#but a kind sincere and lovable idiot

[nnnn99999]

I want to share my interpretation of FadelStyle's sex scenes in the storage room, but before I get to the actual scene I need to establish FadelStyle's relationship arc so far. I won't go into detail about their attitude towards each other in episode 1 and 2 because @airenyah did such a great job of explaining Style's journey in this post and I wholeheartedly agree with everything she said.

To summarize, by the end of episode 2 Style is starting to sense something is off about Fadel and he is starting to want to connect to him, whereas Style manages to make past Fadel's defenses and enter his mind, albeit as a sexual fantasy. At this point neither of the two actively dislike each other as they used to before. Fadel still finds Style very annoying, but he is already starting to get used to it. Style still thinks Fadel is grumpy and rude, but he is intrigued by what lays under Fadel's mask. They don't really like each other, but they don't exactly hate each other either.

This dynamics continue in episode 3. As they meet each other more and more, Fadel softens up to Style as sees more of him. It's hard for Fadel to completely ignore the genuine care, concern and sincerity Style throws at him again and again. Style also starts to become even more intrigued by Fadel as he realizes just how deep the man is hiding himself. Not to mention the physical attraction between the two that very much exists and makes its presence known in the form of sexual fantasies.

When they actually hook up for the first time, there is only physical attraction that is driving their actions. As I mentioned before, they don't dislike each other, but they don't really like each other either. There is an emotional disconnect between the two. And I believe this is the reason this experience was not very fulfilling for either of them. Both of them seem to be the type to believe in having proper relationships instead of casual hookups, so sex without any sort of meaningful connection might be pleasant because of the physical attraction, but it's far from being able to make either of them feel content.

Comparing FadelStyle's first time to KantBison's first time makes this more evident. KantBison didn't even know each other's names when they jumped into bed together. But that didn't stop them from having a great time. They have no problems in finding sexual satisfaction without any emotional attachment. FadelStyle on the other hand seem to be unable to do that. It's a matter of preference, neither is right or wrong. The lighting choices in the two scenes also reflect the mood of the couples. For KantBison, it's a bright red-glaring, intense and passionate. The lighting is not warm, it's burning hot actually. Whereas for FadelStyle, the lighting is a cold blue, with no hint of warmth to be found.

In Fadel's fantasy, Fadel thinks about Style's interest in himself (his name and his tattoo). In Style's fantasy, Style imagines Fadel serving him with direct eye contact maintained at all times. Both of these fantasies further indicate to me that both of them crave a deeper connection with the other. And it's only when they find that connection that they can truly find sexual contentment.

I don't think Fadel meant to be that tender and worshipful with Style. I think he just couldn't help himself. Now that Style has had a taste of what it could feel like being with Fadel, he is not going to give up trying to make Fadel his. And Fadel has no way to defend against that kind of Style.

[richeeduvie]

baby turning up at roman’s to argue with him (probably something waystar related if he’s in a logan phase) but he’s also being kind of silent treatmenty so she goes to leave but obviously the second she does that he’s like NO PLEASE

"So you have nothing to say?"

Roman plays with the pen on his desk, spinning it like an arrow pointing pissiness in all directions. You roll your eyes.

Okay. Whatever. He'll be over it by tomorrow.

"Okay, I'm going."

You turn, hand on the glass door.

"So you don't love me?"

"What the fuck are you talking about? I'm going. You don't want to talk, we can't do much else. Everything Waystar related has been fucking settled. I can't even think of an excuse to hammer in passive aggression and verbal pinchings. All I learned from your family, by the way. What?"

Roman's not looking at you. He looks small in the chair, shoulders hunched over and so. He clicks the pen.

"You don't say I love you before you fuck off, what is Roman-fucked-in-all-the-wrong-places-and-fucking-idiot-Roy supposed to assume?"

"I don't know...nothing?"

"You just stop with the I love yous before you go cause you're angry that I have feelings within my...job? My business in this business. Fine. Do that. But don't fucking leave. Own up to your whorishness. I'm worth it when I'm not being the worst fucking little...bitch to you."

Roman pulls on his ears. Even in his guilty-manipulation, he's genuine. You sigh.

"I do love you."

"Cause you're sworry." He pouts, it's mocking - but sincere. He sniffs hard. "It's fine, it happens. I'm less lovable at some points. Just - don't turn away."

"I didn't stop loving you just because I was angry at you."

"Then why were you going to leave-"

Roman scratches his shoulder, gripping. The mocking tone of him has turned into angry, somehow so adult and boyish as you sigh.

"Roman! Don't. I'm sorry. Let's not make this into a corporate tussle that's bigger than it is. I'm not going anywhere. Never."

You say that, as if this has turn into something bigger than it is. Roman blinks fast and you come to him like it's an order. No.

A begging.

You curl the short strands of his hair, kissing the lobe of his ear. The sweet guilt of him is delicious, especially when he accepts the way he's consumed - even after all his harsh defense. Because still, you're here doing what you're doing because he begged you to stay.

For tonight's sake, you'll act as if he didn't.

Roman presses his face into your chest, his wet mouth not forming a kiss on your blouse. It's just a heavy, fleshy show of "Okay, I guess I'm sorry too. Don't ever leave me."

"I'll blame you in my suicide note if you turn like an asshole again. You'll get fucked on the New York Times, once Dad buys it."

"I'm sure. Of course, it'll never happen."

[kira-quartz]

For the ask game: Carryshipping (you can do the individual pairings involved if u want), thiefshipping, irateshipping :>

Blarhgsjkhgkas sorry for the wait 😓 (And sorry the Carryshipping section is such a mess, 😂)

SEND ME A PAIRING

Carryshipping

I don’t know them enough | wtf | why | just NO | tolerable | they’re okay | cute | awww | babies | hot | I will go down with this ship | and I won't *mumble mumble* and surrender~ | there will be no white flag above my *shrugs* | they're in love, and *gives up and googles the lyrics* | OT3

Okay, so I didn't forget about your other ask; I've been trying to will myself into a state of feralness (turns out I can't do it on cue, 😅!), so I might as well do it here:

AAAAAAAA

MY GLORIOUS CANOE-TYPE THING

LOVE THESE CORNFLAKES

THEY ARE THE CUTE

THEY ARE A LARGE PERCENTAGE OF MY BRAIN

hfvlΩß˙b,jfuzgakuwfhzlgbakug;aoeyoliahliuhougkujdrstewtkuvcfsfm

Like, think about it. Puff, Buddy and Protect are all adorable ships on their own. You have the sweet, polite little nerd who loves all things creepy and the former gang member with a heart of gold who's terrified of the occult and also happens to be a nerd. You have the two lovable idiots who've been best friends for years, who know each other like they know themselves. You have the tough-looking guy who's actually a massive softie and the gentle, fragile-looking cornflake with all this hidden inner strength. So you put all three of them together and there's this whole sun, moon and Earth dynamic where their personalities complement each other in different ways and it just works!!!

Joey and Tristan would always be there for Ryo and remind him as many times as they need to that they want to be there for him - no more disappearing into the Isolation Pit for him if they can help it. I think he'd bring out their softer sides; partly because he's so heckin' adorable, but also because he wouldn't judge them for showing vulnerability.. In the past, they've both had problems with toxic masculinity and felt pressured to act tough, and while they've both come a long way by the time I usually imagine the Carryship setting sail, they probably still have some lingering Stuff. But Ryo's just... himself. I don't think he cares about whether or not he measures up to some made-up standard, and he wouldn't care if other people do either. I see him as a good, sympathetic listener - if anything's bothering them, they can talk to him about it, but he won't push them to talk if they're not ready. (You know how he spent most of the Téa vs. Mai Duel comforting Yugi? Yeah.) Based on some of his dialogue from his Duel Links event (and not just with Joey), I HC that he's really generous with compliments too. If he has something nice to say, he just says it, so there's this kind of funny, kind of interesting contrast between how sincerely he expresses his feelings for Joey and Tristan and how sweet they are to him, and how those two act towards each other: i.e. not too differently to how they did before they got together. They might be a bit more openly affectionate (mainly physically), but they're still Joey and Tristan, and they'll still bicker almost as much as always, 😂!

In between the bickering, Joey would be *vocal* about how much he loves them, and often cheesy as heck (Ryo finds it cute; Tristan "secretly" does too but covers it with a sprinkling of snark. Joey is not fooled in the slightest. Tristan doesn't really mean for him to be.) He's quick to cheer them up or offer encouragement when they're having a bad time, and I can see him encouraging Tristan to stand up to his dad about the factory situation and pursue his own dreams - they deserve to be happy and he'll fight anyone who says otherwise (not necessarily physically because he's matured since canon, but still!) He and Ryo would be so cute nerding out over games together, 🥰. He gets to enthusiastic about things (he threw himself right into that first Monster World session) and that would mean a lot to Ryo. (Tristan's willing to join in, but he's not as passionate about it as they are.) With his interest in model-building, I think he'd appreciate the work Ryo puts into his dioramas too. And they can both be Odd Cornflakes at times - Ryo might be the Weird One of the three, but Joey did call the original Duel Disk a "cup ramen thing", 🤣. I bet they'd occasionally wake Tristan up talking about whatever completely random thought popped into one of their heads at 2am, 😂.

Tristan will keep them grounded and be the voice of reason as usual... unless he's getting swept up in whatever Joey's doing, because let's face it, with these three, there *will* be moments when no one has the brain cell and it's just skittering around unattended. (Do brain cells skitter? Serious questions asked on my bloggo.) He's sometimes a bit confused by Ryo, but that doesn't bother him. He's accepted that there are some things he just won't get, so he's just going to concentrate on doing what he does best: loving and supporting Ryo unconditionally, as well as keeping a close eye on any occult stuff that's going on - *no one* needs to get possessed again. (Joey will watch from a safe distance, (read: "over Tristan's shoulder like when he found out that Shadi was a ghost", 😂), but no matter how terrified he is, he'll still be ready to take action if things start to go wrong.) If anything's wrong with either of them (and he always notices), he'll go out of his way to help, even if all he can do is listen, which happens more often than he'd like, especially with Ryo. It's not always easy, though, so they make sure to let him know they appreciate him, and be there for him when he needs it.

Overall: 200/10, can't believe no one named it before I did.

Thiefshipping

I don’t know them enough | wtf | why | just NO | tolerable | they’re okay | cute | awww | babies | hot | I will go down with this ship | OTP

It's been a while since I've really thought about them, but this is probably my favourite ship for both of them, mostly because of the fandom's portrayals. None of these options really fit them for me, though? 😅 They're an entertaining mess. A pair of heckin disasters. XD

Irateshipping

I don’t know them enough | wtf | why | just NO | tolerable | they’re okay | cute | awww | babies | hot | I will go down with this ship | OTP |

Well, I haven't seen much art for it, but I like the idea of it! It'd be interesting to see how it happens, with the whole brainwashing thing and Joey's tendency to hold grudges. They'd definitely have to address that, 😅. (Oh, and about your reply to my ask: what exactly is a hamster-like death? 😂)

Thanks for asking!

[benoitblanc]

hey arwen, long time no see!! hope you're doing well! 💜

i know nothing about txf besides what i've gleaned from this hellsite which is a) mulder is a lovable idiot, b) scully both loves him (almost against her will??), and c) they literally invented shipping BUT tell me about your top 5 txf episodes!!!

hi mitali i have been EXTREMELY patchy on here lately haven't i lol. local woman appears on tumblr to write ten meta posts about the x files and then disappears again! i'm doing okay; my real life has been kind of chaotic (had to last-minute cancel a trip i have been desperate to go on for years so :/ but! on the bright side it means i get to see my flatmates sooner than i thought and i miss them even though i've been gone from my flat for like a week and a half lol). how have you been???

those are very accurate txf vibes but i will say that scully is a very active and willing participant in being in love with mulder even though he can be very very stupid at times lol. i hope you watch it someday- i think it would be right up your alley! kind of similar doctor who ecological niche of being weird, heartfelt, politically relevant sci-fi with no consistent quality or tone.

ANYWAY. top 5 txf episodes, bearing in mind that i've technically only watched up until the end of the fourth season so far; i'm just a ho for spoilers:

pusher (3.17)... what can i say about pusher that i haven't said already. a lot, probably, because every single day i log on here and i see someone's written new meta about pusher that makes the entire show make more sense. it's just... it's txf distilled to its barest elements. it's about trust and codependency and a supernatural force that is made all the more unsettling by the fact that at its core it is just some guy. it's funny and terrifying and heartfelt all at once. the russian roulette scene changed television

clyde bruckman's final repose (3.04) is also just so txf. darin morgan (the writer) tended to write episodes that were so absurdist they wrapped back around to satirical, but this is far and away my favorite of his because it's not too bonkers. i love coprophages and from outer space especially, but clyde bruckman is a little more grounded, and it manages to be sarcastic and sincere in equal measure. and i love when scully gets to solve the mystery

irresistible (2.13), which is famous for being pretty much the only txf episode where there isn't actually an x-file. and it's SO fucked up. it is hands-down the most fucked up episode of the entire sh- well. besides the episode that they banned from reruns for like a decade for being so fucked up, it's hands-down the most fucked up episode of the entire show

beyond the sea (1.13) and paper hearts (4.10) are thematic sisters so i'm keeping them together. they're both about choosing to move past grief instead of wallowing in it and choosing the future over the past. so what if a criminal says they can give you the answers you've spent your whole life chasing? what matters is that you're at your partner's hospital bedside when he wakes up from an injury, or that you save a little girl's life

right now? probably ice (1.08), because i just rewatched it with my flatmate (who is going through s1 for the first time and is almost as obsessed as i am). it's like if midnight doctor who and the thing had a baby. normally i think this slot would go to duane barry/ascension/one breath (2.05/2.06/2.08) or nisei/731 (3.09/3.10), which are the tightest, tensest episodes relating to the show's overarching mythology

honorable mention goes to elegy (4.22) because the a-plot is a very 90s depiction of neurodivergence and it's not the best-handled thing i've ever seen, but the character showcase of scully in the b-plot gave me fucking brain worms. i cannot stop thinking about it. it's haunting.

also, memento mori (4.14). vince gilligan and gillian anderson you're splitting my therapy bill

ask my top 5/10 anything!!!

[gilgamushroom]

Ok so since today's Nautilus entry I've been thinking a lot about the very specific kind of racism in 20K Leagues and Moby Dick and how it almost seems like a trope? In these old sea novels in the age of empire that want to portray adventure, to have these "exotic primitive cannibals" of a poorly researched or fictitious tribe, even when the novel itself attempts to comment on racism

We've got Queequeg in Moby Dick who is intended to be a good, lovable character that makes Ishmael question his prejudices - and yet his traditions/rituals/habits are still a distorted amalgamation of European/American prejudices, his "foreign attitudes" are portrayed as quirks and his goodness is exemplified by how he aligns himself more with Western culture. "Noble savage" all around.

Then we've got the revolutionary Captain Nemo who claims to not hold prejudices against the natives of the island ...but the narrative still has them not understand the value of a rare shell, attack our protagonists and it makes a threat out of them that cannot be reasoned with.

It's almost like these novels want to do something nuanced but end up stumbling over the status-quo level of prejudice in their respective societies and even narratively they cannot overcome these archetypes because, at the end, they make the novel more "exciting", and that "excitement" just doesn't work if these people aren't caricaturized to some degree. I'm really really not an expert but I wouldn't be surprised if other stories around that time featured similar "island cannibal" encounters.

Strangely though, this makes me think of Our Flag Means Death - a modern adventure period-piece that continues the tradition of stories about Western men sailing and venturing out into the world. And I'm thinking about it and how it kind of flips this trope around? When they get stranded in the island and bump into a tribe they immediately assume they're cannibals - an assumption that is promptly made fun of and contradicted. The native people of the island are portrayed as civilized, their perspective is shown and given priority, and they play as "straight-men" to our wacky characters. In that episode, our main cast are the lovable idiots that stumble upon a well-established, peaceful society. A member of the main cast is even given the opportunity to integrate and refuses only out of his commitment to his bff/later partner who is in a precarious situation themself.

It feels like the show is not only playing with the very real prejudices of the time but also with the legacy it knows it has in its genre. And I just think that's a really cool example of how these stories are adaptable to modern audiences! They can be treated with fun or seriousness and a lot more nuance, characters like Queequeg or passages like the Torres Strait can be re-explored instead of erased entirely in adaptations, it is an option.

Reading these classic novels can be a painful, painful journey at times but I really want to thank the substacks for allowing us to experience them collectively and have these discussions, I'm very sincerely looking forward to the rest of the journey with you all, and to any future possible adaptations that might come

[randomestfandoms-ocs]

Get To Know: Angel Dearly ✤ Long Live ⋆ Folklore

(sections were compiled from various tag games that I've done over the years)

POSITIVES

adaptable ⋆ active ⋆ adventurous ⋆ agreeable ⋆ alert ⋆ articulate ⋆ athletic ⋆ aspiring ⋆ attractive ⋆ affectionate ⋆ ambitious ⋆ amicable ⋆ affable ⋆ analytical ⋆ approachable ⋆ brave ⋆ bright ⋆ bold ⋆ balanced ⋆ benevolent ⋆ calm ⋆ capable ⋆ casual ⋆ caring ⋆ captivating ⋆ cautious ⋆ charming ⋆ charismatic ⋆ cheerful ⋆ clever ⋆ compassionate ⋆ conciliatory ⋆ carefree ⋆ confident ⋆ creative ⋆ cooperative ⋆ considerate ⋆ conscientious ⋆ complementative ⋆ curious ⋆ competitive ⋆ daring ⋆ decisive ⋆ dedicated ⋆ diligent ⋆ dignified ⋆ discreet ⋆ driven ⋆ dramatic ⋆ dutiful ⋆ dynamic ⋆ diplomatic ⋆ disciplined ⋆ determined ⋆ dependable ⋆ easy-going ⋆ efficient ⋆ empathetic ⋆ enthusiastic ⋆ extroverted ⋆ enigmatic ⋆ elegant ⋆ eloquent ⋆ energetic ⋆ exuberant ⋆ educated ⋆ esthetic ⋆ fair ⋆ faithful ⋆ farsighted ⋆ firm ⋆ flexible ⋆ forceful ⋆ flamboyant ⋆ friendly ⋆ flirtatious ⋆ focused ⋆ funny ⋆ fearless ⋆ gallant ⋆ generous ⋆ gentle ⋆ genuine ⋆ good-natured ⋆ gracious ⋆ gregarious ⋆ hard-working ⋆ helpful ⋆ heroic ⋆ humorous ⋆ honest ⋆ honourable ⋆ humble ⋆ idealistic ⋆ impartial ⋆ imaginative ⋆ independent ⋆ intelligent ⋆ introverted ⋆ innovative ⋆ inventive ⋆ intellectual ⋆ inoffensive ⋆ insightful ⋆ intuitive ⋆ invulnerable ⋆ incorruptible ⋆ intense ⋆ incisive ⋆ just ⋆ kind ⋆ loyal ⋆ leaderly ⋆ logical ⋆ lovable ⋆ loving ⋆ liberal ⋆ mature ⋆ merciful ⋆ moderate ⋆ modest ⋆ magnanimous ⋆ meticulous ⋆ neat ⋆ nurturing ⋆ outspoken ⋆ obedient ⋆ observant ⋆ optimistic ⋆ objective ⋆ opinionated ⋆ open ⋆ orderly ⋆ organized ⋆ original ⋆ passionate ⋆ patient ⋆ perceptive ⋆ persistent ⋆ persuasive ⋆ peaceful ⋆ philosophical ⋆ playful ⋆ protective ⋆ practical ⋆ placid ⋆ plucky ⋆ polished ⋆ popular ⋆ prudent ⋆ punctual ⋆ purposeful ⋆ rational ⋆ realistic ⋆ reflective ⋆ relaxed ⋆ reliable ⋆ resourceful ⋆ respectful ⋆ reverential ⋆ romantic ⋆  responsible ⋆ sensible ⋆ sentimental ⋆ socially aware ⋆ sophisticated ⋆ solid ⋆ spiritual ⋆ spontaneous ⋆ spunky ⋆ studious ⋆ supportive ⋆ selfless ⋆ self-reliant ⋆ self-denying ⋆ self-sufficient ⋆ self-confident ⋆ self-disciplined ⋆ straightforward ⋆ sincere ⋆ serious ⋆ skillful ⋆ stable ⋆ sociable ⋆ stoic ⋆ sympathetic ⋆ systematic ⋆ tasteful ⋆ talented ⋆ tolerant ⋆ trusting ⋆ thorough ⋆ teacherly ⋆ tidy ⋆ thoughtful ⋆ tough ⋆ understanding ⋆ unassuming ⋆ unfoolable ⋆ upright ⋆ uncomplaining ⋆ unselfish ⋆ versatile ⋆ venturesome ⋆ vivacious ⋆ warm ⋆ well-read ⋆ well-rounded ⋆ willing ⋆ wise ⋆ witty

FLAWS

absent-minded ⋆ abusive ⋆ addict ⋆ aggressive ⋆ aimless ⋆ alcoholic ⋆ anxious ⋆ arrogant ⋆ audacious ⋆ bad liar ⋆ bigmouth ⋆ bigot ⋆ blindly obedient ⋆ blunt ⋆ callous ⋆ childish ⋆ chronic heroism ⋆ clingy ⋆ clumsy ⋆ cocky ⋆ competitive ⋆ corrupt ⋆ cowardly ⋆ cruel ⋆ cynical ⋆ delinquent ⋆ delusional ⋆ dependent ⋆ depressed ⋆ deranged ⋆ disloyal ⋆ ditzy ⋆ egotistical ⋆ envious ⋆ erratic ⋆ fickle ⋆ finicky ⋆ flaky ⋆ frail ⋆ fraudulent ⋆ guilt complex ⋆ gloomy ⋆ gluttonous ⋆ gossiper ⋆ gruff ⋆ gullible ⋆ hedonistic ⋆ humorless ⋆ hypochondriac ⋆ hypocritical ⋆ idealist ⋆ idiotic ⋆ ignorant ⋆ immature ⋆ impatient ⋆ incompetent ⋆ indecisive ⋆ insecure ⋆ insensitive ⋆ lazy ⋆ lewd ⋆ liar ⋆ lustful ⋆ manipulative ⋆ masochistic ⋆ meddlesome ⋆ melodramatic ⋆ money-loving ⋆ moody ⋆ naïve ⋆ nervous ⋆ nosy ⋆ ornery ⋆ overprotective ⋆ overly sensitive ⋆ paranoid ⋆ passive-aggressive ⋆ perfectionist ⋆ pessimist ⋆ petty ⋆ power-hungry ⋆ proud ⋆ pushover  reckless ⋆ reclusive ⋆ remorseless ⋆ rigorous ⋆ sadistic ⋆ sarcastic ⋆ senile ⋆ selfish ⋆ self-martyr ⋆ shallow ⋆ sociopathic ⋆ sore loser ⋆ spineless ⋆ spiteful ⋆ spoiled ⋆ stubborn ⋆ tactless ⋆ temperamental ⋆ timid ⋆ tone-deaf ⋆ traitorous ⋆ unathletic ⋆ ungracious ⋆ unlucky ⋆ unsophisticated ⋆ untrustworthy ⋆ vain ⋆ withdrawn ⋆ workaholic

SKILLS

bake a cake from scratch ⋆ ride a horse ⋆ drive a submarine ⋆ speak a second language ⋆ dance ⋆ catch a fish ⋆ play an instrument ⋆ throw a punch ⋆ build a deck ⋆ ice skate ⋆ program a computer ⋆ change a flat tire ⋆ fire a gun ⋆ sew ⋆ juggle ⋆ play poker ⋆ paint ⋆ fly a kite ⋆ sculpt ⋆ write poetry ⋆ change a diaper ⋆ sing ⋆ shoot a bow and arrow ⋆ ride a bike ⋆ swim ⋆ sail a boat ⋆ do a backflip ⋆ play chess ⋆ give CPR ⋆ pitch a tent ⋆ flirt ⋆ stitch a wound ⋆ read palms ⋆ use chopsticks ⋆ write in cursive/calligraphy ⋆ use an electric drill ⋆ braid hair ⋆ make a campfire ⋆ make a mixed drink ⋆ do sudoku puzzles ⋆ wrap a gift ⋆ give a good massage ⋆ jump-start a  car ⋆ roll their tongue ⋆ magic tricks ⋆ yoga ⋆ tie a tie ⋆ skip a rock ⋆ shuffle a deck of cards ⋆ read Morse code ⋆ pick a lock 

FEARS

the dark ⋆ fire ⋆ open water ⋆ deep water ⋆ being alone ⋆ crowded spaces ⋆ confined spaces ⋆ change ⋆ failure ⋆ war ⋆ loss of control ⋆ powerlessness ⋆ prison ⋆ blood ⋆ drowning ⋆ suffocation ⋆ public speaking ⋆ natural animals ⋆ the supernatural ⋆ heights ⋆ death ⋆ dying ⋆ intimacy ⋆ rejection ⋆ abandonment ⋆ loss ⋆ the unknown ⋆ the future ⋆ not being good enough ⋆ scary stories ⋆ speaking to new people ⋆ poverty ⋆ loud noises ⋆ being touched ⋆ forgetting ⋆ being forgotten

LOVE LANGUAGES: SHOWING

ACTS OF SERVICE ~ dishes ⋆ laundry ⋆ change the bedding ⋆ put gas in the car ⋆ clean the car ⋆ pack ⋆ cook a meal ⋆ feed/walk the dog ⋆ pay the bills ⋆ mop ⋆ sweep ⋆ organise ⋆ “let me do this for you” ⋆ take the kids to school ⋆ call the plumber ⋆ grocery shop ⋆ doing chores together RECEIVING GIFTS ~ trading presents ⋆ thoughtful presents ⋆ surprises ⋆ buying dinner ⋆ big presents ⋆ small presents ⋆ handmade presents ⋆ expensive gifts ⋆ time-consuming presents ⋆ humorous presents ⋆ holiday/anniversary presents ⋆ edible treats ⋆ tokens ⋆ “I saw this and thought of you” QUALITY TIME ~ communication ⋆ direct eye contact ⋆ dates ⋆ vacations ⋆ car rides ⋆ shared hobby ⋆ “let’s do something together” ⋆ walks in the park ⋆ sitting in comfortable silence ⋆ solving a problem together ⋆ discovering shared interests ⋆ making an effort to spend time together WORDS OF AFFIRMATION ~ “I love you” ⋆ pet names ⋆ nicknames ⋆ compliments ⋆ hidden meanings ⋆ private jokes ⋆ “I’m so proud of you” ⋆ public acknowledgement of the relationship ⋆ “You are really good at (blank)” ⋆ “You look nice today” ⋆ “I like your (physical description)” ⋆ “I like the way you (do something)” ⋆ open/honest communication | handwritten notes/texts ⋆ encouragement/support PHYSICAL TOUCH ~ hugs ⋆ surprise/from behind hugs ⋆ hair touches ⋆ shoulder brushes ⋆ petting ⋆ polite PDA ⋆ graphic/mature PDA ⋆ hand holding ⋆ sitting on each other’s lap ⋆ sharing a single chair ⋆ sitting very closely together on the couch ⋆ cuddling ⋆ shaking hands ⋆ nose kisses ⋆ forehead touches ⋆ face/neck touches ⋆ sharing a blanket ⋆ sharing body heat ⋆ face/neck kisses

LOVE LANGUAGES: RECEIVING

ACTS OF SERVICE ~ dishes ⋆ laundry ⋆ change the bedding ⋆ put gas in the car ⋆ clean the car ⋆ pack ⋆ cook a meal ⋆ feed/walk the dog ⋆ pay the bills ⋆ mop ⋆ sweep ⋆ organise ⋆ “let me do this for you” ⋆ take the kids to school ⋆ call the plumber ⋆ grocery shop ⋆ doing chores together RECEIVING GIFTS ~ trading presents ⋆ thoughtful presents ⋆ surprises ⋆ buying dinner ⋆ big presents ⋆ small presents ⋆ handmade presents ⋆ expensive gifts ⋆ time-consuming presents ⋆ humorous presents ⋆ holiday/anniversary presents ⋆ edible treats ⋆ tokens ⋆ “I saw this and thought of you” QUALITY TIME ~ communication ⋆ direct eye contact ⋆ dates ⋆ vacations ⋆ car rides ⋆ shared hobby ⋆ “let’s do something together” ⋆ walks in the park ⋆ sitting in comfortable silence ⋆ solving a problem together ⋆ discovering shared interests ⋆ making an effort to spend time together WORDS OF AFFIRMATION ~ “I love you” ⋆ pet names ⋆ nicknames ⋆ compliments ⋆ hidden meanings ⋆ private jokes ⋆ “I’m so proud of you” ⋆ public acknowledgement of the relationship ⋆ “You are really good at (blank)” ⋆ “You look nice today” ⋆ “I like your (physical description)” ⋆ “I like the way you (do something)” ⋆ open/honest communication | handwritten notes/texts ⋆ encouragement/support PHYSICAL TOUCH ~ hugs ⋆ surprise/from behind hugs ⋆ hair touches ⋆ shoulder brushes ⋆ petting ⋆ polite PDA ⋆ graphic/mature PDA ⋆ hand holding ⋆ sitting on each other’s lap ⋆ sharing a single chair ⋆ sitting very closely together on the couch ⋆ cuddling ⋆ shaking hands ⋆ nose kisses ⋆ forehead touches ⋆ face/neck touches ⋆ sharing a blanket ⋆ sharing body heat ⋆ face/neck kisses

[rosejigglypuff76]

Cookie Run Kingdom Kimura AU - Relationship Chart 🪴 Set 1 - Main Protagonists 🌿

Herb Kimura <-> Dark Choco Watanabe Herb's Message - You're so strong and lovable! (Love/Crush) Dark Choco's Message - You're powerful and sincerely thoughtful (Love/Crush)

Herb Kimura <-> Cherry Blossom Futaba Herb's Message - Enjoy the cooking and picnic organizing (Friendly) Cherry Blossom's Message - Want me to teach you how to make sandwiches? (Friendly)

Herb Kimura <-> Sparkling Isui Herb's Message - An elegant bartender, and my caring childhood friend (Trusts) Sparkling's Message - A cute botanist & young god, and my polite childhood friend (Trusts)

Herb Kimura <-> Cream Puff Amai Herb's Message - I can tell you about what life's like as a Legendary Cookie (Friendly) Cream Puff's Message - How's it like to be a Legendary Cookie? (Admiration)

Dark Choco Watanabe <-> Cherry Blossom Futaba Dark Choco's Message - You may be strong, but you're seriously terrifying (Tension) Cherry Blossom's Message - Drink this! It's my favorite Sakura Milkshake! (Admiration)

Dark Choco Watanabe <-> Sparkling Isui Dark Choco's Message - Your skills with your crossbow are similar if not stronger than Caramel Arrow (Admiration) Sparkling's Message - I'll make sure to protect you, just like how I protect Herb! (Trusts)

Dark Choco Watanabe <-> Cream Puff Amai Dark Choco's Message - Glad you're interested in my father's kingdom, our best food there is Fried Rice! Please don't tell Crunchy Chip (Friendly) Cream Puff's Message - Your kingdom's culture is intriguing! Is it alright if you can tell me more? (Admiration)

Cherry Blossom Futaba <-> Sparkling Isui Cherry Blossom's Message - Come on! Just relax for once, idiot! (Rival) Sparkling's Message - I may like anime, but your reasoning is out of focus (Tension)

Cherry Blossom Futaba <-> Cream Puff Amai Cherry Blossom's Message - Hey! What kind of anime do you like? (Friendly) Cream Puff's Message - School's not just a place for learning, it's also about having fun and making new friends (Tension)

Sparkling Isui <-> Cream Puff Amai Sparkling's Message - Want to study together, Cream Puff? (Trusts) Cream Puff's Message - Looking cool, Sparkling! (Trusts)

[gnomeniche]

i'm thinking so hard about the dhmis trio's characterizations and how interesting i find all of them. let's start by framing this discussion with a quote from this interview

i want to talk about them in terms of their surface levels and their hidden depths. you can see the roles that they're supposed to play on the in-universe "show world", but then you dig deeper and you find something more real.

...

yellow? plays the role of the innocently stupid one who's always the butt of the joke and can't see that his friends are jerks.

but we find out that he's the one with the most awareness of their situation and that his knowledge was literally taken from him. and he knows full well that his friends are jerks! throughout the show that is made clear. and even after he's functioning at full power and he admits that he thinks his friends are trying to control him, he still loves them enough to bring the book back to them so that they can all escape. he's shown to be genuinely kind, not just unwittingly innocent. and even when he's at low power he displays some memory of their situation, but he just can't express it.

red? plays the role of the chill and laid-back one who's always handy with a sarcastic comment and doesn't care very much.

but we find that he cares quite a bit about many things. he seems to have a rather sensitive heart, is prone to existential dread, and is distressed by the nonsense of their world. he wants so strongly; he wants something better, something more gentle and more sincere and more real than all this. he wants to feel comfortable somewhere but can't quite find that in either this life or any other. he's curious and imaginative but repressing it due to arbitrary standards, whether it's by the show world's rules or social rules (original 6's "real world" and new 3's illusion of a family).

duck? plays the role of the the high-strung, fussy one with an overinflated ego, dramatic emotions, and a sharp tongue.

but we see that, even if he can be cruel, he finds comfort in being with his friends and loves their daily life together. he sees them as a family! he can't just be by himself, and he genuinely doesn't want them to be separated. and pedantic as he is, he seems blind to the inconsistent nature of their reality. it's only when the status quo of their daily life is disrupted that he really freaks out, like when yellow goes off-script in 6 or when red disappears in the original series' 5. but this also makes him grounded in who he is; he just does not assimilate into new roles as well as the other two, and as dramatic as he is, he's often the most stable.

...

and it's their inner traits that lead to their downfalls, when they do occur. yellow's love leads him to go back downstairs and lose his memory over and over and over again. red's curiosity for more strands him outside of his world with no way back in besides intervention from a higher level, in both the original and new series. duck's stability makes him unable to deal with some lessons and thus liable to be violently removed or changed (perhaps this is why he seems to be so often replaced?), in both the original and new series.

and they all have their deeper personalities masked by the roles they must play in this tv-show-world. yellow's is most easy to see, because he is literally forced to lose all memory and return to his role as lovable idiot, but the abrupt shift in demeanor that red and duck experienced in 6 when a ray of stage light came back into the dark is also notable, as was red's sudden reset from desperate in 5 to apathetic in 6, right after the group came too close to knowing what was going on.

and on a level wider than the individual characters... you can see it with the undercutting of any almost-sincere moments by gags. you can see it in how full of holes their memories are. there are moments where their selves beneath the roles shine through anyway, but the status quo is always god. nobody can grow or change or be anything other than what they are supposed to be. and that's the tragedy of it

[hiraya-rawr]

Worshipper Reader is like the lovable bimbo/himbo and I am living for it. Just such sincere simple mindedness and earnestness that makes Zhongli go "god you're such an idiot, I love you sm."

it's even funnier if reader shyly admits that they agreed to date him because "you're kind of like what I envision rex lapis would be like as a human, except you're not as cool. . . but i still love you, zhongli!"

[queenmuzz]

Mors aurem vellens, 'Vivite,' ait, 'venio'  Chapter III

Firstfruit Offering

The sun shone in your eyes, causing you to flinch.  How long had you slept?  Of course, you’d had a long trip, and your body didn’t have the stamina it used to, but surely you wouldn’t be so negligent as to sleep until mid morning?  But the way the shadows caused by the pillars stretched out on the marble, you had definitely overslept. Using your staff, you almost ran into the inner sanctum, terrified that you had the sacred fire die out.  From your interactions last night, you were almost certain that Vergil was not the type of God to have his rites besmirched.   What a dishonour it would be, to be slain for blasphemy on your first day as Temple Priestess!

Thankfully, the flames still flickered, albeit weakly, eating the last of the log, the embers now almost ash.  

So you gingerly placed another log from your small stash, as to not smother the little flame.  You cautiously began to blow at the base of the charred log, only stopping when the flames began to lick and scorch at the new logs shreds, kindling into a new flame.  With a sigh of relief, you slowly got back up.  In the light of mid morning, the temple, while eerily silent, was less foreboding than last evening, and the whistling wind seemed less strange. 

Even the presence of Vergil, unseen, but ever present was much less terrifying.  You could feel him, watching your every move, but not as overwhelming and less judgemental as last night, you still felt him as you walked back to your messy bedroll.  After all, he could have just struck you down for sleeping in, for almost losing the fire, he was well within his rights as God within his Temple.  But he just remained silent as his shrine statue.

You arrived back to your modest sleeping area, and as you rolled up your bundle, you noticed something. There, sitting at the foot of the bed was a bundle of brown fur. Upon closer inspection showed that there was one...no two...rabbits laying dead.  For a brief moment, you panicked, you had heard of feuding families leaving dead animals in the beds of their enemies as a warning.  But these ones seemed placed at the foot of the bed, and not where you would have noticed them upon waking.  And the way they were positioned, they kind of reminded you of when the barn cats would present dead mice to you and your siblings, as some sort of ‘gift’. Had Vergil given them to you as a ‘welcome present?’ You had to stifle an inward snicker at the mental image of the God carrying the pair of rabbits in his mouth before dropping it at your feet, and you hoped that he didn’t have the ability to read minds.  But, even though you still felt like you were being watched, there was no change in the intensity, and so you relaxed, and allowed yourself to utter out a soft ‘Thank you’ into the still air.  There was a shimmer in the light, the roots of the giant plant seemed to shift slightly, but then, all was silent.  You picked both of the rabbits up, and a knife contemplating on what to do with them.  Skinning them would be the first step of course, but what then?  Roasting them sounded delicious, but you had no time to turn a spit, undoubtedly today would be busy.  But perhaps...a stew?  You had a turnip, and some wild herbs that you’d picked up on your travels.  Unfortunately, a stew was not a stew worth eating without some bread to soak up the juices, and you were practically down to crusts of  bread so stale, that not even an ocean of stew would soften them up....

“Hello?!”  A voice rang out, startling you out of your thoughts.  You placed your knife down and followed the voice.  From what you had heard, no one ever came here, the entire countryside thought  land was cursed, and the temple shouldn’t have any visitors.  Still, it would be rude as Temple Priestess to not greet the person, even if they were lost.

“Hello? Anyone here?” The voice repeated, more louder, and it came from the common area.   Strange, you swore you could smell freshly baked bread.

Ah, there the visitor, a plump, auburn haired woman with a ruddy complexion, dressed in a simple peasant’s dress, carrying a basket, looking around slightly worriedly, and muttering to herself. 

“I do hope nothing bad happened to her, if something did….Enrico, I’m going to...” she growled, but whatever her threat was cut off by your appearance.

“AH!  There you are! When I heard that my Dear'' the faux deference dripped through, “husband left you all by your lonesome here, at NIGHT of all times, without inviting you to spend the night at our farm place, I was THIS close,” she pinched the fingers of her free hand together, almost touching, “to making him sleep with the pigs.  Damn fool…”  she brushed the hair away from her face, and looked around.  “So, I told him that I was going to come here this morning, and that he either come along, or be in charge of all the chores.” She chuckled, “Guess which he picked? He’s so superstitious, he’d rather have to milk the cows, feed the chickens, AND look after our little son than set foot here.  Anyways,” she smiled and gave a curtsy, “I’m Cecilia Elesion, wife of the lovable idiot, Enrico.  And I figured to myself, ‘that poor girl is all by herself, a newcomer, with no one lookin’ out for herself, so I’m gonna take a look out for her.’  Rico begged me not to go, but I insisted.  It’s ‘bout time someone took care of this Temple, it’s been abandoned for ages.” She took a look around, her eyes trailing the roots that wound themselves the pillars. “Ah, yes...I suppose you could call this a ‘Welcome to your new home’ gift.  I made em’ meself!”  She handed you the basket, and the gingham sheet that covered slipped off, revealing several loaves of freshly baked bread, some even designed in a braided pattern.  This wasn’t the leftover scraps of a farm wife's dough, these were the first loaves.  Cecelia was obviously sincere in her devotion.  

“Thank you!” you breathed in the scent as you took the basket.  After months of bread hard enough to crack teeth, warm fresh bread was glorious.  It would make a fantastic addition to the rabbit stew you had planned.  It would be  your first proper meal since you had left your home village.  For an instant, you felt a bit homesick, memories of your mother’s hearty stew.  You grasped her hand in thanks, trying to invoke a blessing, but a familiar chill trickled up your spine, and you felt a whisper in the shell of your ear.

“Ah….it appears she has been blessed by my Mother….” Vergil’s voice nearly startled you, unexpected as it was.  He’d been so content to lurk in the background, that you’d momentarily forgotten about his presence.  You paused for a moment, a frown on your face as you tried to decipher what he said.  Eva’s blessing… AHA!  The generous woman in front of you was with child, even if she didn’t show it, perhaps she didn’t even know it.

“Is something wrong?” Cecelia asked, misinterpreting your frown for a concern.  You hesitated, not knowing how to go around such a delicate subject.  As a child, you remember your mother slapping a man when he asked her when she was expecting, even when she wasn’t pregnant.  Should  you even mention it?  You decided, you  had been given a message from a God, it wouldn’t do to not relay it.

“I am just a little concerned with you going through all this effort, carrying all this load while expecting.”  After all, a pregnant woman shouldn’t exert herself too much.  She should be informed of her condition, in order to prepare herself.

Cecelia’s reaction was unexpected.  She turned pale, and a tinge of fear passed over her face. “You...you could tell?”

Ah, so she already knew.

“Well, I was told,” you admitted, glancing at the statue.  Strange, she should be happy, excited for a new addition to the family, not looking like she was about to burst out in tears.

“No one knows yet, not even Enrico.” she confessed, a sheen of sweat coming over her forehead.  You quickly leant your arm to help her down to the floor. “We’ve tried so hard after our only son, so many losses, that this time… this time I couldn’t bear to  let him know, I didn’t want to get his hopes up once again, only for them to come crashing down.  Our little Credo...he was our miracle child...I had resigned myself to focusing on just him.”  She looked at you, dawning horror on her face.  “He told you?  Does that mean…?”  She couldn’t speak further, the poor woman looked like she was going to pass out.

The whisper came again, without a hint of deception, “I have no claims on her unborn child nor her, not for many years, my Mother shall guide her through both their journeys.”  His words, while spoken firmly and without empathy, were a relief to you.  

Oh, so this was going to be  a Priestess’s job?  You’d always assumed that it would be a rather insular job, tending to the hearth, offering prayers, not relaying messages like the more outgoing Gods’ priests.  You knelt down towards the trembling woman, speaking as soothingly as possible. “It’s alright...He has spoken to me, and he says that you and your child are safe.”  

The woman scanned your face, trying to find out if  you were truly speaking the truth, or just speaking false words of comfort, before the impact of what you had said hit her.

“You’re...you’re certain?”  

You nodded, inwardly relieved as the ruddiness returned to her cheeks.  What you didn’t expect was her hugging you.

“Thank you, Thank you, Thank you!”  You swore you could hear your ribs cracking, “A thousand blessings upon you.  You have no idea how much both of us have been praying to Mother Eva for another child, we were almost planning on making a Pilgrimage to Fortuna.  But if you and Him say…”  she looked to you for one last confirmation, and smiled brightly.  “Rico will be delighted when I tell him.  And to think…” her old grin came back, “he’d rather clean up chicken droppings than set foot in this place.”  She looked down at the basket, momentarily forgotten, “this is poor payment, but is there anything, ANYTHING you need that our family can provide, we can do it.”

“Well,” you thought.  In truth, the fact the Temple was located on lifeless ground, meant you were without much sustenance, so maybe… “Wood for the sacred hearth.  I need a supply to keep the flame burning.”

“Say no more,” Cecilia assured you as she got back onto her feet, “you will lack for nothing. We’re just poor humble farmers, but we can provide you and Him the essentials.  Whatever you need!” 

She gave a curtsy to you, paused before the statue, and clasped her hands to speak a short silent prayer.  For a brief moment, you swore you saw the roots quiver, but when tried to take a closer look, they were still.  But something in the air was different, other than the smell of bread, there was a vibration, a smell of fresh earth, but then it was sucked up, like water to a dry sponge.

And with that the woman left, a spring to her step, so out of place in such a dour looking place.

*******

Vergil watched as the little plump woman hurried out, singing a merry tune.  Mortals got far too excited over small things.  While he spoke the truth,  that for now, he had no claims on her or her child, in a short amount of his time, he would claim one, then the other.  That went for everyone, none could escape his reach.  Perhaps that’s why people were afraid of him, that they would attempt to avoid his inevitable arrival to end their pitiful lives.  But this was strange.  That woman had… thanked him?  To him, a God of Death, be given thanks felt...fulfilling.  A surge of energy, more potent than life blood coursed through him, and the Qliphoth’s roots seemed to twitch in response.  

“Well, that was kind of you.”  His sense of puzzlement was dissipated as the voice of his Priestess, who was watching the woman’s receding form. 

He stood beside her, still invisible and scoffed, “She provided an offering, I felt it would be poor form to let her leave without being compensated.” “But you didn’t have to do that.  You made her so happy!” she placed her hands together, “If you did that more often, perhaps more people would visit your temple!”

“And what makes you think I want people to ‘visit’?”

“Well…” she stroked her chin, “I assumed you would be lonely all by yourself here.  After all, that’s what temples and shrines are for, right?  To be a meeting point for both mortals and Deities.  Us mortals give you offerings and our prayers, and you give us advice, prophecies  and sometimes intercede on our behalf.”

She looked outside.  “Where I come from, in the wild forests…packs of monkeys and herds of  deer travel together.  The deer, with their keen noses, lead the monkeys to fresh vegetation with nuts and fruits, and the monkeys, sitting high above the trees, have a good view of the surrounding area and can alert the deer when a tiger is prowling downwind of the herd.  A relationship in which both benefit.”

Vergil was annoyed by her simple observation. “I need none of that.” “Well, you’re the only God I know who doesn’t appreciate or encourage worship.  Lady Trish has people flocking to her for her for rain-bringing storms, Lord Dante practically has entire battalions marching through his temples, praying for victory.  Even poets and writers make the pilgrimage from miles to beg the gift of inspiration from Lord V-”

“DO NOT SPEAK THAT NAME!”

The roots of the Qliphoth rippled with energy, and he had to control them from jerking.  Just the mention of that cursed name brought back memories that he could not bear. In response to his rage the roots demanded blood, lifeforce, something to sate their ever ravenous hunger.  And they sensed the Priestess, standing there, so weak and vulnerable.  Easy prey.

“I’m sorry,” she spoke apologetically, but refreshingly not with overly emotional supplication.  Just her calm voice, startled at his outburst but without the expected fear, was enough to let his rage subside.  She stood there, unaware how close she was to death, her eyes staring through him.  She still couldn’t see him, of course, he would not allow it, but her steady and firm stance was  unafraid of his wrath.  Perhaps her expecting death in such a short time left her without fear.  

No, he ordered them to stand down, and they reluctantly complied, she has no idea of what she speaks of, he thought, and besides...she still has more use to me alive than dead...for now.

Still, his rage hadn’t truly subsided…did he really need her, another priest that would eventually stab him in the back? “I need no one.” He hissed, his voice sizzled through the temple like a winter’s wind.  “I need no worshippers….I need no priestess.”

And without allowing her to respond, he left, not even looking back.  She would no doubt leave after his outburst...any sane person would.   He was fine with that.

He did not need her.

He did not need anyone.

All He needed was power.

[ordinaryschmuck]

Top 20 BEST Animated Series of the 2010s-4th Place

To anyone who plans on making a reboot of their favorite show in the future, you might want to take notes on this next pick. Because if you ask me, this next series that I'm going to talk about is the best example of how to do a reboot properly.

#4-Ducktales (2017-2021)

The Plot: Scrooge McDuck is the richest duck in the world, who made it big by also being one of the greatest adventurers of all time...ten years ago. Sadly, after an unfortunate accident with the family, Scrooge is forced to live the life of a normal businessman-er-duck. Up until Donald Duck asks Scrooge to watch over his nephews: Huey, Dewey, and Louie. What starts off as a single day of babysitting soon turns into a life of adventure as Scrooge gets back into the adventuring spirit to show his new family what the world really has to offer.

Now I want to make one thing clear: As of the moment of me writing this review, I have seen a total of zero episodes of the original Ducktales. That being said, despite my limited knowledge of the series, I still think it’s fair of me to point out how this is hands down the best reboot as of late (and I’ll explain more as to why that is later). And besides, from what I’ve heard from fans who have watched the original, Ducktales (2017) is a pretty faithful adaptation of the beloved franchise. The reason is that I believe this show remembers the two most important rules of making a reboot.

The first rule of a reboot is to try something new while still being faithful to the source material. Doing something like that is simple as a writer just needs to keep what the fans love and change what they hated. And trust me when I say that the writers of Ducktales (2017) knows how to do just that. For the most part, the show is about a family going on crazy globe-trotting adventures while still learning that family is the best adventure of all, much like the original. As for the characters, most of them keep their fun personalities. Scrooge is still a stingy miser with the heart for adventure, Launchpad is still the lovable idiot who can’t fly a plane, and Donald Duck still remains the one who gets stuck with all the bad luck. Then some characters have their personalities/roles revamped into something that improves upon the original. The best example is Fenton, who is still the wannabe superhero but is now a scientist in this show, wherein the old one was just Scrooge’s accountant. This way, both the hero and the man-DUCK-who’s behind the mask are equally capable of saving the day. There’s also Mrs. Beakley, who was originally a nanny that nagged Scrooge’s ear off for putting the kids in danger. In the reboot, she’s treated more as the anchor of reality to the more oddball characters, who also used to be a kick-butt super spy in her younger years. It is still the same role, but a different interpretation.

Now, some characters receive grand changes to their original personalities. But from what I’ve heard, those changes are made for the better. And there are no characters that need it more than the children. More specifically, Huey, Dewey, and Louie. This show does something that I’m eternally grateful for, and that’s giving each of these three their own distinct personalities and quirks. For years I couldn’t for the life of me tell the triplets apart. They had the same design, the same voice, the same personality, and the only difference people had to go off of are their different colors (which really didn’t do much to help). Here, they have different designs, voices, and now defining character traits for each of them. Huey is the smart and responsible boy scout, Dewey is the annoying attention seeker, and Louie is the best character in the entire show, and I WILL FREAKING FIGHT YOU ON THAT! And let us not forget the most appreciated change: Webby. From what I’ve heard, fans hated the original Webby, as she was nothing more than just the stereotypical girl of the group. Here, she’s given an actual personality and a fun one to boot. Webby is the ecstatic thrill-seeking adventurer who is skilled in combat training (thanks to her grandma) and is (of course) a socially awkward girl who wants to make friends. Like I said, this show took the idea that the fans hated and changed it into something that they’ll love. Which makes sense why the writers mastered this because they themselves are real fans of the show.

It is clear how much the writers are fans of the Ducktales franchise as they filled Ducktales (2017) with many references. And not just references to the original series but also references to the classic comics by Carl Barks and even the NES video game from the 1980s (seriously, this show will make you feel things about the “Moon Theme” you wouldn’t think was possible!). Even the show’s animation seems to be a homage to both the cartoon and comics. Not only do the characters and backgrounds have a more comic book style to them, but the characters also work on a mix of realistic and cartoony logic. And let me just say, it is refreshing to see characters in a Disney show have cartoon logic to them since Wander Over Yonder got canceled. And it’s not just Ducktales that the series reference, but even classic Disney movies (of course) and other shows in the Disney Afternoon lineup. And when it comes to these references, it’s more than just a subtle wink to the fans. The writers actually go out of their way to write a story around these beloved characters, so people who don’t get the joke won’t be one-hundred percent lost. For instance, without giving anything away, the writers found a brilliant way to reintroduce Darkwing Duck in this universe that feels right for this famous character. And if you ask me personally, these are the best ways to handle references for a reboot. Make them work within the story, even if you don’t fully get the joke.

This brings me to the second most important rule of a reboot: Make a quality product even though it is based on something else. Let us pretend that the original never existed. Would Ducktales (2017) still be as good as it is now? Personally, as a person who has never seen the original, I think it is.

This is another show that mixes slice of life episodes with adventure ones, similar to My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. And just like Friendship is Magic, both are equally interesting because the characters themselves make them so. No matter what situation the Duck Family are in, the audience will care about it because the characters care about it. In fact, I think Ducktales (2017) handles the mix of slice of life and adventure much better than Friendship is Magic. In MLP: FiM, the adventure-based episodes force the characters to stick to their simple personality traits to move the story forward, and character-based ones help them grow. In Ducktales (2017), because the characters regularly go on adventures, they grow as characters no matter the situation. For example, my favorite episode is “The Great Dime Chase” where the main plot is Louie finding Scrooge’s #1 dime after accidentally spending it. While in that same episode, Dewey and Webby try to solve a mystery around the boys’ mom. We get a great lesson about the importance of hard work and a fascinating plot of an overarching mystery within the season, all taking place within the same episode. Both are interesting, neither feels as though it overshadows the other, and the characters develop along the way.

Another thing this show mixes well is comedy and drama. A lot of shows recently tried way too hard to find that perfect mix. Ducktales (2017) is one of the few examples that nails it. The comedy is hilarious, the drama is endearing, and neither feels like it’s prioritized over the other. The show starts off with this mix as well, where others that I’ve talked about seem to start off as purely comedic only to take themselves more seriously later on. That isn’t entirely a bad thing, but I feel as though Ducktales (2017) is the best way to go about the method. That way, fans won’t be complaining about how much “better” the show used to be in its first batch of episodes, much like Star V.S. the Forces of Evil.

Unfortunately, while I recommend this show, it’s not without its fair share of issues. Or rather, issue, as there really is only one problem I have with it. And that problem can be summed up with one name: Dewey Duck. For the most part, I dislike Dewy. Because he’s nothing more than a Ben Schwarts character. No disrespect to Ben Schwarts himself, but lately, it feels as though he only plays the one character from time to time: The egotistical attention seeker slowly and surely learning to be a better person who realizes that not everything is about him. That’s the character he plays in both Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and Sonic the Hedgehog (2020), and it’s the character he plays here. And the thing about these characters is that they’re not as lovable as Ben Schwarts thinks they sound. In fact (and, again, I mean no disrespect to the actor. I’m sure he’s a lovely person in real life), every single one of these characters comes off as kind of annoying rather than as the lovable rapscallions I’m sure they’re meant to be. However, there is one thing worth mentioning about Dewey. While he’s portrayed as annoying when used for comedy, Dewey is surprisingly a compelling character when used for drama. The thing is, he’s rarely used for dramatic moments and is meant as a source of comedy. Hence why I said I disliked him for the most part.

Other than that, there aren’t really that many problems with the show. Well, there are, but they’re mostly nitpicks that the series more than makes up for. Is it weird that the kids are voiced by adults? Yes, but the actors do a great job at being sincere and have great comedic timing than any kid could have. Are there changes to characters that fans might not enjoy? Probably, but I have yet to have seen anyone that has annoyed me as much as Dewey has. Are the villains just evil for the sake of being evil? Yes, but that’s not really a big deal. In fact, a villain doesn’t need a heartbreaking backstory as to why they’ve become so evil. They just need to have a great personality that’s fun to watch, which every villain in the show has (aside from season two’s antagonist who’s basically a Disney surprise villain. And I hate them with a fiery passion). Does it feel as though the show suffers from “too many characters” syndrome? It sometimes does, but each character has such a fun and unique personality that I find it hard to forget most of them.

So really, Ducktales (2017) is the best reboot in recent memory. This is crazy, seeing as how lately it feels as though Disney doesn’t even know how to properly reboot their own movies to save their lives. This is why I feel as though people should take notes on what Ducktales (2017) does if they ever feel like rebooting something they loved as a kid. Because this is more than just a retelling of the same story that people know by heart. This is a fantastic show with even better characters, stories, and tone. Whether you’ve been a fan since the beginning, or a part of the new generation of viewers, odds are you’ll be screaming Whoo-Ooo with every episode.

(Also, a word of warning to those who haven’t watched the show yet: Beware the theme song. Trust me when I say it’ll be stuck in your head until the day you die)

[jimlingss]

The Colour of Our Voices [13]

Chapter 12 - Chapter 13 - Chapter 13.5 OR Chapter 14

➜ Words: 2.6k

➜ Genres: 98% Fluff, 2% Angst, Slice of Life, Broadway!AU

➜ Summary: He wasn’t supposed to hear. He wasn't supposed to know. But the instant Jimin came into your life and pulled the curtains back, you couldn't hide backstage anymore. You were no longer merely a phantom of the opera.

cr.

The day has finally arrived.   After two months of ruthless rehearsals, the tension is still running high. Everyone is experiencing their own stresses, especially considering that it’s the first showing of an original production.   The director still remains friendly, but he forces a smile when he greets the crew. Taehyung’s hand is permanently glued onto his coffee mug handle. The producers and writers are always sprinting past with their hair in disarray. Even you and Jimin are beginning to feel the pressure.   “One, two, three. One, two, three…” — “Point your toes! Your arms need to be higher!”   You look away from the script to the small stage. And right at that moment, Yeonjeon slips.   She stumbles onto the ground and cusses underneath her breath, brows furrowed hard enough to hurt. The choreographer sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Wrong. Wrong.” She waves her hand and the music in the background stops. “How do you not have it down?! The performance is in three days! You were doing it perfectly well last week?! What’s wrong with you, Yeonjeon?”   The actress wears a defeated expression, she opens her mouth before closing it, not able to come up with an excuse. But you walk over anyhow, quickening your steps. “She hasn’t slept,” you defend her, eyes pleading. “That’s why.”   You crouch down to help her up. Yeonjeon glares, but doesn’t refuse your hand, though it’s futile. She stumbles as she tries to rise, leaning her weight on you before falling back onto the ground again.   The choreographer exhales and nods. “Go get some rest then and be ready for tomorrow. If you wear yourself down so early, you won’t be able to perform at all.”   She walks away and Yeonjeon pouts at you.   Soon after, the two of you are backstage in a corner. Her ankle is in your lap and you wrap it carefully with white bandages. “How’d you know I didn’t sleep?” Yeonjeon childishly sulks at you, her eyes pointed, but you don’t feel as intimidated as she intends you to feel.   “I heard you mention it. Not intentionally.” You rush to say, “I wasn’t eavesdropping.”   The female scoffs, twisting her features and ruining her own beauty. “Why are you helping me, huh? Do you even know what I did to you?!”   She’s trying to get you as upset as she feels, and it’s amusing. In many ways, Yeonjeon reminds you of yourself. You wonder if this is what Jimin felt. “Doesn’t matter.”   “You’re an idiot,” she spits. “You’re supposed to hate me.”   “Hating people is tiresome.” You finish up before pressing a pack of ice to her ankle. She hisses at the coldness. “You should lay off that ankle for a while. Hopefully the swelling will go down, but if doesn’t, go see a doctor.”   “I know how to take care of myself, idiot,” Yeonjeon huffs, pushing your hands off of her to hold the ice herself. “Your kindness is irritating, you know that? I tried to steal your boyfriend,” she confesses out of the blue, itching to see you riled up.    But you don’t give it to her.   You simply stare with a blank expression.   She rolls her tongue in her cheek, waiting. But it never comes.   Yeonjeon gives up, and mutters with a downcast head, “But you don’t need to worry. He rejected my advances like I was gonna kill him. Your fucking boyfriend’s stupidly loyal, so you deserve each other. Idiots.”   You burst out laughing.   She becomes even more furious. “What?! You think this is funny to you?!”   “No.” You smile at her. “You just sort of remind me of someone.”   “Who?”   “Me. I was jealous once and I grew to hate that person, so I understand where you’re coming from. I’ll try my best not to be overbearing and to get out of your way.”   “I’m not jealous!” Yeonjeon scoffs again. “The more you talk, the more I hate you. Has anyone ever told you that your sincerity is sickening? I feel like throwing up. God, you and Park really do deserve each other. It’s disgusting.”   You’re unable to resist the grin that forms on your face and that only makes the female pout harder.

For the sake of peace, you try to get out of Yeonjeon’s way.    But she’s the one who approaches you. Her arms are crossed, eyes diverted elsewhere, but she mumbles about how if you want her to hate you less, you’d give her Kim Seokjin’s number. Unfortunately, you have no such thing, and she calls you useless before dragging you over to the lobby, waiting for him to come out of his usual rehearsals.   The Phantom production might be going down the drain, but Jin’s face certainly isn’t.   While you’d usually admire that godly man from afar like many others, this time you watch as Yeonjeon horrifyingly approaches him. Of course he rejects her, but then you get the chance to witness her stick up her middle fingers and sing a string of cusses to him.   Her psychoticness cements an unlikely friendship with you.   “Wait, we aren’t going out tonight?”   “I’m going to a movie premiere with Yeonjeon.” You shrug, moving past Jimin. “Apparently she knows one of the actors who talked badly about her to people and she wants to curse him out for it. She also wants to network with the producers there.”   “How is that going to work out for her?” Jimin asks, confused at the contradicting plans.   You giggle. “You tell me.”   Jimin sulks and slinks up from behind. He wraps his arms around your waist, propping his chin on your shoulder. “You’re spending so much time with her lately, what about me, huh?”   You turn around to face him with his arms still encircling you. “Jealous?”   “Yes,” he shamelessly admits. “All I want is to spend a little time with my girlfriend.”   “We ate lunch together.”   “Yeah, but I can’t talk when I’m trying to chew.”   “You see me every night.”   “Oh, I do a little more than seeing.” Jimin wiggles his brows and you lightly hit him in the chest, causing laughter to squeeze out of him. “Plus, why are you spending time with Yeonjeon of all people? She’s so cold to me now — she doesn’t even look twice at me anymore or even acknowledge my existence. She’s only friendly during the actual performance.”   “Why?” Your brow cocks and you quirk your head to one side. “You want her to flirt with you again?”   “That’s not what I’m saying,” the brunette whines. “How’d you get on her good side?”   “I can’t help that I’m just lovable.” You leave his arms, walking towards the bedroom to get changed.   Jimin follows and leans against the door frame with a grin. “Well, you’re not wrong about that.”   //   Practice ensues relentlessly.   And much to Taehyung’s dismay, the director becomes more hysterical. “And once you reach this part of the stage, everyone raise your arms? Yes, yes!”    “More passion! Louder! More grand gestures! More!” — “Can we get the spotlight right here?” — “I thought the prop was bigger than this! Where’s the bigger size?! We need bigger and better!”   “Oh my god,” Taehyung often groans, and while you try to help him, he always refuses and cites that if you did his job better then he’d get fired.   From dancing to singing, every detail is nitpicked and polished. “Sing with it as ‘ae’ instead of ‘ah’” — “Elbows out please!” — “Let’s do three twirls instead of four.”   But soon enough, dress rehearsal comes and you can’t believe it’s actually time.    “This is it, everyone. Last chance to ask or fix anything!”   Months of practice has led up to this point — your entire life and career thus far, what you’ve worked so hard for, what you aspired, it’s arrived. You’re excited as you are nervous, and mostly overwhelmed. But with Jimin here, you have the bravery to face the audience, to stand in the spotlight, and hear their applause.   The curtains rise in the same auditorium where you sat months ago to watch Jimin perform. Now that seat is taken by someone else and you’re on the stage. The stage that’s ready for you.   The lights dim. Slow music begins to play. You’re the first to enter the scene, treading through the thick fog on the ground. The right side of the stage is dimly illuminated and you stumble into the spotlight while looking off to the top of the stairs where a young brunette once stood.    Something begins to dust down to you. You’re equally amazed and horrified.    It nips at your nose and your brows furrow. “What’s going on?”   Your voice echoes throughout the audience and you hold your hand out. Snow begins to fall and you run off after a gasp. At the same time, the townspeople begin to flood in, marching through the blizzard with the first song.   The show continues with Jimin and Yeonjeon falling in love, how you’re forced to watch from afar until you try to break apart their relationship.   “There may be no sunshine or daytime, or flowers or warmth, but there’s you.”   “There’s you,” Jimin sings back to you, tone warm.   “There’s us,” you harmonize together. Loudly and clearly, facing one another with shared smiles that are all too real. “There’s us, together in this snowfield, together in this cold winter.”   The story progresses with how Winter forces the Summer fantasy to shatter, how Jimin comes to terms with the new world around him before succumbing to his love and refusing the truth.   “Eugene. What are you doing here?” Yeonjeon twirls around, the fabric of her dress moving with her. She exhales shakingly, both surprised and relieved. “I thought they told you to stay away from me.”   They meet one another halfway and he looks down at her. “Do you think I could’ve?”   “There’s no point.” Yeonjeon shakes her head and turns around. “I’m leaving.”   “Let me come with you.” He grabs her arm, stopping her before she can flee from him. He pulls her closer to him.   “I can’t. I’m running away. Running away from this winter.”   “Where to?”   “Beyond the sunrise and sunset, where summer still exists,”   “Do you think summer exists there?” Jimin asks, entranced by the mere idea.   “There has to be.” Their eyes meet and the orchestra pulls its strings, filling the auditorium with a wondrous and light melody.   Yeonjeon parts her lips, inhaling a breath. “You’ve come to save me.”   “I’ve come to love you.” He sings to her and they hold onto each other.   There are others dancing in the background and Jimin spins her around gently, the two of them sharing an intimate dance. The audience is mesmerized, breaths held as they watch.   “No love is better than ours,” they sing, voices melting together. “A rose-coloured world.”   The song ends with them gazing at each other and then sharing a soft kiss of longing.   “Why can’t you listen to me?!” you shout, closing the distance through three wide strides. “You will die if you leave. There is nothing beyond the horizons. Nothing! You will die!”   Jimin’s eyes are glossed over and he’s staring over your head with a dreamy expression, tiny smile gracing his lips. “Do you see that?”   “See what?” You glance over your shoulder before looking back at him. “There’s nothing there.”   “No…” Jimin walks off, entirely captivated like he’s under a spell. “It’s dandelion seeds floating in the sky. I can see it. It’s so pretty.”   “It’s winter,” you reason with your frustration increasing. “There aren’t any dandelions.”   But he walks off anyhow. You run after him, calling him at the top of your lungs.   The intermission of the show allows a fifteen minute break where you race to the bathroom and then psych yourself up for the last stretch of the performance. And you mimic what you’ve prepared, conveying emotions to the best of your abilities, allowing spite to take over you. Your character brews a storm to unleash, a storm of winter to both the past and the present.    But your lies inadvertently drives Jimin farther away, and in the end, you sacrifice yourself to save him — something the main female character takes credit for. The pair of them eventually run away together with dazed expressions, but happy nonetheless.   During the grand finale with all the storylines wrapped up and with the entire cast singing the last song, everyone comes onto the stage again. Jimin finds you and holds your hand, exchanging smiles and laughter as confetti strips blast and surrounding you both in a mosaic of vivid hues. You stand beside one another, facing the bright spotlight that doesn’t seem so frightening anymore.   And the audience rises together, giving a standing ovation. The applause roars throughout the auditorium, and you bow, waving goodbye. It could not be a better Broadway debut.

“Min Yoonji just released her review.”   “Really?” You hop up on the bed, leaning over to his phone screen. “What does it say?”   “The production of When Summer Meets Winter, albeit new and still in its infancy of development, is both surprisingly lively and very entertaining….” Jimin reads, voice trailing off.   “Does it really say that?!” You’re shocked, but a grin spreads across your face.   “While the romantic storyline is sustained through the main male lead and main female lead, Eugene and Sana respectively, it is certainly most felt through the main male lead and the female villain.”   He exchanges a look with you and smiles. Jimin can’t resist, so he throws his phone down and kisses you instead. He tackles you to the mattress, pinning you on your back, but you manage to squirm away, slipping out of his grasps. You grab the phone to continue reading.   “The production overall is a happy story for the indulgence of hopeless romantics, but it is undeniable that there is an underlying tragedy that will pull at the heartstrings of even those who don’t care for romance,” you read out loud, voice cracking and stuttering. “I would go as far as to argue that the story’s central focus was not on the primary protagonists but the female antagonist who successfully displayed a variety of emotions on stage.”   You’re sniffling, about to burst into tears. A thick, painful lump forms in your throat.   Jimin takes the phone with a laugh and moves a few paragraphs down, skipping the commentary of costumes of musical choices, continuing for you. “The production of When Summer Meets Winter is phenomenal in spite of being an original that still needs work and development. Looks like people on Broadway still know how it needs to be done.”   Finally, he’s able to toss his phone to the side, and he cheers. “It’s a stellar hit! We’re going to make so much money!”   “I thought Min Yoonji hated me!”

“Why?” He grins mischievously, nosing your cheek. “Didn’t she defend you in her other article?”   “She made me lose my job.” You pout even though you full well know it was a blessing in disguise.    “Should I go beat her up then?” Jimin’s eyes twinkle, causing you to burst out into giggles.   “I’m pretty sure you would lose. She looks pretty tough.”   “Hey, I’m tough too,” your boyfriend argues, but you shift to sit up on him, straddling his hips. Jimin breathing becomes shallow, watching you, and you squish his cheeks in one hand.   “You seem pretty soft to me,” you playfully quip. Jimin scoffs and pulls you down for a hug, letting you lay right on top of him. He snuggles into you. “How does it feel to be famous now?”   He sighs softly with a smile. “Amazing. But mainly because you’re here.”

[vanaera]

Love at First Snow (jhs)

Synopsis | It is during the first snow Hoseok first meets Y/N. It is also during the first snow he prepares to put a ring on her. Little does he know, fate has other plans. (OR: As Hoseok relishes in the spirit of the Holiday season, he cannot help but also reminisce how you two, though entire polar opposites of each other, ended up together. Characters | dance major (and “academically-challenged”)!Hoseok x Genius!female reader (College AU) Prompt | “You know, you remind me a lot of the Grinch. The only difference is in the end, his heart grows three sizes, but you stay an asshole.” Genre | Fluff, Humor, Angst Wordcount | 16.9k (I’m sorry, this ended up longer than I intended) Warnings | Discussions of verbal abuse from toxic families and mentions of panic attacks A/N | Hi Cristine! It is I, snowflake, your secret santa! This is my gift for @bts-poetry for @bangtanarmynet, and @btsbookclub ‘s Secret Santa 2019 event! I combined this gift with the prompt I claimed in @kwritersworld’s 2019 Christmas Event as my inspirations for both events have merged into one story hehe.

              Everyone has some titles to live by. “Well-versed lawyer,” “patient teacher,” “single mother,” “broke student”—one-liner characteristics and descriptions enough for people to summarize the entirety of one another. From each other’s greatest achievements to their itty bitty mistakes, any of them can be used to replace an identifier. After all, people always see what they want to see. It all depends on what title sticks out the most to the majority around them.  For Jung Hoseok, he lives up to the title of a lovable boyfriend and a rare one, too. As whenever people look at him, the first thing they see is the aberrance of how he ended up….dating Y/N.

              There’s nothing wrong with him, or Y/N for that matter. It’s just…they are the most impossible couple to end up together as they are the most literal polar opposites of each other.

             People remember Jung Hoseok as the golden dance major of the prestigious South Tigers University. He got into the Performing Arts program, Major in Dance by acing the laborious dance audition despite his unimpressive results in the written exam. Hoseok’s colorful background from his long-term dance crew, Hope World, and his countless wins in different hip hop dance competitions were more than enough proof to know he is indeed one of the top dancers of the university. With a body capable of executing each move ever known to humankind with such grace and precision, Jung Hoseok also has a stage presence that warrants everyone’s unbridled attention. Thus, it is without question he is the prided Most Valuable Dancer of his university’s varsity dance crew, Synergy. The long line-up of trophies Synergy has placed in STU’s hall of glory, all thanks to the competitions Hoseok led, are enough to say Hoseok is literally the modern-day Apollo.

             However, it is not just his talent or insanely god-like face and physique that makes Hoseok so “golden.” Because as if Apollo wasn’t enough, Hoseok also impersonated Helios. Jung, Hoseok is warm and kind and funny. He easily makes everyone want to be his bestfriend the moment they met him. Most people often speak of him first thing in the morning with another wonderful feat he pulled off. Hoseok is great in the things he does — playing as the great wingman for people who need the extra push in their romances or becoming the occasional teacher’s pet who goes to the professor and (easily) successfully convinces them to give the class a deadline extension for a requirement. Hoseok turns up every campus party into the happiest event anyone could ever be in and he is such an amazing, sincere friend who remembers everyone’s birthday and gives out the nicest of hugs. Hell, Hoseok even volunteers in long-inactive “dead” college organizations like the Campus Drunk Patrol, Environment Protection Squad, and Animal Welfare Group in his free time. Hoseok is the literal sun and anyone who knows him — which is literally, everyone — will never be unable to deny otherwise.

             So when Hoseok expressed romantic interest in Y/N in sophomore year, everyone around him was beyond bewildered. Most especially, his friends.

             “Y/N?” Jimin sputters, “as in…The Y/N, L/N from our batch?”

             “Well, yeah-”

             “Like the Analytical Physics major Y/N L/N?” Taehyung gapes.

             “Yeah, I mean,” Hoseok sends them a questioning look, “is there any other Y/N L/N?”

             Taehyung scratches his head. “Well, no…I just thought there’s a Y/N in another batch?”

             Hoseok gives him a pointed look, unamused.

             But Taehyung’s true sentiment is voiced out when Jimin half-screams at their table, “Why her?!”

             “Well, why not her?” Hoseok half-smiles, picking on the fries that were dropped scattered onto the table after Jimin unceremoniously pounded his fist on the surface in an act of over-exaggeration.

             Taehyung sends Hoseok a disgusted look but continues his friend’s argument, “Dude, she’s like, the entire opposite of you.”

             “And that is an understatement.” Jimin points a fry toward his direction, glaring at Hoseok.

             Hoseok huffs, “Oh c'mon, you’re all just going overboard. What happened to the golden rule ‘don’t judge a book by its cover?’”

             “First of all, Y/N’s not a book,” Jimin scoffs. “She’s like, the whole fucking library of science textbooks. Last sem, we’re busy doing a group project when Y/N suddenly spewed some SOHCAHTOA shit about the Bermuda Triangle. As if the things she said are already a whole level of weird, she even said them in a manner like Liam Neeson’s ‘I don’t know who you are but I’m going to kill you’ monologue from Taken. And second of all, the golden rule is ‘do not do unto others what you do not want others to do unto you,’ dumbass.”

             “Okay I got the golden rule wrong,” Hoseok groans, “but nevertheless, you’re still violating it by judging Y/N.”

             “In our defense tho,” Taehyung mumbles over the straw of his milkshake, “Y/N judged us first. I was watching Orange one time in the library and she came over and took a seat with me. And then she said some alien gibberish about how Naho Takamiya always fall stupidly on the stairs because she said, by verbatim, ‘according to basic logic and common sense, that’s not how projectiles work,’” Taehyung clicks his tongue and Jimin cringes. Taehyung continues, “Y/N said Naho wouldn’t fly to the hallway when she tripped on the actual steps. She even actually drew a diagram with computations of Naho’s fall and gave it to me before she abruptly got up and go. God, I’ve never felt so stupid and insulted both at the same time.”

             “And,” Jimin adds, “last December, I shared a meme on Facebook about turning on your brain instead of your heart this coming 2017 and guess what she did? She commented below “guess, you’ll just die of heart failure before 2017 even comes.” Jimin rolls his eyes, “She made me feel dumb as if I don’t know how heart failure works. So us judging her back is just fair and square.”

             “But you don’t actually know how heart failure works,” Hoseok retorts. He glares at Taehyung, “And dude, to be honest, Orange is overrated and Naho really flies whenever she trips, or gets tripped, on the stairs.” Hoseok throws up his hands in annoyance. “Seriously, are you two judging her for just…I don’t know, being smart?!”

             Taehyung sighs. “Okay, that’s a bit true, but the thing is, Hobi, our IQ levels are already a bit higher than yours—”

             “What’s that got to do with this?!”

             “—And if Y/N’s already treating us like the biggest idiots of the world,” Jimin continues Taehyung’s words, “then what chance do you have in having a decent conversation with her? Much less a more fruitful one that could end up in a romantic relationship? There’s like a 99.9 percent sure-ness she will make you more of an idiot than us!”

             “Yeah,” Taehyung nods. “Her thoughts are composed of quadratic formulas and science shit like ‘the mitochondria is the powerhouse of the cell.�� While I’m not even sure you know what DNA stands for.”

             Hoseok gawks, “Of course I know what DNA stands for!”

             “Then say it,” Jimin cocks a brow.

             “Dual Nucleus Association—fuck, why am I even doing this—” Hoseok glares at his friends, “What do you take me for? An imbecile?”

             “Well, yeah,” Taehyung says honestly.

             “That’s why right now, we’re telling you to drop anything you’re feeling in that,” Jimin points to Hoseok’s chest, “for Y/N. Hell, how will you even click together? Y/N’s allergic to nonsense and emojis and your daily vocabulary is entirely nonsense and eggplant emojis.”

             Hoseok opens his mouth to argue he also knows about the clown emoji but before he can utter a word, Taehyung beats him to it.

             “Dude, we’re not telling you this to insult you.” Jimin snorts and Taehyung closes his eyes before he looks again at Hoseok’s eyes, “Okay, maybe we’re enjoying teasing you a little too much. But we can say this is just payback for you not letting us go home earlier yesterday because you said we ‘need improvement’ which I damn well think not, bitch.” Hoseok squirms and Taehyung claps his shoulder hard, making him wince. “Anyway, what we’re trying to say, Hoseok, is we just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

             “How will I get hurt?! Nothing’s happened yet. I’m just saying I like Y/N—”

             “That’s what we’re worried about, Hoseok,” Jimin cuts him. “Nothing’s happened yet but we know something already did.”

            “Like what?”

            “You like Y/N. That’s the problem,” Jimin deadpans. “Hoseok we know you like to take relationships seriously. We even know that when you set your heart on a girl, your imagination is already two steps ahead, playing your wedding in your head.”

            Hoseok gulps, a guilty sweat forming on his temple.

            “But you see, Y/N belongs to that type of people who have their what-will-you-be-in-10-years solidly planted in their heads. And it’s highly probable a relationship, much less a wedding, is written in those 10-year plans. Much more, art majors like us are stigmatized to bound for failure because society is still close-minded and deems art won’t feed us. And by the meaning of society, it’s the ‘almighty and noble’ science folks Y/N belongs to. For God’s sake, there’s a lot of movies that have already forecasted science and art don’t mix!” 

            “Well, I don’t remember any movies—”

            Taehyung looks at Hoseok, incredulous. “Dude, there’s like The Theory of Everything—”

             “That’s science and faith!”

            “Stephen Hawking’s ex-wife sang in a choir. And she also started writing after their divorce! So that’s still art!”

            Hoseok was about to retaliate when he feels Jimin clasp a firm hand on his shoulder. He looks at him. Jimin sighs, “Hoseok, we just want you to not regret your decisions in the end. Y/N belongs to those snobbish high-hat people who treat everyone below them like dirt. There’s plenty of other girls out there who are much nicer than Y/N. Nice just like you. For one, why don’t you try giving a chance to the girls who’ve been crushing on you since freshman year? I know a few and they’re actually sweet. Just anyone who’s not Y/N. Seriously, just trust us on this, Hobi.”

             Except Hoseok does not. If there is one characteristic to describe Hoseok other than nice and talented, that would be his hard-headedness. He didn’t listen to his parents when they tried to discourage him from taking dance as his major. Hoseok disregarded numerous peers’ suggestions to join a frat so he can “shine more.” He even disregarded the toxic masculinity fraternities promoted by rocking pink overalls with his sparkly ugly sneakers and multicolored acorn pouch (which Jimin told him was the bane of the entire fashion industry) at least once a week. He even changes it up with other colorful ensembles the fashion students make. Hoseok did not even listen to Taehyung when the former told him not to drink before taking their finals in World History because, "no Hoseok, the alcohol does NOT bring back memories.”

             And look where his stubbornness got him. Hoseok became one of the greatest dancers his university has ever handled. His sole talent is enough for him to get invited to teach classes in several prestigious art colleges in the country. Hoseok gained more fulfilling and growth-inspiring friendships than surface-level ones offered by frats. He enjoyed more substantial conversations than booze temptation and toxic, trivial fights over games and girls. Hoseok even accidentally created a modeling career with local brands after his viral modeling of a peach acorn-inspired outfit for the project of his fashion major friends. Although him disregarding Taehyung’s reminders was a big mistake as he totally flunked World History, that night actually made Hoseok learn his lesson not to drink before the finals (and also because he learned the alcohol does not bring back memories he actually needed for the exam. But memories of his most embarrassing moments — like the one where he ended up performing in a children’s party as a fairy godmother—complete with the rainbow gown, fairy wings, plastic crown, and wand—because he mixed up the location of the college’s Halloween party with his friend’s family get-together).

             So, why would Hoseok listen to Jimin and Taehyung when setting his eyes and heart for Y/N feels like the most right decision he has ever made in his life? Especially when Y/N’s nowhere the high-hat snobbiety concept Jimin put her in. Hoseok is sure about this because he started to see and know her more than anyone else could after the fateful night of the Science Majors’ last year’s Christmas party.

             “Is that Y/N?” Hoseok squints his eyes. The person walking towards him is clad in a black coat and indigo satin slip-dress that falls short on her mid-thigh. Her hair is a mess and her small glittery satchel is slipping off her shoulders even if she adjusted it again and again. Not to say she’s also limping on her two-inch silver heels. When the girl raises her head and sees him, her face falls into an annoyed scowl. Hoseok right then confirms it is aberrantly, and shockingly, Y/N. At the sight of recognition in his face, Y/N immediately runs away in the opposite direction. Hoseok finds himself already chasing after her before his mind could acknowledge that he is actually running after the campus’ excruciating goody-two-shoes in the ass'o clock of the night.

             Hoseok easily catches up to Y/N. He blocks her way, causing her to halt. Hoseok hunches as he breathlessly puffs, “Hey Y/N, why you so fast?”

             “No-none of your business Jung Hoseok,” Y/N turns away from him and crosses her arms. Hoseok almost smiles. It is amusing how she effortlessly pulls her usual “intimidator stance” even in such a weird scenario.

             “Well, it is my business if you’re wandering on campus grounds in the night and obviously not sober.”

             Y/N whips her head towards him, “I am sober. What are you even here for?”

             “According to my eyes, you’re clearly drunk. Look,” Hoseok points to her face, “you look red all over and you can’t even look at me straight.” 

            Y/N slaps his hand away. 

            Hoseok puts his hands back in his pockets, “You’re clearly doing some beautiful eyes challenge right now.” 

            Y/N cringes at him but Hoseok continues, “And for your second question, I’m patrolling for the Campus Drunk Patrol.” He smiles and points to the logo on his jacket.

             Y/N leans forward and squints at the logo. Seeing her raised brow, Hoseok explains, “We aim to help drunk students sober up before commuting home. We can also escort them to their dorm facades and notify their RAs to come and get them.”

             Y/N still has her brow raised, skeptical. Hoseok sighs, “Well, it’s a dead org so I understand why you don’t believe me. If I also learn some org that’s been inactive for five years has suddenly gone active, I will be skeptical, too. But trust me on this, okay? I’ll just walk you around until you’re sober enough to know how to go home. I heard you’re dorming here. I can help you get to your dorm if you want.”

             Y/N still looks unconvinced and Hoseok releases a sigh again. He juts his thumb and points to his back, “We have our Patrol Marshal stationed there by the campus gates. He can totes see us here and tell you’re one of the stubborn drunk students who refuse to cooperate with our protocol.” 

            Hoseok smugly puts his weight on his left foot.“You can refuse and go ahead. But because the marshal doesn’t let drunk people he already caught go home, he will notify the head RA and trust me when I tell you I’ve seen a lot of students end up in bigger trouble for not complying with our joint protocol with the RA Council. Or,” Hoseok smiles, “you could just make our lives easier by letting me help you sober up.”

             Y/N looks away, gnawing on her lip. When Hoseok hears a faint “fine” come from her, he has to keep his jaw from hanging open.

             Because, why wouldn’t he be flabbergasted?

             Y/N L/N, the fearsome Analytical Physics major, is not the sweetest star out there. With a resting bitch face, innateness to give cold replies, gift of the perpetual judging stare, and insensitivity to joke cues, Y/N is one of the hardest people to cooperate with. It is not entirely because she does not put in any effort. No one just found it easy, or tolerable even, to interact with her. Sure, Y/N’s smart, a genius in Hoseok’s eyes. However, what stuck to everyone’s memory is how she unconsciously belittles everyone around her. Y/N gives out unnecessary run-throughs of chemistry concepts about any movie or animation brought up in a conversation. She instantly goes grammar-nazzi on anyone who slips on the rules of English grammar, especially when people make errors concerning the Oxford comma in their papers. She even goes out of her way to explain to her fellow students the physics of how and why they drove or parked badly with their bike or scooter.

             But the pinnacle of Y/N’s negative reputation has to be her merciless removal of her senior’s name, Oh Sehun, from the case study required in Communication Media Theories. In her very first year in university, at that. Although her action is justified as Sehun did not contribute anything at all in the group project, this name removal caused outrage among every college student. Sehun, who is actually the college’s renowned quarterback, graduated late and was now behind of his original team who already got into the professionals. All because of Y/N. Hence, the people in the university have started to associate her name with the title “stuck-up-iest bitch to ever walk on Earth.” Some don’t even seem to remember her name. All everyone knew is that Y/N’s one hell of a condescending bitch.

             So having Y/N walk silently by his side, cooperating for the first time without reciting her rights based on the constitution with such accuracy in verbatim while passively and implicitly insulting him, Hoseok cannot help to be so shocked.

             Noticing the complete silence that has surrounded them two, Hoseok breaks from his trance and leads Y/N to the college’s cafe. It’s already closed, given the lateness of the night, but it has their outdoor metal chairs set-up outside. He lets Y/N plop down on one of the metal seats as he produces a coffee-in-can for her.

             “Do you just casually carry around canned coffees with you?”

             “No, just when I am on duty for the patrols. Caffeine is the best way to help people sober up fast.” Hoseok inserts an edible straw for her and she grabs the drink.

             “I don’t think so,” Y/N mutters, “Human body processes consumed alcohol on its own, thus, it’s processing speed is neither affected nor aided by any exterior substances. With this, there’s no such actual thing as 'sobering up fast.’ It just feels like that because caffeine is a stimulant and hence, counters the sedative effect of alcohol, making you feel alert and appear to be sober.” Y/N takes another sip, “Nevertheless, thanks for the free coffee.”

              Hoseok almost gapes. The people were not kidding about how Y/N casually spouts science shit wherever she goes. Although he’s supposed to get tipped off, Hoseok just finds this set-up oddly amusing. He leans forward in his seat and props up his arm on the table to cup his face. “Anyway, why are you out in the late of the night?”

                 Y/N gives him an unamused look, “Because I was obviously partying. Is there any other party in the campus right now than the Science Majors’ Christmas party?”

              “You’re right,” Hoseok chuckles, “but what I mean is, why are you already outside? The party doesn’t end 'til 2 A.M.”

              “I just decided I want to go home.”

              “Why?”

              Y/N drops her drink on the table, “Are you just gonna ask me 'why’ everytime?!”

              Hoseok tilts his head and smiles, “Talking with drunk people is part of our protocol in sobering up. So, yeah, I’m gonna ask why every time until the redness on your nose and cheeks subsides a little.”

              “Fine,” Y/N hisses. She gives Hoseok a steely glare, “This night is the first time I’ve done something so stupid such as going to a party in an attempt to expand my connections. It turns out everyone still irrationally hates me about Oh Sehun’s name removal and they refused to interact with me. They kept sending me glares  while I just pathetically stood in the corner of the room for the duration of the party, dumbly holding a cup of some alcoholic drink I just realized 30 minutes ago was what you call ‘spiked.’ These pretty heels I wore hurt my ankles and toes all for nothing.” Y/N covers her face with her palms, “God, I don’t even know why I’m opening up about these things with you when it’s just the first time I talked with you. Maybe it’s just because I’m just drunk, god, it’s so stupid–”

              “It’s not stupid,” Hoseok interjects and Y/N raises her head from her hands. Hoseok smiles, “When there’s too much alcohol in our system, we get to do stuff we never knew we can. And sometimes, they are things we really desire to do but dare not let out in the open, afraid of what others may think. And it may come off as stupid as you’re letting your heart do the talking instead of your brain. But you know what? You have to be stupid sometimes to acknowledge what your brain may be missing out on. Plus,” Hoseok stretches open his arms wide, “there’s just the two of us here so no one can really judge you because hey, I’m just all ears here. After all, I’m just an officer of the Campus Drunk Patrol helping you sober up.” At the sight of Y/N’s pursed lips and eyes set on the coffee beside her, looking as if she’s convinced (and it looks like it’s not like her to admit it), Hoseok smiles wider and leans forward. “Now, back to your story. Why did you decide to go to a party?”

              “Because,” Y/N sighs, “I don’t know, @keanu_reeves_is_the_real_daddy from Hoboken said in Reddit that going to parties is a great opportunity to make friends.” Y/N looks down at her hands and interlocks them, “I’m just–I’m just desperate to get some friends. I’m already in second year, and still, no one wants to be with me. I often talk about how I don’t care whether people like me or not. Most of the time, I really do not care at all. But sometimes...it also gets lonely when you feel everyone seems to hate you.”

              “Well, I’m not everyone.”

              Y/N looks up at him, frowning, “That’s a great joke, Hoseok. I saw you hanging with Jimin just yesterday and I heard my name as the subject and "stick-in-the-ass bitch” as the predicate in a couple of sentences.“

              "Hate to break it to you, sweetie, but it was just Jimin who talked bad about you. Did you hear me say your name and 'stick-in-the-ass’ in one sentence?”

              Y/N glares at him. She then rips her gaze away from him to set them back on her interlocked fingers. “What are you trying to imply, Hoseok?”

               "I’m trying to imply, if you want to have a friend, I’m willing to be one.”

               "But you already got lots of friends.”

               Hoseok smiles, “That doesn’t mean I have no room left for one more.”

              Y/N gives him that skeptic look again and Hoseok snorts. “Hey, I’m being serious here. I really want to be your friend if you’d like. And no, it’s not because I pity you.” 

              Y/N raises a brow at him in disbelief and Hoseok purses his lips. He raises his hands in surrender, “Ooohkay, maybe like 0.001 percent I do, but 99.999 percent I just don’t like how everyone hates you for something that is not actually your fault. I really want to get to know you if you’d let me.”

                 Y/N just stares at him and Hoseok, for the first time in his life save for the days he’s answering written exams, has literally no idea what to do. Is Y/N angry at him for blurting out those things? Or is she aggravated he seemed plastic? But Hoseok knows he meant every single thing he said because first and foremost, he cannot lie even if he wanted to. He’s a goddamn horrible liar that anyone will know he’s lying before he can even start to lie. Second, he always says the first thing that comes to his mind because, in the majority of his life, he is incapable of thinking first before doing something. And third, Hoseok really meant what he said. He’s always been curious about Y/N. Jimin and Taehyung always talk ill about her and from the numerous negative shits he hears from them, he can’t help but think that maybe, her reputation is just one big hell of a rumor. It’s just impossible that so many rumors and negative comments about someone who he rarely sees outside the university, to be true. 

              Hoseok knows because he also has his fair share of rumors he has struggled to disprove. Like how he “cheated” in dance contests because no one can’t believe someone is just so exceptionally talented that they can win every single competition they join. Or how he “slept around” with almost half of the female population in the university just because he has lots of female friends and he loves to joke around with eggplant and saliva emojis in his texts. It’s hard to be contained in such one definitive title, much more a heavily negative one. Hoseok knew what it felt and it feels it’s just wrong to stay as a standbyer while the entire university jeers on Y/N for such a trivial reason.

              “Do-do you really mean that?”

              Hoseok looks at Y/N and nods. “Yes, I do.”

              Something wet drops on his jacket and Hoseok looks up at the sky. The sky is pitch black, save for the white inklets dotting the atmosphere, lightening up the dark horizon along with the glow of sparkling snowflakes. He turns to Y/N and smiles, “Oh look, it’s the first snow.”

              Y/N returns his smile this time. She tells him she wants to stay for ten more minutes to appreciate the snow before going home. Hoseok grins at her and says he’s got enough time to spare before his duty ends.

              The next day, Y/N’s frowning at Hoseok as the latter awkwardly holds his lunch tray next to her table.

              “Uhhh, aren’t you standing by the wrong table? Your friends sit over there.”

              “No,” Hoseok quips. “Jimin and Taehyung are not seated anywhere here because their lunches are scheduled way later today. And, this, in my opinion,” Hoseok scoots to Y/N’s side and sits down beside her, “is the perfect table.” Hoseok digs in his lunch and grins at her, “You should probably start eating now, too, y'know? Your food’s gonna get cold.”

              “I–” Y/N bites her lip and look away before she refocuses a glare at his face, “Are you really taking seriously your joke last night?”

              “It’s not a joke,” Hoseok retorts, dropping his utensils. “I’m serious about everything I said." 

              "But I didn’t mean mine. I’m drunk, remember?”

              “If you really didn’t mean them,” Hoseok looks at her, “then you can just tell me to leave. I’ll do whatever you say.”

              Y/N stares at him, brows scrunched together as if conflicted. She looks down on her hands on her lap and sighs, “I…don’t really want you to…leave. I’m sorry, I just…thought you’re just playing with me. You know all of this is still new to me. I’m sorry.”

              “Hey, it’s fine,” Hoseok chuckles, “no need to be so serious. We can take things slowly as long as you’d like.” Y/N pulls up a small smile and Hoseok grins. “Let’s finish our lunches and then we can look at memes. Memes are essential building blocks in friendships.”

              “Really?”

              “Yeah. Taehyung and I became friends after we accidentally sent each other hilarious anti-government blinking man memes.”

              It is needless to say the entire university goes berserk later when they find Y/N, the campus bitch, and Hoseok, the university’s sunshine boy, guffawing over chemistry memes during lunch. Hoseok does not understand a thing, but he enjoys laughing with Y/N as she passionately explains to him each concept and why they are funny.

              It is true that Y/N wasn’t the dearest person in the world. Hoseok learned this after weeks of dealing with her unintentional snarkiness and unnecessary science lessons that may seem insulting and offensive to others. But through the time he got to befriend her, Hoseok learns Y/N is just too smart for her own good. Y/N always goes around like an encyclopedia because she doesn’t know what else to say when she wants to find common grounds with other people. It is just unfortunate that Y/N cannot speak of anything that does not involve quantum mechanics and chemical structures.  Meanwhile, her unintended snarkiness is always directed to people’s redundancy and anomalies in their speech. Hoseok found out about this as soon as February rolled in, that it has to do with the restrictive childhood Y/N had. This, he discovered when Professor Minyoung Park called for him after his Science 11 GE class.

              “Hoseok, I see you getting close with Y/N, these days.”

              “Yes ma'am,” Hoseok replies. He sits on the chair in front of her desk.

              “Oh, then you must have been familiar with how she can get,” Ms. Park leans forward, “not so…friendly around people. I know she and her mind of hers can be a little too much for others.”

              Hoseok’s forehead furrows. How did Professor Park know? Although Y/N’s bad reputation has easily spread like wildfire among college students, not many professors or any of the university staff have shown any interest in her life other than her impressive academic standing. Hoseok asks, “How did you know, Ms. Park?”

              The 40-year old professor leans back and smiles. “Would you believe I used to tutor Y/N L/N back in middle school?”

              “No way,” Hoseok’s jaw drops open.

              Ms. Park chuckles, “Yes, it’s true. I know, what a coincidence right?  I remember how that pretty girl used to be so insecure about her braces.”

              “Yeah, she must be so…adorable back then,” Hoseok looks away bashful. He’s not used associating Y/N with such adjectives. Saying them aloud feels too weird on his tongue.

              Ms. Park’s voice makes him turn back to her. “Until now she is. It’s just a shame how she did not outgrow her…usual speech style. But in her defense, it’s not entirely her fault.”

              Hoseok’s eyes widen. His curiosity is instantly piqued. “What do you mean, Ms. Park?”

              “Well, Y/N L/N is brought up in a home…quite not friendly for children growing up. The L/Ns is a prestigious family. Not for their wealth, but for their remarkable lineage of geniuses. Y/N’s great grandparents are renowned mathematician whizzes. Her grandparents own Fields medals for their remarkable contributions in mathematics. Moreover, Y/N’s parents are well-respected chemists in almost every pharmaceutical congregation. Even their relatives are families of renowned doctors and engineers. From over ten years of tutoring her, I noticed how expectations pile up upon the short shoulders of young Y/N. Every single school day, Y/N has to attend cram schools and private tutoring after her classes to ensure she stays on top of the overall batch standing. She also has to be exposed to upper-class parties at such a young age which I think does not help anyone at all. Especially a child. All the people ever do there is brag about their achievements, scour for new families to ally with or manipulate, and eye each other’s mistakes so they can prove publicly how better they are than everyone else.” Ms. Park looks at Hoseok in the eyes, “Believe me, I used to dream about attending such parties until I finally learned how they go when I’ve been invited by the L/Ns. And with Y/N being a single child, all eyes were on her. So any room for mistakes is non-existent. Her parents assured her to grow like the perfect daughter they wanted her to be by making sure her movements are always constantly monitored and kept in check. You think Y/N studied here because this is just a prestigious school? No. The L/Ns wanted to send her abroad. To Harvard. Y/N refused and convinced them instead she’ll study here because I work here. And her parents trust me that I can be their eyes to see Y/N’s progress.”

              Hoseok nods but he cannot help but let his mouth hang open at everything he’s discovering right now. No one really knew anything about Y/N. And suddenly out of nowhere, on some random Thursday afternoon, he is introduced into a pandora box of history where everything about her suddenly seems to make sense.

              Ms. Park must have noticed his troubled face so she reaches out and holds Hoseok’s hand. “Hoseok, I’m not telling you these to pressure you. In fact, I am happy Y/N finally found someone who can listen to her and understand her, instead of watching her like a glass-cased perfect doll. I’m just telling you all these not to excuse the mistakes she has done but for you to understand where she’s coming from, especially when interacting with her can be difficult sometimes. So I hope you won’t give up on her, Hoseok. I know you’re a good kid. I just want Y/N to finally enjoy herself like every other college student out there.”

              And Hoseok, with his ever characteristic stubbornness did not give up on you.

“What do you mean I cannot state the faulty quantum mechanics in Antman to Taehyung?!” Y/N scowls at Hoseok, fingers frozen on the book she has mid-taken away from the shelf.

“Because you will break Taehyung’s heart,” Hoseok purses his lips and steps nearer to her, almost cornering her to the back of the bookshelf. “And can you lower your voice? We’re in a library.”

“For the same reason you should also back up a bit as I do not fancy you borderline sexually harrassing me.”

“Sexual harassment?!” Hoseok whisper-yells, “I’m stepping closer to you because I feel the need to whisper louder for you to get my point that you should not explain whatever Antman’s faulty quantum shit to Taehyung because that will make him angry. And sad!”

“Why will he be angry?” Y/N sticks her nose up and crosses her arms. “Shouldn’t he feel grateful I am adding heuristic value to his existing knowledge?”

Hoseok drags a hand down his face, “Well, I didn’t say you cannot explain some facts to Taehyung. I’m just saying you don’t tell him those things in a matter-of-factly way you always do because he’ll think you’re insulting him for watching such movies.”

“How should I say them then?” Y/N quips back.

Y/N learns the answer to her question before she knew she already did it. She realizes it when she gets out of her film class and Hoseok, who has been waiting for her last period to finish, asks her how did it go.

“Well, I told him 'The film Antman is quite weird.’”

“And what did he say?”

“Taehyung grinned at me and high-fived me.”

“Well then, it was successful. Much better than how you initially decided to do it,” Hoseok grins.

“But still…I called Ant Man weird, I’m still perplexed why Taehyung is pleased.”

“Calling something weird is a common expression to us,” Hoseok starts and Y/N tilts her head. Hoseok explains further, “’Weird’ can mean as a good endearing weird or an insulting ‘weird.’ If you added statistics of probability and some laws with calling something ‘weird,’ it will sound like 'Hypothesis one is proven: the movie is confirmed to be bullshit because of unquestionable proof.’ And that will appear insulting because you are not giving room for others’ opinions to be valid. It will make you look you’re belittling them if you said it that way. But today, you did not. See?” Hoseok smiles, “you do not have to state 100 percent what you really meant. Just a bit of truth you find essential for others to know is already enough for a small talk.”

Y/N nods, her lips morphed into an amused “oh.”

Hoseok grins as he puts his hands on his waist, “Trust me on this. I became Mr. Congeniality last year for a reason.”

“What does it have to do with making small talk?”

“It means, I am the expert in making small talk.”

***

“C'mon, Y/N, let’s go to the spring festival. Please, please, please, pleaseeee.”

“No, Hoseok,” Y/N pulls her hand from his grip, “I have to study for our finals.”

“But, Y/N, it’s too early for that. The finals is yet to come 'til next month! Look at me, I do not feel any pressure to study yet.”

“But that’s because you do not have any academic standing to maintain.”

Hoseok’s face falls and Y/N immediately rectifies her mistake. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean that, Hoseok. Of course, I know you also value your class standing, given your program and all. I’m sorry I’m being insensitive again.”

Hoseok breaks into a laugh. “Oh my god, I’m just fucking around with you! You’re partially right though, I don’t have an academic standing to maintain but a performative one. Although I still have to keep my grades up so I can continue studying here. Anyway,” Hoseok grins at Y/N, offering his hand out, “I only accept apologies in the form of accompanying me to the spring festival.”

“Fine, Hoseok,” Y/N  begrudgingly accepts his hand. But Hoseok cannot miss the small smile forming on her lips.

“Don’t fret tho,” He boops her nose and she cringes at him, “we can  insert some Q&A sessions later so you can do a bit of studying if you’d still like.”

“How will we do that?”

Y/N learns the answer to that when she finds themselves screaming from the opposite ends of the giant boat ride.

“HOSEOK, DAMN YOU!”

The boat tips and her stomach drops but all she can hear is Hoseok screaming.

“WRONG, Y/N. The answer to the drilling ship which can dig 'til the mantle of the earth IS CHIKYU! NOW, off to the next question. What are CYANOBACTERIA?!!!”

              But Hoseok does more than just sticking by Y/N’s side and not giving up on her. He falls in love with her.

              Through the months he has become Y/N’s friend, Hoseok cannot help but be endeared by her. The things about her he never thought will come as close to what he calls cute suddenly grows on him. It grows too much that he lives off every single one of them. Even if it usually ends with him getting roasted. He used to get frustrated by Y/N’s never-ending witty comebacks. Now, his heart started singing during their bicker-banters that Hoseok even started to look forward to their bickering. Y/N’s smile that Hoseok used to think was a standard horror level of creepy is now all he could dream about when he’s asleep, and even when he’s awake. The way Y/N laughs at him, or smiles when she sees him were heart-warming. Until they upped 100 million levels and now they have become cataclysmic for his heart. The way Y/N patiently teaches him his lessons, or how her science-y jokes and memes become funny was something Hoseok used to overlook as trivial. Now, he couldn’t wait for the days he’ll bring his notebooks to the library and stare at Y/N’s face while she teaches him quantum mechanics and chemical structures. 

              Y/N’s small “tokens of appreciation,” as what she called it, like her handmade ‘thank you’ cards she gives Hoseok every month, or her invitations for Hoseok to accompany her to some street event or nearby dance event, or as uneventful as a new food stall that has opened in the university were something Hoseok never put much thought on. Now, they’re Hoseok’s source of both happiness and headaches as they make his heart fly and his brain ache for thinking too much into her actions. The way Y/N looks at him like never someone else has before—so attentive and focused in everything he says as if everything that comes from his mouth has so much worth listening to. Even if it’s a disgusting tale of how he almost shitted his pants before their science exam because he didn’t listen to Jimin when he told him to stop binge-eating spicy wings as a coping mechanism to stress, Y/N listens. This used to be something Hoseok treats as his special privilege as her friend. But now, it has become a national treasure he does not want to share with others. Especially with Namjoon, his roommate, whom Y/N managed to befriend because the former is a Biology major who’s on the same level as Y/N’s intellectual prowess. God, Hoseok cannot even count on his hands the number of times he’s been conflicted if it was jealousy on Namjoon’s effortless way to make Y/N laugh, or petty anger because he cannot even understand their jokes. 

              Hoseok doesn’t know how or why he suddenly felt all of these things for Y/N. It just happened. And so is how he accidentally blurted it out to her during one of their conversations, despite Jimin and Taehyung’s adamant warnings not to ask her out.

              "And whenever I use the microscope in my room, I’m always scared turning the coarse knob so much. It will be horrifying to see the objective lens break the slide and the coverslip.”

              “Y/N, I like you.”

              YN’s jaw goes slack and she stares at him, eyes wide. Hoseok almost feels perspiration dot his entire hairline for what feels like ten whole minutes in purgatory. Will Y/N leave? Will she scream at him, laugh at him even for his audacity? Will she reject him? Of course she will, what is he thinking? Taehyung and Jimin are right. Y/N is smart and he is too dumb for her to even fulfill at least an ounce of her standards. Y/N is respectable and he is a shameless clown–

              “I…am allowing you to be sexually attracted to me, Hoseok.”

              “W-what?”

              “I said,” Y/N looks straight into his eyes, “I am giving you permission to like me, Hoseok.”

              Hoseok balks. “P-permission? W-why do I need permission?”

              “Because, if you’re going to like me, I need you to know I am acknowledging your sexual attraction to me seriously,” Y/N stands up, putting her hands in the pockets of your coat. “It will be a waste if you do not want a long-term commitment. I do not have time to dwell on anything less than that.”

              Lucky for Y/N, so does Hoseok and he wastes no time proving it to her. For the course of six months, Hoseok courts her in the most possible best Hoseok-way. Y/N lived the majority of her life within suffocating walls surrounded by academics, titles, honors, and people waiting for her to fall. Hoseok wanted to take her with him on a break (and a possible future lifestyle) away from them all. So he takes Y/N to carnivals, dance events, and festivals–ranging from streets decorated in cheap glowing lanterns to grander events that have remarkable fireworks displays.

              Hoseok shows Y/N himself at his most vulnerable and strongest. He lets her watch him perform alone in practice rooms as he expresses the things muddled in his head, things he never dares to say to anyone else. Y/N’s been with him when he broke down due to his anxiety concerning his not-so-impressive acads. She was also with him in his embarrassing drunk adventures. Hell, Y/N even participated in his crew’s weird end-of-the-sem party. She let Hoseok dress them two like the two robbers from Home Alone–complete with the rageddy cut gloves and dirty face makeup. But, Y/N has also seen Hoseok’s crew’s successful university tours, the exclusive events he got invited to, and his dance recitals that got many theater and entertainment scouts crowding the room he’s dancing in.

              Hoseok shows all of himself to Y/N. Willingly and so transparently, that in turn, she started to show him her self, too. Y/N let him see her in her utter glory. She let him see her receiving awards from various electronics competitions and exhibitions, her creating the first demo of her portable printer and scanner machine that earned many positive reviews from numerous investors, and her getting featured in not just the university’s newspaper or any other school’s newspapers, but the city’s news for a composting machine she invented. And, Y/N also let Hoseok see her at her worst. She let him see her get told off by one of the people she had unconsciously insulted in the hallways, her failing her Communication GE classes, and her having a panic attack when her parents announced yet again another party of scholars who wish to see what she’s been up to lately.

              These things made Y/N realize Hoseok was serious about her and she, in return, has started to cherish the golden boy who would never leave her alone for the day until she’s crying from sheer laughter and happiness.

              However, it is the small things Hoseok does that really really gets to her.

              Hoseok remembers the small details Y/N slips in during their conversations.

“Hey, you are not supposed to eat that,” a fork clashes with Y/N’s own, preventing her from reaching the delectable dish.

“This pasta?” Y/N looks up at Hoseok.

“It has chopped shrimps. I asked Seokjin about it and he said it has prawns.” Hoseok grabs Y/N’s hand and leads her to the other side of the buffet. There, he gets her pasta with white sauce, this time, garnished in bacon. “Here, eat this, instead. It may not taste like the one with the shrimp but at least you won’t get allergies and you can enjoy the rest of the night instead of chilling out at the hospital watching sad re-runs of The Big Bang Theory.”

***

“Hoseok, you won’t believe how fascinating my yield turned out to be, like–Hoseok, what are you doing?

Hoseok pauses in his fumbling and blinks at Y/N. He looks down back at his bag and sighs. “I was hoping to keep this a surprise but oh well.”

He pulls up something from his bag and Y/N’s left gaping when he hands her a box of baked cookies. He rubs his neck, the tip of his ears reddening under her  gaze. “I remember you telling me it’s been a while since you ate cookies. My mom baked a lot for us so here, have some. I know you’re on some ridiculous diet your parents told you to take. But I hope you could give yourself a cheat day and just eat and enjoy the day. Your parents aren’t here.”

              Hoseok never fails to check up on her.

“Hey, how long have you been hunched over your desk now?” Hoseok’s voice blares from Y/N’s phone’s speakers and she sighs.

“About five hours now, I think?”

“Okay. Why don’t you take a break for ten minutes before going back to the grind? You told me your back is being an ass to you for two weeks now. Give it some rest. Also, drink some water.”

“Okay mom, will do,” Y/N chuckles over the line.

“Okay my daughter,” Hoseok sing-songs and she snorts. “I’ll call later and check up on you. Don’t dare to not take a break. I know where your dorm is and I’ll break into your window if I have to.”

“Okay, okay, will do, my personal health support system.”

“Glad to be of your service, ma'am.”

***

Y/N sighs as she throws her bag onto her bed. Today is a beat day. Mr. David was sour and he poured all his frustration on their class by giving out unnecessary lectures instead of teaching the new lesson. Y/N guesses she’ll have to self-study again for a quiz the prof has irrationally scheduled for tomorrow. And oh, Ms. Peterson also gave out a heavy paper late. It will force Y/N to cram for it in two days as submission date is just the day after tomorrow. Why is every deadline piling up today? It’s not yet even finals week yet!

Y/N plops onto her desk with a heavy sigh. She’ll end up having to do an all-nighter again — wait, what’s that doing there? There’s a pack of sandwiches in a clear food container sitting on top of her desk, beside her notebooks. Y/N doesn’t remember buying one or requesting her rommate, Jae In, to buy her one. Curious, she picked it up and turned it around. That’s when Y/N sees a yellow post-it attached on the plastic container.

“Hey Y/N. I thought of you today and decided to make you a sandwich. This is edible, I assure you. I asked my cooking mama friend Seokjin to come over and help me. Eat this snack before you do your work. I know you always start work right after coming home from your classes. I hope you eat on time and not skip on meals.

With super duper mega love,

Hoseok 😘”

              And Hoseok helps Y/N to the best he can, whenever he can, especially about things she’s passionate about but no one takes time to really understand.

"Hey Y/N,” Hoseok greets as he plops down next to her seat in the library.

“Hoseok?” Y/N glances up at him, eyes wide, “What are you doing here? You told me you have practice today.”

“Eh, the members cancelled on me today.  And also, I’ve missed you, so I figured why not visit you.” Hoseok grins at her and she momentarily forgets how to breathe. Y/N doesn’t know when Hoseok started to have that effect on her, it just happened. And although it is starting to be an inconvenience regarding how she becomes a nervous wreck under his gaze, she weirdly cannot find herself complaining against it. 

Hoseok leans forward, breaking her trance. “Now, what should we study today?”

“Uh-uhm, cellular mechanisms. I wanted to learn more about cancer cells.”

“Cellular mechanisms it is, then. Want me to help you make diagrams?”

Y/N nods and Hoseok grins, “I see the skills of artist Hoseok is not about to die anytime soon, eh?”

***

“How does that work, Y/N?”

“Well, it converts the mechanical energy from every step you take into electrical energy. It’s not yet finished so I’m still figuring out how many more parts I need for this to work. My previous demos have a lot of mistakes.” Right at the same time, a bolt pops off. Y/N runs a hand over her face, “And a lot of malfunctioning parts.”

Hoseok scratches his head. “I don’t know about any energy conversions but I know how to screw well?”

“Is that a question or a statement?”

“A-a statement. I can fix what we have for now while you revise your design. Whaddya think?”

“That sounds good.” Y/N turns around and heads for her blue prints. But before she can pick up her measuring materials, she turns back to Hoseok, meeting his gaze as he’s mid-picking up a screw driver.

“Thank you, Hoseok for assisting me on this. I know it’s just a personal project and I may be taking too much of your time when you should probably be resting at your dorm.”

“Pssh, you’re not taking too much of my time. I am enjoying my time with you. Also, it’s not just a personal project. It is a personal project so of course, it deserves to have gigantic importance to you. And it will turn out great because I know it will. Now go let’s get these revisions done so we can do another test run.”

              Hoseok has been a wonderful friend, an amazing supporter, and a sincere person who never feels ashamed of showing Y/N what he felt. That is all she needed for her not to doubt anymore and accept his confession.

              “Hey, Y/N,” Hoseok huffs, hands tucked deep in his red parka. “Why did you  tell me to meet up in the park? It’s cold out. Can’t it wait 'til tomorrow?”

              “No, it cannot,” Y/N faces the man, brows scrunched, her lips red from the number of times she has bitten it. “Hoseok, there’s something I need to tell you.”

              “W-what is it?”

              “I…am reciprocating yo-your profession of your sexual attraction to me.”

              “What?”

              “I said, I am reciprocating–” Y/N’ bites her lip and closes her eyes. When she opens them again, she gives Hoseok the most focused stare she can ever give. “Hoseok, I am accepting your love confession. I like you, too.”

              Hoseok stares at Y/N, eyes wide, mouth agape. And for too long that Y/N thought the cold must have frozen him all over.

              “Hoseok, why are you staring like that? I am telling you, I like you too–hmppf!”

              Hoseok is kissing her, his lips pressed softly against hers in a gentle peck. Before Y/N could process things in her head about what to do when the boy she likes started kissing her, Hoseok is already coaxing her lips to dance with his. And before long, Y/N is returning him a kiss with the same ardor as his. It’s not like her to suddenly make out with someone so publicly. Hell, it’s not even like her to kiss someone with such passion that the warmth she feels on her chest comes close as to the heat of the sun. But as Y/N stays in Hoseok’s embrace in the middle of the frosted park which contrasts their warm chests, everything just feels so right.

              So right, as if fate just planned this very night for the two of them. Because, as their kiss comes into an end, Y/N and Hoseok both jolt at the drop of wetness that land on their heads. Y/N looks up and sees the familiar soft white snow falling from the dark night sky. The first snow. Right then deja vu sets in of how it was just one year ago she met this giggling boy in front of her at the very same time of the year.

              “I guess the universe wants us to be together, too.” Hoseok smiles.

              Y/N grins at him and sinks deeper into his embrace. “As preposterous that sounds given that the universe is, literally speaking, a no-higher living being, it is more preposterous that I am finding myself agreeing to and blushing because of this.”

              “I can’t understand what you said but I think it means you like it too so I’m deciding this is one of the best blush-worthy moments I ever had,” Hoseok kisses the top of Y/N’s head, “and whatever you say won’t stop me from taking back what I said.” Y/N nuzzles her nose against his chest, smiling at the way she cannot tell her heartbeat apart from his–the beats beneath their chests in sync despite the incongruity in her words.

***

              Loving Hoseok is easy. He is charming, generous, understanding, and everything Y/N ever wanted. Even more, nothing really changed from their friendship, just the addition of cheesy pick-up lines, sweet kisses here and there, hot make-out sessions which more often than not escalate into passionate (and very amazing) love-making. And Y/N loves her relationship with him as well for this. Because even if Hoseok succeeds in making her a soft mush for him, she cannot live her life without having him be the best-est friend she could ever have in her life.

              But from all the things Y/N loves about Hoseok, her most favorite has to be his utter transparency. What she sees in him, is what she gets. Hoseok is unabashed in proclaiming his feelings for her. He does not get embarrassed in showing Y/N his love for her. And, Hoseok does not keep secrets from her. He just willingly tells everything about him to her, no euphemisms, no lies. Y/N guesses this is probably the reason why their fights never last too long. Moreover, this quality of his makes up for Y/N’s inability to effectively express her thoughts and feelings. He taught Y/N pure utter honesty that so many people have stigmatized for naivety, but actually felt so amazing. He also taught Y/N to trust and let down her walls for people so they can be able to love her. Hoseok inspires and motivates Y/N to become a better version of herself, not only for the sake of others, but also for herself, and she cannot be grateful enough for that. 

              Titles didn’t matter with Hoseok, with Y/N, and their relationship. What only matters is their labels for each other–boyfriend and girlfriend, lovers loved and in love. Hoseok does not encrypt his messages in a way that would match Y/N’s mental capacity – He just talks with her like the way he is, nonsense and eggplant emojis and all. Hoseok does not burden Y/N with heavy, unreasonable expectations. He just loves her and lets her be whatever she wants. He just stays by Y/N’s side as she freely learns from and works on her mistakes like every flawed human being. With Hoseok, Y/N knew what she deserves and she started to live her life the way she has always dreamed of–so flawed but so perfectly Y/N L/N who is unafraid of what the future may bring to her.

              However, not everyone cannot fully comprehend Y/N’s relationship with Hoseok. Loving Hoseok may be easy but the environment surrounding their relationship is an entirely opposite scenario. For Hoseok’s and Y/N’s disregard of titles, does not guarantee everyone else around their relationship will do the same.

              Y/N’s relationship with Hoseok spread throughout the campus like a Jeffree Star fight-controversy with another YouTuber in 2x speed. The entire university has gone berserk yet again, unable to fathom how someone who shines so bright like Hoseok can be together with someone like Y/N who dims other’s lights. And for other people, they cannot understand how such a happy-go-lucky academically-challenged student like Hoseok can even amuse such no-shit, genius brain of Y/N.

              Almost everyone has something to say about their relationship. And, most often than not, they are negative. It didn’t help anything in their relationship as Y/N is already insecure as to why Hoseok even chose her when he can have any woman he wished. Y/N knows she’s difficult to be with. She struggles with expressing her feelings and thoughts. She even feels like she’s making things too hard for Hoseok. You see, Y/N’s a safe player. In whatever grounds she’s in — academics, social life, family ties — she  always plays safe. Y/N finds it hard to not be so, especially when all her life, she has been groomed to be a person well-liked by everybody else — a person safe from any negative impression that may tarnish her reputation. So, when things get a little bit too hard with Hoseok, Y/N finds herself automatically heading for the exit.

              Just like in one Wednesday night in August. Y/N had her fair share of fights with Hoseok. From the difficulties that tie with his popularity, her inability to show her feelings to him that sometimes makes him question her love, his procrastination and occasional lack of care for his academics, her nature to obsess over her studies that she tends to forget herself and everyone around her, to his numerous female friends who have the audacity to still flirt with him even if they all know he’s dating her — Y/N and Hoseok have fought about them all within their seven months of dating. And sure, they were already pretty bad fights given that they were immensely serious with Y/N and Hoseok ending up screaming at each other, giving each other cold shoulders, and ignoring each other for at most (usually) five days. But this Wednesday night was not like any of ther previous fights. Because this time, Y/N told Hoseok she wanted to break up with him.

              “Will you stop for a second, Y/N?!”

              Y/N swiftly turns around, tears brimming her swollen red eyes, “What do you want, Hoseok? I already said what I need to say. I am tired of constantly being the bad guy whenever we fight. I am tired of this, of you. I want to break up.”

              “No, you don’t mean that,” Hoseok almost cries. He looks equally devastated as her — swollen eyes, pale face, trembling fingers. “N-no, you don’t mean that,” he repeats, this time, his voice breaking.

              “Of course I mean them, Hoseok,” Y/N spits, “I never say things I do not mean. You know me.”

              “I know you,” Hoseok retorts, “that’s why I am telling you right now you don’t mean telling me you’re tired of our relationship, of me. That you want to b-break up. B-because you’re Y/N,” he breathes out. “You seem cold but you actually care. You do not speak your thoughts or feelings aloud but act on them. Okay, maybe you speak them out, but you say it in a way most people do not understand so that still does not count. But, Y/N,” Hoseok reaches for her hand before she can even think of shaking off his hold, “I know you love me. Deep inside the deepest of your hypothalamus, like you said, I believe you love me. Or else, you wouldn’t stay when I told you to watch me dance alone, frustrated with the world. You wouldn’t put in effort befriending Taehyung and Jimin despite knowing what they all said about you in the past. You wouldn’t have told me you wanted to come with me to my hometown and meet my family for my dad’s birthday. And,” Hoseok looks down at his feet, “you wouldn’t have stayed with me this long knowing how annoying I can be and what everyone else has to say about us. So please, Y/N. Just please…stay. Let’s talk it out together. Don’t just break up with me. Please don’t just l-leave me alone.”

              When Hoseok looks up at Y/N, it is with his brows scrunched together, eyes glazed over, and form almost kneeling in front of her. He holds her hands so tight, but yet so gentle, as if afraid if he clasped her fingers tighter, it will be too suffocating that she’ll slip away from him. He just looks at her and she cannot help but return his gaze. Y/N realizes right then, it may have been a bad decision to do so. For all she could see in his eyes is her reflection. Her and only her. It even seems as if he’s trying to keep the entirety of her as vivid as a memory can be. And maybe it’s because it’s the way he unabashedly tells her everything he loves about her. Or the way he remembers every single detail about her. Or how he knows her so well despite their relationship blooming at such a young age. But, they are all enough for Y/N to hold his hands tighter and let him engulf HER in his arms.

              “H-Hobi–”

              “S-see? You even still call me like that,” Hoseok mutters above her head and Y/N bites her lip as she clutches onto his jacket tighter.

              “Hobi, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean them. I’m not tired of you. I’m not tired of u-us. I do not want to break up with you. Not at all. I’m sorry. I’m sorry,” Y/N lets out a sob and Hoseok hugs her tighter, running a hand over her hair, knowing it calms her down. “It’s just that everything’s been too much lately. The-the way your friends–”

              “What did they do?” Hoseok’s voice deepens close into a low growl. Y/N gulps. “Please tell me, Y/N,” Hoseok says softly as he cups her face in his warm hands. Y/N bites her lip and looks away. She does not want to be that type of girlfriend who instigates a fight between their significant other and their friends. She does not want Hoseok to have a bad blood with people he cares about. But then, Y/N remembers their fight two months ago. That night when she confronted Hoseok about the consecutive late nights he has spent in the practice room, neglecting his studies and even his own health for the past two weeks. The moment Y/N cornered him about it, Hoseok broke down and told her everything — how he lacked the motivation to perform well in his recitals and how his course adviser told him to pull his shit together before he fucks up the nearing international dance competition.

“She told me that I’m dating you right now but why can’t I even pull my shit together like you do. That she doesn’t understand why you’re even dating me when you can date far more competent guys. That sooner or later, you’re going to break up with me. Because,” Hoseok sighs and smiles, but it doesn’t reach his cheeks, a tear slipping down them instead, “look at me. I’m so sloppy. I’m such a loser—”

“No, you’re not!” Y/N interrupts him and Hoseok jolts. “You…you’re not a loser. Sloppy, yes, sometimes,” Hoseok winces and Y/N grabs his arms and pulls him toward her so she can hug him tight. “Hoseok, listen to me. I’m your lover. No one else’s but yours. I love you and I will not leave you. I do not care about other guys, if they are more competent or whatever. After all, competency is just a social construct designed to promote the societal standards that aim for conformity.” Y/N disentangles herself from him to cup his face in her hands. “Hoseok, you are not a loser. And, you’ll never be.  How can you be at least an inch of one? You were the one who led countless competitions which won our university so many awards. Almost ALL the trophies in our campus’ Hall of Honor were all thanks to you. You were the one who helped our fashion design majors  grab an opportunity with various labels after your runway a year ago became viral. You were also the one responsible for resurrecting countless dead orgs with actually good goals. They even received rewards from the local government because of the projects you arranged! You’re not a loser, Hobi. In fact, you are the opposite of loser. It’s just your prof is an ungrateful bitch, demeaning you like that when you’ve brought glory to her name as your program adviser. What a fucking asshole, I could have punched her in the face and—”

Hoseok detaches his lips from hers and smiles. “I can’t believe I’m starting to rub off of you. You just said your first curse word. Two even!”

“Damn you, Hoseok. I’m being serious.”

“And so am I. Thank you for cheering me up, Y/N. This is why I love you so much!”

              Hoseok has always been honest to Y/N and she decides it’s only right for her to do the same.

              Y/N looks up at him. “Nayeon, Sungyoon, and…Sara cornered me yesterday and I thought it will be about what you are recently up to. Why you were absent at yesterday’s practice. It turned out they did this high school toxic open-forum-like session where they told me all my shits and why I shouldn’t hang out you. They said you were no longer the Hoseok you used to be because I kept dragging you down. That I…do not deserve you and you should be with girls like you. And you know what, I thought so, too. Because, you have far better things ahead from you than tying you down here with me.”

              “No one can tell what you deserve or not, Y/N,” Hoseok retorts. “Only you can. And, I know what you are thinking right now maybe the opposite of what you really think about yourself. But if I could help, I think you totally deserve me. Even more than that, honestly. Because, Y/N, you are not tying me down anywhere.  In fact you are tying me up. Not literally but figuratively. Okay” Hoseok closes his eyes, “I know it doesn’t make sense—whatever I say doesn’t make sense on the regular basis, so what’s the difference—but, what I mean to say is, Y/N, you are keeping me afloat. You are keeping my head up from the expectations and shitstorms that is plaguing me. You are helping me stay alive and keep pushing through all the difficulties I face. And for that, I am eternally grateful for you. So,” Hoseok smiles, “do not let anything anyone else says about us get to you. Because, they don’t really know anything about me and they very much don’t know anything about you. They don’t get to judge. Not when they do not know how it feels to have the most amazing angel by your side.”

              Y/N scrunches her face at him but she hugs him tight nevertheless. “Must you always be this cheesy and cringey?”

              “Only for you, baby,” Y/N could feel Hoseok grin from the top of her head. “Also, I’m gonna have a talk with those girls so expect apologies coming your way. And if things go the other way,” Hoseok clicks his tongue, “expect a decrease in my friends.”

              However, everything Hoseok spouted is easier said than done. Because truth be told, Hoseok thinks it is him who actually doesn’t deserve Y/N. She is intelligent but so is she kind. She’s mature and it is usually her who does most of the helping and progressing in their relationship. Most of all, it is more realistic to say, Y/N is the one who has far greater things ahead than him. And it became clearer to him the night she took him with her to her family’s home for one of her parents’ parties.

              Y/N countlessly told Hoseok she didn’t need to attend it. She even highly advised him not to come with her. But Hoseok has forever been stubborn so of course when he told Y/N he wanted to meet her family, he did every bit of convincing that get him to where he is now — shaken and lost in the middle of a fucking science exhibit of a party. The night actually started out well.  He introduced himself to every member of the L/N family, even distant ones who stayed in the farthest, most unnoticeable corners of Y/N’s house. Y/N’s family members welcomed him with smiles and actively talked with him. Her parents even handed him his plate of food themselves and invited him to spend Christmas with them.

              It only started going downhill when it was time for the main event of the party—the what-have-you-been-up-to lately segment or what Y/N would like to call the “let the best bragger win.” Everyone started spewing their achievements for the year in a fashion that challenges the other party to disclose their far greater successes. Which, ultimately, insult the others for their lack of any. The party felt as if it was a battlefield with every member of Y/N’s family pitting their achievements against each other, no matter what context they are in—even if they are not of the same category to even compare. Next thing Hoseok knew, he was being dragged into the center of the conversation, with Y/N’s father asking him to tell his “revolutionary thoughts.”

              Hoseok tried his best. He really did. He had recalled every lesson he learned in his Science-related GEs and even tried to apply them in the academic journals he saw Y/N reading. That’s why he doesn’t understand why every single time he opens his mouth, Y/N’s entire family is laughing at him. Is the Dual Nucleus Association found in fingerprints that funny? Hoseok didn’t take too long to ponder on it, for the next second, a hand is pulling him to the front doors of the L/N house. It takes another second for Hoseok to register Y/N was the one who’s dragging him onto the street in angry stomps.

              “Y/N! Why did we go out?” Hoseok pulls on her arm, “We have to come back! It will be rude to your parents! I don’t want to leave a bad impression y’know–”

              “It doesn’t matter, Hoseok!” Y/N whirls around, distraught, and Hoseok only notices just now her glazed eyes. Y/N chokes out, “Leaving an impression on them doesn’t matter because we have to get out NOW.”

              “What? No, Y/N! That’s not appropriate! I–”

              “Then is it appropriate for my parents and relatives’ to blatantly insult you right in your face?”

                 Hoseok takes a step back, “What? But they were laughing at me there. I guess my jokes are–”

                 “Hoseok, they were mocking you in there. We both hell know the fingerprint DNA trivia you were telling them is not a joke.”

                “But your father said the Dual Nucleus Association I muttered was revolutionary and funny.”

                Y/N closes her eyes as she releases a staggered sigh, “Hoseok, ‘revolutionary’ in my father’s dictionary meant ‘stupid.’” Hoseok scrunches his brows and Y/N breathes out, wishing she could let out as well the aggravation and loathing for her parents she has kept inside for so long. “He was making fun of you, Hobi. DNA does not stand for Dual Nucleus Association. It’s Deoxyribonucleic Acid. My father fucking knew what this means because he took a PhD in Microbiology and he didn’t even have the heart to correct you. He even put you up in front of everybody else and humiliate you without you even noticing it.”

                “W-what?”

                Y/N sighs for the nth time as she reaches for his hands. “Hoseok, I’m sorry I left you alone. This whole time, I didn’t know you were in my father’s care. It’s just that my cousin came to me and asked desperately for help about the verbal abuse he experiences at home. The way he asked for my help, I knew he’s about to-to blow up sooner or later. So I immediately went to his aid. And I guess I got so preoccupied trying to make him calm without triggering his panic attacks that I…did not see where you stayed in the party. Worse, I didn't fucking even know you were with my parents. I know this is not enough of an excuse and I have been a shitty girlfriend tonight. So I’m sorry, Hoseok. I’m deeply so so sorry. And right now, I’m trying to make up for my mistakes by telling you we should leave. Now. I cannot let any of them insult you more,” Y/N’s voice breaks and she raises her hand to wipe a tear that has cascaded down her cheeks, “I cannot, Hoseok, for so help me God, I will march over there and declare I want to denounce myself as a L/N.”

                Hoseok doesn’t reply. He just nods at her and looks down at his feet. Y/N gulps down the anxiety building up in her larynx as she leads the two of them to the car he rented. She opts for the driver’s seat and hits the gas. Within minutes, the two of them are enveloped by the silent nightscape, a stark contrast to the cacophony of pride in her house.

                “Hoseok,” the man turns to the sound of Y/N’s voice. “W-what else did my father say to you?”

                Hoseok starts to fumble with the loose thread of his navy suit jacket. “Do you…really want to hear it?”

                “Is it that bad?”

                “Well, I-your dad questioned my ability to provide for you in the future. Because of my major and aspirations and all.”

                Y/N turns to him, aghast, “What?! Why would he even say that? What, he started to forget women’s abilities to revert back to the traditional patriarchal views?! Fuck him!”

                “I knew you would say that,” Hoseok says, chuckling softly. Y/N faces him again, this time perplexed as to why he is laughing. Hoseok reads her look and he clears his throat.

                “When you told me I was being insulted in the party, I will admit I am offended. But, before that, during an earlier talk with your father, I was not the least bit upset.” Hoseok meets your eyes. “That time, I was scared. Immensely shit-scared.”

                “I should have come to you first, not my cousin–”

                “No, let me finish first.” Hoseok purses his lips. He then looks out of the car window, at the scarce stars on the sky. “I knew we are far apart from each other. It was obvious even before we got together. Hell, I do not even get the memes you send to me when we first started out as friends. Sometimes, I even get insecure that even if you are not really bestfriends with Namjoon, he seems to get everything you tell me you found at the lab. Just by listening to our conversations, he understands them all. So effortlessly at that. I even have to plead him to tutor me and dumb-translate the science-y things you tell me, while I dry my brains out trying to understand them. But when I talked with your father, tonight, how he reiterated your status and skills and their difference from mine…I have never been this scared in my life.   Scared that what he said will come true—that you will realize how someone like me can never truly understand you ‘til the long run. That you will get tired of slowing your pace down for me…That you will eventually find someone more compatible with you–who also has a much more stable future ahead of just an aspiring dancer.” Hoseok turns toY/N and he reaches out for her left hand, her free hand. He clasps them in his hands and looks up at her, “But, I swear Y/N, I promise I will do my best. Your father may not be convinced but I want you to know. That I will do my best for you, Y/N. I will learn more for you. I will understand you more. I will improve my reputation into a much more respectable one. Hell, I can quit dance if I have to.”

              Y/N gives Hoseok a pained look. “No, Hoseok, you will not quit dance. I do not want you to quit dance. It will be too unfair for you and I know you will regret it.”

              Hoseok sighs and shakes his head. “Yeah…that sounds easier said than done.”

              “You don’t have to do those things for me,” Y/N squeezes his hand, making him look back to her. “I actually enjoy helping you learn. I love that you goof off the way you want because when you do that, I am reminded people like you still exist today — people who are not afraid of being themselves. Because of that, you inspire me to live more. I also love that you put in the time learning the things I’m saying because it means you genuinely are interested about my thoughts and you are not afraid of women being smarter than you — something most guys fail at. But that’s because most of them are misogynistic, prideful men on their high horses. And, I know you’re not like that. Most of all, I love it when you dance. Because through it you freely express every bit of your emotion. Because, you’re transparent, Hoseok. You’re an open book and I like it the best because you don’t leave me hanging, confused, troubled, and worried about what you’re feeling, especially when you know I am already bad at reading emotions. You are my stable ground, Hoseok. You make me feel safe. And despite the bad fights we’ve been through, I know you’re always doing your best. How can we stay this long if not for you being the brighter one between us when it comes to communicating, knowing that splitting because of things that can be solved will only result in one hell of a horrible mistake?” Y/N turns to Hoseok and he looks at her with his mouth agape, eyes blown wide. She smiles at this. “You have to know you’re more than enough, Hoseok. Like you said,” her smile grows wider, “no one can tell us what we deserve or not but ourselves. And with this, I know and feel that I deserve you, Hoseok. And you, me. What do you say?”

              Hoseok’s response to that was not of a verbal one but a physical one—one that involved a feverish kiss on Y/N’s lips, and her jawline that led Y/N to park the car by the empty gasoline station. Feather-light kisses, desperate hands to grab each other as close as they can be to each other, Y/N indulges in Hoseok and him in her in a passionate love that burned so bright it rivals the sun. The only words that transpire during that fateful night was “I love you’s” and for Y/N and Hoseok, they are more than enough of an anchor of him to her and her to him as waves of obstacles come in your way.

              All of these moments with Y/N have accumulated into Hoseok’s most wonderful memories in his life. And he still replays them in his head as another year of being her lover passes. Of course, problems never failed to arise as they manage their relationship. But, the ones caused by the comments of everyone in the university have lessened as Y/N and Hoseok have now graduated. Hoseok has left the university after he graduated, while Y/N stayed in the university as she applied for a Master’s degree in civil engineering. 

             Y/N still lives in her dorm for the convenience of teaching in the campus and studying after work. Meanwhile, Hoseok lived in an apartment in the city, close to the prestigious dance studio he works at. Their schedules are most often than not, amiss, and the distance between them can be sometimes frustrating. However, what remains the biggest obstacle is everyone’s opinions about the two of them. Sure, they were not as restrictive as what the two of them have experienced in the university. But it didn’t mean it hurt less when people say how they never thought someone as fun as Hoseok will choose someone so boring like Y/N, or how Hoseok’s intellect was a down-grader for her respectable reputation, saying she has a tasteless choice in choosing partners. Although these problems may get a little overwhelming, the two of them never let them get in between their relationship. 

              Hence, Y/N and Hoseok are still madly in love like the first year they have started dating. So in love that Hoseok felt it is now the time to propose to Y/N. For anymore day without her officially bounded with him, when you already own every piece of his heart, is something Hoseok cannot take any longer. He wants Y/N to be his partner for the years to come, his significant other for forever, and the only person he wakes up to and sees last in his day and nights for the rest of his entire life. Hoseok knows this and he has never been surer in his life.

              This is the reason why Hoseok is where he is today: clad in an ugly Christmas sweater and mismatched socks, with a troubled look on his face. Hoseok may have only realized he wanted to marry Y/N in late November, but he was able to make an intricate proposal plan to execute before this year can end. Today is Y/N’s free day and he has classes that have ended early. Lucky for him, Jimin is free to take her out for some last-minute gift-shopping in the afternoon so Hoseok can have ample time to decorate Y/N’s dorm with hearts and diagrams of the hypothalamus (because “No, Hoseok, we do not say I love you from the deepest corner of my heart, but from the hypothalamus. We do not feel from the heart. It just pumps us blood”).  Hoseok will have the gifts he bought for Y/N delivered that very same day to complete his decorations (and to also spoil her even more). He will cook Y/N her favorite dishes and make her hot cocoa even though he very much likes eggnog more, just because she likes the sweet chocolate beverage. He even requested his orchestra friends Yoongi, Jinyoung, Seokjin, and Sandeul, to play Jingle Bell Rock (“in cursive”) on the far side of the hallway so when Jimin drops Y/N off, she can have her favorite Christmas song as her background music when she steps inside her room and gets surprised.

              That is why when his heart and hypothalamus decorations actually looked shit, the arrival of the gifts was delayed ‘til tomorrow, and the meals he cooked looked inedible—not to say the hot choco looked like a mess too and totally un-aesthetic—Hoseok finds himself frozen in his place next to Y/N’s Christmas tree, looking as if he was constipated for ten days. Worse, his girlfriend is already standing by her door frame, kicking the door close like it was just any other day. 

              Y/N hangs her coat on the hanger and puts her shopping bags on top of her wide cabinet. She nonchalantly glances at him, “Hoseok, what are you doing there?”

              Hoseok feels sweat run down his face in waterfalls. If Y/N is surprised he was standing stupidly next to her tree, she did not show it. But right now, Hoseok’s concern is her seeing the decorations he made chucked in a large paper bag he hid behind the tree at the last minute. Of course, it is poorly hidden. He plays with the collar of his sweater “I…um, I–”

              “Nevermind. I guess this is one of our spontaneous date nights you ironically always plan. You should inform me next time, you know, so I can prepare for you as well,” Y/N smiles at him. “Come sit with me.” She walks to the sofa by the Christmas tree and pats the seat next to her. Hoseok scrambles to sit beside her and tries not to look like the dumbest fool in the world. Y/N did not get surprised, the orchestra’s music is barely heard inside as the cold wind of early winter overrides it, and he looks totally shit. How can he propose to her now, huh? All of his plans are ruined!

              “Di-did you eat already?” Hoseok asks, hands sweaty on his sweatpants. “I made you your favorite.”

              “Umm…yeah,” Y/N bites her lip, guilty. “I was already hungry before Jimin and I can finish our shopping and I really felt a great need to devour some pizza today.” She reaches for her small satchel and produces a folded paper bag. “I saved some for you. We can eat it later while we watch Netflix.”

              “O-okay,” Hoseok nervously laughs. His eyes land on the pink mug on the dining table. He looks back at Y/N, “D-do you want to drink something? I made you hot cocoa.”

              “Ooh, I’ll drink it later. I just had a sweet choco milkshake before I got here,” Y/N bites her lips again in guilt. “I’m sorry, Hoseok, I didn’t know you prepared these stuff for me. If I had known sooner I would have never even stepped out of my dorm today.”

              “It’s okay,” Hoseok pulls a smile and he tries not to look a tad bit upset about the failure of his plans, because he knows Y/N will immediately recognize that look.

              And, he wasn’t wrong. “Why, Hobi?” Y/N cups his face to make him turn to her, “did I do something wrong?

              “No,” Hoseok looks away. “It’s just, my plans…didn’t work out today.”

              “What plans?”

              Hoseok immediately feels his ass on fire. Did he just almost give himself away? He cannot just blurt out he wants to marry her! He wanted it to be special and he cannot have that happen in just her dorm with his shitty-looking outfit and almost-burned food. He wants Y/N to remember this day and he ain’t taking the risk of letting any bad memories mess up his proposal. And so, Hoseok sighs and decides he has to abort the plan and schedule it some other day. He’s just gonna make an excuse for now. “Well, I just thought we can make this random Thursday special y’know? Keep up with the aim of my spontaneous dates–good surprises making life much better without needing a reason to be. So I just made some food and stuff for the fun of it. It’s just a normal day surprise.”

              “Oh, then I’m glad today is really spontaneous dates today. I may have…foiled your plans, but look, I happened to have a surprise for you!”

              Hoseok tilts his head, “What is it?”

              Y/N grins at him before turning around and fumbles for something in her bag. Then the next second, Justin Bieber’s Mistletoe is suddenly blaring loud from her phone.

              “Y/N, did you seriously just play Justin Bieber’s Mistletoe in speaker mode?”

              “Oh, don’t be an in-denial bitch. I know this is your favorite Christmas song. A good song has to create the aesthetic and mood for tonight,” Y/N chuckles, “Here, Hoseok, my present for you.” She hands him a box wrapped in a fancy green sparkling wrapper with a red bow tied around it. It was medium-sized, enough for one of his favorite KAWS models to fit inside.

              “Present?” Hoseok asks, feeling both joy and guilt respectively swell in his heart and pit in his stomach. Joy, because Y/N is to add another model to his growing collection. And guilt, because he didn’t bring her anything worth the same as her gift. But as he tears open the box, another fancy green box just stares back at him. He looks up at Y/N with squinted eyes. “I see what you did there, sneaky missy.”  She just chuckles at him and Hoseok continues to unbox her gift, only to have another box inside. Hoseok wonders what made Y/N think of doing this infamous wrapping technique for her gift when she wasn’t even that much into wrapping gifts. She always just give him gifts in standard wrapping paper, messily taped all over around. Moreover, what even is her gift and how small does it have to be? Because now, Hoseok’s hands are getting tired of unboxing box after box and the gift is now currently the size of a stress ball!

              “Y/N, can you just tell me your gift? I’m getting tired. I can open it tomorrow instead and we can just get straight to Netflix tonight.”

              “No, Hoseok,” Y/N laughs, patting his shoulders. “Keep unboxing.”

              Hoseok continues forth with the unboxing and his heart starts to sink to his stomach as the box got smaller and smaller. This is probably a prank. One to get back at him for telling Y/N last year he bought her her favorite gift for their monito event with Jimin, Taehyung, and Namjoon. Only for him to arrive with nothing but a bow on his head and shamelessly declare to everyone that he is her gift. Nothing must be inside this box to contain a gift so small. The box in his hand is now just the size of a small toy car!

              Hoseok sighs as he opens the box. Another green box will appear and then he’ll see the paper saying “Pranked you, Hobi!”

              But it does not.

              For the box on Hoseok’s hand right now, is gaping open to him right now. And all he sees is a sparkling, silver ring embellished with emeralds that seem to form waves around the base of the band. A fucking ring is sitting right on top of his hand.

              Hoseok gapes and just stares. Far too long that Y/N decides to break the silence. “Surprise! I bought you an engagement ring! With green emeralds just like your favorite color.” She grins at him as she holds Hoseok’s hands in hers, making him turn to her while he stays jaw ajar. 

              Y/N suddenly feels self-conscious and unconfident. This is not the reaction she is expecting. She starts to fear if she’ll spend the coming Holidays boyfriend-less. Just by looking at Hoseok’s stupified face, it looks everything is happening too fast and too sudden tonight for her boyfriend. Nevertheless, she says, “I-I know this may come off as a really big of a surprise. After all, this is an engagement ring and right now I am trying to propose to you. Barely, even. So, of course, this is definitely a shocker. Especially when we only just spent two years dating. Still too early for a proposal to come, as what others will usually expect,” Y/N’s voice breaks. 

              She wrings her hands together, her feet trembling beneath her, and yet, she couldn’t bring herself to stop. “But, Hoseok, in these two years I have spent with you…I learned what it felt like to be loved and be in love with you. We fight, yes. Healthily usual even. But, at the end of the day, everything still feels worth it. And I guess,” Y/N  smiles, “I cannot get enough of it. I cannot get enough of you. Being your girlfriend no longer satisfied me. I now want to be your wife. I want to be the only person you’ll stress over science just to impress. I want to be the person who’ll be your home. The one you will come home to, wake up to, and sleep next to every night, every single day. I want to be your partner-in-crime, especially when we have kids and we’ll play some game I never heard of but will still enjoy in the end just because you like it. But only if you want kids, hehe.” Y/N laughs awkwardly and scratches her nape. “Hoseok, I know I am clumsy in saying my feelings for you. Today is my first time saying everything so honest and raw like this so I know this may shock you. God, you don’t know how many times I practiced this speech in my office. Other professors must already be thinking I’m going crazy—anyway, what I only want to say is,” Y/N reaches for Hoseok’s hand and kisses it. “Hoseok, I want to stay by your side for the rest of my life.” When she looks up at him, she says, “And it will only happen if you’d also love to be by my side forever as well. So what do you say?”

              “W-what, I will say?” Hoseok repeats, still shaken. However, he’s so happy he cannot help the wide grin splitting on his face. “Yes, Y/N, I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Forever and ever and ever and ever.”

              “R-really?” Y/N’s releases a relieved sigh, fingers wiping the tears that have formed on her eyes. “T-Then, why did you look like as if you’re about to walk out on me when you opened the box?”

              Hoseok cups her face in his hands, wiping away the tears. “Because you remind me a lot of the Grinch. The only difference is in the end, his heart grows three sizes, but you stay an asshole.” Y/N scowls at this and hits his chest, hard. Hoseok coos at her as he hugs her tight and chuckles, “You’re an asshole because you headed out straight for my heart—hook, line, and sinker — and now I am completely blown away when I was supposed to be the first one to do so. Seriously, Y/N, I did not expect this to happen this way. Not when I also prepared a surprise for you tonight.” 

              Y/N’s brows raise in curiosity. Hoseok unzips his gym bag on the sofa and turns back to her, now with a red velvet box on his hands. 

              Hoseok pops open the box, a ring of the same design as the one she bought him stares back at her. But this one, instead of green emeralds, is embellished with blue emeralds, her favorite color.  Right then and there, Y/N wanted to cry.

              Hoseok rubs his nape. “I’m supposed to propose to you tonight as well. But you beat me right to it and now I forgot my speech.”

              Y/N chuckles at that as she wipes away the tears that have formed yet again on her eyes. Hoseok smiles as he squeezes her hand. “But, that doesn’t mean I’ll skip on this once-in-a-lifetime’s opportunity to propose to you,” Hoseok looks at her, “Y/N, I love you. And I know forever can be a heavy word and sometimes love cannot solve every problem that may come our way. But Y/N, what I said two years ago hasn’t changed. I will try my best. For you, I will. And we may be young but I know you and I are capable to make us work for as long as time can let us. Because you are Y/N, and I’m Hoseok. People may be against us but we know with each other, we are the best we can ever be. We deserve each other. We need each other. But most of all, we love each other. That’s all we need. Me and you. You and me.” After he breathes out, Hoseok cups Y/N’s cheeks and she leans forward and interlocks their lips in a soft kiss. 

              Y/N grabs onto Hoseok’s ugly green sweater and deepens the kiss, letting her mouth do the talking for her and him. For no words can be enough to express everything that is settling in their hearts tonight — euphoric bliss, the sweet feeling of triumph. Although Y/N can feel a tinge of the uncertainty of what may come to the two of them in the future grappling on her nerves, there resides in her heart the greater courage that despite the unpredictability of life, Y/N knows she can manage it with the constant she now has by her side — Hoseok. And for him, her. Because, Y/N is certain this is the most right decision she has ever made in her life: loving him. And, Hoseok proves it is the same for him as when the kiss comes into a close, he whispers on her lips, “Guess the déjà vu tonight is really working at its best. Fate really wanted us to be together.”

              Y/N grins at him, her forehead bumping into his, “And where’s your proof, future Mr. Y/N L/N?”

              Hoseok presses a kiss on Y/N’s forehead, on her cheeks, on her nose, then at the corner of her ear. He whispers, “Look outside.”

              And there outside, white droplets fall from the sky, lighting up the near-black horizon while frosting up the window panes. It is the first snow. Y/N smiles. What Hoseok said to her when she reciprocated his love confession doesn’t seem so preposterous now. It seems like fate really tied the two of them up together as she first met and started dating Hoseok when the first snow fell. There’s a saying that whoever you’re with during the first snow, you will be with that person for a long time. Y/N and Hoseok have already been living proof of that for being together in three years—friendship plus dating days combined — amidst whatever people say against them two. 

              And Y/N hopes, that as she and Hoseok promise forever to each other tonight, the saying will come true. Because she wants the two of them to be together for a very, very, very long time.  After all, Hoseok is right. She is  Y/N and he is Hoseok and together, they are the best they can ever be, titles and achievements be damned. The weather may be cold during these pinnacle moments of her and his relationship but their hearts are warm and cozy, and there is nothing more Y/N could ask for.

Epilogue:

“You know, Y/N, my original proposal was beautiful, I’m sure I’ll have you bawling tonight.”

Y/N gives him a look and Hoseok laughs, “Good thing they’re gone now. D’you know I actually wrote my entire proposal in my hands? They just got erased because my hands have become so sweaty when I chucked away the decorations I made for you.”

“What decorations?”

Hoseok pulls on the collar of his sweater, “Cut-outs of hearts and hypothalamus?”

“R-really? You remembered what I said to you three years ago?”

“Of course, babe,”Hoseok smiles, “It’s you. How can I forget that? But they’re not available anymore as I already threw them away. They looked like shit.”

“Where did you throw them?”

“In a paper bag….by your Christmas tree–hey, why are you picking it up?”

Y/N turns towards him, smiling, her hands gently holding the crushed hearts and hypothalamus cut-outs. “Because you made it for me, Hoseok. Of course they hold value to me. It’s you.”

“You’re really a Grinch, you know? You’re making me cry with your sweetness and beauty when I should be jumping up and down with joy right now.”

“….Do you always have to be cheesy like this?”

“Only for you, babe. And get used to it. You have a forever to experience this one-in-a-million love from the one and only Jung Hoseok.”

A/N pt. 2 | Hi hons! Sorry my Christmas gift for you all was late! My requirement deadlines in uni ended up until Dec. 16 and so for the majority of December, I was solely focused on uni stuff. I tried limiting myself from using page breakers in this fic, a challenge I put on myself to train my skills again in doing transitions in my writing. This story is inspired by the rivalry of science and art majors in our uni in my first year! Also! I hoped you guys appreciate my take on @kwritersworld’s prompt. I want to incorporate it in a very unexpected way, while at the same time, reflects my character in a way I‘ve never done before. OC here is a bit grumpy and lacks social skills to be friendly so I interpreted her as an everyday-Grinch hehe). Lastly, @bts-poetry, I really enjoyed doing mini Q&As with you! I hope you like this gift and I also hope we can talk more in the future!

All Rights Reserved 2019 © Vanaera. Reposts, modifications, and translations of content are not allowed without direct permission.

[sifeng]

Hello there!! All of your posts on this blog are so helpful, I've just gotten into CDramas and these lists are great! I was wondering if you could recommend more of the kinds of dramas I've been enjoying? So far I've watched Untamed, Guardian, and The Lost Tomb. Can you tell me if there are any more series with a lot of fun and adventure and some really sincere relationships/bromances built on mutual respect and admiration? thank you!

Thank you so much! If you like these sorts of BL dramas then I recommend Winter Begonia (鬓边不是海棠红) which talks of Beijing opera during the republican period. Though it isn’t really an “adventure” story, it is a wonderfully made show featuring complicated characters and relationships. I’d also recommend My Roommate is a Detective (民国奇探) which is a mystery drama in which the main character helps a police officer solve all sorts of mysteries. Lastly I’d recommend Ancient Detective (侠探简不如) which is a mystery guzhuang drama that also features wuxia and bromance aspects. 

If you liked the Lost Tomb I would recommend the Candle in the Tomb (鬼吹灯) series which is very similar to the Lost Tomb in the respect that is based on tomb raiding. I watched a bit of the first show in the series and the CGI and sets are great! There is also a great and long friendship between the two main characters, Hu Bayi and Wu Pangzi. Another “supernatural” drama that I’d recommend is Wuxin: The Monster Killer (无心法师) which is another republic drama about an immortal being whose blood can kill demons. The main character’s friendships and romances were both written so well, and the chemistry is so good! I’ve never watched Eagles and Youngster (天坑鹰猎), but it has really good ratings and also my favorite scriptwriter wrote the story. It also has some tomb raiding aspects to it. 

I’d also recommend another drama I really enjoyed, Ever Night (将夜) which is a wonderfully made and acted series about a young boy who goes on all sorts of adventures. It’s a sort of wuxia/xianxia drama, so if you liked The Untamed, I think Ever Night would totally be up your ally. Another wuxia drama I’d recommend is Legend of the Condor Heroes (射雕英雄传) which is about a young man named Guo Jing who wishes to seek revenge for his parents, while meeting all sorts of high masters and enemies. However, if you don’t like slightly stupid male leads than perhaps this drama is not for you. The female lead is really smart, but the male lead is a lovable idiot with a pure heart. 

My last recommendation is Young Blood (大宋少年志) if you can find it. It’s such an amazing drama with a beautiful friendship between the six main characters. What’s even better is you get to see how step by step they go from strangers to best friends. It talks about six people from different backgrounds becoming spies that help the Song Dynasty. Not only does it feature a good friendship, but the plot is extremely complicated and interesting, you never feel bored for a second!

[finding-fallen-stars]

Bitch could you make your askbox any harder to find smh. Since I know he's your favorite, do Yugi from Duel Monsters for the ask meme

Well I’m sorry, I wanted to maintain my Aesthetique~

But ahhhh my son... I do love him. 

Why I like them/why I don’t

What’s not to love? He’s a good boy with a lot of love and willpower in his heart, and while I just generally find him endearing and lovable, I appreciate the fact that he adheres to his belief in others and never loses sight of his compassion and love for games-- he never once becomes bitter or jaded after all of the things he goes through, despite the loss and danger he has to deal with. He’s just... good. Although it drives me crazy that the DM anime never really allows him much time to shine :/

What I like about their appearance

Honestly, there’s not much I dislike at all! His hair drives me crazy when it comes to sketching him but honestly I think there are more insane styles across the series by now. But to pick something specific, I love his eyes-- he has such friendly eyes (and I love that they’re purple. Best color in all regards)

Do I prefer their dub names or original names?

Yugi’s name stays the same in either language (although they pronounce his surname differently in the dub, so I guess I just prefer his original name pronunciation: Mutou over Moto [even though they spell it Muto, still???])

OTP

It’s a tie between puzzleshipping (Yugi/Atem) and wishshipping (Yugi/Joey) for me! I really do wish the anime had explored the dynamic between the former two a little more (instead of, y’know, shelving Yugi for Atem 90% of the time), but there’s a sincere sense of love and trust there and I adore it. When it comes to Yugi and Joey/Jounouchi... again, they’re just so wholesome and good and you can tell so easily how much they genuinely cared about one another.

NOTP

I’m very much not a big fan of peachshipping. I’m not Anzu’s biggest fan to start, but there was just. Never any real chemistry there and it’s just not my thing.

OT3

I guess if I had to pick one, it’d be Yugi/Joey/Atem, lmao. Take all the wholesomeness of the two individual pairings and then put them together. 13/10

Favourite card they use

Is it cheating if I pick one he used in DSOD? Because if not, then it’s Apple Magician Girl. I’m building a Magician Girl deck at the moment and I just love her design (not to mention that her effect is pretty useful!) 

If this is in fact cheating, then... Silent Magician! I just love her aesthetic a lot. The blues and whites and silvers...

Favourite moment they were in

I really do love the pier duel during the Battle City arc. It’s one of those rare times in the anime where Yugi’s allowed to just be Yugi instead of Atem stepping in to duel in his place, and his selfless nature shines through the whole time as he prioritizes his best friend’s life over victory (which is kind of a rare sentiment in Yugioh sometimes, lmao). 

Least favourite moment

When Yugi holds the idiot ball in the very beginning of the Battle City arc and just. gives Bandit Keith the Millennium Puzzle after he’d just been talking about keeping it out of the wrong hands. I don’t blame Yugi for this at all, I blame the writing, but either way I just sigh every time I think about it.

Would I fuck, marry or kill them

I refuse to ever kill Yugi, but this is where my sexuality gets in the way lmao. I’ll say marry if we disregard me being a lesbian.

[randomestfandoms-ocs]

Get To Know: Aurélia Agreste ✤ Draconis

(sections were compiled from various tag games that I've done over the years)

POSITIVES

adaptable ⋆ active ⋆ adventurous ⋆ agreeable ⋆ alert ⋆ articulate ⋆ athletic ⋆ aspiring ⋆ attractive ⋆ affectionate ⋆ ambitious ⋆ amicable ⋆ affable ⋆ analytical ⋆ approachable ⋆ brave ⋆ bright ⋆ bold ⋆ balanced ⋆ benevolent ⋆ calm ⋆ capable ⋆ casual ⋆ caring ⋆ captivating ⋆ cautious ⋆ charming ⋆ charismatic ⋆ cheerful ⋆ clever ⋆ compassionate ⋆ conciliatory ⋆ carefree ⋆ confident ⋆ creative ⋆ cooperative ⋆ considerate ⋆ conscientious ⋆ complementative ⋆ curious ⋆ competitive ⋆ daring ⋆ decisive ⋆ dedicated ⋆ diligent ⋆ dignified ⋆ discreet ⋆ driven ⋆ dramatic ⋆ dutiful ⋆ dynamic ⋆ diplomatic ⋆ disciplined ⋆ determined ⋆ dependable ⋆ easy-going ⋆ efficient ⋆ empathetic ⋆ enthusiastic ⋆ extroverted ⋆ enigmatic ⋆ elegant ⋆ eloquent ⋆ energetic ⋆ exuberant ⋆ educated ⋆ esthetic ⋆ fair ⋆ faithful ⋆ farsighted ⋆ firm ⋆ flexible ⋆ forceful ⋆ flamboyant ⋆ friendly ⋆ flirtatious ⋆ focused ⋆ funny ⋆ fearless ⋆ gallant ⋆ generous ⋆ gentle ⋆ genuine ⋆ good-natured ⋆ gracious ⋆ gregarious ⋆ hard-working ⋆ helpful ⋆ heroic ⋆ humorous ⋆ honest ⋆ honourable ⋆ humble ⋆ idealistic ⋆ impartial ⋆ imaginative ⋆ independent ⋆ intelligent ⋆ introverted ⋆ innovative ⋆ inventive ⋆ intellectual ⋆ inoffensive ⋆ insightful ⋆ intuitive ⋆ invulnerable ⋆ incorruptible ⋆ intense ⋆ incisive ⋆ just ⋆ kind ⋆ loyal ⋆ leaderly ⋆ logical ⋆ lovable ⋆ loving ⋆ liberal ⋆ mature ⋆ merciful ⋆ moderate ⋆ modest ⋆ magnanimous ⋆ meticulous ⋆ neat ⋆ nurturing ⋆ outspoken ⋆ obedient ⋆ observant ⋆ optimistic ⋆ objective ⋆ opinionated ⋆ open ⋆ orderly ⋆ organized ⋆ original ⋆ passionate ⋆ patient ⋆ perceptive ⋆ persistent ⋆ persuasive ⋆ peaceful ⋆ philosophical ⋆ playful ⋆ protective ⋆ practical ⋆ placid ⋆ plucky ⋆ polished ⋆ popular ⋆ prudent ⋆ punctual ⋆ purposeful ⋆ rational ⋆ realistic ⋆ reflective ⋆ relaxed ⋆ reliable ⋆ resourceful ⋆ respectful ⋆ reverential ⋆ romantic ⋆  responsible ⋆ sensible ⋆ sentimental ⋆ socially aware ⋆ sophisticated ⋆ solid ⋆ spiritual ⋆ spontaneous ⋆ spunky ⋆ studious ⋆ supportive ⋆ selfless ⋆ self-reliant ⋆ self-denying ⋆ self-sufficient ⋆ self-confident ⋆ self-disciplined ⋆ straightforward ⋆ sincere ⋆ serious ⋆ skillful ⋆ stable ⋆ sociable ⋆ stoic ⋆ sympathetic ⋆ systematic ⋆ tasteful ⋆ talented ⋆ tolerant ⋆ trusting ⋆ thorough ⋆ teacherly ⋆ tidy ⋆ thoughtful ⋆ tough ⋆ understanding ⋆ unassuming ⋆ unfoolable ⋆ upright ⋆ uncomplaining ⋆ unselfish ⋆ versatile ⋆ venturesome ⋆ vivacious ⋆ warm ⋆ well-read ⋆ well-rounded ⋆ willing ⋆ wise ⋆ witty

FLAWS

absent-minded ⋆ abusive ⋆ addict ⋆ aggressive ⋆ aimless ⋆ alcoholic ⋆ anxious ⋆ arrogant ⋆ audacious ⋆ bad liar ⋆ bigmouth ⋆ bigot ⋆ blindly obedient ⋆ blunt ⋆ callous ⋆ childish ⋆ chronic heroism ⋆ clingy ⋆ clumsy ⋆ cocky ⋆ competitive ⋆ corrupt ⋆ cowardly ⋆ cruel ⋆ cynical ⋆ delinquent ⋆ delusional ⋆ dependent ⋆ depressed ⋆ deranged ⋆ disloyal ⋆ ditzy ⋆ egotistical ⋆ envious ⋆ erratic ⋆ fickle ⋆ finicky ⋆ flaky ⋆ frail ⋆ fraudulent ⋆ guilt complex ⋆ gloomy ⋆ gluttonous ⋆ gossiper ⋆ gruff ⋆ gullible ⋆ hedonistic ⋆ humorless ⋆ hypochondriac ⋆ hypocritical ⋆ idealist ⋆ idiotic ⋆ ignorant ⋆ immature ⋆ impatient ⋆ incompetent ⋆ indecisive ⋆ insecure ⋆ insensitive ⋆ lazy ⋆ lewd ⋆ liar ⋆ lustful ⋆ manipulative ⋆ masochistic ⋆ meddlesome ⋆ melodramatic ⋆ money-loving ⋆ moody ⋆ naïve ⋆ nervous ⋆ nosy ⋆ ornery ⋆ overprotective ⋆ overly sensitive ⋆ paranoid ⋆ passive-aggressive ⋆ perfectionist ⋆ pessimist ⋆ petty ⋆ power-hungry ⋆ proud ⋆ pushover ⋆ reckless ⋆ reclusive ⋆ remorseless ⋆ rigorous ⋆ sadistic ⋆ sarcastic ⋆ senile ⋆ selfish ⋆ self-martyr ⋆ shallow ⋆ sociopathic ⋆ sore loser ⋆ spineless ⋆ spiteful ⋆ spoiled ⋆ stubborn ⋆ tactless ⋆ temperamental ⋆ timid ⋆ tone-deaf ⋆ traitorous ⋆ unathletic ⋆ ungracious ⋆ unlucky ⋆ unsophisticated ⋆ untrustworthy ⋆ vain ⋆ withdrawn ⋆ workaholic

SKILLS

bake a cake from scratch ⋆ ride a horse ⋆ drive a submarine ⋆ speak a second language ⋆ dance ⋆ catch a fish ⋆ play an instrument ⋆ throw a punch ⋆ build a deck ⋆ ice skate ⋆ program a computer ⋆ change a flat tire ⋆ fire a gun ⋆ sew ⋆ juggle ⋆ play poker ⋆ paint ⋆ fly a kite ⋆ sculpt ⋆ write poetry ⋆ change a diaper ⋆ sing ⋆ shoot a bow and arrow ⋆ ride a bike ⋆ swim ⋆ sail a boat ⋆ do a backflip ⋆ play chess ⋆ give CPR ⋆ pitch a tent ⋆ flirt ⋆ stitch a wound ⋆ read palms ⋆ use chopsticks ⋆ write in cursive/calligraphy ⋆ use an electric drill ⋆ braid hair ⋆ make a campfire ⋆ make a mixed drink ⋆ do sudoku puzzles ⋆ wrap a gift ⋆ give a good massage ⋆ jump-start a  car ⋆ roll their tongue ⋆ magic tricks ⋆ yoga ⋆ tie a tie ⋆ skip a rock ⋆ shuffle a deck of cards ⋆ read Morse code ⋆ pick a lock 

FEARS

the dark ⋆ fire ⋆ open water ⋆ deep water ⋆ being alone ⋆ crowded spaces ⋆ confined spaces ⋆ change ⋆ failure ⋆ war ⋆ loss of control ⋆ powerlessness ⋆ prison ⋆ blood ⋆ drowning ⋆ suffocation ⋆ public speaking ⋆ natural animals ⋆ the supernatural ⋆ heights ⋆ death ⋆ dying ⋆ intimacy ⋆ rejection ⋆ abandonment ⋆ loss ⋆ the unknown ⋆ the future ⋆ not being good enough ⋆ scary stories ⋆ speaking to new people ⋆ poverty ⋆ loud noises ⋆ being touched ⋆ forgetting ⋆ being forgotten

LOVE LANGUAGES: SHOWING

ACTS OF SERVICE ~ dishes ⋆ laundry ⋆ change the bedding ⋆ put gas in the car ⋆ clean the car ⋆ pack ⋆ cook a meal ⋆ feed/walk the dog ⋆ pay the bills ⋆ mop ⋆ sweep ⋆ organise ⋆ “let me do this for you” ⋆ take the kids to school ⋆ call the plumber ⋆ grocery shop ⋆ doing chores together RECEIVING GIFTS ~ trading presents ⋆ thoughtful presents ⋆ surprises ⋆ buying dinner ⋆ big presents ⋆ small presents ⋆ handmade presents ⋆ expensive gifts ⋆ time-consuming presents ⋆ humorous presents ⋆ holiday/anniversary presents ⋆ edible treats ⋆ tokens ⋆ “I saw this and thought of you” QUALITY TIME ~ communication ⋆ direct eye contact ⋆ dates ⋆ vacations ⋆ car rides ⋆ shared hobby ⋆ “let’s do something together” ⋆ walks in the park ⋆ sitting in comfortable silence ⋆ solving a problem together ⋆ discovering shared interests ⋆ making an effort to spend time together WORDS OF AFFIRMATION ~ “I love you” ⋆ pet names ⋆ nicknames ⋆ compliments ⋆ hidden meanings ⋆ private jokes ⋆ “I’m so proud of you” ⋆ public acknowledgement of the relationship ⋆ “You are really good at (blank)” ⋆ “You look nice today” ⋆ “I like your (physical description)” ⋆ “I like the way you (do something)” ⋆ open/honest communication ⋆ handwritten notes/texts ⋆ encouragement/support PHYSICAL TOUCH ~ hugs ⋆ surprise/from behind hugs ⋆ hair touches ⋆ shoulder brushes ⋆ petting ⋆ polite PDA ⋆ graphic/mature PDA ⋆ hand holding ⋆ sitting on each other’s lap ⋆ sharing a single chair ⋆ sitting very closely together on the couch ⋆ cuddling ⋆ shaking hands ⋆ nose kisses ⋆ forehead touches ⋆ face/neck touches ⋆ sharing a blanket ⋆ sharing body heat ⋆ face/neck kisses

LOVE LANGUAGES: RECEIVING

ACTS OF SERVICE ~ dishes ⋆ laundry ⋆ change the bedding ⋆ put gas in the car ⋆ clean the car ⋆ pack ⋆ cook a meal ⋆ feed/walk the dog ⋆ pay the bills ⋆ mop ⋆ sweep ⋆ organise ⋆ “let me do this for you” ⋆ take the kids to school ⋆ call the plumber ⋆ grocery shop ⋆ doing chores together RECEIVING GIFTS ~ trading presents ⋆ thoughtful presents ⋆ surprises ⋆ buying dinner ⋆ big presents ⋆ small presents ⋆ handmade presents ⋆ expensive gifts ⋆ time-consuming presents ⋆ humorous presents ⋆ holiday/anniversary presents ⋆ edible treats ⋆ tokens ⋆ “I saw this and thought of you” QUALITY TIME ~ communication ⋆ direct eye contact ⋆ dates ⋆ vacations ⋆ car rides ⋆ shared hobby ⋆ “let’s do something together” ⋆ walks in the park ⋆ sitting in comfortable silence ⋆ solving a problem together ⋆ discovering shared interests ⋆ making an effort to spend time together WORDS OF AFFIRMATION ~ “I love you” ⋆ pet names ⋆ nicknames ⋆ compliments ⋆ hidden meanings ⋆ private jokes ⋆ “I’m so proud of you” ⋆ public acknowledgement of the relationship ⋆ “You are really good at (blank)” ⋆ “You look nice today” ⋆ “I like your (physical description)” ⋆ “I like the way you (do something)” ⋆ open/honest communication | handwritten notes/texts ⋆ encouragement/support PHYSICAL TOUCH ~ hugs ⋆ surprise/from behind hugs ⋆ hair touches ⋆ shoulder brushes ⋆ petting ⋆ polite PDA ⋆ graphic/mature PDA ⋆ hand holding ⋆ sitting on each other’s lap ⋆ sharing a single chair ⋆ sitting very closely together on the couch ⋆ cuddling ⋆ shaking hands ⋆ nose kisses ⋆ forehead touches ⋆ face/neck touches ⋆ sharing a blanket ⋆ sharing body heat ⋆ face/neck kisses