#he's my ex-ult for a reason

[hwangism143]

skz record (series m. list)

a/n: so. here we are. i'm finally writing an skz series. i'm also extremely terrified haha. this is a gift from me to you for hitting 100 followers. i love you all sm. also, send in an ask, dm me or reply to this post to be added to my taglist.

all the fics will be posted randomly. i can't wait for you all to read them <3 anyways pookies, tell me which one you're most excited for!!

✧.* hate to admit | (idol!bang chan x reader, exes to lovers)

╰┈➤ summer in australia before debut was one of chris's most cherished memories. his feet in the sand, the sun in his face and you in his arms. and then it was all gone. or so he thought. now that you're working for jype as a pr manager, he finds it extremely difficult not to fall in love with you - or your daughter

✧.* want so bad | (idol!minho x reader, enemies to lovers)

╰┈➤ jype was notorious for kicking out trainees who didn't perform well. you knew first hand when the company picked lee minho over you. and so, as a sweet form of revenge, you had risen through the ranks as one of the top k-pop choreographers in the industry. everything came full circle when you were asked to choreograph for stray kids. except, a certain childhood nemesis might make the lines between love and work blur indefinitely

✧.* doodle | (idol!changbin x reader, forbidden romance)

╰┈➤ changbin shouldn't want you. you're four years younger than him and work as a part-time barista at the gym he works at and a part-time tattoo artist. but it always has been said that people tend to crave the things that they can't get

✧.* love untold | (idol!hyunjin x reader, fake dating, stranger to lovers)

╰┈➤ hyunjin was enamored by you. yes, the two of you only had a sum total of one (1) conversation in a parisian art gallery but he was a goner. although, he knew, that he would never see you again. that was, until, he followed you on instagram - using his official account.

✧.* deep end | (idol!felix x reader, reverse grumpy x sunshine)

╰┈➤ it was no secret that felix loved volunteering. he loved going to the orphanage near the company for two reasons: the kids and you. you with your colourful tattoos. you with your small smile and witty remarks. you, who has stolen the key to felix's heart.

✧.* run | (idol!jisung x reader, friends to lovers)

╰┈➤ you and jisung had done almost everything together. that was the ill-fated result of growing up next to him. but when you both turned 15, he was in korea pursuing his dreams and you were home pursuing yours. finally, after 9 years, you both were reuniting. everything would be the same right? despite the wandering eyes, wandering minds...

✧.* stars and raindrops | (idol!seungmin x reader, former classmates to lovers)

╰┈➤ seungmin was tired of his life as an idol being so restricted. and so, when he happened to stumble open you in a park soaked by the rainwater, he took you up on your offer: attend your high school reunion with him. it's not like one night of alcohol and fun would make him want to see you again and again- right?

✧.* untitled | (idol!jeongin x reader, fake dating)

╰┈➤ with your company's ceo embroiled in scandal right before your first comeback, as leader you knew you had to do something. being a member of the self-producing girl group embr, you didn't know exactly what to do. luckily, your manager had a solution. unluckily, it involved fake dating yang jeongin - your ult bias and celebrity crush.

[127luvr]

SOOO i just reqd the jaemin smau AND i have thoughts (as a jaemin and sungchan ULT STAN GAY EUEUEUEUE)

so uhm everyone knows jaemin and yn will be tgt lile thats the fic BUT i have big inclination that shotaro will yes might be the reason chanyn will break up but i feel like shotaro wont go back to sungchan cause duh career hello SOOOO

can i request a sungchan x male reader story 🫶🫶 which could or could not be continuing this like later on after jaemyn is a thing so imagine regular new yn and he actually really liked sungchan ever since sungchan served him one time so he goes to the cafe hoping he sees him everytime so the one week he constantly see him gone yn asks jaemin's yn where he is and jaemin's yn basically become the bridge for sungchan's yn to be with sungchan

(so just imagine sungchan's yn that has a tissue paper ready with his socials and saying you're cute cause sungchan had given him too much change prior and he waited for the whole week and got impatient so he just gave it to jaemin's yn forgetting the tissue paper with the change so jaemin's yn give it to sungchan)

(you dont have to write this in the story im just brain farting but sungchan's yn being hopeful romantic that is also no boyfriend since birth and sungchan even though moving on and befriending his exes still is adamant in finding love is just UGHHH like i need sungchan to have a happy ending I NEED MY MAN TO HAVE A HAPPY ENDING IN EVERY AU </3)

love 119 ✶𓏲ּ꩜ .ᐟ

jung sungchan x male reader

in which y/n finds himself in the My Love Mine all Mine alternate universe, but he doesn't mind it.

it's been a month since you stepped into the luna cafe. a month since you sat at the first table you saw--closest to the service counter. a month since you held your head in your hands, elbows digging into hard surface below you--trying to dig into the wood and fall through it. a month since sungchan sat across from you with your favorite drink in his hands.

you ignore the way the liquid spills out from the bottom of the lid and onto the table. laser-focused on the man in front of you. you've never seen a face like his back home--with a deer-like charm. tall nose paired with full lips and brown hair that falls over his eyes like he's the boy-next-door. he sits across from you with a certain familiarity in his eyes, a soft smile gracing his lips when the two of you make eye contact.

"i thought you were off today, y/n?" he throws his arms on the table casually, like he knows you. like he's comfortable with you but you pull yourself back, pressing your body as far as you could to your cushioned chair. sungchan gives you a puzzled look, his lips thinning into somewhat of a frown. "what's wrong?"

"do i know you?"

sungchan freezes, his hands placed flat against the table that separates you from him. and he finally notices your clothes. clothes that he knows his y/n doesn't own. he takes a second to get a good look, noticing the way your hair is parted differently. your lips a little asymmetrical--the mole that was on his y/n now on the opposite side of your face.

"i'm so sorry! i thought you were my friend for a minute. you guys look eerily similar." he takes one last look before he pulls himself off of the chair, dusting his apron off awkwardly before bowing his head in an apologetic manner. he leaves the drink with you, even pushing it towards your timid fingers as another apology. "what's your favorite dessert? it's on the house for any inconvenience."

it has been four mondays since your initial meeting with sungchan. four mondays in a row where you've stepped foot in the same cafe--at the same time on-the-dot as the first monday. so far, it's to no avail. it seems that the closer you try and get to sungchan, the further away he was.

your second visit to the cafe, you encountered this world's you. it wasn't like looking in the mirror. it was uncanny--uncomfortable--as you stared at your own face. heard your own voice. reacted to your own mannerisms. this y/n brushed it off, choosing to chalk it up to pure coincidence even with playful nudging that came from his coworkers.

although the two of you were the same, this y/n was far more extroverted. he was always surrounded by friendly coworkers at the cafe--always stealing glances at the white-haired man that sat at the booth with a clear view of the counter. he took his breaks with him, sitting with his head on his shoulder, (h/c) locks sprawled all over his shirt. the white haired man never looked away from him, always attentive even with his work sitting in front of him.

you learned his name on your third visit--jaemin. you never knew you could be so jealous of yourself. bitter at the way this (y/n)'s mouth couldn't help but form a smile every time he uttered jaemin's name. it was a foreign feeling. watching yourself be affectionate with another man.

you've lived your whole life without a significant other. you could continue living without one but experiencing unrequited love your whole life was grueling. all you wanted to do was hold hands with someone who liked you just as much as you liked him.

by your fourth visit, you grew tired of waiting for sungchan. tired of watching this (y/n) and his jaemin touch all over each other. you were determined to get into contact with sungchan again, preparing a piece of paper with your social media handles and phone number just in case he was more comfortable with either one of them.

"can you give this to sungchan, please?" you wipe your clammy hands on your blue jeans, handing this (y/n) your cash and your torn piece of paper. he gives you a crooked grin, paying more attention to the writing on the paper instead of your change. "i haven't seen him since that first meeting, but i can't get him out of my mind. i know it's stupid--"

"no! no! it's about time. you won't shut up about him and he won't shut up about you. it's just unlucky you always come in when he's not here." (y/n) folds the paper in front of you neatly, placing in his wallet carefully. "i'll protect this with my life."

"thanks, (y/n)."

sungchan doesn't wait long to text you, eager when he receives a picture of your number from (y/n).

you can't help but smile at the unknown number on your phone. you can hear his voice through the letters on the screen, his messages sounding just like his speech in real life.

hey, y/n!

(it's sungchan btw......)

do you have a nickname? i might confuse you and the other y/n.

so weird! you both look the same and have the same name, are you the evil doppelgänger?

no, maybe he is 🤔. haha!

[siberat]

Food Makes things feel better

so, good news and bad news. This was originally for a Drabble request- however, jerk me totally missed the mark by my classic quickly reading the request, then spending days writing only to find out it’s not what was asked at all. So, my apologies to the anon requester- you will have to wait a bit longer. Also, I was gonna split this in 2, but I just wanna post it.

good news is here is a rodi/mus chub story. I am gonna do another one for the anon prompt. Cw: chub, weight gain, binge eating, emotional eating.

Life wasn’t fair, was it?

Yes, he knew things would not be handed to him on a silver platter, but he didn’t think the accomplishments he earned would be snatched away from him either. Or forced to share.

Sighing, Rod/imus plopped himself back in his captain’s chair—while he still had it, that is. Apparently, for reasons unknown, he had to share his status as captain with someone else—someone so unworthy of the position, none-the-less!

Mega/tron.

The “ex” leader of the Decep/ticons. All because stupid Opti/mus Pri/me said so.

This was his voyage! This was his mission! And things have been going just fine, so why try to fix something that isn’t broken?

Before he knew it, the urge to do something other than stew in anger arose. Rodi/mus could only take so much teeth-clenching before his helm hurt worse than it already did. He reached to the center of the table and pulled a large dish of mini cakes in front of him. Yes, this was to be for the guests at his meeting, but surely, they wouldn’t notice one missing—there was plenty after all.

Fingers daintily selected a light pink cake with blue frosting and brought it to his lips. The sweetness invaded his mouth much quicker than the actual treat! The first bite was everything he could imagine: moist, decadent, and rich flavor awoken his taste receptors from slumber.

Each bite led like another, and the first cake was gobbled up. And the sheer taste of the food made him feel better. While he was consuming it, all thoughts of his predicament vanished. Rodi/mus didn’t think of the stern looks received from Mega/tron when ideas were disapproved of. Seeing Ult/ra Magn/us discuss plans with the ‘other’ captain vanished from his processor. Feeling like scrap for being deprived of his hard-earned title lifted from his chassis.

At least until the last swallow of the cake, that is.

As the red and yellow mech stared at the plate full of little colorful cakes of various shapes, licking icing off his fingertips, he could feel the brain worms kicking back in.

Was he not good enough? Just what did he do so wrong? He was a fun mech and liked trying fun things! Did his crew mates simply not like him? Images replayed in his processor of ‘bots reactions to him, seeing if there were any tell-tale signs of dislike. Rodi/mus did not see any hints of hate- but perhaps they really did?

“Ehhhhhhhhh,” Rodi/mus grumbled and rolled his optics, truly hating feeling like this. He was a good mech! He deserved to lead this exhibition! Just why did it have to be stolen from him?

Yeah, it was time for another cake. There were still plenty of them left on the plate. The scrumptious little morsels make him feel better, even if just temporarily. When one was finished, and those tormenting thoughts returned, Rodi/mus helped himself to another.

Of course, the emptied plate was hidden before the conference began- his attendees wouldn’t miss what they didn’t know, right? Hopefully, the ‘co-captain’ could hide his noisy belly ache!

… … …

Any hope of his situation improving simply flew out the window. It turns out his crew was much more accepting of Mega/tron than he anticipated. Yes, tabs were kept on him, but as the days turned to weeks, high command appeared to grow more comfortable with his presence on board the Lo/st Li/ght.

And more willing to listen to his ideas and choose the ex-warlord's instructions over his!

Rodi/mus even tried harder to win back popularity votes by hosting parties at Swer/ves. He graced others' presence by making rounds and chatting it up amongst the partygoers. He even let them in on his future festivities, listening to their ideas, even if they were stupid.

Like perhaps an ice cream social would be nice.

Actually, Rodi/mus didn’t even ask for that—he still had some control over what took place on board his ship! The event was scheduled—and it was scheduled first—and now, he sat in an empty room. Well, it was not completely empty: there were tubs upon tubs of energon ice cream.

Yet only a handful of mechs showed up. And those fraggers didn’t even stay for long! Apparently, after his planned and announced event, Rew/ind and Chrome/dome continued their dumb movie marathon. Guess where every mech went?

So, the red and yellow mech sat alone, staring out the large window. Space was so vast and empty…just like his spark. Alright, that is a bit sappy. But it hurt to have no one really show up. It hurt to feel not important. It hurt to feel ignored.

But seeing all the ice cream and toppings sitting around unused was disheartening. And there was a lot! All the good flavors were obtained: chocolate, vanilla, mint chocolate chip, rocky road, peanut butter cup…. The list went on. And toppings? There was chocolate sauce, sprinkles, candies, brownie bits, whipped cream, and then some. With a spread like this, who wouldn’t want to show up?

Apparently, ninety-nine percent of the ship.

‘No point in letting this go to waste,’ Rodi/mus shrugged, dragging himself to his pedes and scooped himself a heaping bowl of several flavors of ice cream, topped with every topping imaginable. He sat back down with his feast and scoop after scoop fed himself the cold treat.

Oh, how he loved ice cream! The soft dessert's chill and the crunch of the toppings always hit the spot! A lot of foods hit the spot recently. Ever since Mega/tron joined this fleet, energon has provided him with so much comfort, as if it had always been there for him. Always calling his name out from the panty just begging to be devoured! And how could the speedster resist?

Eating cheered him up, relieving him from replaying the bad thoughts in his processor all the time. The pleasurable feeling of consuming something so tasty made his spark swirl with joy instead of rage. And this ice cream was no different—each bite, a new flavor, a new color twirled in his vision, and a smile appeared on his lips.

As soon as the dish was emptied, the co-captain immediately helped himself to seconds. He kept going even when his whole frame seemed cold from eating so much frozen dessert. Even when his tummy, which had grown more prominent over the past few weeks, became taunt and lay heavier on his lap, he kept going.

When his overflowing bowl was polished off this time, Rodi/mus simply snagged two cartons of ice cream. There was no point having to keep getting back up! However, upon shoveling the first spoonful in, he noticed he wasn’t alone and jumped.

“Pri/mus, Dri/ft!” Rodi/mus gasped.

“Don’t use His name in vain,” Dri/ft spoke calmly.

“My bad.” The red and yellow mech stuffed a spoonful of ice cream in his mouth, then motioned to the food table for the other to help himself.

“I’m not here for that,” Dri/ft answered.

“Ah, let me guess.” Rodi/mus spat. “Just stopping in before movie fest?”

 “I’m here to talk with you.” He walked to the table and sat next to the other. “So, how have you been?”

“Fine,” Rodi/mus shrugged, continuing to work on his tub of ice cream. “Shame mech’s don’t know what they are missin’.” His belly clenched, whining out a minor grumble.

“I somehow don’t think everything is fine, Rodimus.” The TIC gently placed a servo on the other’s shoulder. “You haven’t quite been yourself recently.”

“Nonsense,” Rodi/mus bulked, his mouth full. Who else would I be?” Slag, the last thing he wanted was some kind of spiritual talk from Dri/ft. And why the hell did he have to be so nosey? He needed to stay in his own lane.

“Rodi/mus…” His hand moved to the arm, guiding the other to stop eating. “You are not doing well, I can tell. I can help you.”

Rodi/mus sneered, pulling his arm free from the other. What was wrong with wanting to not let all this ice cream go to waste? He spent good credits on this- as well as having to make an unscheduled stop. Why didn’t anybody notice all the work he put into things?

“Just let me be.”

“Let me help you. We can talk- “

“Look, if you don’t want any ice cream, why don’t you shove off?”

“Rodi/mus…”

“Dri/ft…” The red and yellow mech threw an angered glare at the other but regretted it. “Look…. I just… I just want to be alone right now.”

Dri/ft sighed and solemnly nodded. “As you wish. I shall give you your privacy. But I must warn you.” His servo gestured to the now flabbier body. “Your change in habits can have some unhealthy results.”

“Just what the slag you talking about?”

“Your coping mechanism…” Dri/ft bit his lip. “It will catch up to you.”

“You have an issue with me now because I put on a few extra pounds?”

“It's far more than a few extra pounds- “

“What, are you taking measurements?”

“No- “

“Does me eating hurt your inner arura or whatever that scrap is?”

“No.” Dri/ft’s tone grew stern as his lips pressed together to form a line. “I have no qualms about your physical appearance, Rodi/mus. But I just fear the reasoning behind the sudden weight gain.”

“I checked out just fine at my last check-up with Rat/chet.”

“Perhaps you should speak with Ru/ng.”

“Ru/ng?” Rodi/mus snorted. “Look, I aint crazy.”

“No one ever said you were.”

“Then why are we having this conversation?” Rod/imus slammed his fist on the table, and the TIC raised his servos in defeat.

“I just wish to say one thing before I leave you to yourself.” Dri/ft stood up and put his hands on his hips. “Drowning your problems with food is not the solution. Trust me, addiction is the easy way out. But if you keep this up, you’ll be weighed down by more than whatever bothers you. Also, I am here for you whenever you are ready to talk.”

“That was two things you said, not one,” Rodi/mus grumbled, serving himself another spoonful of ice cream. As if angered by the conversation, his belly grumbled loudly.

Dri/ft opened his mouth to retort, but just shook his helm instead. With saddened optics, he watched the other resume his binge eating for a moment before taking his leave.

Deep down, he knew Dri/ft was correct. But how could he stop when eating was the one thing that made him feel so good? Despite his belly churning and the tell-tale signs of a belly ache forming, Rodi/mus kept eating. Even when his belly grew so taunt and painful that even his servos couldn’t comfort the beast, spoonful after spoonful of rich, chocolate peanut butter ice cream was shoved into his maws.  Even when it became so hard to swallow, he continued- he would finish this tub of ice cream if it was the last thing he did!

… … …

When did this hallway become so long? Rodi/mus huffed as he waddled his way towards the bridge of the ship. Apparently, today’s meeting was of the utmost importance, so his presence was demanded instead of video chat. And not only did that mean getting himself out of the berth, but it also meant dragging himself halfway across the ship.

And this was simply too much work!

What exactly was the reason for this unscheduled meeting? Rodi/mus whined for hours with Ul/tra Mag/nus about what was so important, but he wouldn’t blab. What, now officers on board his ship could no longer speak to him? No longer tell him the truth?

It was bad enough having unannounced guests visit his captain's quarters over the past month. No one wanted to see him unless they wanted to voice their concern for his weight gain. He still ran this ship, didn’t he?

Well, half-run the ship would be more accurate.

Did he slack off on his duties? No. Did he miss any meetings? No—well, one was missed, but that was because of a too-small shower stall issue—but that didn’t count! His responsibilities of running this ship were still performed.

Yet, in the past several weeks, Ratc/het paid him a visit, bringing with him his medical supplies and grumpy attitude. Tests were run, and while levels came back elevated, they were considered normal range. Which normally was good, but the medic felt the need to drill onto him the warnings of increased weight gain and decreased activity.

Once Rat/chet was shoved off, another medic took his place a few days later. While more upbeat, Ai/d’s help was not desired or needed. Even Amb/ulon’s straightforward, no-nonsense approach was as annoying as slag. All three medics were sent on their way, chided for wasting their breath and his time.

They could have at least brought him a snack!

Not even halfway to his destination, Rodi/mus had to stop for a break. His chest heaved as he desperately sucked in cool air. His pedes hurt. His legs felt like jello. Prim/us, how long has it been since he walked this far?

There really should be some chairs in the hallway!

Instead, the blob of a mech rested against the wall, swiping his servo across his brow. He was sweating like a cyberpig. He'd be a sopping mess by the time he’d make it to the conference room!

This is just great!

He also noticed that his thighs burned as if scorched by a fire. Glancing down and pulling that pillow of a tummy out of the way, he saw the protomesh was pink and raw. Chub-rub. Perfect.

What a way to be seen outside his quarters!

‘Who would be the first to notice?’ Rodi/mus scowled, banging his fists against the hallway as he slowly began shuffling along his way. Would it be Rat/chet and his know-it-all attitude? Would Ai/d baby talk him and try to slather cream all over the massive thigh flab? Or would Dri/ft be all over this whole ‘talk about your feelings’ crap again?

Couldn’t mechs take a hint to leave someone alone for once?

Rounding the final turn, Rodi/mus rested upon the conference room door frame. His chest heaved as he panted to catch his breath. His frame pinged warnings of overheating. Sweat dripped down his face, down his body, and into his many flab rolls. Everything hurt!

He felt lightheaded, as if he was about to pass out. All the red and white mech wanted to do was sit down and relax! Walking this far was challenging; it took all his strength to remain upright and not collapse onto the floor.

 The air conditioning better be one during this meeting!

Once his breathing rate slowed, Rodi/mus palmed open the door.

And what did he see?

Gone was the long table lined with chairs. The room was redecorated into something a little cozier. There was an oversized couch in the center that just called out his name! As he waddled inside, he noted the room’s cooler temperature, which felt terrific against his hot frame!

But what he saw next stopped him dead in his tracks.

There were many mechs sitting around that couch. Rat/chet sat with his arms crossed over his chest, and Fir/st Aid perc/hed on the chair next to him. Ski/ds and Ult/ra Mag/nus were each seated with datapads in their servo’s as well.

“Rodi/mus!” Dri/ft greeted in a soft, kind tone. He walked towards the larger mech with arms open and hugged the other.

“What’s going on here?”

“Why don’t you have a seat, Rodi/mus.” Ru/ng smiled, gesturing to the sofa.

And Rodi/mus didn’t like the look of this. “Why… why are you all here sitting around like this?”

 “A lot of people care about you and have a few things they wish to read to you- “

“What the slag!” Rodi/mus shouted. He couldn’t believe it! Was this real or another bothersome nightmare? “Is this… for real…. Is this an intervention?”

“Rodi/mus, just have a seat,” Ru/ng coaxed, but the words fell upon deaf audials.

If Rodi/mus could spit fire, he would! Talk about being ambushed! “Who did it?” His optics scoured the room. “Whose idea was this?” His pudgy servos clenched to fists as his double chins bounced with each word he screamed. “I swear!”

“Rodi/mus…” Mega/tron’s voice boomed.

And Rodi/mus flinched. “It was you, wasn’t it? This was all YOUR idea?”

“This talk has been long overdue- “

I don’t fragging care! I am NEVER going to have a discussion with you!” Rodi/mus turned on his pedes. “I’m going back to my room!”

“Do you think you will make the trip?”

“Shut your slagging trap, Mega/tron!” Rodi/mus bellowed.

But the ex-con had a point.

Could he make the trip back to his quarters?

[g0nta-g0kuhara]

Do you have any crossover ships with Gonta? Like characters from dr1/dr2 I mean

Not necessarily Romantically but I do have a lot of crossover interactions that I really like with Gonta!!

Gonta & Byakuya: I've long had the headcanon(?)/AU idea of Byakuya knowing Gonta since he was very young because both of their families are powerful and influential. In a universe where the v3 cast and the dr1/dr2 cast exist together, I hced that Byakuya was tasked with babysitting a pre-raised-by-wolves Gonta at least once. Ive had this idea for a fic about Gonta's disappearance from his perspective for a while, but since Im not as into dr1 I don't think I could execute Byakuya's characterization super well.

Gonta & Taka: I think these two would get along SUPER well. I feel like Gonta would be able to be fast friends with anyone who is very passionate and loud. Gonta would really admire Taka's mastery of etiquette and academics, and while I'm unsure of if Taka would have the best words to tackle Gonta's self-esteem issues directly, I think he would genuinely admire Gonta's persistence at wanting to be a gentleman and how hard he works. Not to mention, both face a lot of pressure from their families legacies. These two would be great together.

Gonta & Sakura: Sakura would LOVE to train with Gonta, and I feel like her gentle but firm encouragement would be so valuable to him. In non-despair aus with all three casts, I always imagine these two as friends.

Gonta & Mondo: Insert screenshot from UTDP of Mondo saying to Gonta "you're like a really big... puppy dog." I feel like Mondo would at first feel the need to like. Try to prove to Gonta that he's tougher than him, just because of how big Gonta is. But would quickly realize Gonta's not like that at all and is a sweetheart. And would become quickly endeared to him. (there might be really cute ship potential here. I like the idea of Mondo getting a little bit of a crush on him)

Gonta & Chihiro: Gonta would be SO HAPPY to help Chihiro with feeling like she isn't strong enough. Maybe not in the best way, because I think he would rush to try and protect her from everything which isn't Exactly what she wants, but I think after she expresses this Gonta would switch to trying to help her in other ways instead. Chihiro would be really nice to him and I think they could be friends.

Gonta & Gundham: I THINK THESE TWO WOULD BE BEST FRIENDS IF THEY EXISTED IN THE SAME UNIVERSE. MY GOD. There's a reason I have a tag for them [#bugs & beasts]. Their interests are very similar, of course, but it goes beyond that. Gundham understands very well what its like to struggle socially, and probably would be able to see a lot of himself in Gonta. I also think that while Gonta might struggle at first to keep up with the... flamboyant way Gundham speaks 1. I like the idea that at first his hamsters translate for him and 2. I think he would eventually figure it out. Gonta regularly yes-ands the more weird personas of the other characters (ex, himiko's magic) and I think his respect for the way Gundham sees himself would be a breath of fresh air for him. Both are lonely and desperate for acceptance by the group (Gonta more actively, Gundham more sadly accepting his place on the outside), if they were in the same story nothing could have stopped them.

Gonta & Sonia: Sonia would be absolutely delighted by Gonta's backstory, being raised by wolves, and I bet she would love to teach him etiquette and how to act royally. Gonta would be absolutely obsessed with her. I mean, she's a princess! I think to Gonta, a prince would be almost the pinnacle of gentlemanliness. He would want to treat her with so much respect, maybe to the point of stressing himself out hgdjskfs

Gonta & Nagito: These two... would have a weird relationship. I'm always saying how Gonta needs a hypeman badly and I think Komaeda would be that in the weirdest, most unhealthy way possible. Nagito would be obsessed with Gonta as an ultimate (as he is with any ultimates) and would discourage his self loathing by trying to reassure him by his weird view of talent and what being an ultimate means. Gonta, unfamiliar with his ideology, would probably half heartedly take the compliment while also concerned about how much Nagito puts himself down. I don't think Nagito should be left alone around him LMAO

[omegapheromone]

WuWa omegaverse dynamic headcanons, pt. 1: Alphas

I headcanon Calcharo as an alpha for 100% self-indulgent reasons. I think he's hot, I'm an omega, I'm mostly into men only and generally prefer alphas for the most part. What more do I need to say? I'm kissing him on the mouth as we speak btw /j

Honestly I don't know too much about Changli, I haven't been looking at spoilers too much and avoided trailers bc I wanna form my own opinion when she's added to game but I just get an alpha vibe from her? (she and jinhsi are married btw)

As for Jianxin, I think she could be a beta as well, but I think something about the way she was shown in the story so far made me think Alpha, just more of a loner type? I have some more thoughts on why I think she's an alpha but rn my brain isnt working enough to explain

Jiyan. While he has a more gentle side I think it's hard to imagine him as anything BUT an Alpha. I mean, he started out as a medic only to end up as THE general guy whom everyone looks up to. He's like literally THE protector of Jinzhou.

Lingyang is an interesting case to me actually. I could see him being either an alpha OR an omega but ultimately I think he'd more likely be an alpha with omega-like behaviors. Especially the implications that he is/was an ancient Suanni just kind of make me lean towards him being an Alpha even if his personality is fairly omega-like. It's just a sort of vibe I get? Plus idk I'd feel kind of strange about calling the one single small guy an omega, it's just kind of a tired stereotype to me? Like I was contemplating on placing him in a "hasn't presented yet" cathegory, were it not for the fact that he indeed implies quite strongly he's likely very old and also a mythical creature assuming a (mostly) human form. Idk I just think we need more small guy alpha representation overall.

Yinlin. Listen man. She throws puppets around, uses their strings as whips to crack in her ult animation, she looks like she's going to step on you whether you want it or not. Even in her story quest, I get the feeling she'a got a specific type of charisma that makes me think of Alphas. So, I tend to see her as an alpha.

Finally the absolute DILF that is Yuanwu. Brother. There's NO WAY he's anything but an alpha. Not only does he own a boxing gym and constantly bring up how he's glad to help others become stronger and teach people how to defend themselves or just get healthier, but he's also literally just such a gentleman. The fedora is a little cringe but good lord, this dilf makes me think of like, a divorced Alpha man with maybe one teen/adult kid who is doing what makes him happy (running his boxing gym lol) and enjoying tea. He probably has a really healthy and amicable relationship with all his exes, but never hooks up with them. His very essence just gives "confident and moderately wealthy man who went to therapy and healed himself, now he's just dedicating his life to his hobbies and interests but offers guidance and emotional support to whoever needs it". Guy is an alpha for sure.

[wenjunehui]

you 🤝 me: We Need To Eat Lee Felix ASAP

but also [deranged screaming] this is my first comeback with them as a stay and i'm going to go insane because EVERYTHING about this comeback will not let me live like ?????????????? please stop for my sanity despite having none in the first place

my first comeback was noeasy (? somewhere around there) so i've been around awhile but it's always been like. oh yeah those men hot but anyway what about jun. i had bigger and better things to focus on so i didnt really try to get super into them 😔 and it took me the LONGEST time to choose a bias bc i just liked them so casually and i wasn't super attached to any of them (and also my ex friend was crazyyy about hyunjin so i was like damn ok girl u can have him chill ! she almost put a hole in her tv once watching the red lights mv but that's a whole nother thing). then by the time oddinary came out i had watched a little more and knew them a little better (lots of chan/felix compilations in my youtube history bc theyre so silly together little guys) and i was like okay yeah its official. that dude is My Man. he's just so auuuurghhhhh grrrrr bark bark bark i love him but at first i just picked him bc i liked him the best even tho i still didn't know that much about them. and then like for some reason in the last couple months something just clicked and i've been feral deranged foaming at the mouth over him ever since like idk what happened but one day out of the blue i woke up and i was like. must eat him must eat him must eat him i need that man carnally viscerally desperately. i have probably read every single felix fic on this app in the last week i've literally just been scrolling thru the felix fluff/smut/etc tags every night for hours like i am down BAD. definitely not more that svt and definitely not ult status yet but like. he is climbing the charts i fear he is getting closer (svt pun). also a friend from the kpop club at my school recently dropped her skz collection and gave me like 6 felix photocards and i was like well fuck now i need MORE of him and so then i bought all their recent albums and my wallet is very unhappy about that but serotonin part of brain is very happy about that. silly little man cards make happy chemical go brr

[wormytoast]

i'm... really not sure how to feel about jiaoqiu's kit

to put it simply he's like—a reverse gui? his basic is single target while his skill is a blast; both can apply a stackable vulnerability debuff (up to 5 times) "roast the ashes". i'll just call it "roast". it lasts for 2 turns. his skill also applies it which theoretically means his skill should apply 2 roast stacks? but not sure

his ult is a whole fucking deal because it's tied to his talent. (cost: 100, LOW) the wording is weird, so i could be wrong but i'll try to work my way through it so i understand

"sets roast to the highest number of stacks present on the battlefield". i'm assuming this means that the highest stack of roast will be transferred to all enemies—for example, if there are two enemies inflicted with roast, one with 1 stack and the other with 3, then after using his ult both enemies will be set to 3 roast stacks.

he then sets up a field and deals fire dmg to all enemies (aoe). while the field is up enemies will take more ult damage and have a chance to be inflicted with roast on their turn. field lasts for 3 turns and counts down on his turns.

his traces make it so that, while the field is up, a) enemies ehr is reduced by 30%, b) they take some damage based on jiaoqiu's atk during their turn (so a pseudo-burn), and c) any enemies that enter the battle while the field is up will be inflicted with the highest stacks of roast on the battlefield (similar to the above example).

his last trace gives him 60% atk for every 15% of ehr that exceeds 80% which stacks up to 4 times—basically he gets 240% atk at a max of 140% ehr

his sig lc gives 60% ehr and can apply another vulnerability debuff. hitting an enemy already inflicted with the lc debuff can "escalate" the debuff to a stronger one.

traces: 28% ehr, 4.4% fire dmg boost, 5 spd

summary is that he inflicts roast any time he hits an enemy. ult sets up a field that keeps roast at the max stack. while the ult is up enemies will also take a pseudo dot during their turn. gameplay would revolve around getting roast stacks up and consistently launching his ult to make sure his field isn't dispelled.

(the rest is personal thoughts and ranting lol)

to expand on my previous statement, he's like a reverse gui—jiaoqiu's main function is to apply a debuff and his secondary function is to deal damage with a pseduo-dot. little gui's main function is to apply a dot and her secondary function is to apply a debuff.

he's also kind of similar to black swan—they have that similar trace, although BS only needs 120% ehr for a dmg buff while jiaoqiu needs 140% ehr for an atk buff. his ult's field is like BS's trace that can inflict arcana when an enemy enters battle. the difference is that BS's is a passive that's always up while jiaoqiu requires his ult's field.

in theory his kit sounds okay. if anything he sounds like a PF unit with the "enemies that enter battle while the field is up" bit. one of my main problems is his traces that give him spd (5 total)... but his base spd is 98. without any spd gear he's at 103 which is already what most supports run at (gui is base 106 spd). there's no reason for him to be as slow as a dps when he's meant to be a support and AT MOST a sub-dps.

the other part i'm not sure about is that his kit kind of has an identity crisis, especially when you look at his e2. at e0 he's an aoe debuffer that supports ult-focused units (ex. acheron and argenti)... but he has a lot of personal damage baked into his kit. his e2 considers his pseudo-dot to be a dot so all of a sudden he becomes a dot unit that can be played in dot comps.

there's also his stat needs—he's absolutely going to want spd because of his abysmal base spd stat so 2pc hackerspace is already a must (maxed spd boost only bring him to 128 spd); he wants 140% total ehr which would require an ehr chest piece unless you have great subs and have him at e0s1 to ease the stat need—but at the same time he gets 240% atk from maxing out 140% ehr, which brings into question which build would be more ideal. it's also unfortunate because the atk% bonus just goes back to his atk stat instead of buffing his total outgoing dmg like BS's "ehr to dmg bonus" trace.

if you want to get to 140%: traces (28%)+ehr body (43.2%)+sig lc (60%)+ipc planar set (10%) which gets you to EXACTLY 141.2% ehr. which basically means you can focus on other subs and ignore ehr. if you go without the ehr body then you're at 98% ehr and you'd need 42% ehr in subs which, realistically, isn't particularly hard... but at the same time his atk% stat will already be extremely bloated from his trace so there isn't much point to an atk% body unless you want to go, like 4k atk jiaoqiu or something, and at that point the only reason you'd do that is for his e2 to play him in dot comps.

the thing that annoys me the most is the spd stats in his traces. why not just make him 103 base spd and make those trace nodes something else instead, like eff res or even def/hp if he needs it. idk it just think that part is really fucking stupid. anyways hiiiiiiiiii this is my bloggggg

[2383-lines-of-code]

internet linguistics are interesting bc it develops differently depending on the fandom/app you’re on.

like blorbo, bias, fav, ult, and stan are all ways to refer to your favorite person/character/thing but often times there is a “correct” one to use.

(all of these examples are just based on my personal experience with the general usage of these words, so there could easily be words/fandoms/usages I haven’t come across)

for example when talking abt my favorite bsd character on tumblr, i could use fav or blorbo and no one would bat an eye, but it would be weird to use the term blorbo on insta or tiktok. this is probably because the word blorbo originated from a tumblr meme so other social media platforms have no context for the word or its definition/use. altho there are no strict rules for it blorbo seems to generally but used to talk about fictional characters from any type of media while on tumblr.

bias is rly interesting to me bc it seems to pretty much only be used as a synonym for fav within the kpop community (obv im not in every fandom ever so there could be an example im missing but im talking abt general use here) using bsd as an example again, i would never unironically say “Sigma is my bias” regardless of which app i was using because Sigma isn’t real, he doesnt care what i say about him, whether he’s my fav, idc abt him, or i hate him, but artists are real people who can be affected by hate, so bias at first glance appears to be a way to say who your fav irl ppl/celebs/artists are without causing any misunderstandings. (ex. saying “Yeosang is my bias” is a way to say “Yeosang is my fav ateez member” without unintentionally implying i think negatively of the rest of the group) however looking further into it, it for some reason sounds off if someone were to say “Margo Robbie is my bias” even tho it would imply you prefer her work over the work of other actresses. My guess is that within kpop there are set bands/groups with consistent members, so saying “Yeosang is my bias” means “out of these specific 8 people I like, my favorite is Yeosang” meanwhile “Margo Robbie is my bias” is too broad. There are countless actors/actresses you could pick from to compare her to, all of which work on different projects with different genres/themes, think of them as their industry’s equivalent of solo artists. You can have a fav solo artist but the word bias doesn’t tend to fit as well because you’re not saying “I like the group and I prefer _____” youre just saying “I like _____” bias appears to stay a consistent part of kpop culture no matter what platform you participate on.

the last word I wanna throw in here is fav. fav is like the baseline. no matter the app/fandom fav is the simple/non-offensive way to say “I like/prefer this thing” even if it can sound a bit odd sometimes and ppl may say “hey in ____ fandom we use _____ to say fav” no one gets mad or upset when fav is used. since it’s just shorthand for favorite, it’s like the base point that all these other words have evolved from

[justanotherniky]

30 Day HypMic Challenge!

Double post today! Because I wasn't gonna be left behind~

DAY 7: CHARACTER YOU RELATE TO THE MOST/FAVOURITE CHARACTER EVER

🎭 NURUDE SASARA

There's two clauses to this day and Sasara kind of fits both, but mostly he goes here because he's my absolute favourite character in HypMic alongside Ramuda. But I do relate to this bad boi a bit, because if you couldn't tell, clowns who clown together stick together. :)

It took me forever to actually pick a favourite character in HypMic, because there's so many, and because I'm just kind of like that. Takes me a while to commit. :kekw:

And even when I did pick, I couldn't fully settle on one, because as I said, Sasara does share the spot with Ramuda. But I guess they're my favourites for some of the same reasons, but some different ones.

I remember liking Sasara as soon as I met him while listening to the drama tracks. I knew all of the characters already, but when I got to the DotsuHon track, I had never seen Sasara in action yet, I'd just read something off of the wiki and seen pictures of him. I had no strong opinions.

But oh boy was I about to have them.

I just loved him. I didn't expect him to be so smart and clever right off the bat. I was absolutely not expecting to perceive his depth so quickly, even through his usual funny and lighthearted persona. He immediately spoke to me, and I knew I was dealing with one that was going to become one of my favourite characters ever, not just in HypMic. My ult bias, if you will. *wink* (Sasara sits at the same table as Han Jisung in my brain. They should both feel honoured.)

Not to mention that he's, just, hot. Like, LOOK AT THE MAN. I know the orange matched with the green hair is a bit controversial but STILL the idea of a very polished looking outfit but in funky colours and with a silly pattern just feels perfectly in tune with his personality. It fits him! And that also means I get to salivate over him when they choose to remove his jacket in ARB cards. (Looking at you latest event - I was a mess for days.)

Obviously, knowing me, number 1 gay person and BL fan, my favourite character couldn't not be a gay little shit as well. That is something we have in common a stupid amount: both Sasara and I are gay disasters. We would have so much fun simping over men together while drinking tea. Also it is so hilarious that Sasara has such a fixed type in men I swear to god, the Rosho/MCD Samatoki parallels have me cackling every time. This man really replaced his ex he couldn't get over with basically the same guy but in white cum patate. Iconic move. For the history books.

Also, is anyone surprised that my favourite character is once again an ENTP fuckboy? No, I know. No one is. But birds of a feather come together, I guess, because I also am an ENTP fuckboy. :) I wasn't always - I guess this little bastard influenced me, together with some other assholes like Vanitas or Dazai or who knows who else. There's always one.

Should I cut the Sasara ramble short? Maybe. Maybe I should. Thanks to those who stuck around. Stan DotsuHon, stan Sasara. Ship SasaRosho. Peace out xoxo

[whatudowhennooneseesyou]

Hiii. I've planned on asking astrology things, so now that you gave a finger, asking for my placements, I shall take the whole hand... 😈

I'm a Taurus Sun + Moon (double trouble), Leo Ascendant (the only fire sign in my chart), Gemini Mercury + Venus, Aries Mars, etc. Do whatever you want with that info 😽

At first I was going to ask if you wanted to make assumptions about me just for funzies, or feed me delulu (atz or skz compatibilities with me or w/e) *hint* Binnie + Sannie = ults 👉👈 *hint* but there are other things I've been pondering about and can't answer myself...

Libras? Libras! Internet tells me we're not that compatible...? But my two most dearest friends are Libras...? (15+ years bff: Libra S, Scorpio M, Sag A, 6 Scorpios in chart. Adulthood bff: Libra S, Sag M, Virgo A)

+ I've gravitated towards Libras in my fave groups as well... (ex. Chan and Jongho, both are similar to both my bff's, outward and inward).

+ I've realised all my true, deep relationships (I'm talking kindergarten 'til pushing 30's), friend or romantic, have always been the signs between 23/9-18/2. Autumn + winter babies are drawn to me.

What do you say, o wise one?

PS. I'm reading the fic recs you gave me. As always, you deliver 💖

Hey @ddeonghwassimp it's always great to talk to you!

I won't answer the compatibility question because I offer those in my paid readings but I can answer the 'attraction to Libra's' question using traditional astrology.

Taurus and Libra are both ruled by the planet Venus so you would feel emotionally comfortable because your values are quite similar.

Taurus and Libra both value stability, harmony and security and also like a lot of external support and friends, human companionship is important so those shared values probably makes you have an extra 'bond' with your friends.

Libra is also the less serious zodiac sign out of the two so their lightheartedness might give you a break from your serious nature, you could feel more playful around your Libra counterpart.

For your second question,

Chan is a Gemini Rising which allures you in because your Gemini Venus means he has traits you probably desire in a romantic partnership,

Also...as a Gemini Venus, are you a romantic? Because there is that constant theory that Gemini Venuses are very casual towards love/relationships.

And would you say you are more prone to being jealous or possessive?

I suspect Jongho is a Taurus Rising so he would be your bias for the same reason, that he radiates physical and emotional traits you would desire in a relationship.

Plus, they both have really nice hands which is something you're probably into.

For your third question,

I can't entirely answer that one because I don't know your friends but I could say that your friend's aspects probably influence you being comfortable around people during those birthdays.

Both the ppl you mention have Sagittarius placements which is the opposite sign to Gemini so there's that automatic physical attraction.

Gemini and Sagittarius are also intelligent creatures and love exchanging ideas and philosophies about the world and have great banter and share a similar sense of humour.

Hope that helps and I'd love to know what you think!

[tenelkadjowrites]

(my signal is acting up, so i'm not sure if you recieved my message, if you got it twice ignore one of them 😅)

thanks for your long answer!

first of all, i got into atz thanks to hongjoong, then had a brief san moment, but hwa was the one who truly captured my heart eventually and he won't let me go lolol, so i relate! i saw atz on their first tour and didn't pay much attention to seonghwa (even tho he was killing it so wtf what was on 🤡), but then wonderland happened and i was gooooooone. he's a fascinating specimen and very very inspiring too

second of all, despite everything i really liked we ransacked the city and re-read it a few times, so you clearly did something right! i do understand you may feel unsatisfied it didn't turn out the way you wanted. for me it's a good one tho!

relatable on the attraction part, i'm ace and probably aro as well, i generally find people visually pleasing, but it's mostly non-men 😅 there are many attractive male idols, but no one hits as hard as hwa, he's really my ideal gender presentation too 😭 a real chameleon and it's insanely appealing to me

i hope people aren't too rude to you or send stupid shit, cause i know it happened to one person who was strictly writing for one svt member. people complained because they wanted her to write about their biases as well, called her a solo stan and whatnot - just overall bullshit.

i agree, i also enjoy your seonghwas a lot! there's something special about the way you write him

hi hi! it isn't your signal, i got the message - i was just traveling all day yesterday and didn't get home until close to midnight so i didn't have any time to sit down and answer anything especially in the manner i prefer to!

atz is the only group where i switched my bias...and i've switched three times. i got into the group the week of debut cuz i saw a gifset of wooyoung, then hongjoong became my bias from say my name era and onward (idk if newer atiny are aware of how much hate and negativity hj originally got for his mullet but it was nonstop almost the entire time he had it on instagram comments etc. i loved how he stuck with the hairstyle for so long because he loved having it and that really leapt out at me and made me appreciate him more.) and then i switched to hwa during fireworks...but hwa has really hit me HARD on a way the only other idol i feel so unhinged over is probably taemin. (most likely because he plays with gender like a toy and i love that so much, both hwa and taemin are probably the most "ideal type" of idol to me. as you said, so many idols are gorgeous and i can appreciate how stunning they are but hwa and taemin are...just beyond for me.)

it's so cool that you got to see them at their first tour. i was unable to because 1. money to travel since they didn't visit my state and 2. personal reasons involving my dipshit now ex boyfriend. i'm always envious of anyone who got to see them so early lol.

i'm glad that you enjoyed we ransacked the city, another person said it was their favourite story of mine. i know a lot of ppl who love it. as the writer, of course you notice things about your own work that no one else will, and i just didn't think i nailed the gossip girl vibe i was trying to obtain there. i also wanted the city to feel like its own character which i believe i failed at. (and i attempted this again with arrow in the dark which i think i achieved more successfully this time around.) but i can look at any of my stories and note things i believe i "failed" at.

i do feel a mild pressure at times to write for other members of ateez but i like to believe that anyone who has messaged me, or read my asks, or even ppl i've befriended thru running this blog knows what ateez means to me. when it comes to groups, they are my ults. i am into a lot of kpop groups but they are my main loves.

i've never gotten any outright hate messages about it. i love every single member of ateez and believe every single one of the members are crucial to the dynamic of the group that makes it so successful. when mingi was on hiatus it was like smiling with a missing front tooth - you could feel the absence without him there. i love each member for different reasons, i just write about hwa 99 percent of the time because he's like...my writing muse and i'm as smitten with him as one can be when it comes to an idol. but nothing gives me greater joy than the group as a whole and i like to believe? hope? that anyone who follows this blog and reads my stuff knows that.

[hematomes]

i think the big reason faruzan isnt as good at her job over gorou and sara is because both of them can buff w/ skill and they inherently have less energy problems; gorou w/ triple geo and a lower burst cost, and sara w/ electro res and her best teammate’s(ei, fischl, and kuki) are batteries themselves

yeah, but there's also the fact that gorou and sara can be used for other dpses that function like their dedicated dps (noelle/dps albedo for gorou, fischl/yae for sara) while faruzan is stuck with scara and heizou. most of us were waiting for a support that'd work for xiao as he's been supportless for the past 2 years (except c4 jean but that shit is expensive) and being an anemo hypercarry means he can't use reactions

objectively speaking faruzan isn't bad, she still provides anemo shred at c0 like gorou buffs def & geo and sara buffs attack at c0. but there's also the fact that faru only generates 1-2 particles (with a 2nd CA on c1 that has ICD, which makes it pretty much useless unless you also have c6) while having a 80 ult, her ult is pretty weak and doesn't have other qualities (compared to gorou who heals for ex - it's a small heal but it still saves itto's ass on my side). she can barely battery wanderer once every 2 rotations 😭 tho ig it doesn't rly matter in his case since he isn't burst-reliant

like i said. she's not bad, but she's definitely one of the worst dedicated supports. then again at least she's a dedicated support, bc sumeru 4* so far have been... questionable. except layla bc her shield is one of the strongest in the game and has 100% uptime

[youngshiney]

how i would run sm: Exo edition

starting a new series of posts in which i detail what i would have done for each sm group if i was in charge. im starting at Exo bc a.) theyre my ult sm group besides my beloved RV, b.) i think about them the most, and c.) they are where kwangya should have started properly instead of lsm/sm leeching off of their concept to apply to everyone else. anyway, under the cut bc this will likely be long

Early days (pre-debut to 2013): i have a few major changes, but nothing too out there.

first point of change: line-up and positions. Exo-K is fine as is, there isnt much to change about them besides Sehun and Kai needing more lines and better coaches early days to properly develop them like the rest of vocal line. Exo-M gets a major overhaul. first of all, Henry Lau should be leader instead of kw and even tho Luhan/Jongdae are both main vocal, they should cut their parts up more so Yixing and Minseok (and Henry) can shine as well. M has great vocalists, they should be used and while Minseok is perfect at everything, his vocals are underrated by p much everyone. Zitao should be the only rapper besides Minseok sometimes. putting kw was a bad move bc Zitao is their best rapper (equal to and sometimes better than Chanyeol) and he shouldnt have been put as lead rapper. the reason i chose Henry as leader btw is because he's friendly, a musical genius, handsome, and older while not being too much older than the rest of the group. he also wasn't doing much in suju since elfs wouldnt let him join the group and suju-m was a shitshow. he was wasted in that group and it shouldnt have existed.

second point of change: Mama should have gotten a webtoon/comic series to go along with their debut. Exo literally started the lore/storyline concept (afaik but please correct me if another group had an overarching storyline like they did), so why not actually flesh out the world/characters from the Mama intro and What Is Love? like a comic would have suited their story perfectly and would have drawn in a lot of interest, leading to a better reception of their debut.

third point of change: minor outfit issues. the drop crotch pants were ugly, Kai's Wolf hair, the entire Wolf era actually (besides pink Yixing and rainbow Sehun), uh the noose on Junmyeon for Mama. like so many style problems

fourth point of change: Miracles in December. K ver should have been Baekhyun, Kyungsoo, and Junmyeon. M ver should have been Jongdae, Luhan, and Yixing. that's all.

Beginning Popularity and the Painful days (2013-2015): more changes! but mostly for promotions and schedules.

first point: Exo-M should have lived/worked in China, at least for six months out of the year. China was, and is, their biggest market and fanbase and they should have done more than like 3 Happy Camp episodes. They should have had more concerts and fanmeets and tv appearances in China, which also would have helped with the profit distribution and other issues. Tencent Video, iQiYi, and Youku all started around the time they debuted, and it would have been so easy to pitch a variety/reality show like Exo's Showtime to them, hell even a scripted show like Exo Next Door could have worked. Busking events and mini fanmeeting tours across China to replace music show appearances (ex. Boystory did a series of busking events which is along the lines of what I'm thinking of). i think doing that and maybe a shorter tour for Exoplanet 1 + 2 would have been better and allowed for more rest between cbs and schedules.

second point: 2014/2015 should have been the start of sm station songs, not necessarily the actual thing but the idea of members getting to make solo songs and mvs and release them. i think it would have helped with some of the creative frustration some members felt during that time (specifically Zitao). also they should have let members open solo youtube channels and soundclouds for the same reason.

third point: this era is important for visibility and impact so there should have been better quality schedules and more time for members to rest and heal. whats the point of having all those schedules if people are missing them constantly due to injuries or mental health issues?? better to have more memorable promotions than a lot of appearances. (i will never get over the fact that theres only ONE Call Me Baby stage with Zitao AND Yixing AND the fact that i will never hear the Chinese version live even tho Tao's parts are superior to the entire Korean version)

2016-2019: Lucky One, Monster, Lotto were great eras to continue the webtoon previously mentioned since so much lore was included in those mvs. other than that i have no issues really and the CBX debut was a great idea. no notes besides the fact that i would have had them do mvs more like Mama in that its all members but only their sub group sings instead of like Wolf or Growl where its ot12 in video and song.

THE WAR now here is where everything needs to change. besides Kai's hair (again bc sm never learns). so first of all, scrap Kokobop or make it a bside idc. its fun and all but the missed opportunity to make the Eve the title track makes me mad. and its not about the choreo bc i dont care about that, listen to the lyrics for both versions. its all about fighting a battle and the dawning of a new era and all that shit and it would have been so much better as the title for an album called THE WAR, not to mention the potential for the Exo storyline and perhaps even an X-Exo tease?? like the PLOT would have been immaculate (in my head anyway). Power is fine and gets no notes, wouldnt change anything especially the comic and album inclusions. oh also they should have worked around Yixing's schedule for The War

Tempo/Love Shot are also fine but i would have included more of the Exo storyline in the mvs and YIXING FOR LOVE SHOT. other than that, no notes. Yixing solo music, Jongdae solo music, Baekhyun solo music, SC are also all perfect.

Wildest years of their careers (2019-2021): SuperM was fine for Jopping but i would have changed the line up majorly (but thats for another day). also Obsession was perfect but i would have included the leaked footage. Junmyeon solo debut was also good (the solos are fine and i wouldnt really do anything with them changes wise). oh also how funny is it that Zitao did like two X-Exo concepts before Exo themselves (AB Style and AI). SuperM SuperOne was a mistake and shouldnt exist imo, like the songs are fine and i like some of them but there was no need to continue. Kai solo debut was also perfect and the nod to the Exo powers/lore was amazing

Don't Fight the Feeling was super cute and needed in Exo Planet and even though Yixing was a hologram, i was still happy to see/hear him. I would have done more promo for it but oh well, the Exo Arcade was good. Kyungsoo's solo debut should have had stages and performances even if it was just him alone in a room in the sm building. like there was no reason not to promote the album at all

2022: Exo Ladder was a really good idea and Junmyeon's Grey Suit was perfect. they were both the feel good content that Exols needed while there wasn't much going on. i would have had members maybe do a bit more solo/unit activities like maybe Sehun solo debut but it was pretty busy with Yixing's music and acting and Kyungsoo's show.

Minseok's solo album was decent, but personally i didn't vibe that much with the title or b-sides and I wish he had a better debut. but i wrote about that already when it came out.

small smtown mention: why the fuck didn't Yixing get to go bc he should have performed Love Shot with them bc he was there and he already knows the dance and he's a great vocal. like what the fuck sm

Future plans: SEHUN AND CHANYEOL SOLO DEBUTS, KAI3, KYUNGSOO2, MINSEOK2, JONGDAE ROCK ALBUM, EXO CB WITH YIXING, a totally self indulgent version of Phantom of the Opera with Jongdae as the Phantom and Le Sserafim Yunjin as Christine, SKY unit, Minseok/Sehun unit, my other self indulgent unit for Kai/Yuta/Joy.

overall thoughts: most of my changes are for early days and honestly i wouldnt change a lot in the later years besides capitalizing on the lore more and letting members have more freedom (creatively and personally). the divide between K/M should have been a little bit greater with only a few cbs in their career being ot12 since K and M were received and treated differently in multiple countries. i think maybe only the songs with lots of lore attached should be ot12 (thats with Henry btw). i think thats everything? if not, oh well its long enough anyway

[gloriousmonsters]

other misc omori: reverie (an omori postgame sequel mod) thots under the cut

good:

I like the environments! the original train/metro station was a little bland but alright, and the 'fallen world' concept of the Otherworld crashing into the ocean is neato

overall I like the skills a lot, I'm not sure why I'm being encouraged to keep capt. spaceboy on the brink of death ('YOUR STATS GO UP AND YOU DEAL MORE DAMAGE WITH 'AVENGER', DUDE' i insist, avoiding his 🥺 eyes) but sunny's music themed skills are fun, sweetheart's Heartbreaker encourages me to hum marina and the diamonds every time i use it, and Knead is good balance and character-wise. Combat's as fun as combat in Omori always was, minus the follow-ups and ult. attack so far at least, which i do sorely miss

just the seratonin of running around w/Capt. Spaceboy and Sweetheart in my party is immeasurable

the tagging pictures are mostly very cute

just in the scale and structure of the mod and the clear work put into it, it's very impressive

not so good:

see above about the eyes, and sort of chain that 'shouldn't sunny be visible injured postcanon' with... there's so far no emotional core where Sunny is concerned. Headspace was such a fraught thing in the original game, characterized just as much by elements of the real world and truth leaking through as it was by fantasy, and although Omori seemed like an unengaged character he actually had enormous stakes and goals; Reverie starts off with Sunny just kinda... chilling in an apartment alone, answering the door and popping into dreamland with no explanation, and he doesn't seem Slightly bothered about it. I don't know why any of this is being played out by Sunny, so I struggle to care about anything that happens

.....it's not helped by the fact the plot is as thin as tissue paper, sldjisdj. Doughie's looking for her brother, o hey we found him, anyway guess she's still sticking around. She, Capt. Spaceboy, and Sweetheart all wind up in the first area by... falling in, randomly, and all of them are motivated by 'find someone/just go home', which isn't particularly exciting. It feels very contrived, and while the plots in Omori also felt contrived, it was at least a little more dynamic and yknow, had a reason for being essentially busywork

characterization. oh boy. the mod's page earnestly says they wanted to be Really Faithful to the game, but I'm left feeling like they maybe haven't played the game recently. Capt. Spaceboy is WAY too fucking chill and politely anxious, like we're talking the guy whose boss emotion is first FURIOUS and then ALL OF THEM. If I'd been designing it I would have given him nothing but second-state emotions and higher lol, and Reverie's Spaceboy (bizarrely, not Capt. Spaceboy, even though the only times he left off that honorific in-game was in his Space BF/ex-BF/husband/ex-husband eras) seems to at most get... anxiously sad about things

he and Sweetheart have also now spent 20 minutes+ in each other's presence without (a) trying to kill each other (b) screaming match (c) declaring their undying love for each other (d) vanishing behind a censor bar like Sims in a bush (e) do you see what i'm saying. they're interacting like generic tsundere/awkward ex vibes instead of the glorious trashfire they were in canon

Sweetheart's characterization is also just... thin. like it's less egregious than Capt. Spaceboy just because she is a more one-note character in your encounters with her, but she has so much potential for depth that so far feels like it's Not There because it's easier to just have her call everyone peasants repeatedly and sometimes act tsundere

overall the actions feel very... fanfiction-not-in-a-good-way. there's not much conflict, everyone is sort of generic in how they speak... and because of the lack of connection, there's no feeling of camaraderie like there was in the original Omori gang. I couldn't even tell you what anyone thinks of Sunny. as opposed to Omori, where the dreamworld, by design, revolved around Omori--and, behind him, Sunny--people straight up don't seem to notice Sunny at all beyond a vague presence at the front of the character chain. I don't know if Capt. Spaceboy or Sweetheart recognize him as connected to Omori, or who they think he is or what he wants

overall:

i'm really hoping it gets Deeper and maybe feels less inconsequential as time goes on but my hopes aren't too high. still bothered about the eye thing also. sunny is a whole thing by himself but like capt spaceboy is A Pirate. It's An Essential Part Of His Design

okay i took WAY too long to realize what one of the things that was bothering me about omori:reverie but. why the Fuck do both sunny and capt. spaceboy have two eyes

[roseband]

batter!seunghyub

[hongcherry]

By Your Side || cs

"The quiet guy who lives next door to you hardly seems to notice you, but you can't help but notice him—he's gorgeous. You've given up all hope of striking up a conversation until he comes to your rescue one night after your ex shows up at your house, drunk and looking to take you back, whether you want him or not." - Prompt

🩹 Pair: San x Reader(f)

🩹 Rating/Genre: NC-17; Fluff, slight comfort, slice of life, neighbor au, strangers to lovers

🩹 Word Count: 6.4k

🩹 Warnings: Minor injury (cuts/scrapes), small amount of blood, intoxication/drunk character, insinuating cheating, cursing

🩹 Author’s Note: This is my first non-BTS fic, so I’m nervous! Ateez has really stolen my heart. They’re now one of my ult groups, so expect to see more of them on my blog heh. I’m excited to start writing for them. I have more Ateez fic ideas in mind that I’m looking forward to writing in the future! As always, I hope you enjoy it. 

ateez masterlist | main masterlist

The slope of his nose was perfectly leveled. His hair was straight and parted in the middle to expose some of his forehead. His lips rested in a slight pout; his brows furrowed as he struggled to slide his key correctly into the keyhole of his mailbox. You would have offered to lend him a hand, but he soon got the key in successfully. The view of his face was covered by the mailbox’s door.

You should have torn your gaze from his profile. If he caught you staring, it would be too awkward to extract yourself from the situation. You would stumble over your words as you tried to formulate an excuse. However, he was like a magnet. Your eyes stayed glued to him, scanning what little you could see now. Perhaps it was the fact his hair color had suddenly changed from a bright pink to a dark black. Although you enjoyed his magenta hair, the black hair made him more alluring. While the obvious change in his appearance caught your attention, you couldn’t deny that another reason why you were so fascinated with the man was that he was extremely handsome. From his soft eyes to his sharp jawline; it was difficult to ignore him.

San has been your neighbor for almost a year now. Recalling his move-in day brought a smile to your face. Not just because he was your gorgeous new neighbor, but because his friends came and helped him move his furniture and boxes. You were leaving your apartment to run a grocery errand and had stumbled upon yelling whispers. His friends were trying to stay quiet amongst their chaos, but it was clear whispering was not their forte. Although you didn’t stay for long, you had gathered they were arguing about how to get your neighbor’s couch through his door. Through the havoc, you had caught your new neighbor rolling his eyes with a smile on his face as he carried a box inside behind them. They were finished by the time you had come back from your grocery shopping. And even though you didn’t see your neighbor and his friends, you could faintly hear them through the door. Usually, the noise would slowly boil your blood, but it was hard to get irritated by the contagious laughing next door.

A soft click and the rattling of keys tore you from your memories. Much to your horror, you were still staring at your neighbor. You ripped your gaze to your own open mailbox and hastily grabbed what little mail you had to distract yourself. However, your stare didn’t go unnoticed as you swore you saw his lips curl into a small smile before he left without a word. 

Your shoulders sagged when he was out of your vision, eyes dropping down to the two envelopes in your hand. You had never been the greatest with keeping up with checking your mail, but after your neighbor made himself a home next door, getting your mail was the highlight of your days. It became an excuse to get a glimpse of the eye candy living adjacent to you.

Eventually, you would grow out of this strange attraction you had for your neighbor. At least you hoped you would. You had realized trying to start a conversation was harder than you imagined. It wasn’t because he gave you the cold shoulder, but you just couldn’t bring yourself to say something to him. Every time you had built up the courage, your throat would close up and prevent any words from escaping. You wouldn’t be surprised if he thought you were a creep at this point. He never struck a conversation either. Maybe you had already scared him away.

The thought had a sigh leave your lips. You didn’t want to do that.

You shut your mailbox and twisted the key, locking it. You stared at the small, metal door. Today will be the last day for a while, you told the inanimate object. You were going to give your neighbor some space. 

It was time to let go of the silly crush you had formed. It wasn’t going to go anywhere. 

Choi San was a quiet man.

He kept to himself and was never the cause for any ruckus that occurred in your apartment complex. Well, he may have been if he was with his friends, but never alone was he any trouble. He was an enigma, and you couldn’t help but feel more drawn to him because of it. You wanted to know him for more than a pretty face.

Five weeks passed when you didn’t check your mailbox every other day.  You had been accustomed to visiting your mailbox frequently, so it felt strange not to. Any time you had seen San, it was simply through passing. He would be leaving his apartment while you were entering yours or vice versa. You kept your gaze averted, forcing yourself to resist the urge to steal a glance. It wasn’t easy. Though, getting rid of any addiction was always difficult. No matter how weird it sounded, you had come to terms you were addicted to San. At least, you were addicted to the attraction you felt when you spotted him. You shouldn’t have been so down the first time you skipped going to your mailbox. Whatever trance you were lulled under in his presence was too strong to ignore.

You shook your head to yourself when you realized your thoughts were drifting to the man next door. Again. Goodness, you were hopeless.

You snatched your phone from the counter and strolled to your TV. You sunk into the cushions, pulling the blanket that was slung over the couch’s arm over your body. Despite it being the weekend, you had no plans on going out.

Last weekend was a friend’s birthday, and you were still trying to regain the energy you had expelled. The nights were fun, but you needed a few weeks to recuperate.

Twenty minutes passed before knocks at your door startled you. A quick glance at your phone’s clock informed you it was half-past eleven.

You were going to ignore the knocks as it was late, but the sounds persisted.

Sighing, you pushed off your blanket and shuffled to the door. You quietly glanced through the peephole and cursed inwardly when you saw who it was.

Normally, you would turn away from the door, but a part of you was worried about why your ex-boyfriend was knocking at your door so late. The relationship ended a little rocky, but you didn’t hate him. You hadn’t talked to him since and avoided his friends in case you would accidentally run into him. Because you didn’t dislike him enough to feed him to the wolves, you opened your door.

Hyunwoo’s eyes widen at the sound of your door opening.

“Oh, I’m sh-o glad you a-answered,” he sighed in relief, hand leaning against the frame of your door. Most of his weight was on that hand. You were sure if you moved it, he would lose his balance.

There was something off with him.

“Are you okay?” you questioned moving your hands slightly in front of you in case he was to fall. 

“Peachy,” he answered. He tilted his head as his eyes took in your night attire. The long shirt and short shorts weren’t anything designer, but it had Hyunwoo smiling.

“You not occupied, are you? ‘M just wanna shee you. Was ‘bout’a go home, but Kwan dropped’e off here. I don’t remember telling ‘im that though,” Hyuneoo rambled, his other hand waving aimlessly as he spoke. His gaze dropped as his brows furrowed at his last sentence. He looked confused suddenly.

The more he spoke, the more you realized he was intoxicated. If it weren’t for his slurring, you would know from the smell of alcohol coming from his mouth.

It was late and you did not wish to spend your weekend taking care of your drunk ex.

You glanced behind him to see if his friend had come along too—hopefully sober. Unfortunately, all you saw was empty space.

“Where’s Kwan?” you wondered. Please say waiting in the car.

“Gone. Sh-aid ‘m betta’ off here.” Hyunwoo looked up at you again, face no longer scrunched with confusion.

“Is he coming back?”

Hyunwoo shrugged and looked down when he heard something drop. Following his gaze, you saw his phone on the floor. Before you could pick it up for him, he moved the arm resting against the door frame to grab it. 

“Wait-” you tried to stop him.

“’S’kay,” he mumbled as he reached down. Barely a second later, he was losing his balance.

Your hands reached out to grab his shoulders, but his knees had already hit the floor.

“Owww,” he whined loudly, making you do a quick glance at the other doors around you. Great. Someone’s going to hear that.

“Is Kwan sober? I’ll call him and have him pick you back up.” You grabbed his phone and stuffed it in your pocket then pulled Hyunwoo up from the floor. You helped him lean against the wall outside your door.

“N-no!” Hyunwoo exclaimed and reached a hand to stop your movements. Your eyes widen at his fast reaction. “Not leaving ‘til you talk to me. Want’o talk.”

His head leaned back, Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed harshly. His hand still gripped your wrist. Despite your wishes, it appeared you would have to babysit him until you could figure out what to do. 

“Why ‘ou look sh-ad?” Hyunwoo pouted. The hand on your wrist slowly moved up to your face. You grabbed his hand and stopped it from caressing your face. You moved it back to his side. “Always hated sh-eeing you sh-ad.”

You ignored his words.

“Let’s get you inside while I call a ride for you,” you suggested and started to slowly move to your door. Your phone was inside, and you didn’t want to leave him outside alone. You could drive him back to his home, but you didn’t want to be responsible for him any longer than you had to. You weren’t sure why Kwan would leave him here like this, but you weren’t happy with that knowledge. 

Forgetting he was unstable, Hyunwoo hastily pushed off the wall to stop you from going inside. Although you didn’t understand what he was fearful of, you guessed it was because he wanted to stop you from calling someone.

“Hyunw-” you gasped as you felt him grip your waist firmly and begin to stumble.

Unlike before, he fell with you in his hold.

You staggered to the floor.

“Shit,” you hissed as you felt the heel of your palms burn from scraping the concrete floor. There was also an aching pain in your ass from falling backward on the hard ground.

Suddenly, the sound of a door clicking open stole your attention from the stinging in your hands. 

Standing with a startled expression was your handsome neighbor. His hair was wavy and fluffy, making you want to ruffle his locks. He wore black sweatpants with white stripes down the sides and a grey muscle tee. You wondered how such a cute face could be on a body like that. The contrast was eye-catching.

After four weeks of barely seeing him, you wanted to stay seated on the floor with your eyes glued to his. Unfortunately, or fortunately, you didn’t have the chance because Hyunwoo’s voice brought you back to your situation.

“Don’t worry,” Hyunwoo reassured your neighbor, hand waving him off as he tried to stand up. “Jus’a’lil accsh-ident.”

San’s expression soon turned into concern as his eyes darted from Hyunwoo to you. He quickly moved forward and held out his hand.

“Are you hurt?” he asked as he waited for you to accept. His voice was tender like the gaze he had cast toward you.

Even though now was your chance to feel his skin upon yours, part of you didn’t want to. You were too embarrassed at having been caught on the floor with your drunk ex somewhere behind you. You couldn’t even entertain your lingering crush on him at the moment. 

Because you didn’t want to make the situation any worse, you took his hand anyway and allowed him to pull you up. His hand was large around yours and cool to the touch. You muttered a thank you as he lifted you. He was stronger than you imagined, and you accidentally stumbled from the strength he used to help you stand.

His hands rested on your shoulders to steady you while yours came to rest on his biceps. A slight blush bloomed on your cheeks at the feel of his bare skin, and you quickly retracted your hands. 

“I’m sorry,” he said sheepishly then glanced behind you, not bothered with you having touched him.

“It’s okay,” you murmured. “I’m okay-”

Abruptly, San quickly held out a hand and grabbed Hyunwoo, stopping him from falling on you again and dragging you all to the floor. San’s other hand still rested on your shoulder.

He looked at you after studying Hyunwoo for a moment. “Can you walk?”

Once you nodded, San moved the hand that was on you to grab Hyunwoo. He could hold him up better. 

“Did you want him in your home, or should I rest him against the wall?” San questioned, quickly assessing Hyunwoo’s state. Although you both have never spoken to each other, the only form of exchange were head nods, you had heard his voice on occasions. Sometimes while he was on the phone or if his friends came over. Nevertheless, his voice was as smooth as you remembered. You would have indulged in the way it comforted you if it weren’t for this particular situation.  

“’M can walk!” Hyunwoo scoffed and attempted to push San’s hands from him. “Yn, tell ‘im to let me go.”

“Follow me,” you quickly said and ignored your ex’s whining. You didn’t want another neighbor to see what was happening. You stepped inside your apartment again, holding the door open as San helped Hyunwoo stagger in. You gestured to the couch then shut the door.

“Whatcha’ doing, man? I sh-aid ‘m can walk!”

San disregarded Hyunwoo’s pleads as he guided him to your couch. He eased your ex down on your couch, having to quickly push him back onto the cushions when Hyunwoo tried to stand again.

“You’ll be fine. Just sit for a while,” San said calmly to Hyunwoo, yet there was a firmness to it that made it sound more like a command than a light suggestion.

Hyunwoo huffed in his face but stayed seated finally.

“Yn,” Hyunwoo called. “He ca’eave now.” He gestured to San who was hovering near the couch in case Hyunwoo decided to kiss the floor again.

You glanced at San, wanting to tell him you were okay now, but part of you didn’t want him to go. Whether it be because you needed his strength if Hyunwoo were to fall again or if you simply wanted to be in his presence without standing near your mailbox.

As if San could sense your hesitancy, he offered, “I can stay if you want. I don’t mind.”

“But I do!” Hyunwoo protested.

“That’d be nice,” you sighed, a headache forming.

“It’s not ‘ike you’o ignore me,” Hyunwoo interjected; his body sagged against the cushions as if feeling defeated.

“May you give us a moment? Sorry. You can sit over there,” you asked San and pointed at your dining room across the room.

“Of course,” he answered politely and took a seat at your dining table. He pulled out his phone and averted his attention from you. You figured he did that more so out of courtesy than boredom. 

You moved closer to the couch to grab your phone.

“Why did Kwan leave you here?” you asked Hyunwoo. One of his hands reached up to grab your forearm. He stared at you with half-lidded eyes, lips tugged down in a frown.

“Something ‘bout me bein’ annoying. Sh-aid I needed to talk’o you.” He tugged, rougher than you believed he meant to, but it caused you to fall next to him on the couch. For some reason, your eyes quickly glanced at San, but he was still looking at his phone screen.

“Okay,” you said slowly. “What did you want to talk about?”

As you waited for his answer, you scrolled through your contacts to find Kwan.

“Us-h,” Hyunwoo said and gently rubbed your forearm. When he noticed your attention was heavily directed to your phone instead of him, he placed a hand on yours that was holding the device.

You finally glanced in his direction.

“Maybe we should talk about it another time,” you lied and tried to keep your voice low. Even though it was probably best to talk about that topic when he was sober, you didn’t want to talk about it at all. You felt the conversation would be redundant as you’ve already talked things through. At least, that’s how you felt.

“Pfft,” he scoffed and pushed himself farther into your cushions. Maybe he thought he could embed himself in your furniture so he couldn’t leave. “You’re ignorin’eh too much for me’o believe that.”

“Hyunwoo,” you sighed and gently removed his hand from yours. “It’s been a year already. I thought you moved on.”

As discreetly as you could, you began searching through your contacts. When you found Kwan’s name, you sent a quick text telling him to pick Hyunwoo up if he was sober.

“A year?” Hyunwoo wondered. The look on his face showed he didn’t realize how long it’s been. You barely have seen Hyunwoo after the breakup–could count the number of interactions you had with him on your hands. Sometimes it was at a shared friend’s event or through passing at local stores since you both lived in the same city. Regardless, it was never more than 15 minutes at a time.

Hyunwoo’s shoulders sagged, eyes squeezing shut as if to erase that thought from his mind. “Right,” he mumbled more to himself.

A vibration in your hand turned your gaze away from your ex. Luckily, Kwan was fine to come back. A silent sigh left your lips as you felt relieved that you wouldn’t have to drive him home.

“Get some rest, okay?” you said. You wanted to say you’d talk about it later, but you knew you didn’t want to, so you refrained from the offer.

Hyunwoo’s energy must have decreased exceptionally. He simply nodded and let his head fall back. Gently, you adjusted him so he was laying down. You waited for a few minutes in case he woke up and became needy again. When he didn’t, you carefully got up, placed his phone next to him, and went to where San was seated.

“I’m sorry you had to deal with this, but thank you for helping,” you said as you sat down across from him.

San tucked his phone into his pocket and sent you a reassuring smile. Your eyes flickered to his small dimples. You never saw them too much, but they always had your heart warm in your chest. They made him look much cuter. 

“You don't need to apologize,” San assured. “I’m sorry you had to get stuck with your drunk friend.” 

You opened your mouth to correct him, but why should you? It didn’t matter if San thought he was your friend or your ex. The details were irrelevant. 

Instead, you said, “I’m still grateful you helped me.”

“‘Course,” he murmured.

His gaze moved to your clasped hands on the table. You started to feel conscious of them under his stare and began to tuck them beneath the table. However, San was quick to stop the movement.

He slowly turned your hands over, palms up. You looked at him confused. 

“You should clean this,” he instructed kindly and traced a small area on your hands. 

You averted your gaze down quickly.

On both palms were red areas with scratch marks. The areas weren’t big, but you could still see the worry in San’s eyes. 

The warmth in your chest spread at the fact he cared about your wellbeing even though he didn’t really know you and the injuries weren’t major.

“Come,” he said and carefully rose from his chair. The layout of the apartment must be similar to his because he navigated to the kitchen sink with ease. That or he saw it when he sat at the table.

Silently, he turned on the facet, checking the temperature several times as the seconds passed. You watched with more attention required. You had never imagined the neighbor you’ve been smitten with would be in your apartment. Let alone helping you clean a wound.

You took the time to stare at his profile while his focus was on the running water. He had small stud earrings and his skin was light honey. His hair fell in front of his face, the wavy locks concealing his eyes. You were partly glad for that so he couldn’t see you staring…again.

Once San was satisfied, he hastily washed his hands and then held out a hand. You quickly placed a hand in his. Probably a little too fast, but you didn’t want to be caught distracted. 

He led your hand under the water. His movements were gentle as he cleaned your scrapes. For someone who was physically strong, he knew when to be tender. After he cleaned both hands, he dried them off with a clean towel you had handed him.

“Do you have band-aids?” he asked while drying your hands.  

“I’ll be fine,” you brushed off his question. Not because you didn’t have any, but because you already felt he did enough. You didn’t want him to think you were totally useless.

San chuckled lowly and peered at your face through his hair. You had the urge to move his hair to see him clearly but resisted.

“I know,” he said, “but just let me play doctor for a few more minutes.”

His teasing tone caught you off guard and you lowered your head to hide the small smile forming on your lips. 

“I-I’ll go get them then,” you replied and left to retrieve them before he could stop you. You could hear the faint sound of his laughter as you moved to your bathroom.

You wished you weren’t so nervous being in his presence but after months of admiring from afar, you couldn’t stop fumbling over your words and thoughts.

When you came back, San was leaning against the kitchen counter, hands resting behind him on the countertop. The position had his shirt stretch slightly across his torso. While he had broad shoulders, his waist tapered to give him an attractive figure. His gaze was on your ex sleeping on your couch. You couldn’t read his expression and part of you wondered what he was thinking.

“Band-aids, Dr. Choi,” you announced and held out the box. 

San turned his head to you, a smile forming on his lips at your joke. He stood up straighter at the title and took the box from your hold.

“Thank you, Ms. Yn,” he played along. He pulled out some band-aids, picked the correct sizes, then started to open them.

“Now I’m not sure if you’re my patient or my assistant. I don’t think it’s appropriate for doctors to ask their patients to bring them items.”

You giggled at his dilemma and held out your hands when he gestured for them.

“I can be whatever you want me to be,” you teased, not taking the time to consider the multiple meanings that one sentence held.

Your response had San faltering in his movements, thumbs paused as he was in the middle of pressing the ends of the band-aid flat against your skin.

“I-I meant that I didn’t care if I was a patient or an a-”

You stuttered as you tried to explain yourself; however luckily for you, loud knocking interrupted you. 

The booming sounds of the knocks startled San and he quickly jumped away from you, letting the second band-aid flutter to the floor and a small yelp escaped his mouth. You bit your lower lip to stop smiling at his reaction. You hadn’t even considered that San might be easily scared. Before you could go down the rabbit hole of thinking of his other traits, another knock emitted.

There was a groan near the couch, and you realized the knocking must be Kwan.

You quickly went to the door and swung it open, not bothering to look through the peephole.

“Long time no see,” Kwan said with a smile that didn’t seem genuine. You had met him through Hyunwoo and while he liked you initially, he started to dislike you after your and Hyunwoo’s breakup.

“Hey,” you greeted. “He’s on the couch sleeping. I can help move him to the car.”

You stepped aside to let him in. As you were about to guide him to where Hyunwoo was, he stopped you.

“What did he tell you?”

“What?” you questioned as you shut the door.

“Do you know why I left him here?” Kwan asked, not bothering to explain himself. His voice was pretty hushed. Maybe he didn’t want to wake Hyunwoo.

“Something about him being annoying,” you recalled.

Kwan scoffed. “That, but also because he’s been so pathetic lately. All he talks about is you and how you broke his heart.”

You gave him a confused expression; you didn’t like where this was going.

“The breakup was mutual. How could I br-”eak his heart? You stopped yourself from asking because there was no point. You knew Kwan would just formulate a reason that would make you feel guilty. Although you didn’t want to hurt Hyunwoo, you both ended the relationship in agreement. You were simply going in different directions in life. 

“Look,” you sighed. “He isn’t my responsibility, and he needs to move on. We’re not getting back together.”

You stood your ground even when Kwan sent a cold glare in your direction.

“Even if we did, you think I would be happy? You think me being unhappy would make Hyunwoo happy?” you tried to explain.

“You could be happy if you just-”

“No,” you stopped him with a raised hand. “I’ve moved on. Hyunwoo is a good guy-” Kwan scoffed. “-But I don’t see a future with him.”

“You’re so-!”

“Kwan?”

Both you and Kwan moved further into the apartment at his name being called. Hyunwoo sat up on the couch and began to stand. For once you were grateful for Hyunwoo. You didn’t want to hear the rest of Kwan’s sentence; it was most likely filled with profanities. 

“Hey, buddy.” Kwan moved to help Hyunwoo stand. “You ready to go?”

Hyunwoo hummed and then looked at you.

“Call me later, ‘kay?” He spoke slowly, voice a little groggy.

You stilled at the question. You would call if he wasn’t going to try to convince you to get back together, but every conversation after the breakup consisted of him dropping hints of wanting to be with you again.

You must have stayed silent for too long because Hyunwoo exhaled a defeated sigh. Kwan sent you another scowl, threatening with his gaze to say yes.

“It’s fine. Never mind,” Hyunwoo said and waved his hand as if to push away the question that was hanging in the air.

“Why can’t you just talk to him like an adult, Yn?” Kwan interrupted rudely.

“It’s fine, Kwan,” Hyunwoo repeated. “‘M not gonna’ force-”

“No, Hyun, you deserve a simple talk with her.” Kwan directed his attention to you again. “It’s the least she can do.”

You stared at him incredulously. He’s acting as if you cheated on Hyunwoo with ten guys, but you didn’t do such a thing. Why would Hyunwoo agree to break up if he really didn’t want to?

“There’s nothing else to say,” you argued.

“Evidently that’s a lie because Hyunwoo’s been moping-”

“How is that my fault?” you snapped.

“Are you serious, Yn?!” Kwan exclaimed.

“If she doesn’t want to call, then she doesn’t want to call.”

The new voice had all three of you turning toward the kitchen. You had forgotten San was still here in the midst of your personal chaos. San’s once calm demeanor turned fierce. You had never seen this side of San, but you had a suspicion he was holding back on saying more. 

Kwan let out a dry laugh.

“Ah, I see,” he said and shook his head. “When did you find him? A day before you broke up with Hyun?”

San clenched his jaw, body tensed as he forced himself to stay put when all he wanted to do was kick him out. Maybe not with force... Unless he had to. He saw himself as a lover, not a fighter, but that didn't matter if you were in danger.

It was clear Kwan had made a false persona of you. You were sure he believed you had done something sinister to Hyunwoo that led to the breakup. Though, it also made you realize that Hyunwoo let him believe that. Did he even try to save your face?

“I think it’s time for you to go. Thanks for picking him up,” you said and disregarded Kwan’s gibe. You didn't need, nor want, to listen to him anymore.

You moved toward the door, but Hyunwoo and Kwan didn’t follow.

“Will you call him?” Kwan asked sternly. He wasn’t going to leave unless you agreed.

Exasperated, you opened your mouth to say fine, but San cut you off.

“It’s clear she has nothing more to say. Drop it and leave.”

“The question wasn’t directed to you, pretty boy,” Kwan said, rolling his eyes.

“Yet you’re meddling with issues they need to solve on their own,” San retorted. His eyes were glued to Kwan’s. If San had acted like this when you first saw him, you would have avoided him at all costs. Everyone has their dark side, per se, but San’s was much darker than you had imagined for someone who seemed like a loving cat. 

“I have to because Hyun won’t gro-!”

“Let’s just go. M’ head’s killing me, man,” Hyunwoo said, body struggling to stay upright any longer. Although he wasn’t completely sober, the nap at least knocked some sense in him.

Kwan pressed his lips together but began to walk toward the door. You held the door open and watched as they made their way to the exit. 

As they passed you, Hyunwoo tripped. You reached out to grab him, but Kwan held a hand to stop yours. The quick action had startled you and you pulled back. You could hear San’s hurried footsteps as he came closer. You weren’t entirely sure why he was suddenly by your side, but you guessed it was in case Kwan tried to do something.

“Don’t touch him,” Kwan snarled at you and led him out the door without your help.

The second they were out the door, you shut and locked it.

You pressed your back against the door and inhaled a deep breath. Your eyes stilled on the ceiling, trying to ease your tense shoulders as the seconds ticked by.

“Do they visit often?” San asked, pulling you from your thoughts.

“No. They haven’t been here in a long time,” you said and glanced down at your feet. Why did Kwan have to stir up unwanted emotions? 

“If they come back, you can just call me and I’ll come over,” he said earnestly. 

“They won’t harm me. I don’t need to burden you.”

“They are capable of it, though, and I don’t want anything to happen to you.”

You looked up at San, head tilting as you tried to force yourself to be rational. The sentence had butterflies flapping in your stomach that you tried to ignore. He was just being friendly–probably would say that to anyone. Knowing how sweet and protective he seemed to be could confirm that suspicion. 

“Thanks,” you muttered. “But I still don-”

“What’s your number?”

You stuttered incoherent words as you tried to grasp his question. In the back of your head, you knew he was asking so you could call him if you needed his help. Though, you couldn’t stop the thought of him asking you this for another reason.

“Should I just give you mine instead?” San chuckled softly when you didn’t answer right away.

“No- I mean sure- No, wait, I can just give you mine.” 

San laughed again and pulled his phone out. He navigated his way to his contacts and added a new one.

“Number?” he asked again.

This time, you gave it to him.

“I sent you a text so you have my number. I’m serious; let me know if they come back. You won’t be bothering me. I’ll probably come over if I hear them anyway.”

“Why?” you asked before you could stop yourself.

San gave you a small smile. “Because I can’t let my mail buddy get hurt.”

“W-what?” you gasped and looked at him with wide eyes. San laughed, a corner of his lips quirking up in a smirk. The sound of his laughter had you smiling involuntarily; however, they quickly dipped down when he continued.

“You’re not very discrete,” San said teasingly.

“What would I need to be discreet about?”

“You know, I kept thinking I had food or something on my face,” he started to say, “but then I just realized you simply enjoyed looking at me.”

San grinned wider, eyes turning into crescents as he watched your expression change into horror and embarrassment. 

“I’m s-sorry!” you said. You were uncertain what else to say and you sure weren’t going to admit the reason why. The embarrassment you felt now would last a solid six months, even more. You didn’t want to add additional time. However, it seemed San was having fun seeing you flustered. 

“Why sorry? Who said I didn’t like it?”

A small yelp left your lips, and you brought your hands to your face to hide your flushed cheeks.

“Why haven’t you been coming to the mailboxes lately? I was getting worried.” Although San’s tone was still light, you could catch the hint of concern.

“I went.” Not entirely a lie because you did go, but very briefly and at times that no one would be there. “Must have missed each other.”

San quirked an eyebrow up in disbelief. “I highly doubt that,” he said and gave you an encouraging smile to tell the truth.

“F-fine!” you huffed and pulled your hands from your face. “I didn’t want to creep you out.”

San stared at you long enough to make you feel awkward. You were about to apologize again when San spoke.

“Why would a pretty girl staring at me creep me out? I found it endearing.”

You were sure your cheeks were already pink. Now, they’re bright red.

“Don’t say that,” you said bashfully.

“Mhm,” he hummed as if in thought and kept a smile on his face. “Very cute indeed.”

His reply made you feel he was talking to himself. You hadn’t prepared for San to say such things. Even when you daydreamed of interactions with him, they never turned out like this.

“Would you be okay with hanging out together sometime? Not just when you’re in need of a knight in– Actually, I guess I would be a doctor in sweats instead of a knight.”

You laughed at his joke, recalling how he had tended to your wounds ever so carefully. The lighthearted tone had eased your nervousness. 

“Yeah, I would like that,” you answered with a smile of your own. 

San nodded. “I’m glad to hear that. How about tomorrow?”

“Tomorrow?” you asked, surprised. You were excited to finally be able to learn more about San, but tomorrow felt too soon. You needed time to mentally prepare.

“About five? I would say earlier, but it’s already so late that I doubt either one of us will want to be up early.”

At the mention of time, you quickly reached for your phone to check. However, you had left it somewhere and from where you stood, you couldn’t see the clock in your kitchen.

“It’s two,” San said.

“O-oh wow. I’m sorry I kept you up.” You didn’t realize how long it’s been–how long you’ve been keeping San from sleeping.

“You apologize a lot, huh?” San observed to which you blushed again. “It’s okay, really. Don’t stress about it. I wanted to stay. So, what do you say? Tomorrow at five?”

“Where will we go?”

San shrugged. “I haven’t thought about that yet. Just wear whatever you feel comfortable in. I’m sure you’ll look b- I’m sure it won’t be anything fancy.”

San’s cheeks turned their own shade of rose as he quickly changed his sentence. Despite not knowing what he was going to say, you felt your heart beat a little quicker with the thought of what he had planned.

I’m sure you’ll look beautiful.

It may not be exact, but you let yourself indulge in what could be a false statement because it made you feel good. His pink cheeks were a good hint that you were probably correct, though.

It felt good to have him finally feel shy. It gave you some confidence. 

“Okay then,” you said. “Tomorrow at five.”

San beamed at you. You couldn’t wait to see more of his smile.

“If they ever come back, call me. I don’t care if it’s four in the morning, okay? You have my number.”

“Okay,” you said and reluctantly moved off the door so you could open it.

“You mean it?”

“I do.”

And you did.

Because Choi San was such a caring person you could feel how genuine he was being. You hadn’t wanted to call him at first because you weren’t sure if he was just saying that to be polite. However, you could sense he was being serious with every fiber in his body. Plus, you believed him when he said he would come on his own accord if he heard anyone disturb you.

You slowly opened the door for him and watched as he stepped outside, hands digging into his pocket to retrieve his keys.

Before he stepped into his own apartment, he glanced at you.

“Sleep well, Ms. Yn,” he said sweetly.

You giggled at his reference. Playing along, you replied, “Goodnight, Dr. Choi.”

The warm smile on his handsome face was the last thing you could think of as you fell asleep, eager and anxious for tomorrow. 

You weren’t sure where your and San’s relationship was going to go, whether it will be platonic or not. One thing was for sure, though. You wanted Choi San in your life simply because he brought a light you weren’t going to be able to replicate. And that alone was cherishable enough.

ATEEZ COMEBACK LET’S GO!!!!! I’M SO HYPED FOR IT. THESE PROMOTIONS ARE CREATIVE AND INCREDIBLE. I’m extremely amazed by the marketing strategies–unannounced posters, AirDropped codes??? These trailers for their movie comeback? Hello?! Stan Ateez lol. I love that they’re using their storyline to guide their promos. Also, my favorite stage on Kingdom was their Rhythm Ta performance, so I’m very anxious to see what all they’ve been working on. Anyway, I’m just excited to get more into the Ateez community. I need more fellow Atinys in my life! Please be my friend 😫 lol

Thank you for reading! 🧡

©️hongcherry // DO NOT REPOST OR MODIFY. Please consider reblogging if you liked this work to show your support. Feedback/commentary is always welcomed.