#Unironically in love with his looks- fashion icon hands down.

[dailyperkele]

OH MY GOD, YOU HAVE THE MAKEUP TASTES OF KUROTSUCHI MAYURI🔥🔥🔥🔥

(Never watched Bleach so I have no idea who he actually is but the man got STYLE. 11/10 would take makeup lessons from him.)

[elysicndrcvm]

━♡ guess the 23 YEAR OLD FEBRUARY baby just arrived to dallyeog! it makes sense, because CHU EUNHA is just as BEDAZZLING as the month of FEBRUARY. wait, why do they remind me of JACOB BAE? beyond that, they seemed JOYOUS and SAVVY upon first glance. i heard someone say they’re sort of DELICATE and QUIXOTIC though. i hope they get acquainted here in COMPLEX 1 / APARTMENT 0215 / FLOOR 3 ; HE seem(s) to have a lot going on with HIS job as a PATISSERIE OWNER/NUTRITIONAL SCIENCE STUDENT. ( ez, 21, she/they, gmt. )

     well hey there !! im ez but you fellow dallyeogers can call me ezzy, i have been in dallyeog before so some may remember me as having someone v different to my new bb i bring u now, i joined before with miss tam carmen !! anygays i return with this lil angel who i am all ‘ i say that’s my baby and i’m proud ’ over already even tho i literally came up with him like two days ago. you can find his pinboard here ( which btw i fuckeN love like he’s so aesthetic to me u go king ) and i made him a lil playlist which u can vibe to here. you can learn more about him under the cut but he’s a super soft-hearted gentle dove of a muse and quite...simple for me ?? sdhdh that’s not the right wording but U GET IT djjflg he isn’t super full of angst or trauma he’s just kinda viBIN livin his best life so that’s fun !! but ye without further ado: 

so as u kno from his app he owns a patisserie, it’s his lil babey and he is very dedicated to his craft and makin sure all his ideas for the place and the baked goods he sells are like rlly quirky and avant-garde. like he is so passionate about it u dont even KNOW, he tries to make sure most of the stuff on his menu is something like fun and new u wouldn’t get at just any old patisserie or cafe and that it’s super varied and also kinda aesthetic af? the place is very like trendy. it’s called patisserie d’elysian cause ya know he’s an extra biTCHH and proud.

he has three pupperino’s. all as adorable as each other, snickerdoodle is his golden lab and often ppl shorten it down to snickers, butterscotch is his dapple daschund pup, shortens the name to scotchie often. toulouse is his fancy toy poodle boi, shortens the name down as toto. if u are on the shortened name basis with his pups then u can consider urself one of his close pals. 

he’s actually adopted by his aunt but she raised him like she was his mother so that is what he considers her, she’s on his mother’s side but they are half-siblings. in terms of first name reasoning as well she just liked eunha as a name and didn’t even think about how it is traditionally for a female, she liked that it meant gift from heaven so it stuck. his father is still around, he’s just quite elderly so it felt like a better living situation for him to be raised primarily by his auntie. unfortunately his mother has passed on but no tragic story, she just went peacefully in old age. 

he dyes his hair quite often, it’s currently like a really pastel blue with black streaks consistently throughout like lil ones so it looks super cool. but he’s also had it be a more electric blue, lilac, and a duck egg kinda faded silvery blue. it’s naturally dark brunette. has brown eyes kind of a hazel hue. 

his style is kinda androgynous ig?? he just lives for soft retro fashion, lots of color in his wardrobe but also lots of tapered short and t-shirt fits frequented, sweater vests, rolled up jeans, high skater boi socks, soft jumpers with shirts, shirts in bright colours or satiny texture worn over plain white t-shirts, cardigans, pastel denim jackets, jeans with printed patterns on like clouds, flowers etc, favors yellow and blues. sometimes does eye makeup, occasionally wears heels bc he’s a baddie or super heeled boots/chunky shoes. 

obsessed with music, can play violin and guitar. he’s a big mitski and rina sawayama fanatic, likes anything that sounds peaceful or calming or has like a good fun vibe to it. also likes the trademark gay icons like carly rae jepsen, lorde, etc. he’s not ashamed. obsessed with mamma mia movies. but also likes rap which is rlly funny cause its like the bad bitch female rappers only and like he’ll listen to it while arranging his sock drawer or making his bed or something ajdjdj it’s like hype anthems for being a baddie and a hoe and he’s just doing his night sleepy routine adkfkf. 

showers, blankets, music, baked goods especially bagels are his happy places. 

very much a sensitive lil romanticist, falls in ‘love’ like five times a day, he just likes to giggle and smile around pretty people and admire the artwork hnghdh, he’s like yeARNS though ya know?? like he’s all i will flirt by making prolonged eye contact, i made you a playlist, this song makes me think of you etc. it’s either memes as flirting with him or elaborate love letters u never know what ur gonna get akdkd. 

awful sense of humour, loves his friends more than anything on earth except his pups, would fully live in a huge house of just like his pups and all his closest buds for all eternity. likes fruits way too much, enjoys puns about fruits way too much. milkshakes, sushi, orange hues and bus rides are some of his absolute favorite simple pleasures of life. clouds, flowers, salt lamps, the sunrise over the sea, skateboarding, fresh soda, teddy bears, busy street markets, parasols, fish tanks with exotic fish, sorbet, bike riding, polaroids, record players, rain at night against floor to ceiling windows with a fresh steaming pot of tea on the desk beside it and warm fresh sheets from the laundry on his bed, ponds, skateboarding. all little joys in life that give him like the biggest pleasure dopamine hit in the world. 

his cousin actually owns a florists so he has flowers just littering his apartment like a lot and it just looks like he has ten million suitors from the late eighteenth century attempting to court him but no all these flowers are from him to him or worse from his aunt djfjg she sends him some for valentines every valentines, pls help him, pls send him flowers. 

studies nutritional science and he fucken hates it. do not ask him shit cause he doesn’t KNOW OKAY? he doesn’t understand it either. he took it because he needed something to go alongside the passion for baking that was a real ‘qualification’/job so that is the only reason he’s doing it. no point doing a baking degree after all when he’s already a baker with a business, he’s super young still he gotta keep his prospects open. so YAH. he’d rather be doing culinary arts but eh. nutritional science sounded better and more logic based. the real miracle is he still gets top grades all the time even tho he spends his life like wtf am i even doing is this even legit akdkdk. school is the worst thing in the world for him watch his mood instantly deflate the second its brought up. 

despite being a quixotic, he’s a lil afraid of intimacy. like oh god does he love it, those small touches and acts of affection u kno? the subtle things that normally go unnoticed, eye contact, brushing of hands, linking of little fingers, rubbing a thumb, kissing eyelids or foreheads or palms or shoulders in little gentle pecks, back massages and rubs or finger tracing patterns absent-minded, shoulder massages, laying your head on someone’s shoulder or on their lap, knocking knees together, exchanging a small glance only the two of you get before bursting into laughter, smiling into kisses, napping together, having blankets placed over you warm and fresh, or towels put ready like it, someone making you something they know you like a lot. that’s his sHIT. but like he’s terrified still, someone skimming their fingers on his skin makes his breath hitch like he’s a scandalized and alarmingly aroused victorian woman sjdjd. he’s literally still a virgin, he hasn’t even had his first kiss okay my baby is delicate be gentle with him akdkd but he still LIKES PASSION AIGHT kfkf. 

real soft spoken, honey tinted voice like i shit u not this boy talks like he’s an angel sent from heavens above to guide you to the paradisaical garden of eden or some shit akdkd. ur gonna fall in love with eunha’s voice before u even fall in love with any other part of him like his adorable beaming smile or stunning eyes akdkf. 

has dance parties around his room when getting ready in the morning, listens to bella’s lullaby unironically yes from twilight yes u heard right, bit of a himbo streak sometimes in his obliviousness djfjf. quite silently subtly funny actually much like jacob himself. 

he is gay, afraid of driving, cannot do math, blanks out often and he is valid for all of those things. has a collection of cartoon and disney animal movie dvds. has a dream notebook. always has blue painted nails in some kinda shade. 

does not enjoy turning in assignments bc he is scared he’ll fail, avoids looking at his grades for weeks after they’re released and hates knowing that they’re out. 

cannot dance, dances often. collects vintage stuff esp clothes and mostly sweaters. likes midnight trips to corner stores and fields where he can just lay and look at the stars. makes friends rlly easily but has super bad performance anxiety. cannot ever have a messy room like even the tiniest bit messy. even like clothes being stacked on a chair instead of away. 

bakes peanut butter, banana and choc chip muffins (they r called monkey bites normally) whenever he’s super stressed. if u want to cheer him up when he’s anxious or stressed then u should give him french lavender honey, chia seeds and caramelized pear on toast/bagel. it is his comfort food. he fancii when he needs a pick me up. treat urself and all that. 

[doomonfilm]

Thoughts : Mirror (1975)

In my circle of cinematic fiends searching for what’s on the verge of becoming Kino on a widespread level, I’ve started to see a recent resurgence and groundswell of interest of Russian film icon Andrei Tarkovsky.  There has always been a deep underground love and respect for Stalker, Andrei Rublev and Solaris (not to mention his other handful of outstanding works), but recently, Mirror has started to take hold of the public consciousness.  With it’s hauntingly beautiful observations and reflections on childhood, it’s easy to see why the film would be respected purely on its artistic merit, but with Criterion Collection recently joining the parade of praise, I decided it was time to give Mirror a proper viewing.

The powerfully unironic weight of Mirror as the title for this deeply personal and reflective film is not lost on me.  Tarkovsky’s approach to reimagining the inherently understood unconditional love presented by his mother from her perspective is told in a breathtakingly and achingly beautiful fashion, like the best elements of a diary and a journal mixed together in a visual fashion.  The mixture of Russian history, familial reflection and poetic nostalgia intertwined into the presentation of Mirror is a powerful set of united threads that helps fortify the visual switches present, giving us a keen awareness of the distinct times we are visiting within the run of the film.  Time is not only messed with on a large, cyclical scale, but it is also examined in terms of in the moment experiences, like the disjointed nature of the grenade scare or the way that Liza chasing Maria down the hall transitions between standard time and extremely expressive slow motion.  Having a narrator is normally a somewhat distracting and seeming condescending element, but having a poetic and spiritual narrator that doesn’t explain to you exactly what you’re seeing works as a parallel to the visual stimulus provided in the case of Mirror.

Like many directors of the time, Tarkovsky stood as a sign of the land he emerged from, with his art being staunchly Russian in terms of the economic disparity, the looming shadow of war and the neo-realist futuristic elements present within the militaristic and Communist sentiment.  Unlike his other films, however, Mirror brings a sense of multiculturalism to the table, even if only remotely, and certainly not at the expense of placing his Russian heritage in a nearly jingoistic light.  The way that childhood innocence, matriarchal responsibility in light of militaristic obligation’s impact on the family and nationalist duty are all conveyed in a haunting fashion without the need to implement direct statements or rants infused with personal judgement and/or fervor.  Instead, we are presented with elements that, from an outsider's perspective, allow us to understand what life behind the emergence and formation of the Iron Curtain would look and feel like.

The use of three distinct visual styles to distinguish the present, the past and the surreal without a need for title cards or basic indicators is a Tarkovsky staple, but the nuance in which it is implemented here is as bold as it is impressive, especially with such drastically different shifts in tone and acting approach occurring amidst these unmarked switches.  The modern feel of Tarkovsy’s cinematography is not only a testament to the lasting impression his work has left, but taken in direct context, an equally strong testament to how forward-thinking his storytelling and visual capabilities were, putting him in league with the likes of Ingmar Bergman or Federico Fellini.  I’m hard pressed to think of another director who was not only keenly aware of how environments were used, but a director who captured nature as if he cast it to do his bidding, as if he had the ability to personify the old adage “cinema is the wind in the trees” at his beck and call.  The way that Mirror uses sound design in the same manner that other directors use score is a subtle flex in Tarkovsky’s ability to create immersive experiences outside of conventional methods.  The few instances of score that are present are seemingly always interrupted by some brief and shocking jolt back into reality, be it violence of the reinforcement of violence as a threat.  The intermixture of what seems like stock footage that separates the film into thirds gives us a sort of cinematic intermission that allows us to breathe without disconnecting from the film experience.

Margarita Terekhova is the lynchpin that holds Mirror together, and she is clearly up to the challenge, turning in a vastly dynamic performance that swings between calm controlled moments and open displays of raw emotion.  Terekhova has a wonderfully magnetic ability when it becomes to displaying a character on the verge of a breakdown, putting up just enough of a tough and protective veneer to remain grounded while reinforcing the veneer with raw, uncontrolled and intuitive reactionary emotion threatening to break through and bring everything crumbling to the ground, with her ability and awareness to pull it all together coming off as admirable in terms of its sharpness.  She is supported by a number of different narrative approaches, such as the direct flirtation and acute unawareness of Anatoly Solonitsyn, or the collective pressing she stands up to from Alla Demidova, Nikolai Grinko and company at the printing house.  Ignat Daniltsev plays a surprisingly strong audience surrogate for such a young actor, serving not only as a human reason for the subjective gaze on Terekhova within her home, but a foil to allow her to vent deeply personal feelings, with his mostly silent reactions standing as a captivating performance in their own right.  Olga Kizilova, Tamara Ogorodnikova, Yuriy Nazarov, Filipp Yankovsky, Oleg Yankovsky and Maria Vishnyakova turn in strong supporting performances while Arseny Tarkovsky and Innokenty Smoktunovsky both turn in strong vocal performances.

Mirror has a fascinating ability to be both direct and obtuse in seemingly equal measure, portraying both a deep and healthy understanding of what a mother and estranged wife would experience without assumption or presumptuousness, only a desire and need to understand in the hopes of reinforcing an already deep and inherent sense of love and admiration that comes with being a child with a creative spirit.  Without even trying to or feeling like a prisoner to a limited scope, Mirror captures all of the dramatic force of a stage play and supports it with the visual power of cinematic mastery and intention.  The film is not the most technically proficient in Tarkovsky’s career, but if you’re watching it and finding yourself hung up on boom mic shadows and crew reflections, then you’ve already missed the entire point.  If looked at like a moving Mother’s Day gift in the form of a living and breathing painting, it is impossible not to appreciate Mirror in all of its glory. 

[egg-emperor]

I found this blog on a whim and was entertained your posts, but then I realized that you were indeed actually attracted to the egglad himself, which I find really fascinating. Unless you feel uncomfortable in doing so, care to explain why?

Yup, I don't say that I love him shamelessly and unironically for nothing! I was already very drawn to him with the first Sonic game I played, Heroes. I didn't know I was into him like that right away but he already had my interest just from seeing his design and hearing his voice. The plot did him dirty and he barely had any real screentime but out of a cast of mostly teen animal characters I saw a handsome tall old fat man with a fabulous mustache and I had to know more fjsmgksmgd

As I became familiar with every piece of Sonic media, he immediately became my favorite character ever. When I realized I'm gay a few years later, it finally made sense why I’m so fascinated and how I think and feel about him. He can be adorable and funny and make me laugh until it hurts one moment and be a total evil bastard that thrills me the next. With his high intelligence, he has accomplished so many incredible and impressive things that leave me in awe, whether it's his next big plan or a brilliant moment of his calculated trickery.

I love his passion and energy! He's so lively and confident and it makes him really entertaining. I like his style, how bold and dramatic his ideas and creations are, and how they're a perfect reflection of his personality. He likes theme parks, robots, casinos, carnivals/circuses- he has all the best tastes! Some consider his interests to be childish but that doesn’t stop him from doing what he enjoys. And he loves himself! People often consider my passion unusual but he inspires me to embrace it. He has mannerisms one would consider childish too but also a level of maturity and the balance is really attractive to me.

He’s also inspiring because he follows his dreams and never gives up no matter how many times people try to bring him down. He’s a fighter and remains determined to keep trying and working hard towards his goals. Despite him always returning with the desire to get revenge on Sonic, at his very core he's still doing it with great hope and passion for seeing his hopes and dreams for his glorious empire come true someday. That’s a strength that I deeply admire.

He’s physically strong too! Throughout multiple media, it's been shown that he can absolutely fuck shit up with his own hands. And deciding to use robots/mechs most of the time certainly isn't a weakness, especially considering that even his machines require strength to operate. I'm really happy that the fat character of the main cast is incredibly smart and strong. He isn't to be underestimated mentally or physically!

I came to know and love his modern look first and nothing could change him from being my favorite. He's tall and round, has a fabulous vibrant fashion sense, a wide bright smile, magnificent mustache, beautiful gruff voice, and an iconic laugh. Everything about him brings me so much joy, he makes me smile ridiculously every time without fail and the blissful giddiness I felt when discovering my love for him has never faded. 💜

[sepublic]

Rough Draft for a Venom Sequel Plot

So in light of Andy Serkis being set to direct the upcoming sequel to Venom, and other similar news, I thought it’d be fun to bring up a rough draft I made for a Venom sequel, shortly after I’d watched the movie in theaters.

It’s actually the first of a few rough drafts I had in mind for Venom 2, as well as a  Venom 3. I also had ideas for a Venom 4, and maybe even Venom 5 and 6, but I’m not entirely sure.

For now, though, I thought it’d be fun to share some of these ideas had! I hope anyone reading this enjoys!

Warning: Mentions of Abuse, Bloodshed, etc. below. The idea is that this film will be Rated R, so expect some heavy content.

           The movie starts off with a prologue of the initial origins of the Carnage Symbiote (AKA Red). Perhaps it was born of Life Foundation scientists scraping together bits and pieces from Venom and Riot. Alternatively, Red lands on Earth on its own. Either way, it has arrived, or is about to.

           Cut to a scene of an abusive husband doing typical horrible things in a poor neighborhood apartment. The poor wife is screaming for help, and the terrified son is watching. Eventually, the son musters up the courage and yells at his father to stop.

           The abusive father, in a calm rage, turns around and advances, lashing out and asking if the son ‘wants some’. Right on cue, the wall bursts, and in comes Venom with the biggest, dumbest, shit-eating grin on his face. “I want some!” He muses. The abusive man screams and tries to run, but Venom ensnares him.

           Venom tells the man that he will never hurt anyone again- No doubt due to the fact that he’ll be eaten. Venom then opens his mouth and lunges in, but instead bites the man’s arm off instead. The man, terrified, runs off, trying to staunch the bleeding. Within, Venom complains that he only got to eat PART of the guy, and Eddie muses that the two shouldn’t abuse their power too much.

           The terrified son, meanwhile, approaches Venom and asks who he is, and what else to do. Venom tells the son to always protect his mother –unless SHE abuses him, too- and then turns to leave, before adding the iconic “We are Venom” line. Then Venom swings away, having developed web-slinging as a technique.

           Cut to a montage of Venom going about, helping in whatever anti-hero way he can. A would-be rapist is quickly gulped up by Venom. A corrupt corporate dude manages to cheat people out of money, but Venom crashes in and forces him to return the money, threatening to eat the guy. Said dude questions how Venom knew of this, and Venom muses that he has ‘sources’ (AKA Eddie’s investigative journalism). A person is selling drugs and ruining lives and is predictably devoured, as is a human trafficker.

           Throughout the montage, we have Venom cracking really cheesy, edgy one-liners that he unironically enjoys and thinks are actually cool. Eddie can’t be bothered to break the truth to him, not that it matters all too much.

           The montage ends with Eddie and Venom overlooking San Francisco. The two discuss their recent string of crime-fighting, as well as subtler affairs involving Eddie’s own journalism. Venom is occasionally used to do things Eddie can’t legally do. All in all, it’s a good life, and Venom agrees with Eddie that their symbiosis was quite beneficial.

           Suddenly, the two spot some generic bank robbers getting away with a heist. The pair give chase, but are soon hindered due to disagreements on how to act. This slows down the duo and causes them to freeze up in vital moments, and it ends with Venom crash-landing in an alleyway while the robbers get away.

           Miffed, Eddie and Venom ask each other what the hell was THAT?! The two begin arguing over how they should’ve done this, or that… Their debate cools down with Eddie trying to break it simply to Venom, and Venom in return admits that back at his home, just called Homeworld, things are rather different. Recalling this, Eddie asks Venom what his home was like.

           Right on cue, we cut to an unknown alien space craft infiltrating earth’s atmosphere, undetected by satellites and sensors. It lands somewhere, and out come a group of Klyntar. Among them are Plague, the Apocalypse group, Clash, etc. (Basically some Symbiote OCs I made up) It’s clear some are currently inhabiting alien hosts, while the others find hosts in humans and even animals.

           The group talks with one another mission-style, trying to find Riot, and they decide to use the knowledge of their hosts to figure out where he is. Eventually one host reveals a memory of a news article about alleged alien sightings, one of whom resembles Riot. It also mentions another black Klyntar, whom the Homeworld squad deduce is Venom. They decide to head to San Francisco, having found a lead.

           We cut to a maximum security prison. We get a look at Cletus Kasady’s daily routine. Because it’s from Cletus’ perspective, he comes off as a cheery dude with a lot of interest in bloodshed, with everyone else exasperated. Other prisoners are creeped about him- Cletus likes to creep them out with smiles, stares, or friendly gestures. We see how carefully guards restrict Cletus, and we find out why. Cletus finds some unorthodox method to badly stab and wound a fellow prisoner, shedding lots of blood.

           As Cletus is restrained, he muses that he loves the smell of blood like coffee in the morning, stuff like that. From the shadows, some scientists watch and mark down Cletus as a candidate for testing.

           We cut back to Eddie and Venom going back to regular life and routine. We get to see Anne and Dan again- Dan helps Eddie and Venom with check ups to make sure the two are fine, and regularly prescribes chocolate, having deduced that it has a Klyntar-friendly chemical. Anne uses her abilities as a lawyer to help Eddie take down corrupt people. It’s a very odd sitcom of sorts between two couples, one of which consists of a human and Symbiote. We also get to see some of Mrs. Chen, and Richard. Both are doing better as of late, and we get to see more of Richard’s family and how busy he is. Eddie always makes sure to help, and Venom remarks that he likes the guy.

           We then get (in no particular order) various scenes. We see Cletus be rudely awoken and seized for an experiment, which he cheerfully ponders about. Cletus is tied down to a chair and injected with something, and in typical Cletus fashion reacts enthusiastically to the procedure. Nothing happens, and scans show the ‘Proto Symbiote’ apparently dying. Giving up, the scientists send Cletus back to his cell. [Alternatively, Red just finds Cletus and bonds to him in his sleep]

           It seems to be worthless, until Cletus awakens to hear a voice in his head. Unfazed, he muses about gaining schizophrenia. The voice clarifies itself as a Symbiote, it thinks… To be frank, it’s not sure. Either way, the two interact, and Cletus explains himself and his world view. Red gets to see Cletus’ life and memories, questioning him on things as Cletus goes through his routine. The regular guards, unaware of the experiments, assume Cletus has gone even crazier. Soon, Cletus and Red hit off and become friends, and Red expresses its own desire to kill. The two experiment on their abilities, and are blatantly peas in a pod.

           Eventually, Red and Cletus decide to act. The old guard that hates Cletus mocks him, and in response Cletus cheerfully lashes out with a long red spear, impaling the guard and killing him. As blood spurts crazily and Cletus cheers, Red becomes exhilarant and enthusiastic. However, their celebration is cut off when alarms sound, and as they hear guards storming in, Cletus bemoans a potential separation.

           Red reassures him, and spawns hands that tear the cage apart. Guards come in and confront Cletus, telling him to put his hands up. Cletus and Red more or less look at each other knowlingly and are all, ‘Ready, Partner’ when Cletus suddenly forms into Carnage. We first see Carnage as a shadow stretching over terrified guards.

           Cut to prisoners just mulling about on an enclosed courtyard, guards nearby, when a guard flies in and hits the wall like a fly, bleeding and torn apart. As everything stops to note, other bloody body is tossed in, and in steps in Carnage- We get to see him in his fully, bloody crimson glory.

           Carnage gleefully greets everyone, expressing a desire to kill- And then goes on a massacre. Because this is from Carnage’s viewpoint, the whole massacre is played off as enjoyable and humorous, probably with an inappropriate song like Mr. Blue Sky playing in the background.

           Prisoners and guards try to escape or fight back, but it’s for naught. One tries to access an elevator, but Carnage is all ‘No no no!’ playfully and kills the schmuck. It ends with the entire floor smeared and awash in blood. Carnage laughs gleefully and dubs itself by its name, due to Cletus noting Carnage to be his favorite word, followed by Massacre, Bloodshed, etc.

           Carnage prepares to leave, declaring “We… no, I am Carnage!” before breaking out of prison and into the night.

           We get a scene of Eddie and Venom’s domestic life and their constant arguing. At one point Eddie questions why the two are together, and Venom muses that it’s because they are the only ones for one another. Next is a cut to Mrs. Chen, taking out the garbage or some other mundane task. She smells something funny and hears dripping, rounds the corner…

           And sees a torn-apart corpse, blood smeared everywhere, the word Carnage painted above the dead body. Mrs. Chen screams, and then we see Eddie and Venom in the midst of an argument, only to get a call from Eddie’s boss about a murder he needs to see.

           Eddie heads off and arrives at the gruesome scene, surrounded by police. He sees the sight and is disgusted, and even Venom is repulsed, noting it to be such a waste of good food before Eddie corrects him.

           As people question who could have done this, Eddie hears about Cletus’ escape and realizes that he has a Symbiote. As the two question how this is possible, Eddie gets notifications of more and more similar corpses being discovered across San Francisco. As this horrifying realization dawns in, we then cut to Carnage happily and darkly slaughtering a victim before setting to work writing his name.

           Eddie and Venom put together a team plan. We see stuff from Anne, Dan, Mrs. Chen, and Richard. The next night Eddie and Venom set out in Venom form, tracking down Carnage, when they’re suddenly ambushed by the Homeworld squad.

           They interrogate Venom, demanding to know why Venom is being a freak and wasting perfectly good food like this, where Riot is, why they fought, etc. It’s clear that neither group is thrilled to see the other, and Venom explains that he found an awesome host named Eddie. The Homeworld Squad is repulsed by the idea, and then hear that Venom killed Riot.

           They all laugh this idea off in disbelief. They’d rather believe that Riot accidentally killed himself, and this irks Venom. Eddie and Venom try to fight, but are clearly outmatched and are forced to retreat. Police rush in and the homeworld squad decides to retreat.

           As Venom escapes, they come across Carnage finishing a murder. Carnage notes Venom and mocks and challenges him before escaping. Venom tries to chase, but isn’t fast enough. Eddie asks Venom if he recognizes Carnage, but he doesn’t.

           Eddie and Venom devise a plan to lure in Carnage. It works- They confront Carnage in a power plant overlooking the sea or something. As the two circle and trade words, Venom asks what’s the deal with ‘I am Carnage’, not ‘We are Carnage’. Carnage explains that Cletus and Red’s symbiosis is so pure and complete that they’re practically singular.

           Venom and Carnage fight, but Carnage is the clear winner in this fight. Venom is constantly struggling and panics, which leads to Eddie and Ven fighting and hesitating. Carnage senses this and acts on it, pinning down Venom. Carnage brags that Venom’s bond is not as strong as his.

           Cue the classic comic scene of Carnage prying Eddie and Venom apart. The two try to keep connected by the tips of their fingers but are torn apart. Venom is flung aside, and Carnage dangles Eddie over a cliff, deciding to spill his blood into the ocean below. Venom attacks from behind, causing Carnage to drop Eddie into the sea below.

           Eddie loses consciousness, and comes to in the hospital with a concerned Dan and Anne. They explain how Eddie was found, and Dan reveals he snuck Venom in to heal Eddie. Ven explains that Carnage left. Venom offers to bond with and heal Eddie, but when he tries the two have issues. Venom is rejected, and the two realize they’re becoming incompatible. The duo becomes frustrated and angry at one another, questioning their bond, and as they fume, Dan timidly suggests they take some time off. The two consider it, but Eddie asks who will defend San Franscisco. Anne volunteers to be She-Venom, low key enjoying the power rush and freedom.

           Eddie heals and decides to take a few days off to recuperate. He interacts with his friends, and Chen and Richard can tell Eddie is down. Meanwhile, She-Venom operates. Ven questions why they should even fight Carnage, who wants humanity alive as much as Venom- Anne tries to explain it in Eddie’s terms, but Venom doesn’t understand. The two at least bond over a mutual love and frustration of Eddie, however.

           Meanwhile, a store owner checks their chocolate stores to see the Homeworld squad devouring it, and is eaten. As Homeworld Squad discusses the delights of chocolate and argue over who got to eat the human, they consider what next to do. Riot apparently is dead- So what now?

           Well, they can at least tell that this planet has plenty of food, so perhaps they can feast- And maybe even head back to Homeworld and bring everyone else. Carnage is listening in on this and acts, tracing the squad to their ship and destroying it, enraging them. Carnage escapes, with Cletus and Red happily noting that Earth must be protected.

           Carnage escapes… only to run into She-Venom, who tries to fight him with a police squad. Carnage pins her down and kills several policemen in a big action sequence.

           We get more Eddie and Richard interaction. Eddie talks to Richard, who has a wife, about relationship issues, avoiding explaining how Venom is an alien symbiote. Richard provides his own advice, while Anne gives Venom her own insight. The two also note that they have greater differences than Eddie and Venom, and laugh over it.

           Eventually, it all culminates in She-Venom trying to fight the Homeworld Squad, being outgunned and outnumbered, until Carnage comes in. Carnage’s bond and skills allows him to defeat the Homeworld squad, with him slicing Plague in half for example. He also utilizes a flamethrower and even a sound device against Apocalypse- Carnage has the stronger bond and outlasts Apocalypse, who gives in and splits before Carnage. Carnage turns off the device and defeats the individual War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death symbiotes. Deprived of hosts, all of the Klyntar retreat into the sewers.

           Carnage is triumphant, and then She-Venom hits him over the head with something. It breaks and Carnage is unfazed, because his bond is stronger. He fights She-Venom, pinning them down and mocking Venom for resorting to a c-list, bootleg relationship. She-Venom reactives Carnage’s device, and while Anne and Venom split, they keep the device on long enough to force Carnage to retreat.

           They agree that they need to get Eddie and Venom back together. Eddie and Venom meet up and try to sort out their differences, but when they try to refuse, they reject one another. It seems neither has sorted things out yet.

           This leads to both getting frustrated again and even lashing out at Dan, before apologizing to him. Anne angrily criticizes Eddie and Venom’s egos, and Eddie storms off.

           He soon gets a call for a job, and gains an informant. This anonymous person asks Eddie to meet at a place, and Richard gives him a drive because Eddie’s bike is busted. Richard waits outside and Eddie confronts the informant in a shadowy parking lot, only for Carnage to emerge, revealing it was a trap.

           Carnage muses that they hated to leave a job unfinished and have come to finish off Eddie. Eddie tries to avoid death, with Carnage playing a game of cat and mouse. He decides to finish things off, when Richard drives the car into him.

           He yells at Eddie to get in, but when Carnage lashes out, Richard takes the blow for Eddie. Eddie is horrified, even as SWAT reinforcements come in. Carnage laughs and decides to let Eddie wallow in misery a bit before leaving.

           Richard dies in Eddie’s arms and asks for him to get back with his friend, before recalling his own wife and kids. Eddie genuinely sobs as the uncertain SWATs surround him, concerned, and the camera pans up to the lonely night sky.

           Cut to Richard’s funeral. A somber Eddie gives a speech, and Anne and Dan arrive. Anne and Eddie discuss, Venom in tow, and Eddie and Venom reach a consensus on stopping Carnage when Venom notes how he liked Richard, giving Eddie a chance to explain things to Venom in more Klyntar terms.

           It’s decided- They have to stop Carnage once and for all. A plan is devised- Dan supplies Eddie with a REM scan machine to hurt Carnage. The plan culminates in She-Venom luring Carnage to some fancy skyscraper.

           Carnage defeats She-Venom, but Eddie comes in with a flamethrower and the REM scan machine. Carnage is seemingly subdued, but She-Venom is split apart. At the last second Carnage lashes out, breaking the flamethrower. The ceiling collapses on Eddie, but not before Venom reaches out to him and vice-versa.

           The rubble lands, and Carnage turns on a vulnerable Anne, musing about her poor life choices and the weakness of Eddie and Venom. On cue, the rubble rumbles and clears apart to reveal a newly-formed Venom and Eddie, now back together and stronger than ever before. As Anne gets somewhere safe, Venom and Carnage circle one another, with Carnage mocking and questioning Venom’s newly-fixed bond.

           In response? Venom challenges Carnage, leading to a climactic final battle beween the two. Floors and windows are shattered, but Venom manages to keep up with Carnage and even land several good hits. It’s clear that their bond has been restored to greater lengths than ever before.

           The battle leads to the basement of the building and its power source. Carnage redoes the tear-apart move on Eddie and Venom, but they remain attached by the fingers. Annoyed, Carnage tries to split them with a knife, but it rebounds, not strong enough. Sure enough, Eddie and Venom fuse back together, and in a smooth motion slam a punch into Carnage, sending him flying into exposed circuitry.

           As it electrocutes Carnage, Venom acknowledges the strength of his bond, before telling him not to underestimate their bond as well. Red fluctuates to reveal a similarly shocked Cletus, and Venom escapes as the building collapses on Carnage, seemingly killing them.

           The protagonists celebrate, as authorities return to report a charred corpse and ashes. The epilogue has Eddie and Venom celebrate their reunification, while visiting Richard’s family to see that they are well.

           As they leave, they notice another robbery on the news. Looking to one another, Eddie asks Venom if the two want another go, and Venom agrees with “With you? Always.” Venom forms and swings off.

           Cue credits. Then there’s an end-credits scene with a wounded, burnt Cletus being interrogated in a lab. Apparently the corpse was a fake. As far as Cletus knows, Red died taking the damage from the shock and collapse to protect him, and he mourns as scientists analyze him. In a dark spot, he closes his eyes, dozing off, and the last thing he hears is Red’s voice reassuring him that they’re ALWAYS there for him.

           In another end-credits scene, a sewer worker is heading down to the sewers to check an issue with the system. Cue a horror scene where he’s cornered in the shadows and drops his flashlight, picking it up just in time to see the Homeworld symbiotes closing in on him. Cue a scream, and darkness once more.

-Additional bits;

-There’s a corrupt tech ceo that Eddie is trying to take down. Perhaps he is the one that Venom intimidates into giving back money. Later, Carnage attacks the person and forces them to create a sound-device against Klyntar for him, as well as explosives to collapse the sewer tunnels on the Homeworld squad under the impression it would kill them. When Carnage lures Eddie in by pretending to be an informant snitching on said CEO, he drops the CEO’s bloody body to reveal that he killed the man shortly after.

-Potentially, Carnage could be the result of scientists implanting ‘Symbiote embryos’ into test subjects, hoping to create a Human-Symbiote bond that is formed through biology. Only Red and Cletus bond, and it’s left ambiguous as to why they worked- Was it luck, or was it because the two genuinely match and enjoy each other? Either way, Red and Cletus’ bond means the two can’t separate from one another, ever. Red, after being implanted into Cletus’ bloodstream, slowly develops and grows within him and initially manifests as just a voice before the two perform their prison break.

-The Scientists responsible for Red are members of some strange cult that worships Symbiotes. They’re led by a masked, cloaked figure with a distorted voice who has an uncanny understanding of Symbiotes despite being human.

-There’s probably going to be a subplot involving Jenna Cole, Andi Benton, and/or Tanis Nieves.

[sinto-hell]

boys n fashion

i have uuuuuh very specific ways to imagine how the boys look because i’m never satisfied with canon and i Cannot Fucking Draw™ and i scream a lot about fashion so (mostly because what the fuck is fashion sense in otome i’m looking at u dmmd what the FUCK were those yellow socks and that jacket AN ALSO NOIZ’S ENTIRE FUCKING OUTFIT IM SO ANGRY) anyway this got a bit out of hand lmao i love clothes

nathaniel

LOTS OF SWEATERS

wears a shirt under his sweater with the collar poping out

“preppy” but not frat boy preppy. like comfy casual pretty. soft n warm like marshmallow. he looks soft but he could easily deck u into next week

lots warm cardigans 

lots of light wash jeans. doesn’t really wear black or dark colored jeans. also always cuff his jeans

white adidas are the shoes he usually wears to school

he fucking despises flannels they’re the ugliest thing in his opinion

owns a lot of scarves; never wear any of them

he knows he looks good in stripes so he has a lot of stripped shirt

hoodies are for lazy days

one (1) pair of black ripped knees jeans. usually pair them with a creme sweater

also tries to make his hair behave but he just. can’t. so he tries to make it fashionably disheveled.

owns one of those jacket thats like denim but the sleeves and the inside are like a regular sweater and theres a hood god i want one of those

probably has glasses he wears to read

(i remember i saw an artist that basically drew him dressed like this but i cant remember their name so there’s that)

castiel

boi is a punk 

his wardrobe is 90% band shirt, they’re literally almost all he wears

owns 4 my chemical romance shirt

he has two denim jacket: one black with various pins and small patch on it and one light wash with a big ass misfits patch on the back

also probably found his leather jacket in a thrift store

unironically buys those bad translation shirt that says shit like “try my delicious salt beef” or “way the bridge i burn high the way” credit to @mclfutarinotamashi for that one 

90% of his band shirts are really worn out because he wears them so much

owns a pair of og black converse and red doc martens

usually always has his roots showing and has taken a liking in tying his hair in a half bun. sorta. but he mostly live in his natural bedhead

lys once braided his hair and he didn’t like it on him but he thought it was really relaxing

has a fuckton of spiked bracelet and rubber band bracelets, but only wears one or two at a time nowadays. he used to wear a lot more. like. a lot.

black jeans all the way

also ripped jeans

also own two or three big sweater, and one of them his hands just. disappear when he wear it.

lysander

don’t get me wrong i love the victorian fashion but;; it aint realistic

peg leg trousers. google it. he’d wear the heck out of that.

owns a lot of fancy black pants 

he has those weird pants i’ve been looking for, they’re high waisted and really flowy and they’re called culottes. his are black with white stripes and he owns a black only version

he totally owns a green velvet skirt fight me on this

has a lot of scarves and wears them all

has a simple but very nice pair of brown boots for casual days and fucking 5 inches new rocks platform shoes with buckles all over for when he’s extra

a true Goth™

lots of turtlenecks and long sleeve black shirts. did i mention turtlenecks

he totally owns this sweater in green and black

he loves high waisted pants

plays a bit on androgyny, as he knows he’s pretty tall, but also very delicate so skirt  are the fucking shit on him

owns a trench-like coat. with a hood. also long cardigans

sometimes when he’s extra he’ll play a bit into the steam punk territory

experiment a bit with makeup, but only on his eyes, he still shy away from lipstick

he braid his hair to sleep so it has nice waves the next day. cares a lot about his hair actually 

also basically how @veroww dresses him what a babe

armin

oh boi what a mess

lots and lots of hoodies and generally clothes with hoods so he can hide in them and sleep

literally owns this and that (i have that one and it makes me look like a jedi, so another reason why he’d wear it)

nerd shirts. you know the type.

like he has 3 pokemon shirts and 4 marvel. alexy will not let him go out of the house wearing those. the only one hes allowed to be seen with in public is his star wars one

and fucking memes shirt

like he probably has a white shirt with a shiba inu on it

got that shirt that says “why be racist, sexist, homophobic and transphobic when you could just be quiet” with alexy so they match

one of these guys that only wears black skinny jeans or sweatpants

 basically nerdy emo

has like. 2 pair of shoes. really dirty vans that he wear everywhere and a nice pair of boots for like. ass kicking purpose. kidding alex probably made him buy them

“vans or converse?” “vans what the fuck am i an animal”

probably owns a trasher hoodie (ok now thats me projecting bc i headcanon the only sport he can kind of do is skating so) (beside SK8ER BOI ARMIN AM I RIGHT)

also yes, a lot of beanies

anything comfortable, really; doesn’t really own a lot of fancy or statement pieces he wears regularly. 

kentin

alex is right ok the military pants looks great and he probably has a great ass in it but jesus boy please change up ur game 

i actually haven’t thought a lot about his fashion sense probs because i dont write him as often as the twins or cas or do i thirst over lys

but @ne-neptune has drawn him with glasses and a big jacket today and im lov

probably owns a carhatt jacket thats a bit too big on him

rolls up his sleeves. always. wether his shirts are long sleeves or short sleeves. he. rolls them up. sip sip THEM ARMS THO

wears a concerning amount of beige and green. 

LIKES KNITTED SWEATERS OK. HE IS SOFT™

has a camo jacket

wears a lot of baggy pants but is also warmin up to more slim jeans, (not skinny bc its too tight and he doesn’t understand how armin and castiel do it) bc he knows his ass looks gr8

finally bought himself a new pair of fancy glasses he think he look ok with. hint: he’s both cute & fucking hot with them and everyone is thirsty.

combat boots all the way. he does own a pair of old converse that are seriously starting to be worn out, but he still wears them sometimes

alexy because i fucking can

now that’s my B O I

Thriftshop Fashionista™

seriously this boy love thrifstores. he once fucking found gucci shit in there. he’s lucky.

vintage/90s clothes aesthestic. 

lightwash jeans with a big belt, weird dad shirt tucked into his jeans

HE TUCKS HIS SHIRT IN HIS JEANS

AND ALSO CUFF THEM WHAT A FASHION ICON

probably also own some peg leg trousers like lysander

his favourite pair of jeans is one he found in a really sketchy store, theres hole at the knees and the bottom of the legs are ripped and there are flower patches going down the entire left side (fun fact: one of my friend has these exact pant he found in a thriftsore and every time he wears them i’m just like. vogue is shook. what a fucking look. fashion icon.)

also probably owns a sweater with roses embroidery

has like 4 denim jacket, each very different; one with patches all over it, one with a giant gay flag on the back, one black with rips in it, and one plain light wash

has one of those weird flashy colored 90s jacket that’s like baby blue and bright orange. it was his mom’s. he stole it from his mom. she let him keep and re question her fashion choices every time he wears it.

weird 90s and dad shirt are his shit. also really big sweaters. weird colors. this boy own a purple knitted sweater with a yellow wolf patch on the back. rosalya hates it. he probably bought it out of spite.

also owns vans. and a pair of combat boots. and a pair of converse. and one pair of black high heels. and orange sneakers. and brown fancy leather boots. and-

he probably steals armin’s trasher hoodie for the aesthetic

also steals his beanies bc what he has like 10

loves embroidered clothes or things with patches or weird flower designs on them

also big ass red sunglasses worn ironically.

vogue is fucking shook by this boy

and that’s all folks

[dawittiest]

daredevil vol. 1 recs

for safekeeping purposes, here’s a totally subjective rec list as i posted it in parts on DD discord (come join us!):

hoookay so I digged through the backlog of DD Vol. 1 and BEHOLD the recs:

so basically up until #150s or so, DD is a fun light-hearted goofy comic and it should be read as such. so expect a lot of silliness and fun

#1 AKA Daredevil is born!!! it still holds up, imo. worth reading if only for seeing matt’s first appearance

#3 its HILARIOUS. the Owl’s here and he’s the most ridiculous villain ever!!!!! featuring such attractions as: owl-shaped castle!!!!!! matt coming up with THE WORST excuses to karen (literally nothing tops that)!!! all around silver age silliness!!!!! it’s so GOOFY but its fun

#18 foggy is pretending to be daredevil?? and it goes hilariously bad hilariously fast. go figure. featuring the gladiator

#20-21 man oh man THE OWL IS BACK!!!!! AND GUYS, HE CHOOSES THE MOST HILARIOUS FASHION EVER: he decides to put the judge who tried him on “trial” and kidnaps the Best Lawyer in The Country Ever to play the role of his attorney – guess who!!!!! big ass cages and owl shaped things feature again. yes Leland is my fave, how did you guess?????

#25-26 THE INFAMOUS MIKE MURDOCK IS BORN. he sticks around for like 20 issues or so but most of it is……well, its silver age. but these are worth reading if only just to experience the amazingness of Mike Murdock first-hand and terrible terrible excuses from mr matt murdock

#99 dd vs hawkeye! matt and natasha are living together in San Francisco and nat’s old flame, clint does not like it so he decided to come beat matt up…..like one does. this is where the infamous light arrow from waid’s run comes from. despite the sexist premise and gratuitous hero vs hero fight it’s quite fun!! and the art is lovely

#131-132 bullseye makes his first appreance!!!! and he’s hilarious!!!!!! look at this panel what an icon

lester is my actual favorite ok (if I finally don’t get him in s3 im gonna riot)

#164 aka the famous issue in which ben confronts matt about being dd. it lives up to its hype A++++

#166-191 frank miller is here to shake things up forever!!!

I unironically love all of miller’s run. it has legitimate problems but it’s a classic and reads easily (hes also a co-author of #165 in which theres doc ock??? you can skip it) it has its better and worse moments but overall it’s def worth reading

#192 aka the ben centric issue about journalism ethics which I LOVE. hands down one of my favorite one issue DD stories

#201 fun matt and natasha team up! it has kind of gross objectifying art but its also pretty :/ what do

#216 the GAEL IS BACK! And he’s just as boring and irrelevant as he was in #205. all you need to know is that he’s an irish-themed villain who’s after glori o’breen (if you don’t know who that is, she’s matt’s and later foggy’s irish photographer girlfriend and shes awesome). but read this issue for gorgeous art and matt and glori being the cutest

#217 more natasha and matt! and pretty art! glori’s in peril! a villain of the week can make everyone go blind! oh no whatever matt will do?? (matt has A LOT of villains with this shtick. a helluva of coincidence hm….)

#223 the price!!!!! aka another one of spectacular one issue storylines. matt gets his sight back!!!! but it comes….you guessed it….at a price!!!! matt has gotten his sight back a few times but its my favorite. featuring: pretty art! glori being cute! matt overjoyed at the world he can finally see and having to make difficult choices!!!! alas!!!!!

BORN AGAIN!!! AKA the storyline everyone tells you to read. it’s worth it. the main event plus fall out is #227-233 but I recommend you read #226 too for more context

everyone will tell you to read ann nocenti but I find large parts of her run unreadable, so I’ll skip most of it (plus art is………not great)

the exception is her last big storyline on daredevil which is actually one of my favorite arcs. what you need to know is that matt has been through (literal) hell and now hes back!!!!! except??? its taken a toll on him. read for all the matt angst, matt having (another) mental breakdown and being homeless (……again)!!!!!! and bullseye (this is probs my fav bullseye storyline)!!!! and nyla skin who is great!!! #284-290

then you have chichester who, like my friend brian micheal b*ndis, is a hit or miss for me. I absolutely adore large portions of his run while some of them are………not readable at all. but we gave my Kathy Malper AKA my favorite forgotten daredevil supporting cast member so !!!!

heres some of his run that I recommend:

#298-300 – dd vs kingpin showdown number…..which one is it again?? anyway its fun. it actually starts way before that but there you have typhoid mary and some really upsetting stuff so you like….dont need it

#304 aka 34 hours!!!! another one of one issue favorites of mine. you see matts day as he helps ordinary people and is superheroing. its fun!

#305-306 fun superhero team up with spidey!!! plus some morbid organ stealing oops

then his run gets incomprehensible for a long while and then just plain awful and then he leaves….like its honestly unreadable. but in between all that is #316!!!! another one issue fav (chichester just should stick to small arcs imo). featuring matt on subway and delivering alien babies (well not actually alien just drawn terribly)!!! matt doesn’t don dd suit once and gets to be a superhero aka my one true weakness

then comes dematteis! who decides to fix everything that was wrong with the run before his (I approve). his beginnings are….less than ideal. I mean it has foggy FINALLY finding out about matt being dd!!! karen being supportive and great!!!! matt dissociating and curling up in bathroom having a mental breakdown which is always fun!!!! but its also kinda incomprehensible at times and theres a lot of upsetting offensive things there too. so you can come back to it later but for now id skip it. lets get to the good stuff which is #353-380 (skip #376-379). why but that’s the rest of vol. 1?? yes but read it because its great! art quality varies but you get lighthearted matt/foggy shenanigans!! rosalind sharpe!!!! my favorite karen!!! fun lawyering drama!!! KATHY MALPER!!!! basically its my favorite DD era (sans waid maybe) and I want to live in it :D (its funny because its not…..great era for a lot of comics but for DD it’s the best) (EDIT: I got lazy and it came off like it was all written by dematteis which is obviously not true. the rest of vol 1 is mostly the work of kesel and then kelly, and chichester even comes back for the last issue)

so that’s all!!! theres more worthwhile things in vol 1 but these are my faves and should be enough to get you started. plus I cant recommend enough @pluckyredhead‘s daredevil 101 series. it will get you brushed up on all the important dd things throughout history plus its hilarious

[theycallme-tunathot]

Road to Ruin [Chapter 2-Reader]

Pairing: Jackson Wang x Reader Rating: Somewhere between R and NC-17 I believe. Synopsis: The reader is setting up for a long weekend alone at the training facility when Jackson asks a weird request of her. Author’s Note: I literally wrote five different versions of this chapter, all VASTLY different from each other. I chose this one because it was way easier to write and the vibe was right. Hope you enjoy.

Chapter 1  |  Chapter 2  |

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The sun setting beneath the horizon marked the official start to the long weekend. This meant most of the dorms and the campus itself were emptying out, most people prepping for the massive party Jinyoung was throwing or heading home to see family and friends.

But for me, this meant silence. My roommate, who typically took several hours to prepare for whatever party was held that weekend, was surprisingly already gone. She usually was just ready to leave for the party when I was settling in for sleep.

With all the freedom that came with solitude and free time, I was wondering how to spend it. I had a few tapes from previous bouts that I could review for practice Tuesday evening, but I had four days to do that. I could go for a run and enjoy some fresh air, but I already did my cardio for the day. There was no use in overdoing it.

Instead of doing anything remotely productive, I decided checking Instagram was the better idea. Scrolling through the feed, I passed pictures of my sister in Tokyo, a few of my friends from my old high school having a big night out and a few photos from other athletes gearing up for Jinyoung's party. Perhaps these pictures were what a normal 22-year-old's weekend looked like. It involved friends and alcohol and trendy clothes. But for me, I was content in my sweatpants and my bed.

Just as I was becoming too disinterested my Instagram feed, something caught my attention. Well, not just something, a bare chest caught my attention.

It was pale and toned. Broad shoulders led to lean, slightly small but defined biceps. The pectorals that gripped my attention next were intoxicating in ways that I didn't know it could be. My teeth sunk deep into my bottom lip as I continued staring wordlessly at the picture of a very shirtless Mark. I swear I nearly passed out when I realized who it was, especially when I realized that beneath his oversized shirts lay a chiseled set of abs and sharp v-lines.

How the hell did Mark end up on my feed?

"For fuck's sake," I mumbled, looking at Jinyoung's icon just above the photo.

The picture was enough to distract me from mentally going on a tirade of how unironic and unappreciative I was of Jinyoung at this particular moment in life. My mind began to imagine what it felt like to stand in his arms. Did his toned chest feel hard to the touch or soft in a way? Would goosebumps appear over the skin if I ran a finger along his sternum or would he largely be unaffected by anything I did?

My phone vibrated violently in my hand, making me jump out of my skin. Eyebrows knitted together, I stared at the new text message banner at the top of the screen. Hitting it with my thumb, I watched as the thread of messages appeared from Youngjae.

Are you still around campus?

Yup :), I texted back.

I am so hungry my stomach is cannibalizing itself. Can we eat?

Laughing, I nodded my head before texting a quick yes. Promising to meet him in ten minutes, he quickly texted back a response.

If I'm still alive in ten minutes...

Youngjae was a new friend. Accidental, but still a good friend. Beach volleyball is one of those sports I didn't know was an Olympic sport until I met an actual beach volleyball player. Youngjae and I were in the infirmary for different reasons. I needed to be cleared after spraining my ankle a few weeks before and Youngjae wandered in there after saying he was lost.

Apparently it was his first day at the training facility and he had no idea where he was going. Instead of sitting around and waiting for the trainer and doctor to see me, I walked him to the dorms.

How we actually became friends? That was still a mystery to me.

By the time I made it to the commissary, he was already seated at a small table, eating. Smiling to myself, I rushed toward the station that served soup, asking for as many servings as they would allow.

Taking a seat at the table with my soup and assorted roasted vegetables, I grinned back at Youngjae.

"Seems you couldn't even wait a couple minutes."

Youngjae looked up from his tray with a guilty smile, "I told you my stomach was eating itself."

A light laugh settled between us as I shook my head. "I just thought you were being overdramatic."

"Excuse me, I'm never overdramatic."

"Was the extra emphasis on the word never supposed to back up that argument or...?"

Playfully pouting, my brunette friend grumbled. "I'm hungry, stop trying to out think me right now."

We spent a total of fifteen minutes eating in a comfortable silence. We seemed to be the only two people in the commissary besides the cooks who were beginning to clean the grills and shut down for the evening. When Youngjae reached his dessert of strawberry yogurt, he finally decided to speak.

"Seems everybody is going to Jinyoung's party."

I hummed in response, not finding it to be a big deal.

"Have you ever been to one?"

Looking up, I thought about it. "No."

"And that doesn't bother you?"

"No."

"Why?"

I shrugged, "What's the big deal? It's just Jinyoung and it's just a party."

"Noona, it's Jinyoung's party."

"Trust me, you're not missing out on much. You're probably better off spending Friday night on campus anyway."

I watched as Youngjae pursed his lips, scrunching his nose as he mulled over the statement. "You're probably right, but that doesn't mean I wouldn't like to go one of these times."

"I'm sure he'll have plenty more."

I couldn't be sure how much time was spent between the two of us, complaining about our training partners and coaches, but it didn't seem like very long. And maybe that's why I liked hanging out with Youngjae. While I wouldn’t consider him my best friend (he's definitely close to it), it was easy hanging out with him. He didn't come with girl drama like Jackson did and he wasn't fussy about how we hung out. He hardly pointed out how non-existent my love life was and I found it easy to discuss things outside of the training facility with him.

"Are you free next Tuesday?" Youngjae asked out of the blue.

Thinking over my schedule, I gave a light shrug, "Maybe? Depends on the time."

"Are you free after lunch on Tuesday?"

"No. Why? Do you need someone?"

"Well, I need a suit for my sister's wedding coming up and I need a second opinion."

I snorted, shaking my head. "You really want fashion advice from me?"

His boisterous laugh filled the empty commissary and I couldn't help but give Youngjae a genuine smile. His laugh was too infectious and happy for me to do any differently.

"No, no, no, not fashion advice," he clarified. "It wouldn't be anything like that. I just want you to tell me if it looks good or not."

Nodding, I popped my last piece of carrot into my mouth. As I chewed, I thought about the possibility of pushing my weight training until after fencing practice so that I could help Youngjae out.  

"Why not ask Jackson?"

Youngjae's face completely changed. I'm not saying he paled, because that would be hard to tell in this lighting, but he definitely wore an expression close to it. Eyes wide, lips puckered in surprise he looked somewhat frightened of the idea.

"No," he shook his head.

I was confused at this.

"Why not? He's kind of stylish for a rugged guy," I pointed out. "I'm sure he'd be able to give a better-formed opinion on a man's suit."

"I can't ask Jackson."

"Why not?"

"He scares me," he blurted, an honest look on his face as he looked back at his empty tray.

I laughed, "Jackson isn't..."

Trailing off, I had to consider that while I knew Jackson for three years, I never once considered him scary. A huge presence? Yes. Loud and somewhat uncomfortably nosey? Of course. A flirt with any and everyone? Absolutely. But he wasn't scary to me. In fact, for the first three months I knew him I regarded him more as a cankerous sore on the inside of my cheek.  

But once you learn to deal with his loud, vivacious personality, the stigma or the mystique melted away. Jackson was just a good guy who wanted to be loved and well-liked underneath it all. Simple as that. It was just hard to remember that most people didn't see that when they saw Jackson.

"I'll see what I can do to clear my schedule on Tuesday just after lunch, happy?"

Beaming back at me, the largest smile of the night illuminating his face, Youngjae nodded and clapped his hands.

"It's settled then!"

By the time I reached my dorm room, the entire campus was dead. The athletes who were attending Jinyoung's party already gone along the rest who were leaving to visit family over the long weekend. Being on a nearly empty campus probably should've freaked me out a little more, but I loved it.

As I changed into my pajamas, there was only one pesky thought that kept filtering in and out of my consciousness. Jinyoung’s Instagram post from earlier with the very shirtless Mark. Did he know how low those shorts were riding on his narrow hips when the picture was taken? Was he aware that the lighting perfectly hit every dip and curve of his muscles?

Of course not, I scolded as I flopped onto my bed, staring directly up at the ceiling.

Crushes were such a poorly-explored subject for me. After dedicating so much time and effort into fencing, I gave up most of my "normal" teenage years. While girls in middle school were talking about boys and makeup, I was watching Swiss Fencer Marcel Fischer win gold at the Olympics in Athens. Instead of having fun, going on dates or getting caught up in the drama of teen life, I was practicing intensely outside of all my schoolwork.

If only I could've directed some of this determination into academics.

Somehow, without my brain being consulted, my fingers unlocked my phone and pulled up Instagram again. Once my eyes landed on the picture of shirtless Mark again, I felt my whole chest constrict. My skin seared uncomfortably and a tension grew somewhere in the pit of my stomach. I was growing uncomfortable and soon, I was sweaty.  

Why did it feel like I was dying of heat stroke?

Tossing my phone onto the night stand, I ignored the sound it made as it clattered onto the wooden surface. My mind was too preoccupied. Fabricated images of shirtless Mark began to invade, making me close my eyes. In my imagination he knew me, acknowledged my existence. And his lean arms were locked around me, no sign of slackening his grip.  

That's where my mind began to wander into deeply unknown territory. His luscious lips firmly pressed into my neck as I stood there, like the inexperienced awkward fish I was. In my imagination, Mark's arms slackened just enough to allow his hands to explore. Fingertips lightly brushed over the thin material of my sleep shirt before tracing along my spine.

Real me sighed. Closing my eyes, I tried to get a grip on the situation. There was no use in getting myself all worked up when I wasn't even remotely close to doing anything about it. It's not like I could just wish him to appear in my room and fix my stress.

But that didn't stop my mind from suggesting other means—my typical means.

While others found me to be some kind of asexual robot that lacked the capability of even comprehending sexual acts, I was indeed a fan of taking care of myself. I was never inclined to have random sex and getting to know someone well enough to have it was an exhausting endeavor. It also took a lot of time that my training schedule didn't afford me. So this method was far more preferred than others.

Burying myself beneath the sheets, Mark's face very vividly appearing in my mind, I lifted my shirt just enough. My fingers hit the hemline of my underwear and I sighed. I'm not sure why I was so nervous but I was. Perhaps it was because my mind was scarily accurate about recreating Mark for this fantasy.

My eyes slipped closed ever so lightly as I felt my legs begin to bend at the knee, spreading just enough. Teeth sunk into my bottom lip as I tried to keep the loud sigh buried as far back in my throat as possible at the feeling of my fingers gliding over the cotton material.

Imaginary Mark was soft with his touch and even softer with his kisses. Real me was turning into an asthmatic mess on the bed, hand buried between my thighs and eyes squeezed shut.

And that's when I heard it. The scream.

My eyes tore open as I lied there frozen.

There was a large amount of coughing filling the room from my unseen visitor. I didn't dare look over. The embarrassment I was already enduring was enough to kill me.

"Shit, I mean-I was just-I can—"

The voice gave everything away. In all my horror, I wished I could somehow become with the very fibers of my bed sheets.

"Y/N."

"Jackson, GET THE FUCK OUT!"

I didn't watch him as he left, instead choosing to stare at the ceiling and curse the very day I was born. Why the fuck was Jackson still hanging around and why the hell did he have to walk into my room at this very second?

Once I was sure I couldn't physically die from this level of embarrassment, I got dressed in actual pants and put a bra on before switching out my shirt and putting hand sanitizer on before opening my door.

And there was Jackson, his big brown eyes going soft and innocent in the hopes I would easily forgive him.  

"What the hell dude?"

"This is mostly your fault since you gave me the key code to your door a year ago," he pointed out. "You should've changed it after that."

"Why are you here?"

"Existentially or right here right now?"

My glare was all the answer he needed.

"Instead of where?"

"Oh, I don’t know, Jinyoung's party?" 

He gave a simple sigh, "Jinyoung's party got moved to BamBam's house. Something about Jinyoung having explosive diarrhea?"

I laughed, thanking the Heavens for small mercies. "All of a sudden I'm motivated to check out one of Jinyoung's famous parties."

Playfully shoving my arm Jackson laughed himself.  

"So let me ask a more specific question," I continued. "Why did you barge into the room? What couldn't wait for as long as it would've taken me to hear you knocking and open the door myself?"

And that’s when Jackson's face changed. For a second, I wondered if he was having flashbacks to a minute before when he walked in on me. But when he shuffled his feet, I figured it was bigger than walking in on his best friend.

Flashing dark eyes at me, a serious expression on his face, he answered. "I needed to ask a favor."

"Okay," I said cautiously.

Silence only followed the statement and I sighed deeply. "Are you going to explain it or...?"

"I can't go into details at this point," he replied, pressing his lips together.

"Then how can I agree to do the favor?"

"Because you're my best friend and I haven't asked for a favor like this before. It's important."

I stared back at him, sizing up the situation. The tone of his voice was verging on desperate. This was probably the most serious I would ever see him and to top it off, his words kind of scared me. Instead of acting dower, I decided to take a note out of Jackson's playbook.

"You didn't kill Coach Yoo did you?"

"No, just Jinyoung."

Though his face wasn't showing any humor, he was definitely joking about Jinyoung. I found myself laughing despite the atmosphere he just created.

"Then I'm already in. Yes I will hide his body in the infirmary."

When he didn't laugh, I decided to shut up. The silence stretched a little longer, but he seemed to be in the process of phrasing his next sentence.

"How important is this?" I asked suddenly, disrupting his mental conversation with himself.

He blinked a couple of times to reorient himself in our physical conversation. "It's the difference between whether I get to continue my training here in Korea or go back to China."

And suddenly the weight of the situation came crashing down. If I had known the severity of this, I wouldn't have made such light jokes. As much as Jackson annoyed me and as much as I always joked about him going back to China, I didn't want him to. He was my best friend and one of the only people keeping me sane besides Youngjae. I needed him here. But even deeper than that, he was my best friend and if he needed me to scale a mountain I would.  

"But," he added before I could open my mouth with my answer. "If you agree to do this favor, you can't ask me about it until I tell you. Just know I would owe you big time. Like name my first born after you-level of owing you."

What did I have to lose really? Jackson was my best friend. And besides, it's not like he's asking me to murder anyone. The guy is too much of a social butterfly to put enough effort into hating anyone on that level. So, putting aside any doubt, I gave him a small smile.

"I'll do it."

"You will?" he asked, a childish gleam in his dark brown eyes twinkling back at me. His lips stretched into a hopeful smile and whatever doubt I still had vanished.

"Of course, you're my best friend."

Before I could end the sentence, he picked me up in a bear hug, squeezing me tightly before releasing me.

"You're a lifesaver. I'll let you know when I'm ready to call in that favor."

Placing an obnoxious kiss on my cheek which made me squirm more than anything, he rushed down the hallway, no doubt heading to the party over at BamBam’s. While I was happy agreeing to do this unspecified favor for Jackson, I was still uneasy.

What the hell did I just agree to?