#and because he's clumsy and bullied and not good in school he gets a tutor called reborn

[harukamitsuki]

yes, yes, yes!! this!! i wanted to write so much about tsuna's character but there was a character limit...

(tldr; at the end)

tsuna is, single-handedly, the most interesting protagonist i've ever read upon or had the pleasure to watch. he's the amalgamation of a zero-to-hero protag. i've seen people label characters like deku or naruto as the best zero-to-hero protags, but i strongly disagree. tsuna is, without a doubt, the best in my book, simply because no other mc struggles as much as tsuna.

tsuna doesn't suddenly get the best grades or is able to tackle anything he desires. he doesn't suddenly gain the ability to face any scary situation. yes, he gets a ten-minute boost of strength and, eventually, the ability to tap into a calmer state of mind during fights.

but it was never his dream or his intention. deku always wanted to be a hero. naruto always wanted to be hokage. asta always wanted to be the wizard king. tsuna didn't want, well, anything. he just wanted to get by. he doesn't want to be decimo and, even in the end of the manga, he doesn't want to be decimo or neo vongola primo. he doesn't long for anything like that. he doesn't want something grand or something noble.

tsuna, as far as i could tell, really only wanted friends, even if he rejected the friends he has at first. not that one could blame him. gokudera tried to kill him, ryohei is incredibly passionate, lambo is a spolit brat, hibari is very violent, and mukuro is mukuro. yamamoto and chrome are the only ones (in his main group) who he accepted because they were reasonable.

it's clear that tsuna didn't have any friends pre-canon. he was a loner who couldn't score past double digits in tests, couldn't run ten metres without getting exhausted, always cowered out of things, skipped school, and was a massive klutz.

fanfic tends to exaggerate tsuna's circumstances regarding middle school. we never get any sort of implication that he was bullied more than being called 'dame-tsuna' or people making fun of him confessing to kyoko in his underwear. fanfic exaggerates it to 'he was beaten and harassed' and that just isn't the case. it's fine to do that, but people tend to accept that as canon due to how often it appears in fanworks.

there's also this weird theory where nono sealing tsuna's flames made him this way, but that's just the way people try to justify liking tsuna. they don't like to admit that they like a character who isn't conventionally 'cool'. they don't like that tsuna's clumsy and weak and cowardly.

but i love that about him. i love how amano isn't afraid to keep tsuna the same even when he decided to take his gag manga more seriously. he doesn't even change the other characters. gokudera is still a weird puppy, yamamoto is still an oblivious weirdo, lambo is still a spoilt brat, ryohei is still a weird enthusiast, hibari is still a weird delinquent, mukuro is still a weird phycho. and reborn is still a weird tutor.

i used to be obsessed with those weird fics where tsuna was secretly badass, but that isn't him. i was also obsessed with other series with cool, stoic protags, and i didn't understand how amazing tsuna's character is.

all throughout the manga, tsuna is constantly denying the position of decimo, only involving himself when he's forced to or when his friend is in danger. he was perfectly willing to give the position up to xanxus until he decided that xanxus isn't a good person. even later on, when he teams up with xanxus, he does it out of necessity.

i love that tsuna doesn't forgive any of the bad guys for their actions. he doesn't like mukuro, even if he feels sorry for him concerning his past. he doesn't forgive byakuran, only teaming up with him for the benefits. he doesn't forgive daemon. at all.

he forgives enma, because enma was being manipulated, and enma was his first, true friend, who was also the only sane man. he bonded with enma, thus he finds the capacity for forgiveness.

he isn't a martyr. if people are shitbags, then he won't easily forgive or pardon them.

on that note, tsuna is not inherently nice. he does plenty of kind things, but he's not nice. he frequently snaps at people, mostly for comedic effects, but also in stressful situations. and i love that.

kindness isn't something that tsuna just has. it's something he has to learn. when he's stressed, he snaps, like in the future arc when he yells at the girls and lambo. he has to take a step back and calm down and apologise to them in his own way.

something else i love is how you can see his progress in improving himself. at the start of the series, he gives up incredibly easy and would rather run away from a fight. he knew giving up would result in others being hurt or whatever, but he gives up anyway, only charging in when forced to or shot by a dying will bullet.

however, as the series progresses, you can see him slowly start believing in himself. when reborn asks if he can develop a technique, he says 'maybe'. he doesn't deny it or give up. and you can see this in full throttle when he goes to save enma. he refuses to give up on him. you can see it when he refuses to give up on reborn. you can see it when he's prepared to give up his life and livelihood to save the arcoboleno.

his character means so much and i hate how people try to hide it with fics that present him as a hidden badass, or fics that blame his clumsiness and stupidity on flame sealing. his character tells us that, no matter what, you can improve in every way that matters. you don't need to be super smart or super athletic to be happy. tsuna is none of those things, yet he's happy. not because he's a hero who saves people, but because he has friends.

his friends bring him a happiness that good grades or good scores or a good body would never give him. he had people who like or love him for who he is. he has an amazing tutor who never gave up on him. it's because reborn refused to give up on him that tsuna was able to believe in himself and i love it.

the idea that all you need is someone to believe in you in order to believe in yourself is beautiful.

in short: i love tsuna, please read katekyo hitman reborn.

One of my favourite things about Tsuna, that I don't think people really enjoy, is that he's useless. A lot of ff, especially on wattpad or ff net, change his personality a lot by making him a martyr or a cold-blooded assassin. I just think it's a shame. He's useless, and I love that about him. Even in the ending, he's still dumb and clumsy and terrified and it's him. I love that Amano wasn't afraid to keep that when he made KHR more serious. A true zero to hero. (Bottom line: Tsuna's great.)

.

[tonystarktogo]

(this could’ve been) a villain’s origin story -- KHR remix

I.

There is a moment, when Sawada Iemitsu looks down at his five year old son, his cute, shy, perfect little Tsuna, and the voice in his head -- that irritating, always spot-on instinct his family is reknown and feared for, the intuition that has never once lead him wrong -- tells him this boy will burn everything you hold dear to the ground.

He drops the child -- his sweet, gentle Tuna fish, his son -- in shock. Tsuna screams in fear, but luckily doesn’t hurt himself from the fall. 

[Though the boy never lets Iemitsu throw him up into the air again.]

Later, Iemitsu will shake the eery feeling off. Will push it aside and convince himself of the folly of his five year old son being in any way, shape or form a threat. It helps that his intuition never flares up again, not with that intensity. But an uneasy feeling remains, and though Nana is sad to see her husband leave so soon, eagerly waits for him to return, it will be eight years before Iemetsu returns to visit his family for a meaningful length of time.

He’ll find Tsuna a downtrodden, cowardly boy, bullied and friendless and so very unsure of himself and the darkest part of Iemitsu -- the part he will never admit to -- breathes easier for it.

*

Tagging everyone who expressed interest in this ‘verse that I remember (you might want to keep an eye on the #this could’ve been ‘verse tag): @serendipitystears, @lirial89, @peaceful-fury

[latte-fairytaekwoon]

𝚈𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚎! 𝙰𝚝𝚎𝚎𝚣 𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚏𝚒𝚕𝚎𝚜: 𝚂𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝙼𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚒

Disclaimer: In no way am I condoning, justifying, encouraging nor trying to romanticize yandere behavior. This is all a work of fiction and not meant to represent real life scenarios.

Warnings: Mentions of bullying, toxic relationship, violent behavior, murder, sexual scenes, paranoia leading to mental blackouts, miscarriage, suicide attempt, mental disorders and death are contained within this post. Read at your own discretion.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜 𝐈𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧:

𝙽𝚊𝚖𝚎: 𝚂𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝙼𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚒

𝙳.𝙾.𝙱: 𝙰𝚞𝚐𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝟿𝚝𝚑, 𝟷𝟿𝟿𝟿

𝙷𝚎𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝: 𝟷𝟾𝟻 𝙲𝙼/ 𝟼'𝟶 𝙵𝚃.

𝙰𝚐𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝙻𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚕: ■■■■□90%

𝙾𝚋𝚜𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝙻𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚕: ■■■■■100%

𝙼𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚕 𝙸𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚋𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚢: ■■■■□90%

𝙾𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚃𝚑𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝 𝙻𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚕: 𝙷𝚒𝚐𝚑

𝚈𝚊𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝙲𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗: 𝚂𝚞𝚋𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚟𝚎

𝙱𝚎𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚘𝚛𝚊𝚕 𝙰𝚗𝚊𝚕𝚢𝚜𝚒𝚜:

•𝙷𝚊𝚛𝚖𝚏𝚞𝚕 𝚏𝚒𝚡𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚘𝚋𝚓𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚝

•𝙳𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚙𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚋𝚓𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚝

•𝚃𝚎𝚖𝚙𝚘𝚛𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚍𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚊𝚕 𝚜𝚑𝚞𝚝𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗

•𝙸𝚗𝚊𝚋𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚛𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚕𝚕𝚎𝚌𝚝 𝚖𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚟𝚒𝚘𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚋𝚎𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚘𝚛

•𝙴𝚡𝚝𝚛𝚎𝚖𝚎𝚕𝚢 𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚍𝚛𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚞𝚗𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚏𝚞𝚗𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚕𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝚒𝚗𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚝

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Mingi was someone who always kept to himself, never wanting to draw any kind of attention.

Unfortunately for him, he got a lot of attention while he was studying in university, and not the good kind.

He accidentally bumped into one of the jocks at school, and from that moment on, his life was hell.

He was constantly belittled, shoved to the floor, his locker filled with vicious and cruel messages ranging from "freak" to "kill yourself."

Mingi often just sighed and continued his day, as if this was totally normal.

It's not that he didn't understand what was going on or didn't care.

He was just too awkward and scared to stand up to himself.

So he often just came home, feeling hopeless and in despair.

Many times he hardly ate and would end up crawling inside his blankets and cry himself to sleep.

Even the few people he talked to stopped associating themselves with him out of fear of becoming the bullies' next target.

So Mingi resigned himself to being alone and to think no one would ever care about him....

Until you came along.

You had recently transferred to his school and one of the first things you saw was the poor sandy hair colored giant get punched in the stomach by his locker.

You were so disgusted and sickened by their behavior that you did not hesitate to go over and make sure he was all right.

"Hey, do you need help?" You asked as you helped him get up.

"I I'm fine...t-thanks.." Without another word, he left you standing there, running off to his next class.

He thought that'd be the last time he saw you but during lunch break, you made it a point to look for him and talk to him.

"Are you feeling better?"

Mingi looked up at you with wide eyes, wondering if it really was him you were talking to.

"Y-yeah...I'm fine. T-thanks"

Smiling at him, you sat next to him, taking out your lunch while trying to make conversation with him.

All throughout it, Mingi seemed agitated, scared almost.

You felt really bad and asked him if something was bothering him.

Sighing he told you:

"Look, I appreciate your concern, but I think it's best if you stay away from me.... I don't want them to hurt you because of me..."

You saw the sadness in his eyes, the loneliness behind them and that made you want to stay with him even more.

"What's your name?" You asked what you had really wanted to know since the beginning.

"Song Mingi." He answered you.

Grinning at him, you held out your hand.

"Well Song Mingi, I'm L/N Y/N. Your soon to be new best friend."

Mingi's mouth dropped at your words, he couldn't possibly believe you were serious.

But you were and not only did you become his closest friend, you also became his protector.

Unlike him, you were fearless, vivacious, outgoing and spontaneous.

And Mingi began to admire you a lot for it....

More than admired, he began to worship you, falling deeply in love with you.

For once in his life, he was happy, truly happy and filled with joy.

Instead of crying himself to sleep, he went to bed all excited to spend the next day with you.

And of course you two spent a lot of time together, since he became your math tutor cause you were the absolute worst with numbers.

You were thankful that Mingi was so patient and caring towards you.

He never showed any signs of frustration or annoyance even after explaining the equation to you about 20 times.

"Y/N. Pay attention or you won't ace the test." He often told you, adding a little pinch to your nose or cheek to get you to focus.

He also loved just talking to you during these sessions.

Obviously being your best friend, he also ended up picking up on what sort of things you liked in a guy.

He would often observe you at school or while you two were out.

One time he even read through a few of your messages with one of your other friends from your old school.

It was exactly what Mingi needed to know, he now had a glimpse of the type of boyfriend you wanted.

And for you.....he'd end up becoming that boyfriend.

So while you were in spring break, he prepared everything.

He got rid of his cardigans and vests, trading them for leather and jean jackets.

He ended up cutting his hair differently and started wearing tighter fitting pants that accentuated his thick thighs.

So when you saw him again, it was a complete 180° from the shy, nerdy boy you knew.

"Whoah! Who are you and what have you done with my best friend?"

You weren't going to lie, Mingi did look very attractive.

You were glad though that he was still the cute, adorable and somewhat clumsy boy he was when you first met him.

Because that's the Mingi you knew and loved.

And you wouldn't trade him for anything in the world.

It was after finals that Mingi decided to ask you out.

You were both out celebrating the fact you both passed when he popped the question:

"Y/N will you go out with me?" He suddenly blurted out.

You were taken aback, but said yes nonetheless.

Mingi was so happy.

He was extremely devoted to you as a boyfriend, always saying yes to you and going along with whatever it was you wanted.

Anything you said, he would do it.

"Anywhere you want to go is fine with me."

"Anything you want is fine with me."

You thought it was really sweet at first, he really wanted to make you happy.

But after almost a year of dating, it kinda started to get annoying.

It bothered you that he never seemed to have an opinion of his own.

You actually snapped at him one day while planning a date out.

"Can't you freaking decide for yourself once?"

Mingi just whipped his head at you, unable to comprehend why you were yelling at him.

"Do you not even care about me or this relationship? Cause honestly it seems like you're not actually putting effort into it and if it's like that, why am I even wasting my time on you?"

Mingi got really scared when you began walking out the door, he pleaded with you to stay, to talk through it.

"I'll do anything! Y/N please just don't leave me! What do you want me to do?!" He begged as he got on his knees.

"I want you to leave me alone!"

Alone......that word struck a chord in Mingi's head.....alone.

No....he couldn't go back to being alone...go back to the cold world that he was used to.

He began hyperventilating, his head was spinning and it was pounding like there was no tomorrow.

He doesn't remember much after that. All he remembers was the annoying knocking at the door.

He remembers opening it and seeing a random salesperson there....

But after that, it's all a big black faze, and when he finally came to his senses....

He was covered in blood, and a bludgeoned corpse was sprawled across the kitchen floor.

Although he was panicking, Mingi knew that you could not find out about this.

So he quickly got to work and cleaned up all traces of blood and managed to get rid of the body with no one seeing him.

He was so confused about what happened and panicking about if you found out, that he didn't hear you come in the house until you literally stood in front of him.

He instantly got on his knees and hugged your waist.

"Baby I was so scared that you left me forever! Please I'm sorry I made you feel like I don't care about you, I do! I fucking love you so much, and I promise I'll try harder....

Just for you..."

You felt so bad seeing him, and truly you loved him and felt like it was a petty thing to get mad about.

You pulled him up and reassured him that you weren't mad anymore and that you were too much in love with him to leave.

Mingi felt so relieved. He couldn't even begin to fathom what would happen if he did lose you.

He'd probably go insane.

True to his word, Mingi did try harder to get rid of that habit of just following what you said like a little puppy, and would now start expressing himself more.

Now the problem was he went the complete opposite direction: now he seemed to question your every decision and it would lead to small tiny banters between you two.

One time you got tired of him making a fuss over the fact you were spending so much time with a classmate that it turned really ugly.

"We're working on a project Mingi! Nothing else!" You shouted at him.

"What do you need to be going to his house though and staying til late hours of the night? Why can't you two do it here?!"

"Because you end up distracting us both and throwing passive aggressive words to him." You were exhausted from all the screaming by now you were losing your patience.

"Are you sure it's not because you're just whoring yourself out with them?" He didn't mean for those words to come out...but they did.

And you didn't mean to get so angry to the point of slapping him, but you did and that's when it hit you that you went too far.

You both stood there stunned at what happened, Mingi more hurt than anything by your actions, while you felt ashamed of yourself.

You lifted your hand against the very person you were protecting at first.....and now you hated yourself for hurting him like his past bullies.

Ashamed and full of guilt, you turned away and began walking out.

"Wait no! Y/N please! It's ok! It was my fault! I shouldn't have said that! Please let's just work it out!"

"No Mingi! I can't! I..... I need a break."

Mingi's world came crumbling down when you said that. He went into a slight catatonic state as he watched you walk away.

Once he regained his senses, he ran after you, desperate to bring you back, running around aimlessly through the dark streets and alleys, calling out for you but you were nowhere to be seen.

"Get lost you dirty bastard." A passerby rudely shoved him out of the way.

In a matter of seconds, Mingi's eyes darkened, his fist clenched at his side as rage now coursed through his body.

He turned his head to look back at the stranger who was now walking away.

Smirking, Mingi pulled out the switchblade he was carrying in his pocket before creeping quietly to the man.

Someone had to pay the price and feel the wrath and despair he felt at losing his goddess......and he found them.

It had been roughly a month since you last saw Mingi and although you hated to admit it, you missed him. But you knew you had to stay away for his sake.

But things don't go as planned and you soon found out you were going to have to see him sooner than you thought...

Because you were now pregnant with his child and you had to let him know.

You were so nervous about telling him, your hand trembled as you opened the door to the apartment you used to share with Mingi.

You quietly stepped inside, too afraid to call out for him just yet.

But then you heard some weird noises coming from the bedroom, your heart somewhat dropping when you distinguished what sounded like moans and panting.

You could also make out Mingi's deep voice calling out your name.

Opening the door open, your hand flew to your mouth, semi-muffling your sharp gasp as you took in the scene of Mingi fucking some random girl with her face covered on the bed you two shared not too long ago.

"What the fuck Mingi?!" You exclaimed in utter disgust and betrayal.

"Y/N! I can explain!" All color drained from Mingi's face as he pulled himself out of the girl and quickly dressed himself.

You couldn't bear to stay there another moment, you just ran out of there once again.

But you didn't get far because Mingi swiftly caught up to you and enraptured you in his arms.

"Don't touch me! You're disgusting! You liar! You cheater!" You tossed and writhed around as you tried to escape his grasp, while Mingi tried to hold you still and trying to talk to you.

You felt an immense pain run through your stomach at that moment, your body becoming paralyzed as some weird and excruciating torment bursted in you.

Mingi noticed as well how you clutched your stomach and had difficulty breathing so he wasted no time in taking you to the hospital.

You woke up hours later, late at night, a nurse by your side and Mingi on the other, his hand holding onto yours as tears poured from his eyes.

"What happened?" You immediately asked, your hand instinctively going to your belly.

The nurse explained with sorrow how you had lost the baby, apologizing profusely to you, knowing you were probably in pain.

You went berserk when she told you that, first you denied it, then you began screaming while trying to pull off the IVs attached to you.

Mingi tried to calm you down, but instead he made things worse with his presence.

"This is all your fault! If it wasn't because of you, my baby would be alive!"

Those words cut Mingi deep inside, you killed him immediately with them.

Other nurses rushed in to calm you down as one of them pulled Mingi away for his protection and for yours.

You were numb for the next few days, refusing to see anyone and especially not Mingi, you gave strict orders not to let him in.

You were planning on never seeing him again.

The very day you were released from the hospital though, he was the first person you encountered while you were on your way home.

"Y/N?" He asked, startling you when he came out from the corner.

Your feet shifted slowly, almost losing balance on the small step on your front door.

"What are you doing here? I thought I made it clear I never wanted to see you." Not wanting to waste another minute, you quickly punched in your passcode.

"Y/N baby you don't mean that! I love you! And you love me!"

You let out a dry and haughty laugh at that.

"You? Love me? Is that why you were fucking some whore behind my back?"

"I swear she didn't mean anything! And I made her cover her face because I was thinking of you the entire time..."

You rolled your eyes at that, feeling absolutely disgusted.

"But then I realized she was to blame for everything and so I got rid of her so I can make you happy, forgive me and we could start again."

You halted your actions when he said that.

"Mingi...what do you mean you got rid of her?"

If his last words disturbed you, now you were absolutely horrified as he calmly told you how he mutilated her body and discarded her remains in a lake outside of the city.

You actually felt sick and nearly threw up right then and there.

"Mingi.....what..... you're insane! How could you-?"

Mingi couldn't understand why you were upset.

"Don't you see? I did it for you Y/N. Everything I've ever done is for you."

Now it dawned on you, the person you've ever loved was sick, extremely sick and needed help.

"Mingi.....don't come near me again....stay away....seriously..."

And once again another struggle between you two ensued, you wanting to run away while he held onto you for dear life.

"Stop Mingi! Let me go! I don't love you anymore!"

The spinning in his head started once again, his vision becoming hazy, he could hear his own heartbeat resonating in his ears, his hand shook violently as it reached for an all too familiar object he kept hidden in his pocket....

Everything turned dark and blinding....

But when he came back, there he was, staring in shock at your lifeless body, a fresh, clean cut running all across your neck, blood still spurting out and staining his hands.

"Oh my God! What have I done?!" Mingi cried out, wailing and screaming erratically at the thought that he had just murdered his soulmate with his own hands.

He couldn't bear the thought of living without you, he just couldn't....

And so he picked up the very tool he used to kill you and held up to his own neck....

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[wheatley-imagine-scenarios]

School

Since school is coming up and I’m not looking forward to it, I thought I’d do something fun about school to distract myself from the fact that I’m actually going to have to go into the building. And have gym. And do ‘social interaction’... Also, I think the cores in school would be entertaining and fun to write. Uh, this turned out a lot longer than expected, so, prepare for a long read.

Wheatley

He asks a lot of questions

It makes people think he’s stupid, but he actually is just curious and wants to make sure he’s doing everything right.

Presentations make him a bit nervous, but he ends up being the most entertaining one of them all

Mostly because he goes off-script and rambles about the topic or the project itself

If anything goes wrong in it, he talks about that too

“I forgot to add a period there, that’s- that’s just a run-on sentence now, so that’s not,, good. Just, uh, just pretend there’s always been a period there. You probably didn’t even notice it, actually, so just pretend I never said anything-”

For essays, he struggles more. When he’s talking, his rambling kind of carries him without thinking, but when it’s on paper, he has to focus on every single word he writes.

He has a hard time making that type of writing flow, with all the transition words and stuff. 

But when he gets to write a poem (mostly freeform) or a story with his own imagination, amazing things happen

He loves to create his own little world inside the paper, of which he’s in control

So, despite the essays and persuasive papers, english is one of his better, and favorite subjects

Not great at math

Chell tries to help, and tutors him outside of class to keep his grades up

Those two are partners whenever possible

If not, Wheatley pairs up with Rick

Gym class fucking sucks (agree with him there)

Even though he’s physically strong, he’s not very athletic since he’s still super clumsy and doesn’t have great coordination

Confident when it comes to tests, not too nervous about it

Probably didn’t study much, unless Chell forced him to

Bullied

Mostly verbally and from afar though, since,, he’s very strong and the students know this

One time Rick walked right up to him and called him a moron

Wheatley proceeded to clock him in the jaw

No one ever made the same mistake again

He apologized profusely though, insisting he didn’t know what came over him

This happened at the beginning of the year, before Rick knew him

Specifically, before he knew how fucking strong Wheatley is

So since then, Rick’s tried to get on his good side, despite, most likely not being genuine about it

Besides incidents like that, Wheatley’s not a fan of school fights, and doesn’t get why everyone gets so excited that two people are attacking one another

Like ?? Are they okay???

Getting school supplies is fun

School is not

GLaDOS

I mean, I guess she’d be called Caroline in this scenario

She’s the popular kid, I mean what else do you expect?

At least, unlike the stereotype, she’s actually smart instead of just hot and intimidating

She’s both of those things too, but-

Do people actually like her or are they just scared of her?

The world may never know

Calls Wheatley a moron on a regular basis, sometimes just to mess with him, but isn’t stupid enough to do it within arms reach of him

Even if she did, Wheatley’s reputation would be in more danger than her own physical well being

Science is her favorite subject

Did you really have to question that one?

She’s also really good at math, and would be a good tutor if she wasn’t such a bitch

I call her that lovingly, of course, but you can’t deny the fact she’s a bitch-

Probably the smartest one in school

Although Nathan would claim the title for himself

But she probably has more street smarts

Rick

Is the one who makes comments about how hot the teacher is and no one can tell if he’s serious

Rick: “I’d hit that” Nathan: “That is very illegal.” Rick: Hey, I’m just kidding,, kinda” Nathan: “I will not hesitate to report your sorry ass if you think about making a move” Rick: “Fine, damn, I’ll shut my trap”

Rick, motioning to Wheatley: “Hey, look who’s here. Bet you he trips and falls in 3, 2″ Wheatley: *falls over before making it to his desk* Rick: “And down he goes.”

He has been to the principal’s office more times than anyone else in the group

Whether it be for walking out of class without permission, being an overall asshole, or for trying to sneak into staff only areas

Which he has done before

Nathan is the only student who has witnessed this and its unknown whether he has ratted him out or if the teachers just saw him

Isn’t great in school, grades-wise, but convinced Nathan to tutor him once in a while to keep him from failing

Definitely has fucked a girl in the broom closet before

Doesn’t like school, but gym isn’t bad

Usually partnered up with Wheatley in gym class because he likes having strength on his side

Probably pushes too hard when writing, so any mechanical pencil breaks within seconds unless he’s concentrated on not,, doing that

One of the only students to prefer normal pencils for this reason

Nathan

An actual tutor

He has generalized knowledge of a lot of things, so he’s great both in school and with trivia

Has the top grades in class

Best and favorite subject is math

He can and will read a full length novel in the span of two days

Makes sure he has more than enough of each supply at the beginning of the year, just in case

Actually keeps track of his supplies so he’s not left with a single pencil he found on the floor by the end of trimester 1

He does give/borrow some to students who lost their own pencils, though

He likes school, but the teachers don’t usually appreciate his insights and interruptions in class (often to add on or to correct something the teacher is saying)

Pluto

Doesn’t like school, but the social aspect of it is fun

He’s also really good at independent projects, especially if it’s about something he’s interested in

You know. Like space, for instance

The day his teacher asked the students in class to build a model of the solar system was one of the more significant moments in his life /hj

His was the most accurate, much to the disdain of Nathan

Favorite subject is also science

Virgil

I wasn’t gonna add him, but his favorite subject is history

I can’t give you a real reason why, it just is

That’s it, that’s the only reason he’s here

[aces-of-the-center-court]

Sibling Headcanons

hello dearies, we hope you’re still around! we’re so sorry for not updating for a long time now, as per previous update, our lives has taken a change and we’re really busy with our work but thank you for all those who are still here and thank you to the new followers who have joined us too! this post has been in our drafts for quite a while now so we’ve decided to finally complete it! we have more requests that we’ve completed that will be scheduled to come up in the next few days or weeks so please keep a look a look out. :) - mod sunny & raine.

Aone Takanobu:

When the both of you were younger, you two got along well being the non-problematic sibling he was

Non-confrontational, Aone always gave in to you whenever conflicts arose and even took the blame for you once, so you did the same for him from then on, then he returned the favour, and the cycle repeated

Now, much like how he is at school and club activities, he does not speak much at home unless necessary

You would always be looking out for him because you’re worried about him being taken advantage of his kindness since you know he’s such a softie on the inside (though his looks did manage to fend off crooks so far…)

He too, would quietly look out for you and show his concern in his own ways, mostly through actions rather than words – silently putting a glass of hot chocolate on your table to encourage you when you’re studying for the exams, or simply staying by your side when you’re feeling upset and offer his shoulder as comfort

Very, very observant so if he realizes that something’s up, he will try his best to help you in any way albeit awkwardly

He would hope that you rely on him a bit more even if you’re older and really likes it when you ask him for help or just depend on him since not many are able to do so outside of the volleyball club (as most are scared of him), so he finds comfort in it.

Oikawa Tooru:

Annoying brother

When he was younger, he would want to know what you are up to, what happened during the day or if there were any interesting gossips or things that happened

But he grew out of his annoying habit, so now he would simply ask ‘how was your day’

Very perceptive, so if he senses something is up, he will try to get it out of you in a casual and non-annoying manner while still retaining kindness in his intention (works 90% of the time)

Although a little clumsy, he would be quite the reliable brother so you would find it easy to confide in him, whether it be schoolwork or personal problems

Mistaken as his significant other by his fangirls is no uncommon occurrence, a hindrance

As his fangirls transcend even outside of school, if you two are spotted together by any of them, Oikawa would calmly introduce you as his sibling to protect you

Sometimes irritating, sometimes affectionate, to the point it sometimes grosses you out when he pours his excessive love while in good mood

He is also protective, though he never shows it so that he does not appear uncool or annoying, though on the inside, Oikawa would be extra protective of you

In the event anyone was to be mean to you or harass you, if the word gets to him, he will not hesitate to show them a side of his that he does not unleash often.

Yachi Hitoka:

Though you were mostly the one protecting Yachi when you both were younger, Yachi gradually grew up to become more and more dependable

Very supportive! Be it in club activities, studies or even relationships

Just know not to seek advice from her in terms of relationships as she has no experience in this area, so she would be more concerned about your potential partner and end up asking tons of questions instead

She overthinks and worries about you a lot – whether you’re mixing around with the wrong circle of people, if you’re getting bullied etc. – and constantly fears for the safety of your life when you’re not with her so much that you always have to assure her

Even though she knows she is lacking a lot, Yachi would be the type to want to improve herself to become a better sibling you can depend on

Gentle, takes good care of you, and never forgets your birthday, though she may sometimes give you presents of acquired tastes – usually handmade, such as strange looking charms (that is supposed to protect the person carrying it)

Occasionally, especially during the summer, you would witness Yachi being lethargic and lifeless  — a side that not many has seen

Will help with your studies often and be your personal tutor during examinations period

Despite her timidity, if you were to ever be in danger (not as likely as she would fear), Yachi would most definitely protect you with her life, even if it means sacrificing and beheading herself (she would imagine these scenarios — very often).

[ateezmakemeweep]

richboy!seonghwa (part 30)

word count: 4k

fluff

(part 29) (series masterlist)

walking the stage at graduation had been a lot easier than you anticipated. perhaps you were just neurotic of how clumsy you proved to be, the idea of tripping up the stairs or falling as you excepted your diploma a seemingly perfect way to end the academic year at your rich school. 

but you’d handled it with an uncharacteristic level of grace, your cheeks flaming at the shouts of your name by a select few boys. you shook your head as you passed each of them by, wooyoung and san smiling proudly while hongjoong and yeosang looked away like they had no part in it once so ever; but mingi and yunho knew better, smirking at your face and mouthing “good job.”

“you guys are so embarrassing,” you whined the second the ceremony was over, stomping up toward the boys with a pout on your face. you look at your boyfriend who’s wearing a shit eating grin, smacking him lightly with your cap. “and you too? i strictly told you last night that that was my number one-”

“sh,” he says, bringing you into him and wrapping his arm tightly around you. your complaints are muffled by his chest, letting out a tiny huff as you melt into him. “congrats, baby,” he mumbled into your ear, pecking a kiss on your cheek that makes the three boys groan. 

“yeah, just rub it in why don’t you, assholes.”

“the cheek? what a pussy.”

“where’s my kiss, yeosangie?” 

you giggle as yeosangie pulls away and smacks san in the shoulder, growling at him to never call him that again. your eyes catch mingi and yunho walking towards you guys, a squeal leaving you as you run toward the boys and pull them into a group hug. 

“hey, little one. good job,” yunho says, his lips on your head as you tighten your hold around your two best friends. “you too,” you smile up at them, “we did it.”

“and you didn’t even fall on your face,” mingi says, your eyes narrowing at him as you poke his sides. “shut up,” you mumble, the boy smirking as he smooths out a piece of your hair gently. 

“you two are coming tonight, right?” wooyoung asks, the four boys making their way over. the graduation ‘party’ which will consist of the eight of you, younger jongho included, is planned to be at wooyoung’s tonight. he all but demanded it, really, bragging that he had the biggest pool and best array of snacks. 

“yeah,” mingi says softly, “thanks for inviting us.”

“duh,” he says, looking up at the tall boy like he’d grown five heads. “you’re not just y/n’s friend, you know. we like you guys too.” and because of that, wooyoung smirks as he looks over at yunho teasingly. “speaking of which, you never gave me that new years kiss. so how ‘bout a graduation one tonight?” 

the growl that leaves mingi is not like one you’d ever heard before, the toothy grin on wooyoung’s face proving he got the exact reaction he wanted. the redhead boy steps forward like he’s about to ring his neck, his deep grunt of “no,” causing you and yunho to pull him back. 

“it was a joke lover boy,” you say teasingly, smirking over at wooyoung as you shake your head; now that these two were official, it was a little too easy to make shy, reserved mingi completely transform into boyfriend mingi; and he was a whole lot more possessive and protective than you would’ve thought. 

“when did i say that?” wooyoung quips, his head cocked to the side innocently. the boy knows he’s pushing his luck, the obvious size difference making it even more daring, but he just can’t help it. he loves the reactions of young love, especially coming from a boy as aloof as mingi. 

“don’t think i won’t-”

“oooh he’s gonna crack your head open now, too,” yeosang says, smirking at mingi but also smacking wooyoung away in the process. yunho smirks as he extends his long arm to rest on mingi’s shoulder, squeezing it affectionately and feeling the boy slightly relax.

it’ll take some time getting used to, having a group of friends who just tease and playfully mess with each other all the time. but it doesn’t stop him from throwing a dirty look at wooyoung, the smaller boy smiling cheekily before skipping off happily to hongjoong. 

“who knew pretty boy was so-” you eye yeosang and his words immediately halt, an innocent smile making its way on his face as he pulls you toward him again; because judging from the slight blush on mingi’s face, it doesn’t seem like he can take much more. 

“stop being a bully,” you whine softly, poking his side roughly. “it won’t age well. you’re not in high school anymore.” he rolls his eyes despite the fondness behind them, leaning down to peck your lips softly. you meet the kiss and smile against his lips, breaking apart when you hear the clearing of a throat.

you pull back and feel your cheeks warm immediately. 

“oh. hi, mom. dad,” you say, immediately taking the yellow flowers from your dad’s hand. “thank you, guys.” your mom has tears in her eyes and you chuckle in embarrassment, insisting there’s no reason for her to cry.

you had introduced yeosang to them the same day you told them you decided on a college an hour away in the city; they were more shocked by the news you’d had a boyfriend for the past several months opposed to your decision, hugging you tightly and expressing their happiness. 

yunho had been right, they didn’t wanna hold you back and were happy about your decision. they even laughed in your face when you told them about your hesitations, telling you they’ve already thought about converting your room into a movie room. yeosang snorted as you let out an offended huff, your parents guiding you both down the stairs where you sat around the table and they got to know yeosang.

“are you guys doing something later?” your dad asked. yeosang answered with a nod of his head, explaining to him wooyoung was having a small get together at his house. 

“would you wanna go to lunch then? we won’t keep you long.” your parents asked shyly, your mom’s eyes still teary and hopeful before you nod your head. 

you turn around to see everyone with their parents, hongjoong’s brother having him in a chokehold whilst wooyoung’s mom and brother play monkey in the middle with the cap of the graduate himself. you feel your heart break realizing yeosang’s mother hadn’t made it, the boy telling you quietly last night she didn’t know if her flight was gonna get home in time. 

“i’ll pick you up later then?” yeosang asked, taking your hand in his and squeezing gently. your face falls and his eyes immediately swarm with a questioning glint, having no idea the way your heart is hurting for him; because he shouldn’t be alone on a day like today.

but your parents beat you to it, your dad immediately shaking his head. “we’d like to come too, yeosang. if you and your family aren’t doing anything.” he looks at your dad and feels a lump form in his throat, squeezing his hand in yours again as you slowly trail your thumb over it. 

“oh-uh-i,” he says and you don’t think you’ve ever heard your boyfriend stutter like that. “thank you, sir. but it’ll- it’ll only be me.” you don’t miss the way your mom frowns, her glossy eyes moving to you as you shrug your shoulders with a matching expression. 

“even better,” your dad says, nodding his head knowingly at the boy. “i can give you more awkward, passive aggressive dad to boyfriend talks.” a deep chuckle leaves the boy’s mouth as he nods his head, looking over at you and smiling softly. you press up on your tippy toes to kiss him when your parents turn around, your wide eyes playful and teasing as you ask him if he’s ready for such a talk. 

but of course, the talk never came. the dinner was relaxed and carefree, yeosang telling him all about the...good moments he had with you. and perhaps morphing the truth about some others. 

“this asshole really told my parents i was the smartest person he ever tutored. what did you say? a natural academic?” 

he smirks as he takes a sip of his soda, staying far far away from the beers after the shit show that was the new years eve party. you assured him that it was fine for him to drink, that you wouldn’t be so sensitive and annoyed by it tonight. but he kissed the tip of your nose and grabbed the can of coke anyway, shrugging his shoulders carelessly before pulling you onto his lap.

“but you are smart,” he coos against your neck, mingi in particular rolling his eyes after witnessing just how smart he thought you were back then. he still feels tempted to kick the boy’s ass when he thinks about it; but not more than another black-haired boy, the loud cackle coming from him and his mother nearly identical. 

the woman had brought out an extremely ritzy platter of cheese, watching in disgust as the boy’s toppled over one another to devour it. “you boys are nasty, this is why he’s the only one with a girl here,” she says, her hand flailing toward yeosang who’s smiling at the woman.

“you’re right, mrs. jung. thank you. i always tell them that.” she eyes the boy harshly before taking the empty platter and whacking him on top of the head, your own giggle causing the woman to look at you in amusement. 

“i’m ordering a pizza. you guys didn’t deserve that cheese.”

you bite your lip to halt another giggle from leaving your mouth, mingi and yunho watching you with a small smile. you still don’t know what the boys are doing about school, if they’d decided to do something similar to you and yeosang or are choosing to go separately and do long distance. 

but you do know that there’s no chance the boys are breaking up, if their knees touching and intertwined hands are any indication. 

the night is filled with laughter and screeching and banter back and forth, san being thrown in the pool resulting in all of you jumping in and splashing one another. games of chicken nearly left hongjoong with a broken neck, because who in their right mind really thought jongho was gonna accept any sort of defeat from his long-time enemy turned friend. 

when you all got out, wooyoung’s mom left you with towels and lit the fire, shouting that you weren’t allowed in the house until you were all dry. but even without that warning, you think you guys would’ve stayed out there all night. especially after little sentimental san asked if you guys were ever gonna see each other again.

“you dramatic fuck,” yeosang said, your elbow smacking into him at his vulgarity. “of course we are.”

“b-but we’re going to different schools and everything’s gonna be-”

wooyoung and hongjoong immediately flick the boy where both his dimples are, shaking their heads before the latter boy speaks. “we’ll be fine. seonghwa’s all the way in france and we still talk to him everyday. what makes you think we’ll be any different?” 

and because his words are final, they seem to comfort san. it only emphasizes the point of you guys making the most of the next two months, planning trips and pool parties and outings before college orientations and moving days start. you know it’s probably gonna fly by but you’re all gonna do your best to savor each day, your head resting on yeosang’s shoulder and his arm wrapped tightly around your stomach as you listen to plans of road trips and beach getaways. 

“you okay?” you hear him mumble against your head, his lips brushing your hair as his thumb starts to caress your stomach. you look up and smile at him softly, his eyes roaming your face before placing a kiss on the tip of your nose. 

“yeah.”

“hey! no kissing!” san yelps, flinging his wet towel at the both of you. “we’re trying to plan.”

“what? if we’re gonna start kissing, i know who i want-” wooyoung begins to say. but he can barely finish the sentence before mingi jumps to his feet and drags the boy by his shirt, the shorter boy’s loud laugh and protests followed by the sound of a body splashing into the pool.

and even wooyoung’s mom watching from the window can’t help but snort, bringing out another towel for her son who she knows probably deserved being manhandled into the water. 

a year and a half later:

“are the grades in yet?” you asked breathlessly on the phone, your feet smacking on the pavement as you run through the streets of yeosang’s old neighborhood. 

“nah,” your boyfriend sighs, the clattering of pots and pans in the background. “i checked like five times today.”

your first year of college had been....eventful to say the least. you and yeosang ended up getting an apartment way out of your price range, the high rise apartment ridiculously extravagant and large for just two college students. 

“this was really the only option,” he told you, the spectacular view of skyscrapers in the night sky making you more and more angry at him.

“you’re such a liar, yeosang!” you whine, smacking him on the chest. “this isn’t fair. it was a condition we agreed on.”

“baby, c’mon,” he smirked, his arms wrapping around you from behind as he nuzzles his face into your neck. “it’s pretty.”

“that’s exactly the problem!” you say, shooting around to look at him seriously. “i could never afford this.”

“you don’t have to.” and when your eyebrows furrow at him, the boy wanting to laugh at the anger expression on your face, he quickly speaks up again. “look, if you have to pay for something, how about the groceries?”

“and the tv,” you say after a few silent moments of contemplation. he rolls his eyes as he lets out a sigh, looking down at you with a pained expression. but when he sees you’re unwavering, he nods his head.

“fine. the groceries and the tv,” he whines. you scoff at his tone before turning around, thinking that this being your first apartment for college all seems a little too good to be true.

but everything in that aspect went smoothly. you and yeosang easily fell into the role as roommates, choosing to share a bathroom despite the other three because “that’s the experience, yeosang. we have to.” you liked seeing your toothbrushes next to one another, the counter messily splayed out with your makeup and his face products; because yes, it appears every handsome rich boy has an extensive skin care routine. 

your classes had been challenging but you enjoyed them nonetheless, more nights than you care to admit spent cramming for your tests and taking breaks with yeosang to eat and then relieve yourself in other ways. 

but just like you thought, your rainy day breaks were always your favorite days. under the covers of your bed, your head on his chest and his arm around you as you watch movie after movie and ordered takeout. your schedules were busy but you always found time for one another, whether it be cuddling in bed or going out and exploring the city together. 

and with classes over for the summer, you two were back at home and getting ready to have the boys over for dinner at yeosang’s. you had stopped at home to visit your parents for a few hours, filling them in on your classes and living situation with yeosang. luna greeted you at the door and purred against your leg for hours, an idea forming in your head that perhaps she’d love the view your high-rise windows have to offer.

but now, you feel foolish for thinking she deserved such nice treatment.

“what are you doing anyway babe?” yeosang chuckles, hearing how breathless and flustered you sound. 

“luna got out again. saw a bird and took right off and i’ve been chasing her for like twenty minutes.” 

yeosang’s chuckle only makes you whine to him, the boy biting his lip as he attempts to read a recipe for a chicken dish. “just do that cat noise. pst pst pst.”

“wow, you’re a genius. i didn’t even think to do that,” you snap sarcastically, the boy’s laugh ringing through your ear again. you keep your gaze on her white fluffy tail, your feet speeding up only egging her on even more. and then when you see her disappear under a hedge of bushes, you yelp into the phone.

“fuck! she just went in someone’s backyard. i’ll be over after i get her. if i don’t, i’ve been thrown in jail for trespassing.”

“noted,” he chuckles out, eyeballing just how much half a cup of onion would be. “see you soon, baby.”

he hangs up and you stick your phone in your back pocket, looking under the hedges to see her sitting happily in the middle of the fancy yard. “you little shit,” you grumble, heavily debating just crawling through the dirt to make your way over to her. but instead, you move around and feel grateful there are no cars in the driveway of this beautiful house, so intent and distracted by this stupid cat you don’t realize how familiar this iron cast gate is. 

how familiar and easy it is to jump it and make your way over to her. 

“luna...we’re not doing this again,” you say, voice stressed and pleading. “i was gonna bring you to the apartment but now i know you don’t deserve it.” her delicate meow is the only response you get, which isn’t surprising since she can’t say anything else. 

“okay, i’m sorry, i’ll still bring you if you want. but you have to come with me before the owners get home.”

but the sassy cat only continues her prowl through the yard, jumping up on the bar and stretching out on the granite top. you let out a shaky sigh, rubbing your hands over your face. 

you extend your arms out and slowly make your way over to her, taking the oh so helpful advice from yeosang as you lowly say “pst, pst, pst.” and it’s like she’s mocking you, watching with curious cat eyes as you make your way closer and closer to her. 

“luna....” you say warningly, eyeing her carefully and with the sternest look you can muster. and just as you go to grab her around the stomach, she jumps on the barstool and onto the floor. you ball your hands in fist, eyes trained on the counter as you try to gain your composure.

because you just wanna scream, tell her this is such unnecessary behavior and that a cat about to move into a fancy apartment can’t act in such a-

“pst, pst, pst,” you hear from across the yard, your body whipping around to see luna at the foot of a man. he’s watching from the step with a smirk, luna’s tail wrapped around his leg and you just know from the look on her face she’s purring. but that’s the least of your concerns, because when your eyes travel up to see who it is, you nearly collapse on the floor. 

“this is strangely familiar, y/n.”

his deep voice is one you haven’t heard, in person, in over a year. but it immediately brings a smile to your face, shocked and in disbelief and feeling so stupid that you hadn’t recognized this backyard. 

“seonghwa,” you breathe out, staring at the boy in utter shock. his face looks exactly the same, if not better, but his now light brown hair is slicked back and he’s wearing a long black coat that accentuates his long legs. 

“hi, y/n,” he says, smiling over at you before bending down to pet the cat wrapped around his leg. it’s like no time has past for her, purring against his hand and completely infatuated with him. “hi, luna.”

you finally rip yourself from your dumbfounded state, shaking your head before slowly making your way over to them; half because you don’t want luna to run away again, although that seems unlikely, and half because you really can’t believe he’s back.

“you’re back,” you dumbly blurt out, his neck craning up so he can smile at you; he’s really just as handsome as you remember.

“i’m back,” he says. “just got back from the airport. so imagine my surprise when i pull up and see someone jumping over my gate like they’d done before or something.”

a laugh bubbles out of your mouth as you hide your face in your hands, cheeks and ears burning red at the horribly embarrassing parallels. 

“please don’t call the police on me,” you say, seonghwa biting down on his lower lip as he smiles at you. 

“we’ll see,” he says, sitting down on the stoop as he leans back and looks up at you. you comment on his fancy coat, telling him that he looks very european and he can’t help but snort. 

you ask him about his time in paris and about yeonjun while he asks about where you go to college now and how everyone is. 

“wait. you didn’t tell them you’re here?” you squeak next to him on the step, your mouth forming into an o shape. he smirks at the look on your face, his hand still rubbing over luna’s soft, white fur. “no, i wanted to surprise them.”

“well you can definitely do that!” you squeal, jumping up from his step and bouncing excitedly in front of him. “come with me!” 

and twenty minutes later, when you pull up to yeosang’s in seonghwa’s car, you put your finger to your mouth as he rolls his eyes. “we’re still in the car, they’re not gonna-”

“wooyoung hears everything,” you remind him, the boy snorting as he nods his head. “okay, good point.”

you both tip toe into yeosang’s backyard, creeping around the edges as you do your best to hide seonghwa behind you. you stop just before the front door, telling him to stay there and smiling at him excitedly as you make the rest of the way alone. 

you open the door and a chorus of voices yelp your name, attacked in a hug that almost has you unable to breathe. yeosang looks up and smiles upon seeing you, pushing the boy’s out of the way before dipping his head to place a kiss on your lips.

“hey, baby, you find luna?” he asks, looking over your face and immediately sensing your excited energy. 

“i did,” you tell him, bouncing around as you can barely contain yourself. “but i also found something else. a surprise for all of you.”

“oh?” san says, his ears perking up at the sound of that. 

“what is it?” wooyoung asks, looking over your body like it’s gonna be in your hand but coming up empty. “are you lying? don’t get us excited for nothing.” you bite your lip and smile at them, turning around just as another pair of footsteps are heard.

“excited for nothing?”

there’s a beat of silence as the boys register seonghwa’s voice, his looming frame in the doorway causing everyone to look at one another in shock. but then it’s san’s cry of “seonghwa!” that sets everything in motion, the three boys taking him in a hug that nearly knocks him on his feet.

“when did you get here!”

“did you get taller!? this isn’t fair.”

“you look so european!”

you feel yeosang’s presence behind you as a laugh bubbles out of your mouth, watching the boy struggle as he’s attacked with a year and half’s worth of clingy boys missing him. 

“all the backyards luna could’ve snuck into and it was his?” 

complete 

sequel 

[currywaifu]

𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞: barbie movies as troupe plays part 1 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠: sfw

𝐚𝐧: if you think i won’t do all 36 barbie movies, you’re wrong. regardless of whether people want this or not. i have barbie brainrot 24/7. i’m just separating it into parts so it’s not too long *this isn’t meant to be that serious y’all my reasons vary from legit to just jokes

𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥: i won’t go in-depth with any plot differences from movie to play, or how the characters would work out... for now *chuckles in future ppt*

𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟏: nutcracker, rapunzel, swan lake, princess and the pauper, fairytopia series, magic of pegasus, barbie diaries, island princess, three musketeers 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟐: coming soon 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝟑: coming soon

𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐞: mixed troupe! spring x autumn. one of the seasonal events/scouts for A3! has a nutcracker theme, and to avoid spoilers that’s all i will say :3

𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭: since this is based on barbie’s take on the nutcracker, changing up the cast from what tsuzuru had in plan:

clara/sugarplum fairy: sakuya. i want to see him go through a costume & hair transformation sequence, not gonna lie. 

nutcracker/prince eric: juza. obviously he has to be the ruler of the land of sweets.

mouse king: sakyo or chikage. i want one of them to wave around a sceptre and say quotes like “i’ll reduce the Nutcracker to a pile of splinters"

pimm: taichi... pimm is a spy :O who has to do dirty work :O but the real reason is i just want taichi to follow around sakyo again or maybe even chikage this time lol

major mint & captain candy: tsuzuru and citron respectively. mint is pretty serious and awkward, candy is a lot friendlier- i just think it’ll be a good way to insert some humor in the play

𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐞: mixed troupe! summer x autumn.

𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭: rapunzel in this one actually is the “servant” of gothel. also, rapunzel has a magical paint brush and also there’s dragons. who are purple. 

rapunzel: kazunari. obviously. actually, kazu has a lot of similarities with her: a good artist, patient, adventurous, quick thinking, hardly ever complains- also he’d look good with long hair i think ><

gothel: omi. there is an action fighto scene + also just the theme of omi playing villains lol... also THERE’S A SCENE WHERE GOTHEL PRETENDS TO BE RAPUNZEL BY WEARING A LONG WIG AND BOI- KAZU AND OMI’S BODY BUILDS ARE SO DIFFERENT BUT IT’D BE FUNNY IF THE PRINCE FALLS FOR THE TRAP ANYWAY

penelope: kumon. a PURPLE funny and clumsy dragon- fight me, the only answer is kumon especially once you see who’s next.

hugo: juza. a PURPLE dragon who’s penelope’s dad but he’s gonna be the older bro in this one (i wonder why...) 

hobie: a passive and worrisome rabbit... Tenma.

prince stefan: he also has a couple fight scenes... ngl bc stefan has blue eyes, light brown hair + described by the wiki as “fierce”, he’s banri. 

𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐞: winter troupe. i will stand by this forever. 

𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭: this is like one of the ones i’ve had figured out for a while already...

odette & odile: tsumugi. i’m just saying, tsumugi’s duality- he can do both the white and black swan because he has power. impact.

prince daniel: not tasuku bc spare him the prince roles he’s sick of it. guy. why guy? because he obviously has a good idea of how to act like a prince :3 

rothbart: HOMARE! I WANT! THIS MAN! TO PLAY THE ANTOGONIST! GO OFF ABOUT DARK ARTS! TRANSFORM EVERYONE TO ANIMALS LIKE THE EXTRA BEING YOU ARE.

fairy queen: azuma. ugh just- imagining how ethereal he’d look.

erasmus: tasuku. he’s a troll that can act mean, but is genuinely kind and helpful... also, the VA of erasumus is also the VA for “unnamed burly villager” and i’m just saying-

kelly the cygnet: hisoka. there’s too many animal children, so hisoka is gonna be the baby swan. uwu. also, kelly has a quote, “I can't sleep.” and wOW THE IRONY

𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐞: WE’RE GOING FOR THE COMEDIC ROUTE WHAT’S UP SUMMER. reason: i went “wait... no actor really looks super alike though.”

𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭: tafahfuoahoaf it’s my favourite barbie movie... OKAY SO THE RUNNING GAG OF THIS IS THAT THE PRINCESS & PAUPER DON’T LOOK ALIKE, BUT EVERYONE KEEPS GOING “Wow! you two look so identical!” no they don’t

anneliese: muku. first of all please look at the sprite i used in the header. anneliese = pink = muku. she’s the sweet princess archetype... but in this version she also goes on tangents about rocks and mineraLS AND HOW THE MINING INDUSTRY SUX AND THE ABSOLUTE AUDACITY OF-

erika: kumon. first of all, the sprite in the header again. erika = blue like ugh this is perfect. ALSO erika has a cat who BARKS and i just imagine kumon talking to her cat like: WOOF WOOF WOOF GRRR GRRR and the dog responding and everyone in the palace going wtf

king dominick: i had such a crush on him anyway he’s tenma. rich, young, talented king who disguises himself as a page so he can find love for realsies. im just saying. he won’t be tenma’s only role tho ><

julian: kazunari. the wiki went “he’s the only bestfriend a barbie MC ever married” really shook me like ugh friendship dynamic between muku and kazu roles??? also kazu’s genuinely smart so him as the tutor was just gucci in my eyes

preminger: misumi. FIRST OF ALL PREMINGER IS ICONIC? WHEN HE SANG HOW CAN I REFUSE I WAS LIKE UGH KING. i just wanna hear misumi play an antagonist that’s also funny and do things with his voice.

madame carp: yuki. a bossy and rich woman who owns a dress emporium. pretty much it.

nick & nack: YUKI AND TENMA. THEY WILL DOUBLE ROLE FOR THE SAKE OF BEING MISUMI’S DUMB UNDERLING DUO

𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐞: spring troupe. i wanna see them have wings uwu.

𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭: just gonna combine the whole fairytopia series into one 

elina: itaru. first of all, pink motif. also i just like the idea of itaru being this recurring protagonist.

bibble the puffball played by kamekichi

laverna: recurring villain citron. for no reason other than i think it’s cool when he plays power hungry villains

enchantress: i just want sakuya to play a role that’s more of a “powerful character” but still really kind uwu. another recurring good guy.

azura & glee: tsuzuru. elina is azura’s apprentice, and glee is a friend who’s generally really happy... ngl, i wanna see tsuzuru play someone more energetic for funsies

nori: masumi. nori is kind of a stubborn and jealous person at first, him and elina won’t get along right away BUT DAMMIT THE ENEMIES? TO FRIENDS IS GUCCI!!! 

merman prince nalu & linden: chikage... yeah i just gave chikage the guy roles ngl... but i wanna see chikage as a handsome merman AND handsome fairy so *shrugs*

𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐞: cross troupe. spring x winter.

𝐩����𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭: partially based on the ice-skating cards (i have yet to read the event story, unfortunately).

annika: tsuzuru. i thought it’d be fun to cast tsuzuru as a more sheltered character due to annika’s parents’ protectiveness. the contrast y’all.

shiver: sakuya. shiver is a polar bear cub sidekick who’s friendly and likes shiny things and that’s just... really cute... put bear ears on sakuya...

brietta: guy. brietta is annika’s older sister... who got transformed into a pegasus by the villain... i wonder how they’d change the pegasus thing lol

wenlock: tasuku. NOT GONNA LIE- i want tasuku to play the villain for all these wonderful one-liners: "Oh, smile! You didn't lose a daughter; you've gained a pet!", and "I thank my lucky stars I didn't marry you!"

prince aidan: masumi bc i want more roomie interaction on stage i mean their friendship keeps getting cuter and cuter.

cloud queen: azuma... that’s all. i just remembered her bc her hair has a braided crown, and i went “azuma braided hair brainrot”

𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐞: mixed troupe! summer x autumn.

𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭: i was gonna make it full autumn, but then the age casting felt awkward since they’re in high school...

barbie: taichi. barbie here is shy but wants to stop blending in the background! i just went “damn that do be resonating”. also i wanna hear taichi sing more y’all and barbie is a singer/guitarist here

courtney: azami. i like the idea of azami playing a spunky character who’s more of a tomboy, but still does like fashion and accessorising and... lip gloss?

tia: misumi? tenma? idk the intelligent and passionate archetype is very broad... especially in a high school setting

kevin: kazunari. just the whole best friend thing + kevin being a goofy person who loves to make ppl laugh ugh

racquelle: yuki. i know racquelle’s a bully here and say not to bullying... but sharp tongue.

todd: honestly? todd was so boring in the moving. we need someone like banri to give him CHARACTER!... yes that’s my reasoning ugh

𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐞: sUMMER SUMMER SUMMER-

𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭: AHAHAHA WHAT IS THIS CASTING? MY REASONINGS FOR THIS ONE IN PARTICULAR ARE SO SHALLOW LMAO

ro/rosella: “a 16 year old girl who can talk to animals! adventurous and brave” me: *gasps* mISUMI-

prince antonio: “prince antonio loves travelling and exploring-” okay yeah it’s kazu...

queen ariana: i just want yuki to sing to me “love is for peasants which we’re obviously not” and i’d go :O also ngl... i wanna see yuki in like darker palettes and plotting to poison all the royals

princess luciana: queen ariana’s daughter... played by muku. because i wanna hear muku counter yuki with “all the shoujo mangas books i’ve read, all the poems always said, that the heart is made to share...”

sagi the red panda & azul the peacock: honestly, just basing it off of colour matching but tenma is sagi and kumon is azul lol

𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐞: AUTUMN x SPRING

𝐩𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐭: AHAHAHA WHAT IS THIS CASTING? pt 2 

corrine: i keep wanting to put sakuya in these roles oops. i just... let him sword fight on stage again :>

viveca: purple musketeer, artistic, designs clothes... fights with ribbons... you know, for the sake of banri being a fAshIoNisTa... it has to be banri y’all "Don't mess with the animal print dress!"

aramina: green musketeer, fights with fans, romantic and loves ballet... pfft, for the sake of “wouldn’t it be funny-” it has to be azami. poor bby, having to swoon over romance on stage- he can’t relate

renee: chikage. purely because of that scene where she threw a feather duster (?) at a flying shard of glass and perfectly hit it. yeah.

helene: the old and strict instructor that teaches them how to be musketeers... sakyo.. duh.

philippe: the main antagonist... it has to be omi again. and since philippe has a goatee, we’re bringing back facial hair omi~

prince louis: itaru, lol. he’s like the one significant non-action oriented character in the film. he has just enough moments where itaru still looks princely, but mostly? he just wants humans to fly y’all.

want to order again?

[iheartsunset]

Nick is also a fun character, I would enjoy some HCs for him

Papa Louie Nick HCs

(I’m so sorry I forgot about this ask I didn’t mean to i just have way too many tests going on that I keep failing, and I’ll try to do these on time from now on)

-Nick Banks (haha get it like river bank hahaha i hate my sense of humor) is an 18 year old boy who’s fresh out of high school and currently wondering what to do with his life. He works from home as a multimedia translator (like fit foreign language shows and books and comics and stuff) and a language tutor for CommYouNicate, though he is currently unsatisfied with both of these jobs. He’s also a rafting champion and plans to make it his full time job, although his multiple health problems often hinder his outside performances. He lives with his overprotective parents in a riverside Tacodale cottage.

-Nick has asthma and a congenital heart disease that made him easier to exhaust the other kids. His family grew extremely overprotective and doting of him while his peers ostracized him or mocked him for this. Other kids used to exploit this and often physically bullied him, making Nick so jumpy that he became clumsy. Nick doesn’t let any of this get him down, as he’s completely determined to prove everyone wrong and succeed despite his health problems, which he has done with his many rafting awards.

-He once made a wattpad account and was immediately recommended “Bought By the Romano Family Quartet (Carlo Romano x reader)”. He immediately deleted the app and never went back. Yeah I got this from one of @ccwastaken ‘s asks and I can’t stop thinking about it even though it was so long ago

-Nick is very shy and bashful, yet he jokes around a lot and often laments on how much other people suck. Like imagine you’re in the among us dead player chat and you’re all talking about everyone still alive is so stupid for not realizing who the imposter is. That’s him. Although he always says it really quietly or in another language so that nobody beats his ass. Even though he’s shy, he still has a lot of confidence in himself and uses this for rafting. Around Koilee, he becomes a blushing mumbling mess though, and someone else always steps in to order for him during these times.

-This dude speaks so many languages and dialects, it’s insane. English, Spanish, French, Swahili, Japanese, Tagalog, Mandarin, you name it he probably speaks it. Since he spends lots of his time indoors, he watches shows from other countries and reads foreign books that allow him to learn other languages. Other than rafting, it’s his favorite hobby, but now that does it for a job, it’s a lot less fun.

-He net Mitch when they were kids at a summer camp, where the latter defended him from bullies. Now they’re both best friends and are almost always seen together. Nick likes to raft with Mitch to the Tacomia (but he hates enduring Maggie scolding them for using a dang boat to get to work). Nick also helps teach Tohru Japanese, Prudence German, and Nevada Chinese, along with many other Flipline residents. He’s good friends with all of his clients, but he’s closest to Mitch and Wally.

-He has 7 pet goldfishes named Number One, Number Two, Number Three, Number Four, Number Five, Number Six, and Number Seven. He talks to them all the time and keeps many pictures of them in his phone.

-He will cry in movies or documentaries where animals die. Like he despises Old Yeller with all of his being and refuses to even look at Marley and Me.

-He has a huge and obvious crush on Koilee. This stemmed from him deciding to accompany Mitch and Wally to Sakura Bay one day for fishing near the Pacific coast. He had somehow tripped off the boat and into the ocean without his life vest, and was drowning despite still being pretty close to the shore, so Koilee swam to save him. This, combined with his suspicion of her being a mermaid are the main reasons for his crush, although she always mistakes him for a child and is oblivious to his feelings. Carlo Romano hates hanging out near Tacodale and Mitch and Wally because Nick is always there and will awkwardly try to confess his love to Koilee all the time, despite he and Koilee obviously being a thing and Koilee definitely not being into him.

-He likes visiting interactive science museums since he enjoys conducting experiments and playing with the displays and activities. He hates art museums, though, because he hates analyzing anything and he just wants to look at the pretty art work without Brody hanging around him for some reason while being the art snob he is.

-He got into rafting after meeting Deano on his childhood trip to Portallini. Deano encourages him to take up boating as an outlet and mentored him. Deano also taught him Italian, which helped spark an interest in languages.

-He owns many different colored safety vests and life boat vests. He even has some decorated for fancy events and parties. His buddy Trishna thinks it could be a very good fashion trend, but Nick doesn’t think so, as he just wants them for safety.

-His favorite supernatural creatures are sirens and mermaids, stemming from The Little Mermaid.

-Sorry I don’t have too many quality hcs about my dear sweet boy, but I still love him with 1/4 of my heart cause the rest is reserved for Taylor and Wally

[dredreadsdrawing]

Oc-tober Day 27: Fantasy

A bunch of my isekai ocs with original stories. Oofy. I will make the quickest of beginnings for em. These don’t tell the whole story, just how it starts and maybe some future details. I got carried away with some lol. Also, please don’t mind the absurd names XD I couldnt think of any, and isekais tend to have weird names anyways lol. Looking at you Miss Sidekick.

1. Second Best: Probably the one I have planned out the most and have even written like the entire plot for in a Quickie Summary ill post another time. This started as an isekai, but uh, i found no need for her to be reincarnated after I developed the story more. Still, the original inspiration for this was isekai lol.

Born in a lower noble family with high ambitions, when she was born plain, they planned to push her to be educated, but an accident defaced her at the age of three and that was it for them. They saw her as a lost cause and found it easier to give up on her. They were having another child anyways. So she was kept in the old, secluded wing of the estate, raised by maids and a single ill-kept tutor while her sister, born blessed and pretty, was spoiled. It happens. The protagonist is restless and takes to running away from the estate, going into the neighboring woods to explore. One day she finds a crying boy, hiding from his servants. She helps him and after hearing him out, they create a childish plan. To murder his step mother.

2. The Villlainess's Lackey:

A girl, let's call her Bronze, is reincarnated into an otome game she played nonstop. She was a hardcore fangirl of a particular character. Not the love interests, or the protagonist named Gold, but the hidden villainess that showed up once the characters graduate. Silver, the protagonists's own best friend turned jealous. Our girl is reincarnated as the lackey of the fake villainess, just a cliche bully trying to kick the protagonist out of high society. Bronze isn't too pleased about being stuck with her. She instead gets to working in the shadows, cornering Silver and spilling the beans on the game's entire story. On how Silver would lose. But not to worry! Bronze will meddle and lie and cheat and perhaps even murder for Silver! Silver is confused and refuses, but comes to accept the help with time. So far everything Bronze predicted has come true. But one thing she believed is wrong. Silver didn't rebel because she was jealous Gold got a guy she liked. She was jealous because she loves Gold. Love triangle shennanigans ensue.

3. To Serve (another that started as isekai but isn't anymore lol)

Eclair is a clumsy new maid, forced to take the job when her parents kicked her out. She was hired to a manor the owners never visit only to use her as a scapegoat. Her job: to take care of the young master. To her surprise, the boy of nine years is malnourished and neglected, the staff predicting his death soon. Unable to give up on such a young boy, Eclair uncovers the mystery on why he's kept secret. He's half fae, and part of his sickness is due to lack of magic. So she goes on a quest to get the boy an artifact to keep him alive, and on the way... Her clumsy ass dies. Her spirit pops out, much to her surprise, and she watches her body get up. A new aura around herself. It seems a wanted criminal has recently been caught and killed, but his soul latched on to the nearest body. Now they have to share it. (lol, yaddayadda he agrees to help the kid, they get the artifact, he slips and dies as he tries climbing the manor windows and she returns to her body with him as a spirit now, she nurses the child but as soon as he is better the fsther wants to just outright murder him so they flee the household to travel to the Fae country and along the way they get closer. Also Eclair is a lesbian and the criminal is gay and their attraction to a nonbinary stranger is a mess they need to make a peace treaty with. :'D)

4. Just a Bystander:

A gal is reincarnated as the first love interest of the Hero of the story. She's meant to be kind, passive, a stepping stone for the Hero to later abandon for more beautiful and powerful women. A stupid role in a story. Because she denied her reincarnation so much, the dick god made her mute. Still, she won't be a pawn. Before the Hero even arrives to the orphanage they meet at, she teaches herself how to read and write, a skill most adults in the village don't have. Once he arrives, the encounters start the same, but our protagonist doesn't play along. The Hero is a brat with a complex already and she ignores every bit of it, making him simultaneously dislike her and try harder to get her attention. His attempts end in a terrible clash where he is supposed to save her from a beast, bearing a scar from being hit by it, but the roles are reversed and she gets hit in the face. In the frenzy, the Hero pulls a sacred sword and is revealed to be the one legends speak of. The adults make a big deal out of his newfound glorious fate, but among the chatter comes the concern of the protagonist's face. She's already mute, and now she's been mutilated. She doesn't have much chance at marriage. She's personally not too sad about it, but to her dismay, the Hero takes it too seriously. He proposes to her and they get 'engaged' (these are children, this promise is entirely on his word, she never agreed to this). Before he goes to get trained in the capital, she gives him a letter he can't read. He takes it as a lover's note and for all the time he spends learning in the academy, he finally deciphers the looong note. It's detailed accounts of how he misinterpreted everything she did and how she has no interest in him at all. And by the time he goes back to the village she will be gone. He runs away on a stolen horse to confront her but it proves true. She got a job with a passing merchant in copying script without telling anyone and is long gone. So begins her independent life.

5. The B-Plot:

Cedar is reincarnated into a game where she is the Villainess, the one to bully the Heroine for seducing her fiancee the prince. In the story, after she is confronted, she is incarcerated and later killed in a fight with the evil forces. Cedar does not want this. So since an early age, she looks for ways out, and surprisingly comes to find she can use magic. Since this was never mentioned in the game, and magic is so rare, she hides this. With research, she realizes her engagement with the prince will mean she gives up over half her magic capabilities to him. That explains it. She will fix this. Once the time comes for her to be engaged to the Prince, she requests to add amendment to the contract, to the surprise of the adults, but they allow it. Her only addition; if three hidden words are spoken that all clauses from the engagement nullify. She would keep her magic. The adults don't realize the extent of this addition, but she holds it dear. As years go by, she trains with what little she has. She makes plans. She realizes the neighboring country is the same as a shounen novel's own isekai series and she seeks to explore it after her ban. She is ready. But.... She has also come to befriend the prince. He's an earnest kid that looks up to her. It's hard to believe his innocent voice would be the death of her. But her resolve is tight and she knows what will come. After he goes on a mission to retrieve the Transmigated Heroine, his attitude shift is clear. And he pubicly shames her at their graduation party, as foretold. Instead of crying, she asks him to repeat his words. He does. "I hate you." The air crackles as her magic comes back with force, draining him of it. She's back to full power, and it's more than she remembered. Everyone looks on with fear as she laughs. She's free. She's sad but she's free. She bids then farewell as she snaps her fingers. She teleports to her room where everything is packed. Then she teleports to the hidden shack outside school campus. She's drained after those big moves, but she has one last thing to do. A potion she brewed that just needed a little magic. She drinks it. And transforms. She won't be Cedar anymore. He will be Oak. And he's going to find the Hero of the neighboring country and join his party.

6. The Selfish Route

A kid is reincarnated as Felicia, the protagonist of a novel where both princes of the land dote on her and she marries into Queendom. Felicia lives without her parents in a manor. The staff mostly takes care of her, as her parents are diplomats and move from country to country. While she has been shown love, she’s always been a nervous wreck, pushing herself hard to get everything right as to not be seen as uneducated by her circumstances. Instead, she is seen as perfect, as she makes a big splash at the first party she attends. She regained her memory at the same age she died, now ten years old and already having met both princes at said party were they were stunned by her. If she remembers the story correctly, the first prince will visit first, named Nicole, then the second prince, named Arthur. She’s back to being nervous and decides to play things as they were written in the story. Going off track feels dangerous! Nicole is written as intelligent and kind. It should be simple enough... But her first visit... completely fails. She stumbles over herself too much, her posture and manners lack, and her gaze never meets the prince’s. He might have been written as kind, but seeing the nervous Felicia, he’s disappointed. He leaves early, and Felicia’s fear solidifies. She’s not as good as the real protagonist was. She can’t sleep that night, and come morning, her staff notices. They crowd her with love and affection, telling her they know her true worth, and that no matter what, they will always be on her side. This comforts her somewhat, and she decides for today’s visit to think outside the box. The second prince is adventurous and daring. She’s still nervous, but when he arrives, she’s already put on clothes for the outside and has a picnic ready. She tells him they’re spending the day outside. He’s confused, but agrees. Their time is spent playing games, eating snacks, and having fun. It ends with them watching the sun begin to set while under a big tree. Then they get to talking. She asks him what he likes to do, and his response is long and convoluted. But it’s essentially this. His brother is better than him at everything. She shakes her head and gets an attitude. She didn’t ask him about his brother. She asked what ARTHUR likes to do. When he doesn’t respond, she makes fun of him. He’s so worried about not being the same as his brother, but he doesn’t have anything he likes. He’s boring. This gets him to respond, and in defending himself, he realizes he does enjoy certain things more than others. Horses and riding them, weapons, learning about the forest and terrain. So she asks him why he isn’t trying to do more of that, instead of barging in on all of his brother’s lessons. Arthur takes this thought to heart, and as he gets up to leave he laughs. He tells her she’s weird, and she starts getting visibly offended. He defends himself, it’s a good weird. He was scared when he learned his brother visited her first, because he’s terrible at formal meetings, but she made this fun. She takes this compliment to heart as well, and as he leaves, she resolves to live the rest of the story not trying to follow the protagonist. But herself. And part of that change, as the year goes by, is her realizing she’s trans. He’d much rather live as a boy. His household is concerned at first, but they slowly become more supportive. It’s the same child, just named Felix now. His parents come to prepare for his coming-of-age ceremony and he’s nervous but he tells them. To his surprise, they accept him. They’ve learned a lot in their many travels, and have broadened their views. In their eyes, this country should do the same, and it’s a pleasure to have their son be the one to start it. They’ll always support him. Nice family moment. Ever since the prince visit, he hasn’t gone to more parties, having been too nervous. But he’s been the talk of nobles his age due to the second prince starting rumors. After he tried rubbing his good day in Nicole’s face, the first prince called him out for liking such a brutish girl. He said they suited eachother. From this little comment, Arthur spiraled. With Felix’s advice, he focused on his training instead of his studies, made friends and became better. But when asked about the interest he showed in the young Felicia at that tea party, he resorted to talking shit. She’s not a well-mannered little lady, she’s a weird girl. Everyone knew now, and waited eagerly for her to make a fool of herself in her coming-of-age ceremony. When the invitations were sent, to Felix’s surprise, one was rejected. The first prince’s. He saw it as a waste of time since he already judged he didn’t like him. Felix becomes scared again, but not over himself. Over the villainess, Lily, who is supposed to be comforted by the prince after being mocked at by other noble children. The day of his ceremony, Felix resolves himself to escape his staff and go watch. He hopes someone else can help her. But as he waits and hears her crying, he realizes no one will. So he steps in. She’s startled, but he calms her down. He’s clumsy in his approach, but sincere. He asks what’s made her sad, and she can’t help to be honest. She tells him that her family makes powerful enemies, and their children always target her. They pick at all her flaws, but the biggest is that she is abnormally tall. Felix comforts her and reassures her that her height adds to her uniqueness. She’s beautiful, and they’re just jealous she can easily be the center of attention. She doesn’t agree. Being the center of attention has been bad in her book. Felix laughs nervously. On that, he can agree. So he gets up instead, and promises her she won’t have people’s eyes on her for the rest of the night. When she asks why, he tells her to go look at the host reveal. He leaves and she gets up. Just as she reaches the rest of the party, the music stops and Felicia’s name is announced. Everyone waits in anticipation to see if Arthur’s rumors were true. Then the speaker changes the name to Felix instead, and out walks the boy that talked to Lily, his mother holding his arm. They dance and the room stares, some laughter hidden poorly behind hands. When the dance is over, it’s customary to wait for volunteers to start a second dance. Only then can everyone join in. Felix waits. And waits. Seconds keep flying by. No one is coming. He expected this, and resolved his heart for it, but still, he’s panicking. Just as he’s about to call it quits, he hears footsteps and looks up at Lily. She asks if she can have the honor of his second dance. He agrees. As they go through the motions, he asks her, didn’t she hate being the center of attention. She told him she does, but if she’s going to have people staring at her anyways. She smiles as they pause. She might as well have a friend by her side with the same problem. He can’t help his own smile from forming, and for the rest of the night they stick close. So starts their beautiful friendship <w< and mayhaps something more.

[stealinghero]

If the Lupin gang had to get legitimate jobs, which careers do you think they'd go into?

O___O This is great!!! Let me think about it! *___* So great!!!! I tried to leave the usual path (Lupin as jeweler, Jigen as police officer, Goemon as chef) and I just had to add Zenigata as a criminal. ô_O

Lupin: bank clerk

Of course he would need to work with money and large sums. He’s a genius after all. But I think with a normal career he would be more nondescript. His colleagues love him and sometimes he gets a gift from a female customer (and a few times from a male customer). He’s quick in counting large sums and never errs while calculating. He is a bit trained but not much. His trademark are suits that seem a bit too big for him, even if they are  3 times smaller than his actual size. A robber might choose him for the perfect hostage, but this man is a black belt in karate.... in his dreams. He would never have the courage to hit someone.

Think about your typical bank clerk. Add shyness, maybe thick rimmed glasses and a cute clumsiness. And then you’ll have him.

Jigen: teacher (history and physics)

This man is great with kids and he doesn’t shy away from personal talks. His students respect him deeply and he is allround loved at his school. His colleagues normally like him but are jealous about his ability to tame even the most rebellious kids. He is calm and has fun while teaching and the students see that. He won’t get tired in explaining things and will offer tutoring after class if one kid still didn’t get it. But he has a different side. If there are students who misbehave, he will scold them and sometimes even throw chalk at them. He won’t stop there. He isn’t afraid to defend himself from any attacks and is a trained MMA fighter (another reason his students love him). He would never hurt a student, but he won’t tolerate violence in his classroom.

He’s the fun physics teacher and he lets history live in his lessons. The protector of the bullied and best friends with the problem kids.

Goemon: lawyer

This man is an angel if he’s your lawyer. If he’s opposing you he can easily be mistaken for the devil himself. He’s very confident, but never arrogant in it. He knows his limits very well and won’t take on a case where he doesn’t trust his client to be right. That knowledge gives him power to defend his client in any situation. His speciality is marriage law. Some say he is too cold for this, but it is a great advantage for him. He isn’t swayed by tears or loving words. He sees the truth and pursues it. His favourite cases are when the father wants custody of the child because in most cases the mother gets this right even if she isn’t capable to care for the kid. He will sometimes even go to court in the name of the fathers without payment because he cares for the truth and the justice of his cases. The public prosecutor’s offices all want him but he likes his job too much to be swayed. This doesn’t hinder him in opposing them if he thinks his client was mistreated by them (taking away a kid for no reason).

He wears a suit but always has a cute little samurai-related thing somewhere. His necktie is dotted with little samurais or maybe he has a little key chain of a famous sword.

Zenigata: right hand man of a mafia boss

Actually he began as a small fish somewhere in the mafia. But when his superior got to know about his brains, he spent years making drugs in some shady labs. He is a chemist through and through and can make something out of almost everything. He is one of those people that can make a powerful drug out of a cough sirup and some gasoline. During a police raid he killed three officers and wounded four others by himself. His boss appreciated him so much he got a promotion and was then a henchman. His speciality is torture and he is a nasty bitch at it. The rivalling gangs all had too much “respect” from his boss that his gang now is the biggest one in the city. For that fact, Zenigata got promoted again and is now the second-in-command of his boss, skilled in chemistry and torture, but also quite good in handling finances. One day he will succeed his boss. He’s been already adopted by him as a legitimate son.

He looks big but innocent but his cold eyes give him away. He can and will kill you with a good reason. He might pet a puppy somewhere, looking as innocent as he could have been in a different life.

[im-just-here-for-the-drama]

LGBTQ Characters in Asian dramas: The Good, The Bad, and The Mediocre: 2019 Edition

No one asked, but here it is-all the gay I saw in 2019! 

SPOILERS AHEAD!

The Bad (I’d say don’t waste your time on these, but who am I to tell you what to do?)

Graceful Family: Mo Wan Joon 

The Story: Blah blah blah, revenge or something- at a point it’s revealed that Mo Wan Joon is a trans woman. 

Should you watch?: If you really like revenge melos maybe, but if you’re looking for this show to do something good and offer up some good trans rep? Nope. 

Literally nothing about Mo Wan Joon’s story is watchable. I wasn’t even entirely sure the show even knows what being transgender even means. It comes off as more of a plot twist  to put the family all in a tizzy more than anything else. They don’t really show much of Wan Joon’s struggle or anything poignant or engaging. 

TharnType

TRIGGER WARNING:  Sexual assault/rape

Country: Thailand 

Official Links: https://www.facebook.com/notes/line-tv/tharntypetheseries-line-tvs-official-links-for-international-fans/2525229217761969/

The Story: Type is a homophobe who ends being roommates with the openly gay Tharn. 

Should you watch?:  No. The good you get isn’t worth sitting through the bad. But if you really can’t help yourself, you’ll have to learn to ignore its problematic elements.

Type was molested as a child, and as a result he hates gay people. He’s clearly still traumatized by his experience. He has nightmares and is triggered by Tharn at least once remembering his assault. Type eventually tells Tharn about his assault and it’s pretty much never brought up again. 

Type is shown to be ridiculously homophobic and he equates gay people with pedophiles and is never really corrected in this logic (even though his boyfriend is a whole gay man). Even after Type starts dating Tharn, Type’s homophobia is never really properly put to rest. 

For some reason, the writer of TharnType loves incorporating rape/sexual assault into her shows when it’s clearly a sensitive topic she knows next to nothing about. And it’s clear in this show, because the show take the topic way lighter than it should.  Because of what happened to Type in his childhood, he believes that gay men like forcing themselves onto others without their consent, and then the show proceeds to have Tharn do exactly that to Type multiple times. Also, thankfully, this happens offscreen, but another character pays several men to gang rape another character and that’s too heavy for a show that clearly wasn’t going to address it properly. 

At the beginning of this show, Tharn had a huge issue with knowing what boundaries and consent were, but by the second half, Tharn chilled out and Type stepped up and became ridiculously childish and violent towards Tharn. Clearly these two have no real business being in a relationship with each other if you ask me.

Though there was a lot I hated about this show I did like some of it. I think this writer writes some really nice and sweet scenes between Tharn and Type.  Mew and Gulf have great chemistry. I’ve seen plenty of videos of Gulf and Mew together and they are adorable. They work well together and they come off more natural than some other couples, but the way the relationship is handled  in TharnType and some of the things that are glossed over in this show leave a bad taste in my mouth. 

The Mediocre (These aren’t the best, but they’re watchable.)

Moment at Eighteen: Jung Oh Je

Country: Korea

Official Links: https://www.viki.com/tv/36633c-moment-of-eighteen?q=moment%20of

The Story: Transfer student Jun Woo has no interest in school life, as he is traumatized from being expelled from bullying. Meanwhile, Soo Bin has been watching Jun Woo all this time. She sees a different side to Jun Woo than the one that other people see. Oh Je, is Jun Woo’s best friend who starts to discover his sexuality.

Should you watch?: Hmmm… sure. 

Oh Je has a decent side plot. It was interesting to see him figuring out he liked Hwi Young and coming out to his ex girlfried, Da Young and his friends. I do wish his story was expanded a little more though. There were several things I would have liked to have seen, like coming out to his family, and I thought they wrapped his story up a little too quickly at the end. 

2moons2

Country: Thailand 

Official Links: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdoEouCtbBvjdNkB5Wl0eYS4V4Zx-1MZY

The Story: Wayo is accepted at the Kantaphat University, in the Faculty of Sciences. Wayo has always been in love with Phana, who studies at the same university. When Wayo has the chance to become the “moon” of his faculty, the two begin to spend time together because Phana himself has been the “moon” of the medical school the previous year and must supervise the freshmen participating in the competition. The two slowly get closer and closer. 

Should you watch?: Yeah. 

Honestly, it’s not super memorable,and not super impressive, but there’s some cute moments, and an easy storyline. We get to see more of the other two couples (MingKit and ForthBeam)  than we saw in the original 2moons. It’s fun and interesting enough. I’ll look forward to the next one. 

Theory of Love

Country: Thailand

Official Links: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLVsizYwoQ6B3LsKmcDDMNtHGXnjG88i4C

The Story: Third is a  filmology major and a member of the Savage Team along with his best friends Two, Bone, and Khai, but he has a secret. Third has been secretly in love with Khai for years. 

For three years he has kept his secret love in his heart, silently supporting and loving Khai while knowing there is absolutely no future between them since Khai is as straight as a streetlight pole and also an absolute player. 

To make matters worse, Khai has a “no dating friends” policy.  How long can Third love Khai silently while watching Khai bring a different girl home every night? Third has tried to see Khai as just a friend.  But has failed time and time again. Because as easy as it is to fall in love, to stop is just as hard.  Maybe even harder.  But when Third finally decides to stop loving Khai, Khai decides to start loving Third.

Should you watch?: It wasn’t my cup of tea but, yeah.

Who knew one of my most anticipated shows of the year would turn out to be one of the most disappointing? The show spent way too much time on Third crying, wallowing, and letting his friend walk all over him, and not nearly enough time on Khai making a believable turnaround. Khai spent at least half the show being a dick of a friend, to the point that I was unsure as to why Third liked him for so long. Then when Khai started to have feelings for Third, I just thought it happened way too quickly and unbelievably to me. But despite all that there were some cute moments in the end that made all of that kind of  okay and kind of worth it. And the side couple was cute. 

Dark Blue Kiss

Country: Thailand 

Official Links: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLdoEouCtbBviEVFNHbg7dKw7Lfd8-6zB1

The Story: Kao and Pete being in a blissful romance, have grown closer. But Kao is closeted, and he fears the thought of others finding out. His mother introduces Non, a son of a colleague, to be tutored by Kao. With Non constantly giving off ‘iffy’ vibes towards Kao, it only fuels Pete’s jealousy. Their relationship is put in strain, but through this, they must ultimately overcome each other’s flaws. 

Whilst Sun pushes his brother Rain to stay away from Mork, the younger man’s uncontrollable behavior brings him in. As his wildness is intriguing, Sun’s seriousness holds Mork down somewhat. Underneath it all, the two start to care for each other. However, with Mork’s dangerous life, he can’t shake who he is. But maybe he can for someone like Sun.

Should you watch?: If you’re a fan of Pete/Kao or a fan of the typical GMM show.  

I wasn’t a huge fan of Pete and Kao from the series they were originally in and this show honestly didn’t really help. Pete and Kao’s relationship is pulled into an annoying direction when an outsider tries to come between the two of them. It’s classic bl tactics and frankly it’s boring and frustrating to watch when it drags on for multiple episodes. I did love Sun and Mork from the beginning, but even the writing for their storyline got annoying towards the end. The huge problem in this series is that none of our leads really communicate with each other. There’s some enjoyable things in this show but it’s ultimately more frustrating than it should be. 

Ossan’s Love: In The Sky

Country: Japan

The Story: Haruta, a 35-year-old single man, has to switch careers and he begins a new career as a cabin attendant in Tenku Peach Airlines. Even though he’s clumsy, he seems to be protected by the Great Captain Kurosawa. One day, he finds drawings of himself in a locker and accidentally discovers tries to figure out who drew them. Haruta discovers that not only is the mechanic Shino in love with him, but Captain is secretly in love with him too. Meanwhile, Haruta takes an interest in the co-pilot Naruse.

Should you watch? Yes, but you might be disappointed by the end. 

I’m a fan of  the original Ossan’s Love and I know what this show usually gives so I expected this show to be silly, ridiculous, fun. And it was for the most part. I always love Haruta. I would literally watch him in any reincarnation of this show and not complain. He’s always a joy to watch and that’s still true here. But this time around, things are a lot more messier than usual. There’s a complicated love triangle, which I hate, but  even that was fine because I enjoyed the other characters. My only complaint was how it ended, because I would have preferred him with someone else rather than who he ends up with. 

Love with Flaws: Won Suk and Ho Dol

Country: Korea

The Story:  Joo Seo Yeon, is a hot-tempered physical education high school teacher who always wears sneakers, jeans and training uniforms.  The death of her parents helped instill a deep sense of compassion, a generous heart and an outspoken objection for anyone who drinks and drives. Living in a house with three wild and very attractive brothers, she loathes flower boys. Her ideal type is someone who is “not handsome.” Won Suk is one of her handsome older brothers.

Won Suk has closed his heart to relationships and love, but he lives his life as an openly gay man. Ho Dol is closeted and lacks confidence. They meet one night at Won Suk’s bar.

Should you watch?: People have been kind enough to condense Won Suk’s and Ho Dol’s  story into parts on YouTube so yeah, go ahead and check it out. 

These two don’t get a whole lot of screen time, but the little they do get is nice. We get to see Won Seok help Ho Dol open up and be more confident with who he is and in turn, Won Seok opens up his heart. 

The Good (These are worth the hours of your life you won’t get back.)

History3: Trapped

Country: Taiwan

Official Links: https://www.viki.com/tv/36410c-history-3-trapped?locale=en

The Story: Shao Fei’s police officer mentor and Tang Yi’s gang leader father were killed in a gunshot attack. No one knows why or what really happened. The only survivor, Tang Yi, stepped up and is now the gang leader. Police officer Shao Fei wants to find out what happened that day and he’s sure that Tang Yi’s hiding the truth. Shao Fei decides that the only way to figure out the truth is to investigate Tang Yi to the fullest and Tang Yi just wants Shao Fei to leave him alone since he’s trying to take the gang in a more legitimate direction, but what happens when the two keep crossing paths and ultimately start to fall for each other? 

Should you watch?: Absolutely. 

I watched this show twice last year and somehow I liked it even better the second time around. The story is fresh-school/university plots get real old real fast (not that I don’t love them though). Instead we get a story about a mob boss and a police officer.  The plot is well written, coherent, interesting, and fun, and doesn’t revolve solely around the romance. And speaking of romance, it’s well integrated into the larger plot that focuses on figuring out what happened to Tang Yi’s father and Shao Fei’s mentor years ago. There’s just the right balance between plot and romance. There’s also a second couple that’s super cute. Both couples have great chemistry. What’s not to like?

He’s Coming To Me

Country: Thailand

The Story: After his death, Mes is a ghost that is consumed by loneliness. That is until he meets a strange boy that can see him. The two bond in a state of happiness and joy as they develop into friends. But what happens when Mes falls for the boy who is alive?

Should you watch?: Of course! 

This is by far, in my opinion one of the most slept on shows of 2019. Who would have thought things could work out between a ghost and human? I went into this show expecting it to be full of sadness and angst and it really surprised me. Of course it does have those things, Mes is ghost so… but  it’s definitely one of the sweetest dramas of the year. The boys forge a strong friendship and bond from the beginning, they’re ridiculously cute, the side characters are enjoyable, the friends are supportive,  and there’s an interesting story of Mes and Thun trying to figure out the mystery behind Mes’ death. You should definitely put it on your list to check out. 

What Did You Eat Yesterday?

Country: Japan

The Story: Kakei Shiro is a 45 year old lawyer who works at a small law firm. He is a good cook and a meticulous and thrifty person who keeps the monthly food budget to 25,000 yen. Shiro’s daily routine is to leave work on time and head to a discount supermarket nearby. His partner Yabuki Kenji is an affable hairdresser in his 40s. The two of them share a two-bedroom apartment and the finer points of two men living together comes up at the dining table every day. Although two of them have been in a relationship for three years and Kakei’s parents know he is gay, Kakei never shares the fact that he is gay or Kenji is his partner to anyone else.

Should you watch? Definitely.

Very slice of life, very sweet, very heartwarming. We get to see two older gay men navigate their lives and society. We see how Shiro struggles with coming out and being open and we see how he deals with his accepting but ignorant parents. We see Kenji struggle with Shiro’s closed-offness and the strain its puts on their relationship when Shiro refuses to let people know they’re together.  Shiro and Kenji interact with other gay couples too, and it’s interesting to see the dynamics between the different couples.  It’s a nice change of pace to the shows I’m used to.  Also, there’s plenty of food to salivate over. 

Hello? Spring Is Coming

Country: Korea

Official Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnyivXs1rWk

The Story: Every coming out is difficult, but most of all, coming out in front of  family is the hardest.

Should you watch?: We get way too few shows about wlw. And also they’re way too short, and on that note yes you should watch. It’s sweet. 

The Effect

TRIGGER WARNING: Rape, bullying, attempted suicide 

Country: Thailand

Official Links (in the comments): https://mydramalist.com/32424-the-effect

The Story: Shin, a shy and reserved 1st-year university student, admires his senior Keng from afar. Keng is tall, handsome, smart and owns the heart of many girls on campus. But what others don’t see is the pressure to be perfect from his family that weighs on Keng’s shoulders.  Due to Shin’s clumsiness, he becomes acquainted with the handsome senior. As Keng takes a liking to his junior,  jealousy from peers makes the cyber world a breeding ground for hate and nasty rumors. Shin falls victim not only to the strangers online but to Keng as well. Nobody but Shin can overcome the trauma that will be placed upon him. All he needs is for the strangers to listen. Because only then can they understand “the effect” that they have on others. 

Should you watch? Heed the trigger warnings, and if you can handle them, then yes. 

You know those BL shows where one of the characters is forced or coerced into having sex with their love interest and then falls in love with him at the end? This show is thankfully, not that. I wouldn’t even consider this a BL because, well because it’s not. It’s not a love story. It takes a very very different and serious path that most shows in this genre don’t even come close to. This show did a good job of really showing the effects of social media, bullying, and rape, what they could really do to a person, and the support system one needs after a trauma. At a (way too) short 3 episodes, it was super emotional, mostly realistic, and it really left a memorable impression. There were a few things I wish had been explored and fleshed out more and I wished they’d changed the ending from the novel. I would have preferred something more uplifting, less open ended potential tragedy. But on another note, James as Shin was a stand out here with such an emotionally draining role. I’ll definitely be looking forward to his future projects. 

Mood Indigo/Indigo No Kibun

Country: Japan

The Story: The story begins with Shiro Kido’s reunion with a former classmate, Rio Kijima, at a college teacher’s funeral. In the past, when they were students, Kijima used to show talent as a novelist, even earning a big prize. Kido was jealous of Kijima’s success, but after reading his works he became aware of his lack of talent and gave up writing novels and became an editor of erotic novels. However, after reuniting, it became clear to Kido that Kijima was stuck; facing a wall. He had used up all his talent. With Kido also being in a lost state he offers Kijima the opportunity to write pornographic novels.With the intense eroticism and closeness, both men open up and feed into their desire. 

Should you watch?: Yeah. 

As one of the more erotic shows on this list, It was interesting to see the development between Rio and Kido. Their dynamic certainly isn’t anything romantic,cute, or healthy but still very beautiful, passionate, and raw. I wasn’t a huge fan of this shows predecessor Pornographer, but this one really made me appreciate it from another perspective. It helped me realize why Rio was the way he was and how this relationship impacted his later relationship with Kusami.  

Really Lily?

Country: Korea

Official Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=167D6kmuspU

The Story: Are we friends? Or…

Should you watch?: It’s short, sweet, and funny. Absolutely. 

Rural Outcasts

Country: Korea

The Story: Sun Hui moves to a small village where she lives her life as Soon Ho until she can make enough money to become her true self. Dong Ja, a feisty 12 year old, breaks into her house one day.

Should you watch? Yes.

 Found family always makes for a heartwarming story and this one is no different. I loved the bond between Dong Ja and Sun Hui and I loved their mother daughter relationship. Very sweet and heartwarming, but be prepared for some heartbreak too. 

History3: Make Our Days Count 

TRIGGER WARNING: Forced kisses, bullying 

Country: Taiwan

The Story:  At first glance, high schoolers Xiang Hao Ting and Yu Xi Gu appear to be polar opposites: While  Hao Ting is an outgoing, hot-headed extravert and some-time bully,  Xi Gu prefers to keep a low profile and focus on his schoolwork. They seem bound for totally different futures – the bookish Xi Gu looks destined for academic success, while life is just a long popularity contest for Hao Ting. But a quirk of fate – and a crucial intervention by a female schoolmate – results in the two young men’s paths crossing. But there is more to both young men than first meets the eye.  Hao Ting was not always this way. He started out as a perfect student until he discovered the joys of going off the rails.  Xi Gu has a reason for being so aloof and studious: His parents died in a traffic accident while he was younger, and he is being fostered by his aunt. As such, he works hard to get good grades in an effort to win a scholarship and ease the financial burden on his relatives. Xi Gu and Hao Ting find themselves drawn together, and passions ignite. The former notices that he has the unique ability to bring  Xi Gu out of his shell – and becomes intent on melting his cold-as-ice exterior. What will happen when their two worlds collide? And can love be the catalyst that helps bring these two unlikely students together – as their high school days draw to a close?

Sun Bo Xiang is Hao Ting’s friend who has a crush on a man, Lu Zhi Gang who he meets at the gym. Zhi Gang’s runs the shop that Xi Gu works at part time. When Bo Xiang confesses to Zhi Gang, and tells him that he’ll love hm forever, Zhi Gang doesn’t believe it because Zhi Gang is young and overzealous. Also, nothing lasts forever, or does it?

Should You Watch?:  Yes, but it doesn’t end happily so keep that in mind.. 

Given this show’s predecessors it had some big shoes to fill. I expected this show to be good and honestly, it was. The general consensus is that the ending ruined the entire show. And had I had time to sit on this series-if I had watched it over the weeks, I might have felt the same way. But I watched the entire show in one sitting over the course of a day and I just can’t bring myself to hate it completely. The writing was good, the directing was good, and the acting was so good I think a lot of the show was elevated because of it. This show made me feel so many things. The couples are great with natural chemistry, and the side characters fit so well (there’s never a dull moment with Hao Ting’s friends).  I smiled, I laughed, and of course I cried (#heartbroken). I was sad and upset when episode 10 came around. I wasn’t disappointed once the credits rolled because I was still riding the emotional high of the first nine episodes, but after I had time to sit and think about it, the more disappointed and angry I got. Just like grey rainbow and wise prison life- why did you give me everything I ever wanted and then rip it out from under me? But even so, the first nine eps were great. Does it have its flaws? Well obviously, some things in the show are a little iffy (Hao Ting and Sun Bo practice some problematic behavior at the beginning towards their love interests, that’s where the trigger warning comes in)  and the last episode is a glaring misstep. Do I wish things had ended differently? I think they absolutely should have. Even this ending would have been satisfactory with some proper execution and build up. Overall this show could have cemented itself as one of my favorite shows if not for the last episode, but I really don’t regret watching it, because when it was good?  It was gold.

Out of Breath

Country: Taiwan

Official Links: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuUQH5CiOw6n9Z0O5ytuQY2EFuvbF_7DX

The Story: Ha Eun has just broken up with her girlfriend when she meets out and proud Min Seo. 

Should you watch?: Yes! 

It’s a short webseries about coming out and no longer wanting to hide who you are. It’s very sweet and realistic. The ladies are cute and their characters are believable. My only complaint is that I wish the show was longer.

Until We Meet Again

TRIGGER WARNING: Suicide

Country: Thailand 

Official Links: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPXE51seODgcGxLQF_X5jzQ/playlists

The Story:  Thirty years ago, Korn and Intouch were university students in Bangkok. Intouch entered Korn’s life despite knowing that he was the son of one of the most influential people in Bangkok, the mafia. At first, Korn kept pushing Intouch away, but in the end, he couldn’t resist him. However, in a time where homosexuality was unacceptable and having parents that were against their relationship and each other, Korn and In’s love was bound to be doomed. Amidst the chaos, while Intouch kept on fighting for their future, Korn could not deal with all the suffering his lover was facing and decided to give up. That day, two sounds of a gunshot rang through the air. Their story ended with tragedy, but something had already tied itself between them, bounding them together even after they were dead. 

Years later, a freshly returned to Thailand, Pharm who is a  freshman in T- University has grown up always feeling like he is waiting for someone. Being riddled with sad dreams that always left him waking up with a wet face, fear of loud noises, and a birthmark on his temple, the boy has always felt like there is someone he is missing. Dean, the third year swimming club’s president at T- University has also spent his life searching for someone whose face he can not remember. The red thread of fate that had tied them together in their past life once again pulls the two boys back to each other, tying them to each other and a past that might not be worth remembering, but a love that is unforgettable. Because the red thread that binds the two hearts together will always lead one back to the other. Even though it might tangle or stretch, it will never break.

Should you watch?: 100% yes. 

This show isn’t finished yet, so I’ll just talk about what I’ve seen up to this point. I read a few comments about this show before I watched it and although it was one of the shows I was looking forward to the most, I was skeptical about watching it since the reviews were mixed. Lots of people love it, but there was also an overwhelming about of people saying it was boring and average at best. After watching the 12 episodes that are out, I gotta admit that it’s not perfect. It is a little slow in some parts, some times you feel like you’re watching Thailand’s version of the food network, the director needs to learn when a scene is over, the product placement can be distracting, the kisses are more awkward than I’d like them to be, and that sounds like a lot to be bothered by, but honestly- I love this show. I feel like Until We Meet Again is what happens when a production crew cares more about making a good show rather than making something that fuels the typical bl fan’s fantasies. It has an interesting storyline and it’s well acted. There’s great emotional moments filled with sweetness and sadness. It’s funny and there’s loving and supportive family and friends. A lot of the typical bl drama tropes aren’t involved here. There’s no girlfriends, no portrayals of women as evil incarnate, no cheating, no coercion into sexual activities, or the popular I’m just gay for you crap. I saw on Twitter a while back that someone was asking how they could get bl to branch out-how to reach a larger audience because there’s a lot of people that won’t watch it-this is how you do it. 

[myheadinthecloudsnotcomingdown]

When Lila Gives You Lemons - Chapter 5

[1] [2] [3] [4] [5]

Ao3

Things were kind of awkward between Marinette and Adrien the next day. Marinette felt like the glances they shared were heavier somehow, now that they had this huge secret they shared. She wished she could be just a little happier about it. They knew who Hawkmoth might be, or at least where to look for him if it didn’t end up being Gabriel Agreste, she had already told Chat Noir and was going to tell the guardian. Her plan had worked, everything was looking up, and enduring Lila’s bullying had been worth it. Then why did she feel so down?

She looked over at Adrien, who was trying, and failing, to dodge out of the way as Lila kissed him on the cheek. Oh. right. Adrien knew that his dad might be Hawkmoth. Marinette tried to imagine her own father as a supervillain and shuddered. It had been bad enough when her dad had been akumatized, she didn’t want to think about how she would feel if he was pulling the strings of his own free will. Adrien must be feeling even worse than she was right now. 

“Hey girl! We’re going to that new place downtown that Lila recommended for lunch. Do you want to come with us?” Alya asked. 

Marinette looked up from where she was gathering her books and saw Alya, Nino, with Lila hanging off Adrien’s arm right beside them. Lila was glaring daggers at Marinette, but whether Lila was daring her to say yes or no, Marinette didn’t know and at this point honestly didn’t care. She needed to talk to Fu anyway. 

Marinette shot Adrien an apologetic glance, “Sorry guys, not today, I already have plans during lunch.”

Alya looked like she was about to say something else, but Lila beat her to it, “Oh, Marinette! I didn’t know you didn’t like that place! We were so looking forward to you coming with us! Unless, of course, there’s some other reason you don’t want to come…” Lila gave the most horrendous fake pout Marinette had ever seen and she grit her teeth.

“No Lila, the reason I’m not coming is because I legitimately have things I need to do today. It has nothing to do with you or with the restaurant.” 

Marinette saw Adrien glancing around and it took her a moment to realize that he was looking for an akuma. She took a deep breath and finished putting her books away, “Have fun guys, I’ll see you this afternoon.”

Lila glared at Marinette suspiciously as she left. Something was going on between Marinette and her Adrien and she needed to put a stop to it. 

//

“Hello Marinette, I’ll be with you in just a moment.” Master Fu finished ringing out his current customer and waved to him as he left. 

“To what do I owe the pleasure Marinette? I did not believe there was an akuma today.”

“No, I don’t need another Miraculous. It’s actually, um, can we go in the back?”

Fu nodded and led Marinette into the back room of the shop. She unrolled the map that she’d run home to get and let him look at it. 

“I’ve been tracking akumas for a few months now, both those that have targeted me and those that have targeted others, and yesterday, I used this map to create a search radius. I know that we already crossed Gabriel Agreste off the list and that Hawkmoth could be anyone within this area, it’s just…what if we were wrong?”

Fu silently studied the map for a moment, “I see, this is concerning. Have you already spoken to Chat Noir about this?”

Marinette nodded, “Yes, he came to the same conclusion as I did: that The Collector might have been a red herring designed to throw us off the trail. But Master, we might have another problem if Gabriel Agreste really is Hawkmoth.”

“And what is that, Marinette?”

Marinette bit her lip, “Well, I’m not very good at math, I can pass classes, but barely, and so I asked one of my classmates for help with the calculations and…” she took a deep breath, “the classmate I asked was Adrien Agreste. He knows his dad might be Hawkmoth and what if he tells him? I want to be able to trust Adrien, but this is huge and Gabriel is his Father! I can’t expect him to work against his own dad, even if it is for the good of Paris!”

Fu got a pensive look on his face and was silent for a few minutes. Marinette was beginning to worry that she’d said something wrong when he finally spoke again. 

“I think,” Master Fu said slowly, “That it is time for you and Chat Noir to reveal your identities.” 

Marinette looked at the guardian like he’d grown a second head, “What? Why now in the middle of everything? It’s not any safer now than it ever has been, in fact it might be more dangerous now that we have a lead on Hawkmoth’s identity. Wouldn’t it be better to wait until we’ve beaten him? ”

“You will understand in time. For now what you need to know is that now more than ever you and Chat Noir need to be truly united and able to support one another both in and out of the masks. You were always meant to be Yin and Yang, but I was afraid of what might happen if you revealed your identities, especially with Hawkmoth’s powers on the loose.”

Marinette processed this information, “Can I think about it?” 

Fu nodded, “Of course, I will reach out to Chat Noir and discuss this with him as well. Goodbye Marinette.”

She nodded and left the massage parlor, too lost in her thoughts to say anything. 

//

The rest of the school day passed quickly and Marinette was too busy worrying about whether or not she should reveal her identity to Chat to even think about Lila. Or she was too busy, at least until Lila cornered her in the locker room after everyone else had left. 

“What’s going on between you and Adrien?”

Marinette’s eyes widened. Could Lila know that they had tracked down Hawkmoth? That would be bad, Lila had been willingly akumatized before. She might be more likely to tip the villain off than Adrien was. Marinette quickly schooled her expression into one of passive indifference. 

“Nothing’s going on, Lila, you’ve made sure of that.”

Lila smiled at the praise but leaned closer to Marinette, “Yeah right, Marinette. I’ve seen the looks you two share in class. But,” she leaned back, “I don’t know what is going on between you and Adrien, and honestly I don’t really care, just put a stop to it, or I will destroy you. Remember this, Marinette, Adrien is mine.”

//

“Adrien, your chinese tutor got sick at the last minute and sent a substitute.” Natalie said as she opened the door to his room, stoic as ever.

Adrien perked up. Of course, there was a chance that this was just a normal substitute, but with what he and Ladybug talked about last night, Adrien wouldn’t bet on that. 

“Hello, Adrien.” Master Fu smiled, “It’s nice to see you again. I wish it was under better circumstances.”

“Work hard Adrien, I want to hear good things from your regular tutor when he gets back.” And with that, Natalie left. Adrien bowed to the Guardian. 

“Hello Master Fu,” he said, “I’m assuming you’re here because of what Marinette Dupain-Cheng and I discovered about Hawkmoth’s identity.”

“That’s part of it, yes, but not the main reason why I’ve come.”

“What could possibly be more important than the fact that my own father might be Hawkmoth?” Adrien said bitterly.

“The time is right for you and Ladybug to reveal your identities to one another.” Fu waited for Adrien’s reaction.

“No.”

Fu’s eyes widened, “I thought you would be happy. Have you not wanted to know the girl behind the mask for quite some time now?”

Adrien didn’t look at Fu, instead focusing all his attention on scratching Plagg behind the ears, “That was before…” he scowled, “before I realized I was living under the same roof as the biggest villain in Paris and didn’t notice.”

“Adrien…”

“No! I can’t tell her who I am now! What would she even think of me? I’m not even worthy to be a hero!”

“Stop that!” Plagg scratched at Adrein’s hand and he stared at his kwami in shock, “Don’t go getting it into your head that you aren’t worthy to be Chat Noir because you are! If your dad is Hawkmoth that’s on him not on you. And you need someone to be there for you and keep you from going into a self-blame spiral.”

Adrien sighed, “That’s what I’ve got you for Plagg.”

Plagg rolled his eyes, “Yeah, I’m glad you’ve finally figured out how amazing I am, but you’re going to need more than some stinky old cat god to get you through this. It’s why you even have a partner in the first place, so you don’t have to do all the hard stuff alone.”

“But,” Adrien was quiet, “isn’t that selfish? Isn’t it wrong to need help when it’s my own fault I’m in this situation in the first place?”

Plagg growled while Fu’s eyes filled with compassion, “It’s not your fault that Hawkmoth is active.” Adrien opened his mouth to protest, but Fu held up a hand to stop him, “And even if it was, it would still not be selfish to ask for help. The holders of the ladybug and black cat miraculouses are supposed to be there for each other through thick and thin, yin and yang. There is no shame in needing support from your other half.”

Adrien hesitated and Plagg flew up to look his holder in the eye, “You don’t have to do this alone, Adrien, trust us. We’re all here for you. We care about you, and so does Ladybug.”

Adrien sighed, “Ok, I’ll trust you.” He looked back to Master Fu, “I’ll talk to her tonight. I really hope you know what you’re doing.”

Fu nodded, “Good luck, Chat Noir. Now, I believe I was supposed to be teaching you something about the Chinese language, was I not?”

//

Meanwhile, Marinette was having a breakdown.

Tikki tried to keep up as Marinette paced back and forth in her room, talking so quickly that Tikki could really only make out every third sentence, but what she could understand didn’t sound good for her holder’s mental health. 

“Why now? What if he hates me? What if he just sees clumsy Marinette and decides I’m not fit to be ladybug? What if he tries to take my earrings and by ladybug himself? Oh no! What if he tries to flirt with me as a civilian too? What if he’s jealous of Adrien and tries to hurt him? Then we’ll never have three kids and a hamster!”

“Marinette, calm down!” Tikki interrupted, but Marinette didn’t seem to hear her

“How is this going to affect our partnership? What if we can’t trust each other anymore? What if he’s mad at me for lying to him to keep my secret identity? What if this ruins everything?!”

“Marinette!” Tikki flew in front of Marinette’s face, forcing her to stop pacing, “You’re catastrophizing again! Chat isn’t going to be mad at you, and he’s not going to hate you. You trust Chat, right?”

Marinette nodded with wide eyes.

“And you know that neither of you are perfect, right?”

She nodded again.

“So what is there to worry about? Yeah, knowing each other’s identities will probably change your dynamic, but it will bring you closer, not drive you further apart!”

Marinette sighed and let Tikki land in her cupped hands, “You’re right Tikki. Chat and I have been through a lot together and we’ve gotten through it. This won’t be any different.”

Tikki giggled, “And you’ll be able to see each other outside of akuma attacks.”

Marinette smiled and rolled her eyes, “I’m gonna go insane from all the puns.” She sighed, “Tikki, are you sure this is the right time? We have so much going on now that we have a lead on Hawkmoth. What if Master Fu is wrong and this is just too much too soon?”

“I think Master Fu is making the right call, Marinette. You’ll understand soon.”

Marinette looked at her kwami suspiciously, “That’s what Master Fu said, too…”

Tikki smiled, “Maybe that’s because it’s true!”

Marinette returned the smile, “Or maybe it’s because both of you are trying to sound wiser than you really are.”

The tension broke as they both dissolved into giggles. Yeah, a reveal would change things, but they’d get through it. They always did.

[alarriefantasy]

Hey there! Do you have any punk au recs? Can be either or both boys! I know you have a bad boy Harry rec but I’m hoping for a little Louis mixed in too! Thank you so much 💕

Here you go, darling!!! :) Hope this is enough, but let me know if you want more! :)

                                            Punk H/L Fic Rec

Punk Harry

oops, i like you by say_thanks

Words: 5k

He thrives in the attention, at the knowledge he makes these boys with their tattooed dicks and pierced whatevers, so hot and bothered. These boys with their confident smirks and broad shoulders and hands, touching Louis wherever they can. Louis reduces them all to a wet, moaning, mess, every time.

Usually he doesn’t see those guys again. It’s not generally part of the plan.

But then Harry tightens his grip on the back of Louis’ neck and Louis ducks his head to taste the sweat beading under Harry’s chin, kissing the ink curling up Harry’s neck, then kissing his way down to get his mouth on the god forsaken nipple piercings. He listens to the way Harry breathes his name, and for the first time silently asks, Can I keep him?

Clusters of Stars by Hazzalovescarrots

Words: 5k

Louis doesn’t have the best history with guys. When Harry shows up, totally different and covered in tattoos, things change. Liam and Zayn don’t really approve but it’s none of their business ey?

leave this house and i’ll burn it down along with myself by orphan_account

Words: 6k

“So I’m simply your guest, am I?” Louis asks, before leaning up and kissing Harry.

“Nope. You’re not,” Harry mumbles into his mouth, and he tries to ignore how Louis’ body arches against his, “you’re not even my living partner. You’re the princess I captured and now I’m going to keep you here, in the forest, all for myself.”

Purr Like a Cat by floatingsalad (orphan_account)

Words: 6k

harry wears eyeliner and listens to loud music and lives in a constant mess and sprays his hair with fifty cans of hairspray every morning when zayn interrupts his perfect sleep. this changes when the innocent cat-boy named louis enters into his life, flipping everything upside down.

It’s In The Love. by SS98

Words: 19k

AU in which Harry is sorta punk and never stops staring at Louis.

These Constant Stars by stylinsoncity

Words: 31k

Louis’ career has nowhere to go but up. He’s living at the height of New York City on the precipice of an epic promotion. Life is good and only getting better. And then one day, things turn disastrous.

Can I Make It Any More Obvious? by slashter

Words: 35k

[AU where Louis does ballet and Harry is the epitome of everything Louis’ friends want him to stay away from]

Beauty Behind The Madness. by ZiamsLarry

Words: 59k

Harry doesn’t meet the worlds perspective of looks, causing him to be judged every time he leaves his house. He never lets it get to him, because he knows that when he gets home at the end of the day he has the most beautiful little girl waiting for him.

So with just her and the lovely old lady down the hall who babysits her, Harry thinks his life is good enough for him.

Of course it all changes when the appartment across from him gets new attendants.

A Place To Call Home by Snowy38

Words: 90k

Louis rides a BMX and works in a diner all the hours god sends to keep his little brother Alex with him. Since their parents died, Louis has become mother and father to his sibling but he’s missing out on love.

Harry is a motorcycle gang member with a mysterious past but his vulnerability soon becomes evident as the two men’s worlds collide.

Louis becomes embroiled in a more-dangerous way of living but he helps Harry finds what he’s been missing all along- a place to call home.

Baby Heaven’s in your Eyes by theboyfriendstagram

Words: 120k

Or a sixth form!AU where Harry is the fucked up bad boy with too many problems, Louis is the perfect rich boy with too much money and their schools are right across from each other. They meet at a party and that’s the last (and maybe the only) thing they need.

Punk Louis

Sun-kissed Hurricane, Perfect Storm by iwillpaintasongforlou

Words: 7k

Harry is the quiet kid in the back of his statistics class who writes a lot and dreams about Louis’ cheekbones . Louis needs a statistics tutor ASAP before he flunks and the quiet kid in the back of the class seems like a good choice. Harry wants to help Louis however he can and Louis wants to see how much he can make Harry blush.

Forget Your Ex by PwoperNinjaElf

Words: 9k

When Harry’s boyfriend of two years leaves him for someone else, it’s fair to say he’s rather a bit upset, but his friends have a solution for him. Nick and Niall are hosting a start of term house party at their flat, having invited everyone they know from uni. Who knows, with a bit of luck Harry can find a rebound shag and finally forget his ex…

but he cant be what you need (if he’s eighteen) by lingerielarries

Words: 10k

the one where harry is sick of getting bullied and casts louis as the hot punk boyfriend to scare them away. louis needs harry to return the favor.

Opposites Attract by louisgrindsonharry

Words: 11k

Or, the AU where Harry’s an innocent little preppy kid and Louis has lots of tattoos and piercings and Harry wants wants to know why he cant’ stop thinking about the boy who walked him home.

In All Its Imperfections by BriaMaria

Words: 15k

From: Louis TomlinsonTo: Undisclosed Recipients

Hello!

I’ve asked the front desk and you lovely folks are the ones who are on the same level as me in the car park. I found a to-do list today that looked somewhat important because it has lines of poetry scribbled at the bottom that seemed like they might be for a card project. The stationary has a moose in a canoe at the top of it (and he is quite adorable). Let me know if it’s yours!

Cheers!

“Oh. My. Fucking. God,” Harry whispered, his eyes darting over the sentences again willing them not to make sense. They did, they did make sense. “Oh. My. Bloody. Fucking. God.”

The next thing he knew he was on the floor, staring at the ceiling, with a very concerned Liam hovering over his head.

“What happened, mate?” Liam asked.

Harry just pointed to his computer.

Liam bent over Harry’s desk to read the email. “What? This isn’t bad. Is that your to-do list? Did you finally come up with the inside text for those cards?”

“Leeyum" he groaned. “It’s what’s on the list.”

“Oh,” Liam paused for a beat. “Is it dirty stuff?”

Harry nodded.

There was more silence. And then, “Dirty stuff with Louis?”

You’re So Square (Baby I Don’t Care) by mmaree 

Words: 15k

Or a summer camp au where Louis tries to sort out whether he wants to murder or snog his perky co-counsellor.

Can We Talk for a Moment? by lululawrence

Words: 15k

Or the one where Harry is a shy, nerdy alpha, Louis is a loud omega punk, and there’s more to both of them than their reputations.

Saturday Detention by FallingLikeThis

Words: 15k

Five boys with nothing in common end up together in Saturday detention. Maybe if they can get past their first impressions, they’ll realize they’re not as different as they thought.

Or The Breakfast Club Au that was dying to be written.

the love is ours to make (so we should make it) by lingerielarries

Words: 19k

the one where louis takes some time off from life to return home, only to be met with a strange boy in pink and a flowercrown as the nanny of his siblings.

The Moments When My Good Times Start to Fade by paintsplatteredteardrops

Words: 23k

Where Harry is a flower child who works in a bakery and Louis is a guitarist who has no idea what it is he wants.

In Dreams by dolce_piccante

Words: 23k

AU. When Harry moves to a new city, his new flat come with a number of sweet, anonymous gifts and surprises that brighten his days. Could it be a friendly ghost? Another friendly presence in his new building is his tattooed neighbor, Louis, who seems determined to put a smile back on his face.

i’d burn this city down to show you the light by you_explode

Words: 23k

Harry’s a sheltered rich kid and Louis’s a punk with a heart of gold. They meet when Louis breaks into Harry’s house, Harry obtains an instant and all-encompassing crush, and they spend the summer falling into a whirlwind romance.

Life Saver by objectlesson

Words: 30k

Louis is a sweetheart punk with a theater background and a heart of gold, Harry is an inexperienced nerd who plays by the rules. Classmates, lab partners, and eventually friends, what happens when Louis knows he’s in love, but doesn’t know how tell Harry?

Open Up Your Broken Heart (and Keep on Wanting) by alistoney

Words: 49k

Louis works in a tattoo shop and rides a motorcycle

Harry wears flowers in his hair and does yoga in the morning

Somehow they fit

if my heart was a compass, you’d be north by cheekiestcheeky, heartsoftlouis

Words: 55k

Or the one where punk Louis likes to think he’s not clumsy, but he suspects he’ll have to accept it when he falls face first into a relationship with a head full of curls and his tiny human.

Give Me Truths by iwillpaintasongforlou

Words: 110k

Or, the one in which Louis falls in love with a fragile boy and tells him every beautiful truth in the world, as long as it makes him happy.

Lights Will Guide You Home by Cafelesbian

Words: 137k

Louis Tomlinson is his school’s resident bad boy and easily the most liked person there. He’s loud and confident and popular. He spends most of his time abusing his parent’s money or partying or playing football. He also spends a good deal of it obsessing over the quiet curly boy in his English class, but no one really needs to know that.

Harry Styles is more or less invisible at the same school (unless he’s being harassed). He’s shy and painfully insecure and quiet. He spends most of his time crying on his bedroom floor with a razor pressed against his skin or trying (and failing) to think of reasons to stay alive.

So, of course, it’s inevitable that they fall for each other.

[a-cai-jpg]

a drama review you never asked for

So yesterday, I started a drama by accident. 

before we begin, here is a little glossary: Itazura Na Kiss = Playful Kiss (Korean), It Started with a Kiss (Taiwanese), Love in Tokyo (Japanese) Naoki = the main male lead in Itazura Na Kiss, stoic, bitchy brainiac whom everyone is in love with Kotoko = the main female lead in Itazura Na Kiss, a clutz, sucks at school, is in love with Naoki Yanmo = the main male lead in Le Coup de Foudre Qiaoyi = the main female lead in Le Coup de Foudre

I say by accident, because it was a weird series of events that led me to click on the first episode of Le Coup De Foudre, and by the time I realized what had happened, I was on episode 26 and it was 1:20 in the morning.

Help.

I finished it today before noon because I watch drama in the fucked-up way where I kind of skip forward by 5 second increments when they talk about things I don't really care about or when they're narrating life lessons.

(I always wonder if I'm missing something integral to the drama-watching experience when I do this because I do this 85% of the time, but it's either this or I get distracted going on social media cause I can't freaking sit still.) 

(idk i think i still get most of the drama though. right?)

But I don't know, I really liked the drama. Not in the way where I want to revisit every scene on Tumblr and proclaim my love for it in the tags like I do with some. It's one of the dramas where I watch, and it just kind of sits heavily in my heart for a little bit and tells me to appreciate who I have around me.

Le Coup De Foudre begins with the ending, where the two characters are already together. They reminisce about their relationship from the very beginning, and that's how the drama progresses. I think it's that feeling, the in media res, the frequent analepsis, that strengthens the poignancy of the nostalgia.

It kind of reminds me of brewing tea.

(lol, midway through a scene, i felt a pang in my chest because i felt so bad for the female lead, and i paused the video and sighed in contentment and was like, "ahhh yes i feel feelings again.")

(sos)

So, I have been describing Le Coup De Foudre as the better version of Itazura Na Kiss--the better version of a plotline we have seen very often. The drama begins in a high school, stretches past college, and ends when both leads find their place next to each other as they leave school-life behind them.

And obviously, during high school, the female lead is failing all her classes whilst the male lead scores number one in every class. And of course, circumstances draw the two together, and the male lead grudgingly begins to tutor the female lead.

But, where Itazura Na Kiss has a male lead who is emotionally manipulative and has a side-hobby of rendering the girl to tears, Le Coup De Foudre has a male lead who is certain of what he wants and faces his feelings head on. There's no tugging back and forth and no unnecessary drama, but instead, a very natural progression from sitting next to a girl you like to finding each other again years after high school graduation.

When I watched Itazura Na Kiss (or the many iterations of it, either in different languages or under a different name cough cough A Love So Beautiful cough cough), there was an anxiety clouding the female lead. She treads carefully, trying to present herself in a version that makes the male lead happy. The male lead, on the other hand, is at a loss of how to address her feelings and thereby, ends up acting like an ass.

(Disclaimer: I don't actually remember much of the dramas. It's been a while.)

In high school, he is not mature enough to handle his feelings for the female lead alongside the stress of living up to his parents' expectations and figuring out what he wants to do in the future. In college, he is not mature enough to handle the admittedly annoying advances of the female lead alongside the new social terrain of unversity. Post-college, he is not mature enough to handle his new marriage alongside his stressful job at the company. From high school to post-college graduation, the male lead does not learn how to navigate a relationship where both parties' feelings matter and instead, focuses on what he thinks a relationship should look like. 

The female lead isn't faultless either, though her archetype has evolved throughout the years. In It Started with a Kiss and Love in Tokyo, she was a caricature of what her character should have been. In A Love So Beautiful, she graduated from being utterly ridiculous to being a little clumsy and a little too head over heels for a not-great guy, but the viewer can't help but be a little fond of her.

In Le Coup De Foudre, she becomes more. Her character stops being defined by her love for the guy.

I like Le Coup De Foudre because before lovers, they are friends first. 

(like. come on. that's kinda cute right.)

It's the softly veiled kind of affection that gets me. Like, when she pauses at the doorway to the classroom, and unlike last semester there are many more desks for her to choose from, but she decides to sit next to him anyways. Or, when he says something stupid and hurts her feelings and is stressing out about how to apologize, but she breaks the ice first and gives him a water bottle.

See, Yanmo is very much the same stoic, brainiac character Naoki was. But unlike Naoki, he is not afraid of his feelings. He doesn't want to hurt her, but his EQ isn't great so he inevitably does so anyways. Yet, he recognizes when he does wrong and takes the initiative to awkwardly ask her twin brother how to apologize. He admits to his mom that he likes her far, far before she even realizes she likes him. He gets drunk on a mouthful of vodka by accident and remembers this dumb thing she said about guys with ties being hot, so he grabs the tie of a fellow student and says he wants it because "guys with ties are hot." He faces his feelings in the immature way a high school student who's never been in love does, but he doesn't deride them. He doesn't think they are beneath him, or that he has larger aspirations and he's just taking a small reprieve from them to be with her.

(this is the kind of stoic male lead I like!!!)

He doesn't leave her behind, running to catch up. Instead, he's always quietly waiting for her.

And when they get together, he lets her fool around. He lets her take all the blankets, he challenges her brother to Chinese Clash of Clans and beats him senseless when he bullies his sister, he jokes with her in that deadpanned way of his, brings her soup when she's writing in a hotel, picks her up on the roadside on a rainy day, and doesn't reprimand her. 

I think this sort of character who plays on the trope of the stoic, smart kid, but fleshes him out so that he cries and laughs and puts other people before him is what makes this relationship dynamic work. There's no icky feeling like in Itazura Na Kiss, where the audience is constantly questioning whether or not Naoki actually loves Kotoko, because in this drama, it's so, so clear that Yanmo loved Qiaoyi since high school.

:/

The other characters are well-written as well. Qiaoyi sucks at math, but she's not stupid. She's shy, but she's not afraid of pursuing what she puts her mind to. She cares a ridiculous amount for other people, but she's not naive, and it's ultimately a combination of these traits that helps the characters save Yanmo's company from bankruptcy. Like I've mentioned before, Qiaoyi isn't defined by her love for Yanmo. She loves Yanmo so much that she pledged to think about him only six days of the week, and then four days, and then two days, and then eventually it'll be just one day of the week, but it never really happens. She loves Yanmo so much, but she lives the life she's supposed to live, accepting that even if he's not by her side, she still needs to work hard for her dream. 

There's no second male lead, so there's no dramatic I LOVE HER MORE THAN YOU EVER WILL screaming match where the first male lead stands there and clenches his teeth because he doesn't know how to proclaim his love. Instead, there's a loving older twin brother who dotes on Qiaoyi but doesn't forget to jokingly remind her that their parents picked her up from the trashbin. Instead, there's an emotionally mature first male lead who tells Qiaoyi he loves her and will be hurt if she likes someone else.

The second female lead is gorgeous and instead of kickstarting a nasty jealousy arc, she becomes one of Qiaoyi's closest friends. It takes a while, but she eventually recognizes that maybe she's liked Yanmo since a young age, but she never really fell in love with him. Instead, she falls in love with Yanmo's uncle who is the same age as him. Uncle isn't a good looking dude, but tbh, Cheng Youmei is pretty enough for both of them.

Uncle is the number one Yanmo/Qiaoyi fan. I like him.

Le Coup De Foudre is great, but I feel kind of bad criticizing Itazura Na Kiss, because it did make up a large part of my childhood.

(i was so offended when the wall outside my house fell and my fam was evicted and we had to live at a motel and not at a hot family friend's house smh) 

Also, there's always this little voice in my head whenever I say some TV show isn't good (which is very often because I'm a pretentious brat) telling me to stop being a hypocrite.

See, when I was in middle school, one of my favorite TV dramas was Meteor Shower, which is one of the many iterations of Hana Yori Dango. 

(LOL Meteor Shower is a whole other can of worms)

I remember I watched it when I was in Shanghai for summer vacation, and then when season 2 came out, I was again, in Shanghai.

(even back then, I thought season 2 was trash.)

When I watched season 2, I lived with my aunt. Because I lived with my aunt, and because my aunt is one of those more-pretentious-than-me people who watches British television and has a wine cooler, I remember switching the channel to something else every time she came by my room.

Which is pretty ridiculous considering I was literally watching a PG television show and not porn.

The reason was some time in my childhood--I don't remember when--I asked to watch a show--I don't know what show it was, it might've been Happy Camp--and my aunt looked at me, appalled, and was like, "You watch that kind of trash? Isn't that kind of show for idiots?"

And I was just kind of like ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

As you can tell, that conversation has stayed with me. My aunt is living with our family right now, and even now, I feel a little sheepish watching my dramas or listening to my music.

(let me explain. my aunt came downstairs one day, and was just casually like, "Liszt is pretty good, huh?" and i was like lol um what.)

(she sits on the toilet and listens to the orchestra as she pees.)

(help.)

This is partially why I have these questions. But the bigger reason why is because I took a shower and great thoughts and questions come when you take a shower.

Is a television show created with the simple intention to entertain the viewer somehow less than one with an overarching message?

How do you judge what is a "good" and therefore, worthwhile show and what isn't?

There is a Chinese drama that's received high ratings, but many people started questioning whether or not it deserved those ratings, because it was a simple love story between two people and wasn't particularly meaningful.

But, if the ratings are given by the audience, then shouldn't that mean that it is a good TV show?

(but then, when have the masses ever been the best judges for quality? cough produce 101 cough)

But, if public opinion is not the best judge for quality, then what is?

The opinion of experts?

(that's so pretentious.) 

But also, if something is produced for free, mass consumption, shouldn't its success be measured by its reception? And shouldn't its quality, thereby, be measured by its success?

I've always had this question about books too. Like, what determines the books we read in a high school English class? Why are these particular books considered the Greats?

Why is Shakespeare so famous?

(don't brick me)

When I was in Shanghai and browsing a bookstore, I heard someone say, "Let's just come in for the AC. Most of the books are 畅销 books anyways, and not worth reading." The group she came in with agreed.

I have seen the words 畅销 before, because I watch a ridiculous amount of TV dramas derived from 畅销 books, but I never searched up the definition. Based on the person's disdainful tone and the way people talked about 畅销 books, I assumed it meant young adult, or genre fiction. Something like that?

But when I asked my cousin what it meant, she said, "Oh, it means bestseller."

And I was like. ???? What.

Evidently, readership and mass opinion have not been perceived as good judges for quality.

Fiction is judged by the usual narrative devices--plot, characterization, flow, theme, etc. But, ultimately, I think it is important to look at reception as well.

Why does a particular story and/or TV drama receive higher ratings and viewership than another? Is it the fault of the audience or of the directors/scriptwriters/actors/production company/country's censorship laws cough cough CHINA cough cough cough/etc.? 

I think analyzing the narrative devices is an exciting conversation, but in media, there are more factors involved than just the author's mind.

And that isn't a conversation that you can easily have when your aunt looks over at you watching SCI: Journal of Mysterious Cases and scoffs. 

(cEnSoRsHiP and LaCk Of FuNdS!!!)

(this is part of a larger discussion around genre fiction and literary fiction and literary merit that i loathe)

(but i feel like i'm in it. i'm in the part i hate omfg)

I feel like a big part of why I feel sheepish watching dramas at home is because ultimately, what you like is an indication of who you are.

Like when people say you get to know a lot about a person by looking at their bookshelf or Spotify playlist.

But, see, this is a very unidimensional way of viewing the world. All these things are indications of who you are, but not definitions of who you are.

There are multiple levels to this sort of perception. There's recognizing this is what you like, generalizing it to who you are as a person, and then making a value judgment on you about it. 

(i.e. You like Harry Potter. You like genre fiction. You are shallow and have no taste in literature.)

But this process should end at step one.

Honestly, there's nothing wrong with watching trash television. Keeping Up With the Kardashians is difficult to put down once I start because I'm so intrigued by the otherworldliness of their lives. I routinely follow YouTuber drama because it's interesting and I'm nosy. Sometimes, I just want to watch two people fall in love and be dumb and cute and not get anything out of it, because life is complicated enough.

There's nothing wrong with watching trash television or a TV drama with unrealistic, poorly written characters, but I do think it's important to recognize the larger flaws of storytelling, especially when it has to do with portraying the human condition.

Media does an incredible part in shaping someone's perspective. I don't think there's anything wrong with portraying violence, rape, bullying, or suicide in television (provided there's a trigger warning), because it is an integral part of life. But, I think it is crucial, and also the social responsibility of content creators, to foster a better future through media. Media shouldn't justify or glorify these actions, but rather, acknowledge that they are negative and show the real world repercussions of them. If you are going to bring up these societal faults, you have to address them as well.

(this is easier said than done, especially when it comes to the smaller issues in life.)

Itazura Na Kiss is a drama that, in my 2020 mindset, falls behind on that standard. Not because it glorifies bullying, but because it portrays an emotionally manipulative relationship between two characters, where the girl is defined in relation to the guy, and that's that. Happily ever after.

But, Itazura Na Kiss also received incredible reception and was remade into a number of dramas and most recently, a movie. This is what concerns me. As our social consciousness evolved to respecting female characters and seeing them as more than an accessory to the male lead, how come the 2019 movie did not show that?

I can understand Itazura Na Kiss gaining traction in the past, just like how I can understand Grease being a very popular movie in the 70s and 80s despite being incredibly sexist. I struggle to understand it in 2020.

This is why I like Le Coup De Foudre. It takes all the tropes that were popular in 1990 and modernizes them so they become palatable to the 2019 audience. It creates two incredibly human and multidimensional characters and introduces them to a simulation where they meet in high school, 2006, one desk by the window.

(see, isn't it that kind of writing that's breathtaking and akin to the power of god?)

song rec: lil ghost - don’t call me davinci

[secretsocietyxmen]

Flamebug Oneshot - The Reason I Stay

I’m sorry for those who were waiting for the next parts to “Gifts From Herself”, but I have been DYING to write this interaction out.

WARNING: Contains mention of attempted suicide. If such mention makes you uncomfortable, please proceed with caution.

---Line break---

“Why?“

“Hmm?“

“Why do you follow the Sawada boy?“ Kagami continued. “By all accounts, he is unremarkable. he lacks intelligence, is overly clumsy, cowardly, and is all around pathetic. Why do you stay by his side?“

Takeshi chewed on her question for a moment.

“You’re good at fencing, right?“

“Well, more than good...“

“Then imagine,“ Takeshi interrupted, “you trained your entire life to be the best you can possibly be. You train so hard, that you end up getting seriously injured.

“It’s not fatal, but it means you can’t fight for a good while. You can’t even train until you are done healing. Imagine how it feels to make that be such a huge part of your identity, that the mere thought of being unable to actually engage in your sport drives you into a deep depression.

“That’s how I was when he saved me.”

“I had injured my arm while training. I wanted to improve my batting average going into a new baseball season. But I went too far, didn’t give my body enough time to rest, and it gave up on me.

“I was heartbroken. Everything I had known had fallen apart around me. I had thought the Baseball Gods had forsaken me - yeah I know that sounds crazy - and was ready to give up. I had written a note to my father, and prepared to jump off my schools roof.”

The look on Kagami’s face said it all. Her happy-go-lucky sword tutor, saying he planned on killing himself, was something she could have never expected.

“None of my classmates tried to help me. They either saw it as a joke, or didn’t know what to do.

“That’s when he came up. This boy I only vaguely knew from my other classes, someone who was bullied every day, someone who I thought understood what I was going through, had tried to talk me out of it. Had called me an idiot for trying to sacrifice my life for something this simple.

“He had talked me out of ending my life because of a broken arm. He gave me a new reason to keep living. And even though the rust fence we were leaning on gave under our weight, he still tried to save me.

“Tsuna had saved my life that day, and I will never forget it.

“Even when things started getting tough, I still stayed by his side no matter what. I learned the Shigure Soen Ryu just so I can keep him safe. Every day, I would do my best to repay him for his act of kindness,”

Kagami handed him a handkerchief. He didn’t even realize he was tearing up.

“I hope you can find a person like that. A person you would lay your life down for, and would gladly do the same for you. A-anyway, we need to get back to training. We were at Stance 6, right?”

“Y-yeah.”

---Line break---

Not gonna lie, teared up a bit righting this. I was SO PISSED they cut that chapter from the anime. Hope you enjoyed and didn’t die on the inside like I did.

@fantasyfandommaiden @copitix @seraphichana @royalchaoticfangirl @fireflywonder

[stylessemantics]

VII-2: Oh Marcel (AU part II)

Also called: The Marcel Smut (Read part one here)

Shout out to @overad​ and @legend-waitforit-harry​, my main babes to talk all marcel things about. Also to J(legend-waitforit-harry) and @harrysperfectdimple​ for being angels and beta reading this big chunk of words T.T you’re the real MVPs

Prompt: Harry, pitifully called Marcel as a sour joke, is a nice, young, straight-A student, with a bully that hates him on a personal level, and what he thinks is an unattainable crush on his bully’s ex, who he’s started to tutor and befriend despite how much he dreams of her in the dirtiest of situations. Maybe little old marcel has a chance?

In which Harry and y/n start to form a beautiful friendship, stained by y/n’s past and Jonathan’s blind rage.

Harry felt relieved as he punched his way through a boxing routine, happy he was able to move around a class due to the teacher cancelling on the original time, so he was free to pick up the sport once more at the gym close to campus. For some reason boxing helped him relax. Something about delivering blow after blow to a punching bag felt very liberating. Like screaming without actually having to scream. Only one thing wasn’t allowing him to fully concentrate on his class.

The instructor had told him to drink water and rest up before the next set of exercises and that’s when he glanced through the glass walls and door that divided the boxing area from the rest of the gym and spotted her stretching. Harry immediately gave his back to her direction and cursed under his breath, eyes blowing wide open. Y/N came to this gym too? It made perfect sense, it was close to campus and it wasn’t that expensive, specially for the students. But he didn’t think he’d ever run into her at any place other than the hallways, when they would, by random chance, intersect in the same building. His hands felt sweaty under the bulky red gloves as he remembered the embarrassment that was talking to her last time when she had come around with his forgotten notebook. Harry, with a fast beating heart, tried his best to focus on just hitting the bag, but his mind would wander and he itched to look back at her. She hadn’t noticed him and deep down he wanted that to stay that way. He didn’t really want her to see him all sweaty and tattoos full on display.

Although, when he thought about it, now that he had finished working at the tech place he had been working as a paid intern at, he didn’t have to wear the mandatory vests, so everyone would see his tattoos full on display when he went back to class later in the afternoon not in his classic button up. His contract ended and he didn’t want to continue working there. Instead he applied to go back to his first part time job at the bakery down the road. He figured he had saved up enough money working at a boring tech firm long enough, so he just waited until his contract was up and packed up his things. He was grateful for the experience and all the things he’d learned but he was about ready to go to a much more fun job that would still give him enough cash to get through campus living. It all worked perfectly with his changed schedule, plus he enjoyed the smell of freshly baked goods any time of the day.

He rushed to the showers right after his routine was over. He stretched in the boxing area, still cautious that y/n wouldn’t spot him, and ran to get clean and changed into some comfortable post-workout attire. Pushing his glasses up his nose he took a big breath before walking as fast as he could without looking like a lunatic, over to the staircase that led to the exit of the gym. He kept his gaze down. Maybe if I don’t look up she won’t see me, he kept thinking to himself in a clearly dumb logic. It’s not that he didn’t want to see her – God, all he wanted to do was see her, no matter when. And talk to her – but it was the latter he could never do when she was in front of him, so he would rather avoid running into her all together so that he’d never end up looking like a nitwit in front of her again.

It’s obvious that if you’re not looking at something other than your feet as you walk, you are bound to crash into something, anything, at some point. Which is exactly what happened to Harry. He felt his body collide with another body and with his luck, before his brain could figure out the shapes and colours, he already knew he had crashed straight into y/n, and since they were at the very top of the stairs, the blow had sent her almost tumbling over. His reflexes kicked in and his hands reached out as he pulled her to him, keeping her from barrelling down the flight of steps.

With wide eyes and at this proximity Harry noticed the light in her eyes, and the redness to her cheeks that was extremely adorable and making him blush and stumble over his words.

“I-I… M’ so sorry!” she smiled at him one of her signature sweet smiles and for a second Harry wondered why he needed cardio after all.

“It’s ok! Hi Harry! I didn’t see you here, came for a workout?” Inside her mind she was slapping herself, because what else could someone go to the gym for? She didn’t know why but Harry made her a bit clumsy. She liked his company; the sudden inexplicable nerves that came with it? Not so much.

“Uh y-yeah. I umm… I took b-boxing back up…”

It was funny to watch. How they both seemed to be at a loss for words, how they both looked a lot more flustered than someone who’d just finished a workout routine. How Harry still had his arm around her and held her very close to his frame. Although this one he noticed and he immediately let go of her, careful not to push her back too harshly, as he cleared his throat.

“Would you like to grab breakfast with me?” she asked suddenly and Harry didn’t know what to answer. So he did what he knew how to do best: fix his glasses incessantly. It was a nervous tick. He’d remove them and wipe them and fidget them back on, tap at them, then push and pull and push and pull as his brain wracked for something to say, or rather tried to remember how to tell the mouth the correct positions to go to so that he could form words.

“I just… I uh… I have c-class…” it wasn’t a lie. He did have class… In four hours. But y/n didn’t know that and all she could do was nod as she made him promise that next time he’d grab a bite to eat with her after the gym, to which Harry had to say yes – not that he wasn’t dying to – and continued playing with his glasses during.

Deep down Harry knew he would never be able to grab a casual bite with the girl that flooded his dreams, the girl that made him reconsider running the treadmill – beyond everything, the conversation had left him breathless and with a heartbeat he could worriedly call a doctor about – the girl that made his chest and pants tight at just the glance of her hips in the fitting activewear she donned for the day. But it was nice to imagine. It was nice to wonder. To think that he could be the confident guy who asks her instead, and takes her out and keeps a nice conversation flowing, enough so he can charm her in some way that she’d want to hang out with him more and more.

It was nice to imagine.

And he didn’t need to imagine it much because he found himself being silently beckoned over by a whispering y/n that same night at the library.

“Hey” she spoke in hushed tones as he sat down in front of her with shaky hands and taking a deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. Harry let out a tiny “hi” in response and forced his eyes to focus on the textbooks in front of him. Y/N understood, after all she was here to study as well.

It was hard not to notice her struggle silently after a while. She kept sighing and every time she erased something she did it a bit more furiously than the last. It was difficult for Harry not to take a peek at her exercises from over the rim of his glasses. With a small grin he figured out the answer to the question with ease in his mind, and leaned his hand over to her notes, circling down the correct option as she looked at him amused and confused.

“It’s Thermochemistry…” he whispered leaning back to pay attention to his notes.

“What?” was all she asked and Harry lifted his book so she could see the front. Of course he was taking Chemistry IV when she was on her second time taking Chem 101 and on her way to fail it again. “How?” she asked to which he just shrugged. Chemistry was his thing. He liked it. In fact he was taking it as extra credits, quite literally just for fun.

“I like it” Harry said taking a quick glance at the clock and noticing it was about time to go. The library was closing soon and y/n also got the hint, hurriedly picking up after herself while staring at Harry. To y/n, any one that liked or could deal with chemistry was a study case. It was her worst subject all through high school, and all the time she lost pulling at her roots to learn it made her eventually hate the matter, so she couldn’t understand how someone could get any of it, let alone also like it to the point of needing or wanting to take the subject 4 times, each with more complex topics than the last. In that moment, Harry seemed like an alien of some sort – specially cause his green eyes never cease to look extremely green – but he also looked like an angel. A blessing.

Harry found himself agreeing to y/n’s claims for the second time that day. Whatever she said – no matter how hard it made it for him to breathe and how much anxiety the thought of her caused him – he found himself nodding to. In his nervous tick he started messing with his glasses when she asked him the craziest thing ever.

“T-tutor… you? Me? I mean…” Her eyes were shining as they walked side by side down the field and in the direction of her building. She nodded excitedly, quietly begging for him to agree. When you put it in perspective it was logical. If you are failing a subject and know someone that could help, why not ask them to help? But even in his smart brain, the situation sounded so insane and out of this world. Him? Tutor her? His palms were already sweaty and his mind felt like it was starting to forget the most basic of the elements in the periodic table. Was it Helium, Lithium, Beryllium? Where was Oxygen again? Still, he was saying yes and agreeing on a time and a place before he knew it. 

Biology wasn’t his best subject, but he believed there had to be some substance she expelled out of her body to make him agree to whatever she asked for so easily.

“Not bad” Harry hummed, reading over one of the exercises he’d asked y/n to do, pushing his hair out of his face and sliding his glasses up his nose as he scribbled on the sides of the paper. Compared to how little he had explained so far and how much she seemed to be struggling, the sheet had more correct answers than he thought he would achieve on the second day of tutoring her.

Y/N was sat at his desk in his dorm room and Harry’s sweaty palms had calmed down a lot since she arrived an hour before. The whole idea of tutoring her was still crazy to him, specially when in the back of his mind he knew that before she was set to arrive, he had taken a nap and dreamt, once more, of her riding his thigh and moaning his name in his ear, and Harry just had to jerk himself off quickly before the real y/n showed up at his door. It was hard to look at her smiling face whenever she understood a concept, and not picture how much he would like to have her spread on his mattress under his body, or wonder how accurate her real life moans were compared to the ones his subconscious made in his imagination, but Harry was making his best efforts to continue focused despite the looming memory of that one dream.

“Awesome!��� she chirped back, reading Harry’s notes on the sides of her exercises and putting them in her backpack to revise later. Letting out a sigh she picks up the rest of her materials and books. “I’m spent, and hungry” y/n groans and Harry can’t help but chuckle. Thankfully the past study sessions had also served him to not be so stuttery and shy around her, allowing him to get somewhat comfortable when it came to talking to her.

To him it seemed like a miracle that he’d ever be able to be fairly casual around y/n, but he was handling it so well he even surprised himself – and y/n a little – when he let out a “Let’s go grab something to eat then” after she’d stretched and gotten up from her seated position with a smile after Harry’s statement.

That’s how, 15 minutes later, y/n finds herself sat in a booth at a burger joint in front of a Harry that she’d started getting to know slowly. Deep down she was also thankful that she seemed to be getting along with Harry smoothly, knowing how strangely nervous she would get around him. A few weeks back she was completely convinced that Harry never saw her as a friend, considering how he basically avoided talking to her, but she’s glad to see him speaking freely and see herself laughing along with the curly lad as they joke over what’s left of her serving of fries. And y/n didn’t know it then, but Harry felt the same way.

“You know…” she starts, intrigued and amused by how quickly they had grown more comfortable around each other “I always thought you didn’t like me” Y/N’s cheeks are flushed red under Harry’s strong gaze through his frames.

“What? Why?” Harry wonders out loud, fixing his glasses around. How could she think he didn’t like her? Quite contrary, he was shocked she didn’t already know he died inside every time he caught a glimpse of her smiling his way. Y/N shrugs.

“I don’t know, we never really talked much” “I did like yeh. I do.” the words come out of his mouth before he can stop them, and so Harry’s left scrambling to make sure his actual feelings aren’t exposed on the booth’s table. “I mean, you uh… You j-just looked nice and... and I never really knew w-what to say to you, s-so I… I don’t know I k-kept my distance?” luckily y/n nods, understanding what he meant.

“You know what you could have talked to me about?” “What?” “Chemistry 101. We had it together! Maybe I wouldn’t be taking it for the second time if you had spoken to me back then” she jokes, mocking anger and pointing at him accusingly, making Harry throw his head back in laughter. “Oh god. Yeah, maybe” he says, shrugging after taking a deep breath and sip from his soda “but I didn’t want you to hold me back” he smirks, biting back at her joke making her gasp in shock. “Harry!” and they both continue to poke fun at each other and fill the small restaurant with loud laughs that could easily get them kicked out if it wasn’t for the fact that the place was almost empty.

The laughs they share and details they discover about each other, keeps both Harry and y/n busy enough not to see the seething stares of one young bully from across the street. Jonathan’s fists tighten at the sight, almost drawing blood, and if his personal vendetta with Harry wasn’t already personal enough, this had just made it.

Walking to and from his dorm to class was about a level 4 out of 10 of a dangerous situation for Harry. He tried to do it early, or when a lot of people were around so he could blend in and escape Jonathan whenever he could.

And in hindsight, Harry wonders if he’d been more alert and less occupied on what he would teach y/n later that afternoon – and how cute she’ll look once again – maybe he would have noticed that, this time around, Jonathan had a hawk-like vision driven by rage and hunger for his target, him. Maybe he would have noticed that today Jonathan seemed a lot more angry than any other time he’d faced the broad shoulders of what many would call his nemesis. Maybe he would have been more prepared to receive the punch that left him blank for 10 seconds.

Harry couldn’t pinpoint it at the moment, but every kick and shove, came with a venomous tongue, like Jonathan had wanted to inflict so much more damage than ever before. Harry’s ears rang as he felt another blow to his head, and he stumbled back, books long forgotten and glasses surely broken at his side. Was this what getting the shit beat out of you was? Was this his death? He wondered, but thankfully a passerby turned out to be a friend, that rushed to his aid, and through a blurry view, he made the outline of a man that helped him back to his dorm.

Y/N almost about screamed at the sight.

“Oh my god!” she said letting her books drop to the ground and entering Harry’s room, grabbing his face in her hands and inspecting all the bruises. A purple eye, scrapes and scratches along his cheeks, a busted lip and dried blood all around his features. “What the fuck?!”

Harry winced stepping back from her and letting his body down on his mattress. He waved his hand at her, dismissing the issue like it was no big deal, saying it looked worse than it felt, which didn’t ease y/n’s mind in the least, as she dropped to her knees in front of Harry and took a closer look.

“Harry…” “‘M fine, S’just a purple eye and a scrape ‘ere and there” “This is not just a-” “I’m fine” he says taking a hold of her hand and giving her a comforting smile that does anything but comfort her, but she drops it for the time being, looking to his bedside table, where his spare glasses sat untouched next to the broken ones, and handing him back the bag of ice he apparently had pressed to his face before she arrived. Harry insisted on continuing his chemistry tutoring, claiming that if his memory didn’t fail him, her teacher was one for surprise quizzes.

“Harry…” y/n mumbled, poking at his side. He kept swaying and dozing off on her and her worry levels were at about 15 out of 10. “Hm” he groans, shaking his head as if coming back to life. “Harry, please, I’m worried” “S’ nothing. Jus’ a headache… feeling a bit woozy” “What if you have a concussion?” she presses on, biting her lip in fear. Harry needed a doctor ASAP and he was being so stubborn not letting her take him to one. Harry scoffed at her remark. “Christ, y/n, I don’t ‘ave a concussion” but his words were slurred and slower than usual, and the look on her face tugged at Harry’s heartstrings. She was fidgety and scared. He sighed “Fine… if it makes yeh feel any better, we’ll go to the emergency room” “Please!” y/n was on her feet and gathering her belongings in a flash, as Harry swayed to and fro, holding on to his throbbing head and taking slow steps towards her. Y/N tried her best to help the tall man leaning against her small frame on the way to her car, and in a rush towards a doctor before any of the very dark and horrible scenarios in her head could seep in.

Harry’s eye looked better and his wounds had been cleaned properly in a matter of minutes, by a nice nurse that kept reassuring y/n that her ‘boyfriend’ would be fine and she should stop worrying, but she couldn’t as she saw Harry, dead silent on a hospital bed and she sat by his side.

“No concussion miss, we’ve cleaned his wounds and gave him some medication for the pain, he might be a little dizzy and sleepy for a while. I’d recommend he sleeps it off” a doctor had told her with a soothing voice which relieved her greatly – at least the doctor had a voice that could calm her down, and the news she brought eased y/n visibly –

“Hmmm” Harry groaned, not bothering to open his eyes any wider than little slits, when y/n tried to get him back on his feet and towards her car after everything had been cleared up. Y/N took a deep breath in and out, trying her best not to worry anymore. He was fine. Nothing too bad had happened, and now he needed to rest. “C’mon you need to sleep” she gave him a soft smile as she helped him back into his dorm room and on the way to his bed and he groaned. “What time is it?” he whispered letting his body fall on the mattress. The headache was a lot less poignant and they had applied some ointment or whatever, on his eye that would help it miraculously heal faster. “Around 3:30, why?” “Ugh–” he grumbled – ”Have… a class soon”

Y/n’s hands pushed back at Harry’s chest immediately sensing that he’d want to get up and get on his way to a class that he clearly wasn’t in good enough state to attend to. “Jesus, no, Harry.” “I 'afta...” “You can’t attend a class this way. You need to sleep, and that’s final” she added with a stern voice anticipating his interruption. Harry let himself be tucked in by y/n’s delicate hands. “Can’t miss it… Exam soon” his words were cut short, his body ready to shut down, drunk with numbing drugs that he could no longer fight against. “I… I’ll go take notes for you, okay? But you need to sleep” “I have a… complicated note system” “Of course you do” y/n giggles. “I’ll try my best”

Any other moment Harry would refute, but just this one time he nodded to her words and allowed his eyes to close for a second, his bed had something like a magnetic pull suddenly, felt comfier than ever to his bruised body. “Just record it, yeah?” “I got it, no problem. Do call me if you need me, anything, I’ll be back after my class at 5, yeah?” and like a child being taken care of his mother when he was sick, Harry hummed an agreement and felt y/n’s lips drop a small kiss on his forehead. “Take… key” he says however he can, pointing to his keychain by the door so y/n can let herself back in afterwards, in case he was still knocked out from the medication, before settling into his covers with a groan of pain. And with that y/n left to try and make sense of a sociology class and Harry’s complex yet precise note taking system.

Even in a drug heavy nap, Harry can make the outline of y/n’s bare body in his dream, and it’s around two hours later when he wakes up alert, and much more relieved, that he decides he needs a cold shower for two reasons before y/n came back.

He takes a moment in his shower to think about how his life seems to be a dream itself. He still has a hard time accepting the fact that he’s been talking and hanging out with y/n more and more the last few days, and that he can now laugh and joke around her. His heart still beats the same erratic way and his blood rushes in his veins like it used to, and she still haunts his dreams most of the time, waking him up in a sweat and with an itch to press her down on his body, but now he gets to have the real y/n a lot closer than he used to and it’s messing with his head in ways he doesn’t know how to deal with yet.

He’s just stepping out of the shower and into his room, clad in a towel wrapped around his hips and with the cold air nipping at his shoulders, where droplets of water fall from the curly tips of his hair, when the door to his dorm is closed shut after y/n allows herself in. She’s confused at the sight of Harry’s bed being empty only to turn around and crash with his wet naked torso.

“Oh god!” she’s quick to jump back, mimicking his steps in the opposite direction. Cheeks tainted a deep red the same as his. She only gets a quick glance of his body that assures her he is in fact nude, before covering her eyes from the view of Harry with just a loosely tightened towel around his most important parts. “Sorry! Sorry, oh god!”

Y/N was frozen in her spot and so was Harry. He stuttered and scrambled his way around his room to get dressed, holding y/n by her shoulders to move her out of the way of his drawers, as she did her best to keep her eyes away from the image of harry’s tatted nakedness.

When it was clear to look, Harry let her know with a lump in his throat from how awkward the whole interaction was, and y/n made sure to peek through the cracks in her fingers to test the waters, spotting Harry fully clothed, she sighed and proceeded to apologise some more. “I’m s-sorry, I… I should have knocked, I just, god” “I-it’s ok. Uh, yeah…” his fingers came up to fidget his glasses around and scratch at the back of his neck in embarrassment. He tried to focus on the fact that the situation was uncomfortable, and not think of how in his dreams a situation like that would have a very different outcome.

Dropping his notebook on his desk, y/n told him all she remembered of his class, the notes she’d taken were messy but Harry was surprised and touched that she’d tried her best at copying his note-taking style. She had done it with pencil – so in case she made any mistakes, Harry could arrange them later on – and the scribbles on the edges had multiple arrows pointed to different notes and asterisks. He chuckled at the small ‘sorry!’ she had written at the end of the notes, probably when the class had ended. “Thank you, y/n, really.” “No problem, It’s so messy, but hopefully you can understand” she smiled at him, sitting herself at the edge of his bed. “It’s great, it really is. Yeh didn’t have to” he says with his dimples showing and cheeks blushing, sitting down next to her. “Which reminds me…” he says reaching back and pulling out a notebook that seems to be filled front to back “Right ‘ere… ’S my Chem 101 notebook. Figured it’d help yeh a bit t’have it” he hands her the book that is in perfect condition considering it’s been a year and a half since he last touched it or the book has seen the light. “Oh my! Thank you!” y/n’s smile is big and making Harry’s heart do a lot more flips than he thought was humanly possible or healthy.

Y/N couldn’t help but stare at his bruises, happy he seemed to be much more awake and no longer in as much pain, but still sour that he’d even had to go through it in the first place. Harry notices how she grows silent and places his hand on her shoulder trying to comfort her. “Hey, stop… I’m okay” “I feel so bad…” “Don’t… You’ve done nothing wrong and you’ve nothing t’worry about” he says giving her a comforting smile trying to cheer her up, but he’s immediately caught of guard by the shine in her eyes that looks like tears. Y/N surprises him by wrapping her arms around him, causing them to lay down on his mattress in a cuddle. Harry’s heart is beating rapidly, his palms sweaty, and his eyes open wide in shock as y/n lets out soft sighs and sobs on his chest. He rubs loving circles on her back, confused as to why this is making her so upset. “Hey…” he whispers in her ear, pulling her close to his frame “Don’t cry. ’S okay” “I’m so sorry Harry.” “Y/n, it’s not your fault, please…” he stresses, but she shakes her head and looks up at him through tears, placing a hand on his cheek. Her eyes are glossy and her sad expression makes Harry’s heart ache for her, he wants her to smile, always, no matter how taken aback he is when she says her next words. “It is, Harry. It is my fault…”

Thanks for reading! I’m working on part three so that it can be posted in a few days, a week tops. FEEDBACK IS GREATLY APPRECIATED PLEASE!!! I want to know what you think of this and why you think y/n swears it’s her fault? hmmm. Part three will be the last one of this little Marcel story but there are more Marcel ideas in my drafts and I’d love to write more about this specific Marcel if you’d like me to :)

Smooches Iv. XO.

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