#i know most of the men on tour are if not friends then friendly with zverev

[jabeur]

i need to say something just to get it off my chest

[just-jordie-things]

video games - takuma ino

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ 10k follower event special! ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

word count: 11.6k warnings: mentions of blood, drinking summary: ino has been infatuated with his non-sorcerer roommate since day one. but he's convinced she couldn't feel the same way. more info: roommate!au, friends to lovers, gojo hits on you but it's for the greater good ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

[ it’s you, it’s you, it’s all for you // everything i do // i tell you all the time, heaven is a place on earth with you // tell me all the things you wanna do ]

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

How Takuma Ino ended up with a non-sorcerer roommate wasn’t as interesting of a story as his colleagues always thought it would be when they’d first find out.  They were always so eager for the details- was she his girlfriend? Did she know about his career and lifestyle? Was she cute? How did they meet?- and even though Ino would often laugh sheepishly and duck his head to hide his smile, the truth just wasn’t that exciting.

The truth was that as fun as being a jujutsu sorcerer was, it didn’t pay well.  So he needed a roommate in order to better afford rent.  One ad led to another, and soon (y/l/n) (y/n) was showing up asking for a tour.  It only took one visit for her to decide to move in, and they’ve been roommates for the better part of a year now.

Ino always leaves out the part where he didn’t believe she’d actually agree to join the lease with him- when she’d shown up at his door he figured she’d only asked for a tour to be polite.  In his mind there was just no way that a young woman as beautiful and hard working in her field needed a roommate- much less some random dude like him.  She’d been so friendly and easy going upon their first meeting and they seemed to click just right, so she’d shook his hand and set a move-in date that very day.  When she’d left, Ino had collapsed on his sofa with a beer and a bewildered laugh to himself.  Even now, he’s not sure how he managed to make it happen.

“You wanna order chinese? I don’t feel like cooking” 

(y/n’s) call from the other side of the room drew him out of his thoughts, and he glanced over the back of the couch to see her rummaging through the pantry.  Logic reared it’s head, reminding him that they’d just bought groceries so they should probably save the money and eat at home tonight.

But then she gave him that hopeful little smile that he couldn’t help but return before nodding his head.  Logic never won in a battle against something (y/n) wanted.

“Sure” He agrees through his smile.

By the time she’s dressed in her comfy lounging clothes, he’s already called their usual place and made an order.  He’d long since memorized her go-to order and was usually the one put in charge of calling.  He never minded.  How could he complain when everything about their situation was just so perfect? 

The roommate of his dreams, she was.  Tidy, quiet, a great cook, and one of the most pleasant people he’s ever gotten to know, Ino truly believed he struck gold when (y/n) answered his ad.  So even when his colleagues teased him for his living situation, he could hardly care.

And tease him they did.  Gojo was the main assailant.  Often joking about how strong Ino must feel all the time, being in the presence of a weak non-sorcerer human.  How she must think he was some superhero compared to all the lame human men she’d meet at her job or through her friends.  How Ino must be so lucky to have a young lady as his roommate.   Still, no matter how much he messed around, Ino knew that there was no harm in Gojo’s words.  And he also knew that if he’d actually met (y/n), he’d shut his ignorant mouth.

Nanami didn’t invest himself too much in Ino’s private life, he was simply respectful and reserved like that, but on occasion he’d been known to ask about his roommate.  Mostly situational to their occupation- such as what she thought of the nasty cuts and bruises he’d come home with- but once in a blue moon he’d make a comment suggesting it was only a matter of time before one of them developed feelings.  Ino always flustered under the light of those questions and found a way to avoid them.

In the few times throughout his week that he’d cross paths with Shoko, she always made a point to ask about his roommate.  Which was sort of odd, seeing as her work in the infirmary didn’t make them the closest of colleagues, but at first the casual conversation was welcomed.  But it was only a matter of time before she, too, would begin pestering him about making a move on her.

They all seemed to have the same underlying message.  How could you share a living space with someone and not catch feelings for them? And Ino spent a lot of his time and energy trying to convince them that it simply wasn’t like that.  Just because they both happened to be single, and close friends, and sharing a small two bedroom apartment, didn’t mean that romantic feelings were bound to happen.  They were both adults, they could live in such a situation and keep their hands and hearts to themselves.

He was a liar, though.

Takuma Ino had fallen completely, head over heels in love with his roommate, and there was no chance of him ever getting over that feeling.

It had taken relatively no time for the feelings to develop.  Shortly after her moving in, she’d made an effort to be close to him.  There wasn’t a moment where he felt like she wanted space or privacy away from him.  She often offered to help him cook, or invited him grocery shopping with her, or out to a movie she wanted to see, and a fast friendship blossomed.  The way she always reached out to include him had him swooning in no time.

Coffee runs, movie nights, and frequent texting throughout their days before they both came home all snowballed into one undeniable truth.  He was falling in love with her.

When Ino had first realized that’s what was happening when his heart would leap out of his chest when she’d scoot close to him on the couch so they could share a blanket while they watched a movie or played a game together, he’d tried to bury it.  Because surely his mind was just playing tricks on him.  Surely he was just excited that a pretty and kind girl like her wanted to be so close to him, and his feelings were strictly platonic.

But then he found himself relaxing just from the smell of her shampoo wafting close to him.  He realized that when he would come home from a late assignment and she’d be waiting for him that his heart was skipping a beat because it was just so perfectly domestic.  He couldn’t deny it for too long at all, not when she so sweetly saved him the leftovers from her dinner and would heat it up for him while he showered and de-stressed from the particularly rough assignment.

The only problem was that he knew she didn’t feel the same way, and he’d been struggling to keep his true feelings hidden.  From her, and from his pesky fellow sorcerers.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

(y/n) hated when Ino came home late from his assignments.

Not because the squeak door woke her up, or because it meant she was alone taking care of the evening chores.  It was simply because she’d stay up every time, too consumed with anxiety to go to sleep without knowing he’d returned safe and sound.

Which, in all fairness, he always did.  He always came home, and most of the time he’d shoot her a message saying he’d wrapped up with work and was on his way- even when it was one in the morning- like tonight.

She waited up on the couch, wrapped up in a fluffy blanket with the title screen of a movie she’d watched hours ago playing it’s intro for the thousandth time.  In all fairness she knew he could handle himself, and he’d never not come home, or come back with life threatening injuries.

That didn’t mean he didn’t come back hurt, and that didn’t mean she wouldn’t fuss over him, every single time.

And tonight when he finally stumbles into the apartment, just as the clock ticks past two, she’s practically gnawing at her nails as she rushes towards him.

Despite the way he limps, and there’s blood trickling out of his nose, he gives her a smile, and he’s the first to worry.

“It’s late, you should be in bed” He scolds without any real threat to his words.  This routine had established itself months ago, and he knew damn well that she wouldn’t get a wink of sleep until she knew he was safely returned home.

Still, he worried about something as silly as her sleep schedule every time.

“Shut up” Is all (y/n) mumbles, beckoning him further into their apartment, until he’s following her to the bathroom.  

She’s faster than him, pulling out the well loved first aid kit and getting everything prepped and ready on the counter while he slowly staggers in behind her.  It was practically the same scene every time he came home like this.  No matter how beat up he was- with a mere scratch or bloodied to a pulp- she was forcing him to sit down on the lid of the toilet seat so she could tend to his injuries herself.

Ino wasn’t sure if it was for her own well being and comfort, knowing that she’d taken care of him and none of his injuries would get infected.  Or if maybe she just didn’t trust him to take care of them himself, maybe she knew that his idea of first aid was slapping a hello kitty band aid on it and calling it a night.

(There was one instance a few months ago where he’d left a hello kitty band aid on the back of his hand that she’d so lovingly placed there, and Gojo didn’t let him hear the end of it for the entire day.  Not that Ino minded.  Every time he caught a glimpse of the pink band aid it brought a smile to his face remembering how gentle she’d been covering the cut underneath, how her thumb had stroked over the sticker so lightly to ensure it was well placed and would do the trick.  He left that band aid on his hand for as long as he could before eventually it lost his adhesive and in turn he lost it)

Either way, he never tried to talk her out of tending to him.  Even when he knew it was too late for her to be staying up just to clean up some silly injuries that were nothing compared to the things that Shoko healed with her Reverse Cursed Technique- but he’d never tell (y/n) about the broken bones or brushes with death.  He’d just keep his mouth shut and sit on that toilet seat while she soaked a cotton pad in antiseptic and gently dabbed at the cuts on his arm.

“Sorry” 

She’d mumble the apology every time she’d make first contact with the injury, knowing how the alcohol tended to sting.  And every time, Ino would give her a small smile and tell her it was alright.

“How was your day?” He hummed as she continued to clean up the few cuts on his arms.  She had his sleeve rolled all the way up and tucked carefully at his shoulder so it wouldn’t be a hindrance.  She hummed thoughtfully before shrugging a shoulder.

“Pretty boring, nothing of note,” She murmured back truthfully.  “Until now” She adds, her eyes meeting his just so he’d catch the hint of reprimand in her tone.

Ino can’t help but chuckle to himself, he’d forever be amused by the way she worries over him.  She may have been new to the world of jujutsu sorcery, but it never failed to humor him how she’d fuss and worry over such minor injuries.  Injuries that Shoko wouldn’t treat even if Ino walked into the infirmary and begged for it.  Surely he’d be laughed at.

“So you’re saying I’m the highlight?” He teases quietly, and (y/n) rolls her eyes, but doesn’t deny it.  She chooses the safe route and keeps her focus on her handiwork.  He still laughs at her obvious non-answer.  “Work was alright, though?” 

“I suppose,” She answers.  “Got home early because some people in my department were going out and convinced my boss to join, so they let us all leave early.  That was nice” 

Ino gave her a small frown, but it went unnoticed.

“How come you didn’t go?” 

Her eyes briefly flicker up to his, and she purses her lips before shrugging her shoulders in a small movement.

“Wasn’t really in the mood,” She says, and it’s not a total lie, but she averts her eyes shortly after, reaching out to the first aid kit on the counter again.  She fishes around a bit before finding the package of square shaped band aids.  “Besides, I didn’t know when you’d be back” She added.

It deepens his frown, but she’s completely avoiding his gaze now.  He expects as much, seeing as he’s had this conversation with her before.  He encourages her to go out with her friends more, or make new friends at work to hang out with, and she always has an excuse at the ready.  Sometimes her reasoning was decent, but most of the time it was obvious she came up with them on the spot, and it made his heart sink.

Of course he wanted her around all the time, pushing her away was absolutely a struggle for him, but Ino knew that if they continued only spending time with one another, then his feelings would never go away.  It would be hard, but tremendous help if she made a new best friend, or better yet a boyfriend, and then he’d have to get over her, he was sure.

“You shouldn’t avoid your friends cause of me,” He tells her quietly.  “It’s late, you could’ve gone out… if you wanted to” 

After placing a band aid on his skin and smoothing down the corners so it stayed intact, she glanced up at him.  A small knot formed between her brows before she cracked a goofy smile.

“They’re not my friends, Ino,” She chuckles at him.  “They’re coworkers.  I see them plenty enough, I don’t need to hang out with them outside of work- where we would probably still only talk about work” 

As far as excuses went, it was a pretty damn good one.  So this time he gave in, smiling and nodding back at her in understanding.

“Guess that’s fair,” He mumbles, and she laughs quietly again as she opens up another band aid.  “I just… I dunno, I don’t want you missing out of stuff, that’s all” 

“I think I’m old enough to decide what I want to do with my time,” She teases, her cheeks warming at the insinuation in her admission.  “If I didn’t want to be here, I wouldn’t be” 

His heart skips a beat, and as lovely as the feeling is when his stomach flips, Ino wishes she wouldn’t say stuff like that.  It gave his heart the wrong idea, and it was hard to fight with his heart.  He was convinced his brain just wasn’t strong enough to fight the delusion.

“So your ideal night is patching up this idiot, huh?” He wiggles his eyebrows at her in that way that always makes her laugh, and she does, bubbly and sweet, and again his stomach does a flip.  Making her laugh always brightened him up completely.  Like a video game character maxing out his health bar.

“I think I would’ve made a great doctor” She teases back, shaking the box of band aids at him before carefully tucking them back in their spot in the first aid kit.

“You don’t even give me lollipops, how could you say that?” Ino retorts in mock offense- although it would make these little patch up sessions even better if he was rewarded with her close proximity and candy, but he’d accept one sweet thing at a time.

“Shut up,” She says through her giggles, finally closing up the whole kit.  “You’re lucky I don’t do any of the scary stuff.  I’ll leave that for your sorcerer friends” 

“Eh, it might come to that,” Ino shrugs.  He stays seated as she puts the small case back into it’s spot in the cabinet, lingering in her space for however long she’ll let him.  “Shoko will probably get tired of me eventually, you know.  How comfortable are you with stitches?” 

The grin on his face is nothing short of teasing- and he knows he should stop.  He knows that eventually the lines get blurry and he’s not sure how much his teasing is starting to blend into flirting, and with how playful her nature is she’s never afraid to dish it back.  Not once had she reacted in an uncomfortable manner to something he’s said, but that only makes it harder for him to draw that line in the sand.

(y/n) shuts the cabinet and turns to him with her hands on her hips.  A serious look flashes across her expression that he can’t tell if it’s meant to be in humor or if she’s actually about to drop the playful atmosphere.  With a step towards him, she leans over so her height matches his, and they’re face to face.

“Takuma Ino,” She declares, eyes boring into his with an intensity that makes him gulp down on air.  “Unless you want some really funky looking scars, don’t go asking me to stitch you up.  Leave it to your magic friends” 

His anxious expression drops as he breaks into a smile, amused by her choice of words, and her own face softens as she smiles back at him.  It was infectious, the way he smiled.  It could get her to crack even when she was really trying to be stubborn.  A secret weapon of his that (y/n) was pretty sure he used on purpose, but there were some instances she could be convinced that he had no clue of this power.

“My magic friends, huh?” He repeats with a smirk.  

He’d definitely have to tell Gojo about that one when he saw him next.  Surely it would feed into his ego, if not make him cackle.

(y/n) stands up again, her cheeks suddenly feeling a little too warm, before she spins around and heads out of the bathroom.  Finally, Ino stands, stretching his sore limbs and checking over the array of bandages on his arm before following after her.

“Or better yet, just don’t get yourself hurt anymore” (y/n) adds, her back turned to him as she makes her way towards her room.

“Oh wow, I hadn’t thought of that” He shot back in a mocking voice.  He knows she rolls her eyes, even if he can’t see.

“Just sayin’, why don’t you work on that technique where stuff doesn’t touch you? Like that one guy?” 

He has to bite his cheek to keep himself from breaking out into a fit of laughter.  She was trying her best to understand how jujutsu worked, even if she was a little off the mark.  There was also something so rewardingly funny about someone not remembering who Gojo Satoru was- even if she’d never met the guy.

“Not exactly how it works,” He replies.  (y/n) turns to him as she stands in the middle of her doorway.  Her tiredness is more evident now in the way she leans against it and blinks slowly back at him.  “Pretty sure I gotta stick with the one I was born with”  

She hums, pursing her lips as she tries to recall all of his explanations for the finicky sorcerer world.  But her mind is foggy with exhaustion and she’s getting a little too swept up in how softly his brown eyes gaze at her, so she shakes her head and finally turns towards her room.

“Noted,” She tells him, knocking twice on her frame before grabbing the handle of her door and pulling it behind her.  “G’night Ino” 

His heart warms as he bids her goodnight, and he lingers in the empty apartment for a few more seconds before making his way into his own bedroom.  

Every minute spent with her felt special and worth basking in, even when nothing significant happened, even when it was a completely normal night.  Just being around her was enough for his insides to melt into a buttery mess.

When he goes to sleep, he hopes to see her in his dreams, where he doesn’t have to feel anxious or guilty about his feelings, and he can be with her freely, without a care in the world.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

“There’s gonna be this… work thing… next weekend,” 

He brings it up out of nowhere, although he’s spent a while trying to find a way to say it, he actually blurts it out in the middle of the two of them watching a movie.  So it’s not actually surprising when (y/n) turns towards him with a puzzled look on her face, already reaching for the remote to pause the movie.

Tonight she sits close enough that with his arm strewn across the back of the couch, it could almost feel like they were cuddled up together.  Even though they’re not touching- unless you counted the stray hairs that fell from her claw clip and brushed his arm behind her head.

“If you wanted to come, anyways,” Ino clears his throat uncomfortably, suddenly feeling a little more on the spot with the movie stopped and her full attention on him.  “Gojo’s hosting, said anyone can come, I- I don’t have that many details yet, but, um, I’ll probably go, since Nanami said he was-” 

“And I’m allowed to go?” She ends his suffering with her question, her brows raising in shock.

“Allowed?” Ino repeats the choice of word, followed by a short chuckle.  “Of course you are, why do you say it like that?” 

“I dunno,” Her shoulders shrug limply, although she knows exactly why she asks.  “Cause… I’m not like you, I guess” 

Ino’s never given too much thought to their differences.  Besides when he’d realized he’d have to tell her the truth about his career, and they had spent hours on this very sofa while he explained the complicated history of jujutsu, and the ins and outs of curses and cursed techniques.  She’d had her uncertainties, and endless questions, but after that talk, the stark differences in the lives they led outside of this apartment rarely came up.  He could almost say it didn’t matter, but he didn’t want to diminish either of their careers.

Now, as he watches her begin to curl up like she was trying to shrink into herself, his heart falls a little bit.  Did she really feel like she didn’t deserve an invite? Just because she was a non-sorcerer? In his eyes, it certainly didn’t make her any less of a person.  He could almost laugh.  How could a person like her feel that way? Someone so good hearted, hard working, brilliant, gorgeous- 

“Ino?” She presses forward, drawing him out of his derailed train of thoughts.  He blinks a few times as he comes back to the present moment.

“I want you to come” He says, feeling much bolder than he had when he first brought the subject up.

Now she’s blinking back at him wordlessly, eyes going round and a smile tugging at her lips.

“You do?” She asks, just to be sure, even though there’s not a doubt in her mind that he means it, with how genuine and hopeful his expression is.  Warmth blooms in her face, and she hopes that her blush isn’t too embarrassing.

It’s not.  Ino finds it utterly adorable, and quite endearing.

“Yeah,” He affirms with a nod of his head, before pushing a hand through his hair to pull it away from his face.  “I want you to meet everyone.  And I want them to finally meet you, too.  If you want to, that is” 

Her smile widens a little further as she nods back at him, the movement jittery and short, displaying her eagerness in it’s fullest.

“Sounds fun.  I’d love to,” She says softly.  Ino lights up with excitement, sitting up a little straighter as he beams at her.

However, before he can reach for the remote and start their movie up again, she snatches it away, a curious expression crossing her features as she studies him.

“But what do you mean finally, hm?” She muses, the question only half-playful.  Curiosity did get the best of her after all.  “Have they been dying to meet me or something?” 

He makes a face at her that makes her laugh, her eyes lighting up as his expression alone confirms what she’d been thinking.

“Have you been talking about me to your coworkers, Ino?” She teases, her grin practically splitting her face.

“Don’t be an idiot, of course I do,” He tries to play it off, reaching out for the remote again, but she pulls her hand away just before he can take it, subsequently having him lean almost fully across her, his arm outstretched towards the object that could free him of this torture.  “(y/n)” He huffs in annoyance, frowning at her when she still doesn’t play the movie.

“Nuh uh,” She says childishly while shaking her head.  “What do you tell them about me?” She presses further.

He wants to roll his eyes, and huff and groan until she’s annoyed into going back to their movie- which had just been starting to get good before he started this whole thing- but he can’t.  He just can’t bring himself to do it.  Not when she’s grinning up at him and he swears he sees an actual sparkle in her eyes.

“C’mon dummy, they know all about you” Again, Ino tries to play it off like it’s not a big deal.  

(As if he hadn’t gone on a long winded story to Nanami just the other day about how he was going to surprise her with a fruit bouquet of mangos on her nearing birthday, because she’d recently become obsessed with the tangy fruit and demanded they picked up the most overpriced ones every time they went to the grocery store.  Nanami had little to know interest in hearing about all the places Ino had researched who make fruit arrangements and how he hadn’t deemed any of them good enough yet) 

“All about me, huh?” She repeats curiously, before humming, content with the response.  

Then she finally pushes play on the remote before dropping it onto the cushion beside her.  Ino sends a silent thank you prayer to whatever greater force was looking out for his dignity, and settles back into his seat.

He swears when (y/n) gets settled, she’s sat just a little bit closer to him.  He’s pretty sure her shoulder wasn’t grazing against his earlier.

They’re a few minutes in before she speaks up again, her voice merely a soft whisper beside him.

“You didn’t have to be all shy about it.  I talk about you at work all the time” 

Ino can barely keep his focus on the whole rest of the movie.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

The work event isn’t necessarily a fancy one.  There’s not a dress code, and despite Ino’s worries with Gojo organizing it, it’s not at some five star establishment he couldn’t even afford to look at.  It’s held at a small local restaurant and bar.  

Gojo does, however, rent out the place for the evening, so the only patrons tonight would be those from Jujutsu Tech, and whoever they decide to bring.

Despite it being business casual at most, it still feels like it’s the most dressed up he’s ever gotten for going somewhere with (y/n).  Maybe it’s just his heart working on overdrive after seeing the simple but sleek black dress she’d chosen to wear for the night, paired with a little mesh wrap that was tied in a little bow at her chest and flared at the sleeves for some personality- but as soon as the evening began, Ino was starting to overthink.

“I’ve never been here before,” (y/n) hums as they approach the venue.  “I don’t know what I was expecting, but it wasn’t this” 

She peeks a glance over at Ino as he’s also admiring the building.  It’s a rather small restaurant, but the architecture has enough character that it’s worth getting a good look at before going inside.  Or maybe he was just stalling where he could.

He looks really nice tonight, she thinks, and the thought instantly makes her heart skip a beat as she takes a few more seconds to look at him.  He’s in dark slacks and a cotton black sweater that looks so soft she’s suddenly dying to pinch the fabric between her fingers to see for herself.  It’s paired with a white collared undershirt for a little extra flair- something she knows she once told him she liked seeing on a man- and without his mask piled up on top of his head his long hair wisps in slight curls around his ears, just barely touching his shoulders.

She knows she’s been staring for too long, but it takes a few tries before she actually pulls her gaze away from him.

“I wasn’t either,” Ino says, and it takes her a minute to remember what she’d even said.  “Knowing Gojo, I was expecting something… worse” 

(y/n) chuckles to herself, before nodding to the door.

“Time to enjoy not worse?” She prompts, and he grins before gesturing for her to follow him inside.

Ino reaches over her shoulder to push the door open, only to follow behind her with a gentle hand on her back guiding her in.  The silk of her dress is so smooth and thin against the light graze of his hand that he can feel the heat of her skin through it, and it takes a mental talk with himself in order to keep him from pressing his hand fully against her back.

She gives him a sweet smile in gratitude, before both of their attention is pulled away by the shrill of cheering amongst the chatter of people in the restaurant.

There weren’t a lot of people- there weren’t many jujutsu sorcerers to begin with- but there were enough to fill the room with a certain level of white noise with background conversation.  All of that was drowned out by a small group of people currently shouting and beckoning Ino and his date over towards them.

Most of the shouting came from Gojo, but Shoko and Utahime seemed to be at just the right amount of intoxicated to join in with loud bouts of laughter.  Nanami is also at the table, politely sipping his drink with a mere nod of greeting as Ino brings (y/n) their way.

“I guess I should have given you some warnings” He says under his breath as they make their way through the slight crowd. 

Most of the managers are grouped together, Nitta giving a friendly wave in passing before going back to a heated argument that made Ino and (y/n) chuckle to themselves.  It lightened some of the tension in (y/n’s) shoulders.  She didn’t want to bother him with her silly anxieties, but she’d been quite worried about showing up to an event full of people who were extraordinary, meanwhile she was merely a salary worker.

Don’t get her wrong, she worked hard and was proud of how quickly she’d moved up in the ranks, but how could she compare that to people with other-worldly abilities? People who actively saved lives? 

“Warnings?” She murmurs, glancing over at him, only to find his gaze already set on her.

“Not- not bad ones, necessarily,” Ino stammered.  “It’s just… Gojo is loud, and nosy, but he’s a good time and he means no harm, promise,” 

(y/n) nods in understanding, eyes flickering back to the table of sorcerers they were currently headed towards.  She had a pretty good idea of which one was Gojo.

“Nanami’s quiet.  He looks judgemental, but he’s not.  Well- maybe a little, but he’s polite.  So.  It’s fine, I don’t have any warnings about Nanami, he’ll like you a lot” 

“Yeah?” A flattered smile spreads across her glossy lips.  It was silly to take pride in being liked by a stranger, but she knew how much Ino looked up to his mentor, and it made her heart flutter to think he believed the man he respected so much would approve of her.

“Absolutely,” Ino’s voice is rich with certainty as he nods at her.  “Shoko’s kind of a weirdo, that’s just cause she works in the morgue all day so her sense of humor is… warped.  Utahime is her not-very-secret girlfriend, I’ve told you about that right?” 

(y/n) nods in confirmation.  She may have never met these people, but she felt like she knew most of them well enough just from the late night gossip sessions they’d have after a shared bottle of wine.

“Any questions?” He asked, slowing their steps the closer they got to the table.  

It was just like Gojo to set his little crew of odd semi-forced friends up in the corner where they could have some privacy, even though they were the loudest bunch of the whole gathering.  At least he had the decency to rent the place out so the only people he was bothering were those he already bothered on a regular basis.

“No,” (y/n) said softly, before reaching out and curling her fingers around the sleeve of his shirt, bringing his attention back towards her.  “Just one request?” 

Ino gives her a small nod, halting in place as he stares at her with a grave seriousness in his eyes.

“Don’t ditch me here?” 

He almost laughs at the ask, but he stops himself when he notes the hints of anxiety hidden in her expression.  The twitch at the corner of her mouth, the slight pinch in her brow.  He clears his throat and nods at her, before grinning widely.

“Of course not!” He declares, squeezing her wrist gently before she drops her hold on his sleeve.  “What do you take me for? A gentleman would do no such thing” 

And as they finally approach the table of Ino’s closest colleagues, they’re both laughing, and some more tension is relieved from her shoulders.

Ino’s quick to introduce her, and he goes around the table to remind her of everyone’s names quickly, trying to get the awkward stage out of the way as quickly as possible.  Everyone behaves well enough, or as well as he could hope for.  Utahime’s a bit excitable as she compliments (y/n’s) dress and sparkling accessories, but it helps to break the ice as the two slip into conversation about their favorite boutiques.

Ino wants to point out that the Kyoto based sorcerer never was one for small talk with him, but he keeps his mouth shut solely because (y/n) warms up to her and Shoko quickly and he doesn’t want to throw a wrench in their bonding.

Gojo’s clearly in the middle of some wild and possibly partially made up retelling about a special grade curse he’d exorcized on a recent assignment, so after introductions he resumes his exaggerated storytelling, giving (y/n) and Ino time to order drinks and chat with Shoko and Utahime a little longer.

“You’re pretty brave for coming,” Shoko points out to (y/n), earning a slight glare from Ino, to which she backtracks and waves her hand dismissively.  “I just mean because this is the worst” 

“I don’t think so” (y/n) shrugs with a sweet smile as she sips her drink.

“You don’t know us that well yet, you’ll change your mind later,” Utahime chimes in.  “This,” She gestures towards Gojo, who’s talking wildly with his hands as he reaches the climax of his story.  “Is why I took off to Kyoto, first chance”

It earns a laugh from Shoko and Ino, so (y/n) forces a small chuckle as well, but so far she couldn’t complain about the company.  Sure, the white haired man wearing sunglasses inside in the evening seemed a bit theatrical and high energy, but it was a party setting, right? So she could give him the benefit of the doubt for now.

“Speaking of-” Shoko gets up from her seat, not so subtly tapping Utahime’s hand, “I need a smoke” 

“Oh, yeah, me too”

Utahime glances at (y/n) and Ino with a raised brow, silently offering them to join, but one look at Shoko’s wide eyes tells them to shake their heads and stay in place.  Even if they did smoke, they were clearly not wanted at this particular break.

Once they’re out of sight, (y/n) turns to Ino, obviously fighting a grin on her face, before she leans in close to talk a little more privately.

“Oh, it’s painfully obvious” 

He laughs back at her, nodding his head in agreement before tapping the rim of his glass against hers.

Their moment is broken up when long limbs stretch across the empty space that Utahime and Shoko had left, and apparently Gojo had wrapped up his story because now he’s slinking towards the two with a coy grin on his face.

“We haven’t been properly introduced, have we?” 

(y/n) fights the urge to stagger backwards as he comes close.  He has a wild sort of energy surrounding him.  He’s intimidating, but not in a way that makes her afraid, just very aware of how large and powerful he is.  She wonders if even a non-sorcerer like her can pick up on signatures of cursed energy, or if this was just his raw aura.

But the way he smiles is inviting and the bubbly giggles that erupt from him provide nothing but a feeling of friendliness, as if he was someone (y/n) had known for years.

“Almost a year” She answers, forcing a smile that she hopes doesn’t come across as awkward as it feels.

“Wow, a whole year!” He cheers, raising his glass at the accomplishment.  “That’s absolutely marvelous.  A whole year, huh?” He repeats it again thoughtfully, tilting his head just slightly.

Ino’s not sure if she’s noticed, but since Gojo approached them, he hadn’t once torn his eyes off of her.  Perhaps she couldn’t tell with the dark shades covering his line of sight, but Ino had gotten quite used to reading Gojo’s body language even with the blockage of a blindfold.  

He also wasn’t a complete dunce, he knew that the way she looked tonight made it difficult for anyone to take their eyes off of her.  Even Utahime had gotten that glazed over look after they talked for long enough.  No one was immune, it seemed, but Gojo was probably the only person in the room that sparked a nasty feeling in Ino’s chest with the way he smirked down at her.

The feeling is a dull heat, only ignited into something worse when Gojo pushes his sunglasses to the top of his head, bright blue eyes on full display, and now so obviously focused on (y/n).

“How does someone go a whole year living with a pretty thing like you and not make a move, hm?” 

Ino’s face twists up with shock and disgust, which humors Gojo as he begins to cackle, but he still doesn’t spare a glance away from (y/n), who barely reacts at all as she stands before them.  She simply tilts her glass around, slowly mixing the ice around her drink.  She doesn’t crack a laugh, but she also doesn’t give any sign that she’s upset with the unabashed flirting.

Neither of them are given the proper chance to respond to the bold comment, as suddenly Nanami’s approaching them, shooting Gojo a look that made the special grade sorcerer head off with some excuse about a fresh drink.

Thankfully, Nanami completely changes the subject of conversation, and Ino does his best to forget about what just happened as (y/n’s) properly introduced to his mentor.  They shake hands, exchange a few pleasantries, but are ultimately quick to jump into conversation about Ino himself- even with him still standing there.  

A lot of the stories they share are more embarrassing than he’d like, but he’s able to stand it for a little while.  For both of them, at least.  They were the most important people in his life after all, he’d been eager for them to finally meet.

But as soon as (y/n) gets Nanami to actually laugh about her first witnessing his cursed technique over an unwanted bug in the apartment, Ino finds himself using the same lame excuse of grabbing them a couple more drinks before he’s darting away from the downright humiliating memory.

(y/n) giggles and doesn’t even indulge Nanami in the story once Ino’s walked away.  She’d just wanted to make him sweat a little, and clearly his mentor had gotten a kick out of it as well.

“He clearly adores you,” Nanami says, cutting through the light hearted atmosphere with a statement so genuine that (y/n’s) features soften as she takes in his words.  “I’ll give him that.  He’s a good sorcerer, and person.  And clearly his judgment is well founded” 

It’s a… distinguished compliment, that’s for sure.  (y/n) finds herself blushing and she can’t even quite explain why.  Was it the compliment itself or the insinuation behind it? Ultimately she decides to play it off due to the slight buzz she was running on.

“I’m certainly lucky to have him,” She says, and just as she glances around the room to see where he’d gone, he’s already heading back towards her with two drinks in his hands.  “I owe a greater force big time for bringing me to him, don’t I?” She murmurs.

She doesn’t look back at Nanami when she speaks, her eyes too focused on the man headed in her direction.  The blonde sorcerer ducks his head and tries to cough over his chuckling.  It’s a pitiful attempt, but judging the glazed over look in her eyes as Ino comes near, he could probably count on her not having noticed his humored state.

“Thank you” She hums when Ino hands her the fresh glass, taking the empty one from her other hand and placing it on an empty table behind him.

“Did I take too long?” He asks, just quiet enough for her to hear.

There’s a look on her face he can’t quite read, but it’s so lovely he couldn’t even be bothered to try to decipher it as he smiles fondly back at her.

Nanami takes a subtle step backwards as he watches them mirror that lovesick look at one another.

“Not at all, I was just getting to know your mentor a little better,” She tells him, gesturing to Nanami, who had now turned and was walking away completely.  “He has very kind things to say about you” 

She tilts her head at him as her smile grows a little wider.  Ino raises a brow back at her, unable to help the small bit of laughter that escapes him as he holds her stare.

“That so?” He hums, growing amused as he realizes she’s just a little bit drunk.  “Are you having a good time?” He asks, and she knows he’s really asking if she’s feeling the alcohol a bit, but she nods back at him anyways, unbothered by the hidden question.

“I am, I’m glad you brought me” 

His smile softens.

“Me too” 

Utahime and Shoko return shortly after, and soon the four of them are seated at one end of the table sharing all sorts of stories, from work to drama to things they definitely didn’t need to share for being new acquaintances, (y/n) hit it off with the pair so well Ino didn’t want to do anything to reel her in.  He was just relieved to see her getting along with the people of that part of his life.

It also helped that throughout the night she seemed to draw closer and closer to him.  Whether they were walking up to the bar and she kept so close their arms brushed together, or when they sat down and she pulled her chair close to his so that when she was leaning into the table she was reaching across his lap and almost completely in his space.  Ino could almost pretend that she was his date for the night.  He’d weakly mustered up the courage to drape his arm over the back of her chair, but that was as much of a leap as he was willing to take.

Not long after though, she raised her empty glass in his direction, and her free hand reached over her shoulder where his hand dangled off her chair, so her fingers could wrap around his.

“Another?” She hums curiously, still swirling the glass in a small circle.

His hand unintentionally twitches when her soft skin brushes over it, and as if on instinct, she slots her fingers between his.

She’s touched him before, of course, it’s not like he’s never had skin-to-skin contact before.  When patching him up, or bumping into each other in the kitchen.  One thing was certain, though… they never held hands.

And she holds his hand now with that pretty smile on her face as she waits for him to answer her question- wait, shit, how long has it been since she asked him that question?

“Yeah, yeah, let’s get another round” He agrees, and carefully slides his chair back before standing, not wanting to bump into hers.

Even when she stands, she keeps her fingers curled between his.  Ino’s not sure if she’s even aware of it- should he pull his hand away? Or perhaps she was just a bit drunk and didn’t want to stumble in her heels- so keeping his hold on her would be the right thing to do, right? 

She gives Shoko and Utahime a cheeky little wave before following beside Ino towards the bar.  Their hands still clasped together between them.  He wonders if she knows that she’s making his heart race at an unhealthy pace.

But she must know, she must realize she’s still holding it, because once they approach the bar and wait for their drinks, she’s lazily swinging their conjoined hands back and forth as she strikes up a conversation with him.

“This is much cooler than any work event I’ve ever gone to,” She tells him.  “It’s always at a chain restaurant, and there’s a socially acceptable amount of drinks you can have” 

Ino chuckles at the slight pout on her face, and finds himself giving into the slight swing of their arms.  “This stuff barely ever happens,” He shrugs.  “Probably because most people can only take Gojo in concentrated amounts,” 

Her eyes are wide as she nods at him in understanding.  In the brief interaction she’d had with the special grade sorcerer, she already completely understood what he meant.

“But if this doesn’t end in disaster and there’s a chance for another one in eight to eighteen months, you’re invited” He teases.

She lights up like a christmas tree, as if he’s just promised her tickets to a sold out tour of her favorite artist, or a seat on the next shuttle to the moon.  Her lips curl into the most beautiful smile he’s ever seen, eyes glimmering with her excitement and honor, and if Ino wasn’t swooning as hard as he was, he might’ve chuckled at the drunken delight.

“Really?” She gushes, eyebrows raising with her hope.  “You will?” 

A breath of a laugh escapes him as he nods, and she rocks on her feet momentarily, too giddy to stand still.  He can’t help but reflect her grin back at her.

They’re handed their drinks, and finally (y/n) pulls her hand out of his.  He tries not to show his disappointment.  Before Ino can think of something clever to say, something that borders the line of teasing and flirting that he’s usually so good at tip-toeing over, someone else joins them at the bar.

Gojo Satoru on a regular day is a menace.  Although Ino didn’t always mind, not like his mentor did.  More often than not, he’d match the energy and get a good laugh in for the day.  But at a work-social event?  Gojo was insufferable.  Ino had already decided this the second he’d decided to hit on (y/n).

Was he irritated for the right reasons? No.  Was he actively trying to get over his feelings for his sweet, perfect, beautiful roommate? Maybe.  Did that mean shit? Absolutely not.

He’s decided that as soon as Gojo purrs out another flirty line- which he’s bound to do judging from the way he’s currently looking at her- that he’s going to take her hand again and drag her away without a word.  His heart starts to race in his chest from the anticipation, knowing that it’s soon to come once Gojo’s done chatting her up about how swell of time she’s having.

As powerful as he was, Gojo Satoru could be a bit predictable.

“You know, I could show you some pretty neat things at Jujutsu Tech if you ever wanted to learn more about sorcery,” He’s good at disguising his propositions as simple acts of kindness.  Ino’s jaw twitches as it tenses, his teeth clamping down together.  “I’m a really good teacher, you know” 

“Oh?” (y/n) scoffs, she’s faster to react than Ino, and for being at a giggly-level of intoxicated, she plays off her scoff as playful as she quirks an eyebrow up at him.  “You should probably save it for your students, then,” She says, and Ino fights the urge to snicker.  Not very well, though, it’s pretty obvious when he purses his lips and his eyes crinkle with humor.  “Besides, I’m taken” 

Ino does a full double take, the joy on his face falling and transforming into one of utter bewilderment.  If (y/n) notices the reaction, she chooses to ignore it, too busy staring down Gojo with a pointed smile that seemed sweet but screamed get lost instead.

Gojo doesn’t seem remotely offended by the bomb drop of a refusal.  In fact, he almost looks amused by it.  He grins from ear to ear as he nods back at her in understanding.

“Of course,” He murmurs, his gaze finally shifting towards Ino, only for a moment, before it’s focused on (y/n) again.  “I wasn’t trying to offend” He says, and it’s genuine.

(y/n) beams.

“You didn’t” 

With that, Gojo nods again, and then he disappears again.  Off to mess with someone else, they suppose.  Ino’s pretty sure Nanami was left unattended and he’s likely the next victim.  If the situation wasn’t so pressing, he’d probably rush off to save his mentor from the torment.  

Sorry, Nanami.

“Taken?” 

He turns to (y/n) with a look on his face that makes her brighten up.  That cute look of confusion mixed with curiosity, she just had to bask in the adorable way his brows would pinch then relax, then pinch and relax, as he struggled to keep his expression neutral.  She giggles, her smile turning toothy as she lets him baffle himself for a few seconds longer.

And then, in that soft, saccharine voice, she murmurs up at him.

“Well, I sort of am, aren’t I?” 

The night didn’t last much longer after that.  Once Shoko and Utahime were tapping out and slowly leaving the venue so as not to be bombarded by anyone- Gojo- (y/n) clung to Ino’s side a little more, and grew a bit quieter as it got later, her buzz turning into sleepiness.  

It wasn’t until Nanami made his departure that Ino decided to call it.  The only other people who were still in for the night were the managers who didn’t know when to quit.

(y/n’s) leaning back in her chair, working on drinking a second glass of water and hardly paying attention to the conversation happening around her.  She’d pulled her arms out of the sleeves of her wrap, but she let the material stay draped over her shoulders.  Ino was convinced that she might fall asleep right there in her seat.

In the last couple of minutes, he’s glanced over to find her staring at him five or six times.  Eventually he can’t hide the way his smile betrays him, and he mumbles a ‘what?’ under his breath at her.

She giggles back at him, airy and carefree, before she leans over to brush a lock of hair that curled around his ear.  A noticeable blush dusted over his cheeks as soon as her finger grazed his skin, even though the motion is just her drunken form of platonic affection, she leans so close that he can smell her perfume, and even once she’s tucked the piece of hair behind his ear, she lingers there for just a minute longer.  The lump in Ino’s throat is too large for him to talk through, so all he can do is hope his eyes aren’t ridiculously wide as he stares back at her, before she settles back in her seat again.

He thinks he might cancel his upcoming haircut appointment.  Even though it’s length was starting to get a bit annoying, he might try out the longer hairstyle for a while.  And if (y/n) continues to reach out to give it a little tuck behind his ear then that would simply be a minor bonus, wouldn’t it? 

It dawns on him after he spirals on the thought for a while that the night should be wrapped up soon.  It was time to get back home where he could chug some water and hopefully forget about how much he’d embarrassed himself tonight.

“Hey,” Ino murmurs, tapping the back of her hand gently to get her attention.  Her eyelids are heavy as she glances over at him, a small smile gracing her lips.  “You ready to go home?” 

(y/n) wakes up a bit more at that, nodding her head and tucking her arms through the sleeves of her wrap.

They slip out not long after that.  Ino keeps his arm around her waist, murmuring something about keeping her upright that he’s not even sure she hears before she’s leaning against him, slowly walking along the sidewalk on their way to the train station.  The walk and ride home is mostly silent, but it’s comfortable.  He wouldn’t ask for anything else, as long as she was tucked into his side like she belonged there, like he was made to hold her like this.

He’s not sure if the heaviness in his heart is because he’s so full of love, or if it’s because he knows deep down that this would be the closest to having her as his as he could get.  Nonetheless, he keeps his hold on her secure until they’re back in the safety of their apartment.

“Thanks for the fun night, Ino,” She murmurs after kicking her shoes off by the door.  “Let’s definitely do it again sometime, ‘kay?” 

He can only manage a small smile and a nod of agreement back at her.  

“I better get to bed, I’m going to pass out,” She lets out a tired little laugh, but before heading off, she steps closer to him, hand reaching out to give his shoulder a squeeze.  Again, he gives her a smile, about to bid her goodnight as he usually does, but before he can say anything, she’s leaning up and pressing her lips against his cheek.

She kissed him.

He blinks, and she’s already pulled away, still smiling before she’s headed off to bed with a quiet goodnight hanging between them.  

Needless to stay he stands at the door with his shoes still on for embarrassingly longer than necessary, his fingers ghosting over the spot on his face her lips had just blessed.

He was set back a few paces in his whole getting over her plan, tonight.  In fact, he might’ve been knocked all the way back to square one.

Oh well, there was always tomorrow to try again.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

“You should really make a move on that roommate of yours, you know” 

Nanami’s sudden advice has Ino swiveling his head away from lunch, nearly giving himself whiplash as he stares at his mentor in shock.  They hadn’t even talked about the event last friday, so far their talk today had been strictly work related.

(Except for when Ino saw a cat across the street while on a patrol and he insisted that Nanami named the stray before they went on their way.  That was less-than work related)

“What?” The word comes out in a mere squeak, disbelief evident in his twisted expression, but he’d heard Nanami perfectly clear.  The man nods again, chewing thoughtfully on his food before swallowing, and continuing on with his moment of advice.

Nanami didn’t often feel the need to give his pupil guidance outside of jujutsu sorcery.  Ino was quite capable of taking care of himself, for being a young man with an odd form of income, he’d always taken care of himself well.  

Now, however, the 7-3 sorcerer felt the need to involve himself with this one.  And he wasn’t afraid to tell his apprentice that he was being an idiot.

“She’s a quite lovely young woman,” Nanami continues, and Ino already feels himself begin to blush.  “It was a pleasure to meet her.  I can see why you like her so much” 

Ino gives a shaky nod, still suspicious of where this was all headed, and why Nanami was pushing him to make a move- or so he’d said.

“Yeah…” Ino agrees unsurely.  “(y/n’s)... great” 

Nanami hums as he nods his head, adjusting his glasses before sitting up straighter in his seat, giving Ino an unsettling amount of direct attention.

“She’s clearly infatuated with you,” The blonde sorcerer says bluntly.  “So what’s holding you back, hm?” 

Ino opens his mouth, but when an excuse doesn’t immediately come to mind, he shuts it again.  He gapes a few more times, and Nanami is patient as he waits to hear whatever terrible excuse he comes up with, but eventually it becomes clear that Ino’s been stunned into silence, so Nanami takes over again.

“You’re a capable young man, Takuma.  Whatever is holding you back, it’s time to let go of it.  I only had to talk to her for a few minutes to know that that young lady is in love with you” 

Ino’s still gaping like a fish, but as the words sink in, he snaps his mouth shut, and swallows the lump in his throat.

“What- uh- why are you telling me this?” He stammers out.  

Nanami sighs softly, a small smile gracing his lips.  It was heartwarming to see the shy young love blossoming before him.  At least, when it wasn’t obnoxiously ignored by Takuma.

“Because it’s obvious when you two look at each other.  Usually that means it’s time to fess up” 

“Wait wait wait,” Ino put his hands up, leaning over the table they shared as he wrapped his mind around the sudden advice.  “Are you giving me… romance advice right now?” 

“I wouldn’t call it that,” Nanami grumbles, fighting the urge to roll his eyes.  “But you’re ignoring it” 

“So you agree it’s romance advice-” 

“You love her, don’t you?” Nanami interrupts him then, brows raised pointedly as he waits for the confirmation.  It was a simple yes or no question, wasn’t it? 

When Ino shuts his mouth and swallows hard, Nanami accepts that as answer enough.

“Then don’t you think you should tell her?” 

“I…” Well, he couldn’t exactly argue with such sound advice, could he? And he certainly wasn’t about to argue with the mentor he respected beyond belief.  “I just don’t want to ruin a good thing” He admits quietly.

Now, even his ears feel like they’re on fire with the admission.

“And if you never say a thing and eventually she moves on to someone else? You wouldn’t regret your choice?” 

Ino frowns.  He should have known Nanami was only going to hit him with logic.

He finishes his lunch quietly, a silence settling between them as Nanami feels as though he’d said what he needed to say.  Ino was clearly thinking it over pretty hard- seeing as he was making his thinking face throughout the rest of their lunch break- and now all Nanami could do was hope his words would stick.

At the end of the day he wanted to see his pupil happy.  Takuma Ino was a good egg, and he deserved happiness.

It would also help if he didn’t have to sit through another event where they made heart eyes at each other for two and a half straight hours.  But mostly that first thing.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

Ino’s nervous when he approaches the door of his apartment that evening.  It was a nice night, his final assignment didn’t go too late, and he made it home at the early early time of seven p.m.

When he does unlock the door and let himself inside, it’s not a surprise to be instantly greeted by (y/n), who grins at him from the kitchen.

“Ino!” Her smile stretches from ear to ear when he walks into the apartment.  She’s in the kitchen, wearing the silly but cute duckling themed apron she wore anytime she was in the kitchen, even if she was only using the toaster, she’d put that apron on.

So cute, he sighs as he leans back against the door, at a loss for words.  So domestic.  (y/n) looks puzzled by him staying at the door without coming in all the way, or saying hello.

With a concerned knot between her brows, she drops the utensil in her hand on the counter, and makes her way towards him.

“Ino?” She calls worriedly.  “You alright?” 

“Yeah- yeah, I’m fine, just tired, s’all” He stammers back, finally pulling the beanie off his head and dropping it on the small table they keep by the door, then kicking off his shoes.

(y/n) frowns.

“Long day?” She lets out a sigh, then wraps her arms around herself as she awaits whatever terrible thing he has to share.

Jujutsu sorcery wasn’t always about unique talents and powerful people, she’d learned quickly.  She’d seen Ino return home with a weight that only failing innocent people could place on his shoulders.  Tonight, she assumes that the lost, glazed over look on his face is due to something of the sort.

“It’s not like that,” He says as he watches her expression sadden.  Ino forces a quick smile as he shakes his head at her.  “Don’t worry about it” 

She doesn’t look at him any different, still frowning, still waiting for him to tell her what’s on his mind.

“I am worried,” She murmurs gently.  She doesn’t want to push him, but she needed him to know that she was there for him if he needed to get something off his chest.  “Did something happen-?” 

“No- no it’s really not…” He tries to explain to her that his anxiety tonight has nothing to do with work, but he doesn’t yet know how to tell her that it had everything to do with her.  He wasn’t sure how she’d take it.  Wasn’t sure if it would come out right.

Growing more concerned by the second, (y/n) takes a larger step closer, her hands reaching out for his out of instinct.  He flinches slightly when she first takes hold of them, but he lets her.  He lets her squeeze onto them and pull them close to her.

“If you need to talk about it-” 

Ino doesn’t like the way she looks at him like she could break just thinking he was in some sort of pain.  So before he can refine the words in his mind, he blurts out what had been plaguing him.  

“What did you mean the other night when you told Gojo you were taken?” 

It does the trick, because her expression morphs instantly.  She’s staring at him with wide, unblinking eyes, lips still parted around the rest of her question that she now drops completely.  It catches her so off guard that she’s dead silent for a few seconds.

“And then you said you sort of were- what does that mean?” Ino’s prepared with another question, and she worries he’ll keep piling them on before she could come up with the proper answers for them.

Her face feels warm, and a nervous smile spreads on her lips, followed by a small chuckle that dies in her throat.  It’s a cute sound, anxious, but cute nonetheless.  It makes the corner of Ino’s lips tilt upwards upon hearing it.  It was a natural reaction, smiling whenever she would laugh.  He couldn’t help it.  Seeing her happy, even in a state of nervous energy, set butterflies free in his stomach in a way he hadn’t felt since his childhood.

“I… I meant…” She’s stuttering, voice failing her the longer his honey brown eyes are staring into hers.  “You know what I meant” She finishes the thought quietly, barely under her breath.

He softens, and then melts before her.  His hands squeeze her with the smallest amount of force, barely there, but enough for her to feel it.

She’s blushing, her cheeks a rosy shade of pink that’s so lovely he almost can’t stand it.  He leans towards her, watching as her eyes grow a little rounder upon the close proximity.

“(y/n),” He murmurs, so soft she wouldn’t have caught it if the syllables of her name didn’t brush against her skin with his breaths.  “I need you to tell me, alright? Because-” He pauses, his eyes flickering between hers for a moment, and she swears they dart down to her lips before raising to her eyes again.  “- because I need to know I’m not seeing things and- and making them up before I do something stupid that I can’t take ba-” 

“How stupid?” She cuts him off, pressing closer, as if it could get her an answer faster.  It might work, because she barely finishes the question before he’s replying.

“Very stupid” He breathes through the words, like it pained him to even say them.

The faintest of laughs fall from her lips, before she tilts her head and gazes up at him fondly.

“Who knew you thought twice about stupid things before you did them?” She teased.  It’s so soft, so sweet, that he cracks a smile.  It washes away all of his nerves, and his stupid idea doesn’t seem so stupid anymore.

Tugging on her hands, he pulls her closer to him, until she’s practically tripping into his chest, but he doesn’t care when they collide unceremoniously.  He’s already letting go of her hands so that she can brace them against his shoulders, steadying herself, and just in time before he’s cupping her face in his hands and slamming his lips against hers.

As sudden as the kiss is, (y/n) meets him with the fervor of a long awaited passion.  Her hands squeeze his shoulders, latching probably too tight but if it hurts he shows no sign of pain.

His lips are so soft, despite being chapped and his kisses being rushed, they were so gentle against hers that she could feel her knees wobbling.  He’d probably tease her for it later, but right now she couldn’t care.

He kisses her like they only have a limited amount of time.  As if they’re not at the entryway to their shared apartment.  His hands slide from her cheeks to the sides of her head, into her hair, holding onto her with a firm grip- as if she’ll slip away from him at any moment.

But the truth was, this was heaven.  She could stand here and kiss him and be kissed by him for hours.  Days, even.

He only pulls away from her when his body has him gasping for air, chest heaving, lips hanging open as he pants, she has to giggle just a little bit at his desperation.  Even if she matched it as well.

Their noses are still pressed together, and their hands remained latched onto one another as they both caught their breath.  Ino shares her laughter once the haze over his mind clears up and the reality of what they just did sinks in.

“So,” He mumbles, heavy eyes finding hers, making her fight the urge to steal another kiss.  “Stupid?” 

With a smile she tries to bite back, she shakes her head at him.

“No,” She murmurs back.  “Not stupid” 

Dinner is forgotten on the counter, going cold the longer it remains that way.  

Ino beats her to another kiss.  It feels like ages as they stand at the door embracing one another, kissing in between fits of giggles and sweet confessions, and kissing just to kiss.

He understood exactly what she meant when she’d said she was taken.  Because, well, he sort of was too.  Long before now.  His heart was stolen the day she responded to his ad, and with it their fates sealed.

✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧ ✩₊˚.⋆☾⋆⁺₊✧

[ it’s better than i ever even knew // they say that the world was built for two // only worth living if somebody is loving you // and baby now you do. ]

[colourstreakgryffin]

hii! could u write headcanons of Alastor x Male (preferly) Overlord Reader who is the opposite of him? Rarely smiles, isn't very chatty and is rough? and since Alastor loves dancing and singing, maybe Reader is shy about it and doesn't like the way he dances and sings?

You know what! I am gonna kill two birds with one stone and make us an Ink Demon! Overlord. So, we’re basically like Baby Bendy from the second BATIM game. Don’t know it? Look it up. One side is harmless and adorable and the other side is monstrous and vicious— however. Here, it’ll just be causal demon form than evil demonic Ink Demon form! Anyway. Let’s goooo. I’ve been doing a lot of GN for Alastor, this time we got a man! I don’t know if you want us to be romantic, I am just gonna guess platonic

Alastor- Follow Me

You look pretty cute and friendly. Black and white, cartoony, with adorable stereotypical demon features like arch-like horns and a long-thin tipped tail. Most importantly, your entire body is made of ink. Only your clothing is touchable, otherwise, your ‘skin’ is so soft, liquidity and stains anything it touches. For that reason and one more, you harden yourself up and avoid conversation

Alastor, the Radio Demon, is not a fan of making friends with men. He prefers women, they are just easier to talk to. However, you’re not as vile and unlikeable as most men with your personality is. You’re the strict, stern, responsible one of the Overlords, ordering the other Overlords to pay attention to Camilla Carmine

Alastor doesn’t know why but he finds you interesting

Your uncontrollable Ink Demon side is extremely violent and merciless so you had to develop a thick shell, in order to make sure nothing can make it trigger at random. It’s too much of a risk, hence why you behave in the way you do. It’s a self-defence mechanism and it’s a protection method to everybody else around too

Alastor doesn’t even care that you’re untouchable. He will touch you anyway, getting annoyed by the black ink forming your body in a in-fact, solid fashion, getting onto his sleeves or hand but he ignores it to converse with you

Alastor also ignores the gruff warnings you give out when he approaches you. That you’re dangerous and that the Ink Beast will try rip him to pieces if it’s let out. If anybody thinks Alastor would be scared of the Ink Demon, they have another thing coming. He’d actually like to face off this Ink Beast one day

It looks like, to every other Overlord, that Alastor is talking to a brick wall when he talks to you. Since you’re not responding not even looking at him, just focusing on Camilla and her statements with the most bland and rough expression, not a single hint of a grin. You’re the opposite of Alastor and yet, he’d like to befriend you

Alastor keeps trying and trying without even halting. He’s quite the persistent man and when he wants to befriend somebody, he won’t stop until he gets what he desires and at this moment, it’s to make friends with you, rather you shut him down and bark at him to stay away

Alastor finds your overall appearance cute. You look like you were drawn for a kids cartoon in the early 19th century. Possibly around his own time of the 1920s-1930s. You’re bendy and mendable, you defy all laws of logic and have cartoon physics on your side. You’re like if a kids cartoon demon tried to be a big bad mafia boss and ruled a part of Hell itself, and he isn’t filtered when it comes to this opinion. He straight up tells you all that

Alastor, overtime, ends up succeeding like the little I don’t take no for a answer brat he is in getting you to agree in joining him out to the Hazbin Hotel and accompanying him for a nice little tour. Throughout the tour, he notices that some music in the Lobby is blasting and without even hesitating, he drags you over to join him into a dance

“Come, my dear sir. Let us dance this tension away!” Alastor chimes out rather excited, immediately leading you into a half-messy dance performance with him as the head. You just stumble along, slightly gritting your fangs in discomfort but it won’t be acknowledged by Alastor in the slightest. All he cares about is putting a smile on your face

Alastor laughs warmly as you attempt to try keep up with him during this dance he had dragged you into. You’re clearly quite timid, not enjoying the way the Deer Overlord dances and sings but you either don’t care enough to shut him up or you are too kind to try shut him up

Alastor likes to tease you about your behaviour and your looks. He isn’t frightened or intimidated at all by your beast side and you’re too colourless and squishy to be scary, he does actually view you as a wonderful friend. Even whilst you’re cold and dismissive, he can get you to acknowledge him and be polite to him so it’s a win for Alastor in the end

It’s been a long time since Alastor got a male friend so he can be more crude and snarky with you, without actually needing to be sensitive, like with his women friends

“My good fellow. You don’t need to act so broody. Smile now, you’re safe and whatever you are worried about, it’s not going to do anything to you or me or anybody in this Hotel”

[ghostboneswrites2]

Doe Eyes || Ch.1 - Woodbury

Overview: You (y/n) are taken captive by the Governor and recruited as one of his fiercest soldiers. As you slowly uncover the atrocities committed behind the walls of Woodbury and at the hands of the Governor himself, your already questionable loyalty begins to dwindle. When Woodbury falls, your only friend (a sassy, formerly rich farmer's daughter type named Brandy) decides to take the offer from the rival group to join them at their secure home in a prison. Despite your apprehensiveness -- and your preference to be out on your own -- you decide to tag along with your friend and seek refuge with Rick's group. You become a valuable, able-bodied asset to them, and that's when a certain crossbow slinging southerner becomes a part of your life.

Story begins in S3 and ends when Aaron finds the group to take them to Alexandria. It is mostly canon compliant. Lots of canonical dialogue. This story is finished. There is one OC: Brandy

18+ MDNI || Warnings: Story contains TWD typical violence, profanity, deaths of major and minor characters, gore, etc etc.

Chapter list

        "Well, so far, so good, except the dehydration. I'm going to give you these electrolyte powders. Drink them twice a day in a glass of water, and make sure to drink plenty more in between." The doctor lady told you, handing you six slender packets. "Someone will be in to show you around."

        With that, she walked out of the room and you just sat there, stunned. A doctor? In today's world? Where the hell were you? Maybe you were dead and this was some kind of strange DMT trip before your lights went out for good.

        The door opened and in walked a tall man with a fake smile. He was the type to work at a law firm or something. 

        "Good afternoon." He greeted cordially. "Name's Philip. Most people just call me Governor."

        "Governor?" You snorted. "Like 'ello gov-nah'?" You joked, mimicking a sad excuse for a British accent.

        "Funny." He chuckled, but something told you it wasn't actually that amusing. "Come on. I'll show you around, then I'll take you to where you'll be staying."

        "Staying? I don't know about that. I was doing alright on my own." 

        "Alright?" He considered your words for a moment, slowly pacing his way toward you. "Wouldn't you rather be doing well? Great, even? Just let me show you around, give you a place to stay for a day or two, and then if you still want to go, fine. We'll send you off, maybe give you some supplies to get you started."

        "What about my weapons?" You inquired. When they took you, you had a .38 and a crowbar. You'd become pretty efficient in the arts of melee since the world fell to shit.

        "Of course. You can have 'em, and we'll even give you a box of ammunition for that pretty piece of yours. It's nice, by the way. Where'd you get it?"

        "Oh, I got it when I got my first place on my own." You shrugged. "You know, wasn't in the best area and all."

        "Understandable." He nodded, showing off that eerily friendly grin of his. "Good thing you had it."

----

        "So, what do you think?" He asked. He'd just given you a quick tour of the town. Woodbury, he called it.

        "It's real cute. Never seen anything like it." You admitted.

        "No different than any other little town in the south." He chuckled.         

        "The walls, I mean." You clarified. "The armed guards. So many people. How'd you do it?"

        "Well, Rome wasn't built in a day." He shrugged, feigning humility.

        "It also wasn't built in a world infested with flesh-starved freaks." You retorted. His eyes narrowed. He was growing tired of your observations and the way you questioned everything. It threatened him, really. But he'd seen the way you fought out there. They'd been watching you for a few days, Philip and Merle and whatever goons they'd bring along for the day. They watched you fight two grown men off as they tried to raid your supplies and probably yourself. You took down the biters with ease, one swift blow to the side of the head, and another down on top. You were quick and sneaky. You made it look effortless. You had survival down to a science, which was either a threat or an asset. He hadn't decided. 

        He forced a smile that more closely resembled a sneer. 

        "I'm sure you've got loads of questions. You're a smart gal. However, I have some things that need attending, and you still haven't been shown to your place." 

        "What, like my own house?" You furrowed you eyebrows. He looked around.

        "You see any houses around here? C'mon, it's in here." He said as he led you inside the building you two had stopped in front of. It was a small apartment building it seemed, maybe twelve apartments total, if that. Yours was on the second floor. It was small, but it had everything anyone could need. "There's some food in the kitchen, and running water. Come find me if you need anything. Feel free to wander and make friends." 

----

        When you'd been at Woodbury for a few days, the Governor had cornered you, asking you to make a decision, because anyone who stayed had a job to do, and if you were going to leave, it needed to be soon so not to use up any more valuable supplies. You told him you'd stay, but he seemed skeptical all of a sudden, asking what value you had to offer. Of course, you told him about the only skill you had in this new world. You were a fighter. He seemed to like that response. He assigned you to the wall at first, then he started bringing you on runs.

        That was weeks ago. Just recently you guys brought in two women, Michonne and Andrea. They made it clear they weren't sticking around, so the Governor gave them the same offer he gave you; chill out for a few days then be on their way.

        Andrea eventually decided to stay but Michonne wanted no part of it. Thing was, Philip never intended on letting them leave alive. You and Merle were tasked with killing her. She got away from Merle, and you let her. The two of you had decided to just tell him she was dead and be done with it. Not like she had much of a chance up against their paramilitary militia anyways. That was when you truly lost any trust for Woodbury. The benevolent ruler façade was already less than believable, and the hit on Michonne did nothing but prove your suspicions. 

        Really, the only  upside to any of this was that for the first time since everyone you knew was eaten alive -- or doing the eating -- you made a friend. Brandy was a tan, dirty blonde, supermodel of a woman. She grew up on a very profitable farm. A plantation, really. She was your typical southern belle, or as she would call it, a 'Georgia Peach.' She was sassy and classy and everything in between. She was probably the only person in the world that still wore mascara and lip gloss and carried a purse. You were drinking with her at her place that night.

        "So, what did you do, anyways? Before all this?" She asked, pouring another glass of wine. 

        "Honestly?" You giggled. "I was a clerk at a pawnshop."

        "Wow, a real classy place, I bet." She joked. You rolled your eyes. 

        "Oh, yeah. The tweakers trying to pawn their decade old VHS players for a sack was real classy."

        "I didn't have a job." She admitted as she poured you a glass. "Daddy pretty much gave me whatever. Paid for my college classes." She lamented. "I had a real good life."

        "That's good." You smiled. "Mine wasn't so bad, but I definitely lacked in the rich dad department."

        "Yeah, well, I'm sure you got a lot more life experience than I could ever dream of. I used to wish I could just live like a normal girl sometimes. Life with a silver spoon ain't all it's cracked up to be, you know?"

        "Oh, yeah. I'm sure that was real tough." You snorted.

        "Only when I wanted a boyfriend who wasn't studying to be a doctor or a lawyer." She giggled. "Or that one time they caught me smokin' pot with my friends in high school."

        "Pot?" You raised your eyebrows. "My, my. A rebel, I see."

        "Something like that, yeah." She nodded.

        "Got any pot now?" You wondered. She laughed.

        "No but if you find any, let me know." 

        "So, what's up around here?" You asked, breaking away from the casual banter. She gave you a confused look. "I mean, like, how come nobody gets to leave this place?"

        "Why would anyone want to?" She scoffed. When she realized you were serious, her smiled dropped. "What do you mean? We're free to go whenever we want. Nobody ever wants to, though."

        "I don't know about that." You mumbled.

        "What are you on about?" She asked warily.

        "Look, you cant tell anyone." You said, growing more serious as you leaned forward on the table where she sat across from you. "That girl Michonne, she left. Governor sent me and Merle after her."

        "What, to bring her back? I thought you said nobody gets to leave?" Brandy tilted her head.

        "That's what I'm saying. He sent us to kill her." You whispered.

        "You killed her?" She gasped.

        "No no no no!" You shook your head and waved your hands. "She got away and I let her."

        "Well why the hell would he send y'all after her? What did she do?"

        "Nothing, man." You shook your head. "Not a damn thing. She just didn't want to stay. I don't get it."

[midnightfantasiez]

Invitation | Jacob Bae

SUMMARY: never would you have thought to have instantly clicked with the one and only idol Jacob Bae, within a short period. when he finally invites you to take a further step in your relationship with one another, how could you possibly refuse?

PAIRING: idol Jacob x afab! reader

GENRE: smut (18+ MDNI!!)

WARNINGS: french kissing, pet names, oral (afab! reader receiving), fingering (afab! reader receiving), p in v sex, protected sex (we cheered), man's doing it from behind

WORD COUNT: 2,354

A/N: @zzoguri this was written for you 😚 i hope you like it 🥺

It has been a couple of weeks since your mutual friends introduced you both to one another.

You were in your final years in college and had little to no connections to many boys in your life. You were the type to always hide in the library or the quiet reading rooms scattered throughout campus, wanting to avoid indulging in all of the parties or chaos around you. With that, you were definitely not a regular on the college’s party scene. Attending frat parties or clubs would be the last thing you want to do on a Friday night, choosing to snuggle up in bed with your favourite snacks and drinks while watching your favourite TV shows. 

Naturally, your friends were starting to worry about your love life—convinced that you wouldn’t be able to find someone even until graduation came in a year. Hence, they decided to be good samaritans and tried their best to find one that would suit your type to the best of their abilities. 

Your close group of friends knew how you’ve always had a soft spot for music, and it’s something that you have always been passionate about besides the current course you were taking in college. It was probably pure luck when one of your buddies was mutual friends with an actual idol from one of the most famous boy bands of the year.

Given your personality, she was convinced that you and Jacob Bae were a perfect match with one another. Thanks to her luck, she secured a few tickets for you to attend their ongoing concert—The Boyz 2nd World Tour: Zeneration. 

Wishing that she would finally shut up about meddling with your love life, you decided to give it a go and went to the first day of the concert. Unbeknownst to you, you start taking interest in the man himself. 

It was the way he presented himself on stage—the way his body moved according to the rhythm and vibe of each song perfectly, his harmonious voice that suited each of the songs from the setlist, not to mention the outfits he was given to wear (especially during the opening where he wore a see-through shirt with his hair all slicked back good lord). 

When you finally got to meet him in person backstage after the concert, he was a man you would fall for and would immediately be listed down in your “men whom I surprisingly approve of and will trust with the rest of my life” book.

He was so calm and friendly that he could break off the ice between you two even though you’ve just met, and it was how you were engaged in every conversation you’ve had with him. You definitely were a little upset when they had to call it a night as they had to prepare for the upcoming concerts for the rest of the week. But he managed to grab a few more tickets for you and your friends so that you could come again during the tour's encore and final day. 

Fast forward to the present day, you were at the backstage waiting for the rest of the members to arrive. It took about 10 minutes before all 11 members came down to thank all the staff and visit all the guests that had arrived to support them on their final day. It took a while for Jacob to finally make his way towards you, but when he did, he absolutely couldn’t leave your side in the slightest bit. 

Something in the air made both of you seemingly attracted to one another, even though you had just met for the second time. It was as if you both were drawn to each other, wanting to know more and deepen the relationship you both have created. 

He gently grabs hold of one of your hands into his, caressing it before opening his mouth to suggest the plans for the rest of the day. 

“Say, there is this really nice restaurant not too far from here that I occasionally dine in whenever I feel for a candlelight dinner. Care to join me for the night?” He asked in such a sweet way, how could you say no?

Without much hesitation, you quickly nodded your head before he made some arrangements to inform his managers and your friends that you both would make a quick dinner and that he would bring you back home safely by the end of the night. 

Seeing this as a sign, your friends immediately encouraged you to take up the offer, convinced that this would be the start of a spark to happen between you two. 

For the first time in a while, you actually agreed with your friends on this for once.

It was a rather fancy restaurant that had the Parisian vibes to it. You could tell how it would be a place where idols would occasionally indulge after a long day of work, especially when they have just finished a concert tour. 

Jacob, being the kind gentlemen that he was, ensured that you’ve always felt comfortable and would bring up a variety of topics to talk about—which you deeply appreciated because gradually, he was slowly pulling out from your bubble, getting you to open up to him more. 

You were glad that you weren’t the only one who showed interest in the other party. Otherwise, it would’ve been an awkward one-sided relationship. There was just something about you that drew in him, and he couldn’t exactly pinpoint what it was either. All he knew was that he was desperate to try to get to know you better, and eventually, he definitely thought about taking a step further in the relationship you both have now. 

The dinner went on smoothly and he offered to pay for the meal at the end, much to your disagreement. 

A gentleman should always pay on the first date, no? 

Those words lingered in your mind, and you couldn’t help but chuckle. 

As you both exited the restaurant, he somehow volunteered to be your chauffeur, clearly wanting to keep you as long as he could to himself. 

“If you are free for the night, would you like to come over to my place?” 

“Woah, Jacob. Aren’t you taking this a little too far? What makes you think I’d return to your place that quickly?” You joked. 

“What if I said I have got the best liquor saved just for you, some good music to vibe to, a comfy sofa and a cosy atmosphere to indulge you for the night? Would you agree to my proposal?” 

Now that was tempting. Given both of your similar interests in music (and good liquor), it was very hard to reject the man’s offer. You knew that it should be a red flag for someone to invite you back to their comfort place that quickly, especially when you two are just friends at the moment, nothing else. 

But somehow, you just couldn’t turn down his offer. In fact, you wanted to know more about him too. 

In return, you smiled back at him while taking a step closer so that you were mere centimetres apart from each other’s faces. 

“That is a yes in my books.”

One thing led to another, and you both began feeling tipsy. And before you knew it, you were both kissing one another on the sofa. 

You were both finishing up the last drop of the liquor bottle that Jacob owned among his stash of wines and when you both looked into each other’s eyes, you knew that you were far too gone to even think rationally at this point. 

Jacob bent down his face to yours in slow motion, and within seconds you felt his hot mouth infused with the sweet wine he had just consumed earlier all over your mouth. As you wrapped your arms around his neck, he then slipped his hands down to the curve of your sides to rest on your hips as he drew you in. You didn’t expect how much of a prodigy he was with his tongue, casually slipping and wrapping itself onto yours. 

God, this whole session was causing you to lose your breath, your pants getting more visible as the minutes passed. Jacob noticed how much you enjoyed it and proposed a better idea. 

“Won’t you—crawl up in my bed—with me.” He asked in between the kisses. 

“What makes you—think that I would agree with that?” You asked while trying to catch your breath.

“For one, you would be cosy up in the sheets and I’ll make you feel good and care for you. Will you accept the invitation?” 

If you did, you already knew where this was going. Having sex when technically this was only your second time meeting one another? It would be absolute insanity. 

But you were already deep in this whole situation and ready to let loose for the night. 

“Show me what you’ve got then.” You challenged the male. 

Immediately, he carried you into his room and laid you down gently on his comfy sheets. He slowly undressed you, only leaving your underwear on as you laid your stomach down on the sheets. 

“Relax, baby. Let me take care of you, hmm?” 

Accepting his proposal, you laid your head on your arms and crossed them on the sheets.

Closing your eyes, you start to hear how he has walked behind you, undressing himself before slowly climbing onto the bed with you. 

Instantly, he bent down and began to fidget with your core, slowly rubbing it, earning a soft moan that escaped your mouth. 

“Does it feel good, baby?” 

You nodded your head and he knew he could proceed onwards with his care. He slowly increased his speed before finally coming into contact with his mouth upon your core, kissing and sucking them.

“Mmmh… yes… keep going, Jacob.” Your moans sounded so sweet to his ears, and that was when he knew his care was effective after all. It was then he decided to insert two of his fingers into your core while he continued to suck on it simultaneously. 

God, you were on cloud nine. It just felt so sickly good. 

“M-more… Jacob… please… don’t stop.” Purely on instinct, you decided to spread open your legs more to give him access to your entrance. And how you’d actually wish him to finger you deeper within. 

It went on for a few more minutes before you both knew you were about to reach your high. Jacob gives you the consent to cumming around his fingertips, and that was exactly what you did when you released your sweet love juice around his fingers. He takes them out from your core before placing them into his mouth, savouring them all without leaving a single drop. 

“God, you taste so f*cking good.” 

Just when you thought he was done, he opened up one of the drawers by his bedside to reveal a condom that he was about to place over his member. He asked you for your consent first to see if you were willing actually to do the deed with him. 

“What makes you think I would say no after you literally just made me cum?” 

He smirked. “That’s what I like to hear.” 

Once he was done adjusting his member to the entrance of your core, he slowly pushed in as he climbed further up onto your back so that he was hovering over you completely now. 

“God, Y/N. You’re so tight for me.” 

“Then do your magic and help me loosen up, sweetheart.” You whined, already wanting him to go fast on you. 

“Such an impatient one, aren’t you?” 

With your consent, he instantly picked up his speed and went as fast as you would’ve preferred. There is nothing about going slow and gradually picking up his pace whatsoever. He grabs both of your hips and pounds into you continuously, checking up on you ever so often by leaning in to kiss you on your forehead. 

You just looked so goddamn attractive to him at the moment. Your bareback, the way your long brown hair flowed down onto your back, and god, your moans. He swears he would definitely record them down so that he could listen to them all day at all times if he has to. 

Especially when he needs that motivation right before heading up on stage before a performance. 

 “J-Jacob… I’m cumming…” You mewled. 

“Cum for me then, baby. Do it with me.” He groaned.

With a few more powerful thrusts, you both reach your highs simultaneously and instantly release your juices together. He slowly pulls out his member from you and lays beside you as he reconnects his lips with yours. 

“Our connection is something else, don’t you think? Perhaps we are really meant for one another.” Jacob announced, making himself clear while he was still panting from the intense workout. 

“Gee, I had no idea you were this obsessed with me. What makes you think I’m special in your eyes?”

“I wouldn’t have asked you to attend another day of the concert and take you out to dinner if I weren’t interested in you.”

You both burst out in laughter before reconnecting your lips once again. But it all came to a halt when you suddenly realised how you had forgotten to keep your friends updated about the night, surely you have to return home sooner or later-

“Why don’t you stay over for the night? At least stay with me till the sun rises.” Jacob proposed, which, to be fair, was valid—you were in no shape to be able to walk normally after that intense session you both have just done. 

“I can’t. My friends would worry about me.” 

“Hmm. I think I could fix that.” 

He gently takes your phone from you while having your consent to type out the message that he would send to the mutual friend you’ve both had.

🍐: change of plans, i’m keeping Y/N with me for the night. fyi, we’re more than just friends at this point. 

masterlist

taglist: @deoboyznet @kflixnet @zzoguri (join my perm taglist here!)

[nightswithkookmin]

So like I didn't want to say anything about this but JM's Body guards are so selzy the way they protect him😌

Don't know why people are complaining they made him appear cold and unfriendly

I think you guys are too comfortable you forget these men are not supposed to be our friends.

He's not supposed to look friendly he's supposed to look better than you

If you think Jimin is supposed to cuddle up to you when he meets you on the streets you are nuts

Know your place

You are a nobody

His fart is worth more than your life

See him on the streets don't look him in the eye

Don't speak unless spoken to

Don't stand in his presence lie prostrate

Face down kiss the ground he walks on

No, he's not supposed to do what you want you are to do what HE WANTS

If he spits on you thank him and keep it pushing

No, you're not allowed to love yourself more than him

Yes take a bullet for him don't think twice

If he wants to fuxk you are unworthy to be fuxked

Front door back door you let him in

YOU CONFUSE HIM FOR AN INSTAGRAM MODEL AGAIN AND I'LL HAVE YOUR HEAD ON MY PLATE

You guys are gonna pretend out of BTS he is not the mmember who receives constant death threats the most.

You think he is there to feel important, no he is there to make yall feel important.

He is not begging to be photographed and this is an attestation to that. Gone are the days when he took to the streets to beg people to attend his shows for free and look at how people acted like they were better than him NOW LOOK WHERE HE GOT YALL

WESTERN MEDIA WANNA ACT LIKE THEY THREW A DOG A BONE

THEY WANNA ACT LIKE THEY DOING BTS A FAVOR WRITING ABOUT THEM INVITING THEM TO SHOWS AND INTERVIEWS GIVING THEM A GRAMMY

FUCK YALL

AND I DON'T WANNA HEAR ANYONE COMPARE JIMIN TO HOBI. THEY DON'T HAVE THE SAME STRUGGLES THEY CAN'T HAVE THE SAME SUPPORT.

ONE WAS THE MAIN EVENT ONE WASN'T

FACE OF DIOR AT A DIOR EVENT MEANS HE HAS MORE TO DO BEHIND SCENES THAN JUST SHOW UP LOOKING PRETY ON A RED CARPET.

THERE'S THINGS TO SIGN. PEOPLE TO MEET. TOURS TO TAKE. MODELS TO GREET. PHOTO SHOOTS AND SHIT.

PLUS HOBI HAS HIS OWN SHTICK

I'M YOUR HOPE YOU'RE MY HOPE I'M JHOPE

THAT AINT JIMIN

DONT EXPECT THE MOST INTIMIDATING MEMBER OF BTS OFF CAM TO LOOK LIKE A GOOFBALL ON THE RED CARPET.

HE IS KIND HE IS GENTLE HE IS LOVELY SEXY CUTE BUT WILL SNAP YOU IN HALF WITH HIS PINKIE GET YOUR FACTS ABOUT HIM RIGHT

AND LEAVE THAT MAN THE FUXK ALONE

HE STAY WINNING

[wearingaberetinparis]

Fic Author Self-Rec

Thank you for tagging me @missgryffin and @kay-elle-cee! Those that know me, will recognise that I find it very difficult not to be critical of my own work, but I need to be proud of what I write more often, so this is good practice! (Also: how do you choose anyway? Every fic is my baby and there are so many memories attached to writing them.) Rules: When you get this, reply with your favourite fics that you've written. Then pass it on to fice other writers. Spread some self love.

Shout Out To My Ex (Series)

Phoenix Radio is going through a rough period with the arrival of the new and controversial Riddle Radio. Albus Dumbledore, founder of the country’s number one radio station, asks his team to get ready to rebrand. Gone are the days of family friendly radio, a show where two exes talk about where their relationship went wrong and deliver relationship advice live on air, named Shout Out To My Ex, is exactly what Phoenix Radio needs. Who better to co-host this show than Lily Evans and James Potter, two Phoenix Radio employees who absolutely despise each other, or do they? A Jily Modern AU inspired by Rachel Lynn Solomon’s "The Ex Talk". LINK HERE

ocean eyes (Series)

Lily Evans had been eleven when she and her family moved in next door to the Potters. It was the summer before she would start her year at Hogwarts, a prestigious school for gifted students. From their bedrooms, James and Lily witness each other’s highs and lows, watching the other grow as they go through life apart and yet very much together. A Jily Neighbours/Coming of Age AU LINK HERE

(Didn't I?) (Didn't I?) Didn't I See You Crying?

James Potter has fancied Mary Macdonald for as long as he can remember. Everything about her is practically perfect, except for – if he were being honest and he always liked to be – her choice in friends. For Mary’s best friend, Lily Evans, is a right shrew and, much to his dismay, the Head Girl to his Head Boy. Lily Evans had disliked James Potter with a passion after their first interaction on the Hogwarts Express. A dislike that turned into hate – never mind that she also has an infatuation going, but no one needs to know about that – as soon as he decided to make her life a living hell. Unfortunately for her, he also decided (a few years earlier) that her very best friend in the world was the worthy object of his affections. (Which was fine, really. She wasn't about to cry over it, for Godric's sake. She was a strong and independent young woman, thank you very much. And yes, perhaps she was a little in love, but it was all for nothing, so she had to keep calm and carry on.) Certainly, their complicated past would result in major disaster if common ground was not soon established. For the love of Merlin, though, why did either of them think it would be a good idea for Lily to help James woo Mary Macdonald? LINK HERE

The Very (Un)Ladylike Guide To Fortune-Hunting

"Without thinking highly either of men or matrimony, marriage had always been her object; it was the only honourable provision for well-educated young women of small fortune, and however uncertain of giving happiness, must be their pleasantest preservative from want." (Jane Austen) Lily Evans finds herself wanting, or: so her sister seems to believe. While out on the hunt for a fortune - again: that would be Mrs Dursley mostly - the affection of a number of suitors is most welcome. Especially when a young Viscount's heart is set aflame. A Regency Jily AU. LINK HERE

Lily In The Sky With Diamonds

A series of interviews with the UK’s hottest band, The Marauders, and the singer-songwriter Lily Evans, conducted by Nymphadora Tonks, as they prepare for the UK Tour after the release of their album “Lily in the Sky with Diamonds”. Everyone worships The Marauders. Everyone loves Lily Evans. Together they make hearts bleed. Inspired by "Daisy Jones & The Six" by Taylor Jenkins Reid. LINK HERE

Tagging anyone that would like to do this, but @annabtg and @practicecourts as well. I'm sorry if you did this already. I was obviously MIA for a couple of days.

[bellysoupset]

Could you write a backstory post for all your characters?

I can certainly try!

It's under the cut in case people don't wanna know these details like this and instead try and piece them together through the stories.

I think I'm gonna go in order of economic power ($)? Idk i think it makes sense, since it's something I bring into play in my stories quite frequently.

Lucas Atwood: Lucas is an only child and his mom was a senator, while his father is a music star who goes by the name of Kit Howard (actual name, Christopher Howard). To give their son some scrap of anonymity, Lucas has his mom's surname as his last one, which is the one he goes by. He grew up extremely isolated, with his father always on tour and his mom always working, until he turned 16 and his mom got severely sick. He took care of her during the following year, because she refused treatment and refused to let the public know of her illness. Lucas is very desensitized to gross things because of it, but he definitely has a weird relationship with caretaking, seeing as this was the only moment in his life he actually had a parent home and some affection. His dad was on tour for his new album and hit song (the one that triggers Luke), when Veronica passed away, at home. Nowadays Lucas and his father have a very strained relationship, his paternal grandmother playing buffer most of the time in passing information between the two men.

Jonah Banks: He's the son of a Hollywood plastic surgeon (Jasper Banks) and a super model from the 80s (Jackie). His father is one of those overly pleasing, bright smile people, who's super lenient and demanded nothing from Jonah, making him having to parent himself. His mom filed for divorce when he was 10 and went to "live her life", having him over here and there, but mostly very self focused. Nowadays she regrets it and is doing all she can to mend this relationship, Jonah is tentative about letting her back in. Jonah's dad always made it clear he wanted a friendly, extroverted son, like Lucas, which cemented Jonah's rivalry with him from an early age. They went to boarding school together since they were kids. Nowadays Jonah's dad has remarried twice and has a daughter, Angelina, who's 9. She's very sweet and Jonah adores her, but he has no patience to deal with his father, so he only sees her when he visits and takes her away to hang out.

Wendy Marshall: Out of everyone in the group, Wendy definitely has the most boring background. Her parents are still together, even though they're one of those straight couples who despise one another. They're supportive of Wendy's transition, but only at home, you know? The rest of their conservative family... Isn't supportive and they don't cut contact or call them out, making it a huge point of tension for Wendy. Wendy came out when she was 14 and started on E when she was 16. Both her parents are doctors and they drilled the "work hard" mentality on her, which may or may not be the cause for her chronic migraines and possible gastritis.

Vince Monacelli: Vince moved with his family from Italy to America when he was 9. His English was broken at best when they moved, after opportunity, and public school with a broken English taught him real quick how cruel kids can be. That is, until he turned 13 and went from "chubby cute immigrant boy" to "big motherfucker" overnight. He's got no friends back home because of bullying and some history with getting mixed up with the wrong crowd, but it's nothing big enough for me to note here. Vince is very close with his family. They are now middle class, but back then they were poor and had to deal with food insecurity every end of the month. Vince has a very unhealthy relationship with food because of that. His parents are still together and sickeningly in love, which gave him high standards for romance. He's close with his nana and Vince has two younger sisters, Sofia who's 16 and had the world's biggest crush on Lucas, and Livia, who's 6.

Isabella Martinez: Bella is a trailer park girl. It's been just her mom, Marisa, and her since she can remember and she loves her mom, but sometimes she wishes the woman could get her shit together in the love department. Her mother wears her heart in her sleeve and hops from scumbag to scumbag, which made Bell weary of romance in general, Lucas (now) being the exception that proves the rule. They were living pay check to pay check and Bella worked ever since she was allowed to. From lemonade stands to costumer service, you call it, she's done it. Her mom works as a hair stylist. Bella's biggest issue with her mom's romances was how easily they turned her head and suddenly "let's blow this paycheck on a barbecue because it's 4th of July" sounded like a grand idea. They fought a lot over it and Bella spent many many nights sleeping in her shitty car and not speaking with her mother over situations like this. Their relationship has improved significantly since she moved to college. Bella has a full ride scholarship and she studies computer science. She's one of those "success story" (heavy sarcasm there). She knows how to play the bass, but Bella is too shy about stages to be in a band. She loves punk music.

Leo Wagner: The final one and easily the most tragic of the guys. Leo's mom walked out on him and his father when he was 7. His dad was an abusive POS. He worked at a pub and frequently came home piss drunk, but those were the good days, because then he'd just pass out and not mistreat Leo. He got more violent the older Leo got and the more apparent it was that Leo was not his Straight Boy, as he had wanted. When Leo was 17, his father committed suicide by hanging himself in the living room. Leo found him and it was the biggest catalyst for his depression to take a severe dip. He was put on the foster system, but not adopted. Leo's depression medication is some of the strongest in the market, because his body is very resistant to treatment. He works as intern at a law firm now and never opened up about his mess of a past to anyone.

[ezamevolni]

Distinctions between Cute and Sus

I guess this is common sense but in the shipping realm, common sense is often MIA.

I'm deep into shipping so I've been around these waters quite a bit now and have noticed most so-called 'my ship is real' moments are just very, very cute. But definitively romantic? Nope.

Cute moments are totally ship-worthy but they are not significant as proof the two people are involved in a special relationship.

Exercise #1

The members are close to each other's families.

Jimin called out "Eommoni~" to Jk's mom and Jk's mom told Jimin "I love you!".

RM and Jin's family got together to watch Bangbangcon. RM and Jin's dads are great friends who hang out daily.

Jk often imitates Suga's dad and Suga said that his dad calls Jk gentle/softie.

Are Jikook, Namjin, Yoonkook in romantic relationships because their families are close?

Ans: Seventeen is in a polygamous marriage. Hoshi says 'hi' while eating galbi with Joshua's mom in LA.

Exercise #2

The members often hang out together in private.

Jikook and their Tokyo trip. Nuff said. Only two who went on a long distance trip together so far.

Vmin used to do long walks on the pier when they couldn't sleep during their Japan tours.

Taekook and their recent outings skiing, bowling, watching a musical.

Vope who went on a candlelit rooftop dinner date.

Sin who went biking and fishing during their long break in 2019.

Were Jikook, Vmin, Taekook, Vope, Sin all on romantic dates?

Ans: Let's just pretend for a second that friendly hangouts are a thing. Yes, even between two men. I know this can come as a shock to some but deep breathes, it's alright.

Exercise #3

The members love skinship.

[Insert X amount of hugs, kisses, massages, butt slaps.]

Are [all 21 BTS ship names] in a secret relationship?

Ans: Right, because the 21-ships orgy fan fictions you read on ao3 is but a glimpse into their open-mindedness and deviance.

To think I wrote the answer part before finding the example...and was spoon fed confirmation down in the comments thread 😭

Exercise #4

The members know private details about each other.

Jin knew when Jk took English or drum lessons.

V loved to show off Jhope's sleeping habits on variety shows.

RM knew Suga was going to see the dermatologist the next day after filming.

Jk knew V recently went to get nail care.

[insert X amount of instances they showed certain members their solo work before release.]

Are Jinkook, Vope, Namgi and Taekook (and more) accidentally revealing how much attention they pay to their partners?

Ans: Contrary to popular belief, the members still talk to each other after the cameras are cut.

Exercise #5

They look great together. In the group photo, the two of them stand out as 'that couple'.

[What's this? Top tier all-male group hides three couples and loner Sunshine cried asking 'Where's my other half?'] Read p9 for the full story

Are Vmin, Yoonkook, Namjin, Jikook, Taekook, Jihope, Jinkook, Minimoni using the chance to show off their relationships?

Ans: This is the very reason why tabloid mags and clickbait articles still have readers.

When you see your OTP interacting, that excitement and happiness is from the same place in your brain that activates when you get a sip of hot cocoa after coming inside from a raging blizzard. You find them cute, lovely, more of that please! But it's just that. Those moments show the chemistry, rapport or good relations between the two. It doesn't automatically support them as 'boyfriends/girlfriends'. It does not Define the relationship.

Jinkook have plenty of cute moments. Plenty. But those don't say 'They're dating'. I can show my friend a video of them hugging, smiling at each other, playing around, but I can't stop the video and ask "Now do you see how in love they are??" My non-army friend will think I've finally gone bananas from the internet. Lots of moments that I find cute about Jinkook fizzle to bits once I lift them out of the shipping realm. Very very squeal-inducing, but does not define them as a couple.

I gave so many counterexamples of what not to consider when trying to ship a 'real' couple. So what're the correct things to look for? Ha, if I had solid examples, I wouldn't still be floundering here on the internet. In the realm of shipping, the correct answer is: no single moment can prove that a ship is real. Shipping is fun but if you want to be serious about it and actually consider if the two people are dating irl secretly, guess what, it's detective time. If you don't have a recorded confession, well it's time to get down to the nitty gritty, start theorizing, find evidence and make your stand. It's work and effort now, not just appreciating the cute moments as they appear on your tl. Unfortunate I know.

Legend says there exists another kind that is more thought-provoking and nuanced. After seeing such instances, the correct reaction should contain a little bit of self-doubt, discomfort and a pinch of 'Let me rewind'. And the next thought following should be 'that can't be. I'm reading too much into it. They're just brothers.' And then somewhere down the line you might join me here. These are moments you spotted in the wild and not in a shipper edit. The moment has to be organic.

Of course, that goes for any ship at all about any two people on the planet. Who's to say whose instincts are right? ☺️

[whimsicaldragonette]

Blog Tour & Arc Review: Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn

Welcome to the Killers of a Certain Age book tour with Berkley Publishing Group. (This blog tour post is also posted on my Wordpress book review blog Whimsical Dragonette.)

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Publishing Date: September 6, 2022

Synopsis:

Older women often feel invisible, but sometimes that's their secret weapon. They've spent their lives as the deadliest assassins in a clandestine international organization, but now that they're sixty years old, four women friends can't just retire - it's kill or be killed in this action-packed thriller. Billie, Mary Alice, Helen, and Natalie have worked for the Museum, an elite network of assassins, for forty years. Now their talents are considered old-school and no one appreciates what they have to offer in an age that relies more on technology than people skills. When the foursome is sent on an all-expenses paid vacation to mark their retirement, they are targeted by one of their own. Only the Board, the top-level members of the Museum, can order the termination of field agents, and the women realize they've been marked for death. Now to get out alive they have to turn against their own organization, relying on experience and each other to get the job done, knowing that working together is the secret to their survival. They're about to teach the Board what it really means to be a woman--and a killer--of a certain age.

My Rating: ★★★★

*Author Bio, my review, and favorite quotes below the cut.

Author Bio:

New York Times and USA Today bestselling novelist Deanna Raybourn is a 6th-generation native Texan. She graduated with a double major in English and history from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Married to her college sweetheart and the mother of one, Raybourn makes her home in Virginia. Her novels have been nominated for numerous awards including two RT Reviewers’ Choice awards, the Agatha, two Dilys Winns, a Last Laugh, three du Mauriers, and most recently the 2019 Edgar Award for Best Novel. She launched a new Victorian mystery series with the 2015 release of A CURIOUS BEGINNING, featuring intrepid butterfly-hunter and amateur sleuth, Veronica Speedwell. Veronica has returned in several more adventures, most recently AN IMPOSSIBLE IMPOSTOR, book seven, which released in early 2022. Deanna's first contemporary novel, KILLERS OF A CERTAIN AGE, about four female assassins on the cusp of retirement publishes in September 2022.

My Review:

This book was very good. I wasn’t sure what to expect, having never read a Deanna Raybourn book, and I was pleasantly surprised. The story whizzed along at a good clip, the characters were for the most part well-developed and interesting. The pacing was breathless as they raced against time to carry out heists and murder the men who are trying to murder them.

I came to really appreciate Billie, as it was in her POV for the most part, but I did feel that the other three women blurred together a bit and weren’t as distinct as I would have liked.

I very much approve of the casual inclusion of LGBT+ characters and relationships. That always makes a book feel much more friendly, and it was done so naturally that I barely even registered it.

I also really really appreciate that the main characters were 'women of a certain age' and (despite being expert assassins) they felt very authentic. There were many mentions of the plans having to be adapted to their older bodies. Despite it, they still kicked ass. They were competent and capable AND dealing with things like hot flashes and muscles and stamina that weren't what they once were. It made for such a nice contrast to the usual teenagers/twenty-something protagonists I usually read about.

I wasn’t sure at first if I was going to like it. There were a few issues I had with it:

The placement of the ‘past’ sections was sometimes jarring and I occasionally got confused about where and when they were. I did become more used to this as I went along, but it took me out of the flow of the story on more than one occasion.

The action scenes - which, to be fair, were a large chunk of the book - were just a tad too clinical. They read almost like newspaper reports. I don’t know if this is just a style common to thrillers - I haven’t read many of them. I feel like the simple language and not-flowery writing are a staple of the genre, but I’m not sure about the descriptions of fight scenes. As the book progressed this bothered me less and less, however, so it might have improved or I might have gotten used to it.

One thing that did bother me consistently through the book was that it was a tad vulgar for my tastes. I do appreciate the bluntness with which things not normally talked about are discussed among the women, but there were so many instances of descriptions of sexual harassment from their targets (which they had to put up with with a smile which definitely made the targets unsympathetic very quickly). Even more off-putting to me (and more common within the story) was the way that the (many) murders were described. Not just how they looked, but how they felt, how they sounded, how they smelled… I get that they are assassins and yes, they do kill a lot of people over the course of the book, but I just didn’t want that much familiarity with the deaths.

I did appreciate the very feminist slant to it all, and the way the men’s casual sexism was used to increase support for the women. Also the way that the four of them used the ‘old women are invisible’ idea to their advantage in order to further their schemes.

The story was very compelling and I found it difficult to put down. I would also probably read it again and will definitely be recommending it to others.

*Thanks to NetGalley and Berkley for providing an e-arc for review.

Favorite Quotes:

And every job was a chance to prove Darwin’s simple maxim. Adapt or die. We adapted; they died.

---

Three old women, nodding their heads like the witches in Macbeth. I’d known them for two-thirds of my life, those impossible old bitches. And I would save them or die trying.

---

Women are every bit as capable of killing as men.

[teenagecreatorpainter]

10 Fundamentals About Black Rice Near Me You Didn't Learn In School

Lots of, many years in the past, when the first explorers and migratory persons roamed the earth, they observed how and what each other ate. Because they moved about, they shared meals, borrowed some Suggestions, and brought them home to switch to their own tastes and environment. As men and women's cultures produced and changed, so did the categories of foods they ate.

By way of example, in North The usa we like our substantial bowls of pasta for evening meal, but in Italy it is often just one compact ingredient of The full meal. In a few areas of Asia, noodle dishes tend to be highly regarded likewise. Usually the noodles are comprised of rice or egg, which include Malaysian mee goreng and Cantonese chow mien, and are sometimes elements of soup or fried following boiling.

Rice can be quite a major food with vegetables and meat additional and steamed ideal into it, which include Indian Biryani. There is certainly also fried rice in a few of the other Asian countries or yummy beans and rice in Cuba. Rice is frequently eaten plain as a aspect dish, or with flavouring additional as in North American cooking.

Soups are A different variant that extend from crystal clear broths, to wealthy meaty stews like Hungarian goulash, Vietnamese noodle soup, or perhaps the North American favourites of chili con carne and New England clam chowder.

Breads--where by to start? Mmmmmm.....bread. A number of my favourites incorporate Center Japanese pita bread, Indian naan created inside of a clay tandoor oven, and Italian focaccia. My close friends really like my garlic cheese biscuits, just like a certain well-known seafood chain, and my Mother's do-it-yourself bread. I don't possess a bread maker, but I do know individuals that swear by these to help make all sorts of doughs and baked goods.

Greens which have been eaten in salad or cooked like a side can really differ according to what on earth is regionally and seasonally accessible. If you are thinking about striving Thai food items, they generally include eco-friendly mango or papaya in salad. In North The usa individuals really like their a lot of http://edition.cnn.com/search/?text=black rice selections for greens for instance spinach, arugula, sprouts, and differing kinds of lettuce. Options for baking, sauteing, steaming, frying, and grilling veggies are countless.

Fruit also varies a lot from position to place. With the advent of genetic engineering, the appearance, texture and taste of fruits like bananas and tomatoes from place to nation are Practically limitless. I can style a tremendous difference between my backyard garden's beefsteak tomatoes, as well as hothouse tomatoes I purchase from your supermarket, which have been shipped up with the U.S. inside the winter. When touring to hotter climates, I love to take in refreshing mango, papaya, pineapple, pomegranate and guavas. Even though they won't be as new, you could find Many of these fruits at your local grocery stores in North The us, buy one and provides it a try this week.

Meat continues to be a well known staple item in some cultures, and also a luxury product in other cultures for many years. Dependant upon where you reside, different meats are very fashionable; including pork in China, and goat and lamb in India. There are various preferred meats in North The usa, but definitely beef and chicken are Amongst the most chosen. Meat may be put on a spit and roasted about a hearth, baked, grilled in a North American barbecue, cooked inside of a slow cooker, stir fried, or seafood become Japanese sushi or sashami, just to call a few choices.

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/N6C8OlWtrfs/hqdefault_578866.jpg

Cheeses are A further superb creation that fluctuate so much depending upon the variety of milk, procedure used to really make it, and what's extra into them. On the recent vacation towards the Canary Islands, we appreciated scrumptious fried manchego cheese within a moho rojo sauce. Though in Indian cooking, the handmade, paneer cheese is very talked-about. Several of my other favourites involve Greek feta, Italian mozzarella balls, and great outdated North American sharp cheddar.

Hopefully this article has served to highlight several of the reocurring themes in foods from throughout the world. The spices, ways of planning, and local choices might be different, though the foodstuff groups are pretty identical--and the probabilities are countless.

As promised, I will publish extra comprehensive content Sooner or later about ideas for taking in and cooking new foods, and eventually begin posting some recipes. Meanwhile, feel free to complete a Google lookup to the names of any with the foods outlined if you are keen on finding out more details black rice price per kg on what they are or what is actually in them.

Each individual personal has often been exceptional and one among A form, each has thoroughly various preferences and Choices in all type of matters, may or not it's in clothes or style design, tastes in movies books, and especially in food items. Foodstuff Tastes rely on the region they originated at. It is usually that Chinese are keen on their own individual Chinese delicacies; Italian folks are into pastas and pizzas, and lots of extra.

Nonetheless, there are actually tendencies when individuals decide to a little something new, anything distinct that would tingle their flavor buds, that may be why delicacies from diverse aspects of the entire world are created obtainable in other nations far too. Chinese foods are well known for his or her Uncooked elements, sushi, sashimi, plus the like; Italian foodstuff distribute everywhere in the world as a lot of people love pastas, and pizzas; then, There is certainly Indian delicacies. Indian foods are recognized for its spices, the delicacies have distinctive style and very flavourful mainly are also very hot and spicy. So, for many who want their flavor buds to receive fiery, Indian food is the best choice.

If 1 hasn't tasted Indian foodstuff but, be greater prepared of how it could make you are feeling soon after the primary bite. A lot of Indian foods are spicy, so for people who can't tolerate incredibly hot food stuff, better brace you. Also, due to the load of spices in a single delicacy, the flavour is probably not unique as you are going to encounter levels of preferences, As a result the taster should prepare himself from the practical experience. With India owning a diverse society along with a colourful assortment of traditions, There is certainly also a unique difference between Each and every regions and often, just one recipe should have a particular strategy for cooking in Every single area, having a slightly variation to style for each which will depend on the group of folks's desire. Indian Delicacies on the other hand is recognized for its being pretty flavourful and spicy.

For those who haven't tried out Indian food items yet, and are prepared to expertise this type of delectable celebration, the ideal recipe to try initially is actually a recipe of curry. Curry is rather popular plus a trademark of Indian cuisine and getting tasted it will verify an Indian component. Curry may possibly are available in different approaches to be cooked and frequently, This is a spicy dish, So the initial taster have to enable himself with this and be ready for your hotness and tingling sensation Later on.

Curry is filled with flavour and provides a layer of preferences, so Should you be up for this kind of food items, then one particular wouldn't regret opting for Indian foodstuff. Indian delicacies are also known for their kebabs, so, for meat enthusiasts and grill enthusiast, kebab could be a first preference, it offers loads of flavour as well, and it really is protein abundant. This dish may also arrive in a number of tips on how to be cooked, but essentially, this involves meat, may perhaps or not it's lamb, pork of beef. Lamb kebab is well known in India and is also sought after because of the travellers, so, test possessing this one particular and you may undoubtedly check with for more. Indian foods is about variation, spices and flavour. It'll provide the taster, a very unique expertise on the table.

[concerthopperblog]

Twins of Evil Tour: Boris & Melvins @ Variety Playhouse

Now and then the music gods shine upon us with an incredible tour such as the Twins of Evil Tour featuring Boris (performing their album, Heavy Rocks) and (the) Melvins (performing their album, Bullhead plus other songs) with Mr. Phylzzz as the opening support. It has been a few years since I have seen either Boris or (the) Melvins but getting to see them together on the same night was going to be a memorable night filled with some heavy riffs. So, you know that I could not miss this tour stop at the Variety Playhouse in Little 5 Points which is one of my favorite areas in Atlanta, GA. I wish more metal bands would play Variety Playhouse. The views from this venue are superb whether you are standing on the floor, seated downstairs, or seated upstairs. Not to mention the friendly staff that works at Variety Playhouse, which makes this venue one of the premier music venues in Atlanta.

Boris is an experimental rock/metal/drone/noise/sludge metal band from Tokyo, Japan that formed as a band in 1992. Boris consists of Wata (guitar/keyboards), Atsuo (drums), and Takeshi (bass/guitar). They have released twenty-nine (29) LPs and have collaborated on sixteen (16) different projects. What is fitting about this tour is that Boris came up with their name from the song “Boris” off the album Bullhead by the Melvins. Every time I see Boris perform live; I can’t help but think back to one of my first assignments for Concerthopper covering Boris performing their album Pink with opening support from Earth live at The Masquerade – Hell (07/30/2016). And with each new show, Boris keeps improving their style and refining their craft as musicians. Next time Boris stops by, you can bank on finding me with my camera in hand ready to take some photos.  

Follow this link to Boris’ Official Bandcamp page today and check out their discography!

Check out the setlist from this evening’s show at the Variety Playhouse below:

·         “Heavy Friends”

·         “Korosu”

·         “Dyna-Soar”

·         “Wareruraido”

·         “Soft Edge”

·         “Rattlesnake/Dronevil”

·         “Death Valley”

·         “Koei”

·         “Kane – The Bell Tower of a Sign”

·         “1970”

·         “Boris” – (Melvins cover)

 Melvins are a sludge/alternative/doom metal/experimental rock band from Montesano, Washington that formed as a band in 1983. The band consists of Buzz Osborne (vocals/guitar), Steven Shane McDonald (bass/backing vocals), and normally it would be Dale Crover (drums/percussion/backing vocals). But Dale is recovering from emergency spinal surgery (we wish you a speedy recovery, Dale) and luckily Coady Willis (drums/backing vocals) is perfectly filling in for this tour. You may know Coady from the band Big Business and most recently the mighty High on Fire. The last time I saw the Melvins perform was with Corrosion of Conformity and Ministry (March 22, 2022) at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, GA, so I was rather pleased knowing that they were coming back to Atlanta with another stacked lineup. (the) Melvins are a band that no matter how many times they come to Atlanta/Athens, I will do my best to see them perform live again. 

Check out the Melvins Official Bandcamp page today and check out them out today!

You can see the setlist below from this tour stop at the Variety Playhouse:

·         “Ligature”

·         “Your Blessened”

·         “It’s Shoved”

·         “Anaconda”

·         “Zodiac”

·         “Cow”

·         “A History of Bad Men”

·         “Honey Bucket”

·         “Revolve”

·         “Night Goat”

·         “Boris”

  Mr. Phylzzz  (pronounced Flyzzz) is a two-piece noise rock band from Chicago, Illinois that formed as a band in 2015. The band consists of Clinton Jacobs (vocals/guitar) and Danny Sein (drums). This would be my first time seeing Mr. Phylzzz and I was impressed with their energy as they powered through their opening crushing setlist. I really enjoyed their energetic and fiery set, and I recommend that you also check out their music soon! Mr. Phylzzz was the right call to have as an opener on the Twins of Evil Tour. Head over to Mr. Phylzzz’s Official Bandcamp page today and show them some support!

You can check out Mr. Phylzzz’s set list from this evening’s tour stop below:

·         “Pretend Friends”

·         “Kitty”

·         “Dirty Hands”

·         “Damp”

·         “Mr. Entertainer”

·         “Modern Life”

·         “Pick Scrape”

·         “Insisting”

You can still catch the Twins of Evil Tour: Boris + Melvins w/ Mr. Phylzzz on the following dates:

2023.10.02 (MON)

Warehouse Live - Studio (Houston, TX) 

 2023.10.03 (TUE)

Mohawk (Austin, TX) 

 2023.10.04 (WED)

Granada Theater (Dallas, TX) 

 2023.10.05 (THU) 

Beer City Music Hall (Oklahoma City, OK) 

 2023.10.06 (FRI)

Cain's Ballroom (Tulsa, OK) 

 2023.10.07 (SAT)

The Bottleneck (Lawrence, KS) 

 2023.10.09 (MON)

Summit (Denver, CO) 

 2023.10.11 (WED)

Sunshine Theater (Albuquerque, NM) 

 2023.10.13 (FRI) 

Marquee Theatre (Tempe, AZ)

 2023.10.16 (MON)

House of Blues (San Diego, CA) 

 You can check out some previous reviews of both Boris and (the) Melvins that were published by Concerthopper over the years by following these links: “Boris: Dear / 25th Anniversary Tour” (2017) and “The Industrial Strength Tour: Ministry w/ Corrosion of Conformity & (the) Melvins live at The Tabernacle!” (2022).

Curious about Concerthopper? You can find more music-related articles, interviews, various photo galleries, indie music reviews, our ‘Bars & Bites’ section, our exclusive “She Said, She Said” column, or become a Concerthopper at www.concerthopper.com. Sign up for our monthly newsletter by following this link: The Setlist! Please ‘Like’ our page on Facebook and follow us on Instagram to stay up to date in 2022, on all music-related events/festivals such as North American Tour: 1000 Mods & The Well Live at Bogg’s Social & Supply (Atlanta), Double Trouble Live II: Cradle of Filth & Devil Driver @ The Ranch (Fort Myers), Sweet Oblivion Tour - Baroness: Live at The Masquerade, Darkbloom II Tour 2023: We Came As Romans live at Town Ballroom (Buffalo), This Wild Life live at Montage Music Hall, Double Trouble Live II: Cradle of Filth & Devil Driver live at The Ranch Concert Hall & Saloon (Fort Myers), Blackout Tour Part 1: From Ashes to New w/ The Word Alive, Catch Your Breath, and Ekoh @ Rapids Theatre, Beast in Black: Live @ Exit/In, Kiss of Death Tour ’23: In This Moment & Ice Nine Kills w/ Avatar and New Years Day Live at Hertz Arena, It Still Moves Anniversary Show: My Morning Jacket @ Fox Theatre, 10 Years of Wage War: House of Blues (Orlando), and Nth America Tour: Wolfmother @ The Eastern following us on all social media formats: Concerthopper on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.  You can also follow my concert hopping on Facebook and Instagram for even more photos not available on Concerthopper.com.

[uncovering-sumac]

I did it! I wrote my first article!

Although that means now people will read what I wrote… eek. Maybe I should have thought this through.

4 Bars You Should Know in Sumac, by Del Blaushild

Hello, Sumac! My name’s Del and I’m the new tourism writer in town. I never got to meet the last writer, Pat Davies, but I’ve been reading a lot of his articles, getting to know him just a little bit. For my first article I’ve taken one of his old pieces and updated it, revisiting his recommendations and adding a few of my own. Let’s get started!

1. Sprout’s

A controversial favorite on the corner of West and Maple, this bar and grill has held the award for Best Vegan Restaurant for three years in a row. When Pat visited after their first win, a crowd of plant-rights activists had been demonstrating outside for hours. “They’re upset because we’re not afraid to stick to our traditions,” the owner Dave said of the demonstrators. “They may not like it, but nothing’s ever gonna replace plants. Think of a veggie burger. The taste, the texture- no dry, flavorless hunk of meat can come close to that. Americans love plants, and that’s just the way it is.” Three years later, Dave seems to be right. Sprout’s still draws a healthy crop of locals, and curious visitors stop by for a chance to taste the controversial “Veggie Lover’s Pizza.” During my visit I didn’t see any protestors, but a few posters were taped up outside showing vegetables being diced and soybeans being pressed into tofu in graphic detail.

2. Rosencrantz & Guildensterns

Brother-sister duo Frank and Becca opened this Sumac mainstay ten years ago, hoping to create a place “where friends can get together, talk about books, and make weird art.” Their bar is a popular hangout for Sumac’s creative types, who donated the paintings hanging on the walls and have featured it as a location in countless short films. In his original article Pat wrote about the friendly people and spectacular taxidermy assortment, which are both worth a visit on their own, but I also want to shout out their music and poetry parties on the first Friday of the month. Attendees bring records and play them backwards, then everyone writes down what they hear and writes poems out of it. If you’re lucky, you may even see Acacia the cat on one of her weekly visits.

3. Ozzie’s

This bar’s location on the edge of Candor Lake attracts locals and tourists alike. Even in the dead of winter, patrons will sweep snow off the benches on the wide deck to enjoy the view into the steep basin of the lake. An affordable happy hour and weekly live music keep the bar bustling year-round, and the new owner is keeping it cleaner and safer than ever. Sumac’s lake-watching club also meets here. Founded when its members were young kids, this close-knit group of nature enthusiasts has recently started gaining new members due to its welcoming and relaxed attitude. The small group of retired men who made up the club when Pat visited has grown into a diverse group with members of all ages. I learned an amazing amount about freshwater fish while sitting with the group, and the bartender makes a mean margarita.

4. The Ellicott Inn

What list would be complete without Sumac’s oldest establishment? Built in 1810 by Nathaniel Ellicott, the inn has hosted figures such as Rosetta Douglass, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Kate Gleason, as well as countless Western New Yorkers visiting to take the waters of Candor Lake. On its first floor Gertie’s Tavern serves up historically accurate dishes from the town’s heyday, while the second and third floors still function as an inn. Go on the Sumac Haunted History tour and you’ll finish here, as the ghosts of Ellicott and his family are said to roam the halls to this day. The stable boy, who spent most of his free hours in the tavern in life, is said to appear beside you if you sit alone at the bar, and he’ll challenge you to a drinking contest. What do you get if you win? Nobody’s ever won, but my guess is some kind of medical record for liver damage. Pat recommends the Fox-sister-style seances, which I haven’t had a chance to attend but which he says are thrilling and most fun with friends.

Thanks for reading, Sumac! I look forward to doing more of these and getting to know the town better. If you’ve got a spot for me to visit, or any information about Pat, please write to me or stop by the tourism office. See you again soon!

[monstermaster13]

Oats and Corey's Weta Adventure.

````````````````````````

Characters featured in this story:

Oats: A brown and white horse-person who loves feminine things and loves playing princess, he is always referring to the female companion he loves the most as his ‘mommy’ and he loves to go on adventures and neigh and play, he has a princess persona and travels in a blue bag.

Corey: A humanoid covid microbe with red skin, spikes, yellow eyes to go with said spikes and an energetic personality, he is friendly and outgoing despite his scary reputation, he is the human he loves the mosts’s favorite microbian companion, he is always travelling and learning new friends, he is also a babysitter and takes care of the others, organizing their naptimes and being a good leader in general.

Sir Richard Taylor: Effects supervisor at Weta Workshop.

Jeff: An orc-like security guard who makes a lot of dad-like jokes, is loved by adults and children but in particular parents, in particular dads who find his jokes to be funny, considers himself to be a comedy genius and is in charge of security and health and safety.

Ombra: The kind and friendly tour guide who keeps everything in check and tells the story our two heroes go through.

This is the tale of two friends that went on a fantastic adventure to discover many wonderful new things, there lived two friends that always traveled together…their names were Oats and Corey, Oats was a brown anthropomorphic horse with brown fur and a white half-muzzle but still sort of human-like face, he had very expressive ears and eyes and wore a glamorous pink dress, and Corey was a microbe, a red and yellow humanoid covid microbe with yellow eyes, despite his scary reputation, he was actually quite friendly. These two got along rather well despite differences and loved to be together, Corey was originally a villainous microbe who spread his influence and made people sick, but he turned to the side of good, it was a very big and exciting day for the duo, as they were going to go on a quest, a question to a wondrous place known as ‘weta workshop’, which made both of them excited, as they both hopped onboard a taxi which took them to Skycity which was located in federal street, when they got there…they entered the building and went up to level 5 in the elevator before reaching level 5, which is where their magical destination was. Oats looked around all giddy with excitement as he swirled around in his dress, he noticed some strange footprints on the floor and followed them. ‘Corey, look. What creature do you think made those?’ ‘Maybe a bird-creature, or some kind of reptile.’

‘Do you really think it could be a monster?’

‘Now Oats, you know if there was a monster i’d protect you.’

Oats trot-walked all the way and that’s when he saw a friendly tour guide…he greeted the tour guide, the tour guide showed them to the weta cave where they saw all sorts of collectibles from movies that Weta had designed creatures and costumes from including LOTR and the Hobbit, at the entrance of the cave there were four trolls, they looked intimidating but Oats didn’t mind, not just that but there were lots of interesting characters, familiar faces that the two of them knew…’woah, look over there. In that case of mini-epics, I see the Ghostbusters, and look…I see Zuul and Slimer too. And the LOTR cast of characters too.’

The duo took photos, Corey chuckled as he saw a xenomorph holding a shopping bag…’That alien looks like he’s ready to shop. I wonder what he’ll buy.’ Both of them explored a little bit more and that’s when they came across a dragon, not just any dragon though…Oats reached over and touched the dragon, the dragon blinked as he opened his eyes. ‘Careful, you don’t want to wake him up do you?’ ‘Yeah, don’t want to wake Smaug up.’ Noticing two half hobbitish men walk over to where he was, the equine blushed.

“Sorry.”

‘Oh no no..it’s alright, he likes being stroked like that.’ ‘He does?’ ‘oh yes, he certainly does.’ the two of them waited for a bit and then they got summoned over by a lovely woman named Ombra….she was a tour woman with a quirky sense of humor. ‘You must be Oats and Corey..are you ready for your epic quest?’ ‘We sure are.’ Corey and Oats presented their magical tickets and passes and they were taken inside through the storeroom. ‘What is so magical about this area?’ the covid microbe asked. Ombra explained to Corey that there was a monster that had escaped and was on the run in the workshop and that everything in the workshop was magical, even the place where all the fake blood was cooled, he looked over at a large box containing some kind of ancient yeti-like monster…’is that guy likely to come out of his box? Does he eat humans?’ ‘oh no..not until the next ice age.’

‘Thank goodness, I can’t imagine waiting that long for that to happen. Plus do you know how hard it is for someone to survive in the cold wearing just a dress?’ Oats quipped, whinnying as he laughed. He trotted around as he followed her, going through the storeroom and looking at places with various ‘dreams’ all presented on a big screen and seeing doors with silhouettes, each of them showing someone being transformed into a creature. The screen showed three movies…one was a 1980’s type horror movie about a family moving into an abandoned farm only to end up awakening a screeching demonic monster, the second was a fantasy movie called Age Of The Everclan which was about humanoid dinosaur-folk, and the third was a sci movie about aliens with a humanoid weta-like alien. Upon entering the group were shown all of the items that had been collected by the resident security guard, a large orc-like creature, called Jeff. Jeff was sleeping, that was until an alarm clock woke him up.

Jeff yawned as Sir Richard Taylor popped up on screen to welcome the new guests to the tour, he introduced himself and also introduced Jeff. ‘I don’t think i’ve seen this guy before..where’s he from?’ Corey asked. ‘He’s an animatron…’ ‘Yeah, an animatronic..from Hamiltron.’ The orc-like security guard laughed at his own joke, he had a tendency to make what were essentially dad jokes but the others laughed, especially Oats. ‘Has that guy considered doing standup?’ Oats inquired. ‘Jeff thinks he’s quite the comedian but he’s actually head of security and in charge of health and safety. By the way, what on earth happened to your thumb?’

‘I sprained it trying to hitchhike out of here.’ ‘I shouldn’t have asked.’ Corey chuckled….’I think I like this guy.’ Richard pointed out that he knew that the group would be perfect to be actors in the new productions that were being made…’what do you reckon, do you think they’ll fit the bill?’ ‘I don’t know, I just work security. I figured that they look like they’d make a good casserole.’

“Did that orc just say he thinks of us as food?”

“Don’t worry, he’s joking.”

‘Jeff, you know you’re not allowed to eat guests.’ ‘I’m just joking, besides..they look like a bunch of security leaks to me.’ ‘oh you..’ ‘Sorry boss, just working through some personality issues at the moment.’ ‘Personality issues?’ ‘Yes, it’s to do with my job..in-security.’ Oats chuckled at the joke. ‘Oh Jeff, you really are a monster.’ The doorway opened up as Ombra began to show the duo around, the first area they were transported to was a horror movie, the set of ‘Fauna’..’now if you get scared remember i’m here.’ ‘Don’t you worry Corey, i’ve seen much scarier things’, the two of them explored the area.

Corey floated over to a bin that contained what happened to be human arms and hands, while Oats was eyeing the drawer full of eyes and also the brain drawers. Oats felt a little bit nervous but was enthralled, he really felt like had been taken to an abandoned farm setting, he looked over to another part of the exhibit and he found a screaming monster head, he decided to test out the monster head’s voice feature…'helloooooo, i am the dark lord of the nightmare realm, you have disrupted my sleep and now i will shall punish you!’, he intoned into the creature’s mouth, the creature repeated the line with a menacing, booming sort of demonic voice, which astounded the anthro equine. Corey was making goofy expressions which in turn animated an animatronic head…’look at what I can do!’.

Oats chuckled as the duo went over to an operating table with a large winged-monster on it…’I’ve always wanted to play doctor.’ Corey quipped, picking up the prongs and using one to scoop out some glowing orbs that were in the monster’s body. ‘Doctor Corey, are you sure it’s safe to operate on this monster?’ ‘Why of course Nurse Oats. This monster needs our help, because clearly he has swallowed some rocks.’

Corey pulled some rocks out of the monster’s stomach and jumped back as the monster sprung to life and roared at him, he squeaked in shock and then looked over at his equine companion, who was touching the monster and also looking over into the mirrors. One makeup mirror showed someone having a half disfigured makeup look applied to them complete with a Freddy Krueger-esque design and a Baron Harkonnen-esque selection of boils and pockmarks, like the version of the Baron from David Lynch’s adaptation. While in another mirror, a woman was sprouting mottled brownish fur and whiskers and half rabbit-like ears along with much sharper teeth and piercing red eyes. ‘Did you see that? Look at those people..I wonder what we would look like.’ ‘I cannot wait to see.’

The two headed towards the mirrors and smiled, as they did their reflection was applied special monster makeup…Oats found himself growing a pair of demon-like horns as his mane and tail became fiery and some of his brown fur darkened as he gained flames in his eyes, making him look like an anthro Nightmare while Corey found himself levitating as he sprouted wings and his teeth sharpened, particularly his canines which extended to resemble fangs and he hissed playfully…’Corey, are you?’ ‘Yes, I got turned into a vampire virus, a vampirus. I don’t have the urge to drink blood though, i’m not Marv the mosquito’s girlfriend.’

After leaving the area with the mirrors, the two of them decided to explore around a little more, messing with the lighting and sound effects, they were playing a game of haunted house and telling their own story. ‘And the vampire virus attacked, turning this poor innocent horse-guy here into a mind controlled minion.’ ‘yeeees master.’ Oats murmured, doing his best impersonation of someone who had been put under a mind control spell. Just then, the ground shook as the lights flickered on and off and changed colors, in the process, Corey began to glow and change colors himself. ‘I didn’t know you could do that.’ Neither did I.’

The two bravely made it through, crossing through the ‘Fauna’ exhibit into the ‘Age Of The Everclan’ exhibit, they returned to normal from being monsters and they looked over at a table full of all sorts of items, and they noticed a man who was wearing a mask like the one Oats’s favorite human wore when going out, this man was working on a miniature model and he was asleep. ‘I wonder what this man dreams about.’ ‘Probably something amazing.’ Ombra explained the story of the movie and about how they were two groups of anthro dinosaurs, one good and one evil that were at war. Ombra then showed them to a special portal room, and when they stepped through…they bore witness to several people being made to look like they had become living miniature human beings, Oats looked over at himself and measured himself, he too had become sort of a miniature but Corey had remained the exact same size as he usually did but he felt like he was a miniature figure anyway as he explored the castles with his equine friend. ‘I can’t wait to tell my mommy about this beautiful castle.’ the horse-guy cheered, whinnying in the process.

Getting into character, Oats acted the part of a princess and as he did he grew a unicorn’s horn and become a female version of himself that was an anthro unicorn princess…he examined his or ‘her’ more feminine body and blushed, he always thought of himself as pretty but now he was even prettier than usual. ‘Corey, look at me..i’m a real princess! I’ve always wanted to be a princess.’ He examined his flowing mane and whinnied, and he examined how elegant he was, as a lovely female anthro unicorn, meanwhile Corey had found the castles and decided to pose near them and as he did he felt like playing a part in the story, he acted out the part of a king, standing atop the balcony of the castle, watching over the guests. ‘I wish Alcina could be here so she could be my queen.’ ‘Can I be your princess?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Yaaaaay!’

The two of them explored the castles and the area, before making their way over to where the characters were made…Corey took some paper and traced a picture of one of the characters, and then he went over to test out the chain-mail…’Make way for King Corey!’, Oats announced, as he trotted in and spun around, many guests stopped to admire Corey trying out the armor and examining the sword on display as well as his model making skills, using some latex and clay he was able to make a half-creature nose and eyebrows which he put on the lifecast of a human face, he also tested the fire-place and made friends with some porcine-like guards, then he took his opportunity as he floated over to the throne and placed himself up on it, as he did he glowed and developed muscle mass, becoming a super-powered up version of himself that looked like the cover of a magazine like Heavy Metal.

Corey wielded the sword proudly as he floated down from the throne, just then he sensed there was some kind of presence as he began to glow once more, Ombra showed them through another door and this door showed them through into the world of the very last stop on the tour, the sci fi world of ‘Origins’, the duo returned to normal for a little bit but this time they got to keep some mystical items. Corey noticed the interesting alien-creature which looked like a mix of a human and a weta….’I wonder if Seth Brundle is related to this guy.’ Oats looked around at the designs and watched as what was being brought to life was being made, he reached over and touched a robot hand. Ombra explained that the hand was from a robot who was created by the half-weta-like alien to be a humanoid but also a mother figure. ‘Aaaaw, the robot is a mommy.’

Corey’s body began to glow a bit more as he spun around and turned into a half alien-version of himself with four eyes, while Oats turned into an equine space captain who had cybernetic parts, the two of them hopped around and battled aliens together as a duo. Corey saw a model spaceship and took the perfect opportunity to look at the ship. ‘I have an idea.’ the humanoid covid microbe wandered over to the ship and stood below the glowing light, and the spaceship moved as it began to pick him up. ‘Help! Help! The aliens are abducting me and are taking me to their planet!’ ‘Don’t you worry, i’ll save you.’

Oats glided through the air like he was an astronaut on the moon, floating gently towards his microbian friend and pulling him gently back onto the ground using some of his magic. ‘Phew, that was close.’ ‘No problem buddy.’ Corey faced the spaceship as it glowed once more…’I mean you no harm, I come in peace’, the two were then taken inside a spaceship as they moved into the next room. A countdown process began as the two of them held hands and braced for lift-off, they were taken through a spectacular outer space journey and they felt like they had gone to another planet without having left Earth, or even the room they were in for that matter. The robot sprung to life as she looked all regal, Corey and Oats greeted the robot, and even bowed down to her as if she was a queen or goddess.

Then…on the screen, they saw their friends from the beginning of the tour, including Richard Taylor as all kinds of spectacular imagery was shown in a movie that showed all of the amazing things Weta was known for, they cheered as the magic flowed all around, and the creatures sprung to life. At the very end of the movie, they saw their orcish friend Jeff who was once again on duty, whoever…a shadow emerged..’no, stay back, stay back, shoo.’ “That creature is going to get our orc friend Jeff, we must do something.’

“You know what we must do?”

‘Adventure Bestie powers, activate!’ the two buddies exclaimed together as they held two mystical items together. ‘Form of, Super Corey!’ ‘Form of Magical Unicorn Princess Oatsie!’, the two of them morphed into their super forms from the fantasy exhibit, Corey becoming the buffed up version of himself known as Super Corey as Reach Out by Cheap Trick played and Oats becoming his super magical princess alter-ego as the two of them readied their special moves to fight off the creature.

The creature squirmed and squealed as Oats trotted after him..when the movie’s credits rolled and the movie ended, Richard Taylor bid farewell to the group, but after that…a spotlight was shown on the creature. The whole tour had been building up to the arrival of the creature, the creature was revealed to be a gremlin-esque creature with green skin that looked rather adorable. ‘Aaaaw, the monster was cute.’ ‘Yeah he certainly is. You know that episode of the Hercules show with the baby harpies?’ ‘Beanstalks and Bad Eggs?’ ‘Yes, that one our human companion Nathan likes so much, with the late Glenn Shadix.’ ‘That creature looks like the baby harpies, don’t ya think?’ ‘Yeah, we should tell Nathan’s friend Serena and of course Glenn, we should tell Glenn about this.’

The tour came to a conclusion as the two along with the other members of the group, left the exhibition and came out in the same way they had come in, arriving at the weta cave once more…Oats and Corey both agreed that the journey was fantastic as they returned to their normal selves, but both of them had come out with some new powers, they could become their forms from all three of the movie sets they had visited at will. Those forms being Nightmare!Oats, Vampirus Corey, Mighty Super King Corey, Unicorn Princess Oats, Corey of the Planet Covidicus-19 and Captain Oats of the Equininians.

Upon seeing their beloved owner ‘Mel’ - a koala-woman with long brown hair and brown eyes, they leapt into her arms and hugged her, and also seeing their friend Nathan who too had just been through the exhibition and had an adventure of his own, they were glad to have met him, and thus with that, they left and headed toward the elevator, pressed the button back to the firstl level and the elevator went down, once they went down, they jumped out of the elevator when it landed, the two of them jumped out and headed toward the exit, after exiting the building, the two of them waited for their floating taxi to arrive, along with Mel and Nathan. A couple of minutes later, the magic taxi arrived and the group headed back home to their home which was located in Nile Road. ‘So what did you two do today?’ Mel asked.

“Mommy mommy, we went on an adventure.” the excitable anthro equine replied, giving Mel a big hug and whinnying happily. ‘I got to be a real princess and we got transformed into amazing new forms, we got to be actors and it was amazing, all of it was.’ ‘Yes, yes…it most certainly was, I got to play a scientist, a king, and an alien hostage.’ Corey quipped. ‘And did you two make any new friends?’ ‘We sure did.’

“I’m glad that my friends were able to help make your dream come true.”

‘Well mommy, you told me that you were taking us to a magical place and you weren’t lying.’ Oats added, nodding as he kissed her. ‘Magic is everywhere, including in your heart. I hope that this journey inspired you to get creative.’ ‘It certainly has.’ And thus the two buddies and their companion returned to Nile Road, and a surprise was waiting for them, when the door was opened, they could hear music…the music being played was by their favorite magical music instructor. “Any requests?’

“Yes. Could you play My Funny Friend and Me?’

‘It’s a Sting song.’

The instructor smiled as he played the song for Corey and Oats…’Oats would you like to perform a duet with me on this?’ ‘I sure would.’ And thus with that the duo began to sing together, singing along to the song and interacting as if they were telling a story, they sang along with other songs too and got to have a delicious dinner later and some black forest cake. That night afterwards, after they gotten changed into their nightclothes and snuggled up with Mel who was in her night-gown and after they had brushed their teeth, at around after 10 at night, specifically when it was close to eleven, they drifted off to sleep, listening to classical music on their favorite station. The two dreamed of their magical adventures and their new friends, and both of them had wonderful adventures in their dreams. The morning after, the duo got up with Mel and contacted their favorite loved one, explaining all that happened.

And thus our little adventure here comes to a close, but it’s not the end of the adventures of Corey and Oats, as there was bound to be more adventures along the way for everyone’s favorite Covid microbe and his equine friend.

[wicked-mind]

The Night We Met

Summary: When Sam catches you and Bucky making-out in the truck, he has some questions. The most important one being how you two met.

Word Count: 3.3k

Warnings: Swearing, drinking, some talks of boobs. 

All Writings Masterlist

Any and all likes, comments, and/or reblogs are deeply appreciated (: I love that shit.

*Gifs not mine.

A soft whimper escape your lips as you tilted your head back, feeling the kisses slowly move along your jaw and down your neck. Your hands tangled in his dark locks as you press your hips more against his, “Bucky…”

Bucky grins against your neck, nipping softly at your skin. The way his name rolls off your tongue makes him grip your hips tighter in his grasp, slowly starting to move your hips back and forth against his own. He knows exactly how to drive you wild. All his focus is on you that he didn’t even notice Sam approaching the truck from the house until he knocked on the window, causing both you and Bucky to jump slightly. Bucky pulls his lips away from your neck and rolls down the window with one hand, “Uh… Hi Sam…” He said with a small smile through the window as you nuzzle your face into his neck embarrassed.

Sam folds his arms at the two of you. He had suspected Bucky to have a girlfriend with how weird he’s been acting lately with his late night phone calls and random trips that lasted for days but he’s never been able to confirm it until now, seeing you straddling Bucky in the driver’s seat of the truck, “Why don’t you invite your friend inside for a drink? Would love to meet her.” He said with a small half smile, “Five minutes.” 

Bucky watched Sam turn and walk towards the house for a moment before letting out a raspy chuckle, “I think we’re busted, sweetheart.” He murmurs out to you, gently rubbing a hand up your back.

You giggle softly and pull your head back to look into his eyes, biting your bottom lip at the sight of him. He was the most beautifully built man you had ever seen but you loved his eyes the most. They looked at you like you were his world and he would do anything to keep you safe, which you knew he would, “Well, you did bring me here to meet him anyway.” You say softly, lifting a hand to stroke along his cheek gently, “We just got a little distracted.”

Bucky grinned up at you. Every touch you gave him was like fire to his core, intoxicating him. He couldn’t get drunk but god damn, it sure felt like he was drunk on something when you looked at him like that and touched him so sweetly, “We better head in, otherwise I’m not gonna be able to keep my hands off ya.” 

That’s how you ended up sitting by Bucky across the table from his friend Sam, drinking a beer as the two men awkwardly stared at each other as if trying to read each other’s minds. You cleared your throat and smiled, breaking the silence “It’s nice to meet you, Sam. You have a very lovely home.”

Sam looked over to you and smiled, “Thanks, it’s nice to finally meet you too. I knew Bucky was sneaking around for some reason.” He chuckled and shook his head, “So how long have you two been…”

“Sneaking around?” You ask with a small smile before looking over towards Bucky, “Uh, about four months?” 

Bucky nods in agreement and moves one of his hands under the table to your thigh, giving it a soft squeeze. He knew you were nervous just by the way small red splotches started to appear on your neck.

Sam folds his arms and leans back in his chair, his eyes flickering between the two of you, “Four months, huh?” He asks, landing his eyes on Bucky who shifted a little in his chair, “That’s about the time you went to New Orleans… So how’d you two meet?”

You and Bucky look at each other with a small smile.

About Four Months Ago

‘Go explore the world. Live a little.’ Sam had said to Bucky, ‘You’re free now, Buck. Get out there.’

That is exactly how Bucky ended up Bourbon Street in New Orleans in the middle of Mardi Gras in a state of shock while two women had pulled up their shirts to flash him. He didn’t know what to do, they were staring at him like they expected something in return but he was just shocked at what was happening before him with wide eyes and lips parted slightly. He looked like a deer in the headlights except those headlights had nipples.

Luckily, you managed to see the whole ordeal and waltzed on over to the three, pulling some beads off from around your neck and passing them to the two women, “Beautiful ladies!” You tell them as they put the beads on, pulling their shirts back down and stumbling off down the street drunkly. You turn to look at the tall, dark haired man who seemed to relax a little after the women had left, “You aren’t from around here, are you?”

Bucky sighs and shoves his hands in his pockets, “That obvious, huh?” He asks with a small half smile, observing you as you stood in front of him. You had a friendly smile on your face and your neck had many different colored beads around it, “I’m not sure what exactly I stepped in to.”

You chuckle softly and smile at him, “Well, you sort of have this cute lost puppy thing going on. That and you looked like you were going to die from shock from being flashed.” You say, pulling a few strands of the beads from your neck and slowly dropping them over his head to dangle around his neck, “It’s Mardi Gras. Girls get a little crazy and there’s this thing where if they flash you, you give them beads. So here’s these just in case you get trapped by boobs again.”

Bucky blushed but let out a small chuckle, “Thanks for saving me, I guess.” He said before pulling a gloved hand of his pocket and outstretching it to you, “I’m Bucky.”

You smile and shake his hand, “Bucky. I’m guessing that’s not your real name?” You ask, narrowing your eyes a little at his cerulean ones, “I’m Y/N.”

Bucky nods, shoving his hand back in his pocket after you shook his hand, “Yeah, my real name is James.” He said sheepishly, his eyes glued to you, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Y/N.”

You nod, “Well, since you introduced yourself to me as Bucky first, that’s what I’ll call you.” You beamed at him before looking down the street, “The parade will start soon. We should probably get somewhere less crazy. Neither of us have enough beads for the amount of women that’ll be flashing us.” You chuckle, looping your arm around his and starting to walk him down the street, “So, where you from?”

Bucky keeps pace with you, following to wherever you were leading him as long as it was away from more drunk women, “Brooklyn originally but I’ve been staying in Delacroix with a friend.” He said down to you, watching your movements, “How about you?”

You nod as you listen, looking up and over to him as you weave through people, “I lived in Seattle until I turned twenty-four, then moved here. I didn’t do well with the cold and constant grey. I prefer my sunshine and jazz. Not to mention the history and culture here is very intriguing. I love it.”

Bucky nods as he keeps his eyes glued to your face, dodging people without even looking at them as you lead him down the street, “You live in this chaos?” He asks with an amused grin.

“I thrive in the chaos.” You giggle, “But it isn’t like this all the time. We always have tourists but Mardi Gras is the craziest two weeks out of the year.” You stopped in front of a small bar and looked up at him, “C’mon, we’ll be safe in here.” You say before pulling him inside. The front of the bar was packed but you weaved him towards the back and through an archway that said private to find a secondary, smaller bar and took a seat on one of the stools, “What brings you to New Orleans?”

Bucky followed you, weaving through the crowd of bodies into the less packed area before taking a seat on the stool next to you, “Well, I haven’t traveled much except when I’m… working and just finished up some of that work so I have a lot of time on my hands now.” He said softly, “My friend suggested I explore the world.”

“Sounds like a good friend.” You reply before reaching over the bar and grabbing two glasses and a bottle of whiskey, “You like whiskey?” You ask, looking back to him to see him nod with a sort of uneasy look as you reached over the bar. You chuckled softly, “Don’t worry. It’s not stealing. I work here and I’ll make sure to pay for it.” You told him, watching him relax a little as you poured some of the amber liquid into the glasses before setting the bottle onto the bar. You lifted your glass and held it out to him, “Well, cheers to good friends pushing you into the world of New Orleans so you could meet me.”

Bucky smiles and picks up his own glass in his leather gloved hand, cheering your glass before taking a sip of the whiskey. He smiled slightly as he watched you take a sip of yours, your nose crinkling at the burn in your throat. He thought it was cute.

You set the glass down on the bar and licks your lips before looking back to him, “What hotel are you staying at? Just so I can let you know if you need to check for bedbugs.” You giggle.

Bucky squinted his eyes slightly, he knew he forgot something. Sam had showed him how to look at hotels on his phone and how to pay for rooms but he never got around to it, “Uh… No where.” He replied, “I haven’t booked a room so I guess I don’t need to worry about bedbugs.”

You laugh slightly at his response, shaking your head, “Oh, Bucky. You’re never gonna get a room now.” You tell him, “All the hotels are probably booked since it’s the middle of Mardi Gras.” You bit your bottom lip softly as you looked at him, “You could stay with me if you’d like until we manage to find you a room. You don’t want to be wondering the street all night. Besides, that way I can give you the proper tour of New Orleans without the boobs.”

Bucky smiles over at you, thinking your suggestion over before something inside him told him to agree even though he was hesitant, “Alright. Thank you, doll.” He replies, his smile widening when he saw you blush slightly at the name.

After a few more drinks and shared laughs while you two got to know each other a little better, you lead Bucky back to your apartment after he went to his truck and grabbed a duffle bag with his belongings. You watched as he looked around at every detail in your apartment like he was studying his surroundings. After grabbing some pillows and a blanket for him on the couch, you shared a goodnight before going into your bedroom and falling asleep.

The next day, you took Bucky around New Orleans showing him all the sights and sharing the history about the town. He had a constant smile on his face as he listened to you speak about the history, nodding sometimes to let you know he was still actively listening to you. Although it seemed quick, Bucky was falling for you with every word that dripped from your mouth. Your voice quickly became his new favorite sound, especially when you would get lost in a ramble and then blush when you realized you were doing all the talking. The first day together was mostly just you showing him around and how to get back to your apartment in case he wanted to go out on his own. 

The second day together, you took Bucky around to try all your favorite foods. You started with mimosas with chicken and waffles, laughing when Bucky made a bitter face at the orange juice with champagne, making a joke about he must be strictly a whiskey guy which made him smile. You took him to your favorite place to get beignets and when Bucky saw how much powdered sugar was on the pastry, he made a comment about having a heart attack that made you laugh. But beignets quickly became one of his favorite snacks, especially due to the fact you wiped some powdered sugar off his chin and he returned the favor when you got some on your nose. Your night finished up by ordering some take-out gumbo and sitting on the balcony of your apartment as you two ate, watching the people flood the streets as loud jazz music filled the air. 

The third day, you took him to the French Quarter after another beignets stop. Bucky was a little hesitant when you told him there were a lot of psychics that do card readings, palm readings, and other things. He was especially hesitant when you told him that you two should stop to visit your favorite palm reader, telling him that she was freaky good. You offered to go first and Bucky watched the psychic intently as she held your palm in her hand. The psychic, named Iris, told you that you have a very bright future and that your person, whether it be a best friend or a lover, was closer than you thought. Then was Bucky’s turn. He hesitantly pulled off the glove from his right flesh hand and outstretched it to Iris who gently took it in her own, tracing the lines in his palm gently with one of her fingers, “You’ve been through a lot, James. Winter has not been kind to you.” The psychic told him, which shocked Bucky. He hadn’t told her his real name and the fact that she said ‘Winter hasn’t been kind to him’ was like saying Winter was a person. Which it was. It was the past version of him, “Your ghosts want you to know they forgive you, something about it not being your fault. They thank you for your amends.” He swallowed hard before she continued, “You’re on a good path, especially since you decided to come here.” She leans forward a little and hushed her voice so you wouldn’t hear as you looked at some crystals on the gift shop wall, “You’re guide is more important to you than you know. Keep your light close.” She said, nodding over to you before giving a soft smile to Bucky.

After you two left the psychic, Bucky was more quiet than usual since you’ve met him and you wondered what the psychic had told him. You bit your lip as the two of you walked in silence, counting the bricks on the floor to distract yourself from the silence. The sun had started to set when you made it back to your apartment. Bucky immediately went out onto the balcony without saying a word and you stood in the kitchen, pondering what possibly could’ve been said that seemed to close him off slightly from you. You grabbed two beers from your fridge and went out to stand beside him with a small smile, holding one out to him.

Bucky looked over at you as you came out, still pondering what the psychic said to him. The words she said had echoed in his mind since she said them. He took the beer from you with a small half smile and muttered out a soft, “Thanks.” He took the cap off and looked out into the streets, watching people flood them again as they did every night. After a few moments of silence and noticing you shift on your feet awkwardly he turned to look at you, “I’m sorry, doll.”

You swallowed hard as he finally spoke to you, turning to face him and putting on a small smile, “It’s alright, Bucky. I’m the one who should be sorry. You didn’t really want to go see Iris and I pushed you.” You said, leaning your elbows on the banister and looking down at the beer in your hands.

Bucky frowned a little as he watched your movements and listened to the apology that spewed from your lips, your tone almost sad for seeming to offend him. He held his beer on his left gloved hand and placed the other on your back gently, “Y/N, no need to apologize. It was… enlightening.” He said softly and offered a small half smile. And it was. Iris knew things about him she shouldn’t. She knew of his ghosts and his amends. But then she spoke about how important you would be to him, calling you his guide and his light and he wondered if it was fate that he met you, “I had a really good time with you. I’m sort of sad I gotta go back to Delacroix tomorrow.”

You smile over at him, “Me too. I’ll miss having someone to eat beignets with.” You said softly, looking back down at the people in the streets dancing to the loud music, “Good thing it isn’t too far away.”

Bucky kept glancing over at you from the corner of his eye. He honestly didn’t want to leave but if he didn’t, Sam would just come looking for him like the annoying friend he was. He swallowed hard before clearing his throat at an attempt to grab your attention, which he did and he felt nervous butterflies in his stomach as you met his gaze with those beautiful, shining eyes of yours, “Maybe I could come back next week?” He asks, “I mean… I’d like to eat more beignets with you.” He internally flinched at how he sounded before letting out a deep breath, “What I mean is that I would like to see you again… Take you out on a date.”

You smile over at him, turning your body to face his and bit your lip as you listened to him stammer over his words which made you giggle a bit with a small blush to your cheeks, “Now here I thought I was taking you out on mini-dates.” You teased with a smile before continuing, “I’d like that very much, Bucky. You know where to find me.” You said softly, reaching over and taking his hand in yours and together you silently watched the parade in the street while giving small squeezes to each other’s hands.

Present

Sam listened to the story and then held up his hand, “Wait… So you two met because you saved him from…”

“Boobs.” You finish with a chuckle, looking over at Bucky who had this look on his face like he was done with this conversation, a slight pink on his cheeks, “Yup. I saved him from boobs.”

Sam nodded slowly and looked over to Bucky with an amused grin, “So your little ‘escapes’ have been going to see the woman that saved you from boobs.” He said, holding back a laugh.

Bucky glared over at Sam, “It’s not like I was scared. I just didn’t know what to do. They kept staring at me like they earned something.” You and Sam both let out a chuckle which made Bucky look over at you with a half smile at the sound of your laughter. You laughing was his favorite sound, especially when it was because of him.

“The boobs kept staring at you or the women?” Sam asks with a laugh. That earned a groan and an eye roll from Bucky and a laugh from you. Sam folds his arms with the same grin on his lips, “Alright then. Well, we have a spare bedroom. You’re welcome anytime, Y/N. You’ll have to come to one of our cookouts.”

You smile and nod, “Perfect. I’ll bring the beignets.”

_______________________________________________________________________

Permanet Taglist: @buckypops​ @bibliophilewednesday​ @stcrryslibrary​ @redhairedfeistynerd​ @princessnnylzays​

[honey-boyyoongi]

Pairing ➪ Yoonji x Y/n | Jimin x Y/n Word count ➪ 4.08k Warnings ➪ cursing through out; authors horrible attempt at humor Summary ➪ Y/n needs a place to stay as of yesterday. Her roommate bailed on her, she’s too far from her grandmother, and her boyfriend lives in a box with his best friend. The place she seems to find has everything; space, low rent, a short commute to her job, and seemingly nice roommates. But there are some things that are kinda weird. Like how her female roommate is up at all hours, and her male roommate mumbling about his plants yelling at him in the middle of the night. She can get through this, right?

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-

“I don’t like this place,” Jungwoo remarks, “you could’ve moved in with me, and mark.” “Your place is too far from my job, and there’s barely any space now.” Y/n answers, “I don’t know I like it, a lot. There’s a charm to it.”

“Yeah, totally. It’s fucking creepy, babe.”

Y/n sighed deeply, she’s been hearing the same spiel for the last few days. She, of course, agreed to be a roommate. Yoonji had her sign an agreement, gave her a tour of the house, and showed her which of the available rooms she could pick. She decided on the room under Jimin’s. She’d have to walk across the hall for her bathroom, but it was worth it. Her room was smaller than Jimin’s, according to Yoonji, but it had large windows, a large closet, and a small balcony. If hers was technically the smallest room, y/n wonders how big Yoonji’s must be being the occupant of the master bedroom. 

Y/n was very happy with her choice, and took pictures, with permission, to show Sooyoung and Jungwoo. Sooyoung agreed that it was very cute, and was very happy Y/n had secured a new place. Jungwoo on the other hand, not so much. He said the place looked creepy, and he didn’t like that two men lived in the house. Y/n pointed out if she had moved in, she’d would’ve had to share a space with Mark. Who is a man? His logic made no sense, and from her interactions with Yoonji she would not room with shitty people, gender be damned. 

He huffed and puffed anytime she mentioned her move, and made little remarks. It was bothersome, but now it was plain annoying. Jungwoo refused to help her pack in the beginning, made little jabs about how she wouldn’t need to move so many things if she had moved in with him. He grumbled through carrying out her boxes, even though Sooyoung, Sunni, and Yoona helped with most of them. 

Jungwoo complained his pretty little mouth off while the girls, and Jimin helped her bring boxes in. 

‘Why is he helping? I hope he knows that’s not going to get the girls’ attention.’ 

‘He’s being helpful.’ She answered. 

‘Babe, I think you got the short end of the stick, your room’s tiny. How is my sleepover stuff gonna fit?’ 

‘Who said you were leaving stuff?’ She asked. 

‘Why does he keep smiling so much?’ 

‘He’s literally being friendly.’ She hissed. 

She was tired of it. She said goodbye to her friends, and encouraged them to visit. Jungwoo stayed back to help her put up curtains, so he says. 

“Hey,” Yoonji calls out as she makes her way up the stairs. Y/n stops, “Yeah?” “I hope you stay with us for a long time.” Yoonji mumbled. “Awe, thanks Yoonji,” y/n beams. “Yeah, yeah. Listen, I'll see you in the morning, okay?” Yoonji says. 

Y/n waves goodbye, and basically skips back to her room. Jungwoo is laying on her bed when she enters, passed out. She did not want him here after the crap he kept spewing. She shook, shoved, and pulled, but nothing would get him up. He could stay the night, Yoonji had already okay-ed that her friends, or Jungwoo could stay the night if they were too tired. While she appreciated that, Y/n wanted her bed to herself. Y/n decides it’s time to bring out the big guns. She throws her giant sloth plush, a very lovely gift from Sooyoung, and hopes for the best. It lands bottom first on his nose, and Jungwoo wakes with a cry. Y/n makes herself look busy folding clothes, putting them on hangers. 

“Why would you do that?” he asked. “Do what?” She feigned. “It’s time for you to go,” she says. “I’m not too sure about leaving you here,” Jungwoo grumbles, “I don’t like that Park kid; too friendly. The lady creeps me out, you should stay with me today babe or let me stay with you tonight.” 

“ Can’t,” she replies, “I have work tomorrow, and I didn’t let my roommates know you were going to stay.”

Jungwoo sits on the edge of the bed trying to convince her to stay with him. From breakfast in the morning to more lewd activities. She declines everything knowing he will not go through with any of it. He huffs all the way to the door, trying one last time to convince her. Again, she says no. He tries to kiss her goodnight, but y/n dodges each attempt. 

He groans a goodnight, and closes the door behind him. 

“Darling.”

Y/n yelps, she didn’t know anyone was in the living room,” Yes?”

“Are you upset?”

“No. Uh, maybe? I don’t know.” Y/n answered. 

Seokjin humned, “Alright. Do, calm down. Going to sleep upset is not good. Goodnight.”

She replies a small goodnight, and makes way to her bedroom. Now that Jungwoo is gone she can put what’s left of her items away. Y/n knows she’s upset at Jungwoo’s comments. She could’ve been honest with Seokjin, but they’re not close enough for her to say ‘Yeah, Jungwoo was being an absolute ass hat and kept trying to convince me to go with him, or stay.’ She would have to explain he’s been nothing, but rude since she accepted to be a roommate. Y/n decides she’s too scatterbrained to continue organizing. She washes up as quickly as possible, and quickly gets comfortable in bed.  

-

“Now from the top, make it drop”

What? 

“That's some wet-ass pussy”

Uh, what? Excuse me? 

“Now get a bucket and a mop”

“Jin, turn that shit off! It’s too early!” Yoonji yelled. “Never! It’s a masterpiece! I'm talking WAP, WAP, WAP. That's some wet-ass pussy, Macaroni in a pot,” Seokjin yells. 

Well that was a wake up call. Y/n decides it’s time to wake up, and goes through her morning routine. She doesn’t bump into any of her roommates, but she can definitely hear Seokjin bumping to Cardi. 

“Okay, I’ll let her know.”

Is that Jimin? 

“Well they’re not here anymore.”

Who is he talking to? Is Yoonji downstairs already?

“She didn’t know any better, but she tried. Yes, I’ll let her know. More sunlight, check your soil, and low music.” she hears Jimin say. 

Making her way into the main space, she doesn’t see anyone. “Good morning,” Y/n says. Jimin turns around her herbs in hand, “ Oh, hey, morning. I-uh, was doing my morning watering and these little guys looked like they needed some tending.” Y/n cringed slightly, “Yeah, they’re probably borderline dry.” 

“Actually, they’re not as bad as you think,” he answers, “the soil is a bit dry, yes, but overall it’s healthy. Check the soil periodically, water it till damp, maybe talk to it, or play music and they should be fine.” 

“Oh, I’ve heard of that,” y/n says, “ small positive conversations help grow happy plants. Even classical music helps.” 

Jimin nods, “I always have music playing in my greenhouse, and every time I do any form of maintenance on my plants I talk to them. I think they’ve turned out great.” 

Y/n nods in agreement, and goes about her morning. Bothering Jimin here, and there about where things are and what’s for the house to share. He’s nice enough to share his favorite cinnamon tea, and some pastries he’s been working on. All of it is delicious, and Y/n cannot stop singing praises for the pastries. Jimin let’s out flustered giggles with every compliment. Maybe it’s her being at ease with Jimin, or being super content from breakfast, but she wants to keep hearing Jimin’s squeaky laugh. It’s endearing, and a bit addictive. 

They spend an hour talking about their likes, and dislikes. Even having a joking debate over what type of tea is the best. She still stands by sweet tea being superior, while Jimin is adamant chrysanthemum tea is the best. Jimin excuses himself, says he has a few commissions to work on, and probably won’t see them till the afternoon, maybe later. 

She makes her way towards her room, and decides to get the last of her stuff put up. She can no longer hear Seokjin’s music, and assumes Yoonji might be doing her own thing this morning. 

Y/n spends the better part of the day fixing her room up. She puts her books up on their shelves, hangs up drawings she bought from different artists, and some plants Yoona gave her as a housewarming gift. She’s missing a few things, but nothing too important she can’t order online. 

While scrolling, she notices Jungwoo was trying to reach her. 

Jungwoo

Y/n I know you’re upset at me but I have my reasons.

That place creeps me out 

I think you should just leave the place

I’ll make some space and you can stay here 

Y/n? 

Don’t give me the silent treatment babe

I talked to Mark. Pack up a bag you’re staying with us until we can get your things out.

I’ll pick you up after work

Excuse me? Who did Jungwoo think he was? She was not leaving her new place, just because he was a child. 

Y/n

Excuse me? 

I will not pack a bag

Who do you think you are telling me what to do? 

Jungwoo

I’m just trying to help you

Stop being a brat and listen to me

Pack a bag. You’re coming with me. 

Y/n

I’m not going to leave just because you don’t like it and think my guy roommates are too friendly and Yoonji is weird. 

I like it here. 

Everyone has been nice to me and if you want to be a dick then don’t come over. I’ll try to see you when I can. 

She decides to mute Jungwoo’s chat for the remainder of the day. If he does end up coming here after his shift, she’ll tell him no again. If he continues to be the stubborn person he is, she’ll ask for Seokjin to escort him out. Yeah, that’ll work. Hopefully.  

The rest of the early afternoon goes by quickly, by the time Y/n remembers she hasn’t eaten since early morning. On the way to the kitchen she curses herself for forgetting. It’s about early evening, she could get away with something small before she offers to buy food for everyone. 

While going over choices, she hears scratching. Y/n looks by the windows, and the door that leads to the back patio. Nothing. She goes back to debating what to eat, when she hears the scratches again followed by whines. Y/n turns towards the back door, and sees the biggest dog she’s ever seen in her life. It could be a German shepherd from the pointed ears, but she’s not too familiar with breeds.

She slowly makes her towards the patio door; every inch she gets closer the dog’s whining louder, and he.. Is it a he, and it starts to paw at the glass more feverently. 

Y/n opens the glass portions of the door, and kneels in front of the dog. “Hi, who are you baby? Where’d you come from, huh,” she coos. After checking, and confirming, yup definitely a boy. “Are you the big dog that’s been chasing Yoonji around,” she asks. He yips, and crawls into her lap, like he’s still a puppy. She scratches up his back, up to his ears, and under his chin. They enjoy a moment or two, the big dog enjoying being treated like a pup. 

“Kookie!”

“Kookie!” She hears Jimin yell. 

The dog lifts their head, looking for the voices calling for him. 

“Kookie,” a deeper voice calls out. 

“Kookie, huh. That’s cute buddy,” y/n says. She spots Jimin walking by the greenhouse, and waves him over. Jimin does a double take, and signals who she assumes to be kookie’s owner. They both run over to them, looking hysterical. 

“Oh, thank gods. Kookie, you have to quit running away like that,” says Kookie's owner. Again, what is with all these people being literal models. She might’ve said Seokjin was the most ethereal man she has seen. But this man, oh he takes the fucking cake. He’s the definition of tall, dark, and handsome; sweet mother of god, is she sweating? 

He squats in front of Kookie, and gives him an intense look. “Kookie, why did you run out of the house like that? I told you to wait,” he scolds. 

Kookie whines, and buries his snout into Y/n’s stomach. She rubs his head in comfort, and looks up at his owner. 

“Sorry for being rude, I’m Y/n. I’m the new roommate,” she says. 

“I’m Taehyung. I’m Jiminie’s friend,” he replies. 

Taehyung bends down, and tries (emphasis on the try) dragging the giant puppy off of her, “Kookie. Stop. Being. On. Top. Of. The. Nice. Lady.” Kookie starts to whine loudly, trying his best to cling on. Taehyung huffs, and continues to pull. 

“Kookie, get off Y/n,” Jimin grumbles, “she’s not used to… dogs your size.”

Kookie grumbles softly, looking up, giving y/n the best begging eyes she’s ever seen. She starts to coo, “Awe, Taehyung please let him stay. He’s a sweetie.” 

Taehyung, and Jimin look at each other hesitantly. Y/n looked over to Taehyung, “Could he stay for a bit? He didn’t misbehave or anything.” Taehyung looks between Kookie and Y/n, “Yeah, it’s fine. I was actually about to ask Jimin to look after him.” 

Kookie yipped, and y/n beamed thank yous at him. She brought Kookie inside, and decided to eat leftover watermelon. She switched between giving kookie pets, eating watermelon, and feeding some of the fruit to kookie. Jimin checked in on her frequently, making sure Kookie was behaving. Y/n assured him he was being a sweetheart. 

“Jimin.”

“Yes?”

“Is kookie.. aggressive?” Y/n asked.

“Why do you ask?” Jimin responded.

“Well you, and Taehyung keep trying to keep Kookie away. Is he aggressive?” She answers. 

“No,” he answers, “Kookie is just very shy, but because he’s so big, whenever he gets excited he forgets about his size.” 

“Really? Oh, well that explains what I’ve heard,” Y/n commented. 

“What did you hear?”

“My friend Sunni, she says Yoonji can be seen chasing after kookie. Or kookie chasing Yoonji.” she chuckles. 

Jimin started giggling, “Kookie likes to mess with Seokjin, and Yoonji the most. I heard Yoonji complaining once of Kookie giving her a hard time.” Y/n giggles alongside Jimin, playfully scolding the puppy.  

They spend the rest of the afternoon with kookie. Taehyung checks in via FaceTime to ensure he’s on his best behavior. Seokjin, and Yoonji are surprised to find Kookie on the couch. Yoonji pouts, adorably Y/n might add, at Kookie. She’s still upset he chased her around the neighborhood a few days ago. Kookie gives Yoonji his best eyes, and she instantly melts. Seokjin calls him a brat, and excuses himself for the rest of the night. They eat dinner, courtesy of Y/n, and get to know each other more. 

Y/n learns Yoonji is from Daegu, has been best friends with Seokjin since they were born, and was actually good friends with Taehyung before meeting Jimin. Jimin explains he’s actually best friends with Taehyung, and his roommate Jungkook. They introduced him to Yoonji, who at the time was looking for roommates. Seokjin was taking over some family business, so he wasn’t going to be here as often. Jimin agreed, and now he’s taken over the house, Yoonji jokes. He’s halfway into a denial when there’s heavy knocks on the door. 

“Who could that be,” Jimin wonders, “It can’t be Tae, he has a key to the place.” 

“I don’t know, “Yoonji answers, “Did you invite anyone over y/n?” 

Y/n shakes her head in denial. Her friends always informed her when coming over, even Sooyoung when they lived together. 

Yoonji gazes from the side window, “Uhm, it’s your boyfriend Y/n.” 

Y/n tenses, and kookie starts growling low. Yoonji opens the door slightly, but Jungwoo pushes his way in. “Y/n, what are you doing? I told you to get a bag ready,”  Jungwoo announces. Kookie crawls off Y/n’s lap, and lowers himself into a protective stance. Y/n tries to soothe the large dog with little success. Yoonji, and Jimin stare at Kookie, surprised. “I’m sorry about him,” Jimin laments, “he’s not usually this aggressive with new people.”

“Well keep him away from people, if he can’t behave,” Jungwoo sneers, “Babe, go get your stuff we’re leaving.” Y/n shakes her head, “I told you I’m not going.” Jungwoo starts making his way towards Y/n’s room; Y/n bolting right behind him, roommates, and kookie in tow. 

“I told you I’m not going anywhere,” Y/n calls out, “I’m staying, Jungwoo.” But Jungwoo doesn’t listen. He’s pulling clothes into a bag, having no care for the chaos he leaves behind. Y/n takes the bag he started, and throws it in her closet. 

Jungwoo grunts, “why are you being difficult? We’re leaving y/n.” He goes into the closet for the bag once more, grabbing more items along the way. 

Jimin, and Yoonji stand at the doorway flabbergasted; Yoonji having to restrain Kookie, who’s glaring, and growling at Jungwoo. Both stay in a cycle of taking, and putting away y/n’s belongings. Y/n is visibly getting frustrated, her roommates growing uncomfortable not being able to intervene without possibly getting in an altercation. 

“Jungwoo, get out!” Y/n yells. “I’m not leaving, you’re not my boss, you’re not my dad, you’re nothing, but a boyfriend! Leave before I call someone to get you out.” Jungwoo stays silent for a moment, “Fine, I’ll leave. Don’t come crying to me when something happens.” He drops the items in hands, and bolts from the room. Pushing his way through Jimin, and Yoonji, slamming the door on his way out. The roommates stay quiet for a moment, no one knowing what to say about what just happened. 

Yoonji is the first to make a move. She slowly makes her way into the room, careful to not step on anything; picking up clothes, and dropped items from the chaos. Y/n feels shitty, Yoonji should not be picking up her mess. Her roommates should not have seen that fight. 

“Yoonji, you don’t have to do that,” y/n whispers. “I can do it.” 

Yoonji shakes her head in refusal, “I want to help.” Both women get into a rhythm of folding, hanging, and quiet looks. Yoonji wants to tell y/n that she’s not upset at Jungwoo’s outburst, but she would be lying. It hurt to know he wanted to take their roommate away. Why, because he thinks they’re a bit strange? He doesn’t know them, he’s never had a full conversation past introductions when y/n moved in. Seokjin is eccentric, but he’s never made anyone uncomfortable. Quite the opposite. Jimin is a sweetheart, he always gives more of himself than he should, and works hard. Yoonji would like to think she’s an open person, she likes meeting new people despite being an introvert. They love their friends, and would do anything for them. Jungwoo doesn’t know them, yet assumes they’d hurt Y/n, which upsets her deeply.  

Jimin comes into the room with a cup of tea, and a sad kookie, “Y/n?” 

“Yes?”, Y/n answers. Jimin gently places the cup on top of her dresser, “I made you tea, lavender chamomile, it’ll help ease your nerves, and make it easier to sleep tonight.” Jimin can see she’s tired, he doesn’t know what to say to her, he feels like it’s not his place. He makes signals towards Yoonji for them to leave, but Y/n beats him to it. “I appreciate your help cleaning up Yoonji, I also appreciate the tea Jimin, but I kind of want to be alone.”  Her roommates nod in acknowledgment. Kookie gives her a sad look, before following them out. Y/n drinks Jimin’s tea; it makes her feel warm, partially settling the knot in her stomach. She decides to go to bed, wishing this gross feeling goes away with sleep. 

•

Jimin can see Yoonji’s upset, she’s pacing back and forth, silently putting away the lavender and chamomile he had left out. He walks over to the kitchen, not wanting to say anything to upset her further. Jimin picks up the thermos he had left on the counter, deciding to pour Yoonji a cup.  

“You need to drink this Yoonji, please, it’ll calm you down.” 

“I don’t want it,” she whispers. 

“I know Yoon, but it’ll help you. I’ll even add some extra drops of your favorite to help.” Yoonji nods in reluctant agreement, and makes her way to the backyard. Jimin pulls out a special tonic he makes specifically for Yoonji, and Seokjin. Usually he’d only add a couple drops. Normally that would be enough for them to calm down, but Yoonji is going to need at least a few to settle any lingering anxiety. Jimin makes his way towards Yoonji, making as little noise as possible, so as to not startle her. He gently hands her the cup, sitting in the open bench spot, the dark haired girl is sitting on, “Drink it slowly.” 

They stay quiet for a while, the only noise being the tea cup hitting the table. “Are we that bad Jimin?” 

He shakes his head, “No, why do you ask?” 

“Jungwoo felt like we were going to hurt Y/n,” Yoonji whispered. “We did everything. We talked to him, tried to welcome him, made sure Y/n had everything she needed. Helped her when he wasn’t, but somehow we were a danger to her? I don’t get it.” 

“He doesn’t understand us Yoonji,” Jimin sighs. “People like Jungwoo never understand.” Yoonji nods glumly. She finishes the rest of her tea, and wordlessly goes inside. 

Jimin stays in the garden, watching his plants rustle with the breeze. “Interesting new roommate you got,” a deep voice rings out. “First days in, and she’s already bringing trouble.” 

“It wasn’t her fault, Tae.” Jimin answers. Taehyung walks over to his best friend, analyzing the worry lines decorating his soft face. 

“Why don’t you tell me what happened, hon.” Tae mumbles. 

Jimin explained everything. From Jungwoo’s side-eyes, to his comments that he thought Jimin couldn’t hear. He thought Jungwoo was just worried, jealous that Y/N was going to live with guys in the house. Y/n would chastise Jungwoo every time, telling him they were friendly, nice roommates. Along with her friends that came, he and Yoonji helped Y/n move in her stuff. Jungwoo rarely left the room to help. Everything was fine the next day, they spent time together, got to know each other. Y/n even bought them dinner as a thank you for helping her. Then Jungwoo came, he was upset. He kept asking, no, demanding that Y/n go make a bag because she wasn’t staying. Jungwoo kept touching every part of her space, even though Y/n had told him no repeatedly. It infuriated Jimin. Jungwoo kept dismissing her, choosing what he deemed best without a care. Y/n yelled at him to leave, she was staying no matter what. Jimin wanted to pull Jungwoo out of Y/n’s room. He wanted to get Kookie to drag him out. It took all of him to not hex him to hell for disturbing his home. 

Taehyung is hurting for his friend, humans never understand. He had asked around his acquaintance circle if anyone would’ve liked to move into Yoonji’s. No one wanted to room with the elders, apparently. 

Taehyung runs his fingers through Jimin’s hair, soft from his most recent trim. He hopes it can calm his dear friend down, and is elated when he hears Jimin’s breathing slow down. He whispers into Jimin’s ear, time for bed. Jimin is freshened up, changed, and tucked into bed later than what Taehyung would’ve liked. Before he leaves, he does a quick sweep of the house, everything seeming to be in place, even the cobweb Jimin refuses to tear down. If Taehyung tries hard enough he can hear a melancholic rendition, if that’s even possible, of Nocturne No.20 coming from Yoonji’s room. 

A/n: 👉🏻👈🏻 so lol this is later than what I thought lol, but I got it done before Halloween so I see it as a win lol. This was brought to y’all by a drunk night I had the other day and a twilight playlist. Feedback is always appreciated 💕 if you want to be tagged on the next update pls let me know.

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