gestures, placing his hand on her hip, soft kisses on her forehead...

Imagine some of these scenes in the middle of Macragge's Honor, with several Astarters walking back and forth.

More Love / No Love Experience

As for romantic experience, neither of them has any, having been engaged since they were children, all their first times of anything were with Roboute, their first love was Roboute, their first kiss was Roboute and vice versa, even though Roboute is older than Rena, she was certainly never interested in understanding love, rather at the beginning she saw commitment as a means to achieve something.

How much your thinking changed.

Confident / Shy

Neither of them is afraid to show how much they love the other, but there is something worth emphasizing, Roboute is someone who shows a lot of affection in private, while Rena doesn't care at all where they are and will always show affection.

Awkward / Charming

I don't think this needs any explanation. Rena rarely gets embarrassed, only if you bother her with something very specific, while Roboute is easy for Rena to blush.

Resentful / Forgiving

It depends on the reason why they have argued, but usually the two are somewhat stubborn, and if the argument has been so serious that Rena gets angry, it has been something strong, since she is the one who is usually relaxed in the face of arguments, she knows that it is normal to argue, but she also knows that it is better to talk things over when things are calm, while Roboute, being under so much pressure due to everything that happens around him, his mood is somewhat unstable, without a doubt it is more difficult for him to talk and solve things, since he completely thinks that it is his fault, even if it is not.

Emotional / Logical

Roboute is someone completely logical, he never lets himself be guided by his emotions, he knows how bad that can end, while Rena is the complete opposite, she follows her emotions before her logic, strangely they complement each other very well.

Structure / Freedom

I'm not joking when I say that Roboute read so many books to be able to understand and comprehend his partner, along with books on how to make his partner happy. We're talking about Roboute Guilliman, for God's sake, he's so structured. The first "dates" were organized down to the last detail. No matter if something went wrong, he'd have a plan B, a plan C, a plan D... And we could go on for a while.

Rena, on the other hand, simply thinks about what she wants to do with her partner and she will do it. She will say that she simply wants to take a walk with him holding hands, and she will get that walk. Rena doesn't plan, but because she feels that something that comes out spontaneously is more intimate.

Cheerful / Solemn

It's very obvious here that Rena is the Sun and Roboute the Moon, while she always shows a smile at any time Roboute remains solemn, if they were to go to a meeting as a couple Rena could be talking quietly with one of Roboute's brothers and he would simply be watching how Rena speaks, listening to her speak is something he enjoys too much, and I'm not even talking about when he hears her laugh, extra points if it's for some of her bad jokes.

And that's it, I'm done. I don't know if I explained it completely well because some of them are so ambiguous and it depends a lot on the situation, but it was so much fun to do this!

I don't know if anyone is interested in knowing this, but I'm happy to have finished it!

[lrayasostripes]

Rayas at the RTV Tour, 3

Third week of the RTV Tour, by @rtv-puzzlevision-studios

Directory:Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 3.5-ish, Part 4, Part 5 (END), Epilogue

Note 1: Once again, writing this in first person. Also, no drawings here sadly. Only a card

Note 2: My main Oc is in the spectrum. But as the Tour goes, she might slowly try to interact a little bit. Especially when either trying to make social interaction. She eventually shows she's an empath.

Note 3: Interactions to the inserts are all Bg and not always direct for bigger actions, and as to not break the rules. Interactions with Ocs and RTV characters more obvious.

Note 4: YOu Thought she'll have her drawing in her inner vest pocket? Well... what if she loses it again?

Final Note: Same as last post. Rayas is a participant, and not the same for a future RTV version.

Story

“ALRIGHT, THE VOTES ARE IN!" (ouch my ears) "WE ARE GOING TO THE FILM DEPARTMENT!”

A relief, my drawing has been returned to me now. I'm glad Lucian, or Colores, noted where it was and returned it to me. Whichever was, thank you. (I'm thinking, if people helps the other, they receive something in return. But what/how to repay?)

The drawing is tucked nicely in my vest's inner pocket. That way no once could see it. And besides, won't max out the room on my arms, with my umbrella that I brought, and my new Mr Puzzles plushie. Both items I'm keeping close; the make me feel safe and calm

So... what's next? OH right, the Film Department

"The Film Department makes the CORE of the Headquarters, after all Puzzlevison’s main thing is to create MOVIES and SHOWS for everyone!"

As everyone went further away from the Art Department, ahead, there was another staircase. But unlike the first one, this one appears less risky (Wished the first stair case was more of a square one with solid risers. Even if it takes space, it's the safety necessary. But whom would take note to redesign them?)

"I could of course show you all the different studios we have, but I think you may be interested in a PARTICULAR part of said department.”

But then, we all stopped before anything else, close to the second stair case. Um...

Mr Puzzles stepped aside, and let Swag in charge... Mr Puzzles leaves...

Um... why? And then...

(Oh boy)

But luckily, Swag didn't gave the group a hard time as he lead everyone; let alone, making a smug expression with his sunglasses. Guess... he learned quickly of tour guide etiquette? I hope Chris as well could keep him in line. As for Lucian, ever since he returned me my drawing, I now trust him.

And btw, where did R-Mr Puzzles go?

The whole group walks down the second set of stairs; a tall girl with blonde hair tripped (scammer by @leirom71000) (ouch), but i hope she's okay. I decided to subtly look around the participants while keeping my gaze forward. I wonder how Loyboo (@alelathedragon) is doing. I'm not sure why I'm thinking about him, but I think it's because I'm the first person to have talked to him, even if briefly; and made him less nervous thanks to using the shy Boo gesture. Well, there's a whole variety of people here.

Some Humans, some shapeshifters like the dragon girl (Marie from @fenicearts420) from back before entering the Art Department, an alien with droopy antennae (@alien-star88), a sort of cat with just one eye (Creature by @theclosetcreature)(...Oh boy....), the other TV heads such as the same one with the Kuromi cap and purple teeth bar (Crystal by @kuromipuzzles2000) But... one person caught my attention. A silhouette-like girl with just one eye and the other is shaped like a heart (Nickknack by @runrabitrunrunrun ); she has two Mr Puzzles plushies (are repeats allowed?). Never mind, but still... something about her caught my attention.

While the group walks down a hall but before going around a corner, and the fact my hearing is sensitive, I could have sworn listening to what appears to be.... someone talking angrily at someone; and another person. I couldn't make out other than "....narrative," "ruin," "...of chance," and "One more..." Even though, I was one row back from the very front row, I still couldn't make out the words before the Group turned around the corner.

(Also, I also heard a participant talking to her Bob plushie, tee hee (Messy by @messydoodlesyt))

"Ahem"

Right there, Mr Puzzles, holding on to another TV head with a black screen and light blue line and curved antennae with one being crooked, by the jacket..... Um.... (What was her name again-)

“- haaave a TALK with you.”, RTV now finished his sentence, before placing the smaller TV head back on the floor.

Um... Don't know what happened from around the corner, but I rather not ask.

But now, it looks like this new Tv head will join us. Now, introductions?

(wait, why did Swag groaned? Is....)

“Hello, bonjour, assalamu alaikum, hallo!”

Her energy... oh no, is she a social butterfly? I have to be honest, I get overwhelmed too much by anyone with that sort of energy. And she's quickly shaking other's people's hands now; I almost dropped my stuff to a participant in front of me who got their hand shaken and got spooked. And startling three participants who where zoned out.

“The name’s Animsay (Um... hi Animsay. Can I call you Ani?), some of you may know me from a certain site, wink wink, others maybe not. I’m the head of the Social Media Department but we will probably get to that later! Probably.”

OH okay, she's the head of the Social Media Department. Wonder how she manages. But then thinking back at the Art Department, I'm glad my drawing didn't flew into a vent again and ended in the Social Media Department if it got picked next... Because in a short time, I learned, she would probably reveal my drawing to Mr Puzzles immediately if it wasn't for the siblings finding it first; and a large audience as well to see it.

"MOVING ON- if you would start following me again.” Announced Mr Puzzles (ouch my ears) now that he takes back the lead. But... I...

I cannot help but notice his voice, even thought sounding he's cheery, I sort of thought I picked up... he sounds slightly more strained. Did... something happened? Was there something bothering him?

Hm... I think it's best not to show my drawing (I just recovered it) to him if he by chance... Isn't feeling too well (emotionally speaking); and also proving it's not the best time to show fan art. Besides, I'm still self-conscious about sharing my stuff to others.

Animsay seems wanting to socially interact, but I.... I'm not ready. At least the participants in the group of three, the robot rabbit (Bunnybot by @selfshippinglover), the fish woman (Sci by @scimagic), and another with the glasses ("Micheal" by @michaelscorneroftheinternet), seem to get her occupied. And then Animsay moves to talk to another participant, that apparently, used to work for Puzzlevision... Wow. And her name was apparently Mia. (Oh, they know each other. And they hugged as well)

Walking through the long hallway, of the Administration Department (and hoping not to get startled by Animsay. Sorry); several sets of doors on the sides with labels. And further, several windows showing outside. I noticed something big and purple outside, but still cannot make out what it is. We are getting close to a set of doors, that Mr Puzzles has his hands on them, and readying to open them.

“I’m sure you’ve GUESSED by now where we are heading..."

The doors are open. I slowly moved forward to get a better look, even if it means... getting slightly closer to Mr Puzzles. (My Puzzles plushie is at least making me feel comfortable if near the real one). A few steps before stepping outside the studio, I opened my umbrella, just in case, the sun was harsh or a light drizzle. (Hope some would understand no one would like to be under the sun, or getting wet. And the umbrella makes me feel safe).

" The SMG4, now SMG3 castle has gotten a bit of a rework to fit more to it’s NEW crew." Continued Mr Puzzles

Now a few steps outside, along with the group joining. Outside is... It's... a very large courtyard. Grass and planted trees around the edges. Some benches are also there. But in the distance, stands a familiar yet different castle. Purple instead of.... (you know)

Mr Puzzles and I think the group, stopped for a moment halfway into the courtyard. Possibly for everyone to admire the courtyard a little longer before proceeding; and, I'm actually standing next to Mr Puzzles, but I'm keeping my eyes on the remodeled castle.

"This area is often used by employees during BREAKS by the way. It can be accessed from ALL building blocks..." said Mr Puzzles as he indicated the rest of the courtyard. At some parts, there are other buildings nearby, but I focus on the castle on the distance in front of us.

(I wonder if he noticed my presence after finishing talking, and a moderate pause before getting to the castle)

Even with the castle's colors being different... everything is still beautiful.

You know... I wonder if... other than trees, would they also plant a variety of flowers as well. I don't know why, but I'm thinking of white roses... A field of white roses. And it's petals... flying in the breeze... I couldn't help but close my eyes, and (as quietly as possible) hum a tune from the chorus of a Portuguese song from a video game (that also mentions about white roses and full view of its trailer video).

And maybe... the combination of color palettes to the castle, all endless. But little did I realized, Animsay has moved from the middle of the group, to next to me. Now two TV heads are on both sides of me. (And I wanted to again, interact with the Kuromi Tv head or the other ones)

The group start walking.

"Hello," greeted Animsay, and I open my eyes slowly as trying my best not to appear startled. "You like the courtyard?"

I look at her, and I nod politely.

(as long as she doesn't have physical eyes, I feel less nervous)

"Same here. Neat umbrella."

"Thanks." I said

I just hope this interaction didn't get Mr Puzzles' attention. But I try my best to act natural. I hold on to my new plushie in reassurance.

"Oh, you managed to get a plushie of my boss, congrats!" (is she reading my actions or....?)

"Yes." I add that with a small smile, and hugging my plushie.

"Hm... I know it's only for a very short time, but you aren't much of a talker are you?" asked Animsay. (does she know what I have, or is she coaxing me to speak more?)

(Oh boy...)

I'll have to be honest to tell her.

"Well..."

But before I could say anything, I hear a cough from Mr Puzzles. I believed aimed to Animsay, as if saying. 'Now now. Don't overwhelm our dear participants.' I didn't look up to see his screen/face (too nervous).

(I guess now I understand why Swag groaned earlier. Well, I can't blame?)

Animsay takes the hint.

"Oh okay, I'll go back with the others. Ciao."

Well. There she goes. I glance up to Mr Puzzles from under my umbrella, he shows a soft expression as if apologizing if I felt overwhelmed; almost as if he knows Animsay better for being too much. Unsure if he knows about the blue puzzle piece's meaning, or he's soft because I'm holding on to my new Puzzles plushie (or, maybe he noticed my scarred face, and feels pity?) I politely lightly smile. (and not sure where I found the strength to not quickly look away, as if avoiding him. I don't want to appear rude, but looking at faces make me nervous... still to this day, but I have progressed greatly in the past)

Also um... after I turned to look in front, why do I feel like... Has anyone gotten the feeling it's going to be slightly windy, or is it just me?

Now in front of the main doors of the purple castle, Swag and Chris go over to open them. As the doors slightly open, everyone slowly walks to get inside. As I got to close my umbrella, and letting some pass.... something falls off from my vest...

My... Drawing... (I was sure i put it in my inner pocket. Did I misplaced it?)

And in a desperate action, I try to lean down for it, but a gust of wind blows it into the air! Oh... oh no... After I recovered it back from Lucian! And even though I trust him, I'm too embarrassed to ask him. (And did he saw it flew away? or say the face I was making?) Sigh... I don't want a small thing to ruin the tour. I'll move on. I have not crossed the bridge.

Well, moving on.

“WELCOME TO THE SMG3 CASTLE!”, RTV announced, now moving in the middle of the room, next to the crew gang who had meanwhile been gathering while the group fully walked in.

Looking around, it is surely redecorated to fit SMG3's Aesthetic. And, if you all know, purple is a royal color, fun fact. Looking around, and then at the ceiling... the appearance making it look like the night sky.... (I sort of feel tempted to open my umbrella, and dance around and spin, and getting lost into a starry trance-)

I heard the doors close behind, yet I didn't looked back. I knew, my drawing is still flying out there; and I rather not risk slipping out. Oh, Animsay is staying in? ....okay?

Looking back at the center of the castle's lobby, the 'SMG3 Gang' show up lined up; and in uniform (?). Well, hello SMG3 Gang.

(Hm... Tari has no cybernetic arm? I rather not ask)

“Hey! I’m SMG3, but I’m pretty sure ya know that already. I’m the head of the Film Department and also the leader of the SMG3 gang. Me, Tari, Meggy and Boopkins welcome you to our crib- I mean base of operations!”

Hi?.. huh, not sure if I'm looking right, or hearing , but he sounds... tired? (I'm observant). Hm....

(Also, Mr Puzzles really IS TALL!)

But then, Meggy starts to explain more about the Film department, Puzzlevision movies and shows. There's Block C, which I think it's the other building at the courtyard. So... the SMG3 Gang not only act, but also do all the editing and stuff. And then revised by Mr Puzzles (huh...) Well, okay.

(I cannot help but briefly glance at SMG3. And, Tari as well)

“So yeah, if you have any questions, don’t be afraid to ask them! Other than that feel free to explore the castle! I know a lot of fans always want to see it, so go ahead.”

Oh that's nice. But um... are there rules about looking around, or what NOT to do?

“You can go anywhere except for the room upstairs. It's, uh, not cleaned up.” Added SMG3.

Oh okay, no going up the stairs. I'll respect that. (Those stairs seem more safe than the first ones, sorry)

Well, we can ask questions to the Gang, go have a snack to the kitchen, rest and watch anime with Boopkins (ha, seem very eager to show mini episodes), use the restroom (is there just one or several toilets...?), and go to play games with Tari in the game room. The storage? Um... why? But... so many people, I don't know where to start, or who to talk to. Besides, I need to get myself busy from thinking about my recently lost drawing (a second time). Let's see... The SMG3 gang are a lot smaller than... well, you know (I repeat, this place is different with its own rules... and people). Hm... SMG3? hm... I don't know. He almost appears tired, yet he's willing to answer questions (poor guy, maybe he's tired because he forgot to clean the upstairs room at the last minute and couldn't get it done?). I could go over and ask Meggy some questions; in the introduction, she and Boopkins seem to be in a good mood today on the tour. Wonder if she's still a coach of sorts. But also... I need to also be careful with my questions; I also noticed but unlike SMG3, she has faint shadow under he eyes. I hold onto my umbrella and Puzzles Plushie for comfort.

She's already answering other's questions, so I shake off whatever nerves I have, and approach. Also, some have Meggy's plushie, so she has fans.

"Um, hello." I greet Meggy. "Meggy?" She notices me.

"Oh hi. Do you have some questions? Go ahead."

"Well. You and the rest act during filming, so um... What sort of roles do you get? I... I mean, everyone gets?"

(I just hope she didn't noticed my hesitation and moments I cut eye contact. Meeting someone face to face is... overwhelming. Especially, someone different. Not new, but different)

"Well, the acting roles can vary. I for the most part, plays the character who always goes into action, and helps others when they need it! Heh. I even still have the skills of a life coach."

I'm glad to hear that. She can encourage the Gang to have their spirits up; and happy to hear she' still same as always. Hm... but recalling that I noticed SMG3 somewhat tired (am I the only one to notice?), is that even true? I rather not ask about that.

"Alright, another question I have. So..." I think about... I fidget my blue puzzle piece tie clip. "About... um,...." I struggle to think of one.

"No worries, the question that you want, it'll happen soon. Keep trying." Meggy assured me, but it feels like... wanting me to rush me (still good old Meggy i think)- wait, I think I got it! But I want to make sure, I don't point out and offend her (I recall... she can be... a little... hasty. Plus, her reaction, can be very different here). No actually, maybe something else... here it goes.

"Alright, do you learn new things from ongoing experience? I'm wondering, like... trying to be someone else's role model with new experiences?" I then add. "I'm... just curious. Because... there's so many people who are different. Like... me. Who could want advice."

Meggy thinks for a bit.

"Well, I do. Though not much goes, but yeah I learn a thing or two. And um... I did said I still have it as a life coach, I'm afraid I'm a little busy. So, trying to be role model may... be put on hold." Well, It looks like she can no longer do more things, despite earlier sounding like her coach persona. Never mind, I'm waiting for the other question. "As for people different like you...? I... don't know. Care to explain?"

Okay, I'll be honest of myself. I subtly fidget my blue puzzle piece tie clip. Hope Meggy catches on about it.

"Well... Um, I... I'm not much of the type to talk or socialize with others; but that's because... I'm already born with it. Believe me that, I tried to look up to other's for guidance for a very long time ago... a role model... And sometimes the fictional ones on TV..."

As I explain from my experience, Meggy keeps listening. She's... understanding everything. Listening to my struggles. And what I did with a combination of everyone's advices and my own. And maybe a teensy lore drop about (but not all of it) the meaning of my scarred eye and that I found acceptance and lived with it.

"And... well, so far in the tour, it's going well for me. I even spoke to a shy participant a while ago. Small, but it's something. That's why... I get curious to learn new things, but making sure I can do at my own. And how I do it."

Meggy nods.

"I understand. You know what... I think you taught me something new." She smiles and lightly laughs lightheartly. "Ha Heh, well, I'll follow your advice then. And I'll keep in mind of making sure you are accommodated. Thanks for letting me know. You are very brave, that maybe you can teach others."

OH? I... what!? I was dumbfounded by that. If i said I couldn't find a role model, then... am I a role model myself and never noticed?

"Oh, and... knowing there's many participants and might not remember their names. What's yours?"

"My name's Ra-"

"Hallo!" Out popped Animsay out of nowhere. This scared me that I accidentally sent my Puzzles Plushie flying and dropping my umbrella; I bent to pick it up. And I think it also startled Meggy and nearby participants. "Hey, Meggy. How's it going with answering questions of others?"

While they are distracted, that's my cue that I'm done asking questions. I pick up my umbrella that is near, and go to my plushie that flew near the stair case. The east wing. (hope no one mistakes it as theirs since all Mr Puzzles' plushie look all the same)

"Ahem?"

I turn around, and it was SMG3. OH boy, the displeased look is making me nervous. And he's standing near my plushie; he goes and picks it up before I could. But before he would say anything.

"I apologize... I came to pick up my plushie... um... Animsay came and... I got spooked badly... I wasn't going up the stairs. I would never go against the rules you set. Oh... and Hi" I awkwardly wave at him.

Then, I got distracted that, with my sensitive hearing, did I heard like a dog whining? And it came up the stairs. I think SMG3 picked up.

"Is there... a dog up there?" I casually ask, the nervousness replaced by curiosity.

"...Yes. But, I cannot bring him out. And if you are curious, I already fed him before you guys came. And, again, not going up the stairs."

"Alright." I answered politely. SMG3 hands me back my Mr Puzzles plushie.

And then, the participant with the horns, red eyes and red ribbons (Grinnanes by @grinnames), approaches him with a large smile; seeing she has his plushie, she's a fan of him. I overheard her name is Grinnames.

Once they leave, I glance at the guest room. The door is open.

So, the guest room is for everyone to relax, and watch whatever anime Boopkins would play. I got to be honest, I used to watch anime, but only the Saturday mornings... English dub edit (4Kids TV, sorry but lol); so... not used to the... larger... variety. I was not aware I was staring from the door's frame as a random anime was playing; a habit of watching something on TV from afar or behind the window.

The mini anime ended there (something about a gang of con artists, I never heard of), and as Boopkins stood up to look for another one, he looked at me peaking from the door. I... felt a bit embarrassed and surprised.

"Oh hello, are you coming to watch anime?"

Well, he's inviting me. Being polite, I agree and come into the guest room. There are a few participants in the room, all mostly chilling, drawing, but also watching anime. And also, the guest room looks slightly different than I remember (again, different place).

"Hello." I greeted the little guy.

"We finished a mini anime episode so... OH! How about you pick one to watch?"

Oh, is he giving me the honors? Well, if there's one anime series I enjoy watching, it's Pokemon.

"Pokemon." I answered. And since Boopkins will show only mini episodes. "Um... the Pikachu and Pichu short from the Pikachu shorts?"

I got to be honest, that short is my favorite. And I hope, Boopkins has it; and still likes Pokemon.

"Hm... Oh yeah, I think I do have it! It's bundled with the Spell of the Unown Movie. Let me set it up!"

Boopkins waddles to look into the DVD case of all the anime he has, and sure enough, he finds it. And now... Settle to sit on a bundle of pillows, set my Puzzles plushie on my lap and umbrella next to me... show time. The anime reminded me when I was young; I love Pokemon. Oh the little adventures of the Pokemon, making friends... having fun... causing minor mischief as they run around the city... As I'm waiting for the part of the playground...

I... didn't realized that Boopkins left, and brought a reluctant SMG3 to the guest room. But where's Grinnames? (hm... not an anime fan? or Pokemon fan?)

"...Fine, what are we watching?" I heard SMG3 grumble a little.

"We are watching a Pokemon short! It's pretty good." But I wasn't expecting to hear... "And she (me) picked just the right one that is an old classic."

I looked over, and... SMG3 looks at me; I, being the one who picked the anime short. He raises an eyebrow while keeping a serious yet tired look. Shrugs and sits next to me... moving my umbrella close to me. (so awkward after the incident with the plushie on the staircase).

But anyways, me and the ones present continue watching the Pokemon short.

As it went, I thought I heard SMG3 mutter, "Decent choice"

:0....

Seeing the scene of the Playground Pikachu and the Pichu brothers playing along with the siblings' friends, it makes me wonder, if there could be a playground built like that (albeit with better safety measures). I would like to go around and explore a playground like that. And, everyone would also want to...

Out of the corner of my eye, the window of the guest room is partially open. And... My drawing flies in! Flying up on the ceiling and not (somehow) falling down; and no one notices it (phew). (I'm sweating imaginary bullets). I was just about to stand up slowly when-

"So... How's the anime binge watching going?" It's Animsay... (did she just got here?)

My drawing flew near a vent and... disappears... Oh boy. Where did it go? (Why do I feel like, it's going to repeat again? and maybe... Lucian won't be the one to find it again this time)

"OH Ani, hi! greeted Boopkins. "Anime is pretty good!"

"Eh, good I guess..." said SMG3. "At least, something okay. Boopkins gave Robo-fox umbrella girl (me)-"

"Ahem?" It looks like Animsay doesn't like nicknames. Well, technically, SMG3 doesn't know my name, so I don't take offense to it.

"Ugh... Boopkins gave the tour participant here the honors to pick an anime short to watch. For once" he mutters the last part.

"We just about to finish the Pikachu short movie. I'm thinking to putting on another mini short; And I think, maybe watch another classic Pikachu short anime."

"Mind if i join?" said Animsay.

"Yes!" Boopkins beams.

She sits down. "I was almost done talking to a half of participants (half?), then got bored and came here. Btw..." I notice her look at me. "Your uniform stands out a lot, because it was the first thing I saw before coming in the guest room. You like stripes?

I have to be honest, I do.

"Yes"

Despite the remaining minutes left on the short movie, I grab my plushie and umbrella, and slowly get up.

"Bye," said Boopkins. "It's nice having you watch anime."

I smile. I leave the guest room.

Now... where did my lost drawing went? In the kitchen, the bathroom, the storage room, the game room....? You know... in either room, I'm sure I'll find it. Btw, 20 minutes passed, so... I guess being here will last an hour or an hour and with an additional half an hour? I better hurry...

Next is.... the game room with Tari I guess. I'm curious what games to play with her. A glance around the castle's lobby as I approach the game room, I see the silhouette-like girl again, standing and not interacting with anyone with a slightly irritated look... Hm... I'll try to speak with her later.

Entering the game room. Sure enough, the interior remains almost unchanged; still with purple hues and different carpeting, but it's still much the same. I see a couple of participants playing on the retro arcade games, and looking to the sofa and big Tv screen, there's Tari, and another participant, playing Super Smash Bros Ultimate...

Wait... Tari doesn't have her special arm now that I remember (this Tari), how is she still playing? And... has she... changed? Never mind, I survey the game room a little to check if my drawing ended up in here... It's not here.

My attention turns back to Tari and the random participant.

"Ha ha! Great play." said Tari to the participant. (is it just me, or i heard a hint of defeat?)

(Hello)

Apparently, I think they won. And if I recall, Tari was super good on video games; but all thanks to her cybernetic arm...

...Was...

Never mind, since the drawing isn't here, might as well get distracted with some games to ease my anxiety to look for it; if I got it back for playing the waiting game and not get in trouble, it'll return to me without consequences again. Now, everyone seems to want to play on the arcade games and with Tari. Is there room for another? Or,... looking how she is, maybe there could be a different game she and I can both play? Maybe later...

"Hello." I greet Tari from next to the couch.

"Oh hi." She greets back. "Want to play?"

"I... yes. It's Smash Bros Ultimate? Because... used to play Melee and Brawl; the latter, with the GameCube controller."

Huh, I talked without the nervousness in my voice.

"Of course, everyone would like to play and challenge me" She smiles, but... I feel, she feels a bit down. Like as if she gets beaten in the game now. And gotten used to it. Her old title of being good at games now limited.

"Well..." I turn to the participant. "Say, how about I challenge you to a match? I'll main Kirby." I want to "avenge" Tari for losing her title, sort of. But also have fun.

The participant looks at me as if pensive with a low brow. But nods shortly. I sit on the couch, set my umbrella and plushie between Tari and I...

3... 2... 1... GO!

One match later, with life stocks of 4, I almost beaten the participant but they bested me; I'm a bit rusted from the game, and first time using a Switch controller. At first, three stocks taken from me, but then I tied quickly. I could tell everyone in the room and some from the lobby got close to see how it went since the tie round was taking slightly longer with no winner yet; and possibly betting I was going to kick their butt. But a bad timed sneeze (but a good timed meme), I missed a combo, dropped my controller, my hair frizzed up (my hair clips somehow staying strong), and my Kirby got sent to space by their main. They won. Yet, Tari and few others clapped at me anyways. And some still reeling from laughing of the sneeze I made. I didn't realized (until much later) SMG3 came to see the commotion, and my Pomeranian like sneeze made him laugh the Mutahar Laugh sound effect (I thought it was another participant with a very ticklish funny bone); I'll get to it later.

GG

"Ha ha, well done. You did played the game before, and you almost won." She smiles brightly at me.

"GG" said someone.

It looks like the participant wants someone to challenge them. They got their win streak alright. Everyone huddles to have a turn. I quickly gather my Puzzle Plush and umbrella before I accidentally leave them.

I think it's time I ask Tari questions.

"Well, I think everyone has a controller. So Tari, do you have any board games or card games to play?"

Tari nods and guides be to a shelf with boardgames. She asks which one, so I scan them... one of them gets my attention: Inscryption.

"And Tari, do you know about the video game version as well?" I asked out of curiosity if she knew.

"Ah yes. The game mechanics, the story, the Scrybes, found footage... and..." Ah, she knows it.

Time for a bit of humor.

"GO Fish"

This earns a soft giggle out of Tari. I think she knows who the Angler character is. Seeing her smile... makes me happy.

The Inscryption game is set, and settling on Leshy's version; there's the Dead cards, Magick cards, and Technology cards, but Leshy's is pretty interesting. Shuffling the cards, and splitting the Squirrel cards, setting Leshy's scale. But of course, Leshy's version has a... dark edge to it, so I helped make the Leshy version less edgy with improvised ways I came up as to make Tari less uneasy. I also improvised an additional mechanic to the candles, of who can snuff all two candles first to win (and a custom DeathCard as a consolation price); sort of like the Kaycee's Mod, and Tari also knows about it and finds it entertaining. And besides, I curiously decided to act like Leshy's narration and character. (Insert Inscryption, "Death Card Cabin" ost)

"The stalwart Snapper, a near impenetrable defense..." or "The amorphous Amoeba. Its sigils are ever changing."

And some of the cards during play, they have sigils; and others post- added as patches, as if they went through the Mysterious Stones as seen in the digital video game (has the Crew Gang played it before and left the sigil stamps on?). Like, some have more than two; limit is 4 sigils. I love that mechanic; I think all the mechanics of Leshy's and P03's are good.

Oh, and since Tari doesn't have her other arm/hand to hold her cards, my Puzzles Plushie is there to hold them for her, easy. She at first was nervous at it, and I admit, it almost looks as if it's looking at you; and a bit distracting. But telling her since my Puzzles Plush is mine and if I'm not the type to make anyone uncomfortable, so my plush is same as I. And as the game went, we also chatted a little; all the while I secretly want to make Tari win. (to secretly to boost her confidence,.... and I want a custom DeathCard, ha ha)

I even talked about the Scrybes: Grimora, Leshy, P03, and Magnificus. That, what if they worked together. Leshy could be the narrator/storyteller, Grimora would write the story and lore of the world and characters, P03 could be the mechanics designer, and Magnificus the one to make the game's art. There could be harmony... they could have made an amazing game. Tari ponders on that... and nods as if understanding.

The game didn't took more than 7 minutes that passed... And note, I think games of any kind brings out my more social side.

"So, I'm curious to ask Tari. Do you also take video game requests to play by others?" Now, because remember the song I quietly hummed in the courtyard that is from a video game? It's time I talk about it. Me and Tari are tied with one "lit" candle left each.

"Well... I think you are the first one to ask that." (Oh? the first?) She answers meekly. "Everyone all wanted to play Smash Bros matches today... what are my favorite video games, and well..." She trails off, but returns to hear from me. "Okay, what game you want me to check out?" She's 2 points on the scale from losing, but I won't let her.

"There's this game that is a Puzzle RPG game, with pixels and everything. The title is called "Lenin the Lion." And it has a semi bittersweet story, about the only albino lion born in a village of normal lions...."

A small skip to avoid spoilers, and saying how the game resonated with me.

" ...The whole game is about learning self-acceptance... And it also has a good soundtrack and art."

And then... Tari wins, but still listening to the topic. She nods. I reach to make a custom Death Card, as the table is cleared so Tari, can play as Leshy, to help me build it with my deck.

"Well, I'm more of a competition type of gamer, but your video game request caught my attention. I think I'll look it up." (YES!)

Cost None (thanks to a Geck); Attack 3 and Health 3 (from an Amalgam); Sigils (from a pre-buffed Amoeba) Amorphous, Sharp Quills, and Unkillable.

(Wow, most of the ones are rare Beasts cards)

Next is... the name-

"You seem like a good and fun person, Rayas. I love the creativity of how to play it, like as if you came up with a new Mod." And finally... the portrait. "Okie dokie, say cheese!"

"GG"

"GG"

Me and Tari shake hands. Ha ha, just like-

"HII!" Loudly saluted Animsay, startling some of the participants; including me and Tari. "Who's winning?" she comes in the game room.

(Oh boy, is Animsay going to keep popping up? or... is she following me?)

"Um... hi Animsay," shyly answered Tari. I politely waved after reeling from the surprise.

"Hey, how come you are not playing Smash Bros with everyone?" She looks at the table. "Oh, what's this? In...scryption...?"

Looking at both girls, I noticed the change in the mood, almost as if... something wasn't meant.... Wait, let me see how to diffuse that. Hm... I got it!

"Hi... Me and Tari were having fun with this tabletop game I asked to play. Would you... like to play?"

It appears Animsay is curious now. And her blue line that serves as her mouth shapes as if smiling. I think it's a yes. Tari stands up to go and play with the other participants, and leaving me with Animsay. But question is... does Animsay know how to play it?

So basically, Animsay, realized she indeed not know much of Inscryption, but she "downloaded" all the info. Ha ha, the loading screen sort of looked like P03's three dots when loading. Looking at her head, she really gives me P03 impression in appearance based on her "face." So, she wanted to play Technology style, and I like it, but um... I like Beasts style... But wait, to diffuse that, why not try Technology and Beasts? Animsay can use Technology, and I'll use Beasts. And maybe include the Mox vessels and Kaycee's Mod items and cards to make it more interesting.

Ha ha, I cannot believe I came up with a new Mod: Rayas' Mod, Nature versus Technology.

The time of playing it against Animsay, it feels like as if she's the Scrybe of Technology, and I'm the Scrybe of Beasts; P03 versus Leshy. Well, my head shape is confusing, it's a fennec fox head, but it has metal parts (but the cog gear on my head is completely natural... and still natural I am); but based on a quote from the Iron Giant, I can choose who I want to be.... Leshy... So far, the game is going well. And, even using my custom Deathcard for a spin, ha ha! (and then Animsay learned my name that way). Some small talk, as usual (because Animsay is a social butterfly, and I'm trying to be polite)

"Hope you didn't mind that before going in, I heard you talk a storm with Tari." said Animsay. "I'm glad you are opening up. When I met you, you only spoke short sentences..."

I nod in acknowledgement and I say, "I also like games, like Tari."

"Ahem? Animsay..." I heard the familiar voice of R Mr Puzzles. I heard almost everyone stop what they were doing, and waited. (creepy...) His tone sounded... ominous, or slightly annoyed? Did something happened out of the Game Room? He comes into the room (I bring my plushie closer to me), but a few feet away from the table me and Animsay are. And Mr Puzzles somehow makes a gesture for everyone to carry on.

"Ah, hello Boss. I was here all along, just playing with the participants. And definitely not making a ruckus, ha ha." Animsay is telling the truth, she's been here playing Inscryption with me the whole time. Hm... is this... my cue to leave the game with no winner, or do I wait to continue playing since we are tied for 9 minutes? (plus, i have a lost drawing to find) (but I'm curious for another Deathcard, whether the Leshy version or the fancy neon blue Technology base if Animsay loses; if the latter, the "Ani-Bot")

"Is that so? Well... Alright! Just checking where you went to. And the tour wouldn't truly go without the Head of the Social Media Department, yes?" He then turns to look at me (...eyes...). "Has she given you any trouble?" (I think he remembers the courtyard ramble)

"No, not at all," I politely answer with a shake of my head. "We are having fun. The game is going well."

He lightly smiles.

(Wow, I directly spoke to him!)

"Well, then," he turns to Animsay (phew). "Just wanted to say, 18 more minutes before announcing the next voting." I heard that.

So, shortly, there was no winner since Animsay quickly went to play one of the arcade machines, but not before we shook hands as a sign of GG. Though, I noticed she looked at my hand a little longer, as if gazing at it; it's probably nothing. And before I left, after gathering my umbrella and Puzzles Plushie, I went to thank Tari that she got to play one game with someone she enjoyed. She smiles.

Now in the Lobby, with the minutes left for the next vote, I'm feeling a little hungry. I went to the kitchen, and hope there's still something left to eat. Once again, I look around the crowd, and the same silhouette girl is just there, dissociating.... and rubbing her head. Hm... but my body is telling me to eat, or I might starve during the remainder of the Tour.

Alright, not all of the snacks and drinks are gone, because I just witnessed the girl with the horns and red ribbons, Grinnames, raid the kitchen!! (slow down). There's some pizza, some donuts, a bowl with many candy, cheese puffs, water, coffee, tea, soda... So glad none of it ran out, because I quickly scooped what I'll eat before she does; and I'm lucky to find the last slice of an All-cheese Pizza (yummy). While eating my fill, I see her starting to cook. What is it she making? And is that allowed, other than not going up the stairs? Hm... I leave my stuff on a table, and go to near the coffee maker and some packets of tea. I look a little longer, and I found a glass container of powder green tea; matcha. This sparks me an idea. If Grinnames is cooking something, I think I would as well.

Managing to find milk, powdered cinnamon, a bit of syrup, and the tool to make the matcha froth (and search on Google ha ha), I start up to making a matcha latte. I have tasted it before, and it was good, very good. And I'm going to make one... I never made matcha latte...

I glance a little, and Grinnames is cooking... something. Not sure what it is, but hope she knows what she's making. I don't think she looked what I was making; busy much? And, for herself, or for someone? OH, for someone actually. After it is done, she leaves it in the fridge. A surprise...?

Well, as for me... i think I accidentally made too much to be just for me.... i find a pitcher, luckily.

Just as I add the powdered cinnamon as the final touch, I could swear it released a strong earthy aroma; it was good based on the smell filling the kitchen. Did I do it right? Shortly, SMG3 comes into the kitchen, smelling the air. He looks around, and finds me, with the finished matcha latte in a large-enough paper coffee cup; and the left over in a medium size pitcher because I'm not always good with measurements, but final product turning out decent nonetheless. I don't know how to describe the expression, but I hope it isn't what I think because I used some kitchen equipment and stuff from the fridge and pantry; or because it seems during the day wherever he goes, I'm always there somehow (not my intention). I look at Grinnames, and she beams with her eyes; so the dish is a surprise for him?

"What... are you doing?" SMG3 addresses me first, he slowly walks to me. His look and tone... I don't think using the equipment and ingredients in the kitchen is allowed...

Grinnames points to the fridge as a the surprise, but SMG3's attention is solely at me. And not in a good way. His eyes look exhausted... tired..

I have to be honest.

"I... made myself a matcha latte... um... I'll clean the utensils I used before leaving, um..." I'm a wreck... But maybe... "But... do you want some?"

SMG3 looks at me, and the matcha latte in my hand. Um...

He finally grabs it. Smells it a little bit, and finally a sip... And, as he closes his eyes, I thought I saw the shadow in his eyes fade very slowly; or maybe my anxiety is making me see things? What does he think of it?

"This latte... It's good, very good." He says softly, and... a soft smile contrasting his usual Evil Cool persona. "I really needed it."

(I... on the first try...!)

"I... Glad you like it," I sort of couldn't help but, thinking of wanting to hug-

I heard a small growl in the kitchen. It was Grinnames. She looks irritated, but why... Oh! I just took SMG3's attention from the surprise dish, unintentionally. She worked so hard on it! Ugh, how to make it up for it? (and making sure she doesn't hold a grudge on me throughout the tour) Hm...

"Um... the latte isn't the only thing. You see..." Indicating Grinnames, she stops growling. "She and I,... have a surprise we cooked." The girl's expression changes to confusion.

"...You did?" the she asks confused, as if she doesn't know what I'm trying to do.

"We did," I "corrected." I open the fridge, and she takes out the mystery surprise dish after getting the message. Now, she looks anticipated for SMG3 to try the dish; a positive glow in her eyes.

The dish doesn't have a physical description, but I hope it pays off. After cutting a piece for SMG3, and me to try as well (out of politeness and curiosity), and a bite...

"Mmm! This dish is out of the park! I tell you, you two outdid it." He gives the thumbs up, with his iconic smirk.

I admit, the physically indescribable dish is delicious (might ask on how to make it with a little bit of a la Rayas style). My matcha, well, my first time and never done it in my life... it's decent. Grinnames smiles.

I'm glad I made her happy again after clearing the misunderstanding.

"Well, thanks for the surprise girls. The latte and the dish, I'm sure the Gang will like it. I appreciate it." He leaves...

(I guess my matcha is part of the surprise then...)

Now alone in the kitchen...

"Do you have brain damage?" Grinnames asks me. Guess she's still confused.

"Um... what?" (don't have brain damage, but does the cog gear on my head makes it look like that?)

"I didn't see you helping me with my cooking. Or did you secretly help me, because you're some sort of mysterious good Samaritan?"

I chuckle lightly.

"Well..." I explained how much she worked on the surprise dish for SMG3 and the Gang, and it was unfair that SMG3 didn't noticed it first. And that I wanted to clear the misunderstanding and made sure SMG3 finds the surprise. Her dish, it's delicious! She understood, and smiles (those teeth...)

"I'm Rayas," I extend my hand for a handshake.

"I'm Grinnames" we shake hands (hello Grinnames)

(I think I made another friend in the tour group)

Well, I think it's almost time for the next vote? Before leaving the kitchen, I serve myself my matcha from the leftover in a paper coffee cup after drinking my first round (offscreen); a smaller one to take to make it last for the Gang. And not forgetting to wash the utensils used, and clean everything, I remember. I grab my umbrella and plushie, and head to the lobby. And, Animsay has not popped up in the kitchen (sorry...).

Hm... the drawing wasn't in the kitchen so...

"Hey"

I look, and it's SMG3. He gestures me to talk to me. He still has not finished the matcha latte I made.

"You got something stuck on your back."

Oh? I reached behind and... It's my drawing! Did it got stuck moments before leaving the kitchen. I hope it wasn't facing for the world to see... luckily it isn't (not sure how one member of the SMG3 Gang will react to the existence of other places... and other Puzzles...). I quickly pocket it (and making sure it is tucked in the right place this time), and I thank SMG3 for spotting it but while being vague what it is. But before turning around...

"I got to say... you aren't so bad."

"Oh?"

"Well... you made me at least like a Pokemon from the anime you picked. The Houndour..."

"Well, the Houndour is a dark type... And there's more with that type."

"Exactly... When you made that Pomeranian sneeze at the game room, Oh I never thought I would laugh my a** off. There are times during filming I don't get to see something really REALLY funny happening to laugh at. The way your head shook and your hair frizzing up were the best."

He was the one who made the Mutahar Laugh alright. Glad I made him laugh. I giggle at that.

"Lastly, other than the dish you and Grinnames made, that matcha latte... it made me feel less exhausted and much calmer. Making myself less tired for the next filming deadlines to come...," he pauses for a moment as if realizing he's bringing up his work, but brushes it. "Besides, I'm sure the Gang will love the dish and latte. They will need it just as I." (awww)

I smile hopefully. And i think now... I can give him questions now.

"I'm glad you are, SMG3. I admit, I was nervous around you after the incident with the staircase... but I think I'm feeling ready to ask. H-Here it goes... What do you think of the tour so far?"

SMG3 ponders for a moment. Scratching the back of his neck (Is that missing texture on his... oh, right)

"... Honestly, a bit weary; and maybe still. I won't get into detail, but as the head of the film department, and as editor and actor, it can get a bit much. Sometimes when getting ready to some big event, you try your best to have enough rest and rehearsed. I think it's the nerves. As of the Tour right now, a lot of people being strangers... I think... I thought this will be like... too much at first. People all from around, and imagining getting more tired as you try to answer their questions. But... the right answer for that..." SMG3 looks at me with a calm look. he sips the final ounces of the matcha. "Not too bad at all. Not everyone here is... weird. It's just being them. Again, thanks for the matcha latte and dish. Um... I called you earlier "robo-fox umbrella girl," so... what is your name?"

"You are welcome SMG3. My name is Rayas." SMG3 smiles.

"Heh, I noticed you aren't much of a talker before, but hey. You warmed up."

Well, he doesn't think it's all bad; but when I saw his tired expression, he probably thought he couldn't go on with it. But if he found the tour not bad at all... I wonder if its because of me, a visitor, going on tour with everyone... I smile at the fact at least I and Grinnames, help make something for the Gang. I wonder if SMG3 figured out, that I'm in the spectrum with the last comment.

As SMG3 goes to throw the cup to the trash, Boopkins shows up and comes to me.

"Hi, I heard the tour group will be leave soon, so since I gave you the honors to pick an anime, here's a little present." Boopkins reaches from a pocket, and takes out an acrylic Pichu Brothers keychain. I'm... speechless. But I thank him and accept the present.

"Thanks... Boopkins" I say before he indicates me to bend down. He gives me a side hug... and then he skips happily elsewhere.

I.... i....

(is this allowed or....?)

And shortly after that, Tari comes over.

"Hello Rayas." she greets me, before she reaches for something in her pocket. "Here, glad to have played with you."

Tari hands me... the custom DeathCard she helped me make after our Inscryption game?

"Um... I... Tari... I don't know what to say...."

"It's okay. Besides, I also made a copy of your Deathcard. The one you have is a token, you earned it!" Tari gives me the thumbs up and she hugs me. And doing my best to keep my stuff while hugging back. Seems things are going well. (but the silhouette girl has not left my mind). She leaves as well.

Meggy looks over, and as soon as she sees me, she smiles and gives me the thumbs up. I smile and follow the gesture.

Um... am I getting an exclusive farewell event? Or have I become a sympathy/empathic magnet? (and maybe a Animsay magnet...?) Well, the least I can do is be polite. I look at the little presents.

SMG3 then comes over after taking the paper cup of his finished latte to the kitchen trash... so, now what?

"Welp, guess I better do some last minute QnA," he then looks at me. "Voting time will be happening soon, so you better get with the group."

SMG3 looks at the gifts. He raises an eyebrow, and immediately puts it together. His eye roll expression is pretty comical. I lightly giggle, as I put the gifts in my vest pocket.

For a moment, I stretch my hand for a handshake; he's the last one to give me a handshake. The hugs might be optional for him, knowing him. He indeed does shake my hand.

Well, seeing him with a smile (despite still looking tired) before leaving to walk around for some participants to gather around him... things seem to go fine.

Everyone starts to gather for the next voting.

"ALRIGHT, (ouch my ears) NEXT VOTE STARTS NOW!” announced Mr Puzzles.

Oh boy, I almost dropped my matcha latte and umbrella and plushie. I expected for it to be loud, but still... After two participants mark their vote, I was about to... when the silhouette girl with the heart eye comes in quickly and leaves in a hurry. Um... As I mark my vote, I saw her grab a bottle of water and went to the bathroom.

A part of me wanted to see what was wrong, another was to leave it... And the other part... I have to go in case there aren't bathroom breaks for the remainder of the tour; y-yeah. So... I waited a little, until I walked to the outside of the bathroom; it appears she's taking long. I was about to knock, when my sensitive hearing heard... something being thrown, and what appears to be... crying? Is she okay...? I lightly knock on the door.

"Hello?... Um...," but I carefully think, and as sounding to not rushing things to the girl on the other side of the door (even if I'm starting to feel the need to go). "Take your time... I... I'm not in a rush."

....No answer.

I think, Lucian picked up the fact I needed to go and went to check; pretty sure he wants everyone ready before heading to the next department. I wonder if he knows her...

His head shows the word, "U ok?"

"I am. But... I think want to wait until whoever is in there leaves. They're.... not sounding well. My... bathroom break can hold."

Hm... is there... something I can do, without her knowing she has my attention, but at the same time make her feel better? I want to avoid being nosy, and I don't want that. Plus, the look she was showing looked hostile... And as for me, I'm sensitive. I look at my untouched matcha latte. And then at Lucian. (I trust him since the return of my drawing)

"Um... would you like some matcha latte?" I asked. (Should have phrased it as gifting the latte as repayment for the recovery of my lost drawing, but my heart was in a different place)

"It's nice, but I already drank something. So no, but thanks for the offer."

Well, if he doesn't, maybe... the silhouette girl would want it?

"Um, okay... could you... give it to whoever is in the bathroom once they leave?," Lucian's "face" shows a question mark. "But I cannot let them know I'm giving it to them, and that I crafted it. Since I don't know how... they'll react towards me. J-Just give it to them. And then tell me what they think of it. Just say, someone (me) offered you the matcha latte, and... um... Uh... Yeah, that you already drank something before... um... C-Could you... please do that?"

......

"I could try, but no promises."

"Thanks, Lucian. And thanks for returning my drawing." I lightly smile. Lucian gives a thumbs up.

I hear the knob move, and the silhouette girl comes out. I quickly go in, but a quick glance from the corner of my eye caught what appears to have been dried tears on her face. Well... the need to go is starting to nag, so... you know...

(Why did I decided to wear suspenders under the vest? Because I thought it would be stylish even when the vest covers them)

I looked around the bathroom, and it appears slightly more furnished. I saw a crumbled water bottle on the floor further away... (what happened?)

Sigh... I just hope I did the right thing at the right time... And I hope I don't get myself in trouble in other's affairs; but my heart... is too big. But at least, she doesn't know; she won't know.

I quickly hurry up to get ready. I fix my vest when my drawing (somehow) falls out of the inner vest pocket. Okay... i just hope it doesn't randomly fly away into the possibly half closed window of the bath-

......!

....... crap.

I hear knocking on the other side of the bathroom. I heard the voice of Lucian. It's time to go.

I exit the restroom after washing my hands (and easing my anxiety as best as possible). And gathering my things. Subconsciously, I chose not to look at Lucian, and the silhouette girl. I'm too scared to see what transpired while I was in the bathroom; or what has yet to transpire. I hug my Puzzles plushie and umbrella for comfort.

I hope everything will turn out fine.

So... I learned, everyone will be heading to the Social Media Department. And Animsay is the head of said department...

Oh boy...

(And I still have a drawing to recover for what's left of the tour.)

Everyone slowly head outside for a moment, basking in the sun for the final verdict. And then I open my umbrella; it makes me feel safe under it. One last look back, I see the SMG3 wave back. Ha ha! I could tell briefly they saw me in the crowd.

Recalling the good things to ease my nerves, I recall all of the good things I did with the SMG3 Gang; and I place a hand on my vest's pocket, where the little gifts are. With the leftover matcha latte of mine and Grinnames' dish, I'm feeling hopeful they will enjoy it. And making another friend in the tour group.

Just, focus on the bright side, and wait for the good things to come.

But if something goes wrong... There's that bridge I'll keep crossing to reach the other side.

___________

Author's notes: I went overkill with this ONE!! More fun and longer than the last. No drawings this time, but a custom Card based on the game Inscryption, with Rayas in it. Plus, for the first time, I directly discussed with someone over each sona's actions. Hope it all goes well for another one.

Well, she lost her drawing again....

The lost drawing in question below...

(Between The Star and AV Puzzles is Astro by @the-masked-astro , one of the participants on the tour) All Ocs/AUs belong to their owners and can be found here Puzzlevision Mass Attack)

Note about the drawing. In the story, her drawing is impervious to getting destroyed/damaged, and the only one who can is Rayas since she made it. So, anyone not from her home or herself, it's like stretching an unbreakable rubber band.

Note, interactions available, but comment/dm first. Plus, if anything, I might slightly change the story here.

[norixseaweed]

NCT 127's Dorm Maid CH. 2 - Mark

NCT 127's Dorm Maid: Chapter 2 - Mark

Title: NCT 127's Dorm Maid Genre: smut Chapter: 2 Character: Mark x OC/reader Master List Previous Chapter - Next Chapter Contains: Masturbation, hand job, blow job, a bit of face fucking Summary: When NCT's Dorm maid falls ill, her niece takes her place and becomes NCT's new dorm maid. NCT weren't unfamiliar with the girl as she has substituted for her aunt many times before. But this time it was different, this time she was going to become their permanent dorm maid as her aunt was forced to retire because of her health. NCT members quickly grow fond of the girl, but little did she know this also meant that she was going to be a hell of a lot more busy than she expected. Authors Note: It would be really nice and appreciated if you guys could reblog this if you enjoyed it so that I can get more readers. Liking a post shows me you enjoy it, also feel free to comment and leave opinions. EXTRA side note: All my fanfics will be reposted to this page, will be getting rid of my side blog at some point!

The thing I enjoyed about working for NCT is that I was not expected to tend to both dorms in one day. We had decided to keep a schedule, one day 5th floor, the next 10th floor. If I saw I had time or energy I would tend to both. I wasn't required to always cook either but on days I knew they had busy schedules I would cook for them and again if I saw I had time I would still cook.

Today I was tending to the 10th floor dorm. The dorm was empty except for Jaehyun, I saw him when I came in and he said he was going to just "chill" in his room.

Before I started working I plugged in my headphones and turned my music on. I took my time cleaning, humming and dancing to my music as I did. I soon entered the bathroom to clean and rolled my eyes as I saw the tube of toothpaste not closed.

This happened quite often and I'm determined to find the culprit, I bet whoever left it open was also responsible for the pile of clothes on the bathroom floor that had somehow just missed the laundry basket.

"Whoever did this, I will find you and I will kill you," I said the last line while imitating Liam Neeson. I picked up the laundry basket and began humming along to Rain's "Rainism" as I walked to the washing machine "I'll let you rainism on me any day Rain...whatever that means."

"You're a fan of Rain?" I turned to the owner of the voice, taking my headphone out of my ear.

"I mean who isn't? He's a damn legend, what about you, Jaehyun? Are you a fan of him?"

He nodded his head "like you said, the man's a legend, anyway I just wanted to let you know I'm heading out to see some friends, so you can be more comfortable cleaning my room."

I gave him a thumbs up "got it, have fun!" He gave me a small smile, his dimples shyly greeting me. I kind of wanted to poke them.

Once he left I began to clean their bedrooms, the last room left was Mark's. I opened the door and let out a gasp, to my surprise Mark was home, I didn't realize he was since Jaehyun hadn't mentioned it.

But Mark's presence in itself isn't what made me gasp "oh my god I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were home..." I apologized as Mark panicked and pulled his blanket over himself, his face turning as red as a strawberry.

If you haven't guessed it yet, I just caught Mark...well how do I put this, Jackin' the beanstalk, polishing the pearl, spanking the monkey, or tugging the slugs if you will. I think you get the point now.

"N-no it's okay it's my fault for not letting you know I was here, um...I should have locked the door...oh god this is so embarrassing..." He stuttered with his words and I found it cute. It triggered my inner demon to be quite honest. I absolutely enjoyed teasing cute shy boys like Mark, and hey no one was home. I held back a smirk and I coyly bit down my bottom lip.

"Well...you know, I am your maid and I am here to do anything you need me to, you know..." I stepped inside and closed the door behind me before moving closer to him "when I say anything I mean anything." I was now standing right in front of him, my eyes never leaving his as he stared up at me. His Adam's apple bobbing up then down, I reached down to trail my index finger up along his thigh that was now covered by his blanket "that includes helping you out with you're little problem here." I said in a hushed tone.

He was flustered, he began to stutter again his ears turning red as he blushed "I-I um uh...fuck...I wouldn't want to make you do anything you're uncomfortable with...ah shit what am I saying," my lips involuntarily formed into a smirk. I lowered myself onto my knees in front of him, gently tugging against the blanket.

"I assure you, I am completely fine with this...the question is, are you?" I asked softly as I finally moved the blanket off of his lap and to the side before I adjusted my position between his legs. I looked up to meet his gaze which was filled with nervousness, but also eagerness.

"I...what if we get caught? Jaehyun is next door..."

"Jaehyun went out, we're alone," I reassured him before letting my gaze fall to his still erected length. I wrapped my fingers around it and began to slowly and teasingly rub gentle circles around the tip, my eyes meeting with his again "I bet you've been craving for a girls touch for a while now huh?" Mark gulped at my words, my wrist now slowly moving, stroking his erection "you're just too busy to find a girl these days, so you just come home, tired and stressed, all have is your imagination and your hand..." Mark's chest began to rise and fall as his breath grew heavier. I picked up the pace of my wrist as I jerked him off "mmm....it's sad really, any girl would love to take a cock as nice as yours," I heard a quiet curse escape Mark's lips, I couldn't help my smirk.

I moved my face in closer to his cock, I let out a soft hot breath against it and watched it twitch. My tongue darted out and I pressed it against the base of his shaft before slowly dragging my tongue along it until I reached the tip. My tongue swirled around the tip before latching my lips around it, softly sucking on it with a hum.

"Shit..." he cursed, letting out a quiet whimper as I moved my head lower, taking his length deeper into my mouth. I began to bob my head in an up and down motion, emitting a groan from Mark "shit, noona...keep going don't stop," my bratty self then kicked in. I pulled my head back and released his cock from between my lips with a pop "oh, oops...I just stopped, I wonder what you're gonna do about it,"

"Fuck, shit, please don't tease me I really need you...to, to keep going...please,"

"Make me then, grab my hair and force your cock down my throat, make me gag on it, Mark," I licked over my lips before taking his tip between my lips again. I could feel Mark's hand hesitantly grip onto my hair.

"Are you sure?"

I nodded and his grip tightened before he finally forced my head down onto his length, triggering my gag reflex. I began bobbing my head up in down and quicker pace than from before. Mark's moaning music to my ears, he hissed and cursed, encouraging me to continue. His hips soon began to thrust up as he fucked my mouth. After a few thrusts he finally reached his climax, thick strings of cum flowing into my mouth and, I, of course swallowed it. I pulled back and met eyes with Mark, who's chest was heaving as he caught his breath.

"Shit that was, amazing,"

I smiled up at him before standing, fixing my clothes and hair.

"If you need me again just let me know,"

Mark nodded his head in response and I walked out of his room. Getting straight back to work.

Next Chapter

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

What you said about Miss Raven going from being an "onlooker"/more of a side character to being the main character of her own story really resonated with me 🥲 and tbh it inspires me to try and give my own ocs some more story/value in canon... bc I tend to always purposefully make characters that can "blend in the background", or like... that could work as side characters if they were canon. Not really invisible, but not quite important either. But your work has inspired me to try and push my own boundaries a little bit and try to make a character that could work as one of the main cast... ᕙ⁠(⁠⇀⁠‸⁠↼⁠‶⁠)⁠ᕗ

Also, unrelated to my first point but- reading Raven going against her "destiny" and remembering some posts you did a while back really gave me EAH vibes in the best way possible 🥹 I love whenever a writer's inspo can shine through their own writings. Which made me think... I think Miss Raven could fit very well into the EAH universe (from what I recall about it)! I mean, we already have someone with the same name there 😭 But ignoring that, I'd love to see a "what if...!?" of her in the EAH world someday, if you ever would like to do smth like that HAHDHHSDH

( No more permanent ink, this is not what you think 🎶 )

Twst x Ever After High AU discussion: part 1 / part 2 / part 3

Oooh, I’m glad you found some meaning in that aspect of her story! I think finding one’s confidence is something a lot of us struggle with, especially if the people we spend our time around seem so much stronger or more skilled than we are. In the world of fandom, maybe that feeling translates into being shy about sharing our very personal creations with the world. That’s also a common sentiment, and I wanted it to resonate with my readers.

For me, a large part of the appeal of Twst is that every character has their own life and feels organic in the world. It’s not like they’re only ever seen in class or with certain other characters. They go to places, act and think for themselves, interact with everyone in unique ways. I like to think the mob students are like this too, even if we don’t see much of them. Everyone is out there doing their own thing, and that’s so beautiful. I hope you’re able to make something like that, if that is what you wish for.

Yes, EAH and Princess Tutu (which is also very fairy-tale laden) were massive inspirations for me ✨ I've never really thought about inserting Raven into worlds outside of Twst though. I know some people like to repurpose their preexisting OCs to plop into various franchises, but I'm the type that tends to make OCs specific to them. Twisted Wonderland is Miss Raven's comfy home! I wouldn't stop other people's imaginations though www

[ssstarscreamconjunx-alice]

Starscream x Oc Scenarios: Breeding p.1

18+ MDNI, mass displaced bot x human(kinda) smut

(A.N.) I have total writer's block for the next chapter of my EoSFAU fic, so I'm posting (kinda canon, but not included in full chapters; mostly smut) scenarios until I figure it out.

Enjoy!

Alice approaches him about it finally, just can't stand it anymore. Maybe a little frustrated with herself. It's not like he's neglectful. It's just so difficult to ask for anything for herself.

Her arousal has been overwhelming, so overwhelming.

Starscream snickers slightly when she comes to him so bashfully, as if it were the first time. Still not sure how to tell her himself, that he can feel quite a bit of her emotions when in close contact. That he's known she's incredibly insatiable right now.

But he wants her to ask him. Just this once. Not intentionally to punish her, just hoping to get her over that bashfulness and just take what she wants. He is hers after all.

Alice stutters her confession, "Can we.. uh, you know..?" Gesturing with her hands, earning herself an optic squinted in mock confusion.

"Yes? What do you need, my beloved...?"

She groans in frustration seeing that coy smile on his faceplate. Her eyebrows scrunch while she grimaces and pulls at the sleeves of her sweater. Her need just making her more embarrassed, like a dog begging for treats. The Seeker laughs lightly, shifting down to her size and taking her face in his servos.

"Anything you wish, Alice. All you must do is ask.." Voice softened for her, pressing his intake against her jaw. 'Or take..' he almost says, the heat snakes through him at the thought, but he reminds himself he must be patient with her. It's all the easier when her touch reveals all of her. The dull ache of shame, wanting to hide away, every insecurity of hers whispering in his audials steeling him so she can gather her own strength. Just this once.

Swallowing a whine, she makes another attempt.

"I.. want.. Can we..? Ughh...!" She presses her face into her palms, hiding away for a moment as he presses her even closer. Trapping her with his hold, unwilling to let her just tap out of this. Not this time.

Not when her body urges for him, her scent beckons. Not when his own array heats up in response to the arousal seeping from her and into him like a glorious plague. Yet, still keeping his control because he so desperately wants to hear her ask for him. So she can finally get it through her head that she can ask him.

Leaning back into her ear, his voice lowers to a coaxing rasp.

"Just this once.. ask...?" The fact that he knows makes the heat between her thighs so much worse. He's just been waiting? Watching her struggle and being all patient, and it’s really, stupidly endearing. And frustrating. But, it’s enough to fill her with some confidence. It’s not like he’s been purposefully avoiding her all day.

"Could we uhm," wording this without cringing persists as a problem in her mind, not wanting to sound.. clinical or vulgar. That's how it's always sounded to her.

"Could we... 'engage in sexual intimacy'?" She quotes with two pairs of fingers. Yep, that sounds awful to her. She doesn't miss the soft chuckle that follows, yet his eyes remain the same. Adoration, and lust paired with a lopsided smirk showing his denta.

"Very well... My little Beloved." Starscream’s dermas press softly to hers, coated in a honeyed tenderness. Then again, this one gradually heats and he’s nipping at her plush, sliding his servos down her neck, her nape, and under her clothing. Palming her back to support her from her now jelly-like knees.

A stray servo cups her heat, coating wandering fingers in her slick, shamelessly stoking along her entrance. Filling his sensors with her pheromones and indulging in the sweet, shy moans that she offers him.

"Impatient this time...?" Muttering hotly against her cheek, He steals her embarrassed whine with another kiss, removing his servo. Lifting her with ease and still peppering her faces with chaste kisses while he carries her to the nearest soft surface. Her mind is a haze, patience weening while he treks to the bed and settles her among their nest of blankets and soft fixings.

Feeling a sense of urgency, Starscream yanks her clothing as gently off her as he can as his spike squirms readily against his near-steaming modesty plate. She simultaneously rolls her shirt off in a similar eagerness. Starscream wastes no time in trailing down her body, his heated gaze never breaking from her disheveled, kiss-bruised face. Alice's eyes glimmering with a desire, just for him. It cracks his already crumbling self-control, he just needs to draw this out a little longer..

He slides his glossa slowly up her valve, holding her gaze and her thighs open for him, then tracing her node with the tip. Her bliss-filled gasp, responding to the seams in his glossa offering her the friction she so craves. Dipping the appendage inward to taste her neediness. His own control frays from the sounds she’s making, and the taste of her on his glossa. Releasing his modesty panel, his spike pressurizes so quickly it should concern him. But, Starscream just gives her a grin, before sliding up her body and sheathing himself in his lovely Conjunx's soft valve.

"Aa-ahh.." Already perfectly wet, and on edge for him, it steals a needy groan from his vox. She's already wrapped her arms around his neck, awaiting him eagerly. Arms slide under her like a snare to him and she responds pressing her malleable lips against his neck cables. The tenderness of her soft little affections, pressing her face happily into his frame– welcoming him with her own… hooking her thighs over his hips patiently for him.

Pumping a steady rhythm, nearly too rough, but her moans only greet him louder, more… Oh, that's... that's going to ruin him. His intake presses firmly against her neck, her need washes over him, the contact only allowing him more of her. possessive little bites on her neck have her crying out, before he's soothing them over with his glossa, leaving his claim on her skin in a lovely rosy color.

The sting of it is mild in her haze, and it only pushes her further. Coiling that heat within her into a tighter and tighter bundle with sharp intense bursts of pleasure from his dull denta. Inviting him to continue marking her as his, and his sweet little Alice only tightens further with them. Fisting his spike, claiming him right back, until his keening and his fans are the only thing in her ears– the vents in his head hot to the touch and glowing a dull orange. The molten color only spreading to his perfect features, and Alice can’t resist pulling his face to hers.

Starscream’s helm knocks gently into hers, reminding her of his tenderness beneath those intense smoldering red optics, and she coos gently in between bouts of pleasure at his flustering face. The golden glow is almost too hot under her lips, but that doesn’t stop her peppering more and more adoring little kisses on his faceplate.

The intensity of his thrusts waver as he draws closer, and her thighs tremble, clenching around his hips. Starscream nips at her lips, her cheeks in response to her affections before capturing her mouth again. Alice begs against his dermas, wet with their combined saliva, and arching away from the bed to meet his erratic thrusts with an equal need. Wound tightly until she breaks, her cries dying to breathless mumbles, voice still tinted with a need bordering on insatiable.

Merely moments after, he’s joining her in absolution, static lacing his vox in a piercing bliss that nearly knocks his processor offline for a moment, yet still lazily stroking within her while filling her quivering valve with his claim. Aftershocks of that pleasure never cease within her, still fluttering long after his release. Much longer than usual.

Starscream notes the strange occurrence but remains still entangled in her limbs. Propping himself up slightly, given her arms locking him in place, he looms over Alice as she pants, her eyes shut tight and brows furrowed. Allowing the silence to settle for a moment, and his heat to cool a bit. The glow settling to a near ember in his panels.

He can, unfortunately with their direct contact, feel that need still heavily numb in her frame.

“Alice.. my love.?” The static grumbling until smoothing to his usual rasp, “Could you possibly.. be in heat?”

“N-not.. possible?... I don’t think so, no..” Stated between breathes, heavy and unsure, and finally gracing him with soft blue eyes.

He brushes curls off of her face, clung there by sweat. Soft optics, close and observant, Starscream distracts her with a kiss to her head while unwinding her arms from his shoulders. Pinning her wrists in each servo when she protests.

“Well, you aren’t human, my love.. Just a moment..”

He sits up, still flush with her hips, causing her to whimper at the movement. His chassis’ paneling clicks and folds open familiarly exposing his spark to her, and she quirks her head. The soft vines of light answer an unspoken question, meeting her gladly. Only then does he lower himself back down into her reach, just flush with her again without pressing her too much into his internals.

Starscream’s face settles into the crook of her neck and invents deeply, swimming through her light, welcomed home yet searching through her with a scrutiny. Anything out of place, anything that could be causing her body to react the way it is. Sure, he could take her to the Medbay, but if it can be easily solved by him, her Conjunx, he’d rather not waste time.

Especially if it’s another quirk of her hybrid physiology, if he doesn’t already know about it by now then it hasn’t been documented by the CMO. While Starscream is no medic, her memories may hold some insight. The physiology of her that is granted to him by their bond may even. She is hesitant to be dislocated from him as of currently, therefore it’s far easier just to look into it now while she is momentarily satiated.

Because he can feel her arousal crawling back into him again, beckoning him. Her body becoming more and more antsy, impatient, and wanting while he searches.

In revelation, her body is reacting to his nanites; craving them like a medicine. Her attitude reminding him of a heat cycle, yet humans don’t have them. They have something akin to it, and hers is all over the place. Inconsistent and strange, even comparing it to her human ancestry. But… one fact that he gleans from her is that whatever is happening, her body is craving release to quell pain, he’ll look into that later.

“Ah.. Hm, Alice are you experiencing any.. discomfort currently?”

She snorts, “You sound like Ratchet, no… not really?”

“Were.. you?”

Alice pauses, eyes flitting around as she thinks. She had a migraine yesterday, a mild nausea… some aches this morning… No it.. couldn’t be? It’s been years since she had her cycle, she thought maybe finally, even with her weird alien youth, that she’d gone through menopause. Since she’s technically an elder. But, apparently, chronology means nothing in the scheme of weird half alien biology.

“Uhm… yeah. Thinking about it now… I might be on my cycle- or it’s soon anyways..”

Starscream’s helm tilts, revealing confusion. Alice nearly facepalms. She basically said: “Oh yeah no, I’m in pain, guess it’s just ‘my day’.” Looking at her like she just brushed off her discomfort again, which she knows irritates him.

“No, I.. I mean, my ‘menstrual cycle’. It’s.. an organic thing…?” Recognition and relief graces his optics and smooth his face out, only because she’s echoing his hypothesis from scouring her memories. Reacting to the bond, and to his biology, which is likely all. But, a trip to the Doctor isn’t unwarranted.

After she’s sufficiently satisfied. Giving her a searing grin, arms still caging her. The dirty thought in his processor flood hers in response and she stutters. Momentarily confuse by the certainty of knowing what he’s thinking. The horny haze in her brain is gone, but her body is still itching for release. Starscream’s filthy mind only egging her on, and she’d be less flustered if his thoughts weren’t repeating the word ‘breeding’ over and over.

[circehexahedron]

HHHHAHAHAHHA HEYYY HELLO HIIII MY NAME IS CIRCE AND WELCOME TO MY BLOGGG!!!

(finally after my lazy a- ...lazy bum finally got a tumblr account BLEHHHHH.)

THIS IS A BIT NERVOUSING SINCE THIS IS MY FIRST TIME INTRODUCING MYSELF BUT IT'S TRUE I'M THE ONE WHO HELPED MY DAD CUBE CREATE HIS ACCOUNT :D @cubehexahedron HIII DADDDDDDDD HIIHIHIIHIH LOOK IT'S ME CIRCE HIIIII!!!!! A LITTLE BIT ABOUT ME UMMM....MY FAVOURITE COLOR IS GREEN AND I'M A WITCH! I DO WITCHCRAFT AND I HAVE A SISTER NAMED ARCY AND A GREAT LIL BRO CYAN :D (forcing them to create accounts very soon MUHEHEHEHE.) You're always welcomed to send me any questions or have a conversation with me ! :D Just a warning, I can be pretty shy when meeting around new shapes :< BUT DON'T BE SCARED! I'LL DO MY BEST TO BE SOCIAL! And hey...do expect me to be posting whatever comes up to my mind...HEHE! (OOC: ABOUT FUCKING TIME OH MY GOD. HII THIS IS @witchandstrawberry !!!! THE OWNER OF BOTH CIRCES ACCOUNT AND @cubehexahedron :D I HAVE FINALLY CREATED AN RP ACCOUNT FOR CIRCE AND IM HONESTLY EXCITED TO TRY THIS OUT ^_^) (FOR ANYONE WHOS CONFUSED, CIRCE IS MY OC OR WELL- A SHAPESONA AND THEIR ADOPTED BY CUBE!! :3)