#i can’t believe i forgot to add it

[strawb3rryt]

Superhero plush appreciation post

[swprequels-big-bang]

i forgot to add the fic, i am so sorry! reblog this version!

We Take What's Left

After Vel refuses the seventh arranged she is offered, her parents fall back on a much older tradition for unruly princesses. Seven years later, the first knight makes it past the defenses Vel has added to her tower.

fic by @daylylwrites art by @fiyaharts

link to original art post

[comical-icicle]

Fighting with the rabbit man. Honestly we should have gotten into a fistfight with dr hare, there were so many opportunities and I think it would have been funny.

Oh well, I’ll just draw my oc fighting him instead. I posted a sneak peek sketch earlier and then got some serious motivation, so managed to get it colored and shaded.

Also, glimpse for LI’s fit when she first started adventuring.

[lulu2992]

@the-silver-chronicles, to answer your question about Sharky’s eye color in Far Cry 5, his wanted poster says they’re blue, but when you look at them in person... they’re brown.

Compared to blue-eyed characters like Mary May (top) and Hurk (bottom), it’s even more obvious:

So I guess they weren’t completely wrong for giving him blue eyes in New Dawn (because of the poster), but it was still surprising how different they looked.

[kindlythevoid]

Jason Todd’s Reading List

(bc I got tricked deceived shown a comic list of his best appearances instead of the classics that this boy would be reading)

(And then I got carried away so now it’s organized by phase)

(Enjoy and feel free to add as I haven’t read his comics nor a ton of classics~)

Jason’s Reading List:

(this is what I imagine he read as a child; books that Sheila read to him, or if he spent time in the library during story time or checked out books; pre-Robin days)

The Secret Garden

The Three Musketeers

The Wizard of Oz

Alice in Wonderland

Sherlock Holmes

Jason Todd-Wayne’s Reading List:

(so this isn’t quite what I imagine him reading for fun as Robin, so much as what I imagine he read during his school years as Bruce Wayne’s adopted son; books that he may not have picked up on his own otherwise)

To Kill a Mockingbird

Of Mice and Men

The Great Gatsby

Old Man and The Sea

Great Expectations

The Scarlett Letter

The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Tempest

Anthony and Cleopatra

The Odyssey

Gulliver’s Travels

Doctor Faustus

Robin’s Reading List:

(these are books that he definitely read in his free time, absolutely found in the Wayne Library and you cannot convince me that he and Alfred didn’t/don’t have a little book club)

Pride and Prejudice

Emma

Sense and Sensibility

Persuasion

Northanger Abbey

Mansfield Park

Jane Eyre

Romeo and Juliet

Much Ado About Nothing

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Henry V

Richard III

Red Hood’s Reading List:

(as if this man would give up his reading habit; however it is now with 250% more angst, death/revival/ghost references, and family/betrayal-related jabs)

Wuthering Heights

Frankenstein

Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

The Count of Monte Cristo

Hamlet

Macbeth

Othello

King Lear

Caesar

Moby Dick

The Iliad

Catch-22

1984

Crime and Punishment

Anyway there you go!! Feel free to add or reject any of books!! And special thanks to @animal-123-crazy who mentioned wanting to see this once (1) which gave me the courage to make this!!

[jlyarts]

Wyll. you agree

[you-are-the-lightning]

[n1ghtpers0n15]

Here y’all go, It’s Orpheus, before he boarded The Fair Mistress

Had to draw him with and without these, he doesn’t wear these ones often, they ain’t comfortable.

Also here’s his lore as well as a bit of personal information

Hope it’s interesting, if y’all wanna know anything about him like hobbies or whatnot, please feel free to ask

Also, Fun Fact: I only typed in things known by Orpheus

EDIT!!!! EDIT!!!!! I KNEW I FREAKING FORGOT SOMETHING, HOLD ON!!!

Orpheus saw-blade, works as a knife and lil saw, it’s real handy!

[rowanthestrange]

Sunny In The Pit

Rating: T Characters: The Fourteenth Doctor, River Song, The TARDIS Pairing: Fourteen/River

Tags: The Doctor’s Name(s), The Division, Depression, Mood Swings, Mental Illness, Hallucinations, Heartbreak, Previous 13/Yaz, 11/Rory, 10/Rose etc, Teeth, Trans Themes, Teeth, Emetophobia, Being Perfectly Normal, Mad [Person] In A [Shape].

————

The Doctor and River Song in a hole that cannot be climbed out of. Or something to that effect.

[the-monkey-ruler]

Hey could I ask something , I never watched anything related to jttw , but I would like to read and purchase the novels ,hmm my quistion is , is there any kind of bromance in it ? Hear warming stron friendship ?if yes between which caracters ? , I would be happy if i got the answers of thease quistions , thank you :)

@d-genie Wukong in the first seven chapters is pretty solo all his own as he starts a ruckus but once it finally hits the actual journey, you start to see all the different dynamics between the characters.

This is kinda a list of my favorite to my least favorite (but still favs) bromances, because I think you could find that kind of enjoyment from any of them.

In my opinion, the strongest Bromance is between all the pilgrims, I think that Wukong, Bajie, & Wujing trío is like the ultimate bromance as within the story anytime they get into some kind of shenanigans together that has both some of the sweetest moments to me, but also the greatest amount of humor. These guys play off each other so well especially when they’re just picking food or if they are pulling pranks and making bets on who can do what. It’s that just kind of camaraderie that builds up after dealing with someone for so long. And you can see like even later on how much Wujing starts to relax around the guys and Bajie builds up his own confidence because he knows he has a backup and Wukong grows in empathy for those around him. These three or without a doubt my favorite interactions.

My personal fav one-on-one relationships would def have to be Bajie and Wukong, I think they are both hilarious and interesting. Hilarious in that they are always bouncing off each other, they have this deadpanned kinda humor from talking about how they would eat each other from one moment to arguing about how to farm a field properly. The range of conversations that these two have is both fascinating and just such a great read to me. They argue over some of the stupidest things and take it as seriously as lectures. Also from all the pranks they pull on one another. Honestly, they see are the most entertaining, and dare I say I think they are the closest to how much they tease and banter as they don't hold back on one other. They are brutally honest and while at first, they try to annoy each other they really come to rely on one another and Bajie shows major respect when talking about Wukong... Bajie just rather die than show that respect to Wukong's face though. Refuses to brush Wukong's big ego by showing how much he looks up to him. But in all seriousness, I think they are probably my favorite just because they can handle each other the best when it comes to both ego and even strength on some level. I think these two get the most obvious growth and you could see how they play off each other.

The next best, Bromance, I can think is Wukong & Sanzang I know that some people don’t see that in the OG novel and I could be a bit biased and how I greatly see the 1986 and 1996 as better examples of that relationship, but I really think that there’s a lot of respect for one another even if they butt heads, you could definitely tell these two are the most dedicated to the mission and each other. At first, Wukong does leave Sanzang unguarded but later on, he becomes so good at making sure that he stays safe and even cries so much throughout the novel if anything happens to him. Also that Sanzang does have an uncanny knack for knowing when demons are close and get very worried but Wukong always says with confidence he can protect them and they continue on… only for him to get kidnapped later. And again that kind of was not listening to the other, and later on that is flipped again. He goes from making fun of Sanzang for crying so much to becoming the actual crybaby and honestly, I really enjoy that transition. And Sanzang isn’t so obvious in his favoritism, but honestly, he is always looking to Wukong for the most guidance, and no matter what he says he does know that Wukong has his back. And I honestly love that we even see in later chapters when he knows that demons or after him, and he does agree with Wukong that they could be going into a trap but he doesn’t want to compromise his own values and humanity just to protect himself if it means he could save someone else. It’s just these two have such different viewpoints, but I still feel like there’s a whole lot of respect and even care between them especially when you see how much they grow because of each other.

The next best relationship I can think is Wujing & Wukong as well. They don’t get a lot of things together they do get some of the best scenes like with Wujing cheering on Wukong or that Wujing is trying to hype up his brother. Honestly, most of their interactions are very sweet if not short-lived. Wukong trusts Wujing so much to protect Sanzang and even says so when he left for the first time. He always trying to look out for the other even if he does tease him every once an a while.

After that, honestly, Bajie & Wujing are hilarious together, especially later on when Wujing definitely gets more outspoken and absolutely demolishes Bajie with his one-liners. It’s like if there’s ever a time to bully Bajie, Wujing is always right there behind the group the show side comments that are absolutely hilarious and just leaves the whole group like “damn that was out of pocket” but honestly it wasn’t. Love these two together, especially when they have to work together, but more so when they just throw jabs at each other.

Next best relationship would be Bajie & Sanzang to me, as as much as I hate Bajie manipulating circumstances to get his way, I also do like how Sanzang really thinks that Bajie wouldn’t lie just because he’s not clever enough XD and like part of him he’s always worried about Bajie especially when he’s fighting other enemies because despite him showing that he can fight really well, he knows that Bajie is also easily trick. These two are both the kidnap duo as they are also both kidnapped at the most. I feel like they both connect in that way they both have a lot of fear and they have different ways of coping with it.

Wukong & BaiLong and Bajie & BaijLong I kind of a tie for me when it comes to the next Bromance because Wukong does have that whole allegorical relationship with BaiLong but also just how much BaiLong looks up to Wukong and clearly respects him and knows that they need him even when BaiLong was the only one left to save Sanzang he took it upon himself to beg Bajie to get him back. And also I just really like that whatever shit goes south Bajie suggests selling the horse, as if this isn’t a dragon that can make his own choices XD I can only imagine Bailongs inner monologue of how he’s going to kick Bajie in his sleep.

Sanzang & Wujing is also a dynamic that isn't explored a lot because despite how much they are together the most (because usually Bajie and Wukong are all fighting Demons) they don’t get to have a lot of dialogue together, which is a shame. I get it it’s like you know, for story purposes you follow the more interesting plot but I like to think these to have the quietest moments and definitely get along the most in that they are both level-headed in situations, though they both can have a temper. It doesn’t lead to a lot of comedy or action, or even philosophical moments but I like to think that these two can definitely get along the most in a quiet setting. Also, the connection I like between them is that Wujing most definitely likely ate Sanzangs past lives, and he feels very guilty for that XD

Sanzang & BaiLong or actually the two that spend the most time together, but definitely have no dialogue between them. And it’s only a level above the last kind of relationship because BaiLong does look at Sanzang as a Master, and actually takes his job very seriously about being a good steed. I like to think that he does try to run away from demons with Sanzang on him but also, he can only do so much pain in his horse form. Also, Bailong being an extension of Sanznag's will and shows how far he is willing to go to get the scriptures.

And definitely, the least developed relationship is Wujing & BaiLong with absolutely no dialogue, and very little time spent together. Make sure they had one conversation during the whole medicine arc but otherwise, it’s pretty low-key as they just acknowledge and respect one another funny enough. Wujing is the one to confront Bailongs cousin and one of the arcs. I think these two could get along very well being very straight men but they just never get a chance despite them being more prone to the water.

[slicznymartwy]

RAHHH I WISH I MADE BILLY MORE DROOLY IN MY LATEST FIC RHHAAHHHHAHH

[kitkatsudon]

Hello, hi, hola! Yo sé que sabes mucho de tkem y hay algo que siempre me he preguntado! Sabes por qué los hijos del Principe Lee tuvieron que dejar Korea? Thx

¡Hola! En primer lugar ¿puedo— *tiene una pequeña crisis por ser reconocida como una especie de experta en tkem*

Y en segundo lugar, asumiendo que te refieres a la familia del Príncipe Buyeong, que yo sepa es una medida de seguridad tras lo ocurrido con Lee Lim, una forma de proteger al pequeño Gon. Al Príncipe Buyeong no se le permite estar en política o tener un puesto importante en el gobierno de Corea - sólo se le permite ser un erudito. Es de suponer que es una forma de limitar el poder de esta familia, porque sin poder es mucho menos probable que organicen algún tipo de golpe para derrocar al joven monarca. Al ser Lee Lim un miembro de la realeza, ahora existiría la idea de que un miembro de la realeza podría tracionar a otro miembro de la realeza, y la Corte Real no estaría segura de si alguien más de la familia real compartía un deseo similar al de Lee Lim. Como sabemos, el hijo del Príncipe Buyeong estaba allí esa noche cuendo Lee Ho fue asesinado, y fue cómplice - así que probablemente es algo bueno que la familia del Príncipe Buyeong fuera esencialmente excomulgada, porque ¿quién sabe lo que podría haber hecho? Como Gon también era tan joven, se encontraba en una posición frágil cuando se convirtió en rey por primera vez, por lo que la Corte Real habría hecho todo lo posible para garantizar su seguridad para que pudiera crecer y, finalmente, continuar la línea.

En resumen: la posibilidad de que supusieran una amenaza para Gon, después de que Lee Lim matara al padre de Gon, era demasiado grande como para arriesgarse a que estuvieran cerca de él - la Corte Real quería asegurarse de que no volviera a ocurrir nada parecido a la traición de Lee Lim.

iEspero que esto responda a su pregunta! (Y lo siento por cualquier error, estoy dependiendo mucho de un traductor porque sólo sé español muy basico 😭)

[Translation: I know that you know a lot about tkem and there’s something that I have always wondered! Do you know why the children of Prince Lee had to leave Corea?

Hi! First of all can I just— *has a small breakdown about being recognised as some kind of tkem expert*

And secondly, assuming you mean Prince Buyeong’s family, to my knowledge it’s a safety measure after what happened with Lee Lim, a way of protecting little Gon. Prince Buyeong himself isn’t allowed to be in politics or hold an important post in the governing/ruling of Corea - he’s only allowed to be a scholar. Presumably this is a way of limiting this family’s power, because without power it’s a lot less likely that they’re going to organise any kind of coup to take down the young monarch. With Lee Lim being a royal himself, the idea would now exist that a royal could betray a fellow royal, and the Royal Court wouldn’t be sure whether anyone else in the royal family shared a similar desire to Lee Lim. As we know, Prince Buyeong’s son was there on that night when Lee Ho was murdered, and was an accomplice - so it’s probably a good thing that Prince Buyeong’s family was essentially excommunicated, because who knows what he might have done? With Gon being so young as well, he was in a fragile position when he first became king, so the Royal Court would have done everything they could to ensure his safety so he could grow up and eventually carry on the line.

In summary: the possibility of them posing a threat to Gon, after Lee Lim killed Gon’s father, was too great to risk them being anywhere near him - the Royal Court wanted to make sure that nothing like Lee Lim’s treason happened again.

I hope this answers your question!]

[hithereyougood]

Second temple: WHY IS THE BLUE GEM NOT CHARGED FULLY? ARGHHHHHH

Third temple: Conflict but fun

The Dinner: Conflict but fun

Battle of the Bands: It’s NO BIG DEAL, YEAH NO BIG DEAL

True Colors: Fun! 👍👍👍👍👍👍 I’m not crying or sobbing.

[messrmoonyy]

Hi messr! How are you what did you go today? I got a new cat! I named her Tess of course

Hi! I didn’t do so much today. I did some journal pages for September, I just watched Wall-E. Love that you naked your cat Tess. That’s iconic

[valeovalairs]

I FORGOT

I FORGOT PRETZEL

also damn why is the screenshot so much more vibrant than the actual image save? the colors are so much brighter. as intended.

yipppee finally settled on current Albatrio designs

[celestiamour]

‧₊˚✧ ❛[ me & my husband ]❜

ft. the salesman (gong ji-cheol) x f! reader — squid game

╰₊✧ you don’t need your husband to be perfect, you just want him to be honest┊3.3k words; part two (here)

contains: written before s2 came out!! probably ooc or inaccurate, angst with spots of fluff & a bittersweet ending? reader’s pov mostly, suspicions of cheating, lack of communication, mentioned age gap, random inaccurate lore for the salesman

➤ author's note: yeah, i saw the sudden uptick in notes on that gong yoo post i made and realized season 2 came out which i completely forgot about. i intend to watch it soon as possible and write fics for it as well as (probably) add new characters to my writing list, but for now, please be content with this!!

₊˚ʚ 💌₊˚✧ this fic was heavily inspired by “emotionally intoxicated” by aurasaurora!

gong ji-cheol is the poster image for the ideal husband. he’s always been like that from the moment you met him, and you can’t help but feel like you’re the luckiest woman in the world when he calls himself yours. he’s tall and handsome, someone who catches everyone’s eye despite his only being focused on you. he’s wealthy and hard-working, able to call a luxurious mansion your home, and willing to buy you anything your heart desires as long as you ask for it. he spoils you rotten with that money, gifting you expensive things even if you didn’t ask if it reminded him of you. he’s doting, always sure to smother you in affection with kisses and cuddles whenever together to make it known how much he adores you. the sex is great too, he makes you feel wanted and desirable without ever leaving you unsatisfied. 

most importantly though, you love him, and he loves you. the last two years of marriage have been so blissful, and there isn’t a single thing you would change.

at least that’s what you believe most of the time.

you like to think you know a lot about him, and in a way, you do. you know his favorite color, how he likes his coffee, what he usually orders at restaurants, the type of wine he prefers over beer, the exaggerated shocked fasces he likes to make, how his favorite chore is folding the laundry, how his least favorite is doing the dishes because he doesn’t like getting his hands dirty, the name of his childhood pet, what positions he likes to cuddle or fuck in, the names he’s thinking of giving to your child when they are finally born— there are so many little details you know about him, yet at times you feel like you don't know anything at all.

you don’t really know much about his childhood aside from a few random stories, he claims there’s nothing really notable and that it was as standard as can be. you don’t know who his parents were or what they were like because he said they died when he was young, but surely that’s an important loss which must have impacted him and made youth difficult in some way? you don’t know about his past partners if he even had any, but you doubt you were his first as he was yours with a face like his. you don’t know any of his secrets, like an embarrassing moment or something sinful he might have committed in the past. 

he knew all of these things about you and the little details of your life, so why don’t you know any of the most basic things regarding your own husband?

these periods of uncertainty are few and far, but once the icy tendrils of doubt creep in, it’s difficult to shake them off when you realize you only know these things through observations and not him actually telling you. it’s a miracle your stupidity allowed you to make it this far in falling head over heels for him, getting married, and carrying his child (not that you completely regret it, you still love him, but you wish you had given it more time).

they say there are no such things as stupid questions, yet the main question you have is exactly that as it’s something every wife should know even before the marriage. it would be impressive how long you’ve been clueless about this matter if it weren’t for how often and how skilled he is in managing to evade your curiosity and steer the conversation elsewhere. you didn’t want to press on it since he seems to shut it down every time the topic is brought up and you don’t want to fight over something you technically didn’t need to know, but it weighs on you and presses into your chest with the knowledge you were being kept in the dark. 

what did your husband do for a living, exactly?

his schedule is always unpredictably changing with little rhyme or reason and it confuses you. sometimes you’ll go an entire few days without seeing him, sensing him wake up in the morning before the sun is even up, feeling him kiss you on the cheek before getting ready, and not coming back until long after you fall asleep with no communication aside from a note on the table telling you he’ll be gone for the day along with a wad of cash for you to treat yourself while he’s gone. other times he’ll be chilling at home for an entire week, waking you up with aggressive cuddles (or morning sex), making you breakfast with the morning news on in the background, and taking you out to wherever you want to go on his card in his rare casual clothing and messy wavy hair rather than the typical fancy suits and hair styled with gel. 

as far as you’re concerned, he’s a businessman of sorts, although you don’t know what company he works for or what position he has in terms of hierarchy or how an occupation of that type allows such flexibility in hours or anything at all. 

“what if he’s having an affair?”

you paused for a second before continuing the motion of slicing the cheesecake with a fork and savoring the taste in your mouth. “that’s ridiculous,” you stated simply after swallowing. “he loves me very much, and it doesn’t explain his weird schedule either.”

today was spent with some friends you met back in high school, but honestly, you were only attending out of politeness and tradition since you honestly feel like you’ve disconnected from these girls long before the current. still, you treasure the memories shared in your more formative years and wouldn’t ever say no to them if they wanted to hang out like old times. ji-cheol doesn’t bother to hide his distaste for them, calling them a miserable lot who try to drag you down at every opportunity out of jealousy for your happiness. you laugh it off, but you know deep down he’s right and yet you’re still sitting here at the cafe with them with bright smiles like their words don’t cut deep. 

“maybe he’s dating the boss— a sexy office siren type— she gives him plenty of days off and he stays with her at her beach house at jeju island or something to keep her company, and then she gives him lots of money in exchange.”

“oh my god, could you imagine?”

“can you be realistic? it sounds like you’re just writing a plot for a new drama,” you giggled, not allowing the feeling of a twisting blade in your abdomen to show on your face or the venom to drip from your words at the mere thought of the man you loved being stolen away a faceless woman who was everything you wished you were more of: more beautiful, more wealthy, more experienced, more intelligent—

“you don’t know because he’s your first love or whatever— and you’re so lucky to have been able to marry him— but men are dogs, and i don’t see why he would be the exception.”

“but he treats me so well—”

“maybe he only treats you well because you’re pregnant— he probably just feels guilty. i mean, when i was pregnant and had my first, my husband wasn’t attracted to me anymore and demanded a divorce unless i lost the baby weight.” she shrugged like it was so simple, so common, like the notion of marriage wasn’t something so deeply important and could be thrown away so easily.

“we aren’t suggesting you get a divorce, but we’re just saying you should keep an eye on him— you know? a handsome guy like him was always bound to get a lot of attention…” her laugh was shrill and high-pitched, making goosebumps erupt on your skin.

“right… thanks guys…”

that night, you couldn’t stop twisting and turning on the large sectional couch with thoughts rushing through your head of your husband with some other woman. the jealousy from these fictional scenarios without evidence of existence plagued you. it made you want to vomit up the negative feelings and go back to the person you were a few hours ago without the images of him cheating planted in your mind, which didn’t go unnoticed by him and caused him to ask what was bothering you as it wouldn't be good for the baby.

you hesitated for a moment, “could you tell me about your exes?”

“why are you suddenly curious about that?” he chuckled, knowing damn well that it was because of those stupid snakes masquerading as people (it truly takes one to know one) running their mouths again, but still feigning obliviousness for your sake. 

“just wondering,” you muttered. “i mean, you’re the first person i’ve fallen in love with, but you’re a bit older than me so…”

“and i hope to be the only one too,” he smirked confidently, making you laugh as he plopped down on the ground and rested his head on the cushion next to yours. 

it was such a casual setting in such a vast space, bringing you back to the days in your little apartment inviting him over for chicken and beer before you knew about your immense wealth and got embarrassed over your cheap dates when he was so used to expensive restaurants. he found it very endearing though, knowing you liked him for him and not his money.

“well, if you’re so curious…” he trailed off, but you weren’t quite sure if it was because of hesitation or because he simply didn’t know where to start. you can’t remember the last time a conversation like this was held to learn more about him since it was usually about you, maybe back when you first started dating and briefly discussed his late parents.

he started with his crush when he was in middle school since that was his earliest recollection of feeling love, who didn’t really count as a girlfriend or love because nothing was established and because of their age, but she was his first kiss that he ran away from right after because of how nervous he was, and it was never addressed again. apparently it was his second girlfriend who taught him everything he knew before he met you, saying she basically “trained him like a dog” to create a gentleman out of an inexperienced boy who still wasn’t quite sure how to treat a woman like a queen. she was a bit mean though, and he didn’t realize he dodged a bullet until later after realizing she was unnecessarily cruel to him for no reason multiple times if he didn’t do things exactly her way.

you suppose you always knew your husband wasn’t always the suave charmer you know him to be, but the image of younger him being clueless on matters of romance made you burst out laughing because of how you could hardly picture it.

he reached over to pinch your cheek affectionately, “are you of all people really making fun of me when you were too scared to hold my hand for me to escort you out of my car?”

“oh my god, that was on our first date, i can’t be blamed! i was shaking like crazy on that day— you had to tell me that you didn’t bite.”

“i was actually thinking about calling off our date last minute because of an emergency at work,” he confessed, “but i’m glad i didn’t and met the love of my life instead.”

“aw, you flirt.” the memory made you smile and feel all giggly inside, all the fears you had about him possibly having an affair falling away, yet there were still some lingering at the back of your mind with the mention of his job. “what happened at work?”

“nothing that important,” he said instantly like clockwork. “just some boring business things.”

you didn’t push it, not wanting to ruin the mood, but once again, your curiosity was just itching to ask more questions about his work life even if it was truly as boring as he says. you wanted to know every mundane detail whether it was what his office looked like or what the annoying co-worker did on a daily basis, anything to satiate your need to know more about this mysterious man you had made life-long vows with.

it all came to a head one night while you were cooking dinner, you heard the doorbell ring a dozen times in quick succession and answered it to find an older man with fiery red hair that seemed to match his temper. when he addressed your husband by name and verified your relationship with him, he began spewing all kinds of insults about the blood he had on his hands by luring innocent people to their deaths and you felt your heart drop. you tried to reason with him that there must have been some sort of mistake, barely able to get your words out in a fit of confusion and surprise at the absurd accusation, but he wouldn’t hear you out and pointed a finger in your face, asking if you had any idea what gong ji-cheol was doing behind your back. 

at that very moment, he was suddenly seized by two anonymous men in all black, causing him to yell out in panic as they dragged him away and stuffed him in the back of a car before quickly driving off into the night without a trace. it all happened so fast, you just stood there with your mouth open in shock, wondering if you should call the police on what looked like an abduction. 

then your husband comes running up the steps with his locked briefcase in hand, shouting out your name, asking you if you’re okay, pulling you back inside the comfort of your shared home, and checking you all over to make sure you aren’t harmed in any way. when you ask about who that man was and what he was talking about, he simply told you he was some crazy customer who was dissatisfied with the company, was looking for someone to blame, and promised to tell you the details later. 

you didn’t tell him that you didn’t believe him, just pursed your lips and furrowed your brow for a second then let go of the topic like you always do, taking his coat off his shoulders with a peck on the lips asking how his day was. he reciprocated the kiss, said it was fine without anything special, and that he would shower before having dinner, something he didn’t really need to say since you already knew but stated anyway as per evening routine. 

as he headed up the stairs and disappeared from sight, you stared at the locked briefcase resting crookedly on the little entryway table and paused for a moment. if you did this, it would be a breach of privacy and a sign of growing distrust in your husband, but it could also answer all of the questions that never cease. 

your hands wouldn’t stop shaking involuntarily as you felt the cold black metal underneath your fingertips, marveling at the smooth material clean of any scratches or dents. fidgeting with the built-in combination lock, six number sequences started rushing through your mind as you started to hastily run through your options with a focus on dates. you were determined to only do this three times since you had no idea if an alarm would be set off or if it would close off permanently.

his birthday?

an electronic beep went off indicating you were incorrect, making you nervous.

your birthday?

wrong again, you only had one attempt left. you swallowed, shaking the accumulating sweat off your hands.

the date of your wedding?

you gasped as the locks suddenly flipped open and lightly knocked against the briefcase. it was undone, you could open it at any moment now and see it all.

and yet you still hesitated during this golden opportunity. was it the fact that the passcode to his most secret possession was the day you got married? was it guilt for going behind your husband’s back for answers instead of directly asking him? was it because you were afraid of what you would find if you discovered the red-haired man was telling the truth?

whatever it was, you let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding and locked it again, leaving it looking untouched and went back to playing dinner.

there was a heavy tension present at the dinner table that night, the only conversation present being him interrogating you about what the red-haired man talked about word-for-word. not really interrogating since his tone of voice was still calm and gentle as he asked questions, but you could see him fidgeting with his fork and not leaving much room for any other topic until he was sure you told him everything. he then sighed and claimed the man was insane, a gambling addict who was too deep in debt to afford treatment and was trying to drag him into his misery after meeting at the subway station. 

“ji-cheol?”

he froze for a second, not used to hearing you use his real name rather than a pet name. “yes?”

“what do you do for a living, exactly?”

a pause, you watched him fidget with his chopsticks and shift the grains of rice around. “you know, business stuff— nothing you need to concern yourself about—“

“but i don’t know! that’s the thing!” you felt tears starting to well up behind your eyes, letting two years of frustration trickle through. “i know it doesn’t seem that important for me to know, but is it really so important that you leave me in the dark about it for the three years we’ve been lovers? and now some guy comes to our doorstep and tells me about how your job is playing games with people at the subway station to make them participate in death games?!” you took a deep breath, calming yourself down, “please, be honest with me, that’s all i want…”

“i-i…” that was the first time you’ve ever heard him stutter, and if the situation wasn’t so tense, you would be proud you finally got one-up on him. “i can’t say… it’s for your own safety and mine.”

“so he was right?”

he remained silent, trying to think of some way to counter what seong gi-hun had told you, but if you didn’t believe the elaborate lie he already told you and wanted to learn more, then he knew this was the end of the road. 

“i-i need some time to think…” you looked defeated and it broke his heart. “i’m going to my mom’s house tonight, i’ll be back tomorrow—“ you got up, not bothering to pack anything aside from your phone and your wallet.

he had prepared for you to start screaming and crying (not that he would blame you, i mean, who would willingly stay with a man who was complicit in mass murder), demanding a divorce and packing your things to shut the door for him never to be seen again with your unborn child. the strangely calm reaction was both a relief and extremely unsettling to him.

“i won’t be mad if you decide not to come back” he stated plainly, defeated in a state you’ve never seen him in before. “whatever choice you make, i’ll support you, just know i love you— more than anything else in this world.”

you stared at him blankly through the open doorway. perhaps your husband isn’t the perfect man you believed him to be, but he was as honest as he possibly could have been with you regarding the matter, and that’s enough. 

“i love you too, i’ll be back in the morning.” that’s how you feel at the moment, but you don’t know if you’ll feel the same way tomorrow morning when it sinks in.