#Like food gifts train tickets etc. etc.

[kacchanbiased]

This is old news but 49800 yen is a frankly insane figure… I have no idea how Kirishima even swung that, and no idea where exactly Bakugou himself got that money if it didn’t come from his parents.

I always assumed the implication was that Kirishima used his own allowance in order to afford the goggles, which is interesting characterization-wise. Maybe he’s frugal, and doesn’t spend most of his allowance, which is how he managed to have roughly $300 lying around? But this isn’t pocket change.

I think not enough thought is devoted to talking about how indebted Bakugou felt after being kidnapped, specifically on why he would even come around to feeling that way in the first place.

[aryesdanger24]

Who would everyone be at a convention....?

Laois: the overly obsessed fan over at the merch center, critically thinking whether the anatomy is off on characters solely for the fact that he is bored of waiting for his friends to get their pictures taken by people. Then he gets really into anything he actually knows and tells you EVERY DETAIL of why a print is so good at this particular stand.

You end up having to wait on Laois after everything because he keeps thinking and talking about that particular merch stand.

Reliable for holding stuff, not reliable for his constant change in location, and need to touch cosplays despite everyone telling him no. The cosplayers don't mind since Laois is not sexualizing them but often admiring their big props and asks questions that delight others to answer.

Marcielle: A person who loved the idea of cosplaying her favorite character and actually being them (horribly trying to act before giving up) only to realize she is the only cosplayer in the group and now she has to deal with people wanting her photo (she is proud yet shy and exhausted by the idea but has put too much effort into it already).

She constantly stares at any companion cosplayer, wishing to take a picture with them but being unable to do so, then she stares, then she stops staring because she realizes that she was. Ensue embarrassment for the rest of the day.

Senshi: the backpack man with everything from snacks to sewing needles to absolutely ridiculous amounts of water bottles. He basically lives at conventions and enjoys helping people out.

He is knowledgeable enough to do a panel about nearly anything that is basic knowledge but he feels better helping people physically rather than just teaching....he likes people passionate about things so he doesn't know much about any hot topics in media at the moment, he just enjoys atmosphere and likes to cook even in hotels. He is happiest when everyone is eating and retelling the highlights of the day.

Chilchuk: the veteran who manages to corral the group solely on his ability to multitask. He is someone who scopes out the area for food places and ends up getting hotel tickets since the others are unreliable in his eyes. Along with being a retail manager who pinches pennies and scoffs at every absurdly strange purchase his friends make, he has the most fun watching people and still enjoys the scarier and complex cosplays he sees.

He has a soft spot for idols because sometimes his daughters used to go to conventions and he would always take a picture to show his girls when he got home....he also gets a souvenir if it's in his budget.

Izutsumi: Cat girl by trade but not by heart (behaves like one but never buys any cat items, instead is gifted them frequently) she is the type of person to stare at something she wants for a while, then walking around before going back to buy it later.

She records any bullshit that happens on her phone for fun and is the type of girl that often wants to do anything that has competition (fake sword fights, martial arts, Parkour training, stunt man behind the scenes, racing, etc...) Anything that has a chance to be violent, she wants to watch or participate.

She is also the sore loser of the group and the one who voices her opinions directly. Not afraid of venturing on her own and catching up with the group later when she wants to.

Falin: Every group members dumb nerd who is interested in a little of everything. Money is tight, so she tries to trade items and often ends up actually succeeding.

She sometimes sells art but often forgets to do a lot of things for the booth, so she decided to enjoy being a vendor of weird things she makes.

Out of the group, she is the most directionally challenged yet somehow ends up where she needs to be at the right time (right answer, wrong equation person but with directions). She can be a mom at times and the child at others. She is also the one who often asks to take pictures of people, but all of them are terrible, so someone else takes a picture for her in the group.

Who is always hungry in the group?

Izutsumi because she wanders off the most and often comes back solely to get food from Senshi, but Marcielle is a quick second with how much she gets into things and forgets to feed herself.

Who drives everyone there?

Falin weirdly enough despite her directional horrors, but she is okay since Laios helps her....(they both get turned around however if they are in a deep discussion and miss a turn if no one else is in the car yet) and on occasion Chilchuck when he is farthest from the convention or wants to control when they leave. Also, Marcielle is no longer allowed to drive them after she almost got them killed because she thought there was a squirrel on the road.

Who buys the most stuff?

1. Marcielle (no contest, has many Fandom and has a weak self control if left alone)

2. Laois (often buys strange things that cost more than they should, has a high standard for items despite their strangeness)

3. Izutsumi (anything that is of interest to her she buys and often doesn't have a money limit)

4. Falin (Doesn't buy anything much, she likes looking the most, but she likes to buy smaller things and collects fun car stickers)

5. Chilchuck (Learned from the past and limits his spending. He doesn't spend much on food but occasionally finds an item that piques his interest).

6. Senshi (Only buys food, the items are just nice to look at but he doesn't need things to know what he likes, he only likes practical things)

What are their favorite items they've bought from a convention:

Laois: A fake Minotaur ring that you can put on your nose that is proportionally sized with Celtics markings

Falin: A collection of stickers involving a florally looking dragon dropping flowers from a small basket, it is on her bumper across the whole thing.

Marcielle: A beautiful hand crafted wooden staff of her favorite character. It is the only prop she owns that was not made by her or a friend.

Senshi: A blank cookbook that is covered with tree animals and plants from front to back with its own holder to help keep the book open.

Izutsumi: A real black metaled ninja sword she got that has red markings and and has an engraving of her family name.

Chilchuck: An idol print that his little girls love that he had signed and framed for his kids' 13th and 11th respective birthdays.

If lost, where would you find them at?

Laois: Artist Alley, gabbing up to anyone about their art

Marcielle: At any panel involving her interest that is informational

Izutsumi: Gaming Room or a room with a contest. Occasionally is just sitting on the floor in a hallway.

Falin: Merch/Vendor room, constantly looking and talking to other artists

Senshi: How-to or 101 sessions about crafting, if none available then he is in the viewing room.

Chilchuck: Often watches performances. If bored with them, he goes into the viewing rooms with Senshi. Both just commenting on how anime has changed or having nostalgia on how things used to be in their day.

Whose feet start hurting first?

Marcielle by far, she isn't used to standing but she walks all around the merch tables in cosplay so it's a bit heavier on her too so sitting isn't an option much.

If they held a panel, what would they all do?

Laois - The Best and Worst of Fantasy Creatures (Anatomy edition)

Marcielle - How to Make Elf Ears 101

Senshi - Fantasy Meal Guide (the Do's and Dont's of Cooking Unknown Recipes)

Izutsumi - Ninja Training (A Crash Course)

Falin - Drawing Dragons (and Other Fantasy Creatures)

Chilchuk - Rating Your Cosplays (Not for the faint of heart!)

[ciaossu-imagines]

The gift giving question is so cute! Can you write what sort of gifts Fon, Colonnello, and Reborn would like? If you’re only doing one character then just Fon is fine!

I can for sure try to do this up for you! Thanks for the request, my lovely anon, and I hope you'll enjoy the headcanons!

Fon

I do think, with Fon, the old adage of the thought being what counts, not the gift is really very much the truth. He's always grateful for any gifts he's given. He's not one to really expect to receive gifts, even on traditional gift-giving occasions, and is always just touched that people thought of him and did get him something.

Now, I will say that Fon is going to be especially touched though if the gift itself has some thought put into it. Gifts that are personal in some way, that shows that the person was truly thinking of him and what he would enjoy or could use will touch him deep in his soul.

If a gift is handmade or home-baked, it's automatically an amazing gift to Fon. If someone went through the trouble of using their time to make him something instead of taking the quicker and easier way of just buying it, it shows a lot of care towards him, in Fon's mind, and it really humbles him and makes him very happy.

Now Fon doesn't have a lot of hobbies but food and tea are big things for him. Getting him or making him food or new tea blends to try are always safe gifts to give him.

Another safe gift idea for Fon? I think he would really enjoy those 'experience' gifts. Gift him tickets to a concert or event, book a time for an escape room, schedule a hot air balloon ride, pay for yoga classes for the two of you, etc., etc. Get him a gift of an experience you can share with him, either one he would enjoy or something completely new the two of you can experience and have fun with together because in the end, it's the experiences, not the possessions, that Fon believes make a life the happiest it can be.

Colonello

Colonello is actually really easy to buy gifts for. Even if you're not exactly sure what to get him, I can see Colonello as being the kind of guy who does have a wish list or some sort of mental list of things he'd like for gift-giving occasions. He'll happy either share the list or suggest something off of it that he knows the person can afford or make if he's asked what he wants for a gift.

In general though, Colonello is easy to buy for. Buy him a new gun, a new knife, replacement bandanas because he goes through them really fast actually (he loses them frequently), replace his boots every couple of years…all of those are instant winners for him.

I also see Colonello actually really enjoying survival training and the survivalist scene so getting him anything related to that is going to make him really happy too. He also gets really into the survival boot-camp events or the fake zombie apocalypse events so signing the two of you up to experience one of those together is going to ensure your gift is the favourite of those he receives.

Reborn

You know those people who are always like 'you don't need to get me a gift, I don't need one, you really shouldn't have'? Yeah, Reborn is not that kind of person. So far from that kind of person, actually. You should have and, in fact, you need to get him a gift if it is a gift-giving occasion. He will be so freaking offended if you don't and will consider it a sign of disrespect.

That's not to say that Reborn is greedy or materialistic. The dollar value of the gift isn't really going to matter much to Reborn unless he knows the person is made of money, rolling in the cash, and the gift given by them is some cheap, impersonal gift from the Dollar Store or something along those lines.

What matters to Reborn when it comes to gifts? That there was thought and intentions behind the gift. Don't just go into a store and pick up any old random thing or pick up the knitting needles and knit him a quick pair of mittens that you would have given just any old person. He really cares that the people giving him presents, whether they be handmade presents, the gift of entertainment (like putting on a play or show for him or getting him tickets to an event), or material gifts, take the time, don't rush the gift-giving process or leave it until the last minute, and give him gifts that reflect how they see Reborn or what they think he would like.

So, all in all, it really is the thought that counts for Reborn because it's knowing that he's respected enough by people to warrant their time, their imagination and creativity, and their full attention when it came to choosing the right gift, is what he evaluates the actual present by.

[hellospriggan]

We went to the Faerie Festival last weekend, and it was awesome. Ren Faire meets craft show, plus music. There's nothing quite like hearing Crazy Train played on bagpipes while eating a funnel cake. :3

We took the kids and my best friend Molly, and it was a blast. It was way more crowded than I expected, so we lost a lot of time waiting in line (for the shuttle from overflow parking, for tickets, for food), but the weather was sheer perfection and it was so fun to see everyone's costumes. I saw the absolute best Jareth cosplay. Goosebumps. Dead ringer for Bowie.

Jarod's encouraging me to apply next year as a vendor, and I'm honestly so psyched for it. I have a year to plan!! ✨

It's been a few years since I've done a craft show. I would love some feedback, from anyone who's purchased my work in the past or hoping to, or who goes to craft shows/cons/etc:

Do you typically buy more for yourself, or others? Does the time of year impact that (ie buy more for others right before the holidays, etc)?

Do you have certain price points that you feel more comfortable (or prone to...) impulse buying? Price points you target for yourself versus gifts for others?

What kinds of things do you typically browse or buy at shows?

When you visit my website or see me post my work, is there a product that I DON'T have that you wish I did? Is there something you'd like to see more variety of in my style (ie more pin designs, stationary, stickers)?

What kind of booth layouts do you HATE? I'm super curious about this one, because I know what my anxiety level prefers... Do you like a booth where the table's right along the front and you just browse across? Do you like going into a booth and getting to explore? Do you have accessibility considerations that make you avoid booths laid out a certain way?

I know what I like but I don't want to cater just to my brain. Plus, I found this show really different from ones I've attended in the past simply because we brought the kids. XD at one point Griffin had a meltdown because I wanted to look in a jewelry booth and that meant he had to stop weaving through the fence posts along the path. Guys, such suffering has never been known to man.

Lay it all on me! Send me some asks with your answers!

[alyjojo]

Gift Ideas For Your Scorpio - December 🛵 2023:

What they want: The Sun & Page of Wands rev

What they need: Judgement & The Empress

The thought behind it: 10 Wands & 9 Wands

Main Energy: 6 Swords

Gift ideas for Scorpio:

Nothing was one train of thought in the preshuffle, a lot of disappointment, sadness, grief, difficulties, and overcoming those is what’s coming out here. Needing to. Scorpio has been through some shit, some of which they’ve carried with them a long time, by choice or not. It’s time for a glow up ☀️ I heard a song and it took me foreverrrr to find it, did you know there are like 100+ songs called “Bad News”? Now you do. It’s Bad News by Buddy, an upbeat bop that’s about getting in trouble but “I ain’t do it” or there ain’t any proof that they did. How this relates to you, I have no idea. Some Scorpios could have gotten out of an extremely restrictive situation and are realizing that’s a positive thing - or they need to.

1. Fitness related things, a gym membership, equipment, yoga, Pilates, I heard hiking - idk what equipment you would need for that but sure. Possible travel to somewhere beautiful that’s well-known for its’ hiking loving tourists or scenery. Endurance things, a step counter, etc. They have a lot of angst inside of them that could be transferred into other things that make them happy, like working on themselves - physically. Feel the power 💪

2. I get the same gardening kinda vibe from them as I did Cancer, but more appliances than actual food. A juicer, a dehydrator, a badass blender, fitness powder or something for shakes, health & wellness products - from the activities to the food and/or how they eat it or what they eat. There could be diet changes involved, you’d have to know their lane for that.

3. Travel. If they live at a distance, some do, a trip to see them, or a ticket & an extra room to come see you. Transportation could be literal, if you can buy an actual car for them. A cruise, a trip, doesn’t even have to be far just somewhere they haven’t been, preferably somewhere warm - The Sun. Specifically somewhere they wanted to go but it didn’t work out before, that’s for someone. Could even be a family thing, The Empress can show a parent or child, maybe tickets to Disney World or something fun for the whole family. I heard “train”, maybe they like trains instead of planes, a specific place involving trains, or someone could be into model trains - that’s specific. A holiday train even, one that goes around the tree, if you/they celebrate with trees.

[jrgmkllcnvcr]

MALL OF ASIA

To celebrate our first anniversary, we went to a place called “Mall of Asia”. It is the largest shopping mall in the Philippines. We really planned and saved money for this event so that we can enjoy our day. Actually, before that day came, we already bought a ride-all-you-can ticket for the sea side park in MOA on the metrodeal site. When the 1st of October came, me and my partner met at Robinson’s Antipolo and rode a bus. While traveling, we can’t stop thinking about what to expect in MOA. Even though we planned it already, we are still excited on what will happen. Anyway, when we took the bus, we decided to drop to Masinag station and rode a train until Recto station. It was quite a long trip for me but I knew it was worth it, plus the fact that I am with my partner. When we arrived at Recto station, we took the long bridge connection between Recto station and Doroteo station to ride in LRT 1. Actually, we got confused on which way is going to be on the north and south bound but the good thing is there was a security guard. Moving on,we took a train from Doroteo station to Pedro Gil Station. From Pedro Gil station, there were many E-tricycles, buses, and jeeps waiting whose routes are MOA, but instead of picking those high class transportations, we rode the E-tricycle since my partner wanted to see the places. It was lunch time already when we arrived at the MOA. Ofcourse, we first took a picture with the famous Globe found in MOA and sent it to our parents. After taking pictures, we went inside and started to get confused on which way we should take. I am also proud of my partner because she has a sense of direction plus the fact that she was holding a google map, what a brilliant and smart partner! Fastforward, it took so long when we found a restaurant. We were actually looking for a Mang Inasal but the line was really really long and there were no available seats so we decided to look for another fast food restaurant. Gladly, though we didn't have a choice, we decided to go to Jollibee. Both of us were so really hungry, thanks God there was an available seat and we grabbed that opportunity. My partner went to the counter to order a 2 super meal since we were really hungry. Little did she know that I am preparing my anniversary gift. A gift that I am sure she’d like. When she came back, I finally gave my gifts to her. A handmade violet flower, handwritten letter and promise ring. The smiles on her face were really priceless. Happiness can be seen in her eyes. My plan actually is that I will give those gifts when we are riding in the ferris wheel but I was really excited that’s why. After we ate our food, since it was still hot outside, we decided to visit some shops found in MOA. We went to the ice skating park, big sports planet, big food courts and time zone etc. When it was already 3 pm, we decided to go outside and ride some park rides with our purchased metro deal ticket. We first rode on the Vikings, which I am really scared of. Next is the Drop Tower, Flying bee, and Bump Car. Since it was already 4:30 pm by that time, we decided to take a rest and have some snacks. My partner decided not to ride again and she said that we will take a rest, have some snacks and talk about something. After that, we walked along the seaside while the sun was setting. It was a beautiful place to watch it. My partner loves sunsets and I know she really loved it. After that, we really waited for the perfect time to ride in the ferris wheel.As we planned for it, we rode the ferris wheel when the sun was slowly setting. Perfect place, perfect time and perfect partner. Everything was really perfect.

Moving on, since we don’t want to go home late, we decided to go home by 6 pm. It was not hard to go outside the MOA since we already knew the terminal station. We rode again an E-trike to take us to Pedro Gil station in LRT 2. Then, we dropped to Doroteo Station and took that long bridge again for our ride in Recto Station in LRT 1. We took that train from Recto Station to Masinag Station and rode a minibus until Robinson’s Antipolo. Then, we went to the Antipolo Cathedral so that Tito could fetch her. I waited for Tito before I went home. When we arrived, we said our goodbyes and finally went home. I rode a tricycle and a jeep before I got home. All in all, it was a tiring day but being with my partner made it fun and enjoyable. It was another unforgettable date and memory with my partner.

[rose-edith]

Gifts that the Inspectors give you when you’re dating would include:

Inspector Valentine:

•at the start of your relationship he gives you little posies of flowers- usually fragrant bunches of sweet peas or lily of the valley.

•once he’s gotten to know you a bit he works out more personal gifts to give- but they’re never too big or expensive because he doesn’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.

• that said, he will occasionally splurge a little bit- if he knows there’s a new notebook or fountain pen you’ve had your eye on for a while he will buy you that.

• he will buy you cakes/chocolate/sweet treats, he just likes to spoil you with little treats every now and again.

• when the basket on your bicycle breaks and you do a poor job of mending it he surprises you with a new basket! It shows how much he pays attention to you.

• on one of your dates a young photographer in training took a photo of you both having some tea in a pretty tea room and he buys you a lovely embellished frame for the photo and you keep it in your living room, it always brings a smile to his face when he comes in.

• Inspector Valentine doesn’t often buy records, but when the two of you come to realise that you have a song he buys it for you and the two of you smooch and dance around your living room while the tune plays in the background.

• for an anniversary or birthday he will buy you a little piece of jewellery- it could be a necklace or a bracelet, but it’s very tasteful and is made of your favourite material.

Inspector Sullivan:

•like Inspector Valentine he gives you flowers, but his start more formal- he’ll give you roses or tulips or peonies, whatever the florist recommends really. But overtime he learns what your favourite flowers are and then he’ll stick to them.

•he will buy you books! He knows what you like and sometimes he’ll find a book that he knows you’ll love so he’ll treat you to it, he loves how it makes you smile.

• he’s very hesitant about crossing certain boundaries, but when he sees that your scarf and gloves are well-worn and a bit hole-y he goes out and buys the warmest, loveliest set of gloves and matching scarf that he can find. He wants you to be safe and warm at all times.

• when the two of you have been serious for a while he buys you a locket necklace and you manage to convince him to have a picture taken so you can keep it in the locket.

• if you have any hobbies, such as drawing or sewing or knitting etc he’ll buy you new equipment- like new pencils, new thread, new wool etc.

• Inspector Sullivan will try his hand at writing poetry for you, but he’s very nervous when he hands over a few little poems he’s written about you and his love for you. But you treasure them, and eventually he buys you a little box to keep the poems and love letters the two of you exchange in.

• but THE most romantic gift he gives you is a collage he’s put together and it has little snippets of your relationship in it- a ticket from when you went to the cinema, a sprig of dried lavender from a picnic, a receipt from a cafe. It makes you cry when you receive it, and you treasure it forever, all the while adding more as the two of you spend your lives together.

Inspector Mallory:

•he buys you a golfing jumper in order to encourage you to play golf with him as it’s one of his favourite past times.

•it’s not something he’s brought for you, but it is a gift- he gives you a photograph of him from when he was a bit younger and when you tell him you keep it on the table beside your bed he’s touched at the gesture.

• he will absolutely buy you all manner of pastries and then help you eat them.

• speaking of food, he loves it when you cook for him, so he might sometimes buy you a new baking tin in a novelty shape or some new piping nozzles or something like that. He very much likes to be your taste tester too!

• he thinks of you when he sees a soft looking blanket, so he can’t help buying it for you and he loves it when he sees you wrapped up in it.

• for your birthday or Christmas Inspector Mallory will buy you either some jewellery or new hair pins or decorative clips etc he always takes a great deal of time and effort to get pieces that you will like and that suit you, and it always pays off when he sees your smile.

• when your relationship gets more intimate he absolutely will buy you lingerie that he’d love to see you in, it’s always very sexy and makes you feel like a powerful individual when you’re wearing it! When he sees you in it he practically gets on his knees and begs for you- he’ll do anything to have you.

[aces-of-the-center-court]

hello dear anon! thank you for the request and for loving out first date headcanons! I’m really glad you enjoyed it, it’s one of my favourites. :) we apologise that this took so long, it was quite difficult to write because I had to do my research for the date spots but I hope this turned out alright. I hope you enjoy :)

- mod sunny.

first date with iwaizumi & sugawara

Sakusa Kiyoomi: Home Date

He would ask you out for a date at his house, thinking it would be the best possible spot – no outside germs or crowds

To his house?? On the first date?! You would be flustered at first but later realise the reason behind the date location and mentally punch yourself for having such impure thoughts

When you go over to his house, you would make sure to bring a small gift (after making sure to sanitise the surface of it ofc)

Once inside, you would ask for directions to the washroom to wash your hands where you would realise that he keeps his things very tidy

You both would then settle down at the living room and decide to play board games, where the two of you would just chill and have fun together instead of making it more competitive

A few games later, you two would then cook up something to go with the movie you rented

You would make sure to tell Sakusa that you had already sanitised the cover and disc before bringing it over, and he would mutter softly about how he trusts you about this since you two have an understanding for hygiene

You would both move to his room for the movie, seated closely next to each other, but not yet touching; it would be slightly unnerving – both your hearts would be beating loudly against your chests despite it not being the least bit intimate

By the time the movie came to an end, you two would have only remembered half the movie as you were both too conscious of the proximity between the two of you and the fact you were in his room

Before leaving, the two of you would clean up the spot you were both seating and he would offer to send you home but would take detours in order to spend more time together

To be honest, he wouldn’t want to separate from you, but he would not say it out loud since he wouldn’t want to be seen as selfish

Strolling in the park, the two of you would exchange some conversations and share comfortable silence, just enjoying both of your presences

He would probably be okay with your touches as he’s comfortable with you since your habits of staying clean helps too, but still not very likely to extend to kisses or hugs during the first date

“Be careful on your way back.” He would say quietly when you two arrive in front of the station and wave you goodbye before you leave.

Oikawa Tooru: Disneyland Date

He would pick you up early from your home, so he gets to spend more time with you during the travel from Miyagi to Tokyo

“You know, there’s a myth about going to Disneyland for the first date…” You would bring up nonchalantly on the train ride to the amusement park, referring to the legend that couples who go to Tokyo Disneyland for the first date would be destined to break up

Ah… Of course, Y/N-chan would have heard of such myths too… Bearing a troubled smile, he would respond, “Mm. I know of that too. Y/N-chan, do believe in it? I don’t.”

“Apparently, if the couple share a kiss within the park, their relationship will last longer… that’s what they say too. What contradictions, I wouldn’t believe such things.”

“Y/N-chan…” He would look at you with tears in his eyes, touched. Did you want to kiss- He would then knock himself out of it, “That’s right! I can’t believe people actually believed in that. Let’s have a great time, the both of us.” He would flash a charming smile at you

During the long ride – from Miyagi to Tokyo and to Disneyland – the two of you would nap on the train with your head lying on his shoulder and his on yours

Upon arrival, Oikawa would be making loud excitable enthusiastic noises while you would be equally excited despite not reacting as openly as he would

After purchasing tickets, Oikawa would pull you along to the gift shop by the entrance to procure adorable matching headbands and trinkets and would snap a selfie of the two of you wearing it – it’s something he had always wanted to do

Checking the lines at the attractions, you two would go to the popular attractions with lines that would never seem to die down first – according to both your intensive research

During the rides, the two of you would be seated close while enjoying the rides or grabbing on to each other for dear life

Afterwards, you two would grab some snacks, where Oikawa would be taking a lot of selfies and pictures of the food, before heading for the afternoon shows and parade

Throughout the date, there would be a lot of natural physical touches, sitting close together on the rides, hitting him on his arms when he does stupid things that made you laugh, and holding hands to make sure the both of you do not get lost in the crowd

While waiting for the rides, there would always be something to talk about – the pictures and videos that the both of you took, discussing about the rides etc.

Right around sunset, the both of you would try canoes for a cruise ride. The view would be stunning, but Oikawa would be staring at you the entire time and trying to sneak a picture

For dinner, you two would have it at the banquet hall while discussing the long day and how you guys would be so tired you can sleep immediately after reaching home

Although he doesn’t believe in myths, he would still be quite wary of it, so during the night fireworks, he would call you softly and lean in for a kiss in front of the Cinderella’s castle

Perhaps sleeping immediately from the fatigue of the long day is no longer an option now as the you would probably be too red in the face from thinking about the kiss to sleep.

Kageyama Tobio: Aquarium Date

After his thorough research and advices that he received from his upperclassmen (mainly Sugawara), he would decide to invite you to the aquarium at Sendai

He would be rather nervous in the beginning, wondering if he prepared everything necessary but would also be excited about seeing the aquatic creatures

At the aquarium, the two of you would be fascinated by the school of fishes swimming in groups, the stingrays, rockfishes and others, which would mean many photographs and videos taken by the both of you

He would not be able to hide his enthusiasm – in an animated way, with lots of ‘wow’ and ‘woah’ from him, he would be openly captivated by the fishes that did not seem to dislike him despite how close his face was to the tank

Kageyama would slowly start to loosen up and relax throughout the date, except when you would unexpectedly grab on his hand of course

Physical contact would be rather natural with you leading it e.g. grabbing his arm to bring him to the next exhibit – his heart would beat unnaturally fast when you do and he’d lose focus of the sea creatures

He would realise that he seemed to be having the most fun and would find it embarrassing that he lost control of his enthusiasm; but when he sees you having fun observing the fishes, he would be relieved and forget about the fishes for a moment while watching you – he’d then snap out of it and tell himself to stay cool in your presence

You two would make small conversations when walking to the other tanks and discussing about the animals – how some fishes look dramatic and scary, cute and small – comparing the fishes to some of his teammates

“This fish looks like Tsukishima, looks like it has a scowl on its face.” Kageyama would compare, watching it closely with his face almost touching the glass, eyes squinting. You would try to suppress your laughter at his antics but would agree with him

A machine that can project your colouring of sea creature on a screen next to it would pique the interest of both of you, hence would try it out without a second thought

The two of you would be so amazed after watching your very own sea creature creations swimming in the screen and would proudly take pictures of each of your masterpieces

Up next would be the dolphin show, where the two of you would be so engrossed in the show that you both forget to take videos and you would later mention about how you regret not capturing the moment

After the aquarium, you two would stop by a small family restaurant to have your meal, looking over pictures and videos together while talking about the sea creatures and the date

On another note, Kageyama would now have a selfie of the both of you which would become his phone screensaver from now on.

Miya Atsumu: Laser Tag Date

The both of you would have agreed on meeting in the late afternoon at the laser tag location

Would then decide to play against one another for the first round, then team up for the next round

He would entice you with a bet where the loser would have to listen to the winner for the rest of the date; your competitive self would not let this opportunity slip

In the first round, you would play lone wolf – while assessing the situation and protecting yourself from the rest of the players, you would try to look for him to shoot him down

He would also play lone wolf instead of forming alliance with others because he knows that’s how you would play and wants it to be a fair fight

He would enjoy seeing you play seriously while having fun but would also want to take you down so you would be at his beck and call for the rest of the date

The two of you would be too focused on taking down each other that when you finally spot him and was about to shoot, someone else eliminated you first

Looking at board, you would see your name being the one who was out, but the next instant, Atsumu’s name would appear just below yours

The two of you would be annoyed, not be able to settle the scores would set the fire in your hearts even hotter

The next round, you and Atsumu would team up as planned and discuss attack and defense strategies. With great chemistry, the two of you would brutally take down the other players smoothly and emerge as the winner at the end

Feeling refreshed, the both of you would go for dinner at somewhere simple. It would be a casual yet refreshing meal, he has quite an appetite so he would order a lot to eat

During the meal, the two of you would enthusiastically discuss moments during the laser tag round where you both won and put off the bet until the next time

“It’s thanks to me that we won, I helped defend your back!” You would claim, but he’d retort, “Nah, it’s my aiming that helped take down our opponents.”

“Okay, end of argument. We make the perfect team – and the perfect couple.” He would conclude smugly, knowing your heart would skip a beat at the last part of his statement

Before the date ends, he would make sure to leave a peck on your cheek. He would then grin smugly as he flirts, “Make sure your lips are ready for mine on our next date.”

[thatblackboianarchist]

Banks are Dumb and Abolish Money (1/2)

Banking is like super dumb. So we all know banks, right? They’re financial institutions dedicated to the management of money, those imaginary numbers, for consumers and businesses (and I suppose the government). Most people are affiliated with a bank of some kind, whether it’s a traditional private bank or a credit union or whatever else. So, I am an anti-financialist, I think finance as a concept, field, industry, whatever, is stupid for a few reasons that happen to align with why I hate banking in specific. So let’s explain.

I’m 18, turned an adult relatively recently, so I am having to get involved in banking more. Checking balances, using my card, transferring funds, etc. And can I just say, it is absolutely horrible. Well, okay, I enjoy the independence aspect to it: I have my own bank account that I can make purchases with; I don’t want to worry about my mom looking at my purchases (you know what I mean) so I actually buy the things I want. I feel all professional and adulty when I use banking jargon like “Yes, I would like to check my balance and transfer a set of funds from my domestic checking account to my international checking account”, but other than the feeling of autonomy and independence that I get from engaging with the bank system, I don’t like banks.

For starters, there are so many fees and they’ll all stupid. Like, overdraft fees, if you try to spend money you don’t have in your checking account, you can get slapped with a $35 overdraft fee, which to me seems so, pointless? Idk, I know the point is so that the bank can make money, but like, pfft, I’m not a fucking bank, I’m not a bank CEO or shareholder or board member, so why the fuck should that matter to me? I don’t care about the profit interests of banks, it’s not like I will ever see that money in my life. I care about me and my own convenience and life. If someone doesn’t have enough money in their checking for a purchase, just reject the purchase, like the fuck? Just say you can’t buy this thing you want, you don’t have to charge them for it, that’s so stupid.

Oh, and sometimes there are withdraw fees. Why? Why should I have to pay money to access my own money? Like what the fuck? What is the point? And don’t give me the “they need to make profit” line of defense, no the fuck they don’t, it is actually possible to run an organization without extracting endless lines of cash from it. You can just provide a fucking service and not have to always get something in return; life doesn’t have to be transactional ALL THE TIME. Life is not a bank, it shouldn’t be run like a set of cost and revenues functions or risk-benefit analyses, just fucking do what you are supposed to do.

The reason I hate banks is primarily because I think money as a concept is dumb. You have this imaginary number that separates you from the goods and services and whatever else that is produced in this world. It’s like a middleman you have to satisfy before you can access anything you need or want. You have to pay for housing, clothes, computers, chap stick, vacations, and literally everything. It’s annoying and it’s incredibly unhealthy.

Have we ever considered the long-term psychological consequences of having to turn every single desire you have into a risk-benefit analysis? Like, if I want to eat raspberry-filled chocolate, I have to weigh purchasing that over other things I might need to spend my money on. What if I need a repair for my bike? What if I need to pay for that train ticket? What if I want to eat out? What if I want that sex toy from Spencers? In our consumerist economy, that is a LOT of information you have to account for, and if you are poor like me, then you have to increase that processing ten-hundred-fold. And sure, the risk-benefit analysis becomes less arduous the richer you are, but most people aren’t rich and all people can’t be rich, by definition, so idk, is this really a psychologically sustainable way to organize consumption of goods and services?

I don’t think it is, especially since money is treated as a limited resource for everyday people, and as a limitless resource for governments, billionaires, and corporations. When you're not rich, your entire ability to access resources is limited by how much money you have. Why does it have to be limited? Why can’t I just eat the raspberry-flavored chocolate because I want to eat it and you are offering for it to be eaten? Why can’t I just grab the sex toy I want? Why do we have to limit ourselves for no good reason?

Oh, but people will tell you there are good reasons for money to exist. That we need money to exist. That there is no other way to organize a society. People talk about money like it’s as natural as the rising and setting of the sun, when in contrast to a literal celestial body, money is at the end of the day just a piece of paper (or I guess numbers on a screen). It has no inherent value to anyone; it is only valuable because we collectively consider it to be valuable. We already intuitively understand that, at least, I think we do. If I take my Euros to the local fish market in Madagascar and try to buy something, they will tell me to get lost! Because Euros aren’t considered to be valuable there. All this to say, money isn’t natural, it’s artificial; it is brought into this world by human choices and it can be brought out of this world with human choices.

One reason people talk about the necessity of money is because of scarcity, that if everything was free, we would run out of everything. Well, I hate to be the one to say it, but scarcity is a myth. Well, okay, technically there are limited amounts of everything, but that statement ignores context. If you live in a forest with 1 million apples and there are 5,000 people living in the forest, including you, that’s 200 apples per person. Is that meaningful scarcity? Relative to you and the population you are part of, do the apples even appear finite? How would you go about eating all of those in a day, or even a month, and what kind of person would eat 6 apples per day? Scarcity is relative to the population it affects, and only becomes meaningful when there are small levels of stuff in comparison to a large population that wants that stuff.

The mythology of scarcity ignores many key factors about the natural world. One, lots of resources are renewable. Water is renewable, air is renewable, energy is renewable (at least with solar, wind, and such), etc. You know what else is renewable? Biomass, so things like wood, plants, animals, food, agricultural products, cheeses, milk, etc. Renewable just means that it will naturally replenish itself so long as your consumption is horribly abusive and exploitative. And how can we ensure that our consumption is horribly abusive and exploitative? Adopting a zero waste paradigm, where we recycle, reuse, reduce shit, where we repair things that are broken, rot things into compost and soil, and refuse shit we don’t want.

Nature is cyclical. Resources are cyclical. Even things that aren’t considered renewable, like clay, sand, glass, gemstones, metals, ores, ARE actually renewable, they just take a long time to renew naturally. But goods themselves are renewable if you establish cycles of use. Take a bike that you own. It breaks so you repair it instead of buying a new bike which would use even more resources. It becomes irreparable so you melt the bike down and use the metal for something else, maybe a new bike or a kitchen appliance or a cup. Metal resources are cyclical, they can always be recycled and reused.

What if we made the most out of the resources we had instead of constantly destroying the natural environment to make more things? We have literal landfills full of resources, full of metals we can recycle, biomatter we can repurpose, items we can repair, etc. Waste is an illusion, created by capitalism to necessitate infinite production and consumption. Capitalism relies upon a linear waste model, where we produce shit, use shit, and discard shit, so we can buy the next shit. Anti-financialism relies upon a cyclical zero waste model, where we take shit, use shit, use shit for something else, and something else, and something else, and something else, forever, without us having to produce new resources for each “something else”.

We don’t need money to run our economy or limit scarcity. We can limit scarcity through responsible consumption and production, where we localize production, establish complex trade networks, adopt the 6 Rs of zero waste, and rot and recycle when all other options are exhausted. Where we share the shit we already have instead of hoarding it for ourselves, where we borrow things temporarily, like with a library, until we are done so the next person can use it. Where we turn the process of accessing goods into gift-giving, offering the fruits of our labour only so that people may benefit from it.

Second part here.

[imagine-organization-xiii]

Organization XIII - Gift Exchange with S/O

A suggestion from PhantomMuze on Discord, who also did the ones for Luxord, Saix, and Axel for me when I was stumped. Happy Holidays!

Xemnas

What They Give to S/O - Xemnas has this uncanny ability of getting whatever you actually want for Christmas without you having to tell him. New phone? He got it two weeks ago. A new kitchen appliance? He got a deal on Black Friday. You want a new bedroom set? He already has it ready to be delivered whenever you want.

What They Get from S/O - You always like to go fancy for Xemnas because he’s a sophisticated guy, so you like to spend time picking out a nice gift. A nice ring, a new watch, a new suit, etc.

Xigbar

What They Give to S/O - The two of you will usually do some kind of gag gifts for each other, so Xigbar sometimes falls back on something funny, like a bottle of lube and a toy from a sex shop, but sometimes he’ll get even more creative and buy a funny book, or he’ll wrap a Video Game Console Box but he’ll put like a pillow in the box instead of a video game console.

What They Get from S/O - You also like gag gifts, but you like the actual gift to be something he’d use. It might be a gift card or a nice shirt or something for his weapons, but you’ll wrap it in like fifty zip ties or put it in layers and layers of cling wrap and rubber bands.

Xaldin

What They Give to S/O - Just be happy that he even remembered that it was Christmas, okay - he may not give the best gifts but he has a lot of spirit. He TRIES. He’ll go out and get you a piece of nice jewelry or a new dress or something and even if it isn’t the best gift or what you wanted, you can’t blame him for trying so hard because he always looks so worried that you’ll hate it

What They Get from S/O - This crazy man is hard to shop for, but you can’t go wrong when it comes to home goods. No, really. You and Lexaeus have been doing your best to upgrade and decorate your bedroom and the sitting room down the hall from your bedroom, so you can place an order for a nice clock, a better sofa, or a nice TV to mount on the wall in your bedroom and he’ll be like hell yeah.

Vexen

What They Give to S/O - One of the literal worst at buying Christmas presents, but he tries so you can’t really blame him. Clothes, stuff for your weapons, some of your favorite treats, usually stuff that is durable, reliable and things that you NEED. Doesn’t understand frivolous spending and would rather get you something that he knows you’re going to use.

What They Get from S/O - EQUIPMENT - Vexen will absolutely love you forever if you get him more lab equipment, if only because it’s stuff he could buy for himself but he can’t really justify the expenses, so he’s happy to have it without the strings attached.

Lexaeus

What They Give to S/O - Lexaeus is arguably the most thoughtful. You can guarantee that his gift will probably be handmade or something so nice and thoughtful that it will bring you to tears. One year he learned how to carve wood and actually made you an antique music box that completely blew you away, but this year he actually made you a large scrapbook filled with pictures from the entire year.

What They Get from S/O - It seems kind of awful, but literally the best kind of gift for Lexaeus? Gift cards. Seriously. He loves gift cards. Gift cards to Lowe’s, to Crate and Barrel, to World Market or Best Buy? He loves that he can buy whatever he wants when it’s technically on someone else’s dime.

Zexion

What They Give to S/O - you and Zexion are both coffee connoisseurs, so he’ll surprise you on Christmas with a giant bag full of different types of exotic coffee that the two of you can try together, as well as little scones, cookies, and snacks for you to have with the coffee.

What They Get from S/O - Rare. Books. You found a signed First Edition of The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway - it cost a pretty penny, but the look on his face when he opened it was so worth it.

Saix

What They Give to S/O - Gives his s/o stuff to help them organize their life - a mini whiteboard, a decorative calendar, a nice set of fancy stationary, but he’ll also get you some things that will help you relax! Scented candles, a cozy bathrobe, or some incense to burn.

What They Get from S/O - Saix is difficult to shop for, so alcohol is always a good way to go. Surprisingly, he also enjoys training gear - maybe a new set of boxing gloves or some hand wraps. If you’re really desperate, he’s also good with bath products, like some body wash.

Axel

What They Give to S/O - Another one who likes gag gifts, but he always makes sure to give you something he knows you’ll enjoy too. So you’ll be getting some Smart Ass Wipes but you’ll also be getting a warm snuggie and maybe a stuffed animal too.

What They Get from S/O - FOOD 100%. Axel loves getting food for Christmas - giant bags of chips, bottles of soda and juice, christmas cookies, mini-pies, brownies, fudge, etc. He will be the happiest person ever if he can just spend the whole day eating snacks.

Demyx

What They Give to S/O - Has a habit of forgetting how many gifts that he buys for his significant other, because he’s one of those people who sees a small thing at the store and gets it for you, then he sees something else and gets that too, but that happens like every day for the entire month of December so you’ll get small cute gifts that he thinks you’ll like, but there will be a TON of them

What They Get from S/O - Something music-related - he always likes getting supplies, like blank sheet music or extra strings for his sitar, a new amp or other equipment, but you know what else he likes? Games. Board games or card games are so awesome to get for Demyx because he’s always up for playing them and they’re a good bonding experience.

Luxord

What They Give to S/O - Luxord likes to treat you well, okay??? He’ll sometimes go overboard but it’s fine because his heart is in the right place. Get ready to open your present to see some Swarovski Crystal jewelry or some plane tickets to a faraway location so the two of you can have a romantic trip together.

What They Get from S/O - Another guy who likes practical things, so he’ll probably get some new clothes, a new set of razors, or maybe some alcohol. Food or tea are also good ways to go with Luxord

Marluxia

What They Give to S/O - He goes all out when it comes to Christmas gifts because he is That Bitch. He gets creative and likes to get unique gifts - it’s never anything you would think about asking for, but you always love it anyway - a unique statue from somewhere far away, a rare cross-breed of flower he created and named after you, 

What They Get from S/O - You’d think flowers, obviously, but that would be too easy for you, so you might get him a bouquet or something, but Marluxia ALSO likes gifts of alcohol. Fancy bottle of wine or liquor paired with fancy crackers, chocolate, cheese, and meats in a big gift basket.

Larxene

What They Give to S/O - Larxene knows you so well, she doesn’t even need to ask you for some ideas of what you want for Christmas. She knows you’ve been stressed this year, so she planned a trip for the two of you to another world and plans on surprising you on Christmas morning.

What They Get from S/O - Larxene is very much a person who likes to go out and do things, so you might get her an appointment at a spa for a facial and a mani-pedi, maybe a couple’s massage and a nice dinner at one of her favorite restaurants.

Roxas

What They Give to S/O - He will either beg you for ideas or he’ll try and get one of the other org members probably (Xion) to help him. He’ll end up getting you something you really want but it’ll take a lot of effort. He might get you a nice piece of jewelry, a few items of clothing, or even a voucher for something that the two of you can do together.

What They Get from S/O - I feel like Roxas would like something homemade, but instead of crafts and whatnot, you can pile him with homemade cookies and candy and fudge and brownies and he’d be good to go.

Xion

What They Give to S/O - Xion made a little craft for her s/o, probably something like a cool bracelet or one of those jars of colored sand, something that they can cherish for a while.

What They Get from S/O - Xion gets stuffed animals! She LOVES stuffed animals and all things warm and comforting, so she might also get some fun blankets and fluffy Christmas pajamas.

[havin-a-wee]

Get To Know Me!

hi! i have a lot of new followers now and seeing as i am relatively new to tumblr i would love to make some friends and get to know people on here! i would love to answer questions, and ill put a list of some you can ask me in my ask box, or you can just make up your own! oh also, id prefer not to say my real name just because im not comfortable with that, but i would love to have a name that u guys can call me so lmk if you have any ideas!

Fun/Basic Things About Me!

i'm an Aquarius sun, Gemini moon, and Scorpio rising

i'm an ENFP

in divergent I wouldn't have a faction I would be divergent!

my godly parent is Aphrodite

my absolute favorite color is pink

i was a zayn girl when one direction existed and when i found out he left was the first time i cried over a boy (lmfao)

i have pets

i got tickets to a harry concert for my birthday (AHHHHHH!)

Question Ideas To Ask Me! (some of these might not apply to me i just found this list on the internet)

1. Who is your hero? 2. If you could live anywhere, where would it be? 3. What is your biggest fear? 4. What is your favorite place you've visited? 5. What would you change about yourself if you could? 6. What makes you really angry? 7. What motivates you to work hard? 8. What is something about you that you still don't quite understand? 9. What is something you hate doing? 10. What is your proudest accomplishment? 11. If you could choose your kid's ages and genders, what would they be? 12. What is your favorite book? 13. What makes you laugh the most? 14. What is the last movies you watched and what did you think of it? 15. What did you want to be when you were younger? 16. What is something small that had a really big impact on you? 17. If you could choose to do whatever you wanted for a day, what would you do? 18. What is your go to song to sing in the shower? 19. What is your favorite form of transportation? 20. What is a bad habit that you are having trouble getting rid of? 21. If you could only listen to one song for the rest of your life what would it be? 22. What is your favorite chore? 23. What is the biggest red flag for you? 24. If you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would it be? 25. What is something small that makes you smile and why?

26. Have you ever had a nickname? What is it? 27. Do you like or dislike surprises? Why or why not? 28. In the evening, would you rather play a game, visit a relative, watch a movie, or read? 29. Would you rather vacation in Hawaii or Alaska, and why? 30. Would you rather win the lottery or work at the perfect job? And why? 31. Who would you want to be stranded with on a deserted island? 32. If money was no object, what would you do all day? 33. If you could go back in time, what year would you travel to? 34. How would your friends describe you? 35. What are your hobbies? 36. What is the best gift you have been given? 37. What is the worst gift you have received? 38. Aside from necessities, what one thing could you not go a day without? 39. List two pet peeves. 40. Where do you see yourself in five years? 41. How many pairs of shoes do you own? 42. If you were a super-hero, what powers would you have? 43. What would you do if you won the lottery? 44. What form of public transportation do you prefer? (air, boat, train, bus, car, etc.) 45. What's your favorite zoo animal? 46. If you could go back in time to change one thing, what would it be? 47. If you could share a meal with any 4 individuals, living or dead, who would they be? 48. How many pillows do you sleep with? 49. What's the longest you've gone without sleep (and why)? 50. What's the tallest building you've been to the top in?

51. Would you rather trade intelligence for looks or looks for intelligence? 52. How often do you buy clothes? 53. Have you ever had a secret admirer? 54. What's your favorite holiday? 55. What's the most daring thing you've ever done? 56. What was the last thing you recorded on TV? 57. What was the last book you read? 58. What's your favorite type of foreign food? 59. Are you a clean or messy person? 60. Who would you want to play you in a movie of your life? 61. How long does it take you to get ready in the morning? 62. What kitchen appliance do you use every day? 63. What's your favorite fast food chain? 64. What's your favorite family recipe? 65. Do you love or hate rollercoasters? 66. What's your favorite family tradition? 67. What is your favorite childhood memory? 68. What's your favorite movie? 69. What's the weirdest thing you've ever been asked? 70. Is your glass half full or half empty? 71. What's the craziest thing you’ve done in the name of love? 72. What three items would you take with you on a deserted island? 73. What was your favorite subject in school? 74. What's the most unusual thing you've ever eaten? 75. Do you collect anything?

76. Is there anything you wished would come back into fashion? 77. Are you an introvert or an extrovert? 78. Which of the five senses would you say is your strongest? 79. Have you ever had a surprise party? (that was an actual surprise) 80. Are you related or distantly related to anyone famous? 81. What do you do to keep fit? 82. Does your family have a “motto” – spoken or unspoken? 83. If you were ruler of your own country what would be the first law you would introduce? 84. Who was your favorite teacher in school and why? 85. What three things do you think of the most each day? 86. If you had a warning label, what would yours say? 87. What song would you say best sums you up? 88. What celebrity would you like to meet at Starbucks for a cup of coffee? 89. Who was your first crush?

90. What's the most interesting thing you can see out of your office or kitchen window? 91. On a scale of 1-10 how funny would you say you are? 92. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? 93. What was your first job? 94. If you could join any past or current music group which would you want to join? 95. How many languages do you speak? 96. What is your favorite family holiday tradition? 97. Who is the most intelligent person you know? 98. If you had to describe yourself as an animal, which one would it be? 99. What is one thing you will never do again? 100. Who knows you the best?

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also p.s. i mightttt have something special that im posting soon, but it also might take a little so idk but im really exited about it

p.s.s. lmk if you want to be on a taglist for when i post a new writing piece!

[haikyuu-matches]

｡˚✰˚✦ 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐔𝐏

exchange with @00fabolous​​

— ❛ 𝗒𝗈𝗎’𝗋𝖾 𝗇𝗈𝗍 𝗆𝗒 𝗇𝗎𝗆𝖻𝖾𝗋 𝗈𝗇𝖾, 𝗒𝗈𝗎’𝗋𝖾 𝗆𝗒 𝗈𝗇𝗅𝗒 𝗈𝗇𝖾 ❜

˚✶⋆｡˚☆ﾟ✦

tdwwfjde thank you so much for your patience ! i appreciate you waiting so long for this ! hope you like it and it was worth the wait. i quite enjoyed writing this one tbh! anyway, please have a lovely day ! (ᵕ ᵕ⁎)

˚✶⋆｡˚☆ﾟ✦

— 【❈】 ‣  i match you up with … 𝐃𝐀𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐈 𝐒𝐀𝐖𝐀𝐌𝐔𝐑𝐀 !!

daichi and you? a superior match because it literally feels like mom + dad pairing!! you both exude this selfless aspect of looking after others- plus, i feel there would be enough similarities and differences in both of your personalities that it strikes a balance! and balance is key in a relationship.

much like you, daichi is regarded as a “voice of reason” or “conscience”-- it doesn’t matter if he assumes that role as a volleyball captain or just to his friends. . . when he talks, people listen. he has that kind of formidable charisma that people are attracted to and follow. yet, he can’t help but notice that aspect is a parallel to you? 

he definitely makes it a point to notice the small things . . . so, when daichi witnesses you, who is typically sarcastic and quiet, bringing your friends down to earth with sound judgment and a calm disposition, this boy gets literal heart eyes. like a girl who’s this caring & loyal?? how could he not? 

in addition, i can definitely see daichi swooning over a girl who simply has a good head on her shoulder; you definitely embody the type to have herself put together, have strong ambitions (like you’re going to be a surgeon? wow, he’s beyond impressed) & overall doesn’t take shit from others. rarely does daichi see you stressed or anxious, but he of course would be first one to reach out and be there for you if the opportunity ever presents itself. 

like, this man is prepared--- he’ll be ready with your favorite comfort food & favorite games (fire emblem, rune factory, etc) to de-stress because he knows how instrumental breaks are. he’s also surprisingly not that bad at video games too?? after all, he learns from the best. c;

daichi definitely would strive to earn your trust and become friends first and foremost. and with that, he would quickly catch onto the fact you’re the overthinking type. i feel like it doesn’t have to be words for him to comfort you?? like, when he’s close enough to you, he would make it a habit to stop your train of poisonous thoughts by pulling you close, and urging to rest your head & just refresh- and if you’re ready, he’s always willing to hear what’s going on in your head, and he wouldn’t hesitate to strike down anything he deems isn’t the reality to give you a peace of mind.

i definitely see you two having a kind of slow-burn relationship in the sense that it might take awhile to have that committed relationship. but once you do, it’s set in stone- the kind of relationship where you two can see yourselves marrying-- 

even if you guys have conflict and fights, there’s still a high level of maturity and shared desire for resolution. perhaps you two can be equally stubborn, but like, it would never reach the point of mindless screaming as a way to expel anger. yeah, daichi can have a “scary” side, but with you, he’s never going off the rails and strives to keep himself in check no matter what. honestly, i can see you two sitting down and talking it out like the responsible people you are--- very healthy; 10/10 would recommend!

daichi probably is more of an optimist as a contrast to your pessimist-- and when you have the tendency to see things as half-empty, he won’t try to overrule your thoughts with blind optimism, but rather bring a different perspective to whatever situation at hand. i feel like he’s a realist leaning toward the air of positivity, so he’s not the type to be negative most times. and he will try to uplift your perspective with a meaningful pep talk especially if you’re particularly pessimistic if it comes to yourself.

he won’t take any negative self-talk from you that’s all i gotta say.

also random headcanon but your meme arsenal is actually so lovable in daichi’s eyes. he’s not that great with technology to the extent he makes his own, but he surprises you with sending aptly-timed memes back at you. and it’s honestly a cute way of you two showing your affections??

you two definitely travel once you both save up enough. especially in the timeskip, daichi would work tirelessly, picking up extra shifts as a policeman, to accommodate a trip. he knows he doesn’t make a ton of money, however, he will work his butt off to get a good flow of income to make fun vacations a reality. there’s no denying that daichi surprises you with tickets to wherever you had mentioned you wanted to go, and definitely cracks a smile at your surprised face.

oh my gosh-- he’s the definitely the type your friends & family would approve. it’s evident he just treasures you so much and wants to make you happy aw..

but, when you meet daichi’s friends?? he gets so confused why you’re mute, until it clicks that perhaps you’re not at ease around strangers. he tries his best to steer the conversation to where you can relax in front of his friends (after all they are a bunch of volleyball-playing goofballs), and if you need space, he definitely lets his friends know that you’re simply reserved around strangers. . . so be nice!

but you needn’t fret, you definitely warm up to the guys soon enough!

also, your dates are really goals! since you’re not down for amusement parks or sports-related events, daichi will probably take you to a nice restaurant where you guys can dress up for each other! he can’t help but swoon for you in nice clothing, but don’t worry.  . . he still swoons even if you’re in your pajamas/comfy clothing. like, a night in is also a good date especially if you two get busy, and don’t have time to go out. he’ll be quick to order the food and find a good movie ( of course not a romantic movie as it’s not in your taste ). but, honestly, sometimes it ends up with you two gushing over cute animal videos and the movie is forgotten in the background.

his presents to you always come from him thinking hard about what you truly like. so, it tends to be manga (that he remembered you wanting to read!) or art supplies (because he adores looking at your drawings) or perhaps even comfy socks that he thinks you will love. the fact you don’t like jewelry is actually kind of nice for daichi because he doesn’t have to fret over what sort of jewelry you would like! ofc he will still fret over finding cute gift baskets that may make your day- they’re probably themed with your favorite color (orange or indigo)!

daichi is lucky that you are such a good cook! like he’s not too shabby, but he’s amazed by your cooking & so, he will always offer to help, whether it be the simple, busy-work jobs (like cutting the produce) or not. it honestly doesn’t matter what you cook, daichi will always eat it because you make it that tasty & with love. he almost always gets seconds too-

he sometimes catches you off guard by wrapping his arms around your waist when you’re cooking and whispers cute things into your ear like “i missed you”- sduijfsh he’s just boyfriend material.

overall, daichi and you have a truly wholesome relationship to the extent the team would even jokingly think of you as a mother figure (sugawara who?). again, there’s enough similarities and differences that keep the relationship alive and you two have this uncanny ability to keep each other happy through it all.

possible runner-ups:

kuroo tetsurou

ojiro aran

[dreaming-of-assclass]

i'm sending this like three days after i meant to, but hit me up with some of those aguri lives au karasuma and aguri friendship headcanons!

YES 😭😭😭

Unlike with Korosensei and Irina, Karasuma isn’t exasperated by her at all. Instead, he’s just veryyyy awkward.

Aguri is just a normal woman with very eccentric tastes, and it’s hard for him to accept that in contrast to all the craziness in 3-E.

And he’s a socially awkward man in general so...she definitely starts any casual conversation between them.

But like 95% of people with Aguri, they grow to be close friends! Karasuma really likes having her around as she’s grounded, reliable, and is always there for the kids.

Alright *cracks knuckles* headcanon time

They always grab each other coffee in the mornings, taking turns every day. If it’s his turn, he will literally only get coffee for her. If it’s Aguri’s turn, she gets something for him and the other two. Koro especially will whine about how he’s betrayed and needs donuts, etc.

I feel like Karasuma likes to read, but doesn’t have the time or mental energy for it. He doesn’t have that energy for anything besides work, honestly. So cue our lovely Aguri giving him book recommendations and relaxation methods so he can have time for himself sometimes too. It’s important!

Karasuma definitely offers her self-defense lessons to take with the class, and he lets her join PE lessons. It’s vital she knows basic combat and how to defend herself...and also, her company is really nice and fun.

Aguri doesn’t hesitate to scold him if he’s being too harsh towards Irina...which is all the time. She reminds him to be more patient and that it’s hard for her to adjust to the situation even more than him. Karasuma actually listens to her and re-thinks how he responds/goes about things.

She thinks his “dad-image” in 3-E is really sweet, and loves teasing him about it with Irina and Koro.

When he first arrives to the mountain, Karasuma scopes out the terrain and tries to memorize it before he uses it for training the students. And Aguri accompanies him. It’s the first real interaction they have, and while it’s pretty awkward, it’s very endearing to both of them. And the memory sticks with them for a long time.

Aguri absolutely does not approve of his diet of fast food and ramen. She gives him multiple cookbooks and even makes him participate in their Home Ec classes for a short while. Karasuma is embarrassed but grateful, he takes her words to heart. The students are delighted and there’s a scuffle because Kurahashi wants him in her group. Koro has never been happier and he takes a million pictures of Karasuma in a frilly apron.

At the KaraIri wedding...Aguri sobs, of course. Like she does with Irina, she also speaks privately with Karasuma, telling him how happy she was to call him a co-worker and a friend. How proud she was that he opened up his heart, how he was a pivotal member of their chaotic found family...Karasuma chokes up, almost cries. But Aguri tells him to save his tears for Irina and their vows.

Karasuma is very bad at giving gifts, but best believe he gives his all when it comes to Christmas in 3-E. He gets a dessert buffet ticket for Koro, lets Irina move in with him and gets her a nice necklace, and for Aguri...he really wants to repay all the nice things she’s done for him. So he gets her a book that he made with the students, of everyone’s favorite memories with Aguri. It has little pictures and stuff in there. He knows that material things don’t really matter to her, but she loves 3-E more than anything. And so everyone, including Koro and Irina, wrote a chapter in there about their favorite memory with her. When she gets it, she cries so hard, and hugs the life out of everyone, especially him.

[sooghostwriter]

The Bee and the Fly

Pairings: Do Kyung Soo x OC

Genre: Mature,  Romance, AU, childhood friends, fluff, a tiny bit of angst because being a teenager is hard.

Summary: Kyung Soo and Eunji have been friends since always. Growing up together, finding themselves, following their dreams.

Part 2: Life, second cut.

 He was only one year older. 

Then why one year felt like a decade with him leaving and she staying there. And the closer the date was, the slower the days went by.

The day she was accepted, Kyung Soo called her at night, hurt because she didn’t give him the good news and he had to find out through his mom. She could barely speak, so his hurt faded away easily “I’m very proud of you Eunji, and I’m so glad you will be coming here, I miss you”

“Same”

“Are you happy?”

“Very” He giggled. 

“You can barely speak, I’m going to leave you then, and Eunji…I’m sorry if I disappear for some days, even a week…I noticed that in this environment when is just me, I tend to obsess over my work  and I forget about everything, I’m sorry”

“I can understand that, don’t worry, Am I going to see you soon? or I have to wait until summer?”

“Stop talking, you little Fly! Your voice! I’m planning on going for new year’s” She cursed, or tried to. 

“I’m going to Taipei to visit my grandmother” Their conversation that night left them both with their spirits on the floor. Kyung Soo was going back to Seoul the same day she arrived back from Taipei. He wasn’t going to come back during the summer, because he had work to do at the institute, and he needed to work to make money. Eunji was planning on moving to Seoul a couple of weeks before the beginning of classes. At least they would meet before being consumed by work. 

 A week before her move, Kyung Soo called Eunji telling her that he wasn’t going to be there for her arrival. He had to go to Busan with his classmates and one of his teachers for a workshop. She played it cool, but when he hung up, the rage brought some tears to her eyes. Why was it so hard to see him? She just wanted to see him, hug him and maybe if she was brave enough, daring enough, she would caress his face. She missed him like crazy, they were finally going to live in the same city, and the day she could see him again kept moving farther and farther away. 

 New years went by too slow. She had a lot of fun in Taipei. She went to all the night markets, visited several towns around the city and soaked into the suffocating heat of the city. No complaints. But all the time, upsetting her, at the back of her head was the thought of Kyung Soo at his house. Finally, at home. And she wasn’t there. 

 Summer wasn’t very different from the rest of the year for Kyung Soo. He was as busy as before. Between his part-time job, assisting some of his teachers at their studio, and working in his own art. His texts were few. Maybe one per week. But the day before she had to leave, he video called her from the train station on his way to Bussan wishing her a safe trip and promising that they would meet as soon as he arrived in Seoul.

She couldn’t sleep the night before. There was so much going on in her head, so many things were about to happen the next day. And in a couple of weeks, a new part of her life was going to start.

Starting university, new people to meet, new responsibilities, finding out more things about herself. It was terrifying. Thinking about meeting Kyung Soo kept some of her fear away. But not enough.

Her dad paid for the plane ticket for her and her mom to Seoul. As they were passing through security her mind kept repeating the words “I want to go home”. Because the closer she was to start this change, the more she wanted to stop all this from happening and just stay where she was. The anxiety that all this caused her settled on her chest, frightening her. She had to meet new people. After years of school, now she had to go through the same, but harder. To top all that she was going to be away from her mom for the first time, living by herself in a student residence.

She didn’t want to do any of this. She just wanted to stay at home, writing. Kyung Soo be damned.

It was too late now.

But a light of hope began shining on her fear spiral. This wasn’t unfamiliar. This fear and insecurity weren’t new to her. She had had it before, this initial fear. And she walked past it to then look back at it and realize how stupid it was. How nothing is never that terrible. 

This couldn’t be the exception. And she kept repeating that for the rest of the flight. 

Her mom helped her settle for a couple of days. Doing some paperwork at the Institute and at the residence, walking around the neighborhood with her to check how safe it was, etc. Just mom things that were done more for her comfort and calm than for Eunji’s. She didn’t complain. For sure this was harder for her mom. She wasn’t crying like Kyung Soo’s mom, her mom wasn’t like that, but when she went back home, she gave Eunji the longest and tightest hug she had ever given her. Then she kissed her on the cheek, holding her face and caressing her cheeks as if she was a little child.

 Kyung Soo called one morning when she was reading in her room. 

“I’m at the train station, I just arrived, but I’m exhausted, can we meet tomorrow?” She said yes, eagerly. Why hide it when Kyung Soo sounded as eager as she was?

 Kyung Soo’s residence was very close to hers, just two stations apart, so they arranged a meeting at a park that was close to their respective houses, just in the middle. Kyung Soo said to meet him at 12 o’clock at the fountain of the park, so she arrived there at 11 o’clock. It was a bit crowded since there was a food fair in the park, so she sat down on the edge of the fountain and searched for him. She probably looked like a meerkat.

Her phone vibrated with a message from Kyung Soo telling her that he was there. She lifted her head and combed the place until she saw him. His face, his round, and balanced face. His warm skin, smooth to the eyes and touch. His forehead, now bigger in appearance due to his shaved head. His thick eyebrows crowning his big dark eyes, his full lips, marvelously shaped. Her mouth whispered his name, and then shouted in desperation, wanting his attention. 

“Kyung Soo!” He saw her and the smile he gave her made her eyes water. She wanted to run to him, but Kyung Soo was quicker, and he was already there. Eunji received him in her arms and hugged him tightly. The realization that they could be close again fell on her like warm water.  She couldn’t control her shaking arms, nor could she explain her sudden loss of voice, or how she couldn’t move, just hug him. He was quiet too. His warm cheek pressed against hers and his breathing close to her ear. His hug, as always, was so warm and comforting. 

“Are you alright? Did you settle in your room? You like it?” She answered yes to all the questions.

“Were you too scared of coming here?” Why lie and try to act though with him? She nodded and Kyung Soo’s arms held her tighter. 

“Coming here is terrifying, I know, you could need some help sometime, you have me here, just ask ok?”

“Thank you” He took a deep breath and let go of her, but kept holding her hands. 

“You like where you are staying?”

“Yeah, a lot, it’s big and cute and very close to the campus” His eyes grew with the sudden realization. 

“Is the big one in the corner right?” She asked him how he knew it. 

“A classmate lives there” She felt something like the touch of a needle on her chest. The first sprout of jealousy in her life.  

“I don’t think you have met her, she was with me at Busan, I’m going to text her to tell her about you” She was quick to hold his hand so he couldn’t reach for his phone. 

“Do that later, let’s go somewhere” Her voice was back, but she could hear some bitterness in it. A year was a lot of time. A long year where he could meet so many people. Man and woman. 

“Ok, but it would be great if you met her, her girlfriend studies creative writing like you, but in another university” The needle fell with a deaf sound to the ground. No more jealousy.

Kyung Soo invited her to a dumpling shop just in front of the park. He said he was paying, as a welcome gift.

“I have more money now, so I’m going to take you out a lot, only happy meals though” They laughed together at a small table at the back of the packed restaurant.

Despite the number of calls, messages and video-calls, there was still so much that he had to tell her, so in front of her was a very talkative Kyung Soo. So much that he choked a couple of times. She felt like Kyung Soo was someone who went on a long trip and now was back with new secrets to tell from faraway lands. Parties, art fairs, classmates and teachers, small and big scandals around the campus. And as Kyung Soo felt like the traveler, she was the newbie who was about to board this train. 

“I knew you were going to make a lot of friends Kyung Soo” She told him after he shared some stories about his new friends and roommates “You always connect with everybody” He nodded absentmindedly, still not good in the art of receiving small compliments. 

“I’m planning on doing the same, connect, be a bit more open in university, be more social” That was in her to-do list, just under becoming a writer. She knew there was nothing wrong with being an introvert, but her fear of meeting people, and sometimes the laziness and cynicism involved in meeting someone kept her from potential great experiences. 

“Your work and mine are very lonely, which I think we both enjoy, and you see those two sides at uni, the artist, the designers, and the writers by themselves, and the dancers and the actors in big groups…but of course, it feels more like a community, for the welcoming of the new students they are organizing a lot of great things, all together” Multitudes, yikes. 

“Eunji, you always struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by groups, and we all search for the place where we fit, you find it at school, and then you press reset and have to do the same here, but I feel like more important than that is to own yourself, so you are not scared of not fitting in”

“Kyung Soo…I think I grabbed half of what you said” He giggled and took a couple of seconds to organize. 

“I’m trying to say that you will get both here, you are going to be very lonely, but also you are going to meet your second generation of friends, and is nothing to be afraid or insecure about…because I know how you get, I bet every night you wonder how much you would screw up if you went back home right now” He dared to finish with a half-smile as if reading her mind and sensing her biggest insecurities was a laughing matter. She made him stop and change the subject. She wanted to hear more from him. And he fed her with that. She heard so much about some of his friends that she wanted to meet them already. And if those friends brought that smile to his face, it meant they were good people.

After their lunch date they walked together to the station and took opposite directions to their respective houses. Before leaving, Kyung Soo grabbed her hand and made a promise. 

“I’m going to be there with you on the first day, ok? Just like when we were kids”

“Ok, thank you, but don’t go and check on me every thirty minutes, I am an adult now” He lowered his head, hiding his shy laugh. 

“I did that” He said between laughs “I thought you didn’t know, ok, I’m not going to do it” 

He said goodbye, still laughing in embarrassment.

That night, she left the book she was reading on the nightstand unable to focus on it. After leaving him she couldn’t stop smiling, as cliché as it sounded. Even the girls at the house made her notice it. And she wasn’t ashamed of it. There were so many reasons to be happy. The most important one  was meeting him again, of course. But there was so much more. Now they had four years ahead of sharing this together, without periods of loneliness and disconnection. She was also so incredibly happy that she met the same man that left. He was the same person she missed.

The same peaceful voice with careful thoughts. 

 ++++

 She was only able to sleep the night before her first day of class because she took an antihistaminic, and those always shut her down.

She woke up at 7 am the next day, completely rested and ready.

Kyung Soo offered to go and picked her up so they could go together, but she said no, she was an adult now. She did accept when he offered to wait for her at the entrance of the campus though. She was only three-fourths of an adult.

The first day went by very quickly. That year’s generation of students of creative writing was a group of 40 people, separated into two groups of 20 for most of the classes. It was a diverse group, although the majority were men. Most of them were the same age and most of them were just like her, people of few words, avid readers and with a clear bias for individual work. She got to talk with a lot of them, noticing quite quickly how easy it was. And although she mostly relied on the conversation of the people around her, she felt like she could express herself clearly, and also could hear and analyze everything that everyone was saying with ease.  

 The week was short but very entertaining. She noticed with a lot of glee that the program was just what she expected and needed. People who would help her polish her writing, who would tell her how to write, but not what to write about.

By Friday she was asking for some rest. But rest will come on Saturday because that Friday was the welcoming event for all new students and the celebration of the beginning of the year. Kyung Soo went to pick her up at her only class of that day so they could enjoy the festivities together.

“You are not doing anything?” She asked him since this was a gift from the older students to the new students. 

“No, I did a lot for the anniversary of the Institute, so I’m free” They went to the Greek-style theater so they could listen to the words of the president of the institution and the respective deans, followed by an amazing performance by the second year dance group. 

A staggering performance with music from Vangelis with references to the man on the moon. The main dancer, a tall man, with long legs and a lean body moved around simulating the lack of gravity, jumping high and falling lightly, flying around the stage with the help of the other dancers. But his face showed the fear and loneliness of the space. He danced with every muscle of his body, including the muscles of his face. 

“These people are really from second year? Not ex alumni?” He chuckled and confirmed what the dean had said. 

“They are from second year, I’m friends with some of them, I’m going to introduce them to you later” He didn’t say more. He didn’t say that he was best friends with the main dancer, she would have to find out about it later that night.

The people from the film department, Korean music, applied music, and theatre also performed and by the time that this huge festival celebrating arts was done, it was time for dinner and drinks. The entire campus turned into a food market, dance floor and bar. She was never a person that enjoyed parting. Mostly because the idea of going out with her classmates and friends was ‘Let’s find a way to get drunk` and ‘Let’s get into clubs where there’s probably a lot of people doing drugs`. All those settings caused her horror, so she refrained from them. And yes, there were already some people drunk at the party, but there were also people singing, dancing and even doing some art performances. Everything felt very safe. Even when there were close to a thousand people there. She shared a beer with Kyung Soo, toasting for the obvious and then they went in search of food. In their way, he introduced her to some of his friends and classmates, and her first impressions were quite good. They had just finished their serving of fried chicken when some of her classmates came to her and invited her to get together with the rest. She looked at Kyung Soo and without words he told her to go ahead. 

 The get together lasted about an hour, and she had a great time. But the night was still young, and she wanted to keep enjoying it with her friend. She called him to know about his whereabouts and he told her to meet him at the theater because the dancers were doing something. She walked for ten minutes before she noticed that she had no idea where the theater was. She kept walking, to not look lost and pulled out the GPS of her phone. Which didn’t help a lot, since she wasn’t sure where she was either. 

“You need help?” A rather loud voice spoke to her, and when she turned around to look at the person asking, she only met a chest, she had to look up to meet his face. It was the dancer from before. 

“I need to go to the theater, but I forgot which way is”

“Oh, first year! I am heading there, wanna come with me?” It was crowded enough to not fear for her life, so she accepted his help. 

“I’m Jongin by the way” She introduced herself, getting a pout in response. 

“Your name sounds familiar…from where?” He pondered for a while until he gave up and asked her the second obvious question. 

“What are you studying?”

“Creative writing” His cheer surprise didn’t sound fake. 

“That’s cool, I’m studying dance, second year”

“I know, I saw you today, it was so beautiful” She could swear she saw him jump a little bit with her compliment and made sure to thank her profusely. The noise coming from the theater sounded closer, and she could see the lights now. He asked her if she was meeting someone and she said yes, her friend Kyung Soo. 

“Do Kyung Soo? From second year?” She nodded. 

“Me too! We are friends, oh my god, now I remember, you are that Eunji! His friend, I can’t believe I’m meeting you! You are finally here, he must be happy” He elongated the last sound of his sentences and giggled like a child. Who was this approachable, innocent young adult that looked so godlike some hours ago on stage? She was tempted to ask if he had some kind of split personality, but that was rude. It was easy to spot Kyung Soo in the small crowd that was watching the dance performance on stage. As soon as they reached their friend, Jongin began patting his back.  

“She is here, she is here, we met by accident, can you believe it?” Kyung Soo introduced them again, just to be polite and then their focus went to the traditional dance performance on stage. After that, they watched another two performances and agreed to go for food somewhere else.

They took her to their favorite place “We go there when we stay until late at the campus working, always after dancing I feel very hungry” The place was small but warm and the smell lingering in the air was a strong predictor of how good the food was. 

The conversation was easy with the two of them. With Kyung Soo for obvious reasons, but Jongin drenched every question with so much curiosity that she felt compelled to answer clearly and lengthy. 

“Why writing?” Jongin asked her, giving her time to answer. 

“I write…in hopes to dig something with language, I’m not sure what I am digging but I believe in the power of language and words, which is express”

“Get something out there,” He added. 

“Yes, exactly”

“I don’t read, it takes time and also, you can’t dance when reading” He sounded apologetical, but Eunji appreciated the honest confession, risking sounding stupid or ignorant. Kyung Soo laughed and patted his arm. 

“When Jongin is not sleeping, he is dancing or eating”

“I’m not judging you, actually it makes sense” She told him, so he wouldn’t get self-conscious. 

“I watch movies though, Kyung Soo takes me to the movies often, so whatever book you have read, I watched the movie for sure… It, for example! Did you read it?”

“Yeah, when I was 12” His eyes went big and round and his mouth fell open. 

“12?! How?!  It is terrifying!” Kyung Soo told her how Jongin had a hard time sleeping after watching the movie, but Eunji didn’t remember being scared watching the movie. She told this to Jongin, and he looked scandalized.

 When they were ready to leave Kyung Soo went to the bathroom and they waited for him outside. Staying alone with people she had just met always made her uncomfortable. There was a silence that was supposed to be filled, and she always felt the pressure to do it, but never did. 

“You remind me a lot of him” Jongin said, grinning at her “I can’t tell what you guys are thinking, but I would trust you both with my life” She laughed nervously and was quite surprised by his comment. 

After Jongin went back home and Kyung Soo walked her to her dorm, the words of her new friend came back to her, and slowly they began to make sense. As they walked in comfortable silence, at the same speed, she began contemplating a beautiful idea in her head. She and Kyung Soo were from the same species. She felt equal to him. She understood his language, all of them. And he understood hers. Even when they lived different lives, she knew there was something in their brains, heart, and blood that was the same. They seeked silence and solitude. Their minds were slow-paced. And yes, they developed in different contexts, they had different survival skills, but the base was the same in both of them.

They were old souls. An old and cliché concept that now was the most accurate for her to describe them.

 ++++

 The first month of classes was fast, messy and hard.

Getting accustomed to all the new things wasn’t hard for her. In fact, it was something that she secretly craved. The freedom, compared with high school, that university gave you was like a big gulp of water in the desert. You knew that at some point you were going to die, but that instant satisfaction of finally having something you wanted was good enough.

She had something on her side though. There was a lot of reading during the first month. A lot of ‘Learn this style, analyze this writer, you haven’t read Chejov? How could you?’. 

Well, she had read Chejov, quite recently. She even had her notes about all his tales. That was a gift from the Eunji from the past that meant less work for the Eunji of the present. 

“See how being a bookworm and a nerd paid off for you” Kyung Soo said, messing with her. 

“Oh Kyung Soo, I always knew it would pay off, I already read seven out of the ten books they asked us to read this first trimester” She asked him how things were looking for him. 

“This first semester for us is mostly about learning whatever technique they are teaching us, as we work on our final project” Kyung Soo’s project from the past year gave him reasonable popularity at the Institute. It consisted of a set of hyper-realistic paintings of wild herbivores in ferocious positions. 

“It’s something like the rebellion of the weak one” He explained to her. She didn’t like it a lot, it was a bit grotesque for her taste, but the execution was amazing. When he showed the paintings to her, he immediately could tell what she was thinking “You don’t like it” He said calmly, smiling.

“Is not my cup of tea, I’m a bit scared of that deer”

“I know” He answered between laughs. She was glad he didn’t get offended.

 ++++

 Eunji never thought her university life could be so good. In her first three months, she spent two nights without sleeping because of a short story about politics she had to submit, and she knew nothing about politics. 

She ended up at the infirmary one time she skipped breakfast, and lunch and any kind of food for about 20 hrs. She got her first bad grade, which ended in a small breakdown in front of Kyung Soo and Jongin. She got a part-time job at a coffee shop that belonged to Jongin’s sister, she had to serve customers, which wasn’t her favorite thing to do, but the pay was good, and the food better. All these things sounded kind of terrible, but for her, it was part of the experience. And she felt how she was growing, slowly, but steadily. She faced things that she never had to face before, and she was able to overcome them. And there were all kinds of things, with different difficulty levels, from using the subway without getting lost, to settling a disagreement with a girl from her dorm. 

 One new thing that happened to her, and wasn’t her favorite, in fact, she was pretty sure she wasn’t going to repeat it, was getting drunk.

It happened at a small gathering with her classmates to celebrate the end of their first round of exams. This was her first time drinking, she informed her friends about it, and they didn’t force her to drink or anything. But they didn’t stop her either. After two bottles of soju, she was gone to the world. It surprised her that her drunkenness expressed as non-stop giggling, a bit of somnolence and a desire to drink more. Her closest classmate almost friend, Jongdae, stopped her from doing it “Tell me the name of that bald guy who’s always with you so he can come and pick you up”

“You take me home, you are my friend” He laughed loudly, grabbing her right index finger to unlock her phone. 

“No no, I’m going to drink a bit more and then head to my girlfriends home, your boyfriend has the responsibility of picking you up”

“He is not my boyfriend!” She hit the table and pouted at him. 

“Oh, look at you being so cute, ok, tell me the name of your friend so I can call him” She mumbled his name and went back to giggle about the very fun shape of the shrimp in front of her. She could hear Jongdae talking next to her, but couldn’t understand what he was saying. 

“Kyung Soo says that he is going to be here in 20 minutes, so we are going to eat and not drink until he comes here ok?” She quite liked the fatherly tone he used with her, it made her feel at peace. 

“Ok dad…no more soju for me, hey! Dad! You are not Jongdae, you are Jongdady!” She saw Jongdae trying to hide his laugh as he flicked her forehead, but it was too late, everybody heard it and now it was his new nickname “You are going to pay for this Eunji”

As promised, Kyung Soo arrived 20 minutes later and dashed to her table. He introduced himself to the people seated around her and then sat behind her. Eunji was resting her head on her hand, drowsing for a bit. 

“Is she really drunk?” Kyung Soo asked Jongdae. 

“Yes, we stopped her as soon as she began showing signs of drunkenness, since this is her first time” Kyung Soo patted her back, she turned around and smiled brightly at him, mumbling his name as she held his cold hands. 

“I thought it was a good idea to call her boyfriend since she can’t leave like this by herself” Eunji heard the words of betrayal from Jongdae and felt like  Julius Cesar. 

“Jongdady?!” She asked in astonishment, trying to attack back. Everybody around them laughed except her and Jongdae. Kyung Soo looked as if he wasn’t paying attention to it and just helped her get up. Everybody said goodbye, loudly and lovingly and she left by his arm. Walking wasn’t really hard, but she was now very tired, and her head felt somehow bloated. Kyung Soo walked in silence, but smiling. 

“What are you thinking Bee?” Kyung Soo snapped his head, looking at her with surprise. 

“You haven’t called me that in years Eunji, I thought you have forgotten about it”

“It's just that you are not a bee anymore, you are a bumblebee now” She shared the joke that she told herself a while ago. Kyung Soo laughed, that goofy laugh she liked so much, and brought her closer to him to cross the street. 

“Why a bumblebee?”

“You are not small anymore, now you are big and manly, although I wouldn’t say that bumblebees are manly, they are still very cute, and you are very cute too, so bumblebee it is” This time his laugh was a shy one, and he mumbled something, but it was probably only for himself to hear because she couldn’t grab what he was saying. 

“So if I’m not a bee anymore, what are you?” Eunji took a while to answer thinking about what insect she had evolve into. 

“I don’t know enough about insects to answer that Kyung Soo, but I will say I’m just a bigger fly now, my eyes are still very big, I’m still hearing what everybody says without being noticed and as a fly I’m insistent, I’m still here with you, buzzing in your ear, I’m still here even if you batted me away”

“I never batted you away” She shrugged, holding onto him strongly since they were walking down the stairs. 

“I know, I was just building some drama, I am a writer, Bee” He patted her hand laughing softly. He sat her at one of the seats in the platform and texted someone over the phone. 

“I’m going to take you to your dorm ok?” She nodded, resting her head on the wall. 

“You think they would let me in?”

“Sure, you are harmless” He mumbled again, but this time she could understand him. 

“I hope so” He said, but her drunk brain decided to keep quiet and not comment on that. The train ride made her feel very dizzy, and all her strength went to not vomit. Kyung Soo rubbed her back and helped her breathe better so she could subdue the nausea. The voice over the speaker announced her station and she got out immediately. Quickly, Kyung Soo stood next to her and grabbed her hand for support. The fresh air outside the station made the nausea disappear, but not the drunkenness. 

“Kyung Soo, as a thank you for bringing me here, I’m going to write another character based on you”

“Another?” She huffed, waving her hand. 

“Bee, you are in every single story I have written”

“I am? Why?” Eunji shrugged dismissively. 

“In that way I missed you a bit less”

“You missed me a lot?” Eunji could only release a long sight, if she voiced her feelings, she could end up crying. And she didn’t want to be the crying drunk girl. Kyung Soo apologized, but she didn’t need an apology, there was no reason to apologize.

They arrived at her residence and Kyung Soo had to take care of opening the door, since she was trying to do so with a pencil. Since it was a Friday night, the place was empty. She told him where to take her and finally, after what felt like an eternity, she could lay on her bed. She rolled over it until she found a comfortable position as Kyung Soo went to her bathroom. He appeared with a glass of water and helped her sit up so she could drink it. She wasn’t thirsty, but either way, she drank the entire glass. 

“Tomorrow morning drink some more water ok? And take some medicine if you need it” He got up, ready to leave, and Eunji felt desperation crawling up her chest. 

“Don’t leave, why are you leaving? Stay” She reached for his hand but couldn’t grab it. 

“I can’t stay here”

“Says who?” He didn’t answer. 

“Are you sure Eunji?” She nodded and moved her body to the edge of the bed against the wall.

“Come here” She patted the spot next to her and in the darkness, she could see his wavering stare. She insisted, pouting and complaining a bit because she was drunk and drunk people were allowed to act spoiled. To that Kyung Soo gave up and landed on her bed with a thud, smiling softly. 

“How are you feeling?” He asked in a whisper.

“Good, hey, tomorrow I’m going to feel like crap, right?”

“Maybe not, your friend Jongdae said you didn’t drink a lot, so you are probably going to be ok”

“I am a good drunk people? person, a good drunk person?” He laughed brushing her hair away from her face. 

“You are a very good drunk person, it was my pleasure to take care of you”

“Thank you Bee”

“Call me whenever you need me ok, I’m here now, you don’t have to miss me anymore, use me”

“I don’t miss you, no, I get to see you every day, it’s like a dream”

“You like seeing me?” She nodded, feeling a bit drowsy, Kyung Soo was talking a bit too much, asking so many questions. 

“Remember the last time we shared a bed Eunji?”

“Yes, for my birthday, best birthday ever”

“I enjoyed it a lot too” She really wanted to sleep, but Kyung Soo had another question left. 

“Eunji, are you going to allow me to read your stories where I’m a character?” Her response was absolute. 

“Never, or maybe someday, maybe after our wedding” Kyung Soo didn’t speak again, and if he did, she didn’t hear him because sleep decided to take over at that exact moment. 

 ++++

 There were some things in life that you hear about in movies, books and on TV. One of them was the myth that you don’t remember anything that happened during a moment of drunkenness.

Everybody was right. It wasn’t a myth, at least not for her.

Eunji woke up to a sleeping Kyung Soo, in her room, on her bed. Right off the bat, she couldn’t remember why he was there. Not that she was worried, but a bit of explanation was always great. She remembered going for drinks last night…then getting drunk…and well, on the bright side, she was fully clothed.

It has been a while since she got to see him like this. Since her birthday actually. Kyung Soo’s features looked a bit harsh, with lines forming on his brow, whatever he was dreaming, it wasn’t calming. But he didn’t look mad, he looked focused on something. Poor thing was probably working on his sleep. Her arms were touching his, and she could feel his warmth. Eunji wanted nothing more than to curl up into his chest, cover themselves under the blanket and just cuddle for the rest of the morning. Kyung Soo was still a brick. The only movement was the slow rise and fall of his chest. His lips were slightly open, making him look adorable. She kept looking at his face for a while. She always did her best to not do that. Her rule was to look at Kyung Soo only when they were talking.  But now he was dead to the world and he wouldn’t notice an innocent stare.

Or maybe not so innocent. She focused so hard on his lips that now she wanted to kiss him. Kiss him until losing her breath and even after that just keep kissing him.

It surprised her a little bit noticing that this was the first time she had a thought like this. Even when she has been pining for him for so long, her thoughts lacked carnal passion and relayed only in some kind of dramatic romanticism.

Now she felt both.

If she was very careful maybe she could touch him. Cares his lips with the tip of her fingers, draw the line of his eyebrows, if she was daring enough, she could pass her hand over his freshly shaved head.

She could move a bit closer and maybe hide her head under his chin, move just a bit closer so she could rest against his chest and get more of his warmth. And if he woke up, she could always say that she was asleep. Maybe she was still a tiny bit drunk from last night because convincing herself to move and get what she wanted took her a second. She wiggled closer to his side and sunk her head under his chin, her nose resting against his collarbone. His arms were on her way, and she really didn’t know what to do with hers, but it was good enough. Kyung Soo stirred in his sleep, stretching and sliding one of his arms around her waist. She tensed, already acting up as if she was in deep sleep. 

“Eunji?”

“Huh?” Damn it. She cursed a million times in her head. So much for her acting. 

“How’s your hangover?”

“It’s ok I guess, I feel ok”

“Good, then let’s sleep some more” He brought her closer to his chest and after a long deep yawn, he went back to sleep.

She couldn’t. 

 ++++

 As her world opened during the last four months, some habits changed on her.

Her eating habits, her social habits, her sleeping habits. And her writing habits weren’t an exception. She used to lock herself in her room and write non-stop for an entire afternoon. No breaks in between.

Now she liked to move. One week she would write at the library of the campus or a coffee shop. Sometimes when creativity, and mostly will, were out of duty. There were two places that inspired her the most. Kyung Soo’s shared studio and Jongin’s rehearsal room. Sometimes Kyung Soo would go with her to Jongin’s rehearsal room and sketch, or sometimes Jongin would go to Kyung Soo’s studio with her and watch videos to study for his performance. It was mandatory to keep your artistic flow moving and everybody there did what they could to do so.

It was Friday morning and she only had one class on Fridays. After that, she went to Kyung Soo’s studio with Jongin and they hung out together until Kyung Soo’s next class. This time Kyung Soo wanted to change plans. 

“I don’t want to be here, I spent most of the morning here trying to do something with that lump of clay and nothing came, I’m incredibly frustrated, can we go somewhere else?”

“I need to rehearse for next week, want to come with me?” Jongin offered and they both nodded. 

 Jongin closed the curtains of the room, winter was showing its arrival and the cold slipped past the glass of the room. Eunji and Kyung Soo settled on a mat on one corner of the room and immediately she pulled out her computer to finish editing Jongdae’s story. They helped each other proofreading their assignments. Kyung Soo on the other side pulled out his camera and asked Jongin if he could take some pictures of him dancing. 

“What for?” Asked Eunji after Jongin agreed. 

“I have something in mind for my final project” She asked more questions, what, why, who. 

“I have been doing some research in human sculpture…and all I find are mythological creatures, biblical characters or european people, I want to make sculptures with Asian people as models, I began working with clay, and I have been studying human form”

“Why clay?” She asked in complete ignorance. 

“I think is the best product for a poor student like me, rock or marble are too expensive and require a knowledge of the technique that I don’t have, and can’t learn by the end of the year, also renaissance isn’t a thing anymore, so sculpting in stone is for crazy people”

“And you want to use Jongin as your model” He nodded, grinning at her. 

“I haven’t asked him yet, I’m not sure what I want from him as a model” She supported his idea commenting on how gorgeous he was. Kyung Soo agreed. 

“Not for nothing his nickname is god”

“He totally embraced that name,” Kyung Soo agreed, giggling. 

“You became very close to him, I’m glad, also you come here often to write” He said, and she knew that he was trying to talk with her, he was in that mood probably, so she closed her computer to give him all her attention. 

“Yeah, he is the sweetest, and coming here to write helps me focus, as I write I can hear the music, his sneakers scratching the floor and his loud breathing, is like white noise, if I lost my line of thought it helps me to go back in track, he is always so focused, it’s like trying to follow his rhythm, he as a very positive energy too…it’s very easy to talk to him and just be around him, I trust him” Kyung Soo smiled, looking at her in silence for a while and she had to ask him what was he thinking. 

“You don’t show it and you think I can’t see it, but you always feel so strongly about everyone, I think that’s why you allow only a few people in your life and I’m glad Jongin is one of them, he deserves our love and everybody needs someone like him around” Sometimes it terrified her how much he knew her. How easy it was for him to read into her behavior and how understanding he was. It was discouraging to know that someone like Kyung Soo was like a comet that passed through our atmosphere once every fifty years. 

“My first two months here were rough, there were so many new people and it was so weird to think about them as future collages because I met some of them and they are crap Kyung Soo, and to think that maybe some of them will share some success is so…crappy” He chuckled at the word she chose but understood her. 

“I imagine it must have been hard to share so much time with so many new people, I didn’t ask you anything because you didn’t say anything to me, but…you know” She chuckled bitterly. 

“I meet a lot of people and a first sight everything was fine but after a couple of weeks I began feeling like such an outsider, which I don’t think I am, but my brain was sending all these signals”

“You can’t pretend to fit immediately”

“No, of course not, but after a while I saw myself and I noticed that I didn’t need to fit because of none of us does, I just needed to adapt temporarily, in certain situations and with certain people, and then back to my own self…I just like that all of us are studying in an environment of respect and camaraderie, that’s enough for me…and for friends, I have Jongdae, and is more than enough” Her stomach hurt after speaking so much about herself, not like the pain of a stomach ache, but more like the pain of running without breathing properly. She was tense and spoke too fast when it came about talking about herself. And there was always that moment after finishing a long rant about herself when she imagined the other person acting indifferent. Even Kyung Soo.

In fact, imagining him acting indifferent was her biggest fear. But he only looked into her eyes, and she saw how he knew. He knew and understood, and he was interested, he was listening. Through his eyes, he saw and understood how she felt, maybe even before she could say anything. 

“Hey you two, you are only there chatting, what about me? Look at me so you can give me feedback”

“We are so sorry, take off your t-shirt so I can take better pictures” Kyung Soo told him, making Eunji giggle nervously. Jongin complained a little bit but did as told. He danced again, with their attention on him, and when he was done, of course perfectly, Kyung Soo whispered to her. 

“I think I’m sculpting one of these shirtless pictures”

“I think you should, your hands are tied Kyung Soo” They fist bump and Jongin came to them, grumpily telling them how he felt left out.

 ++++

 She didn’t see Kyung Soo for almost a week. He apologized saying that he was developing his final project and he had to show the first proposal to his teacher. She felt a bit self-conscious. He was already working on that, should she start working on hers? 

“No, he is like this because they evaluate the entire process, and also he normally develops a small collection of pieces, so it takes time” Jongin tried to calm her down. 

They were done with their classes and she had to study but she didn’t feel like doing so. 

“Want me to distract you even more?” He asked excitedly as they left the campus behind. She accepted his vage proposal. 

“We haven’t had the chance to go out together, let’s go for an early dinner and chat a little bit” Eunji liked the idea. 

And he was right. They became friends through Kyung Soo, but they never shared much time by themselves, only when she went to his rehearsals, but they barely spoke during those situations.

He took her to a tent bar close to the subway station. The sky was getting darker and the cold was perfect for a shared bottle of soju and a couple of spicy dishes. Jongin led the conversation, fortunately, and it went from how their day was, to gossiping and somehow it moved to Kyung Soo and what was going on between them. 

“We are friends” She answered on autopilot. Jongin giggled, batting his hand adorably. 

“That is not true”

“It is, we are friends”

“Yes, but not just friends” She didn’t answer “You know, when I meet him we hit very quickly, and he got along with a lot of people, he was and still is very popular, I saw him reject a lot of people, and he never paid attention to anyone, I mean, he never showed interest in anyone, I thought he was asexual or something, until he began to share more about his life, and about you, and I thought, oh, he is not asexual, he is just in love” Eunji rolled her eyes and tried to hide behind her bowl or ramen. 

“Shut up” Jongin giggled again. 

“But it's true! And it was so much clearer after you came” If she was going to talk about this with someone, she could do it with Jongin, she thought. She never shared anything with anyone, especially the matter related to Kyung Soo. She never had the need to do it, but maybe an opinion, a view from the outside could be good. 

“You think?”

“Don’t you?” He raised an eyebrow, mocking her a tiny bit. 

“I don’t dare to think about that”

“I asked him about this a couple of times and he said nothing, the third time I asked he pinch me here and it left a bruise, now that I think about it, it was quite wise because look at me now, talking about him with you” He was right, he could have told her what Kyung Soo trusted to him. Maybe he could tell Kyung Soo what she would share with him. 

“Of course I’m not telling him anything you share with me” Eunji jolted thinking he had read her mind. Jongin’s phone rang, taking his attention away from her. 

“It’s him!” He shouted before picking up. After a call that lasted a couple of minutes he hung up and looked at her with mischievous eyes. 

“He said that I shouldn’t let you drink more than a bottle of soju and if you did, I have to call him so he can come and pick you up, he is sorry that he can join us but he is working” He held her stare, waiting for her to say something, moving her eyebrows up at down, up and down. 

“Stop it Jongin”

“Eunji!” He whined “He loves so much is stupid”

“We have known each other for such a long time, of course he would take care of me”

“Yes, that’s true, but let’s not talk about how he feels, how do you feel? Would you call me just to end up talking about him?”

“That’s what we are doing now”

“You know what I mean” Eunji took a deep breath and ate the last spoon of soup weighing this situation. It was unknown to her why he was asking so much about her relationship with Kyung Soo. Could be innocent curiosity, maybe he wanted to be part of it, to make a connection between her and Kyung Soo. But if she was going to talk about this with someone, why not Jongin. There wasn’t a single hair of evil in his body, so for sure he could only have good intentions with all this. 

“If you are asking me if I care about him, of course I do”

“I feel like you are part of who he is by now” He commented not giving too much importance to what he was saying. So probably he didn’t know how his words sounded in her head. Because if Jongin was right, she could understand that, it was the same for her. 

“He has influenced me so much, he as conquer me in the most precious way, I don’t feel possessive towards him, I don’t feel selfishness, I just want to be like him, to learn from him how to be peaceful, loving, respectful, I want to be a great person like him, and not just because I want to be good for him, it’s because he taught me that’s how I want to be treated and how everybody should be treated”

“And it has been like that since you guys were kids”

“He taught me all this when we were just kids”

“You love him since then?”

“I don’t think so… I mean, I have loved him always, but in different ways, the love I have for him now is different from the one I felt as a child” After that ping pong session of questions, Jongin kept quiet, a soft smile on his lips. 

“Were you checking if I was good enough for Kyung Soo?”

“Maybe, look, we are all very protective of him, I think you can understand that?” 

“I punched some faces in preschool because of him, so yeah, I understand” Jongin held his hand in front of her, waiting for a high five, to which she answered reluctantly. His phone ringed again with a message. 

“He is asking if we are still here”

“Tell him I left, this was too much for me, it’s going to be weird” She was thankful that he didn’t insist. She paid for her food and left Jongin there.

She decided to walk home, it was dark, but the streets were still busy, and it only was a 30-minute walk. She needed some time to relax, to digest all the things she said and all the things she heard and then go to sleep.

What Jongin told her didn’t surprise her. Of course, she wasn’t going to bet all she had on his suspicions about how Kyung Soo felt. But she could have some hope.

Just a bit of hope.

 ++++

 She was in the middle of her first class that morning when she got a text from Kyung Soo. He wanted to talk with her. She still had an hour left of class so he told her to go to his studio once she was done. 

She didn’t have the chance to think about it because she had to present an assignment. As soon as she was done with her class, she walked to the two-floor building where the art studios were and searched for Kyung Soo’s.

He was sitting next to the window carving a bust. She knocked and he waved at her telling her to come in. 

“Is that Jongin?” She asked, recognizing his cheekbones. 

“Yeah, it's just a study though, you like it?”

“Looks just like him, you are planning on making a sculpture of his whole body, right?” He showed her his sketches of Jongin standing gracefully in the midst of doing a spin. She could imagine how majestic the sculpture would look. 

“And he agreed to do it?”

“Yeah, he was a bit unsure, when he is not dancing he tends to be a bit shy, but he said yes… actually, I asked you to come here for something related to this” Eunji felt something on her knees and back. A bad feeling maybe. 

“I have to present the final proposal for my art project to our teachers’ tomorrow, and I need to ask you something?”

“What is it?” Kyung Soo doubted for a couple of seconds. Looking at his knees, finding a place where he could hide his stare. Eunji became a bit anxious. She suspected what he could need, but also she wasn’t prepared for that suspicion. 

“I find this project very intimate for me, is something I always craved to do, to work with clay and to represent the human body, and I would love to…I would be so glad and honored if you could model for me, for one of my sculptures” She repeated his last four words, shocked, for lack of a better word. Kyung Soo asked her again. 

“Could you model for me, so I can make a sculpture of you?”

“Why me?” He was still nervous, a nervous Kyung Soo wasn’t a sight that she saw very often. 

“It is a mixture of people that I care about, people I find beautiful and people who inspire me”

“Which one am I?” Her question was daring, and she felt slightly brave by asking it. Those were the important things for her at that moment. 

“All of the above” He answered, meeting her stare. 

“You find me beautiful?”

“I do, you are gorgeous” Eunji had never felt beautiful, let alone gorgeous. Cute maybe. Not bad under the right lighting and with a bit of make-up. But beautiful, never. No one ever told her she was. Her mom always compared her with other girls, so she was never beautiful enough. She avoided mirrors most of the time, just to avoid the disappointment and the waterfall of insecurity.

She avoided mirrors when in reality she should have watched herself in his eyes.

With time and care, she learned to read Kyung Soo. She knew all his gestures, she understood him by the tone of his voice. She knew beforehand when he needed silence or a distraction. She was sure about those. But his gestures of love were the ones that were still a mystery for her. But not because they were hard to read. She didn’t want to read them. It was like learning a language without considering the culture behind that language. It was robotic almost. Kyung Soo was around her because they have always been friends. Period.

But he was now opening a window because he cared about her, he found her beautiful and was inspired by her. A friend could find you beautiful and be inspired by you, of course, but maybe he loved her. The way he looked at her and the way he touched her was more than a habit.  

She couldn’t read his mind to be completely sure about his feelings, of course.

But she could read hers.

She could easily know how she felt. And she loved him. Romantically. Very romantically. She wanted everything from him and wanted to give everything to him.

She wanted him to see her.

In life, we only have three choices: Yesterday, today and tomorrow. Yesterday is yesterday, the only thing that belongs to us it’s the memory of yesterday. The today is only real when it becomes past, so we are left with only one option, the future.

In the past, she let Kyung Soo go. In the present she never reached hard enough for him, so he was almost a memory. But in the future, Kyung Soo could be hers. Or not. But at least in the future, the possibility was real, and she was going to take it.

“I will, I will model for you, I would love to do it” He grabbed her hand and pressed his forehead against it, sighing loudly. He thanked her and his words were overfilled with gratitude.

Eunji made a pact with herself to show him how she loved him. How she had been loving him long before she had the guts to let him know.

TBC

[cammiluna]

Sorry I’ve been mostly gone for the last few months. 2020 particularly has been a wild year for me personally.

My story actually started back in September when I applied for the JET program for the 4th consecutive year, as that in itself took up a significant amount of my time and attention.

I got rejected once again.

About two weeks prior to the rejection, I applied for a new job in Washington state. I got a referral from a close friend of mine. Got accepted for that job in less than 24 hours, but I was still waiting for the JET interview results (and the timeframe between acceptance and the first day of work was undoable to me as a broke New Yorker going to MAGFest on a shoestring budget

I had to take some mad commissions for that. To this day, some of those commissions are incomplete still

Two weeks after my 4th JET program rejection and the wave of depression and anger that followed, I got another call from the Washington job asking to come in 7 weeks later.  I took the offer. Back at this time, people and governments were still slapfighting over whether to take a certain viral situation seriously or not.

Around the time I got that second call, I had a meltdown at work when the server died and more was expected of me handling it than I was able to do.

I had 7 weeks to find an apartment, downsize my belongings and find a way to get me, Kirby (my fish) and a tiny percentage of my belongings on a minimal budget.  In doing so, I had to reach out to friends in private to avoid my former employer snooping around my social media.

I send in my 2-weeks notice and while I’m thankful I wasn’t fired right there for doing that, extra demanding work tasks were piled on me while I was preparing the move. Like having to teach computer-unsavvy people how to do my job and writing instructions on how to do these things; 99.99999% computer-related. I used up my vacation days to take days when i felt another meltdown coming and my former employer used that against me when they wanted me to make business cards with photographs for all staff members- something that would take several weeks when I only had four days left at work.

On top of everything, I’ve gotten a cold four times between November 2019 and March 2020 because the apartment’s heater broke down, the landlord would just keep smacking it to make it work temporarily, and my room wasn’t properly insulated so I froze all winter like I was sleeping out in the street.

So when I finally made it to Washington, I was a mess. Nasty cold, weakness, fatigue, everytime I tried to sleep, I had vertigo.

And $2700 in credit card debt from the move. My plane ticket was $150, but my [oversize/overweight] baggage fees were $400, delivery of my books and artist alley materials was another $150, setting up a new fish tank from scratch was almost $300 (not including parts that my friend had gifted him), and then some.  I basically moved out here with my computers, 1/3rd of my video game collection (the rest were donated/sold), art supplies, Kirby, some rare/recent collecibles, and a week’s worth of clothing. Everything else had to be purchased after the move. Furniture, food, kitchenware, linens, etc. 

A lot of items were donated from friends. I am beyond thankful to them!

And yes, Kirby came with me on a plane. You had to see the eyes bulging out of every TSA officer that saw me yoink a bag of live fish out of my carry-on, but I had a printout from the TSA website that indeed said that live fish are allowed through security checkpoint as long as they are in a sealed container.

yep.

Kirby also got sick. He had anxiety from the move and the new tank settings. We got him a cave to hide him, but it had a really rough surface and he injured himself bumping into it a few times. Cave was since removed.

So then I started my new job a week later.  Four days into the new job, the office decided to close before corona could be a problem. I’ve been working from home ever since. The training was chill physical energy-wise, but very intense and full of information I had to retain. Also, this is my first customer service job, so I was super anxious the whole way. 2.5 months of training it was,

By the end of March, I had all the symptoms that Corona was known for. Nothing was severe, and I had no vehicle to go see a doctor (I made a dumb mistake and moved to a hilly suburb because the rent was cheap). It could have been corona, it could have been a venn diagram of my cold phasing out overlapping with anemia and anxiety, I guess we’ll never know. I found ways to get by while still working from home.

Kirby was also choking on his own air bubbles for March and April. I wasn’t able to get any info on why that would be. He is doing fine now.

Training is over now. I finally started seeking medical help last week because I’m still dealing with chest pain, fatigue, and shortness of breath which I was told could be anemia (worse than I’ve ever had it before).  I’m still anxious because I’m on customer phone service full time now, but while it has a lot of challenges and I do get tired in the end (which could be anemic fatigue still), I’m a LOT less stressed out than I was at my old job.  The pay isn’t much higher, but I’ve been able to live a much better life here. Got usable health benefits now and while the food is more expensive out here, you get a LOT more food for all those dollars spent. Also, since I’ve been too fatigued to cook much of the time (and I have a shitty electric stove that takes 45+ minutes to boil a pot of water), I can have healthy restaurant meals delivered via uber eats. Most of the restaurants in my service area serve REALLY TASTELESS FOOD, but some restaurants serve enough in one order to make for 2-3 meals.

but anyway. That’s what’s been going on now. Financial situation has improved greatly since I started getting paychecks out here. medical investigation is ongoing. I just need my energy back to start making regular art content again.

I have played Animal Crossing since the game came out. I will share the artwork I’ve managed to do soon, including some plague knight and mona/animal crossing crossover stuff such as the pic you see above.

Stay tuned and thanks for your patience.

[acontributor]

The Origins of Dating

The word “date” was coined — inadvertently, it seems — by George Ade, a columnist for the Chicago Record, in 1896. In a column about “working class lives,” he told of a clerk named Artie whose girlfriend was losing interest in him and beginning to see other men socially. When Artie confronts his fading love, he says, “I s’pose the other boy’s fillin’ all my dates?”

But when these single women, stripped from their dependency on fathers and husbands, began to be courted in public, police, politicians, and civic leaders were alarmed.

“In the eyes of the authorities,” Weigel writes, “women who let men buy them food and drinks or gifts and entrance tickets looked like whores, and making a date seemed the same as turning a trick.”

After centuries of women’s fortunes being dictated by the men around them, the notion of women on their own gave much of society pause. In Chicago, single women were known as “women adrift.”

The charity girl

These circumstances gave birth to dating rituals and other unfortunate traditions that still remain — or, at least, still cause confusion as mores change — today.

When women first hit the workforce, writes Weigel, “the belief remained widespread they were working not to support themselves but only to supplement the earnings of fathers or husbands.”

As such, “employers used this misconception as an excuse to pay women far less than they paid men. In 1900, the average female worker earned less than half of what a man would earn in the same position.”

If you’ve ever wondered how it developed that men were expected to treat their dates, that’s how.

“‘If I had to buy all my meals I’d never get along,’ a young woman living in a boardinghouse in Hell’s Kitchen told a social worker in 1915.”

But as these women were courted in public, efforts were undertaken to curb what authorities viewed as a potential public menace.

“In the early 1900s, vice commissions across the country sent police and undercover investigators to check out spots where people went to make dates,” Weigel writes. “As early as 1905, private investigators hired by a group of Progressive do-gooders in New York City were taking notes on what we can now recognize as the dating avant-garde.”

She recalls the report of one such special agent, staked out at the Strand Hotel in Midtown, who noted that the women he was spying on did not seem like prostitutes, per se, but were concerning nonetheless.

Of the “store employees, telephone girls, stenographers, etc.,” he noted that “their morals are loose, and there is no question that they are on terms of sexual intimacy with their male companions.”

So heavy was the concern that these loose, immoral women might harm society that, “in the 1910s, John D. Rockefeller Jr., the son of the Standard Oil founder, funded investigations into the commercialized vice industries of more than a dozen American cities.”

By the mid-1910s, women on dates came to be known as “Charity Girls” — as in, since they took no money for their “favors,” they were perceived to be giving it away as charity — and by the 1920s, “the prostitutes at New York’s Strand Hotel complained that Charity Girls were putting them out of business.”

It sounds like a joke, until you learn that some women were thrown in jail for this horrible crime.

“At Bedford Reformatory, an institution founded to rehabilitate female delinquents in upstate New York, an Irish woman told her jailers again and again that she had ‘never taken money from men,’ ” Weigel writes. “Instead, men took her ‘to Coney Island to dances and Picture Shows.’ ”

In time, the authorities gave up, overtaken by reality.

“As the years passed, the vice squad had to accept it,” she writes. “Daters did not see these exchanges as tawdry. They saw them as romantic.”

The shopgirl

While dating finally became acceptable, it wasn’t exactly liberating for women. If the American Dream for men was to work hard and become a success, the equivalent for women was to get a good job and marry your rich boss.

“Frances Donovan, a University of Chicago–trained sociologist who taught at Calumet High School on the city’s South Side in the 1920s, interviewed senior girls about their plans after graduation,” Weigel writes.

“‘I would like to be a stenographer,’ one announced. ‘I’m going to be an executive secretary and marry the boss.’ ”

The other alternative was for women to take jobs in high-class department stores where rich men were likely to shop. These women became known as “Shopgirls.”

Donovan spent two summers working at a department store to research a book, and later reported she knew of “several marriages and heard of a great many more where the husband was far above the wife as measured by the economic scale.”

Magazines began running articles such as, “How Shopgirls win Rich Husbands.” An in-house newsletter for Macy’s employees in New York even included a gossip column that tracked these courtships.

“Have you noticed a gentleman wearing spats stopping at Miss Holahan’s counter every day, leaving a spray of lily of the valley?” read one such entry. “Best of luck, Ide!”

In order to attract rich men, these Shopgirls were caught by the irony of needing to buy the expensive items they sold.

In an odd way, this consumerism marked a form of progress.

“In an earlier era, a girl from humble origins could not hope to look like the wife or daughter of a millionaire,” Weigel writes. “But a job in a department store or a laundry gave anyone opportunities to become well versed in the signs of wealth.”

To that end Shopgirls studied their well-to-do female customers seeking to imitate their look, which led the business world to pounce on this new type of consumer who sought little but to impress.

“The cosmetics industry exploded in the 1920s,” Weigel writes. “Previously, only prostitutes and actresses ‘painted.’ Victorians had viewed ‘natural’ outer beauty as a sign of clean living. But around 1900, more and more women were starting to apply cosmetics. By 1912, the Baltimore Sun reported that even respectable society women ‘are seen on our streets and fashionable promenade with painted faces.’ ”

To counter society’s negative association with painted faces, “the cosmetics industry invented a new term: makeup.

“Not only was ‘making yourself up’ permissible; advertisers were soon claiming it was positively virtuous,” Weigel writes. “By making herself up, a woman showed that she valued her femininity and was willing to spend time and money on her appearance.”

The ‘It’ Girl

Two other now-familiar concepts also sprung up around this time. Previously, people sought to be known by traits that emphasized morality, such as “character” and “virtue.”

The concept of “personality” — which places emphasis on surface traits — had been regarded in the negative, referenced in terms of “personality disorders.”

“Starting around 1920, however,” Weigel writes, “experts began to grant that healthy individuals had personalities, too.”

The concept began popping up in romance literature and articles about dating, in the sense that, “personality was like ‘painting’ — a way a woman could make herself up in order to appeal to men.”

“In the context of dating, to have a ‘good personality’ or to simply ‘have personality’ meant to have charisma,” Weigel writes. “This was an asset whether you were selling handkerchiefs or selling yourself.”

Elinor Glyn, writing for Cosmopolitan in 1926, referred to personality simply as “It,” which was, according to Weigel, “a mysterious kind of animal magnetism.”

“With ‘It,’ ” Glyn wrote, “you win all men if you are a woman — and all women if you are a man.”

Glyn’s article was adapted for a movie starring Clara Bow as “a shopgirl who has ‘it,’ ” and the concept of the It Girl was born. Bow’s It Girl, of course, sought to marry the boss — in this case, the son of the store’s owner.

The notion that “it” can be developed led to the origin of another phenomena — the dating-advice book.

Weigel tells of a 1915 New York Times article on a lecture by author Susanna Cocroft, who seized on the trend by writing books like “What to Eat and When,” and this now-remarkable title, “Beauty a Duty.”

“‘Beauty is no longer vanity; it is use,” Cocroft said. “A waitress or a shopgirl could be fired at any time simply because someone her boss found prettier showed up and asked for her position.”

As dating rituals changed, moral authorities panicked at every turn. After “petting” came into vogue in the 1920s, for example, Weigel cites a Times article from 1922 with the title, “Mothers Complain That Modern Girls ‘Vamp’ Their Sons at Petting Parties.”