#gotta be my least planned out au ever

[insomniac-dormouse]

Original concept. and I’m just gonna roll with it from here based on vibes

So I made them spoopier. I made them a little bit more silly goofy. I take your cartoon logic and make it fae logic. Well. Less logic, more vibing. We like to keep our eldritch horrors funny here.

These two are not responsible. They should not be made responsible for a child in any capacity.

[diamonddaze01]

nice try, love

pairing: boo seungkwan x reader | wc: 5.6K genre: college au, fluff, humor, suggestive warnings: language a/n: did i write this at work? the world may never know. happy birthday, boo seungkwan, light of my life, king of all good things // big thanks to @gotta-winwin for beta-ing for me serena i adore u

summary: Okay FINE, maybe planning a surprise birthday party isn’t your strong suit, but at least it’s the thought that counts… right?

You're pretty sure Vernon has never planned a surprise party in his entire life.

He's sprawled out on the couch in your shared college apartment, one leg dangling off the side as if gravity has just given up on him. The faint glow of his phone illuminates his face, his thumb lazily scrolling while the soft hum of the fridge fills the otherwise quiet room. You're seated on the floor by the coffee table, absently flipping through your notes for a class you’re definitely not studying for.

“What are you doing for Seungkwan’s birthday?” Vernon asks suddenly, his voice breaking the calm monotony. He doesn’t even look up, just tosses the question out like it’s a passing thought.

You freeze, the corner of your textbook pinched between your fingers. “Uh…” Your mind blanks. “I don’t know. Haven’t really thought about it yet.”

Vernon finally turns his head, his sleepy eyes peering at you like he’s just stumbled upon the most obvious solution to life’s greatest mystery. “You should throw him a surprise party.”

“A surprise party?” you repeat, tilting your head.

He nods. “Yeah. Cake, decorations, people yelling, ‘Surprise!’ The whole thing. He’d like that, wouldn’t he?”

You mull it over, and almost immediately, the idea sparks something warm in your chest. It’s so him. Seungkwan thrives on celebration—on being surrounded by people he loves, laughing and basking in the moment. But he’s always the one making those moments happen for everyone else.

“He really would,” you murmur, more to yourself than to Vernon. Then, louder, with growing determination: “Yeah. Yeah, let’s do it!”

“Cool,” Vernon says, his tone still maddeningly indifferent.

You narrow your eyes at him. “You’re helping.”

He blinks, finally looking up from his phone. “Oh. Yeah. Sure.”

You groan, already regretting enlisting him. “Okay, first question: What kind of cake should we get?”

“Vanilla,” Vernon answers immediately, like he’s just solved world hunger.

You stare at him, unimpressed. “Vanilla. For Seungkwan.”

He shrugs. “I don’t know. Cake’s cake.”

“Cake is not just cake!” you snap, tossing a pillow at him. He barely flinches, letting it bounce off his chest. “He deserves something amazing, not... vanilla.”

“Alright, chocolate, then,” Vernon offers, leaning his head back against the couch.

You groan, burying your face in your hands. “This is going to be a disaster.”

“It’ll be fine,” he says. “You’re stressing too much. Just... keep it simple.”

“Simple isn’t Seungkwan,” you mutter, already typing notes into your phone. “Streamers, balloons, cake, music... what else?”

Vernon hums noncommittally, but you can’t focus on his lack of enthusiasm because the sound of a key turning in the front door sends your heart into overdrive.

“Hey, I’m home!” Seungkwan calls, his cheerful voice cutting through the relative quiet of the apartment like a bell.

Your head snaps up so fast that your phone nearly catapults out of your hand. Panic flares in your chest as you lock eyes with Vernon, who has the nerve to just sit there, unbothered, like you’re not seconds away from blowing the entire operation.

“Nothing!” Vernon blurts out, his voice loud enough to startle a bird into flight—if there were birds in your apartment, which you almost wish there were, just to distract Seungkwan.

“What the hell are you doing?!” you hiss, your whisper sharp enough to cut glass.

Vernon shrugs, his expression as neutral as ever. “What? It’s fine.”

“It is not fine!” you snap, frantically shoving your phone under a pillow as footsteps draw closer.

Seungkwan rounds the corner, a reusable grocery bag in one hand, his keys jangling in the other. His brows knit together the moment he sees the two of you sitting there like deer caught in headlights.

“What’s going on?” he asks, his tone laced with suspicion.

There’s a beat of silence, long enough for your heart to climb into your throat, before Vernon, bless his completely oblivious soul, decides to take the reins.

“Uh, politics,” he says, delivering the word with all the confidence of a first-grader who just learned it in social studies.

“Politics?” Seungkwan repeats, his face immediately twisting into incredulity. His gaze flicks between you and Vernon like he’s waiting for someone to explain why that makes absolutely no sense. “You two don’t talk about politics.”

“Well,” Vernon says, stretching the word out as if buying himself time, “we do now.”

You slap a hand over your face, half-expecting Seungkwan to see right through the lie. And judging by the way his eyes narrow, he’s definitely suspicious.

“...You okay?” Seungkwan asks, his question directed at you now, his voice softer but no less probing.

“Fine!” you chirp, your voice rising an octave too high. “Totally fine! Why wouldn’t I be fine?”

Seungkwan stares at you, unblinking, like he’s watching an amateur magician botch their first trick. His head tilts slightly, his gaze sharp and calculating. You can practically see the gears turning in his head as he starts to piece something together.

Your heart thunders in your chest as you scramble for a distraction, but Seungkwan only clicks his tongue and turns toward the kitchen. “Alright…” he says slowly, his tone dripping with doubt. “I’m gonna start dinner.”

You exhale sharply as he disappears around the corner, but your relief is short-lived.

“I should probably head out,” Vernon mutters, already rising from the couch and grabbing his jacket.

“Don’t you dare leave me!” you whisper-yell, clutching at his arm.

He gives you a pitying look, gently prying your fingers off him. “Good luck with your, uh, thing,” he says vaguely, before booking it toward the door like the apartment’s on fire.

You groan, slumping against the couch as the door clicks shut behind him, leaving you alone with Seungkwan’s lingering suspicion and an overwhelming sense of impending doom.

By the time you’ve retreated to the bathroom to brush your teeth, hoping to quietly end the night, you can already hear Seungkwan’s footsteps padding down the hall. They’re not hurried—he knows exactly where you’re going and, more importantly, that he’s going to follow you.

You grip your toothbrush a little tighter, squeezing toothpaste onto the bristles with the precision of someone who definitely isn’t harboring a secret. The mirror reflects your determined expression, and you silently pep-talk yourself: Act casual. Act normal.

The door creaks open behind you.

“I know you’re hiding something,” he says, his voice low and sing-songy, like he’s just stumbled upon buried treasure.

“Nope,” you reply, your voice muffled by the toothbrush already working overtime in your mouth. “Noffing.”

He steps closer, and suddenly his arms are around your waist, his chin settling on your shoulder. His lips brush against the nape of your neck, soft and warm, and you almost drop your toothbrush.

“Tell me,” he murmurs, his voice dipping into that dangerously teasing tone that makes your knees feel like jelly.

You laugh, the toothpaste threatening to foam out of your mouth. “Ish a shpurrise!”

He lifts his head, his eyes meeting yours in the mirror. He’s pouting—full lips pushed out and eyebrows furrowed in a way that’s completely unfair. “I don’t like surprises,” he whines, dragging out the words like a child denied candy before dinner.

“You’ll like this one,” you manage after spitting out the toothpaste, flashing him a grin.

“I don’t trust that.” He narrows his eyes but doesn’t let go, his chin dropping back onto your shoulder as he watches you rinse your mouth. “You’ve been acting weird all night.”

“Me? Weird?” You feign offense, spinning in his hold to face him. “You’re imagining things.”

“Am I?” His voice is skeptical, his hands tightening their hold as if he’s daring you to deny it again.

“Yes,” you say firmly, ducking under his arms and making a break for the bedroom.

“Yah!” He’s right behind you, groaning dramatically as he follows you down the hall. “Why are you like this?”

“Like what?” you tease, tossing him a mischievous smile over your shoulder.

“Annoying!” He flings the word at you, though his tone is far too affectionate to take seriously.

By the time you reach the bed, he’s already poking and prodding at you like a nosy kid trying to open a Christmas present early. His fingers find your sides, digging in just enough to make you squirm, and before you can stop him, he tackles you onto the mattress.

“Seungkwan!” you yelp, laughter spilling out as his hands mercilessly tickle your sides.

“Tell me what you’re hiding!” he demands, his voice dramatically over the top. “I won’t stop until you do!”

“Never!” you manage between gasps, kicking your legs in a futile attempt to escape his grip.

“Fine,” he huffs at last, sitting back on his knees as you lie sprawled out, desperately catching your breath. His chest heaves slightly, his hair adorably mussed from the effort. “Don’t tell me. I’ll figure it out myself.”

“You can try,” you retort, your grin returning as you reach up and pinch his side.

He yelps, the sound high-pitched and far more dramatic than necessary, before flopping down beside you with a groan.

“Please,” he scoffs, his voice muffled by the pillow as he turns his head to look at you. “You’re about as hard to read as a picture book.”

You roll your eyes, your fondness for him making your heart ache in the best way. “Good night, Boo Seungkwan,” you say good-naturedly, leaning over to flip off the light before pressing your body against his warmth.

A second ticks by. Then another.

“I’m gonna find out,” he whispers, his voice filled with playful determination.

“SLEEP, Seungkwan,” you reply, burying your face against his chest with an exasperated groan.

If thoughts could kill, Vernon would be buried 10 times over by now.

You glare at him from across the tiny coffee shop table, the faint scent of espresso and baked goods doing little to calm your nerves. Your phone screen lights up with a notification that makes your stomach drop.

bonon: what time are we settin up for seungkwan [Message unsent.]

Your eyes snap up to meet Vernon’s wide-eyed stare. His phone is still in his hand, held like he’s trying to will it into a time machine.

“Did you just—?” you hiss, leaning forward, heart pounding.

“I fixed it!” Vernon whispers, his tone frantic but somehow still too casual for the current crisis.

“You didn’t fix anything!” you whisper-yell, glancing nervously around the café. Though Seungkwan isn’t here yet, his arrival is imminent, and your panic is building by the second.

“I unsent it,” Vernon insists, his expression somehow both sheepish and proud.

“You think that makes it better?” you groan, burying your face in your hands. “He gets notifications, Vernon. He saw it.”

“Maybe he didn’t?” Vernon suggests weakly, though his tone betrays his lack of faith in that hope.

Your phone buzzes again.

kwannie baby: what are we setting up for

“Oh my god,” you mutter, shoving your phone face-down on the table. “You just ruined everything.”

“Did I, though?” Vernon asks, tilting his head as he shrugs nonchalantly.

“Yes!” you snap. “You absolutely did!”

Vernon leans back in his chair, crossing his arms. “Okay, so... Plan B?”

“Plan B?” you echo incredulously, gesturing wildly. “We don’t have a Plan B!”

“We should probably make one, then,” Vernon replies, utterly unbothered as he picks up his cup of iced coffee and takes a sip.

Before you can throttle him, the bell above the door jingles. Your head swivels toward the sound, and there he is: Seungkwan, freshly showered from his post-class gym session and looking devastatingly good in his hoodie and jeans.

Your heart skips when he spots you, his face lighting up in a way that always makes you weak in the knees. He strides over with purpose, and before you can even say hello, he leans down to press a soft kiss to your cheek.

“Hey, love,” he murmurs, his voice warm and familiar, sending a pleasant shiver down your spine. Then his eyes flick to Vernon, narrowing slightly. “What’s going on here?”

“Nothing,” you blurt out. Vernon, to your absolute horror, looks at Seungkwan and says, “Oh, just planning your—”

You kick him hard under the table before he can finish. He chokes on his words, doubling over as he clutches his shin.

“Planning your... downfall,” you finish smoothly, shooting Vernon a pointed look. “It’s, uh, a surprise. For later. Just trust me.”

Seungkwan raises a skeptical eyebrow, clearly not buying it, but to your relief, he doesn’t push.

Seungkwan’s eyes narrow further, darting between the two of you with the precision of someone who’s used to sniffing out secrets. “Uh-huh.”

“Why do you look so suspicious?” you ask, forcing a laugh. “We’re literally just hanging out.”

“Because Vernon looks like he just committed a crime,” Seungkwan points out, sliding into the seat beside you. “And you sound like you’re covering for him.”

You elbow Vernon under the table, and he jolts, his iced coffee nearly tipping over. “Ow!”

“See?” you say, gesturing to Vernon. “He’s clumsy, not criminal.”

“Right,” Seungkwan drawls, though his skepticism is written all over his face.

Your phone buzzes again, and you flinch.

“You’re acting weird,” Seungkwan says, watching you closely. His gaze is soft but knowing, like he’s already halfway to figuring it all out.

Vernon coughs, shoving his phone into his pocket. “Uh, I should head out. Got... uh, stuff. Important stuff.”

“Yeah, okay,” Seungkwan says, not even sparing him a glance as Vernon escapes, leaving you to fend for yourself.

As the door jingles shut, Seungkwan turns his full attention to you, his expression a perfect mix of curiosity and mild exasperation. “So,” he says, leaning closer, “what time are you setting up for whatever you’re not telling me about?”

“It’s nothing!” you protest, though you’re certain your nervous laugh is giving you away.

He hums, unconvinced, but doesn’t push. Instead, he leans back in his chair, a small smirk tugging at his lips. “Fine. Don’t tell me. I’ll figure it out myself.”

“Good luck,” you mutter, grabbing your coffee and taking a long sip.

Seungkwan grins, his eyes glinting with determination. “Oh, I don’t need luck. I’ve got you.”

“I have class,” you grumble, pushing your chair back with a little more force than necessary as you stand up. You reach for your bag, not wanting to be around for his inevitable victory lap when he figures it out.

You’ve made it almost all the way to the exit when Seungkwan calls out behind you, loud enough for the whole coffee shop to hear:

“Baby, you’re the worst liar I’ve ever met!”

Your cheeks burn, but you don’t look back. You step out into the crisp air with a huff, trying to ignore the little voice in your head that knows Seungkwan’s right.

Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck. What is he doing here?

You freeze in the middle of the party supply aisle, your hand instinctively reaching for the closest balloon like it’s some kind of lifeline. It’s way too late to duck down behind the shelves now. You’re too obvious, too exposed. The very last thing you needed was for Seungkwan to walk in and find you face-to-face in the party aisle, surrounded by garish streamers and enough confetti to make a hundred surprise parties.

Seungkwan appears at the end of the aisle, holding a basket with a couple of random items in it. His eyes catch yours almost immediately, and you see the shift in his expression from casual curiosity to that all-knowing smirk.

“You’re... here?” he asks, slowly taking in the sight of you standing next to a pile of “Happy Birthday” balloons, clutching one like your life depends on it.

You swallow hard, trying to think of any excuse that could remotely make sense, but your brain is a desert. A blank, empty desert where words go to die.

“Oh, uh…” You clear your throat, your voice coming out higher than usual. “I—well, I’m just... uh…” You gesture vaguely to the colorful chaos around you. “I’m... I’m really into, uh... party supplies? You know, just... really into birthday decorations? For me. My own... birthday.”

Seungkwan raises an eyebrow. “Your birthday’s not until, like, three months from now.”

“I... I’m planning ahead!” you blurt out. The words are out before you can stop them, and you immediately want to crawl under a rock. “Yeah, I just... I like being prepared. You know, for... my birthday. So I came to buy—uh, extra decorations. For the future.”

He stares at you, silent for a long, drawn-out second. Then he starts walking toward you, his grin widening with every step.

“You’re buying this much stuff for your birthday... three months ahead of time?”

“Yep,” you say brightly, nodding like a lunatic. “It’s, uh, a big deal. I like to be organized. Very organized.”

“You’re so full of shit,” Seungkwan says, leaning on the shelf next to you, his expression equal parts amused and skeptical.

“No, I—uh...” You falter, feeling your face heat up. “I—look, I just like... I really like this section, okay? Do you not... do you not see how many different kinds of candles there are? And look, there’s a whole section just for cupcake toppers!”

“Cupcake toppers,” Seungkwan repeats slowly, narrowing his eyes at the pile of rainbow-colored decorations.

“Yeah, you know!” You start picking up random things off the shelf to emphasize your desperation. “Like these! These would be great for a... you know... a hypothetical cupcake situation, if I were to ever... bake cupcakes, for my birthday.”

Seungkwan looks like he’s about to say something, then stops, shaking his head. He sighs dramatically, clearly both amused and slightly exasperated. “I’m not buying it, you know.”

Your heart thuds painfully in your chest. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, I think you do,” he says, his tone suddenly much softer. There’s a quiet amusement in his eyes, but it’s laced with that knowing glint—the same one you’ve been trying to avoid all afternoon.

“I’m not doing anything,” you mutter, trying to look innocent.

Seungkwan’s eyes sparkle with mischief as he steps closer, his body practically crowding you against the shelves, trapping you in a bubble of warm, teasing energy. You have nowhere to go. Your pulse quickens, and you feel the heat rise in your cheeks.

“So, tell me, love,” Seungkwan murmurs, lowering his voice just enough for only you to hear. “What exactly are you hiding in this aisle of confetti and latex?”

He’s so close now that his breath ghosts over your skin, sending a shiver up your spine. His smirk is pure trouble.

You can feel your heart thudding in your chest, and you try to steady your breathing. “I’m not hiding anything,” you manage to force out, voice tight and slightly strangled.

Seungkwan tilts his head, his smirk widening. “You’re making it awfully hard to believe that.” His eyes flick to the basket you’ve been clutching as a shield. “What’s in there? More... party supplies for your upcoming birthday?”

“I—” You open your mouth, but no words come out. The lie is falling apart, and you can feel it. You’re seconds away from completely cracking.

Seungkwan watches you, amusement dancing in his gaze. “I’ll give you a chance,” he says, drawing out the words with purpose. “Tell me the truth.”

“I—” You open your mouth, but no words come out. The lie is falling apart, and you can feel it. You’re seconds away from completely cracking.

Instead of pressing further, Seungkwan just shrugs, his smile softening with a quiet, knowing satisfaction. He grabs the basket from your hands with ease, his eyes never leaving yours as he tucks it under his arm.

“Wanna go home and watch the newest episode of Queer Eye?” he asks casually, as if he didn’t just catch you red-handed.

You blink, completely thrown off by his sudden shift in demeanor. “Wait, that’s it? You’re just going to let it go?”

He shrugs again, already walking away with your basket in hand, that smile tugging at the corner of his lips. “Eh. I’ll get you in a bit. But now I want to watch Jonathan Van Ness’s hair tutorials. So, we’re going home.”

You stand there for a moment, still trying to process the fact that he just let you off the hook so easily.

“Fine,” you huff, following him, but a grin sneaks onto your face. “But I swear to God, if you make me watch that episode again...”

“Oh, you’ll love it,” Seungkwan says over his shoulder, winking at you. “Let’s get this over with so we can eat snacks and judge everyone’s outfits.”

As Seungkwan checks out with your basket, you pull out your phone and quickly text Vernon:

y/n: fucked up. u need to get the balloons and the decoration

Seconds later, Vernon responds: 

bonon: slay now we’re even

You roll your eyes, quickly putting your phone away before Seungkwan can lean over and see.

The soft hum of the TV fades into the background as Seungkwan casually stretches out on the couch, pulling your feet into his lap and beginning to massage them with a practiced ease. You sigh in contentment, throwing your legs across his lap, grateful for the warmth and relaxation.

For a few moments, there’s nothing but the gentle kneading of his hands and the soothing chatter of the Queer Eye episode playing in front of you. It's easy, comfortable. So comfortable, in fact, that you almost forget that you’re trying to keep a pretty huge secret from Seungkwan.

You glance over at him, watching his concentrated expression as he works his thumbs into your arches.

“Mm,” he murmurs, eyes flicking up to meet yours, “You’re really so busy these days.”

You stiffen for a second before relaxing again, pretending not to hear him. You shift slightly, trying to play it off.

“Busy? No, I’m not busy. Just… work stuff, you know.” You wave a hand dismissively, keeping your voice light and unbothered.

Seungkwan doesn't buy it. His fingers tighten around your ankle for a brief second before he continues massaging, the gesture far too casual for how sharp his eyes are.

“I don’t know,” he says, voice low and casual, almost like he's just making an observation. "You’ve been awfully ‘busy’ lately. You’re hardly ever around anymore. No late-night study sessions. No random make-outs. Kinda weird, huh?"

Your stomach drops a little. Seungkwan’s always been perceptive, and it's impossible to hide anything from him when he starts paying attention.

You clear your throat and try your best to stay nonchalant. “Nothing weird about it. Just… start of the semester, I guess. You know how it is.” You try to shrug, but it only makes it worse—like you’re overcompensating.

Seungkwan doesn’t stop massaging your feet, but his gaze never leaves your face. He tilts his head slightly, as if deep in thought, then slowly, his hands shift. Instead of being gentle, he yanks you by the ankle, pulling your entire body forward with a playful yank that has you flopping onto your back on the couch, flat against the cushions.

Before you can protest, he hovers over you, his grin only widening as he watches you squirm.

"I hope you know you're not fooling me," he murmurs, his voice low and teasing, but there’s an underlying note of seriousness in it. The kind of seriousness that comes when he knows something’s up but is enjoying the game.

His lips are warm against your cheek as he presses lazy kisses all over your face, his breath soft and steady, almost like he’s savoring the little moments of closeness. Your heart stammers in your chest.

You squirm a little, trying to escape his grasp. "I thought you wanted to watch Jonathan Van Ness," you protest weakly, but the words come out a little too breathy.

He doesn’t listen. Instead, he smiles, pressing another kiss against your forehead, then your nose. The warmth of his lips lingers long enough that you almost forget where you were, and by the time he finally slots his mouth against yours, the protests die in your throat, replaced with a sigh of contentment.

"Mm," Seungkwan murmurs, pulling back for a breath before his lips find yours again. "But you're so much more interesting."

His words settle in your chest, and for a moment, you forget about the party, forget about everything else. It’s just Seungkwan, and you, and the quiet between the kisses.

Still, you know the game isn’t over. You can feel it in the way he looks at you—like he knows you're hiding something. But for now, you let him have his victory. Just a little longer.

"No, Vernon, it has to be CENTERED!"

You’re on your knees, positioning the large banner across the living room wall, your hands gripping the edges as you try to align it just right. But no matter how much you adjust, something always feels off—too far left, too far right, too high, too low. You’re hyper-aware of every detail.

Vernon stands next to you, arms crossed and watching you with an amused expression as you mutter to yourself under your breath, too caught up in the task to notice his casual shrug.

"You’re overthinking it," he says, voice unbothered. "It’s fine."

You shoot him a look that says everything. "It’s not fine! This is Seungkwan’s birthday, Vernon, it has to be perfect."

"Okay, okay," he says, waving his hand dismissively. "Perfect. Whatever you say. But—" He glances over at the stack of balloons in the corner, then at the unlit candles on the table. "He’s definitely going to be surprised, alright?"

You’re still unconvinced. You pause, stepping back to assess the banner once more. Something about it feels off. Your anxiety crawls up your spine, and you chew at your lower lip, looking between the decorations and the front door.

"Sure," you say, but the doubt lingers in your voice. "But I still feel like he's going to know."

Vernon raises an eyebrow. "You think he knows? You’ve been dodging him all week. No way."

You huff, glancing toward the window where Seungkwan’s car will likely pull up soon. "You don’t know him like I do. He’s perceptive, and I think he’s catching on. He’s been way too quiet lately. And he's definitely noticed how much more ‘busy’ I’ve been."

Vernon smirks. "Ah. So that’s what this is about. You’re worried he’s figured it out and you don’t want to ruin the surprise."

"Exactly." You pause and shoot a quick glance at the door, just to make sure you're not imagining things. "What if he walks in and just... knows?"

Before Vernon can respond, a knock echoes from the door. You freeze for a second, panic seizing your chest. Vernon, unbothered, starts to whistle, completely unaware of your spiraling thoughts.

"He's here," you whisper, looking at the clock nervously. "He's early!"

"No problem," Vernon says, effortlessly grabbing a handful of balloons and making his way to the door. "We’ve got it covered."

You follow him, heart racing as you hold your breath, hoping the setup looks flawless before Seungkwan walks in. You quickly scramble to tie off the last balloon as Vernon opens the door, allowing Seungkwan to step inside.

Seungkwan looks completely caught off guard when he enters, his eyes immediately widening at the sight of the full party setup. Balloons are hanging from the ceiling, candles flicker, and a crowd of people stand in the kitchen.

Your heart skips a beat, but he doesn't say anything for a moment. Instead, Seungkwan just blinks at the scene, his jaw slightly dropped. He slowly raises his hand to his chest in mock surprise.

"Wow," he gasps dramatically. "What... is all this?"

You roll your eyes, but he presses on, voice rising in exaggerated shock. "No way... This is for me?!" His face twists into an over-the-top expression of surprise. "I’m so touched!"

You laugh, feeling a little bit of relief wash over you. But as you glance at Vernon, he’s smiling smugly, clearly pleased that Seungkwan’s playing along.

"No, seriously," Seungkwan continues, his eyes twinkling with amusement. "I had no idea. You really got me. I’m blown away."

You can’t help it. You burst into laughter, your hand covering your mouth as you try to suppress it. "Okay, stop," you say through giggles. "You’re so obvious."

But Seungkwan just grins, his expression too satisfied to hide. "I don't know what you're talking about. I was completely surprised." He winks at you before stepping further into the living room, his dramatic act now dissolving into a delighted smile.

"You’re impossible," you mutter, still laughing.

Vernon snickers from the corner. "Told you. He’s definitely surprised."

You shake your head, but your heart swells with fondness. Despite all your worries, it feels good to see Seungkwan so happy, so genuinely caught up in the moment. You finally give in, nodding at Vernon.

"Yeah, alright. I’ll give you that."

After the toast, when the last clink of glasses fades and the room is filled with chatter and laughter, Seungkwan leans toward you, his usual mischievous grin never quite leaving his face. He beckons you with a subtle tilt of his head, eyes glinting as he steps toward you, his fingers brushing against yours as he pulls you away from the crowd.

He doesn’t say a word as he guides you toward the hallway and into your shared bedroom. The door clicks softly behind you, and as soon as you’re inside, he closes the distance between you with a playful, teasing grin.

"So," he begins, his voice low but laced with humor, "how long are we going to pretend I didn't know?"

You blink at him, surprised. Your stomach drops slightly, the weight of the confession catching you off guard. You open your mouth, but the words get tangled in your throat. Before you can come up with an excuse, Seungkwan raises a hand, stopping you.

"I know," he says, the words laced with affection but also a certain smugness. "I knew pretty early on."

Your eyes widen. You can’t hide the guilt in your expression, but Seungkwan just chuckles, his voice rich with amusement.

"How did you figure it out?" you ask, feigning innocence as you lean back against the doorframe, trying to appear nonchalant.

Seungkwan crosses his arms, leaning back as he starts recounting the clues. "Well, let’s start with the unsent text, hmm?" He raises an eyebrow. "I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but Vernon isn’t exactly great at keeping his phone locked down. It was right there on his screen, loud and clear—Seungkwan's birthday surprise."

You groan, covering your face with your hands. "He really didn’t."

"Oh, he did," Seungkwan says, leaning in closer now, his grin widening as he watches you squirm. "And then there was that whole... party aisle incident? Really? You thought I wouldn’t figure it out when I walked in and saw you clutching a balloon like it was the holy grail?"

You wince, looking away. "Okay, so maybe I wasn't subtle. But you didn't have to call me out like that."

Seungkwan laughs softly, a fondness in his gaze that takes you by surprise. "Look, I wasn’t going to say anything. You and Vernon were having way too much fun with it, and honestly? It was sweet. It made me feel special." He steps closer to you, his expression softening. "You two planning this disaster was honestly the best part of my birthday."

You blink up at him, feeling warmth spread through your chest. "You’re not mad?"

He shakes his head, reaching out to take your hand, gently tugging you closer. "Mad? Nah. I mean, I’ve got to admit, it was a little obvious. But the fact that you both went through all this effort? It made me feel like I was worth it." His voice softens, sincerity threading through every word. "Thank you. For doing all of this for me."

The words settle between you, heavier than you expect, and you can’t help but smile. Seungkwan’s teasing grin has melted into something more genuine, and as you step forward, he pulls you into a hug. His arms wrap around you tightly, and for a brief moment, you just stand there, feeling his warmth surround you.

But then, true to form, Seungkwan tilts his head back and gives you a playful push. "Alright, enough with the mushy stuff. I’m still waiting for my gift." His grin is back in full force, but this time, there’s something more than mischief in his eyes.

You laugh, trying to backpedal, but before you can say anything else, Seungkwan’s hands are at the back of your neck, pulling you into a slow, languid kiss. His lips press against yours with a warmth that contrasts with the teasing nature of his words. The kiss is deep and slow, each movement a silent reminder of how much he truly cares. You respond instinctively, leaning into him as his hands slide down to rest on your waist.

When the kiss finally breaks, Seungkwan pulls away just enough to look at you, his forehead resting gently against yours. "Seriously," he murmurs, his voice low and affectionate, "thank you for making today so special. I really appreciate it."

You smile, brushing your thumb over his cheek. "Of course. You deserve it."

Seungkwan presses another kiss to your forehead, his grin never fading. "Okay, okay. But really, are we cutting the cake soon or what? I swear, if I don’t get cake soon, I might just die from suspense."

[morgluvsconnie]

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐘𝐚, 𝐜.𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫.

highschool AU , some language , fluff(?) , connie being crazy over you , not proofread , very short !

“connie springer, will you please pay attention to my teaching and not y/n l/n?” the teacher raised her eyebrows with a shallow smirk.

“man.” connie mumbled, moving his attention away from you and to the ceiling as he slumped in his desk. the class laughed at the teachers joke, which wasn’t really a joke, because it always happened.

“you crazy as hell if you really think that girl want you.” ony mumbled to connie from beside him. “she don’t want nobody but me.” connie pat his chest with a scoff.

the bell rings.

you packed your things wit your over the head headphones playing “at your best” by aaliyah. your threw your backpack over your shoulder, getting ready to leave with your girlfriends, but you heard a faint voice call your name as soon as you made it to the door.

“girl, connie want you.” one of your friends giggled. “have fun.” she winked with a smile. you didn’t even have time to stop her before connie fully made his way to you.

this was the fourth time in two weeks this boy has been in your face.

“connie.” you raised your eyebrows and kept walking, slow enough so that he could catch up. “so whatchu doin this weekend? since it’s friday and shit.” he tucked his lips into a smile.

“same thing i said last week. i gotta study.” you paused your music and stopped, leaning on a locker. “now what you want? for real.”

“oh my- i want you.” he smacked his lips and looked down at you.

you stared up at him for a few seconds before smiling into a small laugh. “you’re so funny, connie.” you pat his shoulders, starting to walk off again.

he let out a deep sigh. “you gotta at least go out to eat with me or something.” he pursed his lips together. you looked up at him with your eyebrows raised. “and what do i get out of that?”

“uh, me. and a relationship you won’t forget.” he rested his arm over your shoulder while leaning over at you. “so…”

“you’re just like any other boy.” you looked at his hand.

“what other boy has ever begged you for like… since… middle school, to go out with him?”

you thought about it for a second. nobody.

“exactly. so you can just take ya chance with me.”

you sighed. “you ain’t just doing this to brag about going out to eat with me?”

“i’m doin it cause you pretty… and i like you.” connie shrugged.

you smiled at his compliment. little did you know, he actually meant it. “i’ll… text you. and remind me when it is.” you pat his chest with a smile. “bye connie.”

connie stood there for a few seconds, staring at you as you walked off. “byeee.” he said under his breath with a cheesy smile.

ony smacked his lips, coming up behind connie and leaning his arm on his shoulder. “nigga you ain’t no pimp.”

“ion plan on pimpin’ that girl.” connie bit his lip with a grin.

i know this is a little trash, i’m tryna refrain myself from making a story.😢

[dudethatsmyundeaduncle]

DP X DC AU Danny & The Little Dead Girl

(title pending lol, Danny and Curare adventures pt 2!) Pt 1 here My AU art

__________________________________________

Monday comes, as it is won't to do, and Danny has to go to school which means the baby halfa has to come to school too.

" ok, so, one rule for today, big rule, you gotta be quiet in class. Uh-"

Danny pulls his phone out of his pocket as their bus hits a pot hole. Sitting right at the front means they catch the momentum first and he has to hold Curaré against his side lest she go flying into the aisle.

A couple voices grumble behind them at the jostling as Danny gets his text to speech open.

" Necessitas ser quieto en clase. ¿Entiendes?" The Google robot lady voice translates for him.

Curaré blinks at him from behind her little paper face mask and looks from the phone to him curiously.

This is the game they've been playing since last night, Danny says something in English robo lady repeats it in Spanish.

Danny doesn't know if Curaré understands how the phone speaks or even that it does but she's giving him her favorite little blank expression so he assumes she gets it. At least, she hasn't really disagreed or disobeyed anything he's asked of her yet so...not gonna look that gift horse in the mouth Danny boy!

..

School goes well, mostly.

They get through the metal detectors and bag checks at the front entrance just fine. The security guards barely glance at Curaré once they confirm she isn't hiding a Glock or something under her shirt. Which it's kinda sad to know gun control is a cross-dimensional American problem but it's on brand if nothing else Danny thinks.

They get to first period without stopping at Danny's locker and settle down in two desks by the back door. This is Danny's usual spot, well usual as of a month ago, it's mostly empty back here now but Danny used to have a seat partner.

(A seat partner who had a kind of shady tweaker vibe that Danny would have been worried about but that kid went home early one day and never came back so....it's Curaré's seat now.)

The little dead girl looks even littler sat in the desk-chair combo, she can barely see over the top. Danny stacks three dictionaries under her for a boost then he gets her set up with some pencils and paper and the single highlighter he found on the floor his first day here.

Curaré seems vaguely interested in his offerings ,after Danny shows her how to use them to mark the page, and starts creating cautious marks of her own.

She keeps glancing back up at Danny as if to confirm that this is still fine? And he nods his head every time trying to be encouraging as it becomes obvious that nobody taught this kid to write inside Fosters Home for Real life Assassins. Which Danny thinks is poor planning on there part because really? If your Assassin can't write how the fuck were they supposed to leave ominous threatening warnings? Or fake suicide notes? Or any number of written props to flesh out a cover story.

Whatever, obviously the assassins raising Curaré sucked ass all around so he can't say he's surprised but he is majorly disappointed.

As the bell rings for first period a whole slew of teens rush in ahead of the teacher Mr. Berk. Simple guy, grey beard, coke bottle glasses, smells like Vics vapor rub, the works.

He's like the most chilled out version of Mr. Lancer ever so he's alright in Danny's books. Plus he only has one "rule", as long as your butt is in your seat by the time he calls your name for attendance he won't mark you late. In Gotham, where everyone and their brother has enough late marks from shitty public transportion to get detention, it's a pretty sweet rule.

So Mr. Berk takes attendance like usual and only pauses on Danny and Curaré in the back for a brief moment.

Curaré stops drawing and stares down Mr. Berk like he's the T rex from Jurassic park. Frozen in place and without breaking eye contact. He stares back at her completely unphased.

" A small visitor then?" He says.

Danny nods. " My sister"

" Mhm" Mr. Berk says already moving on to the next student on his roster.

Danny breathes out huge sigh of relief, that was so much easier then he expected.

They more or less repeat this exchange the whole day. Mondays suck ass because it's one of the only days Danny actually has all 6 periods, but they make it through 1st, 2nd, and nutrition unscathed.

By lunch time Danny thinks they might actually be home free, if no one is gonna bring up the whole freaking child tagging along with him then he can probably just bring her with him everyday.

Maybe he can find her some work books and she can learn the alphabet? And addition? That's like on track for 4 year olds right? Danny can't remember being 4 but that feels right to him. He will educate the child in his care like the responsible almost adult he is. She will go to college!

At lunch Danny sits them at the back of the school right next to the teachers lounge because it's mostly deserted.

In Danny's exprience the best place to hide is in plain sight. He's been sitting here everyday since he enrolled himself and the teachers have never noticed him. Their way too busy trying to get any kind of break from teaching high schoolers to be concerned.Which Danny is greatful for because he has broken the rule about using his cell phone at lunch 50 times at this point.

Listen he has to do universe research when he has access to wifi! Which he only does at school. The administration should be glad he's using his lunch period to educate himself really.

So they eat by the lounge. Danny has Curaré face away from the door so she can take off her face mask and eat unencumbered.The cut on her face is still gnarly, it looks an almost enflamed purple as it tries it's best to heal.

Danny had given Curaré a little immuno-boost with his own ecto the night before to try to speed up her healing factor. But like any Halfa, basically just Danny's personal experience, you have to nourish the ghost half and the human half in equal parts to heal all the way.

It's not until home room, period 6/7, that the metaphorical straw breaks the metaphorical camels back. or the real straw to the metaphorical camel? Did camels even carry straw? where would it go? Between there humps? Not important Fenton!

Home room was a grade A disaster.

Mr. Perez, Danny's kind of ancient home room teacher, who was for almost all intents and purposes blind, had a freaking nose for trouble. It's like he could sniff out vapes and cell phones as soon as they hit the stale class air. Danny thought this would be the easiest class by far, Mr. Perez wouldn't even see Curaré let alone smell her.

And at first it seems like he doesnt, Mr. Perez takes attendance and skips right over Danny and Curaré with no fanfare.

Danny thinks that's the end of it and starts to breathe easy until 15 minutes before the final bell when Mr. Perez' TA asks him to step into the hallway with her for a second.

Danny generally liked Mr. Perez's TA, her name was Sabrina Kahn and she was the kind of girl Jazz would have hung out with.Straight laced, wore argyle cardigans, read books, the smart sort. She looked Jazz's age too, maybe 21ish and she always rolled her eyes when people gave dumb answers in class.

She looks a little embarrassed to be speaking to Danny which immediately sets him on edge.

" It's okay that you brought your little sister today but, I'm sorry, you won't be able to do that again. A bunch of your teachers made complaints with the front office and Mr. Perez got a call about it ..."

Sabrina had always been nice to him and now she was about to ruin his whole week.

" But Ms. Kahn-" Danny started.

She gave him a sympathetic look " Lemme guess, your parents can't take her to work so this was the next best option?"

Danny closed his mouth and nodded, that was actually a much better lie then he was gonna tell, thank you Ms. Kahn. ( But also Boooooo curse you Ms. Kahn!)

" Here, I know it can be hard to find childcare for metas, especially ones as ah-vibrant as your sister. My brother had the same trouble with my nephew."

Sabrina hands Danny a flyer, it's still warm from the printer, it looks like it's just a screenshot of an email.

"Thanks?"

The TA rolls her eyes, wow a lot like Jazz then.

" It's the address to that daycare and a referral. They only take kids by word of mouth, they're kind of... off the books. But their good people! I hope they can help you Danny."

The paper is on off yellow, as Ms.Kahn heads back into homeroom Danny feels all his hope go with her. Shit, what was he gonna do now? He looks through the little glass window in the door to the back where Curaré sits, she's already watching him. He tries to smile at her, be reassuring, he's not sure it works.

......

When the bell finally rings Danny picks Curaré up and puts her on his hip to avoid her being crushed by the rush of high schoolers who stampede out the door in front of them.

The flyer from Ms. Kahn feels like it's burning a hole through his pocket as they ride the bus towards the Narrows.

Danny cased the house from the flyer with maps street view as well as he could. It showed a skinny sublet house across from a small strip mall and laundrymat.

Inconspicuous sure, maybe even innocent looking but well...you could never tell in Gotham, all the buildings looked sort of evil by default. It was probably because of the gargoyles and the general low level stink fog that seemed to always be out.

The big city™ really made Danny miss the suburbs of Amity Park more then just the regular gut wrenching home sickness. Oh what'd he'd give to take a deep breath of air and not inhale the smell of piss when he walked down the street.

They get off the bus at the corner a block from the daycare.

Danny holds Curaré's hand which makes for slow going but seems like the right thing to do. She's never wandered off but Danny didn't want to give her the opportunity to either.

As he helped her climb the three short stairs up to the house Danny was suddenly hit with a wave of panic.

What the fuck am I doing? Am I really gonna take care of this freaking Halfa ghost baby for the next 18 years? Im not even an adult! I work weekends at BatBurger for minimum wage WTF?

Danny's hands began to sweat and his stomach cramped. Oh fuck, here was the existential crisis he'd been waiting for since he first decided to take Curaré from the leagues super secret baby basement.

Oh shit he couldn't breathe, what was he gonna do! OH fuck think!

What would jazz do? Call child services and offer psychological support. Not Uber helpful in this case Danny didn't know the first thing about psychology and Gotham CPS was actual prison.

What would Sam do? Assassin babies are hella counter culture but maybe find a cool rich eccentric family to adopt them? Nope, not gonna work Danny only knew one eccentric rich girl and she was a whole dimension away. FUCK THINK FENTON!

What would Tucker do? In this situation ask Google, homeschooling is big these days so maybe if you leave her in the apartment while your gone with an iPad-

" Hey you alright there dude, can I help you?"

Danny choked on the end of his anxiety panic badbadbad spiral and looked up.

The front door to the house was open and just inside the threshold stood a younger teen, maybe 16? With the kind of fade haircut Tucker always whined he couldn't pull off and a bright yellow hoodie.

Danny held his breathe for a moment making sure he felt it burn up his lungs and throat before letting out a big sigh.

" Yeah, yeah sorry kinda zoned out there I'm just uh kinda nervous I was told to come here for Daycare help for my little sister?"

Curaré looked at the stranger in the doorway with the same wide eyed blankness she stared at everything with. Funnily enough she was still holding Danny's hand, had held on through Danny's entire mental meltdown too despite the ecto sweat. Danny felt oddly touched by the gesture, even if it was more likely that the little girl wasn't bothered by his crisis then her being sympathetic.

The teen in the Yellow Hoodie raised an eyebrow at Danny as he fumbled the paper from Ms. Kahn out of his pocket to hand over.

Yellow Hoodie took it and looked between it, him, and Curaré.

" You're not a cop right? You have to tell us if you're a cop"

Danny made a face, " no, I'm not a cop! I would never be a cop, cops suck."

" Right." Yellow Hoodie said still suspicious " So you wouldn't mind if I called your referral up?"

" Be my guest dude."

The teen pulled out his phone and made sure to keep steady eye contact with Danny. Who could do nothing except not look away during this, the world's most impromptu staring contest, until Yellow Hoodie put his phone away.

" Just wanted to see if you were bluffing. Sabrina called earlier said she'd sent someone our way but you can never be too careful. Come on in. "

Danny felt the wind go out of his sails for the second time that day, what was with people and making him anticipate the worst.

.....

The inside of the house was old, homey, but old. It had very obviously been well lived in by a few generations of children, easy to see from the scuffed floors, chipped crown molding, and the sheer number of framed photos that hung on the walls.

There were signs of new life about too, some toys scattered on the floor, walls that were covered in butcher paper and crayon as high as little hands could reach, and oddly enough some scorch marks. Although, Danny's supposed that an unlicensed daycare for meta kids worth it's salt ought to have a least a few burn marks. For posterity if nothing else.

" I'm Duke, I volunteer here when I can but the place is run by the Mariscos, Mrs. Marisco specifically. She's been in the game for a long time" Duke nee yellow hoodie said as he stopped them in front of a closed door.

The hand made sign on the door said Office in nice scribbly lettering and it was hung on with a peg and twine. Real kitschy.

Danny could just make out the sounds of kids playing in another part of the house and was a little impressed that Duke had managed to keep Danny from seeing even one tiny tot during the impromptu house tour.

" I gotta go help Izzy with the kids, this is Mrs.Mariscos' office just knock before you go in, she might be on the phone."

Duke nodded to Danny, smiled down at Curaré and disappeared down the hallway.

Leaving Danny and Curaré alone in front of a closed door once again.

Danny looked down at Curaré and she looked up at him, she was characteristically silent.

" This feels like a job interview, did you bring your resume? "

Curaré blinked.

" Yeah, me neither. But I think if we both give her puppy eyes maybe our combined under aged-ness will activate her maternal instincts and she'll be forced to accept us?"

The nerves were back, they had never really left but now they had settled like a rock at the pit of Danny's stomach.

He couldn't bring himself to knock on that office door just yet so he fussed over Curaré instead. Kneeling down he straightened the collar of Curaré's hooded jacket and moveed her little backpack strap back up her shoulder where it had slipped.

" We got this. It's you and me now remember, even if this blows and you have to come to school with me for the rest of year it's you and me." Danny rested his hands on little shoulders and hung his head. " Jeez, I sound like my mom"

"No need to be so nervous Mijo! My Chiqis never met a kid she could turn away."

Danny's neck had never snapped up so fast in his life.

Curaré hadn't been looking up at him at all. No, Curaré was staring up towards the elderly woman floating near the ceiling.

Which was not great, because Danny for all the time had spent in Gotham had never seen another ghost. Not a single one.

Which was unsettling on its own but not bad per se, he'd thought maybe this dimension was just different, not enough spectral energy to manifest a ghostly body.

But no, again nope, this was so much worse.

No ghosts was easy enough to reationalize but one ghost? One ghost meant there was enough spectral energy, one ghost meant something was really really wrong with Gotham.

Because if there was only one ghost in a crime ridden pissed off city like this where the shit were all the others?

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

Yo! Just wanted to say thank u for all the support on part 1, did not expect people to like or care about it lol. Anyway back on bullshit, I've had this written for a while but didn't have the insp to post it until now.

Might write more, might not, you get one bat cameo for reading this time ur welcome.

Forgot to add this to the first post, it's in the reblogs, but TLDR Curaré is an assassin from batman beyond.

Note: if you wanna see cool art for this AU check the Danny and the little dead girl tag on my blog!

[bokutoko]

2/14

character: atsumu miya (timeskip!atsumu)

wc: 1.4k

cw: valentine’s day (barf), alcohol, cussing, kinda sorta uni!au (uni!reader x msby!atsumu), slight feelings of inadequacy (reader), they kith💋, atsumu thinks the L-word

pt. 2(ish?) to 7/11

Valentine's Day... also known as your least favorite day of the year (besides your birthday, but that’s a whole different story). The holiday made popular by monetizing the idea of setting aside only one day out of the year to show how much you love your partner, with all the godforsaken life-sized teddy bears and dozens of balloons, and all the mediocre chocolate and overpriced flowers. A cock of shit was what it was—someone should not be loved just one day out of the year. 

Of course, its only significance to you was being a milestone to remind yourself how painfully single you were.

But you weren't bitter. Not at all. Not. One. Bit.

The kicker, though? It almost felt like you didn't even want anybody. The mere idea of dating someone—a person you probably didn’t even know at the time and probably (not so) secretly a piece of shit—made you so nauseous that swearing relationships off altogether seemed more tempting as the days passed...

But alas, the small, hopeless romantic peeking through the rose-tinted lenses of your heart unfortunately held out for something beautiful one day... Maybe not for a prince, but a knight in shining armor. Maybe not a man to sweep you off your feet, but instead one willing to help you pick up the pieces when it felt like everything was falling apart at your feet. 

"Maybe I'll just die an old spinster.”

"C'mon, it can't be that bad," Atsumu's Kansai dialect filtered through your headphones as you walked across campus to your morning class. He’d called, asking if you had any fun plans for the night, fully knowing you didn’t.

“There’s carnations and balloons all over campus. It looks like one of those my little ponies took a dump all over the place."

"But ‘m sure them carnations are pretty. Maybe you'll get one from a guy or somethin’."

"I think I'd rather die," you gagged.

A laugh filled your ears, and everything felt okay–what a nice sound to hear. But after feeling your heart do the thing, you quickly shook it off.

It was strange how for years now, it sometimes made you feel all weirdly warm and tingly when Atsumu laughed with you (even sometimes when he laughed at you).

It was best to not even entertain that notion.

"Well, gotta go, 'm at class," you sighed loudly for dramatic effect, "Maybe I'll go bitch to 'Samu later about my woes and personal vendettas. y’know, since you hate me."

Atsumu found himself smiling at your childish whining. "You mean ‘cause I'll be at practice?"

"Same thing."

“Fuck you too,” he grumbled with a scoff, not an ounce of actual annoyance in his voice, “Bye, nerd.”

A small smile made its way onto your face at his jabs. That was how it always was with Atsumu, ever since you two were in high school together. The both of you always shat on each other, knowing there was never any heat in your malicious words. It was nice, being able to feel safe with someone, to feel comfortable enough to be yourself and unapologetically bully your best friend.

As you prepped for lecture, your mind wandered, constantly circling back to your partner in crime. With every moment that passed, you quickly came to realize that Atsumu always only judged you a little bit with your (sometimes questionable) decisions, keeping it real with you while ultimately supporting you and being one of your biggest cheerleaders. Because all he wanted was to see you succeed. All he wanted was to see you happy.

You felt your face heat up just from thinking about him. 

For fuck’s sake—

While it was nice to attempt to delude yourself into thinking something could ever happen, you were easily able to convince yourself that this strange… crush was most likely unrequited.

This was Atsumu. Your Atsumu. He deserved the world.

And yet, you were just… you.

Time seemed to pass as slow as humanly possible: all your classes droning on, your exam sucking the life out of you, your professors assigning loads of busywork for the weekend ahead. The walk back to your cramped, overpriced shithole apartment was bustling with people: couples going on dinner dates, partners buying last minute gifts, and the occasional groups of galentines. Thankfully, your roommates all had plans with loved ones or already left for the weekend, so you had the entire place to yourself to sulk!

Turning the key and walking inside, you were slapped in the face with color. The common room area was decorated with a couple red heart balloons and… a pink “happy birthday” balloon floating around?

Your eyes honed in on Atsumu standing in the middle of the living room, holding another pink happy birthday balloon.

“Happy Valentine’s Day. Y’have no idea how hard it is to find last minute stuff,” Atsumu sighed with a sheepish grin, "and I know it ain’t your birthday, but it was pink—a-and the color kinda matches, so…”

‘What was he talking about?’ he thought to himself, ‘oh god, please shut up.’

And the epiphany came crashing down upon you that maybe you never actually hated Valentine’s Day, you just wanted someone to love you every day, not just for one day of the year. You looked over to the chocolates on the counter and the flowers perched in a vase next to them—it was your favorite everything. On display before you was your favorite dessert, your favorite flowers, your favorite person—

“‘Tsumu…” you struggled to find the right words, “What is all this?”

He just shrugged, hiding the flush to his cheeks by scratching the back of his neck. “Ya’ve been all down in the dumps that you’re single ‘n shit, so i got some chocolates, some box wine, and ‘Samu’s hulu logged in so we can rot on the couch and watch anything ya want tonight.” 

Atsumu watched you break out in the biggest smile, almost splitting your face in two, and god, he knew he loved you.

You swiped a box of chocolates off the counter. “You know me too well.”

He returned your smile with one of his own, so handsomely crooked. “I know.”

As the hours passed, empty boxes of chocolates were scattered on the table, along with half-drank glasses from a second round of wine. The two of you devolved into sharing a blanket that was definitely too small for the both of you, resulting in you two occasionally tugging on it and grumbling, “gimme.”

“Woulda thought you’d have plans tonight,” you commented as an ad played on the TV, your voice attempting to sound as casual as possible.

He hummed, feigning nonchalance as well. “I do. I’m here, ain’t I?”

You actively couldn’t stop the snort that escaped you. “Be serious, ‘Tsumu.”

“What, can I not make my own kind of plans?” he huffed in reply.

“I meant a date, ‘Tsumu. Y’know, with a girl ya like.”

He hesitated, feeling slightly deflated by her response. “Yeah…?” His voice was uncharacteristically… soft. It may had just been the alcohol talking, but Atsumu wondered if the taste of your lips, now stained a soft pink, was any better than the vino you two shared.

The air in the room suddenly felt way too warm, and you could feel your face flush as you just silently stared at him, like you were some brainless neanderthal. You swallowed, only just now realizing how close the two of you were—no longer tugging on the blanket but practically cuddling. You felt the warmth of his thigh against your own, and you swore you could die right there on the spot, melting right into a puddle of goo. 

Clearing your throat, you mumbled, “Yeah.”

His eyes lazily bounced back and forth between yours, searching for something, and he let out a sigh. “Yer the smartest person I’ve ever known, but God, you can be so damn stupid sometimes.”

Before you had the chance to fire an insult back, you felt a pair of lips on yours, the movements gentle yet nervous. It was instinctual, bordering embarrassing, how fast you melted into the kiss. His tongue tasted of white chocolate truffles and red wine, the heady mixture causing you to let out the softest sigh in his mouth. Atsumu's hands gently cupped your jaw, his thumbs gently running along your cheekbones until his brain finally caught up to his actions.

He pulled away and watched you almost chase his lips, your eyes still fluttering with your skin bathed in the soft lamplight of the room. He quietly whispered, “Sorry, I–”

“Don’t you dare apologize, you dumbass. Just kiss me again.”

And you didn’t have to tell him twice. 

a/n: happy valentine’s day to all the happy couples and all the single people out there—single or not, here’s some atsumu to feed the delulu <33

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please do not copy, alter, or repost my work. ©bokutoko 2025.

[trippinsorrows]

through your eyes + au 2

authors: well....this is happening. don't ask. we're just going with it. gotta read part one before consuming this.

don't know who's interested, so only tagging the people i know have read and would be okay with a tag!

taglist: @sayyestoheav3nn @fearlesschimera @annfg8 @zoeyybellex3 @cyberdejos2

Solana never expected to see Roman Reigns again. Not in person, at least. That up close, especially.

It was a one off. A fluke. An anomaly. Her happenstance literal run-in with quite literally the most dangerous man in their world was just one of those things she'd never forget but nothing beyond that.

She could never forget his intense gaze on her, the heat that shot through her body when he touched her, his arm holding her, protecting her almost from a man who clearly doesn't understand boundaries.

But, while she tried her best to put the weekend's unexpected happening behind her, life, or maybe fate, had another plan in motion. One she could have never expected or seen coming.

She's sorting through one of the few remaining boxes that still needs to be tagged and put out for sale when a throat clears behind her.

Putting down the iPad, Solana stands up, wiping her hands on her shorts and loads up her typical, usual smile. Turning around, she readies to greet the probable customer but falters a bit, taken back by his appearance.

Wild, red hair that's surely seen better days. Tall with an almost lanky build, he wears one of the friendliest grins she's ever seen on a person, let alone a man.

"I'm sorry," she apologizes. "How can I help you?"

Again, he clears his throat, pulling out a wrinkled little piece of paper that seems to have writing scribbled on it. "Yes, I'm looking for a Sol---Solana?"

She laughs at his pronunciation but proceeds to confirm her identity. "I'm Solana."

He makes a sound, slapping his hand against his forehead. "Of course, my apologies!" She giggles. His demeanor is so amenable. "Umm, yes, if you could, umm, come with me?"

At that, Solana's smile drops. "I'm sorry?"

He leans over a bit, and she naturally moves back a little. "I'm sorry." His cheeks are heating with redness. "I'm here on behalf of the Tribal Chief."

Solana goes still. "Roman?" He nods. "He's---he's here?"

When Solana mentioned Roman coming to see her, something she still can't figure out where it came from, she wasn't actually expecting him to follow through on that.

And yet....

The man continues to explain, "he would come in, but....you know."

Yes, she does know. Roman Reigns coming into her little, quaint bookstore would certainly attract an audience and attention, the last two things she wants, that she's ever wanted.

Solana nods.

She should reject it. Should try to find some excuse as to why she can't. Why she's busy. But, she's also not dumb enough to say no to this man.

You don't just say no to Roman Reigns. You can, but it's bound to not end up well. And Solana would rather not find herself on his bad side.

Pushing back her anxiety, she finds herself agreeing. "Of course." Hooking her fingers through the hoops of her denim shorts, she asks, "w-where is he?"

The man whose name she realizes she still doesn't know motions with his arm. "Ladies first."

He really does have a gentless about him that doesn't seem to make sense considering who he works for.

Solana silently and wordlessly follows him out the emergency exit in the back of the store, ignoring the fact that that's probably how he got inside in the first place, which makes little to no sense to her. How did he get by without the security system going off? But, for her own sanity, she doesn't push it too much.

This is Roman.

He gets what he wants.

And speaking of, Solana finds her stomach knotting a bit when she's outside in the alleyway behind the strip. There's three black SUV's with tinted windows lined up, but he's standing by the one in the middle. Leaning against the middle door, his arms are crossed over each other, dark sunglasses hiding his eyes she secretly wishes she could see.

Moving closer, Solana has to take in once again the magnanimity of him. Roman is such a big man, his presence alone something that's both overwhelming and strangely satisfying.

But, when she gets her wish, and he lifts his sunglasses to the top of his head, she finds that feeling in her stomach intensifying. He's raking those beautiful eyes over her entire body, from the top of her head to the sole of her feet.

And Solana is suddenly wishing she'd maybe put on a little makeup or done something more sophisticated with her hair. Not that that seems to stop this man from looking like he'd take her in the back of this alley if he could.

Before she can say anything, the man with the wild red hair is speaking again, his voice suddenly riddled with anxiety.

She gets it.

"Ms. Solana, as you requested, sir." He stuffs his hands in the pockets of his jeans, and just when Solana expects him to walk away, leaving her along with the one man she probably shouldn't be left alone with, he continues to talk, offering an unexpected save. "And might I say, my Tribal Chief, she is absolutely beautiful. I mean, if I wasn't already married—" At the same time Solana looks at this strange man confused, Roman's gaze is borderline murderous. "But I am m-married, happily so, might I add. And I would never betray my Tribal Chief—"

"Sami."

"Yes, My Tribal Chief?"

"Leave." It's spoken to the man, but Roman's intense gaze is back on her. "Now."

Sami.....it fits.

"Of course," Sami clears his throat and scrambles away, getting in the SUV that's farthest from them without bothering as so much as a goodbye.

Once alone, she finds herself admitting in that same small voice, "I-I didn't think you'd actually come."

He chuckles, and it's such a beautiful sound. "I'm a man of my word, Solana." He flicks his eyes to her mouth. "I said I would see you again, didn't I?"

He did. She just wasn't counting on it.

Swallowing, Solana toys with the string of her top, unintentionally dragging Roman's attention to her cleavage that's showing more than usual. Of course. "How did you find—"

"That was easy. If I want something, I get it." She should know this, know that this man could probably have her social security number at this point if he wanted. "What are you doing tonight?"

Oh.

This is escalating. Quickly. So quickly. She should pump the breaks, should find someway to dead this now. But, she instead finds herself answering him, "n-nothing. Why?"

"You are now." Roman kicks off the SUV and instead moves toward her. Instead of backing away like she did with Sami, Solana stands still, only silently and internally panicking when he snakes his arm behind her and jerks her toward him, into him, into his body. Solid as steel. He's so big. Naturally, her hand moves to his chest, something Roman notices and smirks at. This man. "I'm fighting tonight. I want you there."

It takes her a second to think about what he's referring to, and then it hits her. WarGames is tonight. It's one of the few main events he still participates in. She hasn't attended an event in years. It's never been her setting, but instead of finding a way to tell him this, she's still limited to one to two word response.

"O-oh."

His smirk deepens as he brings his hand to her chin, thumb glossing over her skin. "I'll send a car to pick you up."

Picking up on something, she asks, partially concerned, partially flattered almost. "You-you know where I live?"

Roman's eyes continue to study her face, and she's never felt so under pressure. Like this is a test of some sort that she has no idea if she's passing or not. "I know a lot about you, Solana Miller, but there's still more I want to know." Oh my god. "Wear red."

Just how much does he know? Had he looked her up? Done research on her? Why? What would be the reason? What's so interesting about her that not only has he gone out of his way to gather information on her, but beyond that, is now seeking more info.

It just....it doesn't make sense.

Eyes shutting a bit from the overwhelming nature of this all, she finds herself asking in a breathy voice, "w-why?"

And as if she wasn't already an apprehensive mess, Solana's knees nearly give out from under her when he dips his mouth near her ear. "I like seeing you in my color." She exhales shakily and nervously, as he ghosts his lips over the shell of her ear. "Though I'd rather see you in nothing, but we'll work up to that."

That's not exactly what she was asking about, but regardless, it takes the pure will of God for her to not pass out when he finally pulls away, the lack of his touch on her body something she notices almost immediately.

Roman lifts his hand and snaps, not even a full minute later, one of his men emerging from the passenger side of the SUV to open the car door for him. "I'll see you tonight, Solana."

He can clearly see the reaction he's evoking from her and obviously finds great enjoyment in absolutely toying with her sanity. It's something that leads to her asking, "How-how do you know I'll be there?"

She never accepted. Never agreed. Never mind the fact that she's already thinking about what she owns red that could work for the event....

Roman gives her a curious look followed by another chuckle that she finds so much more attractive than she should. He answers so easily and confidently before climbing in the truck, door being shut for him,

"Because you're just as intrigued by me as I am by you."

[estellardreams]

[Demon King Red AU belongs to @purble-turble] (Lore ramble incoming below)

Okay so... This idea kept circling around in my head and I finally decided to draw it.

Before the question on Lady Bone Demon on the DKR AU, I was always curious on what could've happened if she was ever released.

... At least I'm glad she wasn't. Because if she was then it would've horrifically backfired very quickly.

Taking place mid-season 2 in the timeline, Lady Bone Demon is eventually released by Spider Queen due to discovering the digging site. One thing led to another, she got the key, and released her. Cue the og possessed DBK fight being replaced with a possessed spider queen fight.

This would last for the finale of season one and the opening season two special in terms of time. Once that crashes, LBD retreats into Bai He, infiltrating King Red's council as assistance to return his darling to him.

Now, her main goal at the moment is to grow strong enough to destroy her biggest threats. She assumed King Red wouldn't be a problem.

She was so, so wrong.

King Red was unlike anything she was expecting. Arrogant, paranoid, obsessive, and extremely intelligent. She couldn't even sneak around without cameras glaring her down. Not to mention her and Macaque getting increasingly aggressive with each other over "this bastard put me into this mess" (aka Macaque sided with Red for, one; Wukong and two; to avoid LBD's deal. And LBD for needing to go through the trouble of getting released (even if it was by chance) and jumping between bodies in an attempt to find her perfect match) type of dynamic.

But once LBD regained enough of her power and helped Red "achieve" his destiny of getting his darling MK back, she turns on him.

As the two fight, she begins to take in some of his power, growing stronger by the sheer fierceness of the fire. Her form stabilized rapidly and just as she was able to physically remain out of Bai He's body, the two strike at the same time...

Causing a cataclysmic soul fusion. Macaque rushes to rescue Bai He and brings her out of harms way, hiding from the smoldering figure.

There's no more King or Lady. A new being remained.

And they were even worse than anyone could've anticipated.

So yeah... Mini plot aside on this hypothetical they can control both fire and ice. Though the fire is now blue and the ice is extremely cold. They're two extremes fighting for balance with their only anchor being to shape the world into an image they desire.

Although LBD isn't fond of MK, Red absolutely is and that part overpowers hers, making them absolutely obsessing over their love. To the point that once they got him back, he was locked up in a room of nearly impenetrable ice for his safety. The space is well hidden in the fortress that many rescue attempts have failed because of it.

And Macaque, oh Macaque... His plan backfired in the worst way because not only was he now FORCED to work for his new ruler, but also anytime he tried to escape or step out of line he'd get punished severely. With Red's half being okay with using physical force (though preferring technology to subdue) and LBD holding seething anger towards the shadow monkey for abandoning her, you get a recipe for pretty severe physical abuse. Think of broken bones, frostbite and second degree burns.

And then you got everyone else, who were all forced to evacuate lest they get swallowed up by the raging blue fires and ice spikes taking over the city. After all, you gotta destroy everything to start over, right?

Which leaves us with this turnout: Megapolis and many surrounding lands have become uninhabitable, both MK and Macaque are tortured in the fortress, and there's an extremely powerful soul fusion of two demonic figures with their worst traits amplified and bouncing off of each other.

The Monkie Kids are mainly hiding out wherever possible, most of the time at Flower Fruit Mountain in an attempt to avoid the carnage. Now, their only hope is to find the samadhi fire to vanquish the Lady Bone Demon from King Red... Then, they gotta deal with the other problem.

Not a perfect plan, but it'll hopefully work out, right?

[Edit: Okay I think I'll just call this the Charcoal Bone King AU it's got a nice ring to it anyway]

[musicalmoritz]

if TBHK couples have kids, what will their parenting look like?

Awww, this is such a cute question!! I’m gonna do my main ones to keep this short but if you want to hear my takes on any others feel free to lmk!!

Aoinene

• Gotta do the gay moms first

• Unsure of whether they’d have a son or a daughter…either way these too are gonna adore their kid

• Aoi would be the strict mom, her own mother seems to be pretty controlling and she gives me “turning into your parent” vibes. She’d try to acknowledge when that behavior goes too far tho and eventually try to loosen up a little. She’s not the first they go to when they’re in trouble but she gives the best advice; and she doesn’t really get mad or yell, more-so she gets stern

• Nene would be the exact opposite. She’s not a regular mom, she’s a cool mom/ref. Definitely the type to take her kid on spontaneous shopping trips and not tell Aoi until they’ve already splurged. It’s okay tho because Aoi can’t stay mad at her wife. She buys her kid extra treats every time she stops by the store, and takes them for ice cream every Friday

• As they’ve both had their own mental health struggles, they would check in a lot with their child to make sure they’re doing okay

• Their family might struggle with communication because, well, it’s Aoinene, but they’re certainly going to make an effort. They’d be really into family holiday traditions, I’m talking movie binges, festivals, decorating, big meals, etc.

Terukane

• Teru practically already has two kids so whoever he’s dating is going to get the co-parenting experience (at least with Tiara, Kou becomes more of an awkward brother-in-law)

• These two would so be girl dads you cannot change my mind. If it’s not Tiara then it’s another little girl they adopted

• Teru would be a total helicopter parent, not necessarily strict like Aoi but very overprotective. And he’d do that typical parent manipulation tactic of “oh I guess I’m just the worst dad ever” during arguments. But don’t let those traits fool you, he would be the most loving dad ever. His kids are his entire life, he probably carries pictures around of them in his wallet

• Akane would also be a good dad, just less overbearing. He’d be the type to take his kid to the baseball field or yell at them over math homework at the kitchen table. It would be that type of parent/child dynamic where they immediately look at each other whenever another family member says smth out of pocket. He’s really good at taking care of ppl so he’s be very doting at times like Teru

• Since neither of their parents seem to be very active in their lives they’d try to devote as much time and attention to their daughter as possible

• One of those family dynamics where they constantly make fun of each other but it’s obvious they love each other more than anything

Mitsukou

• In an au where they could grow up together…

• They have a son or a son and a daughter

• Kou would be one of those overly loving fun dads. The type of guy you think of when you hear “dad energy.” He tries to make conversation with all his kids’ friends and it’s awkward. And he’d start a bunch of projects for his kids like building a pool or planning family vacations. If one of his kids has a rough day he sits them down for an emotional talk. Overachiever Dad, if you will

• Mitsuba would be the type of dad to lovingly bully his kids 24/7. Yes he critiques their outfit choices every day. Yes he gives his input on school drama. He’d be very annoying but at the end of the day still care a lot, I like to think he’d have a subtle overprotective streak. Kou does like 80% of the parenting for him but he’s there for emotional support

• They care a lot abt making sure their kid has hobbies and friends so they’re both on the PTA

• They’re one of those really annoying families that wear matching pajamas at Christmas. Yes you are going to see their aesthetic family pictures every time you open Instagram. The kids think they’re too cool for it but they’re not

I hope you enjoyed these, thank you for the ask!

[sarnai4]

High Schooler Types

Now that I'm nearing the end of Siblings of War [sniffles], there's one more short, serious story I want to write before trying my hand at some Greek comedy. (Gotta balance out these tragedies. Plus, I'd really like to prove that I can write humorous stories before the comedy book comes out!) So, this leads me to the types of high schoolers I see the different immortals. Please don't mind the lack of Zeus etc. They're the adults in this au. He'd be terrorizing EVERYONE if he was a high schooler too.

Athena - the smarty pants. (Naturally) Class/school president/like she basically is the assistant principal at this point and somehow still a student.

Ares - the confused one. (No offense, Ares) Expectation: cool guy/bad boy Reality: good student who gets into fights more than he wants.

Hermes - class clown. Pranks every single person in school (no, the janitor is not safe).

Artemis - the athlete. Mainly, she's the archer, but she's also signing up for every hike and nature walk that she school is offering.

Apollo - nerd/affectionate. (Athena + music and art classes) I think that describes it as well as I ever could.

Hephaestus - robotics class lover. He's spending the whole class sketching new inventions.

Dionysus - theater kid. He's paying 0 attention to anything and is 100% planning another play in the middle of the quiz he's flunking.

Aphrodite - popular girl. Everybody loves her and she loves that too. It does doesn't get to her head at all, but she's not a mean girl at least.

Persephone - goth(?) I don't have a set characterization for her yet, so this'll be fun to maybe try. Could change in a couple weeks, though.

Thanatos - dork/also affectionate. A little vampirey (this is now a word) in his paleness/they aren't sure if he's alive or not/secret sweetie and good buddy.

Aloadae - the school bullies. As in, I actually don't know why I haven't seen them be this before. Maybe I haven't looked hard enough.

Let me know if there's someone else you want to see! I'll be starting the outline for this story soon.

[lelengerine]

for ur mini drabble event could u do a bookstore au with haechan plss 😆 thank u!!

our secret spot

pairing | haechan x reader

genre | bookstore au, nicknames are used for reader and haechan (pretty & hyuckie respectively), no pronouns are explicitly used (but disclaimer: i did make it with a fem!reader in mind >&lt;)

wc | 1.6k a little way longer than i thought this would become... errr

notes | i miss writing for hyuck so much huhu i’m so glad i’m actually getting back into it now that i have the time T^T to anon, im sorry this took so long but i hope you still like it !!

this is part of my drabble req event here!

m.list

with the amount of times you frequent bookstores, your friends have started pointing out how you’re beginning to smell like books yourself- was that comment a jab or a compliment? honestly, you’d take it as the latter from how fond you are of them.

“y/n, it’s literally the start of christmas break! don’t tell me you’re going to that one bookstore again…” you practically hear the pout in your friend, ningning’s, voice. “we’re planning to go out together later in the evening with minjeong and the others, don’t forget!”

“i won’t, i won’t!” a chuckle resounds from your end, “but what’s wrong with dropping by the bookstore every now and then?”

“you always say that!” your friend grumbles before eventually ending with a sigh, “i admire how you love books to this extent, but remember not to bury your nose in them too much, okay? i still want to see your face a bunch during the break.”

“and i’ll make sure of it, don’t worry ning.” you coo at her through the phone, “i really gotta go now though, i still have a bunch of books to return.”

“okay fineee, don’t trip on your way there or whatever.” her words make you laugh a little — and though they may sound a bit dismissive, you know it’s completely out of love and worry for you.

“i will!” you respond before the call goes silent, now packing your phone into a sling bag along with a couple of books you borrowed from your last visit.

what ningning said earlier was pretty much true, you were going back to your favorite bookstore that was only two blocks away from where you lived. aside from the convenience of its location, you were first drawn to it from the fact they allowed the borrowing of books in the first place — almost like a book rental shop.

not only was the rental fee cheap for a college student like you, but there was a little secluded area you managed to locate within the bookstore that has now become your favorite place.

sure, you had to know just where to squeeze yourself through the piles of books and shelves barricading it, but the effort was worth it, at least to you. there was a small window from the back that would shed just the right amount of light for reading in the afternoon- plus! it was quiet, mostly since it was in the far back of the store.

you enter the bookstore with a soft smile at the thought of being able to retreat back into your hidden safe space, the door’s chimes swaying lightly and making a familiar ring in your ears.

after dropping off the books that were due and picking a couple of new ones off the shelves to read, you made your way over to the furthest pile of books from the counter, sucking in a deep breath, before squeezing yourself past all of the books.

the sight of the small, cozy area brings you comfort, but… why was there someone else here? and sleeping soundly at that?

of course you were aware that there was a possibility of others knowing about your little spot, but you never imagined actually running into someone like this.

you set your books down in the corner, crouching down to meet the stranger face to face. you’re not quite sure if it's the sunlight seeping into the place from the window above but his skin glows ever so softly under the light. his fluffy hair covers up most of his eyes from the way it's messily draped, and his glasses, which look almost too perfect on him, are resting at the very edge of his nose.

'he’s… cute- wait no, i literally don’t know him,' you think to yourself before brushing off the thought, replacing it with worry about his glasses falling off.

you try poking the stranger’s arm in hopes of waking him up, yet he doesn’t budge an inch. you proceed to tap on his shoulder next, and even move up to poking his cheek really softly, but there’s still no response from the boy.

you decide that he must be really tired to not have felt your presence and lift the glasses up his nose just a little to make sure they wouldn’t slip.

surely he won’t mind if you stick around here to read now after all that, right? you really didn’t want to read in the open areas where there’s even more people roaming around.

coming to a self-made conclusion, you tuck yourself away in the opposite corner of the cramped space, opening one of your books to start reading without another word.

he stirs up a little bit after you’ve finished a chapter of the book in your hands, soon bringing a hand up to rub the drowsiness off his eyes — forgetting he was wearing glasses to begin with.

“what-” he blinks once, almost as if he was in disbelief of the sight before him, “i’m not seeing things, aren’t i…?”

“what things?” your soft-spoken question somehow knocks the sleepiness our of his system, now staring at you with wide eyes.

“OH MY GOD I THOUGHT I WAS-” you quickly cover his mouth with your hand, trying to drown out the noise he was making.

“you’re in a bookstore! remember that.” you purse your lips together, removing your hand once you were sure he calmed down. “plus, i’m not sure if we’re technically allowed here.”

“sorry, i was just really shocked. i didn’t know other people knew this place existed.” he murmurs, acting rather bashful — from all your assumptions earlier, you didn’t think his personality would be like this.

“i hope you don’t mind. i just wanted a spot to read quietly. there’s too many people outside.” you shy away, covering half your face with the book in your hands.

“no, no! it’s fine i… i don’t mind sharing.” he shrugs, moving his things to make more room for you to be comfortable.

“really?” your eyes seem to light up at his approval, and he can’t help but look away. from all the people who could’ve stumbled upon him, it just had to be you — his classmate whom he’d been crushing on since the first semester.

though, you don’t seem to recognize him, probably because he sat at the back with a cap over his head during most of the classes. but that was okay, you didn’t really need to know and maybe he could tell you another time.

“thank you! i was worried you’d be some sort of creep, but you’re pretty nice!” you start getting a little chatty now that you’ve both said more than five words to each other, and he can only feign offense to your blunt words.

“do i look like someone who’d be a creep?” he asks with a dramatic gasp, peering closer to your corner of the small space.

“i don’t mean that! even if i did say… exactly that…” you ramble off, feeling a little guilty of not filtering your words, but from the looks of it, he was only teasing you.

“sure you didn’t mean it, pretty.” he replies sarcastically with the sudden nickname rolling off his lips, catching both you and him off guard. “oh- sorry i didn’t mean it like that.”

you feel your cheeks warm up, going back to hiding your face with your book. thank god you were reading just a while ago. “it’s alright, uh, what’s your name anyways?”

“oh right, people refer to me as haechan, but you can just call me hyuck.” he replies, wondering if his name would ring a bell in your mind.

“i see… it’s nice meeting you hyuck! i’m y/n.” he genuinely can’t tell if you recognize him or not anymore at this point, well, not like it mattered anyways. the two of you had never talked in class so this was basically his first time actually meeting you.

“well, y/n, seems you’re no longer reading. am i too distracting for you?” haechan jokes lightly, causing you to laugh a little.

“and what if i said yes? go face the corner or something, why don’t you!” you jest before going back to actually finish the page you were on.

a small wave of silence passes by, yet it’s not really as uncomfortable as you thought it’d be, in fact, it felt nice knowing you had company for once.

“will you come back here again after today?” he asks abruptly, fiddling with his fingers as you continue to read.

“hm? yeah, probably.” you answer mindlessly, the sound of a page flipping becoming apparent.

“then you’ll meet me here again, won’t you?” that has you peering up from the lines of your book, now noticing the hopeful glint in the boy’s eyes.

“yeah, sure hyuck.” you smile at him and his heart goes a little haywire. “i’ll see you same time next week?”

“mhm, yeah, okay, nice-”

“you’re rambling.” you point out with a cheery laugh, “i’ll be taking that as a yes though.”

his face flushes, and he’s not entirely sure if it’s caused by embarrassment or infatuation. “yeah, it’s a yes. in this secret spot that’s… now our secret spot.” he replies, mumbling the latter parts of his words to himself.

“did you say something?”

“nope! keep reading your book, y/n. you get distracted too easily.”

“sure… i’m watching you hyuckie!” you gesture your eyes with your fingers as you speak, and he can only laugh at you with the fluttery feeling in his chest growing by the second.

[eightmakesonebraincell]

[fic rec mlist] member x reader | maknae line

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length: oneshot - 11k

how did choi san go from wanting to protect you like a big brother to wanting to ruin you with his own two hands?

my way | @sorryimananti-romantic

genre: fluff, angst, violence, suggestive

length: oneshot - 18k

you, the princess of wonderland, have been betrothed to the prince of utopia for years now. however, the political relation between wonderland and utopia have never improved, and utopia keeps taking over wonderland’s land unlawfully. with your guard mingi who is also your best friend and who you have feelings for, you travel to utopia with a plan to deceive the prince and steal official documents that would be proof of their treachery, risking your life in more than one way when you can’t hold your feelings for your guard back anymore.

love you to death | @atzfilm

genre: deathreaper!mingi, fantasy, mythical, angst

length: oneshot - 25.5k

everyone who has ever loved you died horrifically. you’ve given up on love, until you find a man who keeps on saying he’s death, willing to help you. for a price, of course.

your fan, mingi | @hwaightme

genre: rapper!reader, slice of life, fluff, angst

length: twoshot - 6.7k

a bulletpoint-style wordstream of what it would be like if mingi was stanning you

hearts awakened, live alive | @sorryimananti-romantic 🩶

genre: demon!mingi, fluff, angst, suggestive

length: oneshot - 26k

you finally run away from the clutches of your stepmother and encounter mingi, infamously known as 'the child of shadows'. you join his gang of three- the high healer wooyoung and the white flame seonghwa and start living with them. you find out mingi is cursed to share a body with the shadow demon that goes by the name erebos and start falling for it and mingi eventually, though tragic consequences await you as you find out more about the demon's curse.

badboy!wooyoung | @ateezmakemeweep

genre: angst, fluff

length: oneshot - 5k

nil author synopsis

place in me | @starrysvn

genre: chef!wooyoung x chef!reader, angst, slow burn, fluff, ex to lovers

length: oneshot - 17k

nil author synopsis

crazy for you | @cosmicdumpling

genre: friends to lovers, romance, fluff, suggestive

length: oneshot - 8.0k

wooyoung seems to have harbored a crush on you for a while now, and as much as he hates it, he manages to hold out just fine. a trip to the beach with the rest of your friends, however, becomes a huge threat to wooyoung’s remaining resolve.

made for this | @yoongiseesawmp3

genre: churchboy!wooyoung, wingman!kyungmin, fluff, smut

length: oneshot - 10.5k

you’re volunteering for this year’s vacation bible school, and wooyoung’s little brother just so happens to be in your group. is it wrong of him to use kyungmin as his wing man? eh, who cares. wooyoung is just determined to get you to fall for him before the week is over, and he’ll do whatever it takes.

your fan, jongho | @hwaightme

genre: footballer!reader, romance, fluff

length: twoshot - 3.9k

a bulletpoint-style drabble of what it would be like to have jongho stanning you.

where do i go | @sorryimananti-romantic

genre: bodyguard!jongho, angst, fluff, violence, suggestive

length: oneshot - 23k

you’re the owner of hotel crescent in mist island, where secrets are traded. you’re infamously known as the gossip-dealer and known for manipulating people, which means you’re not safe. however, the last thing you expect is your power-hungry father to send jongho to be your bodyguard, but you suspect it’s not because he fears for your safety but because he wants to keep tabs on you as he joins prince woobin’s side while you join prince hongjoong’s side. as your father comes from eden to mist island to become the minister of foreign affairs, the political situation between the two nations worsen and you fear for war, but you risk your life for your homeland, and find jongho joining hands with you as you both uncover secrets and betrayals from your father.

time of love | @sorryimananti-romantic

genre: brother's best fried au, fluff, angst

length: oneshot - 19k

you are yeosang's little sister, adored by all his friends. you're concerned that's all you will be- even though you are close to them- especially to jongho, who you've liked since highschool. after a year gap and moving to yeosang's apartment for college, you find jongho's living with him for a few weeks as well due to a dorm situatuon. will your feelings for him resurface with all their might? will you be able to make him look at you as just you, and will you be able to win his heart?

[9:26 p.m.] | @mingtinys

genre: timestamp, sleepy!jongho, fluff

length: oneshot - 1.2k

nil author synopsis

last updated: 25 oct 2023

[niningtori]

see me | chapter three: just out of reach

pairing: choi beomgyu x you

summary: after another failed relationship, you're ready to accept your fate as hopeless. choi beomgyu has other plans, though. or, beomgyu's your best friend's little brother and he's tired of you treating him like a kid.

genre: romance, angst, angst with a happy ending, best friend's brother au

word count: 2.2k

notes: it's my favorite person's birthday, so of course i have to post. i love beomgyu so much, y'all. also, i really do plan on making a masterlist soon i SWEAR. i just haven't yet :,). see end of work for more notes :)

beomgyu tries every trick in the book, but nothing seems to help. he tries lessening the gap between you physically to see if it translates to emotionally, but you just brush off every encounter like he's some fucking kid tugging on the back of a grownup's shirt.

he puts on the clothes that he knows suit him best, the ones that drive all the girls crazy, but the most you ever do is compliment him with "i like your shirt, beomie!" and ruffle his silky hair just like you always have.

he even tries lowering his already baritone voice and whispering seductively from behind you, but all you do is ask him if there's something in his throat and giggle as his breath tickles your ear. it feels like he's putting on an entire monkey show for a brick wall, that's about how unresponsive you are to his advances. he almost wonders how you even got into your past relationships in the first place because you seem so oblivious it hurts.

"quick, what else can i do to get her to fall for me?" he texts his friends in a crisis. the trip is over tomorrow and he's made no material progress. he looks to them for the millionth time this week and by now they're all thinking the same thing: it's hopeless. still, the more pitying ones, kai and soobin, tiptoe around that thought while yeonjun and taehyun tell him in no uncertain terms that this entire endeavor is fruitless. it stings, if he's being honest, but in a way, he kind of knows they're right. he's becoming increasingly less subtle, but you seem to be unmoved by every action.

-

"why don't we go to a bar tonight?" yijun suggests in honor of your last night of vacation.

"i'm in," jia replies with a smile.

you heartily agree and decide to dress yourself up a little more than usual. your self confidence has taken yet another blow from yet another unfaithful partner, so the act of putting on makeup and a pretty outfit does wonders for your confidence, but beomgyu is more anxious than ever when he spots you in the outfit you've chosen for the bar. you're always pretty to him, as cliché and insincere as that may sound, but he knows you'll be turning even more heads than usual tonight. he imagines a man piquing your interest right in front of him and it makes his stomach churn. no way in hell is he gonna let that happen —

— is what he says, at least. but some random stranger piquing your interest is the least of his worries now that you're actually at the bar. never in his wildest dreams did he foresee what is actually happening before him right now, which is you being pulled away with a dazed look on your face by none other than doyoon himself.

"what the fuck is he doing here?" and it sounds so much like his own inner monologue he almost thinks it was he himself who said it, but he turns and sees jia with her signature scowl and knows it was actually her.

"that's what i wanna know," beomgyu mumbles.

"who is that?" yijun asks cluelessly.

"that's doyoon," jia answers with venom laced in her tone.

"oh shit, the doyoon?"

"the one and only," jia sneers. "fuck it, i'm going to get her!"

"baby, no," yijun reasons incredibly patiently. "you've gotta let her make decisions for herself. let her do what she needs to do."

"what she needs to do is get her ass back here."

"don't you trust her?" he asks with a frown.

"when it comes to doyoon? nope. not at all." beomgyu flinches at this. he'd been there and heard firsthand just how desperate you were to keep a connection with doyoon after your breakup. there were countless times when he overheard jia scolding you for texting him even after he essentially ripped your heart out, set it ablaze, and stomped on the ashes.

"you shouldn't have to beg somebody to love you, you know?" he remembers jia reasoning.

"i know that, it's just — i just really love him. i don't know who i am without him," you said between tears.

"that's exactly why you don't need him," jia replied softly.

he stopped listening after that. his heart broke with yours for the first — and certainly not the last — time.

beomgyu can't take it. honestly? you haven't even been gone for very long, but when he thinks of the fact that you're out talking to doyoon of all people, he can't help but take a large gulp of whatever liquor he can get his hands on. he's very obviously staring at you talking to doyoon, but you seem without a care in the world if the smile on your face is any indication as to how you're feeling. he can feel the fiery alcohol bubbling up in his stomach as it churns at the possibilities of what could be happening between you two. are you letting him back into your life? does that sentiment even apply when his mark seems to have never really left in the first place? he doesn't know. if he thinks about it carefully, maybe he never wants to know.

-

"how are you?" doyoon asks with the charming smile you used to love so much.

"i..." you hesitate to answer. if you're being honest, you're not doing too hot at the moment and haven't been in a very long time. doyoon seems to take your hesitation as an answer in and of itself.

"yeah, i'm not doing so well, either," he says with a ghost of a smile.

"really?" you ask, head whipping up towards him before you can reel yourself back in. doyoon was always doing well, and even when he wasn't, nobody would be able to tell.

"really."

"why not?" you can't help but ask.

"if i told you my career is at a dead end, would you laugh and tell me i deserve it?"

"... i don't know."

"thank you for not knowing instead of just saying you would," he laughs. "you know, you're a lot kinder than i ever deserved for you to be." you're taken aback by this. you can't believe he's referencing your past relationship in a positive way. after your one-sided breakup, you tried to keep in contact with him in every way possible until he straight up told you you were being pathetic. his words, not your own. what you're even more surprised at, however, is how much you don't care. your heart doesn't seem to clench at the mere sight of his face, let alone at his emotionally provocative words.

"you know, i have no right to say this, but i'm going to, anyway. i'm sorry for what i did to you. really, i am. and if you ever want to get a drink with me sometime, i'd really like to make it up to you."

"i can't believe you have the nerve to say that to me," you counter without missing a beat, shocking even yourself. it only takes you about a millisecond to realize how much you mean it, though. doyoon is floored, to say the very least, but he regains his composure smoothly, just like he always does.

"i figured, but i still thought i'd ask. i know you have someone now, too. i guess it's shameless of me to ask." you stare at him quizzically. could he be talking about donghyun? he can't be. there's no way he'd know about him.

"what do you mean?"

"oh wow, i'm surprised he hasn't told you yet."

"wait, what? who?" you're a little tipsy, so his circuitous way of talking is making your head spin.

"well, if you don't know, i'm sure you will soon," he smirks as he locks eyes with beomgyu, who is currently glaring daggers at him from across the bar.

"i'll let you go," he sighs. "it was nice talking to you, even if you secretly want me to fuck off and never speak to me again." you actually crack a smile at this.

"you know what? it was nice talking to you, too."

you needed this. you needed some tangible closure and you finally have it. as you walk back to your party, you feel lighter than you have in a long, long time. you're finally prepared to fully let go.

-

the night sky is alight with white stars and the salty air is cool against your bare legs. the sound of waves billowing back and forth lull you into a trance, but your reverie is broken by the sound of someone stumbling behind you.

"beomie?"

"hi," he greets a little too loudly while plopping down beside you unceremoniously. you can't help but giggle at how drunk he is. what a cute kid, you think.

"what are you doing out here so late? you should be sleeping it off by now," you tease, nudging his shoulders with yours. you almost notice him lean into your touch, but you don't quite catch it.

"just wanna think," he says.

"about what?"

"a lot of things," he shrugs. you hum in understanding.

"you know, we never got to finish our conversation the other day. what's been bugging you lately?"

he pauses for a moment.

"i'm kinda hung up on someone, honestly," he admits with a lopsided smile that doesn't quite reach his eyes and you're genuinely stunned. he's never been particularly open about any girls he's been involved with, though there have been many based on what jia says. you'd be lying if you said you're not curious to know what kind of girl has the power to make the seemingly impenetrable beomgyu anxious, but you're mainly worried about how he's feeling.

"oh no, what happened?" you ask, sincerely concerned.

"nothing happened," he deadpans. "nothing ever happens. that's the problem." your brows knit in confusion.

"so you haven't made a move on her? why?" you can't fathom why beomgyu of all people would feel like this. he's never seemed to have an issue with getting whoever and whatever he wanted.

"i've tried, but i don't think she's interested in me in that way," he hints as nonchalantly as he can manage in his decidedly not-so-sober state. truthfully, he's not doing the best job at being discreet, either. but you don't notice a thing.

"i don't think that's true. i'm sure if you opened up to her she'd like you. you just have to be vulnerable and who knows? maybe she's interested but just doesn't know how to say it. she probably thinks you don't like her, honestly." his hazy eyes light up with hope. do you know you're the girl in question? are you both talking around the same point?

"you really think so?" he asks, heart racing. even through his drunkenness, he's putting the pieces together, albeit incorrectly.

"of course i do! i mean, you're a catch," you giggle and his heart flutters. "just be yourself and i'm sure you'll get somewhere with her. you can be so hard to read sometimes. maybe she just needs a little push?" the next second, your breath hitches as you feel warm lips latching onto yours. beomgyu is gripping your face with an intensity you've never known before. his lips are nice and warm, if a little chapped, while his eyes are scrunched shut with his long, dark eyelashes trembling in the moonlight. you gasp when he trails his hand down to the small of your back and he takes the opportunity to enter your mouth with his alcohol-laden tongue wrapping around yours. it's easy to melt into the feeling of pure heat with someone, especially when you're tipsy, so you do. you feel yourself melting further into his touch, but when he moans into the kiss, you finally register exactly who that someone is and push him off in a hurry.

"what the hell are you doing?!" you exclaim. you're panting now, face flushed and lips swollen, all thanks to him. he's absolutely fascinated by that fact. hypnotized, even.

"what do you mean?" he asks while blinking his big, watery eyes. he looks so innocent you almost can't believe he's the one who was snaking his tongue down your throat mere moments ago. oh. his tongue was down your throat mere moments ago. the thought itself has you sputtering out questions before your mind can quite catch up.

"w-what do you mean what do i mean? why'd you k-kiss me?"

"'cause i wanted to. 'cause i love you."

the world around you implodes and alarms blare in your ear. what the hell? you've only ever seen beomgyu as a good friend and maybe even a brother, but this? this was simply unprecedented. you would've never in a million years guessed that he harbored even a fraction of a non-platonic feeling for you. he must be drunk out of his fucking mind.

"i just love you so much," he slurs with his lisp in full effect. it's almost as if he can hear your thoughts and is intent on dispelling them.

you hesitate to reply and have the sorriest look on your face, so even in his current state he immediately understands that he misread the signs.

"beomie," you begin slowly and he winces. "i don't—"

"hey, i know. you don't have to tell me. i know," he says simply. "i was the one who misunderstood. you can forget this ever happened." he rises from your side and starts to walk away.

"beomie, wait!" you exclaim.

and, of course, he waits. you've always been able to gently twist his heartstrings in between your fingertips.

"yes?"

"i'm just.. i just don't want to lose you. you mean so much to me."

"you won't." and you never will. that's the problem.

you're at a loss for words, but he just smiles as if he already understands everything you can't seem to verbalize and it breaks your heart. why does it feel like he's the one babying you? with that, he turns away and resumes walking back to the house. you don't stop him this time. you don't have the guts to.

notes pt. 2: r u mad at me? i know i said this will probably be the final chapter, but there's so much more to say. i'm thinking there will probably be one or two more before i finally feel like the story has run its course. also, my pacing is so shit but i'm working on it <3 bear with me please! also, feedback is always appreciated! i'm a words of affirmation kind of gal.

[evolnoomym]

Hello, Mina, darling!

for the end of the year fic asks i have some questions for you 😍

14, 25, 27

xoxo

Okayyyyyy Aly my love, you asked hard questions and I’ll try my best to answer.

Disclaimer: Please don’t feel less loved just because you are not mentioned, it’s quite impossible to name all of you my precious friends. 🙏🏻🩵

14. a fic you didn’t expect to write?

Well I didn’t expect to write any of my fics, except “Runaway Butterfly 🦋” that one was the only planned fic.

I didn’t expect to be infected with the wip curse but one day it started and hasn’t stopped since. 🤣

Anyway to seriously answer I’ll name a bunch, for one I didn’t expect to write “Little Freak🌛” and its second part “Secrets and Lies 🌜” but the slut inside of me took over after watching some very interesting porn. 🤣🤣

I also didn’t expect to actually write that Post-Outbreak idea I had sooooo long ago and then boom “Smile For Me🌿” was born. It will most likely take some time before a whole chapter will get released but I’m working on it. I hope it will be enjoyed. 🙏🏻

And lastly i really didn’t imagine that my first ever released Fic would be “How far does the dark go? 🖤” that was my first taste of the Murder Daddy Dave York world and I’ve never been the same person as before 🤤

25. a fic you read this year you would recommend everyone read?

Yet again difficult to answer but I give some examples (in no particular order) :

- I gotta shoutout my Daddy and the Fic that hopefully everyone knows “BDSMAID” by @mountainsandmayhem a blessing and it got a special place in my memory as it was my first time beta reading ☺️🥰

- “𝐚 𝐠𝐥𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧” & “𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝” by @ozarkthedog are incredible 😍

- a all time favorite is also the series “Short Days, Long Nights” by @frannyzooey I can tell y’all that this left a huge impact on me 🙏🏻

- I 100% recommend @shellshocklove ‘s series “brat!” it is filled with tasty smut and still doesn’t lack plot 🙌🏻😈

- Next up “sweet child o' mine” by @macfrog , the emotions I went through over this entire series are mind blowing, Max writing is phenomenal 😇

- Since I find great enjoyment in Daddy kink, it’s no surprise that “intermission” by @joelsdagger took me out completely 😛😋

- Last but not least I’d point out the masterpiece that is “swept away” by @punkshort (as well as all her other writing 😍🙏🏻)

27. favorite fanfic author of the year?

Again I can’t just name one, so I’ll give a few:

@liltangerineart @aurorawritestoescape @mrsmando @milla-frenchy @joelmillerisapunk @joeloverture @cavillscurls @netherfeildren @strang3lov3 @beefrobeefcal @toxicanonymity @gutsby @pedge-page @sp00kymulderr @lotusbxtch @ace-turned-confused @ovaryacted @wintrwinchestr @beardedjoel @jolapeno @thundermartini @pedgito @moonlitbirdie @pedropeach

(Some links are a bit weird but idk how to fix it so bare with me 🙏🏻🫠)

[fandom-susceptible]

TDP Rewatch S1 E8: Cursed Caldera

Runaan does the intro voice! Nice, I forgot he did that. I was so spoiled for Moonfam content in season 7 that coming back to the early seasons has me missing him.

It's interesting that the Moonshadow elves still have a strong enough connection to the Moon Nexus that they keep a guardian mage there, with enough interaction that she's been married repeatedly, they have an established path back there, but Rayla didn't connect it to the Cursed Caldera from the beginning. Granted, she's never been to Katolis before and likely wouldn't know its exact location, but the other assassins also didn't bother to point it out to her on their way in.

I love how unbothered Ellis is by Rayla being an elf. She's so fundamentally kind, same as Ezran, but just also so unhinged. I wish we'd seen her interact with Aanya, those two girls would have been lethal together.

Y'all it's called the Cursed Caldera for a reason. Also Ellis literally already told you about the terrors and horrors of the mountain before.

"Is he okay?" Ellis whispers to Rayla as if she's not the most unhinged child I've ever seen in my life

watching their planning scene I'm just giggling feeling like I'm reminiscing about them being babies still figuring themselves and each other out.

I don't remember noticing before that the candles leading up to Runaan's cell door are lit with dark magic - they're purple fire. It just makes me think of LOTR, where the elves are just straight-up allergic to evil and being around fire like that would make them ill by sheer proximity. I know TDP elves don't canonically work like that, but it does evoke the vibe. It's a good animation choice.

Can we discuss that it's standard practice in Katolis that prisoners keep their clothes? We see this repeatedly later, with Soren, Claudia, Viren, Ezran, and Viren again. Runaan being shirtless and in torn pants is intentional treatment.

Oof, he winces when he sees the food Viren sets down in front of him. It's Xadian, which means someone had to go across the border to get it. Some of it's from Moonshadow Forest. So his presence here has caused an invasion of his home.

There's a bruise on his right shoulder that I hadn't noticed before, and he's developed a black eye, as well. That could just be the blow that previously only showed in his jaw showing more over time, sometimes wounds under the skin do that as they heal, but it could also be guards or Viren being cruel. We can't really say. The lighting really isn't letting me get a good evaluation of his left arm this time, though. Viren comments the hand has seen better days, so it's likely that the shadows are covering up symptoms of blood issues all the way to his fingertips at this point.

Runaan just flicking his eyes to the orange and back to Viren was a tiny gesture but conveyed the entire reaction of did you really think that would work and also would you fuck off already at the same time, and it's delightful. Bless the animators, honestly.

. . . Bless Gren, this poor sweet man. Has he been standing this entire time? I hope those chains give him enough room to at least sit down sometimes, it's been days.

anyone else remember all the old fics about Gren and Runaan breaking out together? I loved that. It's one of the things I've toyed with in an AU where Rayla actually got Runaan/the other assassins on the kids' side that night. It's in the "Runaan actually got captured covering their retreat with the princes" version that sits in my head.

why's everybody gotta deadpan Callum, "Monotony Mountain" is just as funny as any of the others.

Ava is an incredibly strong young wolf to be carrying two people on her back like that, even if they are kids.

I love how Runaan just looks vaguely annoyed when Viren comes back into his cell again. Like he's been keeping that sour resignation pretty solid but he's Extra Annoyed now, because this idiot won't just leave him alone. Mood, honestly, Runaan, I get annoyed at the sight of Viren too.

Imagine how pissed Runaan would be if he knew how Viren treated his kids. Runaan attacked his own kid once, after giving her every chance he possibly could, when she was for all intents and purposes a grown woman under his command who was fighting him, and he spent two years marinating in his own personal hell in the coin over it. What he did was completely sanctioned within his own culture's rules and it still plagued him endlessly. What Viren does to his kids isn't normal by anyone's standards, and instead of feeling bad about the harm he causes them, he frames it as their fault.

"Don't you know only humans can be bribed?" It's interesting that Runaan uses this phrasing. He doesn't say that elves don't use currency, he just says they can't be bribed - which makes no implication about the existence of currency in Xadia, but establishes that bribes of anything won't work there.

Also hot damn Jonathan Holmes (Runaan's VA) does things to me when he's growling, jesus

I love the frame by frame of Runaan examining the coins. Cold and disinterested gives way to focus, then shock, and then the fear hits. He realizes the moment he understands what's happened that he banished his friends over nothing, too, that their bodies were never found because they were taken, not because they ran.

(we never see a lotus attached to the Dragonguard, so I'm inclined to believe that's an assassin specific tradition, which explains why it was believed that Tiadrin and Lain ran and were assumed to be alive even when they were cursed)

The kids having their respective heart-to-hearts are really well-written. They're hitting me a little too much in the heart to give much commentary on them.

Wait, hang on a sec. *rewinds a few seconds*

oh I never noticed that before, holy shit

So in the first episode, when the elves first run into Markos, we get a shot of the assassins from profile after he starts running. Rayla pulls up her hood and takes off after him, and the other elves glance at her but let her go.

In Rayla's memory, Runaan turns to her and physically points her after the guard.

But he never actually did when we were seeing it from the omniscient narrator perspective!

Now, Runaan definitely shoulders the responsibility for what happened when he talks to her about it later, I'm not discounting that, but it's a super interesting storytelling thing to have her memory not match the events we saw earlier. It's such a subtle thing, but it really drives home how important Runaan's expectations and opinions are to her. Holy shit, it's awesome.

"Thanks for failing at your mission. I like being alive." is such a good moment, because yes, the dialogue is adorable, the kids are being cute, but I also think that this message wouldn't have hit Rayla as well from someone like Callum who would try to convince her it wasn't a failure. Ezran doesn't do that. He just acknowledges it's a failure but thanks her for it anyway, which breaks through her automatic defensiveness when someone tries to contradict her, and reminds her why she's doing all this. "I'm glad you're alive, Ezran." to be clear, I don't think Ezran's specifically picking and choosing his words to make her feel better, I just think he happened upon the exact perspective that was going to help her.

god, I love Jack De Sena. Occasionally his insecurities as Callum really call back to the Sokka days, and I get so nostalgic about it. This show is a blessing.

HOW FUCKING STRONG IS ELLIS, this girl yanks Ezran and the dragon egg up onto Ava's back with her all with one arm!

I love that Ellis barks with Ava, it's so cute.

Rayla's having a full on anxiety attack moment after tripping over the rock and killing the creature, and it hurts my heart. She almost didn't make it. She almost lost the boys, too. Then she's all hopped up on adrenaline and gets a swarm of little creatures crawling up her, how do you even fight that feeling, that'd be terrifying to begin with and she's already shaky from crisis. I just want someone to give her a hug and tell her it's gonna be okay.

Runaan is downright pissed now at the sound of Viren's approach, and honestly, yeah valid. I wonder what they told him about Viren's life or death status when he was resurrected in season 6, given Viren died at around the same time as Runaan came back.

Gods, I need to rewatch this episode more often just for Runaan's voice acting. The delivery of "You have succeeded." and "You have found something worse than death." just chills, every time, I love it.

I also like that this is the information he chooses to give. He's spent this long refusing to give Viren anything at all to go on, just repeating various refusals and claiming his own death. This though, he puts it forth as a warning. You're right, mage, this is worse. Don't toy with things you don't understand. This is dangerous, even to me, and I know what I'm looking at. Runaan makes choices about life and death, but this thing, this is beyond him. It's advice.

And Viren doesn't take it. He pushes farther, he's excited by this dark knowledge, so Runaan goes from this plaintive warning to spitting his final refusal, because if this foolish human is going to ignore his warnings, he can live with the consequences.

I know we all joke about Runaan calling the coins/capitalism worse than death, but he was actually talking about the mirror. The response the coins evoked was "You're a monster." He may not know what the coins even are until Viren rips his soul out to add to one himself. He may assume they're trinkets made from the death of an individual, just stealing them away and refusing to allow them to have their proper funeral rites. Which, for a culture with such a strong connection to death and the afterlife, I imagine would be a hell of a violation.

Gren's look of alarm and concern towards Runaan's cell gets me every time, too. We give the kids a lot of credit for their kindness, but Gren is also such a kind soul. He's a soldier, raised and trained to see Runaan as an enemy, but when he hears him scream, while locked in a dungeon, he still looks concerned. That says a lot about his character.

The fact that we can see Runaan moving in the coin initially is also intriguing. They seem to do away with that later, and I wonder if it was just a retcon or if the coins just slowly solidify to a specific moment.

As the credits sketch shows Corvus examining the snow elf, it makes me wonder what his thought process has been. Rayla told him the boys were following her willingly. He's not stupid - he and all the other soldiers likely saw that she wasn't holding swords on the boys until Callum said she would. She didn't fight to kill him, and she left after disarming and delaying him. The boys are still alive. Now they're in a village, and she's apparently relaxed enough to stop and make the snowman a snowelf. Word around town is that she ran off with two human children - the boys. He's likely putting the pieces together from there to realize she told him the truth, but still puzzling over why.

Ahh, the infamous credits sketch of Ethari's tears. The moment he realized Runaan was truly gone, and Rayla had really abandoned him. (I have a lot of thoughts about why Ethari reacted the way he did to this news, which I'll talk about more when they meet him later and I have other posts about, but from his perspective . . . yeah, this is really all he knows right now.) And we really didn't know his damn name for two more seasons.

[dragons-hoard-of-fandoms]

It has come to my attention that you have a md and HTTYD AU. I love both of those, so I am extremely curious to learn about this!! Can you explain a bit about your AU if it's not too much trouble? It sounds really cool!

YES THANK YOU

Okay, so, at the moment it's pretty much just a retelling of the first How to Train Your Dragon movie with the Murder Drones cast, albeit with a few slightly altered plot points. I say "at the moment" because in the future it's going to eventually start adapting MD episodes and plotlines (my current plan is HtTYD 1 -> RoB-RttE with MD Episodes 2-4 sprinkled in here and there -> HtTYD 2 -> MD Episode 5 -> Cross between HtTYD 3 and MD Episodes 6-8, though this is subject to change), I'm just focusing on the "origin story" right now.

Uzi is human, and takes Hiccup's role as the ostracized inventor of her tribe, the Artisans (Uzi and Hiccup are actually REALLY similar when you think about it). Her number one goal in life is to take down the Slashers, a trio of completely unknown, never-before-seen, absurdly dangerous dragons that started attacking the island of Coppernein five years ago, so she can prove her worth to the tribe and earn her dad's respect and stuff. N (as well as V and J but they're not important right now) is a human-dragon hybrid, and takes Toothless' role as the mysterious nocturnal apex predator that no one's ever survived an encounter with before (again, they're REALLY similar when you think about it). He and his packmates sometimes provide cover fire for the local dragon flock when they attack the village, but never directly attack themselves because, for obvious reasons, they don't wanna risk being seen by humans.

One night, Uzi manages to shoot down a Slasher when it slices through a nearby watchtower, but when she goes out to find it, she's pretty shocked to discover that one of the unseen monsters half her tribe is scared to death of is some kind of, in her own words, freaky dragon-human-creature-hybrid-thing. The typical "wait this thing can talk, this is a sapient being" routine goes down when N wakes up, and he explains that if she takes him back to the village, V and J are gonna destroy the entire island just to keep their secret from getting out. (Not that he expects her to believe him, his own packmates never listen to him so why would this random human who wants to kill him hear him out?) Uzi is conflicted but eventually lets him go because fifteen minutes of fame doesn't mean jack when you and your entire tribe are dead (definitely not because she feels bad for him and empathizes with his feelings of worthlessness of course not why would you ever say that), N gives her one of his teeth as a thank-you gift and leaves, and over the next few days they find themselves unable to stop thinking about each other until Uzi decides "Screw it, this is one of exactly three people in my entire life who doesn't treat me like a waste of space, I'm gonna talk to him" and goes to the cove he's hiding out in, where they bond over food and drawing in the dirt. From there it's pretty standard HtTYD fare - Uzi helps him fly again, N shares information about dragons that she can use in the dragon-fighting arena, they keep growing closer as friends and learning more things about each other, and eventually Uzi decides she's gotta do something to stop her tribe's "dragons are heartless monsters who deserve to be killed" mindset. What she does I'm not entirely sure yet - haven't decided whether I wanna go the movie route of N saving her from the Monstrous Nightmare and getting captured, or the less dramatic route of Uzi successfully convincing the Artisans they don't have to kill dragons, then properly introducing them to N (and V) and having them all team up to stop the bigger threat at play - but either way it leads into a happy ending where humans and dragons make peace and live together in harmony.

Or at least it would be a happy ending, if it weren't for people starting to disappear, Doll acting strange, N and V having bizarre dreams about their shared past that neither can completely recall, J being nowhere to be found, Uzi progressively feeling weirder and less comfortable in her own skin, and a mysterious stranger with unclear intentions watching from the shadows. But those are problems for the future.

The future might be closer than they think.

(Also I didn't have anywhere else to say this but this is very much a NUzi AU, I made N half human entirely so I could have NUzi without it being gross and worked out the lore reasons for it from there.)

[yakultii]

guys my plan was to do summer semester but the thing is im yet to finish this semester and by the time i finish these assignments (hopefully end of this week) ill have literally like only 1 week break then do it all again so id do summer semester literally nov-feb then i gotta do next sem march-june and then I’d be done with my degree and be free or i can literally be normal and take the 4-5 months of summer off like everyone else in aus (or even just do 1 class to lighten the rest of the load a little in the other sems) but then id have to do next sem being march-june then july-oct next yr so i wouldn’t be done til this time next yr and i do rlly struggle w this second half of the year as u can all probably tell lmao. and a part of me thinks i should just do summer semester like fulltime load cos ill be on a roll like ill get better marks in the summertime but now a part of me is like what if i burn out (cos i have to do march-june regardless cos there’s a compulsory class on there) but then a part of me is like ill be fine but then a part of me is like maybe I should take a break and dedicate this summer to making friends again and trying to enjoy life and trying to go for walks and stuff but then also i just realised i have to move out of my current place in jan but that’s ok i could just go travel for a bit or somethin til i figure out where im moving idk idk wot do u think i need opinions even tho i ultimately don’t listen to anyone ever (just kidding i will actually consider listening to u bc idk) i rlly do wanna just be done w this degree but at the same time i feel like the timing is kinda right to make new friends and old friend and stuff like some things have come where im like maybe this is a sign from the universe to take the opportunity idk like i could have the best summer of my life is i let myself but then there’s also the chance it goes so wrong which is another reason i was gonna do summer sem cos a part of my brain so wanna relapse n like if i do summer sem my academic validation stronger than anything (except rn apparently no jk it still goin strong ish hence im not sleeping rn) and like if i do summer sem i know I won’t relapse bc i rlly need brain capacity to be able to perform at the level i want to (despite doing everything the night before believe it or not ur brain needs minimal fuel at least) so it’s like as much as doing summer sem SUCKS it would probs be good for me rn (though I could probably just try really hard to have a fun summer and engage w humans for the first time in years and distract myself and be glad I had a good summer and not relapse yeh) and I’ve been hyping myself up for it the entire year and I do think that id be ok and not burn out bc I’d be starting fresh and also im just gonna do it online anyway and try keep up and maybe I can hang out w friends at the same time but also I could not do it and dedicate myself to trying to get something good going for me in this life outside of uni you know but then it would extend my degree for another 12 months hmmmm what do u think