#but i am a year below them and two years younger hehe

[allroseshave-their-pricks]

sometimes it's so fun to casually mention your age and see the eyes of the guys who have flirted with/hooked up widen, as they realize they accidentally chose the youngest person at the table

[jokerislandgirl32]

Hell yeah kiss those Batman villains👌

Hehe, I plan to 🤭, but ahhhhh!!! You figured it out! I am indeed infatuated with two Batman villains from the Batman origin series Gotham! As discussed in this post:

I’ve been playing around with the idea of a poly selfship with these two characters…I’ve been a little nervous to reveal it since they are often shipped together, and since the one is portrayed as gay leaning (not confirmed but he likes the other guy I’m interested in). But I guess I’ll be brave and reveal them! Thanks to your support and that of a few other users on here (looking at you @novazentryx).

🌂❄️ is Oswald Chesterfield Cobblepot or The Penguin

👓❔is Edward “Ed” Nygma or The Riddler

My s/i who is shipped with them is Elizabeth Cobblepot née Devereaux.

The tags I’m using for each fella are #🌂❄️ for Oswald and #👓❔ for Ed.

The ship tag for the poly selfship is #icebergs & riddles

The name of the au is #riddle me a penguin au

Elizabeth’s tag will be #elizabeth cobblepot

A little lore dump about her/their relationship is below the cut, I’m working out the kinks, but this is a broad overview, and it’s subject to change. TWs for mentions of drugging and unplanned pregnancy/pregnancy in general.

She is legally married to Oswald and is more romantically involved with him. They have a deep soulmate bond and are incredibly close and protective of one another. Their marriage came about as sort of an arranged marriage. She was a singer for Fish and is 10 years younger than him. Their relationship was initially a strong friendship that became something more.

They ended up becoming romantically involved and marrying rather quickly at his mother Gertrud’s request after an unexpected pregnancy; she deeply cared for Elizabeth and wanted Oswald to take care of her and the baby. No one knew the paternity of the child until after the birth, but Oswald was in fact the father.

Oswald and Elizabeth had been drugged at the club one night, and they ended up pregnant, an event neither could remember at the time, but that was recorded and they found out about later. Together they have a few children (over the years) which are kept out of the public eye due to his status in Gotham and his overprotective nature; no one will harm a hair on any of the children’s heads.

Oswald was not the type of man to cheat on Elizabeth, but he cannot deny the feelings he develops for Ed, he reveals this to Elizabeth and she is understanding of it. After meeting Ed (she isn’t revealed to be Oswald’s wife), she can understand her husband’s attraction to him, and she develops a something of a crush on him herself. Not that she dares breathe word of it to anyone except Oswald, and he isn’t exactly happy about it (being the jealous guy he is), she’s his, and he wants Ed for himself.

But Ed soon became infatuated with her too, she was so innocent acting and sweet, and he wanted her for himself. When he tries to hit on her, she breaks down and reveals the truth, of her marriage to Oswald, her feelings for him, and Oswald’s feelings for him. This paves the way for their poly relationship to begin.

Again this is a very broad overview, but this gives you an idea about their relationship. Feel free to ask any questions about them! Either guy, Elizabeth, and their relationship(s), all are up for discussion.

[sitp-recs]

Hi Liv! This might be a bit of an odd ask/sos hehe

My younger brother (huge hp fan - has never read ffs before) recently asked me for fic recs that have canon-divergence/time travel and I'd love to ease him into ffs (without freaking him out forever) but am desperately in need of ideas. He's particular about characterization and would prefer gen fics (tho he says he's open to any pairing if well-written). As someone who reads mostly drarry, I was hoping you or your followers would have some other suggestions. Ik it's v different from your usual recs, so pls don't be pressured to replyy!! Thank you so much 🤗

Hi anon! Not an odd ask at all, I’m excited to see you gently guiding him into Drarry lands 😂 one of my personal favorites in terms of characterization is WWPWCS but that one is quite romantic, so I’m listing below fics that could be a great entry point if you’re looking for Gen, plot-focused fics. I also have a rec list with G and T works and a Drarry for beginners list (although this is quite shippy so maybe something to explore later on!). I hope you find them helpful and pls let me know how the Drarry agenda goes 🌝

Turn From Stone by harryromper (M, 45k)

Harry knows there’s nothing he can do to stop Hermione (war hero, historian, author of the reissued “Hogwarts: A History”) once she sets her mind to something. Even an extremely risky last-ditch effort to restore the ancient castle and lay its newest ghosts to rest. What he wasn’t counting on was her insistence that Draco Malfoy be part of the plan.

Heal Thyself by astolat (T, 47k)

"Are you going for the course?" Lovegood asked. "You have the NEWTs.” “What course?” Draco said, then, “No, don’t be ridiculous,” when he realized she meant the notice pinned up on the board he’d been staring at: Applicants To The Introductory Mediwizard Course For The Coming Term Shall Present Themselves In The Chief Mediwizard’s Office By August 24th.

The Pure and Simple Truth by lettered (G, 65k)

Harry, Draco, and Hermione go to a pub. Harry, Draco, and Pansy go to a pub. Harry, Draco, Pansy, and Hermione go to a pub. Harry, Draco, Hermione and Ron go to a pub. Harry, Draco, Hermione, Ron, and Pansy―you guessed it―go to a pub. I could go on. In fact, I did. Harry, Draco, Hermione, Pansy, Ron, Blaise, Luna, Goyle, Neville, and Theodore Nott go to a pub. In various combinations.

A Young Radical's Guide to Love by blamebrampton (T, 66k)

Memories of the war are still fresh, which is all the excuse Decent People need to do appalling things. In this quietly waged conflict, Draco Malfoy is happy to be on the right side of things for once, and even happier to find he’s not alone.

Timecode by Rasborealis (M, 73k)

Harry Potter has been dead for two years, and Draco would laugh in the face of anyone claiming differently. Well, anyone but Hermione Granger.

Hermione Granger's Hogwarts Crammer for Delinquents on the Run by waspabi (T, 93k)

'You're a wizard, Harry' is easier to hear from a half-giant when you're eleven, rather than from some kids on a tube platform when you're seventeen and late for work.

The Secret Keeper by fools_errand (M, 225k)

On Halloween 1981, Albus Dumbledore made a decision that would change the course of history, concealing Harry Potter’s survival at the hands of Lord Voldemort underneath a Fidelius Charm. But when Harry comes of age in the Muggle world, Dumbledore realises too late that the fate of the world may depend on a boy who has never held a wand.

Eclipse by Mijan (T, 287k)

Draco swore his revenge on Harry for Lucius's imprisonment, and Harry all but laughed at him. But Draco is planning more than schoolyard pranks this time. The old rivalry turns deadly when Draco abducts Harry for Voldemort. It's the perfect plan, guaranteeing revenge, power, and prestige, all in one blow. But when Draco's world turns upside down, the fight to save himself and Harry begins, and the battle will take them both through hell and back. If they come back.

[orchid-and-co-comics]

Meet Mason (pages 25-28)

(words below images)

Mason looked at the glowing hand.

"A sacrifice... W-what sacrifice?" He asked.

"Just a change in your past is all..." Herobrine started... "I wouldn't give this deal to just any villager you know... You have shown to have something more." Herobrine stated as Mason shakingly moved to take the offered hand...

He took the deal.

"Good to see you have great courage... You will need it." Herobrine complimented

Mason felt his whole world shift... And go dark...

"You will feel a bit groggy when you wake up.... But it's normal... Good luck ❤️" Herobrine finished as Mason could hear something...

It was faint at first, but as his eyes opened he heard "... Are you with us lad?"

Mason's vision cleared as he then looked over to the voice "y-yes...."

"That's good to hear." The voice sounded quite old. Mason looked over to see a cleric with his back turned to him "I didn't think that old recipe would work. You are lucky small zombies are quite fast..."

"zombie...?" Mason asked

"Yes.... Sadly I tried to get the two other villager-Zombies in here before sunrise but by the time I got to the door, they were already gone..."

"Was that the sacrifice he said?" Mason asked himself...

"Well, until I can find your parents you can stay with me." Offered the cleric as he turned "You can call me Father Syrus... Do you remember your name lad?"

"..." Mason looked down at his hands and saw he was small "it's Mason..." He responded...

"Well Mason, here is some soup for you to get your strength back." Father Syrus smiled as he handled Mason a bowl.

"... What soup is it?" Mason asked

"Rabbit, now I have to step out for a minute..."

Mason watched the Father leave...

"... Well, I guess there's no going back now..." Mason then looked down at his soup "Now, how am I supposed to eat this?" He asked himself when he heard a voice "I got a spoon."

Mason was caught off guard "ORCHID!"

"That's me!" She smiled "I got a spoon. Spoon for Maton..."

Mason put the bowl down "a-am I dead? Are you real? Do you remember?"

"Remember what?" She asked with a smile, having climbed up on the bed with him

"Aww, it doesn't matter... I promise I won't let anyone hurt you..." Mason smiled...

"Hehe, I protect you too..." Orchid smiled as she hugged him

[Some hours later]

Father Syrus walked in the door with some supplies "I was in such a rush I forgot to tell Mason about Orchid... I hope he doesn't get frightened..."

Father Syrus walked into the backroom to find both children having fallen asleep, the young lad using his arm to let the younger rest...

"Well, I guess there was nothing to worry about..." The Father smiled

1 week later he had all his supplies gathered and a mule to carry it all...

"Are we ready to go?" Father Syrus asked the children

"On to Adventure!" Mason smiled as he helped Orchid stay on the mule...

9 years later... Mason had the map Father Syrus had, taking over navigation since the father accidentally took them the wrong way... "This looks like the place on the map..." Mason turned back "... It took a while but we're finally here."

"I'm glad to hear that my boy." Father Syrus smiled "I am still quite sorry for getting us lost, we would have been here sooner had it not been for my eyes going bad."

"But if we didn't get lost, you wouldn't have been able to train me." Orchid retorted "I'm so close to being a full-time cleric... I can't wait to be one!" She smiled

Syrus looked over at them "Why don't the two of you go and see the village while I talk to the village leader."

"Maybe we'll find other children Orchid's age..."

"YES!"

[A short time later]

"Can you make a clay figure of me when I become a full cleric..." "Sure thing sis..." Mason smiled at her when a sound from above got louder...

"Look out below!"

Mason noticed and quickly pulled Orchid close to him as a small body with wings hit the ground where Orchid just was.

Orchid pulled away from Mason to check on the fallen child. "Careful Orchid..." Mason reached out to her.

"Are you okay?" Orchid asked them as they started to get up "ugh... Y-yeah I'm..."

He looked up and they locked eyes... "I... Never seen you before, what's your name?"

"My name?" She asked before she realized he was asking her name "Oh My name. It's Orchid... And that's my big brother Mason."

Mason stared for a minute before replying "hi..."

The boy stood up, holding Orchid's hands "Orchid, that's a pretty name. Mine's..."

"SMITH! YOUR ALIVE!" another villager child ran into the boy, making Smith and Orchid collide. The two were too shocked to move... Mason however, saw it differently....

"HEY!!!!"

[darkspiket]

im legally allowing myself to be cringe in front of people by posting my fire emblem oc on the internet and not simply for my viewing pleasure only her backstory is below the cut hehe ITS. KIND OF A LOT SORRY AHHHH

im now obliged to tell u all that shes the girl in the stupid sylvain hair shitpost i drew LMFAOuigsghkvsdfh

anyways back to HER!

Elvira is the second daughter of house Rosseau, an old offshoot of the Fraldarius bloodline dating centuries back. They are in charge of a small area in the south of Fraldarius, famous for it’s fertile lands and the house itself prides itself on its horse husbandry. This however has gone to waste as of late due to the mismanagement of Elvira’s father, Edgar; a former knight of King Lambert present during the tragedy of Duscur. He seeks forgiveness for his actions through hefty donations to the Church, hoping he’d be forgiven for not being able to protect his King and encourages his daughters to follow the faith. Elvira’s older sister Juana is the current heir to the House and while keeping up a front to her father, heavily disagrees with his actions and will do anything to heighten their house’s power; including the manipulation of her younger sister. 

She keeps a tight leash on Elvira, raising her to be the epitome of perfection. She tells her that she needed to be the very best so that their house could survive, but in reality it was so she could marry Elvira off to the highest bidder. This gives Elvira a perfectionist complex, constantly pushing herself to meet her sister’s expectations, even if it hurts her. She almost falls apart during an evening with a noble her sister had arranged for her to meet, where they had exposed her sister’s true intentions when she had rejected their advances. It shattered the facade her sister had created, making her run away. She ends up startling a horse in her panicked frenzy, making it trample its owner and it scars her. She ends up going back to her sister because she doesn’t know where else to go.

From then on, she’s a lot more aware of Juana’s actions and asks to go to Garreg Mach to escape. Her father approves, glad she was getting more in touch with the church but Juana was opposed to the idea. Elvira manages to convince her by assuring her she’d try get into the good graces of the other nobles in the Kingdom. She gets their permission and is enrolled the following year.

When she’s actually at the monastery, she finds relief from being away from her home but is also overwhelmed with her newfound freedom. She doesn’t actually know how to make friends and often finds herself falling back into her perfectionist habits, but thankfully Mercedes reaches out to her and she feels a little more comfortable. She knows of the other Faerghus nobles but never was close to them because she was sheltered. Surprisingly, Felix is the one she manages befriend (?) first because of her willingness to spar with him. She soon finds it hard to keep up her perfect image when she’s constantly around people and learns to be herself :)

It kinda goes to shit when the monastery is invaded and she feels like her whole world was destroyed. In a moment of weakness, she goes back to House Rosseau at her sister’s behest. After Juana kicks out her father and insisting the house become a vassal for the empire, Elvira makes the decision to leave, making sure her father was in good hands before she left for Fhirdiad, where she became a sell-sword. Two years pass, then she travels to Sreng, Almyra and further, honing her battle skills as she moves from place to place. She’s come to terms with her past and doesn’t regret leaving Fodlan until the millennium festival nears. Elvira decides to go back just to pay respects for her teacher and the rest is history.

im legit cringing at myself but i AM FREE. points im sorry i ship her with sylvain. she hates him cuz he’s the first to see through her facade and calls her out on it. she ends up punching him in the nose cuz he’s being a prick. but they grow and understand they are both products of crest fuckery and bond and learn to be better :)

i have comprehensive lists of supports but that. i will keep to myself here are assorted doodles of her that include sylvain because :)

[anemo-writes]

hello travelers! i’m sorry for the late of inactivity recently, i’m working on some of my one-shot requests and obviously that will take a bit longer than writing headcanons; anyways, the genshin impact characters would like to wish you a very merry christmas!! the rest of the characters are below the cut to avoid clogging, so be sure to check them out too<3 happy holidays everyone, stay safe!

much love,

~ anemo-chan <3

The (Playable) Genshin Impact Characters Wishing You a Merry Christmas

Albedo: Merry Christmas. Ah, that reminds me—I hope that you do not mind, but I have sketched a portrait of you and want to give it to you as a gift. When did I do this, you ask? Why, it was during our time together in Dragonspine. It would have been a shame to not create something to remember one of my fondest memories, no?

Amber: Hey! Happy Christmas—Oh, I meant merry Christmas. Anyways, I have a gift for you! I noticed your glider was getting a bit worn out, so I got you a new pair; why don’t we go for a test run together? What? Oh yeah, gliding in the snow probably wouldn’t be the best idea, would it?

Barbara: Hehe, do you like the dress I’m wearing?—I made it myself! Oh, that reminds me, I made you a matching outfit to go along with mine when we go caroling together—huh? You’ve never been caroling before? No worries, Idol Barbara will teach you all you need to know!

Beidou: Yo~ Merry Christmas! How does the ship look? The crew and I spent the last week trying to decorate it accordingly. Say, how about you aboard the ship and join us for a few drinks? There’s nothing like a few mugs of eggnog on Christmas!

Bennett: Merry Christmas! Huh? What am I holding behind my back? Haha, well it was actually supposed to be your present...until I accidentally squashed it when I tripped walking out of the store, that is. Maybe I should’ve asked for extra luck for my presents this year...

Chongyun: Merry Christmas. Please accept this gift of a flower made of never-melting ice—I carved it myself. Yes, I partook in an ice-carving class when I was younger, so I suppose it does look somewhat like a professional’s; I hope to grow better at it, however. Perhaps I’ll gift my next creation to you, if you do not mind.

Diluc: Merry Christmas. I hope you do not mind if I gift you a bottle of a new line of wine we are producing at the winery—if you happen to enjoy it, do not hesitate to let me know; we have plenty of other bottles and I would be happy to give you another bottle or two. Ah, there’s no need for you to gift me anything back; your presence is a gift enough already.

Diona: Would you mind trying this special batch of eggnog that I made? It’s non-alcoholic, so hopefully my father—I mean, you won’t be able to taste the difference. That is, only if you want to—it’s not like I’m asking you to do me a favor or anything! Oh, and merry Christmas...

Fischl: Well, if it isn’t the merriest of the holidays! It won’t do to prepare a present that you would possibly not like, so please allow me to accompany you on a journey to find a gift of your deepest desires! Come, you have my full attention—what is it that you wish for?

Jean: Merry Christmas. It is another joyous occasion to celebrate. Ah, I apologize—I haven’t had time to buy you a gift. Why don’t we go together to find something you’d like? Please do not care about the price, see it as something I must repay you for for not having it wrapped and ready for you to open already.

Kaeya: Merry Christmas. You don’t happen to believe in Santa, do you? Oh, you do? Now now, that is very interesting. Haha, of course there’s no harm in believing in such a legend; that is, unless you’ve been naughty this year? Who knows what Santa does to bad little boys and girls...

Keqing: Merry Christmas! Here is a specially-crafted latern fueled by a part of my Electro-vision; it’ll never run out of charge, so please use it on your journey to light up the darkest of your days. I truly hope you enjoy it, and may the next year be filled with better luck and prosper.

Klee: Merry Christmas, best-friend! Here, look! Mm, it’s a bomb I made especially for you—it’s shaped like an ornament. Isn’t it the best? Don’t let Jean see though!! I’ll have to go solitary confinement for weeks if she catches you with one of my latest creations!

Lisa: Merry Christmas, cutie! As a gift, I’ve crafted you an amulet to match with one I’ve made for myself, so be sure not to loose it! It’ll look bad on my part, and we don’t want that, do we now?

Mona: Ah, the starry night always look brighter on such a merry holiday, don’t you think? Oh, that reminds me—here, take this. It’s an object to help you look for certain gems along your journey; it will glow when near, so be sure to keep an eye out. Once you find it, polish it well, and it will shine as bright as the night sky.

Ningguang: I would like to wish you a very merry Christmas. However, I was not too sure on what to get you as a gift, so please enlighten me on your preference. Go on, I am listening; anything will do, if it is to your liking.

Noelle: Merry Christmas! While it is a very merry day, it is bound with overwhelming errands and things to do—but fear not, your dutiful maid is here to serve you! Purchasing presents, wrapping them, or whatever else you would like me to do, I will do it—I am yours to serve for today, so please do not be shy to ask me to perform a task today.

Qiqi: Merry...Christmas? Yes, I believe that’s right. Baizhu told me that during these times friends often gift each other things, so I have brought you a bag of herbal medicine to use during your adventures because we are friends.

Razor: Ah...it is holiday today? Christmas...it does not sound familiar to Razor. But if you celebrate it, Razor is more than happy to celebrate with you; come, we will go hunting to prepare for our feast tonight.

Sucrose: Merry Christmas! Take a look at this, I’ve finally perfected the formula to this potion of mine! What does it do? Well, I’m glad you asked—if everything works accordingly to the plan, it’ll formulate a box of your most favorite memories of the past year into a physical memento! Doesn’t it sound wonderful?

Tartaglia: Hohoho~! Merry Christmas, comrade! Oh, that reminds me!—Teucer has been asking about you recently, so why don’t you join us for dinner? I’ll even escort you to Snezhnaya myself—perhaps we can even find some enemies to kill along the way. Haha, surely you won’t decline such an invitation?

Venti: Merry Christmas, dear friend! What is it that I’ve prepared for you on this joyous holiday, you may ask? Well, you’re in luck—I’ve written a new song just for you! Hehe, don’t worry about repaying me back, this song is completely free! Generous, I know! If you want to help though, make sure this song is passed down for multiple generations—I spent a long time writing it!

Xiangling: Merry Christmas! Look, look! I’ve prepared the two of us a whole feast for tonight’s dinner—what’s the bandaid on my finger, you ask? Oh, it’s no biggie, I accidentally cut myself while chopping some of the ingredients—oh, forget it! Let’s dig in! Be sure to tell me which one is your favorite; I’ll add to the menu at the restaurant!

Xingqiu: Merry Christmas, my liege! I have brought you one of my most treasured books as a gift for this joyous occasion; there is no need for you to return it! It is for your keeping. May the next year and years to come be filled with prosper and mirth!

Xinyan: Woohoo, it’s Christmas! What a rockin’ excuse to shred some Christmas tunes, amiright? Oh, you’ve got a pretty good voice if I do say so myself! Say, why don’t you join me up on stage today? I’ll play guitar, and you sing! That’s sure to rally up a crowd!

Zhongli: Merry Christmas—although I am not too familiar with the exchange of gifts, I have collected a rare flower for you which is native to Liyue only, and only grows during this time of the year. I hope to be able to exchange gifts with you next year as well.

[stayarmytinyzenmoa-l]

i am here to share my awkwardness :D

so we went to a family friend's party yesterday evening because they were celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary and whenever we go over to their house most of the kids who are there are usually half my age so it's for the most part awkward because the kids consist of 12 years and younger and then me, the awkward 19 year old who blends in 🤡

so naturally, in the middle of the party i get bored of being my mom's shadow and decided to walk outside and sit in the backyard where my brother and the other kids were playing

now i get along pretty well with them and do actually play along with the kids but since there were so many new people i just awkwardly sat off to the side and read a book on my phone instead akhdfjn

while they're playing this really r e a l l y tall dude walks up (i'm not joking he's probably like 6'5") and he goes "can i play with you guys?" to my brother and his friends who are all playing football and obviously they say yes, except my brother calls him uncle (an honorific for older men) which is the wrong move because this man is only 21 😭

WHICH STARTS TO MAKE SENSE AS TO EVENTS THAT HAPPENED PRIOR

so obviously at parties they have the dads and uncles (actually any male who's college age and older) serve food for others and ofc he's the one serving the main dish so when i go to get my food he's really flustered and keeps dropping the spoon and the food in the spoon and whatnot which i thought "ah he's probably just awkward like me" but nah he found out i was in college as well and let me tell you- indian men who find out you're near their age move like a fucking jaguar marron 5 who i'm sorry i'm tired and a mess akbjdfn

anyways fast forward to once it got dark all the parents are playing games and talking downstairs and naturally we're upstairs watching a movie (despicable me 2) and since i'm with people i'm more comfortable with i'm more animated and am actually talking and being my loud self but what i don't realise is that this man has been upstairs this entire. time. and to make matters worse he's been staring at me this entire time as well but once i caught him he looked away and i'm just sitting there looking like that one lisa staring meme because why-

but yeah after that occurrence i ended up being quiet until he left and then i was back to being myself abjdfnlk

there's a lot more to this story but i feel like i'm missing a lot of points since i'm giving a brief run down so that there's not a huge ask on someone's tl 😭 i feel like i've been sending a lot of those recently ahkbdfnk

AHHHH here it is hehe

1. I FEEEEEEL AHHHHH MY ENTIRE MOM'S SIDE OF THE FAMILY IS LIKE THAT!! I'm in between the adults (30+) and the kids (8 and below) at that comfortable age of 21 and I'm literally the only one in this age range SO I ALWAYS END UP BEING THE BABYSITTER (ugh, i love those kids, but i can only handle like two at a time and there's like seven of them at parties)

2. Also felt, I usually keep to myself in parties mainly cuz my introverted ass doesn't know how to participate, let alone initiate, conversation. It takes my mom telling me she's embarrassed of me to run off-

3. YES I UNDERSTAND THAT GODDDDDDD Like I love y'all but my social battery is depleting faster than sanity please understand-

4. HELP WHATTTT AHAHAHAHAHA NO CUZ IF A KID CAME UP TO ME USING THE HONORIFIC FOR TITA I THINK I'D HAVE A CRISIS side story I was once again partaking in unpaid babysitting with my younger cousins (17 and 12) and I was like "yeah college is great good luck with applications" and the 12 y/o was like "how old are you?" "21?" "Wow! You're really old!" I almost squared up-

5. OOOOO

6. AHAHAHAHAHAHAA BROOOOOOOO I FEEL 😭

7. Despicable Me 2 is an appropriate choice. Also, as much as I write about it, I'm actually not a huge fan of staring. Like if I caught someone staring I'd be so weirded out but since I'm also nonconfrontational I'd just move ngl djkhksldfjgjffs,g

8. I DON'T BLAME YOU AT ALL I'D WAIT TILL HE'S GONE TOO

9. LMAOOOO NO IT'S OKAY I get what's going on lolol and honestly it's fine that's what the new tag's for AHAHAHAHA I enjoy any and all kinds of asks hehe but no yeah fr it sounds super freaking awkward 😭

[tsunonotarou]

Izade Getzel

“Wow~ lookie here. Such a handsome young man! You look great in whatever you wear.”

“Really? Thank you! Izade—”

“Oh. You’re here too.”

“…”

*he is still a work in progress!

*(N/A) means I haven’t figure them out yet T^T

*the font = Izade’s handwriting! He filled these forms himself~

*used Picrew because I have zero skills in drawing and am too broke to commission someone </3

*Template 1 credit: @primrozii !

*Template 2 credit: @pearlwhitecats !

Thank you for these amazing templates 🥰

Hello hello! As you can this, this is my OC 👀 his design is still incomplete! I’m still learning about him, too, so for now please take what I’ve decided about him hehe

Hello hello! As you can this, this is my OC 👀 his design is still incomplete! I’m still learning about him, too, so for now please take what I’ve decided about him hehe

(I wanted to give him piercings but the ones I want aren’t available in Picrew </3 you can’t see it too even if I did it because of his hair djfjsjd but there will be descriptions below!)

Please don’t mind the doubled sentences </33 tumblr is acting up 😔

twisted from

Mother Gothel from Tangled

biographical information

Name: Izade (ee-zade) Getzel

Nickname: Iza (only allows certain people to use)

Gender: Male

Pronouns: He/Him

Age: ???

D.O.B: August 9

Star sign: Leo

Height: 188cm / 6'2"

Homeland: Land of Pyroxene

Family: Unnamed cousin

appearance

Hair color: Black (dyed) and grey

Eye color: Grey

Skin color: Fair

Piercings: One helix piercing and one lobe piercing on his right ear (I’m debating whether to give him a tongue piercing or not 🤔)

professional status

Dorm: Octavinelle

School year: Third

Class: 3–A, student no.17

Occupation: Student, part-timer at Mr. S' Mystery Shop

Club: Science club

Best subject: Alchemy

fun facts

Dominant hand: Left

Favorite food: Kebab, mangosteen

Least favorite food: Bitter bean

Likes: His youthful appearance

Dislikes:

Smudged ink/pencil lead on the side of his hand as he writes

Stubborn people

Grey parts of his hair

Aging

Vil Schoenheit

Hobby: Stargazing

Talents: Being able to charm his way into people’s hearts easily

unique magic (UM)

(N/A)

Izade Getzel is a third-year and a member of Octavinelle dorm. He appears calm and relaxed most of the time, not easily irritated. The only times he has been seen with a frown was at the mention of his age and when he meets Vil Schoenheit. He also can be playful at times.

appearance

Izade Getzel is a muscular-lean boy with fair skin. He has black (dyed) long bangs framing the sides of his face, the rest are tied into a high ponytail leaving two strands of natural grey hair drape over his shoulders. Izade also has grey dull eyes. He has glasses on when he is studying in his room. So far, he has not been seen wearing glasses in class or public areas.

His hands are adorned with accessories. Izade has two thin silver chains worn on his right wrist while rings wrapped around the left hand’s index and middle finger, he also has another ring around his right hand’s thumb.

personality

Izade appears nonchalant most of the time but he is prideful, arrogant and competitive. He is an intelligent boy and his dangerous manipulative tactics caught the attention of Azul Ashengrotto and Jade Leech.

As a member of Octavinelle, Izade is not above bending naive students to his will and make them dance in his palm, if not with much enthusiasm.

Izade is considered to be quite a private person. Not much of his life has been revealed, the only information students have is that he has a younger cousin attending Royal Sword Academy. His nickname, Iza, has not been heard called by anyone. Izade is also very possessive, he does not like sharing what he considers his, whether it be something materialistic or a person.

trivia

Izade gets irritated when questions about his age is brought up. His age has not been confirmed by himself but everyone suspects he is the usual eighteen-years-old due to his looks, which rises confusion as to why he’s so hell-bent on keeping it a secret.

When he first enrolled in Night Raven College, Izade was sorted into two dorms— Pomefiore and Octavinelle.

Sam asked Izade’s help for carrying stocks to the Mystery Shop once, the boy quickly got interested in the unique shop, he then applied to be a part timer.

Izade smokes. He doesn’t openly does it on school grounds because it’s prohibited but he does it once in a while in his room or in the forest alone near NRC.

Izade treasures outer beauty and youthfulness more than anything but unlike Vil Schoenheit, he puts little practical efforts into maintaining his beauty and instead opts for quicker ways such as potions and magic— which explains why alchemy is his favorite subject, he gets to test all sorts of mixtures in hopes of creating one true potion that makes youth last forever.

Loves accessories. His favorites are bracelets and rings.

The black part of his hair is dyed, there are two strands that cannot be tampered with by reasons unknown.

Izade dislikes his natural hair color, he thinks it made him look less youthful.

When he uses a binder book, Izade will rotate the book around when he reaches the right side page so that the binder wouldn’t be in the way—because he is left handed—he often gets lectured by teachers due the upside-down words.

[lampmeeting]

F L O Y any pairings you want!!!! I’m so happy you quit!!!??

ME TOO i had such a nice day hahaha :') thank you!

any pairings i want huh?? oh boy let's put this under a cut hehe

(abigaar, magnate, chickles and nategaar)

"F" for fake dating - ABIGAAR :3c

tyr and skwisgaar keep in touch, and aww he's such a sweet dad figure. always wanting to know about skwisgaar's upcoming "concerts" and prying cutely for information about anyone skwisgaar's involved in ("saws you on reds carpets with a pretty blondes girl. you dates her? brings her to swedens, i cooks dinner!") it's nice, but skwisgaar for some reason doesn't have the heart to tell tyr that he doesn't exactly DO dating, so he puts him off and puts him off.

this gets more pressing after doomstar. skwisgaar starts feeling the guilt for avoiding visiting the man who's been trying to make a real fatherly effort for the last couple years. but he doesn't have anyone in mind to bring "home" to tyr's house. groupies aren't exactly an appropriate choice, he decides. but he tells tyr he'll come to visit with his girlfriend.

enter abigail. in charles' absence, she stepped in to manage the band ("just for the time being. it's not permanent." but she's not exactly actively helping them look for another candidate. as much as she wants nothing more to do with dethklok after the whole kidnapping thing, she can't seem to shake the feeling that she's meant to be there with them right now, that her continued presence in their lives is important somehow)

she notices skwisgaar seems distracted, off his game, and after a weirdly ungood practice session, she takes him aside to ask if he's all right. skwisgaar's never been great at being aloof around her, she cuts through his bullshit so fast, so he just admits it - tyr wants to meet his nonexistent girlfriend, and he doesn't know what to do. "needs to finds someone whats ams, y'know, classy. preskentsable. a nice girls."

abigail's listening to him intently. she's dressed in a classy blouse and pencil skirt, the jewel of her necklace resting below the dip in her collar. she looks very...presentable, doesn't she? skwisgaar swallows. and abigail is very nice...

"someones...smarts. goods to talks to, likes how we ams talkings rights now, evens."

abigail tilts her head at him curiously.

"maybes, uhhms...someones whats has beautifuls brown hairs? and ams nameds...aaabigaaaails...?"

she snorts a laugh into her hand. well, she has been desperately needing a vacation, and she knows skwisgaar won't try anything untoward... what could go wrong?

(this can also blend into Bed Sharing when they arrive in sweden and realize that tyr has put "the lovebirds" up in his guest bedroom...with only one bed)

--

"L" for Love at First Sight - MAGNATE

pre-preklok. magnus is (or, err, was) a moderately well-known local musician in phoenix. at 34 years old, though, he's kinda worn out his welcome. he never made it big, he's bounced between a dozen bands over the last 15 years, and now there are cooler, younger musicians coming up in the scene and man magnus just feels so old and bitter. maybe he should just give up music. what has it ever done for him except lead him to heartbreak after heartbreak (professional and personal)?

he goes out one night by himself. there's this new death metal band he's been hearing rumblings about. apparently the lead vocalist is like ten years younger than him and is definitely gonna be Somebody someday, and magnus is in a mood to drink and feel real fucking sorry for himself.

the opening band sucks, but then Abyssal Carcass takes the stage and the vocalist is broad-shouldered with long, silky black hair pooling over his shoulders and obscuring his face. he holds the mic in a massive fist, and when the first song starts and he opens his mouth to roar, magnus' heart nearly forgets how to beat. he's enchanted. that voice is so unlike anything he's ever heard before...he wants it. he wants it for himself. he wants to write songs for that voice. he wants to hear that voice in his ear, saying his name.

he doesn't see the man's face until after the second song when the vocalist finally stands up to his full height and rakes his hair back with a lift of his beefy arm. chiseled features, strong jaw, green eyes. magnus doesn't know if this is love or lust, maybe it's both, maybe it's jealousy, maybe he's just a sad old man wanting what he can't have.

after the show, magnus is visibly drunk and hangs around to catch the band before they leave. the vocalist sees him, and oh shit, he recognizes him. "oh shit, you're magnus hammersmith, right? from witch visions?"

"and servitor. and alchemical castration. and..." magnus blanks. too drunk. "...others, i presume."

the vocalist laughs deep and warm in his chest, and fuck... yup. magnus has it bad already.

"hey, ditch your band tonight. let's get outta here, you and me." magnus slings an arm around the guy's huge shoulders. "tell me your name again, bud?"

"oh, uh, nathan."

"nathan! nathan. lemme buy you a beer, nathan. i got a little business proposition for you."

--

"O" is for Opposites Attract - CHICKLES

preklok! charles gets a call from a near-hysterical toki in the middle of the night that pickles has been in an accident. clipped by a car while trying to jaywalk downtown, and now he's in the hospital having emergency surgery on a fractured leg. this is about a year after charles starts working for them, maybe just a few months after magnus' departure and toki's hiring, so everything's felt really stressful and up in the air, and NOW THIS.

charles of course gets dressed and races to the hospital to make sure pickles is being taken care of properly (no other reason, he's simply concerned for his client). pickles gets out of surgery, he's busted up real bad but he'll heal just fine the doctors say as long as he rests properly and keeps off his feet. easier said than done when it comes to pickles, and just a few days later charles swings by the apartment to see, to his horror, that pickles has drugged himself up and is trying to "walk it off" and still practice drums with the full kit. the others, it seems, are perfectly fine with pickles' attempts to do this.

in the interest of the band's future, pickles' leg needs to heal properly. he needs rest, relaxation, healthy meals. so charles does the only thing he can think of that will keep pickles safe from himself: he invites pickles to stay with him until he recovers.

of course pickles makes a terribly messy roommate and complains every step of the way, and charles is strict almost beyond reason. they end up getting into a huge argument about it, and charles finally breaks down and admits that no he's not doing this to make pickles' life miserable or teach him a lesson about wandering drunk through the streets, it's because he CARES about him damnit!

charles freezes, certain he's overstepped every boundary he's ever set for himself professionally and personally, and then pickles just sniffles, smiles, and says, "you...really care about me, charlie?" ;~;

--

"Y" is for Years of Friendship First - NATEGAAR

i mean...this has to be nategaar, right?

they've been fast friends ever since skwisgaar auditioned for dethklok, when nathan and magnus and murderface all looked at each other and went "YUP" simultaneously. the two of them just vibed. maybe it was nathan's penchant for short, easily-digestible words and phrases, and skwisgaar's minimal english at the time. magnus and murderface were both wordy motherfuckers, and skwisgaar would normally tune them out. but talking to nathan, or even not talking at all, always came easy. and musically they were so aligned nathan thought magnus was jealous.

bandmates came and went. years passed. so much happened, so much changed. the near-breakup of dethklok, the events of doomstar, the takedown of salacia. the dust settled. dethklok was no more, the spell of their success broken, their god powers depleted, sacrificed in the final battle.

nathan still makes music. he has to. it's not quite as angry and dire as the stuff he used to write, but he likes it. and skwisgaar likes it, which feels like the most important thing. for some reason, when the others all went their separate ways to live their lives apart from the band, nathan and skwisgaar couldn't leave each other. at first nathan told himself it a professional thing. they were just so accustomed to making music together, so of course they'd want to keep doing that. but they eventually realize they're spending all their time together even outside of working on the music. and nathan's slowly moving into skwisgaar's house. and sleeping over a lot. and helping skwisgaar make breakfast. and if they hug a lot it's just because they're such awesome friends. and if they kiss a little, well, guys in europe kiss all the time, right? who cares.

a couple years later, when nathan's mother jokes that he should visit and "bring that husband of yours with you", the two of them look at each other and realize... oh. ohhh.

[seungsilog]

Dear Someone, I’ll Be Better Off Without You.

Pairing: Female!OC x Lee Minho

Genre: Angst, College!AU

Word Count: 1.16k words

Warnings: mentions of someone in a slump(?), insecurities, breakup

Series Masterlist

Taglist: @puffyjisung​ (send me an ask or dm me if you want to be added!)

Good morning, afternoon, evening, whatever time you’re listening to this! Welcome to the podcast, where I, Han Jisung, your host — speaking of, should I find a DJ name for myself too? Like, that one podcast has DJ Joohoney right? I should think of something for myself. 

Anyways, continuing on! This episode, a letter has been written by our Music Director, Ina! I won't make this too long, as this episode might get too long. I asked for a letter, not a novel. If only you guys can see this, holy crap. It's like 3 pages back to back, oh my gosh. I would read this all on air but it would take ages, so we just shortened the letter and might just publish this letter on our website! I doubt you would be able to read Ina's chicken scrawl, though— ok geez, I'll start! Stop looking at me like that!

Dear Someone,

I'm better off I’ll be better off without you.

Do you remember when we first met? It was freshman year, during the university's festival. You weren't as confident back then, sticking to your group of friends most of the time. The only time you left their side was when they convinced you to talk to me after they saw you sneaking a peek at me. Looking back now, I cringe thinking about our origin story, but freshman Ina thought it was cute. So cute, in fact, that I let you take me out on a date the day after. And even though you spilt soda on me five minutes into the date, the giant stuffed cat and the shy peck on the cheek made it all better.

Fast forward two years, and you managed to weasel your way into my life. You became my best friend, my lover, my anchor all in one. College life was hard, but the assurance that you would be sitting in our spot in the coffee shop on campus, waiting with my favorite drink fueled me to get through my day.

But as many positives there were with you, the negatives were also there.

I became too comfortable. I stood only within the confines of my little bubble consisting of schoolwork and my relationship with you. Everything was just the same, repeating day after day, and it took a toll on me. I made my whole life revolve around you, and somewhere along the line, I forgot that there is more to life besides those two things.

I never really improved from who I was when I entered college, but you certainly have. No longer were you the timid, puffy-faced boy I met back then. You’ve come so far, becoming one of the most confident, talented people this school has ever produced, and I can’t help but feel proud every time I realize that.

Sadly, I can’t say the same for myself.

I love you. I love you so much, Lee Minho. Thank you for always being there, for the past two years. I’ll always be proud of you, but I need to take some time to improve myself so that hopefully, i can be someone you can be proud of too. This self-improvement journey of mine might take some time, but as my mother used to say, if we are truly meant to be together, destiny will find its way to bring us together once again. See you around, I guess.

Forever grateful, 

Ina.

P.S. I think I used the wrong phrase on my keyword, so I erased it aha. I started this letter in spite... so yeah. I’m not sure if I really will be better off without you, but I guess only time will tell.

Han Jisung’s voice floated through the earbuds and into Lee Minho’s ears as he sat in an armchair, eyes filled with unshed tears. He hadn't known she felt that way towards herself, and if only he had communicated with her better-

He cuts off his inner monologue after seeing a familiar face approach his table. 

“I take it you’ve listened to Jisung’s new podcast episode, hyung?” Hwang Hyunjin, with his freshly dyed black hair, takes a seat in front of Minho, ignoring the older’s protests and settling down with his croissant and iced americano. “Come on, hyung. You can talk to me about this. We’ve known each other for ages!”

“And by ages, you mean half a year?”

“Tomato tomato. It feels way longer. I think being coped up in a studio with each other has that effect.”

“... Touche.”

“ So? How do you feel?” the younger boy inquires, taking a sip from his americano.

Minho took a while to respond, thinking of words to properly describe how he felt at that moment. 

“If I’m being honest? I don’t have a clue either. It’ll take a lot for me to get over Ina.” After taking a sip of his own drink, he continued. “Two years, almost three isn’t a short time. It was through her that I became who I am today. It was because of her, that I strived to become a better person. It was because of her that I was able to grow, but..” A soft sigh escaped his lips. 

“But at the cost of my growth came her dullness.” Hyunjin made a noise of confusion, muffled by the bread stuffed in his mouth. “Woft dwoh yu mean, hyunf?” 

“The thing that really drew me to her that day was just how… vibrant she was. Well, she was standing below a streetlight, but really. It sounds cliche, but if only you could’ve seen her. Wearing a bright yellow shirt, talking excitedly about how fun this experience was going to be. She was truly the light of the party back then, well, college happened. We’re all busy, but they were especially. Even Channie disappears for days at a time coped up in his room to finish a project. He only got a significant other this year! Ina barely had any time to do anything else aside from meeting me and doing schoolwork. I guess she realized that, and uh, yeah. That brings us here.” Minho looked up at Hyunjin, only to see him invested in something on his phone.

 “ Yah, why did I even bother telling you.” 

You see, dear listeners. Sometimes, relationships don’t turn out the way we want it to go. We think entering a new thing will all be sunshine and rainbows, and it might lead to an ultimatum; having to choose between self-gratification and self-improvement. In Ina’s case, she chose to leave not because she lost feelings, because that’s definitely not the case- ouch! When will you stop throwing things at me? But yes, she chose to leave because she wanted to grow, wanted to get herself out there for a bit, just as hyung had done. That does not mean that all hope is lost for them, though. Maybe someday, when the both of them are ready, their romance will continue again.

-`, leri’s litol notes

here is the second installment! ;-; i hope you guys like it hehe

[theonetheycallhannah]

The Treatment of Captain Syverson-Chapter Five:Sensory Integration 1

Pairing: Captain “Sy” Syverson x OFC (Shane Benton)

Summary: A Friday full of teasing for Shane ends in a steak dinner with a blue-eyed beefcake. If you don’t finish this chapter hungry for one or the other, if not both, I haven’t done my job! Lol! (For inspo on Sy’s date outfit, think back to that one Men’s Health photoshoot Hen did and just imagine his hair shorter. That’s what I did. lol!) 

Click me to catch up on the story and other stuff by Hannah!

Word Count: 4k (This date got away from me! Lol! And it’s only half over!)

Warnings: Mostly this is utter fluffy fluff, but I’m gonna put the following warnings on, anyway. Language, mature themes, alcohol consumption, borderline food worship (Shane may have a problem, I definitely do! Lol!) Also, pretty much every Sy fic I’ve read says that his given name is Logan, so...should his given name be used henceforth, that’s what I’m going with because it seems the most cannon and I like it and if it’s good enough for Wolverine...

Author’s Note: So, guys, this is crazy. First off, the reaction and love Sy and Shane’s story has been getting has taken me completely off guard and utterly made my day/week. (I’m serious. Every note makes my heart do a happy dance. A like, a reblog, a comment. It all means the world to me. Thank you for your feedback and for sharing this story.) Second, YOUR FEEDBACK MATTERS TO ME! Because initially, idk what I was thinking. I was going to skim over their first date and like…not write it…and I kept getting notes as I worked on further chapters to the tune of “can’t wait for this date!” and I thought…hmm…well, the date must be written! So, here it is, the first half-ish, of Shane and Sy’s first date. I hope it’s all you were expecting…or at least half of all you were expecting! Lol! More to come in part two of Sens Integ! (BTW, fun fact, these chapter titles are all named after treatments that therapists actually use on their patients sometimes! Lol!)

Disclaimer: Unfortunately for me, Henry is not mine, le sigh, and all mention of him, his characters, any characters from his films, or his precious doggy, Kal, are strictly for transformative and recreational use. I neither ask for, nor accept payment for the work I post on Tumblr or AO3. Unbeta’d because this is for fun and escapism.

Tags:

@onlyhenrys @cavillryarchive @summersong69 @titty-teetee @bloodyinspiredfuck @agniavateira @oddsnendsfanfics @omgkatinka@thisismysecretthirstblog

@misslaland @speakerforthedead0@tumblnewby @suavechops

Friday morning. She was up with the sun. And a bit before, really. Today was the day. Her first date with Sy. She’d taken extra care in the shower, less clumsy, thank God! She shaved her legs because she had chosen to wear a knee-length blue dress with a scoop neck and cap sleeves in wrinkle-proof Jersey knit since it would be in her tote bag all day. She was not shaving because she thought anything would happen tonight with Sy. She didn’t think she was ready.

That is, she was ready, but, only physically. Emotionally, mentally, she would need to prepare for him a bit longer before taking him as a lover. She hoped he was on the same page.

He had an appointment in the early afternoon. He greeted her with his warm “Hello, sunshine.” Following it up by telling her how pretty she looked today, causing blush to burn in her cheeks. She’d reciprocated, even though he was in his typical tee and shorts look. It was still true. They got on their usual bikes to warm up for about 15 minutes, and then took to the leg press to try to advance his strengthening.

“I’m really proud of your progress! You wouldn’t have been able to do this much weight two weeks ago!” She encouraged him.

“Yeah?”

“Absolutely. Now, we are going to do some drills next. Simple ones, but they aren’t going to be fun for you. I’ve chosen to do them on your last day of the week for a reason. You may be sore. Ice and whatever you take OTC if you must. Ibuprofen or acetaminophen. But try the ice first. It shouldn’t be too bad.”

“Okay.” He conceded, dejected.

“Stretching afterward.” She promised.

“Okay!” He pepped up. She knew he just loved an excuse to have her hands on him.

Later, as he lay on the mat, sweaty from the exertion of the drills, with her up there with him having to use her whole body to leverage the proper stretch out of his hip flexors, she felt the heavy weight of his gaze. She tried to look anywhere but those sapphire eyes below her. They were too vulnerable. She couldn’t handle that right now. Not here.

“Shane?” Dammit, he was gonna make her.

“Hmm?” She looked down at him, smile meeting smile.

“I just…” he couldn’t seem to get out the words. But she thought she understood what he was feeling.

“I know, Sy. I know.” She gently patted his outer thigh where she had been bracing her hand for the stretch, and let his leg back down, while dismounting the mat, as well.

“Well, that’s about the hour. Any questions before I let you go?”

“Are you as excited for tonight as I am?” He asked. She chuckled. She couldn’t imagine him being more excited than she was!

“Yes! Hehe! But I still kinda meant about therapy, Sy.”

“Oh, right. Are you excited to finish up with your therapy patients at therapy today so I can pick you up from the therapy clinic and take you on our date?”

“Just because you say therapy 20 times doesn’t make it about therapy.” She laughed.

“Okay, I do have a question for you, since I’m here.”

“Shoot.” She encouraged.

He stood and held her face, taking it into a kiss so devastatingly and painfully tender, she could not process what to do next. She was leaning toward fainting. But then tackling him onto the mat again seemed an attractive option. She settled for placing her hands on his waist, ready to control the situation as need arose. But after a brief moment of slight deepening, he broke away, still holding her face in his large strong hands.

“Ahem. That’s a good question. Why don’t I have you a reply later this evening?”

“Sounds good to me, sunshine.” He grinned widely, and waved a quiet goodby to her.

She walked to the doorway of the small room to watch him walk out…his gait still uneven from his injury but improving enough that she could tell he once took very…confident strides. She could almost picture it. She sighed, forgetting herself for a moment until Anita came up behind her walking her elderly patient with a gait belt and front wheeled walker.

"Is that a bit of drool on your chin, Shane?" she said quietly, but still startling the younger therapist from her reverie.

"Oh, uh, hey." she checked her chin, absentmindedly, late in getting the joke, and rolled her eyes. "Funny, Nita. Do you need anything?"

"Nope, Gladys and I are just headed to the gym for a few minutes on the NuStep to round out her treatment." Nita grinned at Shane.

"Who was that handsome young man that just left, Shane?" Gladys asked her, as women of her…demographic tended to do.

"He's just one of our patient's Miss Gladys. But I can't tell you his name. It's against the privacy policy." She explained.

"Oh, okay. Well, if I was a few years younger, I'd let ya give him MY name…and my telephone number." she smirked with pride in herself. All three ladies giggled.

"I'm pretty sure he's spoken for, Gladys." Anita broke the news to her randy patient, smirking at her coworker.

"Shame! Well, that's one lucky young lady!" Gladys hobbled on with the walker as Anita cued her not to let the device get too far ahead of her feet. Shane was beet red from the whole interaction. At least she wouldn't have to wear blush tonight.

Her day finally finished, notes done, and final communications sent,  the most important (in her opinion, probably not her employer's) message of them all was next. The text to Sy that he could head toward the clinic to pick her up.

She touched up her eye makeup, applied another coat of mascara, and dabbed on some of her favorite lipstick in a deep red that complimented her skin tone. She also spritzed on a bit of her favorite Armani perfume before slipping on her dress and black ballet flats and sliding on a pair of simple hoop earrings. She'd had her hair pulled up all day in a clip, so it should be pleasantly wavy when she took it down…and with a bit of flipping, shaking out, and finger diffusing, it was.

She looked in the mirror. She was ready.

Was she ready? She examined herself in the full length mirror in the empty locker room at the clinic. The dress and the shoes suddenly seemed all wrong, both together and as individual pieces for the occasion. She looked great, it wasn't that…but…was it right for tonight? Should she cancel? Was she being ridiculous? Clearly she was, as she'd already sent the message telling Sy he could come get her. But the closer she got to being ready to go, the less ready she felt. Those butterflies were suddenly clawing at her esophagus, disrupting the bile in her stomach, and threatening to choke off her air supply. They were no longer pleasantly fluttering. She felt like she had a boot against her windpipe.

She was snapped out of the panic attack when she heard her phone go off. A message from Sy.

Your chariot, m'lady. Should I come in and get ya?

She grinned like a lunatic. How could she have considered calling tonight off?

Nay, m'lord, verily the gates be locked. I shall use the rear exit and meet thee around yonder forsooth.

Wow, you ran with that one. *laughing in tears emoji*

I have that tendency. Lol. *monocle wearing emoji*

She grabbed her bags, walked out the back door, and tossed the one that wasn't her purse into her vehicle, which was parked nearby and walked around to the front. He was standing on the sidewalk near that edge of the building.

The sun was just setting, and the light from it hit him so bewitchingly that it took away her breath. Not in the frightening way of the panic attack she'd just had, but in the nice way, like right before you surface from a deep dive and you know the sweet relief of oxygen is imminent. She assessed his ensemble with approval. Black books, sleek dark blue jeans, and a sapphire v-neck polo that even in the low light of near dusk made his blue eyes dance with vibrant intensity against his fading tan. His hair was starting to grow out ever so slightly, but it was still very close cropped. His beard, she could tell, had been finely groomed, combed, and styled. He looked…well, she'd never looked up the word "handsome" in the dictionary, but she imagined it would describe the image before her quite succinctly. And alternatively, Sy's image could be used as an illustration in the reference book, itself.

The best part, though, was the look on his face when he saw her.

She felt like he'd never properly looked at her, perhaps. Maybe he wasn't expecting a dress, or loose hair, or red lips. Or maybe it was a combo of the whole Date Shane package he was seeing before him. As his eyes beheld her, he almost looked confused. As if she was a stand-in. Or maybe an alien. Some body-snatcher. Only he wasn't frightened. She was having a hard time working out his expression as she'd really never seen it before, and particularly, never aimed in her direction. He said one word.

"Wow." It was reverent. Not a whisper. But barely a decibel above.

Again, her cheeks required no artificial pigmentation.

"Hey. You look…you certainly scrub up good, mister." she giggled nervously, feeling immensely awkward at her inability to properly compliment the chiseled image of Adonis before her. His every muscle hugged to perfection by the fabric covering it. How did you even begin to tell such perfection how perfect it was?

"You…Shane, I don't remember the last time I saw anyone look so beautiful." he frowned, as if trying to recall, then giving up with a smile, and leaning in to kiss her cheek. He lingered a moment to hug her, hold her as the day faded, breathe her in. She did the same. He was freshly showered and wearing cologne, as he often did, but it rarely hit her so solidly as it did tonight. She loved this scent. Woody, but earthy, with notes of bergamot, a kind of musky scent similar to amber, but more masculine, and something spicy that she loved. The combination exploded like an olfactory fireworks display.

The shirt was an unthinkably soft cotton (blended she thought perhaps with kitten, she could not stop touching it.) and the warmth of him radiated into her as his chest rose and fell over the course of his numerous breaths as they stood there holding each other and enjoying this feast for the senses.

"You ready for supper?" he asked, a faint but distinct rumble from his abdomen indicating that he most certainly was.

"Yes." she smiled up at him as he took her hand in his and led her to his truck. A Ford F150, the same sapphire blue as his shirt and his eyes. She was sensing a pattern, here. It wasn't the newest vehicle, but he had taken immaculate care of it. She felt shame for her own treatment of her Explorer, Bessie, which often functioned as storage shed, trash can, and sometimes, hotel, when she felt like a road trip on a shoestring budget. He walked her to the passenger side, opened the door for her, and helped her in, as the truck sat a bit higher than what she was used to.

"So, I have us a table saved at this great steakhouse just down the road. And then, it's supposed to be a nice night, I thought we could take a walk by the lake?"

It sounded perfect to her. Quiet and simple.

"Amazing. As long as your knee is up for a walk?"

"I've got all weekend to rest before getting tortured again." he smirked at her as he pulled the truck out of the parking lot and on the main road toward the interstate. "B'sides, who better to have with me if I start hurtin' than my PT?"

The emphasis he placed on the possessive pronoun, claiming her as HIS PT sent a delighted shiver through her that she blamed on the AC, which he promptly turned down.

He had his Spotify shuffling Kings of Leon at a low volume as they conversed lightly and pleasantly. Since it was an earlier model, even well equipped as it was, it wasn't quite ready for auxiliary or Bluetooth sound, so he'd bought one of those radio receivers that tune into an unused frequency and connect to your phone or iPod. She'd retrofitted her 2003 Ford Explorer in a similar fashion.

They were both caught a bit off guard when "Sex on Fire" came on, and tried valiantly to keep talking. But it was hard to hear anything but those lyrics. Singing of exhibitionism and dangerous sex acts that were definitely moving violations…and simply the sex being on fire. She was thankful, for once, that this song that she'd always found catchy without paying much attention to the actual lyrics, was now fading into the night as they pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant.

She remembered to wait for him to get the door for her, even though it had been ages since she'd been on a date or had any kind of romance whatsoever. He helped her down from her perch, giving her a gentlemanly moment to adjust her skirt before taking her hand and leading her into the building.

He opened the door and led her in by that lumbar lordosis that made everyone tremble and swoon. She was no exception just because she knew that part of your back was not actually called "the small" and she got perturbed when she heard it referred to as such.

"Welcome to Mark's, how can we help you?" the host greeted warmly.

"Reservation for Syverson." Sy piped up. She was used to being the voice in these situations. She was thankful not to have to for once. It was a small thing, but it was still nice.

"Right this way, folks." he grabbed two large menus, a mid sized one, and a small one, and led them to a cozy but still spacious two-top in a quiet corner of the dining area. The warm light was low and ambient, and there were real kerosene lamps on the tables, which she loved. It had the rustic ambiance of a cabin with all the refinement of any four+ star restaurant she'd ever been to. Not that she'd been to many.

"Here you are, the table you requested, and your menus. Have a look at them, and Katie will be out soon to answer questions and take your orders."

As he walked away, Sy pulled her chair out for her, and aided her sitting. His gentility was so refreshing to her, because it was so sincere and kind, and in no way oppressive or domineering, as some men seemed to use such gestures. Wielding them like a club rather than a feather. She was just used to seeing a certain side of him, teasing and silly as he was in therapy that this side of Captain Syverson, or as she may end up calling him one day, Logan, his given first name, if it pleased him, had taken her off guard.

"Nice place." she approved, looking around at he exposed beams of the ceiling and the iron and copper chandeliers and light fixtures on the wall. She also noticed quite curiously a copy of American Gothic by Grant Wood on one wall and The Kiss by Gustav Klimt on another. Such different styles to be displayed in one room. She really liked it though.

"It's one of my favorites. I try to come in every couple weeks or so." The fact that he liked steak on the regular was definitely a point in his favor. She loved it but rarely went out for it on her own. Eating out alone wasn't so bad, but it was hard to enjoy a steak dinner by one's self.

"What's your favorite cut?"

"Oh, I've tried most of them, and you can't go wrong." He assured her.

They had a crazy selection. Ribeyes, filets, sirloins, prime rib, all seasoned, smoked, topped and wrapped in every way you could imagine…it was like staring at the Netflix menu of steak. And much like she tended to do with Netflix, she relied on a classic favorite. After all, who goes for an obscure choice their first time at a new steak house?

"I'm keeping it simple and going for their prime rib and a baked potato."

"Ah, that's a perfect choice. We're getting some of their lobster mac and cheese to start, though. Unless you're allergic or something?" he added the disclaimer when he saw her eyes widen.

"Not at all, that sounds…"she was thinking "sexual," but decided instead on "heavenly."

Soon, Katie, a peppy, slender young redhead in black jeans she'd been poured into and a white T-shirt she had outgrown some time ago, descended upon their table with gusto.

"Howdy, I'm Katie and I get to take care of you fine folks this evening. What drinks and appetizers can I start y'all off with?"

Sy looked at Shane to prompt her to start.

"Sweet tea?" she half stated, half inquired. Katie nodded and jotted.

"Sure thing! Sir?" she thought her eyes sparkled when she looked at Sy…she couldn't blame her. But…she thought she could take her if she tried anything. She was certain there was a very sharp knife in the black napkin set-up at her right hand.

"Same for me, Katie. And we are also gonna need an order of your lobster mac to start and a bottle of your house cab."

"Fantastic. I'll be right back with the teas and wine after I put in for the lobster mac for ya, and then I'll take your meal order." she smiled brightly. Sy looked at Shane, though, as he replied "Wonderful."

~~~~~~~

Her instincts about the lobster mac and cheese had been spot on. She couldn’t contain her yummy noises of enjoyment which amused Sy to no end. She couldn’t imagine the steak any better.

About that, she had been completely wrong. It was so succulent, tender, and flavorful, she debated on whether or not the provided au jus and horseradish were even needed. They were also too good to resist, though.

Her potato, twice baked to the perfect tenderness had a salt brined skin, and a garlicky butter that just sung with the sour cream and chives. She was in food heaven, and even if that meant she was dead, it was fine.

He’d ordered the same entrée as she had, but took his baked potato…a bit differently.

“You don’t like sour cream?” She asked, nonplussed.

“Nah, I mean, I can eat it, but…it feels weird in my mouth. I prefer the au jus and butter, instead. It’s much more tasty.” He said, waggling his eyebrows.

“I guess I’ll take your word for it.” She laughed.

“You’re welcome to try mine when I get it all doctored you how I like it!”

She did, right from his fork. And he was right about it being so flavorful, but she preferred the mild, creamier texture of her own side with the savory notes of her steak.

They ate and enjoyed each other’s company and conversation.

“Ya know, Sy, I totally had you pegged as a beer man, instead of a wine guy.” She said, as she brought her own glass of the deep red liquid to her mouth and nose, inhaling the bouquet before she took her sip.

“Normally, you’d be right. With a burger, pizza, sometimes tacos or what not, definitely. But I can’t do beer with steak. It’s gotta be wine. Red. And full-bodied.” He held her gaze as he drank from his own glass. Why did he have to look at her like that when he said those kinds of words? Her cheeks were warm from more than the booze.

For desert, they shared a decadent marbled brownie/blondie a la mode. He’d had the idea to slide his chair so he was sharing a corner of the table with her, rather than looking across it at her. Purely so they didn’t have to keep sliding the dessert…not so their knees would brush against one another now and then, or so they could feel the heat radiating from one another’s bodies…but actually, exactly for those reasons.

“Last bite is to you, Sy.” She set her fork down, full to bursting.

“Are you kiddin’? My mama’d tan my hide if she knew I took the last bite from my date.”

“You’re being gallant, actually! Rescuing me from a certain belly ache.” She patted her small but slightly rounded tummy. She did like her food, and was no gym rat, after all. He didn't seemed to mind. Yet.

“How 'bout we share the last bite?” He suggested.

“Technically that’s not physically possible. Becau…”

He interrupted what was going to be an intellectual explanation of why no matter how small you cut up a bite, the remaining bit was still technically one bite, and couldn’t be shared.

“No. Shh. I know you’re smart. You got nothin’ to prove here. I’m gonna cut what’s left in half until I get a bite you’re willing to take. Okay?” She nodded.

He only had to take the fork to it twice before she conceded, also letting him feed her, feigning paralysis from the food coma. She held the fork tightly between her lips, making him work to pull it from her mouth. She looked innocent, but she was an intentional little shit.

“You're so cute when you eat.”

“Said no one ever!” She held her hand over her face.

“You are, though. You enjoy the food. Experience it. It’s like you’re…getting a story from it, or something. Like it’s…almost like it’s entertaining you, I don’t know. It’s just…beautiful.” He leaned his elbow onto the table, supporting his head in his hand as he looked at her.

"Well, sometimes I think I like food a little TOO much for my own good." she lamented, reaching for the cabernet only to have it snatched by her date. He uncorked it and dispensed a generous pour for her, and topped off his own glass, killing the bottle.

"No such thing. Like I said about the wine, full bodied is the way to go. Nothin' wrong with a little cushion." he winked at her. She could not resist finishing a rhyme she'd always heard about the desirability of curvy girls…for the pushin,' and hoped the flush in her cheeks from the wine was enough to disguise the deepening color from the current blush she was feeling thinking of Sy…pushin' her cushions…but something tipped him off to her distraction.

"What's on yer mind, sunshine?"

"I'm wondering if you're prepared to carry me on this walk we're planning, actually." It was possible to think more than one thing, after all. "I don't know how I'll ever even walk again."

"Ah, give it fifteen minutes. Finish up your sweet tea, and by the time we're done with our walk, you'll want an ice cream cone."

"Ha, doubtful." But she was ashamed to admit, ice cream already didn't sound bad. Vanilla…maybe pistachio….no, coffee! In a waffle cone…with fudge drizzle…and almonds…maybe she had a problem.

"You ready to go?" he asked.

She nodded. He flagged down Katie and gave her cash, and what one might call a benevolent tip. They left the warm steakhouse, and entered the breezy late summer evening, the humid air seeming thick with promises.

Up Next: Chapter Six-Sensory Integration 2

[swordmaid]

creator tag meme

tagged by the local angel @giuseppearcimboldo thank you so much lizzie!

rules: it’s time to love yourselves! choose your 5 (ish) favorite works you created in the past year (fics, art, edits, etc.) and link them below to reflect on the amazing things you brought into the world in 2020. tag as many writers/artists/etc. as you want (fan or original) so we can spread the love and link each other to awesome works!

VERY happy i can fill this out because i’ve been so productive this year lol. also this is all gonna be jb bc ive been RELENTLESS and spamming and i would apologize but i wont lmao 

1. jb eros/psyche au.

i am talking about everything i have done for the au btw, because i’ve done quite a handful of things and honestly i really love all of them--even the doodle ones which rarely happens. anyway, i love this au in general. i think the tale is perfect for them, and i’m happy with the works that i managed to put out most esp this one that’s based on canova’s sculpture of eros and psyche. translating sculpture into digital art was interesting since it was all about converting the weight and structure of the sculpture into the screen and i think i managed to do it imo! i love how brienne looks heavy in his arms, i love how strong jaime looks holding her up and i especially love the way i shaded her dress to mimic the lines that the statue has. all in all, this au slapped and i actually want to do more of it but i have no inspiration right now. 

2. jb as classical art series. 

honestly i never thought that this was going to be a series lol i thought it was just a two time thing, but then i did another one, and then another one, and then another one and now here we are. i love all the pieces that i’ve done for it actually. my favourite thing is that they’re all not direct translations of the original art. there are some aspects that i’ve taken and adapted while also putting my own flair into it. i love the reverse colour scheme with klimt’s kiss and my own rendition of it. the gold being the accent highlight in a field of murky brown/black whereas klimt has the black squares present to emphasis the richness of the gold and yellows. i also like the little thing i did where i put the geometric shapes outside of the subject instead of inside (what he did). i put on the tags that i didnt like how it turned out but i actually like it lol i just didn’t like how long it took me i get too impatient with my art i think. anyway. i love this whole series sm i think all the pieces have their own character, and tbh i always get nervous adding another piece into this just because all the ones that i’ve done has been so well received i don’t want to be a disappointment lool. regardless, i love classical art and i love jb and i love being able to put the two together hehe we love to be self indulgent

3. la belle fleur sauvage commission. 

aka THIS commission that was based from SD’s fic, la belle fleur sauvage. some behind the scenes with that one--that one took me SO long to do, like it was taking longer than i had wanted and i felt very bad and i am forever thankful for sd’s patience 😭😭😭. i really can’t be too mad though since i was working on the third year of my degree, but i still would’ve wanted to finish it sooner than i did. but as for the art itself---i actually love it lol. i always say to zoom in on my stuff to see all the details but i WISH folks would zoom in on that because it’s so big and so intricate. i love how everything turned out; i love how rich the colours are, i love the composition for all three panels, i love how the SKY looked like actually that’s the first time i sat down and painted clouds with that technique and i am so happy and pleased with how it looked im using it for everything LOL, i love jaime’s outfit in the 2nd panel---i actually designed a whole outfit for that and he DOES have his pouches and daggers, etc. stuff that he would have with him if he was a mercenary, but because of the cropping, those details were taken out but it’s THERE. i love the colours and the shading on the 3rd panel. it looks so soft and romantic and it’s everything 😭😭. honestly i didnt know if i was able to finish whole three panels just because of how big the project seemed, but tbqh this piece really pushed me as an artist and im really happy that i had the chance to work on it (-’: 

4. early morning.

this one is a more recent piece and i was thinking post canon jaime/brienne married and either living in casterly rock or evenfall hall. originally the sheets were gonna be red with the gold brocade but i just made it green to make their location more ambiguous. they’re in a castle because of the finery, but which castle i have no idea. anyway i love their faces here in particular--jaime because it’s not often that i draw him old (this is the second time i drew old jaime i think?) and i love how he turned out here. i love how he looks like a silver fox and a dilf and we really do love that for brienne. full disclosure, i have no idea how to draw older folks since i don’t have a lot of practice in that area so im glad my lack of experience doesn’t show lmao. i also love how soft brienne looks here! the little smile on her lips is very sweet, her body language and how relax she seems is very telling abt her confidence in this scene also i think i drew her hands hella well haha. all in all i think it’s a really sweet art! and the full version is not so bad either jaime’s ass was referenced from marble sculptures so you know im aiming for Quality. but i love this headcanon of a younger brienne tiring jaime out, i’ve read a handful fics about it and im happy i can do my own version of it hehe 

5. unravel.

wow we love domesticity. someone said that if you compile all my ns*w art of them together it’s like they haven’t left their bed ever since they got together and you know what? love that for them it’s what they deserve. anyway i chose this one because of how sensual and simple it is. their body language really does all the talking ; jaime’s hand pulling on the ties on her shift, her hand on his hair, how soft and lazy their kiss looks--it’s enough to tell the story me thinks! i just love how simple this whole thing is but it’s very effective. there’s really not much to it besides what you see but that’s really enough.

i am actually very proud of myself with how productive i’ve been. it’s really not often that i get as much drive and energy to post so much art. iirc my art tag is nearly 200 content already (i think it’s 180 ish rn?) and honestly that’s a LOT if you told me ill be making more than 100+ content for jb i would’ve been like nah im too lazy for that lmao. but im really proud of myself this year! i think i pushed myself as an artist and i’ve familiarized myself more with my strengths as well as my weaknesses. i have a clear idea on the areas that i need to work on, and i’ve really gotten more comfortable with being happy with my own pieces and i’m trying not to put myself down more if something doesn’t go the way i want it to. also, i’ve had the opportunity to work with more people this year--so for the people who has commissioned me or IS commissioning me rn--- thank you so much for trusting me with your visions 😭😭 ive never expected to get this kind of reception with my art but i am very grateful for all of it. 

anyway as for the tagging i tag -- @na-bruma-leve / @dreadwulf / @dilfjaime / @fawnilu BUT i would highly recommend you to come along and snatch this tag meme up like a little raccoon because we all should start being proud of our own works imo !!

[namstruck]

EIGHTEENTH BIRTHDAY｜VHOPE

REQUESTED BY: Cherry_Mocha (wattpad)

WARNING; angst !! soulmate au ! high school student! taehyung !! college student! hoseok !!

WORD COUNT: 2754

it is said that the age you shall die and leave with your last breath is revealed on your very own wrist on your eighteenth birthday. most people live up to the expected years; somewhere around their mid or late nineties, some even luckier to live a century. but others, not so lucky, have less than a decade, even a year if you count the rare ones. you start truly living once you grow up to whom you'd love to be, trying your best to squeeze every single thing on your bucket list, even though you know it'll never happen because your life now is shorten and everything is being rushed all at once and your time is twice as precious.

—

taehyung, if he were being honest, wasn't really oh-so excited for his upcoming birthday. he didn't want to know exactly what age he was bound to die, thinking about it just made him anxious ever since his older sister got hers. having only five years left for her. from there, taehyung knew he needed to start living his life at its best, knowing his genetics. but most importantly, he knew his grandmother, the only family he had left, would be devastated, already losing a daughter and now bound to lose a second grandchild. not only that, but, what hurt him most was the high possibility and leaving behind the love of his life.

at the moment, the honey-blonde senior was waiting for the clock to land and ring at two-ten; his index finger tapping ever so impatiently on his wooden school desk. class as usual was slow and the professor's lecture dragged and dragged, taehyung's ears muffling all of it from lack of attention. his uniform itched, his own fault for not wearing an undershirt this morning, scratching the one spot roughly and most likely making a small rash. he'd have to remember to get some cream for it later.

looking outside the wide, glass window on his left, taehyung starts daydreaming again, only this time he places his chin on the palm of his right hand as it rests on his desk.

"oh, hyung,"

the familiar squeaky voice makes taehyung turn his head with a raised brow and blank expression. now getting his attention, the boy calling him walks towards him as he struggles with his backpack and two three-inch workbooks, his uniform slightly wrinkled somehow. once he was walking at the same pace and side-by-side with the taller boy he starts chatting with him, still struggling.

"i told you to stop calling me that," taehyung sternly says. the boy next to him laughs it off as they turn left and into the next hallway.

"sorry, i forget," he looks up at his senior innocently. "force of habit," he continues, "plus, it feels wrong.." taehyung knew that it was very formal and common to address your upperclassmen but he hated it; it was just too much for him. so every time the junior, that was his friend— for some reason—, called him 'hyung' all it did was make him cringe.

the two boys after walking a bit reach taehyung's destination, his locker. as he turned the lock for his combination, the younger kept talking, his chattiness just consisting of upcoming events and daily routine. the raven watching taehyung putting his textbooks away and grabbing his backpack, placing other books inside for his assignments later. his big, doe eyes full of admiration towards the obvious tired older.

"so are you excited for your birthday tomorrow?"

taehyung winces at the question as soon as they came out of the younger's small lips, dropping a small notebook on accident. picking it up on impact, the younger skims his reaction and auden shakiness. seeing this, he apologizes as he realizes the situation. it was fine though, it wasn't his fault. the older never told him how he felt or his worries, so his apologies were just being wasted.

"look, kook," he stammers, "i have to go, see you tomorrow, 'kay?" zipping the two folds of his bag, he excuses himself, speed walking away and out the double doors at the end of the hall. the faint goodbye from the younger fading away.

the walk home was quiet. his head empty. his grandmother wasn't home when he got there, a note telling her whereabouts. his shoes loudly bang going up the stairs of the two-story home, taking them off and carelessly shoving them in his closet next to his bedroom door. his room was surprisingly warm—even though it was below twenty outside—and he immediately removes his uniform, slipping on his regular sleepwear. plopping on his queen-sized bed face-up, the covers ocean blue with white frames as it's pattern, he lets out the deep sigh he had been concealing all day as he stares at the white ceiling above him.

before he could actually start daydreaming again or fall asleep, his text ringtone goes off. rolling over his body slumps, realizing his cellphone was still in his backpack. he groans and curses at himself for forgetting to grab it as usual. lifting himself up, his feet drag to the thrown bag on the carpeted floor, opening a pocket to retrieve the device. it lights up showing the lockscreen of a selfie of his boyfriend and him together, smiling. but it also previewed a text.

seokie <3

hi !!!!!!

how is my peach doing💓

you

hi,

i'm good a bit tired but

there's nothing sleep can't fix right ?

you

how are you, sunshine?

seokie <3

i'm doing good too !

i just woke up from a napㅠ .. ㅠ

you

lucky smh

did you go to the interview earlier today??

seokie <3

yes !!

you

how'd it go?

seokie <3

it went really well !! eeeek !!

i need to tell you everything

so imma call you !!!!

but pick up this time>:((

you

yeah yeah

hehe

𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖:

seokie <3

[ accept ]             [ decline ]

•

𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖:

seokie <3

[ accept ]             [ decline ]

"taehyungie~!!"

"hi," the said male chuckles at his boyfriend's enthusiasm and bright, positive vibe.

"okayyyy so where do i even start," the boy on the other line hums before talking again, "oh yeah! right okay so i woke up this morning really late—i'msorrypleasedon'tyellatme—but! i wasn't late to the interview so that's good," taehyung shakes his head, "so when i got to the place, i asked the lady at the front for the manager, and which by the way, she was so nice! she complimented my outfit like!! yes i know i snapped today huh? hehe~ anyways! right..so she got the manager for me and from there we went to like an office or something and we did my interview there and he said he'll definitely hire me!!"

"really?" taehyung asks surprised, his boyfriend confirming what he just said. "i'm so proud of you! i owe you a hug and lots of kisses for sure," he sighs happily as he hears the boy squealing on the other end with him, "now all you have to do it training and after that you'll have the job."

"yes! tae you don't know just how excited i am," the younger could tell he was pouting, "like my heart is beating out of my chest right now and i'm about to cryyyyy!" he whines. "but for now, tell me about your day peach!"

"oh ah, well y'know, my day was boring, like always," he scratches the back of his head, trying his best not to sound troublesome, "...just school things ha."

"even through the phone i can tell that you're lying to me."

taehyung sighs, his free hand rubbing his face, "yeah i know. i'm sorry, i suck at lying."

"do you wanna talk about it? you know i'm always here for you."

"yeah i know," he always knew. but the real question was; was taehyung always going to be there for him?

“thank you.”

—

"happy birthday hyung—i mean taehyung!"

the raven haired boy holds up a small, wrapped box in his hands towards taehyung. the older receives it and thanks him, opening it in front of him.

"ohhh..kook you really didn't have to—"

"i wanted to, so please accept it!" taehyung frowns and watches the younger beg for him to keep the expensive, valuable gift and leaves him behind to go home for the weekend. there was nothing he could do about it now but just place it carefully in his own backpack, zipping it up and walking out the same double doors. he felt so bad, he never wanted a friend—nonetheless—anyone in general to spend their money on expensive things for him.

spotting his boyfriend's silver car, he paces for it as he tries to actually enjoy the day his lover planned for him, knowing he always hated the thought of his eighteenths, not really knowing why he did. but it was a day he was going to make special just for his taehyungie, and nothing was going to ruin it.

taehyung, opening the right shoulder of the vehicle, hops in and greets the freshly showered and groomed boy. his warm hand holds onto his cold one, their eyes meeting and then his lips to his also warm cheek.

"so, where are we going?" taehyung. finally asks. the older jumping up from remembrance, almost pushing the gas pedal, and exclaims.

"i’m not gonna spoil it but you'll see, it's gonna be super fun!" he gives him a reassuring smile, taehyung trusting him as they drive off.

—

"are we there yet? we've been driving for half an hour already.."

"we're almost there, you just have to be patient puppy~" taehyung blushes at the sudden nickname, liking it too much. he much of a patient person, he could tolerate certain times but going almost an hour was his peak and he just couldn't wait any longer. not even five minutes passed again when taehyung whiningly asks, "are we there yet?" all his boyfriend could do was laugh at his own impatient one, something he loved about his character.

he pulls up to a flat, plain that was separated fairly from the two-sided road, the sound of gravel crushing against the rubber of the tires vibrates the car. putting the car in park, his boyfriend takes out the key from its place and opens his side door as he slides out quickly. taehyung, confused a bit, hesitates to open his own door until he hears the trunk close shut, seeing the older male carry out a basket and walking towards the right side of his car.

when taehyung pulls on the handle, he feels a burning itch on his left wrist. as he's flipping it over to see he spots a faded two-digit number slowly arising. but before he could clearly see anything, his boyfriend taps on the window and open the door for him. "were you waiting for me to be a gentleman," he asks mockingly. the younger, before processing anything, looks at him with anxious eyes before dropping a fake smile and played along. he gets out of the silver car, quickly offering to help carry some of the stuff the older was holding but was politely rejected.

"so," he starts, "what's with all the stuff?" pointing at the junk in his boyfriends arms, he asks curiously. the other boy just held his hand, dragging him towards a free, green and grassy spot. he lets go of his hand to unfold and place a large, wide square-patterned blanket on the ground as well as the rest of the stuff. once done, he wipes the sweat off his forehead and childishly huffs out.

"ta-da!"

a picnic.

'how cute', the younger thought. it was really just one of those nice days and now that the sun was soon to set, it started to feel more enjoyable and lovely. the older really was trying his best to make him feel special and it showed.

"do you like it?" his boyfriend asks a bit panicky, hoping he did, "or is it too cheesy?? i can fix it, i mean we can go do something else or—"

taehyung pats him in comfort, "i love it." he smiles gently as he lays his head on the older's shoulder.

—

"mine said i have until i'm ninety-six, so basically i'll have a full life," hoseok exclaims when taehyung asks about his age expectancy, not really having an interest in it based on his expression and tone. well, the younger was happy at least knowing his hoseok was going to live long. in the same sense, his wrist itched again only this time the numbers appeared darker and vividly. not wanting to catch hoseok's attention to it, he pulls his sleeve down more and avoids using that arm for the rest of the day.

it really pained him to hide anything from him, especially something as important as this. but, it would be less hurtful to say goodbye, that's why...it was better this way. it was better for them both to not acknowledge it. and if he ever asks, he would just have to lie.

their hands hold onto each other as they watch the sunset disappear slowly by the minute, all the snacks and food hoseok made and packed, gone. letting out a deep sigh and closing his eyes, taehyung turns over to the boy on his left. "hoseok," before he could tell him anything, their eyes lock, the number on his wrist aching, not only on his skin but his heart as taehyung holds back his words, replacing it with a genuine, "i love you." a tear rolling down his cheek as their foreheads meet.

—

koo。

happy late birthday btw !!

sorry i missed it:(

you

thank you^^

you're fine dw !

koo。

i owe you your present when i see you

so no saying no:𝙘

you

okay okay^^

taehyung chuckles at his friend, "he's always so serious," he mumbles to himself before taking a sip of his dark coffee, that was sitting on the counter, out of the red mug when the small pounce in his head hits again. his face scrunches in pain, hand pressing on the spot.

"you okay?"

hoseok's concerned voice echoes the kitchen. "yeah..just," he rubs his temple, "my head's been hurting all morning.."

"probably because you drink too much coffee," hoseok jokes, taking a sip of his own mug. taehyung glares at him before walking out to the living room. and it wasn't long until he was watching the news, later skimming through channels. hoseok takes the empty space next to him on the couch, wrapping an arm around him once he settled on a show. something about cuddling always made them feel happy, even though the younger's head was pounding.

they had been living together for three years, taehyung moving in after graduation. their new home felt cozy and just right, a quiet, nice neighborhood with a lot of green surrounding them. the younger hated leaving his grandmother behind, he loved her dearly, but she had told him that it was time he start his life and that she'd be fine, being the strong, independent woman she was. and so, he listened.

seeing his mug almost empty, taehyung gets up, the older's arm slipping off his shoulder, and heads to the kitchen again. his hand grips on the coffee pot's black handle, the glass hitting the clay mug as it pours hot coffee slowly. but he shakes, his head pounding slightly harder this time. still grabbing ahold of the pot, he winces at the sensation, his face scrunched and he groans. once he feels it go away, he proceeds to pour the rest of his coffee, taking the mug in his hands as he heads for the living room to join hoseok.

before he could fully turn around, though, another pounce strikes him, only this time more painful that it makes the mug slip out of his hands and drops his body to the ground, his unsupported weight causing a loud thud when it comes in contact with the wooden floor. he could hear a low voice calling out to him, a pair of hands wrapping around him. but, somehow, the rhythm of his breathing or heart beating weren't there. he couldn't sense or hear them anymore. and all of the pain he was once feeling, was gone.

everything was gone, including him.

[aqvarius]

[REVIEW] Her Love in the Force: Shusuke Soma - Who I Once Was

Guys, I’m supposed to be dieting during this quarantine period but Voltage is keeping me FED with all this new amazing Soma content. 

HLITF fans, we have been blessed with amazing Soma content recently. Soma’s S3 Love’s Battlefield route was probably one of, if not the, most memorable HLITF routes I’ve ever played. I also adored his PoV despite it not covering all the moments that I personally wanted to read. (I understand disappointment over it, but I found that the bonus scenes they gave us made up for it, and it allows me to play with my own imagination a bit and potentially write up some fic for the scenes not in his PoV hehe.)

Like the manic Soma fan that I am, I had to IMMEDIATELY buy and read this route. I love him so much I am willing to do anything just to understand him even a little bit better. To my delight, I’m not even a little bit disappointed. And the route even made me spend 300 more coins to buy Goto’s Episode 0 so well done Voltage lol. 

I will summarise my thoughts on this story and then get into some more detail in the cut below. With that said, if you know Soma’s back story already, there isn’t much information to spoil. But I’ll leave some of the more surprising details under the cut.

This story shows us an unfamiliar Soma. This is a Soma that is far colder than even when we first meet him as a Special Instructor at the Academy. He battles with his conflict over his future and what he feels like his life’s purpose is, which is all sparked over his sister Kurume’s comment that she sees him as a hero. Throughout the route, he struggles with aimlessness and his futile attempts to investigate the metro gas attack even while doing his work in the Criminal Affairs/Investigations department, where he becomes the mentor for new recruits Ichiyanagi and Goto. That’s RIGHT, we finally get the Soma/Goto/Ichiyanagi Criminal Affairs dynamics that I have been waiting for years for ever since finding out that they all worked there together! (The only thing missing is Hayase but I guess he’s from a different timeline lol). 

This is something that makes the route super enjoyable to read because we get to see a Soma who isn’t as gentle and reticent as the one we know. He’s a bit colder, a bit harsher, and has less tolerance for antics. We also see Soma as a mentor before he became an instructor and it’s so cool to realise that Goto and Subaru are so capable partially because of the harsh but fair mentoring of Soma and the way that he’s not only drilled the fundamentals of police work into them but also supported them emotionally through the trials of losing a loved one. This route really helps you understand why Goto has so much trust and respect for Soma (and I’d like to see more Soma/Subaru interactions!) 

We also get to see Kurume for what I believe is the first time, which is incredible to be able to put a face to the name. I am such a sucker for big brother Shusuke and seeing more of his life with Kurume really adds depth to our understanding of his character and why/how losing him has made him lose perspective of his own life and identity. 

(I don’t know if I can explain in words how devastated seeing the two of them together made me feel...)

The route also gave some more insight into the Goto/Kazuki situation which was used really well to offset Soma’s own situation regarding vengeance and unresolved grief. We also get to see more of the relationship between Soma and Goto and how much Goto respects him as a senpai even though Goto transferred to Public Safety first (on the recommendation of a certain elite ;)). There are also some great Ishigami/Soma moments which I’ll elaborate on under the cut, as well as some things I discovered while cross referencing between this story and Goto’s Who I Once Was. 

I love that there’s a theme running throughout the story, which is about defining a hero. This is a crucial question which underpins Soma’s incessant yet pointless attempts to figure out his identity and purpose in life. I love that we begin to see him figuring out what being a hero means to him and that Goto’s own grief and slow road to recovery, and the way that he’s affected Goto’s life, is what sets him on this path towards figuring out where to go from here on out. This path is then what leads him to his MC, who we can see is someone who grabs him by the hand and pulls him ever forward. 

To put it briefly, this is a route you’ll enjoy if you love Team Ishigami. You get to see both Soma and Goto pre-trauma (you get to see a younger Goto than in his own episode 0), but then you see both of them forced to confront grief head-on, and then you can see how they both help each other to move forward in their own subtle ways. This story also showcases the best of Ishigami, a man who is collected and analytical but is always thinking of how he can help those around him who are hurt. Like how Ishigami and Kaga are saved by Namba, I would say that Soma saves Goto, then Goto returns the favour, and then Ishigami saves them both. 

Keep reading under the cut to see my further thoughts on Soma: Who I Once Was. I provide extra details about the story and provide some analysis on his relationships with his colleagues and his MC with lots of screenshots for evidence!

Okay so first off: Soma’s parents are ALIVE??? Why have we never met them?! You would think that they would come to Kurume’s grave on Soma’s birthday to see their children at least. For some reason I genuinely thought it was just him and Kurume but no it turns out that he’s had parents this whole time?! Either way, it’s so wonderful getting to see Soma’s home life from back when he was a teenager.

In the past, I’ve made joking comments about Soma being confused over familial and romantic love and wondering if he just cares for his MC like he cares for Kurume because how can you have sex with someone and then still wonder if you just care for them like a SISTER. But this story definitely helped me understand his mindset a bit better and why he sees similarities between his MC and his sister.

So I think we’ve discovered quite early on that Soma’s sister died on his 19th birthday. We also see scenes of them when Kurume is in high school and already having to fill out forms about her future. So she would be 15 at the very least while Shu would have been probably in his first year of uni? I think he’s mentioned that Kurume and his MC would be around the same age but I was really reminded of that in this route.

Honestly it devastated me to read that conversation because her future was just stripped away from her like that. And to see her get all excited about all the possibilities her future held just wrecked me emotionally. She was considering being a florist or a baker or a pharmacist. She would have been around the same age as the MC :’( To see Shu suggest that Kurume could consider studying agriculture made my heart ache because it made me think of how much care Soma puts into maintaining his plants and how much it means to him that his MC takes care of them for him when he can’t, especially because that’s what Kurume did. I also now believe that Soma is so invested in doing whatever it takes to guide his MC towards the best possible future for her because it’s his way of almost atoning for Kurume never being able to live out her dreams and future.

So rather than mistaking familial and romantic/sexual love, I think it’s rather that Soma sees his MC as symbolic of how his sister might have grown up. Rather than thinking of his MC as his sister, he wonders if he’s just fond of her because she’s similar to how she might have been, sort of like how you might make friends more easily with people that remind you of other friends or siblings/people close to you. That’s why he gets so confused when he feels more beyond just affection and can’t control his emotions, because he’s never felt love beyond just worrying and wanting the best for someone until his MC.

On a side note, Soma did a 4 year degree at a university before joining the police academy? What did he study?!?! I want to know!!!!!

I also love that we got to see Soma not really wanting to be a mentor. We get to see him at his most candid, and at a time in his life where he’s still figuring himself out and doesn’t have any goals except for getting to the bottom of the Crimson Wings case. So when he has to take two rambunctious young men under his wing, it’s so amusing to see how much they annoy him at first with their bickering. In the main stories, we only really get to see a bit of this when he deals with Kurosawa but when he does that, it’s kind of jokey and snarky but man Subaru and Goto really pissed him off at times LOL. Like I mentioned, we’ve only seen him as a seasoned instructor who goes out of his way to help you develop, but he is so reluctant to look after these kids at first. He calls them goons, the gruesome twosome, annoying, a pain in the ass… It’s so funny seeing this side of Soma.

I did think it was so cute that Subaru immediately jumped to calling him Shu and Goto was so polite and called him Soma-san but then somewhere down the line ended up calling him Shu as well (which is what he still calls him to this day. I would literally DIE to see some present-day Subaru/Soma interactions – will someone who’s played Goto’s Adversaries let me know if the two of them interact? Subaru is so alpha male especially now, I’d love to see him defer to Soma in the present day.) It was also so cute that they tried to throw him a birthday party (but also very tragic because his birthday is also the anniversary of Kurume’s death and none of them knew that).

I also loved seeing Soma’s response to Kazuki’s death and the way that Goto’s loss and Soma’s loss kind of play off each other. He knows how it feels to lose a loved one, he’s been dealing with the repercussions of it for at least around 5 years at this point with frankly very little progression. If Goto was not able to move forward because he was stuck in time, Soma is not able to move forward because he is lost. Goto’s grieving puts in in a static place where he can’t move, but Soma’s grieving has him constantly moving, but without direction. He’s haunted by Kurume’s words and even says as much: “I had no idea where I was supposed to go… I just let myself float along”. 

This is why Soma scolds him both in his own story and in Goto’s story, and it is Soma’s experience that allows him to guide Goto towards his growth. It’s also (at least partially) because of Soma that Goto ends up in Public Safety.

Ishigami approaches Soma for an evaluation of Goto, stating that “students raised by an elite teacher are elite themselves”. Soma’s evaluation sets the stage for Goto to eventually be able to confront his grief and develop as an undercover specialist through Ishigami’s guidance; Goto even calls him his “benefactor”. In Goto’s story, he says “It has to be him. The one who found me on the neon-lit street” and Goto then mentions a line about being blinded by revenge that I’m pretty certain is something that Soma said during their nighttime (and thus presumably neon-lit) back alley chat. So I’m not 100% certain who Goto has in mind but 95% he’s thinking about Soma, especially since he later thanks him for the transfer. 

 We know that Soma essentially helps Goto without trying because he’s confused when Goto calls him his benefactor. In evaluating Goto to Ishigami and cornering him in that dark alley, without even knowing it, Soma effectively helps to push Goto into facing his future – the two facets that Goto says makes someone a hero. 

We also discover that Soma is recruited to Public Safety through a recommendation by Goto, who is presumably “the elite who nominated” him.  I love that if Soma pushes the frozen-in-time Goto into moving forward, Goto helps the lost Soma begin to find some direction.  

For years, Soma has been chasing this elusive concept of “being a hero” without even knowing what that means, which is why he never gets closer to fulfilment, because he doesn’t know what it’s supposed to be like to “feel like a hero”. No matter what he himself does, he is never able to see himself as a hero either because he couldn’t prevent the death of the one person he wanted to save. I will say probably that the thing that first changed Soma into making him feel like he has more sense of purpose in becoming one step closer to the “hero” that Kurume said he was is that Goto basically called him his hero. I think it’s so special because here we can really see the links drawn between Goto’s life, Soma’s life, and the narrative theme of being a “hero”.

Something that I thought was missing was how Goto (and potentially Subaru?) finds out about Soma’s past. We never see him tell him about it, but I wonder if that’s the reason why he nominates Soma to join Public Safety? We know that Ishigami knows about it, but I think Goto would probably have found out through Soma himself?

On another note, I actually wondered why Soma, Goto and Kurosawa all have fairly similar strategies and strengths as detectives while Kaga and Shinonome have more specific specialties. Now I realise it’s because Goto trained under Soma, and Kurosawa trained under both Goto and Soma.

These two routes made me realise that Goto needed Soma, Soma needed Goto, and they both needed Ishigami and Public Safety in order to be able to keep walking forward without being trapped in neverending grief. I just need to talk for a little bit about how incredible Ishigami is. Ishigami’s judgement in picking his team is amazing. The fact that he finds these people who have personal vendettas who are working covertly and independently to achieve vengeance and then sees how they evaluate each other shows that he is actively building a team that respects each other and work well together. He sees that they have the skills for Public Safety work but also that they have personal issues that Public Safety can help them deal with, and then he does everything he can to help them attain their peace. Ishigami is unbelievably supportive. He works quietly and diligently within the system to get his subordinates to where they need to be and I LOVE THAT SO MUCH.

Okay with all this said, I cross referenced between Goto’s Episode 0 and Soma’s Episode 0 and found some timeline discrepancies? Right after Kazuki’s death, we know Goto spends a while completely depressed until Subaru drags him up to go to Kazuki’s funeral. Then after her funeral, he becomes obsessed with working independently to try to avenge her death. This goes on for long enough (weeks) that Soma has to corner him in a back alley to lecture him (which by the way happens surprisingly often with Soma lol). Goto transfers to Public Safety soon after Kazuki’s funeral. We know this because he transfers and we see him start doing work for Ishigami but when he goes to see her grave and Subaru says that he’s transferring to SP department, this happens on the monthiversary of Kazuki’s death (not even her funeral). Then, it says that Soma transfers to Public Safety a few weeks after Goto’s transfer (meaning it would have happened within a couple months at most after Kazuki’s death).

In Soma’s route, we know that he goes to see Goto a few weeks after Iijima (Kazuki)’s funeral with the bananas. This occurs while Goto is still at Criminal Affairs because Soma references “the other day” when Soma lectures him about his personal life getting in the way of his job. I’m assuming this happens after the back alley lecture when Goto has returned to normal life for that one week before he gets called to transfer to Public Safety. However, later Soma, still working in Criminal Affairs, says “Years have passed, but the one responsible for [Kazuki’s] case wasn’t caught”. This suggests that Soma was still at Criminal Affairs for years after Goto’s transfer to Public Safety rather than weeks? So what’s the TRUTH?

I also just briefly want to gush about how much I love the CG. We see those typical important Soma elements (his hair and the bonsai) but I just love the look on his face. I mean he looks impossibly handsome, but he looks so serious and determined while at the same time still lacking the warmth that we see in later CGs that he only develops after meeting his MC. Am I reading too much into this? Maybe, but let me PRETEND. 

Finally, I want to end my thoughts on how this relates to his relationship with his MC. Soma says that she’s helped him to face the future. As I previously discussed, I genuinely believe that part of this is because his MC lets him see glimpses of what Kurume could have been. Soma is attracted to her brightness, her bravery, her diligence, her conviction and her optimism. (He also starts enjoying everyday life with her when they pose as a married couple and let’s not forget that he does find her physically attractive even before he falls in love/realises he’s in love lol). But more significantly, I feel like this is because of how important he is to her.

Soma has previously said that he doesn’t trust Public Safety, but for some reason they seem to trust him. This reveals that he’s not sure of what his value is to his department or to his colleagues. While he has moved forward, he’s still working towards being that “someone who pushes you to face the future” and “helps people without trying”. Even though Goto basically implies that Soma is the one who has helped him face his future, Soma sort of interrupts so he doesn’t explicitly voice it. However, when his MC confesses how important he is to her with that unwavering conviction of hers, I believe in that moment he suddenly realises his own worth. His MC, who in some ways is a vicarious symbol of Kurume’s potential, helps him see that he has already been a “hero” to those he has saved through his Public Safety work and to his colleagues. This, combined with her trust in his colleagues and them actually coming to the rescue, is what makes Soma able to trust his colleagues. Because he finally knows his own worth, he can finally see how significant he is to his colleagues and how far they would go for him. I think this is also what makes him believe in Public Safety as an institution. For years, he’s been unable to trust or forgive Public Safety because of what happened to Kurume, but now he can finally see that they as an institution have actually helped people and saved people’s lives, and this is partially due to his own involvement.

Finally, the last facet of his relationship with his MC that I want to talk about is how mutually important their relationship is. I’ve already discussed how his MC sees him as a hero by those guidelines that Goto helped him set down, but by those same guidelines, his MC is also his hero. I mean first off, he first became conscious of her as a woman when she gave a ridiculous display of bravery. But more importantly, if a hero is someone who helps people without trying and someone who pushes you to face the future, she has done both of those for him. He says so himself: “With her, I think I can focus on the future and moving forward”. And she has helped him just by being herself. This theme really comes to a head when she literally throws away her own future to help him finally get closure. When he decides to cut his hair, he says this:

“I’ll make the cut, draw the distinction between the past and the future, because I love them both.

I have to let go of what I’ve lost and look to what I can still gain.”

He learns this because of her.

Soma: Who I Once Was is an incredible story that really helped me to understand my favourite character’s psyche, history and relationships just a little bit more. For that, I’m so thrilled and so grateful. I’m so pleased at the quality of this content and all the insight it provides, and I’m excited to see how Soma and his relationships continue to grow and develop in the future.

[dandyvespa]

Calling All K-Pop Survival Show Trash (I-Land Edition)

What’s good everyone

In the past I have talked about my interest in  kpop survival shows and my preferred lineups for shows like Produce 101 X and Youth with You.  These such posts got some attention and made me befriend some cool mutuals so I thought why not do more for any other shows I come across so I can also discuss with people and fangirl with them? Though I myself continue to like these shows despite evil editing and clear favoritism from producers/global fans, I still wish to share with you some hardworking trainees that I think you guys would be interested in, especially if ya’ll kpop survival show tl’s are dry and looking to fill the void with something different.  Well, I-Land happens to be that different show.  Now I know not everyone is a big fan of BigHit or even Mnet for that matter, I do encourage this show because it is a lot different from the format of the Produce series, or any past kpop survival show for that matter.  The standard for ranking trainees is not entirely up to global votes and the producers in the show give their valuable take.  Not only that but their living conditions, music choices, and selected trainees are very distinct and refreshing in my opinion.   Not only that but you have big names like Rain, Zico, Bang PD, IU, and much more contributing to the show to create the best global kpop group.

Now when posting this I realized I should have done this earlier because the show is already on its second part hehe.  I-Land is split up into two parts so I’m just gonna give a brief rundown.  The first part of I-Land involves these 23 trainees that all arrive individually or within groups to do this isolated and intricate building in the woods.  These trainees then go through a series of performances to see who is the most competent member in entering I-Land, this really swanky and high-tech living space fit with training areas, a kitchen filled with a bunch of food, very pristine and spacious dorm rooms, etc.  The catch is that only 12 members are only able to be apart of that paradise and will be determined by voting amongst themselves (already pretty political off the bat lol).  Those who are unable to attend the I-Land are sent to The Ground, basically a way more downgraded version of I-Land with much fewer resources.  This first part basically has these two groups pitted against each other and shifted between the I-Land and The Ground based on this trainee voting system and the producer voting system after completing various tests/competitions.  The only time where the global voting system mattered was towards the end of Part 1 in which the global votes determined the 6 trainees eligible from The Ground to be with the other 6 I-Landers (which have been selected to stay by the Producers).  These 12 trainees then dive into Part 2 of I-Land which is really the start of the actual competition to make it to the official 7-member debut line.  The 12 to 7 members are shaved down again based on a series of tests that will showcase their individual and teamwork skills.  This time the voting is completely based on an alternating system of producers and global fans deciding the ranking, the lowest such member being eliminated every other week.

So like I said I should have started this sooner since this show premiered back in June, but because a lot of people are just starting to know about the show because BTS and now Seventeen (Performance Unit) guested or are about to guest on the show (this includes possibly TXT and Gfriend given they are also tied to BigHit), might as well update ya’ll now on why you shouldn’t just be watching just because your ults are there for barely an entire episode.  Though I admit that there are shady moments and complaints I have with the show, there is no denying that these trainees that are picked are all really good in their respective areas and are incredibly dead set on becoming idols.  Now you may have heard people saying that this show is a “flop” based on Korean ratings.  Given I don’t know how tv ratings work in South Korea and know that this show is steered more towards global fans, a number of people I have talked to already about this show just watch on different video sharing websites or apps the next day so subtitles appear or they watch during the scheduled time of the live broadcasting on YouTube which I have to say is SOOOO pleasing for us international folks.  Ratings and famous artists contributing to the show aside, I once again stress that you guys should give the show a try just for the sake of getting to know these kids because I feel like with time and practice, even if they don’t make the final lineup, they will achieve their dreams eventually.

Now as much as I want to talk about the entirety of the show, I will once again post my top 7 members down below in the (Keep Reading) section.  If ya’ll don’t want spoilers and wish to look up the show first then by all means go ahead!  If you guys are curious about the show or even want to scream and talk about the show if you are caught up, please message me ya cuties!

NOW WITHOUT FURTHER ADO THESE ARE MY TOP 7 I-LAND TRAINEES (SPOILERS POTENTIALLY INCLUDED):

1) Lee Heeseung

No question about it Heeseung is one of my biases on this show and for a good reason.  This boy, a former BigHit trainee, is considered the ace of the show, an all-rounder who so far has shown stability in both dance and vocals (have yet to see rap being portrayed a lot in this show, but the producers, specifically Bang and Pdogg have said he really excels in rap and it was strange to them because he entered the show to focus more on vocals lol).  Not only that but he is selfless, a trainee that has been putting a lot of his fellow members first and sacrificing his own time to help them or steer them in the right direction.  Bro is also dorky and a total crackhead behind the scenes of I-Land lol.  As of part 2 I believe he is the trainee with the most seniority, as in years of training.  Despite showing his playful side here and there, he seems to be the most well-spoken and mature of the trainees, putting him as a major candidate to become a leader.  It is just a bonus that he looks this good too!  At this point in the show, it would be insane for anybody to not include Heeseung in their final debut lineup predictions.  Plus this is legit Bang PD’s favorite son ya’ll already know.

2) Park Sunghoon

Ah the little ice prince! Another former BigHit trainee (and my second bias lol),  Sunghoon is incredibly charismatic and knows how to show the right facial expressions on stage.  I honestly kind of see him as a dark horse in the show.  His vocals are pretty decent and he can really keep up in dancing.  Overall just so hardworking, and it definitely shows because he really has been consistent through the show! It’s pretty known he is a major visual in the show but a lot of people also like him for his clean-cut and simple personality. He is also very observant of the other members and can be just as doting and selfless as Heeseung.  What irks me is that the producers and even some viewers complain that his personality “overlaps” with other members, which is honestly an odd reason to have when considering the debut lineup.  He seems quiet at first but the kid can be so hyperactive, funny, and radiates crackhead energy as time goes by in the show, giving us more of his personality to work with.  What is more fascinating is that he used to figure-skate for 10+ years and decided to choose this path as an idol after seeing BTS.  He is also determined to show his parents that they shouldn’t have doubted him and that he took the right path and I just love that.  Please look out for him because with his popularity and competence, I am sure he will make it to the lineup!

3) Yang Jungwon 

Pack it up ya’ll we found our little maknae of the group who is a cutie and an all-rounder!  He is also a dark horse to me, but then again a lot of people consider him to be a “hidden ace” in the show.  Jungwon may be one of the youngest members in I-Land but amongst the other younger trainees, but he stands out as the most skilled by a landslide.  He excels at singing and is very stable.  In fact I think he is one of the few trainees that has a really good singing voice next to Heeseung.  He is also really good at dancing as well as free-styling.  I think he is also a former BigHit trainee (I... yes I know a lot of my picks just happen to be BigHit trainees but trust me I’m not just being biased lol).  I think Jungwon is someone who, though he excels himself, really appreciates his hyungs who he respects and wishes to learn from.  Coincidentally, his role model is Jungkook haha.  His ability to adjust to concepts, even the most mature ones, is also very astonishing.  Hoping that global fans not only see him as a cute kid but as a talented, caring, and hardworking soul.  Baby did not quit taekwondo to follow his dreams as an idol too!

4) Jay Park

Ya’ll you see this kid?  He is a fighter.  A competitor who brings the heat.  And behold he is also formerly from BigHit lol, but also SM entertainment! Jay is incredibly skilled at dancing and is very charismatic on stage. I think he is one of the few people who showcased rap pretty decently, but again this show barely showed the rap skills of any of these trainees to really conclude that.  The kid has been through a lot of humiliating moments in the show, even coming up with the iconic and meme-worthy line to accept such moments: resentment, anger, humiliation.  He has been placed in compromising situations, but he owns up the the situation and accepts responsibilities that no one would.  He is not as intimidating as he may want to look as he also very caring and helpful (plus his fear of ghosts is adorable). Even other trainees approach him to teach them choreography or get advice.  Also the way he was able to lead the Grounders in the Fire performance made me appreciate him even more since then.  I feel like he has the potential to be a great leader for the group as well.  He is also honest in what he feels and has no problem stating that to the viewers, but is never someone who whines about not getting his way.  His stubbornness will take him all the way to the debut line in my opinion haha.  Go hard my sweet potato boy!

5) Jake Shim

Our Aussie boy and the icon of improvement in the show! He happens to be one of the trainees with the shortest training time.  Despite this, he has had potential since his entrance test with Crown.  Jake has had some rough criticism that lead him to work very hard.  In fact he always feared that he may get behind others or not keep up.  I think out of all the members--and that is saying a lot because they all really do try their best--he is the one who is the most hard-working and constantly practicing the choreography, even when others are asleep.  I also think he has a pretty good vocal range, and it definitely improved since Flicker recently.  The fact that he came all the way here to South Korea by himself to achieve his dream of being an idol after witnessing BTS is so brave. I really respect him and his friendship with a lot of the members in I-Land, especially with Sunghoon! I think he will only continue to rise up and gain more traction from the global audience.

6) Kim Sunoo

Sunshine boy coming through! Sunoo came along with Jake and performed Crown together and since then I always thought he had some real talent.  This thought was only proven later on, but really set it for me his Save Me performance.  Listen his vocals are so promising despite also having a short training period.  I honestly think it would rival Heeseung’s vocals.  I do think he has room to improve in dance, but he really works for it.  He is always so positive and nice to others.  He is very modest and eager to learn and I love how he is basically this aegyo king who never cringes at the slightest when he acts like himself.  As someone who wishes to be on tv, I hope he gets there.  I feel like a lot of people have slept on him because he was mostly known as that one cute kid with adequate skills, but they are far more better than a lot of the trainees since the beginning of the show.  His popularity already puts him really up there so I can only hope he just continues to prove himself to the producers because they have already complimented him on his more masculine and skilled side in Fake Love.  Fighting my son!

7) K

Our last member is K! Now I have had my eye on K because his visuals really stand out for me, like something out of a comic or drama.  Handsomeness aside, K hails from Japan and is the oldest member on the entire show.  He is very experienced in choreographing and is undoubtedly one of the best dancers on the show, which was definitely established in the dance unit competition.  His vocals are also pretty underrated.  I think he that knows how to grab attention and make us wanting more.  Now as much as I adore his skills and ability to lead other members in the choreo, I have noticed that he is the type to be very straightforward, and it may come off as intimidating to other members.  I am not sure if this is just South Korean etiquette of respecting elders and just trying really hard not to upset them, but the way that members have had their fair share of discussing issues with how K just turns icy whenever he doesn’t see things his way or makes a mistake leading them to be frightened to the point of not being able to chime in with their thoughts is very alarming.  I get that no one wants to step on his toes further, but I hope this attitude and relationship doesn’t persist.  I like K and I can see that he dotes on other members and helps them out as much as he can, but sometimes his hypocritical and isolated attitude gets the better of him.  Now granted this may be a result of MNET’s evil editing, but seeing all these trainees share their uneasy thoughts regarding him makes me feel another way.  Even when these issues happen, it ends up with him having to talk it out with his members and reflect, which is highly appreciated.  Even the producers feel like K is important and is promising in his ad-libs and skill set.  May he recover from all these issues and keep himself together!

HONORABLE MENTION:

★ Hanbin

I thought I would add an additional member that I have been on the fence about if one of these other potential trainees do not make it, especially considering I am a bit scared of K’s placement due to global fans being easily persuaded by how MNET edits their shit.  I actually have never laid eyes on Hanbin since the entire first half of the show because he was always in The Ground.  After seeing him lose confidence their I was scared if he would ever recover.  Luckily, he opened up this time around! Not only do I see him acting more like this sweet older brother towards the other trainees, especially in times of conflict like with K and Niki, but he has really been standing out with his dance and vocal skills.  I already know he used to be part of a Vietnamese cover dance group, but I never knew how stable and clear his vocals were.  Though I don’t think he is as stand out as other members in these skills, he definitely showed more of his confidence and improvement since Part 1.  I was honestly wondering why so many people have been hyping him and I guess I was the one wrongfully sleeping on him and his hidden talents heh.  I also hope he is getting more recognition now and it would be nice to see another member who is outside of South Korea appear in the group, especially since Bang PD is going for a global group. Call me a Hannie now lol.

ALRIGHT end of this thread.  Again feel free to talk to me about the show or finally start watching the show.  Even though I did not list your favorite, understand this is my personal debut lineup.  This in no way means I am hating on any of the other members.  I think they all have what it takes if they were all able to get casted onto this show, and I hope they eventually will.   Given that I was looking for much more trainees that caught my eye, have had experience, a good personality, a natural and improved skill set, and just an overall good connection with them, these were the trainees I was most enticed by.  It is pretty set like this and I doubt it will change, but who knows.  Thanks for taking the time to read this and I hope check out the show or continue to stream it! <3

[justanalto]

i was tagged by the wonderfully sweet @besidemethewholedamntime -- thank you so much!! <3 <3 <3

1. What is the color of your hairbrush?

I have a wet brush that’s bright blue, but I also have a hairbrush that’s red!

2. Name a food you never eat

uhhhh...olives, but only when they’re on their own. 

3. Are you typical too warm or too cold?

I’m always too cold. always, always, always. my fingers are currently freezing and so are my toes. I think it’s because there’s a loose draft in my room here somewhere, TBH. 

4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago?

roses are red // 45 minutes ago // i was writing poetry // and answering all my asks in a row

i’ve been sending people asks in poetry form and they’ve been responding, LOL -- so there’s been a lot of poetry brain going on!

5. What’s your favorite candy bar?

either a nice dark chocolate bar or a green tea kit kat bar!

6. Have you ever been to professional sports event?

I’ve been to a few professional baseball games! gotta get out there and have some mass sports pride. one of these days, my american football team will be good again and I will get those tickets. 

7. What is the last thing you said out loud?

some half-hearted mumble-harmonizing to pentatonix’s be my eyes, so something along those lyrics!

8. What is your favorite ice cream?

either black raspberry (s/o to campus!!) or mint chocolate chip :) 

9. What was the last thing you had to drink?

a couple of sips of water, hehe

10. Do you like your wallet?

I do! It’s the first “grown-up” wallet I feel like I’ve ever had -- I bought it from camden market last year when I was in london, and it’s a nice pine shade of green and made of cork. unfortunately, because i bought it in london, it also means that it doesn’t hold american currency quite as well, but it’s okay, i make do, LOL! 

11. What is the last thing you ate?

my dad made spaghetti bolognese and I ate that with a hecking ton of bread. it was fantastic :) 

12. Did you buy any new clothes last weekend?

unfortunately, no :( i can’t remember the last time I bought new clothes. maybe january? february? before the pandemic started. 

13. What’s the last sporting event you watched?

I think...I know it was definitely a pats game, and I’m pretty sure we lost, so it’s somewhere along the lines of pats v. ravens, I think

14. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn?

extra buttery, even though it would probably murder me :’)

15. Who is the last person you send text message to?

@aleksandrachaev, and it was two thumbs-up emojis, LOL. 

16. Ever been camping?

I have! I went a long time ago, like nine years ago long ago, I think somewhere out west? I slept on an air mattress, went to an outdoor bathroom, all that fun jazz! and the bug bites, LOL. 

17. Do you take vitamins?

my mom: so you’ve got the probiotic, the vitamin c and the biotin...

18. Do you regularly attend a place of workship?

I don’t -- my dad used to go to church regularly, but other than that, I’ve never been to church and we’ve never been as a family. 

19. Do you have a tan?

i don’t know how this happened but I literally still have shorts tan from like, august. it is the middle of november, someone tell me how I got here. a couple of years ago, I burnt so badly on a trip to LA I was still seeing the tan months later, LOL. and most of the time, I have some fair flip-flop tan!

20. Do you prefer chinese or pizza?

chinese, because pizza has the ability to murder me

21. Do you drink your soda through a straw?

it it’s a takeout cup, then odds are good i’m drinking it through a straw, but other than that nope :) 

22. What color socks you usually wear?

white or grey, I think? i have some funky colored ones but i’m trying to change that

23. Do you ever drive above the speed limit?

i’m having flashbacks to a conversation I had with a friend who laughed at me for going five miles above the speed limit -- yes, I do, but only the allowed five miles above the speed limit and none more

24. What terrifies you?

oh, no, you don’t want to ask me that, we’d be here all day...being abandoned, I guess? being left by the people I care about, becoming too attached to people because they can leave and hurt me, spiders, heights, the pandemic, being hated, being alone...my own emotions, sometimes. 

25. Look to your left, what do you see?

my tubby nugget! he smiles at me, and I feel a lil better :)

26. What chore do you hate the most?

i literally could not tell you how much I hate cleaning the grout in our bathroom tile. it is a CHORE. 

27. What do you think when you hear Australian accent?

the hemsworth brothers, but also someone I met abroad who was from perth and had the same name as me, LOL

28. Whats your favorite soda?

ginger ale! 

29. Do you go in a fast food place or just hit drive through?

depends on where I’m hitting, tbh -- if i’m in a hurry, we’re going straight through the drive-thru. but if it’s an event, then we’ll go in! have a fun time. sit for a while and talk. 

30. What’s your favorite number?

i don’t think I have one, actually?

31. Who’s the last person you talked to?

my dad, I’m pretty sure -- we talked about pandemic unemployment assistance :)

32. Favorite meal?

sushi, or whenever my mom makes steamed chicken. (i’m realizing it’s been so long since I’ve had that chicken and now I’m sad) 

33. Last song you listed to?

for real by lana condor

34. Last book you read?

confucius jane by katie lynch, just to see if the lesbians stood up to the pedestal i’d put them on -- and hell yeah, they did! 

35. Favorite day of the week?

right now, thursdays, because thursday is grey’s day! 

36. Can you say alphabet backwards?

probably, if you gave me enough time to think about it

37. How do you like your coffee?

like i like my men -- from afar, some of them are pretty, but do I actually like them? no

38. Favorite pair of shoes?

either my gray ankle boots I got a couple of years ago or my ‘gay lesbian snow boots’ that I use when it’s snowing something awful out, LOL!

39. Time you normally get up?

i’m supposed to be up at 8 am, but I’m usually up anywhere between 9 and 10am. I...need to change that, LOL. 

40. What do you prefer, sunrise or sunset?

i love both! but I like sunset because I’ve never specifically woken up to see the sunrise, i’ve only seen it out of coincidence because I pulled an all nighter to do work

41. How many blankets on your bed?

three, at the moment -- a costco blanket, my college blanket and a five-below blanket

42. Describe your kitchen plates.

white with a floral border

43. Describe your kitchen at the moment.

it’s lived-in -- we have a side table that’s always at the risk of a collapsing, a power strip that runs a kettle, microwave and toaster oven (you can never run two of them at once otherwise the strip shuts off), kitchen mats that will never get rid of their crumbs and a healthy, healthy pantry!

44. Do you have a favorite alcoholic drink?

either pink moscato wine or a rekorderlig cider! 

45. Do you play cards?

i used to a lot, when I was younger! when I got older I stopped finding people to be able to play them with, unfortunately. 

46. What color is your car?

silver! (even though I share it with my sister)

47. Can you change a tire?

no, but I’d definitely like to learn :)

48. Your favorite state or province?

new york or california, honestly. probably california. it’s the place I’ve felt the most free :) 

49. Favorite job you’ve had?

i’ve had a lot of internships but not a lot of jobs, but I’d probably have to say it was the one I had at dunks -- so many funny things and stories came out of it, and now I have enough barista experience to power my coffee shop fics for a lifetime! 

tagging: @agentmmayy @nazezdha321 @sadtunes @a-biochemist-not-a-bird @browneyedgenius @daisylincs @aleksandrachaev @missinglittlebritishfriend @hannahxowen @genderfluid-and-confuzled and anyone else that I missed -- you’re it!! (i’m truly sorry if I forgot you, I haven’t slept a lot in the last couple of nights fhdskjfhs)