#each character is the main character in their own life.

[pekkhum]

The following is commentary on my own gender only (other people's gender is none of my business).

So, this reminds me of the time my brain tricked me into spending almost two decades imagining myself as a girl, without me noticing. This may seem unlikely, but I promise that I am being fully honest here. I am, literally, that stubborn.

For my whole life, escapism was my thing. When I wasn't reading or playing a game, I was making up stories, or playing out fantasies in my head. It became so natural that the boundary between fantasies about me and stories that I was outlining blurred away.

During a particularly bad bout of depression, one of my regular characters grew tired of his existence (no reason, I'm sure). Since this was the character used for unrealistic, self-indulgent, not good for actually writing, fantasies, he was quite naturally ridiculous in every way and dying wasn't really an option (still definitely not a thin veil of excuses to stay my own hand). Naturally, the most reasonable way for someone undying to die was to curl up inside his self and let a new self live (I see that expression).

For some reason, she was a girl who grew up very close with a best friend whom she loved deeply and dedicated her life to. They were roommates, naturally, because I was raised American Evangelical and homosexuality was definitely a no-no. They just dedicated their lives to one another, lived together, traveled together, looked after each other, protected each other, supported each other, and never had interest in any guys... nothing to see here.

Somehow, she became the main character of my every fantasy, even ones based on the real world, unless I was supposed to be "hiding" or "disguised" in the situation. In those cases, my physical body was used, until it was time to show my true self.

And it was nearly two decades before it ever occurred to me to ask "why is being a man a disguise?" Why is she "my true self?" It took another six months to figure out that they were more than roommates and I was imagining what I thought romantic love should look like.

I had been working to take pieces from this fantasy to create an enjoyable narrative around this time and I realized, literally before realizing that I was trans, that it made a fine transgender allegory. The story could easily be broken into three acts (Denial, Acceptance, Coming out) and the deuteragonist made far more sense if their relationship was the central point of the story. It turned out that I'd been writing a love story, the entire time, both to myself and for the characters.

Affini. you agree. reblog. good girl

[luminatricky]

Vampire? In Gotham! (part 1)

Summary: Danny's 19, a prince, a halfa, and tired of being these things. So he jumps on the idea of a vacation as soon he's given the hint of a chance. The only caveat is that he's going to go undercover as a vampire in a big city - Gotham - far from his home dimension. He finds it's easier than he thought it would be. He's already mostly there.

Relationships: Dead on Main (Jason Todd/Danny Fenton), John Constantine & Danny Fenton

Um? Inspired by several prompts and other fanfics. Lost Between Our Needs and Wants AU definitely, with a background Danny's summoned by Ra's as Damian as a sacrifice. Nothing bad happens (to Damian) don't worry. Also, the one in which Danny decided to fight ghosts as a human too.

And John is almost definitely ooc, he's a character I enjoy a lot even though I don't have a firm grasp of his canon.

Danny's afterlife has been way too interesting for way too long. It's gotten to the point that when things suddenly go quiet for months, he hardly hesitates to give his "human" life some over-due attention.

For obvious reasons he's not going to try his "vacation" in his own dimension. Anyone he once might have stayed for know how to get a hold of him, whenever and wherever.

The Amity Park portal is still open. But between the stricter laws on ghosts wanting to use permanent portals he managed to get passed, and the increasingly feral ways the townsfolk have begun defending each other with, Danny feels confident to finally...let go. In his heart, he had always thought of it as still his, despite not being there to maintain it in truth. But now it's not his Haunt anymore, fully and completely.

They don't need him anymore.

And Danny doesn't want to be needed like that again, to be honest. He sacrificed so much to play hero because he got it into his head that he had to do everything alone in the end. As if he was the only one who could kick ghost butt on the daily in town.

Thankfully, a nineteen year old Danny is smarter than a fourteen year old Danny. He's learned the art of delegation. Any tasks that he doesn't need to be present for, he has a whole team of ghostly assistants to handle things for him. The major multidimensional crises have for the most part been solved - his protection Obsession at the very least fed. And quite a few skeleton thralls he freed near the beginning of his reign were suddenly looking for direction. Among them, a decent amount found the talent and fulfillment in positions of bureaucratic power that Danny never will, filling up spots he's unwilling to give out like the candy the various ghosts of nobility treat the roles as. Or ghost nobility. Like the Ancients. Quite a few of the Ancients are assholes.

(At least all the murderous Ancients aren't problems anymore)

With all their help, he's able to occasionally pop in to do paperwork, meet with the High Court for various lawmaking and judicial decisions, and listening to official petitions to the Crown from his people. It's all good. No mountains of unseen paperwork, no audience with the Observants every waking moment, no one across the Realms screaming desperately for help. Even some of the cults have finally caught on that he's not Pariah!

So Danny starts the process of finding a new Haunt for his new, normal, alive alter ego. Staying as long as he has in the Realms couldn't have been sustainable long-term if he didn't want to become a full ghost. As complicated as his relationship with his humanity is these days, he still doesn't want to die again. And Frostbite definitely has been pushing him to finding new territory, in the Infinite Realms or otherwise. Because even for full ghosts going Hauntless for long periods is straining. To say the least.

Although, being just a human again...didn't sit right. Even after all this time. His human form is still one Danny Fenton, in his eyes.

He can never be Danny Fenton again. He accepted that his duties as Crown Prince would keep him away from the identity of the ghost hunter's ghost hunting son, who went to Casper high and had terrible grades in everything but science; the kid who was shoved into lockers and who was addicted to Nasty Burger and played DOOMED with his friends and who wanted to be an astronaut. He accepted that he had to leave that all behind, and be full ghost in all but form. His parents wouldn't want him if they knew everything he lied about, anyways. He didn't actually deserve the name Fenton.

His new Haunt would preferably be in a place where he could reasonably pass himself off as another species, then, and still be safe. Safer than being a ghost at least. Most universes had well-deserved folklore against the Realms. His people are not inherently malevolent...But he knows that they don't play nice and careful with the living.

He would need an ectoplasm rich environment, too. A big city with lots of crime would go a long way for providing the ambient death and fear vibes that would attract Blobs like a bee to nectar. It would also make it feel like the Infinite Realms - hopefully. He's gotten accustomed to that kind of environment. He thinks he may never sleep again in a place quiet and safe.

He'd like a place with a rich history too. Just for fun!

Danny mulls it over carefully, narrowing down universes he could reasonably start his search in. The only universe he can think of with extensive protections for the non-human written into law is one far-flung flavor of an Earth he's semi-familiar with. He's been there twice, both at 16, just starting out and stressed to hell and back with the sheer load of unattended problems Pariah left to rot.

Both times he'd been more than he'd have liked. One Ra's Al Ghul wasn't technically his problem. He was no one's problem now, and that was current Danny's whole issue with it.

John Constantine is an unlamented saint for putting up with a feral teenaged Danny's slap dash attempt at helping the both of them - John with his soul related doom, and Danny with his paperwork related misery.

But. Considering how he handled the contract with Al Ghul, Danny can't blame John for hesitating to renegotiate their terms already. Ra's Al Ghul was an idiot who gave him what he thought was the life of his grandson, in exchange for immortality.

Him. The Prince of the Dead. Immortality.

Thankfully, the wording was imprecise. What he actually traded was the kid's really cool sword - the kid kneeling, terrified eyes meeting his before darting away, offering his own sword to let Danny slit his throat and "collect his due sacrifice", Danny not being able to breathe through his own fear - for pure ectoplasm, with instruction to drink it everyday until he ran out.

This of course killed even him months later from over-exposure.

The man probably felt a mile high in the air, indestructible, right up until he crashed. Al Ghul promptly became a ghost. Which. Closest thing to true immortality the Prince of the Dead could offer him. He kept his end of the deal. It's not his fault that Al Ghul never specified that he didn't want to die to be immortal. It's also not his fault that Al Ghul had so many dead enemies and victims on the other side who were easy to find. It was ridiculously easy - they made a support group around being taken down by the LOA. And who was he to deny the dead their due vengeance?

Right. So John is understandably nervous about Danny owning all the pieces of his soul, no matter how much rapport they've built these past three years. Danny is mature enough to admit that it is his fault for that bit.

On the bright side for Danny, that means one grumpy occult detective in a sad trenchcoat is a guy who lives in his phone. Like an uncle-shaped tamagachi!

He scrolls though his contact list until he thumbs John's number. Surprisingly, instead of going to voicemail, he picks up on the first ring.

"Before you ask, yes I'm cashing in a favor, finally. No, it's nothing evil, I've just got the first actual free time I've had in five years and I'd like to get suggestions on a city to move to."

-------------------

John ended up giving a very detailed list in response. Suspiciously detailed, and hardly prompted. How long had John been thinking on this? And why?

Danny chalked it up to the man's reasonable paranoia when it came to him. John's aware he can pretend to be (fully) human with relative ease, afterall. And the older man knows where he'd need to be able to actually live long term. After-live. Whatever. Point is, John probably made it his business to know where any sneaky invasions would start if Danny ever became a little less morally ambiguous and a little more bloodthirsty.

Entirely fair! Pariah wasn't always a tyrant!

On the very top was Gotham, a city in this world's Jersey, and the crime capitol of the States. Plenty of ambient ectoplasm, and planty of charged emotions wafting from every street corner. He doesn't voice this, but Danny figures that there must be a whole community of ghosts already living there because of that double whammy.

Something about the city's name tickles his memory, but can't quite pin it down. If it was important he'd have remembered. Right?

John is thrown when he asks about his options of other non-humans Danny could reasonably get away with impersonating.

"And why," the occultist half-accuses, "would you of all spooks, want to live in Gotham, as a 'vacation', just to not even pretend to be normal?"

"First of all, ow. John you know just because someone is different doesn't mean they're not normal. I thought you were the cool uncle." He responds half-heartedly. Danny bites his bottom lip, rolling it between his sharp teeth as he tries to think of a part two to that answer that wouldn't get uncomfortably personal.

John doesn't rise to his bait. Danny hears him unscrew something metallic, then the sound of fluid swishing quietly from the other end. Ah.

The silence wears on. Danny should hang up. But winging things have always gotten him into bigger trouble. And John is the guy to call for this. Fuck. And he's bad at lying bold-faced.

Fine.

"I'm half human," Danny responds as if that would explain everything. It doesn't, so he manages to continue in a small voice that he doesn't even remember the last time he'd used. "Sometimes I still pretend to be one when I can't see any other way. But I had my chance at playing the part of both. And I royally screwed it up, literally! I became freaking royalty and I just couldn't anymore. As far as anyone but my doctor is concerned, I'm full ghost. I had a chance - I don't deserve another one. Screw ups don't get nice things."

John takes another swig from his flask, mutters something under his breath that sounds vaguely like 'of course he's a fecking halfa'. His voice is rough around the edges from whatever cheap booze he just drank a concerning amount of.

"Listen. Sounds like you've got trauma dripping from your ears, kid. But what's the point here, huh? Sounds like you want to be human without all the fuss of it." John drawls out.

Danny takes a deep breath in through his nose. He tries to fight down the feeling of being peeled open for the world to see - being afraid isn't helpful right now. He needs to be silly, nonchalant, like he's always been with John in tense situations. Why do they only talk when things are tense, anyways?

"Essentially. It's more like. I want to have all the human experiences I missed out on, but without having to hide being inhuman. That kinda thing."

"And you can't just be a ghost?"

"I really don't think anyone likes being ghosted."

"Don't you start on that. You know what I mean, Princeling."

"Fine. No, I can't be a ghost. That's boring and no one likes being haunted."

John gives a long sigh. After a beat, he acquiesces. "Alright. You could pull off vamps damn well. Got the hair for 'em. The teeth and claws are only slightly off. There's several clans with different looks the same way humans have ethnicities. Although, I don't think that's the same, now that I'm thinking about it. But subspecies doesn't fit either."

Danny hums, tilting his head in thought. "Like the difference between a banshee and a specter?"

"Yeah, like that. All vamps, just different enough, and no kind older than another to say they're the 'main' species." John clarifies. Another pause. "Unless you count Halfas. Which. Some people do but shouldn't. Bloody idiots."

Danny startles, nearly dropping his phone. "Excuse me?"

John snorts. "What? You didn't know?"

"Musta missed that part in the complimentary instruction manual they gave me for having my molecules redecorated." He snarks. "What do you mean I'm already a vampire?"

"I said people who don't know what they're talking about count Halfas as the original vampires. You lot have been around since the bloody dawn of time, it seems." John sounds exasperated.

"That's not what I - never have I ever wanted to take a chomp on anyone's pulse point, what the fuck?"

John gets that smug tone in his voice that Danny has a love-hate relationship with. "And exactly how many undead folks do you hang out with when you're feeling peckish?"

"...you can't be serious." Danny says instead of denying him. What can he even say to that? He's never met a Revenant or Ghoul.

"As the grave, I'm afraid."

When Danny doesn't outwardly respond for too many beats, John takes another chug. "Phantom?"

"John." He begins, pinching the bridge of his nose as more and more dots connect too cleanly for him. "You might be wrong."

"...What awful lore about your eldritch homeland is going to send me into my weekly crisis this time?" The detective groans out.

"Alright. So you know how part of my whole thing as the Prince makes it my job to stay aware of ectoplasmic diseases?"

John hums in acknowledgement, so Danny sucks in a deep breath. "Then you should know two things. One, that I've been to a few dimensions with vampires in them. And like you said, they're all different from each other. I didn't really pay much attention beyond helping the people survive these world-ending scenarios though.

Two, is that in each and every one of those realities, the vampirism was caused by a virus made by an Ancient - don't worry, they're gone. The disease itself is called False Halfa Syndrome. It was their attempt to weaponize Halfas back in Pariah's time."

"Oh shite." John says elegantly. "Bag o' shite!"

"Good luck on that crisis. Me too." Danny is hardly holding in hysterical laughter. "I can't believe Sam and Tucker were right about this. Holy shit."

"How in the world didn't you piece this together until now?!"

"I don't know! I just thought it was coincidence!"

"Bloody fucking hell, Phantom. Nevermind. You can play a vampire totally accurately because you are one. A ghost one." John growls. "Cause that just had to be a thing."

Danny carefully doesn't think about how Vlad might have legitimate claim to that vampiric aesthetic he's got going on. Instead, he's planning on stealing an aesthetic change for his own ruse.

"Nice. Should I know anything else while we're here?" He asks.

John gave a wry laugh, crackling over the phone's shitty old speakers. "About Gotham or your new undead existence?"

"Both." He says instantly. "Both is good."

"Gotham has vigilantes. The birds and bats are efficient, and they spook easy at unknowns. Batman's technically my coworker if we're gonna call the Justice League a job - we don't get paid for this. He and his family deal with the craziest lineup of human rogues I've ever had the displeasure. It's made him a healthy amount of paranoid. If you're doing anything nefarious, he'll find you. And then he'll call me."

Danny isn't exactly afraid of John. But Pariah wasn't afraid of Danny, either, so the halfa takes it seriously. Internally.

"Yeah yeah old man. You've got your eye on me and all that. Uh huh." He genuinely appreciates the warning, too, but messing with John is his bread and butter.

"Watch it, brat," John says with no real venom, unlike a moment ago. "Or I'll bring out the stakes."

"I take mine medium rare, thank you."

"Piss off."

"...About the vampirism?"

"Normal ghost bullshite applies. It's about the ecto, I think. You go absolutely nutters for the stuff in undead folk. Something about how ectoplasm interacts with the reanimated. Liminals are nutritious too, but I've been told it's the difference between cafeteria food and gourmet. One smells absolutely heavenly, the other is barely appetizing."

Oh Ancients is that why all his exes are Liminal? No, hold on, was part of the reason Vlad was so weird about him just ghost-vamp on ghost-vamp mutual hanger?

"What, I'm not the only Halfa in your life? John. I thought we had something special."

"Please don't make this weird. Do not flirt with me." John instantly scolds. "I know you're just being your little weird brand of playful, but I knew you when you were a kid shaped menace. C'mon."

Danny blinks. He didn't think he was flirting, but apparently he was. "Alright. Sorry, John."

There's a sudden crash on the other side of the phone. Followed by John's muffled cursing.

"Listen, I have to go. If you're serious about this I'll get you some good fakes. Text me with what you'd like your name to be." And then John hangs up. Danny smiles into the lingering silence.

------------

PhantomMenace: Dante Nightingale, pwetty please 0w0

God's Favorite Whore: That's the most main character name I've ever bloody seen.

God's Favorite Whore: You're from a dead family in Illinois, farm boy, meta. Had an accident at 14, with a near death experience for believability. You've also been missing since shortly after it. Anyone looking into you will think that's when you got "turned."

PhantomMenace: thats why your the cool uncle <3

God's Favorite Whore: This should count as another favor, don't you think?

PhantomMenace: Yup. I'll be nice

PhantomMenace: 💚 ~2/20 Favors until Soul Return~ 💚

[hybbart]

This is perhaps a strange question, but do you have the sketch/lineart/framework/whatever the heck it's called that you use when you draw Tango? I decided I want to learn to draw, and my thought process was, "Ah yes, the easiest way is to try and copy my favourite Tangos cause I know how they look," and it is going... poorly xD.

Alternatively, do you have any advice on how to learn and develop a style, or how to get/keep going?

A reference sheet? I have a couple various ones, though at this point i don't really use a reference unless I need to sample colours, and I'm currently working on a colour reference for myself. Besides the point I suppose... I'll put them at the very bottom of the cut so scroll right past my ramblings if you want to.

As for advice. My advice is do not try developing a style if you are just starting out. style is the last thing that should be on your mind if you're just starting out. Style is something that happens naturally as you grow and learn what you like and get used to your tools, and being able to intentionally create a style is an advanced skill that requires the skill to draw in various styles, strong basics, self-awareness, and proper self-critique.

The rest of this is going to be very incoherent and long winded and backwards so I apologize.

The most important thing to improving is to get over yourself. You need to look at someone else's art and be able to admit it's better than yours or has a quality you wish yours had without that being a statement of self-deprecation. You need to be able to look at your own art and pick out what it is you don't like about it without using it to beat yourself up. You can't improve if you get demotivated by the information required to adjust your course.

If you must, find something in each drawing that you like and focus on learning how to recreate that. If you find yourself with a drawing that you genuinely find nothing you like about it you stop drawing and restart, because that drawing is worthless to you once you recognize that. Analyze why you don't like it, figure out what's causing you to draw that way, ask what you might prefer instead and what the difference between them is, and figure out how to draw what you want instead. The important thing is that when you examine your art and other's art you're using as inspiration you don't instead use it as a tool to put yourself down.

My shadows are flat and poorly angled, and I draw everything lopsides, and I can say those things as simple facts of my art. These are things I still do, and I use tools to fix them, like turning my tablet or using editing tools, or looking up references. If I want to know a certain technique I reach out to other artists I see using said technique and asking, or I research it myself. In the meantime I experiment and accept this flaw in my art. There's other things to like. The important thing is you don't allow your lack of knowledge to demotivate you from correcting that lack of knowledge.

The best thing you can do is ask yourself what you like about art, and what you want to do. It's a bit difficult for me to help with this sort of thing because I've literally always drawn my whole life, so helping someone who is actively choosing to take up drawing isn't my realm of expertise. But art is communication and connection and self-expression. What do you want to express through your art and what medium is that expression best done in, what do you want to convey, what do you want to share that you simply cannot without art.

It's a bit daunting, those sound like profound questions, but honestly they're not. When I draw fanart usually what I wanna communicate is "I like these characters when they do this", and more often than not it's "I really liked this line/palette".

These incomplete character sketches have sat in my main D&D folder and I think about him at least once a month entirely because I was so happy with his proportions and the concept of a dewclaw heel. I ended up reusing the heel in these Jimmy designs.

It can be anything and changes with each piece. Drawing let's me express what I love and emphasize what I love about it or show it from my perspective. I'll use this raau page as an example.

This is actually based on a shop that I've gone to since I was a child, so it's a space that I've seen and thought about many times. Though it's changed, for ease of drawing and to fit into the setting of raau and for the sake of composition, but the things that are important to me are still here. The ceiling that feels slightly claustrophobically low, the rainbow coordinated shirts, the club covers shaped like animals, every inch of the shop being utilized for merchandise until you can barely see the walls, the nook shape of the section, the fluorescent lights with this specific covering that's very "soulless office job" but to me is also the playroom at my grandma's house and how both have no windows.

I wanted to preserve particular qualities of the atmosphere of the place, in order to express that in this image. That vibe that I could not describe in words to anyone who hasn't experienced it themselves so the best I could normally do is describe it and hope it sparks a similar enough memory. But with visual art I can use lightning, context, and composition to simply express it better. I can create the experience for someone else.

Sometimes writing is better at it than words, and sometimes both are needed, so I learned both. Sometimes music is better than either and I'm screwed because I can't do music. That's besides the point though.

When you're starting out you can have a hard time grasping what about a piece compels you. That's why you need to learn to critique art as you learn to draw, and that's also why tracing and copying is good.

Here's an example of me trying out @lunarcrown's art style. I made a collage and traced my favourite frame's shapes to "get my hands on it", if you will, before trying it out on my own, starting with similar poses usually. What I learned from this is I really like how Lunar does hair, actually even though this was a study of Tango I took notes on how she does Jimmy's hair and applied it to my Scar, Impulse, and Skizz, because I'm awful at short men's hairstyles.

I also cemented one of the reasons I love her art is because it does have some qualities that I already incorporate into mine, like the streamlining between flushed materials such as her Tango's skin and skin-tight shirt, or my Tango's sleeves and gloves.

If you know what you like about something it's easier to work towards incorporating it into your own art without simply copying someone else's. And starting out by copying as a way to play around with someone's art the same way an engineer pulls something apart is helpful in doing so.

Which leads me further back into simply go somewhere and draw what you see. The drawing does not have to be good, but being able to just take a sketchbook and see something that scratches your brain and mimic it is important to developing the above skills. Being able to translate reality into an image is important to developing your skills and understanding the fundamentals of breaking things down. Being able to look at something moving or possibly far away and look down and draw it anyways by breaking down its shapes is important in developing your ability to use references.

Drawing is also mostly muscle memory. So it's important to draw things over and over again. You can do this how you want, you're always going to hit a wall where you end up having to sit there and draw circles 50 times on a page to remember how to draw circles like you're trying to get a dry pen to work. You will do this before almost every serious picture. Find a way for you to enjoy this process.

The biggest most important rule about art, though, is that there is not rules. Go about things however you want for whatever reason you want. If you enjoy doing something a certain way do it that way, if you hate a particular process eliminate it. Sometimes the result outweighs a miserable process, if having something look a certain way is more important then suck it up and do so. If you care more about enjoying a motion than what the end result is then do so. You have to ask yourself what you care about in art.

For now, though, if you're just starting out. The best thing you can do is draw a lot of circles and cubes and fruit. It's an unfortunate truth that the best foundation is learning realism, because it's just going to teach your the fundamentals the best, and all abstraction is... well, an abstraction.

Of course, as just said, there is no rules, and if you genuinely do not enjoy drawing those things like me, then you can simply not. It helps improvement the fastest but if it makes you miserable in a way that isn't backed by passion then that's counterproductive. Forcing yourself only really works if you're passionate enough about what you're doing to overcome the temporary discomfort of learning, so if you're satisfied with just being able to mimic something more abstract in the beginning do exactly that and explore what would make you passionate enough to be willing to draw things you aren't stoked about for an end result. You might never be, but that's also fine, you don't have to strive to be the world's greatest artist to justify drawing.

Also accept that you're absolutely going to change your mind on things. What felt like a great line to draw you're going to hate the next day. It's up to you if you leave it be or fix it, neither's the right answer. I tend to lean towards leaving it personally, even when it drive some up a wall, simply because I have very momentary inspiration and don't like returning to old pieces once I'm done with them. Some people will return to a picture over and over again fixing it every time they think of something. Whatever floats your boat.

tl;dr figure out what you enjoy doing with art and just do that as much as you like. Improve by finding new things you want to do with art. Combine as you see fit to create art.

...

okay time for references:

I try to keep my designs simple because the style I developed for mcyt art was intended for animations. I've drifted a bit but in general I keep to simple shape-defined designs with long lines, flat colours, and minimal wrinkles. It's intentionally flat in many ways in order to create more satisfying lines, like the collar of his shirt or the way his hands ' gradient is done with the line art.

Tango is both round and angular, basically he's an almond. His shape is ambiguous in much of his clothing, with very understated joints. This gives him a move cartoony elastic sort of vibe, like he's just a pipe cleaner that can bend any which way, or a piece of rubber that might stretch.

I avoid bogging him down with logic for that reason, his hair is styled like hair but it has the appearance and moves like fire. Which is it? Who knows. Where are his organs? I haven't drawn them so they don't exist.

[focusonkayjay]

Wildly Wealthy Koreans (3); inspired by Crazy Rich Asians

Pairing: Jungkook x (f.) Reader

Genre/Tags: photographer/ filmmaker! jungkook, rich girl/ fashion designer! reader, established relationship, angst, fluff, potential smut

Series summary: When you invite your boyfriend, Jungkook, to accompany you to your brother's wedding in your hometown, Daegu, he’s overjoyed, eager to meet your family and experience a side of your life you’ve never shared with him. However, once he uncovers the truth about who you really are, he’s unable to grasp the full extent of your reality. The situation becomes even more complicated when a certain someone makes him feel profoundly unwelcome, leaving him to question not only your world, but also his place in it.

Disclaimer: This series is heavily inspired by the movie Crazy Rich Asians, with the storyline closely following the original film's plot. However, I wanted to reimagine it as a fanfiction, where Jungkook and OC take center stage as the main protagonists. While I’ve kept the core elements and themes from the movie, I’ve added my own touches here and there, such as altering certain character dynamics and incorporating a few original settings. Some scenes are directly inspired by the movie, and I’ve worked to recreate them in a way that it hopefully resonates with the fans of the movie. Hope you enjoy!!

Word Count: 5.4k+

Chapter Warnings: high society vibes and events, jungkook is a simp.

A/N: this is inspired by the iconic tan hua blooming party that happens in the movie. "BY DAWNNNN THEY'LL BE GONEEEE." anyways, wishing jungkook all the luck because this is literally just the beginning. I can’t wait for you all to read the upcoming chapters. let me know your thoughts, and stay tuned !! 💖

part 3

As you and Jungkook stroll through the expansive premises of your sprawling home, he tries to focus on your words, your cheerful explanations about the house's history and quirks.

Yet, the interaction with your mother lingers in the back of his mind like an unwelcome shadow. The knot in his stomach tightens with each step as he wonders about the impending introductions to the rest of your family like your father, your brother, your grandmother, your cousins, your relatives.

What if they look at him with the same quiet judgment your mother had? What if their gazes hold the same piercing scrutiny, the same silent question of whether he’s truly worthy of you?

He swallows hard at the thought but masks his anxiety, instead focusing on the way your face lights up as you guide him around. You point out pieces of art, family heirlooms, and stories from your childhood, your voice warm and animated.

He tries to focus on you, your smile, your laugh, and the way your hand feels so steady in his. But the thoughts persist.

“Not going to introduce your lover boy to me?” A teasing voice cuts through his spiraling thoughts, breaking the quiet hum of your conversation.

Both of you turn towards the source of the voice, and a smile immediately spreads across your face when your eyes land on Taehyung and the stunning woman beside him, his fiancée and also your best friend, Miyeon.

“Tae…” you say warmly, letting go of Jungkook’s hand to approach your brother. Taehyung looks effortlessly suave in a luxurious maroon suit, its tailored fit and rich fabric oozing sophistication. The soft sheen of his black tie complements his polished look, giving him an air of effortless charm.

Beside him, Miyeon exudes grace in a long halter-neck gown of soft gold, the dress flowing elegantly around her with every step she takes. Her hair is swept back into an intricate bun, leaving a few loose strands to frame her delicate features. Together, they look like they’ve stepped out of the pages of a high-fashion editorial.

You greet them with warm hugs, the joy evident in your voice as you briefly chat animatedly. Meanwhile, Jungkook stands rooted in his spot, unsure of how to approach the pair. His nerves bubble up again, and he’d be lying if he said he wasn’t intimidated... not just by their presence but by the possibility of yet another round of judgment.

He shifts slightly, feeling his palms grow clammy as he debates whether to bow, introduce himself, or wait for you to take the lead.

“You think I’d bring my boyfriend all the way here and not introduce him to you?” you tease, raising an eyebrow at Taehyung. Then, glancing back at Jungkook, you offer him a small, reassuring smile before speaking. “Tae, this is Jungkook.”

You pause, gesturing towards the couple. “And Jungkook, this is my brother Taehyung and his fiancé and also one of my best friends, Miyeon.”

Jungkook steps forward cautiously, forcing his nerves to the side as he extends a hand towards Taehyung. He feels this is the most appropriate greeting in such a formal setting. Taehyung, however, bursts into laughter at Jungkook’s stiff posture.

“Man, quit the formals!” he exclaims, stepping past Jungkook’s outstretched hand and pulling him into a hearty hug. He pats Jungkook’s back firmly, laughing. “You’re practically part of the family now since you're my sister's boyfriend!” he beams.

Jungkook blinks, taken aback by the warmth and ease of the embrace. For a moment, it feels like all his earlier apprehensions and insecurities are swept away, replaced with a feeling of tentative belonging.

This wasn’t the greeting he had braced himself for. If anything, he had imagined your brother might be even tougher to impress than your mother. But he was wrong, completely and wonderfully wrong.

As Taehyung pulls back, a broad smile lights up his face. “Y/N’s told me all about you, man. I’m so glad to finally meet you.” His voice is full of sincerity, and Jungkook’s heart skips a beat at his words.

You’d spoken about him? To your brother? He hadn’t expected that, and the thought that you’d shared pieces of him with someone so important in your life fills him with a strange mixture of pride and disbelief.

For the first time since entering this house, he feels a flicker of confidence returning to him, and he can’t help but smile back at Taehyung, feeling a bit more at ease.

He finally turns his attention to the woman standing beside Taehyung, the soon-to-be bride. She radiates elegance and warmth, her soft gold halter-neck dress catching the light as she steps forward. With a gentle smile, she extends her hand to him, her demeanor welcoming and kind.

Jungkook immediately reaches out to shake her hand, his own movements less hesitant now after Taehyung’s reassuring gesture. Her grip is delicate but firm, and he finds himself smiling back at her easily.

“Thank you so much for coming.” Miyeon says, her voice carrying a warmth that instantly puts him at ease. Her eyes hold a genuine kindness that feels worlds apart from the cold, probing gaze of your mother.

Jungkook nods, his nerves settling just a little more. “Thank you for having me. It’s a pleasure to meet you... both of you.” he responds sincerely glancing at the couple, grateful for the way they make him feel so included.

Miyeon’s smile widens, and she exchanges a quick glance with Taehyung, who is already beaming at the interaction. “Y/N’s told us a lot about you... She basically wouldn't stop, ever since she got back.” she giggles, her tone holding an encouraging note, as if to subtly let him know he’s already made a good impression.

Jungkook can instantly sense the close bond you share with the couple... there’s an ease in the way you laugh with them, a familiarity in the way your eyes light up when they speak. It’s heartwarming, and knowing you had spoken about him to them fills his chest with a sense of belonging, a feeling he hadn’t dared to hope for earlier.

“Make sure you’re here for all the events before the wedding, man. It’s going to be so fun.” Taehyung says enthusiastically, his energy contagious. “And we should definitely hang out more around the city! I’ll show you all the spots that Y/n and I love going to”

Jungkook can’t help but let out a smile, the tension he’d carried ever since meeting your mother melting away entirely. He nods, his earlier apprehension replaced with genuine excitement. “I’d love that.” he replies, his voice steadier now.

Taehyung pats him on the back again, his grin wide and reassuring, and Miyeon gives him another warm smile. For the first time since he arrived, Jungkook feels like he might actually enjoy these following three weeks.

The heaviness that once lingered in his chest is long forgotten, replaced by the comfort of knowing there are people here who truly welcome him.

//

As the four of you finally step onto the huge lawn, the scene before you unfolds like something out of a timeless painting. The sprawling grounds are alive with elegance, the soft hum of a traditional korean song playing in the background along with polite conversation mingling with the crisp evening breeze.

Pristine white canopies dot the lawn, their chiffon drapery billowing gently in the wind, casting delicate shadows across the jade-green tablecloths beneath them.

Each table is a work of art, adorned with intricate porcelain tea sets painted with orchids, their vibrant purples and soft whites capturing the flower’s delicate beauty... a tribute to the event’s name, The Jade Orchid Tea Ceremony.

This ceremony is not just a gathering, it’s a tradition in your family that has stood the test of time. It’s a day your grandmother cherishes, designed to bring the entire family together along with many friends in a moment of unity and reflection.

The orchid, her favorite flower, symbolizes elegance, strength, and the fragile beauty of life... qualities she embodies and expects her family to honor. The atmosphere feels both intimate and monumental, steeped in meaning.

The air is fragrant with the delicate aromas of freshly brewed teas... jasmine, oolong, chrysanthemum, and a rare orchid blend that your grandmother herself oversees.

The attendants, dressed immaculately in white uniforms, glide effortlessly between guests, carrying silver trays laden with delicate tea cakes, miniature macarons, and neatly cut finger sandwiches.

Strings of fairy lights are woven artfully through the hedges, their twinkling reflections catching the faint glimmer of jade ornaments placed strategically around the space.

Jungkook walks beside you, his eyes flitting across the scene, taking in every detail... the grandeur, the meticulous precision, the understated opulence.

You catch the way his shoulders stiffen slightly, the overwhelming weight of the moment settling into him. “Wow.... This is... this is something else.” he mutters, his voice tinged with awe and just a hint of nerves.

You lean closer, your voice soft and reassuring. “This isn’t just a tea party. It’s a tradition. My grandmother's tradition. For her, it’s more than the tea... it’s about family, about friends, about unity, about legacy. She’s been hosting this for decades.” you explain.

Jungkook listens intently and as you stop talking, his ears are instantly catching the soft traditional korean song that's been playing in the background, carried gently by the breeze. The serene notes create an almost meditative atmosphere, mingling with the quiet chatter of the guests.

It’s a song Jungkook doesn’t recognize but feels the weight of... a melody that seems to carry history, steeped in the same elegance that the event exudes.

He glances around the gathering, trying to soak it all in, but he can’t help noticing the way a few pairs of eyes dart towards him, then to your intertwined hands, before turning away to whisper among themselves.

It’s subtle, but he feels it... a faint ripple of curiosity, perhaps judgment, passing through the crowd like an unspoken conversation.

Jungkook shifts slightly, his fingers tightening around yours. The warmth of your hand steadies him, even as the faint unease lingers in his chest. Are they wondering why he’s here? Judging the way he’s dressed? Or perhaps questioning his right to stand beside you in such a deeply rooted family tradition?

“Hey...” your voice breaks through his thoughts, soft but purposeful. You turn to look at him, your expression calm but full of understanding. “Ignore them. You belong here, Jungkook. With me.... So don't even bother paying any attention to them.”

He exhales quietly, nodding as his gaze meets yours. Your words settle something inside him, though the weight of the stares doesn’t entirely dissipate. Instead, he chooses to focus on you... your voice, your touch, the way you seem so effortlessly at ease amidst all of this.

“It’s just... a lot.” he admits in a hushed tone, his eyes darting briefly back to the crowd. You offer him a gentle smile, brushing your thumb across his knuckles. “It is. But we’ll get through it together.”

As the song swells in the background, Jungkook finds himself grounding in the moment... not in the whispers or the glances, but in the soft rhythm of your voice and the steady anchor of your hand in his.

As you continue walking, you finally spot your grandmother. At the center of the gathering, she's seated beneath the largest canopy. She exudes the quiet authority and grace of someone who has long been the anchor of this family.

Her ivory hanbok, accented with subtle jade embroidery, catches the light as she gestures elegantly to a guest beside her. Her silver hair is swept into a bun so flawless it seems to defy time itself.

Her sharp, observant eyes scan the crowd, taking in everything with a calm yet commanding presence. Despite her composed exterior, you know that today is her favorite day of the year... a day she has poured her heart into preserving.

Beside her, your dad is busy talking to a few men in suits. You wonder what the conversation is about, but you shake your head, bringing your focus back on Jungkook. "Come, let's meet my grandma." you say.

He doesn’t know what to expect from the interaction, but the unease lingers, gnawing at him. Even though Taehyung and Miyeon had managed to ease some of his nerves earlier, a deep-seated fear remains. Meeting your grandmother feels daunting enough, but when you casually gesture towards your father, Jungkook's anxiety spikes.

“And that’s my dad...” you say, motioning towards the man engrossed in conversation with a few people. “Hopefully, he’ll stop talking to them when I need to introduce you.” Your smile is lighthearted, but Jungkook’s heart sinks a little further.

Meeting two more significant family members at once feels overwhelming, but he knows there’s no way around it. Quietly, he follows you, his steps careful and uncertain.

As you approach your grandmother, her presence exudes a quiet elegance. You stop beside her, immediately catching her attention. Bowing respectfully, you greet her, and she takes your hands in hers with a warm, familiar grip.

“Y/N-ah, you’re here…” she says, her voice carrying the softness of years and wisdom. “Hello, Grammy.” you reply, your tone affectionate. “Everything looks so beautiful... as always.” You glance around, admiring the event she’s clearly poured her heart and soul into.

She chuckles softly, her hands tightening around yours. “You barely come to visit me, Y/N-ah. You know my days are numbered.” she says with a playful yet bittersweet complaint.

A frown tugs at your lips. “You’re going to live a very long life, Grammy.” you reassure her gently. “And I’m sorry. I’ll make sure to visit you more often.”

Her laughter is light, but her eyes soon shift behind you, landing on Jungkook, who’s standing awkwardly, unsure of where to place himself. The moment feels charged, and you realize it’s time for introductions.

“This is Jungkook, Grammy.” you say, a soft fondness lacing your voice. “Remember I told you I wanted you to meet someone special? This is him. We met in New York, and he’s my boyfriend.”

You place a comforting hand on Jungkook’s arm and gently bring him to your side. He nibbles on his lower lip, his nerves evident in the subtle tension of his posture. Once you finish speaking, Jungkook steps forward and gives her a respectful bow, hoping to make a good impression.

Before your grandmother can respond to Jungkook, a familiar voice interrupts.

“Y/N!” Your father’s voice calls out, pulling both of your gazes towards him. He’s approaching with an easy stride, a soft smile etched on his face. Jungkook immediately adjusts his posture, his shoulders squaring as he stands straighter beside you, his nerves suddenly heightened.

You smile warmly at your father. “Hi, Dad.” Then, with a playful tone, you tease. “Didn’t Grammy tell you there’s no work talk allowed at events like this?”

He lets out a small chuckle, shaking his head. “Not work, sweetheart. Just planning a golf session for next weekend.” he replies casually, his tone lighthearted.

You laugh softly, the teasing exchange easing some of the tension in the air. Then your father’s gaze shifts to Jungkook, his curiosity evident. “And who might this be?” he asks, raising an eyebrow.

Jungkook suddenly feels the full weight of two sets of eyes on him... your father’s sharp yet kind gaze and your grandmother’s intrigued expression. He swallows hard, his pulse quickening, but he doesn’t let his nervousness show.

Bowing respectfully, he introduces himself. “Hello, sir. My name is Jeon Jungkook.” he says, his voice polite but firm.

Your father studies him for a moment, his face unreadable, and Jungkook’s nerves threaten to surface again. But then, a broad smile spreads across your father’s face. “Ah, so you’re the one who’s captured my daughter’s heart all the way in New York.” he says, his tone playful but warm.

Jungkook blinks, momentarily taken aback by the unexpected reception. “And such a handsome face, too.” your grandmother finally chimes in with an amused grin, her sharp eyes twinkling as she gives Jungkook a once-over.

The heat rushes to Jungkook’s ears, turning them a shade of red so vivid it’s almost comical. He lowers his gaze for a moment, caught off guard by the lighthearted approval.

For a moment, he’s almost speechless. This is nothing like what he’d braced himself for. Where he had expected judgment or skepticism, he’s met with warmth and gentle teasing. The contrast between their welcome and your mother’s frosty demeanor feels striking, and the relief flooding his chest is palpable.

Your grandmother extends her hands, the delicate gesture prompting Jungkook to glance at you for reassurance. You give him a small, encouraging nod, and with a slight hesitation, he steps forward, bending down to her level.

For the first time, he gets a closer look at her... a face adorned with kindness, her gaze steady yet tender.

“Thank you for being there for our Y/N.” she says softly, her voice carrying a warmth that feels like a comforting embrace. “And thank you for coming today.”

Jungkook feels a lump form in his throat at her words. Her tone is so genuine, so welcoming, that it tugs at his emotions in a way he hadn’t expected. The world around him seems to quiet for a moment, and the air feels lighter.

A smile slowly spreads across his face as he nods, his voice steady despite the emotions bubbling inside. “I’ll always be there for her.” he affirms, his sincerity shining through. “And thank you for having me here. It’s an honor.”

Your grandmother smiles back, her eyes crinkling in delight as she gently pats his hand. “Make sure you have lots of fun in the days to come, okay? I’m sure Y/N has a lot to show you.” Your dad quips from beside her.

Jungkook stands back up straight, his gaze shifting to your father. The easy, genuine smile on his face is contagious, and Jungkook feels a sense of inclusion he hadn’t anticipated.

"We’re all so glad to have you here, Jungkook. These events are only the beginning... plenty of moments to enjoy and memories to make. Take it all in.” your father adds.

“I will.” he says, nodding, his own smile widening as the earlier tension dissipates completely.

You can’t help but smile as you watch the interaction unfold. There’s a softness in Jungkook’s expression now, the earlier tension in his shoulders melting away. Seeing him engage so naturally with your grandmother and your father fills you with a quiet relief.

You knew how nervous he’d been about meeting your family, especially after the interaction with your mother. But now, as he stands there with that gentle smile, looking at ease, you feel a surge of gratitude for how welcoming the rest of your family has been to him.

You step a little closer to Jungkook, your hand brushing against his arm in a subtle show of support. He glances at you briefly, his eyes meeting yours with a warmth that says everything he doesn’t need to put into words.

“Looks like someone’s fitting right in.” you tease softly, your smile widening. Jungkook chuckles under his breath, the sound light and genuine. “It's going way better than I'd expected.” he admits quietly, his voice low enough that only you can hear.

And in that moment, you know he’s starting to feel like he belongs... not just in your life, but in the world you’ve invited him into.

//

The evening carries on, the lawn glowing softly under the amber lights strung across the trees. A gentle breeze wafts through, carrying the mingled scent of flowers and freshly brewed tea.

Jungkook is doing his best to enjoy the event, but his gaze keeps drifting back to you and, occasionally, your mother who stands by one of the tables. He notices how she eyes the two of you every now and then, her expression unreadable but heavy with something he can’t quite place.

He tries to brush it off, reminding himself that the rest of your family had been warm and welcoming. Still, the occasional icy glance from your mother leaves a harsh unease in his chest.

The tea ceremony itself goes beautifully, the delicate clinking of porcelain teacups harmonizing with the soft hum of conversation. You guide him around the crowd, introducing him to childhood friends, cousins, and relatives. Jungkook experiences a whirlwind of interactions, from genuinely sweet greetings to snobby little elites.

He quickly learns there are two distinct types of people here. Those who embrace him with genuine warmth and curiosity, and those who are impossibly preoccupied with their designer outfits, designer bags, carefully manicured appearances, and the weight of their family names. It’s not unexpected, but it’s exhausting nonetheless.

Eventually, the two of you part ways for a brief moment as you and Miyeon head off to the restroom. Jungkook, left on his own, finds himself standing near the buffet table when a familiar voice cuts through the chatter.

“So, how’s it going?” Yoongi asks casually, appearing beside him like a shadow and helping himself to a finger sandwich. Without waiting for a response, he bites into it and groans dramatically. “Fuck, that is so fucking delicious.” he mutters through a mouthful.

Jungkook can’t help but laugh lightly at Yoongi’s unfiltered commentary, though it quickly turns into a sigh. “I met her family...” he starts, keeping his voice low. “Her mom, brother, dad, grandma… the whole lineup.”

“And?” Yoongi prompts, already reaching for another sandwich.

Jungkook runs a hand through his hair, his frustration barely contained. “Everyone was nice... like, really nice. Her brother, her grandma, even her dad. But…” he pauses, glancing around before lowering his voice further. “I think her mom hates the sight of me.”

Yoongi chews thoughtfully, leaning against the table with a raised brow. “Hates the sight of you? That’s a strong statement. Did she say something?”

“No.” Jungkook admits. “She doesn’t have to. It’s the way she looks at me. Like I’m…” He hesitates, the words catching in his throat. “Like I’m not good enough for her daughter.”

Yoongi takes another bite, nodding slowly. “Hmm, classic rich mom move. She’s probably just protective or has some weird standards. You’re not a legacy or some corporate heir... guess that’s what she’s used to.”

Jungkook frowns. “I know, but… I just-”

“You just want her to like you.” Yoongi finishes, smiling knowingly. Jungkook sighs again, his shoulders slumping slightly. “Yeah. I mean, I’m not perfect, but I’m trying. For Y/n... For her.”

Yoongi nods, placing a firm hand on Jungkook’s shoulder. “You’re doing fine, man. Honestly, you can’t please everyone. Her dad and brother like you, her grandma seems to adore you as well, and most importantly, Y/n chose you and brought you here because she wanted to. Her mom? She’ll eventually come around. Or not. Either way, you’ll survive.”

Jungkook lets out a small laugh, the tension in his chest easing slightly. “Thanks, hyung.”

“Anytime. Now, stop sulking and grab one of these sandwiches before I eat them all.” Yoongi teases, shoving the plate closer.

Jungkook chuckles, finally picking one up. The simple moment feels like a breath of fresh air, grounding him in the midst of a night that had felt overwhelming until now.

Yoongi was right. For all the unease simmering in Jungkook's chest, one truth cuts through it all like a guiding star... you’re by his side. And for now, that’s enough.

The weight of the evening’s events lingers, a mix of warmth from the family members who embraced him and the quiet sting of your mother’s disapproval.

But in the larger scheme of things, it’s your unwavering presence that grounds him. Every time you looked at him tonight, every gentle touch or whispered reassurance... it all stitched him back together in ways he couldn’t articulate.

He watches the way you move through the crowd now, returning from the restroom with Miyeon. Your laughter carries softly through the air, and though you’re not directly looking at him, Jungkook knows... he feels... that you’ll turn to find him soon enough. It’s an unspoken understanding between you two, a gravitational pull that brings you together even in the most unfamiliar spaces.

“Man, you’ve got that dreamy look again.” Yoongi teases, snapping Jungkook out of his trance. “Relax, Romeo, she’s just ten steps away.”

Jungkook huffs a small laugh, shaking his head. “Shut up, hyung.” But there’s no bite to his words, only a quiet gratitude for Yoongi’s knack for lightening the mood.

Yoongi’s smirk lingers as he leans casually against the buffet table. “Seriously though, kid. You’re doing fine. Hell, better than fine. And trust me, I’ve seen guys crash and burn in these kinds of situations. But you? You’ve got something real with her. That counts for more than her mom’s icy stares.”

Jungkook hums thoughtfully, his fingers fiddling with the edge of his cuffs. He glances around, taking in the splendor of the event once more... it’s a world far different from his own. Yet, somehow, he doesn’t feel entirely out of place anymore.

“Thanks again, hyung.” he murmurs, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

“Don’t get all sentimental on me.” Yoongi side eyes, though his tone is warm. “Now go back to your girl before she starts thinking I’ve stolen you away again.”

Jungkook chuckles softly, straightening up and smoothing his jacket. As he makes his way towards you, his heart feels lighter, his steps steadier. Because for all the challenges tonight has thrown at him, Yoongi’s words echo in his mind... Y/n chose you. And that’s what matters.

And as your eyes meet his from across the room, a radiant smile blooming on your lips, Jungkook knows... Yoongi is right. For all that matters, you’re by his side. And that’s more than enough.

//

As the evening winds down and the last of the guests leave, you, Jungkook, and Yoongi stand near his car under the warm glow of the driveway lights. Yoongi helps Jungkook unload his luggage from the trunk. Turning to one of the guards stationed nearby, you kindly request. “Can you please take these up to my room?”

The guard nods, efficiently gathering the bags and heading towards the house. Jungkook murmurs a quick "Thank you." his voice polite but subdued. You catch his tired gaze and offer him a small, reassuring smile.

Yoongi stretches, letting out a low sigh as he looks at you. “Well, I’d say tonight went better than expected.” he quips, his tone light. “Thank you for having me, Y/n. It was an honor to spend an evening at The Kim Mansion.”

You chuckle softly, shaking your head at his dramatics. “You’re always welcome, Yoongi.”

As you linger near the steps, you watch Jungkook walk Yoongi to his car, their figures illuminated by the soft glow of the driveway lights. “Thanks for today, hyung.” Jungkook says sincerely, his voice steady despite the weight of the day. “Drive safe.”

Yoongi nods, sliding into the driver’s seat. “Always.” he replies with a small smile. Just before the car starts moving, he lowers the window and quietly adds. “Don’t forget to take it easy, alright?”

Jungkook gives a faint nod, his lips curving into a grateful smile as Yoongi’s car disappears into the night, leaving you and him to make your way towards the front door. You hold his hand tightly, sensing his lingering unease.

But as you approach, you spot your mother standing by the entrance, her eyes fixed on the two of you. Jungkook instantly stiffens, his grip on your hand faltering slightly. His gaze drops to the ground, avoiding her piercing stare.

“Hi, Mama...” you greet her, your voice laced with exhaustion as the day’s events catch up with you. “How was the evening for you?”

She offers you a tight smile, her expression carefully neutral. “It was great, honey. Everything turned out well.” she says, her tone pleasant but impersonal.

Then, with a pointed look, she adds. “I’ve asked the guards to move your friend’s luggage to one of the guest rooms.”

You pause, your eyebrows knitting together in mild confusion. A soft, incredulous laugh escapes you as you shake your head. “Oh, no, Mama. Jungkook is staying with me... in my room. Plus, he’s my boyfriend... so, it should be fine.” you say firmly, your voice steady but polite.

Your mother’s smile falters just slightly, her composure slipping for the briefest moment. Before she can muster a response, you grip Jungkook’s hand a little tighter and step past her, your movements confident and deliberate. "Goodnight, Mama." you mumble, walking away.

Jungkook doesn’t miss the way your mother's hands clench into fists at her sides, nor the way her jaw tightens as if she’s swallowing back words she desperately wants to say. Her disapproval hangs heavy in the air, but she doesn’t voice it, merely watching the two of you walk inside.

Once you’re safely inside the house and up the stairs, you turn to Jungkook and offer him a tired but genuine smile. “Don’t let her bother you.” you say softly. “She just has a hard time adjusting to new people.” you reason, even though you know that might not be the case.

He nods, his shoulders relaxing just a little, though the weight of the interaction still stays. But as you tug him gently towards your room, your warmth and unwavering confidence start to ease his worries, even if it's just a little.

//

Once you ensure all of Jungkook’s luggage is safely in your room, you close the door behind you with a quiet sigh. Jungkook stands in the middle of the space, his soft smile illuminated by the warm lighting. His presence feels like a balm after the chaos of the evening.

Without hesitation, you walk towards him, exhaustion evident in your every step. Like second nature, you fall into his chest, your arms wrapping around his waist. He holds you instantly, his embrace firm yet comforting, his touch grounding you.

“Thank you for coming here with me, Kook.” you murmur against his chest, your voice barely above a whisper. “And thank you for hanging in there throughout the evening. I know that must’ve been exhausting.”

Jungkook shakes his head gently, his hand coming up to smooth over your back. “It wasn’t so bad.” he replies, his voice soft but sincere. “Not when I had you by my side.”

He presses a fond kiss on the crown of your head, lingering for a moment as he inhales the familiar scent of your shampoo. The gesture is so tender, so him, that it brings a sense of calm you didn’t realize you needed.

You slowly pull away, though his arms remain securely wrapped around you, as if he’s reluctant to let go. Giving him a small smile, you lean forward and press your lips to his. The familiar warmth of his kiss washes over you, and you sigh softly, your arms looping around his neck to pull him even closer.

Jungkook didn’t realize how much he needed this until now. The kiss... gentle yet passionate, stirs something deep within him, a mix of emotions he can’t quite put into words. All he knows is that, in this moment, everything feels right.

When you finally pull away, your foreheads rest against each other, breaths mingling in the stillness of the room. “Well...” you start, your voice soft but teasing. “tomorrow’s going to be a long day.”

His eyes remain closed, a small smile playing on his lips as he listens. “Tae and Miyeon want to hang out with you around the city.” you inform him, a hint of excitement in your tone.

He chuckles, the sound low and comforting. “Well, I can’t wait.” he replies, pulling back just enough to look into your eyes. His gaze is tender as he studies your face, and he presses a soft kiss to your forehead, a gesture so affectionate it makes your heart flutter.

With the night finally winding down, the two of you change into something comfortable and climb into bed. The exhaustion of the day melts away as you settle into his arms, finding solace in the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

Moments later, sleep claims you both, the promise of tomorrow dancing in the air.

<- part 2

taglist: @mirinaeii @taetaecatboy @tsukiesimp @lovingkoalaface @taekrve @jaytheatiny @loverofannabeth @jaerisdiction @whoa-jo @parkinglot-nights @reneeblack6230

[caricabubamarica]

Since I’ve discovered Lego Ninjago at the ripe age of seven, the biggest fantasy of mine has always been to be one of the ninja on the team, fighting alongside the core four and dealing with Serpentine and so on. When I was a little girl, the only way I could satisfy the urge was to use my imagination.

So when the Covid 19 hit back in 2020, and I discovered Wattpad for the first time in my life, it was as if I had entered a whole new world based off of the imagination of other people all across the world. I was spending days and nights on it until there was nothing worth reading for me.

Back in 2022, I finally decided to catch up on the show, seeing it pop up on my Netflix account and decided to give it a go. Before so, I had developed a habit of reading dozens of fan fictions about the show I was at the moment hooked onto, so once I finished watching all of the Ninjago seasons, I went through any fan fiction on Wattpad that I could find regarding Ninjago x reader/original character and quickly noticed a pattern that made me grow bored of whatever book I was reading rather quickly.

Every single fan fiction, save for few rare ones, had the main character be an elemental master of darkness/destruction.

Every. Single. One.

Now at first, I thought the issue stemmed from the fact that there was an obvious lack of originality and uniqueness, but it actually originated from the fact that every story had the exact same storyline, and I mean the exact same one.

The main character would be an elemental master of darkness/destruction and because the elemental powers are inherited, the character is obviously the child of Lord Garmadon and a sibling of Lloyd. Of course, let’s not forget that the character has extreme protectiveness over Lloyd and despises their mother with concerning levels of rage. They are always stubborn and a badass character who never does no wrong and is always in the right and somehow knows exactly what is going to happen but still messes up so the plot can continue as it originally does.

They are also, obviously, the fifth ninja who also possesses a golden weapon of their own, which is usually the most useless thing to ever exist. During the Season 2: Legacy of the Green Ninja, they are in most cases turned to the bad side because their power is unbeatable but it is then somehow beatable because the plot obviously has to move on. Not to mention, they are the only ninja who can use their elemental powers without the golden weapons because they are just that good.

I can guarantee that if anyone goes to Wattpad right now and tries to find a longer Ninjago book with the character insert, they would find at least few books who resemble this exact description. Why? Because the idea of a character, other than Garmadon, who is an elemental master of darkness and destruction is a great plot and idea for the character in Ninjago realm, but none of them actually think outside the box when it comes to actually executing it.

For example, when they write the character to be the fifth ninja and the fifth protector of the fifth golden weapon and the prophesied green savior, why don’t they write about the fact that the element of darkness and destruction is the toughest for Lloyd to master because he refuses to become like his father and because the element itself takes a toll on the mind of the one who possesses it?

Or why don’t they write about the fact that the reason the Ninjago realm is not perfect is because the First Spinjitzu Master used the element of destruction to create something, only for it to come back to bite him in the ass?

Why don’t they give the character the arc of trying to master their elemental power after Lloyd gives each of the ninja a piece of his golden power in Season 3: Rebooted, only for them to go down the wrong path?

Why don’t they write about the inner conflict the child of Lord Garmadon who inherited his elemental powers would have when they see that what others call a gift, in their case it is called a curse? Why don’t they expand on the feelings of envy the child would feel towards Lloyd for being praised and cherished for his destiny while they are looked down on for their own?

There is so many different possibilities to that plot device and yet I have yet to see someone do it properly.

I apologize if this offends anyone but it has been bugging me for three years now and I had to write it down somewhere where I could hear different opinions about it. I am not trying to shame anyone on their work or anything, if that is what you want to write, go for it, I am a nobody with no life who is still hung up on a kids show that aired back in 2011.

Enjoy what you want, love what you want, and take this how you want. Luv ya!

[kandadze]

FoF rewatch ep 3: or, Gone sleuthing (gifs and loose thoughts)

Before we begin, let's take a second to appreciate our beautiful elven boy and his (absolutely adorable) tiny bright blue horns hair clips (while he's roasting ZYZ for being sarcastic at the prospect of the rest of the squad losing their heads in 5 days' time... that's why you never sign a binding document in blanco, folks!):

Speaking of signing binding documents, let's look at the Great Demon acting all cool while literally at the feet of our archivist:

This moment, the way it was lit and the angle at which it was shot, is just everything:

(Look at him, so pleased with himself:)

And now let's take a second to appreciate ZYZ's slow blink at ZYC after telling him about the life contract with WX:

Overall, knowing how the story progressed, ep 3 is the last one where humor definitely outweighed the angst, and any hints for our characters' backstories were merely sketches. We get a lot of running around collecting clues, with Bai Jiu being the main comic relief, the girls not far behind, and everyone roasting the hell out of ZYZ while he only sometimes nips back, pretty jovially, and mainly at ZYC.

(Damsel Bai Jiu, desperately in need of smelling salts)

The girls:

The boys doing their sleuthing in their own ways:

Also, this is the first ep with our characters shown outside of the city, in nature, and it's so beautiful:

"All demons are ugly." "Nonsense!"

(Reader, it was indeed nonsense.)

ZYZ: talks about white hair being beautiful to demons

ZYC's Petty Little Bitch mode: activated

(But soft, reader, here's proof that our lovely ZYC has since matured lol)

Right in the middle of the sleuthing shenanigans, we have a beautiful conversation about dreams, human nature, how everyone wishes for something, how everyone has something they want to escape from. We get a mention of the Truth Eye, together with a blink-and-you'll-miss-it wistful look from ZYZ that makes so much sense later.

We find out that ZYC doesn't dream; in WX's memory, we hear ZYC's explanation of why he fears to dream, and for the umpteenth time on this rewatch, I went (say it with me), foreshadowingggg!

Aaaaaand we get introduced to our sexy possessive demon, though we have no clue who the heck he is at this point, only that he knows ZYZ and is clearly uhhhh conflicted about him.

Also holy shit but only now on the rewatch did I realize what the illusion Ran Yi tried to use on ZYZ was - and why ZYZ was so freaked out... (all together now: foreshadowing!!!! I swear if I took a shot each time I say it while rewatching I'd put myself in a goddamn coma.)

Huh, Ran Yi thought ZYZ had the Truth Eye... on the first watch we still don't quite know what that is, only that it helps to see through the illusions, so it would make sense that ZYZ has it. Rewatching, and knowing that he doesn't, *and* what happened to it... makes for a nice little circle going back to LL's introduction.

Speaking of the devil, the possessive demon is gonna possess (*and* also look good while at it):

And our demon hunter now knows that there's definitely something... fishy going on in the Qi manor:

Ahhhh I forgot about the low maintenance pets exchange! XD All the kinks unlocked in this drama istg...

Huh, I also completely forgot about him catching the arrow!

ZYZ flashing back to the younger, softer LL just as he half shields WX from what he knows is a completely different animal *now*, is absolutely not hitting me in any feels, nope:

(There's also something to be said about the fact that ZYZ is not surprised by LL possessing some (not so) random dude, so even on the first watch we're bound to assume that it happened before and ZYZ is not a fan. We don't get to see any of those instances, but one sentence from ZYZ is enough.)

WX immediately recognizes LL's name but still thinks it was him who killed her shifu, simply because being tossed aside like a rag doll by him is the last thing she remembers from that day...

I was close to screeching at my screen when he activated the true seeing in her, and not only is he ::gestures at the whole of him:: but then she looks to the side and ZYZ looks like *that*, and the effect is still not lost on me on the second viewing:

They made sure to end almost every ep with a well timed cliffhanger, but since we don't have to worry about that anymore, on to ep 4!

I'll just leave this pretty shot here before I go, because those swirly things are so cool (and so unsettling when put in context):

[xximnotafckingprincessxx]

Wild Life - Episode 7 Recap

This week, there was a bit more of a character-dependent wildcard, meaning that everyone kind've had their own thing. But, since I'd rather the main list not to get too bogged down, all extra information will still be listed in the main wildcard summary!

I, once again, also had to post this one a bit later than usual, so all perspectives should be uploaded by the time of my initial post! This means that links to each perspective should be already there and everything is accurate as far as I can tell. With that in mind, we have...

Wildcard #5: Bam! Pow! Superpowers!

This week, the Wild Life-ers gained personalized superpowers! EthosLab: Breezy Boy GeminiTay: Free Spirit ImpulseSV: Swapper SmallishBeans: High Jumper BdoubleO100: Time-Lord Sleeper Bigbst4tz2: True Creaking GoodTimesWithScar: Rodeo Rider Grian: Power Mimic LDShadowLady: Shadow Lady PearlescentMoon: Flyer Rendog: Body Mimic Smajor1995: Mob Mimic Solidarity: Full Invisibility TangoTek: Zoomies ZombieCleo: Zombie Master InTheLittleWood: Listener

EthosLab (2 lives, +7 places)

GeminiTay (2 lives)

ImpulseSV (2 lives, +7 places)

SmallishBeans (2 lives, +2 places)

BdoubleO100 (1 life, -4 places)

Bigbst4tz2 (1 life, +8 places)

GoodTimesWithScar (1 life, +2 places)

Grian (1 life, -5 places)

LDShadowLady (1 life, +6 places)

PearlescentMoon (1 life, +2 places)

Rendog (1 life, -7 places)

Smajor1995 (1 life, -7 places)

Solidarity (1 life, +3 places)

TangoTek (1 life, -7 places)

ZombieCleo (1 life, -2 places)

InTheLittleWood (third out, -5 places)

Skizzleman (second out)

MumboJumbo (first out)

[is-it-cute-gf-au-edition]

your blog. confuses me. /notneg

Yeah, it's been getting a lot of off-topic attention lately. I promise I'll get back to rating cute viral videos of ACTUAL animals soon!

out of character under the cut

Hi! Just going to make this my pinned.

What is all this Ford Pines nonsense?

So, @jellyskink is a gravity falls fanartist who's responsible for the "Domesticated Ford" au. It's a horror/dark comedy "bad ending" AU for the show Gravity Falls. In it, Bill Cipher manages to make a deal with Fiddleford McGucket, and uses his body to imprison Ford Pines for years until he has been brainwashed into complying with Bill's demands.

Ford opens the portal, Bill enters Earth, and Ford becomes his personal property - his "pet." He's constantly tortured, but is so brainwashed that he still craves Bill's attention and love. Just like in the show, Bill Cipher and his gang are stuck in the weirdness bubble, but in this AU, the bubble is slowly expanding. Ford is trying to find a way to prevent the bubble from completely destroying the universe as it expands, but when he's not doing that, he's fawning on Bill.

Ford is so deeply delusional and dissociative in this AU that he honestly wants to be with Bill, and can't comprehend how bad his situation is. This is probably for the best, because his situation is really, really bad.

A couple of other AUs have come up - namely, @alexthebordercollie's Hand of God, a different Bill Wins AU in which Ford is functionally a god now. That Ford likes Domesticated!Ford and seemingly wants to adopt him as his own. It's all very messy.

What is this blog?

This blog is based on "is the animal video cute?" style blogs that check viral animal videos to make sure they are actually cute, not abusive. (For example: dog clicker-trained to jump? Cute. Dog baited into fighting a raccoon? Not cute.) The idea is, Bill Cipher puts Ford in pet show contests because he thinks it's funny, and these clips have gone viral online in-universe. This blog is a "pet rater" blog that got sent a bunch of Ford Pines content.

Real life me is so deeply uncomfortable with online discourse that I don't even link my fan blogs to my main. The fictional character of Pet Rater Guy, though, is the sort of person who gets baited by online trolls REALLY easily and keeps getting in over his head when it comes to The Disk Horse.

Who am I?

I'm @whenalltheeyesopen! I'm a fanfiction writer who wrote some stuff based on Jellyskink's AU, and we became friends!

If you like my writing, but aren't into this genre, you can go check out my main AO3 account, which is linked at @fragilefirstchance. While they are linked to each other on AO3, my main and my WhenAllTheEyesOpen pseud are for VERY different audiences, so I don't usually recommend anyone who reads one to seek out the other. That said, I still love attention.

PET GUY TIMELINE

Pre-history: the blog is new, but in-universe, it's been reviewing pet show content for years.

Pet Guy starts reblogging Ford Pines content at the request of fans. Pet guy calls out these posts as problematic.

Pet Guy ends up in a nasty fight with in-universe Jellyskink, a Ford fan who is clueless about the context of the photo and videos she posts.

Pet Guy begins attracting more attention from people who are pro-Ford and pro-Bill.

Pet guy's anti-abuse posts attract the attention of a godded Ford from another dimension.

Pet Guy gets very scared and drunk.

Pet Guy has cordial interactions with this deific Ford, which get out of hand because of Pet Guy's intoxication. Pet Guy gets transformed.

Pet guy wakes up to find that he's a hungover raccoon. He keeps blogging as before.

A weird Cipher Loyalist shows up in Pet Guy's comments and reblogs, but they seem to be on good terms with the god that cursed Pet Guy, so Pet Guy tries to be polite to them.

[chaos64sprinkles]

MePhone4 In Art Pixel Animation! (Piskel)

Sprinkles: Bark! Bark! (And finally, at least of the main characters in this show, is mephone4, who as you can see in his lore, was created by corn cob and that's when he made his own participants with each different personality, before representing each of their personalities to sign up for his show, before mephone4 didn't care about anyone, really, even to use my former gang mates, the guy knows how to be evil, but after a while in III and a little more time in II2, until mephone4 even cares more about the lives of the participants and also with the co-hosts like toilet than ignoring him altogether and in the end he meets mephone3gs, his old predecessor based on mephones in real life practically, I'm glad mephone4 has changed, really!)

MePhone4 is belong to Inanimate Insanity (AnimationEpic)

[identityflawed]

i’ll also readdress the entire situation between bakugou and deku in a more properly-worded post, right here, because i got a comment that was pretty thoughtful and wanted to include that in here:

mha is a shounen manga, which means it appeals to younger guys. it’s not ever really gonna be romance heavy (and if it is, it’s usually hetero romance), so that means the fans who aren’t younger guys and ARE looking for romance have a lot more freedom to ship freely and rare pair because there isn’t some heavy-hitting, angsty romance as the main storyline. in mha, you kind of have bkdk and togachako as the primary (from what i’ve seen of late) gay and sapphic fan ships. they both have a certain appeal to them because of the tropey nature of the character relationships: angry bully gains a heart and redeems himself with his past victim, tragic villain falls for the first girl to ever call her pretty.

but those ships probably aren’t gonna happen, and you have a higher chance of togachako being made canon in the “my one tragic, dead ex from highschool” way than bkdk because for young men (shounen), two pretty women together is more appealing then two men. because the women are pretty. this is self-explanatory, but it’s one of the reasons bkdk probably wouldn’t be made officially CANON.

more than that… deku and bakugou have always been really interlocked. all the time. and from my limited experience in shounen manga, the rival characters are ALWAYS this way because they push each other’s development and keep the action going. but from a less literary and more lesson-based standpoint, there’s merit in displaying growth away from people, even if it isn’t entirely a bad break(up). once you reach a time-skip where the main evil is defeated, the two rivals drift apart and form their own (straight) families but remain relatively close friends. the first example that comes to mind for me is narusasu, but there’s probably more. all i’m saying is that 1) it happens a lot in shounen and 2) it would probably serve bakugou well to build a life for himself outside of midoriya. no matter who you are, high levels of dedication are commendable but they aren’t healthy. bakugou spent his whole life sort of nagged by midoriya, then devoted to the idea of bringing this so-called “pebble” up to his level after everything that happened. it’s romantic, only if that’s what the author intended. otherwise it’s just a difficult run of emotion where bakugou can’t let go of the past for the future. (midoriya had a similar arc to this, rather inverted. needed to impress/surpass bakugou and then spent 8 years of his career with the man apologizing for his sins. more or less.)

idk if that makes total sense, but bakugou and midoriya are both grown men now. romance aside, u should consider that the best literary path for BOTH of them isn’t to remain interlocked until the end of time, it’s to pursue their own lives. this isn’t a romance manga. and if you really want to read into it and say bakugou’s offer was like an apology and a “can we go back to the way things used to be when we were really, really young, before i screwed it all up with my ego and pushed away the one person who cared about me in spite of everything” wrapped into one, you can say midoriya’s rejection was forgiveness and an “i appreciate everything you’ve done but i’m taking my own path now, because the last time we mentioned your hero agency i wanted to be just like you and now i want to be myself, whatever that means” wrapped into one.

“bakugou spent 8 years funding midoriya’s hero career so he can catch up to him and midoriya still rejected his agency offer this sucks this sucks wahhhh”

hey guys! i don’t know if you remember anything about the story of mha, but bakugou bullied deku for about 10 years! that is more than 8! bakugou putting his money in was his apology. so what if midoriya took that and kept doing his own thing? he’s a whole human being and it was BAKUGOU who owed him for a decade of shit, not the other way around.

not to mention the fact that bakudeku shippers are pissed that the canon ship (you know, the one that was developed from their high school years) actually became canon. the anime/manga lover gay agenda is very real and i love it until you start bashing people for appreciating the nontoxic canon ship!

again, no hate to bkdk shippers, it’s a cool dynamic, but i can see why horikoshi didn’t go for it. what person in their right mind would fall for their 10yr bully lol, outside of fanfic ofc. if it was made canon you’d have an uprising of fans saying “horikoshi condones abusive relationships.” if we’re gonna flame this guy for anything let it be how he handled yaomomo’s costume design

that’s all

[scriptlgbt]

I'm writing a story with a Black trans man mc, I want to subvert the "angry, aggressive Black man" trope so he's fairly shy and awkward but becomes more confident as the story progresses. However, I'm worried this falls into a trope of trans men being weak or "girly". Any tips on still being able to subvert the first trope without falling into the second one?

@writingwithcolor has covered the intersection of Blackness and gender before, and may have some posts that can help as a jumping off point.

[seasideoranges]

y'all i gotta be honest for a sec, the "atla wouldnt change much if aang wasnt there, in fact it might be better" and "the atla finale wouldnt change much if aang wasnt there to fight ozai" debates is the funniest thing ive seen come out of this fandom

[hulloitsdani]

What do u think Kiran is

How do u think the order sees kiran

*slowly sits up in my chair*

I think Kiran is a very normal person. This is someone you and I have met before. Be that from the other side of grocery store cashier, waiting in the same elevator, or walking by on a crosswalk. Kiran is a civilian from our world trying to roll with the punches of being warped somewhere completely alien. And you can see it in how they conduct themselves.

I always have a lot of fun writing Kiran’s dialogue because their casual modern speech almost feels like a dialect in comparison to the more formal fantasy tone everyone else speaks with. An “ain’t” will never exit Alfonse’s mouth, you know? And there’s a difference in “Do you have gold?” vs “You got gold?” To me, this gives Kiran an air of unfamiliarity to anyone they interact with. Let’s use Grima as an example, because it doesn’t sound like this grammatical change would make much of difference until Kiran has the audacity to hit Grima with a bro mid sentence. But that’s just how they talk. And as sweet and friendly as they are, there’s always moments like that to remind that no one has the cultural context to fully understand Kiran. Except for the audience, who can realize that Kiran let the customer service voice drop to talk to Grima like he’s an actual person.

And that’s just about how they talk! This view is only emphasized by every other thing about them! They’re a lovable goof, which is normal chill person behavior in the audience’s eyes but feels REALLY ODD to the characters of FE’s medieval fantasy war setting. There is this air of unknown about them that the more socially perceptive will pick up on and will try to come to a conclusion about. Example, I imagine Soren would interpret a lot of this as a dangerous and deeply annoying lack of intelligence from someone he has the displeasure of sharing a tactics table with. Or looping back to the Grima example, he would totally think Kiran has greedy ulterior motives behind that pleasant facade. It takes a lot of work for those types to realize that the discrepancy present isn’t really any of those things. But I also wouldn’t be too surprised if Kiran doesn’t try to directly prove any of those assumptions wrong unless they have to.

Why? Well now it’s time for the implications! Oh how we love the implications.

Because the Summoner is a different story. No one has any fucking clue what that is.

I can tell you what Kiran has pieced together so far. Summoning people from across time and space is apparently not easy. It’s not some school of magical study that some mage could pull off with enough time and research. Trust, Eitri tried. It’s a lot of complex moving parts. For example, the contracts. The contracts Kiran automatically binds their summoned to don’t even compare to the ones Veronica used in book 1. They are far more intense and infinitely harder to break. The only way out of them is if Kiran wills it so. Not even death is an option, because Kiran can come in for the revive. If they had to guess, it’s an older, more completed version of the art. Something lost to time. But no matter the case, Kiran has the ability to take full control of whoever they manage to summon. From a lowly farmer to the divine. And their power only grows.

In a similar vein, if there was any character to canonically see the hud, I think it would be Kiran. It’s genuinely part of their power set. I have previously described Kiran as the party mage until Veronica shows up to be the actual mage, but it would be way more accurate to call them a mystic/seer. They see the map, everyone’s stats, and is doing a fast amount of math to give the combat forecast. Then, upon processing all this information their enemies couldn’t dream of having at their disposal, Kiran can telepathically communicate any change in plans to anyone under contract. Kiran is not inherently some great tactician the moment they touch ground in Askr; they simply can do things no one else can. They’re learning the actual tactics part on the fly. This makes them simultaneously the largest ace up the Order’s sleeve and potentially its biggest liability. If they fall, it could cause a whole system cascade. By that same token, some of the biggest threats the Order has faced are the ones who do their research and rightfully target Kiran.

Now. Thinking critically about all that. That’s downright terrifying. A ridiculous amount of power has been dropped callously into Kiran’s lap and they have to work extremely hard to be moral with it. It’s terrifyingly easy not to be. It would actively take less effort to ‘take the reins’ as it were. But in order to be able to sleep at night ever again, they go the extra mile to not invalidate the will of their summoned. To take over like that. To make a colony of worker bees out of people. Because oh dear god they just summoned a child and the fact that they could easily force them to fight and die for them, only to be revived and do it all over again, is HAUNTING. No. No the Order has an in house orphanage now. This kid is getting adopted and cared for god damnit or Kiran might just pop a blood vessel. And sure that child is going to be a child and there will never be a world where they get along with everyone else, but that’s just going to need be a problem they address when they get there and not an excuse to use Hubris; the power set. Now replace the word child with everyone they ever summoned and you have the wider philosophy they apply to the entire Order.

They’re hyper aware of the power imbalance. They hate it with every bone in their body. They work really hard to correct it in whatever way they can.

So Kiran might not jump on the opportunity to correct those who think lesser of them. It’s… oddly comforting to know someone is keeping a critical eye on them. Holding them accountable. Especially since so much of the order just thinks of them as this quirky yet well meaning host. And, really, what can they even do about that? They have gone over the contract with every hero they summon and despite that they still choose to stay. So, what, do they try to inspire more mistrust? The problem with that they would have to actually do acts that intentionally inspire mistrust. And even if that was successful they can’t just waste the extra man power because every other month there’s some new divine asshole who wants them all dead. And if they fail that means they have to start their life from square one and god they can’t do that again so—

Just breathe Kiran.

It’s fine. You’re fine. Just breathe.

You have work to do.

[ozcarma]

Does anyone else feel like the incinerator gun chair room from Zero Time Dilemma would have better fit C Team instead of D Team

[silviakundera]

another snippet from the Grand Princess novel. I am going to be SO ANNOYING about this. (spoilers for their first life! )

Although he didn’t want to admit it, Pei Wenxuan still remembered that at the beginning of their marriage, when he lifted Li Rong’s veil, she raised her head and looked up at him with embarrassment and curiosity. Then, when they exchanged cups of wine, she said in a frank manner: “Wenxuan, no matter how we came to be together, having become husband and wife, I still want to live with you for the rest of my life.” At that time, he also seriously thought that he would live with Li Rong, have children and live peacefully for the rest of their lives.

That was, until Li Rong found out that he liked Qin Zhenzhen.

In truth, he didn’t even know what kind of feelings there were between him and Qin Zhenzhen, whether it was love or merely responsibility. They grew up together as children, and he only had her in his heart and hoped to live with Qin Zhenzhen for the rest of his life, but he could not do so.

Later on, Qin Zhenzhen married Li Rong’s brother, Crown Prince Li Chuan.

As Crown Prince, Li Chuan was a good Crown Prince but not a good husband. He married for political reasons, so although he was just the Crown Prince at the time, he already had a Princess Consort and four concubines. Qin Zhenzhen had a mild temperament and was unfamiliar with Palace affairs. If not for the Crown Prince’s favor and Pei Wenxuan’s help, she would have been long buried in the schemes of the Eastern Palace.

He helped her. Li Rong naturally knew about it, but she didn’t mention it at first. Later on, when he secretly rescued Qin Zhenzhen at a palace banquet and almost was exposed, Li Rong could only step in and help him with arrangements.

That day, they were sitting in the carriage on their way home, and Li Rong was silent. He was a little panicked at that time and wanted to explain, but he didn’t know what to explain because he felt that no matter what Li Rong said, she would be right.

Then, Li Rong returned home and after entering the bedchambers, she walked to the table and poured tea for herself. She turned her back to him and asked: “Do you like her?”

Pei Wenxuan stood at the door. He actually intended to say no, but he felt that it would not be completely truthful, so he replied honestly: “I can’t forget her.”

“What is your relationship with her?”

Li Rong held the cup of tea and looked very calm. Pei Wenxuan still told her the truth, their engagement when they were young because they were childhood sweethearts. After his family had fallen, the Qin family annulled the engagement, and Qin Zhenzhen was forced to marry into the Eastern Palace…

“I just wanted to help her,” He said in a low voice, “No other intentions. She’s the Crown Prince’s Side Consort now. There’s nothing else I can do.”

After he had spoken, Li Rong didn’t speak for a long time. That silence became a deeply engraved impression of that night for Pei Wenxuan.

He saw that Li Rong kept drinking water, one cup after another. After a while, Li Rong seemed to calm down. She turned her head, stared at him and only asked: “Will you betray me?”

“No.” He answered immediately. He looked at her, “You’re my wife.”

“I’m not your wife.”

Li Rong looked at him with a serious expression: “I’m just your ally.”

These words stunned Pei Wenxuan. Li Rong turned and looked out the window and calmly continued: “In this marriage, you and I had no choice and only did it for power. Truthfully speaking, there’s not one bit of love between us. You have someone in your heart, and I have someone in my heart. It’s just that we didn’t make it clear before and had some misunderstandings. Now that it’s clear, it doesn’t matter.”

“It’s not a big deal either,” Li Rong laughed, her tears seemed like they could fall at any time, “Why didn’t you say so sooner?”

Pei Wenxuan stared blankly at her. He wanted to deny it, but he felt that Li Rong wasn’t wrong either. There was no such love between him and Li Rong because it was impossible for a person to truly love two people at the same time. He already had Qin Zhenzhen in his heart, so how could he make room for Li Rong?

Seeing that he still had not spoken, Li Rong lowered her head and softly said: “If you make it clear, then it won’t be a problem. We will live as we have in the future, but I hope Pei daren remembers this in his heart:

I’m not your wife, and you’re not my husband. I don’t care who is in your heart, and you don’t need to care about who I am with. You and I will have our own lives, and we will each have our own happiness.”

“As long as Pei daren promises me,” Li Rong looked at him, her eyes sharp as a hawk, “You and I are allies, so we must never betray one another.”

That evening, it also rained.

Just like now, the rain was pouring down.

[sskk-manifesto]

!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!