#JC Saga favorite parts

[absentcaryatid]

Excerpt- That Yunho Shower Scene (NSFW)

From the ATEEZ fanfic JC Saga chapter “Very Moist”

Agender reader using she/her pronouns, 1.7K words

~

Returning home without fanfare and having snacked on the way, Yunho headed straight to his room and stripped off his clothes. Soaked with both sweat and rain they squelched wetly onto the floor of his bathroom. About to step into the shower he recalled needing to replace the conditioner his bleached and color treated hair required. Tomorrow he would need to remember to buy more but for tonight he knew where to find some. Pulling a towel around his waist he walked over to Yeosang’s bedroom where he heard the shower running. As the guys freely did with each other he pushed into the bathroom past the closed door.

Sliding the curtain aside, momentum carried his hand into the shower reaching for the conditioner while asking to borrow it already knowing Yeosang’s answer would be yes. Before his mind could catch up with his mouth he changed the question to “Why do these look like my clothes on the counter?” He then noticed a second set on the floor. Your clothes. The split attention led him to not register that the opaque curtain had earlier obscured a single body both shorter and wider than Yeosang’s. The yelp of surprise he heard quickly pulled his attention around to the revelation of your naked body before him.

In the kitchen the dance party continued blissfully unaware of what was going on behind the adjoining wall. Jongho asked if anybody heard some noise over the music. “Do you think she’s okay or needs something from us?”

Seonghwa reassured him, “I’m sure she’s fine. I’m not gonna go in there to ask. Unless I hear a body slip and fall I’m not risking it.”

Inside the shower you’d been pumping hard for a while, tiring of the vigorous activity. You thought to yourself, “come on, come on, come on, just give me a little something,” then thrilled when you finally got an amount of fluid out. Coming into your hand with a forceful splurt, your palm was now laden with a long, viscous streak and you felt powerful at the conquest.

It really wasn’t that big a deal but it felt like one to you. The salon sized shampoo bottle had seemed almost empty but you had hoped to find enough to get the chicken grease smell out of your hair without having to unscrew the pump top and shake water around the bottle. The nozzle had probably been caked up with solidified shampoo causing you to put forth so much effort. Distracted by your victory you had not clearly grasped the situation when Yunho flung the bathroom door open and began his question.

Seeing a large hand intrude into the shower accompanied by his distinct voice, you thrust your own hands out in a ‘stop’ gesture and a yell of surprise. Time froze and so did your bodies as you stared at each other trying to comprehend what was going on.

Yunho watched the clearish, whitish streak on one palm ooze casually down toward your wrist. Shaking the stupor off, but without the judgment that this conversation could happen at a better time, he asked, “What are you doing here?” Arriving at a seemingly reasonable conclusion he confidently offered with a knowing look, “Oh! Is Yeosang in there with you?” Yunho began to tilt his head into the shower looking for your expected companion.

Coming to the the realization that he was playing around like you were just one of the guys he blanched. “That’s absolutely none of my business, I’ll leave you two alone.” With a clearer mind he would have figured out this was the point to tactfully make an exit. Instead, shaking his head at how inappropriately he had behaved, he remained fixed to the spot and began to apologize profusely to both people he thought were present.

“Hold on. Thank you, but don’t worry, I am in here alone.” As his eyes remained on your streaked hand questioningly you reassured him that there was no way he could’ve known you were going to be there due to the storm. Offering the coated palm you encouraged him to sniff the material in your hand. Warily, still expecting an altogether different scent, you could see it dawn on him that the creamy line was merely the coconut shampoo Yeosang favored.

This steamy conversation was occurring with you casually standing there naked, the curtain half drawn and warm water still hitting your back. Despite the situation you were completely at ease having recently grown fond of hiking trips to hot springs with other friends that culminated in all-gender nude soaks and that’s what you told him. “So you see, my outstretched hands were a quick reaction hoping to spare you embarrassment from the situation.”

You resumed pounding away on the bottle plunger and eked out a little more shampoo. Sudsing your hair the conversation continued with him requesting the conditioner until Yunho noticed you wincing from a shoulder movement.

“I must have overdid it fighting the bottle with my good arm. I’d already been body-slammed today on an earlier delivery and the jarring of the motorbike didn’t help my shoulder any either. Somebody must’ve been really late for something. I am lucky it was leaving the delivery address instead of with my hands full when I went down.”

With a sympathetic look, Yunho offered assistance, leaning in and getting slightly wet. This close he could see you did have a large bruise coming on at the shoulder. Probably your knees too but his eyes remained firmly at head level.

“Honestly, I would appreciate help a lot. It’s been a long day.”

He retreated back from getting splashed. “You know what? This water from the shower head is going to run straight down me to soak my towel and the tiles. I might as well just get in there too so I don’t flood Yeosang’s floor. I was already on the way into a shower, I only needed the conditioner from this bathroom. If you don’t mind,” he asked while gesturing to the towel, “I will just jump in with you. As a friend. Like at the hot springs,” he added quickly.

“I would be completely fine with that and the help would be really welcomed.”

Removing the towel from his waist he put it on the counter beside the borrowed clothes then stepped into the shower.

You were genuinely touched by his offer and the trust contained within it. Turning to face the water again and leaving him some privacy at your back he began to work his fingers into your soapy hair. Yunho’s gentle touch relaxed you so much that you emitted a long, slow groan of pleasure. “I can do your back too, if you want,” he prompted.

“You are doing what to her where?” San poked his head in the door surprised by the deep voice he had heard and two silhouettes behind the curtain. “We got worried how long she was taking and nobody else was brave enough to check. Looks like you were already being taken care of. I’ll leave you two to it then.”

“It is just nudity between friends like at the hot springs or a sauna,” Yunho called, “not what it looks like.”

“Or what it sounded like?” San countered with a snicker.

“Her shoulder is hurt and I was just helping.”

San’s concern was evident in his change of tone. “I can bring you a pain pill for muscle ache if that would help. It is just over the counter stuff from the pharmacy.”

“Yes, please. I’ll be out in a moment once I rinse off.” You finished quickly after mutually beneficial back scrubs using your unimpaired arm and made sure to voice your gratitude to Yunho for all his help. “Thank you, kind sir.”

“Oh really, Sir is it now? You can call me that.” Then eyes wide open he suddenly became serious. “I overstepped with the joking, didn’t I?”

You stood there naked as the water splashed your back. “You are good with me. I thought it was funny. Playful words are fine. It is joking touching that I am not up for. That would be weird to me. Our hugs are great but please, nothing like a kiss or surprise breast grab to watch me startle. A good guideline is not to touch me anywhere you would not touch your members.”

“You have seen us play Twister, right? But yes, I understand what you mean and agree those are good boundaries for both of us.” Looking down at himself Yunho sheepishly added, “I can’t believe we are having this conversation nude. At first I thought it was an ace thing on your part but I guess everybody is capable of non-sexual nakedness. In our business I forget skin isn’t just for enticement. Then again, we manage to change costumes in front of each other all the time without batting an eye so I should already know it is possible.”  

He helped pat you dry and dress in the loaned clothes with careful attention to your shoulder injury. Emerging from Yeosang’s bathroom you gratefully discovered the non-prescription medication and glass of water left on the dresser. As Yunho dashed out only in a towel to change in his own room you wondered how much San had reported back to the others in the dorm. As innocent as it was, being naked with a member alone was not the reputation you wanted among these friends.

Confirming your worry, San came into the kitchen delighted to bring the news. “They might be a while.”

“They?” multiple people questioned.

Mingi was the first to understand. “Like new pronouns, they? I knew our delivery girl, er, person now is agender but went by she and her but that must have changed.”

“New pronoun drop!” Wooyoung enthused. “We can roll with it.”

“Oh yeah, good to be reminded about the agender thing but no, that is not why. No pronoun change that I know of.” San excitedly delivered the vital piece of information, “I say ‘they’ because Yunho is home and he is in the shower with her.”

Now everybody present asked, “What?”

“They, the two of them, say it is all innocent like at the hot springs and I have chosen to believe them. Now that I am done starting rumors in my own home I should add that she got a nasty bruise on her shoulder today and he was helping wash her hair. I left some medicine to take but be gentle and lay off the hugging tonight.”

~

The full chapter of the story is available to read here.

Masterlist

[absentcaryatid]

Reblogging from my main to add that if any of my readers has ever felt drawn to tipping me for my writing I ask you consider chipping in or reblogging to help Nova instead. It means a lot to me if her life can be made easier.

Entrance Fees / Medical Fund

Intro/who i am and why i need $$$ 

Hello! i’m a 22 year old Canadian named Nova and i’ve been struggling with mental health difficulties for over 10 years. 

things have gotten REALLY bad with covid, and i’m working on getting a diagnosis (of potentially autism, maybe bpd- just a whole mess) and i wake up nearly every morning with a horrible, debilitating sense of dread, sadness and emptiness. Due to this, i can’t get a normal job. i can’t even be sure i’ll be able to get out of bed some days.

I’ve had to give up my apartment and move back in with my parents because of how bad my mental health is, and i have no income now because i can’t work. 

but i want to be able to be self sufficient- i don’t want to rely on my parents forever, and while my parents are ‘trying’ i have a history of being traumatized in this household and i have no where else to go- but im aware that living here is in nO WAY a long term solution

Entrance Fee

the only way i can see myself getting out of this is if my wonderful followers donate even something as small as $2 when they read my fics

and conceptually, if you’re reading a fic, sometimes it takes 2 hours, which is like an entire movie- which you spend $15 to go to in theaters, which goes towards producers and actors who already have SO MUCH MONEY-

i’m a mass producer of fics, and if i was able to make some cash every time i post- not only would my life be better because i’d actually have money to live, but i would be energized to post MORE OFTEN

you can donate with Paypal or Kofi, but there’s also a medical fund option

Medical Fund

Each month, i have to spend (at least) $500 on medicine just to get through my days and not end myself :)

on a normal day, my symptoms include:

-being unable to sleep -wishing i was dead -being unable to eat -being unable to move or do the things that make me happy

and when i’m medicated, i’m able to eat, sleep well and long, i’m not AS suicidal, and i have energy to do things like cook and bake and just- my medicine is the only thing keeping me alive right now

so now, each month, i’ll be adding a medical gofund me as a donation option- because if nothing else, helping me get my medicine would make a WORLD of difference 

other options i’ve tried before that haven’t had much success.

Patreon: wherein people pay to subscribe monthly and get exclusive access to a set number of words over there. cons: highly restricted, you HAVE to have the subscription for access. pros: steady, reliable income.

commission: wherein people can pay a fixed amount per 1k words and give me a prompt and i create the whole fic for them. cons: also highly restricted, it felt off making someone pay for the whole fic then posting it for free on tumblr. it also felt off making someone pay $45 for a custom fic, but comparable to other commission art, it was more explainable (fics take HOURS to make) pros: reliable money. 

conclusion: crowd funding, with people each paying a low sum of $1-$3 might work best :)

Final notes/other options:

there is no way for me to make sure everyone pays a donation fee when they read my fics, and i’m aware of that- and you don’t have to prove to me if you’ve donated or anything- i’m definitely not gonna be going around and checking-

if you really can’t support me with even $1, please feel free to read the Pay per entrance fic and just make sure you reblog it with a lil comment encouraging others to read/support :) 

October’s Medical Fund Fic was Frat Mark

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[mcfiddlestan]

Fic Meme

Tagged by @teadrinkingwolfgirl. I'm too tired to look for people to tag. If you're reading this, and you're a writer, you're tagged!

First fic

The very first fic I ever wrote was an untitled piece about three girls driving to Las Vegas to see the Backstreet Boys in concert for the 21st birthday of one of the girls. As luck would have it, they run into a couple of the Boys (Kevin and Brian) in the elevator of their hotel. Kevin and one of the girls (Minerva, who is not the main character) hit it off, and he invites them to join the guys at a nearby club where the Boys are making a promotional appearance. It’s an incredibly cheesy, improbable, self-insert fic (the MC is me, and she ends up with – shocker! – AJ McLean, who was, ofc, my favorite Boy. He's still my fave. Actually, he's the only one I like at all, lol). It was written terribly near the end of the last century when I first discovered fanfiction. I cringe so hard just thinking about it.

The first fic I ever posted online for others to read and ridicule was posted to an *NSYNC Yahoo group. It wasn’t the whole fic, just some of the early chapters. It ended up being a 65 chapter saga, told in three parts about childhood BFFs Justin Timberlake and Dylan Elizabeth Matthews. The first part focuses on them as kids – they both love basketball and dancing, and they audition for the MMC together, but only JT makes it. His leaving is hard for Dylan, who comes from an abusive home, and tho they don’t keep in touch, she follows his career as he becomes this international sensation as a member of *NSYNC. They bump into each other years later in NYC (he’s at TRL with the guys, she was in the building with her new BFF Mikey, at a dance audition). They hang, hook up, fight, and split (So. Much. Drama.), and they do it all in less than two days. A couple months later, Dylan has run away from home, ditching out on graduation with Mikey to join the European tour for a burgeoning pop star named Stevie (that was the audition at MTV studios). Dylan’s other BFF, Shui, comes to visit in Germany, and nursing student Shui clocks Dylan’s weird symptoms and encourages her to take a pregnancy test. And guess who’s having Justin Timberlake’s baby??? LOL

The second part is about Dylan working as Stevie’s personal assistant, raising the baby, and them all returning to the States so Stevie can establish herself in the USA (this was common for pop groups/singers in the late 90s, btw; it’s how BSB and *NSYNC did it). And O-M-G, who does Stevie book a tour with but *NSYNC! The final part is just more drama with Justin and Dylan trying to navigate being parents while not letting news of a lovechild get to the press while fighting their feelings for each other (and Mikey’s hatred for Justin and all straight men tbh). At the same time, Stevie and JC start up a secret romance of their own. There was another subplot about Lance and Shui, but I nixed that after he came out, LOL (yes, it took me like eight years to write this). Also, Britney is in there somewhere as Justin’s PR showmance partner who takes the whole thing more seriously than Justin does (I didn’t like her; still don't; sue me) and she, of course, doesn’t like Dylan. And she’s also mad bc Dylan befriends Christina Aguilera super fast. It's high school y'all.😂

Too bad the whole thing is stuck on a USB that doesn’t read on any computer I own, huh? And give me a break. I was heavy into the *NSYNC fandom and only 18.

Softest fic

Um, I have a few, I think? I'm not the biggest judge of soft and I don't write it often. So options:

- Love Was A Four-Letter Word – a fluffy one-shot where Tony wakes up from a nightmare but is comforted simply by Loki’s presence in bed beside him. And all the fluff about Tony not being able to tell Loki how much he loves him when he’s awake.

- What Are Friends For? – this was my first attempt at fluff. Tony and Loki are high school BFFs, and Loki seeks out Tony after a bad fight with Laufey ends with Loki getting face-smashed by the nearest heaviest object.

- Frosted Iron – wrote this for @abbessolute forever ago. Basically, Tony wants to get Loki to try a donut. Lol

- Just Because – literally cranked this out in like an hour after I tweeted about burning my chocolate chip cookies and an RP moot challenged me to write it as a FrostIron story. So I did. :)

Fic I'm most proud of

That's a hard one. I love most of all my fics! They all represent something different from different times in my life. But if I had to choose...I guess I have, like, a Top 3?

- Dark Side – mostly bc it was the first fic I started writing in the Avengers/Frostiron fandom. It was supposed to be a one-shot and bc of demand it ended up a trilogy covering nearly 40yrs.

- Empire State of Mind – one of the few fics that I wrote Tony as Iron Man and Loki as the God of Mischief, post-Avengers, semi in canon. I got a lot of flack for writing not one but two Major Character Deaths, but I wouldn't change it.

- Stay With Me – this wasn't the first WinterFrost I'd written (Can I Bum A Ride? and Second Time Around were first and second), but it's one of the few fics I'm actually really proud of. There was a lot of meaning and an unintentional message in it (fuck heteronormativity).

Fic that shows my progress

I'm not really sure? I've been writing, on and off, since 2000. I think I improve with every fic, but I had a long dry spell when writer's block was keeping from really writing a lot between 2013 and 2018. I had tons of ideas and wrote all my ideas down. I would guess then that the first fic I posted after that long draught would show some improvement. That was the first prompt in the 100 Ways to Say ILY challenge. "Pull over. Let me drive."

Favorite WIP

All of them. LOL. I want to work on all of them so badly that I can't decide which to work on first.

WinterFrost Single Dad AU – exactly what it says. Loki, a lawyer for Stark Industries, is reunited with his two young sons, Narfi and Vali, ages 11 and 10, respectively. Bucky, an ex-vet, former addict, and current elementary school teacher, shares a daughter, Gracie, who's 8, with his ex-wife. Any more backstory would get long and you might as well just wait until I publish the story.

WinterIron Bodyguard AU – Howard and Maria Stark have died in a car accident that a couple of NYPD detectives suspect was intentional. Concerned for the safety of their only son and heir, they encourage Tony to hire a bodyguard. Enter former Sgt. James Barnes, who runs his own security company. Their working relationship starts off rocky, but after Tony witnesses Bucky at work "guarding" him, things start to change. Past mistakes haunt Bucky as he walks the fine line between professional and personal – and at some point, he may pay for his lapse in judgement. At Tony's expense.

Royals AU Frostiron with a dash of WinterFrost – Focuses mostly on the princes of Asgard: Crown Prince Thor and Prince Loki. Thor is a heralded soldier, married to Asgard's best warrior – currently sidelined with a pregnancy while Asgard is at war. Loki is still reeling from a huge loss – and acting out, going on a joy ride with a hot young actor on the lands belonging to Lord Anthony Stark, the region's sole weapons manufacturer. In order to make amends and not put their contract in jeopardy, Odin makes a deal with Tony that calls for Loki to marry him. Royalty from all over the world descend on Asgard for the formal wedding announcement, including the scandalous bad boy Prince James of Romania, his mystery Russian companion Natasha Romanov, Tony's friends Captain Rogers and Dr. Bruce Banner, and more. Loki continues to rebel, even while Tony is staying in the palace (ahem, WinterFrost), and even as Tony's burgeoning feelings for Loki propel him to want to spill his biggest secret.

All I Ask, WinterFrost Modern AU – Bucky is a wounded vet trying to get used to life as a civilian after leaving the army. He moves out of the tiny apartment he shared with best friend Steve in his hometown of Brooklyn, into a sparsely decorated loft in artsy Greenwich Village. His new neighbors include a prima ballerina with all the deets on the building's residents (Natasha) and her hard-of-hearing DJ boyfriend (Clint), and an arrogant uppity artiste with awful taste in music who lives right above him (Loki). Bucky prefers to keep to himself – esp as he doesn't like anyone to stare at his arm, deeply scarred from a near-death injury. But his upstairs neighborhood has taken a liking to his face and asks to use him as a model for his upcoming showcase. With nothing better to do, Bucky relents and agrees.

And let's not forget I still have the 30 Day OTP Porn Challenge and the 100 Ways to Say ILY lists to finish, and I'm still working on adapting my WinterFrost RP into novel form.

Thanks for the tag! (And reading all of my blabbering :D)

xoxo

[scumerage]

Thinking about Season 3: the vertical battlefield... that won’t happen (a response)

[The original essay on Season 3 by @gofancyninjaworld​]

Well.... this topic was going to revisited this topic sooner or later. Just as Genos is the most frequent discussions of OPM for @gofancyninjaworld​ ....mine, while simpler (and maybe even more wrong), the OPM webcomic/manga/anime adaption. So please forgive me if I come off as arrogant, pigheaded, and high horsing. That is not my intention.

The whole arguement in the original essay as to why Saitama vs Orochi can't be the finale, whereas Tornado vs Psykorochi can, is...

The conclusion of Tornado's fight and downfall of the heroes is necessary for Season 3 to make sense.

Saitama vs Orochi is too deceptively conclusive as a heroic victory.

The first one is a complete story argument, not arc structure argument, and the second one is the second greatest argument in support of the first ending.

(A) Tornado vs Psykos and the downfall of the heroes aren’t necessary for Season 3:

Tornado vs Psykos and the heroes downfall, are they neccesary for the entire saga? Yes. But is the story up to Saitama vs Orochi problematic without them? No. It's a simple story of heroes defeating monsters and saving the world. Basic? Yes. Short? Absolutely. A measely appetizer compared to main course coming? 100% agree. But it works as a complete story, just as Season 1 did (and webcomic readers are far more justified in discrediting the Tornado vs Psykorochi fight by the same logic... it’s a fake ending vastly inferior to the true ending of the saga)

(B) Another 3-4 year hiatus is the OPM anime’s greatest enemy... not the short seasons:

It was stated earlier that the deceptive happy ending of is the second greatest arguement in support of the first ending? What is the first? The grave danger of another 4 year haitus... or even longer. Doesn't matter how well animated, how good the storytelling, and how many episodes the new season has... if mainstream fans don't come back to watch it. And the production committee, insulated as they are in their corporate bubble, know that.

The perfect example why trading time for quality eventually fails is Attack on Titan. The anime is pretty consistent with beautiful animation and banger war saga throughout, that began with even more popularity than OPM. But after a single 4 year wait for Season 2... what is it now? Just a very popular anime, on par with other series like Demon Slayer, MHA... or OPM Season 2. Yet somehow... somehow, OPM, which had one 3+ year haitus, AND a worse animated sequel... with recover after a second 3+ year wait?

Again, quality only matters to people who watch it... anyone who drops, forgets, never gets around to, or plain moves on with their lives? Even if OPM Season 3 was the best anime ever made... it will be absolutely worthless... to people who never see it. (That and JC Staff is by far the favorite to make Season 3... so story, not animation, would need carry).

(C) The manga is far, far away from the end of Tornado’s fight:

First off, ending, not with the climax of Tornado vs Psykos, but the start of the climax? That would be akin to ending with Saitama facing off against Boros, or Garou facing off against Death Gatling. That is not a conclusion. Not at all. There is no falling action. There is no story being completed. There is no satisfaction for the audience. Even the end of Season 2 was far, far superior... Garou’s lone wolf hero hunt ended. The Monster Association captured him. The heroes failed to stop him. The prologue of Garou and the Monster Associations’ story was over. The end.

Second, waiting for the end of Tornado vs Psykos as the Season 3 finale? The online manga hasn’t even started their climactic battle of the gods... Tornado and Psykos just reached the surface. Let alone the printed manga. And it won’t simply be a solo duel between the pair, even if Murata/ONE’s storyboard leaks aren’t to be believed.

Many heroes are rushing in to save civilians.

The S-Class heroes are being pulled to the surface.

Garou, Saitama/Flash, and the executives will still be running around underground.

The HA and the civilian populace will be watching the entire event.

This is no fast paced straight to the point boss battle like Boros’ invasion or Elder Centipede that can be covered in a couple hundred pages. There are too many variables, too many players, too many storylines being tangled together (at this point, Dr. Bofoi and Sonic might as well take action, if Mumen Rider can save civilians from Psykorochi, then Sonic sure as hell can wipe his butt and head over to hunt down Saitama! Same with Bofoi, where are your nukes?). This is is looking far closer to a 500 page battle royale. Which would normally mean the better part of a year for Murata to complete online, to, say, early 2021. But the current schedule is far from normal.

(D) The adaption schedule is still getting worse...

With Volume 22 delayed to October, and Volume 23 with Saitama vs Orochi delayed to who knows when, even the best schedule for Season 3 is late 2021/early 2022... 2.5 years since Season 2. Dangerously close to another 3 year hiatus... and that’s the best case scenario.

800 pages from Volume 22 (October 2020) to current chapter...

+500 pages to reach the Tornado ending

1200+ pages/6 volumes minimum

+2 years for the printed manga to reach the Tornado ending. End of 2022.

+1 year for Season 3 production. End of 2023.

[This is not accounting for any more major redraws by Murata... could be 2024 for all we know]

Not simply a 3-4 year wait for Season 2, but a 4-5 year wait for Season 3 ending on Tornado... that is a timeline disaster which would all but guarantee that OPM will be just another manga whose anime petered out due to loss in popularity and relevance. Popularity doesn’t equal quality... but neither does quality equal popularity.

[Even magically ending Season 3 on the “faceoff of Tornado and Psykos” would be Volume 26, released early 2022, pushing the anime to late 2022/early 2023, still a 3-4 year wait.]

(E) Why Season 2 suffered.... and comparing the two options for Season 3:

Last note: there is major difference between “rushing production” and “relasing a shorter season sooner”. The first reduces quality, the second reduces quantity. When looking at OPM Season 2, what were the main negatives?

Less Saitama...

Worse animation...

A cliffhanger ending...

Both versions of Season 3 will have less Saitama. Both will have similar animation quality (if anything a longer wait for two would be more rushed, for fear of a too long hiatus. That and two cour anime are generally lower quality than one cour). But to claim that Tornado vs Psykos is less of a cliffhanger ending than Saitama vs Orochi? Right after arguing that the heroic victory is too deceptive? The only argument, bad as it is, that can be made for Season 3 not ending on Saitama vs Orochi is the same one against Season 2 not ending on a cliffhanger.... webcomic fanatacism: “Screw hiatuses, screw the anime industry, screw the casual fans! Give me Saitama vs Garou!”

[noccalula-writes]

Do you have any favorite fics?

This is going to be long. 

Disclaimer - I often hunt fic purely to look for smut, I have a short attention span and it’s hard for me to commit to an actual lengthy story and follow through to it. This will also span several fandoms because I am vast and contain multitudes like the rest of us. 

There’s a zillion short smut fics in my favorites - Kastle (which I only half ship but greatly appreciate), Negan (y’all already know Cunninglinguist or @hannibalssweaters is hands-down the best for Negan insert-fic), some Skyrim (I know, whatever), John Winchester (my personal kinks usually revolve around this motherfucker, so help me). A lot of American Gods now too, mostly smutty things revolving around Mad Sweeney. 

I’m not going to go into the smut-only pieces for now as that’d be a whole ‘nother question to answer, but here’s some that are plot-y foremost and any sexiness is incidental. 

For shorter pieces - 

The Beginning & The End are two short pieces by insulpherblue (MCU, Iron Man comics) and are probably two of the most original pieces on AO3. The concept can be hard to follow at first but if you love Tony like I do - or even if you’re just sick of people getting his character wrong - go read them. They’ll stick in your brain. 

Served Faithfully by Zooey Glass (Supernatural) is a John Winchester song fic set around one of my favorite Ani DiFranco songs - ironically, months before I found this fic, I sent the song to my wife and said “wow, this really reminds me of John Winchester.” Apparently I wasn’t alone. 

In The Middle of The Night by unourssongeur (MCU) is my vanity entry since it’s a response to my short Stucky piece Our Love Comes Back, but I loved seeing it mirrored back from Bucky’s perspective. 

It’s Called Google Translate by Mozzarella (Iron Man comics) is ONE OF MY FAVORITE STORIES ON AO3, EVER, AT ALL. It’s an extremely rare pairing from the Matt Fraction run of Invincible Iron Man that broke my fucking heart and STILL haunts me to this day - the piece is sweet but man, if you know the story behind it… 

Judas by MumblingSage (Constantine) is a really sharp, smart BDSM fic based on the Constantine TV show (my wife is a giant JC fangirl) and centering John and an asexual Anne-Marie. The sex drives the plot here but the character exploration here is priceless - this immediately became my canon vision of Anne-Marie.

For longer pieces - 

we did not make ourselves by MLeigh (MCU) is probably the first fic I read on AO3 - I was a late bloomer on the site and had more or less sworn off fanfic for a hot minute but this was the one that made me make an account. It’s dizzyingly good Stucky, probably one of the best known Stucky fics if I had to hazard a guess, and it should be required reading if that’s your bag. 

Better Natures by etirabys (Punisher, Daredevil) is really, really incredible. It kept my incredibly shitty attention span on lock the entire time with it’s incredibly subtle but beautiful S/D dynamic between Frank and Karen while simultaneously giving me zombie apocalypse to boot. It’s a really gorgeous piece, you have to read it to really understand it but I definitely recommend it. 

Hell On Wheels by LastAmericanMermaid (MCU, Avengers) is the roller derby AU Stucky fic you didn’t know you needed - it’s adorable and fun, and I love their characterization of Natasha.

All The Kingdoms and Their Splendour by TigerDragon (Sherlock, novels and Downey films) is hands down one of the best OC insert fics I’ve ever read in my life. It’s SACD and Downey Film Sherlock-verse - full disclosure, I’ve never seen BBC Sherlock and I doubtfully ever will but I loooove the Downey films - and it’s written in period appropriate prose the way the original novels are narrated, which is a risky gamble for a writer but they pull it off magnificently. It’s got a great build and a gorgeous, perfect ending that had me quite literally smiling when I finished it. 

Conversations We Didn’t Have In Skyrim by wshaffer (Skyrim) is one of my favorites even though it’s a big niche piece. Basically I fill in all the open holes in the stories for my Skyrim characters with conversations, exchanges, etc and I was SO thrilled to see that not only did someone else did this but she wrote them all out. I can’t imagine that a lot of people would find my OC’s all that compelling in an open-world video game but goddammit this seems like it would be really, really fun - I loved reading about her Breton’s love affair with Farkas. 

The Darcy, Loki and the Yarn Store series by Hermaline75 (MCU) is probably the only multi-part series that I’ve ever just sat down and powered the entire way through - it was so perfect that all the author would need to do is change a few names and this book would absolutely sell. It is smutty but plot-driven - I’d be lying if I said the Salacious Saga didn’t have influences from this story all over it. If I’d picked this story up at a bookstore, I’d have bought it. GREAT pacing, funny and clever and sweet, it’s Darcy-centric and super inclusive. 

A Rat’s Life by bardsmaid is widely considered /the/ ultimate Krycek fic (X Files). It’s a detailed, well-planned account of his life offscreen, which is hard to pull off since half of Krycek’s allure is that we know so little about him and it’s dangerous to toy with the foundation of a character sometimes, but this is expertly crafted. Sadly, bardsmaid passed away a few years ago, but her blog and writings remain up and no one has surpassed her in terms of Krycek-centric fic. 

I will forever mourn that Kept by becisvolatile (MCU) seems to be completely inactive now - last update was like 2 years ago, but the 5 chapters we got were so, so good. This is straight up smut so I’m violating my rule here, but the characterizations are deep and abiding and there’s so much more to the story than just the white-hot, explicit as hell sex scenes. I love Tony Stark both to play with and read but I so often hate the way people portray his character. This is one of my favorite Tony’s, hands down. 

You’ll Probably Go To Heaven by ILookDaftWithOneShoe (MCU) is fucked. up. You get a lot of psychological warfare in a deeply unhealthy, abusive and monstrous Loki and Tony fic (not at all a pairing I’ve ever once given a shit about until this story) but it’s gripping and addictive. Also I only just recently figured out the title was a Scissor Sisters reference. 

There were a few others that I can’t find hosted anywhere but suffice to say, when a story haunts you long after you’re done reading it, you’ve found a good one. 

[timetomakeanewwish]

I don’t want to make a new post about this so I’m just gonna reblog it and answer it here :p

Top 3 ships

Let’s gonna be honest and admit that this answer keeps changing every few months and right now I’m a little bit hyperfixated with the MDZS fandom so like @merinnan I’m going to reserve a part of this answer to them.

1- Xicheng: Why? Because JC is my current favorite character and I want him to find happiness and also LXC deserves to be fucking happy and tbh they work so well together? JC helping LXC with all of his feelings of betrayal and love bc he knows now what not to do?? GOOD SHIT

2- Wangxian: I discovered the fandom bc of them, they’re cute together and nobody else could stand all the drama that those two cause? So they make sense together (They’re soulmates and anyone who doesn’t believe that is fucking blind)

3- Sangcheng: I once read a fic where NHS was the madam of Lotus Pier and I fell for the dynamic? Plus I want the two of them to be happy (and reading fics where NHS is one of the main characters let’s me bask in Nie brother’s feels)

Overall (according to my AO3 bookmarks :p)

1- Viktuuri (Yuuri on Ice!): They’re cute together and I will fight anyone who disagrees with this, Viktor is a dramatic bitch and I love him and Yuuri makes him happy so I approve. (Also I have a thing for sunshine person with serious person and that’s gonna get pretty obvious if it hasn’t already)

2- Spirk (Star Trek): I’m fucking in love with space and I went a little feral with the idea of Serious Science Genius with Sunshine Competent Captain falling in love while in space, okay? They’re canonically soulmates?

3- Xicheng: (I just want them to kiss, heal and be happy, it’s that too much to ask?) I’m in love with Hurt/Comfort and they’re both in desperate need of some comfort. LXC is gentle and loving and I think that JC needs someone like him in his life and on the other hand JC is direct, honest and full of love and I think that LXC needs someone like him to be with him while he heals so yeah I like them together a lot.

Last Song

The last song I downloaded is “The Devil Within by Digital Daggers” bc it reminded me of NHS but the last song I listened to is “Brother by Kodaline” bc it brings me Yunmeng Jiang brother’s feels

Last Movie

Tbh I don’t remember but Netflix says that it was “Violet & Finch”

Current Reading

I’m not reading any books right now but I was thinking of starting “Heaven Official’s Blessing by Mò Xiāng Tóngxiù” or finishing the last book of the saga “Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas” apart from that? A fuckton of fanfic (I’m really serious with that last one sentence, my bookmark count is currently at 7143 and growing by the day)

Food Craving

Nutella or any kind of chocolate if I’m honest

Thank you for the tag, @wangxianbunnydoodles !

Top 3 Ships

For MDZS:

1. Wangxian, of course. Is there actually anyone in this fandom who isn't a fan of our favourite disaster bi and disaster gay?

2. Xicheng. I'm sure that's a huge surprise to everyone, given Nevermore is a xicheng fic. Look, my boys deserve love and good things, okay? And these two make a good pair.

3. Nielan. Speaking of good pairs, the other LXC ship I adore is this one. Very different dynamics to xicheng, but just as good, although a lot more tragedy and angst if following canon events.

Overall:

1. Neptune/Uranus (Sailor Moon). Ngl, these two are where I first began seriously questioning my own sexuality. Having been raised in a conservative Christian church, the revelation that girls being in relationships with other girls was actually an option? Mindblowing. And their relationship is so good, and so dedicated to each other. So much self sacrifice and flirting.

2. Weilan (Guardian). Cute professor who's actually an ancient powerful being? 10000 years of pining? Self sacrifice for each other? Adorable flirting? Yes please, sign me the fuck up.

3. Wangxian. Self sacrifice. Flirting. Dedication. Adorableness. Super queer. Are we sensing a theme here?

Last Song

Bu You from the CQL soundtrack (And Spotify is now playing Eye of the Storm, by the Cruxshadows, because random playlists are fun).

Last Movie

Fatal Journey (again).

Last movie at a cinema was Birds of Prey.

Current Reading

Novelwise, 2ha. I'm also reading...*looks at her AO3 bookmarks, subscriptions, and marked for later list*...a fucktonne of fanfic. Mostly MDZS/CQL and Guardian, with a smattering of Star Trek, Sailor Moon, and A Court of Thorns and Roses.

Food Craving

Honey ice cream and Fruchocs. I cannot get either in this state, I love them, and god would I really love to have a lot of both right now.

People to tag...Hmm, who haven't I seen yet either do this or be tagged? @chi-zi @lacommunarde @scipiolyoko @lan-huan @timetomakeanewwish @thenightsyouremember (if you want to - sorry if you already have and I missed it!)

[absentcaryatid]

Excerpt- What ATEEZ Got Up To In Their Hotel Room (NSFW)

From the ATEEZ fanfic JC Saga epilogue “Filled With Pride” 

840 words   Story Masterlist

~

You hoped the other boys would be getting back to their hotel okay after any nocturnal activities in the Castro they might wish to engage in. You would be joining Mingi as soon as you had finished some business of your own now that Korea was awake and you could reach staff at the office for some checking in. In a brief videoconference, your uncle praised the success of the tour, the largest project you had overseen for the company. His kind words filled you with pride.

Walking from the restaurant to the hotel you smiled at the way Yeosang, sure of a warm welcome with Betty, had so easily given you the keycard he would have no need for tonight. Looking forward to a quiet evening with Mingi you were disappointed to find yourself alone in the room once you arrived. The unasked question was soon answered as his voice came to you from the other side of the wall sending your eyebrows up in confusion.

“You shot your load too early, we hadn’t even started yet.”

“Ground rules, avoid getting it in somebody’s eyes.” That sounded like San.

“Yeah, you do not want to get that in your eye,” agreed Wooyoung, “It happened to me once with you and it stung.”

There was a knock at your door. You opened it to reveal Jongho. “I thought I heard you getting back. Follow me.”

“Jongho?” you mouthed to yourself. Whatever you thought might be going on in the adjoining room it was a surprise to have him involved too. You had always told Mingi you were open to polyamory so he was free to enjoy the full range of sexual activities life had to offer which as an ace were not as likely to be found with you. At the least you thought he might want to have someone to enjoy kissing with.

Mingi knew being poly should be an equal opportunity for everyone in the relationship, even asexuals, and with his encouragement you had developed a taste for cuddling with Yunho sometimes, just like in the fanfic. Well, not quite like the stories with sex scenes. It was something that worked out well for the three of you. Most often it was just you reading to the two men while they were draped around you on the couch or bed. There were also some fun showers with lots of splashing and laughing, and regular trips to the hot springs. But the group activity next door? That was something new for Mingi.

Understandably the members needed some form of release after the long work days on tour and doing public appearances. Though, if they were looking for male partners it was a surprise that they would choose each other when here you were in what was one of the most concentrated neighborhoods of gay and bisexual men in the world. Even more were visiting for the day of the Pride Parade itself and yet they were getting up to something with their fellow members instead. And strangest of all, now you, an asexual person, had been issued an invitation too.

You peeked into the room next door not knowing what you would see. “Is this a bad time?”

“Do come join us. We could use you,” Hongjoong smirked.

Seonghwa approached and took your wrist. Steering it to his waist he placed your hand on the firm tube. He looked at you for confirmation that this was something you wanted too. Gripping the stiff column you grasped the situation, consenting to it fully and affirmed that for him with a nod and a gentle hand on his chest. You were so close the other members could not see what passed between you.

“I am up for this,” you announced to the seven men present and they cheered your approval. “How is this going to work? Everybody at once or one at a time?”

They had already planned it out in advance and your answer came in the form of Yunho calling out with a groan, “I can’t hold off any longer!” and so it began.

Streaks flew through the air. Over your head it went, and covered you chest to knees. They were careful, some hit your cheeks and hair but nothing hit your eyes. And you were not the only one. The boys were covered in lines too. They were completely spent after about a minute and you knew how to respond.

Fingering the trigger of the slender canister Seonghwa had slipped you at the door you returned their fire and covered the seven members with vivid neon strands of silly string just as they had done to you and each other. It took a long time for the laughter to die down. Everyone hoped Yeosang was having as much fun as they were, with probably less need for cleanup afterward. Hongjoong put on some music and everyone pitched in to remove all traces of their play before he and Seonghwa left to find Annie’s room in the same hotel for their date.

~

The full chapter of the story is available to read here.  And the masterlist is at this link to read from the beginning.

Other stories are also available on this Masterlist

[absentcaryatid]

Excerpt- San Offers A Cuddle

Taken from the ATEEZ fanfic JC Saga  Chapter Three: Very Moist, This excerpt is safe for work, the full chapter is not. 508 words

~

Once the show was over the members retreated to their shared rooms leaving you to bunk on the couch for the night. To the man, they each offered their bed in trade but you truly were comfortable as a couch sleeper even with a now medication eased injury. You would also never live it down as a fan if any one of your favorite idols had to sleep on a couch the day before shooting a music video. For the good of ATINY was an answer they could accept and they left you for their beds.

Ten minutes later San padded over to you in the living room lit only by a night light. “Still awake?” he whispered.

“Yes, just settling in.”

“I don’t sleep well in a new place and I wondered if you would like a friend to cuddle with.”

“Thank you San but that’s really not what I am looking for.”

“You sure?” At this he drew Shiber from behind his back and by your grin he knew the offer of his Shiba Inu plushie for the night was well received.

“If this sleepover had been planned I would have brought one of my own stuffed animals. I truly will sleep better with Shiber at my side. Thank you, San.”

Pleased with himself, San slipped back to his room and you soon were sound asleep. It felt like only minutes later when you noticed someone pulling up the comforting weight of the blanket that had crept off you in the night. “You are my hero whoever you are. Thank you.”

Making sure to tuck Shiber in too, Seonghwa asked you to go back to sleep and said that he would cook breakfast to spare your injury. He offered to bring you another dose of the pain medication and some water but you reassured him that you were feeling much better.

By the time he got out of his long shower the breakfast preparation was already well underway. Rummaging in the cupboards you had managed to pull together a simple egg laden Dutch baby pancake which was beginning to puff up in the hot oven with a pan of bacon sizzling beneath it. With a few minutes left on the timer you put out powdered sugar, maple syrup, whipped cream, chocolate syrup, and cinnamon as topping options and started cutting up fruit to go alongside. Seonghwa made the rounds of the four bedrooms waking the others who caught the mouthwatering scents in the air.

After a delicious feast and pleas to stay over again, even if you did not cook for the members, you dressed in your work clothes and headed home with plenty of time to prepare for the day’s deliveries. Waiting in the garage one of the managers observed your early morning exit as he sat in the van. Soon afterward the boys tumbled out of the elevator buzzing with nervous excitement and the two vehicles took off for the first day of shooting the video of another hoped for hit, “Say My Name.”

~

The full chapter can be found here.

More San here.

Masterlist

Oh, and if you want to make a Dutch baby pancake the recipe from Smitten Kitchen can be found here. It is yummy, easy, and looks more impressive than it is.

[absentcaryatid]

Excerpt- The Time Yeosang Thought He Was Ready For Sex

Taken from Do You Have A Condom?, Chapter Eight of the JC Saga, an ATEEZ fanfic by AbsentCaryatid

Fluff and innuendo only, all talk and no action but still slightly NSFW, 1.2K words

~

Your shared laughter was interrupted by the arrival of Yeosang. Hongjoong inquired, “You are home early. Date go well?”

“I am going to die a virgin,” Yeosang dramatically replied. “Betty said she wanted me and I messed everything up, literally!”

“Betty?” You grinned at this development since you had been rooting for them to recognize they would make a good couple. “Guess I don’t have to stay away any longer. I’ll go home right after Wooyoung’s scrumptious dinner.” Realizing his demeanor did not match the good news of a date you asked what happened.  

Yeosang looked aghast noticing your presence for the first time. “I am so sorry about your bed! I tried to help clean it up but she kicked me out.”

You exchanged a very curious look with Hongjoong as the other members came into the living room. Even Wooyoung had turned off the stovetop to listen to the forthcoming tale of woe.

“Oh god. You are going to hear about it from your roommate so I might as well tell it to you too since you are here. It could not get any more mortifying than it already is. I will never live this down and it is your fault Hongjoong!”

“What did I do?”

“You have been telling us to be prepared on dates. A pregnancy is bad for our careers and we are so young anyway.”

“Yes, it is sound advice. I even offered you condoms earlier. What went wrong, Yeosang?”

“I took the one in the kitchen, I even told you I was doing that and you did not stop me.”

“I never heard that, I had my headphones on and thought you knew where the stash is in the hall closet. So, what happened?”

Your eyes went big as soon as you figured out the rest of the story.  “Oh no, remember my interrupted lunch, Hongjoong?”

“You? This is your fault, too?”

You tried to stifle the laugh that was fighting to burst out of you. Despite wanting to be sensitive to the feelings of your friend you knew it was going to be impossible to hold back as he related the story. The other members gathered closer sensing this was going to be good.

“Okay, there I was for the first time in my life thinking I am ready for sex. I have a steady girlfriend for the first time in my life and she is offering to make me the happiest man in the world and so….”

The other members had a variety of comments to make at his pause. There were a few “Did you know he has a girl?” and “good for him, about time,” mentions. Seonghwa’s voice was notable for his accurate response that nobody has to be having sex on an age schedule, there is no such thing as a late bloomer.

“Yeah,” Mingi added quietly.

Predicting the tale about to unfold you covered your eyes and asked Yeosang to go on.

“Betty asked if I thought we were ready to have sex. She worried I might only be going along to please her so I reassured her I was really, truly ready although it would be my first time. Even brought out the condom I had grabbed from the kitchen counter earlier today. I was nervous certainly and my chest was sweaty but I wanted to prove it was the right time so with her approval I joyously tore into that small foil square.”

“Oh no,” Hongjoong uttered as he realized the mistake.

“What the rest of you don’t know and I did not know at the time was that it was not in fact a wrapped condom abandoned on the counter of our dorm.”

The six remaining members asked with rapt attention, “What was it?”

Yeosang licked his finger and trailed it down his chest. The shirt was open a few buttons lower than his style, more a Wooyoung look. Where the damp digit had wiped there was an obvious clean patch of skin surrounded by the large area of dark brown shading and a few green flecks. The man was a walking ramen seasoning packet. With a defeated look he turned and announced he was headed for the shower.

Wooyoung’s dinner commenced while Yeosang washed spices out of his hair, ears, and other unexpected places. The previously fed members hung around the kitchen to enjoy your call to Betty to affirm she had survived the incident. Asking to be put on speakerphone she gleefully described the event to the team.

“I had no reason to think it was not a condom wrapper in his hand. My sweet boy was so proud of being prepared and then suddenly ramen seasoning was everywhere. Ripped the foil clean in half, each side flinging spices across the two beds. I knew it would be easier to clean up our room without his feet tracking more powder everywhere so I sent Yeosang home despite his repeated offer to fix everything himself. I was just so glad he did not die on the spot. I feel so bad for him,” Betty added. “Hope he isn’t too traumatized but I do think it was very funny and memorable.”

While still on the call Seonghwa swore everyone around the table to secrecy to spare Yeosang’s feelings. One day he might look back and laugh but this probably was not something he would be ready to be teased about anytime soon.

With your strength regained through laughter you agreed to head back to the college dorm and would get the blankets washed tonight while Betty finished vacuuming and dusting. Thanking the boys for an entertaining evening you tactfully took your leave before the subject of tonight’s mirth emerged from his room. Wooyoung was alone in the kitchen doing a bit of clean up and offered Yeosang some of the remaining homemade food once he appeared, still toweling off his hair.

“Too spicy,” Yeosang noted. “Had more than enough of that to last quite a while. It even went up my nose!” Despite already having dinner with Betty he rummaged in the fridge for comfort food. Crying out in delight he seized some leftover fried chicken from Jongho’s order and had no trouble devouring it for the second time in a day.

Wooyoung put his hand on the shoulder of his long-time friend. “In seriousness, you doing alright?”

“It feels like the longest day of my life. But it has been a good one, despite everything.”

“Betty really likes you, doesn’t she?”

Yeosang nodded, and smiled around the chicken wing. “I think so, and I really like her too.”

“Good. I can’t be your everything forever and I am happy to hand you over to her. I like to think I have raised you pretty well and now the baby bird can leave the nest.”

“What? You are younger than me!” The way Yeosang laughed let Wooyoung know it was probably all going to be okay.

“Just wish I had thought to teach you the difference between a condom wrapper and ramen flavor packet. The main thing to note is one of them visibly has a rolled up circle of a condom inside!” 

~

The full version of the chapter Do You Have A Condom? can be found here.

Masterlist

[absentcaryatid]

Excerpt- Confessing to Mingi

From the ATEEZ fanfic Everything But JC, Chapter 12 of the JC Saga

Cutting the restaurant name to initials left this excerpt Safe For Work. The @mingkily fic recs in the story are also SFW but the other two are not nor is the full chapter this story comes from. 1.7K words

Content note: mention of mental health and anxiety

~

“Thanks, Jongho. You are very wise.”

“Like I said, it is all the romantic OSTs in my head. I am barely more the voice of experience than you are.”

“Still, thank you. I needed some sense knocked into me. Can I hug you?”

“No. Save it for Mingi.”

“Sure. I’ll pass one on and say it is from you.”

With a tired sigh Jongho offered, “Just tell him his friends love him and miss him, in different ways of course.”

You turned to Wooyoung and thanked him as well for the gentle advice. He took a double hug from you to make up for Jongho’s rejection then you set to work writing Mingi’s family to ask if it would be okay to visit him since they knew the most about his current health needs.

His mother eagerly cleared your visit and together you picked a day. You met at the restaurant where she worked and it was very easy to identify her, a shorter version of the same face down to the easy smile and eyes that crinkled in happiness. She hugged you like you were family and reported Mingi had been talking about you frequently.

In case today had not been a good mental health day he had not known in advance you would be in town. Now that you were here and things had been going well in the morning his mother called Mingi to come by. Giving him a chance to mentally prepare as much as he could she did inform him you were there.

Your heart leapt to see him enter the restaurant. He seemed to be panting as if he had run the whole distance. When his mother pointed you out you were swept up in a huge hug.

“Have you been taking care of my friend?” you asked with a smile as the two of you settled at a table for a meal.

“I have been treating myself, enjoying all my favorite foods. Well, everything but JC since I am so far away.”

“I can bring some on my next visit.”

“I would like that, the visit that is, the chicken is completely optional. You are the important part.”

“Mingi.” You reached for his hands across the table and held them while trying not to let your lip quiver. Having emotions this strong unsettled you. Love like this was not fun when it was all longing and for something you did not even know if you wanted.

He broke the silence. “I think I’ve been making some good progress and learning healthy ways to cope with anxiety. My therapists want me to start doing more normal stuff in life, they even suggested dating. You wouldn’t happen to need a fake date, would you?” He sounded casual but you felt it was a front.

“I could never lie to your therapists, Mingi.”

“Of course not,” he agreed. Then his voice changed. “I wouldn’t want to fake date you anyway.” It was not a rejection you heard, more resignation with a little sadness.

You held your breath then decided it needed to be said, “I couldn’t fake date you either. It would hurt too much because I would want it to be real.”

The speed at which his jaw fell was astonishing and he was left gaping like a fish. The man was so attractive he even looked good this way too. At this point even you could not ignore how much you must adore him.

Mingi looked up unsure that he heard accurately then whispered, “Me too.”

You decided to elaborate. “I fell for the guy I have been emailing. Maybe I liked him all along and did not recognize what it was.” You needed him to be certain to understand who you were talking about so added, “The next letter was going to start with the opening ‘Beloved Mingi’ instead of dearest and I think ‘Mingi, My Love’ was soon to follow.”

Nothing could have prepared you for the brightness of his smile in this moment.

“So, shall we try real dating? Would you be open to giving me boyfriend hugs that look exactly like the friend hugs we’ve been having all along?”

Mingi joyfully nodded, “Yeah, and could we do couple things together? I’d like to try a fishing café.” Suddenly his eyes went wide and he jumped up, running over to the kitchen yelling, “Mom, I have a girlfriend!” You saw her hug then shoo her son back to the table while you exchanged heartfelt smiles.

Your experience of romance was limited to stories from books, fanfic, movies, and television so you did not know what else dating might look like between you. Recalling a typical drama plot point you could assure Mingi of one thing, “Since I have no exes you don’t have to worry about drama with them.”

“I haven’t been with anyone long enough to count as an ex. The other guys know I’m the most inexperienced of our group. I was probably tied with Yeosang but now he’s got a girlfriend, or at least had one.”

“Good news on that front, they are back together again.”

“I am glad for them.”

“Me too. As to us, I think you’ll find inexperience is not a problem for me. No matter what you have done you know far more than I do about dating so I will be happy to learn from you or we will learn things together.”

He looked relieved and conversation flowed easily. “I have some ideas. I’ve recently started reading romance novels which hasn’t exactly helped take my mind off things. There’s this great series about ‘Bob the Fire Elemental’, do you know that one?”*

Much later when you had the need for a couple costume his enjoyment of the series came to mind. Benefiting from the KQ support staff CEO Kim had put at your disposal, Mingi dressed as Bob in the flaming tuxedo and fiery hair colors from the famous masquerade ball in the series.

To be his companion you dressed as the heroine in the glittery Vegas showgirl type outfit the seamstresses eagerly created for you. In a taste of what idols must feel, it was a new experience to dress as a completely different person from yourself in the sequined spandex, feathered cape, and fluffy mules. Capping the look was the climactic scene’s burning crown although yours wasn’t really on fire, it was just a nicely done paper-mâché approximation you two had built on a rainy day together.

Being with Mingi would never be never dull. Photos of him at the fundraiser gala were quite popular with his fans and your grandmother even put one up in the restaurant showing the two of you together. Later he even got an offer to star as Bob in the miniseries based on the books but Mingi preferred to keep his attention on ATEEZ activities. He did have a guest starring role as the love interest of Judy the Water Elemental in one of the episodes though. His lines were mostly cut but lived on as a GIF of his toy boy poolside scene which became one of Tumblr’s top posts of the year. But that would all be in the future. For now you both had to survive this moment of confession.

Your heart felt ready to burst when Mingi declared, “I want to be with you, whatever that may look like. Whether you ever make me call out daechwita or not,” he laughed recalling his fanfic question. “Anything with you would be so much more than I have now. You make me feel like the angel in that story about me. I have fallen in love and would give up heaven itself to remain at your side without hesitation.** Even you being ace is an asset because I know you won’t pressure me for sex when my back is acting up.”

“You would be the first person I have ever dated, ever made me want to date, and I don’t know how any of it works so I think for both of us it would be good to go slow.”

“I am fine with that, especially when I can not be fully present. Getting better is a lot to handle right now but, wow, to know you never wanted anybody until you wanted me is the biggest compliment ever. Today did help with one thing though, I got an answer to the question, ‘Do you like me?’ That was weighing on me a lot.”

Everything was going to be all right. It was your friend Mingi you were beginning this adventure with. On subsequent visits it surprised you both how easily you could discuss even the most difficult topics.

“I was worried at first that you might think being in a relationship would cure your anxiety.”

“And I was fearful you cared only about your company and wanted to fix me by dating to get me back to KQ.”

His self-doubt made you ache for him. You hoped in time some of your own overwhelming self-esteem would have a chance to rub off on him. It might not work like that though, best to fill his ears with the many wonderful things you saw in him. You resolved to keep an updating list of reasons you loved him that he could reread anytime he wanted a boost. It ended up being something you enjoyed looking at often for your own sake. Perhaps it was first-time love making your head so full of warm thoughts of your partner.

Mingi blossomed in love. You know what’s really fun? Having an idol boyfriend with a good presence in fic who reads the stories you love about him and starts referencing them in real life. One date he invited you to his parents’ home where he served a reindeer pancake while wearing a coffee shop apron transforming himself into the main character of the Santa Mingi story you found so charming.*** No wonder you were complete mush for this man. By listening to what you liked he had the perfect roadmap to what would be successful with you.

~

The full chapter Everything But JC (NSFW) can be read here.

* Bob the Fire Elemental is a nonexistent story invented by the lovely btsarmy9593 in chapter 8 of her delightful Yoongi series Birthday Girl. (Account since deleted.) In a wise move she has chosen to leave it as a throwaway paragraph not to be elaborated upon because even with her skill how could it live up to the buildup in the minds of Bob fans like me? (possibly the only Bob fan out there) So with her permission I have graciously been allowed to play with Bob in my story. For once, I am sorry to tease and admit that we can not go read the story events I have described.

** Your heart felt ready to burst when Mingi declared, “I want to be with you, whatever that may look like. Whether you ever make me call out daechwita or not,” he laughed recalling his fanfic question. “Anything with you would be so much more than I have now.

You make me feel like the angel in that story about me. I have fallen in love and would give up heaven itself to remain at your side without hesitation references Fall For Me by mingkily.

*** One date he invited you to his parents’ home where he served a reindeer pancake while wearing a coffee shop apron transforming himself into the main character of the Santa Mingi story you found so charming is a returning mention of Santa Claus is Real and He’s In Love With You by mingkily.

~

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