#also just a heads up this WILL have sm*t in the future so minors maybe do not interact

[nautiscarader]

2020 in animation - recap

So, 2020. 

Yeah, I have to say I’m not entirely satisfied. Would not recommend, 1 star. 

But I would be willing to bump it to 1.5, if only because of one factor: the animation. 

Because I have to say, this was the best animated end of the world so far! And if there was something that kept our spirits up, it was the cartoon industry!

Just like last year, I should preface this by saying that this is highly subjective selection. Even when one is confined to their Hobbit holes for better part of the year because of *waves hands* everything around, 

day still only has 24 hours, so I have missed a few shows. (I should also apologise for omitting a few major ones last year, like Milo Murphy’s Law S2, Ducktales, or She-Ra. This is why I started keeping a track this year). I’m sure I will catch up with those I missed this year some time in the future, but for now, let’s see what this year has gifted us with.

And right from the start, January opens the race with very interesting propositions. We were still riding on an incredibly high wave from last year, with Infinity Train season 2.

This one focused on Tulip’s mirror, and pushed the season towards a much darker and complex story, diving deep into one’s personal journey and identity. There were tears, math, deer, and cops being murdered. Brutally. 

t was followed by two newcomers: The Owl House and first season of Kipo and The Age of the Wonderbeast. Both of them would dominate first half of the year, with The Owl House’s traditional, week-to-week airings, and Kipo's seasons appearing in  June and October.

The Owl House, a strong contender in "What will be the Next Gravity Falls?" contest, invited us to a world full of magic, mystery, elongated owl demons and some dark secrets. It has also created a milestone for Disney, introducing an LGBT couple with characters of bisexual Luz Noceda and lesbian Amity Blight. Their Grom dance has risen to the top of my animates scenes, polling very closely to the unforgettable Kataango.

On the other hand, Kipo has taken us to the post-apocalyptic world filled with mutant animals, revealing that despite the end of the world, our old vices and animosities have survived in underground burrows, and we have infected the overworld of giant doggos and suit-wearing frogs with them. 

Kipo did not pull any punches regarding commentary about our society, at the same time giving us hope in the form of the main protagonist, who was able to spread friendship and understanding amongst the mutes, as well as the humans that had to survive. And in the world that we have found ourselves in, it was a pretty darn good lesson.

February would bring end to two seasons of airing cartoons, Big Hero Six season 2 and Miraculous season 3, as well as another newcomer that won the hearts of fans: Glitch Techs, with its "second" season arriving in August. And while in my opinion he show wasn't as good as the other two new titles, I am clearly in minority, as the show about Ghostbuters-like team of game console technicians gained huge popularity... though not enough to keep the show afloat. As of writing this, it is currently in limbo, which is a shame, as the second set of 10 episodes finally added some much needed ongoing story.  

in March, another show from last year ended - Steven Universe Future. As we have expected, it tackled slightly more mature themes, showing how much Steven needed that therapy we have wished him, telling an important tale of finding one's worth and one's self. its ending might not have been as explosive as those of the original show, or the movie, but it left Steven’s story as open as an open road, and deep in our hearts, we all knew it would look like this.   

March was also the time when majority of western world caught the coronavirus, and that caused quite a turmoil with the movie and animation industry. One of the first victim of changed schedule was Disney's Onward, which was released on-line on Disney+ quickly after its theatrical release.

I have mixed feelings towards “Onward”. For such interesting promise, I think it made a few questionable and down right boring turns, though the unorthodox message at the end of it was its strongest point, and it was one I haven��t seen in a while, so it was worth watching just for that.  

April was relatively quiet (aside from more end of the world stuff); brought us third season of Ducktales that spread throughout the year, while May gave us final, fifth season of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power. 

To my eternal shame, I missed on this show when it premiered, and due to the lockdown, I binge-watched the previous four right in time for powerful and explosive season 5. And even though Catra and Adora finally gave us exactly what we needed, some fans felt slightly unsatisfied, calling for a movie, like the Steven Universe one to be made. And I’d be all for it, the rest of universe needs saving from the Horde! Also, cats in space - hilarious. 

May also revealed a new player on the streaming field: HBO Max, who surprised us with new Looney Tunes Cartoons, much more in the spirit of the legendary originals than the often-criticised Looney Tunes Show from 2011-2014. And in my opinion, it did; one could feel the same fluidity in animation, dedication to slapstick, and synchronisation with music than in the very first cartoons with Bugs and Daffy.

HBO Max would, however, return in June with first of series of Adventure Time original movies called "Distant Lands". The first centred around BMO, with second one - Obsidian giving us a glimpse into Bonnibel and Marceline's lives.

Distant Lands allowed people to revisit the odd, odd world of Ooo and learn about its colourful inhabitants, taking turns to seeing their past and the future, an, as usual, showing us that post-apocalyptic world can teach us valuable and meaningful lessons.   

Just in time for full lockdown in our burrows, aforementioned Kipo season 2 premiered in June, together with another cartoon movie, this time featuring We Bare Bears. While their movie wasn't anything to write songs about, it was exactly like the show, providing some wholesome content right when we needed it.

And just in case you needed more wholesome adventures, Craig of the Creek's second season ended, and its third season began, reminding us of HOW COOL LIFE WAS WHEN OUTERNET WASN’T SCARY AND WE COULD STILL WALK OUTSIDE FOR FUN AND NOT TO HUNT TOILET PAPER.

Just like last year, July was not dogs' days, but frogs'. Amphibia season 2 started raining on our heads, but unlike last year, its schedule wasn't a daily one, spreading the episodes throughout the Summer and early Autumn, with its second part arriving in February of 2021. There were more roadtrips, more mysteries and MORE MARCY.

August was equally strong: aforementioned Glitch Techs "season 2" premiered, offering better and more plot-heavy episodes than the first ten episodes. Unfortunately, the show's future is unclear; the uneven divide of plot between the seasons probably contributed to the show not being renewed. 10 new episodes apparently are written, but await in sleep mode, until Nickelodeon remembers about it.

HBO MAX picked up Infinity Train for its third season, after being derailed by Cartoon Network. And if you thought that killing a mirror cop was shocking... then this season has pushed the limit of what can be shown in modern children's cartoon to a frightening degree. The schedule was once again, weirder, with first five episodes airing on the day of the premiere, ending with a cliffhanger (literally) that only contributed to the shock factor and made us wait anxiously for its conclusion. It was bold, it was dark, it was memorable. 

And just like Glitch Techs, Infinity Train waits on a side track, unsure if it will be picked up, or will it be abandoned and left as a canvas for graffiti artists.

However, to end the Summer, a truly amazing TV movie has arrived on Disney Plus, where we came back to good, old Danville and could witness Candace against the universe. The new Phineas and Ferb movie brought back the glorious memories of this fantastic show, with the same humour, writing, abundance of catchy songs and a surprisingly deep moral.

In September we have seen the start of Big Hero 6 season 3 and a odd change of format. Instead of standalone 22-minute episodes, the show now consists of two 11-minute segments. In opinion of many, this weakened the stories, forcing them to be more comedy-oriented, and shortening the potential emotional drama. Still, it gave us funny, short stories, but they did clash with the two previous season, not to mention the movie.

However, if that wasn't up to your taste, Ducktales season 3 also started airing, and continued its first part up until December with more action- and plot-driven episodes, including the Darkwing Duck crossover, serving as a pilot of the spin-off. 

Later in December fans have learned that Season 3 will be its last, which broke the hearts of many duck fans; however, it seems that the season has been written as the last one in mind, and the news of the ending was known to the creators, which gives us hope for a kick-ass finale somewhere in 2021.

Miraculous New York, telling arguably one of the most mature storylines, opened the "Heroez" world to some new characters and new opportunities, with two more specials, taking place in Shanghai and Brazil, meant to air somewhere next year. AND I DO HOPE WE WILL SEE MORE LOCAL FOOD VENDOR SUPERHEROES LIKE HOT DOG DAN. 

October was the month of two season 3's: Carmen Sandiego and Kipo. In case of Carmen, as it is usual with Netflix, the "season" was only a half-one, with just a handful standalone episodes, and just a dash of more ongoing plot. 

For Kipo, however, season 3 was the end, and what a glorious one it was. Fans were saddened to learn of it, but Kipo was always imagined as a 3-part story, and it showed. The finale proved more than satisfying ending to the plot, elevating Kipo to one of the smartest cartoon characters we should all try to aspire to.

In November, Distant Lands: Obsidian aired, focusing on everyone’s favourite candy/vampire couple, and the long and complicated love between Bonnibel and Marceline. And as usual, it showed us that relationships are not always as straightforward as we would like them to be, but with enough music and teamwork, no enemy is big enough. 

For the next new show, I’ve waited with the most amount of excitement and anxiety. Because while I was completely fine with other reboots and re-imaginings to take creative takes, new Animaniacs, (airing on Hulu) had to be perfect and had to be the lightning that struck twice. 

And sadly... it wasn’t. It was still good, but some people criticised (incorrectly imho) the amount of political topics, while I mourned almost total cast-ration of additional characters, aside from Pinky and the Brain. This truly weakened the possibilities it could have had. It was still very good, but you can feel that some of the original charm was lost, due to these odd, odd limitations. 

December brought us a new original Apple TV movie, Wolfwalkers. A beautifully animated folk tale of friendship and social divides, and how short-sight can cause the collapse of both arguing sides, reminding me very much of the intelligence and heart of original “How to Train Your Dragon”.  

We’ve had to wait two years for the return of arguably one of the most wholesome shows out there: Hilda. Second season dived into deeper mysteries that permeate the rich and colourful troll-ridden land, we saw the return of some familiar characters, and introduced a whole new storyline, that ended with a surprising cliffhanger. Still as wholesome, but now with a tiny bit of Police incompetence. Also Twig, lots of Twig.   

Just like Onward, Pixar’s highly anticipated Soul aired on Disney+, telling a very mature story about finding one’s purpose in life, what that purpose actually means, and whether it exists at all. Beautifully animated, with fantastic soundtrack, it was a stunning tribute to creativity, and it never dumbed down its profound, open message about following your dream.   

And just if you thought that Soul was going to be 2020′s last note (pun very much intended), right before the year ended, DC Super Hero Girls concluded its first season on a rather anti-climactic two-parter. That being said, the season, running from March of last year, was packed with short, bite-sized, funny stories, taking interesting spins on existing comic book characters. For a comic book noob like me, it was perfectly fine, and I can’t wait for the second season next year. 

And so, we have reached the series finale of humanity. 

2020 ends in just under a day. What will 2021 bring us? I do not know, and if the animated shows of this year have taught me anything, is that the future is an always open book, full of worries and challenges, but also opportunities and possibilities. 

...

And in reality I was too lazy to check any news sites about upcoming projects.

[star-mum]

LIVE REACTION TO NIGHTMARE TIME EP 1

Idk if anyone would even be interested in reading this but as I was watching the show last night I kept writing down my reactions on my notes so here we are

*this is all in caps idk why just roll with it*

THE OPENING SONG IS SUCH A BOP OMG NICK LANG HIMSELF ?????? MONSTER FUCKER RIGHTS ???? HIDGENS ENTRANCE HOW ICONIC "LUCY IS HAVING NONE OF IT" I LOVE THAT OMG JOEY PLAYING KONK (?) IS SUCH A POWER MOVE I LOVE THAT THE BEGGINING IS JUST TARZAN FANFIC SKSKSKSKS MARIAH IS TEXTING JOHN (?) AND HES LAUGHING SM WE LOVE A COMEDY QUEEN I LOVE THEM USING THE ZOOM BACKGROUNDS SKSKSKS KONK IS AWFULLY CLOSE TO COCK AND I THINK ITS ON PURPOSE ?? SPECIALLY WITH THE LAG I HAD TO DO A DOUBLE TAKE SOMETIMES SKSKSKS SOMEONE JUST SAID "TED'S ORIGIN STORY" ON CHAT AND I LOST IT !!!!! COULD YOU IMAGINE ???? HANDSOME LADY ? I MEAN SURE TIGHT JOHN IS LOSING IT FUCK MAN, SAME CURT OMG THAT ACCENT OOOOOOOOHHHH BOY I KNEW IT WAS HER FIANCEE SHIIIIT WE CANNOT TRUST HIM I KNOW THIS !!! "ENTAGLED" SKSKS WHAT SIR HES GAY CHILL OUT WHATS THE YEAR, IT FEELS SO OLD TIMEY "I'D SAY YOU HAD FEELINGS FOR THIS APEMAN" OOOOOOOHHHH DONT U SAY JONATHAN IS A PUSSY BITCH I CAN TELL LUCY JUST DROP IT OH SHE ACTUALLY DID ????? FUCK IT UP BABE

(I JUST ACIDENTALY DELETE HALF OF WHAT I WROTE SHIT, ILL HAVE TO REWRITE IT FROM MEMORY) WHAT THE FUCK THEY WERE TRICKING US??? THEY CALLED IT, WHAAAAAAAAT WDYM "PLAY THE PROFESSOR" IS HE NOT A PROFESSOR WHAT ALTERNATE REALITY IS THIS I NEED TO KNOW

ARE THEY GONNA FUCKING KILL HIM WHAT??? SINGING LONDON BRIDGE WHILE CHASING SOMEONE IS MY FAV SCARY TROP HAHAHHA YEEEEESSS "TOOK OFF WDYM" GIRL HE IS HOLDING A GUN WHAT DO YOU THINK "WDYM" WHY DID HE KEEP THE KONK ACT AFTER LUCY LEFT SKSKSKSKS TED WTF SKSKSKS "I DO SOME OF MY BEST THINKING WHEN IM ERECT" HAHAHAHA TED LIKES TO BE A HIMBO THATS GREAT IS HE GOING TO KILL TED ?? AAAAAAAHHHHHH TED HE HAS A GUN PLZ DONT TEST HIM HE HAS ALREADY KILLED A MAN OOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHH FUUUUUUUUCK RECAST???? WHO IS TAKING TED'S ROLE ????? OH SO ITS NOT OLD TIMEY AFTER ALL RED SOMETHING???? OH TED'S GONNA PROPOSE IS SHE GONNA SAY NO? SHES GONNA SAY NO RIGHT ? FUUUUUUUUCK HAHAHHAHA WHY IS HE NAKED ??? JAHAHHAHA WHAT WHAT IS HAPPENING TED WHAT ? "PROFESSOR SHOULD GO FUCK HIMSELF" HAHAHAHA PORNHUB PREMIUM ACCOUNT HAHAHAH "OOOoooOOoOoOoOoOohhHhhHh BUT IT IS" FUCK NO DONT KILL HER OOOOOOOOOHHHH TED'S DEAD SHIT OOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH ROBERT'S ACTING IS *CHEF'S KISS* DAMN OH SHIT TED *NOW* TED IS DEAD FUCK HIDGENS IS HERE NOOOOOOOOOOO IS HE GONNA KILL HER ??? OH SHIT OH FUCK LUCY'S CAUGHT IN  A BEAR TRAP WHY ARE PPL SAYING WORKING BOYS IN THE CHAT ??? OH THATS WHY !!!!!! YEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAHHH MINE IS A LITTLE BEHIND IS SHE BROKE ??????? OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH HAHAHAHAHA I KNEW IT HIDGENS GOT PLAYED THATS ON YOU BUDDY OH FUCK HIM UP LUCY ! BECKY BARNES ????? HATCHFIELD LORE ???? WAS SHE RUNNING AWAY FROM HIS HUSBAND IS THAT WHY SHE CLIMBED A TREE APE MAN SHOW UP PLZ WHO IS IT THO ?????? JEFF HELL YEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHH FUUUUUUUUUUUUCK JESUS CHRIST APE MAN YEEEEAAAHHH WOOLY FOOT ?????? IS IT CHUMBY???? OOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHH HAHAHA YEEEEAAHHH HOW DID HIDGENS KNOW ????? OH IS IT OVER ?????? NOOOOOOOOOOOO I WANTED MORE ;-----; THIS WAS SO GOOD THO OOOHHH FUCK ANOTHER MUSIC NUMBER JAMIE YOU LOOK AMAZING !!!!!!!!!! I CANT WAIT FOR THESE SONGS TO BE AVAILABLR FOR US (IN LIKE 3 YEARS CAUSE IM BROKE SKSKSKSK) HE DANCES THE CAN CAN ?????? OKAY I SKIPPED A BIT TO BE ON TIME WITH EVERYBODY "ARE YOU FUCKKING HIGH????" YEEEEEEEEEAH PART 2 BABEY !!!!! NICK'S HAIR LOOKS AMAZING OMG OH ???????? BILL AND ALICE !!!!!!!!!!!!!! GOD I MISSED THEM !!!!!!!!! OH THE TEEN ANGST I LOVE BILL SM HE'S SUCH A GOOD DAD DEB ????WHY WOULD U HURT BABY ALICE LIKE THIS ???? "I MIGHT NEVER SEE DEB AGAIN" GOD ALICE CHILL OUT LET HER BE A PLAY WRITER BILL CMON "MY BUDDY PAUL" AAAAAAHHHHHHHHH BLINKY ??? I DONT TRUST THAT AT ALL FUCK NO JOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHNNNN I DONT TRUST HES CHARACTER THO OOOOHHH LOVE DISCOUNTS I DIDNT LIKE THE WORKER CALLING HER PRINCESS THO, SHES BILL'S DAUGHTER NOT YOURS OOOOOOHHHHHH NO OH NONONONOONO BILL IS GOING TO DIE I JUST KNOW IT BLINKY IS EVIL I CAN FEEL IT ALICE NO NO LITTERING WHORE JAMES !!!!!!!!!! ALICE IS ALSO GOING TO DIE MAYBE RIGHT NOW WHO KNOWS BLNKY WTF SHE IS A MINOR WTF AAAAAH I DONT LIKE IT HERE JAMES ILY BUT THIS CHARACTER IS CREEPY AS SHIT I DONT LIKE IT HAHAHAH TIGHT LOVE THEME PARK STUPID SHIRTS "I DIDNT KNOW YOU WERE FUNNY" HAHAHAHAH DROWSY TOWN ? THE CHAT PULLED MY ATTENTION TO THAT BUT I DONT GET WHY ? IS THIS BAD "I'D FOLLOW YOU ANYWHERE" THIS IS SUCH A DAD THING TO SAY OH ALICE CMON DONT SAY THAT BILL CUT IT OUT WITH DECIDING YOUR KIDS FUTURE THATS NOT FUN OH GOD I DONT TRUST THAT NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO NO NO NO NO "AHOY BOYS AND GIRLS" NO NONONONONO UNCLE WILEY FUCK OFF THE SNIGGLES NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO FUUUUUUUUUCK NOOOOO AHHHHHHHHHHHHH "WE'RE THE SNIGGLES DONT BE SCARED" YOU KNOW WHAT SNIGGLES I AM SCARED BUT HELL YEAH SONG TIME OOOOOOOHHH FUCK IT UP JAMES OH ARE THEY GONNA LIKE GIVE THE AUDIENCE A SLEEP INDUCING DRUG OR SOMETHING ??????? "DONT BLINK" AHAHAHA I DONT TRUST THAT AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH "GREAT WE'RE DEAD" HAHAHAH THE SONG WAS A BOP THO "WHAT ARE THE SNIGGLES?" GREAT QUESTION ALICE "NOW U KNOW HOW I FELT WHEN I HAD TO SEAT THROUGH DEH" HAHHAHAHA "SEE U IN A SNIG" HAHAHA SNIGGLETTE ???U OKAY BBY??? OOOOOOOOHHH MORE SONGS HELL YEAH I LOVE ANGELA'S VOICE SM THE SNIGGLE PUNS ARE KINDA CONFUSING ME NGL WHY WAS THAT SO SAD OMG OOOOOOOH SHIT OH FUCK THEYRE GONNA KILL HER I JUST KNOW IT OMG "PRAISE THE WATCHER" OH MY GOD PLZ DONT KILL HER "UNTIL HE'S SEEN EVERYTHING" W H A T LAUREN'S VOICE SKSKSK SO CUTE PAPA SNIGGLE I DO NOT TRUST YOU THOSE ARE ALIVE ARENT THEY ????? OH FUCK SNIGGLETTE IS SHE OKAY ????????? "ANGELA R U ALRIGYT" WHAT "SHUT UP JEFF" OH MY GOD I DONT LIKE WHEN THEYRE SELF AWARE SKSKSKSK " U CAN SHUT THE HELL UP LAUREN" HAHAHAHA BILL OMG HE'S SUCH A DAD HAHAHAHAH ALICE IS SO NICE DO THEY NOT KNOW "ARON AROOON" HAHHAHA OH CHURROS I LOVE THOSE THE GIRL SHE DOESNT LIKE ?????? OH NON BINARY RIGHTS LOVE IT "IS THIS A FRIEND OF ZIGS" OH LOVE RESPECTFUL DAD DEB NOT COOL OH ALICE SHIT ALICE BBY IF SHES CHEATING ON YOU THATS NOT ON UR DAD STOP SHITTING ON HIM LIKE THIS "ITS UR MOTHERS FAULT" OH MY GOD HAHAHHAHA GREG AND ALISON ? AND BETH ?? DOES BETH LIKE HER ????OH NOOOOOO GREG NO U SHITTY SON OF A BITCH GOD FUCKING PUNCH HIM OH  NO HAHAHA FUCK NO THEYRE ALL POSESSED ARENT THEY THATS THE TEEN FROM THE MOVIE THEATER HAHAHHA "it lagged ;-; now we wait" A MAN IN A HURRY HAHAHAHHA OH SHIT BILL IS MAD IS HE POSESSED TOO ??????? OH SHIT WHATS HAPPENING BLINKY ????????? OH NO OH NO SHES GONNA HAVE A PANIC ATTACK THEYRE GONNA BE FINE RIGTH ??????? RIGHT ???? BREATHING EXERCISES BABY CMON OH NO PLZ DONT DO ANYTHING STUPID BILL NOOOOOOOOOOO BILL PLZ DONT DIE AGAIN I LOVE YOU SM PUT UR SEATBELT BACK ON PLZ NOOOOOOOOO OH THEYRE BOTH GOING TO FALL ARENT THEY OH NO OH MY GOD OH SHIT PHONE IS BROKEN OOPS AWN IM GONNA CRY PLZ LET THEM SURVIVE I BEG YOU NICK LANG OOOOOOOOH TWILIGHT BUT GAY I AM *HERE* FOR IT OOOOOH THANK GOD THEYRE SAFE THANK YOU NICK LANG BILL YOURE SUCH A GOOD DAD OH GOD SHIT ALICE CHILL OUT ITS JUST A PHONE BABE "SHE KNOWS IM WATCHING HER" I DONT TRUST THAT IS *SHE* POSESSED OR IS THIS JUST TEEN ANGST ALICE UR DAD IS TRYING HIS BEST PLZ CUT HIM SOME SLACK OH MARIAH TURNED HER CAMERA OFF OH DEAR GOD WHAT DOES THAT MEAN HAHAH I LOVE LIVE BLOOPS OH MY GOD BLINKY IS TERRIFYING FUCK NO DO NOT GET THAT WIGGLY JUNIOR BILL DONT HOW ??????? OH MARIAH IS BACK WHAT DOES THIS MEAN ??????? WHY CANT BILL GET THE MALLET THING DONT TAKE IT YES SMART LAUREN ? SKSKKSS WHAT MADAM IRIS I DO NOT TRUST YOU WHAT ?????? IS THAT ALICE'S PHONE ???? BILL DONT GET SCAMMED OH ITS AN ALL SEEING IPHONE ALICE CHILL PLZ IS HE GONNA DIE ????? PLZ NICK DONT DO THAT ALICE DONT DONT KILL UR DAD 49.95 AGAIN BILL PLZ TRY ANOTHER GAME JAMES DAMN THATS RUTHLESS BILL WHAT AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH IS THAT REAL ???????? IT CANT BE ??????? OH ITS NOT REAL ARE THEY MAKING THEM HATE THEIR FAMILIES AND KILL EACH OTHER ?? A TENDER KISS ON THE CHEEK FROM A DEMON HOW NICE GUYS PLZ JUST GO TO THERAPY I BEG U WHAT ARE U GONNA DO BILL? KICK HER HEAD ??????? (SORRY I HAD TO) BLINKY'S FUNHOUSE THAT SOUNDS WARM AND COMFORTING THIS IS LIKE THE OPPOSITE OF NOT UR SEED FIGHTING IN THE MIRROR PART OF A FUN HOUSE IS ALWAYS A GOOD HORROR MOVIE TROPE OH FUCK ARE THEY GONNA WAKE UP OH FUCK PLZ WAKE UP ESCAPE THIS ALIVE YEEEEAAAAAAHHHHH OH SHES GONNA SHOOT HIM ISNT SHE ????? SHES GONNA SHOOT HIM I JUST KNOW IT HES AWAKE SHES NOT IS BLINKY GONNA KILL THEM ?? OOOOOOOOHHHHHH FUCK I KNEW IT OH HELL YEAH ALICE FUCK IT UP ARE THEY GONNA DROW ?? OH NO OKAY DID THEY SURVIVE ???? IS SHARED TRAUMA GONNA SAVE THEIR RELATIONSHIP SKSKSKKS THEY SURVIVED !!!!!!!!! THANK YOU NICK LANG (AGAIN) WAIT HOW DID SHE GET HER PHONE BACK ? OH MADAM IRIS DID GIVE HER PHONE BACK AWWNNNNNNNN ALICE THIS ONE HAD A HAPPY ENDING YAY WELL IG THE OTHER DID TOO BUT NOT FOR THE CHARACTERS WE KNEW

THIS WAS SO GOOD I LOVER STAKID !!!!!!!!!!! I JUST WISHED I WASNT BROKE SO I COULD PAY FOR THE NEXT ONES KSKSKSKSK WILL BE WAITING FOR YOU GUYS TO DO YOUR REACTIONS FOR THE NEXT ONES !!!

I HEARD GREG AND IT WAS CRAIG SKSKKSSK OOPS

*from this part on is reactions from after the show when starkid was answering questions from the chat*

YEEAAH VOTE FOR BIDEN HELL YEAH STARKID

"THE WITCH IN THE WEB" WEBBY ???????? DO WE GET TO SEE HANNAH AGAIN ?????

A THEORY ON TUMBLR FROM REDDIT ON A INSTAGRAM ACC ON YT OH MY GOD SKSKSKSKKS

THE STORIES ARE CANON !!!!!!!!! THEORIES LETS GO GANG

STARKID FANS WHO CAN DONATE TO STARKID PLZ DO I WISH I COULD DONATE TO THESE TALENTED PPL G O D

I WAS CORRECT IT WAS KONK WITH A K

NERDY PRUDES MUST DIE YES!!!!!! WORKING BOYS !!!!

"NICK LANG IS A BOSS"

MARIAH: SAYS FUCK AS ALICE ALSO MARIAH: GEEKED THE *FREAKED* OUT

TIP JAR HAS BEEN OUT FOR 11 YEARS HELL YEAH

HOW TF DO YOU SPELL ZIGGS BTW

OOOHHH THEYRE FAKE THAT MAKES SENSE OK NOT FAKE COMFIRMED BUT PROBABLY FAKE LETS HOPE DEB DIDNT ACTUALLY CHEAT

"WELL I WAS BORN IN 1989" HAHAHAHA

BECKY CLIMBED WHILE RUNNING FROM HER HUSBAND I FEEL LIKE THATS WHAT THATS ABOUT

OH GOODIE I GET TO WATCH THEM LATER IDK WHEN BUT AT LEAST IK SOMEDAY

BLINKY VS WIGGLY

OH CMON NICK I WANTED TO KNOW ;-;

THIS WAS SO NICE I MISSED THEM ;-;

[artificialskyway-archives]

Secret Love

Characters: Kyungsoo x Reader (w/ occasional appearances by members of Exo)

Word count: 2,660

- Admin R

The members of Exo were talking amongst themselves in their van as they were leaving the SM building. Concern and questions filtered the air about the new addition to their team for this cycle, which was essentially what the meeting was about. When the managers called for a meeting to go over new changes and adjustments before the start of their comeback, having a personal assistant was the furthest thing in their minds of what would be added to this edition. The guys were unsure about having a personal assistant added onto their team. Would this be a good thing? Would it be fun? What would their PA be like? All these questions filtered through in conversation on the ride back to their dorm.

“I don’t know, maybe it’ll be fun. Like having someone help us out and do stuff for us.” Baekhyun said, trying to put a positive spin to the topic.

“But we’re already surrounded by so many people. Wouldn’t it be easier with our managers just helping us? Like they’ve always done?” Jongin asked, looking around at his hyungs.

“Well,” Suho chimes in, “we’ll just have to wait and see.” 

A week has passed and the guys are all together in the studio for one last rehearsal before the comeback era begins. Music is blaring and drowning out the entirety of the room. The boys are fixated on the mirrored wall, studying every move they make, looking for flaws, finding room for perfection.

Suddenly, the music cuts, “Okay, take a break, guys!” One of the managers exclaims.

The boys disperse, heading for their water, laying on the ground, and catching their breaths.

“Boys.” Another manager announces, as he enters the studio room with a girl, a number of inches shorter than he. She followed in behind him, scanning the room. She wore a light blue long-sleeved button down blouse, black skinny jeans, and white flats. A light brown over-the-shoulder bag, and notebook in hand occupied her person. “Let me introduce you to someone. This is Y/N. Your personal assistant.”

They all are now standing in a line in front of you, eyes on you. Politely bowing to you, as you return the gesture.

“Hello, nice to meet you.” She says in a low tone, almost a murmur. She looked nervous, and probably was. Despite this, she still managed to hold herself up pretty well.

The manager goes on to introduce each of the members one by one, they all have sweet smiles and warm faces as they greet her. She’s eyeing each member trying to get the names to stick to the faces.

“Y/N is going to be on this leg of the comeback and tour with us. Anything you need, any questions you have, anything at all, she is your go-to person. We will not always be able to be around, but Y/N will be, so look to her as your sort of… savior.” The manager explains, a cheerful smile appearing on his face as he pats Y/N’s back and leads her to the other side of the room to go over other minor details.

The guys go back to taking a break, all talking and chatting amongst each other. Everything and everyone returned back to normal, except for one member.

Kyungsoo.

His complete demeanor had changed the moment they were introduced to their new addition to the team. He laid eyes on Y/N and everything shifted. Kyungsoo felt his insides fill with light butterflies flowing through him. “She’s beautiful,” Kyungsoo thought to himself.

Kyungsoo tried his best to keep things normal, and not make it obvious that he just wanted to admire Y/N that day. He wanted to get to know her, talk with her, be in her company. When he looked at her he felt like he could see into the future, and the future included nothing but her. Of course, he came back to reality and realized that this was all far-fetched and wishful thinking. Or at least that’s what he told himself.

The day came to an end, and the tour began. It was busy, it was wild, and it was eventful. The guys and Y/N ended up getting along very well, they began sharing jokes, laughs and such all in positive manners. The guys ended up liking Y/N, more so because she did not take them too seriously, but she also was able to keep them in control and grounded.

“This was actually a good idea. Y/N is a blessing to us all!” Chanyeol exclaimed.

It’s now been a few weeks into the comeback, and tour dates have been added all across South Asia. You’ve been working tirelessly on this new job of yours. The question of how you managed to land a job like this never ceased to cross your mind from time to time. It was still all feeling like a wild dream. But alas, you returned to reality and thanked the heavens for such a job, even if it did mean catering to the needs of nine idols. It really wasn’t as bad as you would have thought. The guys were wild and hyperactive, but they were also quite calm and laid back compared to what you had expected. You even ended up getting along pretty well with them, being able to joke around with them. But you were also a force to be reckoned with, and you didn’t have a problem with setting the guys straight when it felt necessary. And just maybe, they truly respected that about you, which added to the great connection.

However great of a bond that you’ve built with these boys, there was still one connection with one of them that seemed to always catch you off guard.

Kyungsoo.

You and Kyungsoo had seemed to have connected instantly, almost too instant. Maybe it was how you both didn’t really take any of the members nonsense, and you two weren’t afraid to set them straight. Or maybe it was because you two had some sort of deeper connection. Either way, it sent little red flags up in your head, and you could tell that he had the same warning in his. But there was just something about him that intrigued you and made you feel differently than anyone has ever made you feel. He was always more silent than the others, never really asking for anything for himself from you. Whenever he did need you, it was always for one of the other boys.

Within the first week of working with them, you would catch his glance, sending you into a quickened race of nerves within your body. You would try and admire him from afar. The way his lips formed into a heart shape when he smiles at something Kai said. The way he walks with stride, reserved calamity in every step. The way he pokes fun at his hyungs, particularly Chanyeol. The way he scrunched his eyebrows together when he was concentrating on something important. You try to stop yourself from further observations because nothing further would ever happen. Nothing can happen.

Conversations with each other were initially kept short, quick transactions of minor details. Never anything profoundly exciting, however they still left your heart to skip a beat or two. These small instances were all that you thought you would be able to get out of him, it was wrong to feel this way for someone you’re working for. Wasn’t it? Besides, you thought, you were probably the only one to feel this way. And so, you simply brushed it off, bringing yourself back to reality.

That is, until two days ago.

Two days ago, you and the whole crew were back in Korea for a three day break. You were staying late to catch up on nonsense paperwork in the SM building, alone in the late hours of the night. Or at least you thought you were alone.

You heard a loud rumble on the other side of the wall of the room you were currently in. You hastily got up on your feet, grabbing the closest thing to you that you could find… a new and unwrapped pack of folders. How intimidating, you thought to yourself as you exited the room. You headed for the room beside you, where you heard the noise, hand on the doorknob, heart beat rising. You were about to open the door when it swings open and staring back at you was Kyungsoo.

A huge rush of relief washed over you as you lowered your arm and let out a long breath that you’d been holding in for God knows how long. Looking past Kyungsoo, to where the noise was still going on you noticed was Chanyeol fumbling through boxes.

“Oh god. You guys gave me a heart attack!” You exclaim.

“I can see that.” Kyungsoo says with a slight giggle at the end, nodding towards your dangerous choice of weaponry.

Chanyeol comes up from behind Kyungsoo, looking at you with a smile and eyeing down to your hand where you were still gripping the pack of folders.

“What were you gonna do, Y/N? File us away with those folders?” Chanyeol jokes, causing both boys to laugh and Kyungsoo to nudged Chanyeol away.

“She really should file you away, since you’re being extra annoying today. It would actually make me happy.” Kyungsoo blurts, never really breaking his gaze from you.

His warm dark eyes burning a hole in your sanity, you regained enough consciousness to speak, “so what are you guys doing here, exactly?” You ask, stepping past Kyungsoo and entering the room, tossing the pack of folders on top of one of the many closed boxes occupying the room.

“Chanyeol dragged me out here with him to help him find one of his pieces for his music equipment… or something. I don’t really know what it was that he said, to be honest.” Kyungsoo says, plopping down on an old dark grey colored couch in the middle of the room. This was definitely classified as a junk room, seeing at how many miscellaneous and absurd things were in there, thought to yourself.

“Interesting,” was all you could muster up, still feeling a bit of adrenaline in you. You walked over and plopped yourself on the opposite side of the couch where Kyungsoo sat. He looks over to you and smiles, and there’s that beautiful smile again, you thought.

“Well, I guess it really isn’t here. Hmm. Weird.” Chanyeol says, plopping in between you and Kyungsoo, breaking the gaze that you two were once holding, rather indiscreetly.

“You know what, I think I’m going to go look upstairs. Maybe it’s in one of those rooms.” Chanyeol says with a bit of hopeful cheer in his tone.

“Do you need my help?” Kyungsoo asks, to which Chanyeol simply shakes his head.

“No, hyung. You stay here. Keep Y/N company, we don’t need her getting scared and threatening anyone with a stapler next.” He jokes before heading out the door, closing it behind him.

Chanyeol, knowing the state of Kyungsoo’s feelings towards you, decided to play matchmaker and bravely came up with this whole scheme. He knew you were going to be working here alone, and he knew exactly where he left what he was looking for. But neither you nor Kyungsoo needed to know that.

So now, here you two sat, in the deafening silence of this miscellaneous room, where things go to get lost and never see the light of day. Your heart began to beat a little faster, once more.

“Does he do this often? Dragging you out here in the middle of the night, looking for random things he leaves behind?” You ask, breaking the silence.

Kyungsoo and you lock eyes with each other once more. He smiles, “Not as often as you would think. But yeah, against my own will, especially tonight, have I been dragged back here.”

Kyungsoo is sure that the outline of his heart is now visible through his shirt because that’s just how nervous he was. You don’t know when but the space that was between you two was now gone.

“Y/N,” Kyungsoo starts, and maybe it was because he just needed to say something to distract his heart from ripping through his skin. Or maybe he gained some newfound confidence in this unused room. But he decided to be bold and ask you one question.

“Kyungsoo.” You respond, with a lighthearted smile. Little did you know, you had just made little butterflies appear in his stomach.

“I never really ask you for much, right?” He begins, “so if I ask you for this one thing, will you say no?”

You contemplate his question, a million and one things racing through your head on what he could ask you for. Finally realizing he was still waiting for your answer, you responded.

“I couldn’t say no to you.”

A few more moments of silence passed by, neither of you were really sure as to how much time had gone by.

“Can I kiss you?” He asks. His heart is now in his throat, blood rushing, and his nerves on edge.

You sat there shocked, a sea of emotions flowing through you. Is this really happening? Did you hear him right? Did he really ask that?

“Um,”

Kyungsoo moved closer to you, the air between you two was now both of yours mixed together. Personal space ceased to exist. Every logical part of you knew that this was not okay. You two should not be doing this. But every other part of you knew that this is exactly what you had been longing for. And you wanted it, you needed it.

“Since I first saw you, that day when you walked into our studio, I have not been the same.” He starts to confess, filling the silence and trying to just calm his nerves. “You have occupied every inch of my mind, you’re all I can think about. I don’t know what to do anymore, but to simply hope that it is not just me that feels this way.”

“No.” you blurt out.

“Uh,” He starts, leaning backwards a bit as his hand is rubbing the back of his neck. Thinking you didn’t want this as much as he did, embarrassment washed over him.

Realizing what was happening, you snapped out of it. “No, I mean no. You’re not the only one.”

“Oh.” He says, as you close the gap completely, now. Your hands reach out and caress the side of his face. Your inner desires slowly coming to life. You trace over ever inch of his jaw, his lips and chin. Looking down at you, Kyungsoo leans in and swiftly places his lips on yours.

You are in bliss. His lips are softer than you could have ever imagined, and this kiss was sending you into an eternal field of happiness. This was finally happening.

You two engaged in a heated and long awaited kiss. His hands were caressing your face, as yours found his legs and rubbed them gently. Both of your locked feelings were being laid out here in this room. And it felt so good. That is, until the logical part of your brain started to click. Quickly pulling away, catching your breath and looking into his eyes once more.

“We can’t…” You say, the words stinging the back of your throat as they left your mouth.

As much as it pained you to say them, they hurt Kyungsoo a little bit more because nowhere in your two simple words did he know that you were wrong. You both knew the consequences that would come from this. And your once full and thriving hearts started to slow down, relinquishing in the hard truth.

And so, there you two sat, too much in blissful agony to do or say anything.

[nctinfo]

[TRANS]  NCT U Interview for Vogue Korea ‘Super Youth’ March 2018 Issue!

In an era of uncertainty, NCT made its debut like an organism with a free survival method that expanded and transformed. The cells of NCT U in 2018 are Taeyong, Jaehyun, Doyoung, Mark, Lucas, Jungwoo and Winwin. On the border between boys and adolescents, they show how much they can live in the black frame. 

Lucas’ white shirt is from (Dior Homme), denim pants are form (Rag&Bone at Beaker), belt (Bottega Veneta). Doyoung’s shirt (Saint Laurent by Anthony Vaccarello at Boon The Shop), denim pants (Levi’s). Mark’s t-shirt (Juun.J), denim pants (Bell&Nouveau). Jungwoo’s denim jacket, pants (MSGM). Winwin’s top (Juun.J). Taeyong’s knitted vest (Maison Margiela at Boon The Shop), denim pants (MSGM). Jaehyun’s shirt, denim pants (Calvin Klein Jeans). The last idol that I have given a line to public broadcast as a fan, is H.O.T. When I was dreaming of a reunion in 17 years through <Infinite Challenge>, I met NCT U, NCT's unit. It took three days to understand the organic, futuristic and neolithic group called NCT. Jung Hyungdon, who runs the idol program, asks NCT's team, "So what is NCT?” I found and watched NCT’s neat videos on Youtube. For fans, it might be a familiar term, but it's a simple matter. NCT stands for 'Neo Culture Technology', which is a concept of infinite opening and infinite expansion. Any number of members of the unit may be increased or changed. NCT U, NCT127, NCT DREAM are active in NCT. In April 2016, NCT U, who made their debut with the digital single '7th Sense', has five members, and NCT U who sang 'Without You' has three. The NCT U of 2018 I met had seven. In 2018, NCT's full members are 18 members, including new members (Lucas, Jung Woo and Kun). It's like a rap with a rhyme. “NCT is a completely new group format. It may take a while, but if you understand it completely, you'll definitely like NCT with a new system and form!” (WINWIN) "NCT is like a brand.” (MARK) "NCT is a team that is not trapped and always pursuing newness.“ (JUNGWOO)

NCT is coming to life. If each member were to be a cell and when they unite, they create a new organism. Not only the members but also the music, performance and (fashion) style will vary depending on the case. A minors-only team, NCT DREAM, are boys with an innocent image riding on hoverboards and sing 'Chewing Gum' before they become men. Named after Seoul's longitude 127, NCT 127 emphasizes the masculine image and dream to conquer the world. NCT U brings out different performances and matches the style of the song like a separate unit. These newcomers are rather pleased with this repetition of reforming and changing (the concept). "Sensible ballads, hip-hop, splendid performances, it's nice that I can show you many different sides of myself" (JAEHYUN) “I can show you a fresh image every time.”(LUCAS) “For the fans, we can often comeback with different looks ”(WINWIN)

Until now, idols always have a certain key style, character, and identity. Like these specific adaption: sexy, feminine and beastdols, and like how GIRLFRIEND, Boyfriend, Oh My Girl and Seventeen have their identity explained through the team name. NCT aims for 'de-identity' (t/n: not having one specific identity) and rather adapts to the future. We don't know how the future will look like, there's not one thing that's for sure, it can change quickly and I know many adaptions/preferences will coexist. SM, who has always been a half-foot ahead with new/fresh idol styles, has this time taken a whole-foot ahead (which is somewhat difficult to understand) and introduced a new union of idols to the front. In 2016, during a business summit, head Lee Sooman said SM would be reborn as 'New Culture Technology'. The stage was decorated by NCT (Neo Culture Technology). They are what SM describes as the future.

NCT also has SM's past. SM has made successful artists through trial and error. EXO's perfect worldview and narrative, SHINee's hitbox and Red Velvet's refreshing images. It can be fully implemented to the cell combination of NCT. "Because our team can change continuously we're trying to show you good music and performances like our sunbaenims" (DOYOUNG). "NCT has a variety of colors. We think, the more colors, the more beautiful and pretty it is" (TAEYONG).  Before the appearance of groups with 9 or 11 idols was shocking but 'there must have been one member you'd like'. Now you can say that NCT has all you want in an idol group, music, and performances. This style sums up "tal-style (different-style)" and rather creates NCT's own style. "It's our goal to create NCT's own genre. We want to reinterpret NCT's various concepts with a quality feel. "(MARK) 

Mark is active through all of NCT 127, NCT DREAM and NCT U. Though there’s probably no idol that doesn’t work hard anywhere, you can see how hard they are working in a tough world with infinite scaling just by looking at Mark. He has been writing lyrics for a long time. These days he writes his lyrics on his smartphone and keeps a diary on his notebook. “Even if it isn’t for an album, I still often write lyrics by myself. Though the feeling of being a producer is still far away, I am constantly trying to be creative because I’m greedy” (MARK)

Even when they talk about their favorite musicians, they always end it with their 'willingness to try'. "Like Frank Ocean, I want to be a musician who is continuously searched for and lingers in your mind. I have a habit of listening to many great singers like him. It's for my own development. And to become a great singer, I first have to become a good person so I can appreciate the world a little bit more and fill up my heart generously." (MARK) The same goes for the other members. "Every day I practice, study/research and try to broaden my horizons." (JAEHYUN) "I think the fundamentals are important. When I become a better person, my songs and dances will also be heard and seen better. " (TAEYONG) "I always watch other singers and different stages to analyze them." (JUNGWOO) "I practice, practice, practice." (LUCAS)

With my auntie mind, I want to tell them that they are doing well and can run less (hard), but I'm not in the position to say this. They have a dream. The dreams of racers don't easily let themselves get exhausted by the restrains of the world. For them, the tough times should be overcome before they can be sad. "I organize my thoughts through conversations and I keep a journal for myself" (MARK) "I create a box/space of my own and try to see my true self." (TAEYONG)

The burden of Taeyong, leader of NCT, would be heavier than the other members. "It's not easy to gather all the NCT members in one place. Since trainee days, I always thought it was important to get acknowledgment from the team first. I try to take initiatives and imagine myself in their shoes. At first, I thought it was not going as I wished it would, but that was a wrong thought. It shouldn't go according to my will, but according to the will of everyone. It takes everyone's effort and that's what makes a team. I'm grateful for the members who come along well and work hard." (TAEYONG)

Many things change, but what has/will never change in NCT.  "Our connections with our fans. This applies to other teams as well, but for our team, our connection with our fans is really important." (DOYOUNG) "What never changes is our view of the world. Even when we're not together, I think that empathy with one another through our dreams and music is permanent. The standard of our music that matches our worldview will also not change. It's our responsibility to prepare in good conditions." (MARK)

NCT U's keywords for the upcoming comeback are empathy, dream, and NCT. "The goal for this comeback is first of all, for all the members to have fun without getting hurt. I'm also worried about the new members who will make their debut. And I want to meet many fans again. We need more communication, sympathy, and connections with the fans." (TAEYONG) "In a society where there is superficial and fragmented communication, because of a busy life or for other reasons, we wrote a message through NCT's music with hopes of empathizing with one another. We will be the bosses that will lead you to empathy/genuine connections. Please believe and follow us (laughs)." (JAEHYUN)

Translation: Esmee, Selin, Teddy @ FY! NCT (NCTINFO) | Source: Vogue Korea

— Please take out with full credits

[1358456]

Dex Holder Preference List, New-V

It’s been at least half of a year since the last one. And there have been some monumental changes, likes of which have never happened before.

Top Favorites

Platinum (1, 1, 1, 1, 1) ... The change is not here, nor shall it ever... probably. I mean, at this point, she’s been my top favorite for like 10 years. That ain’t changing. And this spot is solidified thanks to the likes of Heart and Legacy. And maybe even Wings and probably SoS as she unlocks more frost powers.

Y (2, 2, 2, 2, 2) This won’t be changing either. Probably. ... Maybe. Well, Wings will most likely solidify her position here. “I know this isn’t the school uniform provided. But I like wearing black clothes, so that when I get blood on me, it’s not easily noticeable.”

Red (3, 3, 3, 3, 3) If there’s anyone in the top 5 that has the highest risk of falling off, it’s Red. And it’s not that much of a risk. The experiments with a more brutal Red will solidify his position. “This is going to hurt, pal. But don’t worry. If you pass out, I’ll wake you up so we can continue.”

Blue (4, 4, 4, 4, 4) Same old, same old. Destiny and Legacy and all that. In my newer stories, she would probably have a more happy and relaxed personality, which then allows her to be more jovial and joking, even, instead of being super serious all the time. There’s already someone else for that.

Moon (5, 5, 5, 5, 5) The first 5 have seen no changes in the last 5 lists. The poison doctor here will remain. Her position will be solidified further, if she does something in SM for crying out loud. Evolve the damn ball bird already! Catch some sh*t! Sun’s been taking all the spotlight for the whole arc! And show some real battling talent. She’s like near the end of SM game plot, and she had battled ONCE. And lost. 0-1. What are you, Crystal?

Light Preference

Emerald (6, 7, 6, 7, 6) Up and down and up and down and... This slight buff comes thanks to the SoS parts. Emerald the Warlock. It’s fun to use, and it’ll be even more so in later parts. “Uh oh. I think I just summoned a meteor by accident. ... RUN! ... Oh wait, it’s heading for Unova base. Never mind.”

Diamond (8, 9, 8, 6, 7) He hasn’t really been doing anything in my stories as of late. ... Well, the next Legacy chapter should have him and Pearl doing a lot of stuff. Assuming Y doesn’t hog all the spotlight (as in, as long as Y’s chapter section doesn’t take the whole damn chapter).

White (7, 6, 7, 10, 8) Hey, single digits again. SoS part, mostly. She’s going to be the recipient of a LOT of shenanigans, which means lots of appearances, which naturally helps the preference. I mean, if BW2 ain’t happening, then... hehe. Along with the “usual” BW doom scenes (hehe), the comedic doom she’ll suffer in SoS will certainly keep her relatively high here. “Aww... someone set our base on fire again. Come on, Black. Let’s repair and rebuild. Our skill in construction is like maxed now, so this won’t take too long.”

Sun (9, 8, 9, 8, 9) Up and down and up and down and... Mixed thoughts about this guy. On one hand, he’s hogging all the damn spotlight in SM, which is annoying. But at the same time, he’s kind of like... living like a favorite Dex Holder in my stories. As in, he hogs a lot of spotlight, and gets mangled a lot. What are you, copying Platinum in SA? Heh. Well then. I got SunnyD and some Sun Chips. I’m ready to see Sun get his ass whipped. And hey, while in SM arc, he may be like immortal, in Legacy, he will not. If he takes a beating that badly in Legacy, he will not be getting back up. ... To get up from that bad of a beating in my stories, you need to be at least #5 on the Preference List. Ha!

X (17, 17, 10, 9, 10) Maybe Wings will help him climb higher as Y beats the sh*t out of... I mean... we’ll see. “... Please don’t stuff me in a locker again.”

Sapphire (16, 11, 11, 11, 11) The decreasing interest vs. SoS involvement bonus. Currently at a standstill. Maybe later on, as Sapphire gets the Firelord skills and whatever, she’ll climb higher? Hmm...

Ruby (15, 13, 12, 12, 12) Decreasing interest, but not a lot of SoS involvement. Ain’t looking too well, honestly. For now, he remains on the bottom of this tier.

Dead Zone

Pearl (RB, RB, RB, RB, 13) ... ... You... are not Black. This was his position. And... whoa. ... For the FIRST TIME since I first saw the DP arc WAY back in the days, Pearl is NOT anywhere near the bottom! ... This guy was my 2nd least favorite for like a DECADE. ... And now he is not. Heart buff OP. Must nerf. While this may be a temporary surge as Heart just started, this could also very well be just the start of his meteoric rise... to like... um... 9th place? The top slots are pretty packed, so he’s not getting there, but he can get close. I probably won’t be overhauling his team though. Even though he kind of needs it. F*ck this guy’s Pokemon team.

Gold (15, 13, 14, 14, 14) Decreasing interest vs. SoS involvement. While it’s fun to use him every now and then, well... it’s not as fun as some of the others. Maybe once Gold goes further into the explosive tools in SoS... “A mine here, a mine here, a mine here, a mine here, and... ah, someone blew up.”

Black (10, 10, 13, 13, 15) He’s never getting out of there. At least, he won’t be getting out of there in time. As time passes, I get less and less interested with this guy’s situation. It’s been like 4.5 years or something? I don’t even laugh at that scene anymore. Shame.

Crystal (14, 16, 15, 15, 16) Time has certainly passed. I still like her, of course, but I’m just not interested. Ah, the fate of my top favorite Dex Holder. Yes, Crystal was #1 at one point, before the posts started. Then Platinum took her position and it’s just been downhill from there... for like 10 years. Ouch.

Faitsu (11, 12, 16, 16, 17) I really don’t like her position being all the way down here. But BW2 being what it is... However, I MAY decide to start using the BW2 cast* in my stories**, and when that happens, she’ll see a lot of usage. * Faitsu only. ** Non-Pokemon focused stories only (Heart, Wings, SoS, short stories).

Yellow (RB, RB, RB, RB, 18) ... What the f*ck?! Holy sh*t. What are you doing up here?! ... Wow. A monumental upset has occurred. She is no longer on the bottom of existence. For the first time ever. ... Still the least liked female Dex Holder, and I still harbor dislikes towards her, but her entertainment values are rising. In SoS, she is the perfect comedic victim. Whether she gets clubbed in the back of the head for a quest, or sabotaged so she falls into a pit of lava, or even gets mauled by dragons and giants... For the first time ever, she is amusing to use. Further boosted by the entertaining victim “role” in the serious stories. Heartbroken in Destiny. Heart will be broken in Legacy. ... It’ll probably be brought up a bit during SoS. And definitely during a future short story. Whether it’s her precious farm being ripped apart as a dragon crawls out of it, or it’s her heart being ripped apart from witnessing Red and Blue together, her appearances are going to hurt. But hey, at least most of those appearances will be in SoS. Thus she’ll mostly suffer the comedic pains. “Who planted a dragon egg in my farm?! THAT’S why dragons are attacking!”

Rock Bottom

Rakutsu (12, 14, 17, RB, RB). F*ck this guy still. He’ll have ONE use in my stories later on, and he won’t even really be appearing in it, since he’ll be the handler of the operations, and Blue will be the operative. ... Maybe he can do a minor op in the start of that short story. We’ll see.

Silver (RB, RB, RB, RB, RB). ... It sure is getting lonely down here. BOTH of the others of the “usual trio” have moved up. But not this guy. At least the newcomer is still down here. A damn shame. Legacy really could’ve helped Silver climb the ranks. Now the plot critical moments will have to get someone from the top 5 accompanying Silver so I don’t lose interest in writing the scene. Alas, the timing was off. Sorry, Silver. Just like Yellow, my dislike for you is not even your fault. My lack of interest is, but not my dislike.

[jaeminlore]

Adventure // Na Jaemin

-

the prompt: can you write a prince!jaemin au bc i love that boy sm pls.

words: 4800

category fluff + minor angst

author note: i love him sm too. also this is lowkey from a tolkien quote: “I am looking for someone to share in an adventure that I am arranging, and it’s very difficult to find anyone.”

- destinee

-

You sat around the dinner table with your grandparents, unable to return the bright smiles they sent your way.

Did they even hear themselves?

“What do you mean the prince is going to live with us? This is a joke, right?”

Your grandfather patted your shoulder comfortingly in a way only grandfather’s can do. “With the threats to the castle, Her Majesty has requested that we hide him here. No assassin will think to look in a blacksmith’s home.”

“You work for the queen,” you argued. “Won’t they suspect you and the rest of the staff when they can’t find the prince?”

Your grandmother butted in. “Her Majesty has made her decision final. Prince Jaemin will come to be under our secret care until the assassins are caught.”

“What do we do with a prince?” You asked in confusion. As far as you knew, he was probably spoiled and not used to working. What would he do while you and your grandparents were working?

“He’ll help you with your rounds around the town.” Your grandmother answered calmly, as if she and your grandfather had already discussed it.

As your grandfather was a blacksmith, you often delivered the orders he finished to the customers. It wasn’t a hard job, and after delivering you usually arrived home and helped your grandfather clean the tools and weapons he had worked on that day.

“When is he coming?” You asked.

“Tomorrow morning,” your grandfather replied, “Your grandmother will be going to the healer tomorrow so I need you to go to the market and pick him up. Then you can pick up our groceries.”

“Okay,” you replied, knowing it was useless to argue with him.

Even if you were skeptical about the prince coming, you definitely weren’t going to defy your grandparents. You had lived with them since you were a child, and you knew there was no use in trying to argue with them.

You struggled to sleep as you anticipated what would happen the next day.

-

Despite your grandparents’ protests, you didn’t wear your nicest clothes to meet the prince.

The last thing you wanted was to stick out like a sore thumb in the middle of the market. You didn’t care if Prince Jaemin stuck out on his own; that was his problem.

You walked to the market with your rucksack hanging from your shoulders. You were told that the prince would be arriving in a carriage near the strawberry stand.

“Mark!” You said cheerily as soon as you saw your friend who worked the strawberry stand. “I’ll take a pound of strawberries, please.”

“A pound?” Mark laughed as he began to weigh the red fruit. “That’s a lot more than usual.”

“Well, Grandmother want to make a strawberry pie for a guest we have.”

Mark’s father was also close to the royal family, being their top agricultural worker. “Oh, right. I’ll go let him know you’re here.”

You handed him the proper amount of change and packed the strawberries safely in your rucksack before Mark went back behind his stand.

“Y/n, this is Jaemin. Jaemin, this is Y/n,” Mark said, pulling a tan boy behind him.

You watched him, only to widen your eyes and look down. You didn’t remember the prince being that handsome. His black hair was a bit too long, and his smile was wide. You had never seen whiter teeth in your life.

“Hi, Y/n.” As if he wasn’t in line to be the future king, Jaemin held his hand out for you to shake. “Call me Jaemin, since I’m incognito.”

Indeed, he was. Dressed almost identical to you and Mark, he looked ready to face the village in his brown leather trousers, his tucked in and baggy beige shirt, and his knee-length boots.

You could tell they weren’t his everyday clothes, for they were far too clean, showing no blemish or tear anywhere.

“Hi, Jaemin. We’ve got some shopping to do before we get home. Is that okay?” You spoke formally, wondering if you would be thrown in jail for saying something wrong or looking the prince in the eyes.

Jaemin must’ve noticed, because he stopped you and placed both hands on your shoulders. He pushed them so they weren’t so tense and smiled at you. You really weren’t sure if you were ever going to get used to that smile.

“Just speak casually, Y/n.” Jaemin widened his smile. “We’re friends so let’s talk like it.”

“Alright,” you spoke, gently moving out of his grip. “Then we need flour, sugar, and eggs before we return home to help Grandfather.”

“What’re we making?” Jaemin asked. There was a certain bounce in his step that you couldn’t pinpoint. Perhaps he was just a peppy person.

“My grandmother wants to make you a strawberry pie.”

Jaemin walked beside you, quiet for a moment. Then he piped, “What if we make the pie for your grandmother?”

“What’s the difference?” You asked, stopping at the booth where a local was selling flour. You accepted the large sack after you paid and turned, handing it to Jaemin.

The prince didn’t complain, he only shifted the bag in a more comfortable position and kept walking. “The difference is that your grandmother doesn’t have to bake a pie! She’ll be so surprised!”

“That’s a sweet idea,” you sighed, “but I don’t know how to bake a pie.”

“You don’t have to know. I know how to bake pies.” Jaemin surprised you with his words. “My servant taught me how to cook and bake.”

Your furrowed your brows. “Why would a prince have to learn how to bake?”

“I didn’t have to,” Jaemin corrected you. “I asked her to teach me. I surprised my mom with an apple pie for her birthday and the smile on her face was so worth all the effort. So, let’s make a pie for your grandmother. I’ll help you.”

“Okay,” you whispered. “Let’s hurry home then, because I still have to deliver my grandfather’s orders this morning.”

“I’ll help you with that, too. That way we’ll finish two times quicker than you would doing it alone.”

By this time, you had found the woman who sold sugar, and you hastily paid her for the correct measurement you needed. Then you led Jaemin out of the marketplace, toward your home.

-

You were glad Jaemin was so good at keeping conversation up. The boy never seemed to run out of anything to say. Especially when the two of you arrived at your grandfather’s smithing shop after dropping the ingredients and Jaemin’s luggage off at your house.

He just couldn’t believe how many swords and other miscellaneous weapons covered your grandfather’s walls. “This is the same design our knights have,” Jaemin said to you in fascination.

You ignored him, not out of rudeness, but out of lack of anything to say. Instead, you turned to your grandfather. “How many orders today?”

“Only one,” he replied, handing you a pair of long knives wrapped tightly in burlap. “Deliver this to Madam Burk across the lake, and then you’re done.”

“What does Madam Burk want with long knives?” You asked skeptically.

Jaemin walked over and peaked over your shoulder. All that could be seen of the knives were the carefully carved hilts. “Wow!”

He traced over the intricate details on the stained wood. “How long did this take?”

While he and your grandfather bonded over weapons, you felt far too aware of how close the prince was to you. His chest kept brushing against your shoulder and any time he laughed he would look at you, perhaps wondering if you laughed as well.

You were well aware by now that Jaemin had no respect for personal space. The boy was playful and curious, and he wasn’t about to let something silly like personal boundaries keep him from discovering new things around him.

It was cute to you, the way his eyes lit up when he saw something he found interesting. He was currently nodding his head eagerly as he listened to your grandfather explain the painstakingly boring process of staining wood. If he nodded his head any more, you were sure it was going to fall right off his neck.

“I should really get these to Madam Burk.” You interrupted their talk. “You guys can stay here and talk, though. I’ll be right back.”

Jaemin shook his head and followed you out of the forge. “I’m coming with you! I want to see Madam Burk.”

“You don’t know Madam Burk,” you told him calmly.

“I want to know her,” Jaemin pointed out.

You let out a breathy chuckle. He never ran out of curiosity, that was for sure. “Let’s go then.”

-

Although you were used to a busy schedule with your grandparents, you certainly weren’t used to doing any of it with the level of enthusiasm Jaemin had.

You still weren’t sure how he got the grumpy Madam Burk to smile for him and invite the both of you in for tea.

This little unplanned visit set your schedule back slightly, so you and Jaemin were quick to return to your house to prepare the pie for your grandmother.

“She should be back within the hour,” you told Jaemin as you cut up the strawberries.

He was busy kneading the homemade dough, “So, at the least, it would be in the oven when she returned. That would be just as well.”

While you cut the fruit in silence, you noticed Jaemin staring at you from the corner of his eye. “What?”

Jaemin chuckled and looked away. “I just find it odd that you haven’t asked me about my life as a prince yet. Don’t you want to know what the castle looks like on the inside? Or how many servants we actually have?”

“Should I?” You asked. “None of those matters concern me in the slightest.”

“You aren’t the least bit curious?” Jaemin pondered aloud, sounding offended.

“You can tell me if you want,” you permitted. “I’m just letting you know that I haven’t really wondered about it before.”

“I’ll take it,” Jaemin said contently. “Let me tell you about my dream: to be a knight.”

Jaemin began to roll out the properly kneaded dough, shaping it into the pie plate accordingly. “So, your grandfather obviously does a lot of the castle’s weapon work. In fact, my mother gave me the option of staying with Mark’s family, since I knew him, but I wanted to go here instead because I look up to your grandfather.”

“Really?” You found it hard to believe. Sure, your grandfather was a lovely man, but he wasn’t extraordinary or anything.

“Yeah,” Jaemin smiled. “Your grandfather was never a knight, but his craftsmanship for weapons really inspires me. Ever since I was little I wanted to become a knight and be the best swordsman in the kingdom. I wanted to go on quests with my fellow knights and sleep outside by a campfire, fending off wolves with nothing but a stick and a flame.”

“You seem to have thought about it a lot,” you mentioned.

“Of course; it’s my dream.” Jaemin then changed the subject. “Let’s make the filling next.”

You grabbed a large bowl and brought it over to the counter. While you dumped the cut strawberries into the bowl, Jaemin measured out the additional ingredients.

“Tell me more about this dream of yours,” you spoke up, now intrigued.

“Well, there isn’t much more to it,” Jaemin sighed. “The reality is that I’m a prince, not a knight. It’s my duty to stay in the castle and prepare to rule the kingdom one day. While I do have swordsmanship lessons, it’s nothing like a knight’s training. It’s okay, though. One day, when I’m king, I’ll go on my own quest.”

Without thinking, the words popped into your brain. “We could go on a quest now.”

Jaemin dropped the wooden spoon he was holding, and watched as it clattered to the ground. “What?”

“We could have our own adventure!” You said.

“What would we do?” Jaemin’s eyes suddenly widened in excitement. “Where would we go?”

You pondered his questions as you poured the filling into the pie crust. “Let’s stick this in the oven and then we’ll talk about it.”

Once the pie was safely in the oven, you and Jaemin went to your room to talk about the quest in secret.

“There’s a waterfall in the forest,” you said. “We could go jump off of it. Or we could go search some of the caves nearby and see if we can find something cool.”

“We could look for jewels!” Jaemin said, agreeing with your second option. “We’ll need to bring pickaxes, in case we want to go mining for stones.”

“Okay,” you said. “Tomorrow, after our chores, let’s go on an adventure.”

-

“I honestly don’t think your grandmother would’ve let us leave if we hadn’t baked her that pie,” Jaemin said as he two of you walked towards the forest.

You rolled your eyes. “You’re the prince. She probably didn’t want to get on your family’s bad side.”

“Even so, it’s great luck that your grandfather had some pickaxes for us,” Jaemin spoke, holding his own pickaxe over his shoulder. “Do you think we’ll find anything?”

“I don’t know,” you said.

At that, the two of you stayed silent for the rest of the journey. The forest outside of the kingdom was very dense, with tall oak trees growing so close to each other their branches intermingled with each other.

It created a foliage roof for the two of you to walk under. Protected from the hot sun, you and Jaemin both enjoyed the fresh air at a slow pace. You were in no hurry to get to the caves.

“Woah!” Jaemin stopped, and since he was a bit ahead of you, you ran into his back.

“Oomph!” You grunted in discomfort. “Why’d you stop so suddenly?”

“Look.” Jaemin pointed to a small animal standing in the middle of a trail. “I’ve never seen one in real life.”

“A rabbit?” You found yourself giggling at the frigid look on the prince’s face. “Here, let’s go say hello.”

Jaemin opened his mouth to protest as you grabbed his hand and pulled him closer to the animal. Once you were only a few feet away, you slipped your bag off of your back and pulled out a carrot.

You handed it to Jaemin. “Hold it out for the rabbit.”

Jaemin refused. “What if it bites me?”

“It won’t,” you assured him.

“Do it with me, please.” Jaemin said, cutting his gaze to yours.

You obliged, finding humor in the situation. “Hold your palm out.”

You placed the carrot in Jaemin’s open palm and held his wrist. “Now wait for the rabbit to notice.”

With a few clicks of your tongue, you got the animal’s attention. The rabbit’s nose twitched as it noticed the orange vegetable.

You felt Jaemin tense in nervousness, so you patted his shoulder with your hand. “Rabbit’s really aren’t that scary, Jaemin.”

When the rabbit hopped over and sniffed the carrot, both of you stilled. Finally, Jaemin broke into a soft smile when the rabbit grabbed the carrot with its teeth and pulled it away from you both.

“See? They’re harmless.” You said, helping Jaemin to his feet.

The prince breathed a sigh of relief. “To be fair, I thought their teeth were a lot bigger than that.”

-

The caves consisted of around five cave openings that started at the end of the forest and all connected together. Eventually, they led into a mountain, but no one ever went that deep into the caves. It was said to be as virtually impossible to escape as a life size maze the deeper you went, so you were sure to warn Jaemin not to wander off.

Guess who didn’t listen to you?

“Jaemin!” You rounded yet another corner of the cave and looked around for the prince. “We need to stick together.”

You weren’t sure what kind of trouble the prince would get himself into. Truthfully, you were more worried about the creatures that could possibly live in any of these hidden crevices.

“Y/n!” Jaemin’s voice suddenly shouted.

You darted towards the voice, worried that he had somehow gotten hurt already. “I’m coming!”

When you found him, he was not hurt at all. In fact, he looked fairly content, crouching in front of the lake that was hidden in the cave’s interior.

He stirred the water with his finger. “Look, Y/n. There are little fish here and they aren’t scared of me.”

“That’s because they’re blind.” You said, and followed up by explaining why.

“Oh,” Jaemin looked disappointed. “I thought they were just really brave fish.”

You snorted. “You have a naive mind. Has anyone ever told you that?”

Jaemin looked up. “Yeah. My mom says I need a more practical sense of the world if I’m going to rule the kingdom.”

You dropped you bag and rolled your shoulders back a few times before sitting beside him. He was still stirring the water with his fingers.

“I don’t think being naive is necessarily a bad thing,” you said. “As long as you have other qualities as well, I don’t think you have to be practical to run a kingdom.”

“What qualities?” Jaemin queried.

“Well, for instance, compassion. Or being a hard worker. Having empathy for others, especially in a lower position than you is a great trait as well. I think your mother might be worried about your willingness to trust people so quickly. Once you’re king, people will want to use your friendship for selfish reasons, so I think she just wants to make sure you don’t get hurt.”

“That’s exactly why I’m making friends now,” Jaemin said. “So when I’m king, I can have loyal people by my side, helping me with the qualities I might lack.”

You were silent for a moment. Jaemin really was a mystery to you. Since he was usually hyper and fully of vigor, you never expected him to be this solemn. Then again, he was only a teenager, so it must be hard on him knowing he must rule the whole kingdom one day.“

“Is that why you want to be a knight?” You dared to ask him.

“Yeah,” Jaemin breathed. “I could be myself if I was a knight. I wouldn’t have to worry about anything. A knight’s greatest trait is loyalty, and I can offer that easily.”

You nodded in understanding. It seemed that was all Jaemin needed. Perhaps letting his worries out in the darkness of a cave was good for him, for he went right back to his normal self, eager to dig for jewels.

Neither of you found any jewels or special stones that day, but maybe that was never what the journey was about anyway.

-

Your grandparents let you and Jaemin sleep in the next day, after being exhausted from your adventure. After all, two seventeen year olds need their sleep, no matter how much they might assure you they don’t.

Still, you and Jaemin only slept in about an hour later than usual. Some of his energy must’ve transferred to you, for you found yourself wanting to go on yet another adventure.

Instead, you were stuck inside, thanks to lightening and pouring rain that occurred outside. Your grandmother was still under the weather, so you did her usual work while Jaemin hung out with your grandfather in the forge.

Once you were done with your work, you made sandwiches and brought them into the forge.

“Y/n! You’re alive!” Jaemin showed you his never-wavering grin as you walked in.

You set the plate of lunch down and eyed the longsword in Jaemin’s hand. “What’re you doing?”

“Your grandfather said I could whet a design into the hilt. Want to help?”

You agreed and dragged a stool over to watch him. You nibbled on your sandwich and watch over his shoulder as he struggled to carve a design into the wood. “What design are you going to do?”

“I want to do my family’s crest, but I think it’ll be too hard to do.” Jaemin said. “Since this is the only chance I have, I want to design something simpler.”

“Why don’t you make your own crest,” you suggested. “Something easier but just as significant. It could remind you of the time you spent here.”

Jaemin pondered your suggesting for a moment before nodding. “I should do our initials!”

“No!” You protested, color rising into your cheeks at a quick rate. “That could be taken a wrong way.”

“So?” Jaemin chuckled. “I want to remember our time together. We don’t know when I’ll have to leave, so I want to enjoy our friendship while it lasts.”

Your grandfather announced that he was going to go check on his wife, and grabbed a sandwich on the way out.

“You know you’re welcome back anytime,” you told Jaemin. There was nothing you liked about the idea that he might not come back.

The prince had wedged his way into your heart in a mere three days, and you weren’t about to give up that easily.

“I wish,” Jaemin said. “And I promise I would if I ever have the time, but my schedule is so busy nowadays. I’m sure it’ll be worse when I get back, since I’ll be behind.”

You frowned. “Well, can’t I come visit? I know I’m not royalty or whatever but I could help you with your princely duties or something.”

Jaemin chuckled. “I doubt you want to help with all the boring stuff I do. But I would love for you to be there, just as company.”

“You mean it?” You asked.

“Of course I do,” Jaemin said. Then he bumped your shoulder playfully. “Don’t think you’re the only one who feels this way.”

You could only blush and look away.

-

Jaemin felt closer to you after that. Somewhere along the way, between the second and third week of living with your family, he decided that you would appreciate it if he clung onto you like a koala whenever he felt like it.

Which would explain your current predicament, struggling to clean your grandfather’s tools while Jaemin had his arms around your waist and his chin on your shoulder.

Not only could you not concentrate, you also couldn’t breathe properly because of his close proximity.

It was no surprise to you when you began to like Jaemin as more than a friend. Although you regretted it sometimes, it wasn’t like you could just erase your feelings. If Jaemin wasn’t so clingy, it would be much easier to smother your feelings deep down until he left to go back to the castle.

“Can I help?” He asked.

You turned to look at him, but quickly terminated the action when you noticed how close his face was to yours. “Yeah, just grab a rag and a tool or weapon.”

Jaemin let go of you and grabbed a rag and a dagger that seemed particularly dirty. You didn’t watch as he cleaned, having your own object to polish. That was why you were so surprised to hear Jaemin hiss in pain a drop the dagger onto the stone table nearby.

“What happened?” You asked, eyeing the cut that ran down the prince’s palm. It was bleeding steadily, so you told him to sit while you ran to get some supplies.

You returned only a few moments later to Jaemin sitting on the stool with his head down.

“Alright, Jaemin. Give me your hand,” you ordered him gently.

He held out his hand, which you could already see was swollen and infected from the dirty blade. “Now, can you explain to me what happened?”

While he explained, you poured disinfectant onto a clean rag. “I was just cleaning the dagger.”

“How did you clean it?” You asked, apologizing quickly afterwards as you began to dab the medicine on his wounds.

Jaemin hissed quietly, the veins in his wrist tensing for a moment before returning back to normal. “I rubbed the rag up and down the blade.”

“Did you hold circle your palm around the blade?”

“I thought that’s what you were supposed to do,” Jaemin defended himself.

You began to wrap his hand. “No, you should never do that. Next time, try a buffering technique.”

“What’s that?”

“Umm,” you struggled to explain. “Like, wipe the sword with the rag but only clean one side at a time. Use circular motions, I guess? I’ve never explained it before, but I’ll show you how to do it eventually.”

“Thanks.” Jaemin grinned and held up his wrapped hand. “I dare say you could be a healer with this kind of skill.”

“I’m just doing what I was taught.”

“You know, I never asked. What’s your dream, Y/n?” Jaemin asked, peering at you inquisitively.

You hummed in thought before answering. “I don’t know yet. I kind of just want to get married and have a family. Isn’t that too plain for a dream?”

“No.” Jaemin smiled at you. “That’s a nice dream to have. It offers security.”

“I think so,” you agreed. “I mean, obviously I want to do a bunch of stuff before I get to that point. For instance, I want to find a rare jewel before you do.”

Jaemin returned your teasing smile with a laugh. “No way! I’ll definitely beat you with at that dream.”

-

A few nights later, a messenger from the castle came and informed your grandparents that the assassin was captured and Jaemin was to return to the castle the next morning. You ended up taking the news harder than you thought you would, but you able to hide your emotions while you hung out with Jaemin.

Now, however, it was nighttime and you were on top of your roof, watching the stars twinkle in their vast environment. Up here no one could stop you from moping.

You didn’t want to lose Jaemin. He was your closest friend. As much as you despised the idea of the prince living with you, now you wouldn’t trade these past weeks for the world.

“You just had to hide somewhere I didn’t know, didn’t you?” Jaemin’s voice brought you out of your reverie.

“What are you doing up?” You asked. He had been asleep when you left.

“Well, I woke up and wanted to see if you would take a walk with me. I guess you’re a step ahead, though.”

“Not quite,” you said, “I’m not walking.”

“Even so, this seems like a nicer option than walking. Do you come up here often?” Jaemin sat beside you, close enough for your shoulders to brush.

“When I want to be alone, this is where I go,” you answered. Then, seeing the recognition on Jaemin’s face, you retracted your statement. “I don’t mind you being here though!”

“Oh, good, because I have something to tell you.”

“What?” You asked, curious as to what he would say.

This could be the last time you ever talked to him. You weren’t sure what the future held, and you were honestly afraid of what was coming.

A small part of your heart didn’t want to admit it, but you weren’t sure you would be able to forget Jaemin easily. He had become your favorite person, and all you could think about was that tomorrow, you would go back to being strangers.

Jaemin sat up and grabbed something out of his back pocket. “Here. I win.”

You caught the box he threw to you and opened it. The black velvet should’ve warned you what was inside, for there was a ring topped with a bright red ruby.

“I found it a few days ago,” Jaemin explained. “Granted, it was at a stall in the marketplace and not inside of a cave. I thought you would like it anyway.”

“I do,” you assured him. “What’s it for?”

Jaemin inhaled nervously, “Well, since I’m leaving tomorrow, I thought about how much I wanted you to remember me. So, if you want, it’s a promise ring. A friendship ring, even. Whatever your comfortable with. This way, you won’t forget me.”

You slipped it over your finger. “I promise Jaemin, I could never forget you.”

“Good,” he said, staring at you as you looked at the ring. “Because I won’t forget you either.”

-

The next morning came quickly, and in a blur.

You couldn’t quite pinpoint the emotion you were feeling as Jaemin climbed into a carriage that would send him back to the castle.

Heartbreak seemed too extreme, and yet it seemed too tame as well.

You held onto the ring as the carriage began to drive down the road.

Please don’t forget me, Jaemin.

~to be continued~