#cookie run comics r fucking weird

[croisstime-gf]

showing croissant the fucking cookie run comics and watching her do This Face in real time

[doyouremem8erme]

mutual posting abt this got me thinking. i have so fucking many sideblogs. these r just the ones in use or used in the past

active/semiactive

@jadedharleys - homestuck sideblog

@galacticcosmologist - homestuck shitposts

@cucumberinspector - problem sleuth liveblog + posts

@lesbiannecromancy - the locked tomb liveblog + posts

@lorettasunbeam - sparklecare sideblog

@in-an-empty-room - liminal space/weirdcore blog

@geneticallymodifiedshitposts - gimmick/shitpost blog for chat-gpt-generated shitposts as a form of postironic art

@xxdarkxwolfxx - murder drones blog

@academyofbadcats - abc oc universe blog

@askbadcats - abc askblog

@godtierclock - gimmick blog i need to use more

@theoreticaltrolls - gimmick blog i regret creating

active in theory/semiactive

@stoptheflowofwater - cookie run blog

@ghostadventurespirit0rb - art archive + saving my old url

@darcycore - evil posts.

@abcaus - abc comic au archives

@liminaland - liminaland ocs art archives

@humanincarnationoffriedshrimp - fishposting but that usually happens on main these days. i think it came from a joke abt my moirail wanting to marry friend shrimp

inactive

@makeitallslowdown - whump blog from when i first started tumblr

@vagabondiachronicles - darcycoreverse!marcy

@darcycore-deactivated - the orginal darcycoreverse blog

@dearwildsky - poetry/music blog

@/laaauc - lifetime achievement award au collection blog

@/darcycoreverse - dcv archives

@/wikipedialore - dcv-adjacent shared rp blog for pretending to be possessed by wikipedia. its a long story

@andriasdivorceselfie - Posts Hall Of Fame blog that i forget about

@lady0livia - dcv!olivia

@thegreatgeneralyunan - dcv!yunan

@marcylore - my old url

secret

hazbin hotel blog to avoid platforming it

posts that are too gay or weird for main

marcy kin/aesthetic blog

homestuck kin/aesthetic blog

archive of posts related to the transfem bans

astronomy blog

[bleached-d-soul]

Team ALAN: Lovely In-CON-veniences

Part 3 of Team ALAB commissions for @the-hapless-ace

This was a mistake.

When you join a terrorist organization, you have to learn how to sense danger before it occurs. You either learn to do it early or have to learn from experiences, sometimes not without the loss of some limbs and sanity. Adam should have know that when Ruby burst into their room with that creepy smile of hers, he should have run and hidden for a week or two.

The Vale Comic Con was an event not unknown to Adam, if only because he once considered it as a potential target for White Fang attack. And no, it wasn't because of the overwhelming amount of Ninja Catgirl cosplayers there. He simply hated the fetishism with reagrds to the faunus. Rehardless of that, he absolutely refused to go.

Unfortunately, he owed Weiss a date of her choosing. And just like the real Schnee, she refused to suffer alone.

"Oh my Gods, can we please take a picture?"

The decision came last moment. And since |Ruby refused to allow him to go there in his normal clothes, he had to make do with whatever stuff he had lying around. His old cloak without the rose emblem. His old mask without color marks. And of course, the black wig provided to him by Blake. Apparently, his ex couldn't miss the chance to get some laughs out of it.

"You look just like the Joker!"

"The clown?"

"No, from Persona series!"

"Ah, right."

He had no idea who that was. In a couple of moments, thankfully, that humiliation was over. Before he could get back to Weiss to give her another piece of his mind though, another couple of girls approached him. More pictures? Fine, whatever got that off his back.

"Can you take a rose from my hands with your mouth?"

Sure, whatever. Quickly, he did as asked. The girl ran away squealing.

"Can you cover your eyes with your hands, please?"

She did promise him to leave quickly so why not. The girl wandered off smiling.

"Can I sit in your lap?"

"Yeah, su-"

The ground shook. The air around them dropped a few degrees in temperature before the wall of ice separated him from the surprisingly large crowd of women. Were they under attack? Finally! Some chance to escape this madhouse and-

"Adam. Taurus."

The chilling and emotionless tone pierced through the air, his eyes drawn towards the source of it. Surrounded by ice and snow, in the middle of the hall stood none other than his girlfriend. And she was absolutely burning with rage, if only the giant Knight of white and blue looming over her was any indication.

"I leave for a few seconds and you are feeling up some other girls?"

What?

"I didn't do anything like that!" Was it really how it looked? He was just trying to get them off his back. It was either caving in to their demands or cutting them down. And it was her and Ruby that explicitly forbade him from killing the people he found annoying. "You know this is not my fault, right?"

Something clicked in Weiss' eyes. The semblance of clearance and understanding that promised him the peaceful resolution and the quiet for the rest of this already unpleasant and annoying day.

That promise died an ugly death as the girl's eyes lost any and all light and her lips stretched into an ugly smile.

One that promised only bloodshed and death.

"You are right... This is not your fault at all."

Good, maybe things weren't so bad.

"It is all these harlots that want you!"

...

Shit.

ALAB

"Yang, are you angry at me?"

"No."

"You look angry."

"I don't."

"Your hair is on fire and your eyes are burning red."

"And?"

Ren looked at his girlfriend's face, wondering what he should say. What he could even say when faced with this angry pout of hers. In many ways. Yang was just as emotionally broken as he was. She hid her abandonment issues and insecurities behind the cocky attitude and pride much like he hid his anger and pain behind the stoic and serene attitude.

But no matter how much they masked their fears and insecurities, those still existed and sometimes came to the surface in the most unfortunate of times. Just like their current situation.

"Sorry for getting us kicked out of that contest," Yang said as they sat down in a nearby cafe. It was a nice place and, thankfully, with only a few people. It was pretty early right now so most attendees must have been stuck buying merch and meeting all the celebrities that were here today. "I know I could have handled that... better than I did."

That was one way to put it.

Ren had little reservations about his body. And even though he was embarrassed with the outfit Yang picked for him, he grew comfortable with it very quickly. Yang herself said she wanted to show off her boyfriend's amazing body in that skintight outfit that consisted of only a shirt that covered his chest and a tight pair of shorts. And she did enjoy the jealous and hungry looks thrown his way.

For a total of ten minutes before she started frantically looking for something to cover him with.

She found nothing and so spent the last hour or so glaring at every woman that passed them by. It was fine, Ren told himself. Glaring and growling was fine as long as things didn't become physical. They eventually did, mostly because he couldn't help himself. Ren rarely indulged in things like video games or junk food like his friends. But when the chance to get the next edition of his favorite game came, he simply couldn't let this chance pass him by.

So he signed up even though Yang wasn't interested and got ready to win. It was all good and great for the first two stages. He was in the lead and, by the looks of it, would be coming home with the prize in his hand.

Then the third stage announced was the couple game. And unfortunately, for all the single ladies and gentlemen, they were paired up with random contestant. It was clear the stage was meant to see who could adapt the fastest and give the most coherent performance. He was lucky to draw the second strongest contestant for himself.

Who turned out to be Neon, the girl Yang fought just a few days ago.

He could have sworn he heard something snap. And when he looked at Yang... Well, he told himself she wouln't do anything drastic in the open.

And for the first few minutes, he was actually right. Their dance was energetic and synchronized, him acting as the strong and solid foundation for Neon's more flashy and bright moves.

The music came to an end, the crowd exploded with claps and whistles. They were going to win, for sure. That game was as good as his!

Then Neon delivered a loud and sharp slap across his ass.

And next thing he knew, the dancing contest turned into a huge catight.

"Ren?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you angry at me?"

"No."

"You look... Well, I never can tell but I would be angry if I were you."

"I am not though," a little bit upset. But not angry. "Plus, I am sure you are not going to-"

She was gone.

He turned to look at the trail of blazes left behind. The sound of an all too familiar laugh of one rollerblading huntress was the proof enough his day was about to become much louder and hotter.

ALAB

Mercury loved to drive the little Red crazy.

Call him an asshole but there was something incredibly satisfying about watching the girl so confident on the battlefield turn into a blushing stammering mess. Sometimes he would kiss her out in the open or flirt with her during the spar. She looked so cute when she was trying to take his head off with that scythe of hers while burning red as her cape.

Today was an exception, though.

Today it was him on the other end of the stick.

"C-Come on, Red, be reasonable here, please?" He was backed against the wall, the passers-by either ignoring them or taking pictures. Something about real-life Yandere of whatever the fuck those nimrods were whispering about. "R-Ruby, I swear to Gods, stay away from me with that marker!"

She dressed up as some superhero named... Flasher or whatever, he didn't pay much mind. He did, however, take the opportunity to show off his assets and get the girl all hot and bothered under that skintight suit of hers. Seriously, for the girl with so many reservations and social troubles, she seemed unaware of how many guys threw horny looks her way.

He did. And now those guys stayed far away from her.

Apparently, she was not as oblivious as he thought and noticed all the lustful and hungry looks. But only the ones that came from other girls towards him. Which brings us back to him, backed into the corner with his girlfriend trying to mark him of all things!

"I will be quick, Mercury, I promise!"

"That's a permanent marker, Ruby!"

"I am sure we can remove it later!"

"This doesn;t make it better!"

In hindsight, it was all his fault. He should have chosen something that could be actually zipped up. Instead he went dressed as this emo ninja with weird eyes powers who dressed like a stripper. And now Ruby wanted to write her name on his chest like some toy.

Sounded kinky but it wasn't!

"I will buy a bunch of strawberry cookies a-!"

"No!" She yelled, covering her ears. "You can't bribe if I can't hear you!"

An opening to exploit! Yes!

He rushed past her and into the crowd. Maybe he could snatch someone's cape or something? Before he could rob some poor sucker, the torpedo of rose petals smashed into him from behind. Positioning herself on the top of his stomach, Ruby showed no hesitation or shame as she breathed down his neck.

With the eyes full of the terrifying emotion and her smile so hollow it sent chills down his smile, Ruby whispered:

"Now they all will know you are mine and only mine!"

Her marker stabbed into his chest like a knife, marking him as her property and lover.

Somehow, he didn' feel so scared about it.

"Now let's go and show them all that you are mine!"

... And now he was.

ALAB

"Go and tell her she is ugly."

"I am not doing that."

"Fine, then the collar stays on."

"Ugh..."

Out of his entire team, Jaune was possibly the only one excited to come here. He never attended one of the major conventions since, well, his town didn't have any and he barely had the money to come here. So when Ruby won the total of eight passes here, he was ready to kiss her! Well, not really, since she was dating Mercury and that was violation of a bro code.

Also because he also had a girlfriend whom he liked a lot

Even if she could become a bit... possessive.

"Come on, this doesn't even make any sense for me to wear a collar! I am Leon Kennedy!" And Leon Kennedy was a badass that could never stay caught for that long. "Also Ada uses a giant crossbow and your weapon looks nothing like that."

"I don't give a shit, it was the costume the guy in the store recommended," Vernal scoffed as she tugged on his leash. Her eyes scanned the crowd like an expert predator. She saw a couple of nerds drooling over how tight the pants hugged her legs and ass. Heh, good time jerking off, losers. Then her eyes caught some girls drooling over how tight Jaune's pants hugged his ass and legs.

...

They would have to go. Not now, of course. Her boyfriend always got upset whenever she threatened other girls with violence, Gods know why though.

"V-Vernal, where are we going?"

"Just shut up and follow me, loverboy."

Vernal might have lived in Beacon now but she still lived by the laws of her tribe. And the law of the strong was simple back home: See. Want. Take.

The last part - about putting down anyone who tried to take something from you - was an unspoken rule, of course. Back in the tribe, it was the strongest who got the best food and stuff. Not because they were better at scavenging and stealing, but rather because they knew how to take something from others better. And Vernal knew that, if she allowed even one of the girls here approach her boyfriend, she would give everyone the signal she was soft.

Not happening.

"And now for the second place in our couples costu- Hey, ma'am, you are not supposed to-Oh! Wait, not in the face! Not in the face!"

The silence fell over the crowd.

All eyes were on them,

Vernal took the mic.

Jaune covered his face.

"Alright, listen up, all of you! I know that most of you here are losers with nothing better to do than dress up as leather-clad morons and bitches and think you are cool because you watched some Mistralian cartoons with lots of yelling. I also know that at least eighty per cent of you are fucking virgins desperate to get some and watching some camgirls dress up like your favorite cartoon girls drives you nuts," she ignored the death glares thrown her way. Jaune yelped as Vernal dragged him up and planted a deep wet kiss on his lips, invading his mouth with her tongue for the crowd to see. "Having said that, neither me nor MY boyfriend here are as lame you all. And if I see any of you bitches looking at my fucking man, remember-"

She spread her arms, showing her toned body for people to drink in.

"- this is what he enjoys every night. Remember that before looking at him next time!"

Vernal dropped the mic.

Then she grabbed him by the collar and began passionately marking him as hers.

Regardless of that, Jaune would cry as he would later find out he was banned from this convention for the foreseeable future.

Just like the rest of his and RWBY teams.

[appavevo]

okay so listen some times you get really interested in one single thing and that’s all you think about for a long time so you develop some dumb thoughts and here are a list of mine about atla and tlok in no particular order

1. in tlok they made aang look so BORING like so COOKIE CUTTER. the only times i like how they made aang look is in the old friends poster and in the picture where he’s airbending the rolls like that’s IT like come on yall focus too much on making the hair differenet people got faces too ya know

2. TENZIN IS LIKE 16 YEARS OLDER THAN PEMA??? ISN’T THAT CRAZY??? LIKE PEMA WOULD HAVE ONLY BEEN ABOUT 20 WHEN AANG DIED. ALSO TENZIN HAD KIDS SO OLD

3. at the end of tlok bumi must be about the age (maybe a few years younger) when aang died that’s so weird bc bumi doesn’t look old i wonder how it happened with aang like maybe the last few months of his life he just physically aged like 30 years wouldn’t that be weird (and sad)

4. i mentioned this before but i’ve seen posts like “its sad to think about the fact that aang probably had to bury appa” and NO i refuse to believe that esp appa bc i thought an avatars spirit animal lives as long as the avatar? like roku’s dragon lived and died with him so that’s what happened with appa too. also momo, i’ve decided

5. kinda.............weird how learning the avatar state was like one of THE main problems in atla and aang had a hard time with it and it was considered this awesome power that we didn’t see that often and the in the legend of korra she just.......................gets it. like aang gives her her bending back and oh here’s the full power of the avatar state as well no need to learn about the chakras and meditate on life or whatever hey also have some energy bending as well why not

6. lin beifong is literally so hot 

7. also in the legend of korra, bending isn’t as cool.. like in atla bending has all the beautiful forms and its like a dance or an art like that dance aang and katara did was based on their bending moves!!! and tlok isn’t like that and they try to spin it like “oh its modern now” but that’s just lazy and  boring

8. also (that one video explained this better than i could) while it’s kind cool to see the new technology mixed with the bending at first, the legend of korra is so much more american than atla, like i can see how a city with all those cultures mixed together might be a bit culturally ambiguous but like....... idk they talk about democracy in a weird way and they literally got the statue of liberty type thing going on (although i love every reference to aang i can get) and idk how to describe it. the bending is like this too where it used to be based off of hung ga kung fu or tai chi chuan now it’s just ..........boxing. i’ve seen some people say it’s because its easier to animate but like idk

8.5 oh also the whole good and bad evil spirit thing goin on (i forgot their names i think the good one was raava?) was really like god and satan smelling even though they tried to paint it as yin and yang idk it just didn’t come off like that

9. speaking of animation while i am desperate for new material can they NOT MAKE ANOTHER LIVE ACTION VERSION like........make a NEW STORY or maybe just DON’T with how korra turned out just like.....focus on the goddamn comics bc those are kinda fun and chill

10. bolin is pretty funny but him and mako and even asami are kinda boring im sorry but they are(asami is more interesting than mako though)

11. also fucked up how like the culture that was the most accepting and peaceful and spiritual and kind is the one that we never fuckin see this isn’t really a complaint about the plot just like it fuckin sucks!!! i would have loved to see some gay and funny air nomads

12. also maybe this is just bc im a big dumb fan but i refuse to believe aang was a bad father like maybe he didn’t divide his time in the best way but hey no one’s perfect and kya esp made it clear she wasn’t interested in air nomad culture so like what was he supposed to do ALSO SORRY BUT HE HAD TO LITERALLY BUILD A WORLD OUT OF 100 YEARS OF WAR AND REBUILD HIS CULTURE OUT OF NEXT TO NOTHING LIKE SORRY HE DIDN’T HAVE TIME TO TAKE YOU FISHING OR WHATEVER 

13. i do love kya though bc lesb 

14. THAT ONE LINE IN TLOK THAT WAS LIKE “ZUKO KNEW AANG BETTER THAN ANYBODY”??????? LIKE OF COURSE THEY WERE VERY COURSE BUT KATARA IS RIGHT THERE???? HELLO???

15. bc im a big dumb stupid idiot every character i get attached too i immediately insist that they can sing bc i’ve always wanted a really good singing voice so i’ve decided that aang is just like, a great singer

16. god i just love momo

17. UHHH I’M CURRENTLY READING THE WIKI AND IT SAYS THAT KYOSHI LIVED TO BE 230??? THAT’S COOL????? 

18. i’ve said it before and i’ll say it again, air nomad avatars are just cooler bc of their fuckin tattoos. when those tattoos glow? fuckin tight. korras just got her eyes and like.......where’s the drama and conflama 

19. while the spirit world can be interesting idk how i feel about the spirits in the legend of korra, like all cutesy and weird like that, like i don’t hate it, it’s just really different from atla spirit world and idk

20. i’ve always been curious about aangs tattoos like,,,, the ones on his arms go into his armpit, but like the one on his back? does that just go all the way to his ass or what? and where do the leg ones stop do they connect with the back ones or just go to the hip bones or idk

21. i wanted a detailed map and description and history of air temple island and i want it now

22. while i know that extensive and unnecessary backstory and weigh a good story down WHO ARE AANGS PARENTS, I’M JUST CURIOUS. LIKE WERE THEY EVER TOLD HE WAS THE AVATAR?

23. i will defend aang until the day i die bc he was so young and so good and even the stuff he did selfishly he has like ample reason to can u imagine being twelve and waking up and realizing that not only are you the only person left of your race and culture and history and that everyone you knew and loved, like even people you didn’t really know but the people who you would smile too sometimes, the all died pretty violent and horrible deaths while you were just stuck in some ice bc you got hit by some storm after running away can u imagine???? ALSO LIKE the world hadn’t had an avatar for a century so he had to just like make shit up as he went along of course he could talk to his past lives but like..........idk!!!! and how do you build up

24. I ALREADY SAID THIS BUT KORRA JUST..........GETS THE POWERS. LIKE WE SAW AANG NOT ONLY LEARN THE ELEMENTS BUT ALSO DEAL WITH LEARNING ABOUT THE AVATAR STATE IN DEPTH AND HOW BEING THE AVATAR WORKS AND IT WAS SPECIAL AND INTERESTING AND WE COULD HAVE SEEN KORRA WORK TO GET HER AIRBENDING POWERS AND HER SPIRITUAL SIDE AND HER AVATAR STATE BUT THEY WERE ALL JUST FUCKIN HANDED TO HER EVEN THE E N E R G Y BENDING LIKE COME ON................................................................GIRL WHOS WRITING THIS

25. real disrespectful how much sokka is neglected in tlok!!! smh

26. this is very important to me but my favorite episode (not really including the last ones bc those are just on a dif level) but my favorite episode is 3x2 The Headband which was the footloose ep if you don’t remember..........it’s just fun............he just wants to dance AND HE WAS FUCKIN MACKIN YOU SEE THAT SHIT?????????? “DON’T WORRY ABOUT THEM IT’S JUST YOU AND ME NOW” LIKE BITCH!!!! YOU’RE TWELVE YOU HAVE NO BUSINESS BEIN THAT SMOOTH also i LOOOOOOVE the fact that aang being a good dancer is literally canon....................

27. i literally never wanted to know how the avatar cycle started like don’t explain the magic like that just leave some mystery

[thong-in-the-twist]

Eidetic IV

Summary: Have you ever wondered how it feels to be able to remember every detail of a scene having seen it only for a brief moment? Jongdae!scenario

I II III IV

Once again I am facing the portrait. I know it’s not exactly a portrait but I can’t lie – I am obsessed. Why him. Why this particular man out of thousands of customers. And why don’t I remember it anymore?

I put the canvas back on the easel I grab my sketchbook and my coal. I rarely use coal, it stains the fingers and it can easily stain the paper if one is not careful enough. I am not. I don’t fucking care about the paper. As I flip the pages to find an empty one, all I can see are lips. I have filled pages of this sketchbook with lips.

I sketch them. The lips. I don’t remember them. I don’t remember them. But my hand does. If I don’t think. If I don’t try to remember. If I just don’t try, I can still draw them. From memory. Because it is from memory. Muscle memory is still a memory.

Right?

*

I wake up on the floor. I am cold and stiff, and I really need to get myself together. I don’t groan when I start to move but I know a hearty groan would quite accurately summarize my current status. My knee hurts when I put my weight on it but I don’t have right to complain. It’s my own stupidity that led to this.

In the bathroom, I see that my face has a new marking. A long dark line of coal. Such a lovely decoration.

I get myself ready and I eat a quick breakfast. I walk back to my room to grab last few things and I stop for a second to once more look at the easel. I don’t remember them. I don’t remember the lips.

In a sudden outburst of rage, I grab the mirror from the desk and I throw it at the canvas. The easel falls to the ground, canvas land just next to it, unscathed. The mirror though shatters. Seven years of bad luck for me.

It doesn’t give me solace, so I storm back to the easel, I grab my sketchbook and with my bag furiously hitting my hip I nearly run out of my apartment, throwing the sketchbook onto a pile of trash under the lamp just outside my building.

This. Finally. Gives me solace.

*

I am making Chocolate Ice Latte. This mere order is enough to have me fuming. But I do it, I finish it, and I turn around to face the shop. It’s raining. It started raining about an hour into your shift. At first, it meant a wave of customers all wanting to take a shelter, but it has already calmed down. It’s quiet, and there is hardly anyone on the streets. I don’t understand how can anyone take their drink iced in such weather.

“Chocolate Ice Latte,” I call into the air, fully expecting to see a young man react. I am ready for him and his damned mouth. The person who comes for the order is this sweet little girl, barely reaching over the counter. I smile and carefully hand her the drink. I could wonder why is she allowed to drink coffee, but I am not the parent. I can only watch as she goes happily back to her mother that looks over her so tenderly.

There is a soft snort to my right and I glance over. One of my numerous female coworkers is resting against a cash machine. I catch her name-tag. Mina. Ok, here I go, Mina.

“What?” I ask. Mina laughs this time openly.

“Girl,” she says purring the r as if it was at least three syllables long. “It ain’t your Chocolate Ice Latte.”

“What?” I repeat, this time confused even more. She winks at me and it doesn’t help.

“Your cookie is under that window. Today drinking cappuccino,” I look over to the window she pointed with a harsh jab of her chin. Sure enough, there is a young man sitting with a cappuccino cup in front of him and a book in soft cover. “I bet he didn’t read a page out of that book this whole time. He’s been busy appreciating your ass.”

I look away, suddenly embarrassed. I am not good with people. I am not good at having conversations like that. But Mina seems to not be disturbed by that fact.

“Go on,” she says. I can hear her excitement. Oh, right. Mina is one of those people. People who like to lie their life through other people. I am not being cynical. There are just people like that, just like there are people that like to stay out of the spotlight, just like there are people that were born to be a star. “Talk to him! Nothing is happening anyway.”

I know exactly who I am.

Then why, why, I ask myself as I walk between the tables to the man. Jongdae. That’s his name if Mina is right and if we both think about the same person.

I don’t know what I’m going to say. I don’t know what I am doing, really.

The man sees me when I am two tables away and he straightens in his chair so fast that it could come across as comic relief.

Which it is.

“Hi,” he greets me, one corner of his mouth jumping slightly. But not as if he was controlling it. More like he was trying to stop it. I recognize the voice – it is Jongdae.

I look down – it’s partially embarrassment. But more of it is my sudden realization that I can’t just stare at his lips. As I look at my not cleanest ballerinas I realize once again that I don’t remember.

“Can I sit here?” I ask looking up. Is he handsome? I see his face, but I can’t seem to read it.

Which is weird because I want to. Just as I never want to, this time I would really love to read his face.

“Oh, yes, sure!��� He answers pointing to the chair in front of him. I smile and for a second his face ceases to exist in my world. I slide down onto the chair, looking around as if I wanted to check if it’s really ok to sit down.

I do and the world doesn’t stop, so I look up.

Jongdae is smiling at me and I answer with a shy smile. Is he handsome? Are his features hard? Are they soft? How do you describe his jaw, his nose? Are those high cheekbones?

I don’t know, I have nothing to compare him to.

“I see you didn’t order Chocolate Ice Latte today?” I say because it’s a first thing that comes to my head. His smile grows and I see his teeth. Those are white, straight teeth. That much I know.

Jongdae ruffles his hair, only now putting his book down. It’s Nineteen Eighty-Four. My mind as helpful as ever supplies:

Under the spreading chestnut tree I sold you and you sold me There lie they, and here lie we Under the spreading chestnut tree.

“Yes… It’s starting to get too cold for iced drinks,” he explains pointing to his drink. “I am not a fan of coffee but I just couldn’t take away the pleasure of hearing you.”

There is an unfamiliar intensity in his eyes, and I just look away, mindless of the smile that grows on my face. I notice how he said hearing you instead of seeing you and in an inexplicable way it makes me feel good.

I laugh to myself and shake my head. It’s surreal. And even I can tell that Jongdae seems to be satisfied. I gather because I laughed. Or is it too bold of an assumption?

“Listen,” he starts and I focus on him, “so… Do you come here often?”

I laugh. Of course, I laugh, but more because he wrinkles his nose to show me he is joking. I would have known that even without his sign because this line is too lame to be anything but a joke.

I have no idea what I’m doing, I really don’t – but I find myself cocking my head to a side.

“Often enough to be considered a usual,” I say and it catches him off guard. He snorts and looks down biting his lip. I guess it’s an unconscious thing, but it’s refreshing. And I can’t keep my eyes off his lips.

It scares me. It scares me that I am still being obsessive. I glance over to the counter. Nothing is happening and Mina? Mina shows me thumbs up. I need to get behind that counter right now.

“I… I have to go back,” I mumble, looking down at the table. Not his lips. Not his lips.

“Oh, yes, of course,” he hurries to say. I smile minutely and start standing up. “I know that you are working now, but have you thought about the studio thing?”

I can feel the blood rushing to my head. I need to go back behind that counter. I’d do anything to be there.

“Yes,” I say quickly. It’s as short as “no” but more polite. I want to be polite. I don’t want Jongdae to be offended.

I stand up, but he does the same. No, please, no.

“Does that mean you agree?” He asks with badly suppressed excitement.

“I don’t know yet,” I say already walking back. I do not think, I do not analyze. I need a break. Mina stares at me in disbelief as I rush past her into the back room.

I am definitely not good with people.