#Mo you can never talk to him again but at least explain it

[sqgeism]

❥﹒ken sato x gender neutral reader

✦. synopsis — romantic headcanons about our favourite baseball player!

✦. love mail — i finished the movie and i loved his character development, simply the sweetest thing <3

✦. tags — SPOILERS, fluff, dadgirl kenji, kenji sato x reader, i have not written in several months, i wrote this w my brain off ( ´͈ ᗨ `͈ ) aka i was just SPITTING whatever brain rot came to mind

I imagine Kenji to be the clingy, but doesn’t want to be type. He loves you, so much, so dearly. But affection isn’t his strong suit, especially not after what happened with his family. He shut out emotions for years, at least towards others. So this feeling of love, a nostalgic one, tends to clash with the walls he’s put up. He’ll hold you in his arms, burying his face in your shoulder, only for hours later to cringe at himself. He’s talked to you about it a thousand times, and he’s listened to you reassure him twice as many. He adores your patience with him, it's something he’s never really had.. especially with so much pressure on his shoulders.

Explaining his identity was surely no easy feat, you thought dating the most iconic and popular baseball players was the hardest thing? Imagine dating Ultraman, who came home to you every other week with some new injury. You always wondered why the reason was so simple for such a complicated wound, “I spilled boiling water on myself,” He explains with burn marks that are far more severe than expected. “I fell down the stairs”, he’ll say after landing in the hospital.. It didn’t make sense. And now that it does and you know the true reasons, your concern is far worse. Though he doesn’t mind the extra attention you give. ;)

Meeting his dad for the first time was.. nerve-wracking. You know how Kenji talks about him, and you weren’t sure what kind of impression you’ll make. But here you were, sitting on a couch and fiddling with your thumbs until you hear a doorbell. Before Kenji could even stand, you rushed to your feet and practically sprinted for the door, only to open it slowly and gently to reveal the kind old man standing outside. “Hello.” Cut to maybe an hour later, you’re laughing at old pictures of Kenji as he sits next to you and an arm wrapped around your shoulder. The two had a long path of forgiveness and understanding ahead, but Kenji appreciated that you brought him and his father together.

Thought the dad was scary? Imagine his daughter. As expected, the moment you walk into the room - distress. Emi’s starting to cry, an unfamiliar presence is in the room and it scares her. You’ve done a few babysitting jobs here and there, and she was really just like a child. Kenji apologized for her outburst and transforms to calm her down, opening the lid and picking her up under her arms. “No no, don’t cry.” His voice soothes her, and almost immediately - she’s okay again. It’ll take a few minutes, it really isn’t long until she trusts too you. Kenji found it adorable, how you played with her so casually.. many would be terrified, and rightfully so - but to him? It just displays your kind heart. My God did he love you.

Remember first headcanon? Right, to add to that, he’s not very good at vulnerability either. He’ll love to comfort you when you cry, or hold you when you need him. But if the roles were reversed? Absolutely not. He’s uncomfortable and you can see it, one look into his eyes and it’s like looking through glass.. he hates being open about his true feelings. Even if it’s with you.. the walls he’s built for 20 years aren’t easy to break, you know? But if you’re patient, and you take your time and say the right words – he’ll crack. And like a dam breaking, the water flows in an uncontrollable wave of sadness. He’ll sob, he’ll break, and he’ll need you more than anything. He doesn’t know how to feel about breaking down, but the way you hold him in your arms and whisper sweet nothings to comfort him, he could get used to it.

But on a lighthearted note, he loves dates! Most have to be in his home, because Emi can be clingy (got it from his dad), but you don’t mind. It’s sweet, he’ll have you play baseball with her or all you do is cuddle ontop of her, it’s the cutest little thing. But other times, when you go out– it’s just the two of you. And upon special request from Kenji for Mina to babysit her while you're there, you two get alone time. and it’s everything to him. The smallest affection has his heart racing like a teenage boy again, wrapping your arm around his, holding his hand, kissing him? Goodness, you’ve got him wrapped around your finger and you don’t even know it. You and Emi are his world, and he’ll do everything to protect it. Other days, you, him, and and his father go out to the home in the woods for some personal time. You get to talk about his childhood with him and you talk about yours. There’s such a tender and unforgettable atmosphere when you’re with them. And you truly feel like you belong.

Overotectiveness, he was full of it. He’s lost so much, and all he wanted was for you to not go either. Nothing, nothing could stop his rage at the idea of you being hurt. You, Emi, anyone else important to him. He’ll take on the world for his family, and by the will of his parents he has. The pain he’s endured, the scars you scold him for so much are for you. If one threat escapes the city, that’s one likely chance he loses you. So he does everything he can to handle it. You’ve never gotten hurt, but the idea of it is enough for him to strive to be stronger.

While recovering from the explosion, you never left his side. It pained you to see him so still, lack of life. He’d usually be pacing back and forth in the room, rambling about something, and when you’d call him a nerd or dork, he'd run to you and playfully attack you with kisses. His arms around you tightly as you two would laugh your worries away, you didn’t have that privilege. You’d either laugh alone or not at all, the pain all too much. When he wakes up, best believe you’re there, and you just cry at the sight of his arms opening. You know his body is far too unstable for a hug, so you squeeze his hand. How grateful you are to feel him squeeze back.

With Mina and Emi gone, the house feels a little more lonely.. but Kenji’s adjusting. Especially because you moved in! He’s able to spend more time with you in bed since he didn’t have to tend to Emi, which was a nice plus. He woke up earlier than you (force of habit.) and he’d just.. stare. Maybe it was a little creepy, but seeing you sound asleep in his arms gave him such joy. He loved the little domestic moments he shared with you, it had him appreciating all the smaller things in life. Like sharing a meal with you, or watching movies together. You made him love the simpler aspects of living.

[shizunitis]

your og idea of binghe just avoiding sqq after the abyss after time traveling is rotting my brain. all I can think is sqq growing increasingly agitated when he realizes binghe won't be coming after him after all. that he might just never see binghe again. that binghe doesn't even care enough to hate him anymore? and this is how he ends up orchestrating sqq's downfall event 2.0 to get binghe's attention because HE DESERVES HIS REVENGE OKAY!!! while binghe wonders what the fuck is going on now where did he go wrong why is this all happening

EXACTLY! YES!

and binghe can’t even act panicked about it! he’s a good actor, he knows the stakes! he can’t just run away with his tail between his legs; he has to prove shen qingqiu right, and then everything will be fine!

they arrest shen qingqiu and binghe fucking sprints over realms to get there in time and distract everyone with a half-assed and ultimately failed assassination plot against the old palace master. when no one manages to catch him, he finally does the worst thing possible. a crime unforgivable in shen qingqiu’s eyes.

he monologues.

for a good chunk of time, luo binghe goes on and on and on about his monstrous, evil, deliberate plans of destroying the cultivation world. and what better way to do that than to attack the wealthiest sect in a time of such importance as a cang qiong peak lord’s trial? hah! fine! you’ve backed him into a corner!

(he is freely walking around and no one is trying to stop him. shen qingqiu’s eyebrow twitches.)

he’ll explain! the truth is—

(shen qingqiu winces.)

—he manipulated the peak lord’s memories! he’s the reason shen qingqiu’s qi deviation altered his personality so badly!

(shen qingqiu’s brain makes the “?” zelda sound. binghe! this master is a transmigrator! at least lie better!)

he was born evil! and so he will wreak havoc upon the human realm! simply because of his evil nature! that he has! that. natural evil. he— he surely knows how to sow chaos simply for the fuck of it and for no end whatsoever! …certainly.

shen qingqiu finally tries to intervene and binghe just talks over him. he goes, “and you! my so-called…” he winces, hides it under a pitying gaze, and apologises in his mind. “my so-called shizun! you were my pawn for so many years! this lord had use of you still, but alas! my plans were thwarted by these heartless, cunning cultivators! damn you!”

he does not shake his fist, but only just. he harrumphs and leaves in a flurry of sleeves and demonic qi. very evil-like, yes.

the cultivators gathered for the trial are, to put it mildly, very confused. the old palace master is forced to apologise, but nothing else comes of it, which gets binghe thinking: finally! a reason to torment someone! time to plot evil things!

his evil plots, over the next however many years, leave almost no victims. everyone is starting to catch on. finally the whole su xiyan thing is revealed and the cultivators ask him (after another… evil… plan) if that’s why he hunted down the old palace master and interfered with huan hua palace’s missions so much.

“uh.” he takes a moment. “sure. yeah! sure, let’s go with that.”

“then why’d you fight tianlang-jun? it, like. levelled a mountain. zhao hua spent three months treating him and he still tilts to the side when he’s running.”

luo binghe does not answer. shen qingqiu and shang qinghua look at each other like this

and liu qingge finally starts suspecting something is amiss here.

meng mo is very, very tired. he’d thought for a second his not-disciple would finally act his lineage. he should’ve known. this useless kid only knows three things and two of them are shen qingqiu related.

[yangbbokari]

Skz making a bet on you Maknae Line pt.2

Pairing: OT8 SKZ x f!Reader

Genre, AU: angst ofc, lovers to exes!AU

Warnings: cursing, mentions of cheating, many mentions of insecurities, a little suggestive. I think that abt it

Summary: you happened to learn one day that the never really loved you and only made a bet with the other members to see if you would fall in love with them

A.N: Not proof read at all and FINALLY GOT ALL PARTS OUT YAY

Parts: Hyung line Maknae Line pt.1

HAN JISUNG Han sat there. He was stunned to say the least. He didn’t expect you to show up nor hear what he said. It wasn’t until Chan nudged his shoulder that he let go of the breath he didn’t even know he was holding. The older boy looked at Han disappointedly.

Chan held him by the shoulder as he told him, “Are you gonna be a dumbass and sit here or are you gonna chase after y/n and hope she’ll take you back?”

After hearing that, Han finally got up to his feet as he nodded his head. “I’m gonna get y/n back be-because I don’t know what I could possibly do without her. Yeah… that’s what I’ll do.” Then he bolted out of the room to go and find you.

As he ran down the hall and almost out of the building, a particular box caught his eye. It just so happened to sit on the top of the rest of the garbage. He could tell it was yours from the way it was made and decorated. Seeing the box there on a pile of trash made him tear up. He grabbed it and held it tightly to his chest.

You were walking down the street by now. Kicking at the rocks that stood in your way. All the hard work you put into everything just for him to turn his back on you. All the tears had already been cried and dried. Now you were extremely exhausted and your only goal was to get home.

Making your way through the crowded streets, you suddenly hear your name being called. You whipped around to see a very distressed Han racing towards you. Seeing the tear streaks on his face made your heart break. In that instant, you almost forgot the hurt he caused you. But when you did remember what happened earlier, your past anger returned and you decided to walk away from him.

When he saw you turn back around and just walk away, he became panicked all over again. He chased after you until he was right behind you. As soon as he could, he grabbed your wrist and made you face him.

“Y/N!!! I understand that you’re hurt and you don’t want to talk but please just hear me out! You mean everything to me and—”

You immediately covered his mouth. He tried to take your hand off but you put another hand over his mouth.

“Let’s talk about this at home. Please?”

Han finally eased down and nodded his head. The two of you were just a couple blocks away from home anyways. So you and Han walked side by side in awkward silence(insert song, sry I had to😭). He constantly glanced between you and the floor until he gathered the courage to ask you,

“Can I… mmm… Can I at least hold your hand? I’m scared you’ll run away and you won’t listen to me. Then I’ll never see you again! You’ll break up wi—”

You grabbed his hand so he would just shut up. So he did. The rest of the way was in silence with the soft comfort of each other’s breath and presence.

When you made it home, both of you sat on the couch. Spending a couple moments in silence. Eventually, you spoke up, breaking the uncomfortableness.

“Are you not going to explain yourself?”

No answer.

“If you don’t say anything, I’m gonna go to my friend’s house. I need some time. Food’s in the fridge so warm up something for yourself to eat if you get hungry.”

No answer.

You sighed as you rose from your position, almost walking away before you felt a small and gentle touch on the tip of your small finger. A soft voice of the one you loved spoke.

“Don’t go… I’ll talk. However much you need me to. Just don’t… leave.”

The last word made you feel a pang of pain in your heart.

“It was a stupid bet we made when we were younger. Hyunjin brought it up during our debut. The first girl we found the most attractive, we would ask out no matter the circumstances. It took me a month to even get to know you and a year to get close to you. I was scared but they made me confess. So when you accepted I was so happy. Nothing matters more than you. I promise. You’re everything I could ask for so please don’t… don’t leave me. I’ll do anything you ask. Just don’t.”

As much as he tried to keep strong for you, there were tears brimming his eyes. You knew you couldn’t stay mad at him for long. And the way he confessed the truth warmed your heart. How could you leave him?

“I forgive you. I’ll just need a little time. I promise, I won’t leave you alone. I just need to take a bit of time for myself, yeah?”

Han slowly nodded his head as you pressed a kiss on his cheek.

Everything was fine though. You returned on the second day and boy did he make it up to you. In more ways than one. If you know what I mean. 😘 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ LEE FELIX You didn’t hear from him for a few days. It angered you. He was the one who did the wrong thing and now he just thinks he can pretend you never existed!? It’s probably for the best. You don’t know what you would do if you saw him again. Forgive him? Probably not. You’d rather jump on him and claw his face right open. Wait, let’s backtrack that. Probably just punching him in the face was enough.

It had probably been a month since Felix last contacted you, and you to him. It hurt you, you admit. But you were slowly moving on. Finding people you could actually trust in.

Well let’s just say… things did not go according to plan.

On a late night out with a couple of you girl friends, you were drinking and getting hit on. It was fun. The freedom, you mean. You weren’t held back by the restraints of a relationship.

But I guess not everything goes like what you'd expect. Because while you were drinking a margarita, in walks in, no other than, Felix. And who did he just happen to walk up to first? You. The audacity to even take this action made you give him a hard slap on the cheek.

“Hey, asshole. How’ve you been?”

Felix just held his cheek in shame. He couldn’t exactly just yell at you. It was his fault in the first place.

“Hey, y/n… I’ve been awful.”

“Good.”

You were fuming. You were not gonna let some man walk back into your life after saying such hurtful words and then ghosting you for a month. You absolutely loathed him. That wasn’t really true though. Deep down, you still loved him as much as you used to. But, you were too scared to get hurt again.

Felix was equally as irritated but you mattered more to him right now, than his petty thoughts. So he grabbed you by the hand and dragged you out of the bar, ignoring your cries and pleas.

When you were finally outside, his grip loosened but he didn’t let go. You just sighed and rolled your eyes.

"The hell do you want?" You said as you yanked your hand away and began rubbing your wrist.

"A chance to explain myself to you."

"After you ghosted me for a month? Not a chance. Get a life."

"Wait, y/n-"

"Leave me the fuck alone."

"I still want to be with you..." He nearly said breathlessy.

"Well I don't." You were fighting every fiber in you to run back to him tell him how much you love him and never let go. But you didn't want to be the dumb, naive girl, who always ran back to the same man. The same person. The one who hurt them. But you stayed there and listened.

A moment of silence was exchanged until Felix said something.

"We were just immature little fucks when everything happened. Minho made a bet with me, that if I got the number of the roundest woman I could find then he'd give me 200 bucks. I was foolish, so I took up the bet. Had it never happened, I wouldn't have gotten to know the great person you are. I never expected to love you this much, but I do."

You looked up into the night sky to prevent your tears from falling. It was stupid of you to want to run back into his arms. To feel the warmth of his smile and presence again.

“That doesn’t change anything, Felix. You still think I’m a woman who weighs too much and looks… fat. You told me yourself that you love my body. But that’s all a lie because if Minho never made that bet then you would’ve never approached me. You’re just like the rest of them, Felix. Someone who only focuses on looks and not the actual person. You’re no different than Minho. It might have been just an immature joke to you but it meant everything to me.”

“Y/n—”

“No! Don’t talk to me. I don’t want to ever see you again. You ruined me, Felix.”

Felix could do nothing but stay silent and so you walked off. The emotions were too overwhelming for you. You may not have been able to punch him in the face but you were able to express yourself. A month of no closure and now you finally got it. At first, you thought that it’d make you hurt most. But surprisingly, it felt as if you lifted a weight from your chest and now you could be yourself again. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ KIM SEUNGMIN You weren’t walking for a long time before you heard another pair of shuffling feet right behind you. You began to panic. It was dumb of you to leave the house this late at night, especially in a big city like this. Your pace quickened and so did the person's behind you. Not only your pace but your breath too. Your fight-or-flight response immediately kicked in and you were definitely opting to flee.

Suddenly, the person ran up to you and grabbed your arm, yanking you back.

"Ahhhhh!!!" Your scream peirced through the night. "Get the fuck off of me! Leave me alone!" But the person only brought you close to their body and hugged you. Then, you heard the soft voice of your boyfriend. "Shh.. shh... y/n it's me. It's me, Seungmin."

You gladly hugged him and thanked him. "Oh god, thank goodness it's just you, Seungmin. I was so scared that someone was following me. That I was going to get abducted or something. Thank you, thank you, thank you." You stuttered out between shaky breaths.

Seungmin only continued to comfort you. "Shh... it's okay. I understand. You're safe now. Sorry for making you so scared, love. Shh..." He rubbed soft circles onto your back as you sobbed into his arms. "I came to find you because you didn't grab your coat and I got worried. Even when we're mad at each other, you shouldn't be out in the cold. I understand if you don't want to talk to me but please make sure you won't get hurt or sick."

It was moments like these that kept you from being mad at Seungmin. You could argue for hours but you would still be his highest concern.

With your hands still holding him to you, you whispered, “Can we just go home?” Seungmin nodded his head, still rubbing your back. “Yeah, let’s go home.” He kissed the top of your head before taking your hand and leading you back to your house.

When the two of you arrived, the once comforting silence became awkward and insufferable. You patted the sides of your arms as you stared at the ground. While Seungmin rubbed the back of his neck and looked everywhere but at you. The uncomfortable silence was eventually broken by Seungmin.

“I’m sorry for saying that. I shouldn’t have taken my stress and anger out on you when you had nothing to do with it. I should’ve talked it out with you instead and I’m so stupid for taking you for granted.”

“What about the last part, where you said… you know.”

“I said that out of anger. But it was mainly because me and a few of my friends made a bet to take out the first girl who walked through the door at that party we met at. Lo and behold, it was you. But then I really fell in love with you and I became thankful that that bet was made. Because if we never made that bet then I wouldn’t have found you, the wonderful and amazing person I love.”

You couldn’t help but tear up at his words. Seungmin didn’t get upset easily but when he did, he would argue with you for days on end. But he always came back around when he all too quickly became worried for you. That’s what made you love him.

When Seungmin didn’t get a reply from you he suddenly asked, “Are you going to break up with me now?” But then he heard your sniffles and his heart broke. He constantly kept making you cry even when he didn’t mean to.

Unexpectedly, you ran to him and hugged him. “I can’t even think of ever leaving you. I love you so much and your way with words just makes me want you even more. You know me too well, Seungie. I love you.”

He kissed the top of your head before resting his head on yours. “I love you too.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ YANG JEONGIN Jeongin waited outside the bathroom for you to come out. It wasn’t like he could go in. He’d be casted out of the restaurant for being a creep and a pervert. So he patiently waited.

Eventually, you did come out but you had washed all your makeup off. The crying left streaks of mascara running down your face so you washed it before exiting. As soon as you saw Jeongin, you turned the other way. But unfortunately for you, that way just so happened to be a wall. You sighed before turning back to him. You were being a bit dramatic but you didn’t know how else to deal with it.

Jeongin spoke up quietly. “Do you want to talk about it? We don’t have to if you don’t want to.” You slowly nodded your head in response and he held out his hand to you. You silently took it and followed him into a more quiet and private room.

“I’m sorry for walking away instead of listening to you.” You said.

“No.. no, I’m sorry. I should’ve told you earlier and this was a horrible way for you to find out about it.”

He paused to see if you had anything to say. But when he got no response, he continued.

“Umm… so I used to have a big fat crush on you…”

You giggled at that, a little surprised that he could admit it so easily.

“D-don’t laugh at me! I’m being serious!” He said out angrily. "I-I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." You said as you kept giggling. Jeongin was happy to see you smiling again so he kept going.

"When my hyungs found out they constantly teased me about it. But then the teasing turned into bets. They were betting on me to see I would ever confess or not. I told them I would but I never actually stayed true to my word. One day, they got bored with each other and came to me. They said that I should confess to you. If I succeeded they'd get me the latest Bruno Mars album and if I didn't then I'd have to give each of them 80 dollars. So we shook on it. I didn't want to lose so of course I mustered up the most courage I possibly could and asked you out. When you said yes, my whole world suddenly brightened as if this was what I was waiting for for my whole life. After I took you on a date, I told them of the success."

Your heart swelled at his words. You never knew he was so in love with you. It was almost as if the past event never happened. Now you were smiling from ear to ear as he told the story. Upon seeing your smile, Jeongin did too.

"I thought they'd stop teasing me after we got together but they never did. Calling me a simp and stuff. I'm not saying I'm not because I'm glad that I love you so much people can see it. But I hate being titled that."

Your eyes were full of affection for each other and it was clear as day. Every word that came from his mouth only reminded you of why you loved him so much. So how could you not voice it?

"Innie?" His ears perked up, indicating he was listening to you. "Have I ever told you how much I love you." He immediately pouted his bottom lip and opened his arms as an invitation. You slowly made your way over into his embrace. "Have I ever told you how much I love you too?" You chuckled as you nodded your head. You looked up at him and saw that he was still pouting. So you took it as your responsibility to kiss it away. Glad to say it worked as he laughed at you antics.

How could you ever doubt him when he loved you this much?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Taglist: @123rinu @pgnwook @mixtape-racha @hannieslovebot @lolareadsimagines @garrixer-06 @bandolls @chansbabygirlsstuff @camilagonzalex @mariteez @beccaskz @kibs-and-bits @kaitchan

@lynlyndoll @bangchansslut6 @hanniemylovelyquokka @changbinsjuicybiceps @xx-twalia-xx @bangchansprettygf @lvlnijiro @totallynotlyntv @htnw004 @shecheatedwithme @jiisungllvr @neteyamsmate4life @yoongles2025 @cosniffee @gdaymates @iilliess @tadashisdisaster @celticcountrygal @dazzlingligth @mylilliposts @troublemaker02

[ravenbloodshot]

I really wanted to talk about Lee Dong Wook because that last anon made me want to check out your readings on him again and your readings always make me see things from different angles and be able to pick things up that I missed last time, since they're also full of info and super long (you can never really understand the nuance of an entire tarot reading in one sitting imo). Anyway, it ended being long because idk lol I just love talking about peoples expressions and psychology! You're such a brilliant reader, I'm absolutely in love with you, please marry me and forget the Welsh dude LMAO. Also I'm British, welsh people can be very modest. Welsh people in general have been quite warm people (as much as I'm aware). The Welsh tend to contrast the rather curt attitudes the general English public like to exhibit. English people are like icy climes (energy not climate) and the Welsh more sunnier climes. In the UK we also aren't as conceited (about looks at least) despite what people think, we're sarcastic and really fucking elitist but it's generally not a good look to walk around being entitled, despite our condescending nature (contradictory I know!). The brits are snobs, so you guessed it... they don't like snobs 😂 You will also not get special treatment and I think brits tend to spare their compliments, I don't hear many compliments around me but when I get online or I go to other countries it's laid on thick. It's generally not seen as an achievement (I say this lightly, probably because most brits are average or something idk I could be wrong) to be good-looking. We have a very "I'll humble you mate" quality and people generally don't like dicks, p's and q's are of the utmost importance. People will think you're snooty and they will stop at nothing to let you know! I've seen (it's not an attack just an observation) that Americans can be cocky if they're good looking lol almost like it's a prerequisite, as if your looks don't speak for themselves your attitude has to show it? It's almost like living to tell the tale of seeing a humble attractive Korean... like where are they? 💀 That's why Eun Woo's energy throws me off sometimes he knows he's good looking (he's no1 in Korea) but he's somehow retained some sort of incorrupt self-esteem, I'm shocked because Korean celebs and the general public (because of excess lookism in Korea, good looking individuals can be incredibly conceited as fuck, my friend gets humbled a lot, though she's pretty to me, apparently she tells me she's average, the beauty standards however are insurmountable and they recommended plastic surgery for her over the summer and guess what? She works in biometry... INSANE, not even a model)? I heard he's genuinely a pleasant person and quite warm. Have you been able to read on him again or is he still "blocking"? The dudes just entered his Saturn return and he has a stellium in Aries which means a lot of shit will come to the surface. He might be better to pick up now. I hope he makes it because the thing damn near took me out. 😭 I'll put my assumption about LDW in another ask because I got carried away explaining the Welsh thing lol 😂❤️

Thanks so much, I put a lot of effort into my readings so I really appreciate that you enjoy them 🙏

I remember hearing that the English were more standoffish and a little snobby. My Welsh guy seems to be the complete opposite of that( friendly, shy, and just a hot cutie). I do think we Americans value beauty and confidence (even better if you mix that in with some charisma). Can't speak for all of us, but growing up, we're taught to be more outspoken, confident, and get ahead with what you have (chase the American dream or whatnot). I guess we view beauty as one of those things that gives you an advantage, and if you have it, best to be proud of it.

I do understand the English way as well, to be humble and have more of a silent esteem.

Now, with Cha Eunwoo, I mentioned before how he said he grew up with a stricter mom who didn't compliment him growing up so he wouldn't become conceited. And I think that plays apart in how he responds to ppl being charmed/wowed by his looks. It doesn't seem like compliments about his appearance phase him very much (could be that he's just used to it). I've heard other tarot readers say that he finds ppl that aren't affected by his looks attractive. Likely, his aries placements play a part in this, but I also see his childhood being a reason why he might desire for the attention of those that don't readily fall for him or like him. Overall, I think he's an interesting dude, not a bad guy but interesting. I'll try again some time to do a red and green flags reading on him

[bangchanisinmymind]

Chan noticing their s/o and their weight insecurity, like they are not even overweight but the body dysmorphia kicks in hard and he reassures them

hope you realise how beautiful you are and thank you for the request ♡ masterlist

[17:46 pm]

paring; bangchan x reader

"babe are you ready?" chris asks from outside the bathroom waiting for you to get ready for your night out with your friends "almost" you replied "can I come in? I need to fix my hair a bit" he asked rhetorically as he opened the door; you've been living together for long enough to be comfortable sharing the bathroom.

the sight in front of him though was not what he hoped and thought it would, it was you looking your naked self in the mirror, your hair dried since you've been out of the shower for at least another hour. "honey what's wrong" he said hugging you from behind and leaving kisses on your shoulder and collarbone "chris be honest; am I fat?" you said leaving his embrace and standing in front of him "love are you crazy? of course you're not, you got the perfect weight for your height and age what has gotten into you"

"ah I don't know really I just don't feel like perfect as you say. I shouldn't have eaten so much during holidays, don't let me again to eat that much look at my tummy oh god it's huge and my thighs they've gotten so big what am I gonna do?" you explained at your boyfriend who was looking at you with wide eyes, he couldn't believe you were actually saying this.

"love are you kidding, look at you, you don't have to be only bones to be beautiful okay? all you have to do is to be healthy, healthy equals pretty got that?" he says hugging you tightly, so tight you thought he would never let go. "yeah but now I'm fat, now that I eat breakfast, lunch and dinner not to talk about snacks I'll stop eating now and I'll loose weight soon I've done that before there won't be any problem, will be?" you questioned yourself staring at your reflection in the mirror

"yes there will, listen to me, if you want to loose weight you can come with me at the gym but mo diet for you as long as I am here okay? listen to me, you are not overweight you don't need to do anything every girl is jealous of your natural body and I'll never stop saying it until you get it okay?" he said while tracing every part of your body.

"maybe you're right I look kinda good don't I?" you said gaining some confidence again "I am love I always am get dressed now we're gonna be late k?" he said kissing all over your face "yeah alright I'll be quick thank you I love you so much" you said hugging him and immediately started getting ready.

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[kotemf]

Cultural Tradition

Guess who just finished this fill for Foxiyo week 2024? It's 2025. I'm impossible. Also the interpretation of the prompt is pretty weird. I'm sorry.

It's happening in the same verse like my previous fills.

  Riyo hasn't spoken to her family in... a long time. They didn't really support her decision to be a senator and she wasn't interested in hearing their reason why she shouldn't be in politics. Now her election period ending, though, she needed to come back to Pantora to make a good impression to get elected again.

  She thought about the elections a lot. Being a senator was difficult and time consuming, she was always busy, had make good impression all the time because she was representing the people of Pantora and not just herself. But while that was exhausting, she enjoyed what she was doing and both Fox and their son supported her. The same couldn't be said about her family back on Pantora but she was past letting them dictate her life.

  "You look nervous."

  Riyo startled. "Fox!" She didn't hear him approaching.

  "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." Fox sat down next to her. "I just wanted to ask if you want something to eat?"

  "What exactly are we talking about?"

  Fox shrugged. "I don't know yet. Sky is getting hungry so I'll have to cook something."

  Just thinking about explaining to her mother that Fox cooked made Riyo's head hurt. She was definitely going to get a long talk about how cooking was a woman's job. She so didn't want to go back home. Yet that was where their ship was headed.

  "Riyo?"

  "Yeah, sorry, I was thinking. I'm not really hungry."

  "Are you still nervous about seeing your family?"

  Was it that obvious? "A bit."

  "Don't worry, it'll be fine."

  Riyo wished she could be so sure. But she knew her family, knew how conservative they were, how conservative Pantorans were in general. She was the first elected woman in Pantoran politics and not everyone liked that. She had no illusions, the reason why she got elected in the first place was that her opponents were barely any competition. There were going to be more powerful competitors this time so she just had to hope she represented them well enough during the war.

  "Mom?"

  "Yes, Sky?" Riyo turned to her son. He was still dressed in his gym clothes, half an hour after his training with Fox ended. Honestly, Riyo was a bit concerned about Fox training their child after she saw how harsh he could be as an instructor. She made sure to watch how Fox trained with their boy and honestly, it was nothing like the intense work out session Riyo got from him. Fox was extremely nice to Sky, he praised him for every little thing that he did right and even made a game out of practicing stabbing. Riyo was going to ask Fox if her self defense classes could look more like that the next time they trained.

  "Why don't you want to go to Pantora?"

  "What makes you think I don't want to go there? I missed it. Coruscant can be nice but it's nothing like Pantora. We're lucky because it should be snowing when we arrive."

  "I know, buir told me. I've never seen snow. And you are avoiding the question."

  Sometimes, Sky was just too smart. "What question?"

  "Why don't you want to go to Pantora?"

  "I want to go there."

  "That's a lie. You look like you want to turn the ship around."

  "Aren't you a bit too observant?"

  Sky grinned at her. "Not at all."

  Riyo supposed she should tell him a bit about her family. "Come sit here and I will explain it, okay?"

  "Okay," Sky agreed as he made himself comfortable on her lap.

  "I have family on Pantora, my parents, my sister and the rest of my clan. And me and my family... We don't have the best relationship," she explained.

  "Aren't clans super important to Pantorans?"

  "They are, or at least they should be."

  "So you don't like your clan?"

  "It's not that I didn't like them, I do like them. We just... we have a lot of different opinions and we argue a lot. Pantorans are more conservative than most of the Republic. Do you know what conservative means?"

  "Not really."

  "It's... You see, in the past, things used to be different and there are things that are alright now but didn't use to be alright in the past. Like, I don't know, wearing a top without sleeves. And there are people that think that things should be like they used to be in the past. And those people are what we call conservative."

  "So it's like stuck in the past."

  "Yeah, something like that."

  "So Pantorans don't like it when you wear stuff without sleeves? But you almost never wear stuff without sleeves."

  "You see, it's not just about sleeves. That was just an example. And not all Pantorans are like that, the Pantoran society is divided into two parts. People who want to be more modern and the conservative people, like my clan. There is a lot of things about me that they don't like."

  "Like what?"

  "Well, in the past, things were a bit different. Work was basically divided into men's job and women's job. Men were supposed to go to work and make money for their family while women's job was cleaning, doing the laundry, cooking, stuff like that. They think I would do best to be like that."

  "But you make more money that buir. And buir is better at cooking."

  "Yes, that's true. But people that are more conservative think that I should get married and just stay at home, doing chores. And since politicians have a pretty important job, they think only men should be doing it."

  "Your clan thinks that?"

  Riyo nodded. "They don't like that I'm a senator and they think I should stop doing it."

  "But... you're a good senator."

  "I like to think that I am."

  "But why doesn't your family support you? Buire are supposed to support you, right?"

  "They are supposed to. Don't worry, Sky, me and your buir will always support you, no matter what you chose to do," Riyo promised.

  She underestimated her parents' disinterest in her career and life. She thought they at least read the holo news once in a while. She kind of supposed they knew about Fox and Sky. While she never officially told anything about them to the media, they didn't keep it a secret.

  Their meeting, just as she expected, started with some fake enthusiasm and some hugs. Then her mother spotted Fox and that's when the long awaited argument started. Only Riyo didn't expect Fox to be the reason they argued at all.

  "Riyo? Why did you bring that clone?"

  "Mom, that's Fox, my boyfriend."

  "Your boyfriend?! You can't be serious, Riyo! He's a clone!"

  Riyo felt Fox freeze behind her. She was glad Sky was in the ship, he fell asleep a while before they landed on Pantora. "Yeah, he's, quite obviously, a clone."

  "You can't be serious! I know you haven't been thinking much about your future but this? This isn't good for your reputation, it's not good for your future nor your 'career'. Tell me, Riyo, what man is going to marry you knowing you had an affair?"

  "Fox." Riyo wasn't sure. They never talked about marriage, they didn't have to. Marriage was just a formality, it wouldn't change anything about their relationship or their life. They joked about Fox being a trophy husband a lot, though, so she was pretty sure the idea of marriage wasn't going to make him uncomfortable.

  "You can't be serious!" Great, now Riyo's father joined her mother in the yelling. This was why Riyo hasn't spoken to them in over a month. Anything she did that wasn't done like hundred years ago was wrong.

  "I am serious, dad. And I would appreciate it if you stopped complaining about everything I do with my life."

  "What did you think? That you text us you are going to run for senator again, then appear two days later with this meat droid and think that we're going to be happy?! We just don't want you to throw away your life, one day, you will be grateful for this."

  Riyo seriously doubted that. She couldn't believe this. Sure, she anticipated that her parents weren't to be thrilled about her decision to continue in politics but she thought that maybe they were going to be happy to meet Fox and Sky. They kept asking her when she was going to get married and have children, like her sister, her cousins and seemingly all the daughters of her parents' friends. Fox wasn't from a prominent Pantoran clan like they probably wanted her partner to be, but he was a good man. Only her parents didn't care how great of a guy Fox was, or how happy he made Riyo, because, apparently, her own family was clonophobic. Riyo never really talked about the war with them but she didn't expect this. And she wasn't going to stand for it.

  "Clones aren't meat droids and I'm not going to let you insult Fox like that!"

  "Wake up, Riyo! This man is nothing, Riyo, nothing! He's just using you." Riyo wasn't going to let her mother's hurtful remark hurt her. She wasn't. It was a lie and she knew it. She wasn't going to let a mean lie hurt her.

  "No, he's not."

  "Are you out of your mind?! Of course he is! You are a beautiful woman from a good family. What do you think he wants?! The only thing he wants is your money and maybe a pretty toy to play with in bed! If you at least could keep this affair a secret, but no! You act like this was a good thing!"

  "You don't know anything! You don't know anything about clones. I thought that maybe you will be finally happy that I have someone but nothing is good enough, is it?"

  "You are even more ridiculous than you were before! The senate is brainwashing you, don't you see it? And that clone! Do you think they have your best intentions in mind? No, we do!"

  "If you had my best intentions in mind we wouldn't be standing here arguing right now."

  "No, Riyo, we're here, arguing, because you are ruining your life. We're trying to help you. You just need to listen. Don't you remember all the times we've helped you? We're going to help you now too, you just have to listen to us."

  "No. You're wrong."

  "No, we're not. I know that the Republic, that damned senate, says otherwise, but clones aren't worth your attention. They're just like battle droids. They can fight. That's all they're good for. They have nothing to give you, clones don't have feelings. This clone can't love you."

  As if some random Pantoran guy her parents would gladly arrange her to marry would. Riyo wanted to tell her parents that, and also tell them how hurtful and disrespectful that was to Fox, but she heard a broken sob somewhere behind her. She turned around. Sky was standing at the lowered ramp of their ship, watching them with tears in his eyes.

  Fox moved for the first time in the whole conversation. He opened his arms and walked towards Sky. "Sky, cyar'ika, k'olar." 

  Sky met him halfway and Fox gathered him into his arms and lifted him, not caring that Sky was too big for that. He started whispering in mando'a. He talked too fast for Riyo to understand him but she could tell he was comforting their son. As she should. But Sky wasn't supposed to be upset in the first place.

  "Does he look emotionless to you?! He doesn't, huh!? Because he isn't."

  "It's all fake!"

  Riyo didn't think she could get any more angry but obviously she could. She wanted to yell at them. But she's done enough of that. Instead, she forced her voice to remain calm, with an obvious edge to it. Because things said in a cold, calm voice always came out more cruel than shouting. And Riyo wasn't simply trying to prove a point anymore. She didn't care if she hurt her parents. They hurt her son. "No it's not. You made a child, my son, cry. Do you really think he's the one who is emotionless here?"

  "Your son?! He's a clone!"

  "You clearly don't deserve him. Congratulations, you just lost a chance to know your grandson." Riyo turned away from them. Finally. She should've done this ages ago, when he parents first started pressuring her to drop out of school and do something 'more feminine' instead, when they started introducing her to men ten years older than her that they found good for her, when they started poisoning her dream of becoming a politician... There were so many red flags. Only Riyo didn't want to see them. Even on Coruscant, without any real contact, she was still hoping that once, she would make her family proud. But they could never be proud of her, could they? They didn't even want her, they wanted some unrealistic idea of a daughter. Just like their parents probably once wanted them to be. But that wasn't Riyo's problem to solve, she just needed to comfort her actual family and take them somewhere far away.

  Riyo tried to comfort Sky the best she could but Fox barely let her come close to their son. She didn't think he was doing it intentionally. Sky was firmly holding onto Fox and didn't seem like he had any intention of letting go. Fox did most of the comforting, rocking him like he was a toddler, pressing kisses to his hair and talking to him in mando'a.

  Eventually, Sky started answering Fox. In mando'a. Riyo was learning but she wasn't nearly good enough to understand them. She was glad to catch a word here and there.

  She supposed she should find a hotel and some activity that might cheer Sky up, since meeting her clan apparently wasn't happening. And she should definitely make sure that whichever place she chose accepted clones. According to surveys, about twenty five percent of people liked clones, about twenty four percent of people hated them and the rest didn't know. There were programs running that were supposed to spread awareness about the clones being people so maybe it changed, hopefully for the better, since the survey was taken. Pantora was never directly involved in the war and not many clones were stationed there. Riyo was pretty sure that most Pantorans have never even seen a clone.

  Riyo booked them a luxurious hotel with a food bar open twenty four hours a day, a giant pool, garden and more. Usually, she would just find some normal hotel but it seemed like a good way of making up for all the insults she subjected Sky and Fox to. The hotel was way too fancy to insult guests, including the clone ones, and Sky was definitely going to enjoy all the extra things.

  Sky ended up loving the endless supply of sweet pastries. Fox didn't seem to be enjoying himself at all. He was just hanging around Sky, talking or just watching the boy. He seemed... angry but not with Sky.

  "Fox, I'm- I'm truly sorry for what happened," Riyo said when Sky left to refill his glass with soda. Normally, Riyo wouldn't let him eat and drink so much sugar at once but she was willing to make an exception. Fox hated denying the boy anything, even if it was for his own good, and he often allowed Sky way more sweets or screen time than he should. Riyo understood that he was trying to make up for Sky's childhood on Kamino and also to not be like the people who raised him but sometimes he was really spoiling their boy too much.

  "Don't tell that to me, tell that to Sky," Fox snapped. He's never snapped like this at Riyo before.

  "I told him, I-"

  "You told him that you still love him even when he is a clone, because it's so kind of you to settle for a clone and you will be so generous that you won't mind that your son is a clone."

  Riyo was stunned. Did whatever she said really sound like that? Because that wasn't what she meant. She didn't know what to say. Luckily, she didn't have to say anything as Sky came back.

  "Buir, they have purple soda!" Sky shoved his glass at Fox. Fox's attention was immediately on the boy and all his anger was suddenly gone as he let himself be persuaded to try purple soda. "Mom, do you want to try purple soda?"

  Looking at the clearly artificial color, not really. But Sky looked like he really wanted Riyo to try so... "Of course."

  Sky giggled when Riyo made a face at the terribly artificial taste. At least someone was having fun.

  Now that Riyo was looking for it, she could see how Fox was separating Sky from her. He didn't tell Sky not to talk about her or anything. It was just the way he kept the boy close, kept him busy, suggested a new activity they could do whenever it looked like Sky might go play with Riyo instead. Maybe Fox was right to do so, if she really made Sky feel as if him being a clone made any difference for her. If she made Fox feel as if she cared that he was a clone. Well, she did care that they were clones. But it didn't make any difference on how much she loved them and appreciated them. She was just proud of them for becoming the people they are despite everything. 

  Sky was currently doing some puzzle with Fox helping him just enough that it was a help but Sky could still proudly say he was doing it all by himself. Sky seemed to like puzzles, Riyo should probably buy him another box or two. Or maybe she should stop thinking about how she could bribe her son and talk to him instead. And talk to Fox.

  It was also almost an hour after Sky's usual bedtime and he was starting to look tired. "Hey, Sky. When are you going to finish this?"

  "When I finish it."

  "And do you realize it's way past your bedtime?"

  Sky nodded. "But you're going to be nice and let me stay awake for a bit longer."

  The boy sounded pretty sure. And, well, he wasn't wrong. "Are you sure you aren't tired."

  "Yeah." Sky yawned. Because he was, in fact, tired.

  "What do you say you keep working for fifteen more minutes and then you'll get ready for bed?" Riyo proposed.

  "But we're on a vacation!"

  "And you will be too tired to enjoy it tomorrow if you don't get enough sleep."

  "Aw! Can I at least get half an hour more of puzzle?" Sky asked, giving Riyo his best tooka eyes. It worked every time. This time was no exception.

  "Alright, but not a minute longer." 

  "Okay!" Sky agreed as if she actually believed Sky wasn't going to try to get an even later bedtime when the time came.

  Just as expected, getting Sky away from playing was not an easy task but Riyo eventually made him go take a shower. For the first time since the few moments when Sky was grabbing a drink they were alone with Fox.

  "Fox?"

  "What?"

  "I'm sorry if I made you, or Sky, feel as if you being clones changed anything, I-"

  "Why did you take Sky here?" Fox asked, ignoring that she was saying something.

  "I didn't know it was going to be this bad."

  "You didn't know or you didn't want to know?" Fox asked. He had a point. Riyo probably should've expected something like that. It's not like her parents have ever been anything but traditional. They probably wouldn't be exactly happy with Riyo seeing anyone who wasn't a Pantoran but she expected them to be happy that she at least had someone. She also thought that thinking that dating before marriage was unacceptable was a bit too old fashioned even for them. Or more like hoped it would be. She never really dared to think about the possibility that her parents were clonephobic but she probably should've given it more thought.

  "I'm sorry, Fox."

  "Stop apologizing, it's not like it's actually going to make anything better."

  "Fox, I really didn't mean to hurt you, I didn't-"

  "This isn't about me, Riyo! I get it, you wanted someone to support you, you wanted your parents to target someone else for once, trust me, I get it. I don't care that you brought me along, I'm used to getting shit from nat-borns. But you dragged Sky into this!"

  Riyo didn't know what to think about first. Should she think about the fact that Fox just yelled at her for the first time ever? Or the way he seemed resigned to people hated him and his brothers? Or should her first thought belong to their son? She just didn't know what to do. "I'm sorry, Fox," Riyo repeated. She knew Fox didn't want to hear that but what else was there to say? "Just- Tell me how I can make this right. Please, Fox."

  "I don't know, maybe you shouldn't have dragged our son into this."

  "I didn't mean for-"

  "I know you didn't mean for this to happen, Riyo. But maybe you could've at least thought about it before taking Sky here? Or maybe you could've told your parents we were dating and that we had a child at some point of the, what, three years we've been dating?"

  "I haven't been really talking to them, you know I-"

  "That you weren't close with your family? Yeah. But one would think that you wouldn't be ashamed of your boyfriend, and your son, so much you didn't even let them know."

  "No, Fox, it's not that I was ashamed of you, I swear it's not that!"

  "Then what!? You kept our existence from your family for no reason? And I'm supposed to believe that?"

  "Fox, it's not like we've been keeping this a secret, I assumed they already knew from the holo news," Riyo tried to explain. Fox was right, the fact that she's never told her parents about her family was kind of weird. But it wasn't like they talked a lot, she only called them a few times and her family life never really came up in their conversations. "I never intended on keeping you a secret."

  "We've been dating for years, we've had Sky for months, and you are telling me that we were never important enough for you to mention?" Fox sounded so hurt like this and he was looking at Riyo with his eyes full of pain. What has Riyo done?

  "Fox... I'm so sorry, Fox." Riyo felt hot tears burning in her eyes. She hasn't cried in front since she was a child. Crying was for children and for weak people, that's how she was raised. And now she was about to cry in front of Fox. She tried taking a deep breath to suppress the urge to cry but that didn't work. She felt a wet tear slipping down her cheek. She didn't want to cry in front of Fox. Things were tense as it was and crying was just going to make it worse. At this point, Fox could just take Sky and leave.

  "Kriff, Riyo, don't cry." Fox's attitude changed completely. He didn't sound hurt now, more like desperate. Then, to Riyo's surprise, he walked over to her and gently wiped her tears away with his thumbs. "I'm so sorry, I didn't want to make you cry."

  "I'm sorry," Riyo sniffed.

  "I know, I know. It's okay. We can talk about this later, after we both calm down," Fox said in a surprisingly gentle tone. He was such an amazing boyfriend.

  "I love you," Riyo blurted out. She realized she has never said that before. Which was... weird. They've been dating for three years, they had a son, they shared basically everything, they made plans for the future... But she never told Fox she loved him. Fox told her, though, multiple times if she remembered correctly. She always thought that replying 'I love you too' would sound too forced so she answered differently, or just kissed him. So this was pretty much the first time she told Fox, her boyfriend, the man she wanted to spend the rest of her life with, that she loved him.

  Fox froze for a moment before he smiled. "I love you too."

  Of course their son chose that exact moment to emerge from the bathroom. He ran up to them and hugged them both. "You were arguing."

  "Oh Sky..." Riyo brushed her fingers through Sky's hair. "Don't worry about it."

  "Did you brush your teeth?" Fox asked. Riyo was pretty sure he was asking to distract the boy and not because he was worried about Sky's teeth. Apparently, the clones were engineered to have perfect genetics and didn't have to brush their teeth. Riyo was having none of that shit, she would sooner die than let her son go to sleep with unbrushed teeth.

  "I don't want to brush my teeth." Sky groaned dramatically.

  "Sky, you have to brush your teeth, we've been over this."

  "But mom!"

  "Sky, we have this conversation every single evening. Do you really think you can convince me to let you not do it?"

  "I would convince you if you weren't so good at arguing." Sky pouted but he went to the bathroom to get his toothbrush.

  Riyo wanted to ask Fox if she should go after their son to make sure he was actually brushing or if he was going but as soon as she opened her mouth, Fox stopped her. "Don't. Let's wait 'till Sky falls asleep, then we can talk more."

  "I just wanted to ask if you want to go watch if he actually brushes his teeth or if I should do it."

  "I'll go."

  Riyo waited for Fox to tell Sky a bedtime story, he did that every evening except for the nights when he had to work, before she went to Sky's room herself. She gently kissed her half asleep son on the forehead. "Good night, Sky. I love you."

  "Love you too, mom," Sky whispered back. Maybe she didn't kark up that bad- "I'm sorry I'm a clone."

  "Sky! Why would you say that?"

  "If I wasn't a clone, your parents would like me."

  "If you weren't a clone, you wouldn't be you."

  "No, I would be better."

  "You wouldn't, Sky. I think you are perfect the way you are. I know that you are a clone and, you know, that makes me love you even more. I know what you went through on Kamino and then in your first foster home. And I'm so, so proud of you for becoming such a nice and kind boy even after everything that's happened to you. Besides, you look just like your buir and we both know I love his looks."

  "Would you love me if I was a worm?" Sky asked innocently and Riyo most certainly didn't laugh.

  "What?"

  "Would you love me if I was a worm?"

  "Of course I would," Riyo assured him and ruffled his hair gently. "But why?"

  "So I know if you truly, truly love me."

  "Oh Sky... You know, someone can truly love you even through they wouldn't love you if you were a worm. I'm pretty sure Fox wouldn't love me if I was a worm."

  Sky gasped in horror. "No! Buir would love you even if you were a spider and you know he hates spiders." He was so sweet and innocent.

  "I'm pretty sure he wouldn't, Sky. But that's not a bad thing. As I said, someone can love you, truly and sincerely, and wouldn't love you if you were a worm. We can talk more tomorrow, okay? Now go to sleep."

  "Good night."

  "Good night, Sky." Riyo kissed his forehead one last time. "I love you."

  She tip toed out of Sky's room, carefully closing the door behind her without making a noise. She turned around and walked right into Fox's broad chest. Fox didn't seem to mind, he circled his arms around her waist and rested his chin on the top of her head. "You know, I would love you if you were a worm."

  Riyo felt her cheeks heat up. "You heard all of it?"

  "Every single word," Fox confirmed. He kissed the top of her head gently. "We should probably discuss what are we going to do. I know you had a plan but things didn't go like they were supposed to."

  "No they didn't." Riyo sighed. "I really am sorry, Fox. I know apologizing won't fix things but... I really didn't want that to happen."

  "I know, cyare. And I shouldn't have yelled at you. Let's just forget about it, okay?"

  "Okay." Riyo nodded. She didn't deserve Fox to be so nice to her, to be so forgiving. She kriffed up, big time. But how could she refuse a chance at fixing things?

  "So, when stuff doesn't go as poorly as it did, how does meeting the parents traditionally look like? You never told me."

  "Well, in the traditional my parents like, I would come with someone from a prominent Pantoran family and he would go and ask my father for permission to marry me. Of course, it's unacceptable to do anything before marriage so we wouldn't live together and we most certainly wouldn't have a child."

  "You mean we don't meet a single one of the requirements?"

  "Well, even the most conservative people are a bit more chill about it. But yeah, kinda. They've been telling me to find myself a man since I was like fourteen so I kinda assumed they would be happy about that."

  Fox looked at her in this weird way she couldn't quite describe. He blinked. "That's horrible, Riyo."

  "I know."

  "You know, I'm not really sorry you aren't in contact with your family."

  "I'm not either. I- I believed I could change them, somehow. But I can't." Riyo shrugged. "I still have hope for the rest of our society. Well, for most of it."

  "You never really told me any details about Pantoran culture, or your politics for that matter. You just told me you became a senator to change things. Is this what you wanted to change?"

  Fox was right. Riyo's never told him much about anything. About her past, about her culture, about her job. It never mattered to Fox. He cared about the Riyo then and there, not about Riyo three years ago. "Yeah. Our society is split between the conservatives and the new generations, the people who know that everywhere else in the Republic, things are different and that it can work differently, that they have a future even if they don't get married, have children and become house wives. There is enough of those people that I got elected. It's hard to change anything with the rest of the government against me, though."

  "Well, you've changed stuff."

  "Not really. Not the kind of things I wanted to change. Sure, I managed to get Pantora through the wars and strengthened our bond with other planets of the Republic. But I can't really change any laws or interfere with international politics. You need the majority of our senate for that. The only thing I can do is show everyone that women can be senators, that they can be anything."

  "I think that's something," Fox said, supportive as ever. "And now you're going to win the elections and without the war, you'll have more time to do other things."

  "I know. I was thinking about making a deal with some other planets and starting some kind of an exchange program. I would make it in the name of relations but really, it would be an opportunity for young people to visit other, more modern planets and see how things can work."

  "I think that's a brilliant idea."

  "Yeah. The only thing is that I would probably have to travel a lot to start the project so I wouldn't be home on Coruscant."

  "We will solve that when that happens."

  "Thanks, Fox. I don't think I could do this without you."

[noxexistant]

ai-less whumptober; day nine

@ailesswhumptober 9 — hypothermia/heatstroke, “You look pretty pale.” ↳ the distribution yard, circa 1898 word count; 1.4k

cw; seizures, referenced suicide attempts/self-harm

✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦ . 　⁺ 　 . ✦

Summer is fucking miserable.

Well, there isn't really a season in which their work isn't. It's miserable work — regardless of the weather, whatever weather it is. But most of it doesn't help.

Most of the time, it's the wrong side of cold to be working outside from before dawn to past midnight, or else it's warm and that's worse. In the fall, there's wet leaves over every inch of ground that Oscar has to fight for his life not to slip on with every step. He's eaten shit and ended up with bruises up his back more than once. In the winter, there's ice and snow to battle against, freezing temperatures that their cheap, worn-out clothes are never enough to stave off — and Mo always gets sick.

Though he gets sick in the summertime too.

It had happened a few times, back on the farm. When they were working outside all hours of the day, even through summer — on real hot days, Morris would drop like a stone. Heatstroke, Da had explained. Too much sun. Morris is only scrawny, can't regulate his temperature properly, so when he gets hot, he gets sick.

It's all Oscar can think about today. It's the height of August, and the air all around them is oppressive. Thick and warm, sticky, suffocating. The sun is hanging high in the sky, beating down on them relentlessly, and though Oscar had weeks ago began to forego his wool undershirt, wear his shirt loosely buttoned with the sleeves pushed up to his elbows, he still feels like he's boiling. It's the hottest day yet.

And Morris won't take anything off.

They've been arguing about it for days, especially today. Oscar has been telling him, over and over, that he's fucking stupid for it. Oscar's got scars too, all over, and he hates having them on any sort of show but he's smart enough to recognise when it's necessary. Morris refuses. And Oscar knows its different. Knows the scattered scars now visible on his own bare forearms have different connotations to the ones hidden beneath Morris' sleeves — uniform slashes up the insides of his wrists up to his elbows, thick horizontal lines and a few vertical, thicker. Obvious. But Morris had gotten so sick back on the farm, another illness that Da was half-sure would finally kill him. And here they are again.

At least it's not his fault that he's being ordered to work under the beating sun again. This time it's just their Da's brother barking the commands rather than Da himself.

Oscar can't even keep a proper eye on Morris because of it.

It's afternoon so the distribution yard is devoid of newsies, and thus they're working the whole space, toting around huge carts of old papers and crates and stacks of the evening edition as they roll in, under strict supervision of Wiesel, so their vicious argument from morning distribution about Morris taking his goddamn shirt off had had to be tabled for the moment.

The ground is bone dry and dusty, scraping beneath Oscar's boots and kicking up with all the movement, making it seem even more laborious to breathe the dense air. The sky is rippling with the beating sun, sitting on Oscar's skin like a flame that's slowly burning through him, cooking his godforsaken Irish skin like a cut of bacon. He knows Mo must be burning, if he's not already burnt, and once again tries to look around for him.

"Oi," Wiesel snaps. "Break those fuckin' crates up, Os, I ain't tellin' you again."

Oscar grits his jaw and gets back to it.

"Fuckin' asshole," Morris mumbles from nearby.

He can hear Morris moving around the yard behind him, hear the rattling of the cart wheels, the creaking of wood bearing too much weight. He can hear Wiesel talking to the other employees that are working around them, a more amiable tone that he never bothers to grace the brothers with — and he hears the footsteps of someone coming out. Glances up and nods a cursory greeting to Roy coming out of the printing house.

Behind him, he hears Roy greet Morris.

"Christ, 's hot out here."

"Yeah? Hadn' fuckin'—noticed," Morris spits. His voice sounds slightly strange, angrier than he usually gets without the usual triggers. The words clumsy and blended together. Roy doesn't comment, perhaps doesn't notice. Or just thinks it's valid ire for the circumstances.

"Your uncle got you workin' out in this?" he asks. It's loud, like it's half aimed at Oscar too. Oscar shrugs.

"Work's gotta be done."

"Gotta be done," Roy echoes with a laugh. "You're a capitalist's dream, Delancey."

"Fuck off," Oscar laughs, putting his foot through another crate. He knows Roy's grinning at him, and all his misery from work is soothed somewhat by the balm of a friend's existence.

"Oi, runt," Roy says then, voice lowering, dipping into concern. "Lookin' pretty pale there. You alright?"

In an instant, Oscar's gut is churning again. He looks around immediately, and sees the taller man stood with Morris in the middle of the yard, a cart abandoned beside them, a hand clasping Morris' arm. Morris is stood entirely rigid, face dazed, mouth opening and closing but no sound coming out.

And then Morris goes down.

"Fuck," Oscar says. "Fuck!"

He tosses the half-broken crate down and runs, boots kicking up a stream of dust, but he isn't too concerned. Morris passes out sometimes. He's a dumbass who doesn't eat nor sleep enough and is forced to be constantly overworked, Oscar is almost used to the sight of him dropping where he stands and being a limp pile of bony limbs.

But Morris isn't limp. He's convulsing.

Roy looks stricken. He's older than Oscar by a few years, big broad guy with a thick beard and a rough mouth, but in this moment he looks utterly helpless. Afraid.

It's nothing compared to how Oscar feels.

In an instant he drops to his knees in the dirt, reaching out for his brother, but Morris is. Gone. His eyes are glazed entirely, face twitching, limbs jerking sharply like he's being beaten and dragged by someone invisible. He's all drawn up, his face looks scared, he looks like he's in pain. He's drooling. Oscar doesn't know what to do.

"Get help!" he shouts, and, finally, Roy goes, takes off running.

Oscar, shaking, presses a palm to his brother's sweaty forehead. He feels impossibly hot, so hot it's almost Oscar's instinct to flinch away, but he doesn't. Can't.

"Mo," he croaks. "Mo, you're okay. You're okay."

He doesn't know that he is. It's never been like this before.

A terrified part of his mind tells him that his little brother is dying. A part that gets louder when the twitching and convulsing suddenly stops, and Morris goes limp, hazy eyes sliding closed, head falling back so suddenly that Oscar has to catch him.

"Help," he pleads shamelessly as Wiesel comes running over, another couple workers at his heel. "Help him."

Wiesel ultimately looks just as lost as Roy had. Looks remarkably like Da had, that first time Morris had dropped in the field.

There's the same lack of willingness to face accountability in his eyes. The same adamant refusal to accept that he did this.

"What's goin' on?" a voice calls from the gates, and Oscar feels another wave of protective fury overwhelm him. It's the newsies, because of course it is, all flooding in to come line up for the evening edition. All staring, crowding, trying to climb over each other for a better look at the sight of Morris on the ground, Oscar cradling him. Kelly pushes to the front, something indescribable in his face, lips parted. The dirt beside Morris' face is wet with drool and bile. He's very slowly starting to stir, eyes half-open, sliding around as he fights to focus. He makes a noise. Slurred, utterly nonsensical. Scared. Pained.

"What d'you think happened?" one of the newsies asks shamelessly.

"Is he dead?"

"Is there blood?"

Oscar could kill them. Instead, he forces his gaze — dark and dripping with fury — to raise to Wiesel.

"Get 'im inside," his uncle says quietly. "Get 'im looked after."

"Fuck you," Oscar spits. And lifts his little brother up into his arms.

"Oscar. Is he okay?" Jack calls out, voice echoing across the yard.

Morris is mumbling, eyes still unfocused. He's limp. His skin is hot. Oscar turns and carries him carefully inside into the shade. To once again be the only one who cares about him, who'll look after him.

"Oscar!"

Oscar kicks the door closed behind him.

[zalrb]

PLL 2x02 Review - As Per Anon Request

"And WHY is Melissa answering him?" "I mean is she?" Can you not see the text history?? It's the 2010s, we know how texts works now.

Someone is probably going to have remind me that Jason is Alison's brother.

And Spencer's half brother or something? Is that right?

"He's worried about you" does he pay child support?? You were stealing shit because you refused to downsize, Hanna's mom.

Emily's mom: Leave your phone downstairs so I can regulate who you're calling.

Also Emily's mom: *leaves Emily's bedroom without taking her phone so Emily can just call Spencer*

"omggg how are we going to talk at school??" Aria's mom is the only one who is actually at the school and she doesn't know her daughter is being groomed by her colleague, you can do whatever you want at school, wdym.

Aria needs to stop wearing big earrings.

THEY ARE SO BORING.

"Don't you read the papers or listen to the news?" "No." MONA. The actress commits to the bit. I respect it.

Aria, why are you telling Mona all this?

LMAO is this Toby's hero hair??

Ngl, it's a step up. His season 1 hair was a MESS.

Just let Claire do her regular accent, please.

Samara, how old are you? Why aren't you at college?

They have the most chemistry, though.

Bro, do you pay child support or alimony?

GET OUT OF HERE. I like how the music is dramatic to show how unhinged Jason is but when he throws the newspaper it lands on the ground in front of the dog instead of him actually hitting the dog with the newspaper, and not that we had to see the newspaper hit the dog but they could've cut away so it looked like he hit the dog with it.

The issue with PLL is a lot of the dialogue is rehashing things we already know, like why do I have to hear AGAIN about what's going on with Spencer and the police just because she's talking to Jason. Give me NEW information.

Jesus christ, the scout would be at her house or at a restaurant.

Like, Emily would not be explaining this to her mother herself, the scout would be having this conversation with her.

Toby, I swear to God, you can inflect.

Aria, it's been over an hour. LEAVE. You shouldn't even BE there in the first place.

I do think it's funny that Aria was all Spencer you're the Queen of Time or Master of Time or whatever and Spencer never answered Aria's question, she just sees Toby and is like gotta go. Another show would've had her drop her Time Wisdom before hanging up. But not this one. You're on your own, Aria.

"I'm sorry it seems that way." LOL at least they got deadbeat dads right.

Seriously, Ezria or whatever they're called are boring AF.

Claire's accent is struggggggggling.

Sophomore English ... sophomore high school English or college?

I ship no one on this show more than Mona and Hanna honestly.

No, I don't *ship* ship them, it's just they're fun.

LOL gotta love Spencer and her rationality. "You should've told me he was texting her." "Why? What would you have done?" "I would've done something." "WHAT?" "... ... I don't know." Mmhmm. And she knew it.

Why aren't you two comfortable with each other yet? You fell asleep on his lap, Spencer. Girl, sit next to him.

Aria's shoes are RIDICULOUS.

Well, it was Aria's turn to be attacked.

"The fact that A can just break into our houses??" And none of you have security cameras. It probably wouldn't have mattered anyway since A is a supernatural entity.

She's going to forge the letter obviously but he would just talk to her parents.

Stop using the classroom time to talk to your underage girlfriend through code, Ezra.

"Always read, have a good life!" Shut UP.

Is this the stupid rain kiss scene?

No, but it's a parking lot kiss. Outside the school. Which is ... SHE IS SIXTEEN.

And also NOTHING. N O T H I N G about them, morality and ethics and general ick factor aside, merits a slow-mo jump kiss. THEY DO NOTHING. THEY WHINE. THEY ARE SO BORING.

My link froze so I won't see this episode's epilogue, though I never really watch those anyway.

[mariatesstruther]

a list of some of the videos joel would send to sarah after she goes off to college because he misses having her around, for @clickergossip @bumblepony and @ameerawrites 🫰🏾

- joel and tommy going to the zoo because the tiger sarah has been obsessed with for years has cubs now, and theyre finally letting them out today for the public to see: “wow, would ya lookat that—hold on, can you see em? hold on—here. that’s good, over there, you see em? i remember when you were that little, babygirl. wow.”

- joel in his work shed whittling another “super-sarah” action figure to send off to her as he talks about how work and the sites have been, stopping once in a while to explain what he’s doing to her just like he did when she was little and sitting there to constantly nag him with questions

- him cleaning up her room and changing her bed at least once a week, even though there’s s nobody there to mess things up or dirty the sheets. what he discusses with her during these tidying sessions varies from week to week, but lately he’s been updating her on tommy and his new girlfriend: “so they’ve been goin steady for just about f—can you believe it? just about five months, now. tommy keeps talkin about celebratin their sixth month anniversary, and i keep tryin to tell him that makes no damn sense, logic-wise—but anyway. i guess i’m proud of him. you’d be teasin him to all hell, seein how gone he is for her. so head over heels, his boots might as well be in the sky. i know you said your too busy ti be dating right now, but just for the record: you ever get that over the moon for somebody, i’d better not be meetin em over videochat”

speaking of tommy!

when uncle tommy sends sarah a video one time, it’s him drunk off his ass in joel’s backseat, phone pressed way too close to his face, singing out a slurred but impressive “sarah sarah bo barah banana fanna fo farah, me mi mo marah sarahhhhhhhhhh. good god, bubba, do me and your daddy miss you. he’s over here drivin me nuts—,” “i’m drivin you to your place, you ungrateful little—,” “shut up! anyway, hope you’re havin fun over there in the big apple—my lady’s from the big apple, did ya know? she’s amazin. i hope you’ll get to meet her when you come down for break. just callin because i felt like talkin to ya—you know, your daddy’s a fuckin asshole and never lets me in his fuckin videos, so—,” “tommy!” “what??? im talkin!!! anyway, miss you so fuckin much, buggaboo—,” “tommy!” “what???” “watch your goddamn mou—better yet, just get off the fuckin phone! drunk dialin like youre 19 again, you fuckin idiot—” “asshole! you’re the one cursin!” “at you! doesn’t count! hang up the fuckin phone!” “it’s a video, stupid! and you’re calling me an idio—OW! JOEL! JOEL! GIVE IT BACK—!” “seeya later, babygirl. your uncle’s a  nuisance. i love you.”

[iviarellereads]

The Dragon Reborn, Chapter 56 - People of the Dragon

(THIS PROJECT IS SPOILER FREE! No spoilers past the chapter you click on. Curious what I'm doing here? Read this post! For the link index and a primer on The Wheel of Time, read this one! Like what you see? Send me a Ko-Fi.)

(Wheel icon) In which yes, that's less than ten pages of wrap-up after 666 pages of story, whatcha gonna do about it?

PERSPECTIVE: Narrator:

Throughout the city of Tear people woke with the dawn, speaking of the dreams they had had, dreams of the Dragon battling Ba’alzamon in the Heart of the Stone, and when their eyes rose to the great fortress of the Stone, they beheld a banner waving from its greatest height. Across a field of white flowed a sinuous form like a great serpent scaled in scarlet and gold, but with a golden lion’s mane and four legs, each tipped with five golden claws. Men came, stunned and frightened, from the Stone to speak in hushed tones of what had happened in the night, and men and women thronged the streets, weeping as they shouted the fulfillment of Prophecy. “The Dragon!” they shouted. “Al’Thor! The Dragon! Al’Thor!”

PERSPECTIVE: Mat peeks out through an arrowslit, watching the city's chorus. Everyone inside the Stone agrees with the people below. He’s having more than a little culture shock at the Aiel, especially when he tries to flirt with the Maidens.

Moiraine is sitting close to the wondergirls, who are surprised Perrin is in town, and ask if he's ok. Mo says he was when she last left him, his companion was in some danger but it's nothing that need concern them.(1) She pulls out another one of the DO prison seals, which was found in the High Lords' ter'angreal stash. Mat vaguely recognizes it.

Egg says they should have expected to find one here. Twice before, Rand faced Baa, and both times at least one seal was present. Nyn points out that this time, the seal is unbroken. As if that matters now. Mo asks if it doesn't? Mat begs her pardon, and all four of them turn to glare at him. He asks how all this can be, the Stone of Tear fallen, and all that. The Prophecy said that couldn't happen until the People of the Dragon came to Tear. Does that mean they're the People? Rand's friends and a few hundred Aiel?

Mo says prophecies are fulfilled as they're meant to be, not as we think they should be.

Rhuarc cleared his throat. “When a man wishes to become a clan chief, he must go to Rhuidean, in the lands of the Jenn Aiel, the clan that is not.” He spoke slowly and frowned often at the red-fringed silk carpet under his soft boots, a man trying to explain what he did not want to explain at all. “Women who wish to become Wise Ones also make this journey, but their marking, if they are marked, is kept secret among themselves. The men who are chosen at Rhuidean, those who survive, return marked on the left arm. So.” He pushed back the sleeves of his coat and shirt together to reveal his left forearm, the skin much paler than that of his hands and face. Etched into the skin as if part of it, wrapped twice around, marched the same gold-and-scarlet form as rippled on the banner above the Stone. The Aiel let his sleeve fall with a sigh. “It is a name not spoken except among the clan chiefs and the Wise Ones. We are. . . .” He cleared his throat again, unable to say it here. “The Aiel are the People of the Dragon.” Moiraine spoke quietly, but she sounded as close to startlement as Mat could remember ever hearing her. “That I did not know.”(2)

Mat keeps talking like it's all over, but the wondergirls point out that the Forsaken and Black Ajah are still loose. Mat says, but they saw the body! Moiraine says they saw *A* body. Mat demands who it was then, he recognizes the face from his dreams, and Moiraine says the man who called himself Ba'alzamon. The Dark One yet lives, imprisoned at Shayol Ghul. The Dark One would never have left a human body behind, no matter how fast decay took it. Egg says Verin once showed her a page from an old book that mentioned Ishy and Ishamael together. Maybe they were the same person. Mo says even if it was, nine of the thirteen still live, and three seals are broken, only four still hold. Whatever battle they won here, the war goes on.

A door opens and a tall young woman walks in, wearing a coronet with a golden hawk on it. She says she's Berelain, the First of Mayene,(3) and she's not used to being given messages to carry, and throws a parchment down on the table. Mo asks who gave her the message, but Ber can't remember, and doesn't know why she took it. She just knows the lady who gave it her was impressive.

Ber turns to Rhuarc and tells him the Aiel fighting disturbed her sleep last night. She turns back to Moiraine and tells her to inform the Lord Dragon that the First of Mayene will dine with him tonight, then marches out of the room. Egg and El say in unison that they'd like to see Ber in the White Tower as a novice.(4)

Moiraine reads the parchment. ‘Lews Therin was mine, he is mine, and he will be mine, forever. I give him into your charge, to keep for me until I come.’ It is signed ‘Lanfear.’ She tells Mat that he’s ta’veren, and he blew the Horn of Valere. Nothing at all is done for him yet. He says, of course, he understands, you can count on him.

Outside the people are still chanting Rand's name.

And it was written that no hand but his should wield the Sword held in the Stone, but he did draw it out, like fire in his hand, and his glory did burn the world. Thus did it begin. Thus do we sing his Rebirth. Thus do we sing the beginning. —from Do’in Toldara te, Songs of the Last Age, Quarto Nine: The Legend of the Dragon. Composed by Boanne, Songmistress at Taralan, the Fourth Age.

The End of the Third Book of The Wheel of Time

=====

(1) Goddamn that's cold, Moiraine. You haven't even checked on him since you left him and Faile at the inn?! (2) Very little in prophecy comes true the way it sounds like it's going to come true. They were getting all worked up about the People of the Dragon, and had no way of knowing it would be the Aiel… unless the prophecy has many layers of meanings, which is also very likely. (3) You may note from my tags that I've put most of her full name in, including a very interesting reference. Paendrag, yes, like Pendragon. I mean, we already met Arthur, and most of the Caemlyn crew (4) That's not very women supporting women of you, ladies.

[brooklynislandgirl]

🔥🔥🔥

A Little You, A Little Meme || - Fair is fair. Beth has put Chris on the spot, and like a hero of old, he rose to the verbal challenge. She gives him a skeptical look over the voice thing, because she doesn't herself like it much. It's too soft, too husky, and she's never really lost her bird even after all these years exiled on the mainland. Most people struggle to understand her ~a thing she feels justified in, when they talk too fast or look away and she constantly has to ask them to repeat themselves, or make a fool of herself by answering what she heard versus what came out their mouths~ but then again, she'd asked for his opinion, not to parrot hers. The teeth thing makes her giggle. Even she recognised his admiration after that first kiss, even if she wasn't sure how she felt, other than maybe a little horrified. It had been left in Andy's lap to explain that his sister was different. That in some ways if the world knew, that she'd be considered an abomination. That she was, in fact, descended from a Rokea. A were-shark, who has, in fact, been alive at least since the Edo period. That while she isn't one herself, there are left over traits. Chris hadn't ever looked at her differently. If anything, he seemed more attentive after that. Maybe even worse, when Andy had to explain that she was mentally...ill. That she suffered from bi-polar disorder and sometimes she wasn't herself. She wanted to die of shame, even though Chris promised it didn't change anything. She pushes those thoughts away. She will, however, give him her backside. She might not be the curviest girl on the planet, and Andy often teased that she was so flat she could be mistaken for a two-by-four plank, but as she got older, all of excess settled behind her. She can't fault him for his tastes. "Okay okay, so...all kine bein' fair...an' you already know I'm bro-" she stops herself, knowing he doesn't like when she says that about herself. "-am different dan mos' people...firs' kine attract you to me...You've been my bes' good friend for years. You nevah make fun of me, you were nevah mean. You nevah were afraid despite...alla reasons you should have been. You an' me? Connected, Andy use t' say. Bet dollah f' donut so did Jess." If he can like her voice, she can like his personality. He and his sister had always been like family to her, made even more important when she lost her only real one. Even when she went away for school and made a new friend in Jay, they kept in touch. They wrote and called and texted at all hours, and he'd been the only one there to welcome her home when everything fell apart. "Second? Ya laugh. No no don' shake ya head at me. It's deep, soft and warm. Hearin' it...s'like...like bein' swallowed up in da softest flannel blanket on a New York wintah night. Or mebbe is like champagne...full of light an' bubbles up from da very bottom of you." She reaches out and boops the tip of his nose with one little finger, and the shyest stirrings of a smile. She doesn't normally put things into perspective that way.

"Las' but not leas'? All of you. Like your shape, your presence, ya body. Perfectly built t' like carry da world on ya shoulders or in your arms, an' I know ya do. Mebbe too often sometimes, mebbe for too long. Mebbe no one else appreciates everyt'ing you sacrifice. Dey might not see it, dey may not see you, but I do." She means that more than he can know. But then, before the moment can turn maudlin, she shrugs. "Of course you give da best hugs an' you know what dey say in medical circles. T'icc t'ighs save lives."

[motianz]

??? Square up right now Mo

[soft-bellied-tannies]

Baked with Love

Thank you to @chubbybubbyjoonie1 for this lovely prompt! I hope you enjoy! <3

Read it here or on AO3!

“Hey, did you see that a new bakery is opening downtown?” Taehyung asked as he got back from class. 

Jin and Jungkook both turned from where they making lunch in the kitchen. Jin, a lover of anything food related, said, “No, I didn't. Does it look nice?”

Taehyung shrugged. “I only saw the flyer. It says it’s a Seoul location for some popular bakery in Busan.” 

Jungkook looked up with newfound interest. “Pretty Minnie’s?” 

“Oh, yeah, you’ve heard of it?” 

“Heard of it? Pretty Minnie’s is the best place in Busan. We went there at least once a week when I was a kid. They had a location in my neighborhood,” Jungkook answered excitedly. 

Taehyung and Jin both seemed more intrigued by the alpha’s excitement. “I guess we will have to try it then. The grand opening is next weekend.”

—

“I promise, Appa, I got this,” Jimin said as he pulled on his apron. His father was on speakerphone for the third time that morning, ready to get on the next train from Busan to come help his son open their new location. 

The omega smoothed over his yellow apron, tying it around the front in a way that made him look even curvier than he already was. Jimin had donned his favorite black overalls with yellow and white daisies for his special day - the grand opening of his own location of the family bakery. 

Jimin had dreamed of this day since he was a young pup in his parent’s main bakery. He loved spending his days helping his father in the kitchen and serving customers with his mother - the namesake of the family business. 

“Ah, I know, Jimin-ah. You have been working your whole life for this, but I worry about you. It’s hard to be alone anywhere but especially in Seoul. You will handle the bakery just fine, I just don’t want you to be lonely, son,” his father explained, sounding a little choked up as he spoke. 

“Appa…” Jimin replied quietly, getting emotional himself. He knew his parents never meant to coddle him, they loved him and wanted the best for him. “I promise, I will tell you if I want you and Eomma to visit. I just want to do this part on my own, prove to myself that I can do it.” 

“Of course, you can do it, you’ve been doing it since you were sixteen. That was never in question,” his father said confidently, voice full of pride for his son. 

Jimin smiled brightly and picked up his phone to take it off speaker, holding it up to his ear instead. “Thank you, Appa. I love you.” 

“I love you too, Jimin. Keep us updated throughout the day. I want to hear all about your wonderful grand opening.” 

After hanging up the phone and bolstering himself with the long-distance support of his parents, Jimin left his office to give the opening staff a pep talk before they unlocked the doors. He was shocked to see the line out front and felt a new wave of energy.

The first three hours of the day went by so fast, Jimin had no idea what time it was and how much they had sold, but it was undoubtedly a successful grand opening already. Between college students from Busan and families with kids drawn to the cute exterior, they well exceeded their expectations for the big move to Seoul. 

Just as Jimin was about to tap out for a break, the bell above the door rang once again. He turned to greet the new customers and let them know that one of his staff could take care of them when he stopped still, instantly overwhelmed by the group that just walked in. 

Six college students, clearly a mix of alphas and betas that seemed close enough to possibly be a pack. Jimin felt instantly attracted to them, something in their presence drawing him, but he forced himself to be professional and put on his customer service smile. 

“Hi, welcome to Pretty Minnie’s! My name is Jimin, what can I get for you?” 

Jimin almost shrunk under their heavy stares, all of them remaining silent for almost an uncomfortable amount of time. He decided to try breaking the ice a little more. “We have quite a few options so it can be overwhelming to choose. I can help you pick some out if you would like.” 

Jungkook stepped forward first, already having been the designated orderer since he was familiar with the bakery. “Um, I’m from Busan so I’ve actually been here before. Well, not here, but you know…yeah…”

Jimin nodded with an endeared smile, finding the alpha adorable in his nervous introduction. “Thank you for supporting us! What is your favorite? I’ll give you one on the house.” 

“Oh, no, I couldn’t. It’s your grand opening!” 

“I insist, especially if you all plan on buying something. Consider it a gift from me,” Jimin replied firmly, hoping that he wasn’t coming on too strong. 

Jungkook gave him a shy smile and said, “Okay, thank you. I love the red bean sweet buns.” 

Jimin grabbed one from the case and handed it over to the alpha. “Those are my favorite too!” 

“Let us buy one for you then,” Namjoon said, suddenly finding his voice and stepping up beside Jungkook at the counter. 

“Oh, um, wow, if you would really like to,” Jimin responded, cheeks filling with a pink blush. 

Namjoon insisted and the rest of the group placed their order. Jimin filled a pastry box with all of their selections, setting aside one sweet bun for himself. As he slid the box across the counter, he looked up to find all of them with their eyes on him. 

Clearing his throat slightly in hopes of hiding his interest, Jimin thanked them for visiting the bakery. “Thank you all so much for coming in and thank you for the bun. No one has ever done that for me before.” 

Taehyung stepped forward, making such direct eye contact that Jimin felt his knees get a little weak. “You deserve much more than a sweet bun. We will have to come back again.” 

Jimin knew that his blush returned ten-fold, never having been so directly flirted with by an alpha like this. He ducked his head slightly, lips forming a soft smile. “I hope to see you soon.” 

Before the group could say anything else, Jimin’s attention was called by one of his staff members. He gave them a parting wave and turned away from the counter. They all watched him until the woman at the counter called for the next customer. 

The walk back to their apartment was a quiet one, full of processing thoughts, but the second Yoongi opened the door and everyone got inside, all the emotions burst forward. 

“Oh my God, he was adorable!” 

“Did you see his cheeks? They looked softer than the mochi in the case!” 

“He looked so cute in those overalls.”

“I was looking at a different set of cheeks, honestly.” 

“Yoongi!” Jin scolded as he smacked the beta’s arm, although he was trying to hold back his laughter. Even if Jin wasn’t so crass himself, he also wasn’t going to disagree. 

“What? We are all thinking it. He was curvy as hell,” Yoongi said, shrugging off Jin’s response. He smirked and continued, “Also, don’t come at me. What about Tae with that whole ‘you deserve more’ shtick?” 

Taehyung laughed and waved him off. “I was just speaking my truth. Joonie is the one who bought him something. A little courting jumpstart, o alpha, my alpha?”

Namjoon rolled his eyes, deciding to focus on the pastry box in front of him. “I was returning his nice gesture, that’s all.” 

“Mhmm, sure, definitely wasn’t your alpha wanting to provide for him,” Taehyung quipped, enjoying the light atmosphere in the room. It was rare for all of them to be on the same page about something like this so it seemed obvious that they would pursue the sweet omega. 

Hoseok grabbed his selection from the box and took a bite. “Wow, I’ll keep going back no matter who works there. This is incredible.” 

The next few moments passed in silence while all six of them enjoyed their pastries. Making quiet sounds of enjoyment, the baked goods were gone in minutes and they all shared knowing looks. 

“Well, damn, I guess we have to go back to the bakery again,” Yoongi announced, making his way out of the room with the other’s laughs trailing behind him. 

—

Two weeks after the opening, Jimin felt over the moon. The bakery was thriving, his parents were proud of him, and he finally had his entire apartment unpacked. All he wanted now was to see that pack of handsome men walk back through his door. 

They apparently had returned two times since the grand opening, but Jimin missed them both times. The first time was a few days later while he was back in his office on the phone with an ingredient vendor. The second time was during his parent’s visit to Seoul; he was with them at his apartment above the bakery while his trusted staff ran the morning shift. 

It would be more than welcome to have a visit from them today as Jimin was by far, having his worst day in Seoul yet. 

Jimin knew that his style wasn’t for everyone. He dressed more like a kindergarten teacher than anything else, his patterned overalls and thick-rimmed glasses being his favorite things to wear. 

On top of his fashion sense, Jimin was also aware that he was considered plus-size. His wide hips and plump ass filled out his overalls quite nicely. He was the child of bakers and a baker himself, of course, he was on the softer, curvier side. 

What Jimin was not aware of was the fact that people were much freer with their words in Seoul than back home in Busan. He tried not to let the comments get to him, but some people were blatantly rude. 

Some alphas mentioned that he must taste-test all of his work while older omegas directly addressed his size - telling him that he would never find a pack if he was already ‘letting himself go’ so young. There was even a specific group of women who came in and gave him a business card for their gym every time he was at the counter. 

Usually, Jimin could shrug it off. ‘Never trust a skinny baker’ became his catchphrase and certain people were simply ignored, letting his staff handle them while he found another place to keep himself busy. 

That morning, however, was just a bad start to his day. 

The first round of sweet buns somehow ended up in the oven without a timer and burnt to the point of being inedible. One of his favorite coffee mugs slipped off the counter and shattered across the floor. He had to send an employee down to the grocery store for butter because their shipment was late. 

Then, his bad day became terrible. He was at the counter alone - one employee at the store, one back in the kitchen, and one on break - when an absolute wretch of a woman came in. 

There were two other customers in the bakery eating at the window counter and one at the case that she completely breezed by, cutting them in line. She ignored Jimin’s greeting and his offer for assistance while she stared at the case in disdain. 

Without even a simple hello, the woman looked him up and down and said, “I guess the bakery must be pretty good if the baker is fat, right?”

Jimin stared at her in shock. He knew the implication behind his words whenever he mentioned the skinny baker thing, but this woman had straight-up called him fat to his face.

Considering himself strong-willed, Jimin was surprised to find himself a bit teary-eyed from her words. It was likely the already-stressful morning burdening him and his impending pre-heat, but the words cut him like a knife. 

“I’m sorry, but I’m going to have to ask you to leave,” Jimin said firmly, trying to limit the scene from developing or making the other customers uncomfortable. 

She glared at him, unmoving from her spot at the counter with her arms crossed. “You are denying me service for speaking the truth. Some business model you have here.” 

Jimin straightened his posture and took a deep breath, pushing down the insecurities that she had unearthed from somewhere he hadn’t even known. “Yes, I am denying you service. Even though you are a customer, that does not give you the right to disrespect me or my business. I am politely asking you to leave, ma’am.” 

In an attempt to break his composure, the woman stared him down for another tense moment before dramatically spinning on her heel and stomping out. Jimin watched her leave, ensuring the door fully shut behind her. He then took quick steps to the kitchen door, not even acknowledging his other customers and asking the staff member in the kitchen to take over. 

As he sought refuge in his office to process what just happened and probably call his mom, Jimin had not noticed that a few more customers had entered the bakery to view the intense exchange. 

Hoseok and Jin had stepped inside, excited to see the omega only to be met with the horrible woman and Jimin’s strong reserve. They watched and waited, hoping to comfort him and leaving once he disappeared into the back - heading home to inform the rest of what had happened. 

—

A few days later, all six decided to visit the bakery together on their free afternoon. The bell over the door greeted them instead of a lovely, welcoming voice as the counter was empty. Jungkook looked around the corner, trying to see if anyone was around but found no one. 

“I’ll be there in just a moment!” the omega’s voice called out from his office. 

They smiled and decided to look over the selection in the pastry case while they waited. It was barely a minute before Jimin came quickly toward the counter, covering his mouth with one hand. 

After chewing and swallowing, Jimin smiled and said, “I’m so sorry for the wait! I knew I should’ve just taken my lunch out here.” 

Jin and Yoongi both frowned, not liking the implication that the omega was skipping his breaks. The betas already felt protective over him just from their limited interactions. 

“Well, we’re sorry for interrupting,” Namjoon responded, trying to comfort the omega. 

“Don’t be silly! I’m happy to have such nice customers,” Jimin said as he looked down to make sure he didn’t drop any food on his shirt. He realized that he had one overall strap undone and he had forgotten his apron. “Oh goodness, I am a mess today. I will be right back.” 

They all watched him speed off to the office while clipping his strap back together. His overalls were lavender with white polka dots and a little more form-fitting than others they had seen him wear. Without the apron covering most of his body, they were able to appreciate his curvy waist and plump thighs. 

“God, he’s so adorable. We need to ask him out already,” Hoseok whispered as they all had their eyes on the office entrance instead of the baked goods. 

Jimin returned with his apron tied neatly around his waist, looking calmer and put together instead of rushed as before. “Okay, thank you so much for waiting. What can I get for you?” 

After giving their order, Jin and Hoseok were torn on addressing the moment they witnessed earlier in the week. They wanted to show their support and try to dispel some of the omega’s potential worries that lingered from the interaction. 

“Um, Jimin?” Jin asked, realizing it was the first time he had addressed him by his name directly. 

The omega looked a little startled, pausing his motions of putting their box together. “Yes?” 

“I just wanted to say that I’m really sorry about what happened with that woman this week. I know it isn’t my place to apologize, but no one should ever speak to you that way. I think you did the right thing by kicking her out; it was very respectable,” Jin explained. 

Jimin’s face paled, trying to stop his eyes from widening and tearing up. His omega was begging him to get out of there as he felt pure embarrassment at them witnessing that conversation. It never really hit him before that moment, but now something in him shifted at knowing they had heard someone call him fat. 

Although Jimin didn’t consider himself to be fat per se or fat to be a bad thing in general, his thoughts were spiraling as his brain was screaming that this pack he daydreamed about probably had no interest in someone like him, especially after hearing someone speak about him in that way.

Trying to ignore those feelings, Jimin attempted a smile and stuttered, “I…uh, thank you. I didn’t realize you were here to see that.” 

They all sensed the omega’s switch in demeanor and immediately wanted to comfort him or possibly scold Jin for bringing it up. Rather than his typical drawn-out packing of the box with light conversation, Jimin made quick work of gathering their chosen baked goods and ringing them up on the register. 

Suddenly, Taehyung made a decision and spoke up. “Jimin, would you like to have dinner with us tonight?”

Jimin’s head snapped up, owl-eyed with surprise as if he never expected that to be a possible question from them. He considered turning it down purely out of his own insecurity before he decided to accept. Even if it was out of pity for witnessing what Jimin saw as humiliating, the omega was grateful for their kindness.

“Oh…um, yeah…yes, I would love that.” 

—

After their dinner together, the pack knew they could never let Jimin go. The courting started immediately and the omega was blown away. Even though this group courting him was in college, they all clearly were mature and secure both financially and emotionally. 

His parents were thrilled, happy to hear that the bakery was thriving and Jimin was not alone up in the big city. He was spending his evenings at their shared house and at least one or two of them would visit the bakery throughout the day, even offering to help behind the counter. 

The courting process also taught Jimin a few things.

Pack relationships were more beautiful and loving than he had ever expected after coming from a single couple home. 

Jimin very much enjoyed being spoiled, constantly receiving gifts of all sizes from all six pack members. 

And most importantly for him, they fully supported his aspirations to be an omega business owner and had no intention of limiting him once they mated. 

Something else Jimin realized that went hand-in-hand with spoiling him was their encouragement and dedication to keeping him well-fed. Jin and Yoongi were wonderful cooks, always bringing him prepared lunches and serving him healthy portions. 

All of them had jumped behind the counter at the bakery to help in different ways. Jin and Yoongi learned house recipes and helped Jimin prepare batches for the oven. Taehyung and Hoseok were fantastic with customers, willing to serve tables and fulfill orders. Namjoon could man the register with ease and Jungkook was able to do a bit of everything.

No matter what position they were filling at the bakery, all of them would make excuses to feed Jimin throughout the day. Under the guise of taste-testing or ‘sharing’ the baked goods with him, the omega quickly realized that he was eating much more of his products than ever before. 

As they were the ones initiating and the never-ending praise Jimin received from them, the omega couldn’t bring himself to worry about the effects of his indulgence because he was not naive to it. He caught on pretty quickly to them making excuses to give him bites at the bakery or the extra spoonful in his portion of dinner. 

Jimin felt the effects after the first few months of courting. He had always been on the curvier side, but he was definitely filling out more and more as time went on. 

His overalls which had fit the same for years started to get tighter on his hips, hugging his body and highlighting the new softness on his frame. His cute, little tummy being constantly filled with sweet treats had started to become rounder, taking up more space and pushing out against his clothes to the point of needing to extend his straps. 

With the way his new pack took any chance to have their hands on him, Jimin found that his confidence and appreciation for his body actually grew in tandem. Between his strong composure and the new scents he wore like perfume, those comments from rude customers were things of the past. 

Their months-long courtship came to an end and Jimin accepted their mating proposal - all of it lining up perfectly with the pack’s graduation. They planned to move in together and mate within the next year.

All of the excitement fulfilled Jimin’s desires and he had to admit that he had never been happier - a successful business from his own hard work and a pack of six incredible future mates. 

However, there was one thing that nearly brought him to tears, admittedly a bit dramatic but still painful. Jimin outgrew his beloved pair of black, daisy-print overalls.

He had been getting ready for his opening shift one morning, having slept at his own apartment the night before. Jimin grabbed them off the hanger and noticed the resistance as he tried to pull them over his thighs and hips. Once he managed to wiggle them up his waist, even unbuttoning the two extenders on the side didn’t help them sit comfortably on his body. 

Jimin was already running behind so he threw on a pair of leggings and a hoodie he had stolen from Namjoon, feeling wrong to be entering his bakery without a pair of overalls on. He tried his best to tamp down his distress knowing that Jin and Taehyung would both be in that morning to help him open. 

Due to his already heightened emotions, Jimin finally let the tears fall when he put on his apron. He always tied it around the front, making a lovely little bow that sat on his middle, but this morning, the ties on his favorite yellow apron didn’t have enough give to be tied when he wrapped them around front. 

Jimin’s brain tried to offer him some excuses like his upcoming pre-heat causing bloating and the thickness of the hoodie he was wearing compared to his normal clothes, but he knew that wasn’t the case. The apron faced the same fate as his overalls due to his growing figure. 

And, in any other moment, Jimin would have found the apron realization endearing - a physical representation of how well his pack loved him. However, outgrowing his overalls hurt as they had become almost an armor in a sense, a part of who he was and a connection to the success of his bakery. They were also a gift from his mother, one of the first patterned pairs that he treasured. 

Jin and Taehyung nearly sprinted inside once they caught the bitter, burnt smell after opening the back door. They both became concerned that Jimin was sick considering his dressed-down outfit and disheveled state. 

“Jimin! What’s wrong, baby?” Jin called out as he entered the kitchen, Taehyung a few steps behind him. 

Jimin hiccuped and tried to stifle his sobs, allowing both of them to wrap him in a tight embrace. He was instantly comforted by their scents and gentle touch, an oddly familiar sense of embarrassment now that he was preparing to explain the reason behind his tears. 

“I…uh…” Jimin started before letting out a wet laugh, toeing the line of self-deprecating. “Sorry, I’m being ridiculous.”

“Hey, don’t say that. Talk to us, what’s going on?” Taehyung replied, refusing to let go of the omega until he had answers. 

Between his quiet tone and his face tucked up against Jin’s broad shoulder, Jimin’s words were mumbled. Jin and Taehyung both asked him to repeat what he had said, still slightly tensed with the expectation of something horrible. 

Jimin pulled away with a pout on his face, bottom lip almost quivering. “My favorite overalls don’t fit anymore.” 

Jin kissed his forehead, continuing his gentle massage on the omega’s back. “Oh, Min, I’m sorry.” 

Taehyung really tried his best, but he could not hide his smirk from knowing they were the reason their omega had filled out so nicely. Although, the alpha was aware that Jimin truly loved his adorable wardrobe and instantly put that in his pocket for later. 

“Why don’t Jinnie and I go get started in the kitchen while you head back upstairs and change? It will make you feel better, babe,” Taehyung offered, trying to sound light and encouraging. 

Jimin thought it over and nodded, removing his apron and handing over the day’s menu so they could get prepped. Jin collected the ingredients they needed while Taehyung texted the group chat about the tense morning. 

The mood had completely shifted when Jimin returned from changing. He had picked a simple pair of regular denim overalls that did fit but were reaching the same fate as his other pair. The omega looked perfectly content though as if just simply wearing his preferred clothing was all he needed to feel better. 

—

A month after that harrowing morning marked one year since they started courting Jimin and it was the day they had all been awaiting. They were moving into their shared home, albeit, a little stressful for Jimin who had entered pre-heat a few nights prior and would be in heat two weeks from now. 

His pre-heat was a nice incentive to move quickly since Jimin was desperate to pull the others into a comfortable nest with him. Thankfully, the tears had been a one-time thing as the omega explained it wasn’t his confidence or body image that was affected, it was truly the loss of his favorite outfit.

Jimin was in the living room helping Hoseok and Jungkook hang up pictures when the others joined them. Taehyung was holding a pretty large gift bag out toward him with a wide smile which Jimin accepted with a confused expression. 

“What’s this?” 

“Just a little housewarming gift from us. We have all been living together for a while so it felt right,” Taehyung explained, clearly excited to see the omega’s reaction. 

Jimin was endeared by their sweet gesture and placed the bag on the coffee table to start opening it. Once he removed the tissue paper, he gasped and looked up at them with teary eyes. “Oh my god! I love you all so much!” 

Holding them up in front of him, Jimin looked at a brand new pair of black overalls that perfectly matched the pattern of his old ones - bigger than the originals, big enough for more room to grow. 

Excitedly digging through the bag, Jimin found three more pairs of adorable overalls with pastel colors and pretty patterns that were appropriately sized for him now. He looked up at all of them with a wide eye smile and crossed the room to throw his arms around Taehyung first. 

“Thank you,” Jimin whispered quietly into the alpha’s ear, falling in love with them all a little more each time they make him feel so cherished. He spread his love throughout the room, ending up doing a little fashion show once Namjoon suggested it. 

They watched him change without a second thought in the middle of their living room, giving the pack a lovely showing of the omega’s velvety curves and rolls. Even though the new overalls were sized-up, Jimin’s round backside and plump belly were still on display for their viewing pleasure. 

What Taehyung may not have mentioned to Jimin was the fact that he purchased a few more pairs than just the ones gifted that day. Realizing how important those black overalls were to their omega and how significant his appetite was, the pack determined that buying a pair of the next sizes up was necessary. 

What Taehyung may not have mentioned to the entire pack was the fact that he also found maternity overalls in the same pattern and he may have added a few of those to the cart as well. Call it wishful thinking, but he saw pups in their future and even if there weren’t, Jimin’s belly was on its way to warranting the extra support anyway.

[baiwu-jinji]

ramblings about 2ha (beware spoilers below)

1. About 2ha’s language. The quality of Meatbun’s writing is a subject of contention among Chinese readers: some readers admire her writing; others find it to be no good. I think this is probably because while Meatbun’s writing is certainly beautiful, it’s also flawed and uneven. At its best, the language of 2ha is rich, vigorous, imaginative, and so poignant and intensely emotional that it breaks your heart with every phrase and every line. But at its worst, 2ha’s language can be verbose, repetitive, inaccurate, and featuring some strange usages that might seem careless.

What I find interesting is that 2ha is a text very fitted for translation, and that’s because Meatbun is very good at using imageries and metaphors to get her point across. Let me explain. Danmei novels set in ancient China tend to use more literary language derived from classical Chinese because of their setting; and idioms, phrases and sentences in classical Chinese are usually pretty difficult to translate and easily lose their original meaning, poeticism, conciseness and elegance in English translations. This is how I generally felt when reading other danmei authors such as MXTX, Priest, and Meng Xi Shi (especially Meng Xi Shi). While Meatbun also uses plenty of classical Chinese, she uses imageries and metaphors even more profusely; and imageries and metaphors, unlike usages derived from classical Chinese, can be much more accurately translated, and their original beauty and flavour much easily preserved in translations. A lot of the imageries Meatbun used are very original and striking, and they’re one of my favourite aspects of her writing.

2. I suppose because it’s such a dark and heart-rending story where people die like flies everywhere, the main couple take turns dying in various ways, and everyone else is having a terrible time, so those moments of peace and happiness that the characters have with their family and loved ones seem all the more precious in 2ha. And I do find it to be a main theme in 2ha that you should cherish and hold onto your family and loved ones while you still can. Xue Meng realized this too late after the death of his parents and after everything fell apart at Sisheng Peak – he thought to himself that he didn’t want any fame or glory anymore, and he’d do anything just to get everyone back. Chu Wanning in his previous life realized it too late after he was imprisoned by Taxian-jun, so he uncharacteristically stopped to chat with Xue Meng and Shi Mei after he broke into the alternate timeline, because “he wanted to look at them a bit longer, to hear them talk a bit more; it’s something he could never have again in his own world.” As for Mo Ran who struggled to redeem himself throughout the story and knew that judgement and retribution could descend upon himself any minute, he held onto the time he had with Chu Wanning for dear life. He desperately needed those moments of love, kindness, and warmth because when the time comes that he has to go through hell, memories of those moments will be a light that guides him and sustains him; and even if he is to be trapped in hell forever, having those memories of light at least means he won’t have to perish in total darkness.

There’s another related theme in 2ha that’s incredibly persistent throughout the novel – it’s the theme that your loved ones will live on through you after they’re gone. Mo Ran tried to imitate Chu Wanning, or in the words of the novel, turned himself into a reflection of Chu Wanning after Chu Wanning’s death out of immense remorse and gratitude. Xu Shuanglin (aka Nangong Xu) moulded Ye Wangxi into a reflection of Luo Fenghua, and Ye Wangxi started to take on Nangong Si’s traits after his death. Nangong Si himself lived by the lessons that his mother left to him and grew to become like his mother.

3. Another theme from the novel that stuck with me is the theme that love and human warmth can be just as inaccessible and scarce as any material wealth and commodity. This is especially about Mo Ran and Rong Jiu. Nobody cared about what Mo Ran liked or how he felt when he was a kid; and love and affection is a luxury that Rong Jiu believed he couldn’t afford because he needed to concentrate all his energy on survival and self-preservation. Some people are starved of food, and some are starved of love; both situations are tragic and neither should be judged.

4. This is just in case any of my followers who haven’t read 2ha are reading this post: while I do recommend 2ha, I’d also say proceed with caution if you intend to read it. 2ha probably contains more rape scenes than one is likely to be comfortable with, and those scenes can be very triggering. Also the last 100 chapters or so of the novel are absolutely ruthless - there’s nothing but pain, relentless pain, and then more pain, so it got a bit suffocating for me in the end.

[letarasstuff]

Unbreakable Bond

(A/N): This is based on this post and this tiktok

Summary: A big age gap between Aaron's children doesn't have to mean that they are unable to form a strong bond

Warnings: Mentions of Haley's death and failed relationships

Wordcount: 1.8k

✨Masterlist✨

_________________________________

His life took turns Aaron never expected. It’s not the “Oh, mh, well that was unexpected”-type of turns, I talk about the “God played Cards Against Humanity with angels and decided to make it happen for someone”-type. But looking back he would not want to change a thing.

After Haley and Beth he was convinced that God, the Universe, something out there shared the opinion that romantic love isn’t the right thing for him and Aaron accepted that fact. Even more when he and Jack went into witness protection. I mean, when you are worried about the life of your family being in danger because of a stalker, you don’t think about the beautiful neighbor, who lives next door, right? Right?

Well, without going into too much detail, Hotch did think about her and she about him and vice versa. Everything went good until Aaron received the message that the team found the stalker and that it was safe to come back. He decided to come clean to his girlfriend. They talked about the possibility of moving back to Quantico.

In the end they decided in favor of the move, the final argument was the surprising announcement of her being pregnant. Hotch wants to raise their youngest where his and Jack’s roots are located. But he decides against taking a position at the BAU, instead taking a desk job in order to be more at home. He also has the opportunity to work from home after little (Y/N) was born and continues to do so until she is old enough to go to Kindergarten. Even then he takes two days the week where he stays home. Aaron learned from his decisions and mistakes he made in the past and wants to live up to them and be a better father and husband than before.

And Hotch keeps it to this day, six years later. It’s (Y/N)’s first day of school, while Jack just graduated high school and goes off to college in a few weeks. Even though they have an age gap from twelve and a half years, their parents are sure there are no other siblings with such a strong bond.

Ever since his baby sister’s birth Jack is her biggest supporter, protector and friend. Her first word was his name, though it was more of a “ACK!”, but that’s the best nickname he ever got. As soon as (Y/N) was old enough to comprehend the concept of movies, he introduced her to Star Wars. Since then lightsaber wars out of cardboard pipes are not uncommon. Last Halloween they even dressed up as Chewbakka and Han Solo. You get three guesses on who was who.

“JACK!” (Y/N) runs into her big brother’s room with an excited expression on her face. “Daddy promised to buy me a real lightsaber after I read ten books! With lights and sounds and all! Isn’t that cool?” Jack smiles. Aaron did a similar thing with him. For a certain amount of books he got a reward they discussed beforehand. This way he felt motivated to read and improved writing and reading skills.

“This is awesome. I think that means we have to go book shopping together, what do you think?” (Y/N) is not only the cool kid that has an older brother, she is also the cool kid, whose older brother has a drivers license, a car and a part time job. She nods with big eyes, speechless, because the offer sounds like heaven to her. Getting books and one on one time with Jack after he was really busy with school for weeks? This has to be heaven.

“Ok, then you put your outside clothes on and I’ll tell Dad about our plan.” At that the little girl rushes to her room, not wanting to waste any more time. Jack makes his way down to the kitchen, where Aaron wipes the table from lunch down.

“Dad, I take (Y/N) to this bookstore in DC and we’ll probably go eat ice cream after that. Is that alright?” Hotch looks up at his son. It still feels like yesterday as he told Haley that Gideon is a big no as a baby name. Now he is all grown up and just a few weeks away from the next big chapter in his life.

“Of course, just let me get my wall-” Jack cuts him off. “No need, I want to use this as a kind of goodbye thing. At least until Thanksgiving.” Aaron knows what he means. It’s his last day before he goes off to college and just a couple more until the first classes begin. The family still hasn’t told their youngest exactly what’s going on. Else she would refuse to go to school and go on with her day, insisting on using all the time they have until Jack drives off.

Two hours later the siblings leave the bookstore, both of them having a bag in their hands. Of course Jack's heavier, but both he and the cashier assured (Y/N) that they lift the same amount of weight.

“Uncle Spence will be excited when I tell him that I read Harry Potter, he told me so many good things about it”, the girl gushes. Jack nods, indicating that he is listening. Of course they also picked books that are not that advanced. Still, no sister of his shall grow up without knowing the beauty of the wizarding world. Also, secretly he is hoping for her to turn out as nerdy as he is so they get more things to talk about. His next step is superheroes, especially the Marvel ones.

They converse until they get to an ice cream parlor and order both their usuals. “Do you think you are ready for me to tell you something important?” The older one asks after they sit down at a table. (Y/N) nods, confusion taking over her face.

“Uhm, you know how I graduated from high school? I’m done with school, but I want to get a degree, but for that I have to go to college. It’s pretty far away so I can’t come home for a few months. But I’m back home when Thanksgiving is and also for Christmas.” It doesn’t matter what Jack says, a sad frown has formed on the little one’s face. “Oh. And after Christmas, will you leave again?” He nods and explains when he is off from college and when not.

“We can always skype and write letters. How does that sound? And when you get your first phone, we can even text.” That (Y/N) lights up a bit. For her first year of school she got a stationary set and is eager to use it to this day.

“I’m going to miss you so much”, she says hugging her big brother. Jack pats her back. “I’ll miss you, too.”

The goodbye the next day is a heartfelt matter. Everybody cries, especially (Y/N). She can’t fathom a scenario where her brother isn’t there for her all the time.

The following weeks are also hard for the family. The youngest refuses to sleep alone for the first three days after Jack’s leave. She is more closed off and mainly just does her school work or reads the books he bought for her. By the time Thanksgiving is only away for another two weeks, (Y/N) has read through all of them at least two times.

Her father already ordered the lightsaber he promised her. Unfortunately shipping takes several months, so the little girl still has to wait patiently for her reward to arrive. In the meantime she works on getting the next and she is already pretty close to the comic book collection she wants.

“Sweetheart, can you set the table, please? Your Mom will be here soon from grocery shopping and she will need help getting them from the car into the house”, Hotch calls for his daughter while stirring in a pot.

The little girl nods, putting her stationary set and pens aside to do as her father asked. She is in the middle of answering her brother’s last letter, telling him that she is now the one that usually has to read aloud for the class because of her advanced skill for a first grader.

Just as she sets the last piece of silverware down the doorbell rings. “Sweetie, can you please open it? This should be your mother.” Happily (Y/N) runs up and turns the door knob. Over the last few months she hit a small growing spurt and is finally tall enough to reach it without standing on her tippy toes.

“Mo-” She nearly chokes on her own saliva. The one at the door is definitely not her mother. “JACK!” (Y/N) runs up to him and jumps onto his leg. “Hey Princess. I thought now that you read your books, we need to hold the most amazing lightsaber fight in history.” With a mischievous smile he pulls two from his back, giving one to his baby sister.

It is the most epic fight in history between an elementary schooler and a college boy. They can only be stopped by their parents announcing that it is a tie between both of them and that they have to sit down, else the food gets cold.

The following weeks mostly consist of (Y/N)’s joyous laughs and cuddling with her big brother. She even insists on him sleeping with her in her much smaller bed. On his last night before going back to college, the little girl turns to him in the middle of watching her favorite movie in the living room.

“Do you promise not to forget me when you are away? Because I alway think about you and tell my friends so much about you. I told them you are a hero, my hero, just like Daddy. They wanna meet you because of that.” Jack has to hold back tears at her statement.

“I also think of you so much. All of my friends at college are pretty jealous of me having such a sweet baby sister. Maybe one time you can visit me and I can introduce you to them.” The thought of that makes (Y/N) smile and is a little consolation to the thought of her brother leaving again.

Aaron watches the interaction going down, happy to see the strong bond between his children, despite their age gap. This is nothing like he and Sean were and that is a relief for him and the worries he had in the beginning. It is a sign that he did do some things right as a father.

Taglist:

All works:

@dindjarinsspouse @big-galaxy-chaos @jswessie187

Criminal Minds:

@averyhotchner @mggsprettygirl @herecomesthewriterwitch @ash19871962 @ellyhotchner

[ssuminshan-official]

FINALE!!!!!

Yao sits with his legs crossed, while hitting his hand with his fan. His team dimple were standing behind him whereas holding a serious death stare.

As expected by him, he looked as if he held all the power in the world.

Yao: bring him in!

Yes Huangdi!

Armed guards: *entering with Huaisang*

Yao: you guys can let go of him, but stand on your guard.

Sure Huangdi.

Yao: *smile* Huaisang, Huaisang, Huaisang.

Huaisang: San ge.

Yao: I was waiting till after the wedding.

So..... you were trying to manipulate my staff.

Huaisang: I....I don't know....

Yao: and you wanted to use er ge to kill me?

Huaisang: ..........San ge, I can explain.   

Yao: you can tell me. But I won't be amused.

Anyways speaking of amusement, Team D.

Xue yang: *lifts chin* yes emperor.

Su she: *rests his hands on A-Yao's shoulder.

Mo xuanyu: *strokes hair* you called?

Yao: he's all yours. Go mess with him.

Huaisang: no no, not team dimple!!! Please, San ge! They'll torment me.

Yao: do you want to be mauled by foxes?

Huaisang: ok fine, I prefer team dimple.

Yao: now tell me. What's the reason behind all of this.

Huaisang: no!

Su she: *kicks him* don't refuse him!

Xue yang: *touches nhs's face with a knife* you better open up. Or I'll open you up.

Huaisang: *trembling* I'm too handsome to die. Can you put away the knife. And I told you my plot already!

Mo xuanyu: see what I told you! Don't get on the wrong side of team dimple! Who cares if you told us! Confess your crimes.

Yi: my Huangdi, your tea.

Yao: lovely.

*sitting upright while sipping his tea*

Mo xuanyu: *sets huaisang's fan on fire*

Huaisang: nooooo, my fan!!!!

Xue yang: what a lousy little villain.

Crying over a fan.

Su she: you really think you can hurt him! You have to go through us first!

Mo xuanyu: where are his fans and NSFW comic books?!! I'll burn all of them to the ground!

Huaisang: I beg you! Leave my collection alone!!!

Yao: A-Yi, do I look cute?

Yi: yes your majesty.

Yao: I have used a new floof oil.

Yi: how delightful.  

You could never stop being the cutest hulijing ruler.

Yao: aww

Huaisang: don't touch my stuff....I'm ready to tell. San ge!!

Yao: what now. Can't a hulijing emperor talk to his eunuch.

Huaisang: San ge, I did it because I want fame and power! And that will only happen when you're gone!

Su she: *slaps*

Fuying: treason!

Yao: *laughing* it's fame and power you want. Didn't dage straighten you out? *sips tea* 

Huaisang: yes! And I'll get everything to get it!

Su she: *grabs Huaisang by the hair* what to do with him!

Xue yang: throw him in the cold palace again.

Mo xuanyu: he doesn't deserve that.

Yao: *sighs* Feng, Chuan. Escort him to Qinghe.

Both: yes Huangdi!

~~~~

THIS IS THE END OF THE HULIJING EMPEROR!

BUT A PART 2 IS COMING SOON! 🌼🌼🌼✨️✨️🦊🦊🦊.

Xue yang: there will be more chaos.

Mo xuanyu: must be.

Xue yang: i wonder if we can light Xichen on fire.

Su she: lol or barbecue him.

Yao: no, please don't cook Xichen.

Xue yang: why Jiggy?! They're asking for more chaos!

Yao: who?

Xue yang: the readers.

Su she: yea, Huangdi, the readers are threatening us. If we don't give them more chaos, they'll stab us with a sword.

Mo xuanyu: I'm too cute to be stabbed.

Yao: heehee. You don't need to threaten team Dimple. Of course, part 2 will have more chaos.

Rusong will be 17, but still cute.

Mo xuanyu: yea, at least there's Song'er.

Su she: and Huangdi will still be our glamorous Huangdi.

Yao: anyways. Keep reading. *smile* I'll make you some tea to stay energized.

Xue yang: and some candy!

Now stay tuned to see if team D will barbecue Xichen.

Mo xuanyu: stay gorgeous!

But you can't be as gorgeous as Yao gege. That's scientifically and mathematically impossible..

Part 2 of the hulijing emperor will be posted here:

Thanks for reading!

In book 2 ~~ Rusong and A-Qing have a crush on each other, A-Yao and team D are still fab, Xichen lives in Jing Manor, Meng Shi arrives~ and takes her rightful place as the sweet, sassy and savage empress dowager.

Also Huaisang works for Zixuan.

Please do read the second book for more fun!💖💖💖💖💛💛💛💛🦊🦊🦊🦊🦊🦊🦊