#and then since the romantic scenes turned out so well they added a few more

[yume-fanfare]

what makes a good heroine?

( 1 2 3 4)

[three-realms-archive]

Dramatic Drama

“What the hell was that?!”

Mammon and Asmodeus yelled in unison, leaning forward to give threatening glares to the characters on screen. The pair continued to insult the male lead in particular, as he fell to his knees and grovelled for the forgiveness of his female love interest. They scolded the actor like he could somehow hear. The woman stood firm despite her former lover grovelling at her feet - and yet her face showed signs of pain and conflict.

You weren’t really sure what to expect, when you invited Mammon, Asmodeus and Satan to watch one of your favourite human-world telenovelas with you. They all seemed to love TV shows and books with plenty of drama, but you were surprised at the intensity of their reactions.

Well… Mammon’s and Asmo’s. Though you had a sneaking suspicion Satan was enjoying your watch session more than he let on.

“Whilst I’m not going to yell,” Satan began, “this is still idiotic. She literally just caught him being intimate with another woman, so how can she still stand there like -“

“Girl, you better not!” Asmo’s screeching cut Satan off as the Avatar of Lust clutched his fuzzy, pink comforter to his chest - Satan snapping his head back to the TV as the words “… but I still love you…” from the male actor floated through the speakers, along with some very dramatic guitar music. As he confessed his love for her, the woman turned look him in the eye with a softened gaze… much to the chagrin of your companions.

“No, no, no!!! Don’t you dare say you love that idiot!” Mammon growled, shaking his fist at the TV. You sighed.

“I’m glad you’re all enjoying this, but maybe don’t be too loud. We’re right next to Lucifer’s room…”

“WAIT!!!” Everyone (now including a very emotionally-invested Satan) half-shushed, half-yelled. The woman had offered the man her hand, pulling him to his feet. The three demons on the sofa leaned forward, in nervous anticipation. Asmo’s comforter was now on the floor, forgotten. Mammon was on one side of you, clinging to your arm like a lifeline. Satan was on your other side, eyes wide, your sleeve balled into his fist so hard the threads had begun to unravel. You decided to just lean back in your seat and enjoy the scene, knowing what was to come next. The woman spoke.

“I…”

Satan was seething. Asmo was chanting seriously under his breath:  ”Don’t do it, girl - don’t do it, don’t do it, don’t -“

“I… I…!”

Mammon had leaned so far forward, he’d slipped off the edge of the sofa - and onto the floor alongside Asmo’s comforter. He hadn’t made any sound, though, chanting with Asmo and gritting his teeth as -

“… I love you, too.”

And hell broke loose.

Satan began to throw things - pillows, food and books. Mammon threw his hands up and started yelling at a now-cracked screen; a thick book (courtesy of the Avatar of Wrath) lodged into the glass. A shrieking, livid Asmo caused the door to creak open only a few seconds later.

…

… A few seconds too late, as Lucifer opened the door to a TV remote hitting him smack in the head.

(inspired by a telenovela from my childhood that i've been rewatching, lol. something like this happened to the second male ad female leads, who are love interests - and i remember being so mad, especially since i shipped the second male lead so hard with the main female lead. i was also mad because they repeated this like multiple times throughout the series and i was like, girl no why this is the tenth time you've done this exact same thing. i was also also mad because the second leads being romantic with each other started so ridiculously late in the show i couldn't get behind it - and all of that culminated my young self raging even tho the show was so so good if you just take out that romance)

[boyfriendtaekook]

Jungkook AO3 recommendations !!! (nobody asked for but i'm still doing it anyway)

I've been wanting to do a recommendation list for God knows how long, and it's finally here !!!! There are TONS of great great works that can never be appreciated enough, and i'm here to show my gratitude by sharing some of them with others.

I think... You can find most of them on tumblr as well, but it's on my AO3 bookmark, so... *shrug*

P.s. I might just do another one for other members in the future ;)

Enjoy <3

Minors dni !!

Love Shop by @jjungkookislife (lanken) (wc: 22.9 k)

You wanted the boyfriend experience at the Love Shop... you didn't think it would turn into more.

2. In Motion by dailydoseofdia (wc: 175.5k)

Summary: The rule is simple - you can look but you can’t touch. You’ve been attending the event for a few times but it was only when a certain boy arrives at one occasion did you feel the fire of lust burning inside. Warning: exhibitionism, public display of masturbation, graphic smut scenes, mutual masturbations, mentions/use of sex toys

3. Damsel in Shining Armor by @jimilter (cevansbiceps) (wc: 44.5k, not completed yet !!)

Earth has completed a little over a revolution around the sun since Jeon Jungkook was brought onboard as the company’s CEO, but what does that change? Not a thing! You’re still his babysitter, he’s still an uncontrollably chaotic toddler, you still hate yourself for finding him hot, and he still needs you to save him from a crisis. Life is still so freaking unfair.

4. i know i kissed you before but i didn't do it right by royalwilds (wc: 28.1k)

your friend hana is known for putting together the best vacations for her friends, the most notable is her coveted couples vacation. the rule being you have to be a couple to join. when hana mistakenly thinks you and jungkook have started dating the two of you decide to pretend so you can go on the trip. the only thing is you’ve been in love with your best friend for years.

5. Créme De La Créme by BreadOfFoxy (wc: 10k)

Summary: The scale of supply and demand moves back and forth and your body doesn’t know how to keep up. Good thing you have a trio of thirsty cat hybrids to help you out when it’s too much for you to handle.

6. Tis The Season To Be Horny by Evafrechette (wc: 6.4k)

It's that time of the year, the annual Rosco Ave Christmas Display Competition and the fierce rivalry between you and your neighbour Jungkook has kicked into gear yet again. But the stakes are higher than ever this year when you both place a wager - the winner gets to fuck the other however they want. Who needs a sleigh when you can ride Jungkook instead?

7. STUCK WITH U by jvngkook (wc: 10.6k)

perhaps being stuck with your roommate during a global pandemic wasn't bad after all.

8. blank check by pantaemonium, sugaxjpg (wc: 44.4k, not completed yet)

“Let me get this right, okay? You threw my name in as your fake girlfriend because you needed to prove yourself to your empty-headed friends, and now you need to fix it. Still,” you paused, raising your eyebrows, “your way of fixing is not to disclose it as a lie, but to cover it up with an even bigger and riskier one. Is that correct?”

9. the proposal by @hansolmates (wc: 20.1k)

Jeon’s the editor-in-chief for Big Hit Publishings, a closet romantic with a penchant for antagonizing his assistant on the reg. When his work visa is in the process of being renewed and he takes a trip to Norway, his eligibility to stay in America is on the line. However Jeon Jungkook doesn’t go without a fight, and in order to save his job he offers you a proposal you can't refuse.

10. A Night to Remember by @yoonieper (wc: 10.7k)

Taehyung somehow convinces Jungkook to go to one of his ‘special’ parties after years of a dry spell. Let's just say he was not prepared for the night ahead…

11. Ace by sennie (wc: 24.2k)

Jungkook only cares about three things: Baseball, painting and his team, but soon he’s adding you to that list when love comes flying at him fast and hard, knocking him right on his ass.

12. Down The Rabbit Hole by Jeonie aka @jjkxla (wc: 73.8k)

GUYS !!! THIS IS IT !!! THE HIGHLIGHT OF MY LIFE !!!!!! ONE OF MY ALL TIME FAVS <3 i'll NEVET get tired recommending this one <3

Jungkook leaves a long relationship, doubting himself over issues that he can’t seem to control up until his best friends drag him down into Wonderland, a secret and vast BDSM community, the place where he meets and falls for you.

13. (s)he's on my mind by softskjin (wc: 27.3k)

You know when you’re having a discussion with yourself in your head? That very private moment? Forget it. Someone is listening to it.

14. Pub golf by @taleasnewastime (wc: 23.1k)

One night. One stupidly hot man, who just keeps appearing in every pub you go to. Six friends. Nine pubs. Nine drinks. Ten million stupid rules. Let the chaos begin.

15. Moirai by NoraBean (wc: 92.5k)

On your 18th birthday a name appears on your wrist. The name of your soulmate. It’s a momentous day that everyone looks forward to, but you’ve always brushed aside; refusing to believe in a fickle mistress called destiny. But what happens when on the morning of your 18th birthday you wake to find the name of your mortal enemy? Jeon Jungkook.

16. Show Me Something by dailydoseofdia (wc: 51.7k)

He was your first kiss years ago, only to become your first heartbreak the next day. Your life would have been much easier if only you would forget about him and move on, instead of having to see him almost every day because your best friend had fallen in love with his best friend. When your pal had suggested having a road trip for the final days of summer break before going back to campus, you said yes for a reprieve. Too bad she forgot to tell you about the two extra passengers tagging along. One of which is the boy that still has a tight hold of your heart without either of you even knowing it.

17. Microwave (Mis)adventures by @bymoonchild (wc: 20.8k)

The classic

Out of all things to be afraid of, Jungkook, the seat-stealer of your 8am class and annoying housemate whom you despise with every fiber of your being, chooses to have a phobia of microwaves, but he loves buying microwaveable food – because come on, they’re irresistible – and you somehow find yourself getting dragged into his microwaves (mis)adventures. Cue chaos, sarcasm-laced banter and an unplanned romance.

18. Falling Skies by @fortunexkookie (wc: 50k) (tw: it's an ANGST :( )

Jeon Jiyeon was your childhood best friend; her brother, Jungkook, was something else entirely. You used to be friends, but then he had gone from endearingly frustrating dumb boy to card-carrying fuckboy so fast it had given you whiplash. Despite the teasing and fighting, Jiyeon realized how Jungkook felt about you long before he did - it was a twin thing - and if you were her sun, and he was her moon, then she just wished she could show you how he reflected your light.

19. reading between the lines by Anonymous (wc: 51k)

You're an art student beginning your final year at university, and the assigned partner for your thesis project? Much to your dismay, it's Jeon Jungkook. You don't like him — he doesn't seem to try very hard, and besides, he's on the soccer team, and you don't really get along with athletes. Thanks to a lack of available models and a shortage of studio space, you end up spending a large portion of your semester locked in a tiny closet with Jungkook, where you eventually discover he's nothing at all like you originally thought.

20. Four Letters by @littlemisskookie (wc: 103.3k)

Your icy exterior makes it seem as though you dislike everyone- which is partially true. But the one person you truly dislike is the cocky frat boy Jeon Jungkook.

(+) Special shoutout to THE sub!jungkook drabble, piss baby by gothvkth !!!

trying out watersports with jeongguk.

I don't know guys... Listing all these wonderful fics makes me want to create one for sub!jungkook or sub!bts only...

Maybe one day... LMAO

[works-of-fanfiction]

The Love of Another - Part One || Cillian Murphy x actress!Reader

Summary: After meeting on the set of Peaky Blinders, Cillian and Y/N struggle to keep their relationship professional.

Warnings: Swearing, cheating (loose mentions of Cillian being divorced).

Word Count: 3.8k

a/n: I’ve been wanting to write for Cillian for a while, so I hope this reaches the right people! My blog has always been mixed so why not include some more fics with more people?

“I miss you too.” She sighed, sinking deeper into the bathtub with her phone balancing on the ledge. Dipping her head underneath the water, she missed her husband’s next words and came back to the surface with a small splash. The tub was filled just an inch too high, suds lapping over the edge and wetting the bathmat below. “I didn’t catch that last bit. What did you say?”

 “I asked if Cillian had stolen my wife yet.” Her husband chuckled, the laughter trailing off when she didn’t immediately respond. “Y/N?”

She sighed, this time in frustration, as she reached with a wet hand to grab the phone. “I can’t even tell if you’re joking anymore.”

There was silence. Then a stutter. “What? Obviously, I’m kidding!”

“Are you though? These so-called jokes about Cillian are becoming a little too frequent…” She looked up to the ceiling, mentally recounting the three previous occasions in that week alone that he’d felt the need to bring her co-star into the conversation. “You call me to check in, but it feels like you’re really calling to see if I’m with someone else.”

“Y/N…”

“Don’t ‘Y/N’ me. This isn’t the first time you’ve been weary of one of my co-stars. I’m not here on holiday, I’m working.”

“I know – “

“So, please stop calling me and accusing me of something you know I would never do. I married you.”

As much as her husband had always supported her career, he’d never gotten used to seeing her play alongside different men. Kissing and romantic scenes made his skin crawl, and now she was a regular on one of the country’s most loved shows and spending a lot of time around the same man, his suspicions only grew. He was well-known to jump to the wildest of conclusions.

He mumbled an apology, and Y/N made an excuse to cut their call short, tossing the phone onto the pile of laundry on the floor. Huffing, she sank back below the bubbles and turned the tap with her foot, adding more hot water. “Marriage…” She muttered to herself, sniggering before closing her eyes and dunking her head beneath the water once again.

She scrubbed at her scalp, relieving tension from the day, and loosening the insane amount of hairspray that had been holding her hair down since eight o’clock that morning. Holding her breath, she stayed underwater for a moment, savouring the few minutes a day she could spend in silence.

The hot water showering her feet stopped and she sat up, pushing her wet hair out of her face. “What was that about marriage?” A familiar voice asked, and she opened her eyes, vision adjusting to the figure sat on the edge of the bath looking down at her. “Let me guess… It’s not all it’s cracked up to be?” He laughed, tugging at the knot in his tie. His hair was fluffy and messy from wearing a hat all day, his collar slightly dirtied from the face powder the make-up team had spent the evening reapplying beneath the hot, harsh lights of the soundstage. Still, he looked like he’d barely done a day’s work and the way that suit hugged his body made Y/N’s stomach flutter.

“Definitely not when your husband doesn’t trust you.”

“And what reason would he have not to trust you? Because…” He stood, slipping off his shoes and pulling the tie off, letting it join her clothes in the corner. “I can’t think of a single one.” He shrugged his jacket off and hung it on the door handle, unbuttoning his sleeves and rolling them up to his elbows.

She giggled as he lifted his foot and stepped into the bath, most of his clothes still on. The water lapped over the side and soaked the floor as he clumsily knocked the shampoo bottles over. She squeezed her legs together and he knelt over her, lowering his upper body towards her, but keeping a hold of the tub to steady himself. “Cillian!” She squealed, watching the water seep into his shirt and trousers.

“Sorry, love. Forgot to ask. Can I join you?” He smirked, cupping water into his hand and dampening his hair with it. With flushed cheeks, whether from the humidity in the room or Cillian’s presence, she smiled at him, reaching out to run her fingers along his jaw.

“Wardrobe are going to kill you.”

“It’s a good thing they’ve got two more suits just like it then, isn’t it?”

“Hm, it feels weird seeing you dressed like that, sounding like that.” 

“Would you prefer I talk like this, Mrs Shelby?” He adopted his signature Brummie accent from the show, instantly snapping into character and gazing at her through furrowed brows. She stifled back a laugh, unable to take him seriously with his soddened shirt and hands slipping along the bathtub’s edge. “You’re not supposed to be finding this funny.” His accent melted back to normal through the sentence, a smile creeping onto his own face. 

“Sorry, I just don’t see Tommy Shelby diving into a bath on top of his missus.” 

“That’s because he’d probably be the one on the bottom.” He teased, dipping a hand into the water and settling it on her waist. 

“Don’t get too comfortable. Believe it or not I was enjoying my bath before a fully clothed hooligan decided to jump in.” She propped herself up and fiddled with his buttons, her wet fingers making it a little difficult. She started from the bottom and he gave her a hand up top, before he peeled the damp garment off his body. 

“Is that better?” He quipped, as she stared at his character’s tattoo which had started to smudge from a mixture of water and sweat. Nodding, she ran her fingers over his chest, smearing the design even more. “Are you going to wash me? Is that it?” 

“Well you need it. You’ve got more makeup on than I’ve had all series!” 

“Then let’s get these trousers off too, eh?”

Lying on Cillian’s chest, Y/N listened to his breathing and heart beating. The low light in the bedroom made her eyes feel heavy, but she wasn’t tired enough to sleep just yet. His hand absentmindedly played with her hair, gently massaging her scalp with the very tips of his fingers, being careful not to scratch her. These moments behind closed doors away from prying eyes were their most cherished. They spoke about their days, the hours spent together and apart. Y/N praised Cillian for his performance in a scene earlier that day, and he tried his best to deflect the compliment and switch the subject to her scenes instead. “Will you ever accept my compliments?” She teased, poking him in the chest.

“I will accept your compliments if…” He started, stopping to think. She sat up, looking at him in anticipation. “If you let us finally talk about your birthday.”

“Cillian…”

“You know the studio are going to go all out. You can’t avoid it.”

“I’m turning thirty. I’m ancient! This is not something to be celebrated.” Covering her eyes, she shook her head and groaned. Cillian laughed, lightly swatting her hands away from her face.

“If you’re ancient, then what am I?”

“Men age better, you don’t count. Just let me enjoy my last few days of being twenty-nine.”

His chuckling made her frown twist into a smirk which she tried to hold back. Gazing at her with sleepy blue eyes, he scooted closer cupping her cheek in his hand. “I seem to remember your birthday being rather special.” He cooed, his thumb lightly stroking the soft skin below her eye. She sighed, remembering the moment like it was just days ago.

Thinking back to it with such fondness was wrong. She knew that. One moment on her twenty-ninth birthday snowballed into something so much bigger, and the lingering thirtieth celebrations reminded her just how badly things had gotten out of hand. The lapse in time made it impossible to take everything back. However, selfishly, given the chance, she knew she wouldn’t change a thing.

“Cillian…” She whispered breathlessly, his face still close and mouth still hot against hers. He drew back, his hands remaining on her cheeks, fingertips brushing the skin below her earlobes.

As her eyes fluttered open to meet his, he suddenly let go, catching his head in his right hand. “I’m sorry. God, I’m so sorry.” He stumbled over his words, looking around the room in a panic, eyes darting to the door that was still clearly open, wide enough for anyone to walk past and see what he did. What they did.

“I shouldn’t have done that. Fuck, you’re married! What the hell is wrong with me?”  

She stood there, hands trembling by her sides as she watched his gaze jump across the floor, his feet struggling to stay still. Her lips tingled and stung from the contact, almost desperate to kiss him again, to feel his hands on her body. They’d kissed a hundred times on set; playing husband and wife meant that physical contact was just another part of the job, but he’d never kissed her like this. So tender. So slow. Their onscreen kisses were robotic in comparison.

“No one has to know.” The words spilled out of her mouth before her brain could catch up, her arm reaching out for him. He dared himself to look back up to see her flushed cheeks and freshly kissed lips, plump and pink, glistening and hungry for more. Something twisted inside his stomach, and her lashes fluttered innocently in his direction like they were two teenagers in love. She felt as if she couldn’t breathe, like his stare could burn holes through her body.

“No one – has – to know.” She stepped closer with each word, her body making the decisions for her. This feeling and attraction towards Cillian was certainly nothing new, but she never thought he’d return her affection.

Cillian searched for reassurance in her eyes, making sure she really meant what she said as her fingers traced the stitching along his sleeve. Sensing his apprehension, she slipped her hand into his. He sighed, the heat from her fingers sending electricity through his veins, a feeling that felt so right despite how wrong it was.

“We should get back to your party.” He breathed, the muffled sounds of voices and music somehow growing louder as if they were getting closer to the door, closer to finding them together. “Your guests they… Well, you don’t want to keep them waiting.” 

“Cillian.” She uttered quietly, pleading for him to look her in the eye and tell her she hadn’t just dreamt the past few minutes. She needed something, anything that would serve as confirmation that she hadn’t imagined it. That she hadn’t imagined his hands holding her face, pulling her to him, their bodies moulding together as their lips met for what felt like the very first time. This was no rehearsed kiss inside four cold white walls; this wasn’t in front of a crew of ten men with cameras zooming in on their faces. This was between the two of them. Raw and real. 

Defeated, she dropped his hand and headed to the door. Gripping the handle, she went to pull it towards her until Cillian pressed a firm hand against the wood, slamming it into its frame. He cornered her, his intense stare making her neck hot and her cheeks visibly pinker.

The kiss was hesitant at first; their movements staggered and filled with doubt yet fuelled by longing and the sheer desperation to feel each other again. Once each were confident that the other wanted the same thing, they melted into one another’s grasp, Cillian’s hands tangling into her hair, Y/N’s fingers clutching onto his shirt as if he could disappear at any moment. It was feverish, like a craving had finally been satiated for them both. They knew there was no going back now. They were in this, and they’d have to spend every waking moment hiding it from everyone they knew, both mutual and individual. 

“That means it’s been a year since…” 

“Since this started.” Cillian waved his finger between himself and Y/N, a reminiscent smile on his face. She never knew how to react when they actually sat and talked about their relationship. It was undoubtedly easier for Cillian, being divorced and completely free to do and see whoever he wanted, but Y/N was still very much married and playing a dangerous game. Every day she lied to her husband’s face and made fun of his insecurities surrounding Cillian. Little did he know, he had every right to be worried about his wife’s co-star, considering he was the one who wound up in her bed at the end of most days.

Cillian opened his mouth to say something but stopped himself. He knew diving into the specifics of their affair made Y/N uneasy. She didn’t like to talk about her marriage; she preferred to pretend that what she and Cillian had was healthy and real. If she didn’t think about her husband, she could convince herself she wasn’t hurting anybody.

“We should get some sleep.” He said comfortingly, wrapping an arm around her as she laid back on his chest. Y/N knew he was trying to distract her from her thoughts, and she was all too willing to escape them, so she closed her eyes and begged for sleep to come quickly.

“Happy birthday!” The cast and crew cheered, clapping and whooping as Y/N stepped onto set. She grinned in faux surprise having been pre-warned by Cillian that they were planning something. A table littered with cupcakes and cookies stood at the side with some crew members already lingering, hoping for an early treat.

“Thanks guys! You shouldn’t have done all of this for me.” Y/N smiled, hugging various people and receiving more birthday wishes as she made her way around the room. Cillian stood by the cameras pretending to look busy, trying not to draw attention to himself. To the outside world they were just castmates, friends at a push. People praised them for their work and chemistry onscreen, unaware of the true feelings below the surface, and the two had grown very good at playing acquaintances around others.

Reaching Cillian, he gave her a quick side hug and a friendly smile. “Happy birthday, Y/N.” He said politely, pulling a small card out of his pocket. “It’s nothing special.” He raised his voice to purposely reach those around them.

“Thank you, Cillian. I’ll add it to the pile.” She beamed, knowing she definitely wouldn’t be adding his card to any pile for anyone else to see. She didn’t know what he’d written, but judging by the glint in his eye, it wasn’t a decoy card to keep up appearances. It was the real thing, and he was playing with fire bringing it into the studio in the first place, but she’d chew his ear off about that later.

When everyone broke off for lunch, Y/N rushed off to her trailer, Cillian’s card burning a hole in her pocket. Throwing the door open, she was surprised to be greeted by a large cake on the counter, iced in her favourite colours with an obnoxious ‘30’ in the middle made from chocolate.

“It’s hazelnut. Your favourite.”

She spun around, confused, only to find her husband sprawled on the sofa behind her. “Surprise.” He grinned, opening his arms for her. She gulped, taking a step forward and leaning down to hug him. He shifted on the sofa, giving her enough space to sit in his lap as he squeezed her tight, feathering little kisses on her cheek.

Her body felt stiff in his arms from shock. It hadn’t even crossed her mind that he would show up, but it made perfect sense. It was her thirtieth birthday, of course he was going to come!

Glancing out of the window over his shoulder, she saw Cillian engaged in an animated conversation with the producers, throwing his head back with laughter. She sighed, wishing there was a way out of this situation, wishing she could run out of the door and disappear with him, leaving the guilt and the pain behind. Hugging her husband felt wrong. She felt ashamed to be dreaming of another man whilst the one she’d sworn her love to was right there in front of her.

“Are you OK?” He asked, moving so they could sit side-by-side.

“Yeah, I’m just surprised!” She lied, her voice high-pitched and shaky. She felt Cillian’s card crumple in her back pocket, but she thanked her lucky stars she didn’t have it on show when she walked into the trailer.

“I had to come and see you on your birthday. What shall we do tonight?” His arm around her shoulder made her feel suffocated and she hoped the ground would somehow magically swallow her up. She shimmied out of his grasp, standing up.

“The crew have organised a night out. I can’t let them down.”

He stood up, his hand settling on her upper arms. “Then we’ll both go. That sound fun?”

Nodding, she closed her eyes, cringing as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I have another scene to shoot this afternoon. Will you be alright hanging in here for a while?”

“What? I can’t come and watch?”

“I don’t think it’s a scene you’d want to see.” Another lie. The scene was a simple conversation between two characters, no drama or romance involved, but it was easier to let him believe it was something he’d find unsettling. The first time he watched her kiss Cillian in a scene, he couldn’t shake the sickly feeling in his stomach all day. As harsh it was to use his insecurity against him, it was far easier than the truth.

I’m having an affair with my co-star who I repeatedly told you not to worry about, and you being here is complicating things further, so I’d rather not spend any more time around you than I have to.

Yeah… Lying was certainly easier.

“I guess I’ll just uh… Stick a film on then.” He shrugged, sitting back down.

“It shouldn’t take too long.” She hovered for a second, then remembered Cillian’s card again. “I’m just going to use the bathroom.”

“OK.”

Locking herself behind the toilet door, she ripped open the card, stuffing the envelope into the small bin beside her.

‘Meet me in the wardrobe department at 1. I’ve got something for you.

Happy birthday, Mrs Shelby.

Yours,

Cillian x’

Her heart fluttered, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she re-read it a second time, then a third. What started as a joke between them became somewhat of a term of affection; calling each other Mr and Mrs Shelby. Cillian could certainly be corny when he wanted to be, but she was no better.

Checking the time on her phone, she had ten minutes to get to the wardrobe department and see Cillian before their lunch hour was over. Remembering her company outside the door, she counted a few seconds before flushing the toilet and rinsing her hands in the sink. She hid the card, pulling her shirt over her trousers so her husband couldn’t see a bump in her pocket.

“I have to go to wardrobe and get into my next outfit.” She muttered, fixing her hair in the mirror and rushing around to avoid making eye contact with her unwanted guest.

“Your lunchtime isn’t even over! Come on, babe. Sit down, let’s chat.”

“You know me, I like to be punctual.” She flashed him a weak smile, pulling out her phone to show him the time. “Plus, we both know how long it can take me to get ready.”

“Fine. But I’m buying you your first birthday drink tonight.”

“I’d be mad if you didn’t.”

He stood to hug her, but she dashed out of the door before he could even get close. Speedwalking to wardrobe, her mind raced back and forth between her husband and Cillian. She was supposed to be happy that he’d traveled all this way for her birthday. She was supposed to jump into his arms and declare how much she’d missed him over the past couple of months, not pray for him to go away. No matter what she did, she couldn’t get Cillian off her mind. He consumed her, emotionally, physically, in every way possible. She never meant for it to go this far, to feel this way, but she couldn’t control it.

Entering the room, she spotted Cillian’s shoes through the racks of clothing. She could hear him mumbling something to himself, but it wasn’t quite coherent. Once he spotted her, his face lit up, eyes twinkling as he gazed at the birthday girl. “Hi.” He whispered, edging closer to her.

“Hi, Cill.”

“I see you got my message.”

“I had to come and see what all the fuss was about.” She smiled, noticing a box on the table behind him. “Is that for me?”

“Impatient, aren’t you?”

“Just curious.” She teased.

Taking her hand in his, he fidgeted with the wedding band on her finger. It wasn’t hers, but her character’s, and Cillian wore a matching one in his role as Tommy. Looking down at their hands, Y/N couldn’t help but think about the ring that was usually in its place, or should’ve been had she not taken it off weeks ago. She thought back to her husband, sitting in her trailer watching some straight to DVD movie on the TV, counting down the minutes until he could finally spend some time with the woman he loved.

Cillian stole her attention, tilting her chin up with his thumb. “There’s something I need to tell you. You’re going to tell me I’m cheesy for saying it on your birthday but - “

“Cillian.”

“No, let me speak, please.” He went over his words again in his head, and Y/N began to panic as his eyes explored her face, pupils dilating. “Y/N, I love - “

“Cillian, my husband is here.” She blurted, exhaling a deep breath. His gaze didn’t leave hers, but the adoration in his eyes quickly switched to shock. His hand fell from her face, and he awkwardly gripped onto the hem of his jacket, rubbing the fabric between his finger and thumb as a distraction.

“…What?”

-

Next Part >

[superstarz9]

So y’all fw Mr. Puzzles hcs?

Cause I got some :]

So canonically, based off the emerging movements he makes going from tv mode to ‘normal’ mode and the appearance of his arms/legs, there isn’t much of Puzzles that’s human anymore. The closest things he may have left is his heart and lungs (since he smokes, but that’s also a stretch).

While I prefer the idea thar he smokes, I like to think that he only holds the cigarette and pretends to smoke with a small smoke machine in the back, since the cig isn’t actually lit in the scene (not on purpose, of course).

As a kid, he was inspired to smoke from the old cigarette ads in cartoons (like the Flintstones Winston commercial).

He loves cooking shows and remaking the recipes, but he can’t eat. For a relationship hc (platonic or romantic), he’d probably love making food for you and get feedback on his cooking (eg, more spices, cook more/less, different recommendations). And compliments, of course. Always gotta compliment the chef, after all.

Body-wise (and this one might be kinda gross cause of minor body horror so skip if not comfortable), since we’ve established that there isn’t anything organic anymore about his body, he probably looks like a wire version of muscle anatomy. He’s very self-conscious about this, and tries to hide it the best of his abilities (long clothes, wrapping his arms to keep his shirt in place, the gloves). To add, his brain is probably a unique motherboard with wires surrounding it like a brain.

He sees and hears through the antennas, and makes sure to keep then aligned as much as possible. If one of them is slightly bent out of their usual shape, things look and sound very broken, like your vision going in and out. To add, the top dial changes the channel from his expressions to a specific show, and the lower dial adjusts his volume.

Technically canon but he has heterochromia! His right eye is dark brownish and his left is light blue. (He has homophobia in his eyes 😔 /j /ref)

We already know he stims lets bffr.

My friend’s hc: His angry/scary/humanoid face is parts of his original face, as well as the face that glitches during the movie’s end (I stg I know where that face is from. I wanna say Jack Stauber but I know it’s some kind of claymation. Speaking of Jack Stauber, Mr. Puzzles kinda gives Mirror Man vibes, y’know?).

Since he’s not as human anymore, he doesn’t get sick normally. However, he can get versions of illnesses through similar methods. He can overheat and power off on hot days, and he’s probably not great in rain. His signal also jams when it rains, so he’d constantly be bumping into stuff and wouldn’t be able to control the channels properly (I say control the channels cause idk what else to call it but that thing he does in the movie where he runs all the channels in his head and stuff. His head’s still a fully functional tv after all). If he’s shocked with lighting or smth, he’ll lose his signal, which is his equivalent of going into a coma.

Speaking of rain, he’ll try his best to be on top of the weather and carry an umbrella. However, if he doesn’t have actors for the weather channel and is preoccupied with other projects, he’ll be stuck at the studio waiting out the storm. Relationship hcs for this can be rlly funny. You’d catch him all bitter about the sudden rain as he stands by the door waiting for a cab or smth. If you pull out an umbrella, he’s turn into an absolute drama queen. “Oh, it’s such a TRAVESTY! This HORRIBLE rain just WON’T lighten up! Oh, if only there was someone so kind and caring who’d share their umbrella with me!” You could a) not share the umbrella and receive an even more bitter Puzzles, b) insist on holding the umbrella and have him walk with you awkwardly, or c) give him the umbrella but he holds it so high that you still get wet.

Despite his hatred for the rain, it’s one of the few things he can still enjoy about his humanity. Being a bunch of wires and other tech, he can’t feel anything, just being numb, minus a light electrical pulse, similar to a heart beat. He can’t feel specific textures but can grab and roughly identify objects. However, he can feel the rain and how different it is from other things, and it reconnects him with the real world. For any Steven Universe fans, it’s like Peridot stepping out into the rain for the first time, but more somber.

If he’s out in the rain one day, he’s sick the next. When he sneezes, his screen goes static-y for the moment.

When he sleeps, he has a black screen with the small “sleep mode” pop-up in the corner. He’s also a very light sleeper.

When he zones out, it’s the Puzzlevision logo bouncing across the screen as a screen-saver.

Aight that’s all I got right now. If this does well I’ll post some more!

[aethes-bookshelf]

a taste this bitter || solas/inquisitor

Something possessed me to write this. Gods above, I don't know what it was, but I pumped this out in an hour. I haven't written fic since February, I can't believe this man is the one to get me to do it again. I thought it'd be Alistair or Zevran, or Fenris, but you'll get the egg instead.

I love me some angsty pining and unresolved feelings and since Solas is Solas, he's perfect for this scene concept.

Pairing: solas/inquisitor (can be read as self-insert as well)

Warnings: angst, hurt/no comfort, unresolved romantic tension, made to fit any inky, not just fem!lavellan

Wordcount: 1k

Summary: For a moment he missed the way their fingers wrapped themselves around their teacup, holding it like something precious, something worth touching; he missed the way he longed to be held by them just so.

Solas hates tea, but he promised he'd never forget them.

[Written to fit an Inky of any gender/race, not just fem!Lavellan.]

ao3 link

The scent of tea was not the problem to Solas — it was its taste. It didn't matter how fragrant its smell, how earthy or flowery the flavor's undertone, tea was always far too bitter. Bitter enough to twist his face with disgust, bitter enough to burn his tongue. Sugar made it a sickly kind of sweet, but the bitterness never really went away. It would spread inside his mouth like a disease, and each time he wanted nothing more than to be rid of it, to replace it with a taste that actually agreed with his palette.

The cup he was holding was nothing like the one the Inquisitor had used in years past, back when the sun seemed brighter and his purpose didn't weigh so heavy on his shoulders. Theirs was small and light, made of fine porcelain, and his was heavy, thick and tall.

For a moment he missed the way their fingers wrapped themselves around their teacup, holding it like something precious, something worth touching; he missed the way he longed to be held by them just so.

He pushed that longing down just as he had so many times before, the same way he did it over and over again as the years passed and the light of their soul grew brighter. He'd allow himself just this one sign of weakness, just this one moment of despair and not one more. It was for the best.

---

The sun outside was setting and the entire sky was on fire with it.

The Inquisitor was sitting in Skyhold's rotunda, a dainty porcelain teacup cradled in their hands. The tea was still steaming, its aroma filling the space around them. It was rich, fruity and sweet. They took a deep breath, enjoying the fragrance, before taking a tiny sip.

Solas stood nearby, a brush in his hand. He'd spend the past few days working on another one of his murals and was about to add the first layer of color. The Inquisitor usually accompanied him while he worked. Sometimes they'd talk — about the Fade, about the Inqusition's next move, about a book they'd both been reading. Sometimes they'd sit in silence, the Inqusitor watching and Solas quietly enjoying the attention. But almost always, they'd bring with them a cup of hot tea.

‘Inquisitor, if I may,' said Solas, adding a big pass of a bright, vivid red to the wall.

‘You may,' said the Inquisitor, tone light.

Solas' smile was small; it was gone before they could see it. ‘I couldn't help but notice how you always bring tea with you, yet you don't seem to enjoy it, not really.'

‘Ah,' they made a quiet, startled sound, clearly caught off guard.

‘I don't mean to pry, but I find it a little curious that you keep drinking it despite that. I assume you have a reason.' Solas turned away from his painting to look at his Inquisitor. His eyes were drawn to their hands and the cup in them; a sudden burst of feeling in his chest made him catch his breath.

Foolish, foolish man, he thought. He didn't let it show.

They, too, took a long look at the cup in their hands before taking another tiny sip. A mostly hidden look of disgust passed their face, but Solas caught it anyway.

‘It's a reminder.'

It was Solas' turn to be caught of guard. Of all possible answers. ‘How come?'

The Inquisitor carefully lowered the cup down to the floor and left it right by their seat. They cleared their throat as they straightened, looking a mixture of solemn and bashfull.

‘I never really liked tea, you see.'

‘You are not alone in that.' He let his nose wrinkle a bit for emphasis. Not too much, but just enough to be noticeable.

‘Oh, I know, don't worry.' They chuckled. ‘I never liked tea, but my mother always had. She had this big tea and cup collection she was very proud of, you know?'

They looked at the wall opposite to them, but it was like they weren't looking anywhere at all. ‘And she knew I didn't really like it, but she'd make me drink it with her anyway.'

Was there a shine to their eyes?

‘We'd pick a flavor, and she'd make me pick the cups we'd be drinking from.' Their next chuckle was wet; they must have realised this — they cleared their throat again. ‘At the time I found it rather annoying, but now, well…' They turned to look at Solas. ‘It's my way of remembering her, I suppose. Her and all the happier times.'

He was silent for a moment. The air all around them smelled of fruit.

‘I see. I'm sorry for your loss, Inquisitor.'

---

The drink in his cup smelled of fruit, but the scent wasn't quite right. He didn't know nearly enough about teas to pin-point what was missing, but he knew something was. A certain note in the smell, so familiar he could almost taste it.

No matter. This one would have to do.

The cup warmed his hands as sweet-smelling steam filled the air with an aroma that, to him, smelled like paint and sunsets, and a sky on fire. His eyes burned with tears he wouldn't, couldn't let himself shed over memories he had no right to grieve. Not after he had left, not before he was about to do something unforgivable and yet, to him, necessary. Something he wouldn't be able to take back. He wasn't sure whether or not that was a good thing.

He took a sip of his tea and grimaced.

It was so, so bitter.

[liaa--qb]

This might sound overly dramatic, but I'm so sad and disappointed right now because of all those horrible leaks. I know they still might be false, but honestly I believe that save for some details, they are mostly true. There are few things that sadden me the most :

1. Helaemond not being canon. I know that this ship has been controversial, especially among TG, but it really had a lot of potential and was one of my favourite (still is). And I don't care what antis say, there were a lot of hints and undertones in s1 about helaemond, more than for Alicole and look, Alicole apparently becomes canon in the worst possible way. Which brings me to the second point -

2) Alicole being canon. Don't get me wrong. I like this pairing, but it would be much better and more in character if they never acted on their feelings. Not to mention that two sex scenes in ep 1 (if the leak is true) will seem too much and out of nowhere. And to include it in B&C scene with helaena walking in on them having sex right after Jaehaerys is brutally murdered is an atrocious writing decision. F*ck you Condal and whoever is responsible for this.

3) B&C made into a joke. According to the leaks, Helaena won't be given a choice, there will be some upsetting details about getting naked the children and so on..and to have her walk in on her mom having sex with a member of a kingsguard.. Again, f*ck you Condal.

4) Aemond and the brothel madame. Why would he go to the same woman who SAed him when he was 13? And he obviously felt uncomfortable around her in ep 9. And to make him cry while naked in fetal position...I also read on reddit that they will include a mommy kink with breast sucking and whatnot... but this seems way too much and is probably someone's shitty headcanon. At least I hope it is, because if true I'll vomit.

And this is only the first episode. Idk, if this turns out to be true, I'll probably stop watching and it sucks since I really like this universe and was excited about s2. Two years of waiting and for what.. Not only the shortened season but also all this garbage. We'll see in few days, I guess, but I'm not hopeful. Anyway, thanks for reading my rant. I would love to hear your opinion on this.

Ya the way heard about leaks is sooo😂😂😂😂😂😂😭😭😭☠️ wtf they have done 😬☠️☠️

IT'S MY ANSWER FOR ALL QUES LIKE THIS FILLED IN MY INBOX CZ I GOT SAME QUES FOUR TIMES in different ways😅, so I am answering for them all but it's but long

See it's a kind suggestion from me very sweetly that it's better if you are not expecting something high from makers n watching it without any expectations because if we are hating just because they did some ships wrong then acc to that alot of changes were already done since s1, like Rhaenicent , Larys alot of things but we never had problems.

Listen I am kinda sad also but you know what..... be happy because you know Ewan and Phia are shipping helaemond🥰. They acknowledging it , loving it and adding some own elements to this ship is really amazing of them moreover just for a fan service.

Like "do it for helaemond" 😭 they are so adorable. See I knew very well that it's not gonna happen, I had a very less surity and that's how exactly it turned out.

But you know what not a single ship is going to have any good romantic future 😂 either all of them even Daemyra main centre couple is not being done well by the makers. What can you expect for others ?

because I knew helaemond had lit ceslu potential but it has to be done correctly and Ik hotd makers would ruin it or make it bad even if it was shown canon look at Alicole now. So being non canon yet addressed by makers and actors who specially said they would act on it for fan service is a kind of little serve.

To me it's like I won ( but at what cost 😭😅) but also winning well wasn't there on cards ever. Every ship is going to be destroyed by makers. see what they did with Helaegon(ik it wasn't any good already) but like I am crying on leaks ( I thought atleast this s2 helaegon would be done but better for Aegon's sake but no😭)

All ships barely are going to have small amount of time without any romantic bullshit, just in one or two scene then seperating apart n dying 😂☠️ as I said earlier so to me Ewan phia trying their own things for helaemond in background in genuinely a small cake😂. ( Atleast we have some scenes with them, idk if there would be😑😬 not expecting much)

One thing I really hate that you know they gave Juan and Cesare arcs to Aegon n Aemond making their pair up way intresting to watch. I really wish that Helaena was given the same authority or bit of freedom of exploring herself like Alicent. Sorry if someone as strictly religious like Alicent can do it then it was way easy for Heleana. And whole Borgias recreate would have been so interesting to watch.

I wish I could see Helaena scolding, shouting at Aemond for starting all this shit n hating Aegon for being a useless father after b&c. There should be a sense of of cheating or fraud when she sees her mother who claims to be a religious person but doing everything against it while she had to suffer her whole life with bad marriage.

Not seeing her any active is what which annoys me so much.

they gave her dreamer arc for Nothing just being ignored by her important family members.Phia should be awarded for her acting n carrying heleana despite of their dirty writing.

The thing is Helaemond would have been a shock and surprise more fitting for audience, making Helaena active with this part instead of doing Alicent dirty an don't even ask how I am feeling about Helaena catching Alicent and Cole . It was sooo😭🤦🏻‍♀️🤦🏻‍♀️😑

And most ironically funny thing is that same thing happened with Borgias, Cesare and lucrezia were not canon initially and never meant for canon, both actors said we will just play into into it but when I rumours started later runners had no choice to make it canon for later season 😂

So never loose hope or stop loving or hyping any of your ship or helaemond I would say because Ryan can pull any stunt any time. The way he is going I don't think he gives much f about book canon, he is doing anything he wants😂😂

So who knows... if he ever liked Helaemond he can pull it anytime 😂(I m not kidding) bcz Alicole fucking specially between b&c since s1 is so ooc I could not even describe. I am not even hardcore FNB fan but they quite messed up Alicole angst and guilt arc which could have been so beautiful. It's so inconsistent with their parts from S1 like what ?🤦🏻‍♀️

And I hate that blood & cheese should have been how Helaena is suffering instead I am afraid whole light will be thrown on Criston/Alicent fucking reveal.

no couple is gonna have any beautiful story so it's kind of better if they are just playing with helaemond behind back.

Atleast there is so much for Helaemond content and on other hand my other ship Rhaemond is literally carried by lil warriors Leo and Eva 😭 on their shoulder with that one scene for all seasons. I never gonna see them interact again😿.

And yes I also hate how Aemond is sent to back his abuser. Like they could have used any other female if they have to show his milf attraction or some kind of guilt kink something but not his groomer. It sucks he is finding comfort in her arms. Like these show runners forgot how all these characters were exactly in season1 bc such changes r so😭

Overall I would say don't leave the show just in terms for ships to be endgame as not a single ship is going to have any happy ending or any romantic drive in HOTD main focus will be on Rhaenyra, Alicent getting depressed and Daemon will be haunted 😭 but still it's your choice in the end😅 I am no one to say anything.

Now I am mainly watching for Aegon & Aemond n how other new entries like Alys, Alyn, Cregan or Addam are gonna introduced ( well who knows if Daeron is also gets his Cameo in the end )

if I am being honest just like the way I started this show after reading book without having any great expectations. It works better that way and may be for Ewanphia Crumbs for few secs if they don't cut their scenes of which I have very much doubt.

( while how I wanna see Ewan phia/Phiwan crumbs on screens in delulu mind😭😭 :

Like this is how I wanted Helaena to jump n beat the shit out of Aemond after b&c n that's how it should be bc that's his brother not any stranger, she had full right to , but there... it's complete opposite :

[redjadethewriter]

My Take on Season 2 Episode 1 of Blank The Series: I Had Another Heart Attack Watching It

Hello there, Thai GL peeps! Welcome back to my ever-growing insanity revolving around Blank The Series. Season 2 Episode 1 premiered not too long ago, and, oh my gosh, my soul died and ascended into the spectrum of GL heaven. It’s the place I wanna be when I eventually meet the true death because of this show. Who would’ve thought how impressed I would become? I thought romance was dead in my heart, but now I’m like, “Shit, this is too good to pass up talking about.” So, now I’m back to writing my thoughts on the episode and not waiting for the series to finish.

Since I read the book, I had some speculation on what they would keep, alter, or discard, and I didn’t think my predictions would be spot on. However, they kept the delicious parts and amped up the pacing. Let me tell you, I didn’t expect them to compact so much into one episode, but they did it tastefully, and it was engaging. I even speculated correctly on why they introduced Folk early in the series, as opposed to the version of him in the novel. Because of that choice, it didn’t seem out of place when Nueng received the call from him. He was worried for Anueng because she was getting drunk around very sketchy dudes, to be honest. In my opinion, in a real-life scenario, that was a sexual assault waiting to happen with how drunk that baby girl was getting, and those guys were looking like they were waiting to take advantage of that. Therefore, I’m really glad that in the series they gave Folk more screen time and actually made him closer as a friend to Anueng, rather than just a stalker boy.

Just so everyone is aware, the entire scene in episode 6 where Nueng is being cruel only happened in the TV series. In the novel, it didn’t occur like that after they slept together. For those who haven’t read the novel, there are spoilers ahead. In the book, Nueng didn’t say all those things until the funeral. Actually, in the book, Anueng left happily but had to go to class, which is why her alarm was going off. In the TV series, they kept the alarm going off on the nightstand, but they changed it to Nueng saying those cruel things. Personally, I’m okay with those changes because in the new episode on Sunday, Nueng, looking for little Nueng at the funeral, added more drama. Despite the book taking a more subtle dramatic route, the series turned it up a notch, which got me hooked. It made the scene so cruel but also delicious to watch. I liked the little addition of Nueng telling that guy, “I’m her everything,” in the scene where she goes to save little Nueng from a lingering disaster. I have to say, the scene was funny as hell. Yoko portrayed Anueng’s drunkenness really well. I wonder if they gave the actress a few drinks to loosen her up for the scene, but regardless, it was hilarious. Now, let’s get into the nitty-gritty of things.

The scene where Nueng takes Anueng up to her bedroom for a one-on-one is incredibly tender, breaking my soul as I watch it unfold. I’m thrilled that they kept the unbuttoning of the shirt scene because it’s a crucial detail that sets the tone for the underlying theme of BDSM in this story. Although this is soft-core, the moment when Nueng takes control of the situation with Anueng, who doesn’t respond to her affection, is significant. To be honest, little Nueng has every right to be angry and upset, having been betrayed and used by the person she loves the most. Therefore, her refusal of the affection Nueng is giving her is her true self, despite being intoxicated. Nevertheless, her intoxicated state hinders her ability to comprehend the situation and make logical decisions, which is disgraceful on the part of adult Nueng for taking advantage of it. However, it is important to remember that this is a romantic drama. I keep trying to remind myself of that, but it doesn't work most of the time. The character is just a "bitch" simple as that. Don't get me wrong; I'm talking about the character in the story, not the actress. Faye is perfect, through and through, 150 percent, even though her energy in real life reminds me of the wolves from one of the Caribbean Isles ***cough...Puerto Rico***. Charm that is slicker than sly. Someone is bound to understand what I'm talking about. But that's a whole other thing I will not discuss whatsoever in this lifetime or the next. The point is, she's perfect... Done.

Back to the topic at hand.

The fact is, Nueng has a deep understanding of Anueng and is well aware that she won’t let go of the opportunity to grow closer, even though it’s clear to the audience that Anueng still loves Nueng despite the issues they have together. Therefore, the detail of Nueng counting while buttoning up her shirt again is essential because Nueng enjoys playing the dominant role and being in control, while Anueng enjoys being dominated. Even in the previous episodes, there were minor signs of this dynamic. Anueng allows Nueng to tell her what to do, especially regarding how she talks to her elders. Anueng may act cheeky about it, but she still follows Nueng’s lead, regardless. I even laughed when Nueng slapped Anueng on the lap during their outing with Chet because she wasn’t speaking correctly toward him. These little details hold significance. And now, we are witnessing this dynamic blossom into something even more intense.

Now, let’s talk about the scene where Anueng gets a bit of revenge on Nueng after their night of bliss. In the book, it happened similarly, so I had an idea of what was going to happen, but the performance in the episode scene was perfection. I know some people might view Anueng’s actions as bad, but personally, I thought it was fair, especially considering Nueng’s attempt to solve the issue with sex. Let me make this clear: nothing gets solved with sex, no matter what anyone says. It’s simply avoiding the problem and not addressing it.

Anueng was still hurt, not to mention she was drunk, trying to process everything that was going on. Even though Nueng apologized, that doesn’t mean Anueng has to forgive easily. Actually, I’m glad that in both the book and the series, Anueng didn’t forgive Nueng so quickly. The actions that Nueng took were unforgivable. I’ll say it, being treated in that manner at such a young age, it’s just not acceptable. So, Anueng replayed the same thing towards Nueng, acting like the night meant nothing and saying, “Let’s go back to zero.” I laughed and thought to myself, “You go, girl. Don’t let that woman off so easily.” Let’s face it, not being vengeful is easier said than done.

And when Anueng dished out the same treatment to Nueng, it was to make her understand and feel for herself what it’s like to be on the receiving end, to be used. I didn’t see this as bad, because it could have been much worse. Believe me, women have done worse things out of revenge, so this was relatively tame. However, Nueng’s response made me smack myself in the head, and I literally said, “You’re a fucking idiot.” Why did I react that way? It was because of the disappointed look on Anueng’s face when Nueng agreed and didn’t even bother to disagree, especially after the intimate experience they had just shared. This is how I know Nueng is emotionally stunted as an adult. Playing it cool doesn’t solve any issues; it only perpetuates the same cycle of pretending not to care when she really does.

I believe that accepting the consequence of having the same dish served back at me would be justified because Nueng deserved it. However, what Nueng did afterward contradicted her initial intentions. This led to an entire game of Anueng trying to make Nueng jealous in the series, hoping for an authentic reaction from her. Unfortunately for Anueng, this plan did not benefit her, as Nueng tactfully flirted with Yue, even knowing that Anueng would show up that evening to complain about it. It is clear that they know each other very well, but the problem lies in Nueng’s inability to express her true feelings and desires effectively. She always plays the cold card, and Anueng acknowledges she cannot win against Nueng. However, I am relieved they could finally reconcile in the last scene and end their constant attempts to outdo each other.

I have to admit, I already have an idea of what will happen, so I’m just going to say it. Despite sounding a bit sadistic, I’m actually looking forward to watching Nueng break. I’m curious to see how they will approach this in the rest of the show, especially when it comes to breaking our Ice Queen. In the novel, Nueng’s facade breaks, and I’m eager to see that portrayed on screen. I’m interested in seeing how the actress will bring the character to life, leading to Nueng finally experiencing true anguish. In the book, it was bittersweet but worth it, and I hope the series will deliver the same emotional impact. That’s all I wanted to say. Thank you.

[x0x0josephinex0x0]

Stars & Butterflies

Summary: Minghao, an art student, has a secret identity, and you’re the only one who knows.

Content: fluff, friends to lovers, college au

I don’t think there’s any warnings needed for this one!

At the shrill sound of a whistle, the kudo athletes spring into motion. You wince as their helmets collide, imagining the sensation. After a few seconds and another whistle, the team relaxes once more, and gather around their head coach. You can’t hear what he says, but a few moments later the team shouts an unintelligible syllable and breaks apart.

You stand up, gathering your things from your seat on the bleachers. Spotting number 8 making his lone way across the field toward you, you skip down the stairs and wait by the fence. “How do you do that?” you ask Minghao as he pulls his helmet off, shaking his shaggy hair and grinning. Even right after a hard practice, he’s infuriatingly beautiful with his half-up man-bun and his caramel skin that shines with sweat.

“It’s easy,” he says, brushing the back of his hand against his forehead. “You get used to it after years of practice.”

“Well, speaking of practice,” you say, “do I finally get to see your magnum opus today?”

He gives a shy grin. “No,” he admits. “She’s not finished yet.”

You are one of the few people who knows the identity of TikTok famous “MoonMuse”, a talented artist who built an almost Banksy-like cult following through mysterious social media posts of beautifully framed art. He’d been commissioned by celebrities, politicians, millionaires and other personalities for his incredible gift with oil paint, harking back to impressionists like Van Gogh and Monet in his style.

It is, in fact, this tall, muscular young college kudo champion standing before you who is behind these art pieces. You only found out because you, a photography student with a penchant for procrastination, fell asleep in the lab, and when you woke up, you had to exit through the painting studio. He had been there at 2:30 in the morning, working on a piece, and you had instantly recognized his style.

He had gone on to explain to you how only you and one of the art professors knew the face of MoonMuse, and begged you to keep his secret. Something in his eyes — the passion, the desperation maybe — had convinced you to agree. Plus, there was nothing to gain from exposing him. It would just be mean. Then, you had asked him if you could watch.

“I can’t paint to save my life,” you had told him, “so there’s no way I could copy you.”

He gave you a half smile before nodding at the chair next to his. Turning back to the canvas, he began adding strokes to a magnificent flowered garden scene.

You had stayed there almost all night. Watching Minghao work had moved you — it was both soothing to watch and inspiring to witness the care he took with even the smallest details of the painting. Through his eyes, the world looked more colorful, more romantic, more beautiful than it really was. You found yourself wanting to live in the world he saw.

Minghao had insisted on walking you home, because you lived across campus and there was a particularly dark and dangerous street you’d needed to cross to get back to your apartment. The walk back had been full of awestruck questions from you. He seemed flattered by the attention, even remarking that since he never saw his clients in person, he never got to witness their reactions to his work.

“So why do you do it?” You’d asked, thinking about the way artistic work often relies on validation. “If not to make them happy, why paint at all?”

He looked at you, then, and laughed. “I don’t ever paint for anyone else. I paint to keep myself sane.”

This struck you as odd. It lingered with you as you worked on your own art, so much that you found yourself waiting for him every night at the painting studio. Most nights he never showed. Finally, though, he had. And, surprisingly, he seemed genuinely excited that you had met again.

This had been the night you had asked him about why he needed to paint to stay sane. Between strokes of his brush, he told you about how he had a painful tendency to give too much of himself. He rarely got to feel or process his own feelings, especially hard or negative ones. That was where painting came in. “When I paint, I get to make these painful things into something that I can look at. I get to make it beautiful so I can process it.”

He had laughed when he’d caught the expression on your face — in awe was probably the best way to put it. “I’m sorry,” You had stuttered, blushing.

“It’s okay,” he had reassured. “I…actually really enjoy how amazed you get about things like this.”

He bumped you with his shoulder comfortingly. You had looked up at him, and his gentle, open, happy smile had actually reached his eyes for the first time.

He’d walked you back again, and this had become your ritual. At the entrance to your apartment building, he’d stopped you with a gentle hand on your arm before you walked away. He’d asked for your phone number.

He’d texted you right as you’d arrived home — just to say goodnight, but also to tell you he wouldn’t be in the studio again til Friday. You had smiled at the butterfly emoji he’d used to close the text. Appropriate — since there were a flock of them in your stomach.

Today marked your 100th meeting. You’d fallen in love with him somewhere around the 33rd — you had invited him to come with you while you practiced astral photography. He had watched you set up your tripod and camera and asked a couple quiet questions, looking absolutely huggable in his puffy coat and beanie at the top of a rugged mountain. The light finally faded, and Minghao had turned his face toward the sky. “Whoa,” he’d whispered.

The sky was full of tiny pinpricks of light, never visible from the city, but here in this mountainous landscape they were clear. It was why you came here -- and part of why you'd invited him. For a moment, he stared, entirely dumbfounded.

Then he looked at you, and you had been shocked to see his eyes filled with tears.

"I've never seen stars like this before," he said, his voice almost reverent. "I couldn't have even imagined that they existed."

You watched as a tear slid down his cheek and fought back an urge to cup his face in your hands. A telltale burn behind your eyes alerted you that you might join him in crying, and you quickly hid your face behind your camera. But he looked back up at the sky, wearing the most peaceful and contented smile you'd ever seen in your life. It was hard not to stare at him. It was hard not to want to protect him from everything bad in the world. And it turned out that it was absolutely impossible not to be in love with him.

On the way back down the mountain, after the moon had risen and ruined any chance for pictures, he'd asked if he could come watch while you developed the photos. Surprised, you had told him that of course he could. There in the dark room, he told you about his life. He told you about leaving his family in China and coming to school to study art on a kudo scholarship. He told you about the bitter homesickness he felt, about how sometimes he felt so anxious about his choice that he couldn't sleep. He told you how desperately afraid he was to reveal himself to the world -- how much his peace meant to him, and how difficult it would be if he lost it.

At this, you felt your eyebrows raise. He noticed. "What?" he asked, a hint of teasing in his tone. "Am I getting a bit too moody for you?"

"No, it's not that," you reassured him. "I get feeling anxious about something that important." Then, choosing your words carefully, you said, "It's just that I don't get that last part. I don't know if you can lose peace."

Now he was the one looking at you with raised eyebrows. "Why do you say that?"

"Because," you said, looking at your hands, "peace is internal. It doesn't come from anyone but you." You forced yourself to look into his eyes. "Why aren't you at peace with yourself?" you had asked him, quietly.

"I don't know," he'd replied.

You had walked home that night in complete silence together. You had worried he was mad at you -- so worried that you turned to face him before you went inside. "Minghao, I --"

But he had stopped your apology by bringing you into a big hug. He smelled like clean laundry and the pine woods you'd left only a few hours earlier. "Don't you dare," he said with a laugh in his voice. "I'm just thinking about what you said. I'm not upset." He seemed a little quiet the next few days, but then he got better.

Indeed, today he seemed to smile much easier than he had when you'd first met him. Right now, with the fresh springtime air on his skin as you walked to his apartment next to the painting studio, he almost had a spring in his step. "You're chipper," you say to him, laughing as he grins widely at you.

"I am," he replies, opening the apartment door for you. "I'll shower and then I have something to give you."

You nod, pulling out your laptop and working on some homework while he gets cleaned off. He comes out from the bathroom looking a little flushed, his hair still wet, and you can hardly take your eyes off him. He smiles at you, patting the side of his hair with a towel. "It's at the studio," he says.

He grabs your hand, whirling you around and pulling you down the stairs to the studio. Placing both hands over your eyes, he guides you through the studio until you come to a stop. Then he lifts his hands from your eyes, placing them instead on your shoulders.

You stare at a medium-sized canvas on which he's painted the most stunningly beautiful picture you've ever seen. It's a mountaintop at night, the stars enchantingly close and vibrantly colored in shades of orange and yellow, beaming down at two small shadowy figures who seem to be gazing up at them in awe. The painting is full of priceless wonder and joy. "This...is amazing," you say, trying not to choke up.

"It's that night," he says, watching your face eagerly, almost hungrily, to discern how you're feeling. "You remember?"

"Of course," you say, nodding. You let out a big gust of air. "I honestly can't understand how you plan on topping this. This isn't your magnum opus?"

He looks at the ground shyly. "Honestly, this is a kid's crayon drawing compared to that one."

Your jaw drops. "I'm not trying to doubt your skill," you say, "but I can't imagine anything more beautiful than this." You approach the painting, almost wanting to touch it, but thinking better of it.

"I can," he says quietly behind you. You look over your shoulder to see him beaming at you. "You can touch it," he adds. "It's yours."

"Mine?" you gasp. "Minghao, I can't. I mean, this should be in an art museum."

"Crazy how it's gonna hang in your house, huh?" he says stubbornly. "Seriously, it's yours."

"What if someone asks where I got it from?"

"Tell the truth," he says. "MoonMuse."

"Then they'll know I know who you are."

He shrugs. "That's okay with me."

You grow desperate. "This is seriously too much. I wish I had somewhere beautiful to put this up, but I don't! It deserves to be seen."

"It will be seen by the eyes that matter," he insists. You blush, but then a noise at the door makes you jump.

"Hey," says a girl at the door. "What is that?"

"A painting," Minghao says tersely. "Who are you?"

But she ignores him. "Whoa," she says, pushing past you to stand right in front of the painting. You wince as she touches it with a greasy finger. "I heard MoonMuse goes to school here, but I never thought..."

"How did you hear that?" you ask, your voice sharp.

She pulls out her phone and shows you a video. It's a sneakily filmed video of Minghao painting. You are sitting in the corner watching in the video, and he says something that makes you laugh. You suddenly feel dizzy as the video cuts to a headline about MoonMuse's identity being revealed. The video says that the person filming realized it was Minghao after he saw what he was painting in his room.

The room painting flashes onto the screen, and you cover your mouth with your hands.

It's a poor-quality image of what looks like a masterpiece. The painting looks familiar. The hair, the eyes, even the nose...

It's you.

Given Minghao's impressionistic style, it's more colorful and more beautiful than you, but it's unmistakeable. He perfectly captured you caught in a laugh, with your hair blowing off your shoulder. You look at him, and he's staring at you with his mouth open in horror.

Unable to bear it, you run out of the studio, into the golden sunset, as tears sting your eyes. You haven't made it four steps before you hear him calling your name.

You whirl around to see Minghao following you. "Why did you run away?" he asks you.

"They found out," you say, panicked, as a tear splashes onto your cheek. "I'm so sorry -- I think it's my fault, Minghao."

He actually takes a step forward to brush the tear off your face. "I mean, it was kind of inevitable. I had to come forward at some point, right?" He keeps his hand on your face. "But I need to ask you something."

"What?" you ask, looking up at him.

He puts his other hand on your other cheek, cradling your face in his hands. "What did you think of the painting?" he says, looking into your eyes with an intensity that makes your stomach turn over.

You suddenly remember. "Oh," you say, and blush.

He swallows hard before continuing. "I painted my whole heart into that painting. That picture really didn't do it justice, and it really isn't finished, and I'm not thrilled that you saw it before I really figured out what to say to you."

"It was beautiful," you tell him honestly. "More beautiful than I deserve, honestly."

He tsks in disapproval. "It's you," he insists. “It’s exactly what I see when I see you.”

You are speechless. He laughs a little at your expression before continuing. “That day on the mountain, and after in the dark room, I saw that you had been healing something you didn’t hurt. I don’t remember ever feeling this cared for, and that means a lot to me.” He pulls you in so your noses are almost touching. “Please stay with me.”

You feel yourself trembling at the closeness of him - surprised that although you’ve spent a stupid amount of time daydreaming about having him hold you like this, it still feels so new and crazy and wonderful. You nod. “Okay.”

He smiles - brilliant, blinding. You can no longer resist reaching for him — feeling the warmth of his cheek against your fingers, brushing his soft hair from his temple, just like you’d imagined but better, and Minghao spins you around in giddy joy.

He sets you down, your faces still close together. You both look at each other with huge smiles, and he uses a finger to tilt your chin up. His eyes drop to your lips and then back to your eyes — a question.

You answer without speaking, just smiling into his eyes. He moves in, slowly, giving a brief but impossibly sweet kiss. His arms tighten around your waist as the kiss deepens. You feel a knot of tension in your chest dissolve, and you melt into him, kissing him back with gusto. Throwing your arms around his neck, you let him kiss you into oblivion.

It seems like several days before you finally stop, standing with foreheads together, breathing each other in. “I love you,” he whispers.

“I love you back,” you whisper in return.

[edensbuttercups]

Adding a little continuation to this for @toothhurtyam because I love you and you deserve more Fanboy content 💕

(Sorry but Ash is still my peak cosy Danny Ramirez look) ---

A week had passed since your dinner date with Mickey, and the two of you had been texting almost every day, still meeting at the Hard Deck whenever you worked.

“Hangman, I think they’re waiting for you at the pool tables.” You said playfully, rolling his eyes at him when he groaned. “As much as I love kicking ass, I quite enjoy talking to you.” He hummed, flashing you his signature grin and taking a sip of his beer. Surprisingly, you and Hangman ended up becoming fairly good friends, if you could call each other that, fairly quickly, just like it happened with the rest of the squad. You looked at him, then let your gaze fall behind him, seeing Fanboy looking over, downing his beer and standing up, approaching you and Hangman with a grin. He placed the empty bottle on the counter and narrowed his eyes at Hangman, before giving you a warm smile. “Hello, Bartender.” He muttered, leaning his head in his hand, “Fancy meeting you here,” He said, just like he had when you showed up at his place. “We keep meeting, Garcia.” You teased, reaching for another bottle and placing it in front of him with a smile. “You’re stealing my attention.” Hangman pouted, looking at Fanboy, then at you, shaking his head when he decided that there likely wasn’t gonna be a conversation for him to join in here, if how you and Fanboy were looking at each other was anything to go by. “Gonna go show Coyote how to properly throw a dart. He might learn this time.” He hummed, standing and tipping his beer towards the two of you, walking back to the tables. “Jealous?” you teased, watching Fanboy’s shoulders relax as Hangman walked away. “Not quite. I’m pretty sure Hangman can’t cook as well as I do.” He grinned confidently at you. “I can find out.” You joked, pretending to raise your hand to call Hangman, smiling when he pulled your hand down, shaking his head and chuckling. “Nope. But you can find out if we have a similar taste in movies.” He said, sighing at his own words. “Not my smoothest way of inviting you to watch a movie at my place, so I’ll just clarify. Want to come over to my place tomorrow for movie night?” He asked, scratching behind his neck. “I’ll bring snacks.” You agreed, smiling when his smile matched your own, nodding contently before walking back to the squad, turning around to look at you just before reaching them to send you another smile, clearly happy that you’d be coming over. 

You arrived at his apartment, arms loaded with snacks and drinks, struggling to knock on his door and chuckling when he somehow heard you, opening the door for you and inviting you in. You took him in, an old comfy t-shirt that you had seen once before, when he came to keep you company during your shift on a day off, and you couldn’t help but smile at how good he looked, the dark cotton and bright-colored design making his skin glow.  "Hey, you made it!" he called, stepping in and closing the door behind him. "What did you bring? Please tell me you got some sour patch kids." You chuckled, holding up the bag of candy. "Of course, I did. And I brought some popcorn, chips, and soda too." "Yep, spotted the popcorn, and the chips," he grinned, leading you to the living room where he had set up a cozy little movie-watching area. “This looks good.” You hummed, sitting down as you waited for him to grab a few bowls for all the snacks and some glasses, leaning back against the pillows. He smirked, setting the snacks down in front of you, “tried my best”, he murmured. You munched on some popcorn as Mickey cued up the movie. It was an old romantic comedy, and you found yourself laughing and snuggling up to him as the story played out on the screen.

About halfway through the movie, there was a particularly funny scene, and you found yourself laughing, leaning into him as you did so, his arm squeezing you gently as he laughed as well. You looked up at Mickey, who was staring at you with an amused expression. "What?" you asked, trying to stifle your laughter. "You snorted," he said, grinning. You rolled your eyes, swatting at him playfully. "Shut up." He chuckled, pulling you closer to him. "It's cute," he said, looking down at you, his concentration no longer on the movie. You felt your cheeks flush at his words, but you couldn't help but feel flattered. "Thanks," you said, snuggling into him even more. "I'm glad you think so." Mickey smiled, his hand moving up to gently stroke your hair. "I always think so," he said softly, his eyes locking with yours. "You're beautiful and funny and so damn charming. It's hard not to be completely smitten with you." You felt your heart flutter at his words. "I could say the same about you," you said, reaching up to run a finger along his jawline, gently tilting his face towards you. He leaned in, his lips brushing against yours, soft and gentle.

You melted into the kiss, feeling his arms wrap around you as you sighed against his lips, feeling all the tension of the week slip away. "You know, that movie wasn't nearly as good as this," he joked, gesturing to the two of you sitting on the couch. You laughed, feeling warm and happy. "I have to agree." He leaned in and kissed you again, deeper this time, his fingers threading through your hair. You lost yourself in the sensation, feeling completely content and comfortable in his arms.

After a few minutes, he pulled back, his forehead resting against yours. "I have something for you," he said, reaching over to grab something off the coffee table. He handed you a small, intricately folded paper crane. You recognized it immediately as an origami, remembering when he had mentioned that he enjoyed doing it in his free time, starting it as a small hobby back when he was at the Academy. "I made it while I was waiting for you," he admitted, his cheeks turning slightly pink. You carefully examined the paper crane, marveling at the precise folds and intricate details. "It's beautiful," you said, looking up at him with a smile. "It's not much, but I wanted to give it to you," he said, rubbing the back of his neck. "It's lovely," you said, feeling touched by the gesture. "Thank you." He grinned, looking relieved. "I'm glad you like it." You set the paper crane down on the coffee table, reaching up to pull him closer, pressing a delicate kiss on his lips, feeling his arms wrap around you again and hold you close. 

[beehiveofblorbos]

Wait if I can ask you for any character breakdown, then can you break down Tsurugi Kinjo? No pressure ofc

Sure! I’m pretty glad you asked this anyway, in retrospect. I should clarify a few things.

When I watched DRA the first time, Tsurugi Kinjo was, for me, a fairly likable character. In the first chapter, he was simply the type who kept order, which was fine but not really a draw for me personally. After all, I don’t see him as adorably earnest as Taka is, and I was biased towards the Impostor from the start.

The second chapter is when he got interesting to me. I liked him going in, and his “preliminary criminal” concept, as well as how psycho/determined he was to stop the killing game. It added a layer of interest and conflict to the group dynamic that entertained me. To see him as a protective character was cool too!

But I couldn’t see how he would be allowed to continue on like this, and certainly not for long. So I thought he’d die (a lot, really, kept guessing it until ch4 began) and then he didn’t and got EVEN MORE INTERESTING with his conflict with Akane. I didn’t hate him for that, I actually liked him a lot for it.

Through ch3 and ch4, he gained my favor even more. I really liked this character who was earnestly offering his investigations, working very hard, and coming to intelligent conclusions. His special treatment of Yuki also grew on me, their relationship development is very endearing. Even when Tsurugi cut Yuki off in ch4, it was for a very understandable reason - he had been going against his principles by bonding with Yuki, so seeing them snap apart like that made sense for his character even as it was heartbreaking for them both. His commitment to preventing a murder, even losing his mind to that crazy point of killing everyone by suicide was kind of a point where I had to momentarily reconsider… but I forgave Teruya and Haruhiko, so after some time before continuing, I forgave Tsurugi too and viewed that scene as an interesting perversion of his beliefs, and somewhat revealing that he does think people should die before committing crimes.

When he tried to kill himself,,, well, I watched DRA back before the winter of 2022. I had missed him a lot during ch5, and was incredibly panicked and worried about his health. Then he woke up at the end of ch5, having grown beyond his previous principles. I would say at that point on the first watch, my favorites list looked like this: Yuki, then Rei, then Tsurugi, then Akane, then Teruya. Pretty shocking, right? Haha. I want to emphasize through saying this how high I viewed Tsurugi at that time. It was a great move for his character.

But then, “Yuki Maeda” is Utsuro after all. Because of that, Tsurugi became broken. I don’t know if you remember this scene, but Tsurugi returned to the path he’d walked before. Even though he knew it was wrong in his heart, he was driven into a “despairing hope”. Like “Yuki Maeda”, Tsurugi Kinjo is a true tragedy.

For me who had loved him so much specifically for his character development, I couldn’t accept this. I was unable to “root for” him anymore. It is easy for me to like characters who have morally wrong attitudes or ideals. But Tsurugi Kinjo is criminally frustrating for me.

To be honest, he’s probably the character you have the best chance of trying to convince me to like more. I understand that he’s a good story, a good “tragedy”. But I just. Gah, why did things turn out like that for him? It was even difficult trying to reconnect or retap into that time, I’d put up so many mental blocks without rewatching that I couldn’t take it down until now.

Ah, I’ll answer the rest of that post too. I’ll put it under a cut though since this was already quite long.

Forgive the big font below! I couldn’t figure out how to change it. And the poll is because I clicked the wrong button but don’t feel like doing the copy paste game.

[adachikiyoshi]

A refreshing take on the Cherry Magic prologue that unfortunately fell (a ltitle) short in the last few minutes. 

Cherry Magic Thailand chooses the Jdrama route where we first meet Achi without his powers. It was nice to see the difference in culture immediately; from Achi’s living conditions to means of transport. Though I thought having Achi immediately lament on his life choices 2 minutes in was maybeeeee too quick.

It’s very interesting that Rock/Rokkaku here is introduced as Achi’s subordinate and their whole first interaction, with Achi feeling awkward that despite their big age difference he hardly holds a senior position over him, which in turn further proves Achi’s averageness. Plus, having Rock approach and get attached to Achi is going to rationalize an aspect of Karan’s jealousy which I am very excited to see. I liked the flashback montage about how different Karan and Achi’s progress in the workplace was. It gives the viewers a better idea of Achi’s mix of jealousy and admiration towards Karan and it’s also a first look into Achi’s feelings of inferiority that will eventually become an obstacle to his and Karan’s relationship.I also like how in the most recent flashback you can see Karan kind of burnt out, which should be around the time he falls (or has already fallen) for Achi. 

 *BTW Karan here is supposed to have won employee of the year 7 years in a row (from the FIRST year he joined) and honestly I find that less realistic than I found jdrama Kurosawa being in love with Adachi for 7 years 

Besides that, however, I found some other scenes unnecessary and very exposition-y, even for a pilot episode. For example, learning about Achi’s trauma regarding romantic relationships should have come up later imo.

Unlike other adaptations this one didn’t really feel the need to excessively point out Karan’s popularity among women, which is a very vital plot point later on; I am not really big fan of that trope so I found it kind of refreshing; and it will come sooner or later. 

I am VERY interested in Pai and Dujdao. Big fan of adding another relevant female character and one who is nice to Achi, at that! Pai is leaning to Fujisaki’s more extroverted and mischievous side while I think Dujdao has some of Fujisaki’s qualities as well but her role is more equivalent to a nicer Urabe-san or Achi’s very own Asahina-senpai. Side note, the implication that Pai-Dujdao are some kind of cupids that help Karan seduce Achi is a concept I can 100% get behind. It also seems like the boss will be a recurring character so maybe he’s the Asahina?  Anyway, the character department has me invested.

And speaking of characters - Jinta! JInta is…a character who is… not Tsuge. A lot of people are not fans of Tsuge, especially Jdrama Tsuge. But well I don’t know if the solution is to completely change him? He looks and acts way younger which is very contradictory to his role in the manga; Especially to his relationship with Minato. But, I won’t judge too hard yet since they haven’t even interacted on screen. The udon backstory is an AMAZING detail and the GREATEST introduction of the side couple in any version of the story. 

So. Nothing is going to top the jdrama elevator scene and every adaptation is going to have to make peace with that. The lighting work during Kurosawa’s imagination in the office was a work of art and Achi’s (and Rock’s later) reaction was hilarious. The sound effects also got me a few times ngl.

Part 4 however…disappointed me. First off they replace the scarf scene with a way less emotionally charged umbrella scene. To which I ask, do you know how hard it is to make an umbrella scene seem so unromantic? And then we have Karan asking Achi to stay over and BEFORE Achi agrees, he reads Karan’s mind and his wild imagination. And then…agrees? The entire gag of the scene relies on Achi agreeing BEFORE he sees all that stuff and then immediately regretting it. Having him regret it after the fact is … pointless? I also found it very abrupt to jump to domestic life scenarios fantasies from the get-go when in all other version’s Karan is just contend with Achi being at his place (with his designated pyjamas). He’s a horny bastard in general, I am not denying the mole scene earlier but I felt like the domestic fantasies being shown so early on was a bit fanservice-y for the Taynew fans? (As someone who doesn’t gaf about these men outside their roles and as someone who knows Kurosawa personally this is what it felt like to me.)

Karan's smirk was precious though hehe.

TLDR the show has a very promising and compelling beginning but declines in quality in the last minutes. That being said, I still have faith that the next episodes will be better. The next episode clips I’ve seen are promising and since there was a lot of exposition (and scenes from later chapters) in the pilot it will probably help the pace of the later episodes. Personally, the jdrama hooked me with EP3 (the events of which will be in EP2 of the Thai one) so I think (and hope) the show will only get better from here!

[jacobsbigmelons]

Now, hear me out, Jacob x Dylan? Terribly sorry if that’s not in your range of expertise/comfort, I just gotta get the question out as a shipper. If it suits you, though, maybe some fluff with Jacob in general would be cute? I know your “bro (passionately)” fic was hella good and I’m a total sucker for just cute fluffy stuff.

hey anon! i’m not the best when it comes to ships since im more of a x reader kinda guy but im a man of the people 🫣 so i’ll try !

Beating around the bush

Jacob Custos x Dylan Lenivy

cw: jacob and dylan fighting off the romantic tension to the point where the vine “oh my god they were roommates” plays perfectly here.

OH- and for the sake of my own sanity, emma and jacob aren’t a thing here because i have no clue how to write a smooth scene where they casually split or whatever smh.

oh and spoiler alert i’m making the roommates joke at the end of this lol

Faint crickets chirped in the distance as moonlight lit up the cabins as best as it could, Jacob and Dylan were in their bunk beds thought the sudden voice of Dylan and the response of Jacob clearly showed they were awake. “You up?” Dylan said as he was tapping his fingers on his chest to fidget a bit.

“Huh? oh uh well I was starting to drift off but not anymore” Jacob put it bluntly, he rolled onto his side so his ear is in the air so he can both lay down while hearing what Dylan had to say. “My bad, but like can you come down and give me company. Lonely on the bottom bunk” Jacobs eyebrows furrowed not because of annoyance but merely because of his tired state but for some reason he just couldn’t find it in himself to say no.

“Ow- fuck, uh gimme a sec” Jacob moved too quickly as his elbow met the wall, the slight pulses of pain were rather uncomfortable. The sound of sheets moving before he hopped off the top bunk made the cabin slightly creek. “Heh, sup dude” Jacob sat next to Dylan who was now sitting up himself, stretching a bit as to not tire himself out. “Long day today huh?” Dylan spoke. “Dude, so uncalled for by Mr.H to go on that long ass hike, i mean I personally enjoyed it until my legs started to get tired” Jacob whined as he spoke with his hands while talking, something Dylan enjoyed about him.

“Well you definitely got the build to enjoy stuff like that” Dylan said while pointing to the not at all handsome dude in front of him without a shirt on. Yet he did all that without presenting the pink tint on his cheeks now. “I guess you’re right, sight for sore eyes i’m sure” Jacob said. “Do you ever shut up when it comes to talking about yourself?” Dylan said making sure to make his tone sound not malicious at all but mere teasing.

“Well i’m not shutting up until you make me” Jacob has a slight smirk on his face, “I mean…I can think of a few ways” the silence only adding on to Jacobs thoughts, clearly they both had similar thoughts but didn’t wanna say anything, the silence spoke every word they couldn’t. “Uh…haha…I think i’m too tired to think about how you’d do that man” Jacob rubbed his eyes to add to the bit.

“Just putting my cards out on the table.” Dylan said, whether a joke or not Jacob added onto it “What, you looking to go at it on a table?” Dylan was thrown back by his reply as the two broke out into laughter, “Well I mean there’s always room on the table so we could always y’know…do more” Dylan finished off before Jacob turned against Dylan. “Eww, you’re gross dude!” He said giving Dylan a playful punch on the shoulder. “No see! I’m not gross, i’m just more vocal about my thoughts, you just keep this stuff tucked away! So the only reason i’m being accused of being ‘gross’ is for my consistency!”

The two laughed a bit longer before the room fell silence again, though with a bit more uncomfortable tension unlike before. “Just in case, if I ever joke around and I like cross a boundary or something…just tell me?” Dylan broke the quietness, “Nah you’re good man, but…when you do joke and shit…do you like, mean some of that stuff?” Dylan always made flirtatious jokes, a bit to Ryan when they first became friends, and most of the time they were directed to Jacob. But he never expected to be confronted with this kind of question. The urge to lie was there but he felt wrong lying to the person he feels deeply for.

“I mean…like I said. No jokes this time, my cards are on the table…so I mean, I guess. Yeah. I like you a lot, you’re a good friend and all that. So, if you ever…wanna give a guy named Dylan a call and ask him out or whatever, i’m here.” Silence yet again filled the air which only made Dylan want to double back on what he just said, he definitely didn’t expect to spill his guts to his crush. “But if you don’t I totally get that I mea-“ His words were cut off by the feeling of long awaited lips against his, he was shocked at what was currently going down, was Dylan even conscious?

They pulled away quickly as they just stared into one another’s eyes as they felt more drawn to each other in the moment, they simply reconnected lips once again, Dylan putting a hand on Jacobs waist and likewise. “Uh.” They awkwardly laughed in unison, almost like they both knew they weren’t expecting this. “Color me impressed, Im pretty speechless, not too often this happens” Dylan admitted. “Well, uh” Jacob scratched the back of his neck. “We don’t have to talk when we can like…show it.” Jacobs voice which was much more louder earlier now turned soft even kinda sweet was showing and it only made Dylan smile. “But guess what?” Jacob was trying not to laugh as he spoke his question.

“What…?” Dylan asked with concern laced in his voice along with a raised eyebrow. “oh my god they were roommates.” Dylan playfully smacked Jacobs chest as all he could do laugh while trying to protect his bare body. “You just killed such an intimate mood dude.” Dylan said now slightly annoyed but more or less happy overall as he saw Jacob filled with all this joy, it was contagious really.

“Worth it.” Jacob said while cackling as they attempted tried to sleep in the bottom bunk together, the crickets still chirping as the moonlight illuminated the two peaceful lovers.

[summercreolefanfictioner]

romantic feel by feel || helen and maya

@nutaella-kookie I only have 6 words for this summary: saint maya, pray for us all (new readers can refer to maya's masterlist for more info)

Expertise and knowledge: things that Helen took pride in when it comes to the flirting department... until a storm in the name of Shuu fucking Sakamaki came along.

Helen has dated tons of guys before—the nerd, the secret creep, the lonely, the romanticist, the one who needs ego boosting, manchild—basically every guy you can think of. Heck, she even studied all too well how to handle them all properly because Helen is not Helen if not for her prowess to attract men and make them beg for her attention with their 'sincere' "I fell in love with you"'s and sweet nothings.

But Shuu—oh my fucking gosh—this man has tested her patience (she might sound like Reiji right now but she didn't care).

It wasn't like Shuu's the most terrible man she ever met since the day she was born. It's just that he was really hard to pin down. Like Helen tried everything to turn situations and make him act romantic (even a tiny bit) on her. But it all ends up with her forcing it out of him or swallowing her pride and begging for his attention. And as much as Helen didn't mind it, she yearned for that day when she can finally manipulate Shuu to do his bidding.

Hence why she was currently sitting by the bar counter, watching Maya prepare a mushroom soup with puffed pastry on top. To be honest, Helen can just browse about the recipe online and call it a day, but the thing is, she needed to have some sort of excuse to ask Maya for help. Besides, her pride is on the line here.

Don't get her wrong, though. Helen and Maya have interacted plenty of times, especially when Helen drops by the manor or whenever they pass by each other at school. However, they don't hang out as much because Maya's purple gremlin husband has been hogging her 24/7. Furthermore, Maya doesn't frequent nightclubs like Helen does because according to Shuu, the vampire doll pukes at the scent of alcohol for some unknown reasons.

Anyways, what started this whole fiasco is when Maya told her once that she wanted to reenact this one library scene from the romance manga she was reading where the male lead catches the female lead off guard by suddenly holding her hand from the other side of the shelf. Of course, Maya asked Kanato about it, and surprisingly, he agreed. That moment made Helen rake through her mind any plausible reasons on how Maya did what she was trying to do with Shuu for a few years now.

Like seriously, how in the name of heaven did she pull that shit? And with Kanato, of all people?!

"Helen-san."

Helen was snapped from her thoughts, blinking away to recognize the present where Maya was staring at her blankly, hands dusting off the leftover dirt on her apron.

"Oops. Sorry 'bout that."

"Why are you apologizing, though?" the doll inquired, turning to the oven to set the timer for the puff pastry. "I am not mad at you or something."

Once done, Maya ripped out a page from her notebook and handed it to Helen. "You can also refer to that recipe for your future reference."

Helen took the paper with care, folded it neatly, and placed it in her purse along with her never-ending receipts. "Thanks."

Silence.

It seemed that they were only waiting for the puffed pastries to come out just fine since the soup had already been made. And with that, Helen decided this was the right time to ask Maya indirectly about her dilemma.

"Maya-chan."

"Hm?"

"I wanna ask something." Maya gave Helen a questioning look, to which the ballerina added, "Ah, no worries. This is not difficult."

"Okay."

"So..." Hmm... where should I start? "It's not that I am being nosy or anything, but... how do you ask Kanato out on a date?"

Maya stared at her blankly, and even though her face was void of any emotion, Helen could feel that she was looking at her like she had asked that stupidest question ever.

"I-It's okay! There's no need to answer if you don't—"

"Now that you mention it, I have never asked Kanato out on a date."

Helen suddenly felt her world stop at that, repeating Maya's words in her head.

"... never asked Kanato out on a date."

Never. Asked.

NEVER. ASKED.

"... oooooka—wait, hold on! How do you go on dates if you don't ask him out then?"

"To be honest," the vampire doll was a bit reluctant to explain, "I have no idea we were having a date until he told me we are going out on one."

Helen just made a face of understanding even though she found Maya's answer completely unhelpful. "Ah. Okay."

And then there was the silence again, followed by the 'ding' of the oven signaling that the puff pastry was ready. While Maya was taking out the soup, she asked, "Is there a reason you're asking that question, Helen-san?"

"Nothing, in particular, I guess." LIES. "I just remembered someone... uhh... asking me for advice and... uhh..." Another lie. "I wanted to think I gave the right one."

Even though I am the one seeking advice here.

Maya only shrugged in response, preparing the two soup bowls in front of Helen until she stopped in her tracks, realizing their whole conversation.

"Are you asking me how you can get Shuu-san to be romantic with you?"

And at that, Helen immediately jumped from her seat and held Maya's shoulders, not minding if the doll was startled a bit by the contact.

"YES! YES! YES!"

"Umm... Helen-san, I am confused—" Because I should be asking you about that.

"You see," the ballerina started, already at her wit's end and eyes filled with desperation, "I've tried everything, like everything! And nothing seemed to work. That's why I have to ask you about your secret," and she whispered the last part, "even though this pains my pride."

"Eh? What secret? But I am not flirting with Shuu-san, though." Deep inside, Maya is already thinking, I hope Kanato is not around, or else he'll misunderstand things and skip to his imagination again.

Oh, boy, she's already hearing his voice yelling in her head like the troublesome gremlin prick he is: 'Are you flirting with my older brother just because he is your legal guardian? Is that it?'*

"Of course, I am not referring to that blonde guy," Helen clarified, and Maya found herself sighing in relief. "I am referring to you and your husband."

"What of it?"

Helen frowned. "Remember when you prepared soup for me the other day here in the manor?"

"And?"

"You told me you asked Kanato to reenact that library scene in one of your romance mangas," she explained slowly, and then... "I expected he would reject you, only for you to tell me HE DID WHAT YOU ASKED HIM TO!"

Now, Helen's half-screaming all her frustrations on the poor vampire doll like a punching bag.

Helen-san's wrong. Kanato only held my hand for a few seconds, but he traveled up his fingers to the inside of my elbow. Not that she needed to know that.

"Like seriously, how is that purple freak romantic to you, huh?!" She swore she could rip her hair out here and there. Then she remembered, "But he and Shuu are still brothers, right? There's got to be some way!"

Maya was only quiet, fingers under her chin as she contemplated Helen's words. "You're right."

"Huh? What do you mean?"

"Shuu-san and Kanato are brothers, and both of them are closed-off." Helen's face lit up at that, only for Maya to bring her down by adding, "But Kanato is really romantic in nature despite his personality. Shuu-san is never romantic in any way, though."

Helen exhaled. "So there's no way?"

"You are not listening to what I am saying, Helen-san."

Now Helen was quiet, waiting for Maya to continue.

"Shuu-san and Kanato are brothers," Maya repeated. "And as such, there's no need for you to do anything at this point."

Helen gave her a dumbfounded expression. "W-What? So is that it? There's nothing I can do? So I'll just suck it up until he flirts back at me?"

Maya let out a breath of frustration, which was rare, so Helen immediately straightened and zipped her mouth shut, remembering Shuu's words. ("Don't piss that doll off. She might look frail, but she's scarier than both Kanato and Subaru.")

"The only thing you can do is do nothing," Maya said. "The six brothers are all sadistic in their own ways, and they love controlling people. That's why you must let Shuu-san do whatever he wants and make him think he has power over you."**

"Are you sure about that?" Helen asked, wondering how applying this advice would turn out. There's an underlying fear that she's treading on something she shouldn't.

"I would not be alive and married to Kanato if that wasn't the case, Helen-san."

And over the next few weeks, Maya received tons of missed calls and texts from Helen. When she opened her phone, it said:

"IT WORKED!"

"🤯🤯🤯"

"OHMYFUCKINGGOSH IT WORKED"

"THANK YOU SO MUCH, MAYA-CHAN!"

"🙏🙏🙏"

"I OWE YOU ONE"

"❤️❤️❤️"

NOTE:

*refer to the shuu x maya relationship post

**maya's way of controlling kanato is the same as his, as stated in this post

[moisttwaterr]

POSTING THIS UNTAGGED BC *chokes up* IM NEVER FINISHING THIS SHIT WIP BUT I STILL KINDA WANNA POST IT SO BEHOLD A FAILURE (my therapist would hate that lol)

Prompt: dancing in the kitchen whilst cooking dinner

First off: both Zack and Seph are both capable in the kitchen. Seeing as Zack just ditched Gongaga at such a young age he definitely knows how to feed himself, and over a few years of practice got pretty good. Seph was probably fed constantly in the labs and when deployed, but when he got to his own apartment he figured out how to order groceries and follow a recipe 👍. Then like Zack, after a few years of practice can cook for himself.

Not that either would cook *all* the time take out and food from the mess hall is probably the easiest when your rushing from assignment to assignment. But both would, when they have the time for it, sit down and enjoy a favorite home cooked meal. Seph’s favorite food is pasta, so he’s probably eat a lot of that, and I kinda like the idea of Zack being super in to spicy food/stuff that reminds him of home. (South American type shit I will DIE on the hill that Zack is Latino)

And so,,, we transition to our scene *sparkle sound effect*

~

On another rare weekend off, Sephiroth sat on the couch in the living room. Though in Zack’s small apartment this was right across from the kitchen, on the far end of the room from the entrance. He watched as Zack fiddled with his PHS and pulled up a recipe.

“I’m trying something new tonight. It’s a fusion dish I think. The grocery store had a lot of fresh veggies from Battisti so I’m using some of that in a pasta dish.” Zack said without looking up. He turned to his fridge and started pulling oh what he’d need.

Of course Zack chose another pasta dish, Sephiroth thought. On their date nights together, it felt as though no matter what he did, Zack would use every ounce of effort in him to make these nights all about Sephiroth. What food he prefers, what shows he likes, what games he’s interested in. It’s adorable and kind, and he really did love Zack all the more for it, but it was starting to pick at his nerves. He wanted to eat /Zack’s/ favorite food, watch what /Zack/ wanted and have /Zack/ pick the game. The problem was, he didn’t even know where to start with this objective.

Zack pulled out the cutting bored, a knife, and a pan and pot. The shrimp was defrosting, and the vegetables had all been set aside to prepare. He picked up the pot at filled it with water to start boiling, and pulled out the box of pasta, setting down for later. Turning again to the cutting station, he started with and onion.

“I’ll help you cut.”

“Ok! As long as you don’t cut yourself again.”

“Excuse you! You were only there for my failure once, and I haven’t cut myself on an onion since you taught me.”

“Haha yeah ok fair, also not a failure you just didn’t know. Could you mince some garlic?”

They continued in silence, and Zack took the garlic his general chopped and added it to the onion in the pan, with some greens, chillies and spices. He occasionally looked to his PHS to check the recipe. He clearly had his mind on the task in front of him and that left Seph to ponder some more.

He came up with an idea.

Zack’s speakers clicked, and music started to play through them. Zack himself barely noticed they turned on at all, and continued to absentmindedly stir the contents of the pan.

Sephiroth’s fingers crawled around Zack’s waist, and pulled him back from the stove.

“Hey wha-?” But a quick glance up saw his lovers large eyes, which were crinkled into a mischievous smile (as mischievously as Seph *could* look, which wasn’t well because he always had such a stern air about him) and it melted and resistance to the sudden movement. Quickly, Sephiroth flipped Zack around so that they were chest to chest.

“I didn’t take you for the romantic-actions type?”

“I’m not.”

“What is this then? Spite dancing?”

“Maybe it was an attempt…”

“An attempt at spite dancing?”

That made Sephiroth let out an amused huff. “No, of course not.”

Their bodies started to sway a little to the music, slowly moving with the rhythm. Zack leaned in closer, however with one arm awkwardly outstretched to accommodate the spoon he was still holding, gently guiding their swaying. A slight push twirled them to the other side of the kitchen, to which then Zack detached from their little rhythmic hug. This startled Sephiroth slightly, but his questions were soon answered when Zack leaned over and procured a blender. Zack leaned back in and twirled them back in front of the stove.

“Hey, could you put the pasta in the water?”

Sephiroth felt determined to be the one to

Seph wants to entertain Zack more and twirls him

[todayisafridaynight]

It's been wonderful being able to talk about these things for me too! I haven't really had the opportunity since Y7 came out, so I'm positively buzzing. And no worries about the tone of your post about Daigo's article haha, I appreciate it when issues are pointed that I might've missed otherwise since that's at least something actionable.

But I'm obviously not going to stop anyone from venting frustrations with the wiki or with Fandom as a platform; I frequently find myself frustrated too! It's one of the things that keeps people editing the wiki. I'm honestly fine with whatever as long as it's not accusing us of being fujoshi for the billionth time lol, but for better or worse I do like to clarify what we're trying to do if there's any confusion.

Speaking of, Mine's relationship tags are kind of a funny story! So a lot of them have these dotted underlines and question marks, right? You're supposed to be able to hover over underlined terms to see a short definition (on desktop) and click the question mark to see an article with all the definitions on mobile, since hover actions aren't possible on a touchscreen.

But since the article was and still is under construction, Fandom doesn't show the link to logged-out users. So I had no idea it just looks like we're saying the tag is ambiguous lol. It's up now though, so it's hopefully easier to understand what we're trying to do!

I just found it funny I specifically added that feature to reduce confusion. Half the grief we get over Mine's "romantic interest" tag is because people assume we're saying it's mutual (we chose the term to try and avoid the "mutual" connotations of "love interest," but I guess that didn't work out). I also thought it might help with somewhat esoteric tags like "co-parent" (which was put in place for Jo and Arakawa and then I kept thinking of others) and "surrogate son." Turns out it's tough to boil complex relationships down to one term!

I definitely have SO many questions about New Year's Day and I probably always will; for the space of only one night, it's a huge blank. I certainly do have to wonder if shipping Masato off to America was decided then and there. There's a lot that could possibly be expanded on in RGGO (further interactions between Arakawa and Jo included lol), so I've got hope for that too now that we're back to random events. I'd be really interested to see how you'd portray it someday!

Talking about Nakai and Tsutsumi reminded me, Nakai mentioned he read the whole script in a day so he "wouldn't do a disservice to Arakawa or Sawashiro's characters." That kind of stuck out to me precisely because there are so few scenes between them compared to like, Arakawa and Ichi, and they're all relatively low-impact in comparison.

Of course, it could be marketing on account of him and Tsutsumi getting to co-star again, or the scenes could simply have stood out to him more for that reason, or he could've had a different impression of the ratios having read the script rather than played the game. But the part of me that makes me want to go Off The Deep End speculating is kind of wondering if there were other scenes planned?

And absolutely! I'm not able to reblog often because the post editor's been crashing whenever I try to tag my posts, but I hope you know I love your work and I'll support pretty much anything you put out! I'm very excited to share my findings as well.

A lot of it's to do with Mine's relationship to Western culture vs. Japanese culture (his "westabooism," basically), so that's specific to him, but there a lot of interesting concepts and theories in Japanese psychology regarding familial bonds, met and unmet emotional needs. They work as an explanation for his probable feelings of alienation from Japanese culture, but I feel they would make for an interesting lens to examine the Arakawas through as well.

I actually hadn't ever considered the similarity with regard to Mine and Jo's dads, but that makes so much sense! If I were to take it a step further, I think feelings of "abandonment" by their fathers have had long-lasting effects on both them and Masato. Jo we've been talking about, his father was technically still "there," but he wasn't in his corner, which feels much the same as abandonment to a child.

I think Mine's internalized a lot of the same feelings even though his father never meant to abandon him (I guess Jo's may not have, necessarily; alcoholism can destroy a family whether the individual wants that to happen or not). Like, unfairness, displacement, lack of control, the loss of the only support you have and so on. I think dwelling on that is what sent Mine's mental state spiraling, and what made it imperative to just believe Daigo was "dead" to try and move on as soon as possible. He didn't want to be hurt the same way again.

It's also probably what he was projecting in his ridiculous villain speech during The Orphanage Scene; the reason offering kids support in the way Kiryu does is a form of "victimization" in his eyes, at that moment, is because that support can be ripped away from you at any time. The scene is kind of hilarious to me because it's like, "okay we need Mine to have a kick-the-dog moment, his actions have been too understandable," but I do get it from that angle.

Similarly, I think those feelings of abandonment are why Arakawa faces the brunt of Aoki's abuse, because it's like, "YOUR negligence is why I had to go through all of that." So I get why Jo, like your sister, wouldn't want the finger pointed at him, but at the same time… damn. Perhaps if Arakawa had never had that talk with Masato, things might've been different. I get the impression he wouldn't be able to endure keeping things to himself for as long as Jo, though, given things like the letter he sent Ichi in prison.

Oh, yeah, Jo is CRAZY protective of Masato too! "If anything happens to him, killing you a thousand times would be insufficient!" I think part of his overreaction to having Masato's money is also that if Ichi can't listen to orders that fundamental, who's to say he listened to the orders to keep Masato safe? I guess if you see Ichiban as incompetent to the point of almost being a malicious actor, you might think that.

I'm sooo so glad you've noticed the rest of those similarities haha, I've been rotating them around in my brain like a cube for ages. A Venn diagram would be so fun to see! That's such an insightful look at the differences between Mine and Jo's offices too. I was a little confused about the placement of the social spaces, or even that they're there, but if you look at it as clearly separate from his personal spaces, it does make sense.

Also, not to harp on the books in the offices too much, but I compared the textures a little earlier. Mine's are basically all (very expensive) encyclopedias and language phrasebooks in English, Italian, French, and German, in contrast to Jo's discrete hardcovers and series of art history books. They're probably all stock assets lol, but I think they're surprisingly good fits; Mine dumping considerable time, money, and energy into his fascination with Western culture and Jo being the type to not want people to know what he's reading totally works for me.

But yes! It's kind of funny, because Yokoyama wasn't much of a Mine fan in his early days, but I hope he and the others keep on writing characters like him. I think of it as Mine's "legacy" in a series where past characters aren't acknowledged too often; the most I can recall are that Hakuho mention in 4 and the fencing around the Touto roof perimeter.

Speaking of, I love Mine's missed shots in the finale specifically because he's an excellent marksman in his Okinawa character story. Why? How? Who Knows, He's Perfect. (Probably not as good of a shot as Daigo though lol)

And yeahhh, there are other interviews, but it ain't the same! It was the most in-depth one I know of. I think this is one of the only remnants, and I shall entrust it to you.

But yes, exactly! And I'm also glad Y7 introduced more people to them (myself included), Tsutsumi's my favorite actor of all time and Nakai's brilliant. They make a great combi! Of the things I've seen where they co-star, I think Princess Toyotomi and Hero SP are both solid; the latter is a special for a longer show, but I honestly didn't even notice lol. Musashi I wasn't personally able to get through even though I've read the book, so I'm not sure how it plays out between them.

Also I DIDN'T KNOW TORU DIED IN PURE??? That came out of nowhere oh my god T___T But if you're ever looking for anything rare, feel free to ask! I might know a guy (gender neutral) with a stash, Fly, Daddy, Fly included.

OH MAN MINE'S WIKI ENTRY I've definitely made my opinions about it known, but now knowing the truth behind it it's kind of funny and still so unfortunate. I'd almost want to recommend a section dedicated to the topic since it's such an integral part of his character, though I also understand wanting to keep the wiki strictly to factual information and to exclude speculation (or "speculation" anyhow- it's definitely more of a concrete situation, especially going off of the information provided in your pinned post on the topic. If anything, that sort of information would belong to the "Trivia" tab wouldn't it- but again, it's such a deep situation it can't really be summarized in one or two sentences) and the topic being too niche to have a page dedicated to it. It's nice to know that the subject isn't trying to be brushed under the rug though and it's just a matter of awkward formatting/incomplete work!

Furthermore on The New Years Event, I would LOVE RGGO to expand on the topic since they've been so liberal with the stories they make and the depth those stories add to the characters. Honestly, I was expecting Masato's card to have that as its accompanying character story, so it's unfortunate that he doesn't get it or any story as far as I'm aware (or maybe he does have one and my poor pull luck has just prevented me from getting the card to find out myself, but I've looked as much as I could and couldn't find an upload of it). Oh well, I guess it's the old "if you want something done you gotta do it yourself-" not that anything I could make could ever be up to scratch, so I'm glad I do have people interested in what I have in mind :)

About Nakai, I wouldn't feel wrong trying to accredit his comment to a time before he knew the full plot or saw the full game and was just debriefed on the general story/character relationships, and I also wouldn't put it past RGG to have deleted scenes/ideas (if those do exist, RGG please let me in your vault I'd like to take a peak...)!

The psychology of Mine is another topic I've been wanting to officially tackle for a while now, so I'm glad I have this chance to share some of what I have mental bullet points for.

Moreover, Mine's dad and how he "left" Mine undeniably impacted him significantly beyond physically leaving him alone, and it definitely manifests in The Orphanage Scene and his idea that killing Daigo would be "putting him out of his misery". In those instances, he sees Daigo and the orphans as victims of an unfair reality, Daigo being comatose, and the orphans having the endure the struggles of being orphans (and that added-on, projected anxiety that their comfortable lives now could vanish at any second like it did for Mine). Mine's mustache-twirling villainy is funny for its absurdity, but I also genuinely appreciate it since it lets us peak into his warps philosophy better. It doesn't justify his actions by any means, but it explains to us why he can justify his actions as from a place of love or pity as opposed to thoughtless evil.

To add on, Mine's relationship with his father, from what we're allowed to gather, was healthy and positive. Because of their positive relationship, the removal of such adds credence as to why Mine's desperate to get that love again. It especially makes sense considering Japan's horrendous attitude and negligence towards orphaned children that was even demonstrated during Mine's childhood while his father was alive.

And as an inverse aside, Jo's relationship with his dad was toxic, whether it was due to blatant abuse or combined negligence. It's fair to assume that Jo never got to experience genuine, secure love growing up, so as a result, it's not something he actively seeks out. He's been without it long enough that it's not something he necessarily craves like Mine who used to have it until it was taken from him.

Masato certainly makes it clear he felt isolated despite the efforts Jo and Arakawa repeatedly went through for him, and it's apparent it's an unfortunate side affect of internalized ableism. It definitely doesn't help anyone's case that Masato had seemingly been informed of the night of his birthday's events (from Arakawa's point of view, obviously), and it's clear that knowledge gives ammunition as to why he resents him.

You're right on Jo potentially seeing Ichi as a bad actor, it's not as if he has disdain for him for no reason! Like even if Ichiban hadn't taken Masato's money the way Jo could have imagined, the idea that Ichi can't be responsible in one avenue can easily lead back to Ichi having the potential to look after Masato, especially when he seems to be the one who predominately looks after him when he's tasked to.

I've already got my program open to make my little chart and have my reference pictures ready, so hopefully I can have that silly thing out soon haha- I'm glad you're interested in seeing it, and I hope other people will like to see it too! Jo and Mine really are my favorite antagonists, so it's funny (and I guess not surprising) that they have parallels to them.

To add on to that though, I think it's fun to look at the extra details, no matter how small; I'm probably more happy than I should be that you looked at their office's books, but I can't help be a fan of the details you found (whether they're generic models or not, I'm running with them- I've done more with less before lmao)! Mine having language books is definitely in-line with his interests, but Jo having art history books is weirdly endearing (and dare I say another point for "these are the same picture" comparing it to Mine's own love for art). Jo being so private to the point of blocking out the binds of the books he owns is so accurate to him and his secrecy, and the concept that he likes to read about art in his spare time is a new favorite concept for me.

Mine really isn't acknowledged much after 4; in comparison to Ryuji and Nishiki, he's remembered throughout the series the least (you can argue the same for Ryuji, but considering he gets a whole new life in Dead Souls, I think it's fair to say that makes up for the mainline series forgetting about him. Though I guess the same could be Mine getting a prominent role as Hijikata in Ishin... Definitely not as cool of a spot as to be a playable protagonist with a machine gun arm if I'm honest). In that, it's great that his likelihood can exist in future characters, and I hope they continue the trend of phenomenal antagonists in LaD8 and onward!

I'm eternally grateful for this frame you've gifted me thank you so much- Nakai's smile is such a blessing honestly, I'm glad if anything survived from the interview it can be this shot at least.

I've got Princess Toyotomi and Hero SP added to my watch list, DEFINITELY something I'll be excited to check out as a reward once I have all my important business taken care of this week! Honestly, I haven't seen Musashi either: while I was looking through their filmography I saw it was a project they did, but I've always been bad at watching long series so I didn't take the time to see their performance together.

For things I have seen though... yeah he dies SORRY IF THAT WAS HOW YOU FOUND OUT </3</3 Honestly I didn't expect myself to love the series as much as I did (admittedly it was predominately because of the leads and their relationship), but when it happened I was both- dare I say crushed- a little humored a little funny in a dark-comedy way.

And if you do have access to harder-to-get films, I'd absolutely be interested in hearing about it. One of Nakai's movies Good Morning Show has been haunting me for weeks: it sounds like such a fun movie yet I can't find it anywhere </3