#certain aspects were almost too corny

[punch-love]

Hello! I have a question. Any tips on how to write dialogue? Like an actual conversation that flows together well and doesn’t feel dry/robotic sounding??

A conversation is a meeting of personalities. It's two or more different (or similar, depending) people interacting verbally, and it's important that written conversations convey this aspect. I notice a lot of dry/robotic dialogue reads that way because conversation is treated as a vehicle for information or a scripted exchange. It's important that if you were to take out all the prose and just kept the dialogue, that your readers would be able to tell who is talking.

I would also take note of the way you talk to your friends, the way your friends talk to their parents, the way you talk to strangers. Conversations are by nature, imperfect. A trap a lot of authors fall into is creating "perfect" conversations where information is clearly laid out, emotions are earnestly expressed, and no one ever trips over their words. That's not how people talk!

I'm someone who likes to talk to people, and I especially like to make people laugh. Because of this, I think I pay extra attention to how I'm communicating vs. how I'm being received. Not everyone is like this, of course. There are a lot of people who communicate without thinking, or don't care how people will react to their words. It's important to know what type of person is speaking and how much they're considering their words vs. speaking on impulse. It will create two very different approaches to conversation.

I also love placing limitations on certain characters. For instance, there's a character I write who I will almost never have them say "I love you". What do they say instead? How do they express the sentiment? Take a scene and decide, "this character can't say what they need to say - how do they communicate it instead?" Most people are liars, by nature and societal expectation. We rarely say what we mean and - when someone does, we often find the experience off-putting to the social script. Keep that in mind. If your character is honest, have people who aren't react poorly to him and vice versa. It really is about paying attention to how you speak/how others speak, and how you/others respond to that.

Also, read your dialogue out loud and try to convey emotional inflection when you do, and figure out if that same emotion is conveyed within the text. If your dialogue feels corny and stilted out loud, it probably does on paper too.

I think dialogue is my favorite part of any given written piece and it also will make or break your work, truly. If a written work has bad dialogue, I can tell within the first sentence because I know how people talk and if a writer can't write someone talking, then I don't trust them to write anything else.

Take note of your favorite pieces of fiction: what do you like about the dialogue? how do you verbalize it within your head? is it the language? the flow? the contrast between characters?

Learning to write anything is a combination of observing and imitating. Sit down at a crowded café and eavesdrop on conversation. Watch your favorite TV show and notice when you stop seeing the character's as actors and start seeing them as people (or, watch a bad TV show and notice why you can't ever seem to take the characters seriously) Have a friend read over your work and tell you, honestly, if the dialogue worked in their head and be open to critique and suggestion on how to do it better. Good luck!

[d15gu571ng]

do you actually like family guy or is it just 4 the meme? im dying 2 know

Thanks for the question anon!

This is hard to put into words because while I do genuinely like the show, I like it for more than what it is on the surface. Its not that I relate to the characters on a deep emotional level but more or so of how it slowly grew on me and changed the way I thought of how I interact with media and the people who consume it.

When I first saw the show I was an 11 year old kid who "liked" almost anything, as long as it was 'entertaining' for me. Mind you I didn't actually understand what was going on, nor did I even react to alot of the scenes in any way I just... watched it to watch it. I mean, it beats the shitty infomercials and corny live action sitcoms that were on at the time.

When I formed an actual opinion on the show it was a deep, deep hatred. I saw the show as objectively lazy, cheap, mean-spirited and just downright obnoxious at times with its themes and writing. And I'll admit it, it's true.

Family guy is not an amazing show. A lot of it's characters, which used to be charming and fun to watch became flanderized distorted versions of themselves due to the passage of time. It's writing has moments where it can be downright cringe inducing, especially with some of the jokes. The themes of certain episodes are so ridiculously problematic that it made even ME feel uncomfortable on occasion. The animation is quite often cheap and stiff and don't even get me started on the modernized design of the show itself...

I can completely understand why somebody would say it was downright garbage.

But my dad LOVED that show

He would continuously talk about how funny he found Peter and his family, recount episodes by memory and even show me his favorite clips of the show and would laugh and laugh at the occasionally shitty punchlines. He loved this stupid bad show so much that for almost every birthday he'd ask me to draw Peter Griffin for him..

I hated that shit.

I would rant to him about how shitty the show was and that it was incredibly problematic that he liked it. And most of the time he'd simply reply, "Well I think it's funny!"

And I'd give a snarky retort on how it was stupid that he did.

Needless to say we didn't talk much about what we liked to one another.

And as more and more life stuff happened we became more distant and hostile until finally I was out of the house for college.

I didn't really reach out to him often and I rarely ever called.

And that was that at the time.

Until I watched dog bites bear.

Now to preface this, it was by complete accident. All my favorite video essayists has no more videos to watch, and I would rather tear my own eyes out than listen to another reddit "Am I the asshole for killing my entire family" type post. So without anything better to do, I let it play out. And to say I was shocked at how good stewie and brian's plotline was had me shocked. For a good while, I was obsessed with this episode, and I became even MORE shocked when I realized that there were MULTIPLE episodes with this amount genuine-ness to it.

As I began to binge through more and more episodes of this... fucking stupid show I hated at the time, I started to see aspects of it that I missed out on.

The original music and dance sequences ranged from alright to downright impressive! And it doesn't help that I'm a sucker for musicals and showtunes. Some of the fight scenes being actually, pretty well choregraphed. Yes, the camera angles are flat and uninspired at times, I do like how creative they can be. Some of the plotlines in many episodes have actually REALLY GOOD STORY BEATS AND SCENES TO IT. Like for example, when Peter and Lois reunite in Meet the Quagmires, or every moment of Peter and Brian's relationship in New Kidney in Town and Forget Me Not, Brain and Stewie's EVERYTHING (And the episode too). AND THESE WEREN'T EVEN THE FIRST 3 SEASONS.

I could honestly go on and on about the things I enjoyed in this show and it kinda made me realize alot about how I treated this show and the people who liked it. I genuinely thought I was better than them JUST BECAUSE THEY LIKED THIS "OBJECTIVELY BAD" PEICE OF MEDIA and I would constantly put people down just for liking the things that I considered to be bad. So, when I binged this show and CONSIOUSLY HAD A GOOD TIME WATCHING ALOT OF THE EPISODES? It made me realize that...

I was such a pretentious fucking dick as a kid lol

When I finished binging through around... what... a good 2-3 hours of family guy, my dad called me

And rather than ignoring it like I usually did I actually picked up... It was a little awkward at first, at least from my end... but I don't think my dad even noticed my stiffness. He was just happy to hear my voice after so long, asking how I was doing and how was school and all that... and I'd answer my usual "It was fine." But, what really started a conversation between us was me asking him what his personal favorite episode of Family Guy was, just out of pure curiosity. And the way I could hear his voice light up as he gushed about all his favorite moments...? Christ man...

As stupid as "Family Guy helped me rebuild my connection with my father" SOUNDS, it's really what happened. We ended up spending alot more time together, talking about things we liked and disliked and realized that... we were alot similar than either of us expected. And not only that it really helped me see both the good and the bad in media and that it was ok to enjoy things that everyone else enjoyed, even if the bad outweighs the good.

I understand that the great aspects of family don't represent the show as a whole... but there's a reason other than capitalistic corporatism of why this show just doesn't ever fucking end. Because there's people there that care about this show and these stupid shitty goofy ass characters, both the fans and the people who work on it.

Idk... this was an unnecessarily personal and sentimental stupid rant about something that I grew to love. Really I could've just answered with a simple "yes" and chad Peter png I stole off of google.

But I really do love this show because it helped me appreciate the one person in my life who stuck with me the best he could despite the tragedy after tragedy that happened to him, how shittily and harsh;y I treated him fur to my own fears and traumas, and how far he sunk down into dark... dark places...

Even after all that he's still giving it his all to the people he loves.

And I love him for that.

Sorry for how insane and incomprehensible this ENTIRE diatribe is. I just wanted to gush about how this show made me grow and change as a person and love my family

have a shitty Peter, thanks for the question ^^

[thoughtfulsidghu]

l would normally begin with a very unique and corny statement, but I decided to stick to the topic. I have changed. Naturally and eventually.

I like staying quiet. Perhaps because I am an overthinker, even if l don’t look like one. And I don’t know if people tend to see everything around them but I observe too much. Or maybe too little.

I believe there is some hypocrisy in us. In our personalities and attitudes, even if we deny it. A lot of times, you’ll find yourself comparing a person who did something unbecoming or inconvenient, to you. You will think that you could have done the same thing in a better way and provided an easier solution. I often find myself doing this. No matter how much I preach about equality and feminism quotes on Pinterest, I still become rude or hypocritical at times. I think to myself – ‘Try better next time. Don’t judge them, it’s just what they could think of.’ The next time, however, I end up iterating the cycle.

My point is, there will always be hypocrisy in you – to some extent. If we were all equal and fair, no one would be equal and fair. Human nature compels you to find flaws in every possible aspect of your life. To be perfectly candid, there is nothing much you can do but simply let it be. Because at times, not everything needs to be positive.

I am surrounded by a lot of people. Like my teachers and peers and family. My schoolmates, for instance, have been around me for several years and I know them quite well. When we were in middle school, I used to have a presumption about almost everyone I knew. I was stubborn that this girl was nosy and that that boy was rude. Later on, there was a long pause and we were not around each other. But, a lot of those presumptions stayed with me; even when I grew older, made new friends and forgot others. When we got back, I was pleasantly surprised. Not just on seeing everyone’s physical appearances but also the moments when I got to interact with them.

I came to the conclusion that I observe too much. Because that one month was quite a reset. All of them had forgotten – or moved on from the fact that – we had had arguments or even significant fights. I spoke to a lot of people for the very first time; even if they had been right there for a decade!

It dawned on me that people can be good and they can change for their own good. It was just me who matured earlier and felt that others would remain the same while I would go on to become an adult. How strangely the mind works!

I now jump onto a new trend. Imperfection is the new perfection. (My friends would definitely call me a hypocrite on this one because I can get fussy about trivial things.) Earlier, communities used to be married to the idea of perfection. The perfect family or the perfect child or the perfect behaviour. Now, we don’t do perfectly. We do imperfectly. (That’s quite a hip thing to say, I must admit.) Why? I’ll just guess, my imperfect answer.

Society took perfection to ungodly heights, in my opinion. Everything had to be in a certain way. It was like that psychology - the more you suppress an emotion or put barriers over things, the more you long for them, and the more inquisitive you become. I am not saying those times were bad, but that nature hung in the air. Opinions weren’t popular, per se. There was definitely some external influence, but I don’t know what changed at that time. I suppose we found flaws in the status quo and disrupted it.

And today, I believe that the reason why imperfection is so powerful is that we want to portray ourselves in the most humane way. It’s like an overly emphasized justification for our mistakes by making those mistakes. Again, if we were all perfect no one would be perfect and again your human nature will do this reverse psychology trick and find flaws and that whole picture in understanding is mind-blowing.

To conclude my very long thoughts, I would say that I would not at all prefer to put lines like - ‘Let’s be positive about everything and hope for the best.’

follow, share and comment for more thoughtful stuff!

Thank you for reading :)

[legosandanarmyman]

What I loved about ScoobyNatural…

Ok- it was corny but I did really like pretty much the whole episode. It was funny and dark and the best of both worlds.   

The stuffed dinosaur fight?!?

The Dean Cave/ fortress of Dean-a-tude

Drag racing Baby vs the Mystery Machine-- and Baby losing.

Dean loving his nightgown- “wrapped in hugs”

Velma’s crush on Sam

The Scooby theme!!

That whole classic Scooby running montage

Scrappy do appearance!

Cas saving Shaggy and Scooby- using his trench as a parachute?!?

Cas learning to appreciate Shaggy and Scooby and his little good-bye speech to them.

The fact that at the beginning, the Scooby gang was just kinda ehh about the murders and didn’t freak out until Sam and Dean told them about the Supernatural. 

                                                      QUOTES

Dean: Be like Elsa...Let it go.

Sam: We need to be figuring a way out of here and instead you’re hanging out with marmaduke! Dean: *gasps* How DARE you

Dean: You want to pull that stick out of your...nether regions?

Dean: Look how big my mouth is!

Dean: Sometimes it’s about the journey, not the destination.

Sam: Are you wearing a nightgown? Dean: It’s called a sleep gown.  

Velma: Jinkies! Daphne: Jeepers! Shaggy: Zoinks! Scooby: Ruh Roh! Dean: Son of a Bitch!

Cas: Sam, Dean- this dog is talking.

Cas: I’m technically married to their queen now.  

Fred: Well that’s not good.

Cas: I’ve never seen a ghost wear such a ridiculous costume.

Dean:  Oh. Oh Hell no.

Daphne: We almost did- Dean had him by the thigh! Cas: You what?

Dean: F*cking right you can.

Dean: Fred, you’re not so bad. Fred: I know.

Cas: I will miss your wise words and gentle spirits.

Dean: that was the best thing that’s ever happened to me.  And that includes the Cartwright twins. Cas: what did you do with the Cartwright twins? Dean:

Pawn shop guy: Is that an ascot? Dean: (stroking it gently) Yes, yes it is.  

Bad guy: I would have gotten away with it if it weren’t for those meddling kids. Dean: He said it!

Cas: Dean, you are not a talking dog.

[pa-panda-heroes]

Gimmie (a man after midnight)

Dabi x Female!Reader [NSFW] Songfic

Song: Abba - Gimmie! Gimmie! Gimmie!

Aha, I had a lot of fun writing this but it’s not quite what i envisioned, so I hope it turned out okay! :’>

Minors, DNI! Go. Away.

Warnings: alcohol, hookups, slight degradation, choking—Dabi’s belt, anyone? ;), unprotected sex, vaginal penetration, spanking, fairly rough sex ig?

Words: 2,739

Half past twelve And I’m watching the late show in my flat all alone How I hate to spend the evening on my own

You groaned, sprawled out across your sofa and terribly bored. You worked your ass off all week just to go out and have some fun with your girls over the weekend. But alas, they canceled on you, saying they were “busy” doing “adult things” and having “responsibilities.” Bleh! What the hell! You even text a few others not initially involved in your plans, but they let you down, too. That was fair, though. Your invitation was definitely last minute, so you couldn’t blame anyone.

Your eyes dart to the clock. It was still pretty early in the night, half past midnight. Your eyes narrow. You’re an adult, you’re fully capable of going out on your own, right? You wouldn’t look like a poor soul with no friends... right? Fuck it. You’ll leave your apartment all alone and gloomy, but who’s to say you won’t come back not alone?

You bolt off the couch so quickly you nearly lose yourself and slam into the floor, but you recover and make a run for your closet. You had your outfit planned out three days ago, so the agony of looking for what to wear and trying on who knows how many outfits and discerning what paired with what was already over with. You dress quickly and throw on your preferred method of makeup before doing your hair as you pleased for the occasion. You hum at yourself in your success and head out, heading to your previously chosen club.

Autumn winds Blowing outside my window as I look around the room And it makes me so depressed to see the gloom

As soon as you walk in, the air is dense and brimming with smoke and moisture. It’s darker than you expected, although the neon purple, blue, and red lights flashing all around you stood out more this way, looking more pleasing to the eye as a result. The music thrums loudly in your ears, the bass kicked up nearly to a teeth-chattering degree. The violin you could hear through it all sounded intense and emotional, the entirety of the song upbeat and fast and so adrenaline-inducing for your current emotional state.

The mixture that was your boredom and gloom followed you as though it were your shadow itself, trailing behind you with every intention to lunge out and strangle you as you passed through dancing and grinding bodies. One couple was more than happy to let you join between them. For a smooth, lascivious moment you did, letting the male stranger grab onto your waist and grind against you, his (apparent) girlfriend following suit at your front, but you decided alcohol would be a good start first.

There's not a soul out there No one to hear my prayer

Gimmie, gimmie, gimmie a man after midnight

On your way to the bar you just happen to glance through the crowd and meet the gaze of mesmerizing turquoise hues, captivating eyes which stood out like iridescent glimmers in a sea of pitch black after the sun hid itself away. Your step slows as you hold your gaze firm, your own smirk a clear contrast to the stoic features of his own. Bland and non-contorted as his face may be, you tell by the dark, predatory glimmer to his eyes that you’ve caught his attention.

Your favourite drink is ordered and fully downed in no time before you slither back into the cluster of sweat and saliva in favour of dancing your worries away.

Won't somebody help me chase the shadows away Gimmie, gimmie, gimmie a man after midnight

You bounce and move your hips with the music all by your little lonesome in the crowd, others in a situation similar to yours. Try and find those turquoise masters of your captivation as you might, the fiery enigma you saw earlier was nowhere to be seen.

You bite your lip and pout as you carry on your merry way. What a bore you think this night has ungraciously become, your hopes of finding a good time dwindling away like dust in the wind! You almost consider going back to your previous “dance buddies,” but before you can even stop dancing, hands slither onto your hips and torrid breath teases your ear.

“Lookin’ for me, doll?” you hear a smoky, smooth voice purr, and immediately you’re weak in the knees.

You jut your ass out against him, closing the already bare-minimum space between the two of you, courtesy of the stranger himself. “You tell me,” you tease, grinding against him and realizing he’s wearing a massive belt, and your mouth waters. “I’m just lookin’ for a good time.”

Take me through the darkness to the break of the day

A chuckle erupts from behind you, slow and sure, one of the hands on your hip slithering up your waist to ghost over your tit. “I think you’ve found it,” he whispers to you, a call for sex and detachment as his hand - much larger, lither, and bonier than you anticipated - roams your chest freely. He’s careful not to catch the staples holding together the flesh of his hand catch on your clothes where applicable.

It’s clear he’s not playing around, though it doesn’t matter, because neither are you.

You giggle and reach back around for his hair as he moves in sexual tandem with you, while your fingers glissade through strands of pure abyssal silk and latch on. “Do tell,” you taunt, grinding particularly slowly against him and trying to reach for his thigh with your free hand. You can’t help the bratty smirk that parts your lips.

“Here? Really?” he asks, though it’s clearly rhetorical. “You want other people to hear me tell you how I’m gonna pin you against a wall and fuck that tight pussy ‘til you can’t walk, do you?” His voice is deep and low, haunting, and appearances be damned. You’d fuck him just to hear his voice alone.

A shiver wracks your body, much to his pleasure.

Movie stars Find the end of the rainbow with a fortune to win It's so different from the world I'm living in

The stranger’s hand dips down and finds its way up your skirt, giving your asscheek a tight squeeze. “Wonder what they’d say if they heard me tell you I’m gonna wrap my belt around that pretty little neck so tight, I won’t even have to touch you to make you cum.”

“Oh, fuck.” The hiss that comes out of you is laced with a clear moan, and you bite your lip, the growing wetness devouring your lacy panties making itself fully known to you when your cunt clenches around nothing. “Hey, you got a name, stranger?” you breathe, resisting the urge to clench your teeth when his lips find your neck.

“Just Dabi,” you hear him mumble into your skin.

Oh, like the Dabi? The villain Dabi? The Dabi who could very well burn the place to the ground in a matter of minutes and laugh it off like he saw some corny joke graffiti’d on a sleazy bathroom stall?

Oh. Well, alright then. You’re not bothered by it. Seems like he actually just wanted a good fuck and who were you to blame him for it?

Tired of TV I open the window and I gaze into the night But there's nothing there to see no one in sight

“I’m y/n, but feel free to call me whatever the fuck you want.” You sigh, leaning back against him.

Dabi chuckles at you, finding what comes off as a willingness to please quite delicious, if he were being honest. “Let’s head out, then.”

“Patience is not your virtue, is it, Dabi?” you jive at him, the clear pinch on your ass telling you the comment was not appreciated. You giggle at that. “Alright, follow me?”

You grab his hand and drag him through the other patrons, walking by a particularly heated makeout session on the way out. You’re pretty certain the exit you take is supposed to be an emergency exit, but you don’t much care, and it’s not like going through the door set any alarms off or anything.

As soon as you’re out into the cold air he spins you around, quite aggressively stealing away your lips in a loveless kiss and feeling you up like his life depends on it. Your squeak is swallowed right up and you latch onto the lapels of his jacket. It’s now you realise his upper lip is too soft to even be legal, the scarred and marred lower lip, held together by hot staples, is so rough and hot. Fuck, what you wouldn’t do to feel the conflicting textures between your legs.

There's not a soul out there

Your tongue toys with his - rather, your tongue is toyed with - as his hips grind against your pelvis, the clear outline of his hard cock prominent against your clothed cunt, bringing you enough friction to moan unabashedly into his mouth. Dabi’s hand grabs onto of your hair and tugs your head back to break your lip lock with him so that he could plant hot, slow open-mouthed kisses and sucks all along your neck. Oh, the hickeys you’d have to cover up for work.

You sigh and bite your lip. Ignoring the hard concrete clawing away at your back while you fumble with unclasping his belt (you hoped his talk from earlier was bite and not bark), you try to free his dick from its denim confines, only for your hands to be swatted away.

“Hey,” he growls at you. “I didn’t say you could do that.”

“Who said I needed permission?” you sass, egging him on. Oh, you should’ve known better. Your mouth always got you in trouble no matter what aspect of life.

No one to hear my prayer

You hear him click his tongue at you before he spins you again, this time shoving the front of your body against the wall. One of his hands grabs the belt do your skirt and yanks your ass toward him, the other hand pushing forcefully at your neck, your cheek against whatever building lies in front of you. “Who said you could do whatever the fuck you want, brat?” Dabi snarls at you, and you gulp. The villain is quick to unfasten his belt and unzip his jeans to let his cock spring free, before your skirt is thrown over your hips to expose your favourite lacy panties, and Dabi lets out a low whistle, pulling them to the side and exposing your dripping cunt to him. “Not bad, y/n.”

Biting back sass, you instead jut your ass out against him.

“And you said I was impatient,” Dabi goads. “Here you are, drooling and ready for me to fuck you into next week, eh?”

Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight Won't somebody help me chase the shadows away

Your resistance dies as you try to glare at him. “Shut your trap and fuck me already!” you hiss. “...or are you all bark and no bite, Dabi?”

A hard slap smacks into your asscheek and you yelp, though the soft kneading of the flesh pulls a whine out of you.

“Keep this up and you won’t cum, doll.”

“Hey-“

Dabi plunged his cock into you without warning, sheathing himself straight to the hilt in one push of his hips, and you gasp, not having the opportunity to adjust to his size or the piercings adorning his dick.

“Dabi, fuuuck.” Your fingernails claw at the concrete, sure to scratch them up and end up in plenty of tears down the line, but you don’t care. The barbells of his piercings and the utter girth of his cock fill you up so full you almost feel like you’re going to split in half. “So big...!”

“Real fuckin’ wet for me, aren’t you?” Dabi slowly draws his hips back and quickly fucks into you again, drawing a gasp from you as he then sets a steady pace thrusting into you. “And tight-“

You keen as his hips piston into yours repeatedly, one of his hands firmly grasping your hip enough to leave bruises, and you hear an unknown metal jingling about, though you realise exactly what he’s done when you feel tough, cool leather wrap around your throat. Your cunt clenches at the implication his belt brings. Dabi is quick to notice and leans down toward your ear to utter a single, gravelly word: “Slut.” He thrusts into you especially hard and fast as if to prove his point, and you cry out when he hits that spongey spot, your throat dry. You can hear the lewd squelching and erotic song of skin slapping against skin.

Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight Take me through the darkness to the break of the day

The belt tightens around your neck so much that it deprives of you enough oxygen to reach utter bliss as he pounds into your cunt, your cheek getting scraped up from the friction of the concrete wall. Any attempt you make at saying anything amounts to nothing as you begin to feel lightheaded and filled with pure ecstasy, your eyes trying to roll back into your head and drool creeping out the corner of your mouth.

A choked gasp comes out of you when his hand smacks at your ass cheek again, then again, then again, slow kneading of the flesh following thereafter and lulling the sting away. You moan loudly at his ministrations, nearing the height of bliss. “What, are you a painslut, too?” he jabs, though you can’t respond, and so he does it again, coaxing a cry of pleasure and pain out of you and tears into your eyelids, threatening to overflow and stain your cheeks. Another slap has you cumming on his clock with little warning, Dabi’s groan behind you mixing with your mewls and squeals. “Fuck!” you hear him curse, and he doesn’t stop fucking your poor pussy even after you came down, throwing you into a state of whiny oversensitivity.

“Too mu-uuch!” is all you can manage through the hazy fog of bliss.

Dabi doesn’t seem to care and keeps pounding into you anyway, though he does go for a change in scenery as he pulls you upright by tugging back on the belt around your neck, pulling your back to his chest and giving him room to slip his hands to your cunt. You cry out and squirm when his digits begin rubbing fast circles on your clit, your fingers instinctively flying toward the belt and clawing at the leather as you gasp and keen away. Squirm and wiggle as you want, he holds you tight. Tears run down your cheeks and pressure in your abdomen builds, threatening to break away like a damn and letting the flood crash through. You cry out his name, though it only seems to egg him on and he pounds into you faster, fingers still abusing your puffy clit. Head foggy and mind hazy, you orgasm again already, and your cunt squeezes his cock again, clenching repeatedly as if to milk him for all he’s worth and coating him in your juices.

Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight Won't somebody help me chase the shadows away

Dabi lets out a string of curses and loses the rhythm of his hips, his grunts fucking music to your ears. Begs and pleas filter out of you for no apparent reason as his hips keep slapping against yours, your sobs and moans filling the alleyway and reverberating off the walls.

“Fuck! Shit, shit, shit!”

Your clenching cunt hugging onto him like it does sends Dabi over the edge, and he cums inside of you, milky hot cum coating your fleshy walls, eliciting a blissed-out sigh from you as he finally stops fucking into you.

The pressure on your neck is alleviated and you fall back against him, legs weak and head spinning. Dabi nuzzles your ear with his nose, one hand still cupping your pussy and the other gripping your tit.

“Whaddya say we head back to my place, y/n?” he croons.

Gimme, gimme, gimme a man after midnight Take me through the darkness to the break of the day

[xoxoangel]

okay SO i wanted to share this snippet from what i’m writing rn , bc i want to post SOMETHING that’s writing LOLOL

*ahem ahem*

“I’m not good at these things, you know. But, I meant everything I said. You are special to me. So special. It kills me not to wake up next to you. Not seeing that familiar smile everyday, feeling your hand on mine, and especially those fucking puppy eyes,” The nomad could feel his heart beating like crazy, as she smiled into his chest. V used his other arm to pull her in an embrace, planting a kiss on her head.

“I really can’t promise you anything, Pan. But I do know one thing. If I ever have to choose between you or anything else, it’ll always be you.” The last sentence shattered the wall Panam had built. The wall that kept her heart safe for years, the one she grew so fondly of. Her heart was now starting to pound too, her stomach turning delightfully. Had this been a month or so ago, she would’ve looked up at him and asked if he meant it. But V’s voice was far from stable now, it was trembling. It never trembled. V had prided himself on his confidence, his stature. The ability to not break. The way he held himself together, but there was nothing of that left. V was unsteady. Vulnerable. Extremely vulnerable.

“And yes, that includes Night City.” V’s voice croaked, the woman could feel his lungs straining trying to keep his voice from breaking. Panam broke away, now looking at him with widened eyes. Her mocha eyes were starting to look shiny—maybe even a little watery. V’s eyebrows raised high, as if they were about to float away. Panic flashed over his face, tilting his head down looking confused. His eyes frantically scanned Panam’s face, absolute terror in his eyes. The woman’s lips turned into a gradual smile, although her eyes still watering.

“You.. fucking gonk,” Her voice shook with disbelief, slamming his chest with her fist, except for once it wasn’t with force.

“You have to be kidding.” But V shook his head, still in panic mode. He was confused on whether or not he upset her, wiping away a tear about to fall with his finger.

“I want to come with you, Pan. When you leave.” His look of worry turned into a nervous grin, his eyes still looking haunted.

“Don’t want me to move in?” He joked wearily. Panam just smiled at him fondly, tearfully admiring him. She’d forgotten just how beautiful he really was to her. The light from the fireplace highlighted his bruise that covered his right eye and bottom lip, the purple now turning into more of a orange. But V was most beautiful to her when his eyes were on hers. When his warm, almost black eyes reminiscent of her coffee in the morning met hers. When he’d smile, and it was as bright as the moon looking over the desert. The annoyingly charming half smirk he gave her, the exact same look she’d only seen him give when he looked in the sky.

Maybe V had always been there, always been that comfort she desperately craved. The comfort that wasn’t temporary, the kind hidden in plain sight. It was never set nor sure, but always a guarantee that it will be okay. V had become an unconventional love, but it was the right love. The epic kind. She realized that even if—god, she hated even contemplating the idea. Even if V would die, he would live on. In her coffee, in the moon, and along the stars. He would watch over her, right next to Ursa Major. Right next to their constellation. There was an old Aldecaldo saying—“She who lives in the hearts of her loved ones can never truly die.” In this very moment, she couldn’t even grasp the concept of an Afterlife. Hell is real, that was for certain. Night City was hell. But what about heaven? What’s the need for heaven when heaven is on Earth with V? When heaven is her hands, tangled in his thick curls? When heaven is his lingering hand on hers, and his goofy laugh ringing in her ears?

Panam snapped out of her thoughts, as V just zoned out into the distance, at least his eyes had some color now. She assumed he was having another conversation with Johnny. Speak of the devil— Johnny was right behind V, his hands on top of the younger mans shoulders.

“That was some heavy shit, V. God, I think you’re in love.” There was an ounce of disgust from that statement, but even bigger ounce of worry. Normally, V would deny. Deny, deny, deny. Love wasn’t for him—for people like him. The merc was strict to his one night stands, anything more meant eventual heartbreak.

But Panam was different, he really did believe she was special. He wasn’t sure what love was—what it meant, really. Sure, he knew what it entailed. He’d even sit through the cheesy Hallmark movies, and read all the novels that Johnny swore was the product of satan. But V had never understood the feeling. The insects in his stomach—corny music swelling when he saw the so-called “one” (although considering he heard Johnny’s voice in his head, music probably wouldn’t be far off). That changed as soon as he’d meet Panam. Not exactly love at first sight, but when he really met her. When she downed a bottle of beer in like half a minute, or when she told him about the time the entire clan made her try weed for the first time and she fell off a big ass rock. Especially, the story about her doing drunk karaoke to ABBA.

Yeah, the ABBA one particularly pulled at his heartstrings. But, he really would be an absolute idiot not to acknowledge the non-cheesy aspects of their relationship too. Panam had done more than just help V find Hellman. She gave him a family, and one that wasn’t absent. A very real, raw family that laughed together, cried together, and protected each other. They’d accept V, despite it taking some time. In turn, V wanted to protect them. The nomad woman had given him something that was so unconventional—so unique. A family was something that took years to make, and the woman gave him a real good one in just a few months.

Maybe their love wasn’t strictly romantic. It was unconditional, and felt everlasting. Perhaps, they had been in love with each other long before attraction even came into play. There was something unique in their auras. As if they’d known each other longer, a familiar presence. The merc pondered the concept of soulmates. Once again, he was not one to believe in that type of thing. But he could’ve swore he’d seen her before— or felt her energy before. The orange-red warmth that he could only compare to the sun, the desert, and the exact warmth he felt in his body when Panam had showed him Ursa Major. V realized that just now, it didn’t really matter what came of their relationship. Whether they were a couple or simply just best friends. At the end of the day, she’d become bound to him already. The bind was more than enough for V.

[luvknow]

entangled | kim seungmin

genre: spider-man!seungmin x radio dj!reader feat. 3racha & kim woojin | spider-man au ; radio dj au ; college au ; friends-to-lovers  summary: you hate spiders and you hate man and the gods above blessed you with spider-man. wc: 17.3k

It was 10:00 pm on a Wednesday - just after your weekly broadcast of the college town’s beloved radio show, Moonlight Radio. You’re backed up in the corner farthest from the door and it seems there’s no way for you to escape your current situation. With your hands shaking, goosebumps crawling over every inch of your skin, and having absolutely no weapon to save yourself, you thought about how your plants were going to die now that you were one hundred percent certain that you, too, were going to perish.

“Hey, ready to go -?” Seungmin entered the studio, raising a curious brow at your jittery form on the opposite side of the room. As his co-host and close friend, of course he knows you quite well and he knew you were a bit, um, unique but this was beyond his scope of knowledge filed under your name in his mental filing cabinet.

“What the heck are you doing?” he asked.

“S-Spider,” you stuttered, shakily pointing in a direction that lead him to nowhere.

“Another one? That’s like the fifth one this week. Where?”

“N-Near this mic stand.”

“Really? They keep getting closer to you... Maybe they like you ~”

Your glossy eyes glared at the playful brunette. “I hope it bites you when you kill it.”

“Well, I’m not going to kill it, so either way you lose.”

“You’re such a spider sympathizer.”

“Hey, spiders play a vital role in our ecosystem! They’re excellent at regulating insect populations. Would you rather have an overpopulation of mosquitoes and other bugs that can fly and easily jump on your face?”

“No…”

“Ok then, let me do my good deed for the day and set this little guy free.”

Seungmin took one of your script papers that sat next to the eight-legged demon and scooped it up without a problem. It was moments like these when you thought he was the bravest boy you’ve ever met and you hated how often those moments came because one day, without thinking, you’d slip up and say it out loud. He cracked one of the windows open and gently shook the spider free from the paper.

“Can spiders survive a ten-story drop like that?” you asked once the waves of relief calmed your body, mind, and soul.

“I’ve seen a few that have,” he answered simply. “Now are you ready to go? I’m starving.”

“Yeah, let me get my stuff. Where are we going?”

“Where do you think?”

“Five-star restaurant where the bathrooms have those people that hand you a towel after washing your hands and you should tip them out of courtesy.”

“How about a five-piece fried chicken meal with a grumpy Woojin who demands a 25 percent tip?”

“Not quite as luxurious, but seeing Woojin makes up for that. Lead the way, my trusty steed!”

“I should be the knight riding the steed after saving you from spiders all the time, not the steed itself!”

“Same difference.”

Wednesdays followed a very strict schedule: your morning routine, classes until late afternoon, studying and a snack, meet up with Seungmin to go over the script and listen to what music he and the boys picked out, run through the show, and finally end the night with a super late dinner at the chicken place Woojin worked at. Sometimes you and Seungmin would spice it up and eat somewhere with vegetables, but that was only when consecutive Wednesdays at Woojin’s Work made you both feel gross. Even though you were in the last stretch of college and your courses were piling on the difficulty and workload, the weeks were bearable when it was spent in the studio with Seungmin and the town listening in for a couple of hours.

The idea of co-hosting a radio show together sounded ridiculous when him, Chan, Changbin, and Jisung first proposed it to you. The show was already super successful without you, so what was the point? What would three up-and-coming producers and Seungmin with his superstar personality want with someone like you? You had no idea how to work a Launchpad or whatever applications they used to make music. Hyunjin was already in charge of the social media aspect and Jeongin took care of the website and design stuff. Their team was pretty much complete and ready to go on-air - really, you’d just be taking up space.

“Don’t think of it like that,” Seungmin reassured that night. “You’d be like a co-host!”

“Wouldn’t you three be the co-hosts?” you asked the oh-so internet famous 3RACHA.

“I’d love to, but I already have a ton on my plate,” Chan sighed. “It’d be too much for me to handle.”

“I don’t like doing that corny radio talk,” Changbin wrinkled his nose.

“I just didn’t wanna do it,” Jisung admitted shamelessly.

“Ah, so I’m your last resort?” you teased.

“Yes, but you’re our first last resort ~”

“Well, when you say it that way… What exactly does being a co-host entail?”

Seungmin pulled up the radio show’s website on his laptop that had an unthinkable number in bright red located near the envelope icon. “All the questions in the inbox on our website are overflowing and it’s getting harder for me to answer all of it. It’s hard for me to answer them when we’re on-air, too. And these three aren’t exactly the best when it comes to the more relationship-centric asks… You were the only one I could think of that I could trust handling and answering these properly.”

“Wow, really?”

“Of course! I’d come to you for advice all the time in high school, remember?”

Yes, you remembered Seungmin would come to you now and again ask for advice on college, or dating, or even what he should have for dinner, but you never thought much of it until now. To have him ask you to handle such a heavy role on a radio show all because he treasured those late-night phone calls with you made your heart do that weird fluttery thing you didn’t dare try to decipher.

Curse Seungmin and his weird poetic way with words… Who allowed him to read fiction after high school?

“Is that the reason why you asked me?” Clearly, your cheeks were blushing only because the sun was shining brightly on the Quad and not because you were flattered he asked you first.

“I truly can’t think of another person who would be more capable of this job than you,” he told you sincerely.

“So will you join our shit show?” Changbin begged with his big, puppy eyes. Now how could you refuse after that?

“Fine, but the second I get hate mail, I’m tapping out.”

“Deal. We’ll make sure that doesn’t happen.”

Surprisingly, it didn’t happen, at least not in the past six months since you’ve joined the show. The audience welcomed you with open arms the second they heard you answer their questions with such honesty and care. There were some questions that you’d struggle with, like very boy-specific questions that only a dude could answer, so Seungmin took care of those. But together, you and Seungmin were an unstoppable duo with great chemistry and everyone could hear it in the way you’d giggle at his lame jokes or the way he’d ‘wow ~’ at one of your more profound answers.

The only questions you both struggled answering were ones that delved into either of your love lives. You both would get tripped up just a little bit when asked if either of you were seeing someone or were interested in someone, but the questions that had you both stuttering like the air was below freezing to the point that no coherent sentences were being formed?

“Are you two dating?”

“Have you two ever thought about it before?”

“You guys fit the friends-to-lovers trope so perfectly!”

“N-No, that’s not how it is at all…!” you argued to the callers after the millionth time. No matter how many times you’d get asked this, you don’t think you’ll ever overcome the embarrassment. “We’re just really good friends!”

“I don’t know, _____, maybe we should face the inevitable,” a flirty Seungmin winked.

“Seungmin!” you hissed while a giggling 3RACHA fell out of their chairs. Well, he clearly got over the embarrassment...

Almost every show, the chatroom and inbox had sprinkles of comments about how cute you two would be if you ever got together. Because you see those same sentences nearly every single time you opened up the inbox, the thought of it was hard to ignore and push to the back of your mind.

What would it be like if you two actually dated?

“Yo, _____ ~” Seungmin sang across from you  at the table.

“Huh?”

“Spider got ya that spooked?”

“Nah, I’m ok now. Thanks to my hero.”

“That’s right, I am your hero,” he boasted proudly. “But really, is there something on your mind? You seem a bit spacey-er than usual.”

“It’s nothing bad. I was just reminiscing about my up-and-coming on the show for some reason.”

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, you’ve improved a lot since then.”

“You think so? I feel like I haven’t done much… Like I haven’t made an impact yet.”

“You’re crazy! The show wouldn’t be where it is now without you. You know, Minho did the math for fun last week -”

“Ha!”

“... and calculated how much more often people are sending stuff in since the day you joined, and he said it’s increased by like 100 percent since then!”

“That’s just double, isn’t it…?”

“Yeah, but a bigger number sounds better, so that’s what we tell the department heads when they ask. So don’t think you haven’t left an impact on this show - it wouldn’t be the same without you.”

Really, when was he so poetic!? It was a dangerous trait. “Thanks, Seungmin. I wouldn’t be as confident if you weren’t my co-host.”

“I’m sure you would have done just fine if it were Changbin or anyone else.”

“Maybe so, but it wouldn’t be as fun or memorable.”

“Stop being so soft and order your chicken.” He was terrible at faking being grumpy because his cheeky smile shined brightly anyways.

“Hey, moochers,” a tired Woojin greeted before falling in the seat next to Seungmin. “The usual?”

“You know it.”

“Ok, let me just sit here for a couple minutes.”

“Go do your job!”

“Hey, while you guys get to sit on nice comfy chairs in the studio for a couple of hours, I have to stand for six while waiting on people!’

“It’s not even that busy today!” Seungmin was right - you two and another couple were the only ones in the restaurant at the moment.

“It was busy earlier, ok.”

“Earlier today around 5:00 pm, during the city’s busiest hours, Spider-Man has yet again saved a citizen from tragedy -”

“Ugh,” you shuddered in disgust at the sight of the famous vigilante popping up on the screen.

Seungmin tried not to look too offended. He’s known your incessant fear of spiders for how long now? And he’s been Spider-Man for what, a hot minute? And he had no idea you felt this strongly about him? He’s not that surprised, but at the same time he is because it’s not like Spider-Man was a real spider… His suit didn’t even really resemble one! Maybe it was the big, buggy eyes that haunted you. He’d have to consult with Woojin about that later.

“You don’t like Spider-Man…?” he dared to ask.

“Not really. He has spider in his name, for Christ’s sake. Doesn’t he know how common arachnophobia is? How is he supposed to save the town when a hefty chunk of citizens are probably scared of him!?”

“But he doesn’t even look like a spider?”

“He doesn’t need to when he has a huge black one on his chest.”

He’ll consult Woojin about that, too. “So if you were in danger - like, backed up against an alley with a gun pointed at your head, or something - and Spider-Man swooped down, scooped you up, and jumped far away from the gunman using his web, you’d be more scared of Spider-Man than the bad guy?”

“Of course! I hate heights, too, remember? A man dressed like a spider capturing me in their arms and swinging from skyscraper-to-skyscraper is literally my biggest fear.”

If that was really how you felt about Spider-Man, then Seungmin prayed you would stay out of trouble. He couldn’t even imagine how loud you’d scream if he ever saved you from a situation you got yourself stuck in, not to mention how hard it would be to not tease you about it face-to-face. But knowing you and knowing his terrible luck, one of these days he was going to have to save you from God-knows-what. The only possible situation he could think of was you getting stuck high up on the fire escape, or something stupid like that.

Up on the television, the city’s hero was recorded swinging down using his web thingies like some man spider hybrid pendulum kicking one of the several armed robbers right in the chin. With the second robber, he used his weird webby thing again, but this time used one hand to aim it at his gun and yanked it away from him while using the other hand to trap him between the webs and concrete floor. The other robbers tried to run away, but not before Man-Spider-Dude flung himself forward like some alternate universe Tarzan and used his webbing to cuff their limbs together.

“See, that was kind of cool, wasn’t it?” Seungmin asked, hoping the reporters recorded him cool enough for you to change your mind.

“Eh. Kind of showy, if you ask me.”

Just as you said that, you had to suffer through witnessing Spider-Man finger-gun at the phone camera and salute the citizens of the town before swinging deep into the concrete jungle once more. Was that necessary? Sheesh, what a dramatic exit.

Your co-host watched you roll your eyes at his showboating and turn your attention back on the totally normal boys. Beside him, a snickering Woojin teasingly nudged him with his elbow. He wasn’t that cringey, was he!?

“Well, he saved some innocent people and a lot of money, at least,” Seungmin frowned, so desperately trying to redeem himself.

“That’s really the only upside to superhero-wannabe vigilantes. Otherwise, they’re totally cocky. They’re like a bunch of frat bros.”

Woojin audibly laughed at that one and that’s when Seungmin knew there was no hope in trying to persuade you… But Kims never backed down! That’s what made him and Woojin so unstoppable!

So it couldn’t hurt to try anyways, right?

On a warm and early Sunday evening, when the night was still young, the sun fell between golden hour and dusk. This was when walking home was a pain in the ass because the rays would hit building windows at all the right angles and attempt to burn your retinas. Even so, you couldn’t be mad in the least, because the paper bag filled with crispy french fries cradled in your arms was going to be inhaled in just a couple of blocks once you reached home.

It was beautiful nights like tonight where you felt a little lonely. Yes, living and being alone was calming after a stressful week at school and your social meter was at an all time low, but sometimes you just wanted to share a night in with someone special. You first tried to hang out with Seungmin to avoid the pressure of actually finding a significant other, but when he told you that his internship scheduled him at ungodly hours, including Sundays, you now had to find someone to take his place if you ever wanted to.

Kim Seungmin… your co-host, confidant, and the only boy you wanted to spend your Sundays with. What did that say about you? Were you desperate? Missing him? A typical friends-to-lovers trope, as your audience had put it? You’d worry about that later.

The sun wasn’t so blinding anymore when a shadowed figure blocked the light. Before you could make sense of who or what the figure was, you were promptly knocked down by said thing onto the very hard, very cold sidewalk.

Ginormous, white bug eyes with no pupils stared deep into your frightened soul. Spider-Man, dressed in all his spandex glory, scuffed up and a little disheveled, hovered over your heavily breathing form. From behind the mask, Seungmin froze when he realized that yes, this was definitely you he had knocked down and he couldn’t tell if you were terrified, surprised, furious, or all of the above. He felt so bad that he almost gave you a heart attack, but he had to admit you looked kind of cute looking at him with your big, curious eyes like you wanted to swat him off of you with an over-sized fly swatter. He had to hold back wanting to brush your hair that stuck to your face.

What a coincidence for him to have run into you, huh? It must have been fate, or just really bad karma on your end.

“Hi,” Spider-Man greeted you casually, his face hovering very close to your own. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“N-N-No…!”

“Good. Hurting citizens is kind of against my mission.”

“He went this way!” you both heard off in the distance.

Spider-Man groaned loudly before hopping off of you and extending a hand to help you up. Before you could verbally reject, your body was already moving before you knew it and you took his hand graciously.

He leaned in closely and you hoped his spidey sense couldn’t detect the goosebumps erupting all over your skin.

“If those journalists ask, you didn’t see me,” You could only nod silently. “Thanks. I owe you one.”

In a blink of an eye, the town’s hero shot his web to some random building and flew away, but not before giving you a little salute. The last two minutes didn’t seem real - had you really just met Spider-Man? Well, more like did Spider-Man really just knock you flat on your ass? You were standing in your spot not moving a single muscle as the entire block took pictures and videos of your wide-eyed face staring blankly at where the hero you feared most once stood. A swarm of journalists turned the corner and following the audience’s attention, going straight to you.

“Did Spider-Man fly through here?” one of them asked frantically.

Mindlessly, without blinking, you pointed in the opposite direction he flew to and that’s when you watched the parasitic flock search for the town’s hero.

From up above on a rooftop of a corporate building not too far away, Seungmin watched you keep your word about not revealing his location like he asked, despite your fear of both spiders and man. Did he scare you even more? Or maybe you were just being nice. Either way, something about you protecting his location was kind of adorable… like you might kind of like his other self now.

Oh, but that wasn’t the case at all.

“My french fries!” you cried out to the Gods above.

Every single french fry you were dying to devour from the paper bag scattered in an artistic gradient behind your shadow, with fat pigeons picking at what once was yours. Seungmin sighed tiredly, watching you sadly walk away from the kit of pigeons. His wishful thinking barely lasted a second and now not only did he owe you ‘one’ of something, he now owes you a bag of french fries, too. Maybe if he got the extra large size, you’d hate him a little less.

Your fear of Spider-Man because he had ‘spider’ in his name and a silhouette embroidered on his suit? Nonexistent. Hatred for Spider-Man because he was clumsy, insensitive, and most definitely A Man? Absolutely.

‘I owe you one,’ was what he told you last, and you’d make sure that he’d owe you one big time.

You spent the entire walk home trying to process if what just happened actually happened. Let’s rewind and review: you were studying at the library until you got too tired and too hungry to care anymore; got the freshest, crispiest bag of french fries you could find; happily made your way home; got the shit knocked out of you by Spider-Man; and now you were walking home french fry-less. It sounds like a poorly-written fan fiction, but yup, that’s truly what happened and there was no denying it

The night was no longer young or beautiful now that you didn’t have a bag full of golden, crispy deliciousness. It was miserable.

Seungmin, while still in his suit and hiding in a random alley from the journalists, felt his phone buzz that was tucked away inside of the suit. After taking it out, he was too afraid to answer once he saw your photo glow up the screen. The picture was from your eighteenth birthday, your last birthday before you both entered college. Seungmin booked a reservation at this fancy restaurant that you two would promise one day, when you both had money, that you’d dine there like it was no one’s business. Little did you know, he planned a small get together with a handful of friends and ate like kings! When it was time for dessert, Seungmin brought out your favorite cake, sang happy birthday with everyone, then smudged a whole bunch of the cream frosting onto your cheeks and nose. Normally, you’d be mad, but how could you when he planned all of this?

With the dark surroundings and the only thing lighting up your face was the candles, he captured the perfect moment of you laughing and tasting the cake.

After taking off his mask, Seungmin answered awkwardly. “Hello?”

“Guess what the fuck just happened to me!?”

“You saw a spider?”

“Worse! I saw that no good Spider-Man!”

Seungmin could only pout at your response. “Why do you sound so bitter?”

“That asshat swung down like a vulture and landed on top of me!”

“Sounds like a dream come true, if you ask me.”

“No, because that clumsy, pompous vigilante made me drop all of my french fries from my favorite place!”

Although you were complaining to Spider-Man about Spider-Man, said Spider-Man always thought your whining was adorable. “The place next to the bakery?”

“The very same! Ugh, I just wanted to call you to complain.”

“Seems like that’s all I’m good for these days.”

“Hey, that’s not the only reason I call you.”

“Besides discussing the show, for what other reasons do you call me?”

“I…” In retrospect, maybe he had a point - when was the last time you asked your dearest friend how he was doing? “Seungmin, my favorite friend, how have you been lately?”

“Uh-huh.”

“I’m sorry. I promise to call and not complain to you more often.”

“Thank you. And to answer your question. I’ve been ok.”

“Just ok? Do you wanna talk about it?”

Did he want to talk about how Spider-Man, the show, school, and how his lack of love-life was consuming his entire life to his closest friend? Not really. “Maybe another time. Are you free to hang out, though? I could use some company.”

“For you, of course. At what time?”

“Hm…” Seungmin took a quick second to listen to his surroundings. It seemed that the reporters and passers-by stopped looking for him by now, so maybe he was in the clear. “I can be at your place in half an hour?”

“Sounds good, I’ll be waiting. Can we get food? I’m hungry ~”

“Sure thing. I’ll see you soon.”

After hanging up, Seungmin dared to put his mask back on and swing as fast as he could all the way back to his apartment. It was unavoidable that a couple citizens were able to sneak in a few pictures as he was swinging, but as long as they didn’t see him land on his apartment complex rooftop and run inside, he was in the clear. After changing, there was one stop he had to make before heading over.

You waited patiently for your boredom-saving, famished-fulfilling hero to arrive at your doorstep. It’s true that neither of you had the time to hang out outside of planning the show. Other than that, there was not enough time in the day throughout the school week to see each other. With your classes piling up and his internship, neither of you could match up your schedules or make enough time to grab some dinner. At least tonight would make up for lost time.

You happily greeted a sneaky Seungmin when you heard him knocking. He was holding something behind his back and had his creepy, mischievous smile on his lips.

“What are you hiding…?” you hesitated.

Without a word, he pulled out an extra big paper bag full of french fries from your favorite restaurant - the very same french fries Spider-Man had knocked out of your hands. Only this time, there were more and it came with a handsome boy on the side.

Seungmin adored the way your eyes lit up at his little gift.

“You didn’t!” you gasped, clutching your heart to your chest.

“Do you love me or do you love me?”

“I love you ~!” you sang, welcoming your beloved guest into your humble abode. “Ah, what did I do to deserve you, Kim Seungmin?”

You didn’t do anything. You already had him wrapped around your finger the moment you two met.

Another Wednesday had arrived and that meant another show was to air. Tonight, the moon was so full that even at the darkest hour, the town was still brightly lit. It was the perfect night for Moonlight Radio.

“And we’re back!” you cheered happily into the microphone. “For those of you just joining in, you are listening to Moonlight Radio with me, _____, my partner in crime Seungmin, and our city’s version of Migos, Djs 3RACHA ~!”

“Our city’s version of Migos…?” Seungmin asked, quirking a brow.

“Yeah, you know… The American rappers?”

“I know who they are, but what makes them like the Migos in any way?”

“There’s three of them and they rap, what else is there to compare?”

“Multi-platinum album sales.”

“They’ll get there someday.”

“At least someone believes in us,” Jisung pouted.

“Speaking of beliefs, you guys wouldn’t believe who _____ ran into last Sunday.”

You squint your eyes at your smirking co-host. “The listeners don’t need to know.”

“Of course they do! Who doesn’t want to brag about meeting Spider-Man?”

“I didn’t even meet him, he body-slammed into me!”

“Ah, you’re just being dramatic. What do you guys think?” But in his mind, Seungmin knew you were totally not being dramatic. Was your body still a little sore from that night, too?

The phone lines were lighting up at the mention of the oh-so famous and widely-beloved superhero. Now you had to spend the remaining half of the show talking about how you met the hybrid of your two worst fears.

“Caller on line nine, you are on-air,” Seungmin answered.

“Holy shit, did you really meet Spider-Man?”

You sighed heavily into your mic. “If that’s what you call meeting someone these days, then I guess I met Spider-Man.”

“Whoa, that’s so dope! What’s he like?”

“He’s… charming… I’ll give him that.”

Seungmin’s ears perked up, his ego already escalating into the clouds before he could stop it. You, the first person he’s ever met to admit that they don’t like his alter-ego aloud, thought he was charming? You should have said so earlier!

“Really?” he asked.

“Yeah, I guess. He was like, ‘I didn’t hurt you, did I?’ and I was like, ‘No?’ and he was all like, ‘Good, ‘cuz hurting citizens isn’t in my agenda’ or something corny like that. I guess it comes with the whole superhero package.”

Hey, that was not corny… “He sounds like a pretty cool guy.”

“Yeah, until he made me catapult my french fries behind me.”

“Is that literally the only reason why you don’t like him?”

“No, it’s mainly because I hate spiders. But also yes, because he said he owes me one for chasing away those pesky journalists that were hunting him down. Spider-Man, if you’re out there listening, this is my reminder to you that I’ll be waiting on my ‘one’ that you owe.”

Oh, great. Seungmin thought that if there was anyone he wouldn’t have to see again as Spider-Man, he thought it’d be you, but now you were actually waiting for him to find you! And for what, because he ‘owed’ you something? Although those journalists were annoying and he was very thankful you got them off his back... But what exactly were you expecting from him? What were you thinking he owed you?

Seeing you for a second time posed some high risks. You’re not dumb, and Seungmin knows that. If he were to slip up and give away his identity in some form just once during his interactions with you, you’d figure him out in an instant! But this was kind of exciting, wasn’t it? You not knowing it’s him behind the red suit, scaring you a little, pretending he doesn’t know who you are - it was kind of like a game to him. So fine, he’ll give you whatever you want the next time he meets you to satiate his excitement that isn’t fighting crime, but after that, he’ll stay as far away from you as possible.

“No matter where I go, spiders somehow always find me.”

“Isn’t it scary to be around something you fear all the time?”

“It’s absolutely terrifying. I guess it’s time I face my fears of spiders, man, and Spider-Man superheroes alike.”

“You’re so brave. I don’t know how you do it.”

“Hey, I hear that sarcasm,” you scolded at your chuckling partner. “But I hope this encourages you all to do the same one day. Go skydiving, ask out that cute person in your class, try something different from the menu! Whatever your fears may be, Moonlight Radio will always be here to support you. And with that, we bid you goodnight.”

“Stay safe out there, everyone! This is Moonlight Radio, signing off.”

When the glowing red light shut off, both you and Seungmin sighed in relief. This concluded the most stressful point of your week and you could relax a little until next time. Per usual, you and Seungmin were supposed to eat with Woojin at his chicken restaurant, but you noticed how he was packing up his stuff in urgency.

“What are you in a rush for?”

Shit. How was Seungmin supposed to tell you that he had a sixth spidey sense and sensed someone nearby was in big trouble and he had to change into his spandex right away? “Uh, I forgot I have an assignment due at midnight.”

“Aw, so no chicken tonight?”

“I’ll make it up to you next time, I promise.”

Your favorite boy ruffled your hair into a clumpy mess in front of your face. If he were to see the tiny pout on your lips, then there was a chance he’d give up being Spider-Man tonight just to be with you and what kind of hero would he be if he did that? Not a very good one.

He’ll see you later, anyways.

Before you could object, he was already out the door.

“Hi hello, we would like some chicken, too,” a whiny Changbin noted.

At least you���d have some company tonight. Hanging out with Seungmin versus hanging out with 3RACHA had two totally different vibes. One was chill, relaxing, and comforting while the other was loud, exciting, but oh-so tiring. So much so that you had to tap out early, luckily right before the news came on with yet again another segment on Spider-Man.

On the walk home, you wondered what kind of hours he worked. Was he fighting crime right now, at the peak of darkness? He couldn’t have been a nine-to-five kind of man because crime didn’t have an hourly paycheck. Maybe he strictly worked the night shift and slept in the daytime? That couldn’t have been very fun though, everyone needs a little sun to feel some sort of joy, even if he was a nasty, buggy, creepy little crawler -

“Hey.”

“Ah!!”

From the street lamp above, the bug of the hour dropped just inches from your face, hanging upside down on a thin string of web from his wrists. He was so close and came down so fast that you screamed and fell backwards. Was this it? Was this how you were going to die? From a heart attack and choking on air?

Seungmin mentally slapped himself for not knowing you’d react that way. Idiot-min, of course they would! They practically cry at the sight of a real spider! Now he probably owed you 'two' of whatever you were going to ask...

After getting down from the streetlight, he rushed over to help you up. “Are you all right?”

This time, you swatted his hand away and got up on your own, just as you wished you’d done to the damn arachnid the first time. It took a couple more moments to catch your breath and ease your heart rate, like you just finished running a marathon. If you didn’t hate Spider-Man before, Seungmin’s sure as hell you do now.

“I think I just had a mini heart-attack.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to -”

“Aren’t you supposed to help citizens, not crash into them or fall from the clouds and be all up in their faces!?”

The masked man scratched his head sheepishly. “There’s a bit of a gray area between ‘help’ and ‘harm’.”

“Yeah, clearly!” Now that you’ve come to your senses, it just occurred to you that Spider-Man recognized you from the first time. Why else would he pop up on you specifically just to say ‘hey’? “Wait, do you remember me?”

Time to turn up that charm _____ talked about so much, Spider-min! “It’s hard to forget the people I crash into.”

“It must not happen often then.”

“I promise you, it doesn’t. Otherwise the town would be wiped out… Literally.”

“Wow, lucky me, huh?”

"Of course. And it’s not everyday I get to crash into someone so cute."

"Oh, don't you try and flatter me!"

It was rare for Seungmin to see you so bothered just by one person. Normally, you'd let it go and move on, but with Spider-Man, it seemed like all current and future interactions would be a lot of bickering and furrowed brows. If you were anyone else, he'd be a little hurt that someone could hate him so much, but you weren't just anyone else. You were you, and even with your annoyed expression, your blushing cheeks gave you away. You didn’t hate him.

Oh yeah, this was going to be a lot of fun for Seungmin.

"I'm not trying to flatter you, but it seems to be working regardless," he teased.

"Why are you stalking me?"

"Whoa, what do you mean!? I'm simply taking a break from saving a citizen in trouble! You and I just happened to cross paths once more, like it was fate. Didn't you want to see me again, anyways?"

"Who said that?"

"Well to paraphrase the famous _____ on Moonlight Radio, you're waiting for me to 'owe you one', isn't that right?"

You didn’t have to see his face to know that he was smirking. Regardless, you were quite starstruck - when you said that he owed you one, you didn’t think he’d actually hear you! But it was kind of cool that someone so famous listened in, even if it was him of all people. “You heard that…?”

“Of course I did. It’s my favorite radio show. I also heard you think I’m charming.”

Spidey-Boy took a step forward, but you didn’t dare take one step back. You weren’t about to let some spandex-clad dude intimidate you with his flirtatious wording, even if you were totally embarrassed and wished you could go back in time and stop yourself from saying that. Really, it was so cute the way you tried to stand up to Seungmin, but again, the pink gracing your cheeks put your effort into your unwavering persona to waste. You couldn’t make eye contact with his huge, buggy eye mask, so you focused on the creepy crawly spider right on his chest that kept on growing the closer he came to you.

Then it stopped. Now you’re no longer looking at his chest, but looking at those things he called eyes. They were reflective and you could see clearly how terrified you actually looked.

He leaned in.

"Is that true, _____?" he asked. "Do you think I'm charming?"

"I-I think you're terrifying."

"But also charming, right?"

"If I say yes, will you step back?"

"Oh, sorry." Awkwardly and boyishly, the hero cleared his throat and took a step back. From a safe distance, he wasn't so bad - it's when he's ten centimeters away from your face that scared you.

"You… have a way with words."

A cute laugh came from Spidey. "That's one way to put it."

There's a short silence in between. He knew you wanted to say something by the way you were awkwardly avoiding looking at him. Seungmin would patiently wait for you, but Spider-Man…

"What is it?" he asked.

"Nothing, I was just wondering… Is Moonlight Radio really your favorite show?" you asked shyly.

"Of course. I wouldn't lie about something like that."

There was a little twinkle in your eyes like they held all the stars and your expression finally softened. Seungmin watched you struggle hiding your sweet smile while you stared at your shoes.

With the help of his masked identity, Seungmin could finally say the things he always wished he told you in the moment, from infinite moments before.

"You have a pretty smile."

"Huh?" Did you hear that right? Did the city's superhero call your smile pretty?

"I said…" Spidey-boy took a step closer, but kept his distance. "You have a pretty smile."

"Do you say that to all the people you crash into while running away from paparazzi?"

"No. Just the cute ones."

“Oh, my God, you are so corny! ‘Just the cute ones’, how many is that exactly? A dozen? Several dozen?”

“You know, most people would say thank you after I call them cute.”

“Well, I’m not falling for it! I’m not like most people!”

The boy chuckled again, and it sounded so sweet. “You most definitely are not.”

If this… this boy thought he could just flirt his way into your heart and forget nearly breaking your ribs, he was dead wrong! How dare he be so friendly and casual with you! It’s not like you were friends! What was his deal!?

You straightened your back and smoothed out the wrinkles in your shirt. “If that’s all, I’ll be on my way now.”

“Already? What about the ‘one’ I owe you?”

“Forget I ever said that. You’re off the hook.”

“No, that’s not right. I feel bad.” He wasn’t about to let you go that easily.

“I don’t even know what you’d owe me.”

“How about you think about it until we meet again?”

“Again? When would I even see you?”

The boy in red and blue shrugged. “By circumstance? Or perhaps you’ll get into some trouble? You seem like the type to pick fights.”

“Even if I was in trouble, who says I’d call you?”

“You wouldn’t have to. I’d come flying to your side the second I sensed something was wrong.”

You didn’t understand what that meant, but you really didn’t want to open a can of worms past midnight. “How chivalrous.”

“Thanks. So I’ll get to see you again?” he asked. Seungmin hoped he didn’t sound too desperate. He was just a simple boy who wouldn’t allow his best friend to hate his alter ego they knew nothing about, that’s all.

“If the opportunity arises ~” you sighed casually, walking past the stunned hero.

This was a side of you that Seungmin didn’t know how to handle. Never have you been so standoffish and awkward, but weirdly confident around him before. You were always your cutesy, dorky, loving self. Even when you weren’t talking to him directly, you were just as yourself around other people, even to strangers. But to Spider-Man? He didn’t know this side of you - the one that looked at him like you couldn’t tolerate breathing the same air as him. It was like he was meeting you for the very first time.

You may not like Spider-Man now, but the way you smiled for that split second and the way you entertained his stupid words with your witty responses, somewhere deep inside your cold heart, there had to be a chance that you’d come to like him. Maybe then he’ll reveal himself to you, but for now, he had to figure out how to stop his heart from beating so fast as he watched you walk away. Only you could affect him like that.

He’ll get you to like him, whether you like it or not.

It took you three days to crack and spend Saturday night researching who the fuck Spider-Man was. Thursday was spent being pouty and bitter about the night before. (“What’s up with you?” Seungmin asked. “Nothing, I just hate everyone.” “Sounds about right...”) Friday was spent playing as your own devil’s advocate trying to justify why he was the way he was. (“I guess he wasn’t so bad. He wasn’t mean to me, or anything. And he did want to pay me back for the french fries…”) And Saturday morning and afternoon was spent resisting the urge to care enough that you’d really spend a night on a weekend looking him up while texting Seungmin the entire time.

He loved every second of it.

you [6:05 pm]: did you know his suit doesn’t have any pockets? what genius designed that!?

seungminion [6:08 pm]: maybe they just forgot?

you [6:09 pm]: rookie mistake.

you [7:56 pm]: god, i really don’t like the blue and red... 

seungminion [7:59 pm]: have you just been judging his uniform for the past 2 hours?

you [8:04 pm]: yeah? can’t be a great hero if he doesn’t look cool or have pockets.

seungminion [8:06 pm]: red and blue is cool!

you [8:07 pm]: if you’re 5.

you [9:42 pm]: ohhhh he visits children at the hospital! that’s actually super sweet.

seungminion [9:47 pm]: see, he’s a good guy.

you [9:54 pm]: i didn’t say he wasn’t, i just didn’t like him.

seungminion [9:55 pm]: “didn’t” like him? do you like him now?

you [9:57 pm]: i didn’t say that.

seungminion [10:01 pm]: just admit it, _____! life will be less stressful if you admit your faults.

you [10:04 pm]: i’ll never admit my faults because i’m always right.

seungminion [10:10 pm]: you’re so difficult… just open the door.

you [10:11 pm]: huh? are you here?

Seungmin couldn’t hold back his smile when he read your message. Something about you taking the time to look up what Spider-Man was all about made him miss you. It didn’t help that this gig felt like a full time job on top of everything else, taking time away to spend with you. 

Things were different now that high school was over - no longer did either of you have free time after school to hang out in his car listening to music he picked out for you, or to eat at your heart’s content at whatever fast food place was open past midnight. Nights like those only come once in a blue moon nowadays. One of his biggest fears is that one day, you two would grow apart so gradually that the show would stop, spending time with you would stop, and your friendship would stop, and he wasn’t going to let that happen just because he was Spider-Man.

Seungmin was tired. Because he stayed up late on weekdays to save the city from chaos, his only time to catch up on sleep was sleeping in on the weekends and even afterwards, he felt like he could barely keep his eyes open. But when you opened the door with that adoring smile on your face, he thinks staying up for a few more hours to be with you would be worth it.

Seungmin looked tired. His hair was messy, he had dark circles under his eyes, and his shirt was missing a button. He looked like an absolute hot mess, but his warm smile said otherwise. For him to make the surprise trip over here in this state made your heart hurt.

“Are you ok?” you asked, deeply concerned.

“Yeah, I just had a rough morning… Rough week… Month…”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

“Maybe another time.”

“Oh, ok.” That was the second time he rejected talking about how he was feeling. You knew he wasn’t one to open up and show his vulnerability, but this couldn’t have been healthy. You would argue if you could, but his tired eyes told you he wasn’t in the mood.

You widened the door gap to let in the tired puppy and he went straight for the couch. There was a little space between his feet and the opposite arm rest and you took your spot there. Soon after though, the sleepy puppy named Seungmin took one of your couch pillows and set them on your lap for him to lay his head on.

Whoa, this was new.

“Wh-What are you…?”

“Can I just rest my eyes for a few minutes?” he mumbled.

“Of course.”

With that, and your hand gently running through his messy hair, Seungmin fell into a deep sleep within seconds. You learned that night that Seungmin snored softly, like an unworried child tucked under his blanket. This boy was such a hard worker and always put everyone before himself that it was no wonder he gets burned out so easily, but this was the first time you’ve ever seen it to this extent. Normally, he’d yawn here and there and flake on hanging out once in a while, but never had he come to your home unannounced just so he could fall asleep on your lap.

Why he found solace in a place like your couch and your lap, you had no idea, but it was nice. It felt so right, but at the same time it didn’t, but neither of you were going to question it after tonight. You would let it take its course and move on with your lives like it didn’t happen because that’s what friends do in situations like this, right?

You’d let your racing heart calm down and erase it from your memory in the morning.

Seungmin woke up with the sun and his head still on your lap. Oh no, had he fallen asleep through the whole night!? Looking up, he saw how awkwardly your neck craned just so you could sleep semi-comfortably in your position. You stayed with him the entire night. You could have woken him up for a few seconds, got off the couch, and sleep soundly in your own bed, but no, you decided to stay here with him instead.

If he could spend the entire day napping with you, he would, but not today. Today he had to get fitted into his new Spidey suit that Woojin designed.

After getting up and carefully laying you on your couch, he did the unthinkable and kissed your forehead. He’s not sure why he did that… Actually, he didn’t even realize he did that until a few seconds after. Maybe it was how cute you looked that prompted him to do so. Maybe it was a thank you for putting up with him all these years. Regardless, it felt good but it made his heart flutter, causing him to smile like an idiot. He probably shouldn’t have done that and he hoped you didn’t feel it, but it felt so right. He left your apartment with his face buried in his hands trying to stop his face heating up and massaging his cheeks because he kept on smiling too hard.

When the front door closed, you rubbed the spot on your forehead and screamed into your pillow.

You haven’t seen Seungmin in a couple of weeks. You avoided seeing him, you called in sick and skipped the show, hell you even tried going to your hometown for the weekend all because you’re sure that you were going to make a fool out of yourself the second you saw him. This was so stupid - one boy laid his head on your lap, stayed the night, then kissed your forehead and suddenly you didn't know how to act!

The only communication you two had was over text. No phone calls or facetime, hell, not even Snapchat. Just short texts of you saying you were sick, stressed, and needed your space. This wasn't so unusual, as Seungmin experienced this side of you a lot throughout college, but this happening after that night was too coincidental. Did he do something wrong? Did you know he kissed you? Fuck, he knew he shouldn't have fallen asleep!

It’s a Saturday night once more and you’ve yet again bailed on him for not feeling well. Of course at this point, he knew you were avoiding him, but were you avoiding him because he overstepped his boundaries and you were fading him out, or because you were just being your awkward self and weren’t sure how to handle this weird limbo in your relationship? He really really hoped for the latter.

Since Seungmin wasn’t going to see you tonight, Woojin had put him on duty to test out the finished version of his new all-black suit - with pockets! The spider on his chest was still just as big, but he hoped that it blended in with the black enough that you wouldn’t be so spooked when you see it, whenever that would be.

On a Saturday night, you’re stuck on the balcony of your apartment flipping through old photos of you and Seungmin. From high school to just a couple of weeks ago, you lazily flipped through the memories like you were playing with a rolodex. You’re not sure how you got here, all by your lonesome - maybe it was because his stupidly cute smile that stuck in your head even while avoiding him, or because your forehead still tingled from his lips, or because even after all your ghosting he still put in the effort to want to see you that made you miss him and go through your mobile rolodex of pictures. Seeing him in person was way too risky, so you’ll stick to this for now.

Was this it? Was this the end of the dynamic duo, live on Moonlight Radio? The two doofuses who got a little too turnt at Prom together? The two idiots who couldn’t form coherent thoughts around each other?

“_____?”

“Ah!!”

The night was dead silent until a black upside down figure called your name and popped up from behind the branches of a nearby tree. By some weird instinct, your startled self dropped your phone in case you had to defend yourself from the over-sized arachnid, all the way from your fifth floor balcony. You were thankful to Spidey-Boy for once in your life, who had caught your phone using his web thingies just before it hit the floor and shattered to pieces.

Seungmin got a hold of your phone and noticed all the pictures of him cluttering in an album dubbed ‘Seungminion’. There were pics of him with his braces, him smiling, him eating, sleeping, crying - you name it, you had it, and he remembered every moment of every picture.

What were you doing just now? Were you thinking about him? His blush couldn’t be seen through his mask, could it?

“Can I get my phone back, please?”

Your balcony railing didn’t look like it could hold a fat squirrel, but somehow a superhero was able to balance on it, squatting like a mischievous cat. Seungmin ignored your tired plea and teasingly shook the phone in front of your pouty face. 

“Who’s this ~?” he asked in a sing-songy voice.

“No one, now give it back.”

“Is he your boyfriend?”

Even in the dark, your blush burned brightly. “No!”

“You have a lo~ot of pictures together ~”

“It’s…” you sighed, feeling your heart sink little by little. “It’s not like that.”

And his felt like it was sinking, too. “Do you want to talk about it?”

It’s funny. You would ask Seungmin that all the time and wished he’d answer you, but now that the tables have turned, you realized why he wouldn’t - you didn’t want to burden anyone with your worries.

“Maybe next time.”

“Why not now? I’m not busy, or anything. Besides, it can’t be healthy holding in whatever you’re feeling.” Seungmin was the epitome of a walking contradiction.

“I’m ok, I promise.”

“Your face says otherwise.”

“How would you know? We’ve met only once before. One and a half, if you count the first time, and both were very short encounters. I don’t think you’d know how I’m feeling based on that and how my face looks.”

“Then let me get to know you.”

“H-Huh?”

“I know you don’t know me very well, and it might be weird talking to me, but I don’t like you like this.”

“Like how…?”

“When you’re not smiling.” Of course, your body failed you and you smiled softly at his corny-ass words. Fine, you’ll give him that one… “There’s that pretty smile.”

“Shut up.”

“I’m serious by the way - do you want to talk about it? I’m not busy for a while.”

Were you really about to tell a stranger in black spandex that you were crushing hard on your friend? What has this world come to!? But you had nothing better to do and neither did he, so why not entertain the town’s hero for a little bit?

“Have you ever liked someone before?”

“Sure,” he shrugged casually. “I like you.”

Your eye roll could not have been more dramatic. He must do this with all of his damsels he saved, right? Clearly, he's had practice trying to woo others before.

Seungmin’s favorite color was the color of your cheeks.

“No, idiot! I mean like… you know… like-like.”

“I didn’t know our beloved radio host was in middle school.”

“Ok, I knew this was a bad idea -” you said, turning to the sliding door.

“Wait, I’m kidding!” Before you could head inside, Spider-Man grabbed your hand. “I was just trying to get you to smile again. Don’t go.”

When you squeezed his hand so he wouldn’t let go, Seungmin’s confidence and ego launched into space. You definitely were starting to like Spider-Man, whether it was school-girl crush type of like-like or you just tolerated him a little more. Seungmin was living the best of both worlds with you, but by the way you were avoiding the real him because of that night and the way you blushed at every word that came out of his masked mouth, was it possible you were starting to like his other self more?

He’ll find out right now.

“So what is this about like-liking someone?” he asked, tugging your forward a bit.

You're much closer to him than you have ever been before. Not considering the first time you met, of course. You've only met less than a handful of times, but somehow the distance in between wasn't so weird.

Seungmin felt your fingers run over the webbing design on his hands. “I’m… confused?” you questioned. That’s one way to put it.

“About?”

“It’s just… I don’t know, it’s weird because I’ve known him for a long time.”

You and Seungmin have known each other for a long time: check.

“Shouldn’t that make it easier on the both of you?”

“No, that makes it harder! With any hot guy on the street, I could go up to him, confess my undying attraction to him, and if he rejects me, then fine, I’ll just never see him again. But with a friend, I gotta consider all possible outcomes if I ever had to confess to him.”

“What’s there to consider?”

“Outcome number one: he could return my feelings, we kiss, and live happily ever after.”

“Sounds promising.”

“Outcome number two: he admits to not returning my feelings, says he would like to stay friends, but it’s too awkward now and we both drift apart until we no longer can stand in the same room together.”

“Now you’re just listing the extremes.”

“That’s not extreme, outcome number three is extreme: he doesn’t return my feelings, says he would like to stay friends but only said that to be nice and he turns up at the next hangout with his new boo thang.”

“Oh, come on, you really think he would do that!?” he whined, completely insulted you’d ever think so.

“It’s a possibility! And I’m not ready to take that risk yet.”

“So you’re stuck in some limbo now, is that it?”

“Yeah… we haven’t really talked since…”

You were this close to talking about the night Seungmin blurred the black and white between friends and more than that with an eagerly-awaiting Spider-Boy, who had moved from squatting like a cat on your porch to standing like a human for once. This was the first time you've seen him posed like a human and for once, goosebumps weren't crawling on your skin at the sight of the spider on his chest.

Seungmin awaited patiently for you to continue on, but you seemed more preoccupied with his chest than your story.

"I just realized your uniform's different," you noted, taking a step back to appreciate the new color.

"Ya like? Black's pretty sexy, huh?"

"Yeah, it's much better than the red and blue."

"And look! Pockets!!"

Spider-Man shoved his hands into the depths of his pockets and you thought to yourself that your FBI agent listening in on your devices must work for Spider-Man, considering he altered his uniform per your suggestions.

You tried to play it off like you weren't creeped out. "What the heck do you need pockets for? Your Spidey-Cell?"

"Ha-ha, there's no such thing as a Spidey-Cell. It's to hold my snacks. But it can hold your phone, if you'd like?"

"Why would I want you to hold my phone��?"

"When I take you on a tour through the city tonight."

You took a big step back and wiggled your finger at the mischievous hero. "You're crazy if you think I'm consenting to that."

"What, jumping around buildings and having citizens take videos of you during the busiest night of the week doesn't sound appealing to you?"

"Not at all!"

"C'mon, you look like you need some excitement and cheering up right now! What else do you have going on tonight?"

"I… have laundry to do…!"

"Just throw it in and come with me! It won't take that long."

"I also have homework."

"That's what Sundays are for."

"I also have to answer some questions listeners sent this week, and make dinner, and oh my God, my blinds are so dusty, and -"

"_____."

Spider-Man took a step forward and held his hand out. The night was alive, and you both could hear it coming deep within the city, where close friends and couples in love enjoyed each other's company. It's been lonely the last couple of weeks and you'll admit seeing Spider-Man tonight was the most exciting thing that's happened for a while, but…

Somehow, this felt like you were cheating on Seungmin.

"Give me thirty minutes," Spidey pleaded. "That's all."

You held his hand once more. There's something about the mystery man behind the suit that painstakingly attracted you to him. It was like fate had plans in stored just meant for the two of you.

"I'm scared of heights," you admitted shyly.

"I'll hold you tight."

"Promise?"

"I promise. I'd never let anything happen to you." And he meant it.

"Ok. Thirty minutes."

Seungmin pulled you in close to his chest and instructed you to wrap your arms around his shoulders. This was the closest he's gotten to a hug for a couple of weeks and he missed it, but he'll deal with your mess of a friendship later. What mattered most right now was how cutely and innocently you looked up at him while clinging on to your dear life like he was already swinging through the concrete jungle.

"Are you ready?" he asked, taking hold of your waist.

"Nope!"

"On the count of three, we'll go, ok?" You nodded nervously. "Ready? One… I lied!"

On the second count, Spider-Man stuck his webbing from the tree he was on and swung from branch-to-branch like some modern day Tarzan. Your shrill screams were the soundtrack to his flight and his boyish laughs mixed in between. 

"You're such an asshole!!" you cried out, burying your face into his shoulder.

"I know and I'm sorry, but it was too good of an opportunity to pass up! But you'll take it back if you open your eyes."

“No way!”

“C’mon, don’t be such a baby!”

“I will cry.”

“No, you won’t. Now please, open your eyes!”

So you did, and your world in the arms of Spider-Man was filled with nothing but color. In a city you often saw as black and white, tonight was like seeing color for the very first time in shades you haven’t even heard of. Every color of light - from the tri-color street lights to the infinite shades of neon - all bounced off of every skyscraper the city held, reflecting off of every square of glass. The lights made your eyes twinkle like there were billions of rainbow stars stuck inside.

Seungmin was so glad to have you here with him.

The people below, as cliche as it sounds, looked like tiny little ants with cell phones recording every swing, every scream, and every smile. The idea of this going worldwide was absolutely terrifying, maybe even more-so than this, but it was so worth it. Never had anyone convince you to do something this crazy before. It seems like you’re sharing a lot of weird firsts with Spidey-Boy.

Seungmin took you to an empty rooftop that was thankfully not too high up, but high enough so that neither of you could be seen. As soon as your feet touched the concrete, your body turned to jello and fell to the floor.

“Oh, hey-!” Seungmin began, worried that you passed out.

But instead, you were in a fit of giggles, clutching your sides and covering your face from embarrassment.

You’re so, so cute, but so… so weird… 

“Uh… are you ok?” he asked, hovering over your still-giggling form.

“No! I feel like I died, went to the seventh layer of hell, and got resurrected twenty times!”

“Then why do you look so happy?”

“I don’t know!” A long, content sigh left your lips before you grinned at your reflection through spidery lenses. “I am happy.”

Seungmin already knew he loved you. But now, he was in trouble - he was in too deep, and there was no way out.

He was crazily, unapologetically, immensely in love with you.

After you collected yourself from the floor, you joined a patient and careful Spider-Man at the edge of the roof. The fearless boy swung his legs freely overboard, and though you weren’t at that level yet, you were brave enough to straddle the parapet.

“Wow, I’m kind of proud of you,” Spidey snickered.

“Sh-Shut up.”

“Don’t fall ~”

“No promises, so you better catch me ~”

“Of course I will.”

For a moment, the two of you enjoyed each other’s company in silence, watching over the city folk who were either trying to get home after a long day, leaving home for a night out, or simply spending it with someone else. The perspective made you feel small - like your situation with Seungmin, the radio show, all the stress of school meant nothing because this, right in front of you, was the bigger picture. It didn’t make sense though, how none of your personal problems mean nothing in this moment.

Maybe Spider-Man had powers other than shooting webs.

“Hungry?” he asked, distracting you from your thoughts.

“Kind of. Are you?”

“Starving.”

“I’d ask if you want to get something to eat, but I don’t know how that would work.”

“We can still get something to eat. See that skewer stand over there?”

Spandex-Man pointed to a busy stand full of chicken, beef, pork, fried tofu, veggie, you-name-it skewer stand. You could smell the delicious spices all the way from the roof. “Mhm.”

“Watch this.”

In the blink of an eye, the webs from his wrist grab onto several sticks and he yanked them back, handing you several scrumptious, juicy skewers faster than you could blink. Then, he took out cash from his wallet (which he kept in his new fancy pockets) and shot back enough bills to cover the tip jar.

“Wow, I bet that’s handy at home when you’re couch potato-ing.”

“You have no idea - I barely get up on my days off.”

The skewers taste better with a side of company. “By the way, you never answered my question.”

“What question?”

“Have you ever like-liked someone?”

“Ah, that one,” he sighed, unbothered. “Of course I have.”

“Oh? What were they like?”

“Where should I begin? They’re quite spunky. They have that no bullshit attitude that’s very attractive. They’re very smart, too, it’s hard for me to keep up sometimes. Most of all they’re so dorky… Dorky like they get scared over the littlest things like bugs and they get excited about things like free snacks in the library. But they’re also kind. I can’t recall a time when they weren’t thinking about others before themselves. And oh man, they have that little twinkle in their eyes whenever they see me - that’s what I love the most.”

“Did you ever tell them you like them?”

He shook his head lazily. “Nah. I didn’t see a point at the time.”

“You’re crazy! You should have told them!”

“Why, so I could get rejected!?”

“But what if they would have returned your feelings!? You just lost something great!”

“Eh, that was a long time ago so it doesn’t matter anymore,” he lied.

“You’re so lame…”

“Says the one who’s making made-up scenarios in your head to avoid your own jump to the death confession!”

“Hey, those are completely possible!”

“And you call me crazy…”

“Bet you won’t tell the next person that comes along that you like them ~”

“Jokes on you because I already did ~”

“When!?”

“Twenty minutes ago. I said I liked you, remember?”

Soon, blushing cheeks would become permanent on your face. “Shut up.”

A loud crash was heard far in the distance, just north of where you two were. You and the citizens below halted for a couple of seconds, like someone had pressed the pause button on the country. Another loud crash was heard and the rumbling of big, heavy footsteps echoed in the night. It was coming in your direction. Then, all warning sirens within the entire city went off, blinking a bright red.

“Please evacuate immediately,” the intercom said robotically. “Threat level: Demon. Please evacuate immediately. Threat level -”

“Demon?” you muttered to no one in particular. “There hasn’t been a Demon-level threat in over a decade -”

“I’m taking you home.”

“Wait -!”

There was no time to wait. Seungmin had to get you out of here and swing back to the city to find out whatever this thing was that made it so dangerous. Instead of flying through the buildings on the busiest and plugged-up streets, he detoured onto the smaller buildings on the safer routes near the outskirts of town where no one could see you. If that thing caught a glimpse of you, kidnapped you somehow, and made you a pawn in its game just to lure in Seungmin, he would never forgive himself. In fact, meeting you as Spider-Man was a complete mistake in the first place.

You made it back to your balcony in no time. The brave boy held you close by the shoulders and even if you couldn’t see through his reflecting eyes, you knew he was staring into your soul.

“Stay inside, ok? “ Spidey demanded.

“Don’t go. Stay with me.”

“You know I can’t do that.”

“Can’t someone else go instead!?”

The footsteps got louder - closer.

Seungmin took your face in his hands, drawing tiny circles with the pads of his thumbs. When that didn’t help you calm down, you watched him carefully begin to remove his mask. What the hell was he doing!? Was he going to reveal himself NOW, of all times!? But no, your panic subsided when he only revealed just below his nose. Then, as if your life was a fairy tale, your prince pressed a soft, loving kiss to your forehead. Time slowed.

“I’ll come back to check on you.”

“Wait -!”

He had already jumped off your balcony before you could grab him and pull him back in the safety of your home. Whatever the thing was, you had no doubt he could stop it. Tomorrow, everything would be back to normal.

There was a shelter in the basement of your apartment complex whenever supernatural things caused the sirens to go off. You’ve lived through multiple Snake-level threats, Tiger-levels, hell even Dragon-level, but never Demon, the highest-level threat to exist. In the dusty and overcrowded basement, all of the panicked residents crowded over the television that hung on the wall.

Before you joined the crowd, you texted every possible friend to check-in and make sure they were safe. Seungmin was the only one who didn’t respond right away. You tried calling, sending multiple texts, snapchats, but received nothing, and you felt like your heart was collapsing in your chest.

seungminion [10:07 pm]: i’m ok, i promise.

You were about to cry on the spot. Slowly, your whole world would come back together, and everything would be fine.

The news reporters were showing live footage of what was out there, with the recording crew bravely hiding in the bushes and rubble of what was left of some buildings. The camera couldn’t get a full view of the thing because its appendages were too long. It looked like some big mechanical spider with claws on the ends of its legs. Just the sight of it on the screen made your skin crawl… why was this city so obsessed with spiders?

In the corner of the screen, a teeny tiny Spider-Man faced the enemy.

Oh my God, he’s doomed! He’s so tiny compared to that thing! And it has claws that could probably cut through the webbing! Every doubtful thoughts and whispers from your neighbors flooded your brain and you couldn’t stand to watch without peaking through your fingers in front of your face.

Seungmin was face-to-face with some other spider-wannabe being. He had no idea who or what this thing or person was other than it looked like it was crafted in an underground laboratory. With long, heavy, and sturdy appendages, it was hard for him to make out the pilot in the cephalothorax. What seemed to be human really didn’t look human at all - more like a crazy, power-hungry scientist on crack.

“Spider-Man! What a coincidence, I was just on my way to see you ~” the man sang. “I’ve been watching you.”

“That’s not creepy at all…”

“But it’s only because I admire you so much! Look, I even made myself a big spider to impress you!”

So he was just some crazy super fan. Seungmin wondered if his intentions were to hurt any citizens at all, or if the pilot didn’t even think about them as he made his way to show Seungmin his creation.

“Do you like it?” he asked desperately. “It’s an homage of sorts - like a sculpture! It’s art!”

“Um… I don’t fully understand it? It doesn’t look anything like me at all.”

There’s a short, eerie silence that followed. Everyone watching in their shelters embedded into the Earth’s crust held their breath, waiting for how the super fan was going to react. If you could hit Spider-Man across the television screen, you would until he was sent into the next dimension. Spidey, you idiot, entertain him a little, would you!? Are you trying to doom us all!?

“So you hate it…”

“No, that’s not what I.”

“I knew it! I knew you would hate it!”

The mechanical spider threw an obnoxious temper tantrum like an angry child without his nap time, swinging its appendages in every which way, hitting everything in its path like a lethal tornado. Nothing was left but dust and gravel by the time the spider sliced through a building. Seungmin did his best to dodge and avoid getting hit, but it wasn’t easy when there were eight things to dodge all at once. Between jumping from buildings to running on the ground, while trying to transition from one platform to the other, one of the legs hit him and sent him flying through a cement wall.

You could practically hear the whole city gasp in unison, with your soft one mixed in as you hide your face in your hands. Oh my God, he was going to get crushed!

But as if nothing had hit him just moments before, the city’s hero jumped back on his feet and went back to the demon.

First, Seungmin tried to tie up his legs together with his webbing. That didn’t work even though the chemical make-up of the silk was comparable to woven steel. The claws were still able to cut through every strand like it was cutting though tissue paper.

“I spent countless hours…! Endless months...!! Sometimes without food or sleep, and you ended up hating it!! I made this for you!”

Another blow to Spider-Man sent him through several concrete walls this time, crumbling the foundation of the buildings as he passed. At this rate, the entire city would be destroyed in no time.

“Come on, you can do it,” you whispered to no one in particular. You hoped his spidey-sense, or whatever, could hear your thoughts.

The more buildings that were destroyed, the more the enemy moved forward, looking for other things to destroy and toss like they meant nothing. Seungmin did his best to follow and try to lure him in a direction that was mostly rubble, but it was no use. Before he could be stopped, the two of them were already at the city’s main bridge that connected it to the other city. It was clear they didn’t get the evacuation memo quick enough as people parked their cars in the middle of the highway and ran in the opposite direction.

The view of the fight could now be seen thanks to two brave men recording in a helicopter. You saw the thing toss cars behind him, at Spider-Man, into the river, and to panicked citizens. Luckily, Spidey was able to catch the cars with ease and you think to yourself that maybe you don’t know him as well as you thought you did, even after all that research. Truly, this man was absolutely incredible in action.

“You hate it, everyone else hates it, where is the culture in this town!? The artistic knowledge!? Lack thereof is absolutely mortifying!” Another car tossed into the river. “No city can thrive without appreciation of the arts! I’ll do you all a favor and rebuild this city from the ground up!!”

You assumed that meant he would eliminate everyone in the city and start with nothing. That was comforting…

A car filled with a small family and a baby were lifted overhead. “I’ll start with them!”

He tossed the car over the bridge like they were just one of many to end up with an unfortunate fate in his metal claws. Spider-Man paid no mind to the cackling man in the body of a mechanic spider and used both of his web shooters to aim at the falling car. They hadn’t fallen too far off the bridge, but if Spidey couldn’t hold on to them, then the drop would be horrendous.

Maybe if the car wasn’t a huge suburban mom-van, this would be a piece of cake to pull up, but it was and no amount of leg days at the gym could have prepared Seungmin for this gnarly dead lift. Since all of his attention was on the van below, Seungmin had a hard time multi-focusing on the demon threat that was aiming a car at him.

“You’re next ~!”

Then there’s a beam of… light? Fire, perhaps? That blinded the television screen. A flying, red and gold-colored armored man swooped in and saved Spider-Man’s and the family’s ass.

“You ok?” he asked, flipping open his helmet to get a good look at him. “No, the suit! I was so sure the material would hold this time!”

Wait a minute… “Is that Woojin!?” you screeched on your end. “What the fuck -!!”

“Eh?” Seungmin looked down at his suit. Only parts of it were torn up and scathed, but otherwise he thought it was holding together rather nicely. “I mean,I think it’s still ok.”

“We’ll discuss that later. Do you need some help with this guy?”

“That would be nice, yes.”

“Bet I can beat him before you pull up the car.”

“Oh, you’re on.”

Once Seungmin got into competitive mode, there was no going back, and Woojin knew that. There was no way he’d beat this super fan, but he needed Seungmin’s help fast because this heavy iron suit could only dodge for so long.

You’re on your tippy toes as you watched Woojin tease and fight the demon-threat. There was no way that was really him... But when you saw his fluffy brown curls and his mischievous smirk before he closed his helmet, you were positive that was the one and only sexy fried chicken master himself. It was just so hard to believe because you’ve never seen him move so much before. You were so used to him slouched over in your booth every Wednesday night.

The car was brought up with some struggling, but nonetheless, the family was safe. Seungmin would feel this in his legs and biceps tomorrow morning, but that was for him to dwell on tomorrow. While Woojin kept distracting the enemy, Seungmin jumped in to help.

“If you can pin him down, I’ll incinerate the appendages.”

“I can’t, I already tried that.”

“What? He can still cut through them? Dammit!” Woojin sighed loudly. “Make sure I modify that along with the fabric.”

“Duly noted. I could try tying the legs together?”

“Let’s try it.”

It was a cat and mouse chase, where Spidey-Boy played the sneaky mouse Jerry and the spider droid was Tom the cat. You watched the clever man weave in and out and in between all the legs, with an appendage following closely behind. With a quickness, he shot his webs towards the limb and pulled close. With his free hand, he took another hold of a limb, and brought it close also. Then the tying ensued, trying to bend and twist the unforgiving metal into what was almost a knot.

“Close enough,” Woojin shrugged. “Step aside.”

You watched a floating Woojin blast a beam of light from the palm of his hand. At the joint where the limb met with the thorax, the mass of energy blew them off one-by-one as Spider-Man did his part. Two legs fell to the floor. Then four, then six, but the seventh and eight limbs were able to fight back. The tips of the claws acted like the tips of knives, piercing and poking everything it came in contact with. Seungmin got hit on his side, the spidey suit ripping along with his skin, and dark, crimson blood flowed freely.

Another eruption of gasps were made in your basement, this time yours being the loudest. You covered your mouth and tried to stop the worrying tears from forming.

“F-Fuck,” he cursed painfully, jumping back to hide behind Woojin.

“I can handle two limbs. Just stay back.”

Seungmin didn’t hear what his boss said. He was too focused on the blood pooling in his hands. It hurt like a bitch, but luckily he wasn’t losing too much of it that he was going to pass out. It was just harder for him to move. In the background, Seungmin could hear the maniacal laughter from the crazy scientist who was having fun playing with his toy. Woojin, on the other hand, wasn’t having any of it today and opted to just incinerate every piece on the spider until there was no more. For a moment, it rained shards of metal, distracting everyone from keeping their eye on the demon-threat. The super fan was able to miraculously escape the explosion, but not before Seungmin tied his defenseless body up like silken chrysalis.

“It’s Spider-Man’s silk…! The intricacy of it! It’s phenomenal, Spider-Man!! Truly, modern art in its final form!!”

“Seungmin, you good?” Woojin asked, bending at his level.

“Yeah… Can you stay with him until the cops come? I need to go somewhere to fix this.”

“Do what you gotta do, but text me once you’re there.”

A drowsy, light-headed Spider-Man nodded before jumping off to God only knows where. There weren’t many places where he could hide from citizens once the word got out it was safe to come back again, so he had to make his way to someone fast, but when the trees looked like clouds and the street lamps blurred to nothing, that might take longer than he expected.

The ‘Threat Level Eliminated’ alarm popped up on everyone’s phones, meaning it was safe to go back to your apartment. Luckily and conveniently, your apartment was one of the few buildings located on the outskirts of the city that was left unscated, so you thankfully still had a home. You’re not sure how you’re going to sleep without knowing if Spidey was ok or not, but you were so tired that your body was sure to forget about it once it hit your mattress.

In the midst of all the chaos, you were so happy that Seungmin was ok. You hoped he was thinking about you, too.

A place for everything and everything in its place - nothing was scathed or shattered or touched, and for that you’re thankful. After a quick scan of your apartment, you headed to bed feeling empty, like you should have someone here to be with and distract you from all the evil in the world.

As if on cue, a knock on your balcony window startled you to death. Outside was a heavy-breathing silhouette of Spider-Man clutching his side from when he was almost cut in half by that thing. You never ran to the window faster.

“Hey,” you whispered worriedly. “What are you doing here...?”

“Please help me...”

Your eyes widened at the size of his wound. It looked much smaller on the television. “You need to go to a hospital!”

“No! No one else can see this.”

“But -!”

“_____, please.”

Reluctantly, you helped the poor boy into your home. He collapsed on one of the chairs in your kitchen while you ran to the bathroom to find anything that would stop the bleeding. Several damp but clean towels and soap were in one hand and a roll of gauze was in another. WebMD said to first apply gentle pressure to stop the bleeding. You were ok with baby wounds and small paper cut drips of blood, but being up close and personal with a gashing, open wound with lots of blood made you lightheaded. Oh my God, why did humans have so much blood!

The next step was to clean the wound, so you used a new towel and some soap to clean around, but not on the open cuts. At this point, Spider-Man’s breathing was slow and steady.

“Hey,” you said, gently patting his masked face. “Stay with me.”

“Hm…?”

“Don’t fall asleep.”

“I’m pretty sure that rule only goes for head injuries.”

“Just don’t, ok? For me? At least not yet, because I’m scared you won’t wake up again.”

You felt like such a whiny baby for not wanting an injured hero to rest just yet, but Seungmin knew you were just worried. Even in disguise, you were always so thoughtful for him, and it was just one of the many reasons why he loved you.

Spidey-Boy ruffled your hair playfully. “Ok. For you.”

Cleaning the wound took a while (“Ah, that stings!” “Then sit still!” “No!”), but regardless, you think you did a pretty swell job and almost considered a change in your major (NCLEX, anyone?). The difficult part was patching up the wound.

Your cheeks blushed for the millionth time. “Hey, uh…”

“What’s up?”

“Can you, uh… Take your uniform off…?”

Seungmin’s heart jumped. “I can’t do that.”

“Why not? How am I going to wrap up your wound?”

“I’ll do it myself. Can I use your bathroom?”

“Sure… First door on the left.”

Spidey nodded, taking the roll of gauze in your hands and slowly making his way towards the bathroom with whatever strength he had left in him. After taking off his suit and mask, he used the door as a means of support while he messily wrapped the gauze around his torso. It thankfully stopped the bleeding, but the problem now was how he was going to get home when he could barely walk.

He felt a knock on his back and panicked, pressing up against it more so you couldn’t open it.

“Y-Yeah?” he asked.

“Are you ok in there? Are you sure you don’t need any help?”

“I’m fine…!”

You left it at that, going back to your seat in the kitchen as you impatiently waited for his return. You knew the reason he wanted to do it himself was so he could hide his identity, but you couldn’t help but feel a little hurt that he didn’t trust you like that yet. I mean fine, this was only technically your fifth time meeting him, but this situation was different - he needed your help.

After half an hour of wrapping and trying to catch his breath, a fully-costumed Spider-Man came out of the bathroom with the gauze sticking out where the cut used to be. You smiled up at him and Seungmin thought that everything would be all right.

Then he collapsed.

With a loud thug, your hero fell to the floor and didn’t move. You ran to him, fell to your knees, and laid his head on your lap.

“Hey hey!” you cried out, lightly slapping his masked face. “Come on, wake up!”

“Mmff…”

“I’m going to take off your mask, ok?”

“No, don’t…!” He tried to object, but the more he talked, the more he lost his strength.

You didn’t listen because how could you just let him slowly suffocate under his mask!? You didn’t care if he’d be mad at you and you didn’t care if Woojin or whomever the fuck his boss was barged in and blasted some memory-wiping light in your eyes because you cared about Spidey-Boy too much for you to just let him do this on his own.

After removing his mask, you felt the walls of your home begin to crumble.

A sweaty, exhausted Seungmin laid in your lap, barely breathing. Seeing him like this brought back every memory you’ve ever shared with him, from high school until now. You’ve only ever come to know the adorable and sunshiny Seungmin, never the one that’s been saving the city from chaos and destruction. You thought you knew everything about him, but it was clear you really didn’t know him at all, and it broke your heart.

It wasn’t fair. He knew everything about you, from your odd habits, to your favorite everything, and now he knew how you felt about being in love. Granted, you never explicitly told him it was him, but he wasn’t an idiot, he knew it all along. Tonight, you trusted him as Spider-Man with your heartfelt feelings thinking that the real him would never find out until you were ready, but that trust was already broken the moment he flew into you on that fateful Sunday evening.

Your entire friendship was a lie.

Seungmin tried opening his eyes after feeling your tears fall on his cheeks and forehead.

“_____…” he mumbled.

You shook your head, unable to look at him as you quietly sobbed.

“I hate you, Seungmin,” you whispered.

His vision goes black.

When Seungmin passed out, you kneeled there until you could no longer feel the blood flowing below your knees and you sobbed. You were heartbroken, you were furious, you were absolutely terrified, and everything came crashing down like every other building in the center of the city tonight. But at least Seungmin (slash Spider-Man) was here with you, right where you needed him to be, so could you really be mad?

There was no way you were able to carry him to your bed or even the couch, so you did your best to make him comfortable as he laid on the floor. A few pillows and several soft blankets would do the trick. Afterwards, you headed to bed yourself, unable to deal with everything that happened today. Somehow, you’d deal with it in the morning.

But you couldn’t sleep. After tossing and turning and flipping through old memories shared with the boy practically dead on your floor outside, sleep would not have you, as if you were cursed until you dealt with your feelings head-on. What the fuck were you supposed to do, though!? He was unconscious, for God’s sake, he wouldn’t even hear anything you’d say! And it would make you seem weak, wouldn’t it? Caving into what your heart wanted and going to him… That would mean you’d forgive pretty much anything Seungmin was at fault for, and that was not going to be the case!

It was four in the morning when you decided that yes, you were a weak, weak person, but only for your best friend.

On your sixteenth birthday, Seungmin gifted you the stars. Literally - there was this lamp thing on Amazon that had a slow-spinning black dome with a bunch of holes in it that mimicked the stars above. When the lights turned off and the glow of the lamp was on, the entire room was filled with constellations and stardust and it was like he gave you the universe and everything that was beneath it. In retrospect, he’d always go above and beyond, not just with gifts, but with anything that involved you just to make you happy.

Maybe it was time for you to do the same. The least you could do was try to understand his side. You wouldn’t even let him explain earlier… You told him you hated him.

So in the midst of heartbreak, you brought the lantern, a pillow, and a blanket and laid beside him until he would wake again. As the stars twinkled and twirled like a mobile above a crib, you watched a sleepy Seungmin beside you breathe softly. You counted every eyelash, every breath per minute, and traced his silhouette.

Even when you should be mad at him, how could you be? The moment he wakes up, you'd forgive and forget about everything - you loved him too much to stay mad for so long.

Before you fell asleep next to him, you made sure to hold his hand so he wouldn't slip away.

Nine in the morning was when Seungmin woke up with enough strength to leave you alone. He awoke beside you, with his hand entwined with yours, and he thought to himself how there was no way he deserved you. You stayed with him the whole night, healing him, making sure he was ok, and even after his identity was revealed - even after you told him you hated him - you stayed by his side on the uncomfortable hardness of the floor.

You hated him. Even with you by his side and your hand in his, he lied to you and kept his identity a secret and you hated him for it.

Seungmin tried to get up, but his side stung too much. Looking at his gash, his blood had soaked through the gauze and he knew he needed Woojin's money to help him with this one.

Your best friend pressed one last kiss to your forehead before leaving.

"I love you," he whispered. Then he hopped out the balcony and journeyed to Woojin.

When you woke up alone and with Seungmin nowhere in sight, you panicked. You called his cell phone, left text messages, called Woojin's cell phone, called all of 3RACHA's cell phones, anyone who you suspected to be a part of this super secret Spider-Man Team of Friendship, but no one would answer or knew where he was.

First he hid a whole alternate persona from you, even after you grew a connection with him, and then he injuries himself and then he falls off the face of the Earth!? How was that fair to you!? After everything you do for him!?

You needed answers. You needed him to be safe, with you, and to answer every question you had. He owed you that much.

Desperate times called for desperate measures, so went live on the radio straight from home.

Seungmin slept on Woojin's couch for hours after he arrived. He was drugged with some weird shit Woojin's brother concocted, patched and stitched up by said brother, and was instructed to stay bed ridden until the drugs took on its full effect. Something was working because his side felt numb and wasn't bleeding out anymore.

As he waited for the medicine to work, he passed the time by reading and listening to all the messages you left him.

you [9:23 am]: hey, are you awake?

you [9:38 am]: please answer me…

"Seungmin? Where are you? Please call me back."

you [10:56 am]: seungmin please

you [11:21 am]: i'm not mad, i promise!! i don't hate you!!

you [12:03 pm]: you're so mean.

you [12:52 pm]: i'm sorry.

He'll never be able to face you again. Not for a very long time.

'Moonlight Radio is now live!' his phone screen read.

Today was Sunday. "What the…?"

Even when the city barely started to recuperate from mass destruction, a good chunk of your regular listeners still tuned in to Moonlight Radio.

"Hey, guys!" you greeted cheerfully. "It's me, _____, going solo at the mic today. How are you all doing this Sunday afternoon? I hope you're all safe and sound, resting from last night's chaos. Team Moonlight is just fine, so no need to worry about us.

"Now I know, it's not 8:00 pm Wednesday, but I have a really good reason for this surprise short broadcast. I… I need your help."

There's a long pause on your end. How were you going to word this?

"So there's this guy, right? There's always a guy, that's how stories like this start. He's a really close friend of mine and I've been battling with some weird feelings for a very long time. You guys know how it goes, right? You think you like them, you're in denial, things get kind of awkward, then you're avoiding each other, and now your friendship is ruined, all because you're avoiding these… these stupid feelings! And you haven't even told him yet!"

Seungmin heard you sniffle through his phone. You were crying. All because of him.

"So I need your guys' help," you cried out. "I hate feeling this way. What should I do…?"

On your laptop, tons of answers flowed in through the group chat and inbox on what you should do. There were only two answers, and one of them was a question.

"You guys are so funny," you said, genuinely happy that your listeners knew you so well. "The only options are variations of 'just tell him!' and 'is this about Seungmin?'"

The tired boy's heart felt like it was aching when you said his name, but why was he so happy?

"You guys are right - I should tell Seungmin I love him. Seungmin…" you paused, choked up on the tears that were ready to fall. This wasn’t going to be easy. "If you're listening, please answer my calls… I-I'm not mad at you! I just can't help but worry about you sometimes. You mean so much to me, and I don’t know what I’d do without you. So please, just let me know you’re out there and safe somewhere. I love you, ok? I love you."

Seungmin cried a little, too. His heart ached, his whole entire body, mind, and soul ached, but he was so, so happy.

"Ok! Enough sad sappy stuff! I'm going to eat tubs of ice cream and maybe cry a little until I hear a response. Stay tuned on Wednesday to find out the results of my undying confession to my co-host. Oh, also! While I have you all listening, could I ask you all for another favor? If you guys see Spider-Man today, could you drop the location in our inbox? I know I know, I used to be disgusted by that vermin, but now I'm kind of a huge fan. Spider-Man, if you're listening… I guess I like you, too. Have a good Sunday, everyone. This is _____ signing off."

Seungmin had to find you. He had to run to you, hold you in his arms, and kiss you until you were out of breath. But when he tried getting up from the bed, he couldn't.

"Hyung!” he called out. “Why can't I move!?"

"The sedative isn't going to wear off for a couple more hours," Woojin explained.

"Hours? No, I need it to wear off now!”

“Sorry dude, I can’t just reverse it like that.”

“Fuck!”

“Can’t you just call _____?”

“No, I have to see her in person. They deserve that much.”

Woojin ruffled his comrade’s bedhead adoringly. “Ah, young love.”

Seungmin was bed-ridden for another six hours until he was fine to move again and leave to do his ‘young love activities’, as Woojin put it. Throughout the entire six hours, he recited and played in his head all possible scripts and scenarios of what it’d be like when he saw you again, asking Woojin for some input on how likely each of them would happen.

“Scenario one is that they return my feelings and hug me ‘til I can’t breathe and maybe we kiss and live happily ever after as Spider-Man and _____.”

“Sounds fake, but ok.”

“... Scenario two is that they’re mad at me for a little while, the show goes on hiatus because it’s a little awkward, but in the end we’re together and live happily ever after as Spider-Man and _____…?

“What is with this happily ever after stuff? Do you really think it’ll be that easy?”

“No, but a man can dream.”

“Instead of dreaming about it and stressing yourself out, just wait until you actually do it. You always overthink things, it’s not good for you, dude.”

“I can’t help it ~!” the injured boy whined. “I’ve never had this problem before!”

“Neither have I, but I’m always right, so you should listen.”

Six and a half hours, a tub of ice cream, and half a box of tissues later, you were still alone in your apartment watching sappy romances to cry your eyes out to. After you ended your pop-up broadcasting, you waited by your phone hoping that the message got to Seungmin. It had to have, because there was always an alert whenever the show went live. Unless he didn’t have his phone, but that was unlikely - didn’t he need it for superhero-y Spidey things? The first hour of waiting was the worst because every time your phone rang with some notification, your heart would jump in your throat and it was hard to breathe, but it wasn’t him, it was always some listener congratulating you on your confession or that they haven’t seen Spider-Man all day. The following hours were just you wallowing in your sadness knowing that Seungmin probably wasn’t going to respond anytime soon.

A knock on your window sent the spoon in your hand flying. You clutched your startled and fragile glass heart when you saw Seungmin standing on your balcony in his torn-up suit without his mask on. Your long-time friend looked so tired - tired of hiding from you, from protecting the city, and from being a normal college kid. Your nurturing instincts silently scolded him and wished he’d just gone home to rest instead, but truthfully, you’d much rather have him here with you.

You ran to your balcony door, opened it, and jumped right into his arms.

Seungmin didn’t say anything about how you were squeezing his stitches or how he wished you weren’t crying because of him. He simply held you in his arms and stroked your hair while you buried your head in his shoulder. Your body shook as you sobbed and it damaged Seungmin’s heart to an extent he couldn’t describe, but he hoped the kisses he planted on the side of your head healed you even just a little.

After an immeasurable amount of time, you broke away, and hit his chest.

“Ow, hey! What was that for!?”

“That was for crashing into me when we first met. If I could hit you for everything that’s happened to us over the past few months, you would need more stitches.”

“... I guess I deserve that…”

“Why are you here? You should be at home resting, not flying around dressed up in this cursed suit. What if another threat pops up!? And why do you have your mask off, what if somebody saw you!? And -!!”

“Shh,” the grinning boy hushed, pulling you back in for another hug. You should be pushing him away and scolding him some more, but your body failed you and you wrapped your arms around him once more. “I am home. You’re my home.”

“Don’t pull that cheesy shit with me, Kim Seungmin, I’m not buying it.”

“I know. I’m so, so sorry.”

“You better be!”

“Do you still hate me?”

“Kind of, you ass.”

“Do you still love me?”

Your cheeks burned. “... You heard me on-air, huh?”

“I love you, too ~” he sang, showering you in little kisses.

“Ew, stop it!”

“Ha ha, you love your best friend ~”

“Shut up!”

“You love spiders ~”

“No, I don’t!”

“C’mon, kiss me. Kiss your favorite spider.”

“Kim Seungmin, you’re so gross!”

You kissed him anyways. Then, for the entire night, you both sat on your couch and made him apologize for every single thing he’s done to you as Spider-Man, from spilling your french fries (“But I bought you some the same night!” “That was Seungmin, not Spider-Man.”) to flirting with you, and to when he left without waking you up. You forgave every single incident by kissing him and Seungmin tried to think up a hundred little things to apologize for.

“I’m sorry that you fell for me twice,” he teased.

“What kind of apology is that!? And I didn’t fall for you twice!”

“Admit it, you started to really like Spider-Man.”

“No.”

“You’re so cute when you’re in denial.”

“I hate you.”

He held your face in his hands and pulled you in for another soft kiss. “I love you, too.”

[once-upon-an-animation]

Frozen II (Spoilery) Review

So I went and saw Frozen in theatres last night, and... I like it, but I was somewhat disappointed. Not sure if that was because I spoiled most of the movie for myself already before going in, but then again, most of the stuff I was disappointed with was writing issues as opposed to feeling underwhelmed, so meh. Here goes:

The Good:

- I actually really like most of the sound track. AIF, STNC, ITU, & SY were instant faves and are on repeat. TNRT isn’t really a fun song to listen to, but the lyrics are pretty powerful. 

- The premise of F2. One of my complaints about F1 was the lack of lore and explanation for any of the magic. I’m glad that this film took an origin-story approach, and dove deeper into the world of magic in Arendelle. Much-needed.

- The outfits. Elsa’s new fit at the end of the movie was absolutely gorgeous, and I really like her with her hair down. Anna’s travelling outfit (with the cape) is my favourite, and I think I’m the only one who really likes her coronation dress (at least the colours anyway). But I think I do prefer some of her coronation dress concepts from The Art of Frozen: 

- Matthias is a treasure. Enough said. 

- Olaf’s death scene. Wow. 

- Iduna’s lullaby being a theme for the movie was awesome. It’s somewhat haunting, but also inviting.

- The animation was stunning. The color scheme for the movie worked really nicely, and Show Yourself was easily one of the prettiest animation scenes I’ve scene in a while. Especially when Ahtohallan revealed the memories in a drop of snow; absoluting breathtaking. 

- For all the bitching that everyone did prior to the film, the separation wasn’t even that bad. Everyone seemed pretty chill about the whole thing, and no one looked like they were heart broken. Y’all definitely stressed yourselves out for nothing.

The Bad:

- F2 had this weird thing going on where there was no real plot, but also, a lot was happening in every scene. I think Jen and the rest of the team overextended themselves with the backstory of Arendelle, Northuldra, the spirits, Iduna, Agnarr, Elsa, Ahtohallan, character arcs, etc. so everything felt so convoluted. They could have definitely simplified some things so it was easier to follow, tied certain aspects together, or at least get rid of the B-plots so the main story could get more attention.  

- Because of how much they had to cram in, the pacing was far too quick. They were skipping important transitions and jumping from scene to scene, and they didn’t allow enough time for some of the events and dialogue to flesh themselves out and settle into the story. Slow-down scenes are very important for a movie to feel like comfortable and evenly-paced, and F2 not only didn’t have enough of those, but when they did, they rushed through it and moved on to a new idea too quickly. It was like they were desperate to keep spoon-feeding us information. 

- Speaking of spoon-feeding info, waaaaaay too much of the dialogue was expositional. Most of the interactions only served to explain what was happening either to the audience or to other characters, and they didn’t feel like the natural and relaxed dialogues that were present in F1. The writing team really disobeyed the “show, don’t tell” rule in this movie, and it was very apparent. 

- One of my biggest complaints about F1 was Elsa’s lack of personality outside of her magic (and Elsa feeling more like a plot device), and it looks like the writers didn’t bother to fix that in F2. While I understand that depression and anxiety can be that overwhelming, it doesn’t work for Elsa as a fictional character to not have any shining aspects of her character outside of the issues she has with her magic. Is she funny? Is she sarcastic? What does she like to talk about on a regular basis? Is she really passionate about art or music? Does she practice an instrument or draw in her spare time? What does she like to crack jokes about? Who are her friends and what do they do when they hang out? It seems like Elsa’s magic defines every aspect of her and I don’t like that. She needs to have stronger characterization. I feel like no one at Disney really knows how to write her as a complex, dynamic, and fluid person outside of her powers. 

- Everybody’s character arc sucked and/or didn’t exist. Almost no one grew fundamentally, and if they did, their arc was written so poorly and better resembled a scatter-plot. Elsa started and ended the movie acting the same way. There’s no significant difference in her personality or the way she interacts with anyone or her view on the world. Olaf....???? His “some things change” arc was just weird all around. Anna did grow as far as her constantly trying to watch over Elsa, but her queenship should have had an arc too. While I like Anna as queen, it felt random, and really lacked build-up and foreshadowing. It also didn’t help that the scene where she and Elsa talked about making her queen didn’t exist. Again, skipping important transitions. And Kristoff...oh sweet Kristoff...

- I don’t ship Kristanna, but I’m not anti-Kristanna or anti-Kristoff either. I don’t mind their relationship at all. But this proposal plot was not it. Not only was it incredibly poor timing, but why did the writers think that was the best they could do with Kristoff? You have a reindeer ice man going from living in a mountain to being a part of the royal family, and proposing was the best challenge you could think of? How about the ups and downs of adjusting to royal life? Where is my Kristoff feeling out of place in the family because he’s awkward at balls, uncomfortable in stuffy clothing, getting nervous about greeting royal dignitaries, wanting to give commands to soldiers but not sure if it’s his place, wanting to contribute more to Arendelle but not knowing what to do, feeling like he’s not a good fit? Where is his sense of growth as he realizes that he doesn’t have to change who he is at heart to fit in to the royal family, and that he does have a place in Arendelle and in Anna’s life? Where is his growth in getting comfortable with royal life? This was such an easy option, come on!

- Lost in the Woods is a good stand alone song, but it should have been written differently for the film. It really kills the mood of the film and doesn’t vibe with the setting, and while the animation is hilarious, it also makes Kristoff look kind of silly. I loathe the Lopezes for always opting for poppy/rock showtunes, and not writing melodies and instrumentals that actually work for Frozen’s time setting. I don’t think they understand how much some of their songs really draw people out of the film. When I’m Older is also a pointless song. You can tell that its only in there for shits and giggles so Olaf would have something to sing.They should have had him sing while he was dying or something.

- Not enough of the supporting characters. What’s the point of adding Matthias or a whole tribe with Yelana, Honeymaren, and Ryder if you’re not going to do anything with them fundamentally? 

- Not enough Agnarr and Iduna. I actually found Iduna’s arc to be far more interesting than any of the main characters, and yet, they didn’t give enough screen time for her backstory. Ughhhhhhh. 

- Too many callbacks to F1. Some of them were cute, but the rest were super corny, completely unnecessary, and just a nod to the fandom. If you’re going to do a callback, it’s best done in a way that’s actually relevant to the story.  

- I would mind the separation even less if Elsa’s reason for staying in the forest wasn’t soooooo unclear. Why did she need to stay? Who assigned her the role of protector? What is she protecting against? Who currently cares about threatening the spirits? 

- Arendelle should have gotten destroyed period. Not only is Elsa conveniently getting unfrozen, saved by the Nokk, and arriving at Arendelle all in time to stop the flood with an ice wall so incredibly predictable and cliche, but it would have also fit into the “some things do change” theme that they kept literally stating. Also, Kristoff likely being good with carpentry could have really shined here in helping Arendellians rebuild, and if he had the arc I explained before, then this would have been his moment of finding his place. Genius, isn’t it?

- With all the lore they added, they still didn’t explain the trolls OR Kristoff’s backstory. What is their place in this story? How come Grand Pabbie knew nothing of the spirits or the dam story, or the Northuldra? Where the heck is Kristoff from? How come Runeard never tried to destroy the trolls? 

- Iduna just said “Anna who?” huh? No acknowledgement for her other daughter whatsoever. 

- This movie felt more like an expansion than a necessary story. 

- Okay, I’m done. 

[wonderfulworldofmichaelford]

Michael in the Mainstream - Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest

The sequels to Curse of the Black Pearl are, in a word… divisive. Some think they’re pretty good. Others think they’re pretty bad. Still others argue over which ones are good and which ones are bad, saying there’s a noticeable drop in quality after a certain point, while some such as Doug “The Nostalgia Critic” Walker go as far as to say all of the sequels suck and only the first is any good. And while I’m certainly willing to admit most of the sequels are bloated, messy, and if not bad at least not up to snuff, I will go with the popular consensus here: the second film is a damn good film.

Now, of course, it has some serious problems, problems that would eventually consume the franchise. This is where the abundance of slapstick set in, the major focus on Jack, and the bloat of numerous subplots. However, unlike later films (especially the fifth, which tried to juggle way too many subplots), I think this is less of a huge issue here. It definitely is a bit more goofy than the first film with a lot of physical comedy being a lot more overt and a lot more jokes being in the script, but I think it works generally speaking, particularly in regards to Jack. And speaking of Jack, while he definitely hogs the spotlight more than ever in this film, at this point he is still amusing and entertaining, and there is actually solid focus put on the old characters and the new ones. Characters like Norrington return and get enjoyable expansion to their character arcs, while new additions like Tia Dalma and Bill Turner make their mark on the franchise and earn their place in the series.

The one thing I can’t particularly excuse is the bloat, as this movie does have a lot going on, but at the same time it is FAR less than the sequels. Still, runtimes don’t lie, and this film is two and a half hours long and feels it. Some of this definitely has to do with some sequences that could have been easily trimmed down or cut out without effecting too much, such as the detour to the island of cannibals or some of the scenes in the middle of the movie. Hell, even if it is plot relevant the trip to Tortuga seems a bit tacked on. Still, these detours do lead to a lot enjoyable sequences, so even if they do drag the movie on a bit, am I really going to complain? How mad can I get at the cannibal sequence when it has the iconic image of Jack being chased by natives? Am I really gonna get mad at Tortuga when it gives me the sight of Norrington chugging rum he steals off people in a big pirate bar fight while Jack steals people’s hats during that same fight?

The other thing I dislike, though it is relatively minor, is the rather forced love triangle between Jack, Will, and Elizabeth. Despite what some fans made it seem like, this wasn’t really a huge part of the plot, and it certainly doesn’t overwhelm the story, but this film certainly does not do itself any favors by setting up such a contrived source of drama. Speaking of contrivance, this film really has a lot of characters conveniently wander right where they need to be to partake in the story, and it gets a bit corny after a while. Still, these things are dumb but they don’t overwhelmingly ruin the film in any meaningful way.

One of the things I think this movie does genuinely well is ease the series into more high fantasy aspects. While I am a bit sad they couldn’t stick to the simpler, low fantasy elements that made the first film so cool and unique, it’s hard for me to be mad when they craft such a rich, intriguing mythology. This movie introduces The Flying Dutchman and its undead crew; they were originally to be little more than ghosts, but it was decided by cooler, more intelligent heads that they should all be a bunch of horrendous aquatic abominations, which leads to some unique and grotesque designs. The fact the ship can also summon a kraken is nothing short of awesome, and the mythical beast is put to excellent use in this film

Of course, the very best thing about this film is easily Davy Jones, the grotesque and cruel captain of The Flying Dutchman. I mentioned in my review of the first film that he is easily the best villain of the franchise, and I stand by it due to three factors. The first is the writing; while it is definitely expanded upon to great effect in the third film, here is where the foundation is built for the ultimate tragedy of the character. Davy Jones is a broken man, a man driven by his own pain and bitterness. He lets the suffering that ruined his life consume him and in his anger he lashes out at the world, taking his anger out on others. The second is the fantastic motion capture. Even now in this day and age, Jones looks fantastic and even realistic to a degree. You can tell that the team who worked on him was proud of him, because they really showed off with bringing all of the difficult textures to life, from his slimy tentacles to his barnacle-encrusted coat. Jones is a character who looks and feels like he’s there, and he’s the sort of motion capture character I think others should aspire to. Of course, the third and biggest reason he’s amazing is Bill Nighy’s fantastic, hammy performance. The animation can only do so much to bring Jones to life; you need a fantastic actor to really seal the deal. Bill Nighy is that actor. He gives Jones a hammy Scottish accent, he swaggers about, he moves and twitches and gives the perfect inflections and mannerisms to make Jones a truly memorable antagonist.

While he’s overshadowed by Jones – and let’s be fair, who wouldn’t be – Lord Cutler Beckett definitely establishes himself as a cunning antagonist. He’s much less of a physical threat and in this film is more set up as a greater-scope villain, but since I imagine they wanted him to be established as a smug, condescending bastard you want to see get taken down, they definitely did their job well. He’s definitely better in the next film, but I think they do a decent job of establishing him.

This film also carries on a lot of the good qualities of its predecessor, namely the wonderful action scenes. Things are far more over-the-top and even silly this time, such as the iconic water wheel duel between Norrington and Will (contrary to what you might believe, Jack is not on top of the wheel; that image is one you may have picked up from Epic Movie), but I think generally speaking it works here. The score is, of course, fantastic, the sets are wonderful, the costuming is great, and the special effects are very good and hold up well. This is a very solid film that I think succeeds at it’s main goal despite its problems, and that goal is giving audiences more wacky adventures with Jack Sparrow.

This is certainly no perfect film, and it’s not on the same level as the first one, but I think this is a great film all the same, and it’s frankly a shame the sequels could just not keep the pace up. I think this is one of the rare times where a movie that is clearly and obviously setting up a lot for a sequel is still an enjoyable standalone film in its own right; it’s sort of like The Empire Strikes Back, just… well, not as good obviously. This is the last truly great Pirates film, and while I do have fondness for at least two of the sequels, neither are as good or memorable as this or the first.

If nothing else, this movie has some of my favorite stories about the development of the franchise. The first is Jack’s little “jar of dirt” song, which was unscripted and left in; you can see Orlando Bloom looking to the director, wondering if he’s going to cut the scene. The second is the ending; everyone thought Zoe Saldana would be walking down the stairs in Tia Dalma’s hut, but Saldana was never coming back and had almost quit acting due to her negative experiences on the first film. So when you see everyone looking on in shock as Geoffery Rush’s Barbossa descends those steps and takes a huge, cheerful bite out of that apple, that’s their genuine reactions.

And you know what? It really is a perfect ending right there. It still gets me to this day, it’s just so effortlessly cool. And I think that’s what makes this film truly great even with its baggage. It still finds ways to just so effortlessly be cool that you forget some of the dumber bits bogging it down, excuses that the later films just couldn’t muster up. Oh well, at least this made sure Barbossa was in those other films.

[a-silent-symphony]

Interview with vocalist and bassist Marko Hietala

GOING SOLO

Luxi: When did you get the idea to make a solo album some day? I bet this has been bubbling in your mind for many years, correct?

Marko: Yes, that's true. I have always had countless ideas for songs that I have come up with over the years. Some of them have gone missing or may have been modified over time.

When Nightwish decided to take a break from everything, it gave me the chance to start working with these ideas. I called Tuomas (Wäinölä, guitar) and Vili (Ollila, keyboards) well before the break and told them about my ideas for a solo project. They were interested and here we are now. I have known the guys for more than 10 years, I would say. They have a background in Rock bands and they have an open mind and open ears for music in general, so working with these lads was a no-brainer. I had a bunch of stuff already written; choruses, rhythmic parts and stuff, but I must give a lot of credit to my band mates for shaping them in to the vision I had been thinking of for this album. They gave their own input on certain soundscapes and brought in diverse things. Honestly, they were a huge help getting this album completed in the way I envisioned. Without them, this album would not have turned out as great as it did.

Luxi: Were these guys your primary choices or did you have a list of musicians that you wanted to go through to see who was available?

Marko: I had been thinking of a small bunch of musicians that I'd like to do a solo album with, but these fellows were always at the top of my wish list so to speak. Also, when Tuomas suggested that we hire Anssi (Nykänen) behind the drum kit, knowing he's a big fan of John Bonham, I was sold. This band needed a pair of heavy hands behind the battery and he was in in no time.

Kai Hahto (Nightwish, Wintersun, etc.) was originally interested in doing this project with us as well, but he had his house project going on at the same time and unfortunately he also hurt  both his wrist and back a little bit, preventing him from playing drums for a little while.

ARD PROG?

Luxi: Yes, I remember him telling me about this episode at a festival where we met. For people who have been following your doings with both Tarot and Nightwish, this solo album may surprise them a bit if they are expecting it to copy any of your previous works. While I listened to Pyre of the Black Heart, I found a wide range of influences on the album, from more progressive moments to softer ballads to more rocking numbers and so on.

Marko: Yes, there are quite a lot of things going on in these songs, but I would say perhaps Progressive Rock is the genre that's closest way to describe it due to different style and sound combinations. However, what we tried to avoid like the plague was making the songs sound too artsy-fartsy or too calculated just to get a "progressive" tag hung on our songs. For us it was very important to have catchy choruses and melodies in these songs and some people may even think, "Hey, this is an almost dancable stuff..." [*laughter*]

Luxi: Unlike Rush or Pink Floyd that may demand some unorthodox choreography from a dancer's legs, I am afraid...

Marko: Haha... Every bassist should be well aware of what some bottom end bass tones can do for people's hips... ;o) [*laughter*]

Luxi: If we sink into the lyrical world of this album, how much does it reflect your own inner feelings and thoughts?

Marko: There are quite a lot of personal things on both solo albums, the Finnish (titled Mustan Sydämen Rovio) as well as the English version. As it's said, truth shall set you free. If you can carefully read the symbolism that's been used on both versions of the album, I am sure listeners can catch some of the thoughts and feelings that I have bled into the lyrics. Nowadays we are kind of living life on the edge, without thinking about how we should balance our life between staring at our cell phones and the REAL life that's outside of it. Rudely said, we tend to stare at all these simulations of life through our cell phones more than living this life that's surrounding us, which is just sad in so many ways. Technology is a great thing and I love sciences, but we humans should embrace the real side of life as well and not just live life surfing in the wonderful world of social media.

Luxi: Being more humane, without letting technology's wonders enslave us too much, is the key for living...

Marko: Yes, that's right. We should remember we have this planet which is still full of all kinds of beautiful wonders.

COMING OUT FROM THE PROTECTIVE SHELL—OR STAYING THERE?

Luxi: As solo works can be really personal, do you believe you have a sort of inner mechanism that doesn't let you bring out all of your deepest feelings and thoughts out, naked and unfiltered?

Marko: Hmmm... That's a tough question. If a listener gets that kind of feeling solely based on some lyrical content on the album that I would hold myself back lyric-wise, then it must be subliminal for me. I mean, if there are some topics out there that I want to include in my lyrics, that also kind of challenge me in one way or another, then I want to see if I can take on this challenge and overcome it.

One of the challenges for me has always been how to be as open and be honest and truthful about the way I want to express myself. If there's something there that makes me cautious, then I am doing some careful research on why those things make me a bit cautious. And if there's nothing I should be worried about, then I just go with it and express my thoughts very openly. It's as simple as that. For example, that's what happened with the song "Voice of My Father", in which I openly talk about the things we, as this prevailing generation of people, leave for future generations, both good and in bad.

Luxi: But sometimes, if you dig too much, you can actually be pretty vulnerable and feel even threatened if you are too straight about things via your lyrics, right?

Marko: Yes, that's all true, of course. This is also something I have thought myself, that if I am too open about things I may sing, who would like to harm me or act intimidating toward me due to my lyrics, am I perhaps digging my own grave by saying things a bit too straight? I would say to the latter; not really because I think it's more about protecting your personal being than anything else. Should I care if I said something corny or childish in my lyrics? Do people laugh at me if I said this or that? Should I be afraid of peoples' reactions if they attack me due to expressing myself in a cryptic way that might be (mis-)understood different ways? Hell no, I don't think I should be afraid of it at all. This is something I have gotten over.

Luxi: Besides that, we should remember that a certain level of cheesiness has always been a part of Metal music, in one way or the other?

Marko: Of course, it is. I have pondered this many times because many hit songs have this almost too-corny-to-be-good aspect that people tend to like. Sometimes it works, sometimes not so much and many times there may be an absolutely brilliant idea behind a song that is watered down due to reaching this thin line when things simply don't work. But when you get to know your limits of when something is only corny but not overly corny, the result can be absolutely fantastic.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PERFORMING IN FINNISH VS. PERFORMING IN ENGLISH

Luxi: It's not so often that an artist makes a solo album in two different languages, like you did with this one. Was it something that you originally planned from the beginning or did this idea grow little by little? How you express yourself using the Finnish language for Finns obviously has a different approach compared to using English for them, I suppose?  

Marko: Yes, it is all true what you just said. There certainly is a difference when singing in Finnish for the Finns versus using another language for them. For me, it was relatively easy to do this solo album in two languages, keeping in mind my wife is non-Finnish, plus it's no-brainer for me to switch from Finnish to English either as I am using both languages constantly, almost half-and-half.

And yeah, like you mentioned, it's a plain fact that when I sing in Finnish for the Finns, I am sure they can assimilate my lyrics easier than English.

Anyway, the reason I eventually decided to record both the Finnish and English versions of the album is actually very simple; I had written lyrics both in Finnish and English. I simply could not make up my mind which language I should use so I made a compromise and released it both in Finnish and English. Besides that, it was fun to do this album in both languages. By singing in English, commonly known as the worldwide Rock 'n' Roll language, you can reach millions while singing in Finnish you can reach, if you will, one isolated northern tribe known as The Finns.

Luxi: Doing albums in different languages is not common so obviously there was a lot of work involved...?  

Marko: Yeah, it was quite a bit of work indeed, but it was all worth it. I mean, I was fascinated by the contrast between these two languages and how they both would work on the album. There were, of course, some challenges for me to translate from Finnish to English—and vice versa—to get the meaning right. Some translations were easy to do, but some took more time. I remember killing time travelling one spring and summer by plane, sitting for long hours and figuring out whether this or that lyric line would make sense and rhyme. In fact, I wrote a lot this way, both in English and Finnish. Some lyrics were pretty complicated and needed more work. Some for the English version of the album were completed just when we were about to begin the process of recording the English version at the end of last summer. I wanted to have Troy (Donockley, Nightwish) double-check some of my lyrics to be sure there wouldn't be any double meanings in my lyrics because they might sound odd or just hilarious if written in the wrong way.

THE IMPORTANCE OF FINDING LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE

Luxi: Were the other guys on the same page with your ideas right off the bat?

Marko: I was actually pretty surprised that they understood how I wanted this album to sound. Of course, there were a few longer discussions there when we had reached a crossroad where we didn't quite know which direction this or that song should take. We were working our asses off to make the songs sound right to each of us, really pushing hard in the direction we wanted them to go.

At the end of the day, it was worth all the hard work. Each of us in the band was happy with how the songs turned out, thinking they sound pretty darn unique and original.

Luxi: This may be a silly question, but which language version of the album is closer to you personally when thinking of all the musical nuances, colours, soundscapes, etc.?

Marko: Well, let me put it this way; for me, the closest songs, without exception, are the ones in the language I wrote them. On this record, I translated about six songs from Finnish to English and four were translated from English to Finnish. Then I have some raw material still left that is just waiting to be finished, probably 2021, who actually knows?

Luxi: Before you booked the studio time for these recordings, did you have the whole song palette completely ready or did you finish some songs in the studio?

Marko: No, no... We had all the songs demoed already, so we knew how the album would sound when we went to Sonic Pump Studios to record it. We used very organic methods to record the songs. You know, bass, drums, guitar and our keyboard player, Vili, had some demo versions already done for this session. We played the instruments as live takes that also gave a more authentic feeling to the songs. Out of all these takes we just put them together the way that everyone was happy with. For example, I played my bass all at once and Tuomas did the same with his rhythm guitar and that was it. Our main intention was to have the album sound as organic as possible; make it sound like a real live band effort instead of making it too clinical and stuff.

"THIS MELODY IS KICKING MY HEAD..."

Luxi: Promotion means everything in today's rough music business and making videos has become an integral part of it. How did you end up choosing the song "Stones" for the first video?

Marko: I had a vision for this song in my head well in advance because I think it has a pretty addictive chorus. From what I can remember, this song was born two years ago when I was still touring with Nightwish. I was singing and demoing parts of that song backstage. Then one day, when we were travelling by bus, our manager Ewo Pohjola, who had just woken up, walked in the bus looking sleepy and wearing only pants while humming a catchy melody line. At the same time, Tuomas (Holopainen) came in to get his morning coffee and said, "that melody has been in my head the entire night...and blame it on that guy!", while Ewo still kept on singing the same melody over and over again.

Anyway, this catchy melody line stuck in my head as well, and... here we are... ;o)

Luxi: Talking about playing live, this is your very first gig here in Lahti, Finland, for your solo band, sort of the premiere for your solo tour in Europe. Feeling nervous?

Marko: Perhaps just a little bit. I am hoping I don't fuck up my lyrics too much, haha!! The day after tomorrow I should be playing a gig in Hamburg, Germany, so let's hope everything goes smoothly on this tour, too.

Luxi: Have you received any information on how well your solo album has been received in Europe? Have you read any advance album reviews?

Marko: I am afraid to say that I really don't follow social media sites much. However, my wife and some of my friends have told me the album has gotten pretty nice reviews in the media already. I myself have googled some reviews and am glad it's got some very good ones, 8 out of 10, 9 out of 10 and the like, so that makes me honestly happy. It gives me a feeling my band mates and I did something right. I have been doing some interviews as well, phone interviews and stuff, and many have mentioned they did not expect as diverse and all-around good album, so I am grateful for all this positive feedback.

Luxi: When I read some of these reviews, almost every one of them states loud and clear that it's great to hear you use your whole vocal range and I fully agree that there truly is a lot of soul to your vocals.

Marko. Thank you. Naturally when you do a solo album, it's way easier to not hold your horses in this type of project, as say, singing in my main band Nightwish, in which there's always been this some sort of "the beauty and the beast" thing between Floor and me vocally.  

Luxi: What are your personal expectations from the crowds in Europe?

Marko: Hmm... hard to say because the type of stuff we do is pretty marginal after all. It's kind of hard to predict how many people will attend our gigs, so in that sense everything's still a bit of mystery to me. But as long as we can entertain people on this tour, then there's not much to complain about really, I guess. We know we have a diverse set, from some headbanging stuff to more atmospheric and emotionally moving stuff. We already tested the more atmospheric stuff last summer, just to see if we were able to hypnotize our target audience and damn, it worked. It all comes down to how it's performed, how convincing or entertaining you can be and so on. On our summer tour this year when we performed these songs in Finnish, it seemed to work well for people. Let's hope this English-sung material will go down with the audience nicely, too.

Luxi: Obviously this kind of stuff should draw very different people to your gigs, from the old school Uriah Heep/Deep Purple generation to younger Nightwish fans, and such.

Marko: Yes, that's what I was thinking, too. But you never know what's gonna happen. This reminds me, was it Tina Turner who made her first solo album at the age of 45, and became a world-famous star after that? I am 54, but it's only a wishful thinking that the same would happen for me as well with my solo career, haha!

OF MEET & GREET AND V.I.P.      

Luxi: What about these Meet & Greet sessions? Do you feel like they are necessary or do you see them more like a mandatory thing to do for the fans who want to get close to you, take some pics and autographs, and share even a few words with an artist and/or band members?

Marko: I have to say they have been more or less a neutral thing for me. I happen to know many musicians really do not care for them, but then this other part of them feels it's necessary to do them because it's a part of today's business so to speak.

For me, however, the coolest situations always tend to happen if you meet your fans simply by accident; on some random street or somewhere else but just by accident. I remember this type of meeting with a fan when I was in Brazil, spending time on a little island with my wife. We were on the beach and I had just come out of the water and then this guy appeared saying, "What's your name? Are you THAT Marko?!" Of course he wanted to remember this meeting by taking some pictures with me and telling me, "This is the best day of my life", and so on.

This is something that I love, making people happy this way, with just a little effort from my side.

Luxi: If I can ask, what's your opinion about the V.I.P. packages that include things like going to see soundchecks, special Meet & Greet sessions with band members and a chance to travel to some ranches of their idols, staying overnight there, plus having a breakfast/dinner/etc. with your target of worship?

Marko: Haha... Regarding Nightwish, this has always happened in a smaller scale for us really, but I believe in America we have done that kind of stuff probably more than anywhere else, having these smaller scale V.I.P. options available for them. Our fans mainly have wanted to pay for the opportunity just to meet us; to get a few shots taken with us and to share a few words with us naturally, too. But what's certain, we haven't arranged any special all-inclusive hotel weekends for our fans, or shit like that.

[*laughter*]

But I do understand that if the fans are dying to meet their favorite artists/musicians and are also willing to pay for this privilege, then why not. In some sense, a little bit exaggerated perhaps, these fans partly pay our tour buses with the money they have reserved for this V.I.P. option.

GOING SOLO—FUTURE PLANS

Luxi: Changing the subject, I am curious to know if there might be some continuum to your solo thing, if Nightwish takes a break from touring/recording again in the future? Do you have half-finished stuff that's waiting for the right time to get finished?

Marko: In fact, I do, and some good stuff that's just waiting for better days to get completed. I have a few good ideas that I'd like to finish someday. It's kind of amazing for me to think backwards that I have reached the point of having my first solo album done finally, after leaving all of my other commitments behind for a little while. After rehearsing and working with two bands for gigs and in the studio, making three videos, several photo shoots, gigs and more rehearsals—all kinds of different comings and goings, I found it nice to take a break of two months and clear my head and recharge my batteries under the Brazilian sunshine. After the break, I did the "Heavy X-mas" tour in Finland, which lasted two weeks but was still a relaxing and nice thing to do. I did not feel it demanded much from me; it was more like a gathering of old friends.

Anyway, this break did me some good because it got my creative juices flowing again. I am what I am. Obviously, I tend to have this some sort of inborn mechanism that seems to get my brain working; coming up with new lyrics and grabbing my guitar and start jamming.

Luxi: You are not the kind of person who wakes up in the middle of night with a cool idea or melody line somewhere in the back of your mind that simply needs to be saved right away?

Marko: Fortunately, this has not happened to me for a long time. I remember when I was younger, I may have woken up due to some band's song not leaving me alone in the middle of my sleep. By the next morning, I had no remembrance of it at all. My mind was totally blank when the morning came.

Luxi: Alright, I think that's all I had in mind for this interview... wait a sec. I have just one extra question for you if you don't mind. As you know, cover bands like Sapattivuosi that you also were a part of once (a Finnish band doing Black Sabbath music in Finnish) have always been popular projects over the years. I was wondering if you have heard this Russian Nightwish cover band called Nevski & The Prospects that seems to be a highly popular band up here in Finland. I mean, they have a gig coming up in Oulu, Finland, on April 10th—and surprisingly, it's a sold-out show...

Marko: Ah, yeah... I suppose I have heard of people talking about quite a few times before. Hmm... Some people are saying that their music may be the closest thing to Nightwish's own stuff, and claim they probably sound even more like Nightwish than Nightwish themselves... [*Marko has a very suspicious grin on his face*]

Luxi: Okay then, now that's interesting. Thank you, Marko, for your time and best of luck for your tonight's show here in Lahti.

Marko: Thank you.

[bellamygateoldblog]

the 100 ofc!

— this gets a little rant-y and may or may not be coherent- currently pulling an all-nighter and it’s literally 5am- that’s it. That’s my excuse.

all time favourite character

IDK man IDK…I wanna say Jasper, maybe Raven

a character I didn’t used to like but do now

I’ll stick Octavia in this one. I actually did like her at first, then i didn’t then i did then i didn’t then i

a character i used to like but now don’t

[ insert every single character here ] Clarke and Bellamy. Clarke lost me very early season 3 and Bellamy is dead to me as of season 6. I’m throwing Miller in here- when he was that delinquent that wears the beanie I could go for that, but now i’m just straight up annoyed by his presence and want him to go away forever. My reluctant liking of Abby turned sour pretty fast, too. Arming a group of children and sending them out into a warzone to find your daughter, then abandoning them once she’s back is really SOMETHING. And hitting Raven while she’s acting Chancellor…i should beat your ass, Abby

a character i’m indifferent about

Wells: poor treatment of MoC and very valid anger aside, truely I don’t see the facination and borderline obsession fandom has with the character himself- he barely existed. Are you all in love with the idea of him, rather? Or the guy from the book? He was literally in this thing for three episodes, we never actually knew him, nor was he even given the chance to develop or have any sort of story. I see so so much hate about Echo and her lack of development and yet in the same breath y’all are talking about missing Wells and oh what a wonderful character he was. Spare me. He was a character full to the brim with potential and unfortunately that’s all he’ll ever be.

Anya and Lexa, too. I don’t really have opinions formed on either of them, nor do I really care to

a character who deserved better

I mean with that minor Wells rant aside and half a step into my hypocrisy boots…Wells did. Lol. I think he absolutely deserved better than to be killed off in order to push a white woman’s story forwards. I think he deserved better than to have been all about Clarke, his entire character about serving her character, even in death. This show has a history of criminally underusing/sideling/killing their most compelling characters, i think Wells would’ve been such a fun addition to the main band, i wonder how his personality would’ve expanded, what could his arcs have looked like? i think about how his dynamics would form and fair, what might he think of Clarke now?

Jasper deserved better than to have become a nihilist’s wet dream. I have mixed feelings about the whole thing, i really do. The creators, some of the fans even, chat about how it’s a gritty reality, sometimes it’s just Like That, and in some ways that’s absolutely right, but in a show of such loss to have this bleak ending for a character like this is just…a bit of an overkill? What’s wrong with hopeful endings? I mean we literally already had a similar scenario occur with Luna a mere episode(s) before. A woman who strives for nothing more than peace loses her faith in humanity and so fights for death. Why they felt the need to kick a dead horse by doing the same thing with Jasper is beyond me.

Listen many character have demonstrated suicidal tendancies at some point or another: Clarke, Murphy, Bellamy, Octavia, Harper and so on, but Jasper is the only one that gets the actual suicide? The character who’s canon mental illness has been more on the explicit and expressed side, the first victim of the ground, the very character who we’ve watched struggle his way through four seasons with an inconsistent or otherwise absent support system, his story ended with suicide. It’s devastating and, frankly, disrespectful. As if he was too far gone to find his way back into the light.

We saw clearly Monty’s reactions to Jasper’s death, but we didn’t see him grieve- he was busy rushing to survive the end of the world. This show loves sidestepping the consiquences of big events they write- there’s always a new threat to face which means everyone gets to move on abnormally quickly. Nobody asked about Jasper in Becca’s lab, we never actually saw anyone except for Clarke find out about this, nobody in the bunker either, not Octavia, and no mentions of Jasper in season five besides Monty begging him to be wrong about humanity. This show isn’t great with handling their deceased either. They want to focus on a fresh plot and not be stuck dragging around that dead weight. Finn isn’t mentioned in relation to Raven despite his importance to her story and of the fact this specific death shook the whole show. Wells’ has been removed from memory despite Clarke being the protagonist who we should know most intimately. I feel most detached from her, honestly. We’ve had a fair amount of Lincoln, though, and a consistantly aggressive reaffirmal of Lexa’s existence. But Jasper just isn’t here. He isn’t talked about. Jasper suffered, and Monty was right there in front of him trying to hand him that peaceful life he always dreamed of, ready to lift him (literally) out of that pain, and he died. Harper got to change her mind last minute, so did Raven, but not Jasper, no, his body went up in flames with the rest of it. The way they filmed the scene was gut-wrenching because of the hopelessness and coldness of it all. And i think he deserved to be spacekru, to heal somewhat up there, and oh what fun would he have been in season five. What would he be like now? What would he think of what became of everyone else? Of Clarke and of Octavia? Again, such wasted potential.

Jasper was one of The 100 on a show named after them, his death brought that to 4, and i can’t emphasise to you enough how big a mistake it was to craft a show around a certain group of people and then abandon that idea entirely. Your show is named something that it isn’t even about!!

Lexa deserved a more respectful death.

Bellamy deserved better than to be murdered brutally by the writers during season 6.

a ship i’ve never been able to get into

Bellarke. Braven. Murven. Clexa. Wicken/Ravick(?). Octabriel. Kabby

a ship i’ve never been able to get over

Becho. Memori. Jasper and Octavia were very sweet

a cute, low-key ship

Linctavia. It was always more of a background ‘ship’ for me. And Marper!

an unpopular ship but i still enjoyed it

Becho and Murphamy

a ship that was totally wrong and never should’ve happened

Flarke

my favourite storyline/moment

favourite storyline(s): delinquents finding a way to live on the ground and mount weather!

Favourite moment: i don’t think i have one TBH

my first thoughts on the show

It was exactly what i was looking for; a post-apoc teen drama, a little corny, a little gritty. I enjoyed season 1, and then 2, but with the constantly rising stakes to absolutely obscene levels eventually, my interest dwindled. By season 4 there was an almost desolate feeling and all the potential this had was dead and buried. They could’ve gone so many ways, done so much more, but for reasons unknown they chose possibly the weirdest and least interesting route available. I really thought they’d exhausted all their story by the end of 4 and i was, of course, absolutely correct since s5 was…more of the same…a literal recycled storyline that had been done not once but twice before it. In season 1 and then again in season 2. Since joining tumblr and fandom and seeing things from a various new angles, reading of social implications and meta on how sections of the writing are flawed, i’ve crafted a more informed and complex opinion than i had as a casual viewer and now see most aspects of the show in a completely different light.

my thoughts now

I’m over it. I think it could be safe to say i hate what it became. Most of my opinions of it now are negative, or at the very least have a critical component to them. I haven’t genuienly enjoyed it since season four and it hasn’t been actually decent since season two. It has a lot of deeper issues engrained into it’s writing, and there was a before when you could criticise those choices and obvious flaws and still be able to enjoy the show as it’s own entity because it existed as one at that time. But now it feels like an empty shell void of all life. With how broken and goofy the writing has become i just can’t take it seriously anymore. Characterisation and consistency have been thrown out in favour of serving the plot many many times before, but season 6 brought this to a whole new low. Dialogue was clumsy and there was a LOT of information dumping, it focused much too heavily on new characters nobody cared about, things were swinging from one extreme to another in terms of character arcs (see: Octavia’s full redemption and transformation basically overnight, and Bellamy switching from set to commit genocide in Clarke’s honour and ‘[we let these people die because] it’s not my fault their delusional’ to ‘let’s do better for Monty i am suddenly King of morality’) and in relationships (see: Bellamy instantly forgiving Clarke and then abandoning everyone and everything to save her, meanwhile he’s demonising Octavia like he’s getting paid for it). The characters just aren’t people anymore, they’re wheels that move the plot forward (in any way that’s required regardless of whether or not it’s actually in line with canon), and let’s not even talk about the science that pushes the envelope too far and Clarke’s insane plot armour. I’ve beaten this rant to death at this point so I won’t get any more into it. But just know: what was once a genuine fondness of this show has turned poisonous since.

[brillixdis]

The Married Millennialz: WHERE HAVE WE BEEN? (Life Update).

*a short intro plays, displaying their photos and logo along the screen with Dangerous by Meek Mill playing in the background*

Zyair: -laughs some then adjusts his Gucci headband lastly, jumping into the video’s introduction- Welcome back. This is Big Soulja and we’re the Married Millennialz. It’s been a minute but we ain’t forget about ya’ll. -begins using his fingers to count off as he continues to speak- Our comment section, our mentions, our dm’s have been jumping. We had to come out of hiatus and bring it back for ya’ll.

Brilliant: [she chuckles almost immediately, her eyes falling on him as he speaks] If he’s Big Soulja, it’s only right that I’m his Souljagirl. [she playfully swings her hair over her shoulder before focusing back on the camera] We’re ecstatic to welcome you guys back to our channel! We’ve been M.I.A. for too long, and this year we plan on bringing you consistent and top of the line videos! Right, baby?

Zyair: -chuckles lowly- That’s right. You guys are more than welcome to let us know what you wanna see on this channel. We’re open to all suggestions pertaining to the content we’re gonna be giving ya’ll. 2019, we’re coming back better than ever. You want chit-chats, q&a’s, vlogs, goofy shit? Let us know below.

Brilliant: [she points her fingers down below to refer to the description box] Allat, were dedicated to bringing you all some fire content. It’s been a little while so today we wanna discuss where we’ve been, what we’ve been up to and a couple goals we have for the new year!

Zyair: -nods in agreement as she speaks with his focus on the camera- We’ve just been living, you know? Grinding, elevating. Justice grows another inch every day. -chuckles once again- We’ve been doing alright for the most part.

Brilliant: Literally an inch. I’m a little worried that he’ll be my height before I even know it. [she chuckles] We’ve definitely been working on our respective ventures as fair as the beauty industry goes for me, and jewelry for Zy. I will admit that as of lately, we haven’t been our best selves and right now we’re focused on fixing that to the best of our ability.

Zyair: -rubs his hands together some then leans forward as he listens, resting his elbows against his knees- Definitely. We want to be entirely transparent with you guys. We’ve had our downs this past year and it’s taken it’s toll but we’re committed to moving forward and remaining optimistic. -looks in her direction soon after, placing a comforting hand along her thigh-

Brilliant: [she nods her head as he speaks, sucking in her bottom lip to chew in slight nervousness] Definitely. It’s been hard to talk about amongst ourselves, our friends and our family. We know that talking to you guys about our hardships will be like a sense of therapy and a step in a right direction. [she looks up at Zyair to smile assuringly] About a year and some change ago we suffered a miscarriage and it was devastating but we dusted ourselves off and got back up from it. Our goal was to try again but unfortunately this past year has been met by endless heartbreak due to our fertility issues.

Zyair: It’s been a challenging road to travel. It’s really tough, mentally and emotionally. You automatically want to play the blame game or just wallow in your own self pity. We thought it would be so easy. Our son wasn’t planned and we figured, now we’re actually trying, this should be simple. It’s just been the complete polar opposite. The one word that stands out to me the most is: defeated. I see her and how much our situation is affecting her. I feel like shit a lot of the time. -shrugs his shoulders- It’s hard.

Brilliant: Mhm. [she says in a low tone, her eyes resting on him as he speaks into the camera] Defeated. [she repeats after clearing her throat] That’s the perfect word to describe our situation. It leaves me wondering what I did wrong, and asking why this is happening and I never like to question things in life. It also puts me in a tough space at home because I want this so bad, and makes me feel ungrateful for what I already have. I love Justice, our son so much and he’s enough for me, but it hurts to know carrying another child at this point may not be easy or frankly..possible. So this issue has put some hurdles in our lives and we’re ready to fix it.

Zyair: -scratches along his jaw while she speaks, briefly nodding into the camera before shooting her a glance- Yeah, we’ve recently met with a doctor and she did lay out the alternatives but initially, we just weren’t comfortable with it. I know that i’m slowly warming up to the idea. I’m not fully aware of Brilliant’s stance. Like she said before, it’s hard for us to talk about so our true feelings aren’t always grasped by each other.

Brilliant: I actually am not sure of my stance at this point but I do know that it’s gonna take me a little more time to warm up to the idea. I feel like I’m a work in progress, when I’m still working on myself and my emotions, our marriage becomes a work in progress as we try to figure out how to overcome this hurdle. [she reaches out to touch his arm with a smile] I wouldn’t want to do this with anybody else though.

Zyair: -grins in return once she offers a smile- Likewise. We’re such a good team. We always bounce back and push through. Like, i ain’t even tryna get corny right now but my wife is my best fucking friend. She’s the greatest. She’s superwoman. -leans in to briefly peck her lips- I love her with everything in me and we’ll get through this...we’ll get through this.

Brilliant: [she turns towards him as he speaks, a small smile growing along her lips] Thank you baby! [she says with a shy chuckle before returning the peck to his lips] And I love you. This is literally our reality, no gimmicks. We go through shit just like everyone else, and this has been one of the the hardest moments in our marriage. We know there is someone out there going through the same exact thing! And they don’t know if they’ll make it through, and fundamentally we don’t what‘a next either but we’re still pushing and we are certain there’s light at the end of all of this. [she smiles, playfully nudging him] I can’t help but get shy when he gets mushy on me. Should we talk about some goals now, babe?

Zyair: -laughs lowly then quickly kisses her cheek before focusing back onto the camera- We should. I mean, as far as I go, i have family goals. I have traveling goals. But this one right here. -points his thumb in Brilliant’s direction- She’s blowing up in every aspect. It’s brazy. She motivates me, man. Saturday

Brilliant: [she smiles wide as he speaks, pushing some hair behind her ear] I try to be modest. [she chuckles] but I am working on a few things and I’ll be able to share them with you all very soon! Other than that, I’m pretty much focused on my family and figuring out how to turn our three into four or five. We are going on vacation for Zyair’s birthday to the Maldives for the second time so we’ll be sure to do a vlog for guys next month!

Zyair: Five, you hear that? Always talking about twins. They run in my family so she’s hopeful. -chuckles- But yes, i’m ready for the Maldives. Round two. It’s too beautiful and relaxing out there. I just have to go again. That’s definitely in the top 5 of my favorite places. I think we tried to vlog before out there and never edited. Or was that our European tour?

Brilliant: I’m telling I’m tryna’ be on my Beyoncé with the natural twins in 2019. [she chuckles] Yes! The Maldives are beautiful, and we did have an amazing time the first time we went. But yes we did try vlogging once but we didn’t record enough footage but we promise to this time around!

Zyair: Yeah, we got ya’ll on that. No half stepping. -laughs lowly before turning his head to look her way- Is there anything else to add? I think we covered a lot of territory. -looks back to the camera- We’re gonna try really hard to keep it consistent for ya’ll.

Brilliant: That’s about it! We’re just committed to bringing you all quality content this year! We’re also committed to touching on tough subjects like the one I spoke about today because we are full aware that there are so many couples facing the same thing. So thank you all for tuning in!

Zyair: Thank you! And don’t forget to subscribe, comment, hit that notification bell. -points below to indicate- We’ll holla at you next time. -offers a grin before standing soon after and stopping the camera-

View Comments

Jayybee1: notification ganggg!

Samira Taylor: I’m so sorry to hear about you guy’s troubles, praying for you both!

Teeteeluv: I missed this channel! I can’t wait for the new content, and I loved this video. You guys always remain positive.

Ciara Savage: I love how y’all love each other! So sweet.

Diadiamond: Blessings all 2019! 🙌🏾❤️

Brielle Corbin: Don’t forget to vlog the vacay!!!!

[mrjoelgarcia9]

Let’s Talk #Disney’s #TheLionKing 2: Simba’s Pride

In 1998, four years after The Lion King became one of Disney’s most successful films, the studio produced a direct-to-video sequel. It went on to become one of the most successful direct-to-video films ever released.

Also, it is one of Disney’s rare good direct-to-video sequels.

For a review of Disney’s The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride, feel free to keep reading. There will be spoilers.

Before I begin, I should note I am aware this film was originally released in theaters outside of the United States. I am also aware of Disney Junior’s The Lion Guard and that some of the film’s characters appear in the series. 

This is only a review of the sequel, so I will not be pointing out any continuity issues relating to the show. With that noted, here is my review.

The film briefly starts with Rafiki introducing Simba and Nala’s daughter Kiara. As a cub, she meets Kovu, another cub from an outcast pack of lions formerly loyal to Scar. Simba refuses to let her see Kovu ever again. Kovu’s mother Zira sees their friendship as an opportunity to avenge Scar’s death. She proceeds to brainwash him for years to be the one to kill Simba and take back Pride Rock. Will Kovu listen to his mother or his heart?

This sequel is one of Disney’s rare good Direct-to-Video sequels. However, like Aladdin and the King of Thieves, it has several issues preventing it from being as great as the original film.

Multiple characters were introduced in this film: the aforementioned Kiara and outcast lions Zira, Kovu, Nuka, and Vitani.

Kiara is technically a returning character by her brief appearance at the end of the first film, which was recreated for this sequel’s cold open. As Nala briefly tells Simba, Kiara is a lot like him by how she acts out and winds up in trouble. She also struggles to be independent, due to Simba regularly ordering Timon and Pumbaa to keep her safe despite her objections.

The only explanation given about the outcast lions is they were heavily loyal to Scar and then banished by Simba. It inadvertently creates a plot hole involving Kovu. A throwaway line states he is not Scar’s biological son, avoiding any fears of incest, but chosen by him to be his heir. It seems unlikely the two ever met unless Kovu was chosen before being born or is actually older than Kiara.

Kovu is somewhat of a tragic character. He was brainwashed to be the new Scar by his mother, raised to believe he was right, and to avenge his death by killing Simba. He doubts what his mother told him when Simba tells him what actually happened. He falls in love with Kiara, making it impossible to fulfill his mission. When he fails, he is considered an outcast by both his family and Simba.

Zira serves as this film’s main antagonist, being written and visually presented as a female Scar. She is far more memorable than most Disney sequel villains due to Suzanne Pleshette’s great performance. Even though the film shows her favoring Kovu over her other children, she does cares for them by her reaction to Nuka’s death being the only time she is shown to be remorseful.

Nuka, the lion voiced by comedian Andy Dick, is strangely sympathetic. He is shown to be jealous of how Kovu is treated by their mother and treated as a joke by his sister Vitani. When finally given the chance to impress his mother, it leads to his death indirectly caused by both Simba and Kovu.

Of the film’s returning characters, the only ones who play major roles in the plot are Simba, Rafiki, and strangely Mufasa.

Simba is shown to be a cliche overprotective dad. He sees Kovu as a reminder of Scar and worries history will repeat itself. This is shown by a nightmare he has of seeing his father die, Scar transforming into Kovu, and being thrown down by him into the wildebeests. He is also shown to be just as strong as Mufasa by surviving an ambush and barely able to get away.

Even though he died in the first film, Mufasa plays somewhat of a major role by Rafiki. The film implies he wants Kiara to be with Kovu, with Rafiki helping him out by setting up the two to be together. A bonus feature on the Blu-ray had an unused take of James Earl Jones as Mufasa commenting about the Circle of Life coming to an end, likely meaning he would have played a bigger role with their relationship. Outside of Rafiki’s brief moments, Mufasa only appears in the cold open, Simba’s nightmare, and vocally during the ending.

Other characters were very superfluous to the film. Zazu’s only major contributions were sending out alerts and reminding Simba about his father’s laws. Vitani only served to mock her older brother and randomly confront Nala. Some might say that Timon and Pumbaa waste too much time onscreen, but they provide some of the film’s few funny moments.

The sequel’s music is better than most Disney’s direct-to-video sequels, primarily consisting of callbacks to the original film’s songs alongside new music.

“He Lives In You” does a great job replicating the tone of "Circle of Life” and is the sequel’s best song. It was originally written for a concept album, then brought over to the Broadway musical, and finally this sequel. The song was also played during the end credits of the live action remake.

“We Are One”, on the other hand, is the film’s worst song. It sounded like it was explaining the Circle of Life to a younger audience in far more simpler terms than Mufasa’s explanation in the first film. It comes off as corny and something which would be far more appropriate for a Disney Junior show.

“My Lullaby” is this film’s equivalent to “Be Prepared”, with Zira bragging about her future plans to her pack. It is a good song but has mediocre singing from Suzanne Pleshette that makes Andy Dick’s line sound great by comparison. 

This song was notably co-written by Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and director of the first two Avengers films.

“Upendi” was clearly written to give Robert Guillaume an opportunity to sing. It is good and one of the film’s major highlights, with visuals reminiscent of “I Just Can’t Wait To Be King” and a fun catchy beat.

“One of Us” is the only song not performed by any of the main characters, instead sung by the normally silent animals. While its dramatic tone stands out from the other songs, the singers' performance sounds more irritated than angry.

“Love Will Find a Way” is reminiscent of “Can You Feel The Love Tonight” but sounds generic. While not as bad as “We Are One”, it sounds like the first draft of what could be a great song.

The climax appears to have been sloppily edited to make Zira’s death ambiguous. Kiara tries to save her only for the next scene to be of Zira falling to her death. She is heard yelling but the animation shows her grinning.

While villains falling to their death is nothing new for Disney, it is always either caused by accident or an act of God. It appears the film originally had Zira committing suicide rather than be saved, which would have her made the first Disney villain to intentionally end her life.

Despite these flaws, there are several positives.

The main plot is really good. Basing it upon Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet similar to how the first was based on Hamlet, and Kimba The White Lion, works to present consistency between the films. Since the first film underplayed Simba and Nala’s romance, this sequel makes up for it with Kiara and Kovu’s relationship. The division among the lions may have been underdeveloped, but it is interesting seeing a pack of lions who are against Simba.

Kiara’s clashing with her father may be the cliche father/daughter conflict, but Simba is justified by how he tries everything to make sure she doesn’t make the same mistakes he made as a cub. Her declaration to Simba that he will never be Mufasa serves as a wake-up call for him.

The climax may not be as intense as the original’s, but is far more dramatic than those in some of Disney’s other direct-to-video sequels (such as Mulan II).

Most of the original film’s voice cast reprise their roles and they all give great performances. Rowan Anderson is one of only two missing actors, with Zazu now being voiced by Edward Hibbert, who would also play him in the following sequel The Lion King 1 1/2. Jeremy Irons does not reprise Scar. Jim Cummings, who sang part of “Be Prepared”, instead voices Scar’s cackling.

The animation is, to an extent, great. Compared to the two Aladdin sequels, which looked like slightly better episodes of its eponymous TV series, this film almost looks theatrical. It has muted colors like some of the studio’s other direct-to-video sequels, the main characters have a new car shine, and certain background characters looked like sticker cutouts. 

Since the sequel was theatrically released outside of the United States, it was originally produced for the widescreen aspect ratio and looks great in HD.

The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride is a good sequel to the original animated film. It has a good story, great new characters, memorable songs, and near-theatrical animation for a direct-to-video film. All of these elements make up for some plot holes, lackluster singing, and many superfluous characters.

If Disney ever decides to make a sequel to The Lion King live action remake, it would be great to see a live action remake of this film with a few improvements. It already set up the possibility by introducing Kiara in the very last minute.

If you only want to see or own one other The Lion King production besides the original animated film, this sequel comes Highly Recommended.

The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride is available to own on Blu-ray and Digital.

Until next time, thank you for reading!

[smoothconcreteandperkysunsh-blog]

Eugh.

Why do we feel the need to do updates when we haven't been on an app for damn near a year? Anyway-

Doing better health-wise. Lungs aren't falling apart so much anymore, I'm coughing up much less gunk and I can breathe better again. I'm going to take this opportunity to try and not be so doom minded anymore. I figure as corny and cliché as it is to be so happy in the face of a much shorter life expectancy, I may as well try to make something of it for others before I die.

I think that's what most people fear when they really think and realize it too. It could be dying alone, or in front of their lover, or without ever getting to say their proper goodbyes to their lover. However all of that is rooted so deeply in the memories that those two have created with each other.

Getting tangential, I'll bring it back around. I've just got some things I need to write out of my head.

I lost the girl of my childhood's adoration recently to very selfish and self-centered desires and idealogies on her behalf. I decided to let her take reigns if her own decisions and she decided I didn't to be a part of her life to be fulfilled or happy as a person. I felt entirely abandoned and dropped off yet; From the very first moment we met on the swingset at Knox Elementary School in Chandler, Arizona I knew I wanted to be with her and make a life with her and maybe even a kid or two after we got the fuck out of the desert we were in and maybe even get our own house with a bunch of animals and a pool and all the cheesy shit that makes a lump form in your throat and cry when you say it out loud, fuck me dude.

I really thought through all of the California shit we could finally grow old and grey together and for the past 3 years we fucking were dude. We ran through the the streets at night together, ran our fingers through each others hair, held each other and felt each other in such sensual, non-sexual ways, we learned each others minds and bodies, we learned each others inner thoughts about the world around us. We went out to the desert where the surface streets ended and just stared up at the night sky in each others presence. We literally owned the night and no one had more fun with each other than we did, fight me over it. We laughed and cried together, watched our friends leave us and find others together, watched fires and floods together, been on top of and beside each other, rolled on the floor like we were ferrets together. Made love and didnt just fuck each other, unless we both knew we wanted it. And when we did, we knew the difference between the physical and mental meshing and bonding of a body and spirit, and pure primal and corporeal pleasure. We knew each others flaws and utmost weaknesses and we never went at them just to feel dominant to the other. We just, lived and loved together.

But now that's all gone. Has been for almost two months now.

Now I don't know if I should take the chance on my love life anymore. Not so much out of cowardice and the fear of being hurt. Neither of those feelings exist within what I recognize to be the core of my being anymore. She took those with her when she left. In many ways you could say she's made me more immune to feeling things than I ever was before we got together.

Which in itself is an oxymoron but like... What else is there to say to describe when you were born into this world with an innate sense of ambivalence towards others and literally only two people have ever stuck out among the hundreds you've come into pass with? With outstanding exception none the less.

I can say shamelessly that I've been with someone just for the sexual gratification of feeling desired by another but only because it was with just that one. And God damn did I learn my lesson with being with someone without feeling for them. Her name was Ariela and I was literally a God to her. She was submissive to a fault. Not to mention very co-dependant on penis being in her to have any sense of self value or worth. I did everything in my power at the time to help her mentally and help her become better as a person morally and value-wise. She didn't want it. She wanted to be the center of pity and negative attention at every chance so she could feel justified in snapping back at the slightest resistance to anything she held valuable. She drained me of too many necessary emotions that I needed to have about me to function as a young man and it absolutely had a hand in pulling me away from my friends in California.

And yet as sad and regressive as it is. I don't know if I can properly explain it, but I do still have love to spare within me for another. Im more than willing to create memories with this outstanding individual. She probably knows it but is significantly more than likely no longer interested in a future with me if ever at all to begin with. And I know this. And I don't have any say in changing that because if I'm being honest with myself she's literally the closest thing to a perfect human being in terms of intelligence, awareness and compassion for other outstanding humans that I have ever been graced with a "Hey" by; And I'm literally just a plain-faced caveman in comparison. And like, that's life. I fucked up on my end more than enough times than she should ever have to put up with from a friend.

All of that said, we never communicated properly what was in our heads about how we felt specifically about each other. We both were afraid of certain aspects of changing a friendship and out of that fear we- well, I cant speak for her but I- know that I decided to be passive and on the sidelines when I should've been more, well less of a bitchy and emotionally needy teenager about everything. Not so much making any moves in terms of making myself stand out amongst a literal crowd of others that were vying for her genuine attention. But out of all that I learned that I needed to be more of a man amidst the boys I was also around.

The adults in my life have always pointed out that I'm more mature than others in my generation, yet when it came time to BE the more mature amongst the others in my generation I failed. Failed hard. Failed so hard I doubled down on the bitchy and emotional-ness and more or less let those particular people in California try to live their lives like I'd never been in them, just as they were before I moved to California.

And I think it was then and there that I realized it. The being remembered thing.

I've had friends, and friends of friends, and "best" friends all come on to me, sexually. As in the dance with no pants variety of coming on to me. And I shut them down, dead in their fat assed, busty tracks. Because for one, I didnt want the sex. I wanted the connection, affection and attention. And two, the feelings for my childhood love and at-the-time crush (God I hate and love that word, it really truly does only work for highschool sweethearts doesn't it?). And all of those particular people were able to pass me up and drop me after the sex was denied. They didn't want to remember me, they wanted to remember the novelty of the orgasms and fleshly pleasure I gave them in the taboo of the social circles we were in. One in particular I knew just wanted to fuck me to piss off another, and that stuck out in my mind.

My point being! Those people haven't talked to me since I moved and those people didnt talk to me when I was there. They lacked a fear of not being remembered that I think the two mentioned far above did. I know that for a fact about Desiree. But I could be entirely wrong about the California girl in every which way, but ya know what dude? When you sit and watch sunsets with a guy every day for almost 3 weeks in a row and most of that time is spent talking about each others day, what's going on in our lives and awkward arm-over-the-shoulder cuddling; Spend a large number of nights watching anime and poking each other, spending many an overnights conversation with each other in person and over the phone. It's kind of bass ackwards to say there wasn't a flicker of something going on there.

And for me, those two are always going to be quite literally burned into my memory above others. Not all of them, more like aside from them. Congruent if you will. Because we made unintentionally or otherwise, very potent memories. On my end they did at least. See that there? That's what the purest and most potent form of fear inside an eternally broken man's heart looks like on paper. Well, screen.

Uncertainty.

Indiscernability of the soul.

Not really knowing. Anymore or to begin with.

These things literally kill us every day. Inside and out. Not risking the pain, not seeking the truth. Being afraid of losing and tarnishing a connection with someone you say you can love shouldn't be allowed-

Is what I would've said had I never gotten to feel what I knew was true love with the love of my life. If I hadn't been given a genuine shot with an outstanding and beautiful in every aspect individual. If I hadn't been given the chance to fuck up, I wouldn't have been given the chance to feel. This is equivalent exchange at its finest and if I could tell you both face to face, our time with and around each other was not a faustian bargain. Because even if I didn't get the future I envisioned with one of you, and another any future at all. I still got memories that will never not be a part of me and if I can offer you two anything,

You wont be forgotten. You will be remembered. So no longer live your lives with the fear of not being. It's an enormous weight off of your conscience.

[therosettewolf]

Stretch (HLITF)

Here's a little something I wrote for Her Love In the Force,  because it's one of my favorite voltage games and it deserves more love.  My humor is a little hit or miss but hopefully, someone finds it funny.  (But honestly, I’d be ecstatic if anyone would just read it all)

Rated M for mature language,  and adult themes. Not a smut,  although I think it would make a pretty good segway for one. Maybe in the future? I apologize for grammar and any errors pertaining to it. I love commas, so there's that too.

Just a short story, in which the mc (You) from Her Love In the Force, relentlessly teases her instructors.  

                                                           “So how did it go?”

As you leaned bonelessly against the doorframe of the instructor’s room, barely managing to remain upright in your ridiculously high heels,  you hoped with every fiber of your being that Kaga would be the one to answer that question.  

Because one,  you most certainly did not want to recount your mishap of accidentally flashing the criminal’s your panties, because that definitely happened and it had been downright embarrassing. Even if it did somehow result in their arrest …

And two, you were certain that if Kaga explained the situation himself, he would definitely be too lazy to do so in full detail. Which was perfect, because there was a plenty of it that you did not want to recall.

“She wouldn't know seduction if it got up and bit her on the ass!”

See, this was exactly what you meant. Swift. Succinct. With an absolute zero amount of context.

“I wasn't aware seduction could do that sir, and I think I did quite alright,” You took a rickety step into the room, doing everything you possibly could to maintain decency in the mini dress you were wearing, as you sent your instructor a sidelong glance.

“Don't get smart with me servant!“ Kaga spat as he seated himself at his desk, shoving a few documents to the side so he could prop his feet on top of it. Ishigami, who was seated just a few feet away from him, scowled at his lax posture. And Kaga upon seeing the vexation that surfaced on the bespectacled man’s face merely smirked in response,  turning to Ayumu who was furiously typing away at his computer. “Somehow despite all odds, those dimwitted miscreants still managed to fall for this,” He gestured lazily in your direction, “Sorry excuse of a honey trap.”

It was a tenacious battle to not roll your eyes. 

“Ah,  is that so?” Ayumu smirked, eyes alight in utter bemusement as he soaked up your troubled expression. “I wonder why.”   

You bristled at his words. You may not have been the most tactful thing when it came to missions requiring you to use a bit of seduction. But you sure as hell did a great job of it today.

 Okay... maybe not so great... It wasn’t like you had meant to flash the perps your underwear it just happened, and for some reason or another, they just happened to find it very seductive. You thought it was perhaps wise to keep that minor detail to yourself,  so instead of answering outright, you let out a dry rather tremulous laugh. “Aha, I wonder too.”

You didn’t, and you hoped no one else did.

“Well, it somehow worked out in the end, so well done___.” Soma offered you what you surmised may have been words of encouragement, but you weren’t really sure how to take them. Either way, they offered you some way to end the discussion so you were grateful.

“Uh, thanks, sir.” You managed through your embarrassment. A familiar feeling of heat burgeoning across your cheeks, as you tugged restlessly at the bottom of your dress––wanting to ensure it didn’t ride up over your thighs again––as it was prone to do. You really wanted nothing more than to change, finish up your reports, and curl up in bed with your ugly cat. But for some unspoken reason, instructor Kaga had yet to dismiss you.

“___ is actually quite the skilled seductress if you think about it. “ Kurosawa,  who you had no recollection of ever entering the room remarked thoughtfully. Stepping beside you and cupping his chin like he had just discovered something profound. His movements reminded you of something right out of a detective cartoon: over exaggerated, corny, and comical and you had to fight the smile curling at your lip.

“This isn't the first time you’ve successfully seduced someone,  ___.” He whispered lowly into your ear, and you shivered. Not because you found him doing so unpleasant, but because you hadn’t realized just how close he was to you.  So close in fact, that you could smell his spicy cologne and the slightly metallic scent of whatever he used to process his photos. You didn’t hate it.

“What do you mean Kuro?” You whispered back, thoughtlessly placing a hand on one of his well-muscled arms. You didn’t expect him to freeze up the way he did, a slightly stunned expression on his face before he quickly replaced it with one of his usual cheery grins. He hadn’t expected you to move closer to him on your own volition, and with a barely discernable flush to his cheeks, he replied. “Well you see, you’ve already seduced everyone he––”

He didn’t get to finish that sentence, promptly cut off by a dry erase marker hitting him square between his eyes.

“Kurosawa any closer, and that would be considered sexual harassment.” Goto admonished, scowling at the ebullient photographer from across the room.

“Well, he’s not wrong.” Soma chuckled, emptying a bottle of water onto one of the many precious cacti that adorned his side of the desk.

“Speak for yourself.” Kaga groaned, “The only thing good about her is that soft body.”

You frowned. How very not sweet of him. If you weren’t itching to leave earlier, you sure were now. You weren’t sure you liked the direction this conversation was moving in.

“Aw, that’s not true Hyogo. She also has a great personality.” Kurosawa trilled, rubbing the marker shaped indentation now visible on his forehead.

“Well, she does look quite lovely in that dress. Fills it out in all the right places. Don’t you think so too Hideki?” Soma smiled wryly, eyes that matched the ash color of his hair boring into your own with tangible perceptiveness. You transiently wondered what even compelled him to ask your stringent instructor such a thing, but understood completely when you saw the amused expression on his face. He wanted to see your reaction. He was like Ayumu in that aspect, both just loved to see you sputter like a blithering idiot.

The assholes.

“Don’t you all have more important things to do.” The heretofore silent instructor finally spoke, cutting the air between you with the sharpness of knife as he looked up from the mountain of papers on his desk. He looked surly and annoyed and you felt bad that you were even the reason he was being disrupted.

“Sorry Instructor Ishi–”

“Of course he thinks you look good ___. Ishigami may be a cyborg, but the man isn’t blind.” Kurosawa assured, slinging an arm over your shoulder, and nearly knocking you off your unstable feet.  You girded yourself for the lecture you and everyone else was surely about to receive. Ruminating the amount of pudding it would take to pacify the bespectacled man. But the moments that followed were filled with unexpected silence, and when you finally looked up you saw it.  A faint reddening hue that burgeoned across each of his ears.

Ishigami was embarrassed, and you were gobsmacked to see it.

“Well aren't we a popular one?” Ayumu’s lips curled into a cynical grin,  the technicolor light of his laptop screen reflecting off his glasses. You could see indecipherable coding in them, as shrewd topaz eyes soaked up your discombobulated expression. “Seems like the little red dress I provided is a hit.” He sounded almost proud of himself, as his gaze took a meandering plummet down your scantily clad physique.

You narrowed your eyes at him through thick mascara-coated lashes “Do not get me started on this abomination of a dress, Ayumu.”

After all, it was the very reason your mission had ended in such embarrassment. The dress was so damn short and tight, you couldn’t even bend down without flashing your undergarments. Not only that, but the bustier top held by two measly little strings exposed way too much cleavage––more than you were frankly willing to show. In all honesty, you wanted to take the damned thing off since the moment you put it on. 

“May I be dismissed, sir?” You twisted away from Ayumu to direct that question at Kaga.

“I still need those reports.” He replied,  not even bothering to look up as he said that. You wondered what he was doing behind the large stacks of paper that covered him from this angle––because you knew it was for sure not the reports he was currently asking you to do.

“Okay. Well, I'll write them, as soon I change.”

“I need them now.”

Oh,  he was so full of shit…  wasn't he the one always turning in reports late?  Now, all of a sudden he wanted to be punctual with them?  Tired, drained,  and not at all in the mood to be acquiescent, you fired back. “Oh, you need them now? If you don’t mind me asking sir, why the sudden rush?  “

“Because four-eyes over here asked for them.”

Ishigami scoffed in response, narrowing his eyes at the ballsy lieutenant and you rolled yours, wanting nothing more than to lug the nearest pen at his head. How such an attractive man could be such monumental pain in your ass was beside you.

“Fucking fine! I'll do them. “ You hissed acerbically,  kicking off your heels and throwing them in one of the unoccupied corners of the room.  

Kaga leveled a glare at you, his handsome face tense with disapproval as the other instructors looked on in shock. “What was that aide? “

“Alliteration.” You spat, pulling up a chair and earning yourself a few bemused chuckles from Kurosawa,  Soma,  and even Ishigami.  Kaga harrumphed, but let you get away with your little slip of malediction,  as you squeezed yourself tightly between him and Ayumu,  just to make an extra nuisance of yourself.

With a sigh, you turned to the paper placed in front of you, snatching a pin from one of the jars on the desk, and began summarizing the events that occurred earlier that day. You were just about finished with your second report when your pen slid out of your hand, rolling off the scarred wood of the desk, and underneath a nearby filing cabinet.

“Shit!” You cursed under your breath, reaching out to snatch another pen from the jar...when a sudden idea hit you. You were still feeling a little vindictive from the instructors earlier teasing, and as a juvenile, as it sounded the idea of revenge was far too good to pass up. So you extricated yourself from the chair, making sure to be as boisterous as possible as you scampered past the other instructors and stopped in front of the filing cabinet you had watched your pen roll under.

Making a big show of doing so, you dropped down to your knees, raising your hips off the ground, forcing your backside high the air, as you plastered your face to the floor and reached into the darkness for your pen.

“What are you doing __?” Goto was the first to inquire, concern bleeding into his voice, and shock etching itself in his attractive features as he got a lovely view of your backside. He had to clear his throat before speaking again, “Are you okay?”

His sudden spark of concern had captured the attention of all the other instructors, whose eyes swiftly locked on to your prone form.

“I’m fine.” You barely managed to stop the smile that threatened to curl your lips, as you reached under the cabinet, and purposely shoved the pen away from you. “Just trying to grab my pen.”

The curiosity on Kaga’s face quickly turned into one of annoyance as he leaned over the table to glare at you. “ Just, grab a new one.” He hissed, but his words didn’t quite carry the usual amount of acerbity that they normally did, and that was probably because he quite liked the view you were providing him.

“I can’t.” You hissed back, groaning with the effort of trying to reach for something that wasn’t there. “You see, it’s my favorite pen.”

“Ah, and what does this pen look like?” Ayumu ever the most clever smiled, pale strands of hair falling into his face, as he rested a cheek against a clenched fist, and stared you down.

You stilled, heart battering itself against your ribcage at the prospect of already being caught, but you kept moving–– hoping against all odds you were able to fool his dexterous eyes. “Silver, with an intricate floral design on the cap, it has blue ink.”

“Funny, I don’t recall seeing a pen like that in here,” Soma remarked pensively.

“Well, I’ll show it to you once I get it.” You answered, letting out a frustrated little moan. “I almost got it that time.”

The whole atmosphere of the room changed at that moment, various sets of colored eyes glued to your form. Every movement you made had your dress riding up along your thighs, and you could hear a collective gasp each time it did so. It didn’t take long for your little black thong to be on full display–– all sets of eyes but your own widening into saucers. As they got an up close and personal view of your nice round ass. The late exercising you did at night was clearly paying off.

“Uh, how about I buy you a new one.” Kurosawa suddenly shouted, cheeks scarlet, and voice cracking as he marched over to where you were standing. You knew not to let your guard down, however, for as much as Kurosawa loved to feign ineptitude. You were well aware that he was just as clever as Ayumu, if not more so, and you did not want to chance him seeing through your guise.

“No that’s okay, this one is special to me. My grandmother got it for me as a present for when I got into this academy.” You spoke softly as if recanting some kind of lachrymose tale. You tried to ham it up a bit by reaching even further underneath the cabinet, wiggling your hips whilst doing so.

You heard a few groans with that one.

“I’ll get it for you.” Ishigami offered, getting up so fast he jostled his desk, but you were quick if not reluctant to turn him down.

“I wouldn’t want to bother you.” You murmured with quasi-reticence, offering him a small grateful smile in return. You almost felt bad when you saw him rear back, like some sort of frightened animal, face awash with a ruddy tint. You had never seen the man so undone, and the guilt of it all had you wondering if you should put a stop to your antics. But then you remembered just how often you ended up being the brunt of the instructors jokes, and you weren’t sure you were ready to throw in the towel just yet. So instead you fortified your resolve, settling yourself upright on your knees, and turning towards your fair-haired instructor.

“Ayumu.”

“What?” He tried not to make eye contact with you, a brooding blush dusting his cheeks, and a mulish set to his jaw.

You couldn’t help the feline-like grin that you felt stretching across your face, “Can I borrow your flashlight?”

“S-sure.”

Wow, this was different. You were surprised to see him so... docile. He handed you the flashlight from his belt, and you went right back to doing what you were doing before. Teasing them relentlessly by reaching for a pen, that you were never going to be able to reach. It was against the far end of the wall now-–physically impossible for anyone to get. But they didn’t need to know that.

“Hey little bird,” The chief greeted, having chosen that very moment to walk in.  “Have you seen  the documents for the last––” He meandered, words slowing, “Kidnapping case?”

The softness in which his last words were dropped made you wonder if chief Namba had stopped breathing at that moment, his favorite oral fixation lost on the carpet beside your hand. You picked the cigarette up quickly, not wanting the flame to catch on anything, before handing it to your flabbergasted chief. “It's in the second to last drawer on your left chief. Green filing cabinet. “You smiled amiably, dusting off your clothes and walking back over to the equally stunned instructors. You were starting to think it was a pretty good time to stop this charade.

“May I be excused Instructor Kaga?” You asked one last time, gaze flickering across the room to quickly soak in the damage you had just dealt.

You noticed that the monstrous stack of papers, that had once been neatly stacked on the desk next to Kaga was now haphazardly strewn across his lap. And as you turned towards the other instructor, hoping to get a feel of the varying emotions that flitted across their faces, you had to force yourself not to laugh. Not one of them maintained eye contact with you, and each had their legs crossed in a very uncomfortable looking way.

it was absolutely everything you could have hoped for.

“Yeah,” Kaga sighed after a tense moment of silence, “Get the hell out of here____” He spat your last name out like some kind of curse, exhaustion bleeding into his handsome feature as he warded you off with a hand.

You didn’t need him to tell you twice, you lunged for your heels in the corner of the room, and bolted out the door.

“You do realize she didn’t finish the reports?” Ayumu barely managed a tired snicker at the expense of his friend.

“Shit, ” Kaga hissed, but the word lacked the ire that usually accompanied it.

“That little bird has a very nice ass,” Namba mumbled thoughtfully, taking a long slow drag from his cigarette, but although his words weren't directed to anyone but himself. There was a hum of agreement as each instructor leaned back in their chair, exhausted. 

You were definitely in for some form of punishment later.

@fantasygamer @itachan20

Stretch part 2:

Kaga 

[empressdrega27]

Do you like waffles?

Ayyyyyyyy wattup lads! It is I, Drega, here to bring you a very special fic for @reallyintouglyfos ! As part of an exchange~ So without further ado, have some gratuitous domestic fluff~ I hope you like it Kelsii!

There’s a strange sort of energy in small towns. They feel almost as though they don’t exist, with their family owned drug stores, mom and pop diners, and oddly specific museums. But this is what you wanted, a place where you and your beloved could finally be rid of the conflicts of the brotherhood and the X-men. Not to mention the government and a whole host of other big badies that could potentially be looking for you both, you and Mortimer were delighted to be somewhere secluded.

That secluded place was the aforementioned small town and it’s small motel, in which you and he were staying. It wasn’t fancy by any means, and it smelled off sometimes, but it was safe and comfortable compared to your previous lodgings. If squatting in abandoned buildings could be considered lodging that is.

Thus, on a boring Saturday morning, you’d woken up early and snuck out to procure some things for breakfast, leaving your dearest Mortimer to sleep in. You smiled and kissed him on the cheek before whispering a quick ‘I love you’ and slinking through the door.

When you returned, Mortimer was still sound asleep, and you couldn’t help but giggle and aw at the sight of him all sprawled out in your bed. He looked peaceful, which was a rare sight these past few months, and you were grateful. Peace was a valuable commodity in this day and age and you treasured each moment you got, no matter how small.

Though, no matter how tired he was or how sound a sleeper he may be, the sound of pots and pans clattering about in the small kitchen area was bound to stir your lover from his serenity. With a yawn and a stretch, Mortimer slipped out of the bed and came to stand behind you, his chin resting on your shoulder.

“Good morning Junebug. How long have you been up?”

“Morning Babe! I’ve been up for a couple hours. I went out to buy some things for breakfast.”

He tensed slightly, “Kelsii, you know how dangerous that is. You should’ve woken me up, it would’ve been safer.”

You turned your head and kissed the corner of his mouth, “Relax Mortimer. This town has a population of less than a thousand people, and nobody cares about mutants or fugitives. Plus, how would they even know who we are? Our names aren’t listed as ‘Mortimer and Kelsii’, they have us down under some generic pseudonym. It’s fine, we’re fine. Ok baby?”

Knowing full well that he wouldn’t win this argument, Mortimer chose to change the subject, specifically to the array of ingredients peppered about the small kitchen counter.

“So what are you making?”

“Well I was looking around the kitchen and I happened upon this waffle iron, so I figured we’d do waffles! I picked up some fruit to put in them too, and while we’re at at it, why not go the whole nine yards and make some fresh whipped cream to go on top?”

You continued to regale Mortimer with tales of your shopping adventure (including how you narrowly beat a snobby looking woman to the last pack of strawberries), and as you spoke Mortimer couldn’t hold back the fond smile that wormed it’s way onto his face. Hearing your voice and seeing how happy you were, even though the two of you weren’t in the best of circumstances, made him feel strangely content. Contentment was something that he never would’ve believed he could achieve in his life, until he met you that is.

It was then that Mortimer looked at the array of ingredients on the small counter and realized that he had absolutely no idea what half of them were. He was wasn’t a skilled cook by any means, but he thought that at least he knew what went into waffles! But apparently not, if the confused expression he was sporting was any indication.

Noticing that Mortimer had gone quiet, you craned your neck to look at him.

“Hey Mortimer, are you ok?”

He looked at you and you noticed that his face was flushed a bit.

“I, uh, I just realized that I have no idea what half of these things are or how they’ll combine to turn into waffles. I’m a little embarrassed”.

“Well I could teach you, if you’d like? It’d be good for you to learn more about cooking!”

With a bright smile, you pulled him to stand beside you and you began your instruction.

“Alright, so first we need to get all our dry ingredients combined”, you handed him a bowl, “just measure out each one and pour them in the bowl, then mix them! Simple!”

After briefly explaining which ingredients were which, Mortimer began measuring and adding them to the bowl. You noticed that he was a lot more meticulous with the measuring than you would’ve guessed. It was adorable to see his face all scrunched up as he carefully tried to get a teaspoon of baking powder to be perfectly level.

Once he was done adding the ingredients, he mixed them gently together, and after that he stood and looked at you, waiting for the next instruction.

“That looks great babe! Now I just gotta separate these eggs real quick and then we can move on to the next step”.

“Separate….the eggs?”, Mortimer asked, and you had to suppress the urge to coo at how cute he looked.

“Oh! My bad! I wasn’t thinking, I’m sorry. Separating the egg is just taking the yolk out of the white, and with the whites separated, we can beat them until they get nice and frothy!”

“But why do you need frothy eggs? Isn’t that for fancy desserts?”

At that you were rather surprised, it seems that Mortimer’s cooking knowledge is varied in an odd way, which fits and is so uniquely him. He has a bunch of random knowledge, so him knowing what a meringue is isn’t too far fetched, even though he probably wouldn’t know what it’s proper name is. To be perfectly honest, you didn’t know what a meringue was until you stumbled across this very waffle recipe.

“You’re absolutely right, but a meringue can be used in any number of things! Since they’re so fluffy, recipes use them to bring a bit of lightness to a dish. Which is exactly why we’re using it for the waffle batter, it’ll make it much fluffier! Unfortunately, this kitchen doesn’t have a mixer, so I’ll have to mix these by hand”.

You picked up a whisk and started whisking the eggs, but your arm was quickly tiring. Beating egg whites into a meringue by hand isn’t easy at all. Luckily for you though, your lovely boyfriend is quite perceptive, and noticing your obvious discomfort, he offers to take over.

“Allow me, Junebug. I think this is one aspect of cooking that I’ll be good at no matter what”.

And with a confident smile, Mortimer whips up the egg whites in record time. The resulting fluffy mass is the best you’ve ever seen and you have a feeling that these waffles are going to be amazing.

“Nice work Mortimer! These are perfect!”

You quickly measure out some milk and mix it with the dry ingredients, before folding in the eggs.

“This is probably a stupid question, but why are you mixing it that way?”, Mortimer asks.

“Aw babe, that’s not a stupid question at all. It’s a very valid and smart question! And the answer is; we mix it like this so we don’t take all the air out of the eggs. I mean, we went to all the trouble of whipping them up, we don’t wanna deflate them now do we?”

“That makes a lot of sense actually. Thank you Kelsii”.

“You’re welcome darling”, you reply.

With the batter finished, you turn on the waffle iron and finish cutting up the fruit while it heats.

You hand Mortimer a bowl of blueberries, “Wash these for me, would you?”

He takes the berries and rinses them under some water, removing any stems he sees as well. He throws one into the air and his tongue shoots out lightning fast to snatch it.

“These are good”, he says, as though surprised, “Usually blueberries are sour to me, but these are sweet. Must be because they’re around you”.

He grins as a blush creeps along your cheeks at the cheesy line, and you smack his arm playfully.

“We’re having fruit waffles, not corny ones so stop that”, you joke, but really you adore it when he breaks out lines like that.

“You know you love it”, Mortimer murmurs, sticking his tongue out at you to further drive home the notion.

A loud beep sounds through the small room, and you and Mortimer briefly jump into defense mode. That is, until you realize it was only the waffle iron. You’d been in this town for much longer than any other, and though you were both a bit more at ease than before, certain things still set you on edge.

“Well. I guess that’s our cue to make some waffles!”, you say with a chuckle. You felt a little silly for getting startled by a waffle iron of all things.

You opened the iron and carefully poured some batter onto it, sprinkling some of the fruit on top, before closing the iron once more.

“How will you know it’s cooked?”, Mortimer asked, his head cocked ever so slightly to the side.

“Cuz it’ll be so fluffy, it should pop the waffle iron open a little bit. If all goes well, that is”.

Mortimer squatted down so his eyes were level to the counter, and watched as sure enough, the waffle puffed up and pushed the machine open slightly. A wonderful smell had begun to radiate through the small kitchen. With a butter knife, you popped the iron open all the way, and slid the waffle onto a plate.

“Voila! The fluffiest, most delicious waffles you’ll ever have!”, you grinned proudly.

You then sat the plate down and laddled some more batter and fruit into the iron to repeat the process. Mortimer took the responsibility of removing the cooked waffles from the iron, while you placed more batter and fruit into it to make another waffle. In this way, you developed a sort of assembly line, and in no time at all you had too plates piled high with fluffy delicious fruit filled waffles.

“Now there’s just one more thing left to do!”, you grabbed a carton of heavy cream from the fridge and poured it into a bowl.

“We gotta whip this up, just like the eggs! If my strong and handsome boyfriend would oblige?”

Mortimer blushed and took the bowl whisking the cream until it began to thicken. You paused to add some sugar, and pretty soon you had a bowl of fresh whipped cream. As you spooned it onto the waffles, Mortimer decided to lick the whisk.

“Wow, this is so different from store bought whipped cream. It’s really good though”.

“Oh yeah, the store bought stuff is crap. This is how you put your food on the next level! And yeah sure, it’s a bit more labor intensive, but the results are worth it for sure”.

Picking up your plates, you both sat down at the table and began to attack the massive amount of food in front of you. Mortimer grabbed a forkful and you watched eagerly, waiting to see how he liked it. His eyes widened.

“Kelsii, this is incredible. I’m speechless, this has gotta be the best breakfast I’ve ever had! You’re a master chef Junebug”.

You blushed and smiled, “Well, it wasn’t just me, you helped too you know! And that’s what really makes this meal great, because we made it together.” With a look of utter adoration, Mortimer took your hand in his.

“You’re absolutely right Junebug, as usual. Thank you for teaching me today”.

You squeezed his hand, “It was my pleasure. You’re a fast learner!”

You leaned in closer, “I love you Mortimer”.

“I love you too Kelsii, so much”, he closed the gap and kissed you, his hand moving to cup your jaw. You felt his thumb stroking along your cheek, and you smiled into the kiss.

Your home was wherever he was, and you’d take as many moments like this as you could. This was no ordinary situation, but then again, you were no ordinary couple either. You were both special, and together you were extraordinary. Here in this tiny motel room, everything melted away. There were no problems, no fear, no enemies. There was only Mortimer and Kelsii, living and thriving, happier than ever before.