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hippiemisfit · 1 year ago

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Hush (J.K.) 20

Chapter 20- The Next Day

pairings: jungkook x oc reader

word count: 4,651

warnings: angst, fluff, jealousy, hints at a bigger picture, girl from jungkook's past

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I woke up the next morning at about 8 and started to reminisce about last night.

I can't believe that happened. I doubt know what came over me but I don't regret it at all.

I turned and looked beside me and saw that I was all alone but I wasn't surprised. I know that Hoodie is a busy person being the actual Death and all so I didn't expect him to be here anyway. Thank God it's Saturday and I don't have to go to that hell hole called school or I would've definitely been ditching again today. I got up, grabbed my towel on the end of the bed, and headed to the restroom for a quick shower.

I placed my towel on the sink and turned on my playlist, putting it on shuffle, and hopped in the shower. In Your Eyes by Snoh Aalegra came on and I started to sing along.

♪Woo, woo, woo Ayy, woo Yeah, yeah

Some days are easier to fake it I find it hard to think when you're brought up I know it takes a heart to break it (yeah) But you took that and some more when you gave up♪

By the time I got out the shower, I had sang at least three songs in my mini concert. I grabbed my towel off the sink and wrapped it around me before wiping the condensation off the mirror. I don't know why my reflection caused me to gasp, but it sure in the fuck did. I mean, I know he was sucking on my skin pretty good last night but I wasn't expecting my neck to look all bit up like this. You could barely see any of my brown skin, I think I count like 10 and that's just on my upper neck area alone. My chest area is a whole another level but what can I say, it felt good in the moment. I lightly touched one and winced.

Yep, glad there's no school today because I'd be damned if I have to cover all of these up.

I stopped staring at my neck long enough to wash my face and brush my teeth and then went to my room to get dressed. I peeked at my phone real quick and I'm glad I did because Jungkook texted me saying that he was gonna come over to hang out at 9 ten minutes ago. Well its currently 8:45 so I better hurry up. i quickly put on some lotion and ran to my closet. I grabbed my black crop top turtle neck and some distressed shorts. I put my hair into a messy bun and put on some hoops.

By the time I slid my puma slides on, i heard the door bell ring. I ran down the stairs and swung open the door, being greeted by a similarly dressed Jungkook. I scanned him from head toe; he was wearing a black turtle neck of his own but his was paired with black dress pants and dress shoes. He was even wearing a pair of glasses to top it off.

He looks like he walked straight out of a kdrama, cue the internal fangirling. Is it hot out here or is it just me cause damnnnnn.

I cleared my throat when I noticed that he was eyeing me up and down too. I moved out of the way to let him in and he slid by me. As soon as I closed the door and turned around, I was pinned against it and was met by his lips crashing on mine. I was taken back at first but melted into the kiss. Just as I started to get deeper into it, he pulled back and gave me a cute bunny grin.

He pulled out his phone

:sorry u just look really beautiful. i couldn't help myself

I giggled, "It's ok, you're looking pretty good today yourself. You weren't peeping in on me while I was getting dressed this morning," I asked jokingly.

He shook his head

:lol nope but what a coincidence huh

I shook my head," Haha yea what's the chances huh. Well, are you hungry? I could make us something."

:actually that's why I came over here. I wanted to see if you wanted to go out for breakfast.

"Yeah, I'm down. just let me feed and walk Poco real quick and we can go. You can have a seat while I'm gone, he usually doesn't take too long in the morning." I said going to get Poco out his crate.

With all that happened last night I'm glad that Poco was here. I don't know what I would've done if I was just here alone. As soon as I put his dry food in his bowl, I heard his crate open and next thing I knew I was almost toppled by him.

He tried to lick my face but I lightly pushed him away, laughing at his antics. "Poco chill. Morning breath is real kid. Here let's take you for a walk and then you can come and eat."

I went and grabbed his leash from the key ring and told Jungkook that we would be right back. We went down our usual route which included walking past Carter's house. Just my luck he was sitting outside on the porch but he was so engrossed into his phone , he didn't notice us walk past.

Poco did his business and we turned around to head back home. This time though, Carter was looking up and we caught eyes but I diverted mine. I quickly walked to my front door and went to open it, fumbling with key a little out of nervousness. I heard Poco start growling and I glanced over my shoulder and saw that Carter had crossed the street and was making his way towards us. His steps faltered when Poco barked at him.

"Hey can we talk real fast?" I heard him ask.

I let out a small sigh as I turned around to face him. He didn't look too good with bags under his eyes, showing a lack of sleep. I was about to ask him what was wrong when I saw him glance behind me with a weird look on his face. I turned around to see Jungkook standing behind me.

How did I not hear the door open?

I expected to see Jungkook glaring at Carter but instead he had a twisted smirk on his face. I slightly elbowed him and he looked down at me, smirk vanishing. He opened the door wider for me to go past. I stayed put and turned to look back at Carter but Jungkook grabbed me by the shoulder and guided me into the house. I tried to fight his grip but it was strong as I also tried to push past him. He turned me around to face him and I was met with a harsh glare. I took a step back in shock at his behavior and his eyes softened at my movements. I shook his hands off of me and yelled out to Carters, "I'll talk to you later," before I walked away from them both. I released Poco from his leash and he immediately ran to his food and drink bowls.

I heard the front door close behind me as I walked into the kitchen for something to drink. By the time I started to drink my apple juice, Jungkook was in the kitchen looking apologetic. I ignored him and continued to drink until he was ready to actually apologize.

He finally pulled out his phone and started typing.

: I'm sorry if I scared you and for glaring at you. I just don't like that boy

I shrugged my shoulders, "I understand that you don't like him but it looked like wanted to say something to me but then you stopped him with your aura."

: my aura?

"Yes. Your aura was coming off as aggressive as fuck even I could tell and it wasn't even directed at me at first. I wanted to hear what he had to say. I can fight my own battles Jungkook, I don't need your help."

I saw his jaw clench, : I never said that you needed my help but as your boyfriend it's my duty to protect you and that means from anyone

My eyes widened slightly, "Boyfriend? When did you become my boyfriend? I don't remember you asking me out?"

It was his turn to shrug, : didn't need to. Last night solidified our relationship

"Last night?" I asked confused. "What are you talking about ?"

He smirked and tilted his head, : like you don't know

The fuck is he talking about? Wait, it can't be. Is he-

He patted his hand against the counter, tearing me out of my thoughts : we kissed last night remember after we spent all day together too

Ooooohhhh

I nodded my head in somewhat understanding, "Ohhhhk, well that doesn't mean that we're dating. You didn't even ask me out."

He smiled and leaned against the counter, :well then if I just did. Be my girlfriend?

Should I say yes? I don't know? Hoodie is always going to be in the picture and I don't know if I should subject Jungkook to Hoodie's wrath buttttttt I also really like Jungkook too.

He snapped his fingers before shaking his head, : how about we see how breakfast goes and then you can tell me then?

I nodded in agreement, "Sure, let's go."

I said goodbye to Poco and made sure I locked the door. I got ready to head to my car when I noticed another car next to mine in the driveway. It was a black 2023 Mercedes Benz EQS- class.

This car isn't even out yet and this person already has one. Was it there when I took Poco for a walk earlier?

I just shrugged it off and walked up to the driver's side and saw Jungkook grinning at me before he rolled down the window.

"Well I can see that you got your car." I said.

He nodded his head and motioned for me to get in. I quickly headed to the passenger side and climbed in. When I fastened my seatbelt, he shifted into gear and took off.

"This car isn't even out yet, how'd you get so lucky?"

He just shrugged in response.

"Hmm, I was looking at it for if I wanted an upgrade but I saw how expensive it was and I didn't feel right buying a car for what I could spend on a house." I started to run my fingers across the upholstery, "I like these seats, especially the color of them. The whole interior really, my favorite colors are black and purple."

I turned to look at him when he didn't respond but then remembered that he doesn't talk. Talk about face palm.

He reached over and grabbed my hand, lacing my fingers with his. He brought our intertwined hands up to his mouth and kiss them. Woah if I was any lighter, I'd be red as Rudolph's nose.

I cleared my throat, "Is your Bluetooth connected to the radio?"

He nodded his head yes and nodded towards the radio dial. I reached over and turned it on, hearing GOT7's NaNaNa start playing through the speakers.

I gasped, "You listen to GOT7 now?! Look at me rubbing off on you," I said jamming to the song.

He looked over at me and smiled before turning his attention back to the road. I had my little jam session and I gotta say his music taste is on point. It's almost like he got one of my playlists on his phone. Kehlani, Audrey Nuna, and JoJo came on and by the time we pulled up to our destination, I didn't even want to get out of the car.

When he parked the car, he turned and looked at me before reaching over to me. I closed my eyes in anticipation of a kiss but was thrown off when I heard my seatbelt unlatch. I opened my eyes and saw he was still in close proximity to my face and was trying to hold his laughter. I rolled my eyes and pushed his chest but he didn't budge. He leaned forward and pecked me on the lips causing me to break out into a huge smile.

I felt my cheeks getting hot and started to fan myself to cool them down. He pecked me again this time on my cheek and then leaned back to undo his own seatbelt. With burning cheeks, I hurried and got out of the car. I took in our surroundings and looked at the restaurant he brought us to. It looked like a nice place from the outside, from what I could tell so far. Hopefully their food is good.

"The Hoodied Figure, that's a weird name for a breakfast place," I said reading the sign. Jungkook grabbed my hand and took me up to the entrance. He opened the door and motioned for me to go in first.

"What a gentleman," I said, lightly brushing against him as I went in. I walked up to the unmanned hostess station and waited for them. I felt Jungkook come up behind me, wrapping his arms around my waist and leaning his head on top of mine. I placed my hands on top of his and we started to lightly sway to nonexistent music.

I took in the decor and I have to say whoever decorated this place has good taste. It looks like your typical diner but with a twist, everything is dark. From the black tile on the floor, all the way to the black chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The only pop of color is the waiters outfits which are blood red.

After a couple minutes, the hostess finally came up to us. She was pretty, brunette with green eyes and a slim body. I can already see how this is going to go because she barely glanced at me but of course Jungkook had all her attention.

"How many?" She asked, staring into his soul.

I waved my hand in her face to get her attention and she looked at me like I was shit on the bottom of her shoe.

"Two, obviously ma'am. And if you couldn't tell he's with me but I don't see how you couldn't given that his arms are literally around me," I said sickly sweet with a forced smile on my face.

She looked me up and down and rolled her eyes. "Table or booth," she asked.

"Booth," I said glaring at her. She mirrored my expression while slightly rolling her eyes, and turned to take us to our booth.

As I was sliding into the booth, she slammed my menu on the table and lightly placed Jungkook's down. Oh so this bitch wants to fight.

I cracked my neck and was about to go the fuck off on her until Jungkook placed his hand on top of mine and shook his head no. I rolled my eyes and decided that mean mugging her would work for now but she has one more time before I fuck her up.

"What can I get you to drink," she asked Jungkook twirling her hair around her finger.

He just blankly stared at her and then looked over at me to answer her.

"He'll take a water with no ice and the same for me." I said.

She snapped her head to look at me, disgust emitting from her aura, "Um, I was talking to him not you. He can speak for himself, he doesn't need you."

This time I didn't even bother to put on a fake smile when I responded, "First of all, I don't care who you think that you are but you have one more time to talk to me like you are crazy and I will fuck you up. Second, he's mute meaning he doesn't speak so yeah he does need me to speak for him. And lastly, you're the hostess anyways, why are you over here taking drink orders? So if I were you I would go back to my post before I get the manager called on me for being rude to a customer. And while you're at it, go ahead and call our actual server over here since you have nothing to do."

She looked taken back but quickly fixed her face and finally walked away. I watched her storm off and then turned my attention back to Jungkook who just looked amused.

"What?" I asked a little harshly.

He held up his hands in surrender before pulling out his phone. :easy there tigress, I mean no harm lol

"Sorry," I mumbled , "She just pissed me off with her bony ass." I crossed my arms and leaned back in irritation.

: her ass was kinda bony wasn't it? 😂

"Yes," I said throwing my hands up dramatically, "I knew I wasn't the only one who thought so."

:good thing I have a thing for someone with some curves huh?

"Have you ever been here before?" I asked.

He nodded his head, :when I first got here I came to this place and I've kinda made it my spot. The food here is pretty good, you'll like it.

"Hmm well if it is good then I'll definitely have to come more often."

:yes but only with me. Your man.

I looked up at him and he winked at me. I smiled and shook my head, giggling. I was about to respond when our waiter arrived.

"Hello I'm Taehyung but you can just call me Tae, I'll be your server today. What can I get you guys started off with, any appetizers or drinks?"

"Sorry I didn't even look at the menu yet but we'll both take a water with no ice," I said looking up and seeing a familiar face.

It was the blonde from the diner the other day. He works here? I took in his appearance and I just have to ask God why he keeps toying with me and my emotions, bringing all these good looking men into my vicinity.

I guess he could tell that I was lowkey checking him out because he gave me a big smile, " I know you don't I?" he asked me.

I shook my head slightly, "No do you?"

He tapped his chin and then snapped his fingers in recognition, "Yeah you were at the diner yesterday," he looked over at Jungkook, "with loverboy here too. Sorry that we stole him for a few minutes, just needed to talk to him about something."

"Oh about what?" I asked.

He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly, "Oh nothing for you to worry about, Mahj. Just work stuff."

I shook my head in confusion, "What do you mean work and how do you know my name?"

I turned to look at Jungkook who looked like he was about to blow a fuse, "You guys work together?"

:somewhat

Taehyung read the message too and laughed, placing his hand on Jungkook's shoulder, "Somewhat? I'm offended friend. We work together almost every day. Well I mean when he's not busy doing other things and like I said we're friends."

Jungkook threw Taehyung's hand off his shoulder and gave him a death glare. I could see Taehyung's face smile falter a little from his gaze but when he looked back at me, it was back to a thousand watt smile.

"I'll be back with your drinks," he said before heading away.

I glanced at Jungkook and it looked like he was still fuming. I reached over to grab his hand but I yelped when it felt like his hand was on fire. I blew on my hand and made eye contact with an apologetic him.

:sorry. Sometimes I just run hot when I get worked up. Is your hand ok?

He reached out to touch it but I just pulled it closer to me.

"Yes my hand is fine just a little hot is all. What type of work do you and Taehyung do?"

He looked hesitant to answer but he still started to type : we're in the business of picking up people

"What do you mean picking up people? Like y'all drive Uber or something?"

: haha not necessarily but I guess you can compare it to that but most of our "customers" aren't happy to be catching a ride

"Must pay really well huh Mr. exclusive car." I said jokingly.

He cracked a smile and nodded, : money means nothing to me. Anything you want I can make it happen

I was about to respond when Taehyung came back with our drinks. He placed them down gently and then pulled out his notepad.

"You guys ready to order?" he asked.

I smiled sheepishly, " I actually never looked over the menu still but what do you recommend?"

"Well if you're into eggs, you should get the egg overload. It comes with the cheesiest eggs you've ever had with French toast and bacon."

"Ok, I'll take that. Jungkook do you know what you want?" I asked turning to him.

Before he could type, Taehyung beat him to it, "Oh I already know what he likes to get. Remember we work together," he said winking.

I saw Jungkook's and eye twitch but he didn't make a move. Taehyung took our menus and headed to go put in our order.

I started to look around some more to people watch. I turned my head towards the kitchen that was to my left and locked eyes with someone who I would rather not see sitting at the bar.

Jimin.

The second we locked eyes he put a weird smirk on his face.

What the hell is he doing here?

I guess I was staring at him because Jungkook turned to see who I was looking at. Jimin glanced at Jungkook shortly just to wink at Jungkook and then stared at me again. I felt uncomfortable under his gaze and quickly adverted my eyes.

God's definitely got to be playing with me.

I could see him advancing from my peripheral and pretended like I was very interested in my nails.

There was a light knock on the table before I heard a throat clear. "Hey Mahj and Jungkook right? I didn't expect to see you two here, have you been here before?" Jimin asked.

"No this is my first time," I said keeping my eyes locked on the table, "Just wanted some breakfast you know."

Jimin placed his hand on my chin and turned my head towards him. He smiled gently and said, "There's those pretty eyes. Why are you trying to hide your gaze from mine? Aren't I one of your boyfriends?"

I slapped his hand off of my face and glared, "Well why would I want to look at someone who tried to break into my house last night and threatened to kill me? And consider your boyfriend card revoked."

He had the audacity to look confused, "What are you talking about? I don't even know where you live so how could I have been at your house last night?"

Now it was my turn to be confused, "Jimin, it was clearly you outside of my house last night. There's no way it could've been anyone else."

He shook his head no and just as he was about to speak Taehyung approached with our food.

"Hey Jimin," he said placing our food on the table and faced Jimin, "I'm surprised you're up this early given how late we were out last night. I barely made it in myself."

I whipped my head towards Taehyung, "Wait, you guys were out last night? Together?"

He nodded slowly, "Yeah we went to a bar and then to a house party," he quirked his eyebrow up, "Why?"

"She claims that I was outside her house last night trying to break in and kill her. Which is crazy because I don't even know where she lives and I would never do that even if I did." Jimin said.

"Huh well do you want to see pictures from last night to prove his innocence?" Taehyung asked.

"Yes," I said.

Taehyung pulled his phone out of his back pocket and unlocked, proceeding to open up his photos and hand it to me.

"Swipe left and you can see all the pics from our night."

I scrolled through the pictures and saw that their story oddly added up. There's pictures of them in a bar and at someone's party, each of them time stamped within the window that Jimin was outside my house last night.

I looked up at Jimin and mumbled an apology before handing Taehyung back his phone.

Jimin patted my head, careful not to mess up my bun, and said, "I forgive you. I know our last encounter wasn't all that pleasant and I might've scared you but I was just doing what I was-". He stopped talking to curse and reach down to rub his ankle, glaring at Jungkook who was staring at me.

"As I was saying before I was rudely interrupted, I'm sorry for acting out of character yesterday." Jimin said.

"It's fine, I guess. Sorry I accused you of doing that. Maybe it was someone else," I said placing my head in my hands in confusion.

"Hey it's ok. Anyway enjoy your breakfast you guys. Come on Tae, I need some coffee." Jimin said walking away, pulling Taehyung away with him.

I glanced down at my now cold eggs and got trapped in my thoughts.

If it was Jimin outside of my house last night then who was it? And if it was just my mind playing tricks on me, then was last night in the tub a figment of my imagination too? But it makes no sense because Hoodie was clearly there last night and the banging and the screaming. And it was clearly Jim-

I was torn out of my thoughts by a caress of my hand. I looked up to see Jungkook looking at me with concern in his eyes.

:hey don't let them ruin our day. Eat before your food gets too cold

"Ok," I said trying to clear my mind. "You're right , let's just enjoy this day. You know you look really good in those glasses. I've been meaning to tell you since this morning."

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"You don't think he's mad at us for crossing the line do you?" Taehyung whispered to Jimin as they were walking away.

Jimin slightly shrugged, "I don't know but if he tells hyung on us it's your fault." He said sitting back at the bar.

"How is it my fault?" Taehyung asked sitting beside him.

Jimin poked Taehyung's chest, "You're the one who kept going on and on about how we work together and shit."

Taehyung pushed Jimin's hand off of his chest, "Yah like you weren't half ass apologizing for something you actually did do and were lowkey dropping hints about it."

Jimin put his hands up in surrender, "Hey like I told her, I'm just doing what I am told. And good think he told us to actually take some pictures to show her proof or we would've been fucked."

Taehyung nodded in agreement, "Yeah I am too. Whatever he has planned next I hope she's ready for because this is light work compared to what he could do."

Jimin sighed and looked over at Mahj who was flirting with Jungkook, "Yeah whatever his master plan is, I hope they're both ready for it."

#jungkook smut #jeongguk smut #jungkook x black reader #jungkook x plus size reader #bts smut #bts x black reader #bts x plus size reader #bangtan smut

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dutchvanwinkle · 2 years ago

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Mr Van der Linde Pt. 5 - Dutch x Reader

Hello again darlings! I hope those of you celebrating Easter / Ramadam / Passover are having a wonderful weekend, did you know this overlap only happens three times every century? How cool is that!! Whether you're observing a holiday or not, it's now time for us to all come together and fantasize about daddy Dutch :)

I would apologise for the wait between this chapter and the last, but I did say this fic would be relatively slow in updates. I wrote a good chuck of this chapter then decided I hated it, took some time away from it, came back, then realised it wasn't as bad as I'd made out in my head lol. It's a pretty fluffy one tbh, and even if it's not as long as the previous one I hope you still enjoy!

It's on ao3, too!

Summary: Your relationship with Dutch deepens when you spend more time with him after a stressful week.

Word count: 6,471

Content warnings: smut, mildly creepy dutch

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Despite everyone’s knowledge of the end of the academic year, not one of your group of friends took the responsibility of arranging the flat for you to all live in together for second year. So, once again, you and Karen were in the same one - with John, Abigail, Sean, and Javier across the hall in theirs. You didn’t mind much; you were all too deep in the habit of leaving your flats unlocked anyway so the others could wander in should they please. It was dumb, but you hadn’t been robbed yet and imagined that’s what it would take for you to change your ways.

Abigail had made extra dinner and you were the first to claim the portion, skipping across the hall and ambling in with a grin on your face. The two of you ate and chatted with the TV filling the background noise. Karen had joined not long after, and the three of you found yourselves sprawled on the sofa, tired from a full day.

Second year was noticeably harder, no more easing you into university life – the theory and assignments were tough. However, thanks to your hard work in the previous semester it wasn’t an impossible leap. It had been for some, Javier regularly coming around in an attempt to inconspicuously copy your coursework.

Just as you were mentally preparing yourself for the next day, the last before the weekend, your phone buzzed.

Naughty girl.

Dutch. You cleared your throat, pausing a moment before opening his message. He hadn’t taken any liberties with his possession of your phone number, and your inbox had been decidedly empty since the last time you saw him.

Was this the old-person way of flirting? Was it sexting? Hopefully, your response would allow room for clarification.

I was just in my photo gallery.

Oh. You smiled to yourself. Another message.

I almost dropped my phone.

Sorry, won’t happen again.

It better happen again, miss. I’ve already made good use of it, and now I’m in need of more.

Good god, the thought of him pleasuring himself to a photo of you brought heat all over your neck. “I’m just gonna use your bathroom,” you stood up to excuse yourself, getting no response from your friends.

Once inside, you looked around, knowing full well it was empty and quickly flicked the lock on the door, before pulling your top over your head. Glancing over your reflection in the mirror, you tried to figure out the best angle that’d reveal enough but not too much.

Eventually, you got an angle you were happy with, only your jaw in view and your tits on full display. You cropped the photo (including your bottom half was a bit too much, right now at least) when his name appeared in your notification bar again.

Too far?

Bless him, he could see you’d read his message but left him without a response for ten minutes. Without giving yourself time to chicken out, you sent the picture to him.

Sorry, I was distracted.

He read it instantly, and it took a full minute before you could see he was typing. Then the dots disappeared. Then reappeared. Then disappeared again. You smiled to yourself, pulling your top over your head and flushing the toilet for good measure, before venturing back out and returning to the sofa. Dutch finally decided on what to say once you’d made yourself comfy.

Come see me this weekend.

If only. A weekend being fucked repeatedly was just what you needed, exhaustion already settling into your mind thanks to your busy schedule being back in action. Unfortunately, said schedule was exactly why you couldn’t.

Can’t, sorry. I’m working tomorrow and Saturday.

Fuck work. I’ll pay you.

“What are you smiling at?”

You glanced up, Karen looking at you inquisitively, Abigail taking her attention off the TV in turn to see what the fuss was.

“Nothing?” you said casually.

“You’ve been grinning at that phone of yours for five minutes.”

“I have not been grinning.”

She raised a brow, the look on her face turning to intrigue.

“Please tell me it’s a guy. Or a girl. Or anything with a pulse,” Abigail pleaded, and you tutted while Karen cackled.

“I’ve told you I don’t have time for that crap! Besides, I’m perfectly fine as I am,” you said defensively, folding your arms and ignoring the buzz of a message on your phone.

“We all need a good screw now and again,” Karen said plainly, Abigail nodding in agreement.

Don’t we just. “Oh, and Maquire is providing that service well enough for you, is he?”

She shot you a glare, and as she was about to retort the main door opened, the man himself trailed by Javier and John.

“Yeah, alright,” John said, his phone held up against his ear while he set the bag of shopping on the counter.

“Hello ladies,” Javier greeted you all, beginning to put away their communal shop which was pathetically void of nutrients and taken up mostly by cans of beer.

Sean pulled off his boots, hopping a little before it gave and sighing proudly when it did. “Any of you want a drink?”

You shook your head, as did Abigail, but Karen held her hand out.

“Ah, that’s why I love ya,” he grinned, handing a can out to Karen who scoffed in disgust before snatching it from him.

“Okay, fine, yeah. I can do that. See you later,” John said, hanging up his call and letting his phone drop into his pocket.

“Everything okay?” Abigail asked while John played tetris stacking the beers in the fridge.

“Yeah, just my dad. He’s coming down this weekend.”

That got your attention. Surely not -

“Says Tilly’s been angling to see the city. He was just checking I was free to spend time with them.”

“Aw,” Abigail sat up, “will we get to see them?”

John shrugged, and your phone buzzed again.

I’m serious. read Dutch’s previous message to you, followed by his most recent one: Looking forward to seeing you.

You neglected to respond just yet, not wanting to draw any more attention to yourself. That man worked fast.

“Where are you gonna take them?”

“God knows. Knowing Dad,” John sat down beside Abigail, “he’ll have already drafted up a full itinerary.”

You smirked at the thought, a warmth growing in your chest.

Dutch was fond of John’s friends. They were a decent bunch, and he’d been glad to see their familiar faces when he and Tilly arrived in the city the next morning, dropping their bags at the hotel before coming to visit John’s flat. He reminded himself repeatedly not to comment on the lack of cleanliness students seemed to thrive in.

It was nice to see John, along with Javier who he’d watched grow up with his son. Abigail was extra friendly, and thanks to a little birdie he understood why. She was a nice girl. They were all nice. But the one he wanted to see the most was unfortunately yet to descend on the flat despite John’s assurance that everyone swings round all the time.

“I’m going out for a cigarette,” Dutch announced, departing the flat and being met with the doorway to yours opposite him. He tried his luck, finding it unlocked, and mentally chastised you for being careless. He wasn’t sure which room was yours, though he thought it a good enough excuse to have wandered into the wrong flat should anyone ask. Two of the doors were ajar, and after a peek, he found them empty. The flat was quiet, and he decided there was no harm in trying the closed ones. He knocked on the next door, getting no response and so pushing it open.

Dutch smiled to himself as the air entered his nose; it smelled just like you.

Thanks to the strange layout, he could see the end of your bed and a slight bump under the duvet where your feet lay. “Tut tut,” he hummed as he took a couple of steps in, “you really should keep it locked – oh.”

His brows pulled together as his voice died in his mouth at the sight of you fast asleep and bundled up in your bed, completely flat out. He debated waking you but was distracted by seeing the inside of your room for the first time. A little nosy never hurt anybody.

Hands in his pockets, he observed the pictures up on your wall and smiled fondly at the ones including his drunken son. Then, he glanced over the perfume bottles lined up near your small desk mirror, then to the books and paper laid out beside your laptop accompanied by an empty mug from the previous day. It was then that he turned his attention back to you, hair ruffled with one arm out of the covers.

Dutch sat on the edge of your bed and brushed a strand of hair from your peaceful face. It was enough to make you stir, and you cranked your eyes open. He smirked as he observed your expression, going from alarmed to relaxed when you realised it was him, then back to alarmed when you realised it was him.

“You really should lock your flat, and your door,” he greeted.

You rubbed your eyes, wondering if the man had come to visit you in a dream though it felt undeniably real as you remembered your conversation with John the previous day. “Or perhaps,” you said around a yawn, “strange men shouldn’t let themselves in and sit on my bed.”

“Strange men?” Dutch looked mildly offended. “I’d hate to know what you do with familiar men.”

“Very funny,” you grumbled, pulling the covers up to your neck. “What time is it?”

“Ten thirty. I didn’t think you were one to sleep in late.” His hand rested on your lower leg, and the added pressure was soothing and lessened your motivation further for starting your day.

“I’m not. But I’ve got a long day today, so I’m treating myself,” you shut your eyes and felt Dutch shift his weight on the bed. You felt his warmth over you before you felt the kiss he pressed to your cheek, and you couldn’t help but smile at the sweetness of it. It awoke other unsavoury sensations that you usually repressed in the morning.

It was as though he sensed it, brushing his hand up your leg and moving to kiss your jaw, an added tenderness compared to its predecessor. You sighed contently, the comfort of Dutch’s soft chuckle reaching your ears. There was no option but to give in, your eyes fluttering open as you shifted onto your back, allowing Dutch to manoeuvre himself on top of you. His face filled with pride, but when he moved in to kiss you, you put your hand up as a barricade.

“I haven’t brushed my teeth,” you explained, and he huffed a laugh.

“I could care less. But, if you insist,” his hand travelled further up the path of your body, cupping your breast as his lips tended to your neck instead, which you bared for him gladly.

“Was it really worth coming all this way?” you asked, lazily watching him trail his lips around your skin.

“Of course,” he said, hardly breaking his path, “need I remind you of my lack of interest in desiring a thing. I prefer -”

“- to have it, right.” Dutch smiled up at you, and the tardy realisation hit you that you were now finishing his sentences. “How was the drive up?” you asked quickly, hoping to alleviate any teasing forming in his mind.

“Just swell,” he answered, trailing his hand underneath your pyjama top to knead your breasts. His fingers moved gently in circles, testing your tenderness as they neared your nipple and lightly tweaking the now erect buds. Then his mouth came down over the fabric, and he sucked one into his mouth, leaving a wet patch behind that he eyed fondly once he was done.

“You know,” you set up on your elbows, craning your neck to look at the door, “I really should lock my door. Just in case.”

Dutch placed his palm on your chest, applying pressure until you lay back down. “No no, you want to leave it unlocked, then you leave it unlocked.”

“I’m serious,” you attempted to sit up again but damn he was strong, “John lets himself in all the time.”

“Does he,” Dutch hummed, moving his head down to suck your nipple in again and released, “I ought to teach the boy some manners.”

“Dutch, it’s not funny. Let me lock the -”

As you tried to sit up Dutch applied his full weight onto you and mouthed at your neck while all the air was knocked from your lungs. Strong and heavy. It would be a comfort if you could only breathe, and grumbled incoherently at your body’s response to being trapped by him despite the danger of the situation.

“Now,” Dutch cooed, lifting his head and running his thumb along your chin, “don’t you worry. I’ve been fit to burst since you sent me those pictures.”

“I thought you -”

“I did, but it’s not the same.” With that, he eased off slightly as you gradually accepted this was a risk you’d just have to take, and wrapped his hand around your inner thigh to shift your legs apart. “Huh, looks like I’m not the only one.”

You frowned down to observe what he was looking at and were met with the moist material of your pyjama shorts. “Goddamnit.”

Dutch chuckled while he trailed his fingers up and down your mound, and it wasn’t long before you were grinding up in time with his movements. He always seemed to know the exact pressure and pace you wanted, and often reigned it back some so as to keep you frustrated. You were about to ask him to get on with it, considering the risk and limited time you had before your day started, when he removed his hand to undo his jeans and pull out his frustrated-looking cock. The man didn’t even look at you, nor give you any warning, before moving your shorts to the side and sliding right in. And curse your body once again, allowing him the smoothest of passages.

A sigh of relief left him, the sort one would make when sinking into a hot bath. He stayed there a moment, nosing at your neck and brushing his palm down your flank to your shorts, the fabric of which he bunched up in his hand. At least you weren’t wearing any underwear he would inevitably steal.

“How could this not be worth the journey,” he mused, and you realised he was in fact talking to himself. Still, you sighed out a laugh.

Dutch moved his torso off yours, straightening up to grab your outer thighs in each hand. His grip was tight, bruising almost, and he held you right where he wanted you as he pulled out and began thrusting in a slow, deep rhythm. His head tipped back, and you stayed watching him, the euphoric pleasure seeping over his face enough to keep you lubricated down below. It truly was nice to know you were the cause of such a response. Well, your body, at least.

“Now,” his heavy gaze met yours, and he leaned forward to plant one hand on your headboard and left the other gripping your hip, “let’s get to it, shall we?”

There was no room to answer before he deepened his thrusts, his thick cock thoroughly filling you. He was perfectly anchored to the bed and you, and being leant forward slightly enabled him to brush over the plush, pulsating spot inside you repeatedly. Swiftly building up your impending orgasm, you thanked your accommodation for not giving you squeaky beds despite their questionable quality.

Dutch’s grunts sounded at the same time as his thrusts, his lips pressed together to limit any other noise and you did the same, quiet gasps leaving you on occasion. “You gonna come for me, pretty girl?” he asked through a laboured breath.

“Mhm,” you answered and wrapped your legs around him, pulling him further in and it was the last bit of motivation he needed to fuck you into your mattress until silently you came, back arching and hands gripping the duvet beneath. Dutch continued to fuck into you while your orgasm ebbed away, and you bore through the over-stimulation until he pressed his hips as far forward as he could, filling you up as you felt his cock twitch inside you.

Your breath evened out while he dropped his head forward to run a hand through his hair. “My memory did not do you justice.”

“That right?” you tilted your head in amusement and he hummed his agreement while slowly pulling out and doing a poor job of catching his spend. Guess you’d be changing your sheets today.

“Mind if I use your bathroom?” he asked and you gestured to the door to your ensuite in agreement. While he was there, you pulled some wipes out from your side table and cleaned yourself up.

“What have you got planned for today?” you asked as he ventured back in, doing up the fasten of his belt.

“Probably get some food, walk around and see what we can find,” he pulled out a cigarette and lit it, gesturing to your fire alarm that was tactically covered by a sock. “You really are a naughty girl.”

You snorted a laugh and sat up, while he leaned on your desk and cracked your window open to blow the smoke out. “Are they not going to wonder where you are now?”

“I told them I was going for a cigarette.”

“Huh, smart.”

He raised his brows in agreement as he took another drag. “What time are you working until today?”

“Late,” you shrugged. “I’m on until close.”

Dutch tutted. “Well, my hotel isn’t far from your work, so you may as well stay with me. I’ll wait up.”

“I don’t recall telling you where I worked.”

He smirked, tapping the ash out the window. “You didn’t.”

“Then how -”

“I have my ways. I can be rather resourceful when I want to be.”

“No shit,” you scoffed, ignoring the slight creepiness of him having that knowledge. “But no, thank you, I’ll be too tired.”

“The hotel bed is very comfortable.”

“I said no. Besides, you have Tilly with you,” you said, Dutch shifting his position to be half-seated on your desk.

“She has her own room.” After a final drag, he stubbed out his cigarette and flicked it out your window. He walked over and sat on your bed again, taking your hand in his. “Just consider it?”

“Fine,” you acquiesced, “I will see how I feel after my shift.”

“That’s my girl,” he said, a pleased smile forming on his face and moved in to kiss your cheek before standing. “Be sure to say bye before you head off.”

“Whatever you say,” you rolled your eyes, and with that, he departed, and the urge to shower became urgent.

You had ten minutes to spare after getting washed and dressed, and couldn’t find anything to busy yourself with so you ended up visiting John’s flat after all. Your friends were all there when you entered, Tilly offered you a hug, and Mr Van der Linde greeted you casually when you entered the flat, like he hadn’t been pounding into you less than an hour ago.

“Here she is,” John smiled, “you feeling better?”

Dutch’s expression hardened so fast you could feel it, and you grumbled internally at John once again unintentionally putting his foot in it. “Yeah, fine,” you said quickly, “just needed some sleep.”

“Perhaps you should skip some lectures and catch up some more,” John teased.

“You’re actually going?” Javier scoffed from the sofa, taking his attention away from Tilly’s phone where she appeared to be showing him a video.

“You know I have to,” you deflected, walking over to sit on the arm of the sofa beside him.

“Eighty percent, you can stand to miss a few.”

With a playful tilt of your head, you raised your brows accusingly. “Not worth getting into the habit.”

“Get me a copy of the notes?” he asked sweetly, smiling up at you and taking your hand in his to place a kiss on the back of it. As always, you could never resist, nodding your understanding with a smirk. “Ah, Mr Van der Linde -” Javier’s expression dropped as he look at the man in question, “don’t tell my pa, okay?”

Before he could respond, Sean decided to get a word in. “My da doesn’t mind me not going, says it’s better I don’t get my head filled by those pompous academic types. N-no offence, Mr Van der Linde,” he held his arms up placatingly.

“Now, why would I be offended by that?” he asked, genuinely, though Sean visibly began to sweat.

“No reason! No reason at all -”

“And on that note,” you cleared your throat, deciding to save Sean before he inevitably fell further into his self-made hole. “I should get going. Nice to see you both again,” you said, mainly to Tilly, and hoped Dutch’s devious expression in response wasn’t as noticeable to anyone else.

If another person asked you to make a cocktail, you’d scream. It’s a Friday, do these people not know how filled to the brim with students this place was? You weren’t even sure why you offered cocktails at this stupid hour; everyone was too inebriated to even appreciate it, and who needs to spend extra on a drink when they’re out to get as plastered as they can, anyway? Just order a shot and be done with it -

“Whiskey old-fashioned, please.”

You turned, half-ready to lose your job for punching a patron and were met with a smiling Dutch on the other side of the bar.

“Seriously?” you gestured around yourself, both as to why he’d ordered that and why he was there in the first place.

“Why not?”

“It’s busy,” you grumbled, making an exasperated show of preparing the glass.

“Fine,” he chuckled, “just a double on ice will do.”

You offered him a grateful smile, scooping a few ice cubes out of the tray.

“Do you always speak to customers that way?”

“Only the annoying ones,” you shrugged.

“I’m in half a mind to tell your manager,” he raised his brows, leaning on the bar in a way that enhanced his arms as his burgundy shirt stretched around them.

“Do that and I’ll ask you for ID. You forget I also have the power to withhold... other things,” you slid the drink over to him, and as you were about to announce the total, he handed you a twenty. “It doesn’t cost that much.”

“It’s a tip.”

“No,” you lamented, refusing to be his charity case, “it all goes in a pot anyway.”

“Consider it an apology for my being a difficult customer,” he answered immediately. “And as a sweetener, so you don’t withhold your oh so generous offerings.”

You tutted and placed the change to sit stubbornly in front of him on the bar. “I -” your attention was pulled to someone new coming up to the bar, “hold on a second.”

After pouring out two vodka cokes for them, you returned to Dutch. “Where’s John and Tilly?”

“John’s back at his flat, I think, and Tilly’s sleeping at the hotel,” he sipped at his drink, and you smirked as he tried to hide that this whiskey was not as fancy as his palate was used to.

“Will Tilly be alright on her own?” you asked.

“Of course. I plan to return soon anyway; I just need to pick something up first.”

“What do you need to – oh,” you realised what – or rather who – he was referring to. “I haven’t agreed to come back with you. Besides, I’m still working.”

“When do you usually finish?”

“When everyone leaves,” you narrowed your gaze at him accusingly.

“Ah,” he hummed in amusement. “It appears to be quietening down.”

He was right. The crowd was certainly beginning to thin out, and you hoped that in true student fashion, they would all leave to go somewhere busier once they noticed. “I still haven’t agreed.”

Dutch’s response was the inching of his fingers closing to yours, brushing them over your own secretively. “I would really like you to.”

“I’m really, really tired, Dutch.”

“That’s fine, you can go straight to sleep,” at the raise of your brows, he continued with a smile that inched on his face, “I mean it.”

“I could be a while,” you excused yourself further.

He finished the last of his drink, pausing a beat before finishing it. “Just text me when you’re done. Otherwise, I’ll stay here until everyone else has left.”

“Okay, alright,” you rubbed your brow, supposing it couldn’t be too bad if you did just go there to sleep. By now, your trust in him had grown to the point where you believed he would’ve put all the measures in place to ensure the two of you weren’t caught. “I’ll text you.”

“Good,” he said, pleased, and stood. “I’ll be going now, then.”

“You mean you don’t want another one of those?” you pointed to his empty glass.

He gave you an almost weary look, and a laugh slipped from you.

“I’m only kidding.”

He shook his head, and for the briefest of moments your heart skipped as you saw his rare, genuine smile.

“See you later,” you concluded the conversation.

Dutch folded his jacket over the arm and offered you a secretive wink. “I look forward to it.”

It was another hour before the bar closed, and you swiftly grabbed your bag from the back room, pulling your phone out to message Dutch at the earliest opportunity.

You opted for waiting outside, a small way down the street in case any of your colleagues caught you swanning off with an older man who’d visited the bar. He didn’t leave you waiting for long.

“That was sooner than I expected,” he greeted you, and on the short walk to the hotel, you answered his questions about how your shift went.

“This is an expensive hotel,” you slowed on the approach, and Dutch rested his hand comfortably on your lower back. Somehow, you always seemed to forget just how rich he was.

“You think they won’t let you in?” he teased, and you nodded genuinely. “Relax, darling.”

That worked. Your body softened involuntarily, and walking in with him felt natural, easy. What you’d expected otherwise you weren’t sure, still hyper-aware of how you must look to a passer-by at this moment. Or perhaps they didn’t care. Dutch certainly didn’t.

The two of you took the lift, walking down the well-decorated hallway until Dutch stopped and swiped his card on a door. You let out a breath once inside, kicking off your shoes and sitting on the edge of the bed without a second thought.

“You and Javier seem to have an interesting relationship,” he commented, untying his shiny black shoes and placing them neatly by the door.

“What do you mean by that?” you asked defensively.

Dutch shrugged casually, clearly a façade. “You seem close. I wondered if there was anything there.”

You scowled at him, too tired for this line of questioning. “Obviously not -” you paused, remembering yourself despite your newfound anger. “Well, we might’ve had a drunken kiss on our first week, but it didn’t progress beyond that.”

“Hm. I thought as much.”

“What is wrong with you?” you said sharply, “why would you ask that?”

“I was only curious,” he held his hands up before unbuttoning his shirt. “I didn’t realise it was a crime to ask.”

“It’s not. You’ve no right to be jealous.”

“Who said I was?” he asked, leaning into a chuckle and it only aggravated you even more.

You huffed out some of your anger. “It’s pretty obvious. I’m not stupid. And you’re not as good at hiding things as you think.”

His face altered from unbothered to mildly entertained. “I don’t see why you’re getting so defensive. It was only a question.”

Your mouth opened to let a retort pass through, but none came. The fucker wasn’t wrong, he had only asked. In your exhausted state, you questioned whether you’d read too much into it, and frowned at the ground while rubbing the stress from your brow. Keeping so much contained was a problem in times like this, when emotions escaped out into the world. “I don’t - I just -” you began, feeling yourself getting worked up.

“Okay, alright, darling. Come here,” Dutch sat beside you, opening his arms and you tucked yourself into the warm embrace.

“Sorry,” you sighed quietly, “this is why I didn’t want to come. I get grouchy when I’m tired.”

“I can tell,” he teased, but the kiss placed on the crown of your head balanced it out. “You’ve been sick, John said?”

“Not sick. Just tired this week, that’s all.”

Dutch paused, tightening his arms around you. “It doesn’t look like you’re going to have any time to rest in the near future.”

“I’ll take a weekend off work at something,” you mumbled, almost on autopilot as it wasn’t the first time you’d been berated for being too much of a try-hard.

“Why do I get the impression you’re lying?” he asked gently, and your responding laugh was mirthless. “I like most things about you, except this.”

“Except what?” you asked, resting your head on his shoulder to catch his eyes.

“This incessant need you have to work yourself to fatigue. It’s unhealthy.”

“It’s temporary,” you insisted.

“If you would only let me -”

“Don’t you dare offer me money again.” That was a place you’d never go to, a sense of pride far too strong to accept his help. You could do it. You just... need to complain occasionally. And maybe have someone that could help alleviate the stress using tried and true methods. “Wait, you said most. What else don’t you like about me?”

He paused, as though he hadn’t expected that question. “I suppose how little time I get to spend with you.”

“That’s a cop-out.”

Dutch laughed, releasing you from his embrace and standing to continue getting undressed. A feeling resembling awe settled in your body at how proudly he stood, in only his underwear, while finding a pair of joggers to wear for bed. He hooked his thumbs into the band of his pants but paused, slyly looking over his shoulder at you. You swiftly averted your gaze.

“You’re allowed to look, I don’t mind,” he said with amusement, and you only looked back once you’d heard his underwear come off and joggers come on. You were far too tired to go another round, but you feared your body would decide otherwise if you caught a glance of him fully nude. “Here,” he passed a plain t-shirt to you, “I suspect you don’t have anything to wear.” After you took it, his face fell slightly. “Not that I mind you sleeping with nothing on.”

You rolled your eyes at his teasing, for whatever reason wanting to get dressed where he couldn’t see. “Does the hotel have spare toothbrushes?”

“Sure, in the bathroom,” he pulled back the cover of the bed and got in, clasping his hands over his stomach. “Help yourself to whatever.”

You did, brushing your teeth, washing your face, and changing into Dutch’s t-shirt. It was clean, but it still held his underlying scent. He was in the same position when you re-entered the bedroom and lifted the covers for you to get in. “Thanks,” you said, laying down and marvelling at how soft the bed was, a yawn escaping thanks to your newfound comfort.

Dutch reached over and flicked the switches above the side table, turning off all the lights except the lamp next to him. Then, he brushed the back of his knuckle tenderly over your temple, and it took all you had to fight an immediate descent into sleep. You took the opportunity to shuffle closer to him, and he extended his arm so you could lay on his chest while he was propped up a little against the headboard. “Get some sleep, now,” he said, his voice a quiet rumble in the low light of the room.

As you melted into him some more, the bare skin of his chest warm and soothing, he put on his glasses from the bedside table and picked up his book. “Aren’t you sleeping?”

“I’ll sleep better if I read a little first. Don’t mind me, though.”

“Okay.” You pecked his lips, and once you were re-settled on his chest sleep came easier than ever.

The gentle motion of fingertips slowly grazing the middle of your back was the first sensation to greet you upon awakening, and you blinked your eyes open to the hazy filter of morning sun through the window. You were nestled comfortably into Dutch, still using his chest as a pillow and glanced up, finding the man himself in somewhat of a daydream as he looked out the window. He noticed the small movement, though, and offered you a warm smile. “Morning.”

“Morning,” you half-yawned, stubbornly closing your eyes to nestle further into his chest. How he was more comfortable than the bed itself you weren’t sure.

“Sleep well?” he asked.

“Like a log. You?”

“Just fine. You’re nice to wake up to.” He placed his palm flat on your back, holding you to him.

“You aren’t so bad yourself. What time are you seeing John today?”

“I think we’re going for a late breakfast; I suppose whenever he’s ready. We have a bit of time, if you want anything brought up to the room?”

“No, no, I’m okay. Thanks though. Actually,” you shifted up onto your elbow, rubbing the sleep from your eyes and internally deciding you preferred Dutch’s hair in the morning, a little messy from the night. “I wouldn’t mind using that shower.”

“Be my guest,” he said politely. It was nice to lay like this with him, you’d expected him to have his hands all over you as soon as you’d awoken, though perhaps he was tired. If anything, he was more reserved than usual, and you hoped he wasn’t beginning to have second thoughts. You knew better than to question him first thing in the morning and moved to a seated position before swinging your legs off the bed.

“Appreciate it.” You picked your clothes up from their crumpled heap on the floor and carried them into the bathroom with you before having the most glorious shower you’d had in some time.

Checking your phone once you were finished, you realised you’d been in the bathroom for a full thirty minutes. Whoops.

“Sorry,” you said as soon as you opened the door, Dutch seated on the bed, now dressed and rolling up his sleeves. “That shower was a little too nice.”

The smile Dutch offered you was warmer, more awake, and more like himself than he had been previously. “Good,” he offered out his hand which you promptly took and pulled you towards him to stand between his legs, and he wrapped his arms around your lower back. “I’d say you’ve earned it.”

You chuckled easily, glad to find out nothing was wrong, and he simply hadn’t woken up yet.

“What time are you working?” he asked, while you ran a hand through his hair and settled it on his shoulder.

“Early afternoon. I’m off tomorrow, but I’ve got work to do – what time are you leaving?”

“About midday. Don’t worry about it,” he placed a kiss on your sternum, “I’d prefer it if you rested instead.”

“I’ll try,” you nodded with a snort.

“I would like,” he stood up, holding your hands in his, “to see you more frequently, if possible.”

“I’d like that,” you looked up at him, and the deal was sealed with a kiss. “I’m not sure exactly when, but -”

“We’ll work something out. I have your number,” he said conspiratorially, an alluring half-smile making him even more irresistible than he already was. “But I fear Tilly will be up soon, I don’t want her catching you on the way out.”

“Good call,” you agreed, breaking out of the embrace to pick up your bag and double-check you hadn’t forgotten anything. “Have a good weekend.”

“We will,” he pulled you in for a kiss, one that was tender and slow and left you a little breathless once you’d parted your lips from his. “Thanks for coming to stay with me.”

“I’ve got to do my part for the community,” you shrugged, and his face dropped into playful annoyance.

“Oh, that’s how it is?”

You laughed, edging towards the door though he managed to pat your ass in reprimand before you were out of reach. “I might add this to my volunteering work on my CV, come to think of it.”

Dutch laughed heartily, pressing his tongue into his cheek and shaking his head. “You truly can be a wicked woman.”

With a proud, final smile, you stepped forward for a kiss goodbye then opened the door, checking the coast was clear before stepping out. At the risk of Tilly hearing you, you offered Dutch a simple nod before departing, which he returned.

It wasn’t a short walk back to your accommodation, but it wasn’t long, either. The weather was good, and you were thankful it’d been nice for Dutch and Tilly’s visit up. It wasn’t lost on you that there was a slight spring in your step, every meeting with Dutch making your heart feel that extra bit lighter, and life feel an extra bit more accommodating. After last time, you’d attributed it to the sex, to the rush and release that was a rarity in your everyday. But perhaps it was him, and while this newfound feeling was a nice one to experience, the low hum of guilt and the prospect of where this avenue of exploration would lead you left a slightly bitter taste in your mouth.

There was a possibility that Dutch’s philosophical suggestions were imprinting on you, but you actively decided not to dwell on the many possibilities and instead focus on that, for now, you had something that made your chest grow warm and your breath seep from your lungs. Perhaps this was what you were missing, a way to dispel your worries and fears even for a short while. And perhaps, on some level, this was something you deserved.

#dutch van der linde x reader #dutch van der linde x f!reader #dutch van der linde #dutch x reader #rdr2 fanfic #rdr2 #fanfiction #my stuff

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thisblogisblank · 1 year ago

Note

Ummm okay bad news: things have become a crap ton busier over on my end so I don't know if the Marro vs. Inferno thing might be coming soon (or at all if I get burnt out-) so uuhh have some incorrect Wub quotes + Edin and Marro as compensation with a few of my own little tidbits in the image descriptions and also sorry most of these are Edin and Marro bcuz idk much about your characters and I don't want to accidentally portray them wrong sorry- (some of them aren't cropped properly and I don't know if you'll even be able to see the image descriptions ffff-)

HSHSHSHSH BESTIE IT'S FINE DW!!! I totally get it, just take care of yourself alr! /Gen

Now lemme just-

1) Evergreene kins smokey bear confirmed???

2) insinuating that marro would make a pretty corpse /j

3) ME TOO MARRO, EDIN IS VERY IMPORTANT. Edin my beloved.

4) plot twist: it's actually AR!Vana's staff and she's currently going feral trying to get it back

5) I'm gonna make Marro a fursona and it's gonna be a cat /j /j

6) Afterwards Common teaches Edin how to make a cup of coffee because "I don't want anyone else to suffer the same way I just had to." (<- lying. At least partially. He's warming up to Edin but doesn't want to admit it HSHSBS-)

7) inferno: WHAT?! You got a staring problem, pal?! Piss off! *Continues cooing and purring over some random monsterling that he found.*

(also fun fact about inferno since we're here: his purring sounds like the whirring of a giant machine! Y'know, since he is one. It's also very loud, so everybody on Earth Island knows when he's in a good mood HSHSHSH-)

8) flurry really said 'be ace do crimes' huh-

9) Marro, looking up at the 75-foot feral Wubbox with molten saliva and a giant crusher-thing on his stomach: ..yeah, I could kill ya! /J

10) the best part is that Evergreene would 100% play into it too, like a grown-up going along with a kid playing pretend HSHS-

#alternate realities #HSHS I'M SORRY THAT THESE POSTS ARE ALWAYS OBSCENELY LONG #i just like talking about em :']#also you got their personalities pretty much perfect!!! I'm super impressed :0 /gen

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ninthprime · 1 year ago

Text

mildly arbitrary rating of every gundam i have watched so far

in order of me starting them

witch from mercury: 7.5/10. we’re never gonna get confirmation of people’s various theories that this show was originally planned for 50 episodes and i’ve also heard that the showrunner’s series tend to be kind of just Like This, but gwitch has a lot of missed potential mostly focused on 1. its seemingly incomplete worldbuilding and 2. the fact that the arcs of much of its secondary cast (guel, nika, shaddiq) appear to jump over a few steps or just are missing something. on the other hand, the arcs of its primary cast (particularly suletta) are great, suletta herself is a top-tier protagonist, the tertiary cast is one of the best i’ve seen in gundam (i love earth house), and sulemio is probably objectively the best gundam romance even if i’m pretty sure it’s not my personal favorite.

gundam 0079: 9.5/10. the GOAT. you know how it is. every single person who got into gundam via gwitch like i did but still hasn’t gone back to watch 0079 is doing themself a total disservice. you watch this show and both everything about mecha and everything about modern anime in general suddenly clicks completely in your brain. everyone who has been obsessed with char aznable and amuro ray for the last 40+ years has been completely right. i think its only big flaws are some of its treatment of women (though later shows like ZZ have way more glaring issues there) and its shortened length, but frankly if you hadn’t told me it got cut short seven episodes early i would not have noticed, because its finale may be one of my all time favorite television finales ever. just go watch it. i’m sitting you down right now

zeta gundam: 8.5/10. a really ideal sequel in a lot of ways that are remarkable considering the gap of time between it and 0079. focuses on new characters who reflect on the last show while still being their own things, and brings back the cast of the last show in ways that feel like they make sense while still being unexpected and making you look at things in a new light. deeply iconic and atmospheric in ways that are a little overwhelming at times; it is a dour show. has way more glaring flaws for me than a lot of the fandom brings up though, mostly in its pacing and its villains. this show has an entire middle section i barely remember and do we need both the four and rosamia storylines? and frankly i do not care about the titans that much (other than sarah).

zz gundam: 8.5/10. zz defender crop is here. please ignore everyone who tells you that you can skip zz. zeta’s other half in ways that aren’t just “it started two weeks after zeta in real life”- it also fixes zeta’s pacing, provides a welcome counterpoint to its dire tone, and its villains are literally just improved versions of zeta’s (glemy is better scirocco! haman is a top tier gundam villain in general!). i think the middle section of this show- the entire time they are on earth- is my favorite section of UC gundam, or at least tied with 0079’s ramba ral and finale arcs. i do think the dip in quality people say it has in the last arc is true. also probably has the largest Woman Problem in any gundam i’ve seen so far (i have a threshold for bad women writing so high it is practically antifeminist but unfortunately emary breaks that threshold, what the hell is up with everything about emary) even though i love some of those women very much. secretly has the boldest and most thematically interesting gundam finale so far. ple forever

char’s counterattack: 8/10. as i’ve said before: a gorgeous film about two men being so divorced that thousands of people die. genuinely iconic and also very bold but i often find myself torn as to whether i want tomino to be more explicit about what he’s saying here. we could have saved ourselves years of “was char right??” debates but then again, it’s the spirit of cca to claim that only you have the right take about cca. beyond the time is a good song

gundam unicorn: 7.5/10. politics here are often confusing and messy, and i think it suffers from its core characters (banagher and mineva) and their relationship not getting the time they need. on the other hand, i’m interested in what it says about the worldbuilding of UC (even if i think it didn’t execute it that well) and its secondary cast is great; i did nearly cry about marida and zinnerman so that sure works. full frontal does not bug me nearly as much as he bothers most people although i think he has the same “needs more time to cook” issue banagher and mineva have. i even kind of like what they do with riddhe and i usually dislike that archetype. in other words: i would have been nuts for the forty episode (and properly paced) version of this show. marida forever

gundam hathaway: 7/10?? hard to tell here without having the next two movies. was a bit hard to get invested in the conflict near the end as we met many characters who are not developed yet. but the relationship between the core trio here is intriguing and i like hathaway as a protagonist a lot.

the rest of my “gundams i am most interested in list” is victory -> turn a -> 00 -> iron blooded orphans so that’s the next four shows. after…who can say

#gundam personal tag #hot takes post. watch out. weeoo weeoo

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farmerophelia · 22 days ago

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(FARMER OPHELIA IS IN TOWN BABY, HOT MUSCULAR WOMAN ALERT)

"Hello~"

Info about Ophelia!!

She/Her, mid to late thirties!

Used to be in the airforce! Joined the war around the same time Kent did, maybe a few more years after I suppose?

Will offer to arm wrestle you, and proceed to go 'easy' on you, before absolutely slamming your arm to the table. (Alex has tried to beat her winning streak, unfortunately he sprained his shoulder from that incident and never tried again)

"Sexuality? Honey, what?" (totally not interested in both women and men)

SPENDS LIKE 6 HOURS IN THE MINES BLOWING UP STUFF.

Will call you hun, honey, love, and sweetheart. Basically any nickname!

Info about Mod!!

Remaining anonymous! Feel free to dm me here tho.

Mod is a she/her!

I will not disclose my age, but I am 18+!

If you're going to ask something related to me, put it in a //example text// so that I know!

I have a pretty busy schedule, please forgive me if I upload slowly!

RULES

Yes, you can flirt with her. Her flirtability is like, a solid 8/10

Yes, we can be enemies or friends.

Yes, multiship is okay.

YOU CAN ASK HER ANYTHING, AS LONG AS IT ISN'T OUTRIGHT OBSURD OR WEIRD.

NSFW is a no no, but suggestive jokes and flirting is alright!

IF YOU WANT TO SHIP BLOG X BLOG, you should be at least 17 years of age or above! It feels really weird to ship with someone younger than me!

PLEASE, IF YOU OR YOUR OC IS A MINOR, DO NOT TRY TO SHIP. Ophelia and mod(me) will reject any attempts at doing so!

NO REAL LIFE RELIGION OR POLITIC TOPICS! She will reply with "Who/what's that?" or not reply at all.

I won't be able to answer EVERY ask, it's either I haven't seen it, or I genuinely don't know how/want to answer it.

LOVED, LIKED, NEUTRAL, DISLIKED, AND HATED GIFTS.

LOVED: ALL UNIVERSAL LOVES (except for rabbit's foot, if you try to give her one, she's going to say: "I am not wearing a dead rabbit's foot around my neck. Why would you give me this?"), Purple Mushroom, Wine, Coffee, Pink Cake and Chocolate Cake, ANY DISH WITH EGGS, Complete Breakfast, Survival Burger, SASHIMI (she loves that stuff), LARGE EGGS (she'll say: "Oh, I'm gonna cook a large omelet when I get home!"), IF IT HAS A FISH OR AN EGG IN IT SHE WILL EAT THAT (except for caviar, she hates the flavor), Cookies, Summer Spangle, Fairy Rose, Fire Quarts, Opal and Fire Opal, Star Shards, and Sweet Gem Berry.

LIKED: ALL UNIVERSAL LIKES, ALL CROPS, ALL FORAGABLES, ALL FISH, ALL BOMBS, ALL FERTILIZERS, ALL SEEDS, Cave Carrot, and Rice. I swear this lady will like anything you give her.

NEUTRAL: ALL UNIVERSAL NEUTRALS.

DISLIKED: ALL UNIVERSAL DISLIKES (except for building materials and bombs and some of the ones listed in likes, she will appreciate that), TRASH.

HATED: ALL UNIVERSAL HATES (except for butterfly powder, explosive ammo, and snail), CAVIAR (she's going to say, "Ugh, rich people food. I don't even understand why people like the taste." #eattherich, absolutely do not give this woman caviar).

#sdv #stardew #stardew valley #sdv oc #sdv oc askblog #sdv ask blog #ask me anything #ask blog #oc

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mysteriousgrl444 · 1 year ago

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how to romanticize and enjoy school more :) 🎸🌱🌟

for high schoolers and middle schoolers :)

・❥・・❥・・❥・・❥・・❥・・❥・・❥・・

1. Make yourself breakfast and energizing drink ⭐

For keeping yourself energized and fulfilled for a long day of school is important! So if your not doing this already make sure to make yourself a nice nurturing breakfast and maybe some coffee with!

A tip to romanticize your morning is to take a cute picture of your coffee everyday and post it! Maybe on Tumblr 😏

2. Bring your headphones (or earbuds) to school to jam out to music whenever you're allowed to🎧

I find it really relaxing and comforting to just listen to music I enjoy while just doing some schoolwork. I think listening to a playlist on Spotify while doing something school related has really made me enjoy school way better.

A tip for non-distracting music to listen to while studying or doing schoolwork is Mozart and other classical artists. It's super calming and it doesn't make me lose track of my homework 💗

3. Put more effort into your outfits and makeup 🌺💋

I usually do my makeup and prepare what I wear everyday for school. Wearing cute outfits and beautiful makeup mostly every school day, really helps me feel better throughout the day cause at least I feel cute!

But also I don't recommend to do it EVERY SINGLE SCHOOL DAY because then you will feel more stressed out from your looks then actually just enjoying that you dressed up that day.

I usually get cute every 3 school days in a school week and for the other 2 school days I just wear natural makeup and just a crop top and sweat pants 🌻

4. Engage in class more! 💌

Even if you know you might be wrong or are not sure, engaging in your class makes it way more enjoyable because you're actually doing something and not just observing.

5. Bring a book with you to read ⭐

6. Study in public places or with your friends

7. Bring a journal to write in when you are bored

8. Make a Pinterest board of school motivation!

9. Watch a ep of a tv show that places in high school everyday before school ;)

10. Join clubs and after school activities 🌟

✩♬ ₊˚.🎧⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩♬ ₊˚.🎧⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧✩♬ ₊˚.

heyy, I doubt that anyone is ever gonna see this, but I totally forgot about my Tumblr phase in life and I was just going through my old blog posts and drafts and found this!, I haven't really looked through this but I hope to whoever sees this, it reaches towards if they feel any anxious or excited about school coming up!~ have a great day!

sincerely, mysteriousgrl444

#school aesthetic #school #y2k blog #y2k aesthetic #y2k layouts #y2k nostalgia #tumblr girl #tumblr grunge #tumblr 2014 #old tumblr #motivation #school motivation #100 days of productivity #productive #new school year #girl blogger #2000s blog #blog #blogger

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eulaliasims · 2 years ago

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Sims Tag

Thanks for the tag, @kalux-sims!

1. What’s your favourite sims death? Oh, we're going for big ones right off the bat, huh? Uhhh, I'm gonna go with satellite.

2. Alpha CC or Maxis Match? Yes.

3. Do you cheat when your sims gain weight? why would you, tho

4. Do you use move objects? I use moveObjects so much, I have a shortcut for it in my userstartup.cheat file.

5. Favorite mod? I'm going to second @deedee-sims and say Community Time. It's really one I consider essential to the way that I play my game.

6. First expansion/game/stuff pack you got? Pets!! Which is funny, because I still have to make a conscious effort to actually add pets to my sims' households.

7. Do you pronounce “live mode” like aLIVE or LIVing? It's LIV mode and I will die on this hill. no I won't

8. Who’s your favorite sim that you’ve made? Made? Oh no, I'm not sure. These days I mostly play sims who were born in-game. Probably Original Maria or Jackie.

9. Have you made a simself? Ya; in the last version of Middleground, she was actually a townie.

10. What sim traits do you give yourself? Bookworm, cat person, loves the outdoors, neurotic, vegetarian

11. Which is your favorite EA hair color? I don't like any of those ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

12. Favorite EA hair? Uhhh, the short Season hair with the little half ponytail.

13. Favorite life stage? Adult? idk!

14. Are you a builder or are you in it for the gameplay? Both; sometimes I like one more than the other, but it's pretty even.

15. Are you a CC creator? Weirdly, I think I have to say yes to this question now. Pretty much just defaults and the odd recolor. I do retextures sometimes, but I have to be in the right mood for it. :p

16. Do you have any simblr friends/a sim squad? Yes? But I realize I'm not the most vocal/active person, and I'm definitely not on any of the discords around because I have ~~anxiety~~.

17. What’s your favorite game? (1, 2, 3, or 4) *gestures at blog* is it even a contest?

18. Do you have any sims merch? no

19. Do you have a YouTube for sims? noooooooooo

20. How has your “sim style” changed throughout your years of playing? It's definitely gotten a lot more maxis-match. More detailed too, I think.

21. What’s your Origin ID? haha, like I remember that.

22. Who’s your favorite CC creator? Too many to name!

23. How long have you had a simblr? *checks archive* At least nine years; I know I lurked a bit before posting, so call it ten even?

24. How do you edit your pictures? Photoshop. I have a crop & resize action that sharpens them very slightly afterward, and then my base lighting action simply boosts the shadows and contrast a bit; I have a copy of that but with brightening added for dim pictures. For posed, "fancy" pictures, I will edit them individually to get whatever effect I want.

25. What expansion/game/stuff pack do you want next? Space EP, space EP! I know we're not actually getting new EPs for TS2, but I can dream.

26. What expansion/game/stuff pack is your favorite so far? hmmm. Seasons, I think. Love me some gardening and rain.

Tagging @kayleigh-83, @plumbtales, @moocha-muses, @ofmdee, @sushigal007

#tag game #meme

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gay-little-bitch · 2 years ago

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Personal Lies pt4

pt1 pt2 pt3 Pt5

Gareths pov:

"Hey, Jeff. Eddie is gonna be dressing a little differently today. Don't ask why. Okay byeeee!" His words were quick and abrupt. Gareth is glad that the phone went to voicemail and he didn't have to get asked questions about their whore of a friend. Corroded Coffin has a gig today at the biggest venue in town and Gareth invited Robin... and Steve.

All he's trying to do is get Steve and Eddie to go backstage after the concert and become friends and then possibly more. Robin has been a good wingman for Steve but Gareth also had to do his part for Eddie. So his mind was filled with thoughts of 'what if I made Eddie more of a slut to impress Steve?' All Gareth has to do is tell Eddie that he would look good in something slutty and Eddie would go right for it... Right?

"Hey, Eddie!" Gareth walks into his apartment to find his best friend visibly shaking with excitement. "Gare bear! You edited for tonight?" Eddie can't contain his energy. "Yeah man of course. Um, so I was thinking that you would look great in fishnets... you should totally wear them tonight." The thought was abrupt and just tumbled out of his mouth.

Eddie is clearly confused by the random request thrown his way. "Um yeah, I guess. Maybe along with that, I should wear a fucking mesh shirt and body glitter." Apparently, Gareth sucks at sensing sarcasm because he responds with a big smile and a few nods. "Gareth I was joking! I'm not looking to get harassed today. Absolutely not." Eddie puts his hands up in a frustrated sigh and walks to his room, slamming the door closed.

"Damn it."

Eddies pov:

"How the fuck did he convince me to do this?!" Eddie scans his eyes over his body in the mirror. He is wearing mesh, fishnets, a thigh garter, and a small speedo. He looks away, from the fear of backing out due to embarrassment. His wandering eyes land on his old bloody Halloween mask from his shitty doctor costume from 5 years ago. As he picks it up he notices how bare it is. It needs chains and safety pins. So that's exactly what he does.

When he puts the mask on after the renovation he notices how fuckable he looks. The dark mesh shirt is brightened by his body shimmer and the deep black leather of his tight-fitting speedo showing the outline of his dick. The amount of skin he's showing is way too much for his liking so he throws on his leather jacket and walks over to the mirror to do his makeup.

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

Eddie walks over the the Edge of Curtain to stare at the right side of the crowd. There is nobody in the audience who looks like they have intentions of trying to fuck him... at least that hes aware of, so why else would Gareth try to get him the dress like this? "Hey man! You read- damn Ed's you look hot." Eddie nods sharply to Gareth as their ear pieces start counting down from 10.

"10"

What if he gets made fun of for his outfit?

"9"

What if no matter how hard he tries people still see him as a dumb kid who couldn't graduate?

"8"

What if he gets booed off stage for dressing like this?

"7"

What if his voice cracks?

"6"

What if he fucks up the lyrics?

"5"

Gareth, Jeff, and Nathan walk onto stage.

"4"

The boys introduce themselves.

"3"

What if he can't do this?

"2"

What if his jacket ruins the outfit and fucks it all up?

"1"

Fuck it. He strips off his jacket and throws it on the nearest chair.

"0"

Eddie walks out on stage as confident as he can for someone who feels like their gonna shit themselves. The huge crowd cheers as he gets to the microphone. He moves his hair out of his face and peals off the mask revealing himself. He looks around the crowd with a smile on his face as he looks right in front of him.

As he lets his head lower to the front row he spots... Steve Harrington! He's wearing the most beautiful eyeliner, a bundle of silver necklaces, a cropped Black Sabbath shirt, and his hair of course looks better then ever. Eddie lets his mouth fall open out of shock from a sweaty star struck Steve fucking Harrington staring right at him.

They held eye contact for what seemed to be a long time but was probably only a few seconds. They both refuse to peal their eyes away from each other until Eddie feels a hand on his shoulder. It's Gareth. "Eddie. Take your eyes away from the boy and start the god damn song or i'm gonna do it myself."

Eddies eyes reluctantly drag away from the beautiful creature in front of him, and he begins to slowly move his finger across his guitar to start the first song. The concert moves slower then most. Each song feels like it's in slow motion.

On the rare occasion that Eddie is able to move his eyes over to Steve, they boy is already looking at him with the look of a shocked little teddy bear. No matter what, Eddie looks away again.

The concert slowly comes to a stop but right before he leaves he takes the mesh he's wearing on his torso and throws it into the crowd. He doesn't know where it went but at least Gareth can't convince him to wear it anymore and embarrass himself.

As everybody steps off stage he grabs Gareth's arm and drags him into the nearest room. "What the fuck were you thinking?! Why did you decide to make me dress like a fucking whore and then invite Steveeee?!" Gareth walks over to the chair in the corner of the room and sits. "Well first I invited Buckley and of course she invited Steve. I genuinely had no idea he was coming until Robin texted me an hour before the show. I just thought it would be cool if you guys could come back stage and fu-"

Before he can finish his sentence Robin bursts through the door and quickly walks over to Gareth with a shy looking Steve following behind. "Gareth. We need to talk. Right now... please." Not even giving him a chance to protest the grabs his arm and pulls him out of the room leaving just Eddie and Steve.

Steve looks incredible. His hair is as Lucious as ever and his tight pants that hug his thighs just right. Eddie notices himself staring at Steve and looks back up to find Steve also checking him out.

The awkwardness is heavy in the air. Eddie starts pushing up and down on the balls of his feet. "So..." Steve is the first one to talk. "Yeah. So." For some reason the space between their faces seems to shrink. Did they get closer or was he just imagining it?

Steve's lips part and he leans in closer and closer, leaving little to no room in between them. Steve's voice is soft and sweet as he speaks and leans into Eddies space.

"Hi."

"Hey."

Notes: I fucking hate this chapter but to be fair I wrote this at like 1am in one day so..... Punctuation also isn't my strong suit so just go with it. Tell me of you wanna be tagged

Read on Ao3

Tags:

@down-sizing-reduxedux , @gay-stranger-thingsy-stranger-things , @satan-is-obsesseded , @this-is-moony-lovegoody-lovegood , @impeachy , @maraudersfavoritewhoree , @robinbuckleymybeloved , @hyperfixationgoddess , @fandomz-brainrot , @mightbeasleepp , @ali-just-ali , @beckkthewreck , @novelnovellalla , @beeing-stuupidd , @ourautumn866 , @newtstabberr , @love-kurdtt

#steddie #steve harrington #bi steve harrington #indie artist!steve harrington #eddie munson #gay eddie munson #rockstar!eddie munson #modern steddie #bi eddie munson #stranger things fanfic #stranger things #stranger things fic #steddie fanfiction #steddie fanfic

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odanurr87 · 2 years ago

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Alchemy of Completed 2022 Kdramas - Part 1

Last year I watched a bunch of kdramas, too many for me to properly review at the rate I write about them. As a result, I'm gonna try something different and quickly review those dramas that released in 2022 that I watched, and maybe recommend a few alternatives here and there in those cases where the show didn't live up to the task. Considering it's been a while since I watched some of these dramas, I binged a couple of them again to better inform my commentary. If you're short on time, or just want to add kdramas to your ever-increasing watchlist, you'll find a ⭐ next to the titles I wholeheartedly recommend, and a 💀 next to those I feel should best be avoided, but you do you. If you still haven't watched some of these shows, this list will hopefully give you some idea of whether you'll enjoy watching them (or not).

A brief note on my rating system before we begin. I use bins for my 1-10 scale in the following way:

Anything between 5 and 6 is considered average

Shows between 7 and 8 are considered above average

Shows in the 9 to 10 range are the cream of the crop

Anything between 1 to 4 is considered below average, with the 1-2 range reserved for the worst offenders.

Thus, I have two possible scores for the average, above average, and cream of the crop categories, what I believe makes my life a little easier when rating shows. I have occasionally given half point ratings (e.g. 7.5) to certain shows when I feel they're halfway to a better grade, but that has been the exception rather than the rule.

So without further ado, welcome to my Alchemy of Completed 2022 Kdramas - Part 1!

A Business Proposal⭐

Episode count: 12

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 8/10

Verdict: "You know I'm good at a lot of different things, right?"

We start with one of my favourites and the best short romcom of 2022. Based on the manhwa of the same name by Haehwa (original story) and NARAK (art), Taemu Kang (Ahn Hyeo Seop) plays the 'perfect CEO' stereotype who ain't got no time for love so, after several hilarious events, he eventually hires Hari Shin (Kim Se Jeong) to play the part of his girlfriend to fool grandpa. Unbeknownst to him though, Hari is his employee. Will their fake relationship turn into a real one? You bet your ass!

The show ticks almost all of the required tropes, subverts some -what was a pleasant surprise- and entertains throughout, making perfect use of its runtime. The second lead couple, played by Kim Min Gue and Seol In Ah, also turned several heads, not to mention the latter had great BFF chemistry with Kim Se Jeong. Week after week, I was looking forward to every episode of this show, especially considering how disappointing another romcom that aired around the same time turned out to be, and that you may or may not find in this list. You could say this show aired just in time for Samantha and Rachel to cure my FLAWless disappointment.

Again My Life⭐

Episode count: 16

Where to watch: Viki

Rating: 8/10

Verdict: Lawful Lawyer is back!

The better Lawless Lawyer of 2022. Kim Hee Woo (Lee Joon Gi) is a prosecutor who travels back in time to put the people who murdered him behind bars while the audience wonders which female lead he should date. And between Kim Ji Eun, Hong Bi Ra, and Veronica Park Kim Jae Kyung, well, he's definitely not lacking in choices. Fortunately, time travel is merely used as a trigger to tell the story (similar to 365: Repeat the Year in this respect), so we don't have to worry about kdramas' rather abysmal track record with sci-fi. The show keeps you hooked episode after episode, finding a good balance between the scheming, putting people behind bars, throwing some punches (has those trademark LJG action sequences!), all the while going after the next big fish. Last, but not least, it does an incredibly good job at managing an ensemble cast of characters, and there are a lot of them! If you're a fan of Lawless Lawyer or Lee Joon Gi, you can't go wrong with this one.

Alchemy of Souls - Part 1

Episode count: 20

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 6/10

Verdict: Watch a fantasy cdrama instead

Alternatives: Fights Break Sphere, Fighter of the Destiny

When I watched the character promos for this show I thought this could be Korea's answer to some of China's fantasy dramas, possibly Xuanhuan dramas, and I was all for it! I liked the male actor, Lee Jae Wook, in other dramas I'd watched with him (he was great in When the Weather is Fine and Search: WWW), and Jung So Min playing a master assassin and mentor in a fantasy drama was quite appealing. Of course, I was a bit worried when the teaser dropped, with its emphasis on some weak comedy, but I decided to give the show the benefit of the doubt. Sadly, Part 1 didn't live up to the task. It meandered a lot, definitely under-using its 20-episode order, focusing on every romantic relationship under the sun and then some, ultimately delivering an unsatisfactory hero's journey for the ML, while the antagonists played ping-pong with the alchemy of souls. At times, I was reminded of Hwarang, a show I have reviewed very poorly and that seems to have relied on the idol factor to garner popular appeal.

I've previously compared Jang Uk's journey to that of Xiao Yan from the cdrama Fights Break Sphere, in that I expected the former, from the previews, to undergo a similar rise to power as the latter, rigorously training under his master, slowly climbing his way back to power, but with the additional appeal of developing that romantic relationship between Jung So Min's character and Lee Jae Wook's, what would've made for a more rewarding journey for both the character and the audience. This is a tried-and-true formula, also used by the popular anime The Rising of the Shield Hero, to mention but one other example. Unfortunately for us, Jang Uk can hardly be bothered to train (supposedly, he "trained" with twelve masters for years and didn't learn a damn), except at the very specific, and limited, times that the script dictates, instead relying on luck and plot contrivances to "skip ahead" his way to power, what makes for far less memorable scenes. Additionally, the cdrama nails the master-student relationship thanks to the great rapport between Baron Chen's Yao Chen and Leo Wu's Xiao Yan, but there's hardly such a bond between Mu Deok and Jang Uk.

In the end, Part 1 of Alchemy of Souls should've been about Jang Uk's rise to power under the guidance of his master, and later love interest, Mu Deok, but it's too unfocused, its attention constantly diverted by comedy, love polygons, or caricaturesque villains doing dumb things under everyone's noses. Perhaps its only saving grace was the character of the Crown Prince, brilliantly played by Shin Seung Ho, who was able to nail both the comedy and the drama when called for. However, if you're looking for a good fantasy drama with a more traditional (or any) hero's journey, watch Fights Break Sphere instead, with the caveat only the first season has been released, and it's doubtful there'll be a second. I'd also recommend Fighter of the Destiny, with Lu Han. It probably doesn't have as good CGI or sets, but it has a better grip on the hero's journey than Alchemy and nails the camaraderie aspects.

Alchemy of Souls - Part 2

Episode count: 10

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 7/10

Verdict: Works better as a standalone watch

I should've probably left Part 2 of the show for Part 2 of my list, but I'm going in alphabetical order so that's that. This is one of the shows I decided to rewatch to refresh my memory and, to my surprise, it fared much better the second time around. Why's that? Read on to find out!

Part 2 of Alchemy of Souls starts strong, much stronger than Part 1 did, something many were doubting when the news hit that Jung So Min wouldn't return for Part 2, instead being replaced by the original Naksu actress, Go Youn Jung. Fortunately, she does an excellent job throughout, but especially in the beginning of Part 2, which comes across as more of a fairy tale (Rapunzel's), and where the show decides to embrace some of the typical marriage contact tropes, as Young Jung's character fake-marries the now uber-powerful Jang Uk in order to escape from her mother's tight grasp. Honestly, I wish the show had started with Part 2, in media res, and used the material from Part 1 for flashback storytelling, in a similar vein to how The Untamed did it. God, that would've been so good! Precisely because Jang Uk has become sort of a demigod he can boss around all of the useless supporting characters from Part 1 (I'm looking at you, Pathetic Assembly of Evil), and pretty much do whatever he wants, so it's quite commendable to see him return smarter and more measured in his decision-making.

As someone who watched Part 2 live back then, it started to lose its initial glimmer when an inevitable reveal kept being delayed episode after episode, hinting that it would obviously occur the next one. Of course, this never happened, but what made matters worse was the fact that the ML was kept oblivious while everyone around him found out and chose not to tell him because... reasons? I can understand one person keeping the secret for his own agenda, maybe a couple, but I find it astonishing that even Jang Uk's friends and family shared this same agenda, as they also kept the truth from him. Additionally, the more this delay continued the further the narrative possibilities were constrained and, thusly, certain scenarios conjured up by fans never came to pass. However, this will not be much of an issue for people coming in blind to Part 2 (or with a healthy distance from Part 1). Perhaps even the fact that the noble idiocy card is played, or that the main antagonist is obstinately preserved by the writers until the very last episode to little effect (when he shouldn't have made it past Part 1), won't present much of an issue to newcomers.

Having said this, I still feel the final battle for the fate of the world remains rather underwhelming and anticlimactic, not helped by the fact that certain characters are resurrected right before said battle. After all, if the show outright establishes death is not permanent, minutes before "the end of the world," why should I fear for any of the characters? Even Jang Uk himself, during this final battle, doesn't show an ounce of worry that maybe this time he will not make it out alive, regardless of his powers, making the fight seem entirely mechanical and perfunctory. The writers even throw in some half-baked plot device about the King's Star being powered by seven other stars, and since it had never been explained throughout the show a character has to exposition-dump it on our laps (there's quite a lot of exposition dump going around in Part 2, what helps newcomers to the show). It's a plot device prominently featured in the cdrama Fighter of the Destiny, which I previously recommended, so maybe it was inspired by it?

In the end, if you still want to get a taste of the Alchemy experience, I wholeheartedly suggest you treat Part 2 as the original show, with Part 1 being the prequel made to cash in on the show's success that, ultimately, you may not even need. Thus, as a standalone, I'm revising my original rating for Part 2 from a 6/10 to a 7/10, bumping it into my above average bin.

Extraordinary Attorney Woo

Episode count: 16

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 6/10

Verdict: Better luck in S2

Alternatives: Good Doctor, Again My Life

Woo to the Young to the Woo started off with a bang and had me sold after binging its first four episodes (I had a bit of an offset), making me hopeful this could be one of my favourites from 2022. Sadly, it was thereabouts that the quality of the writing slowly started going downhill for me. Woo lost me on two fronts: the weak framing and execution of the legal cases, and the underdeveloped cast of supporting characters, who were mostly neglected in favour of Park Eun Bin's Young Woo. Don't get me wrong, Park Eun Bin nailed the character, and her conversation with her mom in Episode 8 was particularly poignant and well executed, but it wouldn't have hurt to give characters like Min Woo or Jun-ho a case that resonated with them, like "The Strife of the Three Brothers," which was relevant to Young Woo's BFF Geu Ra-mi.

I'll take Min Woo as an example because, out of the whole cast of supporting characters, he showed the most promise. The show mentions in passing that Min Woo is his family's sole breadwinner, what could explain why he's so competitive and regards Young Woo as a threat rather than a boon, but the show never tries to explore this when it has the perfect medium to do so in the form of the legal cases. So why not give him a case that echoes some of his struggles trying to support his family while making headway into the competitive legal world, thus allowing us and his teammates to get to know him a little better? In essence, show us, don't just tell us. How am I then supposed to buy his sudden change-of-heart in "The Blue Night of Jeju" when you've given me nothing to support the fact he's bonded with anyone in the team? (besides Jun-ho who was already his flatmate) Perhaps not surprisingly, this particular episode throws a bunch of arcs left and right for the supporting characters to try and grab hold of, but too little too late.

As a procedural, I feel Extraordinary Attorney Woo is pretty average. It either didn't know how or never intended to handle its supporting cast of characters and successfully integrate them into the narrative, similarly to how a show like Again My Life did. To draw a curious parallel, the final episode of Again My Life gathers all of "the good guys" at the restaurant of Hee Woo's parents. There are 14 of them in total, not counting Hee Woo and his parents, and I feel like they've truly become one big extended family by show's end. Extraordinary Attorney Woo has a similar scene, gathering everyone at Min Shik's place that is meant to convey the same feeling, but they don't quite feel like a team yet, let alone a family. Maybe in Season 2?

If you're looking for a show featuring another savant autistic lead, but with a better grasp on developing an ensemble cast of characters, as well as a romantic relationship between the leads, then Good Doctor is the show for you. On the other hand, if you're looking for a kickass lawyer, well, you probably already know who I'm talking about.

Fanletter, Please⭐

Episode count: 4

Where to watch: Viki

Rating: 8/10

Verdict: A lot of heart in a small package

The first among three shows in these lists that feature Choi Soo Young and Yoon Park as either main or supporting leads. I'd only previously watched Choi Soo Young in So I Married an Anti-Fan, a show not without its share of issues, but her as the female lead wasn't one. Indeed, she was one of the highlights and I was looking forward to seeing more of her work. As such, I was looking forward to this mini-series, more so when I realised Yoon Park would play the role of a father willing to move heaven and earth for his daughter, what is not a typical setup in kdramas (in my watching experience, mind you). Off the top of my head, I can only think of Marriage Contract and Lie After Lie as similar shows, in terms of how much of a protagonist the child actor is. Both are shows I would wholeheartedly recommend.

As for Fanletter, Please, I was positively pleased by how much content and social commentary this show was able to fit into its 4-hour runtime without harming the storytelling, something that even full-length kdramas struggle to achieve. Having said that, I would've welcomed one or two more episodes to let it breathe a little bit more and, of course, to watch some cute family moments! This is definitely a case of so good you want more of it. Still, Choi Soo Young and Yoon Park make it work within the available runtime, what's a credit to them and the script. CSY was on a roll last year (as you'll find out in Part 2!) so I'll have to keep an eye out for more of her dramas, and it was very welcome to see Yoon Park play this devoted father character after the disappointing Forecasting Love & Weather (though he was pretty good in it). Give me more short dramas!

Forecasting Love and Weather

Episode count: 16

Where to watch: Viki, Netflix

Rating: 6/10

Verdict: Couldn't forecast love and I have my doubts about the weather

Alternatives: She Would Never Know, The Rational Life

I have a soft spot for Park Min Young, having watched romcoms like What's Wrong With Secretary Kim? and Her Private Life, or even melodramas like When the Weather is Fine. And who can forget Healer, where she played the part of Lois Lane to Ji Chang Wook's Clark Kent (watch it, it's a classic). I couldn't remember a drama with her that I didn't enjoy watching, so it broke my heart a little to see what a disappointing mess Forecasting Love and Weather turned out to be. I should've heeded a friend's advice to steer clear of Song Kang dramas, even though the script was clearly the worse offender by far.

The show hooked us in with the initial romcom elements, and then decided to veer into slife/melo territory, as the relationships between the different couples started to fray, with conflict being driven at an accelerated pace by the issues that arose from poor communication, or an outright absence of it, and how the different couples handled (they often didn't) the results of their miscommunication. I didn't much mind at the time because I felt they were being somewhat mature about it without overplaying their hand, and because my weekly romcom fix was being delivered by A Business Proposal, but they were treading a fine line... that got utterly ground into dust in the last six episodes. At this point in the show, the nonsensical drama was amped considerably, to the point it could've given Young Lady & Gentleman a run for their money, setting us up for the inevitable breakup. Why? Because the kdrama gods have written that a breakup must inevitably occur in Episode 14 or thereabouts, and this show is not about to subvert that trope!

Like Extraordinary Attorney Woo, Forecasting Love and Weather failed at properly handling its ensemble cast of characters, trying to juggle five relationships to some very mixed results, when it would've been better off simply focusing on the main and secondary couples. As a result, by show's end I could've cared less what happened to the main couple, and was actually a bit more invested in the secondary one, played by Yoon Park and Yura, possibly because they at least tried to talk to each other and work things out. Honestly, Yoon Park's Ki Jun got the better deal out of all the characters in the show. How do you make Ki Jun, the guy who cheated on his fiancée with Si Woo's girlfriend, a more likable, or at least interesting, character than everyone else? You have him grow from an immature baby into a more or less responsible adult. You could argue that the main leads experience growth of their own, but it struck me as a bit aimless, a bit hollow. I mean, 16 episodes for Ha Kyung's boss to tell her you learn more from your mistakes than you do your successes? Seriously? Just go to r/GetMotivated for that.

Would I recommend this show? Unless you want to learn a little about what goes on behind the scenes of a weather forecast, not really, but maybe it's my fault for having high expectations due to PMY. It's not a bad show though, just average. If you want far better executed takes on this concept, check She Would Never Know on the kdrama side, and The Rational Life on the cdrama side.

Glitch💀

Episode count: 10

Where to watch: Netflix

Rating: 3/10

Verdict: Watching an episode of Ancient Aliens on the History Channel would've been more exciting and a lot shorter too

Alternatives: Circle

Can I get away simply by saying watching this show was a glitch? No? Dammit. I should've known better than to watch a Netflix-produced kdrama, even if it does star Nana, 'cause they've all been a bust for me, but Glitch was one of the privileged few shows I watched in 2022 that made me feel I had utterly wasted my time, with no redeeming qualities about it. 500 minutes to tell a story that lacks focus and is all over the place, perhaps stretched thin to meet a Netflix episode quota, with a FL that is not particularly interesting to follow, as she goes through a midlife crisis and teams up with Nana to investigate a UFO cult that may or may not have kidnapped her ex to sell his kidneys. Okay, maybe I made up that last bit about the kidneys.

The comedy doesn't land, the mystery doesn't land, the drama doesn't land, and the UFO doesn't land either. Undoubtedly, the finale is the better episode of the show, not least of why because it marked the ending, but also because the show didn't have any more time to dawdle as it had been doing for the past nine episodes, what gave it some much needed focus. To make matters worse, the surprises and twists at the end of each episode just weren't good enough to keep you hooked, nor, I'm afraid, were the leads. I was tempted at the time to give this show my first ever 1/10 for the way it wasted my time over the span of those 500 minutes, with a story that was infuriatingly inconsistent and lacked a lot of common sense, but it's probably not that bad. Still, I would only recommend watching it to my enemies, probably alongside something like Sisyphus.

Good Job

Episode count: 12

Where to watch: Viki

Rating: 7/10

Verdict: Good fun

Alternatives: Secret Royal Inspector

Another ENA network show, like Extraordinary Attorney Woo, but shorter and more entertaining, as we follow the crazy antics of Eun Soon Woo (Jung Il Woo), a chaebol CEO who doubles as a private detective (think Bruce Wayne/Batman), and Don Se Ra (Kwon Yu Ri), his newly-recruited superpowered assistant, as they aim to solve a 20-year-old cold case while uncovering other, smaller, cases, helping people and rectifying injustices along the way.

Good Job is just a fun ride overall, even if the comedy can be a little hit-or-miss sometimes, especially when it drags on for too long or tries the Marvel route of undermining certain scenes. The writing too could've benefited from another revision, as some events feel gratuitously delayed, like when a character refuses to reveal a certain name only to do so a few minutes later, while others are forced to a head, like Se Ra discovering Soon Woo's batcave. Oh, yeah, he has a batcave, of sorts, and even an Alfred, in the form of Lee Joon Hyuk's Director Hong, whom you may recall from Mystic Pop-Up Bar. He also has a talented sidekick and comedic support, Jin Mo (Eum Moon Suk), both a lawyer and a hacker, who also gets into a romantic entanglement of his own with Se Ra's best friend, Na Hee (Song Sang Eun). This is the mini-Justice League you'll see play dress-up (these scenes are so over-the-top fun!) from episode to episode, as they go undercover to solve cases and get one step closer to their goal. In this sense, this show could be compared to something like Taxi Driver, but, unlike the latter, Good Job doesn't take itself too seriously and neither should you for maximum enjoyment.

While the resolution of the final case felt a bit underwhelming, and perhaps a tad perfunctory (I did appreciate the brief redemption arc for one of the antagonists though), Good Job achieves in 12 episodes what Extraordinary Attorney Woo could not in 16, making its cast of characters grow into a team, one I would not mind accompanying in more adventures in future seasons. Will that happen? Probably not, so if you're looking for more fun adventures of the sort, and don't mind traveling to the past, I would not hesitate to recommend Secret Royal Inspector, with Kim Myung Soo and Kwon Na Ra.

Grid💀

Episode count: 10

Where to watch: Disney+

Rating: 4/10

Verdict: Another nail in the kdrama sci-fi coffin

Alternatives: 365: Repeat the Year, Reset, Circle

Sci-fi is one of my favourite genres, but kdramas have had a rather lousy track record at delivering good quality sci-fi and, sadly, Grid does nothing to change that. Our story starts in 1997, when a mysterious time traveler known as "the Ghost" laves a program for an energy grid to replace Earth's failing magnetic fields. This Grid is now managed by the Administration Bureau who intend to track down the Ghost and unlock the secrets of time travel... eventually. The show's comprised of only ten episodes, yet the pacing of the first half is slower than it has any right to be given the events depicted (hint: they aren't that exciting) and the dialogue isn't stimulating enough to sustain such a slow burner. This "season" could've been compressed into 5 or 6 episodes and it would've been stronger for it. Of course, then it would hardly qualify as a "season" (though Netflix seems to think it does).

The main plot line focuses around this serial killer and the fact that the Ghost is helping him evade capture. Why is this time traveler aiding and abetting a criminal? Honestly, this question was never interesting enough to fuel ten weeks of watching (the pain!) and it shows. Additionally, it is not answered conclusively, although there are some bread crumbs for the viewer to put the pieces together. In fact, this statement captures the show in a nutshell; it raises questions, but never provides any conclusive or satisfying answers, playing on the viewer's knowledge of other (better) time travel stories so they can come up with their own. Perhaps the worst example of this is the season finale, which is only meant to set up events for a possible S2 (in your dreams, or nightmares), thereby raising even more questions.

The writer behind this, Lee Soon Yeon, is apparently quite good, having written for Stranger and Stranger 2. I haven't watched either show so I can't comment on them, but time travel stories aren't for everyone. Having said that, the "mysteries" that are supposed to keep viewers hooked were also underwhelming. I remember reading an article that recommended Grid as a show that keeps you on the edge of your seat. I suppose it's possible to fall off your seat while asleep, right? If you want a show that uses time travel well, though in very limited fashion, merely as a trigger for the plot to unfold, watch 365: Repeat the Year. The cdrama Reset is a great exponent of using a time loop and one of my favourites from 2022. If you want kdrama's best exponent of sci-fi to date, watch Circle (review on the way).

If You Wish Upon Me⭐

Episode count: 16

Where to watch: Viki

Rating: 8/10

Verdict: The genie from Aladdin would be proud

First things first, there is a better version of this show if you take out the gangster storyline, which was entirely superfluous, and better integrate the sister storyline into the main plot. You can also drop the jealous doctor who added surprisingly little beyond being jealous at the required times (what a waste of a perfectly good character). Repackage it all into a shorter, 12-episode, season and this show could've reached 9-10 territory for me. Those are pretty much the weakest aspects of the show.

With that out of the way, it's a very good show. People have compared it to Chocolate given that it takes place in a hospice ward but, for my part, I dropped that show after 5 or 6 episodes, partly because of the ML. No such problem with Ji Chang Wook's character here, an orphan and ex-con with a heart of gold, and a cute dog he's named "Son." Despite all the abuse he's been subjected to throughout his life, he slowly starts to open up as he does community service at the hospice. Paired with Choi Soo Young's flirty Nurse Seo (love her!), these two alone make a powerful case for watching this show. Sung Dong Il also delivers a great performance and has some wonderful exchanges with Ji Chang Wook's character.

The show follows the "case of the week" formula for the most part, certainly during the first half of the drama, as Team Genie tries to fulfill the final wishes of the hospice's patients and often positively impact other people's lives in so doing. Be prepared and have tissues at hand. Beyond the gangster detour that wasted our time towards the end, and drew dangerously close to upending all the good will the show had garnered throughout its run, the final episode really brings it home, coming full circle and delivering a really satisfying conclusion to our story, one final surprise as Team Genie brings down the curtain on their show and bids us goodbye.

In short, yes, it could've been better with a tighter focus but, as it stands, it's one of the better shows to have come out in 2022, and perhaps Ji Chang Wook's best work since Healer (with the caveat that I have not yet watched Suspicious Partner nor Lovestruck in the City). And Choi Soo Young is now 2 for 2! (this girl's on 🔥🔥)

Jinxed at First💀

Episode count: 16

Where to watch: Viki

Rating: 4/10

Verdict: Oh, it's jinxed alright

Alternatives: My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, Goblin, Scripting Your Destiny

I had measured expectations for this drama. Na In Woo had previously worked with the same director in 2021's River Where the Moon Rises, a show I enjoyed a great deal, though mostly because it was the first time I delved deep into the history behind the drama, namely the tale of Princess Pyeonggang and On Dal the Fool, and the history of the Three Kingdoms' period. He was brought in late, with production underway, to replace Ji Soo; he barely slept, had to adlib a lot of his scenes, and still managed to have great chemistry with Kim So Hyun and, to my mind, had the better grasp on the character of On Dal. I'd hoped Jinxed at First would give him another opportunity to shine, but, alas, that was not the case.

The first episode alone is a hectic storytelling mess (and, incidentally, River Where the Moon Rises alumni reunion), rushing through a lot of backstory and setup for the rest of the season. We're introduced to Soo Gwang, a bright student with a promising future and powerful friends, whose life takes a turn for the worse when he meets Seul Bi (Seo Hyun), a woman imprisoned since birth by his best friend's dad because of her strange ability to see a person's future through a single touch. Cut to a year later, where we find Soo Gwang working as a fishmonger under a different name, only for Seul Bi to track him down again, determined to remain by his side.

Honestly, I'm not sure what genre this show wanted to be, but I'm pretty sure it failed at most of them. For the first 6 or 7 episodes it tried to resemble something like My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, as Seul Bi is just as innocent and naïve as Miho was (even if Miho sold it better than Seul Bi did, to my mind), and both male leads were resolved to get rid of her. This is perhaps the strongest portion of the show, as Seul Bi adapts to her new environment and neighbors, making new friends while at the same time helping Soo Gwang get rid of his (never explained) bad luck. I even enjoyed some of the comedy. However, unlike My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, there is not enough chemistry between the leads to have them fall in love with each other over the course of 6 or 7 episodes. Well, not in Soo Gwang's case at any rate, as Seul Bi has been infatuated with him for years. Upon falling in love, the trope that naturally follows is a break-up, after which point the show starts to resemble more of a makjang, turning to corporate and chaebol intrigue and infighting. This is also around the time Soo Gwang's best friend, Min Joon (played by Ki Do Hoon, from Scripting Your Destiny), decides he's in love with Seul Bi (what?), something even more out of left field, especially when he's already engaged to Lee Ho Jung's (Soljiwan!!!) charming character, Ja Kyung, who effortlessly stole every scene she was in. Min Joon, if you don't want her, I'll gladly take her off your hands!

Seemingly having exhausted the depth of its narrative well, the show dragged its feet for several episodes, eventually deciding the story was better served by turning a character into a psychopath, who also wanted Seul Bi for himself and was willing to kill anyone in the process, an eye-rolling set of circumstances eventually resolved thanks to Seul Bi's expansive (aka nonsensical) repertoire of supernatural powers. And, of course, in a show of this caliber, the amnesia trope could not be absent, a card that is dealt in the very last episode and resolved at the very last minute. What a payoff.

When I first learned of this drama I recall reading an outline that went something along the lines of, "Unlucky man meets a goddess of luck." Would it have been too much to ask for a show fitting that description, but in the vein of the excellent Goblin instead? Or maybe something like Scripting Your Destiny, which is certainly not as good as Goblin, but is still way better than this, and much shorter too. If you want to watch a show that features a romantic relationship between a god and a human, I encourage you to give those a try instead, as well as the aforementioned My Girlfriend is a Gumiho.

20 notes · View notes

melis-writes · 6 months ago

Note

Would you mind teaching me how to create gifs? ♥️ Like what program do you use, how to adjust their sharpness or things like that because your gifts are both beautiful and high-quality! I am still an amateur when it comes to editing. 😭

Hellloooo, sweet anon! Of course I can give a mini tutorial on that for you! :3 PHEW, honestly I haven't made GIFs in a fucking hot minute (since early May!). I put that on the back burner to focus on crunching away that writer's block. 🥲🙄 BUT... Making GIFs is like second nature to me because I've been at it for 2 years now, so allow me to tell you all I know! ❤️

I use Adobe Photoshop 2023! My GIFs are started, edited, cooked and finished all up in there. I know there's plenty of cheaper/free alternatives, but I've literally only ever used Photoshop so I have zero experience with those alternatives. 🥲

Remember, a huge part of how smooth and high quality your GIFs are gonna be is 95% where your GIF source is coming from. Stay away from 720p quality files! You want your GIF screencaps to be pulled from the most HD, crisp source material. At least 1080p unless you absolutely can't get your hands on anything else.

Once you pop open Photoshop, you want to follow...

Click "File"

Click "Scripts"

Click "Load files into stack..."

Now select all of your GIF screencaps. I would recommend a maximum of 85 screencaps otherwise your GIF will be longer/beefier and Tumblr for some reason hates GIFs over 10mb.

Wait for it to load! If your computer is older/slower, this might be a pain in the ass and will be 2x a pain in the ass if you have a high screencap amount.

CROPPING YOUR GIF: Select W x H x Resolution on the top bar.

It's honestly best to crop out as close to the edges as possible for the sharpest gifs. A general rule of thumb I like to follow for cropping/GIF sizing is:

One gif: 540 px x 400 px.

2 gifs side by side: 268 px each.

3 gifs side by side: 177 px, 178 px, 177 px.

Hit enter twice to crop!

Once your GIF screencaps are loaded in, click on "Create Video Timeline" on the "Timeline" option. If you can’t see the Timeline > Window > Timeline.

Click on the stack of 3 small lines on the far right of your Timeline and click "Convert to Video Timeline".

8. Click on those 3 lines again and click on "Make Frames From Layers".

9. Click on those 3 lines again and click "Select All Frames".

10. Click on the 3 lines again and click "Reverse Frames" otherwise your GIF will play backwards!!

11. Then you'll notice all your frames like this showing 0 seconds.

Now you get to decide how fast or slow you want your GIF to play, but we're not using whole numbers like 1 2 3 4. Those will make your GIFS incredibly choppy and slow. Instead, we use numbers like 0.01. I would recommend sticking to 0.05 or 0.06. The higher the number, the slower it is. 0.06 feels just right to me, but 0.05 is more like watching the clip live from the movie. I also use 0.07 and 0.08 when I try to GIF a screencap that's very short so unfortunately you have to slow it down otherwise your GIF zoom replays and if you're making a GIF set it'll look horrible next to the other ones going at normal speed LMAO. 0.08 is a good, sensual slow motion type of GIF. Definitely play around with the speeds until you feel comfortable with how your GIF plays out. Not all GIFs are made with equal speed!

For my example, I'm choosing 0.06.

12. Next, go to the far right where your screencaps are all layered and select every single one of them from top to bottom. Then, right click on any random layer until this menu pops up. Click "Convert to Smart Object".

13. On your Timeline, you'll get your smushed chunky little GIF looking like this.

Now with my extensive experience in navigating Tumblr's hellish rules for GIF size and keeping my GIFS clean, smooth and not too long or not too short, I can easily eyeball this every time but I can see why a beginner with Photoshop GIFs might struggle. You see how big that purple block, AKA your GIF, is? It basically needs to be half of that. The bigger that block, the longer/beefier the GIF.

Slowly drag your mouse over that purple block from start to finish to watch your GIF essentially manually play out in front of you. Then you can decide what parts to trim out using the scissors option.

You can then click anywhere on the Timeline to unselect those now 2 chunks of purple. Then you can select just the one piece you want to delete and either hit the backspace key on your keyboard (Like I do) or right click it and click delete.

14. Next, make sure you drag that little blue arrow thing that lets you comb through the GIF all the way back to the beginning. We're going to edit the actual GIF now and we want to edit the whole thing from start to finish, not have effects randomly playing right before the GIF ends or in the middle of it.

15. Time to sharpen up that GIF as the first part of our editing and make it pretty!!

Click on lower left convert button to Convert from Frame Animation to Video Timeline.

Select > All Layers.

CTRL + click on any Layer > Select Convert to Smart Object.

16. Filter > Sharpen > Smart Sharpen.

A little menu will pop up and you can select/input these defaults I use for my crispy GIFs:

Preset: CUSTOM.

Amount: 500%.

Radius: 0.4 PX.

Remove: GAUSSIAN BLUR.

Once more...

Filter > Sharpen > Smart Sharpen again only this time for the second Smart Sharpening, make the attributes:

Amount: 10%.

Radius: 10 PX.

17. Colouring the GIFs!

If you don’t have Adjustments tab > Window > Adjustments.

Adjustments > Exposure.

Another little menu will pop up, and you can use my defaults:

Preset: CUSTOM.

Exposure: 0.99

Offset: 0.0000

Gamma Correction: 1.00

Adjustments > Brightness/Contrast.

Brightness: *anything you want* Drag your mouse around to play with how you want this to look, there are no set numbers however you might want to note down the amount of brightness you put or took away if you want all of your GIFs to match this one!

Contrast: *anything you want*

18. Colouring GIFs when skintones or scenes are too orange/red:

Adjustments > Selective Color.

Colors: REDS.

Cyan: +6.

Magenta, Yellow, Black: 0.

The reds result in the orange color to begin with, but remember each color has its own counterpart. To decrease red tones, increase the cyans!

Example: Making a blue dress more vibrantly blue à Adjustments > Selective Color.

19. Adding text.

Remember, text layers should be on top of the rest of your layers, even if you have several pieces of text on the GIF. It doesn't matter in which order you stack text layers on top, they just have to be up there.

Click Text Tool on the lefthand bar and then click wherever you want to add the text.

To change text settings on a panel > Window > Character.

18-20 pt font is suitable for 540 px gifs! It's to use Calibri font in italics for text talking or Myriad Pro. Those are GIF text classics.

Right click on Text Layer > Blending Options > Stroke > + Stroke.

Size: 1 px.

Position: OUTSIDE.

Blend Mode: NORMAL.

Then hit OK.

Right click on Text Layer > Blending Options > Drop Shadow > Drop Shadow +.

Once again, right click on Text Layer > Blending Options > Stroke > + Stroke.

Blend Mode: NORMAL.

Angle: 30 > Use Global Light.

Distance: 1 px.

Spread: 17%.

Size: 3 px.

Noise: 0.

Layer Knocks Out Drop Shadow > OK.

To center and move the text, just press Y on your keyboard to use the move tool.

20. Finishing up the GIF!

File > Export > Save for Web (Legacy). Check bottom left corner of save screen for GIF size.

Do not go over 10MB EXACTLY! Otherwise Tumblr won't let you post it. You'll have to go back and shorten your GIF as a result, even if that means just splitting the clip off at the very end or very beginning.

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amiablesummer · 2 years ago

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romantisised asks challenge

hello to everyone, but particularly @stingrayextraordinaire who tagged me in this big but interesting challenge. Thank you so much! here we go…

1. if you were to have Hanahaki disease, what flowers would you cough up?

i'm gonna say blue hydrangeas

2. if someone were to catch Hanahaki disease for you, what flowers would they cough up?

pink roses or camellias

3. if you were any historic trope, what would you be? (i.e., the knight, the town baker, the witch of the forest, etc.)

I think I'd be the scribe writing down what heroic or ordinary deeds everyone else does. Ink on my hands, messy scribble, that's very me. Shut up in a room writing the past down, probably killed by the Vikings - at least i'd be remembered by the future readers of the scroll.

4. tell us about your ideal battle outfit.

i would definitely be wearing trousers. some cosy fitting armour, too, like Zoya’s dragon scale armour in Rule of Wolves that’s more like a second skin. nice and silver so it can catch the light. also with a cool cape like Eowyn’s in the Return of the King, an earthy tone, good for camaflaging.

5. what would you be a goddess of and what would people sacrifice to you?

I would be a goddess of memory and nostalgia because that’s a big muse to me. People would probably sacrifice their childhood toys or clothes they don’t need to keep anymore. or maybe particularly bad memories.

6. name five iconic quotes that make you feel things.

“It's like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn't want to know the end, because how could the end be happy? How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened? But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines, it'll shine out the clearer.” - Sam in the Two Towers movie

“The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don’t always spoil the good things and make them unimportant.” - Doctor Who, Vincent and the Doctor

"...We become like that on which our hearts are fixed. Whenever you go out of doors, draw the chin in, carry the crown of the head high. We are gods in the chrysalis.” — Elbert Hubbard, quoted in How To Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie

“And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: it is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.” - Antoine de Saint-Exupery, The Little Prince

"In the midst of winter, I found there was, within me, an invincible summer. For it says that no matter how hard the world pushes against me, within me, there’s something stronger – something better, pushing right back.” - Albert Camus

7. scythe, battle axe, broad sword, spear, or trident?

broad sword

8. what combination of natural scents would you use as perfume?

rosewood, gardenia and musk

9. ancient scrolls or leather-bound books?

Leather-bound books

10. describe yourself as if you were a storm.

a summery storm, the kind that’s not loud but just consistent, rumbling across the sky all day and night as you lie comfortable in bed, romanticising it from a distance. the kind of storm that brings the enlivening, miracle rain that makes the crops grow and people smile. if you’re right in the centre of it, you know it best, and you can see the warm light shining on the rain out your window.

11. what type of flower (other than a rose) would you offer someone you were trying to court?

baby’s breath are beautiful, paired with golden wattle.

12. honey in milk or cinnamon in tea?

cinnamon in tea

13. cabin in the woods, apartment in the city, or mansion in the suburbs?

i wouldn't mind a mansion for a day, but cabin the woods sounds the most cosy. i don't much like cities.

14. curtains of beads or lace?

nice white lace

15. vocal or instrumental music?

instrumental while writing and reading, vocal for chores and travelling.

16. describe your ideal fantasy outfit.

i like dressing up in 1850s style middle-class skirts, with pantaloons and boots, that you can pick up the edges of and it trails behind you. with a pretty blouse and a hooded cloak, I would run around doing cottagecore errands all day.

17. of all the fantasy races to ever exist, which one would you be?

whatever race that talking cats are part of, i’d like to be one of those. or quite possibly a hobbit.

18. hard candy, fruit preserves, or spice cake?

hard candy, i have a sweet tooth

19. show us a picture of your ideal crown.

20. tying your hair up using ribbon, yay or nay?

yes. channeling Zoya Nazyalensky with a dark blue velvet ribbon. However i seem to always need a hairtie underneath it to hold my hair.

21. an evening in the forest with elves, a night in the caves with vampires, or a morning in the garden with fae?

An evening in the forest with elves, like in the Fellowship of the Ring.

22. tell us, in detail, about a curse a witch would put on you.

It would be a curse of being separated from others. Loss is my worst fear. being invisible, perhaps, from the people in my life, or stuck in a tower alone. I do not like isolation. it would make me have to face the parts of myself that I don’t like, and i would have to be independent, not having someone to lean on or able to live in the background of their life. I would have to make my own life, and that terrifies me. it would hopefully make me end up much more confident, if a little insane.

23. talking with sylphs or singing with nymphs?

Singing with nymphs. singing is fun

24. mint, rosemary, basil, or sage?

I love rosemary. mint tastes nice. Basil is good in bolognese, and sage is a pretty colour. But rosemary is the best.

25. favorite childhood story? (doesn’t have to be a fairy tale)

A lot!! As a little girl my favourite fairy tales were Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty (aka the Disney movies). But my absolute favourite story was Robin Hood. I used to pretend to be him with a hat and everything, being the fox in the movie. I was haunted by The Nutcracker from seven years old. I cried over The Little Match Girl by Hans Christian Anderson. I also remember loving Dick Wittington and His Cat. My dad used to read me the Rainbow Magic books, and Milly-Molly-Mandy. As an older kid my favourites were Harry Potter, The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

26. tell us about an experience you’ve had that seemed unreal or supernatural. (doesn’t have to be scary)

when i was a kid there was this book i was really scared of, about kids who go into one of those big water tanks and feel something in there in the dark that is uncanny. When I remembered the book, I kept seeing the water tank that's in my town - Every time I looked at the horizon there it was. Not scary as much as haunting. I found the book recently when I was at a spooky read-in at my cousin’s school. The weird thing was I had just been saying that we should read it. It turns up right when I’m thinking of it, that deep dark water. I have nightmares about the water too.

27. would you rather have poison or healing ointment in your traveling pack?

I’d say healing ointment because I like to think I’m a good person, but also because there’s other ways you could harm people whereas there's not many that you could heal them with.

28. tell us three sayings that you live by.

just take one step at a time.

where there's life, there's hope.

knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom. (Aristotle)

29. vials or mason jars?

Mason jars because they can fit a lot of useful things in them.

30. describe your ideal masquerade ball outfit (mask included).

It would have to be red… I don’t get to wear red often. Long flowy sleeves that I could swish around when holding the mask stick up - it would be a mask with pointy edges and feathers. Maybe embroidered with animal designs. The skirt would have those sewn on too, with dark red undertones, almost purple. It would have lots of sequins, but not too heavy, and big enough to twirl in. I’d curl my hair and have jewels in it too. I’d like to be classy.

31. splashing around in a river with mermaids or flying through the sky with harpies?

Splashing in a river with mermaids

32. what would you end up in the dungeon for?

Not doing things on time, or forgetting something important; i am chronically late. Or going against the status quo, if this is a totalitarian society - I hate following the masses.

33. if you were a fairy, what color would your wings be?

i do love pink and green, but some gold in there would look lovely too. and pale blue.

34. if you could have any magical item, what would it be?

This is really hard, but I’ve always wanted a bag like Mary Poppins’ or Hermione’s which is bigger on the inside. An actual TARDIS would be cool, but I like the thought of being able to fit a library and an art gallery into a portable thing. I do also want a time machine though. Or a portal. Or a fortune-telling mirror/bowl.

35. what song would the bards sing about you when you passed by?

A mixture of the vibes of Bleeding Heart by Regina Spektor, Hand in my Pocket by Alanis Morisette, and These Days by Powderfinger. that's super specific, so otherwise just something about hopeless romanticism...

36. would you rather be a pirate or a king/queen?

If you’re Nikolai Lantsov, you can do both. As for me, a pirate because it would be much more fun - I’m not one for politics. I’d have to be less squeamish though.

37. would you spend more time in the field of flowers, the tavern, the docks, or the marketplace?

I would lie in the field of flowers drawing all day. If I had to work, I’d choose the marketplace. And the docks for an evening stroll.

38. would you have a painting of yourself?

yes if it was very particularly done, like in an impressionist style or something really personal.

39. what skill are you famous for?

Remembering dates, like birthdays, details from things that happened a long time ago, and random fun facts.

40. if you could live any fairy tale, which one would you?

The best aesthetic goes to “East of the Sun, West of the Moon” but I would also like to be friends with Puss-in-Boots.

41. stained glass windows or fairy lights?

Stained glass windows

42. what kind of snow globe would you live inside?

One with one of those pretty Christmas cabins and a big tree, and snow on the ground, maybe with some animals like a deer, a fox or some bunnies, and a bonfire (with snow on it...)

43. what animal would you be reincarnated as?

A domestic cat who sleeps in the sun all day, preferably in a bookshop.

44. lost at sea or lost in space?

lost at sea, but with a boat. I’m scared of the sea, but space is so much worse - at least someone could come rescue you in the sea.

45. if you could have a scar in any shape, what would it be?

i think a heart shape would be very cute.

46. what celestial body would you write a hymn to?

The Moon has that celestial elegance, and I would give anything to be able to go there for a day or two. It has that lonely, feminine, mystery about it... But also Saturn because I have always admired its rings.

47. describe a potion you would brew, complete with ingredients and desired effect.

i would want to make a potion to create calmness that could help anxiety, so I would use some lemon balm, some lavender which would also make it smell nice, and chamomile. to be a real fantasy potion brewer i’d probably add some rose petals and moondust and mix it together with cocoa powder because it’s tasty and, of course, vanilla essence. that probably makes no sense but hey, i made it up.

48. flying ship or underwater home?

flying ship. i like flying and i think someone totally needs to invent a boat-like cruise airship that’s not as dangerous as a blimp, for me to relax in. and the sky isn’t as scary as the ocean.

49. if you were a nature spirit, what season would you dwell in?

Summer, as per my url. I would sleep outside and walk on the beach, and blow the cool change breeze in the evening. very nostalgic.

50. if you could haunt any place as a ghost, what would it be?

I want to be amusing and say my old school, since it is very ghost-populated. it would be fun to turn the lights off every so often. But I would have to choose the old but pretty cafe that I live near, which used to be the gatehouse for the cemetery. It has a really lovely feel to it and it could do with an eerie presence, since it is in the cemetery.

i don't know if anyone else loves fantasy but if anyone wants to do some or all of these questions please go ahead <3 <3 <3 @anouri @mourningintodancing @peachtreesinblossom @tunisian @l0velyjewel @unhingedballad

#tag challenge #fantasy #this was actually so fun #i love the questions #yall get to know about me now lol

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