#bc honestly as much as i thought about it? wasn't warranted. it wasn't that big a deal. and they weren't cruel or anything just scared

[roboticutie]

I felt guilty for years over a conversation that I never went back to look at, until I did just now as I finally moved past guilt and revisited it ready to apologize,

And I had forgotten and misremembered how it went until I reread it now, years later with more perspective, and realized oh wow no they were actually the fucked up one there! Huh! No wonder I was so frustrated despite feeling bad, so much so I never even looked back at that chat again!

I'm good! Now I don't feel guilty OR apologetic anymore lol

[jonnnysuh]

Never Not - Park Jinyoung

Pairing: idol!Jinyoung x gender neutral reader

Summary: Your bad day is turned around when your childhood best friend, Jinyoung, returns to your hometown and takes you on a tour of your favourite memories together.

Genre: angst, fluff, friends to lovers

Warnings: suggested sexual experience

Word Count: 4.3k

Requested by: Anon

A/N: Hi guysssss. I took a small break from tumblr bc I got super busy with work. I haven’t written something like this in a while, but I actually loved how it turned out. I recommend listening to Never Not by Lauv to get into the mood <33

Effort was hard to make these days. Even the way you walked had an unmistakable slouch. Your exhaustive strides were just a shallow reminder that there used to be a hop in your step. Five more minutes and you were free from the shackles of work. Free to figure out what to make for dinner, and appease the gurgles of your stomach.The seconds on the point of sale system didn't seem to move fast enough as you folded the customer's final item and shoved it into a bag.

When you were a kid, no one told you how exhausting being an adult was, and thus it became something to look forward to. You were so caught up on getting that first kiss, sneaking out to go to parties, seeing people that your parents didn't approve of, that you didn't realize that life didn't slow down from there. It was like you blinked, and you were no longer 16. Instead, you were twenty-something perpetually feeling like life was just an endless pit of "what ifs" and building up the courage to make something of yourself. Another mindless "Have a good day." escaped your lips as you bid a customer bye for the nth time that day. You wondered how many of your years would waste away telling others to have a good day, when you yourself hadn't had one in a while.

You pressed your fingers against your temple to sooth a small growing headache. Working in retail for as long as you had, you knew that the s-curved line of people didn't stop for your discomfort. With a fake smile on your face, you welcomed the next few customers as your eyes wandered around the store looking for the person who was going to take over for the next hour. Fifteen minutes past the hour, your replacement finally came. Externally, you wanted to scream and ask them what took you so long? but you knew that would only make you as good as the worst customer. Graciously, you nodded at them, before walking away to the back room to fetch your things and head out.

...

You stood against the wall at the bus shelter shivering from the cool summer breeze that was disguising just how rapidly autumn was truly coming. Today probably wasn't the best day to forget your coat.  You rubbed your arms for warmth, taking micro footsteps in place.  The pain in your feet made you romanticize the comfort of the sturdy old bus seats as a place of rest. You felt your phone in your pocket vibrate, but you let it ring out. You were determined to get a seat on this bus. A deep sigh escaped you as you surveyed the density of the crowd on the platform- the ride home was definitely going to be longer than usual. When the bus arrived, you queued behind a long line of people. Your phone rang a second time, at this point the crowd was getting larger and you knew you weren't going to get a seat on this bus.

PRIVATE CALLER 

"Hello?" you pressed your phone to your ear. Sometimes your mother used phone booths to reach you, so you expected her voice to be on the other end of the line. "I'm offended I had to call you twice for you to pick up."  The voice was much deeper, and the delivery much more lighthearted than anything that would've came out of your mother.  The absence of a greeting was distinct and direct, but no matter, you knew exactly who this was.

You felt the tenseness of your shoulders drop with just the sound of this voice. "If I had definitely known it was you, I wouldn't have picked up, Mr. Private caller." you jest with the phone  pressed between your ear and the crook of your shoulder.

"You know, I was gonna suggest that I pick you up, but just for that comment, I change my mind."

You poke your tongue at your cheek, coyly. For all the changes that occurred in your life, for some reason you could depend on Jinyoung's quick wit and humour to hit the spot even after all this time.

"That's fine, I just finished work so I was thinking of just going home anyways."  You had no idea he was even back in South Korea. Last you heard, he was on tour somewhere in North America. More than that, you couldn't even remember when the last time you actually talked was. You were curious about what he was up to these days, but you you knew any hint of urgency in your voice would lead to incessant teasing on his part. The line progressed slightly, but you still didn't feel any closer to the entrance of the bus.

  "I'm about to get on a bus home." 

"Well, don't get on." 

"If I don't get on then you're gonna have to repay me for the fare I paid to even get here." You eyed the bus reaching its capacity, and stepped aside. You twisted your fingers in hope that he was being 100% serious, otherwise you were going to have to wait out for the 6:30pm bus.

"I can't believe the cost of your attention is only $2. Do better." the voice quipped. 

"Okay, Jinyoung I guess I'll just get on, then." you threatened, although you had no intention of boarding the departing bus.

"Fine, fine. I'll pay for your fare. Just wait for me."

...

The sky had darkened tenfold since you hung up from Jinyoung's impromptu call. The streetlights glowed gold against the lavender backdrop of the sky. You sat on the bus shelter bench, swinging your feet back and forth as you waited for him. If he took even a minute longer, you vowed to somehow become the president of the Park Jinyoung hate club. Of course, you wouldn't actually, but the idea became more appealing the longer you waited. 

You weren't one to go on spontaneous outings- at least not since your teenage years. Recently, you followed the strict routine of work, home, sleep, and to stray from it seemed pointless. But the fact that he even thought of you when he came back home to South Korea was still not something you could wrap your head around.

In the distance, a glow of headlights appeared, stopping perfectly adjacent to your bus stop. The window rolled down, and there appeared Jinyoung's face in all its glory. To say all the words in your vocabulary disappeared would be an understatement. A part of you doubted he would even follow through. Without missing a beat, he returned a look to you. "You just gonna stare at me, or are you gonna get in the car?"

...

Your backpack was sitting atop your lap, bouncing with the movement of the car. Jinyoung hung one hand over the steering wheel. The orange and purple of the sky twisting, and creating a brand new colour that only seemed to grace the skies at this hour. The music was unidentifiable, but the volume was low enough that you didn't even bother trying to figure it out.

"So what'd you do today?" he asked. 

"I worked, I told you that." you replied, matter-of-factly.

"And how was it?"

"I honestly can't tell the difference between this week and last week. Or even last month. Same old, same old. Annoying customers, stale lunch, forgot my jacket at home even though it's 15 fucking degrees outside." 

"Do you still work at that clothing store you started at when we were 20?"

  Your eyes shifted, following the ever-changing scenery of the highway. No idea where he was bringing you, and yet you were brought to comfort by Jinyoung's habits.  You knew he didn't have a drug deal, or a random party planned.  Jinyoung was always the type to be home before midnight. He was a self-proclaimed goody-two-shoes, but you weren't completely fooled. You knew he could bend the rules if it seemed to serve him.

  "That exact same one."

 "Anything else?"

  You looked at him, the shock settling in that he was really right next to you-- no longer just a figure on a billboard that you used to know. The changes of his physicality were subtle; his face was more defined, but his cheeks still carried the baby fat that had been there since childhood. The shadow of his facial hair loomed on his smooth skin. The mole on the top of his lip, not necessarily gone, but faded. He looked older, but the aura of his presence remained the same.

"And then I was dumb enough to get into a car with a stranger because he said he'd give me $2."

Jinyoung side eyed you, causing you to erupt in laughter. His glare was also unchanging. "Stranger? Your memory's fading already?" He shook his head disappointedly. "I thought you still had a few good years left."

  "Oh yeahhhhhh. Sorry Jinyoungie. Didn't recognize you with all the fame." you pinched and pulled on his ear- both things a relic of your grade school years. When you were kids, you never let him forget the age gap. Granted, it was only 3 days, but that gave you the freedom to refer to him however you pleased, while he was stuck with the honorifics.

As you let go, the curve of his ear flushed red. "OWW.” he cried, swatting your hand away. “You’re lucky I’m driving otherwise I would pull your hair.”

Being raised with Jinyoung meant that you were inseparable but kind of in the worst way. If Jinyoung got  a good mark on a test, his parents would immediately flaunt it to yours. If you wanted to sneak out, he was on your tail telling you to go back home. And if he knew you liked someone, then that person would know soon enough by the words of Jinyoung. All of that warranted ear pulling, and if you did something in retaliation he would pull your hair.

He was one of the few people in your life, who encapsulated a certain time of your life.  The time in your life when you were young, and the world felt so big and everything was possible.

  The car rocked back and forth as it shifted into the elevated ramp of a parking lot. Your eyes widened as you realized where you were.  He lingered in his seat before popping his seatbelt off and exiting the car. You followed him, swinging the passenger door open.

  "So you randomly called me because you wanted to hang out at the...convenience store?" you gestured to the old, orangey building. The bricks were chipped, and the fluorescent lights illuminated the outside through the big glass window.  You remember the days when you and Jinyoung would sit on the parking blocks and split a bag of chips until you were chased off the property by the owner. He pulled on the store door, pressing his back to it and letting you enter first. 

"Well, I wasn't going to come here until you started yanking my ears. That's when I knew you were hungry."

Without stopping, you weaved through the store until you reached aisle 3- the snack aisle had become a home to you and Jinyoung when you were growing up. In grade school, you were both fearful of what was beyond the boundaries of your home and school so you indulged in after school snacks at the convenience to talk about the latest happenings in your life. As you aged, it became the place of solace after exams, or the meetup location for last minute plans.

  He picked up a package of gummy worms, and shook them in your face. "Do you remember what happened the last time we ate theseeee?" Jinyoung smirked. For a moment, you were taken aback by how much he had grown. In your teens, you and Jinyoung met eye to eye. Now, you felt like you had to look up at him in order to be taken seriously.

  You crossed your arms, "Yeah, we ate them in the parking lot and you made me confess who I had a crush on." 

"Chan, right?" 

You nodded, with a sulk as you reminisced. "That wasn't fair."

 "Why? Do you still have a crush on him?" 

"I haven't thought about him in so long. You really think I'd have a lingering crush on a guy I haven't seen in years?"

Jinyoung shrugged, and shifted his feet. "You had a huge crush on him, though. You even stared at him like this." He rested his palm to his cheek, letting out a deep sigh while trying to maintain an enamoured expression. You snorted, hitting him on the chest. "You'd write his name all over your notebooks AND you bullied me into giving you one of my new ones." he added.

You let out a belly laugh. "And then I wrote his name all over that one too."

Jinyoung rolled his eyes. "They were premium quality notebooks. My aunt sent me them from the states!"

 "You had a kabillion of them. Besides, you pestered me for-like-ever to know who I liked, but you never even told me who you had a crush on." You grabbed the bag of gummy worms from his hand and placed it in your shopping basket. Your attention shifted, as you realized you should be in search of your favourite chocolates. You knew that you were far too old to be eating junk food for dinner, but there was something familiar about being hyped up on food that you knew would rot your insides. Your eyes landed on the top row of the wall, and before you could grab your favourite chocolates, Jinyoung stripped it from the wall and dropped it into the basket. He piled on a bag of sour cream and onion chips, and then you both ventured to the drink refrigerators.

  Both of you stared deeply at your drink options. On each level of the fridge, stood several different colourful drinks. If you knew Jinyoung, then you knew he would pick a Coke- it was something he swore by in your younger years. You hummed, mentally deciding between an iced tea or a vitamin water.  You weren't sure why it bothered you when Jinyoung picked up a Sprite, but you tried to hide your dismay. With an ice tea in hand, and a basket full of both of your favourite things, you made your way to the cashier.

  At the last moment, Jinyoung placed a bright yellow umbrella on the checkout counter. He looked down at you, surely, “You never know when it’s gonna rain.”

...

The following car ride to your next destination only lasted about 3 minutes before he parked on the side of the road and dragged you down the street, with the plastic bag full of your foods in hand. 

"I should've known you were going to bring me here." you said, strolling down the familiar gravel pathway towards your elementary school. All colour in the sky had disappeared now, finding it hard to see anything but the outline of each other and some features.

  Both of you settled on the grass field, onlooking the tall school building that was the foundation of your formal years. As soon as you opened the bag of chips, you found yourselves deep in conversation, talking about what life had been for him the last few years. You couldn't help but be in awe when he explained the rush he got when he got on stage, and how he got anxiety when he thought he wasn’t doing his best.  The candidacy of his thoughts drew you in and you were surprised that he trusted you with his secrets. 

All these years, you had always wondered what he was up to, if he was living a life far better than the one he left at home.  To everyone else, he was this huge pop star that had travelled the world 3 times over, but to you, he was your best friend who left home at 16. You had seen him through the bad hair phases, the adolescent temper tantrums, the voice cracks, and the questionable fashion choices both your parents had put you in.

  He leaned back on his arms as he gazed at the school. "Are you afraid of change?" You were silent for a moment as you thought. "On a scale of 1-10?" you rocked your head back and forth. "It's a 15."

Jinyoung raised his eyebrows. You held your legs to your chest, and looked at him. "Why?"

He opened his mouth, but quickly closed it and looked smugly in the other direction. "Heyyy." you poked him repeatedly. "You can't just ask me that and not tell me why."

He enclosed his hand around your finger, forcing your poking to come to a halt. It felt like he was studying your face. Never in your life had you ever felt like you were under the scope of Jinyoung's gaze. The darkness of the sky acted as a mask, hiding your blushing face.

"It was the last thing I asked you before I left." he admitted. "I asked you that when things were about to change big time for us… I always wondered if you resented me for leaving you behind."

  The last day before Jinyoung left to become a full-time trainee, you two snuck on to this very same field. Both of you ran across the grass, picking up dandelions; believing that if you gathered enough and blew on them, that they would fuel your wishes.

  “You thought I could resent you?” He nodded. “Well, for starters, I hate your guts.” You replied sarcastically, causing him to look at the ground with embarrassment and your face softened at the sight of it.

  “You know what I wished for on all of those dandelions, Jinyoung?”

 “Not to fail the math exam.” Even in a soft moment, he couldn’t help but be sly. “No!” You exclaimed. 

“Well, you should’ve. You got a 48.” He sensed your killer look on him. “So what’d you wish for?”

You played with your fingers. You thought you’d take this secret to the grave. “I wished that you’d be successful in whatever you chose to do.” His eyes enlarged, alarmed at your confession. “but maybe I should’ve wished for the math thing.”

  Jinyoung giggled, inching closer to you so your legs were pressed against each other. 

“What did you wish for?” You asked. He smiled with the side of his mouth, shaking his head. 

“I wished that I’d always find my way back home.” “Oh goddd.” You gagged. “you’re so corny.”

 “What about you, huh? You used your wish on me!” he bellowed, his voice echoing against the school playground. 

“Hey, I might just be the reason why you’re famous.” You fought back.

You flipped your phone over, 7:53, the brightness of it only barely illuminating the dark. You thought about what you would be doing at this moment if you weren’t here, if he hadn’t picked you up.  Mmm probably falling asleep to a tv show. Probably dreading tomorrow. Probably not as happy.

"But what did I say? You know… the first time you asked me that question?” You couldn’t even begin to imagine how 16-year-old you answered.

  "You said you were excited to see who we were going to become.” The words of your younger self were so hopeful, yet your current self felt hopeless. Your expression sank, and Jinyoung offered a small smile to revive it. He felt guilty having asked you the question in the first place.

You sat in silence for a bit, dwelling on the excitement for life that you once had. Where was it? And how could you get it back?

“I feel like I’ve let myself down. I don’t even know who I am now.”

Jinyoung blinked slowly, watching his childhood best friend crumble. He rested a hand on your shoulder.  "I just look at you, and in so many ways you're the same. I still know what makes you laugh, and the way you say things. I can still pick out your favourite snacks, and know you’re gonna pull my ears when I do something to piss you off.” he yanked on yours softly. "Everything about you feels just how I left you. I feel my youth when I'm with you. But at the same time I’m comforted by how much you’ve changed.”

“I don’t think I’ve changed much.”

“You don’t see it, do you?” You shook your head no. “Do you remember how scared you were to even leave the house when we were kids? Now you live on your own. You never took anything seriously back then, but you’re now one of the hardest working people I know…” his voice softened. “And you let yourself be vulnerable with me when it used to take hours to drag it out of you.” You laid on his shoulder, and he rested his head on top of yours, snuggling closer. “You fear change, yet you’re changing right before your own eyes. And maybe one day, I’ll come back here, and I won’t even be able to recognize who you’ve become.” You sniffled, the idea of Jinyoung not remembering you broke your heart. You held your chest. “But if that day does come, it’ll be okay. Because I know that the person that you’ve become will have it all figured out.  I’ll always be rooting for every single version of yourself even if it doesn’t include me.” You sobbed quietly, interlocking your fingers with his. He held your hand tightly, rubbing his thumb against the back of your hand. For once, there was an action not done out of habit or relic. It was an action evoked just for this moment, and it was a change that you didn’t mind.

…

Jinyoung held your hand, leading you down a narrow road a few minutes away. The sound of crickets, barking dogs, and distant vehicles could be heard as you stood in the middle of the road of your childhood neighbourhood.

  You hadn’t been here since you moved in 2016. You looked up at the large modern house that sat on what used to be two lots. Yours and Jinyoung’s childhood homes were purchased by a wealthy business man and demolished to build the business man’s dream home. You stared at the foreign house that sat on the place of your childhood dreams and frustrations.

  Jinyoung placed his hands on your shoulders and stopped you at the exact halfway point between what was once his house and your house. You rubbed your arms as a gust of wind rushed by. Without thinking, Jinyoung slipped off his hoodie and placed it on top of your shoulders.

“I remember racing you down this street.” You piped up, pointing down the end of the road. Jinyoung always won that race. No one was faster than him on this street.

“I remember finding that stray puppy and fighting over who got to keep it.” He responded.

“It should’ve been me.” You bickered. Jinyoung laughed, amused at how you were always one to hold a grudge.

“Do you remember that day when it started raining soooo hard and we had to walk shoulder to shoulder under my umbrella?”

You nodded. “Ya, that was the same day with the gummy worms, you dummy.”

“So do you remember what happened right here?” He pointed at the exact spot you were standing. You racked your head for a memory, but nothing stood out to you clearly. You shook your head no. “We always said bye to one another here...but…?” you trailed off.

He took a step forward, both of you standing directly under the streetlight now. You watched his face light up as he likely played the moment back in his head. “So that day, standing under my umbrella, we were about to go our separate ways. You turned into me.”

He took another step closer, popping open the bright yellow convenience store umbrella and holding it over your heads.

You could see it now. It was drizzling so hard, even your hair wasn’t protected from getting soaked.   You wrapped your hands around the handle, just like how you did back then. Chest to chest, huddled under the umbrella. Jinyoung locked eyes with you, your heart beat faster.

“And you looked at me, and I swear I was going to say everything I wanted to tell you right then and there.” Your mouth opened in shock. “This was the place where I almost told you I loved you.”

You studied the eyes of the boy you watched grow up. He looked scared, but sure. There was no doubt in your mind that Jinyoung meant what he said. He lowered the umbrella, not letting his gaze veer from you.

  Your life was just a build up of what if’s and trying to gain the courage to make something of yourself… but you didn’t want that anymore. With your heart beating out of control, you leaned into him, taking the risk and kissing his lips. He wrapped his arms around your waist, deepening the heat of the kiss.

A round of thunder boomed above you, and little by little, raindrops began to pour from the sky.

You and Jinyoung separated to look up at the sky. “I did say, you never know when it’s gonna rain.”

You both ran for the car, shoulder to shoulder, under the umbrella. From your heads to your toes, you were soaked in the rain, but neither of you cared. You silently thanked the world for every bad thing that happened to you today that led to this.

…

You blinked your eyes awake, surveying the damp clothes strewn across your living room floor, and the heat of the bare body laying next to you on the couch. You stared at your sleepy childhood best friend, a smile spreading across your lips. This was a change you were ready for. 

[stray-tori]

TPN Vol 8 - Chapter 62-65 First Thoughts

note: some of the content here might be redundant with standalone posts. I sometimes add in thoughts when I get them later.

when geezer's thoughts said "thats not it" it reminded me of his attack in vol 7 where he said "that's not true", and I was honestly expecting for Lucas that it would be "you need to shut up" and im kind of disappointed that it wasn't bc that would have been so emotional jesus christ

also, that his name is blurred out.... I have a hard time believing its just meta, so do you think he's actually forgotten his name or sth? i feel like you could have easily just not have him say his name then like whats the point of putting it there just to blur it aside from trolling your readers i guess

and your anime-onlies who know his name but have agreed not to name-drop so it's just suffering now pff-

.

it's a hunting ground for nobles, huh? how do you know? Aren't the nobles also in charge of the farms? So they... follow the promise by doing production but then ALSO...... give children to a hunting ground? (but I guess only humans can break the promise so IHDKJKDS OKAY THEN-)

Like there's the two options here:

it's a SECRET hunting ground - the children there are escapees + probably the stolen children Sonju has mentioned he hears about. But demons PROBABLY can't steal from the highest farms right and we've heard that the children in the mass production farms can't even TALK, much less be fun to hunt (now, of course, the validity of Sonju's claims is starkly questioned by geezer-senpai's existence to begin with; so it might just be unreliable exposition).

it's a "secret" hunting ground - escapees are captured and more children are given to the hunting ground by the farms. This could be to appease the demon nobles who "want to hunt humans", so they don't cause problems for the power system the farm nobles have build up. And the "stealing children" is just a cover up for the public (would make sense with the IMMENSE security farms have AND would lign up with what Sonju said not being the entire truth)

IF option 2) is the case, it would imply that not EVERY child shipped out would be gupna'd on the spot (and instead delivered to a hunting ground) - I have accepted it as the procedure but actually, we've only confirmed it with Conny. the only other case we could have - Norman - wasn't seen being gupna'd.

But what doesn't make sense to me is that: the nobles want their highest grade meat, right?

So two options again: 1) there's 2 groups of nobles - ones that just eat them gupna'd and one that wants to hunt them (GP) - OR 2) there is only one group, the latter.

That would be easy to think about but is probably not the case. not every gourmet wants to kill it himself.

And while I think it'd be more reasonable for the farms to be in on it, I think it causes an inconsistency: If escapees get captured by GP, it'd have to be in secret because there's no way the nobles would let up on their meal, right? UNLESS every high quality meat ends up in GP and GP is just what is referred to as the "tifari ceremony" by grandma Sarah. I'm not sure if that is the case though, especially because "the 3 can be shipped out as scheduled" but Emma's birthday hasn't happened yet so she'd not be there normally by now.

IT COULD BE completely off of the farm nobles, but I just have a hard time believing they'd never notice the hunting grounds NOR notice any BIG DEMON, yknow, swooping over the fence and stealing a CHILD. IDK haha- it seems like it'd be a lot smarter to just give them food voluntarily to avoid possible chaos.

But maybe not the highest grade and that's why they're also always on the lookout for escapees - which I STILL THINK aren't common enough to warrant keeping an eye on the ENTIRE territory and which demons are regenerated a lot BUT HEY THAT'S JUST ME. So they are appeased by the government (essentially) but they also keep highest grade escapees on their own terms.

or maybe I'm wrong and escapees really ARE common enough to fill an entire hunting ground. But if that is the case, it DEFINITELY is behind the farm nobles' back (unless they're all part of it).

SO MANY UNLESSES HELP. my brain is melting.

.

it's sus! It's also quite sus because the promise is to "not hunt each other anymore" BUT humans are the only ones who can break it? It seems so in favor of the demons, but the HUMANS had the UPPER HAND- so what gives? Maybe the promise is something inherently tied to demons, so without them it couldn't exist at all and that's their "upper hand" in the deal?

.

these goddamn adults man

[mysplaced-pen]

I wasn't planning on requesting anything,,,bc I know you're super busy,,,but honestly today's been pretty bad for me so I just had to ask you to do this...Can you do a HC with the RFA + V where MC's parents disowned her, and it would be fine except she has several younger siblings that she now can't see?? She didn't even do anything to warrant being ostracized, her parents are just,,,,Can you please write it? Your writing always makes me feel better...Love you lots ^^; ~Precious Anon

Precious Anon!! Don’t you dare worry about it, I want to make sure you’re happy too!💛 I hope this makes you feel a little bit better💛💛 Remember that I love you and so does the rfa!

Hope you like it^^ and that you feel better. you’re always free to talk to me, love!

zen

zen knows how it feels to be disowned tbh 

sure, he ran away, but it was basically the same thing

except hearing that it happened to mc made his heart break

and they won’t even let them see their siblings?

he pulls mc into a tight hug and whispers into their ear

“your parents thoughts do not mean anything. you did nothing wrong. and I will find some way to help you see your siblings, babe”

he does, actually 

how?

zen gets them tickets to one of his musicals! and backstage passes!

but oops there’s not enough backstage passes for mc’s parents too whoops

when they get backstage, they get to meet zen, but they also see mc there! 

he lets them spend even more time backstage than the ticket says 

he’s honestly just happy to see all of them reconnect

and he would gladly do it again

yoosung

this boy cries

both he and mc cry and cuddle for the night

“I’m so sorry, honey. You’re such a wonderful person and you did not deserve that. You deserve to be happy…and to see your siblings”

he doesn’t know what he’s going to do about this at first, but he figures something out

and what that something is..is actually just going to the house and asking for mc’s siblings

listen, he gives them an address, a date, and a time

he scheduled a lunch meeting for mc and their siblings!

it was a surprise for mc

and they couldn’t help themselves but kiss him when they see their siblings

this boy wants to give mc the world

jaehee

jaehee does her little cute gasp

no way. that didn’t happen to mc

and for no reason? what??

they also won’t let mc see their siblings?

“darling, that’s horrible. you didn’t deserve that. and you don’t deserve to not see your siblings either…this is ridiculous”

jaehee would totally go through the legal route

uses jumin’s help because they’re still on good terms, come on 

absolutely makes sure that mc can see their siblings as much as they want to

they use the cafe to meet up and chat

jaehee smiles at them from afar for a while

until they tell her to join in 

they’re all really thankful

mc kisses her cheek, “thank you, dear”

jumin

is in shock when mc tells him

what?

that’s…ridiculous…..

this whole thing is ridiculous

he kisses mc’s nose and gives them a hug

“I’m so sorry, my love. You won’t get hurt like that again. You matter so much to me..”

easily uses his influence to get their siblings out of that house too

the penthouse is more than big enough to easily house all of them

jumin also gets along really well with their siblings

it all works out. they make it work

707 / luciel / saeyoung

oh, when mc tells him the exact story, he Is Prepared

he knew they were disowned, but he never knew the reason

saeyoung doesn’t want anyone to experience the things he and saeran did

and he heard mc did? and they were separated from their siblings too?

no way he’s going to let that happen

he uses his agent skills to sneak them out of there

and now they’re all in the bunker 

mc yells at first because a) how are they all going to live together?

b) saeyoung just Did That??

but what’s important is that they get to see their siblings

so right now, mc just hugs their siblings tightly 

they’ll figure it out together 

v / jihyun

what

excuse me? 

jihyun is So Sad

he pulls mc into a hug and kisses all over their face

“even if you say that’s the only reason, I know it must still hurt. I’m here for you, angel”

look, if he needs to, he’ll pull what he did with the chois and get your siblings out of there too

not to work for a hacking agency though

he actually probably would tbh

like, mc shows up at home and finds their siblings sitting in the living room

they yell and pull them into a group hug

jihyun is smiling at the side

you best believe that he will take care of all of your siblings

much better than he did before 

[marshallunspoken]

look at these good parents lol

Marshall Lee: [So Marshall Lee is just hanging out, I guess. Hanging out minding his own business. And yeah, maybe he knows. Maybe he's heard the excitement of Clover screaming earlier that she had a doctor's apoitment, and sure maybe he's curious about it all, but whatever. So maybe he's expecting to see the girl around, as he always does, but it's not like he's waiting around for her. nope. totally not a marshall lee thing to do at all.]

Clover: [Guess what? Clover's coming in from her doctor's appointment, all excited. And yes, she's been alone. She wanted to go alone. She told everyone it was just so the big news would be a surprise for Roy, but no, she just wanted to do it alone. And boy, she's ecstatic, like, really crazy happy right now. So, she's heading back to her dorm, I guess? And she's gonna pass Marshall, really unaware he's there just because she's got excitement tunnel vision, and she just wants to get back to her room and jump around excitedly.]

Marshall Lee: [so he just watches her walk on by... yep. I'm sure there's a "hey clo....." but it's ignored. and he's honestly taken aback and offended like df? but still for some odd reason he is completely curious as to why she just passed him up. so he makes his way to her door and knocks once, but actually just barges in. his eyes land on a jumping Clover, and he just watches her at the door way. laughing, too because what a cutie.] So it went well then?

Clover: [There's a yell when her room is barged into, because w h o a. But when she recovers, the big, pretty Clover smile is back on her face, and she nods excitedly.] Yeah, really well.

Marshall Lee: [is that a smilE on Marshall Lee's fACE? yeah, because his frIEND IS ECSTATIC, and woaw.] That's good. Happy for you. [a tiny round of applause.]

Clover: [And, really, she can't keep herself contained, and no, nobody else knows yet besides her, but wahey.] They told me what the baby is.

Marshall Lee: You mean other than a bump?

Clover: [There's a lil eyeroll.] Well, yeah.

Marshall Lee: So is there going to be a little Roy running around? Or a little Clover? [he's just curious, there's a shrug. he doesn't care. really. he doesn't mhm.]

Clover: [She smiles real big again, and perhaps her hand is subconsciously moving to her tummy, just maybe.] It's a girl.

Marshall Lee: Thank t h e lord. [and he doesn't believe in prayers but his hands are brought together bcs heckie yes no more little roys running around.]

Clover: Be nice~. [like, boy, I just told u before anybody else, and I know why you're thanking the lord, and while warranted it is not nice.]

Marshall Lee: Congrats, I mean. [ and so he walks right up to her for a high five. is that nice enough?]

Clover: Thank you! [And since she's so ecstatic with happiness, she skips right past that high five, and pulls him into a hug instead. Fight me!]

Marshall Lee: Oh-- [so oKAY he hugs her back, and a little too lightly.] A girl tho. If she's anything like her mother, she's going to be a real crazy lady. mHM

Clover: [She pulls back and gives him a look like 'i said be nice'.] She's gonna be perfect.

Marshall Lee: [so he just nods in agreement, because yep that was perfection in his eyes right there.] Crazy, and perfect, probably with those fake eyes, and... well... and...

Marshall Lee: [no he's not gonna say it

Marshall Lee: ]

Clover: [There's another softer, but still Clover pretty, smile.] And whaaaaat~?

Marshall Lee: [he just shrugs, and pulls away from that hug, because that big pretty smile is wayyyy too dangerous. kay.] Oh, just nothing.

Clover: Hmph. [turn that into a Clover pout, because deflecting Marshall is a pain.]

Marshall Lee: So, how do pregnant lady's celebrate good news anyways? Should I buy a 12 pack of Mountain Dew? [trying to make a joke. t r y i n g.]

Clover: I can't have caffeine, so I have to decline. [she grimaces, because why god a life without Moutain Dew.] But I've never been pregnant before, so I don't know how I'm supposed to celebrate.

Marshall Lee: Bummer. [there's a small shake in his head.] Well.... what would you like to do instead? Anything you can think of? Think of it like a present from me, I guess....

Clover: [She thinks for a minute.] You could always buy me food. I /am/ eating for two, after all~.

Marshall Lee: That's right, you are~ [he chuckles.] What's the little one craving? Hm?

Clover: I can't say for sure, but probably mcnuggets. [she shrugs with an adorable lil grin.]

Marshall Lee: Probably. Alright, alright. Probably mcnuggets. So let's go, then.

Clover: Yaaaaay, you're awesome~~~. [because give Clover food, and she's a happy girl. Especially mcnuggets while pregnant, yes gAWD. she's on her way out, yay.]

Marshall Lee: [and so in the back of his mind, a happy Clover is way better than a pouting Clover, and since he was unable to actually tell her that her daughter would be just as beautiful as she was, mayyyybe this would make up for it. so she's out the door, he's out the door, and they're walking] I'm really happy for you, by the way. A daughter's real exciting, she's going to be precious.

Clover: Yeah, I'm really excited. And, like, there's something about knowing what she is that makes it feel even more real and stuff, and it's weird, but it's also really cool. Like, I have a human in me? What???? It's mine??? It's so weird.

Marshall Lee: You know. It is pretty cool. Never thought I'd say that. She's all yours, tho and, well, and his. But mostly yours for now, I guess? [there's a grimace at the his, yuck. eye roll] And I'm sure you're going to spoil her loads, and well, you're going to be a great mom. I know it.

Clover: [There's probably a matching grimace when Marshall says 'his', ngl. But she recovers pretty quickly.] Really? You think it's cool? I wouldn't have pictured you the type to think parenthood sounded cool. [eyebrow raise, because is Marshall not like I think? mmm.] Thank you. I hope I'll be.

Marshall Lee: I'd be lying if I said I wasn't freaked out at first. But seeing you, and your excitement, I don't know. I'm excited for you.

Clover: Maybe you can babysit sometime. See how much you really like it~. [there's a smirk, because she's joking hard.]

Marshall Lee: I'd never. No way. Especially for date night with Roy. [ annoyedddd af]

Clover: Not for date night, stupid. [Literally, every time he brings up Roy, there's an internal eye roll.] Maybe you can just come and play with her sometime then. When she's with me, or whatever.

Marshall Lee: A better option. Yes. I can deal with that.

Clover: Seeing you with a baby would be funny. [there's another grin. she's all smiles right now, apparently.]

Marshall Lee: [And so he was unfazed as the car pulled up to the drive thru window. He was too busy thinking of the idea. Him, with a baby. And while that normally would irk him, and send nasty prickles up his spine, he pictured it. For once, he thought about him, holding Clover's child in his arms, and he couldn't help but to smile.] Yeah... funny. [So the voice on the intercom interrupted them and he ordered some food yikes bye.]

Clover: [food is ordered, and food is with the pregnant girl now, and she's happily eating said food. but hey, she's gonna fish for info now. Just watch her.] Do you think you'd-- ever want kids, or???

Marshall Lee: [he steals some fries. or maybe he ordered himself some as the eater for two needs all the sustenance she can take, but he ponders the question. Thinking real hard, and before, before Clover getting knocked up by Roy, he would have said no. In fact, he was glad the child wasn't his, as it were a possibility. but no. h hadn't want any children then but now....] I don't know. Sure. With the right person, I guess. [eating salty goodness.]

Clover: Mm. [she nods, contemplating. Would she fall under that category, if Marshall knew the truth? Probably not. But being open to the idea at all? A step up, for sure.] I think... you'd be a pretty good dad.

Marshall Lee: Me? Oh... no. Nah. [he shakes that idea off real quick.] I don't know the first thing about babies, or children or anything.

Clover: Neither do I.

Marshall Lee: But, you're...

Marshall Lee: No.. you're like excited and happy and... reading about it. and stuff.

Clover: I still don't ~know~ anything about being a parent.

Clover left the chat

Clover joined the chat

Marshall Lee: So... so what are you saying?

Clover: I'm just saying... you don't have to have any knowledge beforehand for me to think you'd be a good dad. That's all. [she looks down at her fries, tbh.]

Marshall Lee: So then... [huff] what do you think makes a good parent? Hm?

Clover: Caring enough to try, I guess.

Marshall Lee: Well... I'd try. I guess.

Marshall Lee: [shrug]

Clover: Then... you'd be a good dad. [shrug, eating fries, trying to be nonchalant.]

Marshall Lee: [he's just gonna quietly eat his fries.] I neither agree or disagree I guess.

Clover: You're not allowed to disagree with me~.

Marshall Lee: [eye roll aF] For now I do.

Clover: [Clover pout.]

Marshall Lee: I'm just sayiNG, I won't know until it happens to me.

Clover: Til then, you just have to believe it~~~

Marshall Lee: Fine. Fine. okay. Fine. [he fakes a Clover pout ha.]

Clover: You can't pull a pout on someone that trademarked the pout.

Marshall Lee: I do what I want, woman. [eVEN MORE EXAGGERATED POUT HER WAY.]

Clover: It doesn't work, stupid.

Marshall Lee: -______________- k.

Clover: Don't make that face at me.

Marshall Lee: -__-

Clover: I'll get out of the car.

Marshall Lee: No don't. It's not safe

Clover: Then stop making that face~

Marshall Lee: Stop making UR face.

Clover: I can't.

Marshall Lee: Samsies~

Clover: Liar.

Marshall Lee: You're welcome for your nuggets btw. :D

Clover: ... Yeah, thanks for that. They're great.

Marshall Lee: [Thumbs up]

Clover: You're the best~~~~

Marshall Lee: No you, tbh.

Clover: I didn't buy you any mcnuggets.

Marshall Lee: No but you made me realize something [shrug]

Clover: What?

Marshall Lee: That I could be a good dad. If I wanted.... you know. [shrug again aF.] I mean sure I don't like it but I guess you're right. As you always are [EYE ROLL, and parked car they are back home.]

Clover: Yeah, I always am. [smiley smile]

Marshall Lee: Yeah... yeah... w/e.

Clover: [she just giggles.]