#i like to think this is exactly how they'd be

[onyxbird]

Ugh. I understand wanting to simplifying concepts for lay audiences, but I really wish people would put in the effort to try to phrase their simplified explanations/analogies in ways that that aren't flat-out lies, if only for their own credibility. The simple-but-false-analogy approach communicates to people who knows better that either 1) they're willing to state "facts" about stuff they don't actually understand or 2) they're willing to lie in service of whatever point they're trying to make, which puts the credibility of everything else they say into question.

E.g., does it actually make any difference to the point whether humans are "different" and the "only" animals to freak out in physically safe situations? Would anything of value be lost if they'd stripped out the commentary about animals only responding to external stimuli and humans being special exceptions? They could still talk about animals responding to external stimuli (something people have seen) and then segue into "Human beings [...] can also be influenced by stuff that shows up inside of them. [We] can be somewhere physically safe, like in a warm bed with a full tummy, and be in full-on threat mode. [W]e have language and we can think ourselves into danger. This is the cost of our inside space." That seems like it would pare it down to a much less questionable statement without losing anything except meaningless "humans are inherently special" fluff.

As an example on the credibility front, I once had an eye exam provider proactively assure me (without me expressing any concerns) that an eye pressure test would neither touch nor blow air into my eye. (Not, e.g., that I wouldn't feel anything touch or blow in my eye, but that it wouldn't do either of those things.) My immediate internal reaction was "I don't think that's physically plausible." I was fine with routine eye-pressure tests and figured they probably could carry it out competently, so I let them proceed, and then politely asked how exactly this device measured the pressure without touching or blowing air at my eye. They got a deer-in-the-headlights look and admitted it did touch the eye and just wasn't felt due to numbing drops. I'm sure they thought they were helpfully and reassuringly dumbing things down for the "average" patient who didn't think much about the how-to of eye pressure testing and were uncomfortable with the idea of someone touching their eye. Instead, what they accomplished was to demonstrate that they were willing to lie to my face about a medical procedure they were about to perform on me. 🙃

I really wonder if trauma theorists who say things like "Humans are the only animal that will be in a fright state when physically safe" or "the rest of the animal kingdom doesn't get PTSD" have ever, like

Do you think they've actually ever met an animal?

[strwbrychffoncake]

"santa, baby,, 3.2k words synopsis: after being spoiled by sylus all year round, you struggle to find the perfect thing to gift back— so you decide, what better than to gift yourself ? contains: sylus x afab!reader (no phys. desc. but later described to be wearing a dress so take that how u will) not specifically lads mc (there's just one line from his melodic waves card) ,lots of fluff ,starts off w unestablished relationship (& later unfolds.. the feelings are mutual) ,slight yearning ,angst if you squint hard enough ,sylus throwing money at u bc he can ,decorating ft. the twins ,kinda needy sylus ,teasing (goes both ways) ,soft!sylus ,kinda-needy sylus ,kissing ,sylus slings you over his shoulder (heart eyes) ,implied suggestiveness (+ twins shenanigans at the end LOL) that should be it.... note: managed to write an excuse into the story for releasing this after christmas heh.... i seriously was so stuck & maybe it was bc the amount of fics i cranked out after not writing fics for so long?? but i still like this & hope you will too :x dedicated to the sylus lovers: i love u i hope u can forgive me for being late w this

-

sylus has never been one for the holidays.

he didn't really have a reason to celebrate anything, so he didn't go out of his way to do so, continuing with business as usual while barely registering when these dates would come and go.

the only tell that such holidays were close was the small decorations set up around the base, courtesy of the twins.

he grew accustomed to walking into his office, a small christmas tree set up on his desk along with a string of little red lights draped across the front of it, small crow embellishments hanging around the place and paper snowflakes strung from the ceiling.

and he doesn't think he can forget the sight of the twins struggling to fit a ridiculously-sized (and real, mind you) spruce tree through the front of the door.

at the time, sylus only shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose.

"what do you two think you're doing?"

"oh, hi boss!" they'd said in unison before kieran continued.

"well, you know, christmas is coming up already," he started.

"-and you don't have a christmas tree!" luke finished.

"...did you two cut this one down yourselves?"

"why, of course!" they answered together proudly.

sylus only sighed in response.

"do whatever you wish..." he trailed off, walking out of the living area back down the hall, some classic holiday song fading as his steps receded further.

this was all until you entered the picture.

as your relationship (whatever it may be) continued to grow with sylus, so too did your visits to the N109 zone, and by extension, his mansion.

for this reason, your more frequent visits reflected in the usually dark mansion: a cute yet out-of-place mug in the sink, pink towels in one of the bathrooms, some clothes left astray in the guest bedroom, even some cute lamps and decorations in the main living area (that sylus would make a teasing comment about once noticing, but make no move to take down, even encouraging you to add anything else you like. to him, his space was yours).

but in your most recent visit to sylus' place, you noticed the sheer lack of any change since you'd last stopped by about a week prior.

—not that he was one for decorating in the first place, but did he really not have any festive cheer anywhere in his little den?

when you barged into his office and spoke out about how the place looked exactly the same when christmas was so close by, joking about him having no holiday spirit, he only let out a hearty chuckle before offering you his card with a simple "then why don't you fix that, sweetie?"

he watched amused as your eyes glimmered with excitement, snatching up his card before happily scampering away to your laptop to begin your shopping, his eyes following you all the way till you were out of sight.

"such a simple kitten," he muttered to himself, smirk adorning his lips before he got back to work.

in no time at all, the halls were adorned with shiny silver tinsel (in which mephisto had so generously helped you put up), a faux black christmas tree was set up in the living area with cute twinkling lights, and silver and red ornaments came in several boxes (among all the other small decorations you had to put up in other various rooms).

when luke and kieran stumbled upon you opening the ornament boxes, they basically offered themselves up to help you with the tree.

you tilted your head at them, confused.

"you two really want to help me?"

"please, miss!" luke begged.

"we won't cause any trouble, swear it!" kieran finished.

"no, its not that— you can help, that's fine, but—"

"yay!" they cheered in unison.

"—if you guys like to decorate, then why didn't you put up any decorations for christmas?"

they blinked at you behind their masks.

"did you miss our decorating job?" luke tilted his head.

"yeah, we did more than we usually do!" kieran piped up.

you blinked at them.

"what are you—"

"didn't you see the little christmas tree in boss' office?"

"and the little hat by mephisto's perch!"

"not to mention our hand-cut snowflakes... those are difficult, you know???"

"...you call that decorating?" you deadpan. "what's so different about them this time, then?"

"ah," luke began, excited.

"we put up a bunch of mistletoe!" they spoke in unison.

"thats—"

"now, lets get to the tree!" kieran quickly changed the subject.

"yeah, im itching to put these up!" luke finished, eyes trained on the boxes of ornaments.

in your momentary shock, they seemed to have closed the distance in the blink of an eye, sorting through the boxes themselves and beginning to map them out on the tree.

while they begin their fun, you imagine being caught under the mistletoe with sylus, imagining the look in his eyes as he looks down at you before closing his eyes, leaning in, his lips moving closer and closer—

you snap back to reality, shaking the image out of your head.

you breathe out a sigh to try and calm your racing heart, turning around as you wonder if sylus put the twins up to that, or if they decided to hang them all up on their own accord.

you push the thought away as you join the twins in embellishing the tree, ignoring their bantering as they babble about how perfect mephisto would act as the tree topper instead of some lousy star.

-

"hey," you pipe up, hanging an ornament on a free spot between the branches. "what would you two like for christmas?"

the twins stop for a moment before looking at you behind their masks, tilting their heads.

"huh?"

you look back at them.

"what do you want for christmas?" you ask again, eyes darting between both masks trained on you.

the idea being foreign to them, they think about it for a long moment before ultimately shrugging.

"dunno," they answer in unison.

"well, try thinking of something. a new gun, another type of weapon, new matching masks, anything at all."

"hmmm...."

while they're lost in thought, muttering to each other about how their current gear could benefit from an upgrade even if its still perfectly intact, your mind drifts back to sylus.

what would sylus want for christmas?

you think about everything that he has, how he so easily either hands you or swipes his card without batting an eye, and where you are right now: in his mansion.

what could you possibly gift to a man who already has everything?

-

a couple of days later, sylus takes his leave for a deal, expecting it to be over quickly. he tells you to stay at the mansion if you wish while he's gone before he's out the door (not without taking one lasting glance at the decorated tree, a pleased smile subconsciously curling on his lips before the door clicks shut).

having him leave is both a blessing and a curse: you can easily brainstorm more ideas of what to get for him out in the open, but your heart seems to long for his presence within an hour of him gone.

which is how you find yourself plopping down into his office chair, spinning back in forth in it as you let out a sigh, allowing the lingering scent of him to envelop you as you think.

anything you thought up either seemed too simple, or it was something he could easily have.

jewelry? he had plenty, for you and him both, and could easily obtain more.

cologne? he already had a small collection, but would favor the ones that you said you liked the most.

vinyls? not a bad idea, but you weren't sure if you were willing to sort through his entire collection to find one that he was missing (or if one you got him would even be his taste).

when you asked the twins, they both answered "a new karaoke machine!" to which you swiftly shut down and left the room, mumbling about how they were no help at all.

not that his actual singing voice was any bad per se, but....

you shuddered at the ego boost he'd undoubtedly get from receiving such a gift from you.

like you needed to inflate it any further.

your mind wanders to him; the way he seeks you out in the form of bugging you, always finding a way to turn the tables on you and tease you after he started something, the way he'd never back down when you bite back, the constant petnames and lasting glances—

the way he'd playfully (or not) respond to something you said, on several occasions:

"i'm not sure friends is the right term for us, kitten."

you jolt at the memory of his words hearing his voice crystal clearly, remembering how close he was when he murmured them to you, the way you looked back at him wanting so badly to close the distance when the moment was interrupted, leaving you wondering if there was truth to his words (the look in his eyes definitely suggested it) or if he was simply teasing you again.

and suddenly, it hits you.

what if... i gift myself to sylus for christmas?

you ponder the idea for a moment.

as ridiculous as you think it is, you want more than anything to go through with it anyway.

in the worst case, he may just laugh it off and tease you to no end.

embarrassing at most, sure, but nothing you (probably) couldn't live with.

and in the best case?

"..."

you shake your head, taking deep breaths as you try not to work yourself up with your wishful thinking before rolling the chair back slightly.

with the anticipation of sylus' reaction to this genius idea, you start thinking about an outfit that would be fitting for the occasion.

and given the nature of your gift, the only thing you really need is some ribbon.

-

sylus was tired. the meeting of the deal lasted much longer than anticipated, and all he wanted was to return back to the mansion and spend his precious time with you.

he had half a mind to call it off and blow the place up for wasting his time before dashing back to you, pulling you close and never letting you go.

—but this client would serve to benefit him, so he restrained himself enough to power through it

(images of your cute, angry expression at pulling such a stunt almost tempted him but the thought of you berating him crossed his mind served in helping him to resist the urge).

when the day finally came to return home to you, he wasn't afraid to hide how eager he was, wrapping everything up swiftly before letting them deal with the rest, and hastily making his way back to you via driving.

when he arrived back, the first thing that floated through the entrance was some festive, almost flirty christmas tune.

he shut the door, making his way through the place before pausing at the sight before him.

-

sylus had texted you over an hour ago, with a simple "be home soon, kitten," leaving you to run around and prepare your surprise, ultimately resulting in your current position.

"come on..."

you're sat by the foot of the tree, trying to tie the last piece of ribbon over your head when it slips from your grasp yet again.

"ugh..."

for your outfit, you settled on a cute off-the-shoulder knitted dress paired with some stockings, leg warmers, and some pretty jewelry to finish it off— it was the cutest outfit you could put together while also ensuring you'd stay warm (considering you weren't too sure how long you'd have to wait, and the mansion seemed to have a natural cold air about it, even with the fireplace running).

you'd tied the ribbon into bows around each of your wrists and ankles, even going as far as to add a silly stick-on bow that was meant for wrapped gifts onto your chest, giggling to yourself at the absurdity of your plan.

you grasp the ribbon you're struggling with, curling it around your neck instead, thinking it a better place to tie a bow when a voice interrupts you.

"well, this is a surprise."

you almost jump at the voice, turning your head to meet with the man of the hour, hands on on his hips, head slightly tilted, and most notably...

his sharp, crimson gaze directed completely on you.

sylus' eyes drag over your figure, admiring the way the dress hugs you, accessories sitting pretty (your bare shoulders seeming to beg for his attention), adorned with cute ribbons all tied up around you, short laugh escaping him at the sight of the bow stuck to your chest.

"we-welcome back," you breathe out, suddenly nervous under his intense gaze.

he slowly steps towards you.

"how did this pretty little kitten find her way under my tree, hm?"

at his tease, you manage to get over your initial shock enough to bite back a response.

"you know what it means for something to be under the tree this month, don't you?"

he's right before you now, eyes dancing with amusement as he continues gazing down at you.

what a sight you were this up close.

"hmmm, its been awhile. why don't you remind me," he bends down to your level. "kitten."

"well," you tilt your head slightly. "during this month, presents are placed under the tree, waiting to be opened by their recipients on christmas day."

"go on..."

"the presents are also wrapped up in pretty paper and sometimes decorated with bows."

"uh-huh," he nods along.

you've dragged out the explanation knowing he already knows all of this, and he's still waiting for you to explicitly say why you're there yourself.

"so... it seems you've gotten a pretty expensive gift this year."

he smirks.

"oh? the sender must be quite.. generous."

"quite generous, indeed." you agree.

he kneels down properly now, hand reaching out to grasp your chin between his fingers before tilting it up.

"this... gift... wouldn't happen to come with an instruction manual or anything, would it?"

his free hand is slowly tugging at the bow you'd just tied around your neck, loosening it as he keeps the end grasped between his fingers.

his gaze holds both mischief and something else.

admiration? adoration?

who knows.

you laugh.

"nope. the only thing you need to know about this gift," you reach a hand out, holding it against his chest. "is that it's all yours."

and thats what does it for him.

the second he processes those words, no other response is given except his lips crashing into yours, his scent (the real thing) enveloping you as you're slowly consumed by him.

before you know it, you're lying on your back against the floor, sylus hovering over you as he continues, lips dancing with fervor against yours, silk ribbon lost somewhere between you both leaving your neck more barren— not that you really noticed.

when he separates to catch his breath he does so for only a moment before diving down to kiss your jawline and down your neck. your arms are wound around his neck, panting as you try to catch your breath.

"sylus..."

"you are all i've ever wanted," he speaks against your skin, kissing across your shoulders before nipping at the skin.

"well, i th-thought, you might appr-eciate the pre-sent, hah" you manage in between gasps due to his ministrations.

he pulls back to look into your eyes, the love and adoration circling his dark gaze so deeply you momentarily get lost in them.

he cups your cheek in his warm hand, watching as you immediately nuzzle into it.

his eyes rake over you again, now slightly disheveled, still catching your breath in puffs of air through your parted lips, watching him expectantly as pretty marks already begin to bloom across your exposed neck and shoulders.

he shudders.

"i think... id like to play with my new gift someplace else."

before you can ask him what he means, your vision is turned upside down as he easily lifts you up with one arm, slinging you over his shoulder before standing upright, and making his way towards his bedroom.

though, on the way, he's interrupted (much to your embarrassment).

he's halfway down the hall when a voice pipes up out of nowhere.

"boss! oh- and miss hunter!"

its none other than the twins.

"sylus, sylus! put me- put me down!" you plead from behind, hitting at his back and kicking at his front.

"what is it?" sylus speaks curtly, paying absolutely no mind to your pleads and hits, instead bringing his free arm to hold your legs down firmly against his front.

"first of all, welcome back!" kieran starts.

"secondly, we were wondering..." he trails off, feeling a little strange.

"—when we'd get to open our presents!" luke finishes for him, kieran nodding along excitedly.

sylus deadpans.

"what?"

"well, miss hunter said she would get us presents—"

"—and we want to know when we can open them up!"

sylus lets out a short, pleased laugh.

"is that so? well, miss hunter, what do you think?" he turns his head slightly, awaiting your answer.

you've given up fighting him at this point, having gone limp in sylus hold, but respond anyway.

"you're supposed to open them christmas morning—"

"but didn't we miss that because boss was gone?" kieran interrupts.

"yeah, you insisted to wait for him so that we could open them all together!" luke accuses.

sylus' expression takes one of surprise suddenly.

"oh? is that true?"

"yes!" the twins answer for you.

"well in that case.. you can't make them wait forever, miss hunter," sylus teases, dragging out the pet name as he jostles you slightly in his hold.

the movement elicits a sound of surprise from you, gripping onto sylus shoulder with one hand and his arm that's holding you securely with the other, steadying yourself before lifting your head up slightly, enough to speak into sylus' ear.

"they can open them once we're done!"

you glance back at the twins as a pleased smirk curls on sylus' lips.

"you'll get to open them soon enough, just practice exercising a little more patience. we'll be ready shortly."

and with that, sylus walks past the twins, whisking you away to his bedroom and making sure to lock the door (should the twins get any ideas in their inevitable impatience).

a light snow had begun to fall and a quiet calm enveloped the base as sylus took his time to unwrap you, savoring you and keeping you warm from the cold, finally uniting together and become one another's in the truest sense, words of love and affirmations warming you both to your cores.

and sylus thought maybe, just maybe, the holidays really were worth celebrating, so long as it was with you.

-

extra:

the twins had watched sylus make the rest of his way down the hall with you in tow, waving at you as you mouthed apologies behind his back before you both disappeared behind his door.

"do you think theyre—"

"oh definitely," luke answered, knowing what his brother was thinking.

"hell yeah, boss man!" kieran cheered, fist pumping in the air.

"but in that case... how much longer do you think we'll have to wait?" luke wondered aloud, mask turning to look at his brother.

"hmmm...." kieran gave it a long thought.

"..."

"we're definitely not opening them tonight."

-

a/n: omg i finished it??!!? im quite pleased w this one, might need one more editing job later but i feel satisfied.... to the rafayel kissers.... what would u say if i said i had not a single idea for his fic.... im sorry ill figure it out, promise, i'll take a short (short) break from this one before trying to draft it & see how it comes out... thanks for your understanding......

[breezilis]

something that makes me soooo insane about telemachus in i can't help but wonder (and also in the wider context of epic the musical) is that telemachus says in i can't help but wonder,

"i can't help but wonder what your world must be / if we're like each other, if i have your strength in me / all this time i've wondered if you'd embrace me as your own"

because — for so much of his life, telemachus has probably been told stories about king odysseus, his father, cunning strategist, favored of athena, etc etc, and wanting to live up to that ("i know life and fate are scary, but i wanna be legendary!", "and i would fight them if i was half as strong as you" from legendary)

he has also spent so much of his life being terrorized, and watching his mother being terrorized, by suitors for her hand — and he probably thought "well, FATHER would be able to drive them off!"

and then odysseus does come. and he kills them all.

and. yes. father has finally returned. finally driven them off. but his father also had to save telemachus from melanthius, the one suitor who threatened to "break the kid's hands" to cow odysseus.

there must have been something in telemachus that thought, "ah. so you are exactly as legendary as everything i've ever heard about you, father. and i am...not."

reminder that, in we'll be fine, telemachus says that his time with athena has been the best day of his life "'cause [he] got in a fight and [he] didn't die" — that was probably his first ever fight.

plus, with the way the suitors mock him and speak about him, he's probably VERY AWARE that he is constantly compared to his father, and found lacking.

so of course he's thinking about how his legendary, cunning, kingly father might ALSO compare them, and might come to the same conclusions as everyone else. he might well decide that telemachus would not be WORTHY of being, to borrow telemachus' own words here, "embrace[d] as [odysseus'] own".

of course, odysseus has never once thought about his son as anything other than HIS — "my boy", "my son", "sweetest joy i've known", a driving force to getting him home in the horse and the infant ("penelope, telemachus, i'm on my way") and in keep your friends close where you can hear telemachus as one of the voices urging odysseus to keep his eyes open — but i wonder how long it would take telemachus to really believe that his father isn't disappointed in him, because he has spent TWENTY YEARS being put and putting himself in the shadow of this man — and it might even make him self conscious, that odysseus spent all that effort coming home to his Ideal Family™ only to be met with the reality of what they really are.

i firmly believe that to ody, the reality of his family will always be better than the "ideals" — and that probably ody's "idealized family" is literally just. whatever penelope and telemachus are like now.

but idk. it's just something i feel like they'd have to work through, now that odysseus IS home, and it is just such a consistent part of telemachus' character that i haven't really seen anyone discuss.

[hwaslayer]

the space between us three (jyh) | three.

⇢series masterlist | series playlist

⇢summary: while juggling the demands of life, yunho continues to do his best to raise his independent 11 yr old daughter, seora. throughout the years, they've built a strong foundation, an unbreakable bond— one that consists of late night talks and food runs, father/daughter dates, and sideline cheerleading at her basketball games. so when you unexpectedly come into their world, things shift. despite the uncertainty and the fear of stepping outside of their comfort zone, yunho and seora eventually learn how to open their hearts and learn how to rebuild a home where three can thrive together.

⇢pairing: single dad!yunho x f. reader

⇢genre: (18+ - minors dni) strangers to lovers, single dad au | fluff, angst, eventual smut

⇢word count: 7.4k

⇢chapter content/warnings: cussing, mature language, seora's a smart lil gal who luvs her uncles v much, she does open up a lil bit about her mom, mentions of death, yunho goes out for dinner, making out, one-sided [rushed] feelings tho oof - one of those things where you think it'd play out fine then it doesn't 🤐, a lil glimpse into yunho and his thoughts/how he feels about things, some seora x uncle hwa content, a bit of oc x parents too!

"Hey." Yunho slips on his seatbelt as the call pulls up through the car's bluetooth, on his way out of the staff garage. "Were you able to leave a bit early to get to Seora?"

"Yes, I already told you I'd find a way. I'm pulling up to the lot right now." Yunho lets out a breath of relief, heading over to Ara's loft since she had the day off today. Tonight was the night they'd go out for dinner, something Yunho thought would be fun and harmless. He went into this thinking he'd put himself out there and give it a chance, even though deep down, he's not entirely sure where he lies about this— about her. 

Maybe tonight would help him decide, but he wasn't gonna force it and just let things go with the flow. 

"Looks like I made it just in time. Practice just got out."

"Good." 

"So, what exactly did you tell Seora?"

"That I was heading out to a team dinner."

"Atta boy."

"Shut up."

"Uncle Hwa!" Yunho hears Seora's voice in the background, causing him to smile to himself. "Sup!"

"What's up, little one?" Seonghwa playfully ruffles her hair before pulling her into a hug. "Ready to go? Anything you want before we head home?"

"Hm, that's a good question." She points to the phone. "Wait, are you on the phone with my dad?"

"Sure am." He faces the phone towards her before she grabs it.

"Dad."

"Hey babygirl. I'll be home later, okay? Have fun with Uncle Hwa. Run his wallet dry, he won't mind." She laughs.

"Okay, I will. But, what time will you be home?"

"I don't know, not too late. It could run a little long, though."

"Hm." She hums. "Are you really going to a team dinner?" Seonghwa purses his lips together to prevent himself from laughing out loud.

"Yes." Yunho says, feeling a bit bad to lie to his own daughter. "I'll get home as soon as I can."

"Okay." 

"I love you, ace. Make your uncle useful."

"Okay, okay." She chuckles. "I love you, too." She passes the phone back to Seonghwa before sliding her things into the backseat and settling into the passenger's side.

"Have fun at your team dinner." Seonghwa teases, making Yunho rolls his eyes.

"Not one word, Park Seonghwa."

"Uh huh." He hangs up the phone and slips into the driver's seat, settling in just before turning on the car and looking over at Seora. "So, did you figure out what you want, ace?" She tugs on her hoodie strings as she scrolls through her phone. 

"I kinda want a good ol' burger."

"Burgers and fries sound good right now, actually. Any place in particular?"

"Burger Almighty?" Seonghwa smiles. 

"Nice choice. Do you wanna eat there, or take it back home?"

"Take it back home, please. I need to get out of my practice clothes." Seonghwa nods, pulling up the website in order to place an order for pickup. "Ou, actually, wait. Uncle Hwa?"

"Yup?"

"Can we also stop by for ice cream?"

"Of course." He hands her the phone. "Here, pick whatever you want." She smiles and slouches in the front seat, going through the menu options. She goes back and forth for awhile, but Seonghwa patiently waits. He hears his phone ding and doesn't think much about it until Seora pops in once more, finally selecting her options and adding it to the cart. "Someone named Yoori texted you."

"Oh." Seonghwa looks at her. "I'll get to it later."

"She's asking if you wanna come over tonight." Seora smirks before letting out a small laugh. "Dad mentioned you were kinda seeing someone. Is that her?"

"Dad just airing out my business, huh?" Seonghwa laughs before grabbing his phone. "Is that all?"

"Mhm. Besides the ice cream. Thank you, Uncle Hwa." 

"Course." Hwa quickly texts back that he might stop by before he gets home tonight, but he'll let her know. 

"So, are you seeing her? Kinda seeing her, whatever that means? What does it mean to be kinda seeing someone?" Her questions are coming back to back and Seonghwa can't help but chuckle dryly as he drives out of the lot and towards their first destination.

"We're.. figuring things out."

"What's there to figure out, Uncle Hwa? You either like each other or you don't, right?"

"Things can get complicated, ace. Especially when you get older and your wants and needs in a partner become more solidified. Specific."

"Like..?"

"We're both just not sure if we're ready to take that next step. Or, I guess, it's mainly me."

"Then, do you really like her if you question it?"

"I do. I just haven't been in a relationship in awhile, and I was kinda enjoying my freedom." Seora nods, still unsure about this whole idea of relationship complexities and what not. "You get older and you realize you don't wanna waste anyone's time and effort and vice versa."

"I see." Seora looks at him. "If she likes you a lot too, I don't see what the harm is."

"I don't wanna hurt anyone on accident."

"You wouldn't hurt anyone, Uncle Hwa." He smiles.

"Thanks, ace. But your uncle makes mistakes cause I'm human. As with anyone."

"Dad hasn't really dated anyone, either." Seonghwa shrugs, knowing Yunho has tried and has dabbled in it, but it always never went far. Not far enough that Yunho felt comfortable enough introducing them to Seora and opening that door.

"Mmyeah, cause he doesn't feel the need to when he has you." Seora giggles.

"I like it, though. Just us two."

"Would you be mad if your dad started dating again?" 

"Um, I'm not sure."

"What do you mean?"

"I guess it depends? If I like the person or not."

"Of course he'd make sure you're happy and that you'd get along well with the person."

"Mmyeah. It'd be an adjustment, though. I'm used to it being just us two."

"I know, and your dad is, too. But, he does deserve to be happy, right?"

"What else can make him happier than me, Uncle Hwa?" He laughs and shakes his head. 

"You're right. He is happy." Seonghwa pauses. "Seora, promise me one thing?"

"I can try?"

"You'll keep your mind open to it? You know.. your dad dating and possibly opening the door for another person to step in."

"Mm, sure." She says before there's a brief pause in the conversation. "Sometimes, I wonder what it'd be like to have a mom. I barely got time with mine." She says softly, her voice tapering off at the end of the statement.

"And it was unfair to you." Seonghwa lets out a breath as he navigates the tricky streets of the city, almost nearing their endpoint. 

"Right? Like.. I wonder how it feels to hang out with your mom, or to go on dates with her. Talk to her about girly stuff. Do our hair and makeup together. Nails. Go shopping." Seonghwa turns to her as he stops at a red light, watching as her eyes continue to focus on the surroundings outside. "Dad tries his best. He always tries to do things with me so I don't have to wonder too much, but sometimes I can't help it."

"That's okay, Seora. He knows. He does try his best always, but he knows that question will always be there." She's silent again for a moment, and Seonghwa isn't sure if she's missing her mom or trying to replay the memories that she has left of her. It breaks his heart because he knows Seora is missing a part of her— she just manages to mask it well. 

"Yeah." Is all she responds with me. "I dunno, maybe one day I'll remember what it's like." She says softly. "I have dad for now though, and he's enough."

"One day." Seonghwa repeats after her, not wanting to plunge deeper into the conversation and turn Seora's mood inside out tonight. "Well." He pulls into a spot across the street from the burger place. "There's a convenience store I can run into for your ice cream. What are you craving for?"

"Strawberry, please!"

"That's a good one." He unbuckles his seatbelt before turning to her. "I'll grab our stuff and be back." She gives him a toothless smile and nods, eyes glued onto him as he slams the door shut and locks the car; leaving Seora to her own while she waits patiently in her seat.

Yunho pulls up to Ara's building, parking in the lot after getting through security at the gate. He unbuckles his seat belt and lets out a sigh, dusting himself down before slipping out and heading inside. He presses the front code at the lobby door before stepping inside and heading up to the 3rd floor. When he finally gets to her door, he knocks a few times before stepping back and digging his hands into his pockets.

"Yunho." She says, a smile on her face. She's in a cute baby blue sweater and jeans, white chucks on her feet. It's more of a casual thing, nothing too serious or too fancy. It makes Yunho a little more comfortable that way. Less pressure. "Hey."

"Hey. You look nice." Yunho smiles at her. "Ready?" She nods. "Hope you're down for some ramen?"

"I can always go for some good ramen." She smiles and makes sure her door is shut and locked before following him back down.

"How was your day off?"

"It was good! I spent the day grabbing groceries and deep cleaning my space. But otherwise, it was nice and relaxing. Just what I needed." Yunho looks at her with a small smile.

"That's good. I'm glad you got to relax for the most part. You definitely need it with how hard you work."

"Thanks." She giggles. "How was work today?" He shrugs, her eyes ogling his figure as they step into the elevator. He's in a white longsleeve and a puffer vest, dark denim and chucks.

"Kinda busy. Things are really ramping up with that new department. I feel like our team is constantly getting pulled into things left and right now."

"Aren't you guys hiring another person?" He nods.

"Hopefully, yeah. I have a few more interviews this upcoming week, but should be wrapping up after that. There's two people that the team and I like so far."

"That's good. More help is on the way. A step closer to shedding off some of your workload." Yunho chuckles a bit.

"Yeah, that's the hope. Taehyun has been a lot of help, though. It hasn't been entirely bad."

"That's good to hear." Yunho swings the door open to the passenger's seat, giving Ara the opportunity to slip in and get herself comfortable before he shuts the door and hops in. 

"Heat okay? Too hot?" He asks as he starts up the car and pulls up the directions to a popular ramen shop that just opened last month. The wait is outrageous, but luckily, Yunho threw them onto the waitlist as soon as they opened for dinner. They'll get there just in time for their table to be ready. 

"No, it's perfect."

"Cool." He says, pulling off to begin their journey deep into the city. Ara watches as he drives off flawlessly with one hand, leaning onto the middle console. It's no lie that Ara has always had a crush on Yunho, and she's always thought he was incredibly attractive. She kept her distance though, supporting him as a friend and being careful not to be in too, too deep with her feelings because she didn't wanna scare him off or make him uncomfortable. When he finally asked her out to a casual dinner , she was excited. Butterflies swarming her tummy at full speed— she feels like her patience is paying off.

Maybe this will blossom into something; the one thing she had hoped for with him.

"How's Miss Seora doing?" 

"She's good. Still getting good grades and playing basketball. She's hanging out with her Uncle Seonghwa right now." Ara smiles.

"That's cute. It's really sweet how you guys are close."

"Yeah, he's helped me alot with Seora. She loves having her uncles around. Gives her something new to deal with besides her own father." She laughs.

"I'm sure that girl loves and appreciates you more than anything, Yunho. You're a great dad."

"I try to be." He shrugs. "Although, she used to hate when I tried to do her hair and dress her up. She said I mixed and matched clothes way too much and her ponytails were always lopsided."

"You did your best." Ara laughs a little louder. "Doing hair and dressing up a baby girl is not for the faint of heart."

"Truly isn't." He laughs, while Ara points at his pinky nail. 

"I see she painted your nails?" Yunho briefly looks down at his two pinkies, painted with black nail polish. 

"Sure did. She kept it minimal, though. For work, she says. Just a lil touch." Ara giggles.

"You two are cute."

"Mm, we try to be." Yunho jokes. The conversation continues on as Yunho drives the last 10 minutes to the ramen shop, finding parking right around the corner despite the busy streets and the long line that's forming right outside of the restaurant. He helps Ara out of the car before locking it up, walking alongside of her until it gets too tight to do so. He guides her by the small of her back, pushing her towards the front of the restaurant where the host is. As guessed, they arrive right when their table is ready, the host immediately showing them to their table in the back corner.

She settles into the chair across from him before thanking the host and taking the menu from her hands. They instantly skim their options, with Yunho already deciding on what he wants. He marks it off on the sheet, along with any modifications he wants [extra spicy, extra green onions], while Ara does the same. When they're ready to submit their orders, Yunho calls over the server, handing them their order papers before clasping his hands together—elbow resting on the table as he looks over at her. She's trying her hardest not to blush while sipping on her water, eyes avoiding eye contact cause Yunho makes her feel a certain way.

He just doesn't know if he can reciprocate the feeling. 

Truthfully, if he's being all the way honest— he went into this thinking it'd be chill. Harmless in a sense. Putting himself out there since he didn't have much to lose. He knew Ara's had feelings; even if she never said it out loud, it's pretty obvious. And not to say she isn't a great girl, no. She's great. She's been a good friend to Yunho, and she's incredibly sweet. He couldn't really tell you why he didn't see her in that light, though. Perhaps, he still wasn't ready for a relationship. Or, maybe he was and he already had a feeling that she wouldn't be the right one.

Maybe he's being too critical.

But all he knows, is that in this moment, Ara is giving him heart eyes and she's blushing over everything he does. It makes him feel good, but the other half of him feels bad because when he looks at her, he just sees a friend. Good company.

The night is still early.

Yunho is trying to remind himself.

When the food arrives, they get to eating right away. In between, Yunho dives a little deeper into his dynamic with Seora, touching up on the fact that he doesn't really get a long with his parents but will bear with them solely because of her. Even though they don't do much for their granddaughter, she still wonders about them and how they're doing. She always talks about seeing them soon even though Yunho can never promise that she will. He doesn't talk about Eunha, though. Kinda leaves the conversation at that. He feels like he needs to build a better connection with someone in order to open up about that part of his past. Not only is it too painful, but it's a subject that makes Yunho incredibly vulnerable.

The good thing with Ara is that she doesn't budge nor does she push. She ends up talking a lot about her childhood and growing up with her parents in exchange. She has lived a pretty good life; her parents supporting both her and her sister throughout all their endeavors. Her sister works abroad in the fashion industry, while Ara decided to take the healthcare route. Her parents were supportive nonetheless, pushing them to strive for their dreams and supporting them through every opportunity that came their way. Yunho thinks it's nice that they have that sort of relationship— it speaks volumes to the way Ara carries herself and how sweet she is. She makes a great nurse, a great daughter and sister; and it almost makes her a little too perfect.

Which, isn't bad.

But, also isn't great for Yunho. Because all he is made of is flaws and all; he's got a lot of things he lacks in, he feels. He hasn't been in a serious relationship since Eunha passed and he isn't even sure he knows what the word love is anymore. What it's like to love and be loved. He doesn't focus on himself a majority of the time because that time and attention goes to this daughter. He wouldn't have it any other way, let's get that straight.

However, it's clear Ara has this 'perfect' image of him in her head when he is far from that. He is merely getting by; things hurt the fuck outta him and he stresses over every little thing. He gets overwhelmed easily, anxious, can barely let go of the past trauma.

He doesn't wanna disappoint her. Anyone, as a matter of fact.

The conversation continues until they've both slurped up the last bits of their ramen, and Yunho genuinely enjoyed it once they've stopped talking so deeply. Conversations come easy with Ara and he does like that. He doesn't have to try too hard to think about what to talk about next or how to carry the conversation. Brief pauses in between don't feel awkward.

It's nice.

After dinner, he pays for their meal and turns down Ara's efforts to pay for her half. They joke and tease on the way back to the car, with Yunho turning up the music a tad bit louder this time around so it helps fill the empty space in the car. He feels himself getting a little exhausted, but when Ara looks at him with those eyes and asks if he wants to come up for a bit, he finds himself confused; he should be saying no, but he ends up with:

"Sure." Yunho gives her a tiny, toothless smile as she leads the way back up to her loft. Yunho feels bad for even thinking about going back on his decision because it feels pretty intimate to be coming into someone's space after dinner. He doesn't wanna be rude, though. And, he did enjoy their talk over dinner.

So, he continues despite the inner turmoil that's starting to form.

Back upstairs, Ara kicks off her shoes first before Yunho does. He stands awkwardly near the door while she sets her things down, following her into the living room area once she starts padding over. He plops onto the couch and settles into it; leaning back to rest, arm positioned on the back edge of the couch. Ara gives him a glass of water before sitting down next to him, and Yunho feels himself tense up a bit when he feels her leg brush against his. She's got some kind of psychological thriller show on, and Yunho's trying his best to get invested as it continues to play. Ara gives him a little bit more context to the show, describing it with such big eyes and an excited tone that Yunho finds it pretty cute. 

Then, at some point, she has somehow shifted in her position and is now sitting right against him. He still has his arm on the back of the couch, and she has slotted herself in that opening— sitting criss-crossed as she continues to watch her show. He feels her warmth against his, and he's not sure how to act.

She probably feels how stiff and rigid he is.

"You okay?" She asks and he gives her a smile.

"Yeah, why?"

"I dunno. You got quiet."

"I'm trying to keep up with your show." She laughs.

"It's a lot." 

"All good. It's interesting." He looks down at her. She doesn't say anything, but her eyes are glazing over his features. He watches as she scans his face, down to his lips, and he feels himself swallow thickly because he knows where this is going. She's the first to pull up— suddenly pressing her lips against his in that brief moment they shared and Yunho indulges in it. They hold the kiss there for a second longer before Yunho [mistakenly] deepens the kiss and pulls her onto his lap. The kiss heightens quickly, the show in the background long forgotten. He lets out a shaky exhale in between kisses, with Ara gently pressing herself down against him. She takes Yunho's hand and guides it up her stomach, to her chest— landing on her breast. His eyes widen a bit, the shock causing him to slightly pull back from the kiss to try and read her. She nods though, subtly biting her lip as she leans forward to kiss him again; a soft moan releasing from her lips when he squeezes the flesh in the palm of his hand while she starts to pepper kisses along his jaw, neck.

And as much as he can easily fall into this, say fuck it and just go with it— that's not who he is.

"Wait." Yunho pries his lips off of hers, his hand retracting from her body. "Wait." He repeats.

"What's wrong?" She asks, eyes still full of desire, lust. He can see the way she looks at him and it's even more of a reason to push off. Reality hits tough, and Yunho thinks this is a prime example of when it's both a blessing and a curse.

"Ara, I'm sorry. I'm—" He looks at her with his big, brown, sad eyes. Because it's not her at all, it's him. He's just not into this and he doesn't really know how else to tell her. "I can't." She sinks into her seat and Yunho feels so, so bad. "I don't wanna do that to you." He sighs and scoots back a bit. "You're great, you really are. But, you deserve someone who is sure of you. I'm sorry I can't be that person. I just— I just think we're good as friends." He sighs. "I'm sorry if I had lead you on or gave you any mixed signals, that wasn't my intention." He says softly, and Ara can't even be livid at him because of how genuinely sweet and apologetic he's being. "I shouldn't have come up here—"

"Yunho, it's okay." She says with a forced, reassuring smile, hopping off his lap because damn, this is awkward. Not only does the rejection hit her hard, but she must look desperate and way too needy for him now. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to move so quickly, I thought—"

"You don't have to apologize." Yunho stands and gathers himself. "You didn't do anything wrong. It's just.."

"We're better off as friends." She finishes the statement and he can't help but shrug. He doesn't know how to explain it, but he doesn't want her to think she did anything wrong.

She didn't.

"I hope you believe me when I say it isn't you. You are amazing and anyone would be lucky to have you. I—I haven't done this in a long time and quite frankly, I don't think I'm ready."

"Or maybe, it's just not me you want. And that's okay, Yunho. You're probably right— maybe we are just better off as friends."

"I'm sorry." He says weakly. "I really hope I didn't mess this up because I'd still like for us to be the same as we were before."

"No, of course not." She says even though it's obvious she's got tears welling in her eyes and she's hurt. Yunho feels his heart drop, but at the same time, he knew he had to stop it before it could get too deep—

Before he could make a terrible mistake; do the unthinkable to someone he cared about as a friend first and foremost.

"Ara."

"I promise it's all okay." She nods. "I agree with you, and we shouldn't force this if it's not meant to happen." She gives him another forced smile.

"I'll head out and give you some space. I'm sorry." Is all he can respond with. He walks over to her door and slips back into his shoes before looking back at her. She purses her lips and doesn't say much, and it makes Yunho feel like he's already ruined this.

Damn, Yunho.

"I'll see you on Monday, yeah?" She nods quietly again while opening the door for him.

"Thanks again for dinner. It was great. I can send you my half—"

"No, no need. Dinner was on me, remember? It's totally fine." He gives her a tiny, toothless smile. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight." She answers, allowing him to walk further down the hall before shutting the door and getting back to her own peace. She's hurt, not gonna lie. She truly felt like there was hope, especially with the texts exchanged and the way he was good to her tonight. But, looking back at it, it could have been her fault for completely assuming and jumping the gun— it was Yunho just being Yunho.

Oh well.

Maybe things will be better in the future, and the timing would align. She understands he has different priorities right now, and that's okay. Who is she to determine that for him?

Yunho gets back into his car and lets out a hefty sigh, sitting there for a second before grumbling a low 'fuck' to himself. He feels really bad and he knew he should've dropped her off and left it at that.

But, no. 

He had to go and be stupid about it.

At least he can say he tried, right? That should count for something.

"Wanna put up another movie? Your dad's date—" Seonghwa pauses and looks at Seora as she furrows her brows at him. They had put on a movie after Seora freshened up for the evening. She didn't have too much homework, so she finished up the last bits with the first movie on before they had indulged in dinner. Now, her and her Uncle Hwa were eating ice cream, looking at more movie options to throw on until her father would get home. "Your dad's team dinner should be done by now."

"Date?"

"I didn't say that."

"Uncle Hwa." 

"What?" Seora gives him one last look before pinching him on the bicep, causing him to let out a yelp. "Swear! I don't know where you heard that from." He cocks a brow up playfully. "It's a team dinner."

"Oooookay." She playfully cuts her eyes at him before going through the movie options. "You can just say so."

"Ou, look." Seonghwa diverts her attention to the TV and points at a movie to put on. "Let's watch Rogue One, I haven't seen that one in a minute."

"Or, we can watch Degrassi or—"

"You definitely don't need to poison your brain watching that mess."

"You sound more like my dad than my dad." Seonghwa scoffs as he takes the remote and puts on Rogue One.

"You need to watch more educational things. Like Rogue One. Stepping into your powers and using them for good."

"They're a group of rebels, Uncle Hwa."

"A group of rebels preventing mass destruction!" Seora sighs as she sits back and finishes the rest of her ice cream, knowing her uncle is very much into Star Wars and lets him have it. It's quiet for a moment before she pops in again, asking about his plans for tonight.

"Have you decided?"

"On what? How I'd use my powers for good?" His eyes are trained on the tv.

"No, silly. If you're meeting Yoori." He looks at her before returning his attention back to the TV.

"Why does it matter if I do or not?"

"Uncle Hwa, you can do whatever you want. Just don't mess up because you're too afraid to admit your feelings."

"Hey!" He looks at her with a brow cocked up. "How do you even know about things like that?"

"I'm about to be 12."

"Yeah, you were born yesterday." She playfully rolls her eyes and scoffs. "You shouldn't be knowing things like that."

"Please. I am right, aren't I?"

"I don't know if I'm going to go yet because I have work tomorrow."

"I hear excuses." He gasps.

"Jeong Seora—"

"Yo!" Yunho walks in right at that moment, causing Seora to shift her attention to the door; tormenting her uncle now a long lost thought in her head.

 "Dad!" Seora squeals and runs over to her dad, koala'ing him and causing him to laugh when she hangs onto him like tomorrow will never come. "You're home!"

"I am." 

"How was your team dinner?" Seonghwa looks at him, wiggling his eyebrows while Seora is still preoccupied with grabbing her dad's attention.

"Date, you mean."

"What?" Yunho looks down at her.

"Uh, Uncle Hwa said you went out on a date." Yunho knits his brows at Seonghwa and all he can do is shrug.

"No, I never said that." Hwa cuts in to lie again. "I said team dinner. Anything else you heard was created by your own mind." Yunho glares at him.

"Did you?" Seora looks up at her dad, chin pressed against his chest while she keeps her arms around him.

"It was just a team dinner, is all."

"Sure." Seora sarcastically says before unwrapping herself from him and walking off to the bathroom. "It's fine or whatever, you know!" She shuts the bathroom door.

"See you've managed to talk to Seora about a lot."

"Sorry, it kinda slipped out." Seonghwa chuckles and Yunho mocks him. "Besides, she was just grilling me about Yoori."

"How did that happen?"

"Yoori texted me earlier asking if I wanted to come over while ace was putting in her order. She was scolding me right before you walked in. That girl is way ahead of her time."

"Been knew that." Yunho chuckles.

"How'd it go? Did you and Ara do anything?"

"Anything as in dinner, yes?" Yunho is confused, even though he knows exactly what Seonghwa is picking at.

"Okay.. and?" Yunho sighs and shakes his head.

"Kissed her but didn't go very far." He mumbles lowly.

"Why not?"

"I just wasn't feeling it, honest to god. I didn't wanna do that to her." At this point, Seora swings the door back open, causing both Seonghwa and Yunho to turn their attention down the hall before looking at each other. 

"We'll talk about this later." Hwa chuckles a bit. "Should've gone all the way." He says barely above a whisper.

"No." Yunho almost scoffs while he grabs his things and prepares to head out. "Get out." Unbelievable.

"On my way, boss." Seonghwa laughs. "Let me go say bye to ace." He walks down the hallway, giving Seora another big, tight hug before heading out. Yunho gives him one last final goodbye before shutting the door and locking up for the night, heading in to catch up with Seora and hang out with her before the night ends.

"So, really dad. How did your team dinner go?" She smirks as she comes back outside and plops on the couch. Yunho chuckles a bit before shrugging.

"The usual. It was.. good bonding time."

"Hm." She hums. "That's good. What did you guys get to eat?"

"Ramen."

"A fine choice for this cold evening." He laughs.

"Wanna continue a few episodes before we call it a night? I'm just gonna change."

"Sure. Do you want me to grab you a bowl of ice cream? I made Uncle Hwa buy me some strawberry ice cream after picking up our burgers. Ice cream is the best when it's cold out."

"That sounds good, ace. Thank you." She smiles while getting up to grab a bowl of ice cream for her dad, excited to finally spend the rest of the evening with him all to herself.

"Dad! My friends are waiting." She pouts a bit, staring at her father as she stands near the passenger door, watching as he slips into his shoes.

"Seora, I promise you I'm coming." Yunho pats his jeans down before doing one final check around the house to make sure everything has been shut off post-breakfast. Meanwhile, you've parked your car near your parents' front gate, grabbing your bag from the front seat before looking at the house and letting out a sigh. You'd give your parents some time today, accompanying them to buy groceries and while running other errands. You knew it'd be a long day, but you did owe it to them.

You needed to do better, you reminded yourself.

Just as you're about to make your way towards the gate, a familiar face comes popping out of the next door house— causing you to pause in your motions and furrow your brows in pure, utter confusion.

Yunho?

"Hi?" You look at Yunho [clearly confused] as he hurries along to the driver's seat. He does a quick double take before pausing briefly, also giving you the same look you gave him a few seconds ago.

"Hey?" He says. "You're—"

"Yeah. My parents."

"Dad, please—" Seora swings the door open. "Oh my god— we're gonna be so late." He lets out a small sigh as he checks the time and realizes they won't be late— his daughter is just eager to get to her friends per usual.

"Seora." He calls her name once more. "You're not gonna be late, okay? Relax." He turns to you with a small smile. "Sorry. Gotta run. I'll talk to you later? Say hi to your parents for me." You give him a small nod before he slips in. You watch him talk to his daughter while slipping on his seatbelt, wasting no time to pull away and drive off shortly afterwards.

"Hey you!" Your mom says, coming down to unlatch the gate.

"Hey. Yunho is your neighbor?" Your eyes are still on the road.

"Yeah, you've met him before at work? I didn't think you two ever crossed paths at the hospitals."

"We don't, but we're working on a big project together now." Your mom smiles from ear to ear.

"He's a good man. Seora, she's growing up to be such a lovely young lady. They're sweet. Such peaceful neighbors. Cutest duo I know." She drags you inside. "Go say hi to your dad, he's in the sunroom watering his plants. Tell him we should eat so we can go." She starts prepping the servings. "Where's Wonwoo?"

"Busy." Your mom gives you a look. "But, we're coming back next weekend. He just made plans already and can't flake."

"I'm sure his friends would've understood if he told them he was visiting his parents."

"Mom. We're coming back next weekend, okay? Please let him be" Your mom gives you a look before setting the food down for a late breakfast while you greet your dad and give him a big hug. 

"So, sounds like you met Yunho?" Your dad asks as you both walk back inside to finally before heading out to run errands.

"I did. Well, during a work meeting. Then, I just ran into him not too long ago. Looks like him and his daughter were in a rush to leave somewhere."

"He's taking her and her friends out shopping." 

"And how do you know that, Miss Ma'am?" You look at your mom while she places a bowl of rice down in front of you.

"I pop in to check on them from time to time. I dropped off some of this food earlier so they could eat it later."

"Do you always bring them food?"

"Most of the time."

"Your mom cooks with them in mind." Your dad adds.

"Oh, hush. I feel bad for the two sometimes. Yunho's been doing it all by himself." Your mom clicks her teeth, mainly out of guilt and worry. The three of you continue to eat away at the food your mom prepared, getting some fuel in to save money on food. "His wife passed away when Seora was just 4 years old."

"Honey." Your dad says. "Can you not tell his whole life story?"

"Why not? I wanna know."

"Then ask him." Your dad says, suddenly getting protective of Yunho. "I know you feel bad, but you should let him tell his story if he wants to."

"Your dad is such a grump."

"Okay, no. He's kinda right." You agree before getting way too ahead of yourself. It is a sensitive subject, and it shouldn't be told by anyone else other than Yunho himself.

"He's a really good guy, though. You should get to know him. Wonwoo, too. Maybe you two will learn a bit more about discipline and spending time with your loved ones before it's too late." You roll your eyes even though there is truth to the statement. 

"Anyway, enough about that. Where are we going today?"

"Well, we have a bunch of groceries to grab. I also need to stop by the pharmacy to pick up my medicine."

"We need to stop by the furniture store too. We've been planning to replace the couch in the living room because of the wear and tear. I think it's time." Your dad reminds your mom.

"Do you guys know what couch you want already or are we gonna shop there?"

"Gonna shop there."

"I do need to find a new shelf for my room."

"See, spending time with your parents can be beneficial."

"Dad, can you please tell her to stop?"

"Honey. She's here, okay? Your son is coming next weekend. All is well."

you: she's doing it again

wonwoo: sorry dude 😖  i'll be there next weekend to take it all

wonwoo: where are you guys going?

you: groceries, pharmacy, furniture shopping

wonwoo: actually sounds kinda fun

you: yeah? then why aren't you here, dumbo

wonwoo: i'm currently in a cabin near the south end 😎 living in peace

you: bye

While you've managed to peacefully eat the rest of your meal with your parents before heading out, Yunho and Mingi are walking around the department store while the girls go from floor to floor, section to section. They managed to snag some coffee before heading in, Yunho already exhausted from picking up Seora's friends to fighting over parking in the already-full mall garage. He's glad he finally gets a moment to chill out for a second, despite the girls squealing and being loud about how cute certain clothes or items are. He's already bought some of her stationary needs, along with a new color-way of Nike dunks she had been eyeing since release.

His wallet will be crying even more in due time, but it's all worth it if Seora goes home happy and content.

"Seora." She turns to look at her dad. "Not too far, okay?"

"Okay, we're just going over there to the juniors section!" Yunho and Mingi watch them speed off to the other corner before browsing the mens section nearby, Mingi already eyeing a jacket near the front racks.

"So."

"Just ask, Mingi." Yunho spits, making Mingi laugh.

"I see your date with Ara didn't go too well?"

"It wasn't even a date. I just went out to dinner with her and it was fine. We had a good time then, it was what happened after that didn't go well."

"Okay, so? What happened after?" Mingi sips his iced americano while the two of them continue to walk around the store, keeping the girls in eye view ahead. 

"We went back to her place, she invited me in." Yunho shrugs. "We were watching stuff on her TV and things kinda escalated. Started kissing her then she tried pushing it further."

"And you said no?"

"Mingi." Yunho looks at him. "You know I'm not like that. Even if I wanted to, I couldn't do it to her. I just can't if I'm not emotionally tied to someone." Mingi nods.

"Nah, that's fair. And probably the right thing to do."

"Probably? It is the right thing to do."

"Right." Mingi responds, a bit distracted by the fine women passing by as they continue to walk around the store. "No, you're right. Sorry." He brings his attention back to his bestfriend. "Assuming Seora didn't know you went out with a lady friend?"

"I don't know, Hwa might've let it slip and I think she believed it but doesn't wanna ask. Or maybe, she doesn't even care." Yunho chuckles.

"I think she'd be fine with you going out on dates, you know? Maybe you don't have to lie to her about it. At some point, she'll need to know especially if you get serious with someone again."

"I'll open up to her about it when I get there. I'm in no rush, though."

"Fair."

"Randomly speaking, I finally saw one of Auntie Love and Uncle Po's kids today."

"Oh, really?"

"She works with me at the hospital. She's at the pediatric unit, though."

"Is she hot?" Yunho clicks his teeth and looks at him.

"Do you ever think about anything else?"

"I'm genuinely asking." Mingi smiles.

"She's pretty."

"What's her name?"

"No."

"Why won't you tell me?"

"Because you don't even know her."

"You want her for yourself, huh?" Yunho just pauses to look at his bestfriend, causing Mingi to smirk while continuing to project. "Selfish son of a bitch."

"I'll deck you—"

"Dad." Yunho and Mingi turn their attention to Seora and her friends, who each have a few clothing items hanging on their arms. "We're gonna go try these on." She points to the dressing room in the far corner behind the juniors section.

"Okay. Uncle Mingi and I will head over in a bit." He subtly elbows Mingi near the rib, causing him to let out a small 'ow.'

"Good, cause I wanna show you how it looks so hurry." She says, turning on her heel to rush over to the dressing room with her friends without batting an eye at her dad and uncle's antics. 

"The fuck was that for? Seriously, do you have your eyes on Auntie Love and Uncle Po's daughter?" Yunho glares at Mingi again as they slowly head over to the dressing room.

"I don't know, okay? I barely know her." Yunho sips on his coffee. "We're gonna be working together quite a bit from now on though because of that new department."

"Interesting."

"Interesting?" Mingi gives him a look. "Why are you giving me that look? It was both you and Hwa who told me to put myself out there."

"Yeah, I'm very aware. And that's great! I just wanted to know if she was cute or not." Mingi laughs. "So, what's her name?" He asks again, making Yunho rolls his eyes and let out a sigh.

"Y/N."

"Pretty."

"That's all I'm telling you."

"Mhhhm." Mingi hums and laughs. "Hope it works out."

"Whatever happens, happens."

"Speaking of things happening— are you and Ara still friends?"

"I think so. We didn't end the night entirely on a bad note. At least, I don't think so. I felt bad and kept apologizing, but she said she understood and it was fine."

"You know it's never just that."

"Well, I'm aware I hurt her to an extent. I'm not gonna lie and try to brush that off."

"You think she'll talk to you if you run into her on Monday?"

"Maybe. I hope so. I really do want us to keep being friends."

"Of course." 

"And who knows, maybe now just isn't the right time. It could work out later."

"Yeah, maybe. But also, if I can be frank, you really don't seem all that into her. I feel like that dinner would've gone way differently if you were set on her." Yunho shrugs.

"It's not her fault. She didn't do anything wrong."

"I mean, it's fine. You probably can already tell you aren't compatible, plus I know you're thinking about how Seora would get along with her, too."

"Mmyeah. I think she woud've liked Ara, but I think you're right. I don't think we'd be compatible."

"Isn't it kinda early to say that, though?"

"Dunno. You tell me. I'm just going off of my gut feeling. I can't force myself to feel a certain way."

"Touché." Mingi sighs. "It's alright, my guy. We still have time. You'll find someone. Maybe it's Y/N."

"Shut up." Mingi laughs before sipping on his coffee, distractedly heading back to the menswear to grab the jacket he had been eyeing this entire time. While he tries it on and pays for his item, Yunho sits near the dressing room while scrolling through his phone. He finds your Instagram page being recommended to him, which he finds to be somewhat uncanny now that he's been talking about you and running into you [despite being assigned to the same project at work]. He can't help but be nosey, clicking onto your page to scroll through your pictures. 

You are pretty.

"Dad." Yunho shifts his attention from his phone to Seora, who is standing in front of him in beige cargo pants and an oversized baseball jacket that looks just like the one he's wearing at the moment. "What do you think about the jacket and pants?" Yunho smiles and nods.

"That looks good, ace."

"I really like that jacket of yours." She points and he nods.

"Why didn't you tell me? I would've bought one for you at the time." She shrugs.

"I didn't think too much about it before. Now I want it." He laughs.

"It looks good."

"Okay, I'm gonna try on this one other shirt and sweater and I think I'll be good. Can I buy them?" 

"If you promise me you'll wear it more than once." 

"I promise!"

"Swear? I better not find it in your donation pile in the next few weeks."

"Dad, I pinky promise. For real."

"Okay then." 

"Yay!" She turns her attention to her friends who are also coming out to show each other what they've been trying on. "Oh my god, that's so cute—" She says, heading back into the fitting room and leaving Yunho alone to your instagram page. He continues scrolling through slowly, peeking at your pics from your travels.

You and your friends that he recognizes from the hospital.

Your selfies where the natural light hits you perfectly.

Your candid photos where your smile is genuine and contagious.

You and your brother, your parents that he and Seora adore.

You really are pretty, and there's something about you that is enticing. Intriguing. A 'lil magnetic and alluring. 

Maybe it wouldn't be a bad thing to work alongside of you on this project.

⇢taglist: @asjkdk @interweab @woojirang @svintsandghosts @cheolliehugs @persphonesorchid @mxnsxngie @jycas @cowboydk @nopension @curse-of-art @thechaotictheoryy @likexaxdaydream @dalsuwaha @enha-stars @yasuraokaa @professormingisglasses @yunyunrin @pommelex @astral-trashcan @laura1399 @domfikeluva @tournesol155 @hwaskookies @yusalterego @hwa-stars @hyukssunflower @chngbnwf @jaytheatiny @lucid-galaxys-world @chaotic-floral @sofkloster

[thepixelelf]

neurosurgeon wonwoo x reader x neurologist jihoon warnings: hospital stuff in general. an unnamed child patient in a life-or-death situation. I know how hospitals work even less than I know how frats work. wc: 914

love triangle au requests

[the quiet ones] "He's frozen," you tell Jihoon, eyes set on the operating table and the man at the head of it.

Jihoon lifts his eyes from the monitors to peer through the observation window. Wonwoo isn't exactly frozen like you said, but Jihoon can see the hesitation laced in his fingers. "He can't be."

"He doesn't work on children anymore. Hasn't since..."

When you trail off, an eyebrow rises behind Jihoon's hair. "He told you that?"

"He didn't mean to," you say with a sideways glance. Jihoon can tell he's not supposed to know this about the head surgeon in the operating room, but clearly, the situation is dire. "The assistants in there don't know the procedure like we do, Jihoon."

You both watch Wonwoo as he pauses again. His assistants all look up at him for direction, but he says nothing.

"I have to go in."

Jihoon stops himself from shaking his head. "Spark, you just clocked out after your ninth hour. Plus, you were the one who told me Wonwoo could do this. "

"He can, just--" You clench your fist and stop yourself from arguing. Now is not the time. "Let me take over."

Jihoon looks at Wonwoo again. You must be a prophet -- now, Wonwoo is truly frozen.

"Go," Jihoon orders.

You don't look back.

=

Wonwoo thought he was the only one who knew the emergency alarm connected to the escape stairs was broken. Evidently not, when the sound of the crash-bar doors swinging shut echoes off the concrete stairs. Even though Wonwoo can't see it from his position on the cold floor -- his knees halfway bent to his chest and his head ducked behind his arms -- he hears someone sit down next to him.

"Shouldn't you be overseeing someone?" Wonwoo mumbles.

Jihoon doesn't say anything for a few seconds. Then, he sighs. "Not sure if you've been keeping track, but it's been two hours. Spark is taking a well-deserved nap." His knee bounces in a rapid rhythm. "At least, they'd better be."

Lifting his head, Wonwoo looks at the way Jihoon glares down the stairway. His concern for you reads on his face like irritation, an expression he's seen on Jihoon more and more as of late.

He calls you Spark, and he's called you that for as long as Wonwoo's known either of you. It piqued his curiosity when he first heard it, but he's yet to find out what it means. He's never felt close enough to ask.

Stretching his legs out, Jihoon clears his throat. "The operation was a success -- not that you asked."

"No thanks to me, either," Wonwoo mutters bitterly, dropping his head again. That little girl's smile as Jihoon had walked her through the procedure yesterday shines on the inner sides of his eyelids. "I could've killed her."

"You didn't."

"Only because you replaced me with a real surgeon."

"Jeon." Jihoon's voice beckons Wonwoo to look up at him. "You're confusing real with perfect. There's no perfect surgeon, as much as people pressure you to be one. Real surgeons get tired. Real surgeons have problems. Real surgeons freeze."

Wonwoo curls his lips between his teeth. If he didn't, he wouldn't be able to stop them from shaking. He takes a breath. "They didn't."

You finished the operation Wonwoo couldn't even start.

"Sure, just keep convincing yourself that you're the world's worst fuckup. Keep telling yourself that every other doctor here is perfect and this one mistake makes you inferior. Keep thinking all of us are real while you just -- hell -- faked your way through medical school and six years of surgeries that went just fine. Yeah, that makes sense." Jihoon runs a hand through his cropped black hair. He meets Wonwoo's eyes. "Sounds stupid when I say it out loud, right? I'm not gonna bother pulling you out if you just keep digging yourself deeper."

Wonwoo shakes his head, even though he doesn't know what he's saying no to.

Jihoon lets out another sigh. "But someone will." His knee starts bouncing again. "Spark believes in you, you know? Didn't stop believing you could do it even after they took over. They were exhausted, but they still told me where to find you."

You would know, wouldn't you. Wonwoo feels the corners of his mouth begin to press into his cheeks.

"They're stubborn like that," Jihoon muses, eyes unfocused down the stairway, an unconscious smile on his face.

Something settles at the bottom of Wonwoo's stomach. His lips press between his teeth again. "You like them, don't you?"

Jihoon jolts back to the present, his brows furrowing at Wonwoo. "And you?"

"Me?"

"Are you gonna tell me you don't feel anything for them?"

Wonwoo blinks. His mouth opens, then closes. "I... guess not."

"Then that's another thing we have in common," Jihoon says, oddly calm after hearing the closest thing Wonwoo's said to a confession since high school. "Spark's always telling me we'd be friends if we tried. Calls us 'the quiet ones'."

Slowly, Wonwoo tilts his chin. "...I don't know what you're saying."

"Me neither." Jihoon gets to his feet, turns to Wonwoo, and holds out his hand. "I guess-- I can't say you're not good enough for Spark if the two things I know about you we have in common."

Wonwoo takes Jihoon's hand. "Two things?"

After Jihoon hoists Wonwoo off his ass, a shy grin spreads across his lips. "Quiet and in love. Welcome to the club."

[emjayewrites]

ghost in the machine • jobe bellingham - part ii

SYNOPSIS: What started off as something casual, Jobe now finds himself developing feelings that he is unable to shake.

PAIRINGS: Jobe Bellingham x Justine Campbell (fc: @/themiaamoore)

WARNINGS: cursing, falling in love type stuff, depictions/mentions of sex, jealous!jobe (18+ only) MINORS DNI

TAGLIST: @judesvirtual, @judesprincess, @yeea-nah, @leilaxaliel, @f1-football-fiend @bbgkoo @irishmanwhore @lettersofgold @deonn-jaelle @sucredreamer @henneseyhoe @judes-hoe @judebellenthusiast @imjustheretomanifest @greedyjudge2 @whoevenisthiz

A/N: Another one for Jobey….this is set in the Football Baes Universe. Read Hey There, Delilah to catch up. Please let me know if you wish to be added/removed from the taglist. Gif by @jobesbabe

The buzzer rang three times before Justine made it to her intercom. "Yeah?"

"It's cold as fuck out here," Jobe's voice crackled through the speaker.

She buzzed him in, hearing his footsteps on the stairs moments later. He appeared at her door with an overnight bag and that smile that always made her stomach flip. Their last night together before he left for England U21 duty tomorrow – two weeks of training and matches in Spain and the Netherlands.

"You know," he said, dropping his bag by her couch, "this would be easier if I had a key."

Justine inwardly groaned. Always pushing, always wanting more, even with him about to leave. "You're here for one night, not moving in."

But she let him pull her close, melting into his kiss despite herself. He felt good – solid, warm, familiar in a way that scared her. Two weeks suddenly felt like forever.

"Missed you," he murmured against her hair.

"It's been three days."

"Long three days. Gonna be a longer two weeks."

They settled into her small living room, Jobe spreading out on her couch like he belonged there. Maybe he did. She tried not to think about how empty it would feel without him.

"Love Island's on tonight," she said, curling into his side.

"Course it is." His thumb traced patterns on her arm. "You'll have to watch without me while I'm gone."

"I'll survive somehow."

But they both knew she'd miss their commentary sessions, their shared jokes about the contestants.

They ordered takeaway – Indian food that Jobe insisted on paying for despite her protests. Watched mindless TV while sharing containers of curry and naan. His spot-on impressions of the Love Island drama made her laugh, storing the sound in her memory for the lonely nights ahead.

"Stay still," she complained when he shifted to grab his phone. She'd been using his chest as a pillow.

"Demanding."

But he was smiling, that soft smile she pretended not to notice. The one that made this feel like more than what it was supposed to be.

Later, after she'd showered, she found him in her kitchen making tea. The domesticity of it hit her hard – Jobe in his joggers, moving around her space like he knew it by heart. Two weeks without this…

"Your kettle's shit," he informed her.

"Works fine for me."

"I'm buying you a new one."

"Jobe…"

"What? Can't have my girl drinking subpar tea while I'm gone."

There it was again. My girl. The casual possession in his voice that should have annoyed her but instead made her feel warm all over.

They took their tea to bed – her small double that would feel too big without him. Jobe propped against her headboard while she graded some year four writing assignments.

"This one's got potential," he said, reading over her shoulder. "Good vocabulary."

"You just like that he wrote about football."

"Smart kid. Maybe I'll scout him when I'm back."

Everything felt so natural. Too natural. The way he'd grab papers about to fall, how he knew exactly how she liked her tea, the casual kisses he'd press to her temple while she worked. Two weeks without this routine they'd somehow fallen into.

This wasn't what she'd signed up for. Wasn't what she'd agreed to when they decided to be exclusive. But watching him scroll through his phone, completely at ease in her bed, she couldn't remember why she was fighting it so hard.

"You're thinking too loud," he said without looking up.

"Just thinking about your matches."

His knowing smile made her heart skip. "I'll call every night."

"You don't have to."

"Want to."

They fell asleep with her papers scattered around them, Love Island playing quietly on her laptop. Jobe's arm around her waist, his breath steady against her neck. She tried not to count the nights until he'd be back.

Morning came too soon. Justine woke to find Jobe already up, making coffee in her kitchen. He'd found the good mugs – the ones she usually saved for special occasions.

"Your coffee's as shit as your kettle," he called out.

"Oi, my coffee's fine."

But he was right – the fancy beans he'd brought made her usual instant taste like dirt. Another thing she'd miss.

"Bus leaves at three," he said over breakfast. "But I could come see you when I'm back? After your placement review?"

And there it was again – plans, future, feelings she wasn't ready to name.

"We'll see."

His eyes held hers for a long moment. "Yeah, we will."

When he left that morning, his goodbye kiss lingered. Like he was trying to say something without words. Something she wasn't ready to hear.

Later, alone in her flat that somehow felt too quiet already, Justine tried to focus on lesson plans. But her mind kept drifting to Jobe – how right he looked in her space, how empty it felt without him.

This isn't what you wanted, she reminded herself. But increasingly, those carefully laid plans felt less important than the way her heart jumped when he called, the way his smile made everything else fade away.

Maybe some plans were meant to be broken. Maybe some risks were worth taking.

But not yet. Not until she was sure. Not until the fear of falling for him was less terrifying than the thought of losing him.

For now, she had a teaching review to focus on, a career to build. Everything else could wait.

Even if waiting felt increasingly impossible.

Her phone buzzed – Jobe, letting her know he'd made it to the training center safe. Her heart did that stupid flip again.

Call you later?

Course. Miss you already x

Yeah. These two weeks were going to be harder than she'd thought.

_______________________________________________

The flowers had been the last straw. A massive bouquet was delivered to her flat after she'd mentioned her stress over her upcoming placement review – it is the kind of gesture that screamed "boyfriend" not "exclusive friends with benefits." That's why Bella was here now, squished beside her in an Uber heading to The Den for Jobe's match against Millwall, ready to be the voice of reason Justine desperately needed.

Jobe's increased calls were one thing. She could handle the late-night conversations that stretched until one of them fell asleep, especially since they didn't see each other due to him playing for England's U21 team in Spain and The Netherlands. But flowers? Next thing she knew, he'd be asking her to come spend Christmas with his family.

"Explain this 'exclusive but not dating' thing again," Bella said, not looking up from her phone. "Because that sounds like dating with extra steps."

"It's just... keeping things simple. No other people involved."

"Right. And the flowers?"

"Which is exactly why you're here." Justine fidgeted with her Sunderland scarf – another gift she probably shouldn't have accepted. "I need backup."

"From what? From catching feelings?"

"Exactly."

The Den was packed, electric with match-day energy. Justine had deliberately chosen to sit near the back of the family section, putting physical distance between her and where Jobe would be playing. The fact that he'd looked genuinely hurt when she declined to stay at his team hotel was exactly why she needed Bella here – her friend would keep her from making emotional decisions.

When Jobe took the pitch for warm-ups, Justine pretended to be fascinated by her phone. Definitely wasn't watching how his kit fit him perfectly, or how his smile lit up when he spotted her in the stands.

"You're not fooling anyone," Bella smirked.

"Shut up."

The match kicked off intensely. Sunderland dominated possession early, but Millwall kept fighting back. Justine found herself tracking Jobe's movements despite her best efforts to maintain disinterest. When he went down after a particularly hard tackle, her heart stopped until he bounced back up.

This is exactly what you're not supposed to do, she scolded herself.

Sunderland's winner came in the 89th minute. Justine jumped up cheering before she could stop herself, earning a knowing look from Bella that made her sink back into her seat.

"Man's fit though," Bella commented as the final whistle blew. "Wouldn't be the worst thing, being Jobe Bellingham's girlfriend."

"That's not what you were saying in the Uber."

"Yeah, well, that was before I saw him in those shorts." Bella waggled her eyebrows. "Speaking of action..."

"Stop it."

Jobe jogged over after team celebrations, still buzzing with post-match energy. His smile when he spotted them made Justine's stomach flip – a reaction she immediately tried to suppress.

"You came," he said, like her presence was some kind of gift she'd given him.

"Course." Justine gestured to her friend, needing a buffer from that look in his eyes. "This is Bella."

"Hey!" Bella's greeting was too enthusiastic, too knowing. "Amazing game!"

"Thanks." But his attention stayed fixed on Justine. "Grab food later?"

Justine opened her mouth to decline – she'd specifically booked a separate hotel room with Bella to avoid exactly this kind of temptation – but her friend jumped in.

"She'd love to!"

The look Justine shot her could have melted steel.

Later, in their hotel room, Bella helped her get ready while defending her betrayal. "You're being ridiculous. The boy clearly likes you."

"That's the problem."

"Why? Because he's nice?"

"Because it wasn't supposed to be like this!" Justine whined. "It was supposed to be simple. Just fun. The flowers, the calls, all of it – it's too much."

"When is anything worth having simple?"

"Don't get philosophical with me while holding mascara." Justine sat up once Bella was done putting the last finishing touches on her face, and studied herself in the mirror. "I have a plan, you know? Graduate, get a proper teaching job, build my career. Boys like Jobe Bellingham don't fit into that plan."

"Plans change."

"Not mine."

Bella sighed, then moved to reapply lipgloss onto Justine's lips. "You're scared."

"I'm practical."

"You're running."

Before Justine could argue, Bella thrust a mini black dress with a slit at her. "Put this on. Let yourself have one nice evening without overthinking it."

The restaurant Jobe chose was quiet and intimate – exactly the kind of place Justine had been trying to avoid. Mood lighting, soft music, tables tucked into private corners. He looked devastating in dark jeans and a fitted shirt, making her mouth go dry.

"Your friend's... enthusiastic," he said after they ordered, amusement dancing in his eyes.

"She's the worst."

His laugh shouldn't have affected her the way it did, shouldn't have made her stomach flip. "I like that you brought her though."

"Yeah?"

"Shows you trust me enough to meet your people."

And there it was – the kind of comment that made everything complicated. Because she did trust him, more than she'd meant to. Trusted him with her body, her time, increasingly with her heart.

Don't, she warned herself. This is exactly what you were trying to avoid. Keep it casual. Keep it simple.

But watching him talk about the match, animated and gorgeous in the low light, it was hard to remember why she was fighting so hard against this. Why she was pretending the flowers hadn't made her day better, or that she didn't look forward to his late-night calls. Why she kept telling herself this was temporary when every action, every gesture, every soft look he gave her suggested otherwise.

The food was excellent, but Justine barely tasted it. She was too aware of Jobe – how his knee brushed hers under the table, how his fingers lingered when he passed her the wine list, how his eyes kept finding hers like she was magnetic north and he couldn't help but be drawn to her.

"Tell me more about your placement," he said, genuinely interested in her life in a way that made her heart ache. "The kids still giving you trouble?"

"Nothing I can't handle." She smiled, remembering her year fours' antics.

"You're gonna ace that review, Jus."

Their laughter mixed with the soft music, creating a bubble that felt dangerously like belonging. When the waiter brought dessert – a chocolate soufflé they agreed to share – Jobe fed her the first bite, his eyes darkening at her satisfied hum.

"Good?"

"Mm." She licked chocolate from her lip, noting how his gaze tracked the movement.

Later, walking back to her hotel, his hand warm in hers, Justine couldn't quite silence the voice warning her about falling too deep. This wasn't part of the plan. Wasn't what she'd signed up for when they agreed to be exclusive fuck buddies.

"You could come up next weekend," he said casually. "After your placement review."

"We'll see," she said noncommittally, but her heart raced at the thought.

His goodnight kiss was soft, almost reverent. Another voice whispered that maybe plans were meant to be broken, that sometimes the best things in life were the unplanned ones.

She shut that voice down immediately. She had coursework to focus on, a teaching career to build, a life to create. The last thing she needed was to complicate everything by catching feelings for Jobe Bellingham.

_______________________________________________

Something was off about Justine this week. She'd shown up Friday night claiming she needed a break from Leeds, from thinking about her upcoming placement review. Not that Jobe was complaining – having her in his flat, wearing his clothes, making coffee in his kitchen, felt right.

But there was a distance to her, even when she was right next to him. Like she was physically present but mentally somewhere else.

The Stadium of Light hummed with pre-match energy. Sunderland versus West Brom had the stands packed, and Jobe scanned the family section during warm-ups. His parents were there, along with Jude and Lila who'd made the trip up. But no Justine.

He caught Jude's eye, mouthed: Where is she?

His brother pointed to a different section entirely. Jobe frowned. He'd specifically arranged for her to sit with his family – why would she buy a separate ticket?

The match itself was a blur of action, ending in a convincing 3-0 win for Sunderland. But Jobe's mind kept drifting to Justine's self-imposed distance, to the way she'd been pulling back lately.

The next few days would be chaos. Jude was preparing for the game against Liverpool tomorrow. Family time would be intense – dinners, catch-ups, the usual Bellingham madness. Perfect opportunity to integrate Justine more, let his family know her better. If she'd let him.

After the match, he found her waiting in their usual spot. She smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"Good game," she said, just as his family approached. "I should let you catch up," Justine started, but his mum wasn't having it.

"Nonsense! You're joining us for dinner."

At the restaurant, conversation flowed easily enough. Jude and Lila shared stories about Madrid, his parents talked about the upcoming Liverpool match. Then his dad dropped the bomb.

"So Justine, excited for tomorrow's game?"

She froze mid-bite. "What?"

"Liverpool," his dad continued cheerfully. "Jobe said you'd be coming with us."

Justine's eyes found his. "Did he now?"

"If you want," Jobe said carefully, noting the tension in her shoulders.

The drive back to his flat was silent. As soon as the door closed behind them, Justine rounded on him.

"Were you planning to tell me about Liverpool?" Her voice was controlled, but her eyes flashed dangerously.

"I'm telling you now."

"That's not the point, Jobe!" She paced his living room, agitation evident in every movement. "You can't just... make plans for me. Decide things without asking."

"Why not? We've been hanging out loads anyway. You're here most weekends—"

"Because we're just fucking!" The words exploded from her, filling the space between them. "This isn't – we're not –"

"Aren't we?" He stepped closer, frustration making his accent thicker. "Would it be so bad if we were? If this was actually something?"

"We're both busy as fuck—"

"So are Jude and Lila. They make it work."

"Lila has money!" Justine threw up her hands, her Jamaican accent becoming more pronounced. "She can hop on a plane whenever she wants, visit Jude between matches. I can't."

"I'll pay—"

"No." She cut him off firmly, taking a step back. "I'll go tomorrow. For your parents, not you. But after that... we need time apart. Think things through without sex clouding everything." She turned toward the guest room, shoulders tense. "I'm sleeping in here tonight."

"Justine." Her name came out rough, angry. She was invalidating everything – his growing feelings, their potential, all of it.

But she closed the door without looking back.

Jobe stared at the wooden barrier between them, knowing better than to follow. Justine was bullheaded – shit, just like him. Better to let her sleep it off, even if every instinct screamed to go after her.

Tomorrow would be interesting, to say the least.

The next morning, his mum caught him before they left for the Liverpool match. She'd noticed the tension between them at breakfast, how Justine had kept her distance.

"Give her space," his mother advised, straightening his collar like she had when he was small. "Girls like Justine... they need to come to things in their own time."

"What if she doesn't?"

His mum's smile was knowing. "She will. Some things are worth waiting for."

The match itself was insane – Liverpool versus Real Madrid always brought out the fans. Justine sat with his family this time, but the careful space she maintained between them felt like miles.

Watching her laugh at something Lila said, relaxed despite everything, Jobe realized his mum might be right. Maybe some things need time. Maybe pushing would only make Justine run faster.

Still hurt though, watching her build walls he'd thought they'd moved past.

Just fucking, her words echoed in his head. As if that's all this was. As if the late-night calls, the shared meals, the way she fit into his life, meant nothing.

But his mum's words came back too. Some things are worth waiting for.

TO BE CONTINUED....

My apologies for this short chapter; didn't want to make it too long and had to split it up.

[vladdyissues]

saw your hc about how long itd take for Vlad and Danny to openly date. a detail occurred to me: how do you headcanon them explaining anything? besides the age gap, their biggest commonality has to do with both of them being half-ghosts, and even danny's mega-haunted hometown only stopped calling the fenton family delusional once the ghost attacks reached a certain, televised point

Explaining, like, to the public? Oh, I don't think they'd have a problem with that. By this point in his high-profile career, Vlad would have probably taken a page from the British Royal Family and adopted the motto of "never complain, never explain" in response to anything scandalous. And one of the richest men in the world suddenly not hiding the fact that he's

gay, and

dating a teenager

would certainly be a scandal, no matter how you look at it. But Vlad would have his PR guys all over this. He'd probably even pay the paps to leave him alone, or at least take only the best photos of him and Danny—enjoying quiet time on his private island, attending charity balls, going incognito overseas, always smiling, always smitten with each other—endearing him to the general public. He'd probably do the same with the news media, telling them exactly what to print and say while outwardly maintaining an appearance of complete indifference. Any non-compliant media outlet would be accused of trying to unfairly vilify them, and if public scorn doesn't get them singing a sweeter tune, Vlad's lawyers certainly will.

Oh, I expect after the initial sensation has cooled—after all, how many powerful celebrity men have dated, married, and had children with women young enough to be their granddaughters? This is not a new phenomenon—Vlad would "agree" to an exclusive interview, and he and Danny would sit down with a five-star journalist, hands clasped (a united front; optics are very important), and paint whatever charming backstory they like.

"Mr. Masters is so brave," and "So that's why he was single for all these years," would reverberate through the court of public opinion. People who once hated Vlad would change their minds. "That Fenton boy is a good influence on him. He's so mature for his age. Vlad needed a nice down-to-earth partner. I wonder if they're going to get married?"

Vlad and Danny would have to be on their best behavior for a while, but once the excitement fades—and it always does, especially if they don't feed it—then they could continue on with their lives as normal.

Well, as normal as two ghost hybrids in love can be.

[justalittleweird]

Just some shit that gets me... I know it's long... some of my fav quotes... there's so many

"You hurt my brother, I'll kill you, I swear. I will kill you all." -1x15

"You said you're a big brother. You'd take care of your little brother? You'd do anything for him?" "Yeah, I would." -1x18

"That's my boy." -1x11&1x21

"I'm gonna say this one time you make a move on him, you'll be dead before you hit the ground, you understand me?" - 2x09

"Come here. Let me look at you... Hey, look at me, it's not even that bad. All right?... I'm gonna take care of you. I got you. That's my job, right?... Oh god..." -2.21

"I always tried to protect you... keep you safe." -2x22

"Don't get mad at me, don't you do that. I had to. I had to look out for you. That's my job." "You save my life over and over. I mean, you sacrifice everything for me, don't you think I'd do the same for you? You're my big brother. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you." - 2x22

"'Cause I know you... 'cause I've been following you around my entire life. I've been looking up to you since I was 4, Dean. Studying you, trying to be just like my big brother. So yeah, I know you. Better than anyone else in the entire world... I wish you'd drop the show and be my brother again... just cause." -3x07

"Sammy, all I'm saying is that you're my weak spot. You are. And I'm yours." "You don't mean that. We're-We're family." -3x16

"Got your lunch? Books? Butterfly Knife?.. you okay?" -4x13

"You poisoned him." "No, I gave him what he needed, and it wasn't some bitch in a g-string. It was you." -4x14

"I'm sorry." -4x22

"I don't think we can ever be what we were. You know? I just don't think I can trust you." -5x01

"Because whatever we have between us. Love. Family. Whatever it is, they are always going to use it against us. And you know that." -5x03

"I just know we're all we've got. More than that. We keep each other human." "Thank you, really... I won't let you down." -5x03

"In between jobs, Sam and Dean would sometimes get a day – sometimes a week, if they were lucky... Sam used to insist on honest work, but now he hustles pool, like his brother. They could go anywhere and do anything... when it was clear, they'd park her in the middle of nowhere, sit on the hood, and watch the stars for hours without saying a word. It never occurred to them that...maybe they never really had a roof and four walls…but they were never, in fact, homeless." -5x22

"Sam, it's okay. I'm here... I'm not gonna leave you. I'm not gonna leave you." "It's okay, Dean. It's gonna be okay. I've got him." -5x22

"Look at me. Come on. You don’t know what’s real?... Let me see your hand... This is real...I was with you when you cut it, I sewed it up. Hey, I am your flesh-and-blood brother, okay? I’m the only one who can legitimately kick your ass in real-time. You got away. We got you out, Sammy... Believe me, okay? You gotta believe me. You gotta make it stone number one and build on it." -7.02

"You can barely do it with me. I mean, you think I screw up everything I try. You think I need a chaperone, remember?"

"Come on, man. That's not what I meant."

"No, it's exactly what you meant. You want to know what I confessed in there? What my greatest sin was? It was how many times I let you down. I can't do that again. What happens when you've decided I can't be trusted again?...who are you gonna turn to next time instead of me? Another angel? Another vampire? Do you have any idea what it feels like to watch your brother just.."

"Hold on, hold on! You seriously think that? Because none of it -- none of it -- is true. Listen, man, I know we've had our disagreements, okay? Hell, I know I've said some junk that set you back on your heels. But, Sammy…come on. I killed Benny to save you. I'm willing to let this bastard and all the sons of bitches that killed mom walk because of you. Don't you dare think that there is anything, past or present, that I would put in front of you! It has never been like that, ever! I need you to see that. I'm begging you." -8x23

[olderthannetfic]

oh MAN, im genuinely at the edge of a mental breakdown whenever the femslash numbers discourse resurfaces, like at this point it just elevates my blood pressure, i dig my nails into my thigh, and i go to one of my trusty fandom friends to complain about other people's complaints. i ship pretty much across the board without preference for gender combo, altho by virtue of my favourite character archetype niches being occupied by men, i end up with comparatively mostly m/m and m/f with only the occasional f/f. almost all of these end up being rarepairs with at least one supporting or minor character that are eclipsed by whatever juggernaut ship the fandom prefers but never compels me. im used to looking into a ship tag and come up with less than 100 works, most of the times it's less than 50. does this annoy me on the odd occasion, be it because i think X/Y is so much more cooler than uh, A/B that the fandom is obsessed with? sure, but i see no reason to rain on people's parade - i just mute tags and mentions and seethe in silence or private DMs. i write for my unpopular rarepairs, i reblog stuff posted in tags and cheer in my own tags, i chat with people who are also into it, and get overjoyed whenever there's a new fic in the AO3 tag (or elsewhere) that I can read. to me, the femslash situation feels very similar - you like the ship between two blorbos, there's enough fan made stuff for them to fit in the shell of a hazelnut, and 80% of the fandom will swoon over the two people who you personally couldn't give two fucks about even if someone paid you. and shoutout to the people who DO make the fan stuff, the art, the fic, the meta, the discord servers, who request and put up prompts in fic exchanges to inspire others... but by god, if the whiners aren't the ones who dominate the conversation, which i wouldn't mind as much if they'd do ANYTHING besides whine. no, they will scream and shout about how the "yaoi empire" needs to be taken down (how about you just move to FFN? Wattpad?), but then it's either obnoxious nitpicky fucks who haven't posted a single fic in their entire miserable life, or it's m/m shippers who are Not Like The Other Fujoshis and got, uh, i dont fuckin know, 30 works for hockey RPF and 10 for two guys from The Terror who canonically interacted like two times under their belt while they mostly blog about the guys from Interview with the Vampire. they want God, everyone's mother and all the slash shippers on Hedy Lamarr's world wide web to prioritise femslash but don't practise as they fucking preach, tear the work of the people who DO indulgently write about gay women, and think they're oppressed because no one will write exactly what they want. the code for AO3 is for free - unionise along with your fellow femslash enthusiasts, beat the drums really loud, open those google docs, and get some shit started! granted, you're unpleasant cunts and will probably go "actually, no boys allowed in here! get your boy cooties away from this forever!!!! if you like men fucking, go back to ao3!" which will inevitably drive people who like f/f as well as m/m away, so you might be doomed to fail but in the words of that adorable little kitten poster: hang in there!

--

[cherry-sofa-729]

I've just read your post about Jason Todd and can't help but wonder what you think Bruce's reaction would be like to how much he'd changed. How would the conversation between him and Jason (and maybe even other batfam members (for example Alfred)) go as they've been through a lot separately and together, and it would be hard to not say and not do a thing when he'd (/they'd) find out or simply notice the difference.

You have an interesting take on Jason, so I'd like to know what else you can add to what you've already said! And I really think the boy deserves to eat well and be healthy after everything that happened to him (after starving, dying, the Pit and coming back to life). And he deserves to be with his loving, supportive family (even if it is an unusual one).

I think B is himself about it (“hnn”, his usual emotionally distant/repressed self, because god forbid this man express a feeling) but on the inside he definitely has Thoughts.

Much like Dick, he doesn’t want the unhealthy, hungry, prepubescent baby Jason back, but he also doesn’t exactly expect (or want) 6’6 nearly 300lbs giant Jason either.

That doesn’t mean he says anything- I feel like their conversation when he notices goes like this

B: …what is your height and weight, now?

Jason: 6’6 I think and no idea. But you don’t need to stuff food into my face anymore. We’re good on that front.

B: …and you are healthy?

Jason: I’m a zombie, Bruce, what the fuck do you mean ‘am I healthy?’ Im not 6 feet under, so I’m healthy, okay? Jesus Christ just say you think I’m fat

B: I was not trying to imply…

Jason: you never are

B: I’m glad you are healthy. And alive. And here. (Clears throat) now back to business-

Because he’s B, and he’s observant and shows love via gifts and silence, he gets Jason the most Embarrassing Dad Gift Ever- cream to make the stretch marks… less noticeable.

(You ever get like- acne soap from your parents and it’s like- man you are not subtle huh, glad to know you know about that insecurity/s)

Jason is so mad and confused and mad he literally is left speechless

(As for Alfred, I think this man made the correct observation that not bringing it up would be doing Jason a kindness- he does make sure to get Jason some clothes that are big on him, so he can snuggle up in them like he used to, when everything was big on him)

[mbavholidayexchange]

to: @pixxiesticksys from: @bamboozledcorvid

title: A long week | words: 2769 | summary: rory's getting bullied, and while he thinks what a human thinks shouldn't affect him, it hurts him a lot. when erica and benny find out, rory is comforted and the bully is taken care of.

Rory walked into school with his usual goofy smile spread across his face, he wore a t-shirt with a cat playing a piano and carried vampires Sasquatch underneath his arm. He rounded the corner toward the computer base where he had agreed to meet Erica when he walked right into one of the hockey players.

"Woah, sorry I didn't see-" Rory's brief attempt at an apology was cut short when the taller boy shoved him to the ground, gaining a laugh from the other hockey players. "Watch it! Or else!" Rory warned before remembering he couldn't flash his fangs. The boys shared confused looks before laughing at him as if he were an idiot. They left after making some comments about his toy and him being a loser, not that Rory cared though. They were just teenagers, they were just humans, stupid mortals that would grow old and frail whilst he can fly. So he picked himself up and made his way to the computer lab where he found Benny trying to explain his video game to a very unamused looking Erica. "What's up Party people!" Rory greeted his friends as he very quickly forgot about what had happened in the hall.

Unfortunately it was only Monday and the guys on the hockey team did not forget quite as quickly as Rory had. Tuesday came round and Rory bounced into school with Benny following quickly behind, unable to keep up with him. Benny had been rambling on about how he would rewrite Star Wars when Rory came crashing back into him. Catching the blond boy and steadying them both Benny looked around at Rory's books scattered across the entrance of the school. "Whoops, my bad" A tall boy in a hockey uniform smiled as he walked past.

"What was that about?" Benny asked helping Rory pick up his notebooks. "Aw it was nothing you know what they're like" Rory smiled waving a hand to dismiss the matter. Benny remembered the countless times he'd been tripped and laughed at by the same boys and didn't give it another thought only shrugging and patting Rory's back as they walked in the door. Rory sat through Chemistry with the taunting sound of the older boys voices in his ear. "Aw cmon leave him alone he doesn't have his boyfriend to protect him" one sneered as they dug their foot into his leg. "Or his dolly" the other laughed throwing a wad of paper at the back of his head.

It wasn't like Rory cared, he was a Vampire, he could fly, and had super speed and if he wanted to he could punch them so hard they'd land in the next town. Except he couldn't do that, then they'd know what he was. "Uh can I go to the bathroom?" He asked getting a tired nod from his teacher before quickly leaving the room. He wasn't upset! That would be stupid, he just... didn't want to be there anymore. That was all.

In his haste to the bathrooms he found himself colliding with someone else, that was the second time this week! He looked up to see a rather unpleased Erica. "Woah, sorry" he laughed as he clambered to his feet but she only frowned. "You should be, and where are you running off too?" Her voice was cold and uncaring but she wore her usual sarcastic smirk that let him know she was really mad at him. "Oh uh... no where just... got bored in class" He smiled nervously. Erica knew he was lying, but it wasn't exactly out of the ordinary for Rory to act strange so she shrugged and nodded before walking off.

Wednesday came and Rory was a little on edge. He wore his favourite band shirt with his purple hoodie and had Vampire Sasquatch placed safely in his bag. He peaked around every corner before turning and looked nervous going into every class. Benny chalked it up to the fact he was Rory and he believed in aliens and ghosts and evil vampire killing ninja warriors. Rory made it to lunch before everything went wrong. He had been walking to the cafeteria to meet up with his usual group of friends, minus Sarah who was at some try out, when suddenly he was dragged backwards into the bathroom.

"Aw Rory buddy come hang out with us" A tall, broad shouldered boy smirked as he blocked the exit. In a matter of seconds two other boys had grabbed him and stole his bag. "Aww you bring your dolly to protect you? What's he going to do?" The boy he had bumped into before asked. "Well he's a Vampire so-" Rory was quickly shut up when he was shoved backwards into the row of sinks. "Shut up! God you really are a freak!" The Boy snapped at him before tearing Vampire Sasquatch's arm off and throwing it to the ground for good measure.

Rory walked out of the bathroom ten minutes later with slightly red eyes and a petted lip. As he sat down at the table he found Benny and Erica just about to leave for class. "Rory? What's up man?" Benny asked leaning on his shoulder. Rory shook his head, sniffing a little before plastering a smile on his face. "Nothing to worry about, Benny. Rory the vampire ninja has got this covered!" Benny smiled accepting his answer, Erica didn't look quite as convinced but kept any doubts to herself. "Oh uh Benny, you know how to sew right?" Rory asked getting a nod from his friend before smiling and placing the two halves of his toy in front of his friend.

"What happened?" Erica asked now wearing a concerned expression. "He just ripped but don't worry Benny is a great sewer he can fix him and he's a vampire so he'll be fine" before either of his friends could ask a follow up question the bell rang and Rory disappeared.

Thursday came and Rory was dreading going to school. He wasn't scared, he really wasn't! He just didn't want to go. Erica and Benny had agreed to keep a close eye on him today. So when the three got to school Benny stuck to Rory's side and Erica, in true Erica fashion, stayed three foot ahead pretending not to associate with them. They managed to be by his side all day, Benny walked him to every class and Erica stood outside waiting after each one. It wasn't until the end of school when Erica showed up to collect him from his last class that she found he wasn't there. She made her way to the doors where she found Benny but still no Rory.

"We agreed to walk home together, Rory wouldn't just leave" Benny looked around growing worried until Erica placed a hand on his shoulder. "He's a supernatural undead creature who believes he's a ninja, don't worry so much. Besides he'll be around here somewhere" She reassured him before grabbing him rather harshly and dragging him to look for their friend.

Around the side of the school Rory found himself pinned against a wall. "Not so brave now? What happened to 'watch it, or else!'? You scared without your boyfriend here to protect you?" The tallest of the boys cackled, pushing the blond boy to the ground and swiftly driving his foot into Rory's side. "You gonna go crying to your mom? Gonna go home and play with your dolly?" Another boy swung his leg back to kick at him and Rory flinched to the side but it never hit. He reluctantly looked up to find Erica holding the boy a foot of the ground with a look of pure fury growing across her face.

Benny was quickly at Rory's side helping him to his feet before walking round to the front of the building. A few moments later Erica came round with a cruel smile on her face that only softened when she locked eyes with the teary eyed boy in front of her. "Rory why wouldn't you tell us?" She asked to which he only shrugged. "They're only humans... it's silly of me to be upset over what they think" Benny pulls him into a hug, resting his chin on top of the shorter boys head and the three head back to his house to curl up on the couch and watch movies.

Neither of them mention when they can quietly hear soft sniffing coming from Rory, they simply move closer cuddling into him and covering him with the blanket. It's late and they're all tired but Benny quickly gasps "oh Rory, before I forget" he jumps off the couch and disappears into the kitchen. Rory shoots a confused glance to Erica who only shrugs. A few moments later Benny returns with Vampire Sasquatch in hand, good as new. Rory smiles at his friend as he climbs back onto the couch, placing the teddy on the blonds lap. "Thanks, Benny... I love you guys" Rory smiles as he shuffles around to get comfy. "Love you too, man" Benny smiled and Erica placed a soft kiss on his cheek before they as fall asleep.

On Friday Rory wasn't scared to go to school. He went in happily, in the same clothes he had wore the day before, with his two friends at either side of him. He wasn't entirely sure what had happened after him and Benny left yesterday but today half the hockey team was on crutches and avoiding the three of them like the plague.

[polyhexian]

Okay, so, y'know those AUs where Hunter can see the ghosts of the previous Golden Guards? Yeah okay so that except with your OCs, so it's immediately a clusterfuck.

The millisecond the Grimwalker Ghost Zone realizes this is an option, Jasper slaps a moratorium on that shit. Absolutely NOT. The deal was that Hunter lives as long as he stayed loyal. I DIDN'T MAKE A DEAL WITH BELOS TO SAVE MY BABY SO THE REST OF YOU COULD FUCK IT UP FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE PIT.

Everyone else is like okay, okay, yeesh, sorry, fine, we won't haunt Hunter. If nothing else they can respect the fact that Jasper himself is refusing to make contact with the kid he loves so much. And the excitement of this newfound aspect of their existence would've died down pretty quickly…if it wasn't for the fact that Enoch exists.

Enoch isn't gonna let this go. This is the perfect opportunity! They can actually make contact with the current Golden Guard and convince him to kill Belos, giving him all the intel gathered from nearly 200 Grimwalkers and their ortet over 4 centuries. They can't let this chance pass them by. She is GOING to talk to Hunter.

Jasper is NOT going to let her.

Hunter really wishes that these ghosts would stop fistfighting when he's trying to DO HIS JOB TITAN DAMMIT.

Jasper's plan to make sure no one ever talks to Hunter predictably falls apart upon making contact with the enemy (Enoch). Sure, Jasper manages to prevent Enoch from talking to Hunter, but everyone else is just kinda hanging out watching the chaos so like. Chit-chat is inevitable.

Granted, no one else tells Hunter anything Enoch actually wants to tell him, because most of the ghosts don't want the kid dead and the others don't want to face the wrath of Jasper and get dragged into the fight with Enoch.

But Hunter's smart. He knows all these ghosts are past Golden Guards, that's obvious because they're all in uniform. They've been haunting him since he started scout training, and for the most part they're pretty chill…except those two. He's 99% sure these people are his family, tho it's weird how similar everyone in his family looks and how many of them are Golden Guards. He has questions, but Jasper and Enoch's…everything…makes him think it's really not worth trying to get the answers. He kinda wishes they'd all go away, but he doesn't have the heart to sic the Oracle Coven on them.

Basically, just Hunter being haunted by the Golden Guards and being annoyed by every second of it while Jasper and Enoch are slapfighting in the background. He's like Stan Lee in that one Spiderman movie, except instead of being oblivious to the fighting going on behind him, he is well aware that it's happening and is refusing to acknowledge it.

Hunter lying in bed staring at the ceiling with bloodshot eyes at 3am while Jasper and Enoch wrestle and yell at each other on his bedroom floor until he finally snaps "WOULD YOU TWO TAKE IT OUTSIDE, SOME OF US HAVE TO WORK AT 4AM."

And while the other ghosts are not as obnoxious as Jasper and Enoch are, they are, unfortunately, useless. Hunter has tried to get something out of this haunting and there's just nothing to get, aside from the dubious pleasure of the ghosts' company. He asks Tell about coven policy and Tell distractedly answers while watching Enoch pull Jasper's hair and Hunter is just like "that hasn't been a thing for 50 years" and Tell is like "lol yeah it wouldn't be." He tries asking Dust for tips and Dust just glares at Enoch where she has Jasper in a headlock and tells Hunter to never ever EVER take some creepy little girl on as an apprentice and Hunter is like oooookay. He tries asking Virtue for tips and Virtue is like "dude, I only lasted 11 months" and Hunter's like. WTF. He asks for help with his homework exactly one time, sliding his textbook across the table and asking Caleb to quiz him, and Caleb looks at the book and says "I never learned how to read", and Hunter just throws his hands in the air and gives up.

He thinks he understands why his uncle never wants to talk about their family. Sure, it's probably because the pain is too much. But it's also probably because they are all fucking lunatics.

Of all people, Temperance ends up being the one Hunter gets along best with, and also the one who gets the plot/reveals rolling. Temperance knows what it's like to wonder about the family you have no idea about and no way to learn about them. Temperance knows how much that sucks. Temperance never learned the truth and was barely given a lie; he died looking for his family, and in death he found them, at which point he realized 1) Shit, the truth sure is messed up! 2) His family is a collection of maniacs connected only by their shared trauma and one man's DNA, and 3) You know what, he's going to get to know and love all of them anyway, fuck you Belos.

Temperance just starts casually hanging out with Hunter and making remarks that answer a number of questions Hunter didn't know how to ask and cements himself as the least-annoying, semi-useful ghost, whose company Hunter might actually sorta kinda enjoy, just a little.

At some point Temperance casually refers to Jasper as "your dad", which--well, Jasper often yells at Enoch about "leaving his baby alone" so now Hunter has two 2's to put together and he's like. Huh. Okay then. His father is the sort of person who will spend his afterlife slapfighting a teenager. No wonder Uncle never talks about their family.

Hunter: And why is…my dad…constantly bodyslamming a 15-year-old?

Temperance, sagely: Because he's a braver man than any of us.

Hunter has seen Enoch fight, and heard some of the things she shouts, and knows full well that none of the other ghosts want to deal with her, so he has to conclude that yeah, Temperance is right, his dad is braver than the rest of them.

Hunter still doesn't know how his overgrown family tree is supposed to be laid out, but he does glean that Enoch, for some reason, doesn't like Belos, and may have tried to assassinate? him?? at some point??? And seems to potentially want to tell Hunter to do the same, which. No. Hunter is not going to do that. But once he realizes that's what the constant fighting is about, he's a little more grateful for Jasper's intervention, even if he wishes they'd KEEP IT DOWN when he's TRYING TO CONCENTRATE, GOD. And also maybe wishes that his dad would take five minutes from strangling Enoch to properly introduce himself to his orphaned son, like, it'd only be polite. All the other ghosts have introduced themselves. Or at least kinda introduced themselves. But all the other ghosts have also made it clear that they refuse to get tangled up with Enoch (and that they're honestly relieved Enoch has been focused on Jasper instead of them for the last few years) so maybe his dad really can't take five minutes to introduce himself. Hunter doesn't really want to know what Enoch might get up to if Jasper stops holding her off.

Hunter, watching Jasper narrowly roll out of the way of Enoch's diving elbow drop: It's good to know that my father is so loyal and devoted to his duties as the Golden Guard that even in death he's doing everything he can to protect the emperor.

Temperance: *chokes*

I don't have any specific plot ideas for how things would unfold as we lead up to the show timeline, but I think it'd be funny if Jasper and Enoch are so preoccupied fighting and screaming at each other that they're just completely unaware that Hunter is just. Figuring stuff out. Either cuz Temperance tells him or cuz he's smart enough to put it together.

And I think every reveal needs to happen the most anti-climatic way possible. It starts with grimwalkers casually mentioning how they died while Hunter is like wait, what? Belos killed you? Well, you must've done something--Belos killed you too? And you? Well surely he didn't kill all of you, I mean--aha, see, he didn't kill Virtue! Wait, what? Not directly? Uh…okay.

At some point Caleb's like "well when I was your age, 400 years ago" and Hunter's like, wait, you said Belos was your brother. How are you his brother if you were alive 400 years ago? I'm sorry, he's how old??

Every reveal is just another moment of "this might as well happen." Hunter's brain is numb to it. By the time Hollow Mind happens, all he does when he finds the tree tunnel of Golden Guard memories is go "Oh, okay then. Cool" and walk in.

Luz: Hunter, this is awful, omg, are you okay?

Hunter, about to climb into a painting: Sure.

Luz, dragging him out: WHAT ARE YOU DOING??

Hunter: I just wanna see how Dust died, apparently it was really embarrassing and he never wants to talk about it.

Luz: WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

Belos: Yes, Hunter, what are you talking about?

Belos calls him a grimwalker and tries to kill him and Hunter is terrified but there's also a part of him that's like, ah, okay. A lot of things are suddenly making sense.

Can the ghosts show up in Belos's mindscape? Maybe the ghosts can show up in Belos's mindscape. Jasper and Enoch are going at it same as always and Belos watches Enoch suplex Jasper and is just like, well, there's no way that I would ever imagine this, so…this must actually be happening?

Enoch realizes she's inside Belos's mindscape the exact same moment Belos does and abandons Jasper to launch herself at Belos like a maddened chimpanzee.

Jasper lands hard next to Hunter and just lays there for a second, winded.

Hunter: Hey Dad.

Jasper: HOW THE HELL DO YOU KNOW THAT??

Hunter, knowing better than to rat out Temperance: You haven't exactly been subtle these last few years.

Luz has completely lost the plot.

Okay okay: Hunter pretends he doesn't see them. At first he thinks he's just insane and is like "well that's inconvenient but I still have to go to work I guess" and then is like "oh actually I think these are previous golden guards actual ghosts. That makes sense. They want to impart their generations of knowledge to me, their successor. Maybe this is a spell that gets cast when you get your mask or something. Anyway they've never been very helpful so I'm just going to keep ignoring them." Enoch keeps trying to haunt him and leave "KILL YOUR UNCLE" messages on chalkboards while Jasper is trying to claw her eyes out. He's also set down the firm "hunter will die if he is disloyal, so he must stay loyal until he is old enough and strong enough to escape." So basically the deal is NOBODY tell Hunter SHIT until he's like 18, and then it's loredump time. Well, telling people the truth has never really worked in the past. So. May as well.

I'm also imagining a kind of. Ghosts can't die but they can like. Reset. If you're a ghost and you get stabbed in the chest you go POOF and you're back in the ghost zone and have to get out again and it's deeply inconvenient. Jasper and Enoch keep poofing each other so they're not always around. Eventually the other ghosts realize Hunter can see them and decide that Jasper and Enoch should probably NOT know that.

So whenever jasper and Enoch are both temporarily benched Tell offers vaguely parental advice and avoids the question when asked what his actual kid was like. Dust is kind of a dick who isn't particularly invested but he WILL critique Hunter's form when he's practicing. Temperance is definitely the most sympathetic whom Hunter likes the most. Virtue tries to avoid conversation because he has no idea to talk to Hunter without him realizing he lived less than a year and he's not supposed to know that.

Miles isn't invested in shit. He doesn't care if Jasper or Enoch "win" but he likes being rude. He's also twelve and makes fart noises when Hunter is trying to stand silently at attention. Miles is the one who keeps fucking up and dropping lore because he's not even paying attention, he's playing games on Hunters phone (he made him get a scroll he does not use)

In Hollow Mind when the other Grimwalkers are there helping Hunter and Luz get out of there Hunter knows them all by name and jasper is like YOU COULD SEE ME THE WHOLE FUCKING TIME??? and that's how Jasper and Enoch finally came together to kick everyone else's asses

[oswaldxmarks]

"That I am," he agreed with a chuckle. This all felt like a bigger gamble though. One he wouldn't have had to make if things could've just stayed the way they were back home. If Ozzy didn't get so greedy, if Oswald didn't start to slip up on his end of the bargain...

He shouldn't think about that now. They were just starting to fix that divide. He didn't need to make it any worse by bringing up past mistakes on both their parts.

"A joust would be easier than all the fuckin' hoops I've been jumping through for licenses," Oz agreed, taking a sip of his drink. His head lulled to the side as he looked over at Jack.

"Honestly? I don't fucking know--I heard one of them is like, an ancient talking owl? How the fuck do you convince an owl to let you open a casino?" He almost wanted to put his head down on the counter as he finally is voicing all of these thoughts out loud, seeing how ridiculous all of this is. "Big on Magick friendly stuff, it seems. Gonna take that angle, obviously. Some of them seem to want more tourism in town, some of them seem indifferent or annoyed by that?" Oz shook his head.

He took another long sip of his drink until he could feel it in his temples. "It's just kind of a headache and I really want it to work out," said Oswald as he looked at the counter. The fact that he wasn't one hundred percent confident in this had him not wanting to look at Jack. He was a better gambler to put on a face and pretend that he knew everything would fall exactly how he'd planned. But he knew how bad it would be if he fucked it all up. If they rejected his petition. Ozzy would be beyond pissed. He'd already made it clear that he wasn't happy with Oswald's recent performance as a host. They were just starting to get better. Not being able to get the one thing they'd promised as their part of the deal?

He's sure the demon would be super understanding about that...

"But I mean, if things go ass up, I'll figure it out; I always do," he said. "And hey, things are always a little more interesting when they end up that way, anyway." Oz winked, then finished his drink off.

"You know how it is, Jacky Jack," a slight smirk crossed his face. "Trying business in a new place. Gotta give you props for moving your show around. You've always been rather impressive."

@the-pumpkin-king-lament

Sweet Libations || OPEN

[literaryspinster]

“Hi, I’m Lois,” Jordan says, using the fake name she rests on in the rare times she decides to be a girl in public. “I’m a really big fan.”

“Lois? Right. Hi, it’s great to meet you,” Marie says.

Jordan smiles at her, and man do they look amazing, their hair falling in loose waves around their face, their breasts sitting confidently in a loose black tank top “Don’t tell the other guardians,” they continue, “But you’re like the best one.”

“You’re very sweet, and I love that top on you."

“Yeah?” 

“Yeah, you look great.” Marie wants to kiss them, she wants to sweep the dishes and candles off of the table, lay them down and kiss the crap out of them right here. She wants it so bad that it chews her apart inside. She doesn’t know how well she’s hiding it either, staring into Jordan’s warm, dark eyes with the intensity of a telekinetic trying to bend a crowbar. She should be mad as hell at them for coming here just to spy on her, but she can’t because she just wants to kiss them so so hard.

“Um excuse me, am I interrupting something?” Jonas interjects, but Marie still doesn’t pull her eyes away from Jordan, her person no matter what the papers say.

“Not at all,” Marie says, "Hey can you be a doll and go buy Lois a drink?”

“7&7,” Jordan adds.

“Oh, so it’s that kinda party I see?” Jonas says, the excitement in his voice climbing. “Sure thing gorgeous.” He winks at the two of them and stands up to make a beeline for the bar.

“Come on let’s get the fuck out of here,” Jordan take her hand and leads her out of the restaurant, a few stray glances and camera clicks catching them on their way out. This is probably a mistake, probably something Ashley will ream them for in the morning. She’ll cross that bridge when she gets to it, because there’s no way she’s spending another five minutes with this clown.

They make it to the closest alley, and Jordan places their hand on Marie’s waist to lead her into the safety of the dark. When Jordan starts to kiss her against the brick wall, the traces of anxiety and rage that had built up start to dissipate and float away.

“How long were you watching?” Marie asks, basically sighing into Jordan’s mouth.

“Long enough to know you weren’t cool with any of that. What did he say to you? If you want me to go back in and beat that guy's ass I will.”

“No, just kiss me again,” She says, and they do.

“This is stupid,” Marie says after a few minutes, coming up for another quick breath of air. Meanwhile Jordan's proceeding to scatter unruly kisses up and down her throat “We’re supposed to be broken up.”

“You and Fortress are broken up,” Jordan commas the statement with another firm, quick taste of her mouth. “Not you and me.”

“You’re sure?’

“God I’m so fucking sure,” Jordan says. Marie’s heart races as their tongue touches hers. And she can sense how fast Jordan’s is racing too. It’s not the thrill of sneaking around that does it, it’s just what they do to each other, even after five years. 

And really, it’s a brilliant idea. Women kiss each other all of the time for all sorts of reasons, or at least that’s a popular assumption. If anyone catches them they can chalk it up to that. 

“I hate seeing you with someone else,” Jordan says, reaching under her dress to touch her in a way that makes her breath catch. “Even if it’s fake, I hate it.”

“I love you,” Marie takes Jordan’s face between her hands and dives in again. And they make out against the wall long enough to forget where they are, to forget the rules, to forget everything.

“Can I take you home and fuck you now?” Jordan says, and presses another assertive kiss on the pulse of her neck. “Hmm?”

“Yes, please.”

~From How To Be Liars in Love, CH 2. Jealousy is a Bitch Named Lois

[pianostarinwonderland]

Now it's likely we will enter everyone's dream what do you think azul dream would be?

rubs hands Ohhhh anon, you're in luck because I have so many thoughts.

Since I also have ideas for the tweels, I'll take this time to write what I think all the Octavinelle dreams will be like. Most of these are my own thoughts, but some ideas are from friends. And because I love the trio so much, I'll also write my own ideas of what would possibly get them to wake up and such.

General notes before listing the individual dreams:

May be an obvious point, but I think all 3 of them will have each other in their dreams. Octa trio are very close, and I don't think they can imagine not having each other in their lives. It also matches how their initial dorm card art have each other + how all three of their stories are tied together.

I think that Jade is going to be the Octavinelle dream segment's SSR because of the twins, Kalim and co. will likely have an easier time waking Floyd up. Jade may need some prodding from someone more familiar with him.

However, I do acknowledge the argument made by my friend that it is possible for Floyd to be the SSR as he's the rightmost one in the order you find at the lessons (if you notice, the order goes Ortho > Lilia > Rook > Kalim (though Kalim is an exception) with Sebek in between Lilia and Rook, and they're the rightmost ones in their dorm order seen in lessons. Floyd is the rightmost one in the Octavinelle order). And I wouldn't be surprised if TWST decides to pull that out. But admittedly, I don't know what exactly would make Floyd's dream deep enough that he needs to be woken up by someone more familiar, so I write the dreams with the assumption that Jade will be the SSR.

Though not necessarily going to be important in the following ramble, I have a feeling that they will release Coral Sea's hometown event to be able to use certain assets (i.e. backgrounds, possible official reveal of Azul's merform) in book 7, just like Vil's hometown event was used for the Pomefiore dream segment.

As a disclaimer, I don't have full translations of the last two updates so I may not have the most accurate ideas for how the Octa dream segment can turn out because there are patterns they're following here. Many of these are still brainrot induced (even though I think I make good logic wheezes).

Ok, with all that said, here are my thoughts for the Octa trio's dreams :>>

Floyd Leech: Living underwater with Jade and Azul

It's not a secret that Floyd is at his happiest when he's in his merform. Among the trio, he's the one who transforms the most often into his merform. Some incidents include the time that he transformed during swimming class according to Ruggie (Book 3) and Vargas Camp where he transformed to get fish. Floyd is also the one who tells the most stories of his time under the sea with Jade and Azul. We know about their middle school band because of him (Robe Kalim vignette); we know about Azul's actual size in his octopus form because of him (Beans 2 main story); we know about the music contests they used to join because of him (Portfest Floyd vignette).

So it makes sense that his dream would be in the sea, where he's in his merform. It's also going to be pretty simplistic, depicting a happy life underwater.

TWST tends to be very comedic, especially with the first dream. So my friend suggested it would be fun if there were literal fish versions of the cast in his dream 😂 so we could have live2D assets of a literal goldfish Riddle, crab Ace, sea snake Jamil, etc.

Jade and Azul of course would be in merform along with him. Maybe they might be playing in their middle school band: Floyd on drums, Jade on bass, and Azul on piano (and maybe their audience is composed of the NRC cast as fish).

In this dream, maybe Floyd has no memory of ever being on land with Jade and Azul. So that may be what the others will use to wake him up.

Jamil would probably remind Floyd of basketball club days + dancing, and Ortho would probably remind him of his love for shoes. These could be pretty reasonable as the permanent card vignettes (so SR Robe/Lab, R Uni/PE, SSR Dorm) seem to be compliant with the canon of the main story. Grim would probably remind him as well of Book 3's events and how he'd do fun shit with Azul and Jade at the Mostro Lounge. They would probably remind him as well that Jade and Azul love what they do on land.

I don't know where to insert this, but it's very likely that Azul in this dream does not hate his merform. Floyd talks highly of his merform (whether it looks yummy or very strong), so it's possible that he wishes that Azul loves himself just a little bit more (I really want to say it is hinted at, but at the moment, I have no idea if that's correct, let alone say where it is hinted at, so I won't say it like it's canon). And by extension, this can be Floyd's way of sharing that maybe Azul wouldn't have OB'd if he was more accepting of himself.

Jade Leech: If Azul never overblotted

Jade's dream would take a similar path to Rook's dream, in which the premise for the latter is that Vil never overblotted because he's not in conflict with Neige. And for Rook, that's okay, he just wants Vil to be happy, even if he looks on from afar. Except that for Jade, he wants to be the reason that Azul didn't have to overblot.

See, it's very subtle, but Jade is probably upset or even traumatized from Azul's overblot. While he never shows this (this motherfucker istg) the one small bit of evidence of this is in Book 4. Jamil's hypnotizing everyone, and Kalim, Azul, and the rest are frantic as they don't know what to do. But as Jamil is about to overblot, Jade tells him to stop, or else he will overblot. And that's a very interesting thing: why is it Jade who's the one telling Jamil that he'll overblot at the rate he was going? Why not Azul, who's both fascinated with Jamil and the one who underwent overblot? Or even Grim and Yuu who have 3 experiences of overblots by that time? Of course, that's not necessarily a guaranteed indication that Jade is upset from Azul's overblot, as in general, overblot is very dangerous and could kill a life. Jade may have been saying this to prevent Jamil from entering a life-or-death situation. However, I still find it intriguing that it's Jade who's warning Jamil, especially when another instance of another character trying to stop an OB was Kalim, who followed Vil since he was reminded of Jamil's own OB (and we know Jamil and Kalim have been together since forever).

There's two ways that this can go: either (1) Jade's dream follows like Rook's, or (2) it goes the opposite of Rook's.

In (1), Jade (and consequently, Floyd) would not be friends with Azul, and Azul would continue on as he is, only a lot more independent.

(1) stems from the fact that the plan Yuu hatched to destroy Azul's contracts was hinged on separating the twins from Azul. Jade might have realized this, either in Book 3 or off screen post Book 3. And in a similar fashion to Rook, he might blame himself a little bit for Azul not being able to get the contracts off of Leona on his own due to the fact that he and Floyd are always with him. So in his mind, he thinks he might be dragging Azul's potential down, and he knows how much Azul wants to become the best version of himself. So maybe he looks on from afar as well. Maybe he's still an Octavinelle student, but not the vice leader.

(2) also stems from that same fact, but it also has an additional element: In Book 3, Jade asked Azul if they should do anything about Leona, since it was unexpected for Yuu to stay in Savanaclaw. Azul replied that he probably won't act on anything, so he says not to disturb him. What if Jade might have been hooked onto this? That maybe he should have acted more upon his suspicions? That maybe he should have been more attentive when spying on Yuu and co to find out when they hatched this plan? So maybe in dream (2), he had a countermeasure or he just knew when to nudge Floyd to go back to the dorm before Leona destroyed the contracts. Then once that was dealt with, they deal with the photo and bam, Azul wins and they get the Ramshackle branch.

Both (1) and (2) are connected by Jade's wish in the Dances and Wishes event, where he expresses that his wish is for Azul's and Floyd's wishes to come true. In a sense, (1) fits this a bit better than (2). There's also the idea that moray eels have a cowardly nature, according to Floyd. (1) could be an expression of said nature within Jade.

But if you ask me, I think (2) is a bit more in line with Jade. Firstly because I doubt he can imagine not being close to Azul, secondly because I think in his ideal world, I think he'd wish he had more control over what happened (and Jade has a thing for control).

Thirdly, it matches in terms of how his dorm card and Rook's dorm card are both same and different. The gameplay of TWST tends to be intermingled with the story and characters at times. Dorm Jade and Rook both have first spells where they boost their ATK stat for 3 turns, with fire as their duo element. The differences between them are (a) card typing (Rook Attack vs. Jade Defense) and (b) M1/M3 elements (Flora/Water Rook vs. Water/Flora for Jade). This parallel can be reflected in their dreams vs. the reality of their situations. Rook dreamt of never being involved with Vil, but in real life he was in time to intervene and save Neige. Meanwhile, Jade would dream of being on time to stop Leona, while in real life, he was too late and only in time to kick Azul's ass out of his overblot.

And fourth, this is where you may wonder: Isn't Azul's second dream going to be the Book 3 AU, based on the patterns with Idia, Vil, and Jamil? To which I answer: yes! Definitely! But here's where I'm going to point out something: Jade and Azul not only have similar ish mindsets but also have the same paintings in their initial Platinum card art, just with flipped positions. I like to think that this is reflective of their dreams, where both of them wish to change the same events of Book 3, except that they'd go about it differently.

Jade would definitely be woken up by Floyd, who would remind him that what happened has already happened. (On this note, I wonder if we'll get to see one of their vicious sibling fights so Jade can wake up, but I'm just dreaming at this point)

By virtue of him being the SSR, we gotta think of what's the scenario that would make Jade cry! Him having to fight the fake Azul and Floyd might break him. Yeah, he's fought Floyd and all, probably dueled with Azul too, but it could be different when he has to be 100% serious about it. Either that or, there might be some part of him that hates the fact that it was a dream. And Floyd would have to snap him out of it, saying that everything is okay.

Azul Ashengrotto: Ultimate business owner + Book 3 AU

The first dream we enter, in typical Azul fashion, we're likely going to see him owning a whole chain of Mostro Lounge restaurants! And maybe not only that: he's probably running a hotel or two, he's got a delivery service going, he probably has a monopoly running while we're at it. Basically, it's all the stuff that he lists down in Book 6 before he sleeps on Riddle's shoulder.

His businesses expand over both land and sea. Since Azul prefers being on land, we may see him on land first before diving to the sea to check on business there. And that's where the first confrontation happens.

I think Azul would feel practically invincible by this point! And by invincible, he not only has everything he wants, but there's not a trace of his past to be discovered, so people think he's always been this intelligent and strong. So when he's confronted by Jade and Floyd, who share memories of his past (his shared past with them, from middle school to NRC), that's the first instance of Azul slowly starting to wake up and him panicking about his perfect world being fake. And it almost works until the dream versions of Jade and Floyd come in and remind Azul of the kind of invincible person he is.

Then they descend to the second dream, which is the Book 3 AU where Azul got his contracts from Leona and probably beat his ass. Except that the difference between this and Jade's dream is that Azul does this all by himself. When dream Jade and Floyd get back to him with the photo, they're praising him, all like, "Good job Azul! You're so strong and powerful! I'm glad I get to hang out with someone as awesome as you are!"

But the real Jade and Floyd would try to stop him from destroying the photo and tell him that it's a reminder of who he was, and how much he's grown. And if Azul succeeds in destroying that photo, Jade and Floyd would pull out the photos that they carry with them (think the album from the opening). They want him to accept the person that he was, and realize the person he is now is someone who's grown stronger. He has become better.

On how his dream would collapse, this is tricky. I would want that Azul destroys his contracts (thereby breaking the deal he made with Yuu, which would entail that his happy end has been broken), but him not destroying the photo would also cause the dream to collapse since the way to his happy end involves removing all ties to his past, namely the photos. He could do both. However, the trend so far is that foreign influence affecting the happy ending is what would break the dream. If anything, if Jade and Floyd do have their own copies of Azul's past photos, that means that the presence of those indicates that Azul's ties to his past are not broken at all, and therefore they would break the dream.

Then as per pattern, the others leave while Azul sinks deeper to try and wake himself up. He meets his OB self, who's steeped in his insecurities and is very unaccepting of his past. And this is where Azul accepts those insecurities and accepts his past but will continue to move forward with his life and grow to be a person he can be proud of, and fight his OB self. Then he faces his first dream and dream Jade and Floyd, and then he wakes up eventually.

[residentfurry]

oh, brother, they'll never be rid of us.

for we plan on staying around for a long, long time.

version w/o the pokemon stickers (which I didn't draw LOL)