#entirely different genres genius how could they ever interact and to that i say: hear me out... CROSS OVER! imagine crossing the world of

[vminvisiblestring]

ron swanson: dean winchester father-figure

cant get ron swanson being deans father-figure out of my head so i'm holding yall hostage- i mean, sharing the madness with you, i'm sorry. and listen, yes, i know, i know how it sounds but hear me out:

both have similar (incredibly unhealthy) diets/ love bacon an unhealthy amount

love to fish, in ron's words "it's like yoga except i still get to kill something"

both like good alcohol (as casual drinkers only, depressed-drinking-in-excess-to-numb-the-pain-of-losing-cas-dean-winchester does not apply)

the biggest soft spot for their closest friends

great with kids

fans of old movies/music

love sex

love big dogs

literally both are so wild and unpredictable sometimes, it's insane

now i know what you're thinking: you stupid idiot, ron's whole schtick is being this hyper masculine "manly man" who doesn't like weak-willed men, how could he possibly be a good father figure to poor, traumatized, "just wants to be loved", dean?

and to that i say, you fool, thats exactly why ron would be a great father-figure: ron's inherent soft side for the people he loves opens him up even if he is a "man's man" and he doesn't shy away from that vulnerability. and besides, dean may be many things, but weak-willed he most certainly is not. in ron's own words:

if you don't believe in love, what's the point of living?

yes, ron believes:

boys should grow up to be "strong men" who should only cry "at funerals and the grand canyon"

and

thinks america is the country of all

and

he's a hard-core libertarian

but he also

hates big government

and

loves and respects strong, independent women

plus he deadass opposed his fathers order to work in a steel mill (literally. his dad dropped him off at the mill and told him not to bother with school and ron got a ride back to the college anyway).

you're gonna tell me the man who basically said, "fuck you dad i'm going to college" wouldn't beat the shit out of j**n winchester when he found out all the trauma dean has because of him? you'd be lying to yourself.

and oh my god! imagine the support system dean would have in ron and vice versa? like imagine dean supporting ron at his jazz shows and ron supporting dean during karaoke night? considering how he supported tom and his snake juice venture (if you know you know, and if you do, i love you), it's safe to say he'd be going to every table in his deadpan voice like, "yes, that's my son. yes, he does have the voice of an angel." (and you can take ron's statement to the bank because "a recommendation from me is essentially a guarantee.") and what about deans jokes? finally someone who'll understand and laugh at his jokes. remember deans face when donna laughed at his joke? yeah, imagine that face but all the time with him and ron. but most importantly, whenever dean needs advice, who would begrudgingly (affectionate) get out of bed and bring the good scotch and bacon burgers over for a heart to heart? exactly.

and that's not even mentioning the wood working! ron teaching dean about wood working!! he starts showing dean how to make small stuff at first and then dean starts branching off doing his own thing (he did make the ma'lak box by himself, after all). and one day he surprises ron with a rowboat he made and they take it out onto a lake to fish and in the serene peace of it all ron would tell dean how proud he is of him and mean it, and more importantly: dean would believe it.

now some of you might also be thinking: well if you want dean to have an alcoholic, manly father-figure, he already has bob- [gunshot]

no, fool! bobby may have been leagues better than j**n, but he wasn't the most gentle man in the world, either. i don't forget you belittling my sons feelings, bobby singer. but i also thank you for playing catch with him. but there's little things here and there that make bobby an unfit father-figure for someone like dean. for example: his use of traditionally effeminate words or words used to describe effeminate men and using them as insults, on multiple occasions to deans face. not exactly directed at dean, although sometimes they were.

bobby is a kind of "manly man" in a... different way than ron. arguably both would consider themselves manly, but ron would say it in a confident way, very sure of himself; bobby would say it as a reassurance (insecurity) because his masculinity was somehow called into question. and there's the big ol' elephant in the room: bobby is burdened by life. the last thing dean needs is another man burdened by life, he already had that with j**n and look what he did to him. someone with that much baggage would unload it on dean sooner or later, just like j**n did. and knowing dean, he would feel it's his responsibility to look after yet another person, and he doesn't deserve that.

ron, on the other hand, lives completely unburdened by life. he lives in a cabin in the woods with his hidden gold and his books and his scotch and his wood shop just vibing. ron loves life! and guess what? so does dean! dean was always meant to live a laid-back, easy life fishing, eating bacon, loving nature and just vibing too! he'd feel contentment with ron. easy living and much deserved peace.

plus, you're gonna sit there and tell me ron (as the director of the parks department who thinks people should be able to do whatever they want) wouldn't have some kind of pull to get dean a nice piece of land and help him build a bar! and a house!! ron would give dean stability, a chance to live a peaceful, normal life.

and he literally doesn't give a shit who you love so imagine dean showing up with cas one day to dinner? they'll shake hands, ron would comment on cas's firm grip, they wouldn't notice they both have deadpan voices and expressions and hijinks would ensue. ron would love cas! he's strong, stoic, smart, but endearing and kind and open. know ron would just look over towards the other end of the table at dean and just give him a small smile and slight nod and dean would know exactly what he means: you did good, kid.

in conclusion:

[nextqueue]

All An Act (part one)

Genre(s): romance, slow burn, angst, drama

Pairing: Ji Chang Wook x OC black female

Word Count: 3.2k

Summary: Aliah is a new foreign actress in South Korea who just got her first big break as a lead actress in a drama. Her co-lead is the ever amazing Ji Chang Wook whom she has always had a silly little crush on. 

[a/n]: I am not the best with summaries so please read and let me know what you think. (you can leave summary ideas also I don’t mind). The overwhelming lack of black writers and black characters in fanfics on this app is wild to me so I will only be writing from the angle of a black reader, if ya don’t like it I am 100% sure you can find plenty of stories to cater to your demographic here. All feedback is welcome! Hope you all are have a blessed day or night (depending on where you are from)! 

“Okay Aliah, we are going to go over the kiss scene now.” 

I feel my palms start to sweat and feel for one of my coping skills but find none because of the wardrobe. I start flicking my nails against each other to placate the need to chew on them. 

“Hey. There is no need to be so nervous. I got you.” his hands engulf my face and my heart rate picks up without my permission. This is not helping at all. I want him away from me, I need him away from me. I won’t be able to breathe if he is so close. I can’t think. 

The director yells action and I lose all my anxiety. 

He looks into my eyes willing me to understand what he is trying to convey. My eyes close on their own. The kiss was shy at first like how we discussed at the meeting then something snaps and we both seem to forget about acting. The way he pulls me to him makes me think he wants more so I give him more. I open my mouth to him and he happily dives in. His hands slide down my back and come to rest on my hips, pulling me flush against him. He is hard. I rub against him a little then pull away when a soft groan leaves his lips. I barely remember my next lines and everyone can see his internal struggle to remember his lines. 

He recites his lines perfectly after covering up his slip up by pretending he is short of breath, genius really. This is why he is one of the best actors in Korea and I aspire to be like him. 

The director yells cut and we both snap out of our stupor. I feel my face, willing it to cool down I remove myself from the set to catch my breath and process what just happened. I kissed Ji Chang Wook. The Ji Chang Wook. My hand finds its way to my lips of its own volition. Touching where his lips once laid. My makeup artist comes to touch up my makeup snapping me back to reality. 

“Hey. Calm down. It was just a kiss kiddo.” she rubs my arms lovingly.

“I know.”

“But?”

“But...it’s Ji Chang Wook. I have been a fan of his for years now and this all just seems so surreal.” I spread my legs to make it easier for her to reach my face. She is a tiny little thing, barely reaching my shoulder. 

“I understand that but you have to focus.” 

“Was it really that bad?”

“No, but I could tell you weren’t just acting because I am constantly in your face.” she looks me dead in my eyes, challenging me to say she is wrong. I can’t do anything but look away and blush.

The director calls us back for a few more takes of the scene, I can do nothing but try to still my heart for the rest of the evening. It seems like forever before the shooting is finally done and my lips, I know are completely swollen and raw from the intensity of the kisses. The director had us try at least fifteen different kisses from different angles. With each one Chang Wook was patient and gentle, always talking to me before and after and making sure to hold me gently in between. I couldn’t help but feel special. 

I’m not so dense that I would think he would catch feelings from a couple of kisses and touches. Packing my stuff up at the end of the shoot I try my best to keep the events of the day out of my mind. I don’t want to dream about him, tonight, I have managed not to so far and we have been filming for three months so far. Tonight is different though. I know I am going to, my emotions are too high and I was far too sensitive to his touches all day. The way his hands gripped my face each time like I was made of glass. The way he gazed into my eyes as if he was asking permission each time. As if he was trying to tell me something other than what the script was saying. The way his lips would brush against mine before claiming mine. The way it seemed like he was trying to brand the shape of his mouth onto mine. Wanting me to only know his lips, his shape, the feel of him, the taste.

I feel something cool touch the back of my neck making me jump and turn to face it. It is him. Standing there jacket and jeans on with a smile on his face, looking like the most perfect boyfriend. 

“Hey, you okay? I was calling your name.” I watch the way his lips form words partially because it’s a habit. After all, I’m hard of hearing, but mainly because I like looking at his mouth. 

“Yeah, I’m okay. Just deep in thought, I guess.” That wasn’t necessarily a lie.

“Mmm, okay. I was wondering...what you were doing after. Would you like to go get something to eat?”

I look around in bewilderment barely registering that he is addressing me. I search for my manager and best friend, seeing her across the set talking with the director. He follows my line of sight and looks back at me with a soft smile.

“If it is okay with your manager of course.” he concedes. 

“Oh...uh… it should be fine but let me text her.”

I watch for her reaction after I message her. She checks her phone briefly then looks over at me giving me a thumbs up. My phone pings, she is asking if I have my keys and if my phone is charged enough. I nod at her and she shoos me away after giving Wook a glare. He bows to her then turns back to me with a brilliant smile on his face.

“Great! Let’s go. I have somewhere I wanted to take you. I think you will like it.” 

He leads me outside the set to the parking lot where he guides me to a motorcycle. I almost missed the fact that he is talking to me about riding his bike because his hand is resting on my lower back and seems to be attempting to burn a hole through my clothes. 

“I hope you are okay with riding my bike.” 

“I am more than okay with it! I love motorcycles!” the smile that graces his face was everything I could have ever wanted. 

Grabbing the extra helmet from the back of his ride he turns to me looking expectantly at my hair. I quickly take my locs down from the complicated bun they are in and put them into a low ponytail. I missed one and he tucks it back in with the rest before sliding the helmet on my head. His fingers expertly clip the strap under my chin and tighten it. With each brush of his fingers against my skin, I feel my entire body heat up significantly.

“Comfortable?” I nod and give him a small smile. 

“Good. Do you know how to ride?” I nod again.

“Great.” he hops onto the beautiful beast of a vehicle and starts it. It sounds amazing and the excitement of riding finally hits me dispelling the nervousness of being with him a little. He looks back at me after he slips his helmet on, nodding towards the space behind him. I happily hop on and settle in behind his large form, finding the footrest easily. I grab onto the sides of his jacket but he has another idea. Grabbing my hands he wraps them around his torso making sure my palms are laid flat against his stomach. The nervousness settles back in tenfold, I tense up against my will. My thighs squeeze him and my hands subconsciously curl into his shirt. His stomach flexes and I swear I hear him chuckle a little.

Soon we pull out of the parking lot and begin flying down the highway back to Seoul. I relax some once we have been riding for a few minutes. The cool air feels good against my skin making the ride more enjoyable than stressful. I feel warm everywhere my body touches him and find myself drawing closer to him. My hands spread out over his stomach, I lay my chest to his back and rest my head against his broad shoulders. I feel safe.

Far too soon, we reach our destination. A little shop out of the way of the hustle and bustle of the city. He lets me dismount first then gets off to help me take my helmet off. He pulls my hair out of its hold and slips the tie around his wrist. He takes my helmet along with his into one hand then grabs my hand to lead me into the shop. The smell of beef and seafood hits me as soon as we cross the threshold. Wook calls out to someone for a table and they answer back telling us we can choose anywhere to sit. Clearly having been here before he leads me to a table in the corner of the shop a little way out of sight. Understandable, considering his fame. He makes sure I am seated comfortably at the little table before he seats himself and this warms my heart. 

I look everywhere but at him when he sits, yet I can feel his gaze heavy on my face. I am saved when this cute little old lady comes to give us the menus and hugs Wook tenderly. I can’t help but smile at the interaction. She scolds him for losing weight and not visiting often enough, then she turns to me.

“Now who is this beautiful woman?” she asks him while bowing to me. I shyly bow back as deep as I can from my seated position.

“This is my co-star in my new drama. Her name is Aliah.” for some reason my heart hurts a little at his explanation but it really shouldn’t because all he did was tell the truth.

“Pleased to meet you, Miss.” 

“Oh, you speak Korean well!” her praise is the standard for everyone that hears me speak the language so effortlessly.

“I approve. Treat him kindly please.” I bow again to her as she leaves, her words confusing me. 

“She is my grandmother’s best friend and like family.” Wook explains.

I nod in understanding then reach for a menu but his hand on top of mine stops me. Looking up at him I find he is watching me intently. 

“I can’t help but notice you don’t speak much around me. Why is that?” 

Of course, he noticed it. I don’t actively mean to do it’s just whenever he is close around me I clamp up. Honestly, I don’t know how I have been able to be around him every day and act with him. I just become a nervous anxious mess around him outside of acting. Acting is easy. Real-life isn’t.

I steel myself before looking into his eyes.

“You make me nervous.”

“I do?”

I nod my head. He still has his hand on top of mine.

“Oh, well I’m sorry. I don’t mean to. Is there anything I can do to help?” he removes his hand from mine and I desperately want it back.

“No. It’s really not you. I just…” I trail off realising what I was about to say. About to say I just like you is all.

“If it makes you feel any better you make me nervous as well. I don’t know what to do or say to get close to you and I just feel awkward. I asked you here so maybe I could do just that, get closer to you.” 

His rambling reveal shocks me. I would have never thought in a million years I could make him nervous. A giggle escapes me against my will and he looks up at me sharply.

“Sorry!” I clamp a hand over my mouth but the smile won’t leave my face.

“No, it’s fine.” his eyes seem to twinkle with mirth at my outburst.

“Should we order?” I nod enthusiastically. I ask him what he likes best here telling him I will eat whatever he orders since it is my first time. He orders a beef platter, seafood platter, a lunchbox, and a few bowls of rice for both of us. I am pleasantly surprised he ordered so much food but silently thank him nonetheless. I am starving after a whole day of filming and just snacking.

After our mutual admissions conversation began to flow easier. We talk about everything and anything. He shares stories about his family and I share mine. We laugh as he cooks the food over the grill for us. I tell him about my struggles coming to Korea as I pour Cola for the both of us. We continue chatting in between swallows of food until the subject of relationships comes up.

“So, do you have a boyfriend?” he asks the question so nonchalantly it irritates me a little. I would like there to be some sort of hesitation when asking. Looking him dead in the eyes I tell him no, I hope he understands the message behind my eyes. ‘No, I don’t have a boyfriend because I want you’.

“No? Why? Is there anyone you are interested in?” he is staring down at his rice, stabbing it and mixing it kind of roughly. His tone changed. At the end, it changed. I realise he is acting, something I have come to realise is not okay with me. Liars are my biggest pet peeve which is ironic considering my line of work now.

“Because I am picky I guess. I have someone in mind but I’m not sure he would feel the same way.” I decide to mess with him a little, if he can act so can I.

“Picky? What do you mean by that?” 

I set my utensils down giving him my whole attention.

“Well before I even came to Korea there was this idol I had always loved and respected from the time I was a little girl. You know Bang Yongguk?” he nods and sets his utensils down as well.

“It was him. For years he was my standard for men. His morals and the way he approached the world was so gentle and open. I fell for his character and personality rather than his looks.” 

“So is it him that you are interested in still?” I have his full attention now. It’s now or never Aliah.

“No, it’s not him, although I would love to meet him and speak to him at least once in my lifetime.”

“There is a new man.”

“Yes.” his eyes trace the lines on my face, his fingers tap a quiet rhythm into the table. His body is leaning towards mine. I am sure mine is doing the same.

“Who is this new man? Describe him to me.”

“I think you already know who he is.” I pick my utensils up and resume eating, breaking the spell we were in. He stares at me for a few moments before also finishing his food.

He calls for the cheque when we finish and I try to pay for my half of the food at least but he refuses, saying something about how when I am with him I will never have to pay for anything. He thanks the Granny then grabs our helmets making his way out of the shop. The Granny stops me before I can exit and pulls me down to her to whisper in my ear.

“He thinks highly of you. He has never once brought anyone here let alone a woman."

"How come?" her admission startles me.

"This is his safe spot. He comes here when he wants a home-cooked meal but isn't able to go home. I'm the closest thing to family he has in the city. He doesn't bring anyone here because he wants to keep his personal and family life completely separate from his line of work."

I slowly nod as she sends me off after dropping that bomb on me. It makes me view Wook in a completely different light once again. This is something that has been happening since the first day we met.

I know he comes from a single-parent family and is an only child. I am not surprised he turned out as well mannered and kind as he is after speaking with his mother once over a video call. The way he approaches people though is unique, he watches them first to see how they react to the environment then approaches them in a way that makes them comfortable. The first time we met he approached me with a smile on his face and kind words on his lips. He made me feel comfortable like I was part of the team. Anything I didn’t understand he was kind enough to translate. He was patient and quite understanding almost to the point where it became overwhelming, almost. He knew exactly when to back off and give me my space. 

The ride home was peaceful, so peaceful I fell asleep. Never in my life have I felt so safe with someone who was not my immediate family. 

“Aliah. Hey. Wake up beautiful.” 

I open my eyes to Chang Wook’s face inches from mine. He is holding me up in the seat of the bike. I rub the sleep from my eyes and smile at him. It’d be nice to wake up to his face every day. I caress his cheek taking in all of his features, the unevenness of his eyes, the slight crookedness in his jaw, the few blemishes he has are all that makes him so perfect to me. In my haze, the only thought running through my head is to kiss him. God, I want to kiss him so badly. 

“We are here.” I know he feels the shift in energy, the tension I created, so why isn’t he acting on it. 

He helps me off the bike and takes the helmet off then takes my hand, leading me inside the apartment complex. I don’t want him to go. That’s all I say to myself as we reach my door and I key in the code.

“Do you perhaps...want to come inside?” I shyly ask. I know hope is shining brightly in my eyes, I should feel embarrassed but I can’t bring myself to care enough to be. 

He hesitates, a war clearly raging within him.

“As much as I would love to, and trust me I want to so very badly, I don’t think I should.” he kisses my hands and bids me good night. I watch him until I can no longer see him down the hallway then I rush inside and run to my living room window. I catch the last glimpses of him as he exits the building, mounts his bike and rides away.

What was I thinking! Honestly, what was I planning to do after if he came in? Becky is asleep in her room, I vowed to wait until marriage, he doesn’t seem like the one-night stand type. Stupid, stupid, stupid, that’s what you are stupid. A dummy. What is this man doing to me?

[bangtan-madi]

546 Days Without You — Four: Day 20

Pairing — Seokjin x Reader

Tags — boyfriend!Seokjin, older brother!Yoongi, producer/songwriter!MC, military au (ish), idol au (ish)

Genre — fluff, angst

Word Count — 3.1k

Summary — Kim Seokjin is your entire world, and that world falls apart the moment he and your older brother Yoongi are conscripted into the South Korean military.

Part — 4 / 15

Warnings — seclusion and depression, a couple brief mentions of eating disorders (no detail), general sadness, unhealthy work behaviors and coping mechanisms, enlistment

(gif not mine. credit to original creator.)

Previous — Next

For weeks after Seokjin and Yoongi enlist, the news stations and other various media outlets are covering it 24/7. No one expected Yoongi to enlist this early, and the circumstances around Seokjin's enlistment haven't died down since they were released. In the midst of the chaos, there were rumors floating around about BTS, BigHit, and you. More specifically, you and the eldest member.

It hadn't gone unnoticed the way you acted right before he left for the military. While you both had tried very hard to be inconspicuous, gossip never really goes away. At this point, you're used to it, and you couldn't care less about what everyone else thinks.

Life hasn't been the easiest the past month. Each of the members has been dealing with their absences in different ways. 

Namjoon has been burying himself in work, focusing entirely on the next album. He's been writing and working with the producers nonstop. You've hardly seen him at all the past few days. Hoseok has been a light amid the darkness, trying his hardest to pick up the motherly slack where Seokjin left off, but even he is struggling to keep a smile on his face. He's even tried to crack terrible dad jokes, but they're not quite enough to fill the void.

Jimin has taken the news hard, and has shifted back into his self-destructive habits. Eating hasn't been a regular thing, and he's been practicing both dancing and singing nonstop. He's always been one to move to express himself, but the lack of proper self-care has been eating away at him. Taehyung has been no better. One of your oldest friends has shrunk in on himself, becoming a much quieter, more demure version of the ray of sunshine everyone adores. He keeps to himself most of the time.

Jungkook is the person most outward with his struggles, but with no one to share them with, he's resorted to exercising and sports. The youngest member has always been athletic, and it's always been a stress reliever for him. On an ordinary day, that's a good thing. However, like the others, he's using these activities as a crutch, a distraction, a way to cope with losing two oldest brothers.

And you're no better than any of them. You can feel yourself spiraling more every day. At the beginning, you tried your best to help each of the members with their emotions. But the more you took on, the further you fell away. No one realized how much of the band's weight Yoongi and Seokjin bore. They were foundational pillars. Without them, the dorms feel empty.

As does your apartment. Seokjin was always lively, especially in the privacy of your home, and not having him there makes it feel so damned dark. No matter how many lights you turn on, the shadows remain.

It's due to this fact that you've been spending most of your days and nights in Yoongi's Genius Lab and not at home. Being around Yoongi's work, his memorabilia, his passion projects, it makes you feel safe. Just being around your brother's things brings you immense comfort, but being around an empty apartment? 

That does the opposite.

Headphones on and notebook in front of you, you lounge casually on the sofa across from Yoongi's producing setup. The screens create a blue luminosity, and his unfinished music blares in your ears. You were hoping that being here, hearing his voice, would reignite your own creative spark, as you haven't written any of your own music since the departure. Seems all it's done is bring you lower into the darkness and let your demons rise higher around you.

Your phone buzzes on the cushion beside you. Hoseok's face illuminates briefly before disappearing, along with the other half-dozen notifications—most of which were from him, to begin with. He's called a few times over the weekend and texted nonstop. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what he's doing.

It's Christmas Eve, and no one is talking. You'd called your parents earlier that week and told them that you'd be spending the holidays in Seoul instead of traveling to Daegu. You blamed it on the weather, the distance, the urgent work on the new album, the wish to be with the boys—which was everything but the truth.

If you're honest with yourself, you don't want to see your mother's face when she looked at you. You know how much she sees Yoongi in you; the two of you are more alike than you'd care to admit. When she sees you, she sees him, and the whole room gets quiet and sad. The holidays are miserable enough without that constant reminder. 

Taking even a brief look at Hoseok's messages ends up being a mistake.

You shake your head and flip the phone over, not wanting to let them distract you. Just because you decided to stay in Seoul doesn't mean you want to celebrate.

In your mind, there's nothing to celebrate.

Sometime later, there's a loud knock on the studio door. Through the foggy glass, you see a tall silhouette. The figure knocks again, this time ringing the bell to accompany it.

"[Y/n], open up."

"I'm working!" you shout back.

Hoseok doesn't move. "You know, I could just open this if I wanted to. Yoongi gave me the code before he left."

You scoff, "Liar. He never gave that to anyone but me."

There's a pause, then a click, and the door swings open. Hoseok leans through the door, cocking an eyebrow in your direction. "Who's the liar now? You're not working, you're moping."

You ball up your most recent attempt at a melody and chuck the sphere at his head. It misses, but only barely. "Yeah, what about it?"

"God, you're such a brat sometimes." He moves over to where you sit and, slipping his arms under your frame, hauls you into his arms. 

"What the hell, Jung Hoseok—"

"—I'm intervening because this has got to stop, and someone's gotta do it," he interrupts, keeping a firm grasp on you as he shifts you onto his back and continues out of the studio. Closing the door with his foot, he keeps a gentle grip on your thighs, and you wrap your arms around his neck. "I've already forced Namjoon and Jungkook to come back home, and I tricked Jimin and Taehyung into showing up from their hiding places. We've got to talk, all of us."

There's a quiver in his voice as he continues down the hallway, one that makes you pause a little. "Hobi..."

The brunet sighs, "I'm sick of the silence, [Y/n]. Sick of it."

The hallway falls silent as he drags you from Genius Lab to the living room of the boys' dormitories. When you enter the large, open space, you see the rest of the boys seated in various places. Jimin stands to the side of the sofa, where Jungkook and Namjoon recline on opposite sides. Taehyung sits cross-legged on the floor across from them, elbows perched on the edge of the coffee table.

Hoseok slides you into the armchair next to Taehyung, ordering you to stay put. Pulling your knees up onto the cushion, you give the third-oldest member a scowl.

"Blackmail," Jimin mutters, flashing Hoseok his infamous side-eye.

Hoseok takes his stance off to the side, in an area where everyone can see him. He huffs a breath and places his hands on his hips. As he looks to each of you, his annoyance grows.

"We're not leaving this room until we get some things sorted out and start talking again. So...who wants to go first?"

A moment of silence passes before Jungkook murmurs, "What's there to talk about? We've all just been busy."

"That excuse isn't going to fly, not on Christmas Eve. We've been like this for weeks, and I—I can't take it anymore." Hoseok runs a hand through his dark hair, exasperated. "Ever since Jin and Yoongi left, we've barely interacted with each other. Namjoon, you've been working nonstop. Same with you, Jimin."

He turns to Jungkook and Taehyung. "I get that you love being at the gym, but all the time, Jungkook? And Tae, we hardly see you anymore. You're so quiet, and it's worrying me." He turns to you, chocolate brown eyes turning up at the corners. "You're the same, [Y/n], but you've held yourself up in Yoongi's studio. We can all tell you're suffering, but honestly, I've been too scared to knock until tonight."

"Some of us just need some space, Hyung," Taehyung states, voice deep and nonchalant. 

Hoseok crosses his arms over his chest. "The space is hurting all of us. It's not helping. I thought giving everyone some time would make things better, but we've all gotten worse! I hate seeing everyone I care about fall to pieces."

"What are our options?" you suggest, gesturing to the side with your hands, as if motioning to the outside. "The whole damn world is a rumor mill right now. They're freaking out about Seokjin and Yoongi, but on top of that, they're catching wind of Jin's love life! And I'm involved now. Our families are being harassed with question after question. Eomma had to close down the restaurant for a few hours last week because of the reporters! We have every damn right to be upset, to be angry, to want some space."

"Maybe we're not doing so well, and while a lot of that is due to outside circumstances, I'm willing to bet those things only make what's happening inside that much worse," Hoseok replies, attempting to keep his voice even. "The outside is only stirring up our internal struggles, but they were there before. I saw you start to go downhill even before they left, so you can't blame it on that, [Y/n]."

"Are you saying we shouldn't miss them?" Jimin retorts, his tone coming out short and abrasive. 

Hoseok laughs dryly and throws his hands up in frustration. "Of course not! I miss them too! You guys aren't the only ones that are sad about our hyungs. But I have to be the one that smiles. I have to be the oldest now. I have to keep the happiness alive—because that's what they'd want—but I'm exhausted. I—I can't keep doing this."

The current oldest finishes his mini-rant, plopping down on the sofa between Namjoon and Jungkook. He rests his elbows on his knees, burying his head into his hands. "I'm next, you know? My timer's counting down, just like everyone else's. But if this is how you're gonna react acter I enlist, then I'm dreading it even more."

"Don't say that," Jungkook says, turning to face Hoseok.

The brunet shakes his head, running his hands over his face as he scans the room. "We can't keep falling apart every time this comes up. We knew it was coming. We thought we were prepared...but I guess not. We have to talk to each other. We can't shut each other out. I'll pull a Yoongi and kick each of your asses until we get this fixed and out into the open." 

He turns to Namjoon, taking in the leader of the group with careful eyes. "You're quiet. Please, tell me I'm not making things worse by calling for an intervention, because I'm at the end of my rope and...god, I don't know what else to do."

Namjoon's eyes focus on his clasped hands, features soft despite his clenching jaw. "Maybe you've got a point." His gaze shifts upwards. "We've all been going back to our old crutches, the things we use to manage stress and sadness. In moderation, they're good—healthy even. But we're letting them consume us. It's the same as if one of us were to go to alcohol, or drugs, or women. These crutches are just as bad for us, but just less obvious. Hoseok is probably the only one that's noticed each of us spiraling."

He breathes out, then stands to pace the room. All eyes focus on him as his voice comes out soothing and authoritative. "We've gotta start thinking about this as a tour. We need to come together as a group, as a family, and talk about these things before they tear us apart. We've had fights before, and we've always discussed and made changes going forward. We have to do the same thing here."

"What do you suggest?"

Namjoon turns back to the only sensible person in the room. "We need to rely more on each other and less on our vices. That's different for each of us. For me...that means not working twenty-hour days and forgetting basic things like eating, sleeping, showering."

Jungkook makes a face, forever the member most sensitive to smell. "Yes, god, please take a shower, Hyung."

Namjoon chuckles, and the mood in the room is instantly lifted. "Right after we finish, I promise. But I think we all need to admit to our weaknesses and acknowledge that we need help with them. Nothing shameful in that. I went first, but what about you?"

Jungkook speaks up first, his voice soft and endearing as he hugs a throw pillow to his chest. "I distract myself with my hobbies. Maybe I've been spending a little too much time at the gym...or playing games. Maybe not enough time talking with the group."

Namjoon places a tender hand on the youngest's shoulders, flashing a proud smile.

"I've been hiding from everything, I think," Taehyung admits, getting a little courage from Jungkook's truth. "Without Yoongi or Jin, and with some of my closest friends hiding away, I let myself shrink and go back to that sad place I fought so hard to escape."

Seeing the way Taehyung curls his shoulders inwards causes you to get up from your chair and sit behind him on the floor. You wrap your arms around his middle and rest your cheek against his back, holding him tightly to you. 

Jimin speaks next, awkwardly shuffling where he stands. "I don't want any of you to worry about me. I'm just dancing, that's all."

"Way too much, for way too long, and without proper meals," Hoseok gently prods.

Jimin's gaze shifts to the floor. "Yeah...Yeah. I guess that's true. I just—I haven't had an appetite lately. The only thing that's made me feel better is dancing, so I do that instead..."

Hoseok walks over to Jimin and collects him in his arms, seeing the younger member struggling internally to admit his feelings. Jimin rests his head on Hoseok's shoulder as he tells Jimin to focus on his breathing.

"You're not alone in that, you know," Jungkook states.

Waves of realization wash over you as you hear each of the members being honest about what they've gone through the past few weeks. It breaks your heart to see them all struggling, suffering, all of it in silence. And along with the heartbreak is guilt. You should've noticed more. You should've said something. You should've done something.

Anything more than hiding away where no one could find you.

You turn your head and hide your face in Taehyung's hoodie, feeling like the worst friend in the whole world.

The other Daegu native places his hands over yours on his middle, glancing over his shoulder at your face. "Your turn, Noona."

You look over the curly-haired boy's shoulder, towards the rest of the members who are watching you. You shrug off your guilt and sigh, "It's like Hobi said. I hid away and made you all worry. I just—I felt angry, and sad, and lonely. And I made everything worse by secluding myself in Yoongi's studio. And I'm sorry for that."

Taehyung threads his fingers through yours, offering a tiny version of his boxy smile. "You don't need to be sorry, [Y/n]. We're all dealing with things in different ways."

His sweetness causes you to tear up. "Still, I owe you all an apology. I should've known that you all would be hurt by the conscription, too. I was selfish to focus only on what I'd lost. I—I love you all so much, and I promise I'll do better."

One by one, each of the members slips to the floor and contributes to the group hug around you and Taehyung. Wrapped in their warmth, you start to feel your emotions stabilizing. It seems that everyone else is feeling the same, for you all breathe a sigh of relief at the same time.

After a few minutes of pure, blissful silence, you turn your head to the side and murmur, "Is anyone up for a movie or something? I don't wanna go to bed just yet, and I miss you guys."

Jungkook is the first to nod eagerly, his head popping up out of the group with a wide smile plastered on his face. "Can I pick?"

Namjoon chuckles, "Sure, but no zombie movies. You know Hobi can't stand those."

"Yeah, they make him piss his pants," Jimin giggles.

Hobi gawks at the members as each of them departs towards the theater room, eventually giving playful chase after the youngest. 

"Are you going to be okay?" Taehyung whispers as you two are left alone.

You nod against his shoulder, press a chaste kiss to the back of his head, and help him off the ground, smiling the first smile you've had in weeks. 

"As long as I have you five with me, I guarantee it." 

[writing-radionoises]

remember my name

ship: little bit of fyodazai, mostly ango & dazai

genre: hurt/comfort

prompt: post fyodor’s suicide, dazai contemplates life without him

notes: sequel to disappear, obviously tw for suicide and implied sexual content.  song is remember by name by mitski

The cafe is mostly empty, likely because it's late and just about closing time.

The sun is setting against the horizon, and Dazai watches as he idly stirs his tea.

The cafe radio is playing some sort of English song Dazai can barely make out. He had asked if they would mix up the stations now and then, to hear more foreign music.

"I gave too much of my heart tonight.

Can you come to where I'm staying,

And make some extra love?

That I can save til tomorrow's show."

Dazai hums along with it, propping his head up with his fist.

It's so hard to live now, knowing that Fyodor is gone.

Dazai can't pinpoint why he misses the bastard, he's had hundreds of exes and so many people who mistreated and used him.

Yet, Fyodor stayed in his mind.

Fyodor was unique. In the end, that's why Dazai thought about him so much.

He was different from any other person he met. He was determined to get his way, to become great, and killed anything that stood in his way. He was a genius who learned whole languages within a couple of months, who mastered the art of hacking and manipulation. Fyodor had read twice as much as Dazai had in his life at the age of 15.

He was talented in so many ways, though also, he was poisoned with traumas and perhaps even a hero complex.

And most importantly, he threw his own life away.

That's what haunts Dazai the most. When he closes his eyes, he can see the empty rooftop again, Fyodor's last words forever ring in his mind.

Dazai was well versed in suicidal thoughts, and never once saw Fyodor to be plagued by them until that day.

And there wasn't anything Dazai could do to cure them at that point. It was a fatal condition.

Somehow, it has to be Dazai's fault.

"Dazai," rang a familiar voice from behind him, "You've been staring for a while. Are you alright?"

Dazai's skin crawls from the touch on his shoulder as he looks back to see the familiar face of Ango Sakaguchi.

Ango has been like Dazai's emotional support friend for what seemed like decades, the little conversations they held were always about Dazai. Ango hated talking about himself, claimed he was boring and unplagued by most of any trouble.

"Just thinking," Dazai replied.

"About what?" Asked the brunette, sitting beside Dazai at the window.

"Dostoyevsky," he answered simply, "... God, it feels weird to call him that. He always insisted I call him Fyodor, saying that 'Russian last names are hard on the Japanese tongue,' or whatever. I think he just hated hearing me mispronounce it…"

"You two used to be friends, yes?"

"Something like that," Dazai nodded along, "We used to date like ages ago, it was only for a couple of months and it… wasn't an amazing experience, but it worked out for what I needed…"

"You'll have to elaborate more, Dazai," Ango replied, brows furrowed in confusion, "When was this?"

"After Odasaku died, and after you abandoned me. I left the mafia and realized that I… didn't have any friends. I didn't even know how to make friends, and developed a chronic case of loneliness," the bandaged man continued, "It's not good when you have suicide on your mind 24/7, but I was determined to stay alive. Long story short, I hooked up with a bunch of random guys, most of which I never really knew. Bartender called me the Lord Of One Night Stands, I'd let people take me home to try and forget about my loneliness. Fyodor was my first real relationship after all that, we met in a coffee shop. He cracked a joke or two, he was really cute, and I needed another person to fuck me so I wouldn't go home and hang myself that night. It worked out."

"I thought you said it wasn't that great of a relationship earlier," Ango said.

"It wasn't," Dazai said with a sigh, "He was a sociopath who didn't really know how to interact with people. I was one of his first real friends and he used me to learn about human interaction. Though, I think the worst part was when he actually called me out on my terrible coping mechanism. He was confused why I was so offended by him using me when I was using him in return. I left him after he said that, but I've been thinking about it ever since. I use just about everyone around me for my own personal gain, and sometimes I do it without realizing. I still don't know if Fyodor ever saw me as a romantic partner, or if he was just mirroring my feelings because it was what I wanted to hear."

"You wanted someone to care about you, regardless of how temporary or fake it was," Ango simplified, and Dazai nodded, "So, why are you thinking about him tonight?"

Dazai falls silent, drumming his fingers against the counter.

The music continued to play in the background.

"'Cause I need somebody to remember my name.

After all that I can do for them is done.

I need someone to remember me."

"... He knew me at what I would say was the shittiest part of my life," Dazai said eventually, continuing to tap his fingers, "I don't care how fake it was, but he made me feel cared about. I was nineteen at the time, the love of my life died in my arms, and I had years of unprocessed childhood trauma, I was a fucking unattended oil fire. He… he couldn't put the fire out, but he at least tried. It meant a lot to me, and now I can't seem to process him being gone…"

Ango gave a simple hum as Dazai laid him head against the counter with a sigh.

"I'm starting to think everyone I care about just dies in the end. This entire Decay Of Angels thing was my fault, if I had just tried to tame the rage in Fyodor back then, all of this could've been avoided. He could be still alive today."

Ango places a comforting hand in Dazai's shoulder, unsure of what to say as Dazai closes his eyes.

The empty rooftop stands before him, with the sun setting in the background.

He knows there was no avoiding this. Nothing he could've done would've tamed Fyodor.

The Russian had said it himself, he was born to be a villain. "Destined to be a thorn in God's side," or something like that.

And even though Dazai has grown so much past the crutch that Fyodor once was to him, it feels terrible for him to be ripped away so soon.

Another sigh escapes Dazai.

"He asked me to remember him. And maybe it's selfish to say this, but now that he's gone… Who's going to remember me?" Dazai says, "Not as the agency member or the mentally ill mafia executive, but as the nineteen year old with more baggage than he can carry, and a desperate need for love?"

Ango doesn't respond, because really, there isn't an answer.

Dazai knew that.

[irrevocably-delicious]

Cultivating an enjoyable video games experience with non gamers aka How do I get my non-gamer significant other to play games with me?

Video games.

Once a niche hobby of adult programmers in the 70s, before targeting 10 year old boys in the 80s and 90s, video games are now a mainstream hobby and entertainment product that has shown tremendous growth in the past 30 years. While films and serialized shows have shown some developments, with new technologies and the invent of streaming, the gaming industry has undergone a complete transformation in only a few short decades. Entire genres have been created, along with improved graphics, mechanics, and storytelling.

But with more people getting into video games now more than ever, the age-old question continuously resurfaces:

“How do I get my significant other to play video games with me?”

And it’s an understandable question! Games are an important hobby to some, and it’s nice to be able to share in that passion and joy with the person you love most. I completely understand this. I’m a cosplayer and I’ve definitely conned my boyfriend into pressing seams for me or sitting in hour long panels about EVA foam. It’s not exactly his number 1 priority, but we have fun together doing it, and he’s able to appreciate my craft a little more because of it.

Similarly, he’s not an artist, but he always helps me table in Artist Alley, gives advice on new prints to make (“If you’re going to make a niche DnD print, at least display it near the DnD stuff to be a conversation starter”) and stays up til 2am cutting stickers with me. It’s exhausting, but we have a lot of good memories from doing it together.

It’s nice to include your significant others in activities that bring you joy.

So how the hell do you convince your partner to engage with video games… if they never have before? And what kinds of games are going to give you the best experience?

Hi. Welcome. This is where I come in.

I’m not a gamer. At all. I’m awful at video games. Whilst my boyfriend was growing up and devouring every console he could convince his parents to buy, I was being a horse girl. No Halo for me today, sir, I have a showjumping class to attend. The only video game I would willingly participate in was Singstar during sleep overs, and that was because I was a musical theatre kid and knew this would be the only video game that I could completely decimate my peers with. Street fighter? No thank you. But I will wreck your shit with Stacy’s Mom by Fountains of Wayne.

But somehow, even though this is my upbringing, I have to acknowledge the fact that over the past 10 years I’ve actually played… a lot of video games. I think I’ve figured out the key. I think I’ve distilled the answer. Now obviously this is purely based on my experience, and everyone will have slightly different results, but I will now present you with my scientific anthropological findings of how you may be able to repeat this process.  

“How do I get my significant other to play video games with me?”

Now I think there are two ways to go about this.

1.       Play a video game together where both of you are holding a controller and in charge of some aspect of the game. Ie. Character, assistant, the right foot, etc.

Now I realize this seems obvious.

“You mean I can play a video game with my significant other by actually playing a game with my significant other??? Uhhhh yeah…. I WOULD THINK SO”

But hear me out. Out of the two ways you can go about this, I actually think this is the hardest way (I’ll explain why soon). My partner and I do not often play games together like this. What we usually do, and what I would be more likely to recommend is:

2.       Play a game where you (the gamer) have the controller, and your SO participates or watches from the couch.

This is what my boyfriend and I usually do, and it’s the less likely of the two options to cause arguments, fights, and tears.

But let’s first look at option 1.

Playing a game together

Do you remember when you were in high school and you had to do a film study for a semester? And your teacher would explain all the different camera shots and angles and what they meant? A low angle shot where a character towers above makes them seem intimidating. A character cloaked in shadow indicates that the character is sneaky.

Your teacher told you all this, but in reality, all of these meanings were probably pretty obvious to you. You intuitively knew what they meant because you had been raised on watching movies. You were already familiar with this language of film because it had always been present in your life.

Well guess what? Video games have a language too.

And just like film, if you have played video games your whole life, you might be surprised at just how much of this language you have absorbed, and how much of this literacy is REQUIRED to play a modern video game.

The fact that triangle is always jump, x to interact, L2 to aim, R2 to shoot, circle to crouch, square to reload… all of that is assumed knowledge that you would probably have ingested over time, so it comes completely natural to you now.

Your SO doesn’t know any of this. They probably don’t even know that the L and R buttons exist. I didn’t. I still forget.

This is why choosing a game to play together is so difficult. When you finally do choose one? You have to be patient. You cannot get annoyed when your SO has to ask every five minutes what jump is again. They may have difficulty navigating around menus and UI. They may have difficulty moving around in game. Side scrollers are pretty intuitive, but games that require you to position a camera? Ie. Most third person or first person anything? Oof. That’s hard. They might fall off a lot of bridges or stare at the ground a lot. This is a skill you have to build up. You have it already. They don’t. It’s important to remember that saying anything like “You can do it, it’s easy!” or “Why are you having so much trouble with this?” is NOT HELPFUL. It’s only going to make your SO feel stupid/bad. Remember, they don’t give a shit about video games. Their life has been just fine without them until now, and it will continue to be just fine without games. They are only doing this FOR YOU. So why would you want to make someone feel stupid for just trying to make you happy?

Treat them like a baby deer. Gently. Tentatively. You are slowly drawing them into the clearing. Any harsh comment will send them running.

Based on all this, here are some recommendations on games that work well to play with your SO.

1.    Games you are SUPPOSED to be bad at.

You know how I just talked about how there are general conventions over controls? And that it can be frustrating for your SO to learn these whilst they come intuitively for you?

Well what if you eliminated that disparity by playing games where the controls intentionally make no goddamn sense? By playing a game with whacky controls, it evens the playing field. Your SO is learning and struggling with controls, but so are you! This way your stupidity is not humiliating, it creates a sense of comradery. There’s no shame, just silliness and fun. The game I played with my partner that made me first realise the genius of this was… Octodad.

Octodad is collaborative. It’s an absolute nightmare to control, but for once my boyfriend’s muscle memory was actually a detriment. He would instinctively go to move like he would in other games, but that’s not how Octodad works. So he was rewiring his muscle memory whilst I was just a blank slate.

“Trigger to grab things? Yeah sure. Why not? I don’t know any better.”

It also hits that sweet spot of being short enough that the silliness doesn’t grow stale, and has a sincere enough story that you do become invested in the fate of the octopus in your hands.

10/10 Octodad. Highly recommend.

Other games in this genre that I feel would be worth a look:

-          Man Fall Flat

-          QWOP

-          Surgeon Simulator

-          Super Bunny Man

 2.    Hey! It’s Nintendo!

Ah Nintendo. It’s where most children start, so it seems like a logical place for a burgeoning gamer to begin. But specifically, what I want to recommend are the range of excellent Nintendo party games that are simple to navigate, fun, and often cooperative. I can’t play an FPS, but Mario Kart comes very easy to me…. Or as easy as it does to anyone. Similarly, Mario Party requires almost no video game literacy, and you can introduce it to your SO as “It’s just a board game that happens to be a video game”.

Although we do joke about Mario Kart and Mario Party being “friendship killers” because of their competitive nature and how easy it is to sabotage other players. If you are worried about these games maybe causing to much distress, I would also recommend the tried and true Wii Sports or the more modern 1-2-Switch. It has a cow milking game! It’s fun! And you can laugh at one another as you make terrible dick jokes.

I DO NOT RECOMMEND SUPER SMASH BROS. THAT IS NOT AN INTRODUCTORY GAME.

If you really want, play it on co-op team mode.

 In summary, when picking a game to play with your SO my general recommendations are:

- make sure the game has very simple controls and linear movement (if any at all)

- or have a game with bonkers controls so you can learn them together

- avoid competitive games to start. Or play competitive games that require no video game literacy. The best FPS or Tekken player is NOT going to win Mario Party. It’s just luck.

Playing games this way with my partner is fun, but not how we usually play games. This is because if I want to play a AAA title, or maybe a great JRPG I’ve heard about, I have to move on to the second method.

 Playing games where the gamer has the control and the non-gamer watches/participates via other means.

This is how my partner and I generally play games. Because my partner is the one holding the controller, navigating the game, combat and menus, I am not required to have any of that assumed knowledge I mentioned earlier.

But how can you make watching a video game compelling?

It’s actually not as difficult as you might imagine, but you’re right in that it does rule out a chunk of games. If you have grand dreams of your non-gamer girlfriend fawning over your sweet League of Legends skills… then I think you need a bit of a wake-up call. Competitive online games, FPS and sports games (such as FIFA) are generally not fun to watch. This isn’t a blanket statement! Some non-gamers could find these fun. But generally, if you don’t know the skill it requires to perform certain moves or strategies, or are unfamiliar with even the basic rules… these games just look like a mess.

Me watching someone play Overwatch: “Wow… I suddenly have motion sickness”

I find the most compelling games to watch are: Narrative driven

Think of all the games that are basically movies with some gameplay thrown in. Uncharted and the Tomb Raider reboot are just long form Indiana Jones movies. The Last of Us is a survival, drama, horror movie that makes you question your morals and how far you are willing to go to help humanity. The Witcher captures a rich narrative and lore comparable only to the Lord of the Rings films. The Yakuza series might be the best mob movie I’ve ever seen. All of these games are great and as engrossing to watch as they are to play. Lovable characters, compelling obstacles, and a good dose of spectacle keep them entertaining. Narrative driven games are my favorite to just sit and watch whilst my partner plays.

However, “narrative driven games” encapsulates thousands of titles, with some being more suited to watching than others. To help narrow down games that are enjoyable without a controller, I’ve narrowed it down into 3.5 sub categories.

1.       Games with a looser/more predictable narrative, but the visuals are just so damn appealing

2.       Choice based games – with the sub category of puzzle games

3.       Mediocre games, but they’re fun

 Each of these categories creates a uniquely different gaming experience, ranging from a cinematic “sit and watch” style, to a higher participation, more co-operative team based style. Let’s start with the first as it’s the easiest to define.

 1.    Games with a looser narrative, but engrossing visuals

Sometimes games will have a good story, but you’re just not sure if it’s good enough to sustain someone’s attention for 20+ hours. Maybe it’s a little predictable. Maybe you know the hero is destined to save the day. Will this be enough to hold my SOs attention?

And I think you are really the only one to answer that.

But let me first tell you about one of my favorite games, and probably only the second game I ever played with my partner.

DMC.

I fucking adore this game.

Eat my ass. It’s great.

But is the story that great? I mean it’s cool. Half angel, half demon boys. Long lost twin brothers. An evil demon who killed your father and has now essentially become a mob boss and corrupted your city. It’s cool. It’s interesting enough, but at the end of the day, you know Vergil is going to betray you. You know your cardboard cut out girlfriend(?) is going to be a liability. You know you’re going to defeat that demon boss with your big sword.

But god damn, if it isn’t a riot to watch. Devil May Cry has some of the most stylish and slick combat, that it’s really entertaining to just witness. You can cheer on your SO on as they climb up to a SSS ranking and maintain their combo over 5 whole minutes. The soundtrack is blasting. The level design and art direction are stunning. Watching Dante get dragged into Limbo is always an experience, and you’re never quite sure what you’re going to walk into this time. DMC still has one of the most inventive boss fights I’ve ever seen and I’m honestly waiting for another game to top it.

So, I think if your visuals are captivating enough… that can definitely save a game with maybe just a good to average story. It’s just a treat for the senses.

Other games I would put in this category would be:

- The Arkham games, particularly Arkham City and Arkham Knight. God the combat is just great to watch, with each punch really feeling brutal and heavy. The spookiness of Gotham is eerily beautiful, and finding all the easter eggs in the world is a real treat.

- The latest Spider-man game from Insomniac games

- Breath of the Wild – I just like… being in this game

-Nier Automata – this one is a bit weird. I wasn’t sure which category to put it in, but felt because of the interesting mechanics and gimmick of playing over and over again to reveal more of the world and story, I decided to put it here.

 2.    Choice based games

This is definitely my favorite type of game to play, and the one that I think is the easiest to engage with, despite the lack of controller in my hand.

The whole reason I started playing games with my partner is because he was playing a game and after a while I just… sat down… and started watching.

The game was Mass Effect 3, and I just became really involved in the story and the choices my partner was making. We have since gone back and played the entire Mass Effect series multiple times, and I feel it really exemplifies what is so fantastic about playing a choice-based game with a non-gamer.

Choice based games still allow your SO to be heavily involved. If you are letting your SO make choices, then they are still playing the game. Just because I wasn’t the one actively shooting Collectors does not mean I had no impact on our game experience. It was my choice to cure the genophage. My choice to spare the Rachni queen, and you can be damn sure that it was my choice to romance Garrus across the series. Choice based games are fantastic for keeping your SO engaged and the two of you can cultivate your own story and endure consequences together.

Obviously I love Mass Effect, but some similar games in this style would be:

-          Until Dawn

-          The Witcher

-          The Persona series – but be careful! These games are long so may not be great as an introductory game

 Visual Novels! – Visual novels are excellent for this! They’re purely choice based, and it doesn’t matter who is clicking the next button. For an added amount of goofiness, take on roles and do stupid voices. Do it. It’s great. Nothing makes me laugh harder than romancing an anime schoolgirl with an old man voice.

 They’re short, but can be replayed for a different ending if you wish. My partner and I played Dream Daddy together multiple times and were avid about who our favorite dads were. I liked Robert and Craig. My partner liked Damian and Brian. 

 My partner and I have actually just started playing a new visual novel, but along with it being choice based, I would also classify it as a puzzle/problem solving game.

 2.5  Puzzle/problem solving games

Puzzle games are great for a similar reason as choice-based games, as they keep your SO involved. Only this time they are helping to problem solve. Many times I’ve been able to figure something out before my boyfriend, so I can go “ohhhh take that, drop it here, then move that here” and it’ll work!

Currently we’re making our way through the Danganronpa series, which is a bit of a hybrid between a visual novel and puzzle game. It’s not a difficult game to control or navigate at all, so I could play it on my own, but I like playing it with my partner as we bounce theories off of one another and work together to solve a crime. I’ll remember certain pieces of evidence he doesn’t, or he’ll remember one throw away line from the opening 3 minutes of the game that is now an alibi. During free time, we’ll each pick a character to talk to, so we both get to learn more about our favorite characters.

“I wanna talk to Sakura because she seems sweet and I want her to have friends”

“Ok, then I’ll talk to Mondo because he seems funky.”

And so on. The process is collaborative.

Some games of a similar genre that might be fun:

-          Catherine from Atlus

-          Portal 1 and 2

-          The Phoenix Wright series

-          Resident evil 2 – this one is a bit odd, but resident evil 2 is almost a memory game as you work to remember all the things you’ve picked up, the pieces you need to unlock doors, and prioritize the weapons you’ll take with you. “No take the grenade rounds. If we’re going in the offices, we left that face hugger there, remember?”

Finally this brings us to our third category, and also the most difficult to explain. So I’ve just called it:

3.    Average Games, but there’s just something enjoyable about them

Sometimes games are just… fun. Sometimes the story is alright, the gameplay is repetitive, but the characters and writing are just so inherently likeable or interesting that you can keep watching. For me, this whole category was created as a way for me to justify my fondness for the Saints Row series.

Saints Row is, on paper, pretty unremarkable. It’s a ridiculous series of games about a street gang coming into fame and eventually political power, and the outlandish things they have to do to climb that ladder. Often cited as a “GTA clone” the gameplay is repetitive and almost boring at times, with most of the missions falling into the “Go here, kill people” category. The world isn’t particularly pretty or interesting. It’s just a city. One that you’ve seen a million times if you’ve played any city-based open world game.

So why do I love this unremarkable series? Why am I oddly attached to these characters?

Ultimately, I think it comes down to the characters being written with a certain amount of honesty, and the interactions between them feel genuine and oddly heartfelt. I don’t really care about rival gangs or accumulating money, but if it lets me ride in the car and have another sing along with Pierce, then I’m going to do it.

I like the weird sexual tension between the Boss and Shaundi, which only seems to become more prominent if you play as the female Boss. I love Matt Miller and him ranting about his Nyte blayde fan fiction. I like finding out the Boss has read Jane Austen.

It’s just silly and fun, with a good amount of ridiculous spectacle. It’s definitely not a series that I could recommend. It just kind of appealed to something in me. I think there are lots of games that could fit this category. Most people will say that the Borderlands series is “Alright” but it has a lot of fun dialogue and characters who keep it entertaining. Similarly, despite lack luster reviews, I know a lot of people really enjoyed the 2013 Deadpool game because Deadpool was written just like he is in the comics.

This category is the hardest to nail, and you may go through several games that you think are “hilarious” or “crazy fun” that just don’t gel with your SO. That’s ok. As you play more, you’ll eventually be able to develop a sense of each other’s tastes and what will appeal to you.

 General Advice in closing

TL;DR, here are some good parameters to stick to until you reach a consensus of what games your SO might enjoy.

-  Games with a good story and compelling characters will always be entertaining

- If the combat is long and takes up a good proportion of the game, it should be visually interesting to look at. If the combat is repetitive or boring to watch, it should clip along at a good pace and only come in short bursts. Bonus points if there’s party banter!

- Start with shorter games, then build up. It’s a big demand on someone to sit through a 60+ hour game for your first few attempts. Maybe put that Tales game on the shelf for now.

I’ve tried to keep this advice general, but obviously you and your SO will have different interests, and you should appeal to those. I love anime. I love hot boys. Due to these factors, I am more than willing to sit through a long form JRPG about two rival noble boys, as it appeals to my weeb sensibilities. This is not something I would expect others to be able to do.

I generally don’t like films about heists or organized crime. It’s just not a genre that appeals to me, so asking me to sit through Grand Theft Auto is probably not the wisest choice. I have played GTA5 for those that are curious, and it’s not my favorite. It’s definitely not bad, and I do expect other non-gamers would be entertained playing through the story of it. There’s definitely a good story there! It’s just not one that satisfies all of my needs. Just like how I don’t expect every person to love sitting through God of War or Jak and Daxter.

Getting to learn each other’s likes and dislikes takes time. Favorite movies can be a bit of an indicator, but transferring to a different medium complicates things. The most important thing is to listen to each other and be respectful. If your SO doesn’t like your favorite game of all time, that’s not a personal insult. You are likely just experiencing the game in a different way than they are, and they can’t relate to that.

Along with being respectful, obviously don’t pressure your SO into anything. Sometimes you’ll find that your SO might not want to play games with you because they had such an awful experience trying to play with their exes or other friends previously. I know I was really hesitant to ever pick up a controller again after an incident where I couldn’t navigate my character over a log, because I was not used to controlling a camera, and was made to feel really stupid and useless. I threw up my hands and said “Fuck this shit” for a long time. Your SO might be hesitant to play games with you because they worry that you’ll just get frustrated with how bad they are. You can reassure them that this won’t happen, but it’s still their choice to say no.

At the end of the day, it’s ok to have different hobbies. You don’t have to share everything. If you are lucky enough that your non-gamer SO might want to try playing games with you, then be kind, and be patient. When picking games to play together, try to pick something you can both enjoy. Go on a journey together. Have fun!

It’s a game after all.  

[ziracona]

😮 Oh man, with the insight on Frank, it has me so curious. What's going on in the heads of everyone in the Legion lately? I'm especially curious about Joey, after the quality time spent with the survivors (well, in the back seat with Susie driving) during "She's Like the Wind". Or, if you're tired of the Legion, what about Michael in "The Tower"?

I’m totally happy to do the Legion (and I actually wrote up a bunch of stuff on them before deciding p best to wait), but there’s a lot of Legion stuff in the chapter I’m posting in the next couple days with some sort of big status-quo changes, so I feel like I should wait until after that to give Legion updates, or it could be kind of a waste, so I’ll do Michael.

Oh boy Mikey. Let me see. Buckle up, because this is a long one. So, let me start by saying in this fic, the way I write him is based on the canon portrayal in the first film (and some influence from the others—especially 2 and H20), but with my honest best attempt at an accurate psychological take on his situation. Horror’s a great genre, but it does a really shitty job about using mental illness as some kind of blanket excuse for being evil. John Carpenter literally came up with Michael after seeing some 12 year old schizophrenic kid in a mental institution when he was on a field trip that he thought had really dead, evil looking eyes, like he didn’t have a soul. Which is a pretty fucked up way to treat mental illness. And, since there’s no reason I should accept ‘He’s got psychosis and the devil’s eyes and has nothing in him but evil” as an accurate take on an actual human being, I’m not. I’m taking what is canon, and interpreting it (to the best of my ability) like a normal psychologist or person who isn’t Dr. Sam Loomis would. Usually I wouldn’t give as much on a character psych take (because I really, really like seeing how people interpret things), but it’s kind of specifically important for Michael and me doing my best to write him responsibly that while he’s a lot of things, and a lot of them bad, he’s not a mindless wall of walking evil.

Canonically, Michael’s had psychosis since he was at least five, and heard voices that told him to do bad things, like hurt people. He told his parents, in an attempt to get help, and was ignored. When he was six, he did what the voices told him to in an attempt to get them to stop, and killed his sister (without looking at what he was doing while he did it as much as he could [canon]), and then went downstairs to wait for his parents to get home (probably in the hopes that they could fix it, because he was six years old, and when you’re six, your parents can fix everything). Instead of anything getting better, he got sent to court, sentenced (to be tried for murder as an adult in fifteen years when he turned 21, which is absolute bullshit because by no stretch of human logic can a 6 year old child have committed a crime as an adult), and then left in an asylum for the next fifteen years of his life. His psychosis worsened, and he gained other symptoms, such as mutism and catatonia. His mom only visited a few times, with his little sister, and then she vanished off the face of the planet from his point of view. Completely abandoned by his family and everyone he knew, the only human contact he had from ages 6-21 was Doctor Sam Loomis, his psychiatrist, who had decided within a couple of months, that Michael was the human personification of evil, faking his mental illness like the evil genius six year old he was, and a demon in human form hellbent on murder. Now, the human brain doesn’t stop developing until the mid 20s, and it sure as hell isn’t done when you’re six. Kids that age don’t even really have a fully developed understanding of mortality and only a basic grasp on ethics. Emotional empathy doesn’t start really forming well until age seven, and abstract reasoning isn’t until preteen years. When you’re six, you’re not old enough to be evil. You just aren’t. But, if you grow up from age 6-21 with only one constant in your life, isolated in a tiny white room, hearing over and over from said only constant, an adult and the source of authority in your life, that you are evil, and soulless, and you are a killer waiting to kill again, you are dying to get out and commit murder, and they’re onto you, how exactly can you expect a human being to turn out?Especially when they’re already dealing with violent psychosis. You’ve basically convinced a mentally ill child that they are the bad voices in their head, not the person, and their goal in life is to commit lots of murder.

Michael’s personal goal, as much as he has one left, has pretty much solidly always been to do what the voices want so they’ll stop and he can be at peace. What they want is for him to kill his family, meaning his sister, Laurie. Kill Laurie, be at peace. That being the case, ending up in the Entity’s realm is about as shitty for him as it is for her, because no matter how many goddamn times he kills her, he can never, ever kill her for real, so he will never be able to stop the voices. He’s about as tired of being here as she is, which is saying a lot. But it’s been forty years of shit for him too.

I think Michael forgot he was a person a long time ago, because nobody’s treated him like one since he was baby. Since he was six. If you treat someone like a monster their whole life, that’s what they’re almost certainly going to become. In the Entity’s realm, it hasn’t really been any different. I don’t think he thinks about things very complexly, because he’s sort of too tired to, and he doesn’t have a real reason. He never learned a lot of normal human behaviors, including any attempt at even the most basic social contact. It’s like that really depressing scene in Lilo & Stitch when Jumba’s commenting on what it must be like to have nothing, even memories, to visit at night. He has memories, but they’re basically all the same—white room, fifteen years of Dr. Loomis. None of that’s a real human experience. Dr. Loomis didn’t even think he was a human—called him “It” instead of “Him.”

With Laurie suddenly acknowledging he’s her brother, it’s weird to him. Canonically, every time someone in a film reminds Michael he’s related to them, it’s like he gets smacked in the face (it’s actually kind of hilarious. He even takes his mask off for his niece in 5 when she calls him “Uncle”). A family member doing this always metaphorically suckerpunches him with the reminder that he has a name and an existence outside of killing people and there are human beings who know who he is and are related to him and have a lasting concept of him as a person. It’s not like he ever forgot they were siblings, but he didn’t remember to think about it. He spends all his time being the Shape, because Michael hasn’t really existed since he was six years old (not in a Dissociative Identity Disorder way, just, it’s an aspect of who he is that no one has been willing to acknowledge since he was a baby. He puts on the mask and kills because that’s what he’s supposed to be. It doesn’t really matter if he wants to, or if he likes it, or even if he still doesn’t have a completely developed concept of mortality, because he’s known for years now that it’s just what he does. It’s what he is). I don’t think he really knows how to think or feel (which he’s not used to doing period) about his sister or about that and being spoken to. He was definitely relieved at the prospect of having a way out of this, and since then it’s been kind of agonizing that she reneged on him and won’t commit joint suicide, but she’s also just been…weird. Been different. She talks to him like a person, which no one has ever done, and he does remember her from when they were little. I think it’s very confusing. He really doesn’t have the normal human skillset to be able to emotionally understand this. Which doesn’t mean he’s some emotionless zombie, just, he didn’t learn how to properly interpret or respond to things. He doesn’t have a normal human emotional or social skillset, because he never got to develop one. He didn’t get the chance. He hasn’t had a positive physical interaction, a hug, a handhold, a pat on the shoulder, since he was six--he hasn’t had any kind of social contact outside of the hostile psychological hatred and threats from Dr. Loomis period. There’s just not a normal set of human understand-the-world mental structures developed in him at all. Instead he’s got like…just all this shit—this really fucked up way of understanding the world built from fifteen years in isolation with just Dr. Loomis that’s completely separate from a normal human experience or mental scape, and the mental set of tools he would use to try to understand his sister is like, the dusty old normal human set that stopped growing when he was six years old that he kind of forgot about.

Michael’s also never done anything he wasn’t supposed to in the Entity’s realm, and I don’t think this has been explicitly stated in the fic, but he’s been punished now, for trying to break the rules with Laurie these past few trials. I don’t think he knew how to handle that or feel about it or think about it either, because it was a new experience for him. It’s very hard to hurt him at all, and it’s never happened with the Entity before this.

During The Tower, Michael wanted what he’s wanted since it was on the table (a way out by killing her), and when she said she couldn’t do it yet, genuinely misinterpreted that as her meaning she had to help the others finish the trial first. I don’t think he entirely understood why she kept running away from him, but he’s used to that kind of behavior, so it wasn’t that strange. What was extremely weird to him was getting jumped by two kids (when usually survivors wouldn’t touch him with a fifty-foot pole if it was up to them), who proceeded to tell him be was being a really crappy brother and should be nicer. It was. Surreal. I think when Laurie showed up and told him she hadn’t meant ‘in twelve minutes’ when she said later, he didn’t just attack her because he was mad she didn’t want to do suicide yet, I think it also kind of hurt his feelings that she made fun of him when he genuinely was trying to understand and thought she meant something else. Since what he wanted was off the table, he was upset (which was especially volatile becaus he doesn’t often experience hugely strong emotions) and on instinct just did what has been programmed to come naturally instead and went fucking lethal on them all, but got a surprising amount of resistance.

When she came back to fight him alone, I don’t think he completely understood everything she said, but he got a lot of it, and he didn’t like it. He didn’t like losing the chance to get out of the realm for good with her, but I think he also didn’t really like being basically told that he was dead to her from here on out. I don’t think he’d exactly think of it that way, or put it into words—I don’t think he’d had long enough or the emotional growth enough to appreciate her caring about him, or to want it, but at the same time, he’d had someone treat him like a person for the first time in fifty some years, and I think it was probably briefly nice to be called by his own name and talked to like a person—I think it would be hard for that not to mean a little bit, even if you didn’t understand way. And then he had it reaffirmed by her before their fight that what Dr. Loomis had always said was true, and he’d fucked up so bad with her that he wasn’t ‘Michael’ anymore to her either, and even if he wouldn’t really think of it like that, I think subconsciously, that kind of had to hurt. 

At the end of their fight, when he was out on the floor, and Laurie didn’t kill him, while he was genuinely unconscious for some of that, he was awake for some of it too—the bulk of it, actually. Michael in film canon routinely not only has genuine resets where he passes out and heals and gets back up, but plays dead as well, to protect himself. So, he did hear a decent chunk of what Laurie said to him. She kind of poured her heart out, and some of it was pretty complicated stuff, and a lot of it was stuff he doesn’t really have the emotional complexity developed to understand right now, but he understood some of it. I don’t think he expected things to end like they did (and not just him getting his ass kicked by her). She basically flipped on him, and said she was wrong, and even like this he was still her brother, and because she remembers how he was when he was six she can’t make herself not love him, even if she knows she shouldn’t, and that she wasn’t going to kill him like that, even if it meant he was going to come after her again and kill her. I don’t think he gets why she would say those things, but it did make him want to know, and I think he’s aware that it should mean something to him, regardless of if it does or not on an emotional level, and it is at least something that interests him. Probably his most intact human emotion is curiosity (and it’s no wonder—he’s basically never seen anything, or been anywhere, or done anything—he’s barely gotten a chance to live, period. Any social interaction where someone isn’t running from him screaming or threatening him and telling him he’s a monster is uncharted territory). What that would mean for him going forward as far as Laurie is concerned is very complicated, though. Laurie interests him and there are things he wants to understand, but he’s just got so little ability to function like a normal human being. So much of him is so awfully mangled and maladapted, and the rest has been stagnating since he was 6 and he’s so very, completely, depressingly isolated. He’s a serial killer, but he’s really also kind of a tragic character. It’s fucked up what happened to him, and most of it isn’t really his fault. It didn’t have to be like that.

[noona-clock]

Whatever You Want to Call it - Part 6

Genre: Office!AU

Pairing: Jackson x You

By Admin B

Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Okay. First, a heart-faced emoji.

Now, a wink?!

What was going -- what was he -- why were you -- What, why, how, who, when, where -- why?!?!?!

Unfortunately, thoughts of his wink (and thoughts of him, in general) filled your head for the rest of the workday. And... the rest of the evening after you got home, too. It was incredibly inconvenient and disturbing.

For obvious reasons, you decided to go to bed early, hoping to push all thoughts of Jackson and his wink out of your mind by going to sleep.

Except... that didn’t work either.

Because he showed up in your dream.

And it wasn’t one of those random dreams that didn’t make sense, either. It was pretty realistic, as far as dreams go.

You and Jackson had been dating, and he was quite literally a dream boyfriend. Not only the boyfriend in your dream but perfect as perfect could be. He made you laugh, he showed you affection, he held you in his strong arms, he kissed --

Your eyes shot open when your alarm went off.

And you had never wanted to go to work less in your life.

Remember Monday? When you hadn’t been looking forward to going to work?

It was even worse today, and it was Friday.

You were the type of person who, if you dreamed about someone - and it was a good dream - you tended to see that someone in a different light. If it was a guy, you ended up having a crush on him 10 out of 10 times.

But you didn’t want to have a crush on Jackson! He was annoying!

I mean... not as annoying as he used to be. At least, you didn’t find him as annoying as you used to.

But he was so extra! Not lowkey in the slightest!

I mean... he wasn’t that bad. He’d calmed down marginally in the past couple of weeks, so maybe he was only that enthusiastic when he was nervous.

Plus, he was super sweet. Caring. Thoughtful. Helpful. A go-getter. Supportive. Really good with kids. Extremely handsome...

Damn it!

You got ready for work with a wrinkled forehead and a downturned mouth, muttering grumpily to yourself. It was not going to be a pleasant day, you could tell that already; you wanted to hurry up and get it over with so you could hole yourself up in your townhouse for two days and, hopefully, get over these... feelings.

One good thing about today, though? It was your last day on crutches at the office, so at least you had that to look forward to. Kind of.

By the time you’d made it into the office, you’d resolved to try and stay out of Jackson’s way. You really didn’t want to interact with him because it was almost certain you wouldn’t be able to stop yourself from thinking about your dream.

And that just could not happen. If you thought too much about it, you would 100% develop a crush on him. Real, actual romantic feelings.

So, as you sat down at your desk, you told yourself you would not talk to or interact with or even see Jackson.

Nope. Not at all.

...Cut to just after lunchtime when you found yourself wandering through the office looking for him.

You hadn’t seen him all day, and you... I mean, you were just curious! Usually, he made his presence known in the office! Usually, he stopped by to at least say ‘hi’! But he hadn’t yet today, so... was he even here?

Plus, you’d still been thinking about him all day, so you figured you needed to indulge yourself just a little. Hopefully, satiating your curiosity would help cure you of this strange ailment...

Currently, you were teetering near the copy room, your eyes secretly peeled for that head of reddish-brown hair, your ears secretly perked for that familiar, friendly voice.

You were looking for Jackson, but you ended up finding someone else.

“What are you doing?” Jinyoung asked as he approached you cautiously.

You jumped a little, startled by your best friend’s sudden appearance; and then, in the blink of an eye, the two of you were in the copy room, the door closed behind you.

“I have something to tell you,” you admitted. You weren’t sure if telling Jinyoung about your dream was a good idea, but... you were going to do it anyway. If you didn’t tell someone, you very well might burst. You’d been sitting alone at your desk with no human interaction (and a racing mind) for too long.

“Okay?” Jinyoung replied. “What’s up? Why are you acting like you’re about to kidnap me?”

“I had a dream with Jackson last night.”

His eyes widened. His eyebrows raised. The corners of his lips turned down slightly.

“Oh,” he responded. “What... kind of dream?”

“...A good one. A dating one.”

“So... you like him now.” He posed it as a statement rather than a question, meaning he thought he knew the answer already.

“No!” you hissed. “I mean, I don’t know. Maybe. But maybe not.”

A very smug smirk grew on Jinyoung’s lips, and you let out a strangled sigh.

“Stop! This is not funny! What do I do?!”

“Uh... ask him out?” he replied as if it were extremely obvious. And maybe it was. Just not to you.

“Ask him out?! What?! Why would I do that?!”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t know if I like him or not!”

Jinyoung shook his head, chuckling softly in amusement. “That’s kind of what dating is, Genius. Going out with someone, spending time with them to try and find out if you’re compatible. Figure out how you feel about them.”

You opened your mouth to rebut his statement, but... The guy had a girlfriend. You were single. He knew a bit more about relationships than you did.

“But... how do I...?”

Jinyoung waited for you to finish, but you never did. “How do you what?”

“How do I ask him out without getting his hopes up?”

“You say ‘hey, I’d like to go out with you, but I’m not sure how I feel about you.’ That’s literally it.”

“But what if I hurt his feelings?!” you asked, a slight whine in your tone.

Jinyoung tamped down a smirk, and you really felt like lifting up your crutch and slapping it off his face. If you didn’t treasure him so much as a friend, you probably would have.

“If you’re that concerned about hurting his feelings, I think it’s pretty obvious that you like him.”

You sneered at him. “I do not.”

“Okay, whatever you say,” Jinyoung chuckled. “Just ask him out, though. What have you got to lose?”

“Uh, he could say ‘no’ and then it would be super awkward for as long as we both work here.”

“...He won’t say ‘no.’”

“How do you know that?”

“I told you already. Last week, remember? He likes you. One-hundred percent.”

You let out a huff and turned yourself around, hobbling toward the door and flinging it open. You’d had enough of Jinyoung’s nonsense for today, thank you very much.

“Good luck,” Jinyoung murmured as he slipped through the door after you.

“Yeah, yeah,” you grumbled. Before you headed back to your desk, though, you decided to grab a drink from the vending machine in the break room. 

And the first thing you saw when you arrived?

There was someone already at the vending machine.

And who was that person?

Surprise, surprise.

It was Jackson.

“Hey,” he greeted with a cheerful, close-lipped smile.

“Good afternoon,” you replied. And, before you could second-guess yourself, you decided to just go for it. “Actually, uh...”

Okay, now you were actually doing it, you were kind of chickening out. Maybe you wouldn’t so much ask him on a date as you would... ask him to do something work-related with you?

“What’s up?” he asked, pressing the button for a Diet Coke.

“I was wondering -- wait, I thought you didn’t drink soda?”

Ever since his first week here, he barely stopped talking about organic green tea, and you’d literally never seen him drink anything else besides water. So why was he getting a Diet Coke from the vending machine?

“Oh, I was... actually getting this for you. As, like, a Friday treat,” he admitted, his grin turning a bit shy.

“Really?” you asked, a smile of your own appearing on your lips. “Thank you. That’s so nice of you.”

You could hear Jinyoung’s voice in your head saying, ‘He’s not being nice, you idiot! He likes you!’

“You said you were wondering something?” Jackson asked.

“Yes! Yes, I, uh... So, are -- are you busy? Tonight?”

Jackson’s eyes widened slightly in surprise. “Tonight? No. No, I’m not busy. Why?”

“I’ve... kind of gotten behind this week. Moving a bit slower than usual... And I was wondering if... maybe... you could help me get some work done? I know it’s Friday and nobody wants to work on the weekend, so you can totally say --”

“I would be happy to.”

“--No if you -- wait, really?”

Jackson’s slight smile turned into a beam, and your heart began to beat just a bit faster. “Of course! Were you wanting to just stay here or...?”

“No, we don’t have to! We can --” you cleared your throat anxiously. “We can go to my place. If that’s -- I mean, if you want -- Who wants to stay at the office on a Friday evening?”

Oh, god, could you sound any more nervous?

You could’ve sworn you saw a slight smirk pull at Jackson’s lips, but it vanished before he said, “Cool, sounds good. I’ll stop by your cube at the end of the day, and we can leave together?”

“Sure,” you nodded, forcing a smile and hoping it wasn’t incredibly awkward and unattractive.

“Were you coming in here to get something?” Jackson asked.

“Oh! Uh, I was... going to get a Diet Coke, actually,” you admitted a bit sheepishly. “So, I’ll just... go back to my desk, then.”

You maneuvered your way out of the break room, limping back into the office area and toward your desk. Jackson followed, setting the can of Diet Coke he’d bought for you on your desk before wishing you a good afternoon.

A relieved sigh escaped your lips as you plopped down into your desk chair.

You weren’t entirely sure you could count this as a success because... well, you hadn’t actually asked him on a date. You’d simply asked him over to your place to work.

But, still! He’d said ‘yes!’

Which... you wouldn’t tell Jinyoung just yet because he would most definitely rub it in your face.

By the end of the day, you were extremely glad you’d chosen to ask Jackson after lunch. It was bad enough having to wait a few hours; you couldn’t imagine if you’d had to wait all day.

Honestly, though, you didn’t know why you were nervous to begin with! It wasn’t an official date, and you didn’t even know for sure if you had feelings for him or not.

...Maybe that’s exactly why you were so nervous. Because you didn’t know for sure if you had feelings for him or not.

“Hey, you ready?” Jackson asked, having seemingly appeared out of nowhere.

You jumped a little, startled by his sudden closeness. “Y--yeah,” you said, a bit breathless.

It seemed like Jackson was about to say something, but apparently, he thought better of it. 

Was it just you or was Jackson showing some serious restraint lately? First, he went a whole few days without bothering you or asking if you needed anything. And now, he was holding himself back from saying something? Probably from asking if you were okay, if you could guess.

“So, this is everything I need to --”

Jackson picked up the stack of papers you were gesturing toward on your desk immediately.

You should’ve known. He had, obviously, gone too long without helping you and was now itching to do something for you. It was... kind of cute, actually.

“All right, shall we?” he asked with raised eyebrows. “I drove, so you can ride with me - if you want to, of course.”

“Well, it makes the most sense,” you chuckled as you slung your bag over your shoulder and made your way out toward the elevators - the last time on crutches, thank goodness.

Even though the elevator ride was fairly short, Jackson still managed to learn how your day had been, what you’d had for lunch, how much longer you needed to be on crutches, and he assured you he would help you finish all your work as quickly as possible.

But, for some reason, it didn’t seem like he was bombarding you. It didn’t seem like he was going on and on, talking incessantly.

He wasn’t annoying you.

It just seemed like he was your friend. Like he was purely wanting to catch up with you.

What had changed? Why were you no longer bothered by his constant questions and remarks? Was it only because you’d had a dream about him? Or was it because you’d gotten used to it? Or was it because you realized it was just his way of showing he cared? A combination of all of them?

Truly, you didn’t really know. And if you thought too much about it, you’d probably combust.

So you simply followed him out of the office building toward his dark green sedan in the parking lot, answering his questions calmly and asking a few of your own, as well.

Once Jackson was sure you were buckled in with your crutches safely in the back seat, he took his own spot behind the wheel and began the half-hour drive to your townhouse.

You gave him directions, of course, but you did feel a bit awkward. The last (and only) time you’d ridden in a car with Jackson was on the way to the hospital last weekend, and you couldn’t get the memories of total embarrassment out of your mind.

Thankfully, and unsurprisingly, Jackson managed to fill all of the uncomfortable silences during the ride, talking about this and that. Nothing in particular. He brought up his niece, of course, and you found that was enough to break the ice - for you, at least. You talked about your own nieces and nephews, and you even asked him for advice on becoming the Cool Aunt.

“The key is to spoil them rotten,” he told you just as he pulled up in front of your place. “If your brother says they can’t have something, you give it to them.”

“But won’t that turn them into... y’know. Brats? If they just always get what they want?”

“But you’re not around them all the time,” he pointed out. “If it only happens a few times a year, that’s plenty of time for their parents to actually discipline them. It’s our job as aunts and uncles to indulge them.”

“Okay,” you chuckled, nodding. “Got it. I’ll do my best the next time I see them.”

Jackson turned off the car then, quickly getting out and jogging around to get your crutches ready for you. As you unbuckled your seatbelt, you couldn’t help but let your nerves and anxiety take over more than they already had.

Because Jackson was at your house. He was about to go inside your house.

You were about to be on a kind of date. With Jackson.

...Well.

Here goes nothing.

Part 7

[mingyaus]

agust (lyft )d(river)

summary  yoongi happens to be ur driver on ur worst day in a while

pairing yoongi x fem!reader (probs eventually one day there will be romance)

genre light angst, friendly stranger vibes

warnings mentions of sex and alcohol

word count 1837

The random handsome stranger Yoongi M. is your Lyft driver for the night. Maybe it’s his looks or maybe it’s your overwhelming fear about your destination or maybe you’re just dumb, but something makes you trust him enough with this request.

“Hey, would you mind waiting for me until I enter the house?”

“Um, sure.” He’s not entirely surprised. This is a first for a request like this, but he assumes you’re worried about your own safety, which is why you’re asking for this. He’s absolutely wrong though, and made the wrong decision, but it’s too late now because you’re stepping out of his car in these ridiculous stilettos paired with a daring flowy maxi-skirt. You time it perfectly so that the car door doesn't slam onto your embarrassingly expensive skirt and make your way up the porch steps until you reach the front door.

Ring ding dong, ring ding dong Ring diggy ding diggy ding ding din

You think you’re imagining it, but you’re definitely not because when you ring the doorbell again it makes the same noise.

Ring ding dong, ring ding dong Ring diggy ding diggy ding ding din

Yes, that definitely is the sound of the classic Shinee hit “Ring Ding Dong.” After your third ring, a young man opens the door. His eyes are squinting at his brightly lit porch, much brighter than the pitch black darkness of the inside of his home.

“Hi, I’m here for Seulgi and Namjoon’s wedding party. I believe it starts at 7 pm? In a few minutes.” Even though it’s obvious this is not the venue, you still shoot your shot hoping for some sort of explanation for the mix up.

“Uh, Seulgi? I don’t know anyone of that name. Namjoon? Joon? Jun? I know a Wen Junhui, but he’s in China right now, so I don’t know how you’d get to him especially at this hour in China time.” The man rubs at his eyes, obviously he’s just woken up from a nap or a really early bedtime.

“No, he’s not who I’m looking for. Sorry, I think I just got the wrong address. Sorry, for disturbing you. Have a nice night.”

“Aw, no, I’m sorry. Have a nice night too.” He smiles, his hamster-like features giving you hope to make you feel a little better about this mix-up. You two wave and you’re off, back to Yoongi M. who’s patiently been waiting for you during these awkward few minutes.

“Hey,” You say avoiding his gaze. Hopefully he didn’t hear any of that awful interaction. “Can you just give me a ride home? I can pay.”

“Sure,” He nods lowering the volume of his music. Yoongi must have turned it on while you were outside. You can still hear the tail end of a rap as Yoongi restarts his car, but then he switches it to Top 40 radio.

“You can keep it on your music.” You mutter.

“Uh, it’s not exactly my music, but sure I’ll keep it on.” Yoongi switches the station again and then turns the music up louder as he gets back on the dark road barely lit by the occasional streetlight.

This song starts somewhere near the middle, on some verse. You try to pay attention to the lyrics trying to keep your mind off the thoughts that threaten to invade your mind.

Cotton, wind, blow, blouse (Stop baby don’t stop) Hair, flower, aroma, scent (Stop baby don’t stop) Cold, eyes, ice, dive (Stop baby don’t stop) Touch, warm, melt, lips (Stop baby don’t stop)

You think to yourself, what a strange rap? So random. So artistic?

Yoongi’s smiling, happy to be listening to his greatest semi-guilty pleasure NCT U. Man I love Taeyong’s genius rap.

Just get yourself around it’ now yeah (baby don’t stop and no) I'm crazy, my sweet coconut (baby don’t stop today)

You’re a bit shaken. What was that? Was that supposed to be some hidden innuendo? Oh, man. Namjoon used to make the best innuendos in middle school. He was probably making some dirty jokes when you bumped into him and Seulgi at the convenience store. Back in the day, she would laugh the most at Namjoon’s gross jokes out of everyone in your group. You should’ve known she liked him even before they started dating. She was laughing so hard even today. That’s how you noticed them there in the store. And then when you noticed them, they were telling you about their wedding, and then invited you…

Gotta, gotta, gotta, gotta get that I will never stop, gotta get that

Yoongi’s smiling even harder, hoping you can’t see his gummy smile from the back seat.

Man, I love NCT. I hope she doesn’t think I’m weird for listening to them. But hopefully she doesn’t actually believe this is my music. Yoongi’s thinking, when he hears you sniffling and interrupting Ten’s lucious vocals.

“Um, are you alright there?” Yoongi asks, and unfortunately has to turn down the music again. Fortunately the song is almost ending.

“Y-yeah.” You sniffle more, choosing to wipe your nose on your skirt.

“You sure?” Yoongi asks. He’s internally cringing. Usually he wouldn’t say anything to a crying girl, just carry onto his normal business, but you’re different. You’re a customer. Wait, no. Jokes. I’m more mature than that. I would ask “Are you ok?” once. And yes, that’s a leading question and that’s the point because I don’t want to talk more than I have to especially if they’re a crying stranger. “There are some tissues in the driver’s seat pocket.”

“Aw, t-thanks.” You lean over grabbing a handful of tissues from the box and blowing.

“Sorry, I don’t have a trash bag.” He says, hoping you won’t just leave them in the back seats. He sighs in relief when you just crumple them up and keep them in your hands.

“It’s okay.” You nod trying to compose yourself better. “B-but actually, no. It’s not okay. I’m not okay.”

“Okay,” Yoongi tries to sound empathetic, but he’s really struggling. He just wanted to work a bunch tonight to make some money, but he had to get a strange rider today. He’s gotten a few strange riders in the past, but you’re costing him the most time out of all of them.

“I-I just wanted to go to my friend’s wedding party. You see, them plus a few other people and I were super close in middle school. We obviously drifted apart, b-but today I saw them in the convenience store. Me, buying peanuts because I just came from a flight and I love love love those airplane peanut snacks and was craving some more. Anyways, they were there buying condoms, like they were trying so hard to hide them, but it was so obvious, and there’s nothing wrong with that at all. Like go them. Go have safe sex, good kids. We were catching up for a bit like polite adults and they mentioned today was their wedding day. They had just finished the ceremony and were taking a little break before the party, and they invited me to it, and they scribbled the address on my hand and ugh I don’t know what happened, but either I can’t read or they wrote the wrong address—” You’re about to go on, but Yoongi doesn’t want you to get on any more tangents, so he interrupts with a nice-sounding comment.

“I’m sure they didn’t mean to mess up the address.”

“But they totally could have!” Dear God. You’re shouting now. Yoongi was trying to listen to NCT’s “Heartbreaker” playing in the background to soothe him as he listens to your complaints, but you’re just getting a bit rowdy right now, so Yoongi gives up and totally turns off the music.

“Well, it’s their wedding day. They’re probably overwhelmed.” Yoongi says defending himself and the stranger couple. At the same time he’s trying to lighten your load of self-blame.

“Sure...I just hope they don’t hate me.” You whimper. Your tears have finished flowing, and now you’re just hiccuping occasionally filling the silence that has built up. “I’m sorry for being dramatic.”

“Well, there’s nothing wrong with letting out your emotions sometimes.”

“Yeah, I guess.” You nod. Yoongi thinks you’re over the whole address debacle, but you bring it up again. “But really why do you think they gave me the wrong directions?”

“I really don’t know. I don’t think we’ll ever know.” Yoongi’s not set on finding the truth of the matter. He just wants to calm you down, so he offers up another explanation. “Maybe they were drunk?”

“Already? It was 2 pm.”

“It’s 5 pm somewhere.” A silence settles over the car again and Yoongi hopes he’s in the clear, able to just drop you off and then turn his NCT playlist back on again.

“Yeah.” You sigh. You’re back to your home. Your lonely home. You don’t even have a pet. Again, something about something makes you take a chance on Yoongi M., who still just wants to listen to NCT and pick up some more rides. “Hey, do you want to like come in for ice cream or a drink or something?”

“U-uh,” Yoongi’s stuttering. Is she trying to hook up with me??!! No customer has ever asked him anything like this. Maybe some flirters here and there, but they were obviously on something. The only thing you appear to be on is hurt emotions. He’s stunned. “Um.”

“I don’t have any malintentions! I swear. I just don’t have anyone to hang out with.” You’re being honest. You think this Yoongi M. is quite handsome, but you wouldn’t sleep with him, at least for now.

“A-a drink?” Yoongi’s still processing your request. “You’re not in the h-health department, right? I’m a responsible driver. I never drink and drive.”

“No! No way.” You shake your head, now regretting your second strange request. Maybe you’re asking too much of him. You lean over to look in the car’s side mirror and he looks shell shocked. Yes, you definitely are asking too much of him. You try to calm him down by revealing something about yourself. “I-I used to have an internship with the health department though. I wanted to be a doctor, but look at me now. I’m just some young lonely person in the city. I literally have no friends or family here. Like I’m not asking you to be my friend, but I just want friends.”

And he thinks about what just tumbled out of your mouth. Maybe you are the drunk one right now. Whatever. You honestly just seem like such a sad case, and something about something makes him trust you right now when he says, “Okay fine. I’ll hang out with you for a bit.”

“Yay!” You’re squealing, overjoyed to finally have someone to hang out with.

“But just because you’re such a sad case.” He mutters hoping you don’t really hear him, but you hear him anyways and don’t mind.

“Thanks.”

masterlist

[ladyluck852]

Torn Apart (Slytherin!Shinwon x Reader)

A/N: well this was a long, wild, entertaining ride. It was for them too I would assume, I really liked writing this one if you can’t tell by the amount of words, Slytherin!Shinwon wrecked me. There is...room for a part two, but you didn’t hear that from me. There is also an introduction to our second pair of Slytherin, twins ;)

Word count: 7.6k+

Genre: angst, a bit of romance if I do say so myself, Hogwarts train ride au idk lol. 

Warnings: lots of cursing but all in good taste, perv boys, no good endings, slightly NSFW but not really, mentions of an injury. If I missed anything don’t hesitate to tell me pls. 

Moodboard | Masterlist 

*

Koh Shinwon was terrifying, his posture was terrifying, his height was terrifying, the permanent scowl on his face was terrifying. When his boots thumped past the first years on the hogwarts express they cowered, compartments were closed and locked, stares were averted, breathing stopped. When you thought of all the classical Slytherin traits and then some, you thought of Koh Shinwon, he was Slytherin to the very bone. Of course this was something he took pride in, the way people feared him, the way his teachers couldn’t look him in the eye and the way it made the girls in his house want him terribly so. His parents were so thrilled to have created him, the perfect Pureblood, the genius Slytherin, the one with a reputation that was the horror story at young girls’ sleepovers. Koh Shinwon was at the top, and he always would be, nothing would ever change that.

Y/n was a different story, if you thought of all that was radiant and welcoming, greek goddess standards of beauty, ravenclaw smartness and Gryffindor bravery you’d find y/n. She was perhaps everyone’s favorite Hufflepuff, her bright smile and yellow sweater a welcoming sight for the first years when she passed them on the train. She had a reputation that, like Shinwon’s, proceeded her. She was ridiculously kind, smart, every teachers pride and joy and headgirl going into her seventh year, every young girl wanted to be like her. Little witches dreamt of the day they could finally make it to hogwarts and be just like y/n, she was a positive ray of sunshine and to her muggle parents she was the most beautiful person they could have created. They knew they’d raised her well, and they knew she’d be in great hands at Hogwarts.

Y/n and Shinwon couldn’t be any more different, they’d never interacted in their entire time at the school, never even brushed elbows in the hallways, y/n had her fair share of friends from each house but he was far from what most people would call friendly. They had nothing in common that would make them possibly want to even speak, no class that required them to be paired together, so it was a strange twist of fate when they landed in the same train compartment together on their last year at Hogwarts.

The train was full and they had both been late, y/n because she’d had a problem with her luggage and Shinwon simply because he’d spent 30 minutes wondering if he should just not go. The train ride was a long and tiring ordeal, Shinwon oftentimes sat alone or with his friends but this year the twins were sitting with some girls and that’s as far as his list of tolerable people went. He finally found an empty compartment and was relieved, the train was due to leave in less than two minutes when his compartment opened and in walked y/n looking like a ray of sunshine. Stupidly bright and pretty, he got upset just looking at her, she breathed a sigh of relief and didn’t even seem phased when she noticed the Slytherin, she just set her bag down and sat close to the window.

Shinwon had the urge to scoot over, his knees practically touching hers as she pulled a book out and got situated on her seat. She was wearing a sundress in autumn, tucking her legs underneath her while Shinwon rolled his eyes at the ridiculous amount of leg she was now showing. He got the sense that the compartment was now stuffed, cramped, the air was a bit thick and he was desperate to open the door to the compartment. The train movement caused it to shut as soon as he did, y/n noticed his oddly frantic actions and removed another book from her bag to use as a door stop.

“You’re welcome” y/n said quietly, her voice prettier than he thought it would be, he just stared at her with a glare in his eyes and y/n raised an eyebrow at his strange expression, “did I do something? Didn’t I solve your problem?”

There was no hint of malice in her voice, it was a simple question and Shinwon’s head couldn’t stop spinning. She was actually talking to him, no one talked to him if they didn’t have to, especially not the Hufflepuff’s. Maybe the Ravenclaw’s but only when he was getting in trouble by their prefect’s, those crazy geniuses were always mouthy with him and it was annoying.

“Thanks” Shinwon mumbled, his mouth barely moving as he stared out the compartment and at the window across from them. Y/n went back to her book, wondering if he was okay because he seemed to be in a bad mood. Not that it was any of her concern, she worried too much about everyone and maybe she just shouldn’t apply it here.

An hour passed, Shinwon counted the remaining hours with a sigh and wondered if this day could be any more boring, he would die before he even made it to Hogwarts and that was all he wanted. He hated school, he hated being around people, it made him anxious and upset to have to walk through the halls and get bumped into by first years or hear teenage girls whisper things about him. He got sweaty just thinking about it, his nerves extra jumbly and his head thinking too much, it wasn’t good and he glared out the window hoping for a disaster.

Y/n pretended like she hadn’t been peeking at Shinwon the entire train ride, curious seeing him no more than three feet away and wondering how he got his skin so smooth and blemish free. Shinwon pretended like he didn’t notice her looking, instead stealing glances every time she went back to her book, wondering why the hell she was so beautiful and knowing the rumors were true. It was just some weird type of natural beauty, you looked at her and knew she was good from the inside out, she made Shinwon feel warm and he hated it.

Y/n heard the trolley witch and got awfully excited, bumping into Shinwon and making him do a double take when he saw her pulling her sundress down after it had ridden up, exposing her tan skin and lacy underwear.

“What the hell” Shinwon hissed, glancing around the compartment for a space to breathe, his chest tight as he covered his face. He took a deep breath, y/n hung off of the door and waved at the trolley witch who came right over to the pretty girl with a bright smile.

“Hello dear, what can I get you?” The trolley witch asked, her eyes taking in the appearance of the boy sitting in the compartment with a wild blush on his face. She glanced between the boy and the girl with a knowing look on her face, wondering what the naughty pair were up to only an hour and half into the train ride to school.

“Um... a stack of cauldron cakes, a box of chocoballs, two chocolate wands and a chocolate frog” y/n sighed, in the mood for chocolate and knowing her roommate really liked the chocoballs. She always got her something, they’d been friends since their first year, but she didn’t get a chance to sit with her. Not that she minded, she enjoyed sitting alone, well she wasn’t exactly alone but it sure felt like it.

The trolley witch noticed y/n go back into her compartment and look through her bag, her eyes wide as a small, “shit” passed her lips and she held up a finger with a gentle smile. She had all day, no rush.

Y/n couldn’t find her coin purse, it probably got mixed up with her stupid luggage that made her late. She was searching for spare change in the bottom of her bag when the trolley with saw the boy’s pale hand pass the compartment door and he handed her more than enough money for the girls treats. Y/n’s eyes snapped up when she heard the trolley witch’s cart pass, Shinwon holding her candy in his arms before dumping it onto her train bench and keeping a chocolate want for himself.

“You’re welcome” he mumbled, brushing his hair out of his face as y/n’s face turned a deep red color. He unboxed the chocolate wand, studying it before taking a bite, feeling y/n’s eyes on him and feeling awkward that he had to eat like this. So what he took one of her candies? She could buy more, it’s not like she was the one who spent her money on it anyways.

He saw her hand approach him, his eyes taking in the soft look of her skin as two chocolate frog legs hung out of her mouth, “for you” she said through a mouthful, a collectible card of the founder of Slytherin House between her fingers.

Shinwon’s fingers brushed hers as he took it, his eyebrows furrowing as he tried to smile but couldn’t, just giving a slight nod, “You have chocolate all over your face”

Y/n was taken back, his deep voice loud and clear since he stopped talking in mumbled, her heart skipped a beat as she wiped at her face with the back of her hand, “thank you. For that and the candy. I’ll pay you back once we get to the school”

Shinwon shook his head, “don’t worry about that”

I don’t even want to see you around there anyways. 

Shinwon wanted to forget the fact that he saw her ass, he went back to staring out the window while y/n furiously turned the pages of her book trying to reach the end before the next hour was up. Her watch was ticking steadily, a calming sound as the train whistle blew loudly, it filled Shinwon’s head as he glanced back over at y/n and found her watching him. Her book was shut in her lap and she didn’t exactly turn away when they locked eyes, instead she just stared at him with a weird look in her eye.

“I’m afraid this book is a lot smaller than the one holding your door open, I don’t think it’ll be able to keep it in place. Are you...okay?” Y/n asked, a small smile crossing her face while Shinwon realized she looked concerned. No one ever asked him if he was okay, how he was feeling, what was wrong with this girl? She didn’t even know him, she was so nice, was she really always like that?

Shinwon reached down to remove her book, the door slamming shut as he handed it to her, “aren’t you the one who was taking shots of firewhiskey in the courtyard?”

That’s one of the only times he really remembered seeing y/n at school, wearing a tank top and a pair of jeans in the dead of winter slamming back shot after shot as a group of Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors egged her on. He remembered the look of determination on her face and how loud she was yelling, he really wished she’d get caught at that moment but now looking back he knew he’d got a good glimpse at the type of person she was. Fun?

Y/n snorted, fully amused by the conversation now as she thought back to the vivid images of Shinwon’s muscular back and very pale backside last year, “well aren’t you the one who skinny dipped in the black lake? The giant squid didn’t mind?”

Shinwon choked, his face turning red as the students in the compartment behind them wondered what the hell was even going on. In his defense he was very drunk, it was very late and he either had to jump in the lake or spend the night with some girl annoying who wore thick black eyeliner, the freezing cold lake was a better companion by a long shot.

“You saw that? What were you even doing out there?” Shinwon asked, crossing one long leg over the other as y/n got the sense that he was now relaxing. What Shinwon really wanted to ask is if y/n liked what she saw, but he’d rather fling himself from the moving train before saying that.

“I mean, I was around. Wasn’t it cold? Did you shrivel up with the cold?” She asked, imagining Shinwon turning into an ice cube in fetal position and his entire group of friends dragging him out of the water laughing. Shinwon of course got the wrong idea, taking her harmless statement as an offense and scoffing.

“I’ll have you know I came out perfectly fine! It did not shrink” he said childishly, glaring at her as y/n covered her mouth in surprise.

“No” she giggled, “I didn’t mean that! Wow I really hurt your manhood”

Shinwon wanted to grow horns and yell right now, he just covered his face in embarrassment as y/n laughed in the background, “You know Moaning Myrtle talks about your ass in the restroom right?”

“What?” Y/n asked, her face pale as she stared at Shinwon with a scary look in her eye. Now he’d seen a lot of scary things, but y/n was truly terrifying he kind of didn’t want to be in here with her anymore. Not that he ever did... but now less than ever.

“Yeah, everyone knows about your ass because of her” Shinwon mumbled, lying through his teeth as y/n glared out the window, “like that birthmark you-“

“No!” Y/n groaned, her hands balling into fists before she started laughing, “sorry. I didn’t know you were such a perv”

Y/n laughed while Shinwon looked confused, staring back at y/n unknowingly not knowing how talented she was in Legilimency. It was what she was most proud of, the ability to peep into peoples thoughts if she wanted to, normally people could tell because it felt like a headache. Maybe Shinwon walked around with a permanent headache.

“How did you...but you did it right in front of me so how do you expect me not to look?” Shinwon sighed, ruffling his hair before it fell back into place perfectly. Even his hair was perfect, it made y/n roll her eyes as she pulled a sweater out of her bag and pulled it on. Shinwon tried not to stare at her, feeling like a starved man trying to take in every inch of her body. It was annoying, his face was turning red, how stupid was it that she had to be THAT beautiful?

“I’m sorry, I wish I could come up with a good excuse. Ooh look! Cows!” Y/n said excitedly, practically shoving Shinwon out of the way as she jumped to his side of the compartment to get a couple more glances at the cows in the pasture. Shinwon froze, she smelled really good and he didn’t know what to do now that she was practically in his lap. He slid over before he could do something stupid, staring at the ground while taking deep breaths.

Y/n really didn’t care if Shinwon was an uptight Slytherin like everyone said, he was just a person after all, there were much scarier people out there. Like her grandmother when y/n forgot to do a chore, y/n’s Grandma was the scariest witch around. She could see Shinwon’s reflection in the window and she made a face, wondering how she could get him to open up a bit. She wanted to know more but not be intrusive.

“I don’t really see you at parties” y/n said, turning to face Shinwon who rolled his eyes.

“That’s because you’re a Hufflepuff. You aren’t allowed to see me” he said, trying to joke around but probably sounding serious. This made y/n scoff a bit, a stupid response from a very smart boy.

“Can we pretend our houses aren’t what matter most to you, or our blood purity?” y/n asked, craving a human conversation. Shinwon turned to her, his eyes narrowed and his mouth in a tight line like that was his normal face. She was sure it was, he looked grumpy, like he’d never had fun or been touched by a girl in his life. She was surprised he even got drunk, he seemed like the type to want to be in control all the time, she was getting annoyed thinking about it.

“Why? Do you want to be friends or something?” Shinwon teased, a bored sigh leaving his lips.

“Yes. So get your broomstick out of your ass, do you go to parties or not?”

Shinwon was surprised, not used to anyone talking to him the way she did. He didn’t like it, but he wasn’t going to throw a fit, not now at least, “I do. I don’t see you either, maybe we’re just not meant to be around each other”

Y/n rolled her eyes, goosebumps rising on her skin when he ran his fingers through his hair, “this year I’ll make it a point to see you more often then”

“Please don’t” Shinwon groaned, looking slightly irritated and disgusted by her suggestion.

“Why not? Don’t be a bitch, what are you afraid your friends will care?”

Yes.

“No, but why should I even talk to you once this is over? We just got unlucky, just because you’re stuck with me for 8 hours doesn’t mean you’re entitled to my friendship, time, or friendliness” Shinwon muttered, turning to look at her with a lazy look. Y/n stared back, making Shinwon blush from her heated stare.

“So you’re scared of what your friends will think? That you aren’t really all big and bad, just because you’ll be caught talking to me? When in reality you actually want to be my friend because you-“

“How the hell... you’re so damn nosy. You’re a Legilimens?”

He should have known the tricky girl could practically read his thoughts, that’s why she never shied away when he glared at her. Y/n didn’t know if she felt satisfied or not, determined to be his friend even if he hated it, “well you saw my ass so I’m entitled to a little nosiness”

“You saw mine. What does that give me?” Shinwon scoffed, raising an eyebrow at her while she wiggled her eyebrows at him.

“Anything you want”

He felt like he got punched in the stomach, the darkening sky blurring as her words echoed in his head. She wanted him dead, this heathen was nothing like the rumors. Everyone said she was nice, ethereal, so smart, practically a goddess, Shinwon was pretty sure she was just a nosy little shit like everyone else. Annoying, pesky. But she didn’t really seem like that? At least now he could ask and pretend like it was because she let him.

“You’re nothing like what people say about you, you know that? You’re actually very annoying”

Y/n expected that, most people thought so, she was nothing like the rumors. She wasn’t the smartest student, she had more bad days than good and when people learned that they wished they hadn’t. Everyone knew y/n for her image, not for who she really was, that’s why she was determined to get Shinwon to like who she really truly was.

“You’re also nothing like what people say about you. You haven’t threatened to kill me yet, and I’m not afraid of you at all. When I see you at the next party can we hang out? Take shots?” Y/n asked, seeing how Shinwon gripped his knees while his shoulders sagged.

“You’re killing me. We aren’t friends, if you approach me at a party I will hex the shit out of you. My friends will think it’s a joke, they’d never stop making fun of you” Shinwon said truthfully, not bothering to even lie to her anymore.

“Why do you make friends with such assholes then?  Don’t you feel stupid knowing your friends are terrible? When you leave Hogwarts you are never going to see them again,” She mumbled, reaching for the package of cauldron cakes and shoving one in her mouth, “_why don’t you spend some time making friends who are going to care about you in the end? Cauldron cake?” _

“Thanks,” he sighed, “and who do you suggest? Yourself? What are you going to do for me anyways, bake me pies from the fruit you grow at your farm?”

Shinwon hated animals more than anything, he was almost certain y/n lived on one of those things, it probably smelled bad too.

“I don’t know how to bake pie, I don’t live on a farm. Where did you even hear that? My parents are doctors, do you know what that is? Do pureblood wizards know what doctors are?”

“I hate you” Shinwon grumbled, “so let’s say we stay friends, we study together on the lake and eat lunch together. You make me hot cocoa and I take you to hogsmeade, after the school year ends how are you going to even think about entertaining me? We’ll both be ridiculously busy, your feelings will get hurt when I don’t give you attention” 

“That sounded like you’re thinking of dating me and dumping me, I said friends, you see my ass once and you expect things from me” she teased, pushing his shoulder as he turned to stare at her with a wild look in his eye. He could not believe she even touched him, and now she was handing him half of the last cauldron cake and expecting an answer out of him.

“You said I could have anything,” Shinwon shrugged, shoving the cake in his mouth with a satisfied smirk, “but seriously, give me one reason why I should waste my time?”

“Because you won’t waste your time at all. I make a mean cup of hot cocoa, I even add a little bit of firewhiskey, you’ll be missing out on a lot if you pass this up,” y/n said with a yawn, stretching her arms as she leaned against the window, “now shut up I’m tired”

Shinwon scoffed, turning to look at her as she closed her eyes and settled onto the seat, bringing her legs up so they brushed against his thigh and made Shinwon look for her book once more to hold the door open.

*

*

En Route to Hogwarts// 5:29PM// September 1st

Shinwon got tired of y/n being asleep, he’d gotten used to hearing how annoying she was and had his legs on the bench across from him when he felt her head hit his shoulder. He froze, his first reaction to push her off but when he looked down at her she looked so... sweet. He took a deep breath before staring straight ahead, hearing her laugh quietly, “you’re actually very comfortable. Here I thought you were a stone”

“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself,” Shinwon muttered, rolling his eyes a bit, “any intentions of getting the hell off of me?”

“No. We’re friends so this is fine now, you’re super comfortable and I’m cold so...” y/n trailed off, scooting closer to Shinwon as his entire body got covered in goosebumps despite his sweater. It was rare for any girl to get this type of reaction out of him, maybe it’s because y/n didn’t really care about him, wasn’t desperate to talk about how she’d slept with him to increase her reputation. He got the sense y/n didn’t care much about her reputation, because she didn’t like the way people thought of her, he couldn’t help but notice how similar they were.

“So what exactly happened to your luggage?” Shinwon asked, noticing the lack of much on her side of the compartment, just her bag and candy wrappers.

“Left it in the car, it’ll be there by the time we arrive, at least I hope it’ll be. I miss my pajamas and regret wearing this stupid dress” y/n grumbled, rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes as she got off of his shoulder and leaned against the compartment to gaze at him.

“Well it’s the best outfit I’ve ever seen you in” Shinwon shrugged, trying to joke around, he was tired of not talking to anyone and liked the fact that he didn’t have to pretend when he was with her. Because even if he did, she would probably be nosy and poke around in his thoughts anyway.

“And you’ve seen me how many times? Once. If I ever see you at a party I guess you can get a glimpse of how I look normally” y/n shrugged, smiling at him as he returned the look. Y/n blushed like a tomato, averting her eyes in an instant as her grin stretched across her face, “are you aware that you just smiled?”

“Oh crap I did? Wow I haven’t smiled in five years!” Shinwon gasped, making fun of her as he reached out to poke her shoulder, “tell anyone and I’ll kill you”

“Not like anyone will believe me. They’ll believe everything else before they believe that the Koh Shinwon actually smiled. You don’t look half bad you know? Smiling makes you look less dead”

“Wow thanks,” he muttered dryly, “I’ve always wanted to look alive”

The trolley witch came around again, Shinwon bought y/n a cup of tea, rolling his eyes when she asked him not to. The trolley witch was in the middle of asking what tea the girl wanted when the both of them got into a heated staring match that ended with Shinwon saying she wanted Ceylon tea. Milk, two sugars.

“Not bad” y/n shrugged, sipping her tea that was almost perfect, “n_ot enough milk though. Is it a Slytherin thing? You’re all conniving so you learn Legilimency?_”

Shinwon snorted, watching her sip her tea as her hands shook slightly, “hardly. It was a personal interest”

“Of course it was, you pervert. But who am I to judge, I technically saw you naked” she shrugged, a sly smile on her face that made him nervous. Now he was left wondering how much she saw, and he still wanted to know if she liked what she saw.

“You still haven’t told me what you were doing there, who just hangs around the black lake at night?” Shinwon asked, leaning his head against the door of the compartment, his full attention on y/n who looked sheepish.

“It’s a Hufflepuff thing. Bonfires in the Forbidden Forest. Tell anyone and I’ll kill you”

“Yeah right, like I’d waste my time getting you in trouble. Like you’d go through with th-“ He was cut off by how quickly y/n drew her wand, the pointy tip pressed against his throat as he raised his eyebrow, “that’s...kind of hot?”

Y/n laughed, it was loud and obnoxious and ugly, but Shinwon found himself laughing with her. She had a bit of an infectious smile, something he could help but smile along with while y/n tried to gather her thoughts, “we can duel once we get back to the school”

“That’s not allowed? You like trouble don’t you?” Shinwon asked, adjusting himself slightly so their shoulders were brushing, maybe a little bold if he was being honest with himself.

“You couldn’t tell? You know I’m starting to think you like trouble too” y/n shrugged, glancing at him before looking away shyly, “and it was okay. You’re very pale”

Shinwon’s eyebrows raised, the blush on her cheeks a dead giveaway, he was just glad he didn’t actually have to ask her, “just okay?”

“Oh I’m sorry,” y/n laughed, “were you trying to impress me? Sorry let me start over, you hide a lot underneath your clothes”

Shinwon blushed, so much color on his face that it made y/n worry he would pass out or his head would explode. She was just being honest, if you looked at Shinwon you’d never be able to tell he had a great body. He just looked tall and scary.

“So do you...” Shinwon attempted a rebuttal but couldn’t muster up a good one, not one that impressed y/n in the slightest. He was finding it very hard to do just that, but he knew not much would work on her.

“Yeah, I don’t recall hiding. I’m wearing a summer dress and it’s cold” y/n sighed, wondering how far the restrooms were from her compartment, “I forgot my robes!”

Y/n groaned, burying her face in her hands knowing this whole trip was a disaster, a complete disaster. She was going to have to find her robes before she walked into the castle, probably change in the damn entrance in front of a million people and everyone would go, ‘wow she’s so bold’ ‘what a queen’. Shinwon snorted, not knowing what was so important about robes if the rules were so loose for seventh years. Well maybe they were loose for him, he wasn’t sure, “and here I was thinking I was going to get a show”

Y/n turned to look at Shinwon, he felt stupid for the first time in his life from the look on her face before she started laughing at him, “You really are a pervert. That’s funny, but you don’t deserve me” she shrugged, making Shinwon upset. Well, when wasn’t he upset?

“I don’t deserve you? There might be many reason why you’re right about that, but who are you to say so?” Shinwon asked, plain and simple, he just really wanted to know.

“Oh so now you want to be friends? After the whole train ride was spent being an asshole and saying I didn’t deserve to be your friend and that you hang out with really shitty people, therefore that makes you...?” Y/n tilted her head to the side, eyes wide as Shinwon searched them for a hint of emotion that could give away how she was feeling. Because she didn’t look angry and she never did, but he felt like she was.

“A shitty person I know, something about being stuck with you for eight hours is really messing with my head” Shinwon muttered, his cheeks still pink before he glanced at her again, “I guess we can be friends then”

Y/n’s eyes widened, the look on his face was very sincere while y/n fist bumped, “that means we have to do friend things”

“I already did friends things when I bought you tea, and candy. Your turn you pest”

Y/n hit his shoulder, making him wince and even though she looked like an angel she was more of a demon. A fiery demon sent from Hell to bother Shinwon, drive him insane, “friends hug. You have to hug me in front of people”

He shook his head, his eyes closed as that was the last thing he wanted to do, “You can try to but I won’t-“

Y/n had wrapped her arms around him, she felt like a snake squeezing its dinner and it was oddly comforting? Her breath was hot on his neck and making him shiver again, “nice huh?”

“Well we aren’t exactly around people,” Shinwon said timidly, his hand cold as it wrapped around her and pulled it off of his shoulder, “do this again and I’ll...”

“What?”

“Think of something mean to do? I don’t know. It’s very cramped in here and you want to be on me, you’re like a puppy” Shinwon sighed, pulling his sweater off and making half of his shirt get stuck over his head while y/n tugged it down just so she didn’t stare, “now why’d you do that?”

“You were showing too much skin, that’s definitely indecent, there’s a lady here” she muttered, her cheeks turning pink as she glanced out the window, “almost there. You’re going to stop talking to me once we leave this train aren’t you?”

“I never said that, maybe I like you- being around you. Talking to you, you know?” Shinwon stuttered, his thoughts a mess when y/n turned to him with a mischievous face.

“Hah, someone has a crush” she snorted, waving him off and making him get angry like you know, a four year old would.

“It’s not a crush, it’s not my fault you have a surprisingly nice body” Shinwon sighed, sinking into his seat and bunching his sweater into his hands. Y/n watched him fume for a little bit, very entertaining to say the least. He was probably the most interesting boy she’d ever met, and that was saying a lot, most boys were only nice to her until she showed them affection and then they turned cold. Shinwon was always cold, it was a refreshing thing. She got the sense he wouldn’t change much, not if he had been that way his whole life, but she could learn to live with it.

“So where are you taking me for Christmas break? Since we’re friends, will you take me somewhere cool?” Y/n changed the subject expertly, Shinwon didn’t even think about his previous troubles as he thought about some things she might like. She was muggle born after all, he didn’t think she did much stuff with wizards if it wasn’t at school.

“Well, we can get matching shrunken heads in Knockturn Alley, and then I can take you antique shopping. That sounds fun” he said, just being honest here.

“Wow, romantic, then we can go drink hot cocoa. Then what? Will you meet my parents?” She asked, wide eyed and curious as Shinwon smiled, a snort passing his lips.

“No,” he laughed, “they’ll think something is wrong with me. ‘Y/n who is this sickly pale boy, is he alright? Is he a patient?’ And I’ll be embarrassed. What would you even tell them?”

Y/n laughed, covering her mouth to muffle the sounds of her loud obnoxious laughter, “no I’ll tell them that you’re a nice boy with a nice ass, kind of mean but not a hospital patient”

“Oh so you think my ass is nice, thanks, yours isn’t half bad either”

“If you stick around, things might look up for you,” y/n shrugged, “I’m hoping the-“ 

The train jerked, an unexpected stop en route made y/n’s heart speed up from all the movement and Shinwon rolled his eyes, “if I have to be stuck on this damn train with you for even longer I’ll go mad” 

“You’re just saying that because you-” y/n’s words were muffled when she got up and yanked down the curtain to their compartment, “stop being a baby”

“Oh my god...” Shinwon whispered, his eyes wide as he stared at her, “things can either go in my favor or not, are you going to kill me or strip?”

“Which one of those is in your favor?!” Y/n cackled, sitting on the bench opposite of him so their knees were touching and he wanted to say it was uncomfortable but it wasn’t, “do you guys eat snake in Slytherin?”

“I don’t know, do you guys eat badgers? You grill them up in the Forbidden Forest? That’s kind of gross,” Shinwon snorted, “have you ever seen a dragon?”

Y/n gasped, her eyes wide and making Shinwon jump in his seat before he realized she was reacting to what he’d said, “I’ve always wanted to! You’ve seen a dragon before?”

“Do I have to add that to the list of things we’re doing this winter? My cousin is a dragon breeder, not illegal, but still not exactly legal at the same time” Shinwon mumbled, his cheeks turning red from the way y/n’s eyes looked like they were swimming, “you...aren’t part Veela or something right?”

Her face changed, it pinched up and her cheeks got red as she covered a giggle with both hands. The gesture was cute he had to admit, but it would make sense if she was, no one was that pretty for no reason, “are you calling me pretty?”

He shrugged, the train jerking slightly as it continued on its path, “finally. I can’t wait to be rid of you”

Y/n pouted, tapping Shinwon’s knee while holding up the large book that had been holding their door open, “this was on my summer reading list and I didn’t get to finish it because you distracted me”

“You call that distracting? I can do a much better job, but I need to use the restroom so maybe you’ll get stuff done while I’m gone” 

Shinwon breathed a sigh of relief when he left the compartment, stomping down the hall with a bit of a smile on his face, everyone was still afraid of him and even more so now that he looked cheerful. The first years were certain he murdered someone, and when they noticed the shades on his compartment drawn they were certain he did, they just hoped it wasn’t anyone important.

“Shinwon. Where have you been?” One of the twins asked, his brother sitting lazily with his legs up on the table as Yanan played with with a piece of fabric in his hands. Shinwon noticed it was underwear, ladies underwear, but due to the alarming lack of ladies around he found it weird. He truthfully didn’t intend on wandering into the train car where the Slytherin’s usually gathered, a car over from where he’d been, but the bathroom was no nearby he couldn’t help himself.

“Around” Shinwon shrugged, his hands in his pockets as Yeo One stared at him with a lazy look in his eye. Well lazy, and kind of scary, Shinwon knew he was the scary Slytherin around but the twins were definitely something else. They were always talking nonsense, seemed to know what each other were thinking always, and they were both very very smart.

“You think he’s got a girl?” Yeo One asked Yanan, raising and eyebrow as he looked around the train car, “so who is it. Spill”

“I’m alone. Since when do I have time for girls, they’re stupid” Shinwon muttered, running a hand through his hair as the twins exchanged a look. They knew he was lying, they could tell, Shinwon just ignored them as he took his robes into the restroom and shut the door to wash his face. The twins made him nervous, he didn’t know how he survived all these years with them at all.

Y/n was reading her book, waiting for Shinwon to come back when the compartment door slid open and a tall boy with blonde hair sat on the bench across from her. He had a scary look on his face, she got the sense that despite his smile he wasn’t very friendly, she felt a chill just being around him. Y/n didn’t know his intentions and she was going to be mean for no reason, but she was going to stay cautious. The more she stared and tried to pick his brain the wider his smile got, until he looked like the Cheshire Cat almost.

“I’m Yanan” he said quietly, extending his hand for her to take. She timidly shook his hand, glancing out the window before glancing at her watch and was glad to know they were approaching Hogwarts and quickly.

“Y/n. Can I-“ 

“Help me? Yeah a bit, if you don’t mind. You know Shinwon?” He asked, his long legs occupying the space so even if y/n wanted to leave she couldn’t.

“N-not personally no,” y/n whispered, avoiding his eyes when she suddenly got uncomfortable after not being able to get a proper read on him.

“My twin is a Legilimens, it’s only natural that I’m the opposite. Stop trying to get in my head, it won’t work,” Yanan sighed, bored that he had to do this but knowing his brother would be mad if he didn’t find anything out. The good thing was that she was pretty, not the prettiest but pretty, maybe there was some sort of appeal to her, “that’s his luggage above my head you know?”

“And?” Y/n asked defensively, surprisingly Yanan but in a good way. His smirk widened but y/n didn’t really want to play games anymore, “What is it to you?”

“I’d just rather not see you around you know? Shinwon is important, he doesn’t need someone like you when the world is so big and there are much better witches around” Yanan shrugged, watching how visibly upset this made the girl and kind of wishing he didn’t say anything because he didn’t want to have to deal with a crying girl. He really wished his brother didn’t make him do this.

In the train car over, Shinwon was sitting halfway pressed against the window by a girl who was talking his ear off, Yeo One amused because Shinwon had no idea where Yanan was right now. Shinwon really wanted to get back to y/n before the train ride was over, wanting to talk to her as much as he could before he didn’t see her for most of the year. He was sure he’d now look for her at parties, tease her a bit here and there, but he was really looking forward to Christmas break. He really wanted to do those things with her, if he must admit.

“What the hell” Shinwon muttered, a loud bang making everyone in the train car jump, the source of the noise being the door in between cars behind slammed open while someone whined and whimpered. Yeo One rolled his eyes, not knowing when his brother had become such a baby because he was pouring blood from his nose and being drug by the ear by a girl who was way smaller than him.

“Is that your girlfriend Shinwon?” Yeo One asked, gesturing to the girl as Shinwon practically shoved the Slytherin girl out of the way and got out of his seat.

“You guys are assholes, no wonder no one likes you,” y/n said, looking disgusted as she let go of Yanan, who practically slithered to the seat beside his brother and wiped at his nose with the pair of underwear he’d left at the table, “your friends are great Shinwon. Maybe next time you guys antagonize a poor girl you can keep the ordeal shorter so she doesn’t waste eight hours on someone she shouldn’t”

“I didn’t...I mean-“

Y/n cut Shinwon off with a wave of her hand, shaking her head as her face began to turn red, “I don’t want to see you again, ever. You’re terrible”

She left the same way she came, with a slam of the train car door as Shinwon stared after her feeling sick to his stomach. He turned to the twins who had the same look in their eye, never looking more alike than they did when they were up to something, Shinwon felt shaky as he approached them, “What the hell did you two do?”

“We were curious...” Yanan muttered, his face free of blood so he could go back to looking like a smug cat who ate the canary.

“That’s all” Yeo One continued, shrugging a bit as he turned to his brother, “no harm no foul” 

Shinwon rolled his eyes, stomping out of the train car and making the first heard cower in fear all over again. This time he looked truly terrifying, arriving at the train compartment he’d shared with y/n as the train stopped completely. She didn’t even look at him as she grabbed her things, brushing past him as the words failed to come out of his throat. He grabbed his luggage before heading after her, students definitely stayed put in their train compartments when they saw him passing by, rushing after y/n.

Y/n didn’t know how to feel, to think she could actually be friends with someone like Shinwon was stupid, to think she was actually starting to like him. She thought she was getting through to him, she thought they could be friends, that’s all she wanted was to just get to know him. The real him. But it felt like she didn’t even catch a glimpse at who he truly was at all, she felt so stupid.

“Y/n will you just talk to me?!” Shinwon hissed, everyone on the train platform going quiet as they looked between the Hufflepuff and the Slytherin with weary eyes.

“Nothing to talk about, nothing at all. I’m fine without you, leave me alone,” y/n muttered, shoving the candy into her bag before facing Shinwon with an unfriendly look in her eye. No one had ever seen y/n look so angry, or sad, or cold, she was always so happy, “I said I didn’t want to see you”

“But I didn’t do anything,” Shinwon sighed, rubbing his face, feeling a hollowness in his chest that hurt like hell, “I swear I had no part. What did he say to you?”

“Nothing. I’m just a stupid Hufflepuff aren’t I, not good enough for you, especially since I’m not a pureblood. You and everyone in your house, you’re bigoted and it scares me that I wanted to get closer to you. I regret everything” y/n whispered, rubbing the hot tears that fell from her eyes, never having felt more embarrassed and heartbroken in her entire life.

“I’m sorry”

“I don’t care. I really don’t Shinwon, this was stupid, but thank you for reminding me that no one is ever truly the way they seem, they can actually be much worse”

Shinwon and y/n didn’t expect their school year to be ruined before it even started, they certainly didn’t expect to meet someone who could cause such an impact in your life in just eight hours, neither of them wanted to admit they actually begun to like each other less than two hours into the stupid train ride. It was stupid how great it could have been, how happy they could have been together when they finally got rid of everyone’s expectations of them. Maybe the holidays would bring them together, because something told them they’d never get over this.

[mochenle]

Masked | Jeno

genre: fluff, angst; superhero au

word count: 9,275

~

your foot was fervently tapping against the cold white tiles on the floor. you still had a whole thirty minutes left in your fourth period. but you didn’t have thirty minutes. you had to leave now. your phone was going crazy with notifications regarding a bank robbery occurring just a few blocks away from the park. what excuse will you use to get out of class this time?

luckily, your fourth period was chemistry, which was your fortè. that’s probably why it would be so easy to skip class without your teacher being too angry about it. he knew you were a genius and liked to use it as an excuse for the class to actually learn something.

“i’ll be announcing your lab partners for the next project in a few minutes.”

partners again? you really hated projects that made you interact with other people. part of the reason being that you don’t have any friends besides Jaemin. you two were basically related. there wasn’t anything you two couldn’t do together, but of course you weren’t always going to be paired with each other. last quarter’s project was a stellar example of you being stuck with someone other than Jaemin. specifically, someone you personally tended to avoid.

that person was none other than Lee Donghyuck. you resented his existence. ever since he stuck chewing gum in your hair in third grade, your relationship with him has grown quite distasteful. you two always had it out for each other. he sprayed silly string on your locker one day, you put glue on his seat the next. it was a toxic cycle, but both of you were always in petty competitions and couldn’t help but continue them.

which leads you to the other reason you despised working with other people. as earlier mentioned, your mind processes information as hastily as you were to put it into your work. when it came to that, you grew quite impatient when people slowed your work process and change the way things your mind has already planned out. it’s not that you were trying to be rude, but you like your work to turn out just the way you picture it. the only person you could tolerate was Jaemin. or maybe that Lee Jeno.

Lee Jeno. you always had an eye for him. everyone did. he was everyone’s middle school crush. it was the same case for you. you’ve had feelings for him since the sixth grade. and now that he played on the varsity baseball team it was almost impossible for anyone to not feel the same. the thought of being with him brought sparks to your mind, but how lucky could you be to get him as a partner?

you were anxious to find out who your lab partner would be, hoping and praying that it wouldn’t be Donghyuck again. you didn’t have time to put up with him. you already have enough weight on your shoulders saving the city and all. but you could be lucky. it could be Jeno. no stop. now’s not the time. though you were curious to find out what demon fate chose for you to be partnered with, you were more focused on the crime alert. you had just received another notification about the heist, stating that the culprits were just about to escape. this was not happening. not on your watch.

“excuse me sir, i really need to use the bathroom.” “right now? you’ll have to answer a test question first.”

what the hell? is this what kids have to do just to get to a bathroom these days?

“alright, then. give me what you got.” “what periodic table element has the atomic number of 92?”

you’ve got to be kidding me. what does he expect me to say? vibranium!? though you did remember the lot of the elements, you certainly did not recall which one this was. people automatically assumed you to study frequently, but that wasn’t entirely true. though you did like to go over things every now and then, you had a life and things to do. especially, in times like this. you realized how much of a time crunch there was at the moment when your phone was incessantly buzzing in your pocket.

“umm... promethium?” “ooh, so close! the correct answer was uranium.”

uranium? i’ll uranium your anu- a few chuckles echoed through the room and interrupted your thoughts. one of the rats being Donghyuck, of course. you didn’t understand why they even thought about laughing since half of them probably weren’t aware of promethium’s existence.

“better luck next time. you’ll have to wait a bit for the restroom. hopefully the rest of you learned something from this.” “wait! it’s an emergency.” “and what kind of emergency would that be?”

geez, talk about an invasion of privacy. you shot a glance over at Jaemin. his face was painted with a mix of emotions. pity for your slip up just now, concern for your well being after a good bad guy brawl as he liked to call it, and curiousness for how you would embarrass yourself this time to get out of the situation at hand. but out of all the emotions displayed upon his face, panic was the most prominent. seeing what was on the phone in his hand brought the same expression to yours. the news program was currently recording the criminals exiting the bank and off to their getaway driver.

you look back up to see your teacher awaiting your reply. they’re gonna talk about this for the rest of the year.

the answer to his question was clearly answered as you pulled a certain feminine product from out your bag and presented it to him. you saw no point in being discreet at the moment. the classroom fell silent and all eyes landed on you. he couldn’t say no to you this time.

“just go.”

and with that, you immediately dashed to the door, almost knocking down the trashcan in the process. before you left you took one last look at Jaemin to make sure he knew what you wanted him to do. you and Jaemin were capable of communicating just by looking at each other. from one glance he knew that you wanted him to take your stuff and wait for you at home. it was almost like a seventh sense. though you did have a few powers of your own, nothing compared to your bond with Jaemin.

you hastily put on your suit and gear and were zooming through the streets to get to the scene of the crime. a few news cameras were able to spot you quite promptly as you were leaping from building to building, steadily following the tail of the offenders.

you caught up with the getaway car as they were turning into an alley. wow these guys’ll be a breeze. only they would be dumb enough to turn into an alleyway. you immediately took action and blocked their path by throwing a few garbage disposal bins in front of them. they stopped abruptly noticing the blockage and exited the car, cursing at their luck, while a smug look spread across your face under the mask you wore. it’s bad guy brawl time.

“hey boys. are you going to be smart and go the easy way? or am i gonna have to teach someone a lesson?”

“well shit.”

~~~~~

oof. that left a few marks. hope it’s not too bad when i look in the mirror. a few gashes decorated your mask and suit, but were not big enough to reveal your identity. though they were considered an easy fight compared to other villains you have encountered, taking a few hits was very possible.

you had just made it to your small apartment after your victorious feat.

you walk into your bedroom and your eyes immediately land on your bedside nightstand, or more of what was on it. it was always the first thing you tended to look at when entering your room. there were two picture frames and a pair of glasses resting upon the flat surface. three things that brought such wistful memories. nostalgia crashes through your mind as that of a tidal wave.

the first thing that catches your eyes is the large, navy blue frame protecting the photograph of you and your parents. your mother wearing a red dress and hair pulled up neatly, while your father wore a neat button up with his signature glasses pushed up against the bridge of his nose. the same pair of glasses that sat in between both pictures. you wore them to school on some occasions, even though there was no need for you to wear them.

you fell ill when you were five and were close to dying, but your parents could not allow this to happen. your father was a scientist and knew others that could possibly aid with your condition. your parents would do anything to keep you alive.

and of course they did. they had been experimenting on different DNA altering substances for years now. because of this, you sure did have quite a few special abilities. enhanced immune system, increased strength, physical abilities, and mind capacity, amplified vision and hearing, the lot of it.

they couldn’t have anyone finding out about you. a few of the other scientists believed you could do better with the government. you were the first true success of all the experiments after all. your parents thought otherwise and sent you to live with your aunt and uncle in their small apartment. a few days later you discovered that they were murdered. you had just turned seven at the time. now you were in your third year of highschool, and you’ve stayed there ever since.

the smaller, more square, black picture frame held a photo of you, your aunt, and uncle on the first day of middle school. your uncle was mugged one night at gunpoint and passed away at the gas station not too far from home. your aunt didn’t take it too well and was soon sent to a mental hospital around two years ago. you visit her sometimes, but she isn’t the same aunt who took care of you as a child. not anymore. that’s part of the reason you started being part-time superhero.

now you stay here in this apartment alone, but you always have Jaemin and his family to come to when you need it. you and Jaemin have been friends since you moved in with your aunt and uncle. he always said hi to you every time you walked past his complex when you first arrived. you spoke even more at school. when he found out about your secret double life, he immediately decided he would be part of it. he was your medic and sometimes you sidekick. when he wasn’t busy, he’d be on crime alert and walk you through your missions, keeping an eye out on traffic cams and watching news reports. it was every kid’s dream to have a superhero best friend, so why would he miss this opportunity?

the landlady was also surprisingly kind to you. you suppose that was her primary reaction to the tragic happenings of your aunt and uncle. you had nowhere else to go. she let you help give people their room keys and show them around the apartments to earn some extra cash and pay your rent. even if the money did just go straight back to her, she wanted to make you feel needed for something. to feel useful. and for that you were forever grateful.

you quickly wipe the tear that slips from the corner of your eye. you’ve experienced handfuls at such a young age. you’re almost used to feeling like this. it was almost like a routine. but you never forget that you still have the Na family and the nice landlady at your side. as you wipe another falling tear, you feel a buzz in your pocket, interrupting your thoughts.

oh shit, i forgot about Jaemin! the poor boy must’ve been trying to contact you for hours. you hastily fish your phone out from your pocket and were greeted with eight missed messages from Jaemin.

nanamin<3 -i brought your stuff home -you better tell me about your bad guy brawl as soon as you get here -i know you probably kicked ass but, if you got any boo boos, you know im stacked with tylenol -im the world class healer with the best first aid kit in town -also guess who got partnered with mr. eyesmile for the science project -y/n you lucky bitch answer! youre with youre biggest crush for a project be grateful! -listen hoe you better answer me so i know youre not dead -oh my gosh youre fuccin dead [delivered 5:07 p.m.]

you checked the time at the moment. it was 8:48 p.m. oh geez i’m the worst. it’s been more than three hours! as soon as you saw the messages, you replied with a short ‘omw’ as you sprinted out of the apartment to get to Jaemin’s complex. you didn’t have time to use full sentences, you needed to be a somewhat good friend. you were mostly going there for your stuff from school and some band-aids, but you wouldn’t say that to his face. you were too busy trying to get to Jaemin to even comprehend the messages about your new lab partner.

~~~~~

there was no need to use the actual door to his apartment when the stairs led right to his room. you’ve grown accustomed to using the stairs that trailed straight to your best friend’s window. you also didn’t want to bother his mother at a late hour, though, it wasn’t like they weren’t used to you coming to their apartment out of the blue. in fact, the Na family welcomed your unexpected presence. and for that you learned to respect them even more.

“Jaemin i’m so sorry, you can get the first aid kit and we’ll talk all about the-”

is that Jeno? you looked up just in time to see Jaemin and Jeno’s shocked expressions. they were in the middle of a mario kart race when you decided to intrude. you had almost exposed yourself to Jeno in the five seconds you had just arrived. why was he even here?

Jaemin stood up immediately to retrieve the first aid kit located in his bedside drawer. he decided to keep it there since you came over so frequently for it. Jeno, on the other hand was still in shock over your appearance. was it really that bad? you thought you would melt into a puddle seeing the way he stared at you so intently.

“geez y/n learn to knock. also, that looks kinda bad. nothing i can’t fix though.”

Jaemin pointed to your left cheek and handed you a mirror. it was worse than you initially thought. there was a gash across your cheekbone and light bruising surrounding it. there were also a few cuts and scrapes scattered across your face, on your eyebrow, and lower lip.

“ew. this looks worse than i thought it would be.” “also learn to answer your fucking phone, snake.” “okay, okay, i’m sorry.” “can someone please explain what’s going on? y/n, are you okay? is this a regular thing that happens Jaemin?”

poor Jeno. he had no clue what was going on. that was a good thing though. you didn’t need anyone else finding out about your alter ego.

“it’s a long story. shoot i’m out of band-aids, i’m gonna run over and get some, be right back. while i’m out work on cleaning up those cuts will you?”

a panicked expression swept across your face as you turned to look at Jaemin. he was not about to leave you alone in a room with your sixth grade crush. he turned around and sent you a wink before he was out the door. i really hate him.

trying not to freak out, you take a cotton swab and swipe at the excess blood trailing from the gashes that painted your face. you felt his gaze still settled on you as you picked up another cotton swab and a tube of antibiotics.

“here, let me.” “n-no need, i can do it mys-“ “i want to help you.”

he just had to say that didn’t he. your heart was racing, causing a light pink tint to flush over your face. if only he knew what effect he had on you. with his face so close, and so focused on yours, it was getting harder for you to breathe. the way his fingers trailed down your jaw so delicately to bring your chin up to face him was making matters worse. he was so gentle with you. it was as if you were made of porcelain, being considerably cautious not to break you. your heart was beating out of your chest. you’d be surprised if he wasn’t able to hear it.

a wince escaped your lips as a cotton swab came in contact with your wound. you drew back slightly to see a worried look spread across Jeno’s face. i must be dreaming.

“i’m sorry! did i hurt you?” “no it’s fine! i was just a little shocked, y-you can keep going.” “okay, i’ll be more careful next time.”

though you did feel pain as the swab touched your skin again, you endured so he could continue his work. it’s not everyday your crush does something like this to you, so you make the most of this moment.

“this looks pretty bad. do you mind me asking what happened to you?”

i really did not think this through. you couldn’t not give him an answer. it would make you seem even more suspicious. maybe another excuse would do? another terrible excuse.

“my... cat! yeah, he can be pretty rowdy sometimes.” “you have a cat? that’s funny, i’m pretty allergic to cats. usually i’d be sneezing all over the place by now.” “o-oh, did i say cat? i meant dog. he just acts so much like a cat that i end up referring to him as one every now and then.”

it was at this point, you realized how full of bad excuses you were.

“oh okay, must be some pet huh?” “yeah, definitely.”

real smooth, can i crawl into a hole now? things went silent for a moment after that. awkwardly silent. where was Jaemin with those band-aids when you needed them? everything stopped when Jeno spoke again.

“it seems you come here often for this. do you ever ask your parents to help you with this type of stuff?”

you were not ready to talk about your family condition right now. especially not to Jeno. this is the first time you’ve really talked to him and you weren’t entirely comfortable at the moment.

“i’d um… i’d rather not talk about that at the moment.” “i’m so sorry. i didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable or-” “no, it’s fine you didn’t know. don’t beat yourself up.”

now things were really awkward. how you wished you had the power to speed up time. he continued to apply the ointment to your face until Jaemin came in with his hands full of bandages. finally my savior has come. but you had to say, with the amount of bandages he came in with, it looked like he was ready for war.

“finally, Nana, took you long enough.” “um, you should be the last person to be saying that. i waited here a good three hours, and guess who just decided to show up. you even interrupted my bonding session with Jeno here.”

even though you didn’t want to admit it, he was right. as he walked up next to you, he began to remove the band-aids from their paper covers and stick them to your face.

“oh shoot, i forgot about the painkillers! Jeno would you mind running out and grabbing them for me? they’re in the cabinet above the bathroom sink.” “yeah, no problem. i’ll be right back.”

the two of you watched as he exited the room. as soon as he was out of sight, Jaemin turned to you with the giddiest smile glued to his face.

“i hate you so much.” “you love me! i leave you in a room alone with the love of your life for fifteen minutes and i don’t even get a thank you. i deserve better. he even tended to your wounds.” “so, are you gonna tell me why he’s here?” “well, while you were off to save the city and all, teacher dude assigned lab partners and guess who wasn’t there for it?”

he waited for you to ‘guess’ with that stupid smile on his face.

“me.” “you! poor Jeno sat alone for the remainder of the class period. well, he would’ve if i hadn’t went up to him. my lab partner happened to have left early too, so i decided to get to know him a little bit. then, we decided to meet up after school. we talked all about you by the way. don’t worry, all good things.”

he did what? you felt betrayed by your best friend. your mouth was left gaping as he got up to discard the pieces of paper to the small bin in the corner of his room. you go off to stop crime only to find out your best friend telling god knows what about you to your sixth grade crush. you suddenly regret coming over.

“wow. you are the biggest snake i know. what did you tell him?” “secret.”

you opened your mouth to snap back at Jaemin, when the door opened to reveal a bottle of painkillers in the hands of Jeno. you shut your mouth immediately and sent a glare over to Jaemin, who looked as smug as ever. if only you could wipe that smirk right off his face right then and there.

“here’s the tylenol, sorry it took a while.” “no worries! y/n here is very patient. especially when it comes to y- oof!”

Jaemin was immediately cut off by your elbow to his gut. now you were the one wearing a smirk.

“thank you Jeno. i appreciate it.” “no problem! it was nice finally talking to you, y/n.” “you too.”

Jaemin looked between the two of you like a proud mother. if you could read his mind right now, he’d probably be saying something like, ‘they grow up so fast’ or ‘this moment would last forever if i had a picture.’ he was about to say something, but was interrupted as the door opened to reveal his mother. Jaemin very subtly moved to you in order to hide your patched face from her.

“Jeno, you- oh y/n, what a pleasant surprise!” “hi Mrs. Na.” “it’s good to see you again hun. Jeno sweetie, your mother is right outside ready to pick you up.” “thank you ma’am. it was nice of you to have me over.” “and it was wonderful meeting you.”

as Jaemin’s mother exited the room, Jeno began to gather his things to go. part of you wanted him to stay longer, but you realized that you would just keep things as awkward as before. you barely even talked to him that night, no use getting your hopes up.

“thanks for coming over, nice getting to know you.” “thanks for inviting me, it was nice being here.”

how could someone be so manner oriented? Jeno had just picked up his bag and was about to walk to the door, when he turned to you.

“hey, we should get each other’s numbers. we’re lab partners after all.” “yeah, good thinking.”

the two of you quickly exchanged contacts while Jaemin was watching in the background. you never thought he could get any creepier. Jeno was just about to be on his way, before he turned back to you once more and said,

“by the way, it was really nice meeting you y/n. let’s talk more often, okay?”

you nodded, taken aback at what he had just said, and he was off. you were left a blushing mess while Jaemin was on the floor giggling like there was no tomorrow.

“wow, you are so lucky to have me. i’m the bestest friend in the whole world!” “...” “...” “just give me my backpack dipshit.”

~~~~~

the next day at school most definitely did not run as smoothly as the last. after the events of yesterday, why would it?

this day in particular, consisted of Donghyuck not-so-subtly making period jokes around you, Jaemin bothering you about giving his blessing to you and Jeno, your chemistry teacher scolding you for skipping class, and you making up for it by acing a pop quiz. he could never stay mad at you. though, he still made you stay in his classroom during lunch as punishment for skipping. can’t get away from everything i guess. you weren’t too upset about it though since you were never very fond of the cafeteria, and you had lunch right before fourth period so you wouldn’t need to move anywhere.

you were eating your lunch in your chemistry classroom alone. well, if you consider two packs of animal crackers and water bottle lunch then you were. it was still a better option than school lunch. you and Jaemin vowed to never eat school lunch ever again after finding a hair hiding in one of your meal orders in elementary school. the mere thought of what goes on in that kitchen brought chills to your spine. as you got up to throw your trash into the bin, a loud thump at the door startled you in doing so. peering through the narrow window in the door, you see... Jeno? or at least the top of his head. his hands were occupied at the moment with boxes filled with new textbooks.

“a little help here please?” “oh sorry! i’ll take these off your hands.”

as soon has you heard his cry for help, you instantly swung open the door and took the very heavy load off his hands. you weren’t able to see the surprised look on his face from taking that amount of weight he carried. you were too busy placing the stack of boxes onto the desk nearest you.

“woah,  you’re uh, really strong. you took all those textbooks like they were nothing.”

if you weren’t in front of the cutest guy in school, you would’ve facepalmed yourself so that it would physically hurt. that was the second time you almost blew your cover around Jeno. if you weren’t careful, you’d be caught red-handed sooner or later.

“yeah, i uh, help out when people are moving into my apartment complex. i’m pretty used to lifting heavy things.”

yeah, like the weight on my back trying to keep this a secret! this is getting harder to hide from him. at least this was a better excuse than last time.

“oh that’s pretty cool. thanks for helping me out back there by the way. you clearly have stronger arms than me. i probably would’ve died if i held onto those any longer.” “no problem! i don’t mind lending a helping hand.” “that’s sweet of you to say.”

Lee Jeno, the Lee Jeno, just called you sweet. apparently, he had his own superpower. he was a true heart stopper. you needed a defibrillator right now. how were you supposed to react to this? you didn’t that’s how. and you two were back to awkward silences.

“i feel like this is bound to happen every time we end up meeting each other.” “what is?”

he turned to you with a smile on his face as he gave you his answer. Mr. Eyesmile at his finest.

“we talk for a little, then we just go silent. that or someone ends up apologizing for some reason.” “i’m sor-”

you cut yourself off since you just proved his statement true. the both of you looked at each other and shared a few chuckles.

“i guess it’s true, but i don’t mean to make things awkward. i’m just not sure what to say sometimes.”

silence fell over you once again. not as awkward as before though. it was more of a pondering silence. thinking of how you could make the most of this situation.

“what’s your favorite color?” “what?” “your favorite color. what is it? you said you weren’t always sure what to say, so i thought maybe i could take over the talking part. so i’ll ask again, what’s your favorite color?”

and to think he was the one who called you sweet. you almost forgot your favorite color for a moment, but you regained control of your consciousness.

“red.” “that’s a nice color. mine’s blue, kinda basic, but hey, a favorite color is a favorite color, right? anyways, now it’s your turn to ask me a question. ask away.”

what to say? there’s no way you could mess this up. just start off simple. should be easy enough.

“any nicknames i should know about? Jaemin and i usually call each other hoes or bitches. occasionally dipshit would be used, but that’s just us. what about you?”

your comments caused Jeno’s laughter to echo through the room. you could listen to that laugh for days. it was like music to your ears. just knowing that you were a cause of happiness for him made you feel like you were doing god’s work. you were on top of the world at the moment.

“well, most people on the baseball team call me no jam and that spread to like the rest of the school. i live a boring life compared to them.” “i don’t think you’re boring. i’m having fun talking to you right now. if you didn’t know how to speak to people, we wouldn’t be having this conversation right now.” “that’s quite nice of you, but i don’t disagree with them. i don’t go out and do cool things with them. i kinda just stay home and try to read over notes. i probably should’ve mentioned this before, but chemistry isn’t my best subject. and you’re like a genius so, sorry if i slow you down or anything,”

you didn’t believe any of the things he said about himself just now. he certainly didn’t seem boring when he was around you, nor did he seem slow at chemistry. if chemistry was his worst subject, then he must be an excelling in everything else since he seemed to have pretty good grades in this class. not the best, but they were certainly above the average.

“just because you like to go over things from school, doesn’t mean you’re boring. it just means you’re smart. your grades sure show it, and you wouldn’t be on the varsity team if you weren’t. so what if you’re lacking a little in chemistry compared to other subjects? you’re still doing really well. and if you ever need any help with chemistry or anything, you can always ask me.” “that’s probably the nicest thing someone has ever said to me. i’ll be sure to come to you for help since you’re quite the intellectual. have you ever thought about coaching the team? with that pep talk and those arms, you’d make a pretty good one.”

another set of laughter erupted throughout the room. you enjoyed this plenty, and Jeno seemed to be content as well. you couldn’t ask for anything more.

“alright, next question…”

the rest of lunch continued like this. you two having little conversations and asking each other questions when things went dry to continue talking. fourth period came by quickly and people started to fill into the room and sit with their assigned partners. Jaemin walked in to see a pleasant surprise. as soon as you two made eye contact, he had that same grin on his face. you knew he was thinking of even more ways to annoy you. you rolled your eyes and waited for instructions from the teacher.

a few minutes later he placed a few materials on your desk. there was a coffee filter, a funnel, an empty beaker, a beaker labeled sodium carbonate, and a graduated cylinder with a label of copper sulfate. his instructions were to mix the liquids, filter them, and write on a seperate sheet of paper what type of chemical reaction took place in this experiment. extra credit was an option if you knew what type of mixture the product was, you already knew the answers to the questions just by looking at the materials in front of you, but you decided to be patient. for Jeno.

you successfully completed the mixed the two substances together and filtered the product of them. now you were on to the questions. you were half way done with the first question and were ready to answer the extra credit question when you looked over to see what progress Jeno had made. his paper was blank and he seemed slightly confused.

“you doing okay there, Jeno?” “i honestly forgot the answer to the question. there’s me being slow again.” “hey, it’s fine. remember what i said about coming to me if you needed help?” “sorry, i just don’t want to slow you down or anything.” “we have plenty of time. i’ll give you a hint: it’s another word for when it’s raining”

as soon as you gave out that hint, a lightbulb suddenly lit up in his mind. i guess that did help.

“precipitate! gee, y/n, you really are a genius. thanks, i wouldn’t be able to remember that on my own.”

he’s called you a genius too many times today. and too many times today has he brought the same blush to your face as he spoke to you. this day ended up better than you thought.

“i-it’s no problem really. how about we work on that extra credit problem together, yeah?” “sounds like a plan.”

you two finished writing your responses to the first problem, and moved on to the next. you both came to an agreement of the product being a heterogenous mixture. after you finished writing your answers, you turned in your papers, and continued the conversation from lunch. from then, the rest of the period went by quite fast.

after everyone completed the assignment, the teacher gave out the project for the quarter and assigned some of it to be done for homework. the project was to choose any element, make a model model of it, and write a short paper about it’s properties and why it has those particular properties. you and Jeno had already decided on krypton and had already split up the work. you had a feeling that this project would be a breeze.

the bell rung and everyone was ready to go home. Jeno picked up his backpack and walked up to you before heading out the door. what he had to say to you next, had your heart picking up it’s pace one more time that day.

“you should come and watch my baseball game next week. i’d be glad to see you there.” “i’d love to go! when is it?” “next friday, i’ll text you the details later. hope to see you there!”

left speechless once again, you stayed glued to your spot as you watched Jeno walk out the door. as soon as he crossed the threshold, you were finally able to take a breath. you had a lot to think about this week. you turned to face Jaemin, still unable to contain his giddiness. you had a notebook in your hand, ready to knock some sense into him for what bullshit quip that was about to come out of his mouth.

“i guess you guys have some... chemistry with each oth- oww! hey stop that!”

~~~~~

the week went by dreadfully slowly. it may be because of the lack of crimes this week, but it was mostly because you were highly anticipating seeing Jeno play on the field on friday. you grew quite impatient waiting for friday to come.

your relationship with him has grown at an exponentially since that day you conversed in the chemistry classroom for the duration at lunch. every time he saw you walk by in the hallway, he made sure to greet you with a wave and that dazzling smile. you always made sure to reciprocate his actions. you two talked in class regularly and texted more frequently. your conversations mainly consisted of finishing the project, but occasionally you two would exchange a few off topic questions.

friday rolled around eventually, and you were more jittery than usual. you woke up quite easily that morning, finding yourself in a chipper mood as you received a text that morning from Jeno. 

eyesmile:) -good morning y/n! -the game starts at 5 today -can’t wait to see you there (:

and you couldn’t wait to be there. you were ecstatic to even be associated with the boy, so being invited to his game personally, by him, was surreal. you were walking on clouds the whole day and you only stopped when Jaemin had to pull you down. for that, you were both irritated and thankful.

“i get it. you’re whipped, but we aren’t in chemistry just yet. if i were you, i’d start paying attention to our single-and-salty math teacher. she’s been pretty hostile recently.” “you’re probably right, but i’ll take my chances. if she’s the one teaching, i’m bound to learn better from the textbook. just let me live a little. i’ve been waiting all week for today.” “haven’t we all? it’s like the night of your dreams. in all seriousness though, if he hurts you, i won’t hesitate to be the one swinging a bat at some balls.” “bro, chill. Jeno couldn’t hurt a fly. you know this.” “i know, i know. i just gotta look out for my bestie since it’s your first-” “Na Jaemin! i can and will hold you back for another class period if you don’t keep your mouth shut!” “sorry ma’am.”

the class let out a short chuckle, but was soon cut of by a very troubled math teacher. that woman was going through some things she needed to sort out. you couldn’t help but let out a laugh yourself after seeing Jaemin’s face develop a deep red shade. you stopped laughing after you realized that you would be in the same position as him soon, having Mr. Eyesmile to deal with next period. the mere thought left butterflies fluttering all throughout your chest, as a giddy smile grew on your facial features.

“i know you’re a genius that could probably teach yourself these concepts in your sleep, but to everyone else, precalc is a bitch. i can barely spell trigonometry, so help me finish this packet.” “okay, geez, don’t have to be so pushy.”

Jaemin finishing his math packet soon turned into eating lunch, which soon turned into sitting in fourth period next to Jeno himself. you finally got the chance to physically interact with him, not just let your imagination make up scenarios in your head.

the two of you exchanged greetings, each paired with soft smiles that lasted the rest of the period. chemistry went by quite briskly compared to the rest of the day. you suppose that time does tend to play games with your likes and dislikes, and Jeno was the cause of your infatuation, so your time together seemed almost finite. if only you had more time to spend.

in the short time spent with Jeno this class period, you two managed to complete the paper about your project element, and decided to meet up to work on the model. you were quick to agree with the suggestion. if it meant spending time with him, you were happy to oblige. shortly after discussing project matters, the bell rang and it was time for school to end for the day.

“bye y/n, see you at the game tonight?” “definitely. see you there.”

as soon as you got home, you bolted straight to your bedroom and started digging through your closet, barely catching a glimpse of the nightstand at your bedside. you were much more focused on your attire. what do people wear to baseball games?

this was the first time you were invited to an event by anyone besides Jaemin. and the fact that the person who requested you to come was the person you’ve been fawning over for years now, was utterly nerve-racking.

you were digging through your closet for at least half an hour before you finally were set on an outfit suitable for the occasion. it took a few breathing exercises and a couple of video calls to Jaemin, but you managed to pull through. you wore a plain white shirt that was tucked into the light-wash denim that hugged your legs. they were decorated with a few holes and tears which Jaemin insisted was ‘a part of the look.’ a red plaid flannel covered your arms and hung loosely around your figure as you began to lace up your black high tops. comfortable. Nana really seems to know what he’s doing.

what’s missing though? looking into the mirror, you were quite pleased with what was displayed on your body. as you looked more closely though, you felt uncomfortable, as if you lacked something that could potentially make it better. your eyes continued to wander as the landed once again, on that nightstand. the thin, black rimmed glasses were pulling you towards them.

picking them up, you inspected their condition. just the way you left them. you pulled the glasses up to your face, tucking the temples behind your ears and pushing the bridge up and settling it comfortably upon your nose. your eyes found their way back to the mirror as you observed your figure once more. you found that the glasses framed your face quite nicely and complemented your features. now the look was complete.

“good choice dad, but did you choose them for you or me? i look pretty good.”

i wish you were here to see how they looked though.

a jolt was sent throughout your body as a loud buzzing sound emitted from your phone. alarmed and slightly panicking, you rush to get your hands on the device. of all the times this could’ve happened this week it happens now? thanks universe, you’re an asshole.

you checked the time as you suited up. 4:15. i could probably make it in an hour. right?

~~~~~

wrong. so, so wrong. apparently, there was some unusual activity taking place in a warehouse on the other side of the city. you were upset when you saw that it was empty inside and no one was there, but then again, you were so, very wrong.

bam. hit. whack. another. this guy had came out of nowhere and was tougher than a few bank robbers by a landslide. seeing how fast he moved and how strong he was, he almost seemed like you. that’s impossible though. how could he be like you? you were the only one right?

another hit knocked you out of your thoughts. that one being right in your stomach followed once again to a blow straight to your face. this was not going well. you needed to come up with a plan and fast.

zooming to the top level of the warehouse, you barely got away from the very unfriendly stranger. your mind was racing as you attempted to come up with a plan hiding behind the large crates that were scattered all around the top floor.

the time for coming up with a plan was running out as the stranger bashed through the boxes left and right in attempts to find you. soon he was right in front of the cluster of crates you hid behind and was about to strike.

crash. before he was able to obliterate the boxes, you used all your strength and chucked the heaviest one you could find at him, leaving him stunned for a few seconds. grabbing another large crate, you aimed it at him once more, then another, and then another.

you then lunged at him with all your might, aiming a punch right at his face. you jabbed and kicked repeatedly until you were finally able to pin him down.

“who are you and what business do you have here?”

before you could ask any future questions he quickly turned you over and slammed you on the ground, leaving you writhing in pain. this is definitely gonna be worse than the bank robbery.

he bolted straight to the window nearest him, but before he could exit, he turned to you.

“this isn’t the last you’ll see if me.”

and with that, he made his great escape, leaving you dumbfounded on the floor of an abandoned warehouse far from home. you felt you were about to have a panic attack.

what the hell am i supposed to do now? some random dude with powers just like mine is after me now. you would be sure to tell Jaemin about you new arch enemy later, but right now you had to get a grip.

various attempts to calm yourself down had failed. you began pacing and were close to hyperventilating at this point. if anyone were to walk into this warehouse to see you, they’d assume you belonged in a mental hospital.

alright, just breathe. calm down. think happy thoughts like umm… mom and dad? no that’ll make me sad. Jaemin? no he’ll be worried sick about me when he sees me. this is probably the worst i’ve ever been. Jeno? Jeno. oh my gosh Jeno!

you were so immersed in battle you had completely forgot about the game he invited you to. an uneasy feeling pooled at the pit of your stomach. what if he hated you for not coming?

you flew across the city at the speed of light. you didn’t care that you were still in your torn up suit. you had to see Jeno and apologize for ditching. you’d hate yourself if he hated you.

dashing through the city, you headed straight for your school. you didn’t notice anything going on around you. no time to see what was happening. what you did know was that you’ve never wanted to be at school so fast.

~~~~~

with heavy breaths and sore muscles, you finally reach the baseball field. it was nearing nine and the game was long over. the bleachers were empty and the whole place was void of people. except for one.

and that person was none other than Lee Jeno. he was on his lonesome, the only person on the field. you could see that his the back of his uniform, that was slightly scuffed up from the game that took place earlier, and large numbers that read 23 spread across his back.

his form was beautiful, no need for practice. after every swing the bill of his cap would tip up toward the sky, as if he was looking at the ball soar through the air if he made a home run. though you could only see the back of his figure, he looked absolutely stunning under the lights of the field. a true star he was.

he still hadn’t noticed you balanced on the fence behind him, being quite focused on his form and shifting every time a swing felt off. this isn’t quite what you came here for, but you couldn’t help but admire his being.

“that’s quite a swing you’ve got there. have a good game?”

anyone could tell he was beyond surprised after you started speaking. the way he dropped his bat and turned his head so quickly in your direction, he was sure to have whiplash. the look on his face was priceless. he was staring wide-eyed and stood so still seeing your presence. you had to let out a giggle.

“y-you’re-” “yep, it’s me.”

you always found it amusing to see people’s reactions in seeing you for the first time, but this by far, was the most entertaining encounter you’ve had.

“is there a reason you’re here? i mean, you look like you’ve been pretty busy. probably saving the city or something.” “well, while i was out getting my ass handed to me, i heard there was a baseball game going on here and thought i’d be able to see it before it ended. that explains my look. and judging by the way your swings are, you must’ve had a good game.”

he let out a breathy laugh. though he was still smiling, you could see the way his face dropped slightly. even under the shade of his cap his features were blinding. seeing this caused you heart to drop a little as well.

“i did catch a few outfield, but they never put me up to bat. we won though! i just was expecting someone to see it.”

i’m the worst person in the world. a pang of guilt hit you straight in the chest. you were already upset at the fact that they didn’t let them bat. his swing would certainly help the team win more games. you were more upset though, when Jeno said he wished you were there to watch. if only he knew how much you wanted to be there.

“y/n, right? that’s the friend you were expecting?” “yeah, how’d you know? are you guys like friends or something?” “Jeno right? Lee Jeno? you’re the one who invited her?” “that’s me.”

wow, i’m really doing this right now. how long am i supposed to keep this up? you knew what you were doing didn’t make any sense, but being behind that mask at the moment, made you a whole different person to him. you had so much you could say to him as your superhero-self. it was kind of fun.

“i’ve ran into her a few times. she runs into quite some trouble. she told me about wanting to come to this baseball game, but something came up.” “that makes sense i suppose. she seemed like she had some business to take care of before she came to Jaemin’s house one night.” “like i said, she gets into some trouble. trust me, you wouldn’t believe what she gets into. anyways, she’s probably off doing something crazy right now so i’ll be off.” “interesting. well, if you happen to see her again, do you mind telling her that it’s okay that she wasn’t able to come to this game? maybe the next one?”

luckily, your mask was able to hide the blush on your face. it would’ve been quite evident if it wasn’t on. though you did wonder why the boy wasn’t irritated by your absence, you were glad he didn’t hate you. he even invited you to the next of his games. which you were surely anticipating on going to without having to miss out on due to crime alert.

“yeah, will do. see you around Lee Jeno.”

you turned on your heels and were just about to leave when he said something once more. something so unexpected, you almost didn’t realize he said it.

“also, could you tell y/n that we should work on finishing the project when she’s not busy saving the city?” “yeah, sur- wait what? you knew? how’d you find out? how long have you known?”

cover: blown. blown to smithereens. you never thought he’d find out, at least not this fast. now you were positive you did a lousy job keeping secrets. it was probably the terrible excuses you came up with. how could anyone believe them? how embarrassing.

“i kinda just figured, it wasn’t too hard to piece things together. you lifting up those heavy boxes, cutting class right as a bank robbery took place, those wounds on your face after the robbery, the same wounds completely healed the day after. this just confirms my suspicions though. i know what your voice sounds like you know?” “well, so much for keeping that a secret.” “also, Jaemin has a big mouth.” “oh my god, what did he say to you?” “he never really said anything, just that you’ve always been his superhero since you were toddlers. i didn’t really get it until now. i also overheard your conversation before i came in the room with the tylenol.”

i’m gonna kill him. then, when he’s dead, i’ll bring him back to life and kill him again. that’ll get the message across. really well.

“it really wasn’t his fault though, i guessed on my own.” “Jaemin is really lucky you said that because he’d be six feet under right now. i also have other things to stress about.” “if you’re worried about me exposing your identity or something, don’t be. i think i’m pretty good at keeping secrets. after all you never found out about the crush i had on you.”

now you were really thankful about keeping the mask on your face. though you couldn’t see yourself, you knew you were probably as red as the blood staining your uniform. you would’ve melted to a puddle on the spot if you could, but you were in front of Jeno and had to get a hold of yourself. does he even know how i’m feeling right now? he can’t be saying these kind of things!

“you had a crush on me? i had a crush on you! it’s been like since sixth grade, but we never really interacted at all so i just thought it would be weird.” “no! no, definitely not. i thought you were so cool and pretty i just didn’t feel like you wanted to associate with me, but now that i know we’ve felt the same way all these years, it’s… nice. in a weird way, kind of dumb, but still nice.”

now you were back to that all too familiar silence. what were you supposed to say? you just found out that your crush shared mutual feelings with you after all these years, it just took all the words out of your mouth put all the emotions in your body. then, of course, as always, Jeno had managed to put together the words that you couldn’t find.

“so, how about i take you on a date sometime soon? it’ll be fun. promise.”

though the most evident answer that would come from you was a definite yes, you wanted to mess around a little bit. just for the fun of it. he did fool you into thinking he wasn’t aware of your hero life.

“how are you so sure about that? aren’t you called no jam for a reason?”

the two of you shared a chuckle, and that wonderful eyesmile was visible again. you swear they shone brighter than any of the giant lights surrounding the field. even under the shade of his baseball cap. you two began to walk towards the gates of the fence and continued to exit the field.

“you got me there, but i’ll be sure make it the best day of your life.”

now you had to say yes. the two of you continued walking next to each other, exiting campus with matching grins from ear to ear. even though your suit was tattered and scraped, and your muscles ached and burned, this was unquestionably a moment to savor and you didn’t plan on forgetting about it for a while.

“but first let’s get you cleaned up. those had to hurt.”

~

fin

[omocute-wobble]

Osu! (ಠДಠ)ノ Hisashiburiiiiiii~

[edit: I have no idea what's going on with this post. The "Keep reading"-cut keeps moving down. I do not approve.]

First off! Again, thank you so much for indulging me with this conversation, even if I keep taking five years to respond… I'm going through some things here. (≧__≧) -- One of the reasons I took the (very intimidating) plunge into this Omo Corner is that I was hoping to find new online friends, because indeed: creativity needs fuel, and laughing together is so much better. The interactions I've had here thus far have been so welcome and so dear -- a mix of tsunami-level enthusiasm that honestly makes me kind of emotional, a confused "it's been so long I had creative friends I'm not actually sure how to even intelligibly string words together in a conversation", and silly anxiety because "I'll somehow bork communicating like a human person spectacularly" basically formed the damned dam to halt the flow of our HQ-monsterpost-convo. And the tropical weather this Summer hasn't helped, either.

Mind you, this is not a sad thing or a complaint! - just to say thank you for your patience. Your enthusiasm, sense of humour, and creative "splatter" (sudden sketches, whole dramatic storylines inspired by just one sentence, etc) give me life. (≧◡≦)💗

.

Above said, I'm not surprised you brought hordes of people into HQ. Your enthusiasm is infectious… and indeed, it's such a well-thought-out series. Each character is written so well, with such consideration for personality and mood - and it's delightful how even non-friendly characters are not presented as "evil", and how everyone has their own way of dealing with things that happen. It's a rare gem in so many ways. And the humour is so fresh and lighthearted - I haven't had the opportunity yet to check out those OVAs, but I definitely will.

As for the sport - I've never been a fan of "ballsportsing" myself, but volleyball was actually an activity that I didn't hate as much as the others when we did that in school. My school was an unfriendly place for non-sports-genius people like me, though, and the go-to teamsport for gym classes was the blatant lie known to the world as 'softball'. That ball is not soft. I can see why you enjoy sports anime as a genre, but I can tell you this: I will never. ever. watch a whole series about softball. (≧皿≦)~grr -- Long story short: I knew next to nothing about volleyball rules. Now I kind of want to read more about the rules so I can make volleyball rules and -jargon jokes that make sense.

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With all that out of the way let's git back to the HQ pee. -- ୧(≧フ≦)~whooo

I took your advice (re: reading your fanworks) and started at the very first fic. It delighted me to read your first German story: I was rather amazed at the extent to which the boys were in character, even in a completely different language from the original (for my own viewing experience I prefer Japanese audio + English subs) - and it surprised me how well I could follow what was going on, even if my German is rusty at best. -- As for the story - it was cute AF. Kɐgs basically lying to his nervous friend about the odds someone might walk by and see/hear him urinating in public. I don't care he was cranky, it was a kindness and very amusing. (≧ヮ≦)💕 I am of the intention to read more, but I may have already left a kudos on that story batch.

.

Here's Kagεyɐma rage-squeezing his milkbox fsr at desperate H¡nata:

💢(╯≧Д≦)🧃💦 (≗д≗⋷)❗

.

As for your imagebb fanworks collection! The character drawing style in your later bunch of images is such perfect cuteness, but the entire lot is so funny and sweet. I'm a fan. 💕(≧◡≦)-⚑ -- You often seem to quick-sketch on that lined paper, but you also mention a sketchbook. What are your drawing habits? - do you sit down with the book with the intent to draw, perhaps with prompts, or do you ''whip it out'' --pun intended-- when you have ideas?

Not sure I said anything about the H¡na-sibs one yet - Nɐtsu's judging look (at "the culprit" that made this scene happen, omg) and posture made me laugh out loud, oh poor big brother Sh0u. He's so responsible --even considering he probably didn't think too hard before downing an XL fruity slushie-- and she's having none of it. 乀(≧ヲ≦)

Also, of course, the sketch of H¡nata having scrambled off the bus to unleash onto some innocent little bushes - the flush-faced, trembling concentration; peeing with eyes closed as his eager stream splashes onto the grass and relief finally sets in… -- (ノ˘ ³˘)~💋MWAH, splendid.

Oh, and also also… the catboy ones made me think of a German song I came across five billion years ago as an audio file: Kətzenkl0. Yes, the singer is so annoying, I am honestly sorry to now know the video clip that accompanies it on YT. (ಥフಥ) I do like to see die richtige Kεnma froh, though… who knows, it may inspire more K¡tma art.

.

Now, as for my own stuff: aside from doing weird omo crafts I've been drawing HQ pee stuff lately. While I did intend on making neater digital versions, I know expecting too much from myself will only make posting these take decades longer, so please enjoy a few (grossly) sloppy sketches:

^ for prompt "clash!"

^ for prompt "hey teach!"

^ spontaneous idea inspired by the peetime bickering you talked about

As you can see, I hear ya on proportions. ^^; I trust someday you'll get them right! Not so sure I will, but my hilariously bad anatomical mistakes often are the very thing that makes me laugh, so it's all right. ^^

Anyway, that last scene has more attached to it, but I'd like to workshop it a little with my pitchfo-- Ψ(≦o≦) --eh.. drawing tablet, I want to make a digital drawing. Ψ(≧フ≦)💭 heheh.

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Finally, as for your offer to send me an invitation to the omo group - I would love to join you there, thank you! (TヮT)💕 My experience with both Tumblr and D¡sc0rd is very limited, but between the two I think D¡sc0rd is better suited to having conversations. -- (Sidenote: trying to read back our convo here is an interesting experience, because your German site (app?) seems to break my original ''ReadMore"s, requiring me to open more browser tabs for my own posts in the thread. Odd? inefficient! confusing~)

This is probably a good point to end this post, even if I probably didn't address about 70% of your post and am forgetting about 5-billion things I've thought of since you posted yours…

Oh, but pls have this ASCII story about Kagεyɐma startling H¡nata during an illicit emergency pee:

💢(╯≧Д≦)🧃. ❗(ﾉⵙд⊙)╯ヾ匚💦﹏

Twaddle! @omowritingprompts

Keep reading

[tumblunni]

ANYWAY! I’mma gonna talk about my playthru of Digimon World Next Order, to distract me from the fact i’m rapidly approaching the ending and have to wait to sate my JRPG tastes on Persona 5 afterwards...

* it is really really REALLY REALLY really REALLy great to finally be able to play a game in the DW series as a female character. Holy SHIT, man this is overdue! And it isnt handled awfully like in Cyber Sleuth where everyone constantly calls you male and the character design is really oversexualized and doing weirdass poses for everything. There’s still a lil bit of ‘cliche girly option traits’ but seriously she’s like the least stereotyped design we’ve had in the games since Dusk and Dawn! She gets to wear SHORTS and A HOODIE! A hoodie that has an inexplicable hole in the back for some reason, but whatever! xD Also I actually like her version of the Protagonist Hair better, even tho I think its lame they colour coded them in the ol cliche genderedness. Boy character just has one streak of coloured hair at the front, but girl has a spiralling streak on the end of her ponytail that looks like a punk poison sort of fashion~! And it leaks pixels when she runs, and has a really nice glow effect that kinda makes it draw patterns as you swing her model around. Makes me wanna run in circlesssss~ Her dubbed voice is a bit boring cliche anime love interest tho, a bit squeaky after you’ve been hearing it for hours. But the dude is Like Every Shonen Hero Voice Ever, so i think its meant to be intentionally generic for both of them. I could swear he’s voiced by a bad Tai impersonator! XD Also I’m just kinda thankful cos every other girl in the plot gets a REALLY squeaky unbearable english voice, thank god protagonist is spared...

* its a lil bit of funnyness tho that for some reason the skill list is the only place where the translators forgot about the protagonist options. Like.. a LOT of Tamer Skills are weirdly gendered when it would have taken five seconds to change that. Why does it have to be stuff like ‘Cooking Boy’ and ‘Cooking Man’ instead of basic and advanced cooking? Especially cos the other one in between is called Gourmet Cooking...

* I love forever that so many of the virus type recruitable digimon are sweethearts of hugs and joy. Now THAT reminds me of the original Digimon World! Seriously I am SO GLAD that Literally The Same Myotismon has a sidequest about rescuing his precious myobrella so he won’t faint in the sun. or like.. if its not the same Myotismon then MAN he would totally be a great ship with the other equally helpless one in the first game XD He has a nice new function as a townsperson, instead of just being ‘a manager’ in the colloseum and never even being a fight. (That annoyed me as a kid! He just stands there!) Now he runs the card gallery, cos you collect ‘antique cards’ in this game and he restores them with his painting skillz. its a nice lil in-joke cos they’re all the original first trading card artworks from waaaaay back in the first season! And Piedmon is in this one too, yay! He’s actually like the only morally dubious virus type AT ALL, he talks like a cliche mwahaha mad scientist even as he does nothing particularly evil. His sidequest is a funny thing of playing hide and seek and he sucks at it. While yelling hammily about being an evil genius! And then he has quite a useful function in the town, he does a random effect on you once per day with his evil science, and it could be good or it could be bad, but if its bad he actually pays you compensation money for it! EVEN THE EVIL GUY IS TOO KIND And OH MAN I am so happy and sad for Skullgreymon! A good guy skullgreymon was always one of my ideas for a DW fangame, im so happy it happened for real! In this game Skullgreymon is a fashion designer with low self confidence, and you recruit them by finding weregarurumon who’s their biggest fan and becomes their first friend. Its so sweet! They never actually interact once you recruit them both tho, cos they work at different parts of the town. But im still gonna assume they keep in touch! Its also a shame skullgreymon doesnt actually run a fashion shop, cos there actually WAS a fashion shop in Digimon World Redigitize aka the one damn game we’ll never see dubbed T_T Instead skullgreymon gets this kinda depressing role of just standing around outside the entertainment area saying ‘i wish i could work with children but they’re always scared of me’, and then if you bring a newly hatched digimon to see them then they gain bonus stats from being terrified somehow?? NOOO WHERE IS THE OPTION TO TEACH MY CHILDREN THAT SKULLY IS A FRIEND

* Anyway, my main digimon are (still) Hershey and Zephyr, and I love them! I’m still working on hoping to eventually get the full terriermon and lopmon canon digivolution lines with them, wow its hard. But I adore them no matter what form they take at the moment! I ended up loving them so much that i never raised any other digimon ever. i just rename them the same name every time they reincarnate, and pick the same eggs! I’ve gotten close to unlocking every single variation of the bunno brothers evo lines!! But it IS getting really annoying that you have to type the name manually every time, why no option to just stick with the previous name? DW1 had that and it was on way worse hardware! Oh, and its funny that I started off calling them the bunny brothers cos thats what they were in adventure 02, but then after playing the game for ages I’ve settled on headcanoning hershey as female and zephyr as nonbinary. And also I started off with the cliche personalities of sassy rebel terriermon and stoic lopmon like in Tamers, but Hershey ended up being the rebel instead and Zephyr is like a shonen hero cinnamon roll! They’re both equally sassy and eccentric tho XD I’m not quite sure yet what would be their ‘canon’ final mega forms that I wanna keep them in for the final boss and stuff. But hershey’s made me regain my appreciation of Ladydevimon after I stopped liking her as soon as I grew old enough to understand that most of her fans only liked her for being ‘a stripper’ :P Like.. she’s a really damn good design even without the fanservice?? I like her way more than devimon, myotismon and etc, I wish she’d gotten to be a major villain! i mean it sucks that devimon got to be one when she’s literally his evolved form. (And yes I am happy that it continues to be canon that ladydevimon can digivolve from devimon and the same for angewomon and angemon. DIGIMON AINT RESTRAINED BY HUMAN GENDER ROLES YO) So yeah anyway, I kinda headcanon Hershey as a hypothetical less skimpy redesign of LadyDevimon? or like.. if she got her own unique Mega form that kept a similar design, rather than just being retconned into lilithmon and rosemon’s evo lines. I just don’t think the skimpyness fits with Hershey’s personality but the rest of the design just has such a cool piratey thiefy type look?? And she’s like THE BEST monster girl in the franchise, she’s the only one who really gets to be monstery looking, even if she’s still an hourglass figure sex object. i mean i always thought it was meant to be a subversion of that?? She has that giant monster claw hand and is really vicious and powerful in battle! All her animations in the game are her shredding things with it and doing the classic dracula rise-from-the-grave when she’s knocked out, and just... ITS REALLY BADASS!! I didnt know how cool a fight with her could be, cos she just got that stupid ass fanservice joke slap fight in the anime... ANYWAY Ladydevimon is good I appreciate her I like her even though she’s in the general genre of fanservice digimon that I dislike. She’s like the one single one I dont hate! (Tho I still wish we had more than like.. two un-fanservice female digimon in the entire damn series) Buuuut I dont think her design quite fits Hershey even though she’s the digivolution I keep using ingame. Maybe if I can find a different Mega that I prefer, and make up a fanmade digivolution line? or I could do a fanart variation of the digimon...

* ANYWAY I kinda ended up headcanoning Hershey as a former member of the broken apart pirate crew in Mod Cape. Cos like.. what if your digimon had backstories of what their life was like before they met you! like Gatomon in Adventure, they were chosen to be partners to a destined hero but had to wait so long they’d become disillusioned. Cos when you meet em at the start of the game they’re mega level and only get poofed back into eggs cos of machinedramon’s attack. WHAT LIFE DID YOU LEAD WITHOUT ME. I AM HERE TO PROTECT YOU NOW AAAAAAA!! So yeah it would be cool to headcanon Hershey as a former highway bandit type character who has trouble adjusting to living in a city surrounded by happy innocent people and hugs. I dont see her as grumpy tho.. like, she’s kind of a bombastic trickster archetype but she’s still super cynical and ‘I only care about myself, anything else gets you hurt’. I was thinking maybe if I designed a fanmade mega for her she could be like a magician pirate zombie demon??? Like.. yknow piedmon is a deck of cards clown guy with those four daggers? i actually got Piedmon as her digivolution when she was a Ladydevimon and I was thinking MAN it could be so cool if we had like a zany zombie digimon who attacks by stabbing a sword through her own back! Like ‘watch me saw a woman in half’ XD A design where she has a load of weapons stuck in her and uses them to fight with! like how mummymon is a mummy + soldier in a leg brace design, hypothetical zombiemon could be a zombie + actual tragic assassination victim. Plus a magician. Or a clown. And ladydevimon. And a pirate. LOOK I JUST HAVE A LOT OF MUTUALLY CONTRADICTORY HEADCANONS OKAY xD

* I don’t really have as much development ideas for Zephyr yet, aside from that they’re Hershey’s more cheerful and positive sibling. But I see them as also being kinda creepy and battle-hungry and stuff? Like.. both these twins are total virus types, clown type, typical final villain type of acrobatic doom! And both are good guys deep down. But Zephyr is a more cinnamon roll type of good and Hershey is grumpy unwillingly dragged into goodness. And like.. Zephyr is a bit dotty and only accidentally creepy, not really understanding how to socialize properly. And probably they would be like ‘NO BIG SISTER, STEALING IS BAD’ *currently stabbing a guy* I think maybe my headcanon for Zeph might be that they were for some reason left completely alone while waiting for the protagonist? Hershey at least found some companionship with the pirates, even if she became super bitter after the team broke up. I think Zeph maybe started off as a wild forest mon that’d even forgotten how to speak, until by pure chance they bumped into their long lost twin sister and then met the protagonist. So like an innocent angel who’s all new to the city and excited about everything, but also kinda fighty and dangerous because of the same stuff that makes them innocent. I dunno, I might make them an angewomon or ophanimon to match with Hershey? Tho I wanted to make them both good guy virus types, it could be an equally interesting contrast to have a vicious battle-obsessed angel who’s the absolute opposite of softspoken fancyness! And I also kinda associate them with the colour green even though I ended up picking a grey themed digivolution for Hershey instead. But all of Terriermon’s natural digivolutions are all machiney and don’t suit this personality as much... I dunno, maybe I could make up another headcanon/variant type thing? Cos after all lopmon’s line gets two champion level forms and two megas but terriermon only has two recolours for the same ultimate level. Maybe even it out, lol! Or like, I’m thinking like.. what if Terriermon had a mega that suited Henry more? i was reading someone’s review where they said it was weird that pacifistic Henry got a giant robot specializing in attack while Rika got the humanoid pacifist digimon. And yeah, that IS totally weird! And it got me imagining what if Terriermon got a humanoid digivolution that was like a martial artist?? or maybe like a speedy superhero lookin armour thing! Like just a more humanoid rapidmon! or I dunno maybe if puppetmon is in this game then zephyr could be puppetmon. I miss puppetmon. puppetmon never got to be in ANY games except dusk and dawn! I WANNA SEE A 3D PUPPETMON YO!!

* Man I just spent this entire post rambling my headcanons for silent protagonist characters instead of actually talking about the game... aaaa...

[powerbopdotcom]

Dragon Quest XI S: Echoes of an Elusive Age Definitive Edition

PS4 version, played on PS5

Dragon Quest 11 is one of the best games I have ever played and quite possibly ever will play. As I set my controller down on my last session I felt a sense of melancholy and accomplishment I rarely feel after playing a video game. I had devoted multiple of my days after my job to the game almost solely and I never once felt like I wanted to stop playing, even when I was done completely. From the moment you turn on the game it lets you know that this will be a special experience, with an absolutely gorgeous introduction cinematic that gives a near perfect view on what the game will be like when you get into it. You get glimpses of the hero going off on your journey, your future companions and little bits of their personalities shown off, the big adventure and the small personal moments. The best part though is the demonstration of how that your friends you make throughout the game will have your back no matter what. The bond of friendship you gain with your party is to me the most important part of the game’s themes and story as a whole. 

Before I move forward anymore, I would like to leave a disclaimer. I am relatively new to the JRPG genre. When I was younger I thought I hated JRPGs and that I was too impatient to them. I, of course, like most people who play video games at my age (22 at the time of this writing) and probably people younger and older but I know especially my age, grew up playing Pokemon. Pokemon is a JRPG. I don’t know why I thought I hated JRPGs. I think I had never actually put the effort into playing a JRPG that wasn’t Pokemon and then played like Final Fantasy 1 for an hour and got lost and decided I didn’t like JRPGs. I don’t know why I did that. I have, since, decided that JRPGs are possibly my favorite genre at this point. It started with Final Fantasy VII, and I will write about that at some point in the future. I just felt like this context was important for the rest of the essay.

Dragon Quest 11 starts, as many games do, with you as your first member of your party. In Dragon Quest 11 though, you are the only member of your party at the beginning, whereas with most JRPGs I have played, you get at least one friend at the beginning. The gameplay while you’re alone is still pretty fun! The enemies are weak and the dynamics are set up so that you can dispatch them relatively easily while learning the mechanics of the game. I bring this up because, as early as you meeting your first companion, Erik, you quickly learn the value of having your friends with you. With another person joining your adventure combat quickly becomes more interesting and dynamic, and the game slowly keeps giving you new abilities and party members, so that by the time you have enough party members to have a 4 person party, you are accustomed to understanding how your different abilities interact to make you get through in the most fun way possible. The mechanical advancements are reflected in the characters outside of combat too. You get to learn about your friends’s prior relationships, watch them become friends with you, and also become friends with your other friends and it’s very exciting. By the end of the game I had felt like they were my actual friends in real life. (I’m not sure if that says anything about me.)

Here is my quick off the top of my head ranking of my favorite of the friends you make: #7 The hidden character #6 Jade #5 Rab #4 Serena #3 Veronica # 2 Sylvando #1 Erik. This was actually a very difficult thing to rank because I actually absolutely love every one of them and in another game every single one of them could be my favorite character in a game.

As you progress through the story every single one of your friends is allowed to develop and have multiple events dedicated to them, instead of just relegating their development to just when you meet them, which can happen in other games. You learn a lot about them and they endear yourself to them very organically. I guarantee that even if you don’t like a party member when you meet them, you will love them by the end of the game, they’re that good.

I have heard that in Japan, Dragon Quest games are kind of treated like bedtime stories for a lot of people, where they will play it for a little while before bed, just like you would read a book to prepare for bed, and I believe it! The story plays out like a classic adventure story in a lot of archetypical ways, but is presented with an extreme amount of charm and with twists on classic formulas. Dragon Quest 11 is a celebration of the entire series and by being this they know exactly how to do a very classic story and make it still very unique and inspired, Yuji Hori, is from what I understand, a genius when it comes to this stuff.

Akira Toriyama’s art and designs for this game is incredible. Akira Toriyama is one of my biggest inspirations artistically and Dragon Ball is possibly the 2nd most important piece of media for influencing my interests. So when I see Akira Toriyama’s designs for everything in this game it excites me. The most interesting thing about it to me though is that his Dragon Ball and Dragon Quest are distinctly different, while keeping his trademarks there so you know it is him, no matter where you look. The monsters are masterfully designed. Nothing else looks like the monsters in Dragon Quest (besides the more dinosaur-like dragons, those do look like Dragon Ball dinosaurs). I love Akira Toriyama and his art is admittedly a very large attracting factor to the franchise. 

Dragon Quest 11 has gambling. I love gambling in video games. I spent at least 5 of my 120 hours in the game gambling. I want to put a casino into my video game. The casino in Dragon Quest 11 has a slot machine called Slime Quest, where you have the ability to look at the rates for how many bonuses the machine gets per how many spins it takes, and also has an auto spin mode, which is genius game design. I love the casino, I have gone on literally 2 hours long hot streaks on Slime Quest.

The game’s story is grand and exciting, the world is beautiful and every area feels distinct and fun to explore. It’s a really great time, and after you’ve done it all, there’s still plenty to do. There’s plenty of side quests, little collectibles to find, and, my favorite, getting new gear. I love creating a list of material I need to find to get some of the best gear in video games, and Dragon Quest 11 makes it extra fun. You can buy most materials straight from your crafting interface, while rarer materials must be acquired from treasure chests and from enemies. It creates a great balance between grinding and not having to work all that hard. Which is very lucky because all of the best gear is gained through crafting, so putting in the work necessary to consistently improve your team isn’t gonna cause any unnecessary stress or confusion.

I would describe most everything about this game as my platonic ideal of a JRPG, except for one major exception. Koichi Sugiyama done did write a repetitive OST. I wouldn’t even necessarily call it a bad OST as there are tracks that I really do enjoy, namely the overture during the intro cinematic, the act 3 overworld theme, and the city theme, however you will hear most every song in the game on constant loop for the entire game in just about every area of the game. I’m not really sure what happened there but it does unfortunately drag the experience down a little bit, but definitely not enough to ruin the game. 

Dragon Quest 11 was my first Dragon Quest game and it most certainly won’t be my last. I was obsessed with it the whole way through. When I took a break about 40 hours in so that I could play Nier Replicant ver. 1.22474487139… I felt bad about putting the game down, and when I picked it back up I never stopped until I was done. I want as many people to play the game as possible. It’s truly special. It made me cry at one particular point and most games don’t do that.