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petruchio · 4 months

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i was lowkey tumblr stalking asks you’ve answered before (i apologize i just love how in depth u answer) and now i wanna know your tierlist (A/B/C/D/F) for the songs on GUTS. include deluxe pls bc imo the deluxe tracks are better than many main album tracks hehe

well first off you can ALWAYS stalk me and never apologize for it, i love answering stuff and i love that people actually read it HAHA! so please <3 stalk away <3 i love it

i LOVE this question. i was going to make one of those images like the youtubers do for tier lists but then i realized i would have to explain myself anyway so im just going to give each song a letter grade and a little blurb about why i think this... so here goes 🤓

i actually have to put this under a cut because it got so long that i am not going to clog up people's dash with my long and way too detailed thoughts on GUTS but please read this if it is of interest bc i would love to continue discussing haha

so first i'm going to say to me overall guts is like a solid A-/A for a sophomore album. i don't think it's perfect but i think as far as showing growth from the first album, expanding on themes and sounds that were explored in sour, and just maturing while still feeling like a natural progression -- i think it does all of that really nicely while also managing to carve out a unique niche for olivia in the industry. so like. YES! great. (i have been saying that while i see olivia compared to taylor swift a lot, i think it's actually a much better comparison to compare her to avril lavigne in the early 2000s -- avril was originally "discovered" via performing with shania twain (which in some ways we could argue for being a taylor/olivia situation but in the 90s) and a lot of her early work and songwriting is influenced by the country music scene, but, just like olivia, her first album smashed onto the scene and captured the teenage zeitgeist in a really unique and special that was really of the moment it was released and dug into rock inspired hooks and sounds that resonated with the audience of young teens. if "driver's license" is olivia's "complicated," i think we can easily argue that "good 4 u" is her sk8r boi. (and deja vu is her i'm with you, the best single and best song in both of their discographies I SAID WHAT I SAID!) anyway all that is to say i think that GUTS and under my skin ALSO share a lot of parallels both in how they were marketed and the way they dive deeper into darker themes while expanding on a lot of what made the first album great, if perhaps not spawning the level of radio hits as the first album. anyway it's just something i think about that i don't see talked about all that much and i find it really interesting. i could keep going but i know that was an insane digression so let's get to the grades.)

all american bitch - B+ i think this song is a great opener and it has some really great lines in it -- the sarcasm makes it so fun and tongue in cheek and i actually like the scream, my reason for not being able to give it an A is just that i do feel like it's very much "putting on a persona" of being a rock punk chick, which is absolutely cool and is extremely well done, it just doesn't feel 100% authentic to me. like, i like the scream but it feels more like an acting performance than a genuine scream of anguish, but olivia is such an appealing actress that i'm like, yeah girl go off

bad idea right? - A+ this is the deja vu of the album for me. it is SUCH A GOOD SONG and it has the best video by far of any of the singles, it's so clever and creative and i actually really love her vocal delivery, it's bratty and obnoxious but for some reason it DOES feel authentic to me in a way AAB doesn't, i think it takes its influences and manages to reinterpret and transform them into something totally unique and personal to olivia and it's just GREAT. (i think a great example of how good this song is is honestly the kelly clarkson cover she did, it was a really fun cover but you could just tell that olivia's version works better, it's a song that feels like it could only be done by her and i love it for that.)

vampire - B i actually thought i'd rate this lower bc it is my least favorite song on the album but like, okay it's FINE. my issue with vampire is that 1) it feels like the label said "write another ballad that sounds like drivers license and we'll use that as the lead single" which i don't like, and 2) i've written before that my main issue with vampire is that it DOES NOT COMMIT to the genuinely cool metaphor that it attempts. i actually love the line "you only come out at night" because i think it's really clever and creative to extend the "sucking me dry" metaphor of a vampire. i think following that up with "i used to think i was smart but you made me look so naive" is such a let down and so cliche that it annoys me every time i hear the song. like, if the song instead was like "i should have known it was strange, you only come out at night/you said i tasted so sweet til nothing was left in my veins" or something i would think it was a great song. but instead we get that clunky cliche of a line and it irritates me. the song has potential but it just doesn't deliver.

lacy - A- (tw: ed) so i think that this song is about struggling with an ed and i think it is really amazing if you read it through that lens. i don't even really want to say that much more about it because when i saw someone say that on twitter and i listened to the song thinking about that, it hit me really hard and i think it's brilliantly done but it's intense. i think olivia said that it came out of a poem she wrote and i think that lacy is the personification of that really personal struggle and i think it's a beautiful and deeply sad metaphor and the song actually does it really well. i also really love her vocal delivery on the recording and i think it's beautifully produced, the layered vocals at the end are really gorgeous.

ballad of a homeschooled girl - A- honestly i have the same comments as i do about all american bitch except i just think this song is slightly better and feels a little more authentic. i think the lyrics on this one are really clever as well and i love the little production quirks like "how to flirt" and the outro is SO FUN and i love the sort of fourth wall break of "can't think of a third line" and the la la la that just kind of smashes into the end of the song, i think it works so well with the concept of the song so yeah. great.

making the bed - B+ this is a song where i'm like, there's nothing WRONG with it i just don't think it's particularly special, like it's a good song and it has some really great lyrics i just think it's a decent song that accomplishes exactly what it sets out to do. it's good. no real notes. my favorite lyric is "they tell me that they love me like i'm some tourist attraction" -- i love when the pop girls talk about the complexities of fame, and olivia seems strikingly self aware in a lot of her lyrics and that one is really a hard hitter. (it reminds me of billie's getting older song, "the things i once enjoyed just keep me employed now" and "another thing i ruined i used to do for fun" which are both lines that i feel like really do a nice job of exploring how it feels when your art and artistic expression becomes a job and a persona. i think billie and olivia are doing so much cool stuff and they both just seem like such cool and interesting girls. they just give the vibe that it would be so fun to get dinner with them and talk about their experience of teenage fame because they both seem to have some really interesting and complex insights about it.)

logical - B- tbh this song is kinda boring to me. it's fine but i just think it's a theme that is explored better in other songs. the one line i really like is "if rain don't pour and sun don't shine" because i like to imagine that it's a reference to taming of the shrew act iv scene v.

get him back! - A+ SO GOOD COME ON GET HIM BACK IS SO GOOD AHHHHHH i get mad thinking about the music video bc the iphone lens makes it so weird and i think this could've had an even better video without the iphone gimmick but holy cow this song is so good. it's so clever, it's so fun, it ROCKS. (though this is the point on the album where i start to get annoyed by all the production quirks, i think they are fun on a couple songs but we don't need the "is this the song with drums" thing, just play the song. there's only so much studio chatter that makes a song fun before it gets a little grating to listen to every time i want to play the song.) but this is a brilliant song. I WANNA MEET HIS MOM AND TELL HER HER SON SUCKS. has anyone ever more perfectly captured how it feels to be nineteen. ugh this song is so good.

love is embarrassing - A i actually really like this song and i think it's a really nice spiritual closer to sour. it does such a nice job of reflecting but in a funny, tongue-in-cheek, self aware way that i think is so appealing and cute. i love "you found a new version of me and i damn near started world war three" as a callback to "another actress i hate to think that i was just your type" and i LOOOVE the outro with "i'm planning out my wedding with some guy i'm never marrying" which i think is a fantastic line. i love the vocal delivery on the outro as well. (also this is an example for me of a song with no studio chatter or production gimmicks, and it's GOOD bc it's like, it doesn't need that! it's just a fun song! and i like it for that!!)

the grudge - A- honestly a beautiful song that captures a very specific feeling. i love the melody and the way she delivers "how could anybody do the things you did so easily?" the second verse is an absolute gut punch of what it feels like to come away from a toxic love. it has a couple clunkers (i'm not a fan of "trust that you betrayed, confusion that still lingers" which i think is just a bit awkward) but overall it's a lovely song and so raw.

pretty isn't pretty - A again just a really solid work. i love the guitar sound on it. and i think it does a really nice job of capturing another specific teenage emotion. one thing i love on GUTS is that it feels legitimately balanced between songs about heartbreak and songs about personal feelings and this song is one that i think does that second part very well. i really love the second prechorus line "it's in my phone it's in my head it's in the boys i bring to bed" and i think this song is really insightful and personal.

teenage dream - B my issue with this song is my same issue with hope ur ok which is that it just feels so aware of itself as AN ALBUM CLOSER and i find it a bit cloying. i think the theme is interesting and has potential but the song just annoys me because it feels kind of overdone. idk. i just don't love it. i get it and i get why it's there but i think there was a better way of closing the album in a more genuine way.

BONUS TRACKS RANKING LINK (i have to link a new post here since i hit the character limit on this post. geez lol)

#answered #anonymous #olivia rodrigo #long thoughts

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lake-archive · 9 months

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Literary Genius

AO3 Link - CATZ Discography

Fandom: Hypnosis Mic

Characters: Gentaro Yumeno, Ann Wolff (OC)

Summary: Gentaro wants to find some peace and quiet and thus enters the café he frequents. He heads to his usual spot in the corner yet someone is already occupying this space. It is the literature student he had met a few days ago… And even then nothing could prepare him for what is to come.

Tags: Yumeno Gentaro-centric, POV Yumeno Gentaro, Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, Major Original Character(s), Writers, Writing, Literature, Conversations, One Shot, POV Third Person, POV Third Person Limited, Established Relationship, Developing Relationship, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, Genderqueer Character

Words: 2,641

Inspiration is something even the biggest of authors struggle with, Gentaro Yumeno was no exception to this rule. In fact, it was only natural that he would be stuck here and there, questioning how he had written himself into yet another corner. But that was a welcoming challenge for an author to face and he would certainly not complain. It meant that he also needed a break from all this writing, having done nothing but working on his manuscript for days now. Maybe if he took his mind off things would he finally get a clear head. It always worked. After all, a professional knows when to take breaks as well and take their mind off things. He was in no rush either so he could allow himself such a detour.

Gentaro had not paid too much thought upon entering, already having headed for his usual spot at said café. And until then he had not even expected anything or anyone at all. But he would be a little surprised who he had spotted there, right at the table he would usually sit. He was not complaining in any manner to be honest, it was just something which had left him a little speechless. Especially since he had not expected this in any manner, not so soon at least. But he did not mind at all, perhaps finding this a little amusing.

A certain literary student had seated themself right on the spot, laptop open and constantly typing. Sometimes they would take a sip from the milk coffee they had ordered before getting right back to work, typing in peace. They did not make a sound whatsoever. Not a hum, not a huff, no. They were typing on their device, the fingers moving practically on their very own.

He had decided that it would not hurt at least to approach them, and so he did. “Ah, greetings. Ann–San, was it?” He began, keeping it plain and simple. It was enough to have gotten their attention, at first taking a quick gasp before lifting their own head up in one swoop, being greeted by Gentaro’s face which had been graced with a light smile.

It had them caught off guard, at least a little, and even more once the two came face to face. “Y… Yu… Yumeno–Sensei!? Where did you come from!?” They asked, as if in some type of shock.

“Me? Oh I have manifested from thin air.”

“E… Excuse me?”

“Haha, of course not. That was a lie.” He added a chuckle right at the end of it, knowing that they may have almost believed him, given their face. And yet, it would become a flat expression all the same once they heard that sentence out of his mouth. They were far from impressed.

“Of course… Right…”

“Are thou disappointed?” He decided to ask them as he seated himself right at the other end of the table, or was about to. “Oh, apologies. I have not asked thee yet if thou wish for someone’s presence.”

“You mean if I mind?” They asked, as if just wanting to make sure before adding: “No, not at all. Go ahead.”

“Thank you.” He then pulled the chair a little back before seating himself right on it, facing the young person once more, this time on an eye–to–eye level, or at least somewhat. “May I ask what thou art doing at a place like this?”

“It’s a popular spot for students. It’s usually quiet and the drinks are cheap. But good too.” They responded, then finishing up the rest of their coffee it seems before placing the cup back down onto the table. “It’s a good place to get some work done.”

“Is that why thou art so focused?”

“Yeah, pretty much.”

“Oh, I did not mean to interrupt.”

“Nah, all good. I’m not working on something for uni anyway.” They assured him, even smiling, if ever so slightly. “And there’s no deadline either.”

Work with no deadline? That had him curious in some way until he remembered something from their very first encounter.

“Not exactly… It helps me improve as well! There’s so much stuff I did not know of yet! So many genres to write! And by that I mean the different ways to tell a story!”

Right, they have hinted at the possibility of them being an eager writer themself. Wait no, it had been pretty much confirmed. Because during the reading it was as if he had been able to hold a dialogue with Ann themself, one even too much for any of the other literary students. It was as if he had held a dialogue with a fellow author… If not beyond.

They had almost interrogated him about one of his novels, asking so many detailed questions: About specific metaphors, imagery, vocabulary and even the characters’ names. They really wanted to know as much as possible. Of course he was happy to answer that at least one person in the room had been genuinely interested in the thought process for one of his works.

And yet, at the same time, it felt as if they had seen through him at points. Not in regards to personal events but why he had chosen the things he did. It was as if they had done a thorough study of his book, leaving even the professors in the room speechless. One of said professors almost wanted to put an end to Ann’s inquiry yet Gentaro insisted on allowing them to continue. He wanted to have this conversation. And it was a good thing that he did, because so many revelations have hit him at once. They were able to ask about so much in depth, one had to wonder how long they prepared for it. And when he had asked them after the reading was over they had only tilted their head.

“Prepared?” They said, as if he had just asked something outrageous. “I read it once. I only marked paragraphs to have an easier time finding them.“

It was a casual read. They had only read his novel once yet managed to point out so many details and predict his thought process in its tiniest pieces, even making connections most in the room had not actively thought about while writing yet they made sense in hindsight.

Even the professors had been impressed, one of them had his glasses nearly fall off in fact. Another had his mouth open like a fish. And yet another was just looking between Ann and an opened novel, mumbling ‘That’s an excellent point’ or ‘How did I not point it out in my thesis?’ and even ‘How does one notice that with only one readthrough!?’ They all wondered in union what this student was even doing here of all places, staring at them in disbelief for the rest of the reading.

It was not something Gentaro predicted himself. It was the equivalent to a fictional scenario. How can such a person exist? Even he had been baffled in the end… This literary student was like no other, it had not been difficult to tell. They spoke from experience but also said these things as if they were natural.

It was after this reading he knew for a fact that they were fascinating, an interesting person he would like to know more about. Ann was an odd one out and this part just so happened to also have peaked his interest. They were not just a ‘not so normal citizen’ but also too well versed in the world of literature. They are of interest, perhaps they are even beyond his comprehension. ‘How did they not make it big yet? They are not that much younger than me’, another mystery about them going through his mind.

Sure, he is singing them praise in that regard but he was truly impressed. It is not something you see everyday if ever… Usually people speak of geniuses in music or science but literature has its own geniuses. And they seemed to be one of them. At least when it came to the analysis of such texts. And yet he was certain that they had another surprise in store for him…

“Working on thy story I assume?” It was a good guess to be honest yet Gentaro took his chances. There were only two outcomes: Either he was correct or he wasn’t. But he was, of course he was. It was a little too obvious to him and they were not even trying to hide this in any way.

“Yeah, pretty much.” They responded with an eager smile. “Though I got carried away, three full chapters are already completed. I can’t stop once I start.”

“Three? For how long has thou been seated at this place?” He asked, curious. Either these chapters were extremely short or—

“Hmm… Three or four hours I think.” They responded, making his own eyes go wide for a moment. That— No wait, they only said chapters. That can mean a lot. And besides, they had just gotten started. Maybe it was a throwaway idea or something.

“Is that so? What type of stories, if thou do not mind sharing.” He asked, not expecting much of it and yet… The shock, no, the terror on his face was something one would have to witness. It was a face unusual for the young yet acclaimed author, one he would rarely make if ever. He himself had almost forgotten, it has been so long. But he had never felt such terror, at least not in such a sense nor related to any of this. Regret almost overcame him and yet it was oddly fascinating… Though more in hindsight. He himself believed to have been part of some fictional reality. Can someone like this truly exist? Was this in the realm of possibilities? It sounded so absurd and yet, it had all occurred in front of him so he had to believe it. Or come to terms with it.. Even if it was a little difficult to keep up, given how much Ann was talking at once.

“Oh, not at all. It’s a story I thought of a few days ago. You see, I’m playing this game recently focusing on idols and the points they raise about the industry is interesting. While playing I got this idea of this jerk of an idol, the protagonist. Not very likable and yet once the story progresses one learns more about his situation it is meant to have an understanding that his surroundings shaped him the way he is, specifically his very own mother. On the other he learns more about life thanks to his friend who he doesn’t know his friend is until way later. The two hate each other at first yet this friend learns more, around the same time as the reader. She wants to help later and does not just help him come to realize his cruel ways but also that he never had a choice in anything, his mother did. But freedom tastes so sweet for him. And even then, he denies it at first until—”

And yet, a pause all of a sudden. And yet Gentaro himself was only looking at Ann in utter disbelief, though admittedly he also had gotten a little lost in the plot they were talking about. It sounded a bit messy yet it was an interesting idea, surely something which could turn into a coherent plot once it started to take shape. And yet, it was so much… Especially if this idea was truly a few days old. Because they recited this with such passion, such energy and even with the utmost confidence and vigor. There was passion behind it and they could tell him so much. He did not even have to ask, they would get to it eventually. The vision was clear, they knew what they were talking about.

“Ah– Sorry! I got carried away, didn’t I?” They probably had noticed the face he made, sooner than he did. He had zoned out on top of that, just overwhelmed with all of this. “It will probably take a little bit until people can read it, you know. I'm a little excited about sharing it.”

“No, that is quite alright.” He spoke once more finally, trying to keep his composure. A few days… Surely this must be a rough idea, a concept. And they just couldn't wait. After all, planning any story out can take up a great amount of time. Maybe he could give his own input if need be. “Share as much as thou wish.”

“Really!? It won't be too much!?”

“No, not at all.” Big mistake.

“Th… Then… I should start with the characters first and go from there! I have their profiles saved!”

A quick shock overcame Genraro, hom sitting there frozen. Literally. “Character… Profiles?“

“Yeah, this one!” Ann responded, turning around their device in his direction… To be greeted with an organized wall of text. Name, age, nationality, birthday, height, weight, sexuality, blood type, likes, dislikes, general attitude, fears, strengths, flaws, weaknesses, family, important relationships, backstory – And not just for one. The further he scrolled the more characters he saw, all having the same amount of detail. Information which may not all be relevant in the story but perhaps for someone who truly wanted to understand their characters. In fact, each character may as well be able to tell a story of their own. Pages upon pages worth of information, each having at least 5 pages worth of information. Even the cat in the story got his own very profile in the same format.

With each page his face grew paler and paler. This was just character building apparently, yet the amount of detail… He would need weeks to compile all of that. And yet they have compiled so much information in just a few days…

“Uhm… Ann–San? When thou have said that thou worked on it for a few days–”

“Five days.“

“FIVE DAYS!?” He couldn’t help himself at that moment, yelling by sheer accident. This much progress in five days, the plot in itself done and the characters more than fleshed out… This author just wanted to fall off his own chair. And yet, he couldn’t, trying to keep his composure and noticing his slip up which he had to excuse just now.

Especially after their head tilt. “Hm? Is something wrong?”

“N… No, of course not. It is just… I am impressed with thy work ethic. Thou finished so much in a short amount of time.”

“Eh? Short? Isn’t it normal? Besides, I think you ‘re faster, aren’t you?”

“If I asked for a writer’s block lasting for a good while…” He mumbled, thinking aloud by accident and they seemed to have heard it, only tilting their head in more confusion.

“Writer’s… Block? Yumeno–Sensei, what are you talking about?”

And that was the last straw. He first eyed them yet again, only seeing their ever so innocent yet clueless expression… Before falling face down onto the table. This wasn’ t actually happening, was it? Who were they? No, really… Ann is something else entirely. As a person and especially as an author… They are interesting while being a league of their own.

“Ann–San… Did thou ever feel like not having an idea, no matter what you do?”

“A writing idea? Hmm… No, not really.”

“Never in your life? Not once?”

“No, not once.”

“May I ask for thy secret? Author to author of course.”

“Secret? I… I don’t know! I don’t think there is a secret… Except… Hmm… Maybe having too many ideas? Uh…”

“Thou has no clue thyself?”

“Nope, sorry! But is it that big of a deal? I mean–”

“Nevermind…”

Yeah, their potential is insane.

#Nimue's Lake #fanfiction #fanfic #fic #hypnosis mic #hypmic #hypnosis mic oc #hypmic oc #gentaro yumeno #yumeno gentaro #hypmic gentaro #oneshot

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osatokun · 1 year

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Hello!

This is going to be a bit spontaneous, but I really love your OCs and art. Your passion for their stories is contagious, and your art gives really magical vibe (also you draw backgrounds. That's like extra level of awesomeness to your already awesome work). You're a huge inspiration of mine and I wanted to let you know that and thank you for your incredible work 💕💕💕

And after your post about some other characters you played I became curious about man with some sort of spiritual owl and bug on him :]

As far as I understand, his name is Juhani. I thought you might want to share some information about him? Maybe in form of answer to "⚽ Soccer Ball" from the ask game :D

Have a nice day!

Hello! Thank you very much! Charlie is the most important OC I ever had, his story is the thing that unironically helps me to survive on daily basis. To process a lot of feelings, to escape horrible reality, to think of myself better (because he totally have better esteem than I), to make my life a bit better and have hope for better future. So I'm always happy to know people likes how I picture his story, and it even inspires them, thank you <3

Juhani (Jussi) Hyljenen is a Ravnos vampire, embraced somewhere in 1975th. He is a grumpy, very shy and introverted IT guy, with the spiritus powers. The spider is a Weaver spirit who is both his teacher and provider of the connection with the spirit world. He is able to talk to tech, by hearing and internally "playing" the music (that is the voice the spirits inside). For example, to talk to the pc or a tv he starts from playing on noise on the monitor as it was strings. Of course no one but him can see it that way. Not sure I described it good and it sounds understandable haha For him and his sire embracing was a good contracted work. When he was a human his sight kept on going down and nothing helped. Rosemary (his sir) offered him to become her ghoul so he'll keep his eyes and in return help her to adapt in a changing world. She herself was a total 0 in a modern stuff. Later on she embraced him and showed him the world of spirits and occult magic. However she died in the Week of Nightmares in 99s, diablerised by unknown vampire. Jussi was safe, staked and hidden. The chronicle he was in took place in 2001 in Poland. He was still mourning his sire, the only one he was close to, he even slept in her fur coats. During the game he helped a fae creature, who led him and the coterie to the land of the old Tzimisce , who harmed the land with new and weird rituals. They were followed by a Ravnos who everyone but Juhani treated by foe. He said that Rose's soul survived diablerie and there is a chance that she won the body of her killer. So Juhani kept helping him during the game, secretly. In the end, Juhani talked local spirits (?)/ fae creatures to help them reach the final destination and they asked to free their sister in return. Turned out that the old Tzimisce kept a changeling in his prison (and a couple or weird vampires, I don't really remember them haha). The changeling lady could be freed only if someone take place of a fairytale prince and lead her to Arcadia (and probably never return to our world). So Juhani take the place of the prince. In the very end, when the coterie and that one Ravnos run through changeling plane of umbra to escape the Tzimisce's castle, the Ravnos asked Juhani if he wants to know who killed his sire. And Juhani finally gave up to his hopes to return the past and denied the offer. He never learned that his sire's soul really won the body of her killer and she was always there. She was that one Ravnos.

Now Juhani exists somewhere in Arcadia (I hope) with his changeling wife. It was different storyteller, but I always end up with changelings haha

Juhani's abilities and appearance is heavily based on the character from Charlie's chronicle, Johnathan. However his IT powers comes from tremere path.

and Rose's character and appearance was based on Ellie, ravnos witch that Charlie met during the chronicle

#juhani #ravnos #ask #vtm

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monsterfloofs · 2 years

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Jack O Lantern, Queensland Blue, and Fairy Tale can have me ANY day 😩👀

Whenever you have time/inspiration could you maybe write a romantic and/or thirst fic/head cannon for all three of them please? 😳🥺

I am sorry this sat for a while in my inbox I. . . geniunely didn’t know how to properly answer this? x////Dc

You thirsty anon you!

This is gonna sound silly, but I actually had to look up what a thrist fic was. I kinda knew what that was? But not exactly? And afterwards googling it, I-- ahhhh still don’t have a good grasp on the best way how to write that pspspspsp orz (I am sorry please for give my demi brain, sometimes I understandy- other times I stare at it with the most logic brain ever and it goes right over my head haha)

Since all three of them caught your eye. I can talk a little bit about them, if that would suffice? ://D

Mostly the pumpkin heads were a character design challenge and I didn’t think too, too hard on their personalities, though I do have some generalized thoughts that I can share from while I was drawing them!

The Jack-O-Lantern Pumpkin: Heckle

He has the most grounded personality of the three since someone was also interested in him! And I wrote that short! Design wise was absolutely inspired by the halloween trickster kind of character archetype.

Giggly, giddy, and goofy! A mischevious imp.

Most noticablly enjoys dressing up and giving mortals a good fright or playing pranks on them when the veil between worlds is thin. They enjoy sneaking around in corn mazes especially, mascerading as a scarecrow to spook unsuspected passersby. Those who get lost in mazes that seem to go on forever is part of his doing. And why wouldn't he be a pal and come along to get you back safe and sound? Though while he enjoys scaring folks he isn't exactly malicious. And if he realizes he has taken a joke too far will drop his act. Will stop his shenanigans to soothe / aid scared children too. A lost child can be found with a grinning pumpkin as a token apology gift and has been given lots of candy (much to their agreived parents.)

Like that sign that says, “Unattended children with be give espresso and a free puppy” ? Have you ever seen that one? Because that’s really along the lines of what Heckle does do.

Heckle in recent years of bounding around in the human world has realized as advancements in technology has grown so exponentially, that his own image can pass easier amoungst the many other sea of costumes that are out and about on Halloween. And he LOVES that! If there isn’t any reservations at your Halloween Party, he’ll probably be there. Heck, he will probably we there even if it was an exclusive party. He is tricky like that.

In a relationship, I see Heckle as being a PEST.

Playfully bantering with you, telling jokes, doing silly things. (Might be a little bit of a cheeky pervert under the right conditions)

But all in all, if your scowl breaks into a smile, or even-- gasp-- laughter?? He has done his job well and will continue with gusto.

Queensland Blue: Unnamed

Her design is most influenced by the Headless Horseman I think. And I see her personality balanced between Heckle and the Fairytale pumpkin. Has a streak of mischief to her, but will stand up for what she thinks is right. Will bend or break some rules along the way to make sure good people get what they deserve. And will also see to it, that wicked folks get there come'uppins. Is a hellion to those who think they can belittle others.

And what better way to knock pompous primadonnas down a few pegs, than a real good scare?

She has a protective streak, and also possibly a jealous one too? Strong willed and typically level headed until something clashes with her morals. Then the sword is drawn. (Figuratively and literally)

As a lover I feel like she would need someone that she could feel safe to let her guard down around. Even if it's for a just a short period of time? Perhaps a secret romantic? She will never admit it.

Fairytale: Unnamed

Fairytale has the most moral compass out of the other two. Heart of gold. Nay, you shan’t scare the kind people! Have at thee evil do’er! What you would expect from a gallant prince that has come to sweep you off your feet! Tender hearted and a little naive to the evil that is around them. They choose to be kind first and foremost. Sometimes that gets them into trouble, they are also reckless when it comes to matters of the heart. If something strikes them as immoral, it's definately act first, think later. :'3c

Also is the most romantically inclined, has big dreams of finding their one true love whom they will serenade with love songs, and take them on a romantic carriage ride through the night. 💫

#exophilia #sfw #pumpkin head #head canon #monster x reader #monster x human #floofyrambles #floofyocs

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hmel78 · 4 years

Text

In conversation with Long Distance Calling ...

Very occasionally I come across a record that really stops me in my tracks. “TRIPS”, from Munster based “post rockers” ‘LONG DISTANCE CALLING’ [released April 29th], did just that. Appropriately titled - “TRIPS” - the bands 5th studio album, takes you on a journey through a soundscape of rock, pop, metal, alternative, and ... Prog! Along the way, the band themselves saw a change of line-up (the amicable departure of Martin Fischer, and the addition of Norwegian vocalist Petter Carlson), suffered the deaths of 5 grandparents, and experienced the birth of a child - so on a number of levels, this record pushed them out of their comfort zones ; but ... ... ... they’ve created something that is truly stunning. When presented with the opportunity to speak to Jan Hoffman (bass) and Florian Funtmann (guitar), I wasn’t going to refuse!

HR : As a band, ‘Long Distance Calling’ were once described as ‘living in their own bubble’ - before you entered the bubble, who or what inspired you both to become musicians?

Jan Hoffman : Wow, that´s a tricky question J Well, I always had a very strong connection to music. Not as a musician in the first place, I started playing an instrument pretty late - about 17 I think - But I always had a strong emotional connection to music since I was a kid; it made me feel good or made me cry. I always felt a strong bond. I guess that´s what made me become a guy in a band, so I could create and share my own emotions through music. I guess my first love was Michael Jackson, haha. Later I started to dig Pink Floyd, Metallica, Tool etc. I don´t really care about style as long as it´s good and it´s able to set me on fire in some way.

Flo Funtmann : There are lots of different kinds of music which inspired me to become an artist and musician myself. My first contact with music was Cat Stevens and Bob Marley, because my parents were listening to them and I really loved it. They were also listening to soul and 70s rock. When is was 9 I got my first record, as a present, which was AC/DC. From that day on I was totally in love with rock music. Soon after that I discovered Guns N Roses which was like an epiphany: “This is what I wanna do :-)”. When I got older I started to listen to different kinds of rock music and began to step into the world of death metal while still listening to all the other stuff I liked before. Nowadays I consider myself more as fan of good music in general than of a certain genre. Though I have to say my preference is still rock music.

HR : “TRIPS” is ‘Long Distance Calling’s 5th studio album, and it would actually seem that you burst the bubble, stepped outside of the box, pushed the envelope ... Is it very different to your other albums? Was it as challenging to make, as it sounds? What did producer Vincent Sorg bring to the process?

FF : The whole process of writing, rehearsing and recording the album was very challenging but fun at the same time. For this record we knew we had to do something different than before. We knew we had to get out of our comfort zone and Vincent was the right guy to do the job. He pushed us to try harder and to question every idea someone came up with. He pushed us to work harder on arrangements, grooves and melodies. He also was like an observer sometimes because we had so many ideas for this album that we needed someone to separate good from bad and ok from awesome.

JH : I don´t think it´s very different from the last album, ´cause we also had about half of the songs with vocals there and we had one vocal song on every album so far in the past. But I think it´s the most emotional and diverse album we have done so far. Like you said, we pushed the envelope and tried to leave our comfort zone, and we are really happy how it turned out.

HR : For anyone who might never have heard your music until now - what should they expect from listening to “TRIPS”? Is it true to say that they may never have heard anything quite like it before? If someone said “Oh you sound like ...” - Who would you feel most proud to be compared to?

JH : It´s hard to say from the band´s perspective but I really think we have created something unique. It´s a trip through different sounds and styles, all under the LDC umbrella. I could live with the term “Modern day Pink Floyd” probably.

FF : I always say we sound a bit like an modern and heavier version of ‘Pink Floyd’, who spent a day in the desert jamming with ‘Kyuss’ while listening to ‘the Cure’. Actually it’s not easy to classify our music and especially “TRIPS” in one certain genre. Of course it is rock music. Maybe atmospheric rock. HR : What is your favourite track on the album? JH : Wow, that´s hard to say! It changes from time to time (which is good I guess) but I reeeeally like “Rewind” and “Plans”. All in all, I´m really into all the songs on the album and I am proud of it.

FF : Yeah that’s a difficult question because at the moment I like all of them very much. I can say that I like “Getaway” a lot because it´s something we have never done before and I totally love 80s Action Movie soundtracks. Beside that I really like “Plans” because it´s split in two different styles - The first half is very chilled and dark, while the second half is just simply stadium rock.

youtube

HR : Have you started to think about a 6th album? How far are you prepared to push the boundaries of your own creativity as a band? Do you think you have found a working formula that you are going to stick with for a while? Will you return to just instrumentals, or will Petter Carlson remain as vocalist?

JH :We are not really thinking about it yet J. We want to enjoy the new stuff now for a while and we never plan in advance, we just go with the flow. And we try to avoid formulas! Regarding Petter: definitely maybe J

FF : That’s true - for us every album stands alone. There is this whole cycle with writing, recording, waiting for the release and touring for every album. After this is finished we start to think about our next album. I know that on our next album there will again be something different from the previous ones because we like to experiment and try new things. Like you said to push the boundaries of our own creativity. You never know what will happen. And I love to do it like this!

HR : You’re heading out on tour soon. In the past you have toured with some big names, and played at some huge festivals - what has been the LIVE highlights of your careers so far?

JH : Yes, we can´t wait to finally hit the road again soon! We were really lucky with tour supports in the past, that´s right. There are many highlights but for me personally maybe the show at Rock am Ring and the shows with ‘Deftones’ and ‘Dredg’.

FF : There were lots of great things to remember. For me as a music fan it´s always nice to play shows with your idols and to find out that they are really nice guys. When we toured in Russia that was very nice and special as well, because I just thought: “holy shit – I am the guitar player in a band - like 50% of the people I know are as well and I get the chance to play in Moscow and St. Petersburg and there are actually people coming to see me/us perform on stage!” In general I love to travel the world and see places that I might had never seen without being in the band. I´m very thankful that I have the chance to do what I do, and people are interested in what I do.

HR : There’s a recurrent theme throughout “TRIPS”, and that’s time travel. There’s a great lyric in the song ‘Presence’ that says : “We all have our time machines don’t we? Those that take us back are memories, and those that carry us forward are dreams”.If time travel was ever invented, and you had the opportunity to explore - where would you go first? JH : That’s very good, tricky, and dangerous question! I think it´s good that it´s not invented (yet?) because we are human, and humans tend to do stupid things. Maybe I only would go back to one day in my childhood just to see if this matches with my memories and to see my (now dead) grandma and grandpa in a good time of their lives.

FF : I would go back to the late 70s to steal ‘Bostons’, “More Than A Feeling” and become rich as f@ck :-)

Jan Hoffman Flo Funtmann

Further musings with Jan ...............

LONG DISTANCE CALLING - BOUNDLESS

2018 is already looking like a great year for new music - starting with the forthcoming masterpiece from German post-rockers ‘Long Distance Calling’. “Boundless” once again finds the band as a 4 piece - Florian Funtmann (guitar) , Jan Hoffman (bass), Janosch Rathmer (drums), and David Jordan ( lead guitar) - and their return to producing a fully instrumental album. I will admit that it came as a surprise to me following the success of 2016’s “TRIPS”, which sits firmly in my Top 10 albums of all time, and incorporated, for me, a perfect balance of vocal and instrumental tracks. So, curious to know what prompted the decision to return to instrumentals, I caught up briefly with bassist Jan Hoffmann :-

JH : We just started writing last January without any plan behind it, but realised pretty quickly how easy and fun the writing process was with just the four of us in a room, like in the early days, so we decided to go on like this, and go a bit back to our beginnings as a band. As much as we like the last two albums, they were pretty complicated to write - but we needed to leave our comfort zone back then. Now we feel well, and comfortable, to be back to the core of the band and let the chemistry between us do the tricks.

HR : For some people, it’s difficult to listen to instrumental albums because there’s often a need for lyrics that help to tell a story - what were you imagining when you were creating the songs?

JH : When we write songs (especially instrumental songs), we always want to create a soundtrack to a feeling and this topic was very important for the new album. It should be the soundtrack to the life and to a journey into the unknown, that´s why the album is called “Boundless”.

HR : You know, they are soundtracks to feelings. I was drawn in from the first listen, and I think you capture emotion in a number of ways - which is almost impossible to try to explain to anyone who hasn’t yet heard the album, so we should let listeners know what to expect ... In three words Jan, can you describe the album? JH : Wow, that´s difficult haha but ok: DARK, INTENSE, BEAUTIFUL

And I agree entirely! I feel that the band have every right to be proud of what they have created with “Boundless” - it really is nothing short of phenomenal. It’s very thoughtfully composed and a compelling listen, from start to finish. If you’re particularly into soundscapes and soundtracks, then you MUST check it out - equally, if you’re a fan of prog, hard edged melodic rock, with maybe some electro thrown in, or if you just simply love the sound of soaring guitars, then I’m sure you will hugely appreciate this record too.

Judge for yourself on February 2nd 2018, when “Boundless” is released through InsideOut music. More info at www.longdistancecalling.de In the meantime, here’s their official video for “Out There”

youtube

#prog rock #guitar #new music #bass #trips #progressive rock #rock music #atmospheric #Youtube

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prezaki · 3 years

Note

hello!! i saw your lychee light club iceberg and as someone who just got into it i was curious and wondering if you could explain the last two levels of the iceberg? i havent heard of those yet

Of course!

The Zera Handprint Jacket is this piece of collab merch, with which you can have Zera grabbing your butt every day of the week:

Raizou's blog posts used to be a cute feature on the now defunct LHC website - the news blog was run entirely from her perspective, with tons of emoji, and a few nice daily life anecdotes of the club. I wish I had saved those somewhere, I somehow didn't expect the website to go down. Maybe I will check for it on waybackmachine at some point....

The 80s play details... Well, Tokyo Grand Guignol performances were pretty raw and would probably not fly under current safety regulation standards etc. They had the actors fight with real iron pipes and they used genuine pig guts to display the gore parts. It was a very specific and involved type of underground theatre.

The iron dicks are... well, the plot of the original was a little different from the plot Furuya wrote for his manga adaptation. In the original, the boys had all sworn to chastity (eternal virginity as a way of not growing up) and the way of doing so was to replace their dicks with... iron pipe dicks. Which Jaibo at some point uses to fuck a TV.

Kazuo Umezu's manga I am Shingo was part of Ameya's inspiration for writing the original play. I am Shingo is about two kids interacting with an AI that slowly gains sentience and 'a human heart', so to speak. Kanon's 80s counterpart Marin is named after the heroine of this manga.

The Gender Pancake was not as much as an incident as I make it sound, haha. In 2014 there was a pop up limited time café offering various LHC inspired foods. One of the dishes was this:

It was called something like "Raizou's androgynous maiden heart" and since at the time the fandom was much bigger and the vast majority of fans used 'he/him' pronouns for Raizou, the trans allegory of this pancake was a piece of "evidence" in the other direction.

I lost what the actual kanji for the pancake were and I do NOT trust my 2014 era translation of it much though, so the pancake is not really to be taken seriously, it's just a wacky fandom memory.

The Russian Fan Stage Play is just as it sounds. Fans put it to the stage in 2012 and it looks genuinely awesome, it's fantastic work!

And finally.... irl Hiroyuki Tsunekawa, the actor who played Zera in the original 80s play, is deeply unhappy about the success of Furuya's version overwriting the Tokyo Grand Guignol version in public consciousness. He does not believe that the more fandomified version of Furuya (and especially its spin-offs like the movie or dance show) convey any of the spirit and artistry of the original.

No video recordings of the original play remain but he does own an audio only version that he would hold showings for while the movie was also in theatres, so he could bring the original closer to people.

(Meanwhile Norimizu Ameya one of the authors of the original play and TGG troupe leader is on good terms with Furuya!)

#asks #litchi hikari club

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jkstompers · 4 years

Text

just to study | jjk

pairing: jeon jungkook x female reader

summary: your seat partner asks if you’re free after class, just to study.

genre: fluff, college!au, established friendship, flirtationship, mutual pining, they go to a ‘frat’ party together, also yugyeom! a sweetheart<3 we love him.

warnings: mature!!, mentions of alcohol + alcohol consumption, mentions of sex, strong language, SEXUAL TENSION, mentions of dick sucking??, hints of a wet dream on oc’s end, very strong urges to kiss each other but no kisses today </3, that’s pretty much it!

word count: 7.4k (i...kinda went overboard)

authors’ note: hello!! this is a pt. 2 to sleepyhead! it’s based a few weeks after so yeah <3 also the pacing is kind of weird but… i don’t really know how being drunk is so............(＞人＜) i’m sorry about that! one scene was inspired by this post haha it was just so cute to think about i had to do it. ALSO i literally haven’t taken anatomy since high school so i just used random terms from quizlet T_T pls excuse that as well! but otherwise, enjoy!!!!!!!!! (っ^_^)っ

(if u see any typos...ignore them pls T_T)

side note: imagine jk looking like this when he goes to the party lmao classic fboy look with the camo bomber and his piercings ugh <3

banner pic creds here ! <3

you made it to class on time today, woke to your alarm and even had enough time to eat breakfast before you came. in a particularly good mood, you made your way up the stairs to the row jungkook was sitting in, hoping that the seat next to him was empty (you didn’t have to hope, jungkook always saved the seat next to him for you, no matter what.)

“good morning, ___!” jungkook’s voice greets you the same as always as soon as you appear next to him. he moves his bag out of the way for you to sit down.

he looks especially cute today. his long floppy hair framing his face, his sweet smile beaming up to you. you wonder how dumb you looked drooling over him for a minute before you replied, “hi jungkook, how are you?” with the same smile on your face that you show him every time he sees you. it never changes, but it never fails to make jungkook’s heart skip a beat.

“i’m doing okay, you?” he answers while you pull out your laptop.

you didn’t have a chance to reply before your professor starts talking. informing the class about the test that’s planned at the end of the month, finals in two months, and then dropping the bomb that there’s a quiz tomorrow about the things you’ve learned in the past week. a slight panic takes over you, although you didn’t know why, you understood what he was teaching and you were retaining all of the information well. but when the professor pulls up all the information on the screen to review it all, all of the words and pictures overwhelm you.

to make things worse, jungkook is to your left, not paying attention to a word your professor is saying. instead, playing some game where he has to click his touchpad an obnoxious amount of times. your attention is split between jungkook’s erratic tapping and the notes that the professor projects onto the screen, even though his computer barely made any noise, his incessant movement was distracting you.

“jungkook, you’re taking notes and playing a game?” your voice comes out as a rushed whisper. there’s a snort that comes from him before he nods. you couldn’t be mad at him. “there’s a quiz on all of this tomorrow, you know?”

“i know,” he continues to tap and click, the motion growing incredibly annoying. you didn’t know why you couldn’t have just tried to block it out, but he was just so close to you and admittedly, you looked at his hands, a lot. the way that his fingers tapped against his keyboard and his veins that accentuate his already beautiful hands, it was free art you could look at, how could you not? at this point, you’re contemplating holding his hand to make him stop tapping.

you were in the middle of typing when he finally stops, leaning back and stretching his arms up into the air. you let out a sigh of relief, until he starts again. apparently he reached the next level on his game, tapping even faster, if that was even fucking possible.

quietly, you groan. turning your attention solely on him. you place your hand on top of his, the tapping ceasing almost immediately. “please, jungkook, you’re distracting me.”

he looks at your hand before he looks at you, his chocolate doe eyes wide to the action. he gulps, “sorry.”

you remove your hand, focusing back to the presentation. jungkook feels the heat from his cheeks travel to his hand. the feeling of your hand on his wasn’t something he was expecting to experience today, but he wants nothing more than for you to do it again. he exits the game tab and changes his focus to the lecture.

or moreso, you focusing on the lecture.

you look so cute. your cheek pressed up against your fist. he stares at the way that your forehead creases in concentration. he taps on your arm that’s resting on the table, “hey, you look like you’re stressed out.”

you turn your head slightly to look over to him. “that’s because i am,” you send him a quick smile before you go back to looking at the projection.

he furrows his eyebrows, “why? you’re smart, there’s no need to worry about what you get on this.” you were an a+ student, never anything less than that. jungkook knows that you ace every test that you take, so he doesn’t quite understand why you’re so stressed.

“because jungkook,” you groan. you expected a lot from yourself, sure b’s were okay, but a’s and a+’s were what you wanted and what you thought would make you feel satisfied. there was no way you could explain this without sounding like an overachiever. so you just sigh, “i’m just not really prepared.”

jungkook thinks of the perfect way to spend more time with you, snapping his fingers before suggesting, “we should study together after class, studies show that studying with someone else will give you an a+, guaranteed.” the confidence in his voice makes you smile, and helps you ease up a little bit.

you raise an eyebrow, a laugh creeping up from your lungs. “source for that statistic, sir?”

he taps his right temple, the gesture making you snort. “no but seriously, i’ll help you out,” he assures. his laptop turns towards you to show you all the notes he took, different words highlighted and colored differently.

you act like you think about it, staying quiet for a minute or so. but you know the answer was yes no matter what. “just to study?” you tease. jungkook raises his eyebrows in surprise, an amused smile on his face, “just kidding, we can go to mine? i owe you for the ride you gave me like two weeks ago.” you tap your fingers against your laptop nervously, your teeth taking in your bottom lip as you ask. you haven’t had a guy over to your apartment, not since you’ve moved in. there’s a certain anxiousness that comes with the suggestion.

jungkook nods, “sounds good.”

“okay, again.” you brush your hair behind your ears, preparing yourself once more for another pass of the flashcards. the two of you have been at it with these cards for the past hour or so, you were determined to get these right no matter how long it took. jungkook knew you were gonna get it down, you only had three more cards, these ones specifically stumping you.

“aponeuroses,” he looks at the card and then to you.

“connective tissue that forms a broad sheet which attach muscle to bone or muscle to other muscles,” you speak confidently. jungkook nods, moving onto the next card of the set of three.

“endomysium,” he reads the card. you hesitate on this one for a second, he plays with the corner of the card until you snap your fingers.

“that’s the connective tissue surrounding the… the— uh, oh! muscle fiber?” your brain works extra hard. jungkook rewards you with another nod, flipping to the last card.

“fascia.”

“dense connective tissue,” you begin, pausing to think of the rest of the answer. you start biting your thumb nail, knowing there’s more to it but it’s not coming to your brain quick enough.

jungkook just stares, watching your facial expressions as you search for the answer in your brain. this could be the worst crush he’s ever had, he thinks you’re cute when you’re just sitting there, thinking. he doesn’t remember ever liking someone this much, most of the time his crushes went away after a few weeks or so. but it’s almost been an entire year since he’s started crushing on you, and it still hasn’t stopped. you still manage to find a way to make his thoughts surround you.

“separates and holds individual tissues? it’s the one that extends into the tendons, right?” you perk up after a minute or so. your brain finally coming up with the answer. you blame jungkook’s presence for slowing you down. maybe you shouldn’t have accepted this offer to study together, because how could you focus when jeon jungkook is sitting right in front of you?

“you’re amazing,” he praises, setting the flashcards down onto the table. you blush at the compliment, jungkook takes notice, but he doesn’t mind, he thinks pink is pretty on you. he’s never wanted to kiss your cheeks as much as he did now, and trust, he’s thought about it many, many times. “all done?” he asks after staring at you for the longest time.

you nod, “just gonna highlight these terms to review them later so i can get it down 100%.”

jungkook watches as you diligently reread your notes and highlight them. an apple on the table taking his attention away for a second when he realizes he hasn’t eaten at all today. he takes a bite, the loud crunch noise seemingly startling the both of you. it makes you turn your head and raise an eyebrow towards him.

“sorry,” he chews, “hungry.”

your stare lingers a little longer than you wanted it to. his cheeks are full of apple, you can’t help but laugh a little. “there’s still the sticker on it,” you point out.

he turns the apple around to see the blue sticker. peeling it off, he holds it on his fingertip, an idea sprouting in his mind to see that sweet smile of yours again. so he places the sticker on your cheek, your gaze moving from your screen to him and then to the fruit sticker now stuck onto your cheek. “get it? ‘cause you’re sweet like this apple is,” he smiles.

oh my god. you blush embarrassingly, your entire face flushed pink as you hide your cheeks behind your hands. he laughs at your reaction. jungkook was feeling bold today, so he moves forward, gently taking your hands away from your face to see the cute pink tint he caused. he sits back, admiring your pretty face.

you feel yourself burning hotter and hotter the longer he stares, looking everywhere but his face, too scared to make eye contact. you look back to your computer screen, “um— there’s pasta in the fridge— if you’re hungry, i made it last night.” you offer, but he declines politely, telling you that he has to leave pretty soon because his friends are expecting him to join them today.

begrudgingly, you watch as jungkook packs his things up. he thinks about how content he felt hanging out with you today, and how he wanted to do it again, as soon as possible. a thought pops into his head before he opens the door to leave. he turns on his heel.

you weren’t expecting the sudden turn, accidentally bumping into his chest. “oof! sorry.”

“it’s alright,” he laughs, helping you steady yourself by holding your shoulders. “i just wanted to ask— uh, my friends are throwing a party tomorrow night, do you— do you wanna come?” his words come out jumbled, jungkook never fails to trip on his words whenever he’s near you.

tomorrow night...it’s a friday tomorrow, the quiz is tomorrow, why the fuck not? a stress reliever from all the studying you’ve done. “sure,” you answer after a minute or so of deliberation. you look up at him with a smile, suddenly realizing how close the two of you are.

your eyes flicker between his eyes and his lips, the close proximity makes you hold your breath. “great! i can pick you up? be your DD?” he quirks his head, a smile that matches yours on his face.

you nod, “yeah, i’d like that.” with that, jungkook takes a step back, widening the space between you both as his right hand goes to hold the strap of his bag.

“okay, i’ll text you the details.” before he turns around, turning the knob of your front door and letting himself out. before the door closes, he sends you a wave, one which you reflect as he pulls the door closed. you move up and lock the door, your forehead resting against the cold metal slab.

you wonder if this crush will ever advance into something more. neither of you really push the agenda, most of the time just cutely flirting with each other and only talking to each other during class. maybe this party will be a chance to further the bond the two of you have. you could only wish that you could drop this nervous shield that pops up everytime you’re around him, but jungkook is just so cool. the campus heartthrob, everyone wants to be him or be with him.

for the rest of the day, jungkook seems to occupy your mind, as he always does. when you get to sleep, the fantasies of jungkook’s lips on yours drift you into a deep sleep, one that eventually leads to a dream that has you rubbing your thighs together. his hands were all over your body, his cologne that you were so familiar with tormenting your nose, it all felt too real. so when you woke up to the sound of your alarm, sweat beaded at your hairline. you took deep breaths, cementing the fact that he isn’t here, and he certainly isn’t doing those things with you right now.

it was not helping that you dreamt of him sexually on the day of your quiz, the one that you were immensely stressing over. now, you’re gonna have to walk into class, act normal around jungkook even though your brain produced pornographic images of him, (it’s not the first time, but it’s the first time you’ve had to face him right after it happened) and ace this quiz.

you tried almost everything you could to have cleared your brain of your dream sequence. taking a shower, eating breakfast, studying once more, etc. but when you’re walking into the lecture hall, flashes of the dream and the sound of his imagined moan echo in your mind.

you walk up the stairs with your eyes down, not sure if you could make eye contact with jungkook without turning red. “hey, ___, good morning!” the familiar voice greets you.

“morning,” you reply, dryly. taking the seat next to him and silently taking your laptop out, waiting for the professor to start the quiz. jungkook seemed a bit taken aback by your cold answer, but he took into account that you’re probably just super nervous and stressed out because of the quiz, so he doesn’t take it too personally. instead, just sitting back in his chair and waiting patiently to take the quiz as well.

at this point, you were psyching yourself out, swearing that you already forgot all of the terms. if you were quizzed on the parts of male anatomy, specifically jungkook’s, then maybe you could ace it, but the terms that you were working oh so hard to memorize yesterday slip from your mind. when the professor tells you to separate and start the quiz, you start to bite your thumb nail again.

jungkook takes a look over at you, noticing the bad habit of yours. he gently takes a hold of your arm, pulling your thumb away from your teeth. the action causing you to make eye contact with him and his big doe eyes that hold so much love and light. you find yourself a bit speechless then, too many thoughts running around in your mind.

he whispers, “you’ll do great, okay?” the statement soothing your nerves. his voice somehow makes your body relax, even though you thought you would freak out if you made any sort of contact with him.

“you— you too, good luck,” you mutter. a half smile on your face. you were grateful that jungkook broke you out of your trance, his words of encouragement suddenly placing you in the testing state of mind. the images from last night's dream seem to put themselves away for now.

the next twenty minutes are complete silence. everyone focused on the questions before them. of course, you zoomed through the quiz, prepared for the trick questions and the harder ones that come up. jungkook finishes after you. it wasn’t a surprise, jungkook didn’t even have to try, you swear you’ve never seen him stress out before. nobody was perfect, you believed that, but jeon jungkook was the closest to it.

“okay, class! the quiz will be graded by tonight hopefully, you’re free to leave,” your professor alerts the class. jungkook waits patiently until you’re standing, following you down the stairs and out the door.

you decide to speak first, since you greeted him with such a dry response this morning. it wasn’t his fault that you dreamed of him on top of you, so why were you punishing him for it? “how’d you think you did?” you asked, turning to look at him.

he shrugs, “good i guess, i think i fucked up on one or two questions.”

“was it the striation part? i think i messed up on that one too.”

he shakes his head, “you know you aced that, don’t lie.”

you stay silent, the two of you walking to the campus parking lot. neither of you engage in conversation as you usually do. the images of last night’s dream slipping into your consciousness once again. you try to shake your head, to rid yourself of the thoughts. nothing else to distract you from them because jungkook was oddly silent the entire walk. you fear that he can actually read your mind and see all of your thoughts. if he could, he doesn’t mention it. not saying one word to you until he walks you to your car, greeting you with a ‘see you next class!’ before leaving to go to his car. not even mentioning the party to you, you start to wonder if he regrets inviting you. up until you heard your phone ring when you parked in the lot of your apartment complex.

[10:24 am] jungkook: hey! forgot to remind u about the party 😫

[10:24 am] jungkook: ur still down to come, right?

[10:28 am] you: hi! yeah :)

[10:28 am] you: is there a dress code or smth? haha

[10:29 am] jungkook: not that i know of 😂

[10:30 am] jungkook: u can wear anything u want

[10:30 am] jungkook: ur cute whatever u wear

[10:31 am] you: oh stop it jeon ur making me blush

[10:32 am] you: but tell me :( should i wear something casual? pants? a dress?

[10:34 am] jungkook: 😂

[10:34 am] jungkook: it’s kind of like a frat party…

[10:35 am] jungkook: so anything is okay

[10:37 am] you: ah okay

[10:37 am] you: i’ll surprise u then ;)

[10:40 am] jungkook: alright :)

[10:41 am] jungkook: i’ll come by around 9 to pick u up? sound good?

[10:42 am] you: yeah! gives me enough time to nap and get ready lol

[10:44 am] jungkook: great :) see u then cutie

you wake up from your nap around one, you had more than enough time for you to get ready for a party. so you decide to clean your apartment first, little chores to waste time before you get yourself dolled up. when you finished, it was around seven thirty. you washed your face, brushed your teeth, all that good stuff before sliding on a simple black bodycon that you got last summer. styling your hair and spraying on your favorite perfume before looking at yourself in the mirror. this wasn’t too much, right? lots of people wear stuff like this to frat parties, so you didn’t find it too fancy. the notification sound from your phone goes off, you move to check and see if it was who you were expecting.

[8:54 pm] jungkook: i’m here :)

[8:54 pm] you: ahh gimme a sec i need to pee haha

[8:55 pm] jungkook: take ur time cutie

[8:56 pm] jungkook: i’m right in front

jungkook only really had to wait about five minutes. the visual of you walking out of your apartment doors, looking the way you did, was breathtaking. his jaw drops, mouth slightly agape as he watches you walk up to his car through the passenger window. you are so gorgeous. it’s probably the first time jungkook’s seen you in clothes that really compliment your figure, most of the time you show up to class in hoodies and sweaters. so greedily, he takes in the way the dress hugs your curves deliciously. he shakes the thoughts from his head to get out of the car and open the door for you.

“what a gentleman,” you tease, getting into the car.

he joins you soon after, “you look...gorgeous.” jungkook doesn’t seem so shy now, his eyes taking in your beautiful self.

“thank you,” you blush under his stare. “is it too much?”

“no! no— not at all, all eyes will be on you tonight.” he smiles, turning the car on. now you were able to gawk over him. a simple outfit, all black with a black and white camo bomber. his side profile is perfect, his long hair draping over his face so gracefully and his piercings somehow sparkling in the dark of the car.

he doesn’t drive too far, somewhere in the suburbs where the big houses are. a huge iron gate in the front, seemingly too fancy for a frat party setting. jungkook rolls his window down to greet someone waiting in front of the gate with a couple of other guys.

“jeon! you’re late dude,” one of the guys gives him a handshake through the window.

“sorry man, i’m here now though,” jungkook laughs. the guy giving him the greenlight and opening the gate for him, jungkook parks inside on their stone driveway, decorated with a fountain and a beautiful garden.

“your friend lives here?” you inquire, impressed by the look of the place.

he nods, “fancy right? his parents are ceo’s.” makes sense, and it would also make sense as to why they were throwing a frat party here, rich sons always seem to stir up trouble whenever they’re bored.

he steps out of the car to open the door for you, always a gentleman. he takes your hand and helps you out, the two of you walking to the huge open double doors. as soon as you walk in, the smell of alcohol hits your nose, you try your best not to cringe. the blare of the speakers is the second thing you notice, along with the shouting of jungkook’s friends greeting him. “who’s this?” one of them asks, referring to you.

jungkook seems to hesitate at first, not really knowing how to introduce you. he settles by saying, “this is ___!” not attaching any ‘friend’, ‘classmate’, or anything to the introduction. his friend holds his hand out to shake yours.

you take it with a smile on your face, “i’m yugyeom, it’s nice to meet you!” a smile that reflects yours is on his face, it made you feel welcome. you were never really the type to go to parties, your time is spent working and/or going to school, but this interaction helps you ease up a little more.

“hello, yugyeom!” you reply, shouting over the music.

“do you wanna take a shot?” he asks. pointing to the enormous kitchen where they’re housing all the alcohol, you look to jungkook first who’s paying more attention to his phone rather than the conversation you were just having.

you shrug, “why not?”

yugyeom leads the two of you to the kitchen, jungkook following behind you blindly. he looks up from his phone, done with whatever business he was dealing with to ask, “where are we going?”

“taking a shot,” you answer, pointing to yugyeom who’s already pouring three shots.

“dude, i’m not drinking, don’t pour three.” jungkook tries to stop him before he fills up the third shot glass but his arm knocks yugyeom’s in the process, the bottle spilling the clear liquid into the third shot glass.

“i’ll take two,” you suggest, feeling a bit wild and down to venture out of your comfort zone.

yugyeom smiles at this, “i like her, jeon.” he hands you the two shot glasses full of vodka, jungkook stands next to you and watches as you down the first shot. your face cringing as soon as the alcohol touches your tongue.

“you didn’t even give her a chaser,” jungkook notices, scolding yugyeom who's already downed his shot and is sucking on a lime. “here, suck,” holding a slice of lime up to your lips. his choice of words disorienting you, especially since he was holding the lime up to your mouth instead of just handing it to you. your eyes flicker between the lime and his face, but nevertheless, you suck. sinking your teeth into the sour fruit. jungkook’s eyes zeroed in on how your lips wrap around the slice, slightly grazing his fingers. it’s not long before you’re making a cute scrunched up face from the sourness. “good,” he praises. you don’t deny the slight burn your lower belly felt when he said that to you. you swear he was making sex eyes to you, but you couldn’t tell. he broke eye contact with you soon after, throwing the fruit into the trash below the table that the alcohol was perched on.

yugyeom hands you another lime for your second shot, this time no jungkook to hold the fruit for you. the second shot burning down your throat with the lime chasing after, both yugyeom and jungkook cheer, congratulating you for being a trooper (even though two shots were their warmups).

the next hour or so, jungkook brings you around. he introduces you to his friends and making conversation with them. one certain group, you didn’t really enjoy. a group of five girls, clearly swarming jungkook as soon as he turned around from talking to another one of his friends. the girls ask how he’s been doing, all of the basic conversation starters. when jungkook tries to introduce you, they all turn to you and give you a little head nod before turning their attention back to jungkook. he stands there, conversing with them longer than he had with any of his other friends, and you found yourself getting, hm, jealous.

so you search around the room crowded room, looking for some way out. your eyes spot yugyeom in the backyard through the huge sliding doors, sitting on one of those lawn chairs with the one next to him empty. you decide to leave the group you were currently getting pushed out of and join yugyeom. he notices you when you step onto the grass, trying your best not to sink into the dirt with your heels. “you doing alright? where’s jungkookie?” he asks, sitting up.

you plop down onto the lawn chair next to him. “he’s in there,” you point to the house, “with five girls.”

the last bit of the sentence makes him laugh, a cackle where he holds his stomach because he was laughing so hard. “do you want a shot?” he offers after he recovers from his fit, pulling a tequila bottle out from nowhere.

but you agree, “two, please.” he fills the two shot glasses, but not completely like he did with the vodka earlier. there were no limes, or any type of chaser for you to take around, so you take the two shots like ripping off a band-aid, quick.

“you’re a funny girl,” yugyeom compliments when you’ve downed the shots.

“thanks?” you cough, the feeling of the alcohol still burning your nose and throat, “what did i say that was funny?”

“i think it’s because i’m tipsy, but that joke you made about jungkook being with five girls was hilarious.” he slaps his knee, almost making himself laugh up a storm again, but you weren’t laughing.

you raised an eyebrow, speaking with a serious tone. “it wasn’t a joke, he’s in there with five girls.”

yugyeom tries to collect himself, sitting properly on the lawn chair when he asks you to clarify, “you mean he’s fucking them? or he’s talking to them?”

you’re silent for a second before replying, why did you say it like he was in there fucking them? maybe it’s because he might as well be, so engrossed in whatever the hell they were saying to even notice that you were gone. “just talking to them,” you reply.

“that’s what i thought, jungkook isn’t like that anymore,” yugyeom nods his head, pouring another shot out for you.

“anymore?” you ask. he hands you the shot, you hesitate this time, starting to feel the effects of the first four shots you took. he doesn’t push you to take it. he just leans back onto the lawn chair as he sighs.

“you could say he’s retired,” he shrugs.

the term makes you laugh, “...a retired fuckboy?” you sit back into the lawn chair as well, looking up to the night sky. the shot glass forgotten on the table next to you. your body feels like it’s floating.

“yeah, he hasn’t really been doing stuff like that recently,” yugyeom spills. you stay quiet after he feeds you this information. yugyeom offhandedly telling you that you shouldn’t be jealous makes you feel guilty. why were you even jealous? jungkook was technically still just a friend to you. just because the two of you flirt every now and then doesn’t mean you’re together. of course he would be surrounded by girls, just look at him!

“there you are! i was looking all over for you,” jungkook interrupts your inner monologue. his voice comes from across the lawn, you look up to see him walking over to you and yugyeom.

“hi, jungkookie,” you smile up at him. the alcohol having more of an effect on you the longer you let it sit in your stomach.

he almost freezes up at the nickname, looking over to yugyeom and asking, “did you tell her to call me that?”

yugyeom holds his hands up in innocence, “i didn’t tell her to do anything, she’s like five or six shots deep though.”

you take the shot that was forgotten on the table and down it. “six,” you clarify.

“alright, slow down, iron liver,” jungkook jokes. yugyeom stands from the lawn chair, receiving jungkook’s telepathic signals to get the fuck up to he could talk and hang out with you.

“play beer pong with me later, ___! i’m gonna go look for eunwoo,” yugyeom points to you, giving you a thumbs up before leaving the backyard and moving into the house.

“feeling okay? think you might throw up soon?” jungkook asks, replacing yugyeom in the chair next to you.

“feel like i’m surfing, you know? like wavy,” you answer. the feeling was hard to explain, you weren’t dizzy but at the same time your brain was telling you to stop moving, even though you were completely still.

“ah, you’re getting there,” jungkook snorts. you didn’t have much willpower to answer, so the two of you sit there in a comfortable silence before a group of people coming towards, all greeting jungkook and you. they offer you a red cup, despite your current predicament. leaning against the chair and your droopy eyes, telling them that you’ve taken too many shots. a lightweight at her peak.

jungkook tries to deny it for you, but with a smile, you accept the cup. it was filled with the fancy mixed alcohol juice they had. “thank you,” you place the cup onto the table, “i’ll drink it.... later..” your words begin to draw themselves out. jungkook somehow finding a way to make the entire group leave, making it just the two of you again.

“give it to me, you’re starting to slur your words.” his hand is open, laying on the table and waiting for you to surrender the cup.

your eyes flicker from the red cup, to his face, then to his hand. a smirk on your face when you hold the cup up to your lips, tilting it back and drinking the cursed juice. you weren’t able to down it all, it was too much, you drank maybe ⅔ of it. you cough, taking in a deep breath as you try to steady yourself.

you weren’t sure if it was because you were drunk, but the way that his face looks in the moonlight was so pretty. so you just had to tell him. leaning forward, you speak, almost a whisper, “you’re so handsome.” you drag your finger across the expanse of jungkook’s hand. “did you know i have no gag reflex?” you smile, not your typical sweet smile that he’s used to, but a devilish grin.

jungkook’s eyes widen, his cheeks flushing immediately at your remark. “alright, you drank way too much.” he takes the red cup from your hands, dumping it out onto the grass in front of you both.

“hey, i wasn’t done,” you pout, but jungkook didn’t give you much time to mourn your spilled drink before he was holding your arm, lifting you from the lawn chair you were sitting on. “where are we going?” you ask, trailing behind him with your hand in his.

“gonna get you some water and something to eat,” he answers. the two of you move through the house, jungkook pushes through groups of people and makes sure you’re safe behind him.

“i have to pee.” you tip toe to tell him your emergency in his ear. he stops at the stairs, knowing a bathroom where no one else goes. his friend specifically telling him to use that bathroom when they have parties because the other ones get way too gross.

he brings you up the stairs to the guest bedroom, opening the door to reveal one of the biggest rooms you’ve seen. “the bathroom is there,” jungkook points to the door on the left. you nod, your wobbly legs making their way to the toilet.

jungkook sits on the bed patiently, waiting for you to finish. he hears the flush and the sound of the sink running, the door opens and you’re coming out of the bathroom, pulling your dress down. “are we gonna have sex?” you utter, slurring the end of your sentence. your alcohol poisoned mind taking over your ability to speak.

his eyes widen at the question. “no! no— oh my god, this is just the room with the cleanest bathroom, we’re not—“

you’re next to him now, “you don’t want to?” you pout. glassy eyes looking into his.

“no! i mean, yes, i want to but— fuck, just— just not now, yeah?” jungkook stumbles over his words, his face blushing a blood red. your pretty face peering up at him makes him even more flustered, his hands start to sweat.

“okay,” you nodded. your drunken brain deciding to stop the interrogation of jungkook’s desire for you. to which jungkook lets out a sigh of relief, taking your hand and bringing you out of the room, down the stairs, and out into the driveway. he brings you to his car, opening the passenger door for you. “wait, are we leaving already? yugyeomie wants me to play beer pong with him,” you complain, wiggling your hand from his grasp.

goosebumps appear on your arm when you make it outside of the house. jungkook notices when he turns around to look at you. without a second thought, he takes his jacket off and places it over your shoulders. the newfound warmth shielding you from the cold night. he didn’t mind the breeze, especially since he was still recovering from the stunt you pulled in the guest room.

“we can come back later if you want, let’s just go grab something to eat first so you won’t regret this tomorrow morning.” his explanation is pretty solid according to your drunken brain, so you oblige, moving to sit in his passenger seat.

he joins you in the driver’s seat not long after. “can we get mcdonald’s?” you ask as soon as he sits down.

a smile appears on his face as he starts the car, “sure.”

the drive made you feel a little dizzy, it makes you laugh. “you okay?” jungkook asks, but you nod your head. he’s so sweet, always asking if you’re okay, making sure you weren’t feeling too awful, etc. it only makes sense that you were falling head over heels for him.

“totally fine,” you look over to him with a smile on your face. he’s so fucking pretty, his side profile is something you could rave about for days. as he’s pulling into the mcdonald’s drive through, he’s talking into the intercom, ordering the two of you something to eat when you’re suddenly mumbling, “mcflurry, kookie, oreo mcflurry.”

he looks back to you, an amused smile on his face, “oreo mcflurry?” he repeats. you nod, “okay, anything for you.”

he reiterates the request into the intercom and the server gives him the greenlight. he drives forward and waits until the next car moves up, in the time being, he looks to you. your head laying up against the door and your eyes slowly blinking, warning him that you might fall asleep. so he reaches into his backseat, his arm looking for the water bottles that he usually keeps in his car.

“hey,” he taps your arm gently, “drink some of this first.” he hands you the water bottle, you blink slowly, trying to figure out what he was handing you. once you realize it was a water bottle, you take it, opening it and gulping some of the water down. jungkook is grabbing the food when you’re screwing the cap back on. he parks somewhere in the parking lot and tells you to start eating.

you grab your mcflurry first, the feeling of the cold ice cream on your tongue soothing your dizzy brain. “yum,” you think out loud.

jungkook laughs, taking out his hamburger while he takes out your chicken nuggets. “make sure to eat some of this, yeah? don’t want you throwing up and hating me.”

the thought makes you smile. jungkook was taking such great care of you. sure, he let you down the alcohol like it was nothing, but you never opposed to it, always taking the shot because you wanted to. now jungkook is here, taking care of you, because he wanted to. you knew that if it were anybody else, they probably would have left you at the party, letting you fend for yourself. the sudden warmth in your chest makes you want to tell jungkook everything.

with his jacket wrapped around you instead of him, you can see the bulge of his arm muscles peek out from the short sleeved shirt he was wearing. even drunk, your brain seems to travel back to the images from your dream. “you know, i had a dream about you, a reeaaaallllllyyyyy dirty dream, jeon jungkook.” you blurt out the confession before your thoughts catch up with you, the alcohol still very much blocking off the common sense part of your brain.

he tries his best not to overreact, but you had a dream about him? a dirty dream at that? it awakens something in jungkook, but he pushes it down, ignoring the feeling as he asks, “you did? what was it about?” he curious as to what you meant and what your dream entailed, but he didn’t want to push too far. especially since you were drunk and most likely just spilling everything because your brain doesn’t have the willpower to hold it back.

you stick your hand into the bag to steal some fries, stuffing them in your mouth. “oh, you don’t wanna know,” you chew.

jungkook quirks a brow, “well, was i good at least?” he jokes.

you scrunch your nose, nodding nevertheless. “too good, couldn’t even focus during the quiz because of it.”

jungkook is silent for a second. the conversation making him hot even though he wasn’t wearing his jacket anymore. so he clears his throat, trying to change the subject in a subtle manner. “is that why you were so mean to me this morning?” he pouts, connecting the dots.

you laugh at the question, “sorry, i didn’t mean to, i swear.”

with that, the rest of the time is spent eating. jungkook makes sure that you ate enough and drank enough water, the empty water bottle in his cupholder as proof. “do you want me to take you home now?” he asks, the two of you finished eating and now a silence takes over the car.

“are you going back?” you ask, fiddling with your fingers. he thinks you’ve started to sober up, or maybe have gotten to the point where you just want to sleep.

he shakes his head to your question, “honestly, i’m kind of tired, but if you want to go back, we can go.”

“no, i’m okay,” you decline the offer. jungkook laughs, starting the car again and driving back to your apartment complex.

you take this time to try to get yourself together. you know you’ll regret confessing to jungkook that you had a wet dream about him in the morning. but in the moment, it felt right to confess, (to your drunken brain of course). you tilt your head back, pushing your head against the headrest, and suddenly, you’re reminded of the stars jungkook has on his ceiling. you were silent as you admired the lights, jungkook takes a look at you when he’s stopped at a red light.

so cute, he thinks, staring up at his ceiling like it’s the real night sky. when he pulls up to your apartment complex, he wishes the night could be longer, that he could spend more time with you. he parks the car in the front, exactly where he picked you up. you’re looking to him now, your hands in your lap and your heart seemingly beating three times as fast as it usually does. it wasn’t the alcohol.

“did you have fun tonight?” he asks. his voice never fails to make you melt.

you nod, “i did.”

“i’m glad,” he smiles. there’s a small silence before he speaks once more, “also, y’know, you don’t have to stress yourself out so much, i know you might have expectations for yourself and stuff, but you should give yourself a break from time to time.”

the alcohol’s effects fading slowly from your brain when you start to realize that the entire reason jungkook invited you out was to help you destress. it makes you fall even harder, he was so thoughtful. even though a party wasn’t your scene, he invited you to give you a glimpse into how he has fun and hoped that it would help you loosen up a bit. you were grateful for the mental break he provided you.

you didn’t reply, purely because you were thinking about how much you want to kiss him right now, but it wouldn’t be right. when he speaks up again, there’s a nervous lilt in his voice, scared that he’s overstepped. “if you need anyone to help you— i don’t know, let loose? you can— you can always call me.” he scratches the back of his neck.

but you try your best to reassure him, smiling at the offer. “i will, thank you for tonight, jungkook, i really enjoyed it, despite being a lightweight.”

he laughs, staring at the way your face cutely scrunches when you giggle. he too, is fighting the urge to kiss you, because right now isn’t a good time. he wants to do it right. he doesn’t want to fuck it up with you. so instead, he hops out of the car and moves to open the door for you. helping you out of the car and walking you to your door, your hand in his.

“i’ll see you in class?” you turn to face him, squeezing his hand.

he nods, “yeah.” his signature bunny smile coming out to greet you a goodnight. “text me before you sleep?” he requests. you give him a thumbs up before he’s letting go of your hand and you’re sticking the key into your door, it’s then that you realize that you’re still wearing his jacket.

“oh!” you exclaim, taking the jacket off and handing it to him. but he holds his hand out to stop you.

“keep it, you can give it to me the next time we hang out, or something,” he suggests. you try to hide the growing smile behind a nod.

you hold onto his jacket, “goodnight, jungkook.”

he sticks his hands in his pockets, sending you another grin, “goodnight, ___.”

jungkook drives home, his empty apartment welcoming him. he plops down onto his bed, not even bothering to change out of the clothes he was in because he was that tired. the events of today running through his mind.

he hopes you don’t think he was doing anything with those five girls. he saw you walk away when you did, he tried his best to escape the conversation, but they kept pulling him back. he gave up after ten tries of trying to get away, standing there for a good fifteen minutes listening to them babble about how much they missed him. jungkook had never rolled his eyes so many times in a conversation.

the talk the two of you had after was another thing taking over his mind. your dirty flirting and your dream you mentioned in the car had his imagination running all over the place. he didn’t want to push you when you explained, but he was very curious as to what he did in your dream, and how good it was for you to have it run through your mind all day.

his phone rings next to him. he turns and opens it, a smile on his face when he reads your message.

[12:32 am] you: hi jungkookieeeeeeeee

[12:33 am] you: im sleeping noww

[12:33 am] jungkook: alright cutie

[12:33 am] jungkook: goodnight! again 😂

[12:34 am] you: goodnight <3

he turns his phone off after that. looking up to his ceiling with a dumb smile on his face. his mind thinking of you and only you.

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galatariel · 2 years

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I think the reason so many people are being super reactionary and nasty about rings of power is because, for me, I’d probably really like the show if I watched it. It has good cinematography, the characters sound interesting (not touching on ooc-ness), the casting looks so cool, even the costumes look interesting

But tolkiens works were literally… idk. life changing for me in a way I can’t really describe they are so important and dear to me and that same level of enjoyment for rop isn’t there for me. It’s like sure it’s kinda cool but it’s not my beloved piece of media and it seems like it never will be and it makes me sad and angry that we could have had something so much more meaningful and poignant and instead we got a mildly intriguing kinda cool fantasy series

I almost would’ve preferred if it was an entirely new slightly tolkien inspired but otherwise unrelated series, I would be all over it obsessed in that situation I think

Sorry for dumping this in your inbox haha

oh hey!! thanku for sending this in!! in a way i do agree with you, because there's just something so special that separates tolkien and his fantasy works from the rest of the genre that followed (asoiaf for example!) and even for me the books are my favourite books ever and even the pj films are super beloved by fans everywhere! so it 100% makes sense that a new show in 2022 (esp since entertainment these days is so 'sanitised' and crafted if u know what i mean) doesn't really hit for everyone!

i think my only issue is with how people are reacting. now i don't speak on behalf of hardcore shakespeare fans but there are countless works and productions that are def NOT faithful but they never receive the constant barrage of hate that rop is getting. like so many books/comics are adapted into shows and if you don't want to watch the adaptation, don't watch it 😭 some reactions are so nasty and childish and immature!!

personally i loved 9/10 aspects of it and even tho some parts had me 🤨 questioning the creative choices, i just separated it from the books and enjoyed it as a show anyway but yeah i do hope the vitriol dies down!

#this was very interesting and ur not totally incorrect either!#answered #anon #also i think in 2022 the internet...is just not a nice place #even if pj's films had been realised today there would have been a huge outcry #and i hate to say it but even subtly a lot of criticisms fall under racism even if some clickbaity youtuber says theyre not racist

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lexpressobean · 3 years

Text

I've been thinking about these 3 alot...

... and how much they seem to really respect Shino. I know it's a filler, but, like... Why does it seem like Shino has a knack for finding children who have wondered off away from school? Like, he's just taking a walk, making his way around the village or surrounding forest, and then there they are. Kids playing hooky or some shit. And Shino just takes it upon himself to approach them and steer them back to where they should be, while getting them attached to him somehow in the process??

But honestly. If this was just one of many times this had happened, I'd say Shino does this not out of his knack for teaching or having a way with kids. Rather, he developed a way with kids and easily applies that to his teaching because he has a strong desire to simply protect children. And it's not even from some paternal instinct as much as survival, because I think it stems from the developing trauma of losing Torune to Danzo. And I don't think it's all subconscious either.

Like I know the novel and anime frames his desicion to teach as a sort of a new goal in life as the war has ended for a couple years already and a noticable Peace has been achieved by the Blank Period and well... He's an Aburame.

Like, the Aburame are literal living, breathing, walking bioweapons. With no fight to utilize that, what else is there? Well, much like the Nara have the Nara forest and Pharmacology specifically, The Aburame most likely have a historical stake in the area of Konoha, perhaps it was simply in their Ancestral Home. Idk, but they're here to stay, they ain't budging. They're Clan Culture is very Martial and I'd argue Spartan in nature, but otherwise, they do other things too. I think they'd do well as major players in the conservation and research of native species of animals and plants, but definitely insects too. I bet they play a huge part in the general area's ecosystem, especially due to the fact that the Kamizuru clan attacked with a whole clan's worth of non-native Hymenoptera that could very well have become and still are an irritatingly and consistent problem as invasive species tend to be. And as a far as goods go, why not put some of them to use and handle an apiary? Honey is a great good to sell. All of this is great as a clan that no longer needs to fight. But, what about individual members in general, and so Shino?

Well Shino is the Heir of this clan. This Noble Clan. This "ready to throw hands at any moment" clan. It's future is in his hands, so to speak. So I doubt Shino would completely sever his connection to Shinobi life all together. And so, teaching at the Academy would be a great way to keep that connection. Teachers have to know their stuff, after all.

But what if in order to ensure teaching was his calling, Shino did his absolute best to make Jounin ASAP so he could take on a Genin Team. And. And by chance, it ended up being these three?? And they are absolutely STOKED!!! And they also pass Shino's genin test, which... would probably be a feat in it's own right. But they already know Shino, and Shino has bestowed upon them some wisdom they actually took to heart! Yeah, well, in reality they might be just a tad too old to be Shino's first official genin squad, but they were still his squad one point in a sense, right?

Kon Nohara, Tano Ikemoto, and Aoki Kobayashi

I even gave them names help Imagine these three are already chuunin at least and decide they want to pay Shino a visit and even volunteer to help Shino during class time on a collective day off because they admire him so much (T~T)

But even then if not these three kiddos, maybe these three li'l shits lol

Even in times of Peace, Shino's special set of skills seem too useful to waste, and being a Jounin teacher would definitely have been a way he could still go on missions, but also definitely commit to becoming a Sensei at the academy once he was 100% sure and got older. Kurenai became a Jounin/Genin Squad Leader in her late twenties, but in comparison I see Shino doing that more mid-20s. (He needs some time to travel and find his big bug friend and generally live a little?)

Kurenai was a Genjutsu Specialist who manned a Tracker/Sensing based team. This sounds like it was a highly beneficial combination, even if she ended up being somewhat sadistic lol. Asuma was bound to Team 10 by Tradition as InoShikaCho and Sarutobi have that Pact together. Kakashi's team was literally Cherry Picked for him specifically by the 3rd Hokage. And Gai, a Taijutsu Specialist, had a team that Specialized in Taijutsu and Physical Offense.

Of all four teams, Kurenai and Gai were very suited to their teams, Gai in a complimentary way and Kurenai in a Challenging way. In that same vein, I think Shino would imitate Gai. Shino as a Shinobi himself has a general set of skills, but the way he goes about them are very niche. But, he was always very stealthy, and could sneak up on nearly anyone. Gags aside, he could go unnoticed as long as he wanted too, and by the time he was noticed or was ready to attack, he has you quite literally surrounded. Honestly I can see why Search and Destroy would be an Aburame's forte, but when there's no need, a person with a personal skill of high quality stealth could probably man a team with an emphasis on Reconnaissance and/or Surveillance, even Bodyguarding. I feel like Shino would probably put an emphasis on Stealth and Tracking too, utilizing his insects as sort of assistants that keep tabs on his students (Stealth Test) as well as to encourage just enough fear during too much down time in his students to inspire quality training opportunities, so maybe Kurenai rubbed off on Shino more than they all realized haha

(Plus I'm sure his students would be be smart and thoughtful enough to eventually understand what Shino and his bugs are: a complete unit. They realize just how strong and dedicated Sensei really is to be the way he is, and they all learn more in depth about Kikaichu and it's like WOW SENSEI YOU REALLY ARE RISKING BEING EATEN ALIVE EVERY SINGLE DAY, AREN'T YOU? But he's still here, because THAT'S how strong he's become over the years and the confidence to manipulate the Kikaichu while having to think of current chakra level, the most efficient use at any given time, how many he actually needs, how long usage will last, ect. They are high maintenance, man!)

Shino would no doubt produce highly skilled Bodyguards and Masters of Stealth. Maybe the type that would end up being in high demand for the eventual Celebrities that start to pop up as times change, but still very much needed when it comes to Criminal Activity, like in Sora-Ku?

But as time passes and he decided to teach at the Academy, he'd feel very at ease to do so. He'd be happy to be put in charge of all these children, because he would be able to help teach them things they need to know to defend themselves and others in a world where adults like Danzo had and will continue to exist. Maybe while he's at it, he'd use his stance as a Noble Clan Heir and accomplished Shinobi to push for changes in government with Sai's help and with Naruto and Shikamaru's cooperation? Like, the truth does come out, everyone on the Council were actually horrible and had too much power. So HERE are some ideas and REASONS why these ideas should be implemented because Shino's not going to let his brother's life and death be in vain!? HELL no, we WILL make some changes around here. Shino sees his students and just wants a future where no kid ever has to live in fear of being completely taken advantage of by the very system that was supposed to keep them safe and they pledged allegiance to.

I cannot help but think of the quiet but absolute fear little Shino was harboring for the years to come after Torune was taken by that strange man and Father Shibi didn't even attempt to stop him. His own father didn't dare beat the shit out of this strange man who came looking for him, and the only solution for Shino to stay was for Torune to make himself look more desirable as an asset and be taken instead. I bet there was a lot of misplaced resentment there for a while, and talks that just didn't happen. Maybe a classmate doesn't show up to class one day and Shino is IMMEDIATELY stressed out and just... takes it upon himself to look for them after class. And he's relieved when he see they're simply at home with a fever. Shit like that just fucks with Shino, because theres people taking kids and no one is doing anything about it?? And then as Shino grew older he realized exactly what happened and how slimy the machine of Konoha really is and it was never completely Shibi's fault that Torune had to leave. He grows mentally at a faster rate than most of his classmates, and knows more than a kid really needs to know.

Shino doesn't want that for any other child. Shino is the kind of person who hears kids screaming outside of his house and he can't tell if they're playing or being murdered and it's stressful to the point he'll check through his window and he sees them for himself. He get stressed out seeing a kid in public unattended and WANTS to approach them to help if need be but also maybe he's overthinking it and the parents are there somewhere and he'd just end up looking suspicious. Like, that's what I kind of figure for Shino. He's so hyperaware of the power dynamic between kids and adults and seeing a kid so ready to fall victim to that makes Shino feel ill the more he thinks of what could happen. And he wonders if watching the kid in the market until they finally reunite with their parent so he could move on with the rest of his day causes him even a fraction of the the utterly disgusting flurry of nerves and fear that Shibi must have felt all those years ago. It goes along with his desire to spare every single little insect's life he can. It goes a long with the fact he only gets violent unless absolutely necessary. Like he wants to be strong but he doesn't want to go mad with power either, less he becomes the very thing that hurt him and his family in the first place.

Originally Shino wanted to become strong to be able to defend himself because at a very young age adults failed him and Torune. But then that changes to defend not only himself, but others as he grows on a team, and realizes trust is important. And then he figured if there must be adults out there that would hurt a child, it's only logical that he should become one that would only nurture and teach one to be strong as well.

Anyway, yeah. Had some feelings. Thanks for coming to my TED talk.

#anime: naruto #aburame shino #shino aburame #tis i #i wish we could've seen jounin-sensei Shino #imagine he's consistently given a team of -bad kids-#but by the next chuunin they're an absolute unit in sync #people think he's the -scare them straight- sensei #in reality he's the -im not mad im just dissapointed- sensei #its super effective lol #being such a positive figure in the open as an Aburame would definately make the clan look good too #because I have a suspicion that Aburame were very often taken into ANBU and ROOT and while good for Shinobi life #its not seen as the best for public relations #anyway don't mind me im just rambling

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thejustmaiden · 3 years

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So out of nowhere I was tagged and quoted by a SR shipper for a blog of mine posted in August of last year. Talk about throwback but, hey, gotta appreciate that level of snooping. 😉

Back in the day I actually used to encourage discourse amongst Inuyasha fans- both shippers and antis alike- but I've since realized that it's a lost cause. But for you, @feministmetalgreymon , I'll grant this exception. Just 'cause it's been a while so why the hell not. haha

I want to assure you, however, that nothing you say will ever convince me that Sesshomaru and Rin are meant to be together romantically or that the story intended it so. Nor will you find any validation here. You can ship them for all I care, but please for all that is good and holy while I have your attention try- I mean really try- to understand why it is so many of us Inuyasha fans are so against this pairing in the first place (newsflash: it's not about ship wars), and why we believe a romance between the two of them is completely and utterly out of character.

For those of you interested in reading this, the blog of mine in question that the above shipper mentions in their counter-argument is here for reference. It's titled "Jaken = Rin's Dad?" I'm going to try and keep this short, but I'm also making no such promises. After all, I'm not exactly known for my brevity. haha Now let's get crackin'!

Like you, feministmetalgreymon, did for your recent blog here where you took screenshots of mine to address certain parts, I will be doing the same and dissecting yours accordingly.

[Snippet 1]

I worked with kids for many years as a teacher, and many people in my family have too or still do. Two of them happen to be just over 5 feet which is quite short for the average adult woman living here. I've also worked alongside many a women of short stature, and never did I hear any of them complaining of issues with their students having difficulty differentiating them from their own peers just because they were short as well. I'm sorry but that's just ridiculous. Kids are quite smart and pick up on a lot more than you seem to give them credit for. Height is not the only characteristic they look at to determine who's an adult and who's not, and it's foolish to suggest otherwise. So unless you're a babysitter who's still in their teens and/or who has very childlike features or behavior then I'm afraid what you're getting at is total hogwash. This is just another example of how you shippers offer nothing of real substance to your reasoning, it's only ever cherry-picking or strawmanning from you guys. Stop deflecting from the real issues please, because this certainly isn't one and only winds up being a complete waste of time for all parties involved.

[Snippet 2]

Okay, calm down now. I wasn't insinuating that relationships between parents and children can't change over time in terms of how they get along. Of course that's possible, as all families experience their fair share of estrangement and abuse. What I was speaking about was in reference to the overall dynamic between the two. Because a bad mother or father can still be viewed as a parental figure to their child even if say they're not in said child's life anymore. Since Sesshomaru and Rin share a healthy bond- and just a friendly reminder that in my blog I even said that he doesn't have to necessarily be labeled her father but that a romantic relationship later would still be inappropriate- I didn't deem it necessary to address what you brought up. Plus, it kinda, umm, misses the point?? Please, let's stay on topic. And it's not captured in the screenshot, but stop acting like there isn't a small part of them that idolizes their parents at some point during childhood. Just like you mention later on how it's normal for kids to have innocent crushes on adults that they eventually grow out of? Well, guess what, the same concept applies here. Kids eventually learn that their parents are far from perfect and make mistakes too. Rin is so damn young in the OG series though that we never even get to see her reach that maturity level.

[Snippet 3]

LOL! Alright, okay, so the "unbreakable bond" bit you're mentioning was actually me quoting you sessrinners. Did you not catch that? I literally spelled it out. *sigh* The whole point I was making is that shippers like yourself make hypocritical and contradictory statements all.the.goddamn.time. One moment you guys claim that Sesshomaru and Rin were essentially strangers and meant very little to each other, only to say in the same breath a few seconds later that they were destined to be together and their bond is like no other. I agree, their bond is special, but why must that mean they're going to fall in love?

That is the root of the matter here. Too many animes/mangas have romanticized this older adult man & young girl growing up falling in love trope that it's become way too normalized and widely accepted across the world- and yes, in some cultures more than others. Sadly, you lack the awareness to recognize how this all works. You know how we know that? When we see that you shippers are so desensitized to sexualized images of girls in the media that you share posts like this one below which *subtly* imply a future romance although one half of that pairing is still just a child in the pic and then try and pass it off as cute. That's like super fucking problematic and it scares me that you can't see that (or deny you do). 🤢

After all that's said and done, Sesshomaru leaving Rin in the village with Kaede is to me the strongest indicator more than pretty much anything else he's done for Rin that proves he is her adoptive father. It's so funny to me how you somehow see the exact opposite though. 🤔 What I think is happening is that you got yourself on some squeaky clean ass shipper goggles fresh out of your little echo chamber. Because I hate to tell you, but what you're fantasizing is what you want to see and not what's actually there on screen or was written into the story. I'm strictly talking about Inuyasha and the manga of course. [For the TL; DR version skip to the last paragraph.]

Parents looking after their kids is what parents are supposed to do. A good parent will do anything to keep their child safe and ensure they are cared for, so what he did for her by leaving her there was in her best interests clearly. Besides, as a babysitter, you more than most people should understand that parents aren't always able to be there for their kids so sometimes others gotta step in to help. Haven't you heard of the saying, "it takes a village to raise a child?" Which in Rin's case is literally true! 😂 Sometimes kids are even sent off to stay with grandparents and that's who raises them instead. Or maybe they have to temporarily live with an aunt or uncle because their single parent's job requires they work out of town 4-5 days of the week so they're hardly home. But that doesn't mean that the parents care or love their kids any less, and it's foolish to assume that Sesshomaru must have thought very little of Rin simply due to the fact that he made the decision to leave her in the village. Come on, y'all are acting like he abandoned her there!!

It's just given the circumstances Sesshomaru finally came to learn that Rin traveling with him was no longer safe. I also like to think it's because he wished for her to live a more normal life and to learn how to fully trust humans again. Plus, continuing to travel with him as young as she was would have proven dangerous and unwise. Now for you to know all this and still manage to turn his past actions towards her while she was just a child into a romantic gesture is what boggles my mind. Regardless of how you look at it, from my perspective or your own, Sesshomaru is in the wrong. Either he's a father figure who impregnates his daughter at the young age of approximately 14. OR he's this man she used to travel with who maybe isn't a father to her but who nonetheless basically rapes her since kids her age can't consent to sex with an adult. Idk about you but it sounds to me like nobody here wins with either scenario we're given. In other words, you should be just as mad as we are. If only one side didn't choose to forsake their morals they know we both have in common for the sake of a ship. Welp. 🤷‍♀️

I agree, incest is disgusting but that's not the only problem we have with this pairing. A romantic bond forming between Sesshomaru and Rin would also constitute as grooming.

You realize that over the years he visited her in the village that he brought her gifts too and essentially watched her grow up right before his very eyes, right? I mean, I know you do, but I really shouldn't have to explain further why pursuing a romantic/sexual relationship with each other is plain and simple wrong. And before you say it's not because he didn't have any malintent, please understand that considering their history and power dynamic up to then that yes this is still considered grooming even if Rin supposedly "wanted it" or "made the first move." Whether you consider him her father or not, as the adult who took on a role resembling that of a caretaker in her early life- a critical developmental time for a child- Sesshomaru is obligated to turn down any advances by Rin and most definitely should not initiate any himself. As the first close adult figure she's had in her life since her parents died, it's unfathomable to imagine how Sesshomaru could go through with taking advantage of this young girl who was under his care and supervision since they met. To think he could be capable of betraying that trust sickens me to the core.

This. Now THIS is how a parent/guardian or a similar adult caretaker (babysitter, teacher, etc.) talks to a child. And, in turn, this is how some young children talk to adults. You'd be insane and delusional to deny it! We see it in our everyday lives, do we not? From where else do you think our stories draw most of their inspiration? Yes, obviously these fictional universes have aspects of fantasy that don't exist in the real world, but so how then do you suppose we're able to relate to them? The reason for that being is because these stories are written by people for people, so naturally there are going to be real life aspects embedded throughout. Sure, a little escapism doesn't hurt as we don't need to take everything so seriously, but ultimately we all need to recognize that the messages in the stories we tell matter. Most stories possess a combination of both light and dark themes, but when it specifically comes to the latter we gotta be careful with how we tackle this in children's media since kids are far more impressionable.

So if at the center of a story we have two of the main protagonists whose mom is basically their same age and to top it off she knew their dad when she was just a girl and who just so happened to help raise her, wouldn't you say that's beyond fucked up or at the very least so fucking weird? Like why would we think it's even remotely okay for our children to watch this garbage?? Really think about it. Try and be objective for once and think about how it would sound explaining this storyline to an outsider who's never watched IY or HNY. Well, antis have tried this before many times and we always get the same reaction: Ewww!

Like I said earlier, if you wanna ship it then fine, but 1) please stop seeking our approval or trying to change our minds - your ship wish came true didn't it, so why do you need us to validate it? 2) even though it's not canon, respect that we don't support this sequel portraying pedophilia in a positive light. It's harmful af to not only allow but glorify the continuation of sexualized images of young girls everywhere. And I shouldn't have to say this, but just because this trope is popular as you say does not make it right. Lolicon themes in the media have been an issue forever and it needs to stop. Yes, even some people in Japan or "the East" would agree. Shocker!

We're pissed off and rightfully so because Yashahime's TV rating is 14, not to mention it airs at the prime time kids in Japan watch TV after getting home from school. That's Towa and Setsuna's age, true, but if Rin being the mom when she's like only a year older than them (please don't argue w/ me about the math- antis have so far been right every time with it) is straight-up disgusting and not something we should be supporting or endorsing. Rin's a whole ass child!! Please don't start with the "but times were different then so her having kids at 15 is acceptable" argument either, because we've already debunked that and every other single excuse you guys throw at us. Besides, how or why would you expect young viewers to know these historical "facts" anyway, especially if as you suggest fiction doesn't affect reality so what does it matter? Yet here we are, arguing over a fictional show in real life almost a year and a half into the "Sesshomaru fucks?" sequel being announced. My ass, your ass, hell all our asses fiction doesn't affect reality!

Look, I do apologize if the tone of this blog came off as snippy or condescending at times. I do not wish you any ill will, it's just I'm not really sure what you expected to get out of all this besides maybe getting on my nerves perhaps. haha A lot of you shippers have been desperately scrambling to interact with us, lurking in our tags, jumping onto our posts screaming canon and getting so defensive even though you sought us out first. We've been sticking to our tags, so how about you stay in your lane too. By the way since we're on the topic, have you seen Twitter or Reddit?! SR shippers there are the actual worst and many Inuyasha fans (not just antis) have complained of not feeling welcomed to engage in fandom spaces anymore. Shippers swarm them and scare them off simply because fans don't like your ship and refuse to accept it. It's pathetic, really. No one should ever be bullied or harassed just because they don't like something you might. We're all fans of Inuyasha, aren't we? So let's act like it. Yashahime on the other hand, you guys are welcome to that pungent heap of trash. Fans have a right to criticize it too, but if you like it then good for you, so keep on liking it and don't mind us.

I'm almost done, but real quick back to Jaken! Let's not forget about how the official Yashahime website- which came out after my blog, mind you- described Jaken. This translation isn't the best one available but it's the only version a fellow anti friend could track down. They do recall a better one done by a native Japanese speaker who was also an anti, and that member confirmed that Jaken is indeed called Rin's babysitter. So you see, I was right in my interpretation. In the original post I did compare Jaken to a brother, but after talking to others (some comments can be found under said post) I did acknowledge that he's more of a reluctant babysitter who's not related. And if he's not at least a brother to Rin, then he's definitely not her father.

At the end of the day, the creator Rumiko Takahashi has the final word. Which is guess what? Hogosha. 💖 Probably should've just started out with that and saved us all the trouble, huh? Good day/night to you.

Papamaru bids you adieu now. 🤞

#anti yashahime #anti sessrin #sesshomaru is rin's dad #papamaru #hogosha 💖#the sequel may not be canon but sunrise can still burn in hell

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gallavichthings · 3 years

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This week I interviewed someone who, despite being really new to the fandom, has already made for themselves: Arrow aka Arrowflier/ @arrowflier. Aside from several short stories here on Tumblr, they’ve also written Marriage, Mickey, and Milk of the Gods, Eighty-Seven Percent (Anatomy of a Heart), Burn Out the Sun and several others, including several on-going projects.

Also, I found out what a spectrometrist does.

A: I'm 30 years old, though when I go out I'm often mistaken for much younger. I got my PhD in analytical chemistry about three years ago, and moved from one midwest college town to another (where I currently work as a mass spectrometrist), both only hours from the city where I grew up. So you could definitely say I'm a homebody, and I like my comfort zone! That said, I've had some amazing opportunities to travel over the years, and love exploring as long as I get to go home after.

GT: I’m sorry but I have no idea what an spectometrist does. Could you explain it a bit to us and also what made you choose this career? It sounds so interesting! What was your favorite place to visit?

A: I won't get into the nitty gritty, but basically I use really expensive instrumentation to identify, detect, and quantfify trace levels of contaminants like pesticides in a variety of matrices: crops, soil, water, etc. When I first decided to major in chemistry in undergrad it was on a whim, and since then I've focused mainly on environmental applications because it's so important to the health of not just people, but everything else too.

So far I think I have to say Germany in general; I really love it there. It's also the only other country I've been to more than once--first in high school as part of a trip with other young musicians throughout my state, and then again for a three month internship in undergrad. People tend to think this is odd, but one of the things I miss the most is the public transportation...and the bakeries on every corner, of course! I lived right off the Duesseldorf Altstadt, and it was absolutely beautiful there with festivals all the time.

When I am home, I cycle through hyperfixations on several hobbies: reading, writing, and crafting, mostly. Before I decided to dive into this fandom, I spent most evenings knitting or crocheting in front of the tv, and even joined an internet-based crafting competition (reward: bragging rights).

GT: I' A crafting competition? That's cool! Have you ever made anything fandom inspired? 👀

A: Well I haven't made anything Shameless related just yet--though I've talked about making some little Ian and Mickey figures recently--but I've made things based on other fandoms. Here's a pic of one of the things I'm most proud of, my first double-knitting (reversible) project from a few years ago:

GT: That looks great!

A: What else...I have pretty major (but medicated) anxiety and am extremely open about it, like being by myself, and adore my dog (who lives with my parents a few hours away) more than anything.

GT: If you've read these interviews before you know I'm about to ask for a picture of that dog...

A: My furry baby:

Unfortunately, I just found out about an hour ago that he has a very aggressive oral cancer and won't be with us much longer, but right now he's feeling pretty good and happy.

GT: Awn, I'm so sorry about your dog. He's a cutie and I'm sure he gives you a lot of love.

Tell about your relationship with fanfiction. When did you first come across it?

A: I want to say middle school, maybe about 2005? I'm pretty sure I tried to search for something specific I was wondering about a book, and instead of a canonical answer, I found a fic and dove right in. I would sit at the family desktop in my parent's room and browse ff.net and LJ while I was supposed to be doing homework; thankfully I always cranked out assignments fast so it worked out, haha.

I read for a lot of little fandoms at first, and loved discovering that other people had some of the same thoughts I did about the characters. Back then I was mostly in it either for closure or because I wasn't ready for something to end. Now it's an immediate instinct: see or read something I like, then go see what other people have turned it into.

GT: Ah, FF.net and LJ, those bring out memories!

What was the fandom? Did you write for it too?

A: I want to say the very first one was Good Omens, back when it was just a book, but fics for video games were some of my first as well, specifically Skies of Arcadia: Legends and Tales of Symphonia because I had just discovered my ongoing love of JRPGs.

While I've had ideas for other fandoms, Shameless was the very first one I actually participated in, much less wrote for--my first fic ever was only posted on April 25th this year!

GT: I am reading Good Omens right now! I've already seen the show though.

Wow, you write a lot for someone so new to fanfiction! What made you want to start?

A: You know, I'm honestly not sure what was different to make me finally go for it! I periodically work on originals but hadn't written anything at all for a pretty long time--over a year I think.

But there's so much in Shameless that can be expanded on, and I just wanted to try! Besides that, I was lurking here on Tumblr and seeing what a great community it was, and figured writing was my way to become a part of it.

GT: The fandom is pretty great indeed, and very large nowadays. When did you start watching Shameless?

A: So that's kind of funny too...because I also started watching just this year! I don't know exactly when, but probably around February? I caught up just in time to watch the very last episode the night it aired.

GT: Good for you, you didn't have to suffer through our trials and tribulations lol

Did you binge the whole thing? What was your favorite episode?

A: I binge watched the hell out of it, haha. Totally obsessed once my coworker finally convinced me to give it a try. My favorite episode is definitely the gallavich wedding--I knew most of their story already, at least in general, so I totally cheated and watched bits of that one in between angstier episodes as a palate cleanser. I really needed that to get through season 8, especially.

GT: Is the wedding your favorite scene?

A: Hmm, favorite individual scene is much harder! I'd say it's a tie between the wedding, Mickey coming out, and "Holy fuck".

GT: What would you change in canon if you could change one thing?

A: I'd definitely get rid of Terry walking in on them and the following events. I get the place it has in the story, but it was just too much. While other things are difficult or don't seem to fit, that's the one thing I just can't handle.

GT: Who are your favorite characters aside from them?

A: That definitely varied throughout the series! Kev and V always had a special place in my heart for being such a constant even when they were struggling. But by the end, Carl was pretty high up there--I think he showed a lot of growth while still being himself.

GT: Do you write them as well or just Ian and Mickey?

A: So far they've only shown up as brief side characters, mostly because I find it harder to write them in a way that feels authentic yet. I'd like to get more into other characters though, and tentatively plan to do character studies for them at some point in the future.

GT: Do you ever include original characters in your fics?

A: I do! They mostly just spring up along the way; I start writing them and see what happens. But most of the characters in my outsider POV series (Meet the Neighbors) are original, and I started a kid!fic that will have OCs as well.

GT: What do you base them on?

A: Nothing in particular, honestly. I don't base them on real people or other characters, at least on purpose. I just start with the basic background that I think makes sense for the story, and let them grow from there. It mostly turns out ok I think, though sometimes they turn out a bit different than I expected!

GT: What inspires your stories?

A: Just about anything and everything! Lately I've mostly been letting other people inspire me with prompts, because there's something really special about writing something you know at least one person is really looking forward to. And a lot of it has been in the vein of "missing scenes", things I wish we had gotten to see on screen, or fix-its. If I can't think of something but want to write, I just sit for a bit and let my mind wander until something sticks.

I also have about a million crossover/AU ideas, because I like plunking my favorite characters into established situations and seeing how that twists it. Because most of the time you can't just merge stories like that and expect them to come out intact--it's sort of a character study on its own to discover how different stories will bend around different people.

GT: What kind of fics do you write the most?

A: Oh gosh, there's so many already I'm not even sure, haha. I'm thinking the majority of my ficlets are post-canon scenarios, which I really do enjoy, and either fluff or hurt/comfort. Because Mickey and Ian deserve good things, but they're not always great at letting themselves have them.

Most of my longer ideas are AU though; I'm just working much more slowly on them.

GT: Which fic you've written are you most proud of?

A: I think I have to say my very first one: F*ck the Stars. It's not that it's my best or my most popular, but it was a really big deal for me to put out there. I still kind of can't believe I actually did, and that I keep doing it!

GT: Which fics and authors in the fandom are your most favorite?

A: Does it sound like a cop-out if I say I can't pick? Really though, I can't--there's just so much talent, and I haven't even made my way through all the fandom classics yet. That said, whenever I see a fantasy AU it shoots right to the top of the list.

Two of my current fantasy favorites came out of you hosting Gallavich Week this year: Bad for Business by Ravenheart [@sunoficarus] and Lest They Say, Here Be Dragons by RageSeptember [@gallavictorious]. Then there's a witch in wicker park by horror_business [@damnnmilkovich], another taste of divine rush by kissteethstainred, and on a slightly different note Thicker Than Forget by @wehangout.

That doesn't even scratch the surface of works (or authors) I adore, and my to-read list is so long it's scary, but it's one little niche I'm very fond of that doesn't always get a lot of attention.

GT: You're right, it doesn't, so thanks for sharing your favorites with us!

So, fantasy is definitely one of your favorite themes/tropes, right? What else catches your attention when you're looking for fics to read?

A: Absolutely! Fantasy is all I read anymore outside of fic, so I love it when those things cross.

I'm also a sucker for just about any fic centered on misunderstandings, as long as there's a happy ending, usually where they both fall for each other and think they're the only one. It's my not-so-guilty pleasure.

Other than that, I love lots of description, things other people would probably consider purple prose, and familiar stories with unique twists. In general though, I'll give anything a shot if I'm in the mood for it, especially if it comes recommended.

GT: And what annoys you when reading?

A: Hmm, I think the biggest thing might actually be in formatting, not the work itself. If I see huge blocks of text, I tend to hit the back button pretty quickly. Likewise, if I can't tell when a scene shifts or when a flashback starts, it pulls me out of the story as I try to figure it out. I can overlook a lot if a storyline is compelling, but obvious inaccuracies--I'm talking things like physically impossible actions or timelines--throw me off as well. I do avoid some fics (not all) with medical or scientific plots for that reason.

GT: What has the reception been to your fics?

A: So much better than I expected! Sometimes I can't believe people aren't tired of me yet, honestly. The weird thing to me is that ficlets I don't think are very good (here on tumblr, I don't generally put my speedwrites on ao3) sometimes seem to be among the best received! But that's encouraging in its own way, and I think tends to reflect general interest in different topics.

GT: What kind of comments do you just love getting?

A: All of them, even though I'm terrible about replying! But I think it's really special when someone picks out a phrase or passage that spoke to them, or that they related to.

GT: What's your writing process like?

A: Never the same twice, haha. But I'd say that once I have an idea, it's usually immediately followed by a line or two that I fall in love with, and I go from there. For longer fics I attempt to outline, but if I try too hard to stick to that I tend to fizzle out very quickly. So instead I try to apply something I was originally taught for public speaking/oral storytelling: know the bare bones. Stick to those couple of impactful moments that the story wouldn't be the same without, and let the rest fall where it may.

That's easier said than done, of course, and I still struggle to self-edit and keep the bullet-point key moments manageable. I also tend to edit as I go because I'm a perfectionist, but I've started forcing myself to just leave blanks and skip around if I don't feel like I'm getting it right. I skip around a lot, in fact; instead of trying to write up to the point I just had a random idea for, I go ahead and write it and fit it in later.

For my tumblr fics it's a little different though; they're short and fairly stream-of-conscious, and generally unedited as a way to force myself to just put things out there and stop worrying about it.

GT: Do you have any writing rituals? How do you motivate yourself to write?

A: It changes from day to day, nothing concrete except an endless supply of tea and either silence or instrumental music.

When I really need motivation, I like to use my hourglass, and tell myself that I have to at least try to work on something until the sand runs out. More often, though, I try to sit outside--albeit that only works for me in a very narrow temperature range--or I get set up in the spare room that serves as my little library. Sometimes I'll hand write in a pretty journal to type up later. Atmosphere can make a big difference, as can a comfy place to sit--no desks or tables for me.

In a pinch, I take a shower--shower thoughts are creative thoughts--or go to bed extra early and type ideas on my phone, since things always seem to come to me when I shouldn't be thinking about it at all.

Also, not gonna lie, I sometimes bribe myself.

GT: Oh, bribe how? It never works for me.

A: I mean, I never said it worked well, haha. But it can be the last push sometimes. "If I finish this passage, I get to open that bottle of wine." "If I spend 30 minutes at least trying on this, I can leave the laundry until tomorrow." "If I actually post tomorrow, I can splurge on take-out as a reward." That kind of thing.

GT: Hahah, I wish that worked for me too!

Do you have a preference for writing Ian or Mickey pov?

A: In the beginning, I was more comfortable writing Ian. I can really relate to both his mental health struggles and the way he seems to think about and deal with things sometimes, so it came more naturally.

Now though, I find myself writing as Mickey more and more. I probably make him a bit more introspective than would be true to character, but there's so much depth and development there to explore. Beyond that, it's sort of cathartic to write Ian through his eyes, because he's blunt and can put things in perspective and obviously cares very deeply for all of Ian, not just the easy parts.

GT: What's the most difficult thing about writing them?

A: For me, I think it's not being too self-indulgent and keeping them in-character enough that it doesn't throw other people off. That, and dealing with their individual issues and traumas respectfully. It can be nerve-wracking to try and tackle something like bipolar disorder or child abuse from an outside perspective, because it's important but getting it wrong could be hurtful.

GT: And what's the best part?

A: How well they fit together. They've been in each other's orbits for so long, and know each other so well, and it's a pleasure to write about a couple that has their problems but keep coming back to each other to work it out. Because any kind of personal relationship is work, but it's worth it for all the fun, silly, and completely-in-love moments we didn't get enough of in the show.

GT: What are your headcanons for their future?

A: I think I'd like to see them move back to the Southside, and really make it their own. They might not have kids of their own, but their nieces and nephews hang around with their friends at the "cool uncle's" house all the time. They're the honorary parents of the neighborhood, too, and kids know where to go when they need a nonjudgemental adult or a protective force. And I don't care if they keep the same jobs, but whatever they do they find a way to do together.

GT: What are you working on right now?

A: Oh, so many things. I currently have...6 official WIPs? One is a fluff piece of them taking a delayed honeymoon and should go quickly once I get back to it, but the others are more intensive and need some worldbuilding still. There's a Jurassic World AU, a twisty sort of Snow White AU, an alternate meeting AU where Mickey is basically a survivalist, a post-canon fic about them picking up some strays, and my outsider POV series.

I'm trying really hard not to start anything else big until I at least get further into those, but I have a handful of other chaptered AUs planned for sometime in the far future, most based on fairy tales. And I'm still enjoying doing my little ficlets, too.

GT: Wow! Looks like we have a lot to look forward to!!

Ok, last question: why arrowflier?

A: Good question, no good answer haha. Arrow comes from a class I took in undergrad, where we were encouraged to choose our "storytelling" names to use for the semester. It's a character (sort of) in an original work I've been not-writing since high school.

But Arrow was always taken on other websites, so I had to add to it. In trying to think of modifiers, I think I was looking at my books and saw "Arrow's Flight" by Mercedes Lackey. So now I'm either Arrowfly or Arrowflier depending on availability!

GT: Hahah, no, it was a good answer, thanks!

Well, best of luck with all your WIPs and thank you for providing us so much content in such little time. I love seeing new people come into the fandom, it's always a boost of motivation.

Leave a message to the readers now.

A: Thank you for this opportunity, and for all you do for the fandom!

For everyone else, thank you for being such an incredibly supportive community; I'm so glad I chose this as my first real fandom, because I couldn't have chosen better. And if you ever think, "I wish I could write, or draw, or gif, or whatever," just go for it! You'll have an amazing audience, and it's absolutely worth it.💖

#gallavich #ian x mickey #shameless us #mickey milkovich #ian gallagher #shameless #gallavich fanfiction #arrowflier #writer's spotlight

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ill-skillsgard · 3 years

Text

Faust x Faith - No Looking Back

Warning: 18+ smut, public sex, violence, blood, arson, implied death, mentions of non-consensual touching (nothing explicit and no r-words used,) mentions of stalking, unconsciousness, anti-religious themes, strong language.

Note: Hey, hey. I’ve wanted to write this for a while, but haven’t had much time. This isn’t based on any requests—just something I feel needs to happen to move the universe along. After this, I’ll be basing future FxF stuff off drabble requests instead of going story-heavy for a bit. Likes, comments and reblogs are suuuper ‘ppreciated!

Summary: - Not based on Lords of Chaos. I use Faust!Valter’s likeness only as inspiration - 3.6K words -

Faust makes good on his word to protect Faith, taking drastic measures to assure her assailant never bothers her again.