#another scene that this reminds me of is in dark blue kiss

[chickenstrangers]

Gaipa is a character I cannot think about too much or it hurts but also I have been living in this scene for the last 3 months so I'm going to try.

It means so much to me to see Gaipa and Mrs Hong have such an honest and explicit discussion about Gaipa's queerness. It really shows how comfortable they are with each other, and how much they love each other, and that this isn't the first time they've discussed it. Moments like this one are part of what makes this show feel so queer, and it's something that I don't feel I've seen much of in queer media.

A lot of queer stories are coming of age narratives or stories of discovering queer identity. And that's important! Vital! We also have that in Moonlight Chicken with Li Ming and Heart's budding relationship. It's wonderful to see characters coming into their own with their queer identity, and all of the other things that come along with these stories, including coming out. But it's also so important to see what happens years or even decades after the initial "coming out".

Conversations about identity don't necessarily stop, especially in such a close relationship like the one between Gaipa and his mother. This isn't about questioning his identity or devaluing it, but stating support and love explicitly. Mrs Hong says she always knew that Gaipa was gay, since he was a child. We don't know what his story was growing up, if he sat down with his parents and came out, or if it happened more casually if they already knew. It was an unspoken understanding, but that doesn’t prevent him from wanting to speak it.

Queer coming of age does not stop once you've come out once. Adult queer narratives do not need to avoid explicit discussions of identity just because the characters are more settled and comfortable with their sexuality. This scene really resonated with me for me by showing the continuation of that queer experience.

There's such clear comfort in this conversation and how it shows that Gaipa and his mom truly know each other, how open and loving they are with each other, how they can joke around about it and be playful with each other, but they are still not taking the unspoken words for granted. Gaipa still wants and needs it to be said aloud. Their conversation in this scene is not a revelation that Gaipa is gay, and it's not new information that Mrs Hong loves and accepts him for it. But I can completely understand wanting to hear it said aloud, "Do you regret it…that I'm gay?" And she says unequivocally that no, she has no regrets, she just wants him to be happy, and find the love that he wants.

I talked about this a little bit before but this question of regret is really powerful. Gaipa isn't necessarily very happy at this moment; he's lonely, he clearly wants to find a reciprocated love and hasn't yet. His mother can see that he is sad about this. But does that mean she regrets that he's gay, or wishes he were different than he is? Even if it were easier for him in general to be straight? But as Jim and Wen discuss, being straight is no guarantee of happiness either. Mrs Hong has no regrets about this, and loves Gaipa wholeheartedly.

The relationship between parents and their queer children, whether biological or not, plays a large role in Moonlight Chicken. We see that Jam accepts that her brother is gay but has a much harder time accepting that her son is. We see Jim being upset to learn that Li Ming is gay, for much of the same reason that Gaipa is asking his mom about, his worry that life will be harder for Li Ming because of his sexuality. We see this scene echoed in Wen's conversation with his stepfather, who also fully supports Wen, asking about who he's seeing, and they clearly have a solid relationship, though much of this support is a bit more implicit than in Gaipa's conversation. All these moments together highlight the complexities of these relationships and highlight different queer experiences.

Queerness isn't Gaipa's whole identity, but it's an important part, and it's understandable for him to want to be open about it with his mom. And it is so powerful for me to see him at this stage in his journey and see this sort of conversation on screen.

[starlightkun]

⏯ word count: 9.5k ⏯ genre: fluff, established relationship, band au, punk drummer!sungchan, sequel to filler episodes, reader isn’t completely boring anymore! yay!, she’s still figuring it out a little bit but it’s not a full-fledged quarter life crisis anymore, ft. shotaro/eunseok/wonbin as sungchan’s bandmates, and nct dream 00 line as reader’s normal friends™ ⏯ warnings: the usual cursing, and reader briefly gets creeped on in a scene but gets out of there pretty quick, and that’s really it! if i missed any please let me know ⏯ extra info: this is the sequel to filler episodes, it cannot be read as a standalone! ⏯ author’s note: guys i almost died writing this they’re so cute 🤧 ⏯ now playing… pluto – xdinary heroes | undercover – a.c.e | injured crow – bears in trees

── ⋆⋅♫⋅⋆ find more stories from backstage at venue:hell here!

He didn’t pull away when the kiss broke, affectionately nuzzling his nose with yours again. “Yeah…” he murmured, a content smile on his face. “I get it.”

“Get what?”

“The sappy love songs, all the wars, carving things in trees, the locks on bridges, all of it.”

The excited hum of the crowd was audible from backstage as you helped the band with their final checks before going on.

“Shotaro, your in-ears,” you handed said equipment to the frontman.

“Oh, I was looking for those! Thanks!” He grinned as he took them from you, slipping one in his ear.

“Wonbin, I thought you weren’t going to wear more white shirts after you stained the one from yesterday blue with your sweat,” you reminded the guitarist, fixing a piece of his freshly-dyed dark blue hair that was out of place.

He looked down at his white tank top as if just remembering this, then shrugged. “This was the only clean shirt I had.”

“Laundry. We’re all doing laundry tomorrow,” you declared, looking around for the remaining members. “Where are the other two?”

“We’re here, we’re here,” Sungchan appeared at your side, Eunseok right behind him, tucking his shirt in. “Just had to use the bathroom.”

“Alright, everyone good?” You pointed at all of them, receiving various yeses and thumbs-up in return.

Another crew member called out two minutes before they had to go on, and you started backing away as they grabbed their instruments. “Okay, good luck, have fun, I’ll see you guys after.”

“Thanks, Y/N!” The other three members beamed at you, attentions turning to the stage in front of them.

Sungchan hung back with you for another moment, cupping your cheek with a hand to pull your lips to his. “Thank you, baby.”

“Good luck, Sungchan,” you murmured, giving him one more peck. “I love you.”

“Love you more.” He let you go with a grin.

You emerged from backstage almost directly in the crowd, having to pass through a set of curtains and step over one rope until you were in the packed venue. Feeling a bit bad as always, you tried to squeeze through the people as nicely as you could. A staff member of the venue who was standing up by the stage and facing the crowd eyed you as you got closer and closer, and you held up the lanyard around your neck indicatively. Hanging from the lanyard was a crew member badge for the headliner band. Roses for Eyes hadn’t been able to get any of their own made—both due to how last-minute of an addition they were, and because they didn’t really have any crew or staff of their own, relying pretty much on the headliner’s crew and you—so you had been given a badge from the headliner’s crew to allow you to move freely in the venues.

The venue staff member relaxed and nodded, gesturing between them and the barricade, asking if you needed to get in there. You shook your head, stopping a few people behind barricade and off to the side.

As the guys came out and started their first song, you pulled out your phone to start taking pictures. On top of becoming the de facto tour manager for Roses for Eyes, you had also been in charge of taking videos and pictures of all the performances for their social media. They only had a thirty-minute set, and you always felt the pressure to capture all the best moments from each night.

You were focusing in on Wonbin’s guitar solo when you became aware of a presence over your shoulder. Thinking it was just someone in the crowd trying to get closer, you shuffled forward as best you could while still recording Wonbin.

“Hey.” A guy’s voice was right by your ear, making you nearly jump out of your skin.

The guitar solo was over, and as you switched back into taking pictures, you offered a polite nod to the man next to you in the crowd who had spoken to you. “Hi.”

“They’re good, right?” He was still shout-talking to you over the music.

“Yeah, they’re awesome.” You agreed, catching the perfect moment of Eunseok and Shotaro jamming out together.

“You a fan?”

“Uh-huh. Big fan.”

The lights went down for a dramatic rise back up into the next song, and you pointed your camera at Sungchan, knowing he always went hard on the intro of this one.

“So are you here by yourself?”

“I’m working,” you told him shortly, flashing your badge at him.

He either didn’t get the hint or didn’t care. “Cool, cool. So are you single?”

“Nope.”

“Really?”

Rolling your eyes, you decided to stop answering, focusing back on your job.

“Come on, what’s—” As soon as his hand grabbed your upper arm, you whipped around to shake him off.

“Fuck. Off.” You glared at him, lowering your phone as you focused on this problem.

“So you were lying. About not being single?”

“Don’t fucking touch me,” you hissed back. “Doesn’t matter if I’m single or not.”

He held his hands up. “We got off on the wrong foot. Can I try again?”

“No. Fuck off.”

A group of women who had been off to the side of you must have taken notice of what was going on, as two of them stepped in between you and the man, staring down at him from the top of their very tall platform boots.

“She said fuck off.” One of them spat at him. “We heard her tell you twice.”

“We were just talking.” He looked at you sheepishly, as if expecting you to defend him.

“No, we weren’t.” You retorted.

“So fuck off.” Another woman took a step closer to him, crossing her arms over her chest.

He muttered something about bitches as he slunk off into the crowd. You let out a breath of relief as the women swarmed you to check on you.

“Are you okay?” The first woman who had stepped in bent down to ask you.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” you assured them. “Thank you, really.”

“Of course!” A third one fixed your jacket for you. “We weren’t going to stand around with that happening right in front of us!”

“Do you want to watch the rest of the concert with us?” The first woman offered. “We’ll keep you tucked in safe right in the middle of us.”

You flashed them an appreciative smile. “If you don’t mind, then please.”

“Oh my god, of course!” They welcomed you into their group, encircling you, and letting you get lost in their fun energy for the night.

At the end of the show, you were sat at the band’s merch table. In addition to being the de facto tour manager and photographer/videographer, you also usually managed the merch table for Roses for Eyes. The headliner had plenty of crew to spare to work it, but you wanted to help however you could, and this was honestly one of your favorite parts. Various members usually came to hang out by the merch table and meet and talk with the concert goers, and you loved hearing all the praise that was showered on the guys. Almost nobody had heard of them before coming to the concerts, but it made your chest puff up with pride at how many people stayed just to tell the guys how much they loved their set.

Roses for Eyes didn’t have a lot of merch. In fact, they had exactly one kind of t-shirt, and CDs of their one and only semi-professionally recorded EP for sale. Which made your job easier, you just had to either hand them a CD, or ask their size in shirt.

“Oh my god, you’re here too!” Your next customers were the women who you had spent almost the whole concert with, their eyes sparkling with recognition and delight at you.

“Yes, I am!” You laughed as one reached out to fix your hair. “I’m everywhere, I swear. What can I get you guys?”

They each got a shirt, and a couple got CDs too. As you ran their cards and accepted their cash, they raved to you about the show.

“You know, I’d never heard of them before this, but they were so good!”

“That’s what everyone says,” you replied with a grin.

“I loved the first song they played, that was like—” She started mimicking the melody, and you recognized it immediately.

“Ah, ‘Lonely as Mars’!” You perked up. “That’s one of my favorites.”

“What’s your favorite song then?”

“Oh, I can’t say.” You grinned. “It’s not released yet…”

They all laughed and giggled at this. One peeked at the track list of the CD she had just bought from you again before looking up at you. “Guess we’ll have to wait until it’s released then, huh?”

“Yes, yes, please keep an eye out!” You couldn’t help it, you were proud of your boyfriend and the rest of your friends.

“Alright, beautiful, we’ll stop holding up your line.” One of them chuckled, giving your cheek a final tweak before the four of them moved over to the short line to chat with the band.

You couldn’t pause on that moment for too long, as more patrons came up to your table.

Once people had finally started trickling out of the venue, and you had no line left in front of either your merch table or to meet the band, you were unsurprised when Sungchan pulled up an extra folding chair next to you.

“You know,” he let out a sigh, scooting right up next to you until your legs were pressed together. “I think we need to completely deck you out in Roses for Eyes merch from head to toe.”

“One, you guys don’t even have that much merch. Two, I think all that would accomplish would be making me looking like a crazed fan.”

“Aren’t you?”

“I am your biggest fan,” you acquiesced with a giggle at how serious he looked, squeezing his leg. “But we need security to let me in, you know.”

“What about a shirt with my face on it?”

“I think that’d be even worse.”

“It can say ‘CREW’ on the back or something.”

You laughed again. “I did tell that guy I was working, you know. Which did nothing.”

“I know, baby, I’m not mad at you.” Sungchan put an arm around the back of your chair, leaning in closer to inform you, “I was up on stage wishing I could’ve been kicking his face instead of the bass drum.”

“Well, I’m glad you didn’t hop off stage just to beat up somebody in the crowd.” You whispered back. “Even if it would’ve been deserved.”

“God, I don’t know if I can take another month of hearing you get hit on from right next to me.” He was presumably referencing times like now, with you at the merch table and him nearby talking to patrons.

“You think I like hearing people compliment your tattoos as an excuse to feel up your arms?”

“I don’t let them!” He protested. “And sometimes they do actually like my tattoos!”

“I know, Sungchan,” you snickered. “It’s hard being the hottest couple ever, isn’t it?”

“God truly gives his toughest battles to his sexiest soldiers,” Sungchan joked back, letting his arm drop down to your waist.

“Hey, on the bright side, tomorrow is the Venue:Hell show,” you reminded him. “I’ll have Jeno and Jaemin and my other two much less sturdy friends there. Not to mention Anton, Sohee, and Seunghan.”

He didn’t seem much happier about this, letting out a little grumble, “Mmm, alright.”

You looked around at the nearly empty venue, the only fans left chatting with a couple of the members from the headlining band by their table. “Do you think we can shut it down for the night?”

“Yeah, I think you’ve done plenty, baby.” He snuck a quick kiss to your temple. “So thankful for you.”

Your hometown was only a short, three-hour drive from the previous venue, so Roses for Eyes made the very cost-effective decision to drive straight there after the show to crash at the band’s apartment for the night instead of getting a hotel in the city right next-door. All of you let out groans of both relief and exhaustion when you finally opened the front door to their apartment. Luggage was immediately dropped on the floor of the living room as muttered ‘goodnight’s were lazily tossed over shoulders and everyone disappeared into their own rooms. After the five of you had been sharing two (or sometimes one) hotel rooms every night and a van every day for the past month, you knew everyone was glad to have some space again. You dropped onto Sungchan’s bed, a subtle happiness spreading out through you at being in the familiar surroundings again.

Sungchan flopped down pretty much on top of you, burying his face in your neck as he wrapped his arms around you tight.

“Night, baby,” he pressed a kiss to your cheek, then left his face there, nuzzling his nose against your cheekbone. “Love you so much.”

“Mm, night, Sungchan.” You pulled one of his hands up to drop a peck on the back of his fingers. “Love you so much… even more…”

In the morning, you woke up still underneath Sungchan, and smiled to yourself, letting your eyes flutter shut. You fell asleep again for who knows how long, being woken up by gentle kisses being peppered all over your cheek.

Shifting a little bit, you squinted one eye open to offer Sungchan a sleepy smile. “Morning.”

“Did I wake you up?” He whispered. “Sorry, baby.”

“It’s okay, Sungchan,” you chuckled softly. “It was a great way to wake up.”

“I just woke up and saw you and I was thinking about how much I love and appreciate you,” he hummed, pressing two more kisses to your face. “Love you so much, and I’m so thankful for everything you’ve done for us, you know.”

“I was serious about being your biggest fan.”

“I know. But I mean, we would’ve already crashed and burned so many times on this tour without you. And you stepping up not only to manage, but take photos and run our merch table? You didn’t have to do any of that. I asked you to come with because I couldn’t stand the thought of going two months without you. Not because we needed a crew member.”

“But you did need a crew member. Several, actually,” you replied humorously. “And I wasn’t going to just tag along and do nothing. Even if you had a manager and social media person and a fully staffed merch table already, I would’ve found something.”

“I don’t doubt it.” He kissed the corner of your mouth. “God, I’m so in love with you. Love you so, so much I feel like I’m going to die.”

“Alright, well don’t do that,” you hummed, shifting onto your back and carding your fingers through his hair. You pulled him up to give him a kiss on the lips, laughing into his mouth when he dropped his full body weight back onto you again. “I love you too, Sungs. You big, clingy snugglemonster of a guy.”

“Your guy.”

“Yeah, you are.”

With your second load of laundry in the dryer, you hauled the stuff you’d just pulled out of the dryer into Sungchan’s room, dropping it onto his bed to start folding it. It’d all be going right back into your suitcases, but it was nice not having to do this in a laundromat.

You hadn’t heard a peep from the other three all morning, and as far as you knew, they were still passed out. Not that they were really morning people under normal circumstances anyway, but you figured they deserved to sleep in for today. If they weren’t up by the time Sungchan came back with lunch for everyone, you’d probably wake them up. After all, they had a show tonight, and you would need to be back on the road tomorrow morning.

Sungchan’s bedroom door opened again, your boyfriend poking his head in. “Food’s here.”

“Can you help me finish folding all this first?” You requested, and he obliged immediately, joining you by the mattress and picking up a t-shirt. “We should probably wake everyone else up so they can eat before the show.”

Suddenly, Sungchan started chuckling as he grabbed the next article of clothing to start folding.

“What’s so funny?” You questioned.

“Nothing, I was just thinking about how… normal this is.” He pointed between you, him, and the laundry. “After being on the road for a month, it’s weird. I love it, I love not being cooped up in hotel rooms with everyone and having to smell-test my clothes as I’m rushing to get changed to go on stage but—” He laughed again. “I don’t know, it’s crazy how I love even stupid little chores like laundry with you.”

“Ah, Sungchan.” You tossed aside the socks you had just paired up, wrapping your arms around his waist and pressing your face into his back. “You’re going to make me explode if you keep saying stuff like that.”

“Explode because you love me so much, I presume?” His grin was audible in his voice as he kept moving around to fold the rest of the laundry.

You just nodded against his back, continuing to hold him.

“Are we going to eat lunch like this?” He asked, and that’s when you realized he had finished up the last few garments.

You let out a dramatic sigh, taking your arms back. “I guess not.”

“You want to wake up Taro and Eunseok while I get Wonbin?”

Knowing that he was willingly taking the short end of the stick, you agreed easily. “Sure.”

You knocked on Shotaro’s door first, waiting for a few seconds before knocking again after you got no response. This time, you heard a garbled ‘Eh?’ from inside.

“Taro? You up?” You called out.

He groaned, and you could hear his feet as he shuffled over to open his door. The frontman rubbed his eyes and yawned. “Mm, hey. What time is it?”

“Lunchtime,” you informed him. “Good morning.”

“Oh, morning.” He grunted and stretched. “I’ll help you get Eunseok up.”

The two of you approached the bassist’s door together, and on the other side of the apartment, you could hear Sungchan’s unsuccessful attempts to wake Wonbin. Shotaro attempted very loud banging on the door once, and when he inevitably got no response, just threw it open. It was pitch black in the room thanks to Eunseok’s blackout curtains. You hung back by the doorway as Shotaro flicked the lights on then grabbed his bandmate’s shoulders.

Eunseok swore loudly, throwing an elbow out towards Shotaro as he rolled over and tried to push his face into his pillow.

“Nope!” Shotaro shook his shoulders again. “Come on, Eunseok! Wakey wakey! Good morning! Food! We have food! And if you don’t come eat it now, we’ll eat it all without you.”

Eunseok let out a long, slow sigh before sitting up straight in his bed. He pushed hair out of his face as he glowered at Shotaro. “If there’s no food, I’m going to cut your guitar strings one by one with kitchen shears while you watch.”

“Good morning, Eunseok,” you added with a snicker. He wordlessly flipped you off. You returned the gesture.

The three of you were already in the kitchen by the time Sungchan came back, practically dragging a still-snoozing Wonbin with him. Sungchan had a harrowed look on his face, while the guitarist yawned and nuzzled his cheek against your boyfriend’s shoulder.

“Glad you could join us, sleepy,” you cooed, fixing Wonbin’s bedhead.

Shotaro and Eunseok finished making their plates and took them into the living room to eat—the guys had no dining table. You immediately started fixing two more plates of food in addition to your own, for Sungchan and Wonbin. Carefully balancing the three plates you brought them out to the living room as well, Sungchan dragging Wonbin behind you. He deposited Wonbin onto the couch next to Shotaro, and you set his plate and utensil down on the coffee table in front of him. Shotaro immediately took over prodding and waking Wonbin up to start eating, letting you and Sungchan squeeze into the armchair together with your food.

Roses for Eyes were doing their soundcheck that evening when you felt your phone start buzzing in your pocket. Checking it quickly, you saw that it was Jaemin, and stepped away to take the call.

“Hey!” You greeted him brightly, plugging your other ear to be able to hear him better. “Are you guys here?”

“Yeah, we can’t figure out which door to use?” He said, and in the background, you could hear the distant voices of Donghyuck and Renjun bickering. “And we don’t want to get the cops called on us or anything.”

“That wouldn’t happen, promise,” you snorted. “Places like this aren’t particularly fond of cops. Anyway, I’ll come get you! Are you by the front?”

“If the front is an unmarked rusted metal door, then yes.”

“Okay! Wait there!” You hung up.

Stepping back into the band’s eyeline, you lifted a hand to get their attention. They didn’t stop playing, but a couple of the members looked at you indicatively. You jerked a thumb at the exit and mouthed ‘be right back.’ Sungchan nodded, and Shotaro, who had been holding his mic with two hands anyway, gave you a thumbs-up.

Jogging through the venue, you opened the front door, squinting against the bright light of the sun for a moment. It was easy to find your friends, as Renjun presently had an arm around Donghyuck’s neck and Jaemin and Jeno watched on like they were two dads grilling at a cookout.

“Hey, guys!” You called out, running up to them.

“Y/N!” Jaemin whipped around, bright smile on his face as he went to hug you. “Oh my god, hey! You’re okay!”

“Hi, Jaem,” you laughed, hugging him back just as forcefully. “I didn’t go off to war, you know.”

“I know, I know.”

“Just ran off with my dirtbag boyfriend,” you couldn’t help but tease him, feeling as he scoffed, and perfectly imagining the eyeroll that came with it.

“Yeah, you haven’t let that one go, huh?”

“I’m afraid the guys are going to get matching shirts at this point.”

“I didn’t even call him your dirtbag boyfriend, I’m pretty sure I said—”

“Alright, you’re hogging her and now you’re nagging her,” Jeno interrupted, grabbing Jaemin’s shoulder.

Jaemin sighed and patted your head fondly as he let you go.

“Hey,” Jeno was beaming too as he grabbed you for a hug next.

“Hey, Jeno.” You squeezed him tight. “Thanks for the save, as always.”

“We used to be ‘the guys,’ you know?” Renjun had let Donghyuck go, and lodged his own teasing complaint as he gave you a brief hug. “Now it’s them?”

“I’m staying out of this one,” you announced, holding your hands up in surrender. “You all were my first ‘the guys,’ they’re my ‘the guys’ I’m around all the time right now, and Sungchan is, well, we all know—”

“Your dirtbag boyfriend!” Your friends said in unison, even Jaemin.

Renjun peered at your face inquisitively then, declaring, “You’re different.”

“What?” You tilted your head, absent-mindedly patting Donghyuck’s back in a one-armed hug.

“He’s right,” Hyuck agreed. “You’re not our same boring Y/N anymore.”

“I’ll take that as a compliment then,” you snorted. “Come on, you guys can catch the rest of their soundcheck.”

Walking back into the venue with the other four in tow, you could already tell which song they were playing just from the drum beat that reverberated up the stairs that you were descending. The air became noticeably cooler as you went underground.

“Ooh, you guys are lucky,” you told your friends over your shoulder. “They’re playing one that isn’t released yet. It’s my favorite.”

You emerged back to where the main stage was, staying put towards the back as the band kept playing. Your foot tapped along to the beat, and you hummed along to the melody under your breath as Wonbin started singing first. Your eyes strayed from the band over to your friends’ faces every so often, however, anxious to see if they were enjoying it at all. You could still remember clearly the only other time they’d seen Roses for Eyes perform, and how well that went. They were here to show their support for you as your friends, not because they actually liked your boyfriend’s band, you were aware of that.

Jeno was bobbing his head along to the music, Renjun didn’t seem to be outright put off by it this time, but it was Jaemin and Donghyuck that concerned you. Their heads were together as they seemed to be quietly talking, but they were too far away for you to distinguish anything they were saying.

An errant sound in the song made you snap your head back over towards the stage, and you could tell that the rest of the members had noticed it as well, all of them looking at Sungchan for a second as they continued performing. As the song finished, you walked up towards the stage, concerned frown on your face as you looked up at your boyfriend.

“You alright, Sungchan?” You questioned. “You came in early for the last verse and hit the snare instead of the toms…”

“Yeah, baby, I’m okay,” he reassured you, pushing some hair off his forehead that had stuck there. “Just got distracted and accidentally started doing the last verse for Lonely as Mars instead.”

“Mm, alright.” You sighed. “Drink some water. All of you! I’m going to ask them to turn the AC up in here, you guys are dripping already and there isn’t even a crowd yet.”

A chorus of ‘thanks, Y/N’s followed you as you turned from the stage. Your friends were still standing uncertainly by the back wall, and you detoured over to them for a second.

“Sorry, can you guys wait here a second?” You requested. “I have to talk to the venue staff, it’ll just be a minute. I’ll also grab you a few VIP passes or something.”

When you returned, with the AC successfully nudged down a few degrees and four of the headliner’s VIP passes in hand, you saw that your friends had approached the stage, and were chatting with the band. Shotaro was sat on the edge of the stage, tuning his guitar, as Eunseok stood behind him, Wonbin was splayed out on his back on the stage, and Sungchan was still sat at his kit, miming drumming so as to not distract the others. His brow was furrowed with concentration as he ran through a pattern, not paying mind to anybody else.

“Here you go,” you smiled, handing out the VIP passes to all your friends. You then turned to the band to announce, “It should start getting much colder in here soon.”

Wonbin just lifted a thumbs-up in response before flopping his arm back onto the ground next to him.

“Thanks, Y/N!” Shotaro beamed. He turned to your friends again, “Like I was saying, we don’t know what we would’ve done without her. I don’t know how we managed before her, honestly.”

“You guys were doing just fine.” You shook your head. “You got invited on this tour all on your own, I had nothing to do with that, remember?”

“Dumb luck,” Eunseok snorted. “Their first opener’s vocalist broke his leg.”

“But if you guys hadn’t already put in the work yourselves, and weren’t awesome, they wouldn’t have asked you to fill in.”

“Alright, maybe you have a point,” Shotaro grinned.

Sungchan had finished what he was doing, and lumbered over to the edge of the stage, hopping down to stand next to you. He wrapped an arm around your waist, pulling you close to him.

“Hi,” you smiled up at him. “You done already?”

“Seemed like everybody else was taking a break.” He gestured to the rest of his bandmates.

“Because you said you needed to run your solo in ‘Split Seconds’ again on your own,” Eunseok retorted.

Sungchan pointedly ignored him, turning to your friends instead, giving them all good-natured nods. “Good to see you guys again. Glad you could make it out.”

“Yeah man, you too,” Jeno gave him a smile back.

“Of course, thanks uh, for inviting us out here…” Jaemin looked around the underground venue that you all were in, having a hard time keeping the uncertainty from his face, if he was even trying.

“Yeah, that was really convincing,” you hissed, pinching his arm.

“Ow!” His hand flew to rub the spot that you had just wounded, a pout coming to his face.

“So, where will the safest place in the crowd be?” Renjun asked the band, gesturing to the empty area behind you all.

The band exchanged confused looks. You clarified, “They don’t want to be in the mosh pit.”

They let out unanimous ‘ohh’s, and Shotaro took over explaining.

“A pit usually forms in the center… front-ish.” He waved his hand over a large swath of the venue. “So if you stay off to the sides, you should be fine.”

“I’m usually up by the barricades and off to the side, since I’m taking photos and stuff,” you added.

“Honestly, you should try it,” Eunseok suggested. “One of the rules of a mosh pit is to look out for the other moshers. You shouldn’t get trampled or anything.”

Renjun shot a look at Donghyuck, who already had a mischievous grin on his face. “Lee Donghyuck, if you shove me into a mosh pit, so help me, I’m dragging you in with me.”

The other guys snickered, and you couldn’t help but smile at the familiar bickering of your friends.

Checking your phone for the time, you then nudged Sungchan’s side and started shooing the rest of the band back towards the stage. “Alright, break’s over. You guys need to finish your soundcheck so we can hand the stage over.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Eunseok saluted you as Shotaro hopped back to his feet and both of them started yanking Wonbin up.

Sungchan kissed your temple and squeezed your shoulder in a wordless ‘thanks’ and ‘be back soon’ before effortlessly climbing back on stage. You stepped back to stand with your friends as the band counted off for their next song.

“Shotaro said that you’re not just tagging along, you’re like, doing everything for them?” Jaemin lowered his voice as much as he could to keep the conversation between the two of you, but still be heard over the music. “Like, tour manager, running their merch table, photos and videos…”

“Huh?” You looked over at him from where you were watching Sungchan closely to see if he had gotten out of his funk from earlier. “Oh, yeah, yeah. They needed some help, it’s not like I was really doing anything else.”

“I thought you might at least pitch in like doing merch or something, but…”

“But what?”

“Do you think you’ll keep doing this? When you get back? Being their manager or whatever?” Your friend sounded genuinely curious. “They all said they really rely on you.”

The expression fell off your face as you blinked at him, having never genuinely considered this. You frowned and tilted your head. “I… don’t think so.”

“Why not?” After a beat, he half-joked, “Pay’s not great?”

You gave him a light-hearted eyeroll at that. “Not only are they covering my travel and lodging expenses, but they’re insisting on giving me a cut of the tour and merch proceeds, too. Whatever we actually end up making, if anything.”

“Not bad.”

“I mean, I filled in now because they needed someone now. But, I just don’t think that’d be good for me and Sungchan,” you admitted. “Pitching in at their merch table or even backstage every once in a while is one thing, but working together that closely and dating… I don’t think it’d be good to do for the long-term. You know?”

Jaemin nodded in understanding. “That makes sense. So you’ll be looking for a job when you get back?”

“Yeah, I’ll have to find something.” You shrugged. “Eventually.”

All of you were hanging out in the band’s area backstage when a venue staff member tapped you on the shoulder. You turned to her inquisitively, stepping away from the conversation to hear her properly.

She sighed and shook her head. “There’s three guys at the front claiming they’re with you all. They’re really insistent. Anton, Seunghan, and Sohee?”

The look on her face made it clear that she didn’t believe them, and she was expecting this whole errand to be a waste of her time.

“Oh, yeah, yeah!” You replied brightly. “Where are they? I’ll bring them in.”

“Front door.”

“Thanks!” You darted off through the building. Grabbing three more passes from the headliner’s crew first, you then poked your head out the front door.

A line had begun forming already, and off to the side were your three friends, waiting with a rather unamused-looking venue staffer. You walked over, greeting the staff member politely.

“Hi, I’m Y/N, Roses for Eyes’ crew.” You showed him your badge. “Thanks for letting us know. They’re good to come in.”

You were handing the guys their own lanyards as you spoke, and the employee glanced over you one more time before shrugging.

“Cool. You got it from here?” He asked.

“Yep. Thanks again.” You flashed him a smile before starting back towards the door. Addressing your friends over your shoulder, you added, “Hi, by the way. You guys weren’t giving them trouble, were you?”

“What? Us?” Sohee replied with mock offense. “Never!”

“Did you get a haircut or something, Y/N?” Seunghan asked suddenly.

“Huh?” You looked back at him. “No, my hair’s the same.”

“Maybe it’s the clothes,” Anton suggested. “I think is the first time we haven’t seen you in a pantsuit.”

You scoffed. “It wasn’t growing from my skin, you know.”

“Yeah, we know that now.”

“They’re right,” Sohee agreed. “Something’s different.”

“You think so?” You looked down at yourself, furrowing your brow thoughtfully. “That’s what my friends said too…”

“Did you dye your hair?” Seunghan was apparently still stuck on your hair. “Like, a different shade of the same color?”

“No, I didn’t change my hair.” You shook your head. “You guys are late, by the way. Completely missed both bands’ soundcheck.”

“Sorry, Mom,” Anton teased, making the other two snicker.

You turned around to grab his ear. “Not your mom, you little punk. Take out your mommy issues on some other girl.”

“Ow! Ow!” He whined. “Okay, fine, you’re way more like an aggressive older sister anyway.”

Sohee and Seunghan were still laughing at Anton, who cradled his wounded ear as the three of you reentered Roses for Eyes’ green room. It hadn’t been very spacious before, already rather cozy with the band, you and your friends, now a bit cramped with the addition of the other three.

“They’re finally here!” You announced loudly as you opened the door.

The band’s faces immediately lit up at seeing their friends again, welcoming them in.

“Your girlfriend’s a bully, Sungchan.” Anton apparently wanted to continue your hallway bickering.

“Whatever it was, you probably deserved it,” Sungchan replied without hesitation, putting him in a headlock and messing up his hair for good measure.

Packed into the crowd, with your friends all around you and Roses for Eyes’ music coming through the speakers by your head so loud that you could feel it rattling your ribcage, you couldn’t picture anywhere else you’d rather be in that moment. The crowd was unbelievably energetic, feeding right back into the guys’ performance, and you eagerly yelled back the lyrics to them, one of the few who did, but entirely uncaring of that fact as every time you caught your boyfriend’s eye, or one of your friends’ gazes up on stage, they would give you the wildest grin and continue singing along with you.

For their part, your friends did look like they were having fun. They danced with you, clapped and cheered between songs, and followed your lead on chants. Anton, Sohee, and Seunghan were of course having a blast, this was already their scene, and they broke away from you to join in on the mosh pit when it formed. They even managed to convince Donghyuck to come along, and you couldn’t help but laugh as you watched the four of them disappear into the throng.

Sungchan had taken you aside before the show and told you to not worry about pictures or videos tonight, to just have fun with your friends. And you were, fully immersing yourself in the moment.

You excitedly hit the closest person’s arm—Jaemin—as the vocals stopped and tension rose in the song, knowing what was coming next. “Ahhh! Listen! Listen! Here!”

It was one of Sungchan’s drum solos, and you couldn’t hide your pride, gripping Jaemin’s arm maybe a little too hard as you jumped and cheered. As it finished out and the other instruments joined back in, you let out one last yell of Sungchan’s name, and he threw his head back to shake his hair out of his face, shooting you a grin and a wink.

“Y/N!” Jaemin yelled from next to you.

“Yeah?” You replied just as loud, still half-watching the performance.

“He’s really good, but I think you’re going to make my arm bleed!”

“Shit! Sorry!” You let go of where you had been unintentionally digging your nails into his forearm in your elation, and he rubbed his other hand over the skin.

“It’s okay.” He patted your back, a twinkle in his eye as he looked at you. “I’m having fun.”

“Good!” You beamed, giving his arm a kinder squeeze this time.

After the concert, the others all went back to Anton’s place to drink and continue catching up—you again were surprised when your four friends accepted the invitation that had been extended to them. But Sungchan waved them off, saying he was worn out from the show.

Since the others had taken the van, you and Sungchan were left to walk home, which you didn’t mind, their apartment was just a fifteen-minute walk from Venue:Hell, and the night was cool and clear. Your path took you along the riverfront, and you pulled on Sungchan’s hand to stop at the railing overlooking the water. The lights shimmered along the dark, rippling surface of the water, and you took a deep breath of the crisp air.

Sungchan pecked your temple, letting out a sigh against your head before letting go of your hand and moving to sit down on a nearby bench. He let out a deep-held groan as he lowered himself to sit, resting his elbows on his knees.

You turned around, leaning back against the railing to watch him. “Do you want to go straight home? I know you said you were tired…”

“No, it’s okay, baby. It’s nice out here,” he reassured you, and his tone didn’t make you think he was lying about that, but there was still something that was bothering you.

“Is something wrong, Sungs?” You questioned. “You’ve been… off since soundcheck.”

“It’s being back home, made me realize that it’s going to be over.”

“Aw, you’ll go on tour again.” You pushed off the railing to close the space between you two, cradling his head to you and kissing his hair. “I know you will. You guys are only going to do bigger and better things.”

“Thanks, baby.” He wrapped his arms around your waist, pressing his cheek against your middle. “But that’s not what I was talking about. I meant being with you all day every day, getting to see you be our badass manager and stuff.”

“Ah, Sungchan…” You cooed again, rubbing his back. “I’m going to miss this too. I think this was really good for us, being able to spend time together like this, and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I’m so happy that you invited me to come with you, that I’ve been able to really see what you do and do this incredible thing with you, even if it kind of terrified me at first. But I don’t think that working together like this all the time would be sustainable for our relationship long-term.”

He let out a loud, drawn-out sigh. “Yeah… You’re right. You’re always right.”

“So you keep saying,” you replied humorously. Your voice turned soft and serious again as you added, “I’ll always be there supporting you guys; don’t think I’m going to stop being your biggest fan. But I don’t want to risk this in the process.”

“Neither do I.” He kissed your stomach through your shirt, making you giggle at the ticklish feeling. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Sungs.” You kissed his head again. “And tonight also made me realize something else too.”

“What’s that?”

“As much as I’ve loved helping you guys out and being able to support you from behind the scenes, and I’m looking forward to spending the second half of the tour doing that… I also missed being able to just cut loose with the rest of the crowd and support you like that too.”

Sungchan looked up at you, a fond smile coming to his face. “Yeah, I loved seeing you have so much fun tonight. I want you to have the time of your life at every one of our shows that you’re at, not be working.”

“Then after this tour…” You pecked his nose. “I quit.”

He was smirking as he teased back, “Not if I fire you first.”

You couldn’t help yourself, cupping his cheek and kissing him. Sungchan eagerly kissed you back as one of his hands went under the hem your shirt, fingers on the skin of your waist as he pulled you even tighter to him.

You broke the kiss with another giggle, squirming and grabbing his hand that was under your top. “Your fingers are cold, Sungs.”

He didn’t seem offended by the rebuff at all, watching you fondly as you sandwiched his one large, cold hand between your own two slightly warmer hands in a futile attempt to warm it up. “Hey, have we done your something new yet today? We’re back home, it’s not a new city.”

You let go of his hand to check the time on your phone. “It’s almost one in the morning…”

“It’s not tomorrow yet until we’ve gone to sleep.”

“Alright,” you chuckled. “What are you thinking?”

“It’s a surprise.” He jumped to his feet and offered you his hand with a grin.

You took it without hesitation, letting him pull you down the empty sidewalks at a near-run. The two of you finally skidded to a stop at the back of a building you’d never seen before in your life.

Sungchan tested the door handle, chuckling when it opened easily. “He still leaves it unlocked.”

You didn’t question where you were, who Sungchan was talking about, or if you were allowed to be here as you followed him in, the door slipping shut behind you. You ended up in some kind of stairwell, and your boyfriend started taking you up. A few yellowed lights dimly lit the concrete stairs under your feet, flickering every so often, but affording just enough visibility that you didn’t think you’d trip and face-plant. You passed by doors that seemed to lead to the actual inside of the building, only marked with numbers indicating their floors. You reached the top of the stairs after floor four. There was another door, this one marked ‘ROOF ACCESS – KEEP CLOSED’ and propped open with what looked like a broken mop handle.

Sungchan pushed the door open without hesitation, leading you right onto the roof. While the building you were on top of wasn’t a skyscraper by any means, it was taller than the others in its immediate vicinity, affording an unobstructed view of the city lights at night, glittering and shimmering all around you. The air was cool on your cheek, but you were kept warm by Sungchan’s jacket. Leaning against the railing that went around the entire roof, you took your eyes off the view and looked up at Sungchan.

“This is great, Sungchan,” you said, feeling the persistent smile on your lips that was there whenever you were with him.

“Hold on.” He slipped off his backpack, and you watched with interest as he rooted around in it before bringing out a box. It was a box of hand sparklers, these ones in particular being familiar to you as the same ones you all had gotten a few stops ago to celebrate Shotaro’s birthday.

“I thought we used all of them,” you accepted them from him as he fetched a lighter from the bag before dropping it on the ground.

“Eunseok found one more box rummaging through a box of cables earlier.”

“So you stole them.”

“So I stole them, yeah.”

You took out one sparkler for yourself, and handed another to Sungchan. He lit yours first, the firework immediately sparking in front of you. A giggle bubbled out of you as you held the sparkler out in front of you, watching it until it fizzed out. Getting another two and turning to Sungchan for him to light, you realized he hadn’t even used his first one yet, his gaze resting on you.

“Hey, you didn’t light yours,” you nudged him.

“I was watching you, baby,” he admitted freely, grabbing you by the waist to kiss your forehead. “Trying to remember that forever.”

You shoved the other sparklers haphazardly into his hand before wrapping both your arms around him and burying your face in his chest. He chuckled, rubbing your back. You could feel the curve of his smile where his cheek rested against your temple. His hand left your back before you heard his lighter click and the familiar sizzle of the sparkler again. You turned your head just enough to peek at it over your shoulder, seeing that he was being careful to hold it as far out away from you as his long arms would allow.

When it went out, you turned yourself fully around in his arms, leaning back against him. He playfully pushed you forward with his body until the two of you were both leaning against the railing on your elbows, Sungchan caging you in with his arms and hooking his chin over your shoulder to see around you to light your next pair of sparklers.

You moved to draw a star in the air with yours this time, and Sungchan spiraled his around until they both went out. On your next ones, you held yours still as he seemed focused on writing his name. His went out a second before yours, and you laughed victoriously.

“I win!” You declared, holding your still smoldering sparkler.

“Oh, we’re playing the game now?”

“Mm-hm,” you confirmed. “Didn’t you hear my telepathic message?”

“Missed that one, sorry, baby,” he snickered, giving you a sweet kiss. “But I’d never forget your prize.”

Both of you held your respective sparkler still this time, watching the tiny pops and miniature explosions as they burned through. Sungchan’s went out right after yours, and you let out a huff as he waved his burned stick in the air.

“I won.” He didn’t cheer very loudly, with his mouth right next to your ear.

You turned your head, nose bumping into his for a moment, making the both of you let out a synchronized breathy giggle. Pressing your lips to his, you let your eyes flutter shut as you melted into him even further—if that were even possible. He moved his mouth against yours as if he hadn’t just kissed you a few moments before, teeth and tongue eagerly joining too.

He didn’t pull away when the kiss broke, affectionately nuzzling his nose with yours again. “Yeah…” he murmured, a content smile on his face. “I get it.”

“Get what?” You asked quietly, searching his eyes curiously.

“The sappy love songs, all the wars, carving things in trees, the locks on bridges, all of it.”

You pushed your forehead against his, unable to do much more past the insurmountable feeling of your heart about to explode. “That almost sounds like the start of a sappy love song right there, Sungs.”

“You think?”

“Sappy love songs, all the men who went to war, locks on bridges, all the tree barks carved with hearts,” you mused. “I’m no songwriter, but I think you can pull some rhymes out of that.”

He was grinning now. “And I promise the next time you hear it, it will be one entire sappy love song unto itself. All about you, baby.”

“Gah!” You clutched at your heart as you twisted enough to bury your face in his neck. “If I don’t die of an exploded heart before then.”

“I won’t let you,” Sungchan growled playfully, rubbing your back. “You’re stuck with me. We haven’t even done all that stuff yet.”

“Is going to war for me is on that to-do list?”

“Duh. Now who’s missing our telepathic messages?”

You laughed. “That’ll be a ‘something new’ for the history books.”

At the second to last stop of the tour, you had caught brief respite in a narrow spot backstage behind the curtains, careful to stay out of the way of the other crew members bustling about. Roses for Eyes were all either changing, eating, or otherwise hanging out before the show began, and you were in a rare moment of not putting out a fire or looking for smoke before one began.

“Y/N?” A voice that you’d only heard over loudspeaker announcements or in addresses to the entire crew came accompanied by a gentle tap to your shoulder. You turned to see the tour manager for the headliner next to you, snakebites spreading with the wide grin she was giving you.

“Yes, is there something I can assist with?” You stood up straight and at attention. She was usually so busy coordinating literally everyone on the tour that you’d never even had the opportunity to introduce yourself and talk to her one-on-one like this, surprised that she even knew your name.

She offered you one of the two sweating water bottles in her hand as she flipped up the mic on her headset. “Nayoung. I don’t think we’ve officially met.”

“No, but I understand, you’ve been very busy.” You accepted the bottle with a thankful head nod.

“So have you.”

You were once again amazed that she had apparently also taken note of any of what you were doing this whole time. Honestly, you were worried about being a nuisance—a band member’s entitled girlfriend tagging along on the tour, not even lifting a finger to help, and just making the entire crew’s lives harder sounded like a pretty plausible issue for her and her staff to have faced before.

“Thank you.” You bowed your head again.

“You seem like you liked it, you picked it all up really quick after being thrown in the deep end, you know.” She cracked her own bottle cap before lifting the drink to her pitch-black painted lips.

“I’ve really loved it all, actually. Not just supporting the guys, but the work itself, surprisingly enough,” you beamed fondly as you twisted your water open. “It���s totally different from what I used to do, so it’s been really awesome learning about it all. Your staff is incredible, by the way, they’ve been so patient with me whenever I’ve had questions and helping us out when we need an extra extra hand. Really, you guys have been fantastic, we couldn’t have done it without you.”

Nayoung lifted a dark eyebrow curiously. “So what’s this I hear about you quitting after the tour then? You and Sungchan didn’t… did you?”

“Oh, no no no,” you couldn’t help but laugh a little. “The opposite, actually. We agreed that working this close together isn’t a good long-term plan for us. But it was a good experience, and I’ll figure out a way to put it on my résumé.”

“Résumé,” she repeated with mild interest, giving you an avenue to keep talking.

“Yeah, better than just saying I was unemployed for two months when interviewers ask,” you chuckled. “Not looking forward to breaking out the pantsuits again when we get back, though.”

“Who says you have to?” She asked. “You’ve been exposed to jobs outside of an office, you know there’s other options. Did you like your old sort of job so much, despite your apparent dislike for the uniform?”

You faltered for a second in what had so far been a pretty light-hearted conversation on your end, your easy-going smile slowly dropping off your features as you became overcome with confusion. “I guess… that’s what I’ve always done. I know I’m okay at it, I can get a job like that again.”

“But you don’t have to. If you don’t want to.”

You looked down at your feet as you took a thoughtful sip of your water. “You’re right. I’ve… I didn’t even think of that. Thanks, Nayoung.”

“And once you polish up that résumé, send it my way, hm?”

You almost did a spit-take on her, covering your mouth as you coughed and choked down the water in your mouth. “Wait, seriously?”

“My whole crew’s loved you since day 1. I’ve kept my eye on you, and like I said, I can tell you’ve really taken to all of this. You’ve pretty much been informally interviewing for two months already. I just need the résumé.”

“Absolutely!”

She took out a business card for the event and tour management company, this one with her own number and email on it and handed it to you. “Here, when you’re ready. We do all sorts of local stuff too, by the way, we’re not just on the road year-round. There’s a lot of planning that comes before that part.”

You held the card with two hands, well aware that your eyes were shining at her. “That sounds perfect, actually. I will totally send my stuff to you. Thank you!”

“Look forward to hearing from you, then.” She gave you one last grin before snapping the mic back down into place on her headset and started off in another direction with purpose in her steps, already talking to someone else over the mic.

Sungchan found you still rooted to that same spot, looking down at the business card in your hands. He hesitantly grabbed your elbow, startling you from your happy trance.

“Hey, what you got there?” He peered over your shoulder at it curiously.

“Nayoung asked for my résumé,” you told him brightly, practically shoving the card in his face to show him.

He jerked his head back to actually read the writing, a big smile coming to his face as well as he held a hand up for you to high-five. “Congrats, baby!”

You hit his hand hard before throwing your arms around his neck, excitedly bouncing up and down even as you had a vice-like grip around him. He just laughed and hugged you back, doing a small spin with you that the narrow space behind the curtain would allow.

“We’ll just have to make sure all your future acts knows that you were our badass tour manager first,” he teased, smirking as he cradled the back of your head to kiss you.

You pressed your lips to his once, twice more before pulling away with the same wide grin on your face as before. “Oh of course. And hopefully one day, they won’t ask me who that is when I say that.”

His jaw dropped in mock offense as you went to give him another kiss on the cheek in apology, despite your giggles. He just scoffed and pinched your side, making you squeal. “Rude.”

“I’m kidding, Sungs, you know I’m kidding,” you leaned against him affectionately. “Like I keep telling you, you guys are only going to do bigger and better things. I’m going to be the one bragging that I was your first tour manager.”

“Pretty sure you have something even better to brag about,” he reminded you, and you could feel him practically puffing out his chest with pride. “But I’ll take it.”

As you were about to open your mouth to continue your teasing banter by acting confused about what he could possibly mean, something suddenly occurred to you. It didn’t seem like Sungchan had just stumbled across you backstage, or was even looking for you just because he wanted to see you—he had seemed to be on a mission when he found you. You pulled back enough to look up at him with a knowing frown.

“Did you need something, Sungs?” You questioned.

“I didn’t need anything but to see my beautiful, awesome girlfriend.” He put a defensive hand over his chest, then added, “But Shotaro lost his in-ears again.”

“Of course,” you sighed, beginning to detangle yourself from his grasp. “One more night of this, huh?”

⤷ au masterlist | blog masterlist

[jungkoode]

死 KKANGPAE | #03 死

† breakfast and training †

"His eyes are the kind of dark that makes you forget there was ever light in the world. And you hate that you're starting to notice details about him."

next | index

⚔ chapter details ⚔

word count: 5.4k

rating: mature

content: training violence, weapons, strong language, sexual tension

☠ author's note ☠

HELLO MY FELLOW SLEEP-DEPRIVED CREATURES. Welcome back to another episode of "Kiki makes questionable life choices and writes fanfiction instead of sleeping"!

Can we talk about how I wrote like three different versions of the gun scene before my perfectionist brain was satisfied? And by satisfied I mean "fine whatever just post it I guess." Don't @ me about gun accuracy, I play Call of Duty sometimes that's research enough (ㆆᴗㆆ)

Also yes, I am absolutely living for the whole "oh no they're training together" trope. Sue me. Or don't, I'm broke. All I have is caffeine and the ability to make my characters suffer. Speaking of which - Jeon in combat mode? chef's kiss My boy is out there being all professional and grumpy while Y/N is just trying her best not to get shot. We love that for them.

PSA: The whole "Cookie" thing was totally self-indulgent and I regret nothing. V is here to cause chaos and honestly? Goals.

Special shoutout to my cat who watched me write this at 3 AM and judged me silently. You're the best beta reader a girl could ask for, even if your only feedback is knocking my coffee over.

See you next Tuesday, you beautiful disasters! Remember: sleep is for the weak and fanfiction is for life.

crawls back into writing cave while mainlining espresso

Kiki

⚔ socials ⚔

read on ao3

read on wattpad

tumblr/twitter: @jungkoode

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾ ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☁︎

Mornings in the castle hit different. Through your window, the sky's doing that thing where it can't decide if it's still night or already dawn—all soft blues mixing with hints of gold. Everything's quiet, like the world's holding its breath.

Then your alarm goes off.

"Why did we agree to this again?" Yunjin whines from her bed, fumbling to shut up the annoying buzz. Her pink hair is a mess, splayed across her pillow like cotton candy gone wrong.

"Croissants," you remind her, stretching until your joints pop. "Fresh, buttery, heavenly croissants."

"Not hungry." She burrows deeper into her blanket cocoon. "Too early for hunger. Too early for existing."

You swing your legs off the bed, bare feet hitting the cold floor. "What happened to yesterday's 'new me, new goals' speech?"

"That was yesterday's Yunjin. Today's Yunjin chooses sleep."

With a snort, you pad over to her bed. It's literally two steps away—your shared room is cozy like that, with just enough space for two singles and matching bedside tables. You give her shoulder a gentle shake.

"And what's tomorrow's Yunjin gonna think about that?"

"Tomorrow's Yunjin's problem," she mumbles, death-gripping her blanket. Smart girl. She knows your next move would've been stealing it.

"Then it's tomorrow's me problem too!" You can't help but laugh, and it finally gets her to peek one eye open.

She lets out the longest, most dramatic sigh. "Fine. Fine. You win."

Your shared laughter is soft, comfortable. It's weird how quickly Yunjin became your person here. Maybe because she's as new to this as you are—no pressure to measure up to badasses like Chaewon or keep your guard up around intimidating figures like V and Jeon.

She joined two months before you did. For her, it meant saying goodbye to having her own room, but she says it was worth the trade-off. Girl's a mess when it comes to sleep schedules, but she keeps your shared space spotless and her determination is s̶c̶a̶r̶y̶ impressive. Like, you've seen her practice seduction techniques until 3 AM, and now here she is, dragging herself up at dawn for... well, croissants and self-improvement.

There's something genuinely good about Yunjin. She's always there—to help, to listen, to just be. Five months in and everyone in Seduction already adores her. Yeah, she's clumsy as hell during physical training, but her mind is sharp. Nothing gets past her—it's like she's got a built-in lie detector.

After yesterday morning's... incident, you're extra grateful for her company.

You both grab your digital cards from your bedside tables—can't go anywhere in this place without them. They're basically your whole identity here, determining which doors open for you and which stay firmly shut.

The castle corridors feel endless this early. Most members are probably still sleeping or doing whatever gang members do at dawn. Your footsteps echo softly as you and Yunjin make your way to the cafeteria, keeping the conversation light.

"Have you had breakfast here before?" you ask, watching her stifle another yawn.

"Once." She nods, her pink ponytail bouncing. "Got up at 10 though. Wasn't worth sacrificing sleep for."

You can't help but smile. "Early breakfast hits different. You'll see."

When you reach the cafeteria, Yunjin taps her digital card against the scanner. The light blinks green, and suddenly your nose is filled with the heavenly smell of fresh pastries. Inside, only a handful of early birds are scattered around the massive space. Makes sense—most people here prefer their beds at this hour.

Your eyes do their usual sweep of the room, casual and practiced. But then something pulls at you, like a magnet finding true north. Your gaze locks with dark, piercing ones.

Jeon.

"Oh, that's Jeon, right?" Yunjin's voice cuts through your thoughts. "Guess he likes mornings too."

You nod, still watching him from the safety of the doorway. Something about the distance makes you feel almost safe. He's got that thing about him—that unmistakable aura of authority that even 6 AM can't dim.

"Damn," Yunjin says after a beat, blunt as ever. "He's hot."

"Let's get food," you mutter, rolling your eyes and heading for the pastry section.

You and Yunjin load up your plates with a bit of everything, especially those famous croissants. Finding a quiet corner, you settle in to enjoy both the food and each other's company, pointedly not thinking about piercing dark eyes or brooding corners.

You try to look casual as your eyes drift back to Jeon for the hundredth time.

He's sitting there, both hands wrapped around a steaming cup of coffee like it's his lifeline to sanity this early in the morning. The sight of those tattooed fingers curled around plain white ceramic does something to your brain that you'd rather not examine too closely.

"You know, I heard something interesting about him." Yunjin's voice makes you jump. S̶h̶i̶t̶ Great, she caught you staring.

"Oh?" You tilt your head, hoping your voice sounds more curious than guilty.

Yunjin leans in conspiratorially, her pink hair falling forward as she drops her voice to barely above a whisper. It's kind of unnecessary given how far away Jeon is, but there's something about him that makes everyone speak in hushed tones.

"Apparently, he's got this whole... ritual thing going on. Every single morning, without fail, he makes sure he's the first one to get fresh coffee. Like, the first cup from a fresh pot."

Your eyes track back to that cup held between ink-covered fingers. Now that she mentions it, you've never seen him drink anything else in the mornings. The way he's savoring it, eyes closed and expression almost peaceful, makes you think Yunjin might be onto something.

"Every day? He's literally the first one here?" The mental image of Jeon lurking outside the cafeteria doors, waiting for them to unlock, is both hilarious and weirdly endearing.

"From what I've heard. Maybe it's a power move?" Yunjin suggests with a soft laugh. "You know, asserting dominance through caffeine consumption."

The idea of someone as intimidating as Jeon—co-leader of the Assassination Division, member of the Council of 9, literal professional killer—climbing the ranks of one of South Korea's most dangerous gangs just to secure his morning coffee makes something bubble up in your chest.. You have to bite your lip to keep from laughing too loud.

"Imagine that being his master plan all along," you snort. "Join gang, become assassination chief, get first dibs on coffee."

You both dissolve into quiet giggles, but the moment shatters when something shifts in the air. It's like thorny vines suddenly wrapping around your lungs, making it hard to breathe. You don't need to look to know who it is.

"Mind if I join the fun?" V's voice slides over your skin like honey laced with poison, playful but with that edge that makes your hair stand on end.

His arms drape over your shoulders without warning, caging you and Yunjin in what should be a friendly gesture but feels more like being trapped. Your muscles tense automatically. There's something about V that keeps you perpetually on edge—like admiring a rose only to remember it's got thorns that could draw blood.

Yunjin manages a wobbly smile, but you can tell she's as unsettled as you are by his sudden appearance. "We were just... talking about coffee."

"Coffee?" V drawls the word like it personally offends him. He pulls back, throwing his arms behind his head in that carelessly graceful way of his, but stays close enough that you can smell cinnamon. "Boring. Now, this new training program? That's something worth discussing."

His eyes glint with mischief, reminding you of a cat playing with its food. "I'm keen to see what you girls bring to the table. Should be... intriguing, don't you think?"

The way he says it makes your skin crawl. There's nothing overtly threatening about his words, but the undercurrent is clear—the Assassination Division isn't known for playing nice, and V seems to view the upcoming cross-training as his personal playground.

"I'm sure it will be enlightening," you say carefully.

V's energy is infectious, but not in a good way. More like a disease you're trying not to catch.

He chuckles, and those thorny vines around your lungs squeeze tighter. "Oh, I'm sure it will be. And don't worry, yours truly will be there to add a little spice to the mix. Can't let things get too dull, can we?"

Before you can respond, his attention snaps to something—or someone—across the cafeteria. With a dismissive wave that somehow manages to feel both elegant and insulting, he strides off as suddenly as he appeared.

You exchange looks with Yunjin, both of you sagging with relief once he's gone. She looks as drained as you feel, like V's presence alone sucked all the energy from the room.

"Well, that was... something," Yunjin says, and you could write a whole essay about everything packed into that single word. Her pink hair is still slightly disheveled from where V's dramatic entrance messed it up.

"That's one way to put it." You try to shake off the phantom feeling of thorny vines around your lungs. V's presence leaves you feeling like you've been through some kind of emotional washing machine—tumbled around and wrung out.

"But oh my god." Yunjin's whole face suddenly lights up like she's remembered something amazing. The whiplash from her mood shift almost gives you vertigo.

"What?" You ask, though part of you already knows where this is going. Yunjin might be shy and perceptive, but she's also a total simp when it comes to pretty faces.

"He is SO handsome?" Her voice rises with genuine awe. "Everyone kept saying he looks like a prince, but I thought they were exaggerating. They were not."

You raise an eyebrow, wondering if you were even in the same conversation just now. Sure, V's gorgeous—that's kind of his whole thing. The dangerous beauty, the dripping poison. But after feeling his aura wrap around you like a boa constrictor, 'handsome' isn't exactly the first word that comes to mind.

"Did you miss the whole creepy vibe?" You keep your voice low, even though V's long gone. Some habits die hard in this place. "He talked about the training program like he's planning to turn it into his personal episode of Squid Game. With popcorn."

"Yeah, but like..." Yunjin waves her hand dismissively, "have you seen his face? Those cheekbones? That jawline?"

"The way he's probably plotting our deaths as we speak?" You counter, but you can't help the smile tugging at your lips. Trust Yunjin to focus on the aesthetics while completely ignoring the red flags. It's kind of adorable, in a concerning way.

"Doesn't change the fact that he's eye candy," she says with zero shame, stabbing her fork into her breakfast. "Like, premium, expensive, imported chocolate level of eye candy."

"True," you admit, finally taking a proper bite of your croissant.

And it is true—V's got that whole ethereal beauty thing going on, like a masterpiece painting that happens to be slightly cursed. The kind of face that belongs in museums but also probably comes alive at night to terrorize security guards.

But even as you acknowledge V's obvious appeal, your eyes betray you, drifting back to that other corner of the cafeteria. Back to dark eyes and hurricanes.

Back to Jeon.

It's not like you mean to look.

It just... happens.

Like your gaze has some kind of magnetic programming that keeps pulling it in his direction.

Which is s̶t̶u̶p̶i̶d̶ inconvenient because the last thing you need is to get caught staring at one of the most dangerous men in Kkangpae while you've got croissant crumbs on your face.

The rest of your morning slips by without V popping up again to make your skin crawl. You try to focus on getting ready for what's coming, but your mind keeps drifting to the upcoming training.

Working with Jeon and V's division? Yeah, that's not anxiety-inducing at all.

When you step onto the training field outside the castle, the change of scenery hits different. After being cooped up in the gang's concrete maze, the open space and towering trees feel almost surreal. The cold morning air bites at your lungs—a wake-up call you didn't ask for but probably need.

Today's not just another training day. It's your first cross-training with the Assassination Division, and the tension in the air is so thick you could cut it with one of V's knives.

Your stomach does this weird flip-flop thing as you walk towards the gathering crowd. Working with Jeon after... that incident? Not exactly on your bucket list. The memory of your last encounter sits heavy in your chest, making each step feel like you're walking through mud.

The Assassination Division is already there when you arrive, looking like they stepped out of some action movie poster. Some look ready to murder, others look ready for a nap. But it's Jeon who catches your eye—impossible not to, really. It's like the air itself is swirling around him like a storm about to break.

He's got that look on his face—you know the one. All business, no bullshit, could probably kill you with his pinky finger.

No sign of V though.

Makes sense, when you think about it. Those two aren't exactly besties—more like two wolves forced to share the same territory. Their whole approach to killing is different as night and day.

Jeon's all about precision. Clean shots, minimal mess, maximum efficiency. He's the type to plan every detail, calculate every variable. Need someone taken out from two buildings away without anyone even knowing what happened? That's his specialty. The human equivalent of a surgical strike.

V though? He's chaos incarnate. Gets up close and personal with his kills, leaves a message written in blood if he feels like it. He's the guy you call when you want someone dead and don't care how messy it gets. Planning? Fuck planning—V works on pure instinct and improvisation.

The crowd goes quiet as Jeon steps forward. The atmosphere shifts, less like a raging storm now and more like the heavy air before thunder breaks. When he speaks, his voice does that thing where it demands attention without actually raising in volume. And despite everything—despite knowing better—you find yourself leaning in slightly to catch every word.

"Your state of mind is everything in this line of work," he says, dark eyes scanning the crowd like he's reading everyone's potential in real time. "A calm, collected mind can mean the difference between life and death."

The task he lays out seems simple enough: shoot the cardboard target, hit the center, don't mess it up. But as you watch others take their turns, that knot in your stomach keeps getting tighter.

The gun feels wrong in your hand. Not that you haven't held one before—basic training covers that—but this is different. This is him watching, and somehow that makes your palms extra sweaty.

Then your turn's up.

Walking to the mark feels like crossing a minefield, every step measured and tense. Your heart's going so hard you can barely hear anything else.

Focus. You need to focus.

But Jeon's standing right there, making the air thick and hard to breathe. Your finger hovers over the trigger, but doubt creeps in like poison.

The target blurs in and out. You can feel Jeon watching, that heavy gaze picking apart every flaw in your stance. The pressure builds in your chest until you're sure something's gonna snap.

Just a bit longer. You need to be absolutely sure before taking the shot.

It's not like Seduction gets much practice with actual weapons—your arsenal usually involves batting eyelashes and strategic flirting, not bullets and gunpowder. So it's no wonder the gun starts slipping through your sweaty fingers.

You tighten your grip. A surge of determination hits you like a shot of adrenaline. Come on. It's just cardboard. You've handled way worse situations than this. You can do this.

Your finger starts to squeeze the trigger—

BANG.

That... wasn't your gun.

You flinch, turning toward the sound before you can stop yourself. Through the corner of your eye, you catch smoke curling from Jeon's pistol.

He's standing there looking bored, arm extended like this is just another one of his daily mornings. The gun fits his hand like it was molded for him, an extension of his body rather than a weapon.

When your eyes snap to the target, there it is—perfect shot, dead center, because of course it is.

A̶s̶s̶h̶o̶l̶e̶ Show-off.

You lower your gun, lips pressed tight. His gaze sits heavy on your shoulders, hurricane pressure bearing down until you want to scream. His face gives nothing away, but those dark eyes say plenty—and none of it's good.

"If you're not quick enough, you'll get killed." His voice cuts like ice. "Let that be a reminder for everyone else."

The words hit like a slap. Heat rushes to your face—anger, embarrassment, frustration, all mixing together into something that makes you want to either punch something or crawl into a hole. Preferably punch him, but you're very aware of everyone watching this little show he's putting on.

Both divisions are staring, and you've never felt more like a fish in a very small, very exposed bowl.

Your eyes meet Jeon's, and suddenly breathing gets hard. His stare hits different—those dark eyes boring into yours like he's trying to read your soul, pupils blown wide in a way that makes your stomach do weird flips.

That silver lip ring catches the light when his mouth twists into something s̶e̶x̶y̶ condescending. He opens his mouth—probably to tear into you some more—but then—

BANG.

Everyone drops like puppets with cut strings. Pure instinct.

It's instant chaos. Voices rise into a crescendo of shouts and commands, bodies moving with practiced urgency.

It's kind of beautiful, in a messed-up way—how quickly personal beef gets shelved when shit hits the fan. One minute Jeon's looking at you like you're dirt on his boot, next second he's barking orders to keep everyone safe.

Your heart's in your throat as you scan the crowd for a flash of pink hair.

Yunjin.

But Yunjin's nowhere.

The sea of faces blurs together—no Kazuha, no Eunchae, not even Sakura. Even Chaewon's vanished, which is weird because she's usually got this sixth sense about danger.

Another shot cracks through the air. Your fingers tighten around your gun until your knuckles go white. Your eyes keep drifting to the treeline, where shadows dance between patches of dark green.

A calm, collected mind can mean the difference between life and death.

His words echo in your head, which is ironic considering how not calm you feel right now.

Fuck it.

You're moving before you can second-guess yourself, legs carrying you toward the forest. Maybe it's stupid, but you need space to think. To be calm, like he said.

Plus, the trees might give you cover—an advantage you desperately need right now.

The forest swallows you up. Sunlight filters through leaves overhead, painting everything in shifting patterns of light and shadow. Every step crunches on dead leaves, making you wince. So much for stealth.

V wouldn't be happy.

The chaos from the training ground fades the deeper you go, replaced by normal forest sounds—birds chattering overhead, small animals rustling in the bushes. It's almost peaceful, if you ignore the whole possible death situation.

You spot it then—a ridge overlooking the training ground, hidden behind thick bushes. Perfect vantage point, if you can reach it. The climb makes your muscles burn, but you manage. Up here, you force yourself to breathe slow and steady, trying to quiet your racing heart. Your fingers trace the gun's cold metal like a lifeline.

Your back hits the tree with a thud. The bark scrapes against your spine through your shirt, but you barely notice. Every nerve in your body is focused on that rustling sound behind you.

Footsteps.

Your breath catches. They're quiet—too quiet to be some random person stumbling through the woods.

No, these are the steps of someone who knows how to move silently. Someone trained.

Adrenaline floods your system as you press yourself flatter against the tree. Your fingers tighten around the gun until your knuckles go white. Through a gap in the leaves, you try to catch a glimpse of whoever's approaching, but the foliage is too thick.

Friend or foe?

The question pounds in your head with each careful footstep drawing closer. Your mind races, too many possibilities—it could be an enemy, could be another member searching the area.

Could be death or salvation walking your way.

The steps are almost upon you now. Your breathing goes shallow, controlled. You might be exposed up here, but they don't know that. Surprise is your only advantage right now.

Shoot or strike?

The dilemma tears at you. A gunshot would alert everyone to your location. And if it turns out to be an ally... F̶u̶c̶k̶ No. Hand-to-hand is safer. Quieter. Less explaining to do if you're wrong.

Your muscles coil tight as a spring. When the footsteps are close enough, you launch yourself from behind the tree in one fluid motion, aiming to take them down hard and fast.

Instead, you slam into what feels like a brick wall.

Oh.

It's Jeon.

His reflexes are insane—before you can even process who he is, he's already moving. The air sweeps around you as he twists, disarming you with embarrassing ease. Your gun hits the ground with a clatter that seems to echo through the whole forest.

Recognition hits you both at the same moment. That flicker of shock in his eyes quickly turns to his usual look of disdain, because of course it does.

Then—a misstep.

Your ankle rolls, sending white-hot pain shooting up your leg. You stumble, sucking in a sharp breath. His grip on you loosens just slightly, and something that might be concern flashes across his face before his usual cold mask slips back into place.

"You okay?" His voice is gruff, like the words are being dragged out of him against his will.

"Just perfect," you snap back, because fuck his concern when your ankle feels like it's on fire and your pride hurts even worse.

He just stands there, staring at you with those dark eyes that see too much.

"What the hell were you thinking?" A pause, one eyebrow lifting. "You have a gun, don't you?"

You almost laugh. Because of course. If you'd shot at him, he'd be lecturing you about trigger discipline. Attack hand-to-hand, and suddenly you're an idiot for not using your weapon.

You seriously can't win with this man.

"Well, good thing I didn't use it on you then." The words come out lighter than you feel, dancing between playful and pissed. "And what are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be back there playing commander?"

"That's what deputies are for." The casual way he says it makes your teeth grind. "Besides, I dispatched a team to check the gunfire. Just my luck, running into you instead."

"Pleasure's all mine, chief." You load the title with all the sarcasm you can muster.

"And you?" His dark eyes study you like you're a particularly puzzling target he can't quite line up. "Any reason you're out here instead of following orders?"

"Didn't get any orders to follow." You cross your arms, ignoring how his presence makes your skin prickle. "And that ridge over there?" You jab a finger toward the overlook. "Perfect vantage point. I was trying to be strategic before you showed up."

He actually grimaces at that, like your logic physically pains him. But before he can open his mouth to deliver what's surely another lecture, you add:

"Just my luck, running into you instead."

The words—his own words turned back on him—hit their mark. His eyebrow twitches just slightly, and satisfaction blooms warm in your chest.

Score one for you.

But before you can inwardly celebrate, he grimaces. He actually grimaces before he opens his stupid mouth again.

"That?" His voice drips with condescension. "You think that's prime real estate for observation?" The asshole holds back a laughter. "Alright." He says, and you ponder the merits of hitting him with a rock.

But then he begins walking, and you trail after him, partly because s̶c̶r̶e̶w̶ ̶h̶i̶m̶ he's wrong and partly because... well, where else are you gonna go?

"Remind me again—which one of us specializes in persuasion and observation?" You can't keep the annoyance from your voice. His arrogance is starting to give you a headache.

"And which one of us is known for sniping?" He tilts his head just enough for you to catch the silver flash of his eyebrow piercing. "You think I don't know a thing or two about picking vantage points?"

"Just because you can shoot from far away doesn't mean you know the best places to shoot from." The words come out sharper than intended. "What works for a sniper might not work for surveillance. They're different skill sets."

"How so?" He doesn't even bother looking back now. "A lookout's a lookout, smartass."

Your hands find your hips. "You know what? Ask me that again when you sit in on our cross-training. Might learn something useful."

"Learn from an ensign?" His tilt is mocking. "No—learn from you?" He lets out a low chuckle that makes your teeth grind. "Pretty sure it works the other way around."

"Forgot about Flower?" You can't help the snark in your voice. "She's a chief too, and I'm sure she'd love to put you in your place."

The exhale he lets out is so exaggerated it has to be for dramatic effect. "You're insufferable."

"Feeling's mutual, chief."

You trail behind Jeon through the darkness, trying to ignore how his mere presence makes the night air feel electric against your skin. The silence wraps around you both, broken only by your footsteps until—

A rustle in the underbrush.

Before you can react, his hand clamps around your wrist. No warning, no words—just the firm press of tattooed fingers against your pulse point as he yanks you behind a massive rock. You crash against him, bodies colliding in a mess of limbs and s̶h̶i̶t̶ startled breath.

You open your mouth to tell him exactly what you think about being manhandled, but his finger presses against his lips. Shut up. His eyes scan the darkness beyond your hiding spot, focused and lethal.

And suddenly you're way too aware of him.

The moonlight paints him in silver and shadow, highlighting things you've never noticed before. Like how his eyebrow piercing catches the light—two tiny beads of silver that draw attention to the way his brow furrows in concentration. Or how that lip ring glints when his mouth sets in that stern line you know too well.

There's a scar on his left cheek—barely there, really. Just a whisper of a mark that makes you wonder what story it tells. Your eyes drift lower, catching on the small mole decorating the left side of his neck. It's such a delicate detail on someone who radiates danger, like finding a flower growing through concrete.

But it's his eyes that f̶u̶c̶k̶ y̶o̶u̶ u̶p̶ catch you off guard. Dark and deep, framed by stupidly long lashes that flutter when he blinks. They're beautiful in a way that makes your chest tight—and isn't that just f̶u̶c̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ fantastic? You didn't need to know that about him.

This close, you can see the tiny lines at the corners of those eyes. They speak of sleepless nights and heavy choices, of burdens carried too long alone. Watching him like this—he feels different now, less like a storm trying to drown you and more like standing in summer rain.

The realization hits like a punch to the gut: you're seeing Jeon. Not the cold-as-ice division chief or the intimidating Council member. Just... him. Human.

Complex.

His fingers are still wrapped around your wrist like an iron band. If anything, his grip's gotten tighter, and you're caught between wanting to yank free and being weirdly aware of how warm his hand is against your skin in the cool night air. It's hard to tell if you're feeling trapped or protected.

The footsteps draw closer—deliberate, confident. Not someone trying to hide.

You watch a muscle tick in Jeon's jaw, the kind of tiny detail you wouldn't normally notice if you weren't pressed so close to him. It's fascinating, in an annoying way, how he can look so calm while radiating such intense energy.

His eyes flick to yours for just a second, but it feels loaded with... something. Like you're suddenly partners in this mess, whether you like it or not. It's more communication than you've had in all your previous conversations combined.

The rustling gets louder. You hold your breath. Jeon's gone statue-still beside you, but you can feel the coiled tension in him. His dark eyes snap to a spot in the trees, then back to you with unnerving intensity.

"Shoot there."

You stare at him like he's lost his mind. "What?"

"There." His voice is barely a whisper, rough with urgency. He jerks his chin toward whatever he's seeing that you're apparently missing.

"You want me to shoot a tree branch?" The skepticism in your whisper could cut glass. "Seriously?"

"Just do what you're told." The words rumble out of him like distant thunder, crackling with impatience.

You give Jeon a look, but arguing isn't an option right now.

The gun feels heavy as you line up the shot. Your finger finds the trigger, and for a split second, everything goes quiet. The bang echoes through the trees, making your ears ring. You watch as the bullet hits exactly where Jeon wanted—that innocent-looking branch that apparently wasn't so innocent after all.

A net explodes from the darkness like some kind of ninja trap, shooting toward the approaching figure. But whoever it is moves like water—fluid, impossible, beautiful in a terrifying way. The net hits empty ground with a sad little flutter while your brain tries to process what just happened.

Beside you, Jeon goes still. If you weren't pressed so close, you might have missed that tiny hitch in his breath—the only sign that this wasn't part of his plan. His eyes narrow just slightly, that crack in his perfect mask making your stomach do weird flips.

He pushes you back against the rock, putting himself between you and whatever's coming. The stone digs into your spine, cold and rough through your clothes.

Then everything happens at once.

A shadow vaults over your hiding spot, moving with deadly grace. Gunshots crack through the night, and suddenly Jeon's shoving you down, his body covering yours. The world spins into a blur of motion and sound, your pulse drumming so loud you can barely think.

When reality settles back into focus, you watch the figure reach for their mask. Your fingers tighten on your gun, waiting to see what kind of threat managed to dodge one of Jeon's traps.

The mask comes off.

Oh for fuck's sake.

V's grinning like the cat that got the cream. "Paintball night!" he announces with way too much glee for someone who just scared the shit out of you.

Relief and irritation war in your chest. Of course it's V. Who else would turn a simple training exercise into their personal dramatic performance?

You watch Jeon's shoulders drop, but the annoyance is written all over his face. His jaw's so tight you can practically hear all the curses he's not saying.

Always the professional, even when he's irritated.

V's eyes dances with delight as he watches Jeon simmer. "Don't look at me like that, Kookie," he coos, lips curling into that signature smirk that makes you want to take a step back.

Cookie?

You blink, trying to process that nickname. Looking at Jeon—all dark clothes, silver piercings, and intimidating tattoos—the last thing that comes to mind is anything remotely cute or sweet. The mental image of him buying cookies from some terrified boy scouts makes you bite back a laugh.

Now that's a story you'd pay to hear.

Jeon's eyebrow shoots up in that way that somehow manages to say f̶u̶c̶k̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ more effectively than actual words. His tongue pushes against the inside of his cheek, jaw working like he's physically holding back whatever he wants to say. He's irritated.

"I'll give you some advantage," V sighs dramatically, thorny vines wrapping around your lungs even from this distance. "No fun beating you when you're unarmed." The words drip with amusement, like this whole thing is his favorite game. "See ya."

With one last unsettling grin, he melts into the darkness. Because of course he does. Dramatic asshole.

You're still sprawled on the ground, processing what just happened. Leave it to V to turn a regular night into some twisted paintball training session. The man's idea of "improving stealth skills" is giving everyone heart attacks.

Beside you, Jeon's muscles finally uncoil from their battle-ready stance. He looms over you, and you can't tell if the expression on his face is more annoyed or relieved.

"You gonna get up or what?" The words come out gruff, but there's something else there. Something that might be concern if you squint.

Then his hand appears in front of your face. You stare at it for a second, surprised. It's weirdly bare compared to his tattooed arms, and you hesitate before taking it. His grip is firm but careful as he helps you up.

The whole night feels surreal —one weird training session bleeding into another. You glance at Jeon as he stretches, working out the tension in his shoulders.

The mystery of "Cookie" tugs at your curiosity, but one look at his face tells you now's not the time to ask.

Some mysteries are probably better left unsolved.

next | index

🔪 taglist 🔪

@cannotalwaysbenight @livingformintyoongi @itstoastsworld @redcherrykook @somehowukook

© jungkoode 2025 no reposts, translations, or adaptations

[loveshotzz]

Here’s a little preview of everyone’s favorite Tamagotchi Daddy 😚 and an appearance at the end by your fave bartender.

Whatta Man Masterlist | Rick’s Party Playlist

as a reminder my blog is 18 +

Sheer curtains sway with a pink glow from the flashing sign outside your apartment, the nip in the October air makes goosebump dance across your exposed skin from the crack in your bedroom window. The summer heat came and went like it always does but not the cute bouncer you took home the first warm night of the year.

Weckx-N-Effect’s ‘Rump Shaker’ spills through the boombox in your living room where Steve stands in front of your long mirror, dressed as John Dalton from Road House, you hear the pitch in his voice deepen,

“Take the biggest guy in the world, shatter his knee and he’ll drop like a stone.”

Rolling your eyes at the line you’ve heard both him and Patrick Swayze deliver all week long, you adjust the white and blue trimmed high waisted basketball shorts that hug your curves before tugging down the cropped Tune Squad mesh tank that matches. Straightening your bunny ears, you turn around to inspect your tail, bubble gum pink glossed lips turning up into a pleased smirk with the height the white platform sneakers on your feet give you. Humming in approval because you know Baby Spice would be proud, your shoulders wiggle in excitement as you apply another layer of gloss before smacking your lips loudly.

“Hey Doc, you got the goods earlier right?” The bouncer calls out.

His boots sound heavy on your shag rug making his way towards the bathroom and even though you saw his outfit earlier, when Steve’s handsome face appears next to yours in the mirror with a wide grin, you still flutter around nothing. Dark emerald eyes turn black as they drink in your costume, and you're almost positive yours look the same admiring the thick patch of hair on full display in his white loose fitting button up. Long sleeves rolled up to his elbows with the top three undone just like Dalton’s.

The extra button reveals more than usual, including the silver chain that dangles from his neck. It shines under the dark curls that cover his chest when it hits the bright lights above you, matching the belt buckle attached to the black leather that holds his tight fitting jeans to his waist. The ivory of his shirt makes his permanently sunkissed skin glow, thighs pressing together when he licks his full lips, moles moving with his cheeks when he grins.

“Jesus, you look - fuck, why’s the tail doing it for me?” Finally breaking character, he runs a hand through his hair, the ring wrapped around his middle finger catching your eye in his reflection.

“Stop calling me that or everyone is going to think I’m Bugs Bunny.” You huff and his lips twitch at your pout, “and if by goods you mean, the Roadhouse soundtrack, yes I picked it up from your friend Robin.”

Turning around, you lean against the sink, the reminder of your promise to recreate the sex scene with him tonight has you giving him an extra exaggerated roll of your eyes, a smile lighting up your face despite yourself. Steve’s big black boots cross the threshold, thick rubber soles squeaking against the rose colored tile, he closes the small distance to stand in front of you.

The warm smell of his Calvin Klein CK One cologne lingers fresh on the cotton of his shirt, along with the faint hint of your hairspray when he stole a spritz when he first got to your apartment. The cinnamon from his Big Red is hot on his breath, the whites of his teeth showing in a grin as he pushes the gum to the other side of his mouth with a tongue that was between your thighs just a few hours ago.

“I’m sorry baby, I’ll stop. I can’t help it when I’m in character you know?” One of his big hands comes up to your face, long fingers spreading across your jaw tilting your mouth towards his. The bouncer takes in your done up features in the light, and the pucker of your glittery lips, looking at him like you needed to be kissed. “No one is going to think a pretty thing like you is anything other than hot.”

“Good.” You try to say it with more conviction, but the way he keeps looking at you like he wants to eat you alive makes it come out quiet.

“Oh yeah?” He questions with a quirked brow, his boots moving the one step left to stand in the space you made for him between your legs. The tip of his nose runs along the bridge of yours, his other hand finding a new home on the plush curve of your hip to pull you even closer. The denim doing nothing to hide just how much your outfit was affecting him.

“I’m gonna have to follow you around all night aren’t I? Gonna make me abuse my power and kick anyone out who even looks at my girl like they got a chance huh?” Steve mutters his threat against your lips, the tips of his fingers digging into the dip in your cheeks bringing your mouth to his.

The strawberry of your gloss is sweeter than it was thirty minutes ago and it makes him groan when his kiss turns possessive, tongues meeting in the middle when he licks into your mouth. Your hands find their way to his chest, your palms finding the warm skin of his chest, the blunt ends of your nails dragging through the dark thatch of hair. He nips at your bottom lip when he lets you go. Pink glitter staining his when he pulls away sticky, eyes blown wide feeling the way your leg starts to lift over his hip, daring him to come back for more.

He tuts at you with whatever self control he has left, letting his hungry gaze drop down to drink up every dip and soft curve on display for him. Your back arches under the heat of it and Steve catches the puffy tail resting perfectly on the curve of your ass in the reflection. His responsibility to get downstairs in five minutes doesn’t seem so important anymore.

“I’m not going to be able to keep my hands off you.” He sounds almost angry, and pride swells in your chest.

His hand slides from your waist, fingertips tips dragging down the soft dough of your thigh making the hem of your shorts bunch up when he hooks them under your knee. He accepts your dare with a roll of his hips, his grin turning salacious when you gasp.

“That’s kinda the point, duh” the giggle that leaves your mouth is breathy as he ducks his head down to the crook of your neck to suck a fresh bruise where the previous one he left last week is almost healed, “oh my godddd.”

His lips curve against you, the hint of stubble along his jaw tickles as he makes his way with greedy lips to all the sensitive spots he’s discovered over the last few months, including the new one he found the other night right below your ear. He nips at the soft skin when your fingers tangle themselves into his hair with a harsh tug at his roots, the back of your calf pressing against his ass encouraging him more.

“Earlier wasn’t enough, my girl needs more attention doesn’t she?” His taunting comes out next to the shell of your ear, the deep baritone making you shiver. “It’s only been a few hours and you want me that bad again, huh?”

Your eyes hit the back of your head when he rolls your earlobe between his teeth. Another tug to his hair, a whine pushing past your pink lips trying to get more of anything he’ll give you.

“Come on baby, don’t be shy.” He hums pulling away from your neck, finally letting go of your face to squeeze at the fat of your ass propped on the sink, long fingers playing with your tail. “Tell me, I wanna hear it.”

The song on the radio changes, and Mase’s ‘What You Want’ encourages the next grind of your hips.

“Gonna make me beg for it Steve?” You pout looking up at him from under your lashes, relishing in the way you feel him twitch in his jeans at the thought. One of your hands trails down the muscles of his stomach, biting your lip when they twitch under your fingertips, adding more to the growing problem in your underwear.

The incessant high pitch beeping of both your tamagotchi’s cuts through the tension like a knife, making both of you freeze and you catch the way his eyes widen, the color coming back at the realization of their need to be fed.

“Steve, I swear to god-“ Your disbelief is quickly cut off by the bellowing voice of a certain bartender from outside your window.

“Hey! Asshole! I know you’re up there. Get your dick in your pants and get down here and help! It’s fucking Halloween!”

Eddie sounds like he’s already at his wits end, and you swear you hear him say ‘before I fuckin’ kill Rick’ as the bar door creaks open before slamming shut behind him.

[dalekofchaos]

If there were more endings than just Sacrifice Chloe or Arcadia Bay.

So I came up with 2 alternate choices of what happens when Max comes back via the Butterfly photo.

Choice 1. Sacrifice Chloe remains the same, but give more angst. Max holds onto Chloe and is there for her in Chloe's final moments.

Choice 2. Sacrifice Max. Max sacrifices herself. So I've always thought it was odd this was not a choice. LIS used the Butterfly Effect as an inspiration, so Max would write down her final journal entry declaring she is going to defy fate and save Chloe and Arcadia Bay, but even if it costs her own life.

Max jumps out telling Nathan to stop, Nathan shocked, shoots Max. Chloe rushes to Max and holds onto her. Chloe crying and screaming Max's name. Chloe crying while Max simply smiles and tells Chloe "Have a fantastic life" and passes on.

We flash forward via the photos being burned and being replaced like in the Bay ending, but from Chloe's POV. One shot shows Chloe holding Max's body, in another she's in her room full of Max's pictures in front of her, another where she and Joyce embrace and make peace with David's hand on her in support showing a hint of Chloe making peace with her mother and a hint of David and Chloe making peace and the final photo is Chloe at the lighthouse. Cut to Max's funeral. Max's parents are there and are like how Joyce was at Chloe's funeral, Warren, Kate, Dana and Victoria are there and finally a shot of Chloe breaking down at the sight of the casket being lowered.

Epilogue. After the funeral, Chloe reads Max's journal. At first she can't believe it, but so many things start to make sense. Nathan, Rachel and Jefferson. Max gave up her life so that she can live. So Chloe vows not to waste this second chance and vows to do better for Max. Time skip showing a future where she lives with a new girlfriend(a completely new character or even Steph), works at Arcadia Bay Garage while attending Bay City College, plays the guitar in a band and doesn't forget Max, like show Chloe looking at a framed picture she has of Max, a reminder of what she lost and why she chooses to live on and how forever grateful she is that Max was in her life and the week they had together in another lifetime.

Choice 3. Max talks Nathan down.

Max slowly comes out of hiding and talks to Nathan calmly. "Nathan, please. Don't do this. I know you're tired of people trying to control you. I know you never wanted to hurt Rachel or Kate and you know deep down you don't want to hurt me or Chloe." Nathan's hand with the loaded gun is shaking but he listens. "I know about the Dark Room. I know what happened to Rachel and Kate. I know that your father and Jefferson made you the way you are. But you don't have to be like this. You don't have to hurt anyone anymore. You can bring them down. Turn yourself in and you'll be as far away from your father and you can get the help you need."

Nathan struggles with his words and falls to his knees and drops the gun. "Th…thank you" Nathan leaves.

Chloe jumps and hugs Max. "Max, what the hell just happened?"

"I saved you, and I saved everyone." Max explains everything, apologizes for not keeping contact and they hug one more time.

We see flash forwards. First picture sees Nathan turning himself in. Second picture shows Jefferson being arrested in the Dark Room. Third-5th picture shows depending on your pro Chloe or Warren choices shows Max and Chloe together having a date at Two WHales with Joyce smiling with approval and kissing at the Lighthouse. If you chose more pro Warren choices, we see Max and Warren Going Ape, holding hands in the chemistry room and sharing their first kiss at the Vortex party. Final picture shows Max, Chloe, Warren, Kate and Victoria all hanging out and living life.

Final end scene is Rachel's funeral. The last scene would be Max and Chloe smiling at Rachel's Doe spirit, similar to how Max did at the Blue Butterfly.

[lost-walmartbag]

Warning: Swearing

Background: A deal and a sign

Status: Ongoing

Previous part

Next part

Peace by your side: Chapter Four

It was spring, we were four. We would go to this meadow that not many people had known about. At that time the flowers had already grown and me and Kyle would run around before we had to go back home.

We were exhausted from trying to catch butterflies and just laid on the grass together. There were clouds in the sky. The white against the bright blue set the perfect scene for us and I knew I didn't want to be anywhere else. Being there felt right it filled me with the warmth I had always felt when around Kyle, it was nothing like being around the other kids.

I watched the clouds pass and I assumed Kyle was doing the same but when I turned my head to finally look at him, he was staring at me. I thought nothing at the time, but looking back and analyzing the look in his eyes I can see it wasn't nothing, not to him.

"I wish I could touch a cloud," I said shining my bright smile, that I would only show to Kyle at the time. My front tooth had fallen out a few weeks before and it was embarrassing showing it off but I was never embarrassed to show Kyle.

Kyle smiled and took my hand, putting it on top of his head. His red curls felt soft under my palm and strands of red slipped between the gaps of my small fingers.

"I'll be your cloud." His voice was soft and quiet like it was a secret meant only for me.

"You can't be a cloud, clouds are white," I said with a giggle.

"Not always!" He said sitting up, my hand slipping down from his hair.

"Yes always!" I said giggling at his anger, sitting up beside him.

"No. Look!" He said pointing at the sky.

It had gotten darker while we were having our little argument, the sun had started to go down already painting the sky in pinks, oranges, and yellows. Some of the clouds were still white but the ones around the the sun were orange. The exact orange of Kyle's hair.

"See? Clouds can be orange." He said beaming proudly.

"OK. You can be my cloud."

⋅ʚ♡ɞ⋅

I look up at him. It's hard to process what he's saying and I can hear only ringing coming from my ears. He's touching my lips and everything inside me is screaming at me to pull away. But another part, a much smaller part, wants to pull him in.

I want him to keep touching me like this. To keep looking at me like I'm the only person on Earth but I shouldn't. Even if we stopped being what we are now and tried to go back to normal like when we were kids it would never be the same. He isn't that same boy who held my hand when it was dark and kissed my bruises when I fell off my bike and I'm not the same person who needed him to do those things.

I looked up at him, his gaze piercing as he looked into my eyes. "What are you.."

"One month. Hell, one week. Let me show you why this isn't who we are. Let me remind you of everything Y/N." He said almost pleading, his thumb moving down from my bottom lip to stroke my cheek and I'm sure he can feel how his touch is burning my skin.

"I-I'ts not a good idea-"

"Why? Because our parents hate each other? They don't need to know. And who gives a fuck Y/N?" He said, his brows furrowing in frustration. "Y/N, please. Just give me this. Let me show you. I'll even take a day."

I don't know what he was planning to do when I agreed to give him the time he wanted but my mind felt like a war zone. Every skeptical part of me fighting so I would say no and tell him to leave me alone and just go back to ignoring him like I'd been doing for years, but across the field, fighting by itself, was the small part of me who wanted this.

And even though it felt like a million against one, that one was winning. Doing so well that when the war in my head was over the words were already tumbling from my lips without restraint.

"How much time do you need?" I asked, my voice quiet but it seemed to impact him as his eyes brightened and the skin that was making contact with mine warmed up.

"As much as you're willing to give me." His voice still sounded a bit distant but at least the ringing in my ears was calming.

"A week," I said before I could take it back.

It seemed to be the right answer though. Kyle looked like I had just told him we were going to Disneyland and he could get on any ride he wanted. "Perfect. More than enough time."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'll figure it out. But you need to be ready. Here give me your number." He said, pulling his hands away from my face so he could grab his phone.

My skin immediately cooled down and I felt a shiver run up my spine as I watched him pull out his phone. He handed it to me and I put in my number to his phone. As I typed in my name so many other names from his contacts popped up and it reminded me of how much I missed. I recognized some of them, kids from school, sports, and clubs. But the ones I didn't recognize were too much that I quickly finished up and handed him his phone back.

"Oh." He said with genuine surprise as he looked at his phone screen.

"W-what?" I asked, worried that maybe somehow I spelled my name wrong or that he realized how bad of an idea this was.

"We're number neighbors. Look." He said with a smile as he showed me his screen. "See? Same nine numbers but yours ends in a five and mine ends in a four."

I smiled a bit because while I didn't believe in them, this had to be a sign. Years apart and somehow there were small things tying us together. Four and five. A sign.

A/N: Hey guys! I know I know I've been gone for a long ass time. I am so sorry. School is really speeding up right now but I should be out soon and should have like three weeks outside of that and while I make no promises I will try my best to write more. I have even been working on a few things while I've been gone so don't worry. Also small post to go over something coming later today so please stick around for that. As always, thank you for reading. I hope you liked it. Love you all 💚💚💚💚💚💚

Taglist: @southparkynnn @stephs-inluv @weird0o0 @jessiegerl @ringa-starr @bakusquadobsessed @corpseinpink

[kahvilahuhut]

work at night

see the whole drawing here

summary: Someone might have ended up too deep in thought while doing work stuff *checks notes* at night 🙄 In fact, so deep that its wife ended up waking up and wondering where it is.

a little scene idea i've had for cynosure for a while hehe <3 will obviously change a bit once i actually get to it, but, well, here's version one i guess? definitely not written at night noooo why are you looking at me like that

"What's up?"

Tobias turned around at the sudden voice and noticed Klara leaning on the doorway. "I- uh-", it looked around, as if collecting its thoughts to formulate a proper answer.

"Is that my wool shirt?"

"Um. Yes. It's the first thing I found on the floor. It was dark and I didn't feel like switching the lights on to look for something else. Very comfy, especially now that the heating is glitching...again,"it replied, smiling, "Though the best part is that it smells like you."

"Well, it..." Klara's voice was closer this time, her hands gently touching it's shoulders, "...looks good on you..."

"Oh, stop it," it chuckled and leaned its head to kiss her fingers.

"Someone doesn't like compliments..."

"Mmh, or do I... As for the first question, well... I woke up. Realized I forgot my meds. Went here to take them," it started listing its steps, folding a finger on its hand on each step, "And then I- um. I got some kind of an idea, I think? Erin asked me to look at a specific part of the code, which she doesn't remember writing. No one does. So I wanted to see and take a look myself. Then I decided to just go look at the whole thing and. Um." It shrugged with a smile on its face. "I guess... Here I am?"

"Honey, that's- Do you know what time is it?"

Tobias froze for a moment, then glanced at the clock screen on the microwave.

3:37 am.

"Oh, fuck," it muttered.

"Thought so," Klara chuckled and gently wrapped her arms around it while softly kissing the top of it's head. "Aren't you tired, honey?"

"Maybe a little? I swear I didn't notice, I- Fuck, I forgot to switch the clock feature back on," it muttered and brought up the settings panel, "Switched it off at work because it felt like time was going soooo slow during the meeting, it felt a bit annoying. I know that sounds a bit childish, but, well..."

"No, I think that's a fun decision. As long as it makes you feel better..." she murmured in its ear and kissed its neck softly. "Meetings are like that sometimes... Nights are the opposite. You feel like it's taking very little time but in reality time flies so fast..."

It nodded, leaning its head somewhat lazily, smiling as Klara's lips moved down to its shoulder. "But, um, thing is, I found something, and didn't want to leave it for tomorrow. What if I forget about it or miss some specific thought I had tonight if I won't write it down, things like that," Tobias said quietly, gesturing at the hologram, "Really couldn't get up or anything."

"Please tell me you haven't been sitting on a kitchen counter looking through some work data for hours. During night."

"I won't tell. But, well..."

"God, Tobias, I can't even explain with words what I'm thinking right now."

"Mm... Well, um, mind if I finish going through this document? It's the last one, I promise."

"You can't be serious..." she sighed and leaned her head on its shoulder, "Fine. But I'm staying here."

"Ooh, won't hear me objecting or anything."

It scrolled through the file to find the part it was reading before being interrupted, and quickly typed a small note near the paragraph before it continued reading.

"Why do you use a grey highlighter?" Klara murmured.

"Um. I don't know, really. I usually pick whichever color looks nice," it opened the highlighter settings, "Really love using this warm yellow tone, you know, like dandelions. Or this light orange one. Or this one, reminds me of sand or something. Or the sky blue...And this fun matcha green."

"You're adorable..."

"Trying my best..." it said while adding another note, and smiled as she kissed its cheek.

"You know, looking at you doing all this makes me think if I should get the hologram thing too... It's pretty fun, watching you wave your hands around and typing on some not existing keyboard."

"Mmh... do you want the actual device or do you want to watch my hands?"

"Take a guess."

"It gets warm sometimes. A bit weird feeling, you know? Maybe I should've bought the newer model. But it's kinda nice."

"Honey, I meant-"

It stopped reading mid-paragraph and reached with its left hand to gently stroke Klara's cheek. "I know what you meant, dear, I'm just joking," it turned its head a little for a moment and smiled at her, before turning back to the hologram. After a moment of reading a few more paragraphs, it sighed and said, "I'm sorry, Klara, I know it's weird for me to care so much about some work stuff. Man, even saying it out loud feels odd, you know? But I just want to finish this thing, because someone else would have ended up doing this tomorrow. Along with other tasks as well. And, um... I don't know. I thought I should do it myself?"

"Oh, sunshine," she murmured against its shoulder, "You know you should put yourself first, sometimes, right?"

"Mmhmm... but why shouldn't I if I can and want to do it?"

Klara moved a little to kiss its cheek, "You're a good person. Maybe a bit too good. Definitely better than what this project deserves."

Tobias half smirked and half bit its lower lip, thinking about the last sentence, before continuing to read the last paragraph. It felt Klara's hands slowly move off its body, giving its shoulder a pat before she moved next to the sink. Half concentrated on the text, other half listening to the sound of water filling an empty glass, it highlighted a few words and tapped its wrist to close the interface.

It jumped down off the kitchen counter, only to go sit on its other side, facing Klara.

"Honey? You mentioned going to take meds, didn't you?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Did you take them?"

"Uhhh... um," it sat quietl, trying to remember what it was doing before. After a moment, it answered, "I don't remember," with the last word turning into a yawn.

Klara shook her head and picked up something near the sink. Turning around to face it, she gently handed it two pills and kissed its forehead. "You know, you should get one of those little pill boxes to put them near the bed."

Tobias chuckled and swallowed both pills, quietly refusing the glass of water. "Please, they won't all fit in there."

"I'll get you three of them tomorrow."

"Klara, please, don't be ridiculous," it murmured and leaned towards her, "The packages are somewhat visible here in the kitchen. Most of them. And besides, we don't always sleep on the bed anyway."

She cupped its face and smiled. "Fine, if you say so," she said, though Tobias could see that she was still going to go buy them. As it leaned into her right hand, while smiling as she gently stroked its cheek with her left thumb, Klara continued, "You sure you're okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"Well, um, stress-wise, for example? It's been a while since you've had sleep problems this bad."

It looked at her, getting lost in own thoughts again for a moment, before realizing that it had lost control of its face, that was now showing a small frown. "I'll be fine, don't worry, honey," it smiled and gently kissed her hand, "You know I'll tell you if I'm not doing well."

"You better," she said, then added, "Please."

"I will."

"Mmh," Klara sighed and stroked its hair. "Now, how about we finally go back to sleep?"

"Oh, I thought you'd never ask."

[alienoresimagines]

Fic authors self rec! When you get this, reply with your favorite five fics that you've written, then pass on to at least five other writers. Spread the self-love ❤

Oh, thank you 🥹❤️ and thank you to @c-goldthorn too ❤️

Drag Me Under (also on AO3)

Gale fell asleep on the couch, leaving it up to Bucky to get him to bed without waking him. He has feelings about it all. Mostly, he's in love.

My first MOTA fic and my first fic after 2-3 years of not writing anything 🥹 It's the fic that reminded me how fun it was to write and how much I used to love it. It's the fic that screamed "hey! you still love writing!" at me, and I could never be more grateful 🥹❤️

Also who doesn't love a soft Bucky carrying a sleeping Buck to bed?

Gale And His feelings for Bucky, in four Acts (only on AO3)

Gale's journey from realizing his feelings for Bucky to realizing Bucky feels the same towards him.

I had such a blast writing this!! It was so much fun to explore Buck's pining and his obliviousness at Bucky's pining, I think it's the fic I've always wanted to write when I watched MOTA lmao, I wish I'd written some more scenes for it, developed it a bit more, but that will go in another fic 🥰

And so the weed of sorrow springs at the four cross ways (only on AO3)

Neil and his wife never had children, and yet, he realizes as he watches Bucky’s bottom lip tremble and feels the lump in his throat growing in answer, he’s already familiar with the grief of a father.

-

Still reeling from losing Buck on the Bremen mission, Chick tries his hardest to keep his boys together, especially Bucky. But an overheard confession that could get the other man sent home with a blue ticket forces him to make a decision that could change the outcome of the Münster mission and drastically change Buck and Bucky's fate.

This one is my baby 🥹 I spent so long trying to find Chick's voice and I like how it came out. It was a bit of a struggle to reconcile Man Raised in the 1910s with what I wanted from him but I think I managed. Also, I have such a soft spot for Chick and his relationships with the Buckies and the boys under his command that this fic is really special to me. Write what you want to read and this is the fic I've been wanting to read for weeks before writing it so 🥰🥰

Every inch of your skin is a Holy Grail I've got to find (only on AO3)

Kissing John might be one of Gale's favorite things in the world, but right now, there's nothing he desires more than to watch the other come undone beneath him. His left hand leaves dark curls to brace on one broad shoulder, giving him leverage to sit back up, even though he can't help but crane his neck to steal quick kisses. John starts leaning up on his elbows to chase him, and even if it makes something swell in his chest, Gale stops him with a hand on the valley of his chest, fingers tangling lightly on the dust of hair there to push him back down gently but firmly.

"Don't," the word comes out as a rasp, arousal making his head swim as he straightens up. Beneath him, John whines pitifully, the sound high in his throat but he flops back down obediently, looking up at Gale with half-lidded eyes, chest heaving.

This one is very special to me because it is my first smut fic ever! I don't know if I've done it well lmao but it definitely was a relief to get past the mental block and try my hand at it. Also, it's the first fic set in my Vampire AU, which is very special to me, and I like how I sprinkled it all with a bit of lore and stuff that callbacks to it without it overpowering the smut. Also I live for Gale calling John a good boy and the power balance of John being the vampire but surrendering fully to Gale 🥹

S'Cute (also on AO3)

Gale is already looking at him, eyes bright and fond and loving, the golden light of the pub shining in his hair and creating perfect shadows on an already perfect face.

He's cute.

Gale's eyes widen a bit, a blush immediately finding its way onto his cheeks, and it's only then John realizes he’d spoken out loud. Alcohol made the words slur a bit in his mouth, coming out more as "S'cute" than an appropriate sentence but still Gale heard him. Now ducking his head shyly, a small pleased smile on his face, golden hair perfectly styled making him glow among the rest of them, he looks so sweet and handsome, and he's all Bucky's to love.

So very special to me that Callum actually chose to say "s'cute" before grabbing Gale's chin in part2 and they decided to keep this take, I had to write something and I'm still overwhelmed by emotions whenever I think about this moment. The implications of it, Gale's flustered face, John's love shining so bright on his face... I fear I will never recover, and it makes the entire "I will be your best man" so so much more painful

[respectthepetty]

Please share your favorite gmmtv actor ships - they do not need to be a fixed couple, if you have those (because i do). Also, this is not meant to be an ask for real people shipping, if you are uncomfortable with that. Just your favorites maybe in terms of on-screen dynamics or any other criteria. Sorry if this is so vague 😭

Anon, serious questions before I begin - Can First and Water be a favorite pair because the amount he cries in each series, I need my babygirl to stay hydrated?

Or can one of my favorite pairs be Sing & a suit/necklace combo with the shirt unbuttoned and his man bitties out?

No? Not what you are looking for? Well, then, let me redirect to my favorite people ships rather than shipping people with inanimate objects.

So . . . before I jump in, just remember that all of these HAVE happened, so I'm not crazy:

Gun x Gun?

Hold on before you think I'm not taking this seriously! I already stated I think Gun is one of the best actors on GMMTV's roster (if not the best), so understand that if GMMTV won't let him make out with Sing when both of them were giving us sexual tension as ToddBlack, or give Tor a little kissy kissy in Midnight Museum because they were brothers or whatever, at least let the man play against himself more. It could be like the Barbie movie, but with Gun being everything. It'd be fun to see, and if GMMTV wanted to go dark sci-fi, he could answer that age-old question: Would you have sex with your clone?

Neo x Phuwin

We had this. They were paired together in Cause You're My Boy. Then they were hinted at in Dark Blue Kiss. But then, they were made into brothers in Fish Upon the Sky, so Phuwin now has Pond, and Neo got Louis. But why though? Why were we denied another adventure of these two being paired up together?! I had them down on my hopes for a 2023 offering, and I'll have them down every year from now on. I want them back! NOW!

Earth x Papang

Aof was crazy for pulling this off in Moonlight Chicken, but now that I've seen it, I can't unsee it. And even more, I WANT IT! I have never seen Earth kiss like that, and he has had several partners. Did Aof strike a goldmine with this pairing? Papang has always done his job, but these scenes, which lasted no more than eight minutes, gave me an alternate timeline that I must see play out on my screen. Immediately.

Pond x Nanon

If Aof was crazy for Earth x Papang then Jojo was batshit insane for Pond x Nanon in Dirty Laundry. These two had a strip-off pole dance in a club called Boys Next Door, Nanon twisted Pond's nipples for information, then Pond's character had sex with a client with Nanon and Film's character in the car. This shit was wild, but that was only 15% of the hijinks between these two. I need them to recreate this creepy magic, and I need it to be twelve episodes long with at least 52 minutes runtime per episode.

Gigie x Fah

Since I mentioned Jojo, The Warp Effect is queer. QUEER! It gave use Fluke with Thor, Jan with Silvy (oh, my God that magical being could choke me!), and Mark with Best, yet, it toyed with us by suggesting the possibility of Gigie with Fah. Be brave about it, GMMTV! More than one wlw couple can exist in a show. Give me a redo, and this time, give me these two picking each other again, and again, and again regardless of what Alex (New) does with those Polaroids.

New x Sing x Fluke

Mentioning The Warp Effect reminded me that these three could out beat any historical trio including Destiny's Child, The Jonas Brothers, AND Charlie's Angels! Sing and New have been around for a bit, so I'm surprised they haven't acted in more together, but throw Fluke in there, and they had the perfect dynamic: Gay pretty boy and former bully with kinky puppy and space enthusiast trying to help out their bi idiot friend (it's canon to me). Sing and New will be in the Thai remake of Cherry Magic, so I'm sure Fluke could fit in there somewhere somehow. Make it happen, GMMTV!

First x Khaotung x Sea

And on the topic of throuples, this one hasn't happened, but by golly do I want it! Whoever paired First and Khaotung together deserves a Noble Peace Prize, but whoever thought of interviewing them with Sea deserves the Library of Congress Living Legend award and to be the Grand Marshall at the NYC Pride Parade. That person gets it. I'm not shipping them as actual people together. I want whatever chemistry they had in that interview to be transferred onto the screen and brought to me in 2024 because only a Year of the Dragon can handle the fire they would deliver.

Pawin x Satang

GMMTV, you know what you did in that Star in My Mind x Our Skyy 2 episode was effed up. I don't care how many times you pair Pawin up with other boys. You know what you did, and I'm taking this grudge to the grave.

Ohm x Perth

The fact that Double Savage cast them as brothers instead of a one-sided love affair was in the words of the most beautiful Raye a "DUMB DECISION!" Then to have them color coded?! THE AUDACITY! And no, I will not be writing about the colors because unless these two get paired again, as LOVERS, I will rewire this story in my head of what it should have been to deserve these two amazing actors partnered up with each other rather than the poop pile I got. I wrote what I wrote.

Joong x Dunk

If you know anything about me, know that I'm a JoongDunk fan first, and a human second. It has absolutely nothing to do with their acting even though that's what you asked for. It has everything to do with them. Much like the interview with First, Khaotung, and Sea, Joong and Dunk in their interviews are ridiculous. They resort to tomfoolery and instead of answering the questions, they start arguing about the most trivial details. ForceBook and GeminiFourth do this, but add in JoongDunk's live streams and Safe House footage, and I don't know how they get anything done when filming because they are either arguing, dancing, napping, or giggling. Hidden Agenda yesterday, please!

Bonus: Since this was exclusive to GMMTV, I couldn't include who my ultimate acting pair is, but if you know me, then you already know, so without further ado

MAXTUL DOMINATION!

[pensbridge]

A ridiculous list of very situational Season 3 musical moments, because I'm too delusional atp

All Too Well- Colin and Pen dance in Berkeley Square. And I know it's long gone and that magic's not here no more would be such a tension-filled moment with so much subtext to what they haven't yet addressed // Cause there we are again on that little town street

Back to Black- I picture a Peneloise scene of them at odds featured during a dance number. Imagine Penelope and Eloise each dancing with a suitor while they see each other, still in contempt towards the other. Ik it's not the meaning, but taking the lyrics of the song and re-imagining them to the correlation of Lady Whistledown and these girls' feelings about their fallout- We only said goodbye with words, I died a hundred times, you go back to her, And I go back to us

Someone Like You by Adele- Colin watching Pen dance with another suitor (and if the kiss happens & he goes to find her). I hate to turn up out of the blue, uninvited, but I couldn't stay away; I couldn't fight it. I had hoped you'd see my face and that you'd be reminded that for me, it isn't over.

Whatta Man by Salt-N-Pepa ft En Vogue- That scene where everyone turns their head at Colin strolling through the streets. is that the scene? I can't remember

Love In The Dark by Adele- The engagement ball scene where Colin and Penelope argue in the dark right before he says 'stay; stay; stay'. Please, stay where you are; don't come any closer; don't try to change my mind; I'm being cruel to be kind // the longer we ignore it, all the more that we will fight // Please, don't fall apart; I can't face your breaking heart; I'm trying to be brave; stop asking me to stay

Stay by Rihanna- self-explanatory; another song for the 'stay; stay; stay' moment. I threw my hands in the air, said, "show me something;" He said, "if you dare, come a little closer"

Iris by The Goo Goo Dolls- And I'd give up forever to touch you // And I don't want the world to see me, cause I don't think that they'd understand- either first time or a dance as a married couple, being a united front with still the LW secret unknown at the time to the rest of the ton

[ranchthoughts]

Hello everyone! I am back with another GMMTV Multiverse update, and a reorganization.

Starting a new post because the other one was getting so long and unwieldy. Also I wanted to lay things out in a way that was perhaps more readable for other people.

Shout out to @iamdarthbader @abstractelysium @algaeelegy @chalkrevelations @philologique @waitmyturtles for noticing things I had missed/adding details - it is always appreciated!

This is part of my ongoing project to calculate and organize the breath of possible universes within the GMMTV slate of shows. I am mostly focusing on BL at the moment, with an eye to expand into the other GMMTV shows (QL and not) eventually.

The previous thread can be found here, and here is the previous diagram.

I have analyzed 15 shows now:

A Boss and a Babe (ABAAB)

A Tale of a Thousand Stars (ATOTS)

Bad Buddy

Dark Blue Kiss (DBK)

Enchante

Fish Upon the Sky (FUTS)

He’s Coming to Me (HCTM)

Moonlight Chicken

My School President (MSP)

Never Let Me Go (NLMG)

Not Me

Star in My Mind (SIMM)

The Eclipse

Theory of Love (TOL)

Vice Versa

A few establishing notes:

Bad Buddy and ATOTS are part of the same universe, as confirmed by the Our Skyy 2 crossover episodes

MSP and The Eclipse are part of the same universe, as pointed out by @philologique here

The show Vice Versa contains two universes - the one we start in and the alternate universe they travel to, henceforth referred to as au!Vice Versa

The universe the show MSP is set in and the universe the Our Skyy 2 MSP episodes are set in are different; the Our Skyy 2 version will henceforth be referred to as au!MSP

No other show thus far can take place in the au!Vice Versa universe as that universe doesn’t have normal paper, as irregular croissants, has marriage equality (amongst other changes) and no other GMMTV show to date shares these traits (side note: there is an au!Enchante that does share this universe, as we see Akk and Theo on their wedding day, but I’m leaving it out of the analysis)

Bad Buddy is a TV show in the MSP/The Eclipse universe, as Tiw recommends Tinn watch it. Bad Buddy, ATOTS, and HCTM are TV shows in the au!MSP universe, as the characters reenact those stories for a music video. TOL, along with 2gether and SOTUS, are TV shows in the Vice Versa universe, as famous lines from those shows are used as secret passwords. SIMM is a show in the ABAAB universe, as there is randomly an episode playing in the background of a scene in ABAAB.

Methodology

@kattahj reminded me I forgot to mention - Drake exists twice in the Bad Buddy/ATOTS world (as Korn and Rang respectively), but I operate under the assumption that he is the only one who can do that in the GMMTV Multiverse ...for my own sanity. (Shout out also to @fiercynn for detailing how Nanon also exists twice in Bad Buddy, as Pran and as the singer Nanon)

In other words, I am operating under the assumption that each actor can appear once in a given universe (there are some exceptions, like Drake playing two separate characters in Bad Buddy/ATOTS and Gun playing identical twins in Not Me, but for the most part this is my definition of universe)

This is how I've chosen to identify and narrow down universes, as other markers (crossovers, mentions of other characters and stories in shows, etc) are few and far between. It also is just easier on me to have mutually exclusive categories

Who can and can’t share a universe?

Actor(s) noted in brackets are the reason the two shows cannot exist in the same universe

A Boss And A Babe (ABAAB)

Cannot be in the same universe as: Enchante (Book, Fluke Pusit, Force), TOL (Mike), SIMM (Mike)

Can be in the same universe as au!MSP, Bad Buddy/ATOTS, DBK, FUTS, HCTM, Moonlight Chicken, MSP/The Eclipse, NLMG, Not Me, Vice Versa

Bad Buddy/A Tale of a Thousand Stars (ATOTS)

*confirmed in the same universe by Our Skyy 2 crossover episodes

Cannot be in the same universe as: au!MSP (Aun, Fourth, Gemini, Lotte, Mark, Prom, Satang), Enchante (Aun, Jimmy), FUTS (Mix, Satang), HCTM (Love, Ohm), Moonlight Chicken (Earth, Fourth, Gemini, Khaotung, Mix), MSP/The Eclipse (Aun, Fourth, Gemini, Lotte, Mark, Prom, Satang), SIMM (Satang, Winny), TOL (Earth), Vice Versa (Jimmy)

Can be in the same universe as: ABAAB, DBK, NLMG, Not Me

DBK

Cannot be in the same universe as: Enchante (Gawin), FUTS (Neo, Phuwin), HCTM (Gunsmile), MSP/The Eclipse (Neo), NLMG (Phuwin), Not Me (Gawin), SIMM (Mek), Vice Versa (Neo)

Can be in the same universe as: ABAAB, au!MSP, Bad Buddy/ATOTS, Moonlight Chicken, TOL

Enchante

Cannot be in the same universe as: au!MSP (Aun), ABAAB (Book, Fluke Pusit, Force), Bad Buddy/ATOTS (Aun, Jimmy), DBK (Gawin), MSP/The Eclipse (Aun), Not Me (Gawin), Vice Versa (Aou, Jimmy)

Can be in the same universe as: FUTS, HCTM, Moonlight Chicken, NLMG, SIMM, TOL

FUTS

Cannot be in the same universe as: au!MSP (Satang, Winny), Bad Buddy/ATOTS (Mix, Satang, Winny), DBK (Neo), HCTM (AJ), Moonlight Chicken (Papang), MSP/The Eclipse (AJ, Louis, Neo, Satang, Winny), NLMG (Phuwin, Pond) Not Me (Papang), SIMM (Satang, Winny), Vice Versa (Neo)

Can be in the same universe as: ABAAB, Enchante, TOL

HCTM

Cannot be in the same universe as: Bad Buddy/ATOTS (Love, Ohm), DBK (Gunsmile), FUTS (AJ), NLMG (Chimon), Not Me (Sing)

Can be in the same universe as: au!MSP, ABAAB, Enchante, Moonlight Chicken, MSP/The Eclipse, SIMM, TOL, Vice Versa

Moonlight Chicken

Cannot be in the same universe as: au!MSP (Fourth, Gemini), Bad Buddy/ATOTS (Earth, Fourth, Gemini, Khaotung, Mix), MSP/The Eclipse (First, Fourth, Gemini, Khaotung), Not Me (First, Papang), TOL (Earth), Vice Versa (Aou)

Could be in the same universe as: ABAAB, DBK, Enchante, FUTS, HCTM, NLMG, SIMM

MSP/The Eclipse

*confirmed in the same universe by this post

Cannot be in the same universe as: au!MSP (Aun, Fourth, Gemini, Lotte, Mark, Prom, Satang, Winny), Bad Buddy/ATOTS (Aun, Fourth, Gemini, Khaotung, Lotte, Mark, Satang, Winny), DBK (Neo), Enchante (Aun), FUTS (AJ, Neo, Satang, Winny), HCTM (AJ), Moonlight Chicken (First, Fourth, Gemini, Khaotung), NLMG (Pawin), Not Me (First), SIMM (Satang, Winny), Vice Versa (Neo)

Can be in the same universe as: ABAAB, TOL

NLMG

Cannot be in the same universe as: DBK (Phuwin), FUTS (Phuwin, Pond), HCTM (Chimon), MSP/The Eclipse (Pawin), SIMM (Pawin)

Can be in the same universe as: ABAAB, au!MSP, Bad Buddy/ATOTS, Enchante, Moonlight Chicken, Not Me, TOL, Vice Versa

Not Me

Cannot be in the same universe as: DBK (Gawin), Enchante (Gawin), FUTS (Papang), HCTM (Sing), Moonlight Chicken (First, Papang), MSP/The Eclipse (First), TOL (Gun, Off)

Can be in the same universe as: ABAAB, au!MSP, Bad Buddy/ATOTS, NLMG, SIMM, Vice Versa

SIMM

Cannot be in the same universe as: ABAAB (Mike), au!MSP (Satang, Winny), Bad Buddy/ATOTS (Satang), DBK (Mek), FUTS (Satang, Winny), MSP/The Eclipse (Pawin, Satang, Winny), NLMG (Pawin), TOL (Mike)

Can be in the same universe as: Enchante, HCTM, Moonlight Chicken, Not Me, Vice Versa

TOL

Cannot be in the same universe as: ABAAB (Mike), Bad Buddy/ATOTS (Earth), Moonlight Chicken (Earth), Not Me (Gun, Off), SIMM (Mike), Vice Versa (exists as a show there)

Can be in the same universe as: au!MSP, DBK, Enchante, FUTS, HCTM, MSP/The Eclipse (as long as Vice Versa is not), NLMG

Vice Versa

Cannot be in the same universe as: Bad Buddy/ATOTS (Jimmy), DBK (Neo), Enchante (Jimmy), FUTS (Neo), TOL (exists as a show)

Can be in the same universe as: au!MSP, HCTM, Moonlight Chicken, MSP/The Eclipse (as long as TOL is not), NLMG, Not Me, SIMM

I will do another breakdown of the possible universe iterations later, but for now I wanted to get the data out there!

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

(Honmei)

“Hello, Rook. Remember the last time I sent you chocolates? I probably should have specified what intent—… no, I was too embarrassed,” she sighed, looking at the ground. “Before I regret it, here.” She haphazardly shoved a sleek white box with a tricoloured ribbon of blue, yellow, and red in front of Rook. Inside, were snowflake shaped dark chocolate covered wafers with a white chocolate drizzle.

“Happy Valentines. I like— *ahem* love you. I don’t know if Valentines Day in Twisted Wonderland is the same as Earth, but I included my confession this time to be safe.”

There were two Valentine interactions for Rook back in 2021; one was romantic and the other was platonic. I’m not sure if you’re referring to the second one? Or was it an interaction I didn’t respond to...? ... Maybe you’re just setting up the scene and I’m overthinking what you mean by “the last time I sent you chocolates” 🤡 ndvdjwbsk Regardless, I had to improvise a bit since I wasn’t sure about that part of the prompt!

In the west, Valentine's Day is mainly marketed as a time for romance on both ends, but this blog event is based on the Japanese interpretation of the holiday; in Japan, men receive gifts indicating various feelings, not always romantic, on Feb 14th, and can return the favor to women on March 14th/White Day. Actually, Christmas is considered the more romantic (and most!) holiday in Japan!

Sweet on You.

"How could I ever forget? There is never a moment when you are far from my mind.”

He threw his head back and laughed. It was like music to your ears, and as resonant as a gale cutting through a spring meadow.

“I believe you had sent a parcel of assorted truffles last Valentine’s—by carrier dove, so as to catch me on an excursion! Dark, milk, white, and even the elusive pink blush of ruby chocolate... I was grateful to receive such a kind token of your companionship.”

As usual, Rook smiled as he spoke, happily reminiscing. Each detail of the memory was laid out like a gemstone in a well-maintained collection. He was careful to not overstep, to assume and blurt out the intent behind the gift.

After all, he wanted you to come to him of your own accord.

Haloed by hair that shone like threads of spun gold, he may have been considered angelic if not for the shadow that the wide brim of his hat casted upon him. Honied words fell so naturally from his lips—you often had to remind yourself that these were the traps he laid to trip you up. And in the end, you had been ensnared in a net of his love, fallen prey to his wiles.

You could deny it no longer.

Steeling your courage, you shoved a beribboned box at him.

"Wafer cookies in a snowflake shape?" Rook raised his brows. "Fufu, you know my interests well. Such intricate, delicate morsels! They're too beautiful to eat--but I must, lest they crumble and decay with the passage of time. Another year, and you continue to spoil me with these chocolatey shows of affection."

You cleared your throat and clarified. Your insides rattled once you had ushered the truth out into the world, your limbs like jelly.

"Joyeuse Saint Valentin to you as well." Rook's smile widened, now so broad that his cheeks threatened to tear. "To confess one's truest feelings is an act of great strength and courage. Once it has been uttered, it cannot be taken back. For that, I commend your earnest! Does it not feel liberating to expel the butterflies that had been collecting in your stomach?"

Taking one of your hands in his, your fingers linked together, skin set on fire.

"Allow me to reciprocate those feelings: Je t'aime. Whether in Twisted Wonderland or in a world beyond, you will always be the one that holds my heart."

Rook's tender lips graced the back of your hand with a kiss. It was as soft as freshly fallen snow, but passionate like a long-burning flame--and as true as the blue that painted the sky overhead.

[fiction-justanotherstateofmind]

Here I'll write the comments as I watch the new Teen Wolf movie, so SPOILERS!!

.

.

.

SPOILER

.

.

.

1) WTF! Why would you keep a evil spirit IN A RESTAURANT?! Easily accessible to anyone. And what if you open the wrong jar while cooking?!

Unbelievable.

2) All the Scott's first scene... kinda cringe

3) I'm not gonna lie, I missed the intro song 🎶

4) I've never heard Deaton speak so much (and for my Italian friends: lo vedo un po' sciupato)

5) Derek, my beautiful love! And hello, Stiles and Derek's son (called like Stiles' grandfather, Elias. iykyk)

6) Why do they talk about the Nemeton like they don't know it?

7) I love Derek as a dad. My heart is melting.

8) Parrish and Malia don't make any sense.

Update from the end of the movie. Ok, I kinda like them, but they still don't make any sense.

9) Apparently Deaton can fight now. Plus every time I see the nogitsune all I can see is this:

10) For a moment I thought I was watching the Winx... I guess some things never change. I surely didn't miss the bad special effects.

And why does everyone needs to be naked??

11) OMG!!! VICTORIAAA. This woman scares me even now

12) I've always dislike Allison, now even more: my poor poor Derek! 😭

Ok no, false alarm, but I don't change my opinion.

I really love Dad Derek btw.

13) I missed Peter and Chirs together. My other ship

14) Scott to Eli: "Find your dad". What if instead you tell him where his dad is too, since you do know Derek is at home but Eli doesn't *facepalm pt.2*

15) The parallel between Dark Allison and Scott and Dark Allison and her killing spree against my precious Erica and Boyd. YOU SEE WHY I DON'T LIKE HER?! (She didn't even say sorry for that btw)

16) The Sheriff killing Oni while sitting on the couch is on another level

17) Derek dies pt.2 (my heart can't take it anymore)

18) What?! Why, tell me why did you run against theirs swords. You literally killed yourself, Eli. *facepalm pt.3*

19) Peter, that was cringe af. And Chris wdym with 8 hours at most when we know from the show that it takes about 24h before the death?? Omg I can't with this movie

20) And now why do they care about the game? Hello, your father's going to die, Eli!!

21) Oh, she's really doing it. I didn't expect it (Allison shooting at Scott)

22) Ouch, that must hurt (Nogitsune with a new hole in the middle of his forehead)

23) I missed Chris and Peter's duo, but please give me back Peter's old hair style, this one is a death crime

24) Jackson my beautiful little lizard. I've always loved you ♡

25) How disgusting! It's like Rufus (from Kim Possible) became the Darach:

Do you se the resemblance too? Unfortunately I don't have a photo of the nogitsune unmummified.

26) The scene is kinda cheap but gods if I missed them

27) Why are Derek's eyes blue?? They were yellow again after the the Mexican fountain of youth

Update: nevermind. They reminded me that after Derek evolves his eyes go back to blue.

28) Can anyone stay dead in this city?? Harris too, come on!

29) You're giving your son TO SCOTT?? Are you serious, Derek?? It's like a big child, he can't take care of Eli. If Stiles was there, he would tell you the same (but if Stiles was there, Eli would be with his other dad -Stiles- so Scott wouldn't be even an option but I stand for my objection)

30) HIS EYES!! HIS EYES TURNED RED LIKE A TRUE ALPHA (btw, Derek, you've always been the alpha to me)

31) They've vanished. No corpse no death. And even then, we're in Beacon Hills so what is one more resurrection, right? Right??

32) SCOTT, WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!! YOU'RE IN YOUR 30s, ALLISON IS STILL 16/17!

And why are you kissing anyway! Derek's dead*! (*to them, 'cause in reality Derek's alive, safe and sound. I know it)

33) Excuse me, can I see at least one tear for Derek Sourwolf Hale, please? Are y'all being serious? Scott is almost smiling!!

Also, they had a funeral for Derek but didn't invite Cora, his sisters... they didn't even tell Isaac that Allison is alive (you know, Allison, your boyfriend. I know you kinda forgot him even when you were dying but if you remember everything then Isaac is supposed to be in that everything too). They didn't even call Stiles!

35) Why does it seem that when the Sheriff was talking about the jeep he was actually talking about Stiles and Derek (or sterek as a ship/concept). No matter what, we sterek shipper will stand. Always and forever.

Final thoughts

I thought worse but at the same time it felt rush. I wanted to see more Eli and Malia bonding. Also the way the Sheriff cares about Eli it seems more like a grandfather to a grandson (if you know what I mean) but we couldn't really see that. And can we talk about Derek and Noah (John for the friends)'s partnership? Or how Derek speaks about Stiles with Noah as he's still in touch with him??

And where is Eli come from anyway?! Are we finally normalize mpreg?

Final final thoughts

I didn't like this movie. It was like a big bad Scallison fanfiction found on wattpad (ao3 is better). A lot of things were forgotten and other changed.

BUT

There's always a but (as in the Derek's "death" *wink wink*).

This movie gave us a lot of sterek material.

I'm afraid of what Jeff Davis' mind could possibly come with for another movie, probably more about Eli's past which means a mother for sure (unfortunately the world isn't ready for mpreg yet I'm afraid) and less sterek material. But at the same time I want to see Derek alive again, I want to see how they would manage with two true alpha and how Derek and Eli's relationship would evolve.

I want a lot of things to see but I'm afraid they won't give me any of them, so I can't decide either I want another movie or not.

What do you think?

[hgejfmw-hgejhsf]

Find the Words!

Thank you @anincompletelist and @theprinceandagcd for two tags in this game!

*cracks knuckles* Let's see what my WIPs have, shall we?

My words are: make, hide, square, edge, atmosphere

AND

hope, smooth, skin, water, paper

After the cut for length and suggestibility (on a couple)

Word: make WIP: Henry hurt/comfort

“I think,” Alex starts, wondering if this is one of those moments that his mom meant about flying too close to the sun before he realizes that no, being in this car and leaving this way is. So he quickly adjusts course, “I’d like to go back. To make sure Henry’s okay.”

Word: hide WIP: A deleted scene from Take Your Time

You’re the sun. Shining your warmth down on the icy waters. Bringing an end to the darkness. But also shedding light on the destruction that has been wrought. I strayed from the light for so long because I feared what I would see when I could no longer hide behind the excuse of blindness to the truth of my own existence. Cold-hearted. Turning back all who venture near out of fear. And now I realize precisely what that all means. I’m not the unsinkable ship. I’m the iceberg.

Word: square WIP: None of the above, I'm afraid haha

Word: edge WIP: The Notebook AU

“What the fuck is all this security doing here?” Alex asks as June blows a kiss to Nora that she catches and apparently uses as some sort of secret fuel for her bumper car, jettisoning it head-on into the wall and screaming as she does it. He glances at the surrounding perimeter along the edge of the carnival, security guards in suits with earpieces like something straight out of a spy movie standing unmoving nearby.

Word: atmosphere WIP: Also none of the above!

Word: hope WIP: DNC fill-in-the-blanks

It remains even after collapsing, physically and mentally spent, into sheets that are not his own, and sliding his own calloused fingers over his bare skin in the desperate hope that the memory of Henry’s soft fingers playing a muted melody over his ribs might come back to him. It lingers despite the sight of Henry’s face, pixelated and blurry in the dark of the night on his phone screen, enough to make him come with just a few strokes of his hand at the tenor of Henry’s voice. It hums through his body, until he has no choice but to seek refuge against the closest nearby structure to regain his composure, for every single second that all six of the senses he was blessed with aren’t filled with Henry.

Word: smooth WIP: Lake house 5+1

The sun is just beginning to start its descent to the horizon for its well earned slumber after another perfectly dazzling summer day spent bringing new freckles to life as previously undiscovered landmarks on a map of soft, smooth skin, dancing in narrowed blue eyes rarely unhidden from behind dark glasses, and bleaching already golden hair to a resplendent color unnamed by nature. Alex lounges on the hammock, drifting somewhere in that blissful heaven between sleep and waking, when you can feel the breeze on your skin as your subconscious slowly concocts the perfect dream of long legs and nimble fingers and effervescent laughter. Henry lies beside him, his sun kissed skin warm against Alex’s leg, an anchor to the consciousness he can slowly feel slipping away with each passing moment.

Word: skin WIP: Drunk Me

But privately, he wondered if he’d ever have the chance to meet the boy who he so deeply admired for his ability to exist entirely beneath the world’s spotlight without so much as a flinch to indicate that it ever made him uncomfortable. Alex, on the other hand, had taken to pressing his lips to the key around his neck before each public appearance, a grounding technique that reminded him he always had a quiet home to return to when all was said and done. Henry, on the other hand, had nothing but palaces behind wrought iron gates. He hoped maybe someday they could be friends, and maybe he could even show Henry where he grew up. The Texas sun on his skin would definitely be warmer than the glow of ancient chandeliers.

Word: water WIP: Alex's bedroom canon divergence (movieverse)

He smirks at that thought. At Henry, standing in a steaming shower, with water dripping from his golden hair and collecting in dewdrops on his eyelashes, the suds from whatever expensive body wash he uses that keeps him smelling like clean linens and fresh grass even in the dead of winter sliding over his bare skin to reveal 10 small purple bruises in the shape of Alex’s fingertips. A part of Alex he won’t be able to wash away as easily as buttercream melts and slips down a drain.

Word: paper WIP: NYE Get Low Alex POV (movieverse)

“I’d be a writer…live in Paris,” Henry explains, and it suddenly makes so much sense. Like a piece of a puzzle sliding perfectly into place and revealing an entirely new image. Alex can see Henry, the same Henry who waxes poetic about Byron’s poetry for as long as Alex will tolerate and then some, sitting inside a coffee shop in Paris with a stack of paper and a pen, scribbling furiously, his eyes bright and alive with the same passion Alex can sense when he speaks of the work of other famous writers. Alex can’t help but smile at the thought.

I'm going to make this an OPEN tag, because I know a lot of people have already been tagged, and I don't want y'all to feel overwhelmed by all the words! @kiwiana-writes as the person I know with the most WIP options, you know you're always open to do this...but only if you want!

The words the random generator came up with are: proud, ceaseless, worried, dark, and pointless.

[cyborg-franky]

OC x Canon Week

I wrote for myself for once. I did the @theocxcanonweek

Marco x Ray x Ace

SFW

TW: Nightmares, injury, polyam, age differences

Prompts: Tending to an injury - "Forgive me." - Mythical

Art by @ // donivanessdoodles

The sea was calm as a soft breeze helped the large ship bob across its seamless surface. Stars twinkled across the darkness that encompassed the world below. The window was ajar, the sea breeze kissing the exposed shoulders of the two pirates cuddled in bed. 

Both were fast asleep, limbs tangled under the sheets. Ray curled up against Ace who draped an arm lazily over his body. Ace nuzzled his nose into the silvery strands of hair, pulling Ray closer against his chest, a sigh as his brows furrowed.

The dreams that rolled across his subconsciousness grew turbulent, nightmares prickled beneath the surface as the waves of his mind turned. Ace felt the self-doubt and negativity that his partners helped to keep away pulling him below the waves. Ray and Marco weren’t in here to tell him he was loved, to hold his hand, to remind him he was worthy of their love.

Nightmares clung to him, a storm chased away the warmth of dreams from moments ago. Like the night chasing the sun across the world, drowning it in the horizon, buried under a sheet of darkness. The nightmares found Ace, pulling him in every direction.

Bright blinding fire, explosions and screaming. He could hear the deafening sound all around him before a ringing in his ears took it away. He saw the small boat sink, he could see Luffy’s lips moving but couldn’t hear a sound. 

Loss, overwhelming loss clutched his chest even as he slept. His grip on Ray was tighter, fingers digging into plush flesh as he whimpered. He whispered Sabo as the nightmare morphed from flames painting the indigo night with misery, feeling the heat from where they stood, watching helplessly.

All the things people had said about him got louder and louder as the darkness flashed into light. The bright blinding light caused him to flinch in the real world. He watched as unimaginable scenes played out in his mind.

Losing his new family, his friends, and his crew. One after another he saw them slain, saw them dying to protect him. Tears ran down his face as he began to thrash. He was so alone, everything was taken away from him right before his eyes and he couldn’t do anything to stop it. 

The rage, sadness, and frustration burned him up. 

Trapped in his nightmares, unaware his body started to burn up. His hands grew hot, hotter, as hot as fire. Before flame could erupt from his hand a loud scream pierced the air and caused his eyes to open, confused and blinking his eyes as he grabbed Ray harder and heard him sobbing. “Ace! Fuck Ace!” Ray shrieked and elbowed him.

Ace then realized his hand, the hand that had grabbed Ray in a desperate attempt to anchor himself in the stormy waves of his nightmares was glowing. He retracted it as if he’d been burnt and that was when the sobering of the situation hit Ace like a bucket of ice-cold water.

Ray was crying, tears running down his face as he balled himself up. A big angry red handprint on his thigh. Nervous feathers prickled down his arms as he sniffled, grey iridescent feathers growing in number, his arms almost becoming wings, showing his distress.

The door to the bedroom swung open, Marco stood in the doorway, eyes wide and blue flames dancing across his shoulders as he stared at the two. Ace looked guilty, freckled cheeks wet from crying as he reached out for Ray.

“Pidge, I’m so sorry, I’m so, so sorry. I swear I didn’t mean it! Marco, please do something.” Ace begged and tried to pull Ray against him, trying to shush him. Ray fell against his chest, trying to catch his breath as Marco took in the situation.

“Please forgive me..” Ace whispered against Ray’s hair, stroking his trembling hands through the strands. 

Marco moved, able to assess the situation, and placed his hand on the angry red mark on his boyfriend's thigh. “Shhh little bird, shh.” Marco cooed softly as he used his cooling flames on the taut and burning skin. He watched the redness fade but clicked his tongue against his teeth.

“It’s going to scar, a burn this deep and bad, I didn’t get here in time for it not to be permanent yoi.” Marco caught the look on Ace’s face at the news. Ray was still whining in pain but was seeking comfort wrapped in Ace’s arms.

The three sat there on the bed as things started to calm down. Ace felt a pain in his lip, he’d been biting down on it, trying to keep from falling over himself in apologies again. Marco had an arm wrapped around Ray, rubbing his shoulders.

“I’m sorry, Pidge,” Ace sighed. “I forgive you, I know you didn’t mean it. I’m not mad, I promise.” Ray smiled, leaning up and kissing his cheek, Ace felt some relief in his reply but still felt awful for the hand-shaped branding he’d caused.

“I’m not mad either Ace, but I think it’s back to sleeping in seastone for you,” Marco said and Ace nodded. “Yeah.. I think so..”

“Does it still hurt yoi?” Marco asked, the blue healing flames danced at his fingertips as he traced the painful-looking burn. Soothing the skin once more. “Only a little, thank you.” Ray sighed.

“Well, I think we are all well and truly awake, how about I go make us tea? Maybe there’s some dessert left over we can have to calm our nerves.” Marco suggested and chuckled when both his boyfriends looked up at the same time at the mention of a midnight snack.

[windupnamazu]

i bet you play soccer 'cause you're a keeper!

ffxivwrite2023 #17: tease (free day) make fun of or attempt to provoke in a playful way.

Some pre-relationship Lunya/G'raha and @fistsoflightning's Zaya/Thancred. Random high school AU????????? Don't ask me. 782wc. ⮞ Two sets of teenagers, both alike in teenage cringefaility, On fair soccer field, where we lay our scene,

"Soooooo, Lu," Nyneve drawled, elbows on her knees and chin in her hands as she leaned forward to see Lunya past Majj's giant GO, GO, VARLIN-OH! poster. "Are you really just interested in Zaya's games or are you gonna admit you've been eyeing Raha like he's a prime cut of Hingan wagyu since he hit the field?"

"Hmph," Lunya sniffed with a haughty flip of her hair to hide the slightest flush of red to her cheeks. "I can do both. Multitasking is the key to success, Nyneve."

And boy, could Lunya multitask. Just because Zaya invited her out specifically to watch the coed soccer matches and relay race didn't mean Lunya couldn't enjoy everything else Sports Day had to offer. Especially not if 'everything else' included that cute Miqo'te boy from her history classes with Professor Rurusha. She overheard him infodumping to his friends about Allagan waterways at the beginning of the school year and she was doomed. Doomed.

"Y'know I could just introduce you, right? You don't have to wait for Rurusha to maybe assign you as project partners one day," Nyneve reminded her, only for Athanasia to sock her shoulder on her other side.

"Stop interfering in your friends' love lives," the other Midlander teen scolded. It might have been out of genuine concern or a desperate attempt to keep yet another man out of her best-friend-slash-crush's field of view. Nyneve turned around to whine and with a roll of her eyes, Lunya tuned them out to look for Zaya.

Their sibling was hard to miss even in the sea of blue jerseys scattered across the field; their azure face paint—(their "war paint", they eagerly signed to Lunya that morning on their way to school, which Lunya thought was ridiculous but adorable)—was stark against their skin and dark scales and they were talking to Thancred Waters, whose fanclub was hovering at the edge of the field as close as they could without Coach Hagane yelling at them to back off.

Thancred, who was leaning towards Zaya to—

Lunya reached over and gripped Majj's arm.

"Did he just—" Majj wolf whistled in confirmation, drawing every head on the field to their direction, and then Lunya was on her feet, shouting: "YEAAAAAAH, QESTIR!"

Zaya sprung back from Thancred, eyes wide like she had caught them swiping up the last khuushuur. Both of them had very distinct splotches of red on their faces despite his kiss on their forehead being rather innocent.

"TOUCH HIS BUTT," Zaya's horrible, terrible little sister hollered anyway, shaking the whole set of bleachers as she bounced up and down in some twisted imitation of a hyperactive circus monkey.

Mentally, Zaya debated if it would be faster to run up the bleachers to pick Lunya up and carry her to the river to drop her in it or to simply kill everyone staring at them.

As some of the teachers wandered over to figure out what in Thaliak's name the kids in the stands were yelling about, G'raha Tia came up from behind Zaya and Thancred with a nervous clearing of his throat.

"You guys know her?" the sophomore asked, tilting his head in the direction of Lunya and Majj doing an excited little dance. Lunya's dyed-white hair was practically glowing in the late-spring sun and Thancred decided to remind her later that she needed to touch up her roots.

"Lunya? Yeah," Thancred confirmed. "She's my neighbour; known her since she was, uh, smaller than she is now."

G'raha couldn't quite make eye contact with either of them. "We've never talked before but she's in some of my classes..." Oh, no. Thancred knew what that nervous, yearning edge to G'raha's voice meant. The boy was halfway in love with her already. Between them, Zaya was furiously gesturing. "Um. Sorry, Zaya, but I still don't know most of those signs."

"They more or less said that if you so much as look at their sister like you do your history books they'll turn you into shorlog," Thancred translated.

G'raha gulped but didn't deny any of the looking. "Got it."

It didn't stop him from casting another gaze of the longing kind back at the bleachers, which he only managed to get away with because Coach Hagane called everyone back over and Thancred drew Zaya under his arm before they could swing around and sock their goalie in the jaw, pulling them close and determinedly not looking back at the little party being thrown in the stands. That wasn't a real move anyway, so they were celebrating for nothing, but Thancred made a private note to rub Zaya's impulsiveness off him before something like this could happen again.