#it's been 10000 years but better late than never

[saphstories]

Farewell, My Friend💔😭

(PSA: Possible spoiler warnings for The Murder of Me by the Zielo Cave. Only a couple panels, but still...)

So, on Monday night, I was at work, and I checked my phone, mostly out of habit. (I don't recommend doing this, btw, it's a good way to get you written up or worse.) And I saw that I had a YouTube notification on my lock screen. So I open my phone and pull down my drop bar to have a look. And literally saw the absolute worst news.

TMOM is over from The Zielo Cave

Now for those of you that don't know: The Murder of Me, AKA TMOM, is a Sonic the Hedgehog fan comic that first debuted I think 15 or so years ago, give or take, and as much as I would love to claim that I've been a fan since the beginning, I only discovered TMOM about a year or so ago. (I have the worst luck when it comes to finding things; I'm always late to the party 🥺)

When I discovered TMOM I was in a terrible rut. I hadn't posted anything in YEARS, and the writing I had done I kept locked away in notebooks, never to see the light of day. I had no inspiration, no motivation to tell stories. It was a horrible place to be. (-10000/10 recommendation.) Then I was scrolling through Pinterest one day, and I saw a panel of this random comic.

You could probably imagine my reaction. It's so random. Then more cropped up:

My thoughts went HAYWIRE. "Why is Sonic fighting his mother? Why's he dressed like that? WHY IS HE DROWNING?? WHY ARE KNUX AND TAILS LETTING HIM DROWN??? WHAT IS EVEN HAPPENING???" So I went hunting, and came across The Murder of Me by Gigi-D on DeviantArt.

I was HOOKED. The plot was so well thought out, the characterization was incredibly done, and as you can see, the art itself was BEAUTIFUL. I couldn't get enough. I flat out ignored life and read through 14 issues in one sitting. It took me all day but it was so worth it. AND THEN: I discovered the dubs on YouTube, and found that Gigi-D had decided to put together a creative team to produce the issues of The Murder of Me as episodic dubs, and I fell head over heels. The cast and editing was absolutely phenomenal, and The Murder of Me had my heart, hook, line, and sinker. What was even better was that they turned Issue 15 into an animatic episode.

Episode 15 Part 1: Purpose released on October 30th, 2022, and since then I have been anxiously awaiting the next episode by rewatching the series and all the prequels and bonus episodes I could get my mouse on. I even forced my best friend one night to binge the entire series with me, and she's not nearly as much of a Sonic fan as I am!

TMOM was more than a great watch or story for me. It was inspiration. I had an itch in my fingers that grew from writing a TMOM fanfiction that would stay hidden away into it's own complex project who's rough draft is now in production. (And could very well be released this summer if all goes well.) It was life breathed into my creativity. It was hope. For the first time in a very long time, I wanted to write. To tell a story like Gigi-D and the Zielo Cave.

And then that notification came. It was like a punch in the stomach. I was terrified and without watching it, I reacted and sent it to my best friend, wailing that once again, a story that I loved was being abandoned. That the writers were giving up. I was indignant. Screw that, I was angry and hurt.

Then I watched the video. I listened to Gigi's story, and immediately felt shamed by my own reaction. The Zielo Cave had been saying that Part Two was taking a while because of personal situations, and when Gigi revealed what had happened, that her inspiration was gone and couldn't bring herself to even sketch these characters that she loved so dearly...my heart shattered for her. While I might not really know or understand the pain of her personal situation, I do know what it is to completely lose the passion for your story. For the characters you still love, but can't bring yourself to engage with.

And while my heart of hearts aches, I know Gigi is doing the right thing. No one wants a story that it's writer is dragging their heels to share, can't bring themselves to write. God knows I've tried that, and trust me, it only hurts everyone. The writer, the fans, and the story itself. By ending TMOM here, she's protecting TMOM and its fans, and even though my heart breaks for TMOM's fate and (mostly) for her, I couldn't be more proud of her. The courage and strength it takes to walk away from such a huge part of your life in search of something more, something better?

Not only that, but honor the work and effort her team has given for Part Two and post it anyway, even though it's unfinished? To offer a written conclusion for the series for the fans that want to know what happens? I've never heard of any creator doing that, ever. All that I have seen would NEVER post any unfinished content, or unveil the unwritten plot and ending. And while I'm devastated for what that means, that TMOM is well and truly concluded and Gigi will probably NEVER return, as a fan of this series, I'm so grateful that what happens to these characters won't remain a mystery.

And to repeat what I said in the comment section of the announcement video: I pray a future that is bright and beautiful for you, and you discover what an amazing person you on this journey of healing. You're going to be magnificent because you are already an incredible person, Gigi. I can't express how important TMOM has been for me, how inspiring the story has been when I was down and unable to pursue my own creativity in my writing, and I just want to thank you for the years of dedication, passion, and love you and your team have given us through The Murder of Me. I bless all the paths you walk from this day forward, and all my love and support for you goes with you on your journeys for all the rest of your days.

The Murder of Me is over. I will always be a TMOM fan, and I will always love Gigi-D and the Zielo Cave for giving me inspiration, passion, and hope for my writing again. It's because of TMOM that The Three Sovereigns even made it to development and is now currently being written with the hope of release this summer, and The Three Sovereigns will always be a tribute to The Murder of Me and the hope this story has given me.

Thank you so much, Gigi-D, the Zielo Cave, and The Murder of Me, and fare thee well, my friend.

[tewwor]

STATS .

name: kong siwoo

age: late 30s / early 40s

height: 6'2'' ????

gender & sexuality: cis man ; he/him & bisexual

occupation: retired detective ; middleman

fc: woo doh.wan / son suk.ku

STRENGTHS.

proficient in hand-to-hand combat

decent marksman

peak detective soft & hard skills

HISTORY .

tw: adultery, mentions of domestic abuse & negligence

general reason why siwoo became a detective in the first place. if, perhaps, he was only raised by his mom? and she also told him — oh, i don't know — how his dad's gone missing? no one knows where he is and she puts on a show of being upset about it for his sake. and, hey, she really sells it! he believes her! gets way into crime and the justice system and is dead set on becoming a detective from that original spark of wanting to find his dad.

eventually, he does find his dad. finds out that he's just some lowlife piece of shit. treated his mom horrendously and ultimately left the two of them for someone else — probably someone younger. then, he has to sit with that knowledge. look back on all the years he sank into this one way conviction that this is truly what he wanted for that very specific reason. the hell's he supposed to do with that shit? what then?

MISC. FACTS & HEADCANONS .

interests: smoking, cheese, chinese food

dislikes: entertaining customers, blatant rudeness, sweet foods

10000% will say he doesn’t speak japanese….. in japanese :-) he’ll also mix japanese and korean in the same sentence — also knows a good amount of mandarin, probably some cantonese, definitely english

if you call him ajussi, he’ll try a put a cigarette out on you probably.

siwoo has a) gotten rigorous training as a detective and b) served in the korean military

i do believe that siwoo has either seriously injured or murdered at least 1 or 2 people since his business as a middleman. is it his favorite thing to do? no, but his hand’s been forced ( so he says ). he’s decent with the use of his physique, but even better with his words and logistics. hence, he never brings up the option to enact violence himself.

he has dismembered a body at least once and holds a surprising amount of knowledge of it.

he’s so fr about tropical fish. got some catalogues at home.

doesn’t stay in contact with his family anymore, but does have a soft spot for his nieces and nephews. helped raise them back in the day.

in regards to gift giving, he just gives out cash ( fully knows it's impersonal but at least he's not giving out gift cards ). probably in a happy birthday or get well soon card ( neither coincide with the right occasion ). but he'll treat them to a meal?

siwoo isn’t the best cook out there, but he knows the basics from home. mostly korean cuisine, but there’s a few japanese dishes he’s figured out to make. most of them are for quick meals or something to have while incredibly hungover or sick. yes, his juk is killer.

he 100% got toji and his lil’ once family to watch kdramas a handful of times. no one can tell me otherwise. it’s his guilty pleasure and, hey, sometimes the plot really does make a guy feel something. ( not this one, i just thought it was funny )

tries not to smoke around kids so he usually has a toothpick in his mouth instead.

yeah, he expects toji to pour for him when theyre drinking… something something being older than him

despite never talking about his own family … at all, he does occasionally go out of his way to pay respects. does the bare minimum lbr, but hey — he thinks it counts.

that being said, there have been instances where he’s attended funerals and stuck in a lit cigarette instead of incense when paying respects to the deceased ( or disrespect ig )

some part of me wants to say that some distant relative or a few of siwoo’s was probably a mudang. it’d make sense with him being able to see curses — which also makes me believe he does know some practices / exorcisms himself. he just never does it because why should he?

if you do want to know where i draw my inspiration on how siwoo would actually fight — watch the roundup ( the first one with son sukku — his character specifically )

in regards to siwoo being a top or bottom …. i just think it takes a whole lotta work to convince him for the latter. reach for the sky and above type of convincing. a shoot for the stars, but the gun misfired type of deal.

9 times out of 10, he’s keeping his clothes on during sex :/ 10 times out of 10, his partner won’t :/

likes to leave marks and press on them later. not too hard or anything ( unless his partner(s) is into that ) but more as a visual possession thing.

VERSES .

main — still working as a middleman for literally anyone for anything.

modern day — general criminal liaison, middleman, etc. can fit into any general crime and/or supernatural setting

[soracities]

i too am in love with my friend. i have been for years and in that time our friendship has grown by many orders of magnitude. i work with her pretty regularly now and she invites me to hang out similarly regularly. i have been pining, dreaming, yearning - lately it's gotten to be almost more than i can handle. i told her of my feelings a few months ago and she said she likes me a lot, though only as a friend. i am rationalising that it wouldn't be a good idea for us to be in a relationship anyway. i am trying to be grateful for what i have. and yet i had a little cry earlier after coming back home from hers, intensely sad that what im longing for will most likely never happen. after some chats with another friend i am feeling a little better and ive written out my feelings in song form. im hoping for the strength to keep up our friendship and working relationship as i have been, hoping it won't hurt so much as to tear us apart. much love to you and everyone unrequitedly in love with their friend. <3

bless the wonders of art, alleviating heartache since 10000 BCE ❤️‍🩹 sending love to you also and i hope, with time, you are able to find the strength to move on from these feelings and towards something infinitely less painful and more fulfilling 💕 thank you so much for taking the time to share this 💗

[curiositydooropened]

Cheers to lovely happy moods and writing motivation! 🍻

Now, for some Steve headcannons:

When he can’t sleep, when it’s a great day outside, or when he’s bored, he loves driving around back roads and listening to music (he also loves doing this with friends and just decompressing)

He may be portrayed as a dud in the last two seasons, but once he finds his person/someone more flustered than him, that “King Steve” comfidence/charm comes out

He’s always taking care of those around him, so I just know he loves to be a sub; however, when he’s had a really tough day, he will absolutely manhandle you

Will act all macho when first getting to know you, but will 10000% make you kill the spiders later on

Doesn’t like being alone, so even if he’s not in the same room as you, he finds comfort in knowing you’re in the house if he needs you

Aaaaand Eddie:

Absolute toilet humor; will dutch oven you and maniacally laugh

Gets excited about you wanting to learn guitar but is absolutely anal about how you handle his “sweetheart”

Loves reading fantasy/horror to you or reading the same book and chatting about it

Absolute dom energy once he gets past his awkward phase

May put on a cocky façade, but he gets insecure about what people say about him and you constantly reassure him that he’s perfect as is

As for what I’m proud of… hmm. I would say the fact that I started Pilates almost 2 months ago and I’ve stuck with it! I had my daughter almost two years ago and have been suffering with back pain after my c-section and my body whole body feels SO much better and less stiff. Working out in a gym would cause me to literally cry from pain, and this has caused me to cry because I can work out with no pain at all!

Now tell me what hcs you have and what you’re proud of!

Yes, yes, YES, ABSOLUTELY to all of this. I concur a thousand percent to it all, and I'm obsessed. Well, except with Steve making me kill the spiders (don't get me wrong, it's accurate) because I'm also terrified. So it might just be a watch the house burn down kind of situation. 😂

And ahhhhhhhh! I'm so so so proud of you for sticking with it and taking care of yourself and your body's needs and for making yourself feel good!!!!! That's so amazing, and I'm so happy for you!!!

OMG My headcanons okay so...

Steve

is for sure a worshipper, like you said, he takes good care. I'm talking calf massages, I'm talking having stir fry made when you get home, I'm talking bubble bath made to the perfect temperature

loves camping because he didn't get to do it as a kid. Not really. He camped in cabins or at luxury chalets but never in a sleeping bag in a tent on the cold hard ground, and he lives for it

although the nighttime sounds of the woods aren't ideal, and the first night out, he promptly packs up the sleeping bag and hauls you back to the backseat of his car because steel is safer than canvas

is a flirt. Like makes everyone blush, even Robin sometimes, despite her eye roll, cuz the shit he says is smooth

Eddie

is a menace. Absolute chaos demon. Keep lighters away from him because he will burn a rogue napkin and not care enough to stamp it out properly

spent a holiday season as one of those donation takers for the Salvation Army, out in front of Bradley's. (a favor for Wayne) But it only lasted a few hours before he was fired for chasing people down for their cash

gets freaky, I've got to be honest. This boy loves a costume. Wearing one, seeing you in one, doing voices, it's all on the table.

And I'm proud of myself because I stayed up really late last night reformating my resume and writing a cover letter to a dream job. And then I applied. And fingers crossed I get even an interview, but if I don't, I'm really proud of myself for putting the work in and getting my name out there. In the past, I would have been too insecure to even try. But now I'm confident in myself and my abilities, and if I don't get an interview, they really don't know what kind of gem they're missing. 💎🥰

Thanks so much for this, love!!!!! xo xo

[janelleclouds]

i think about my life and cringe

its very weird to i reread old feelings. i thought i always was going to stay in a certain state of mind. in my head i thought i was a fucking badass for saying what i felt but at the end of the day, right now it makes me feel like a fool. i didnt know where life was going to take me. i honestly never thought id lose my dad so soon. it still hurts. the third anniversary is around the corner. i graduated college two years ago. ive been in love for a year now. im happy with him. i love him to death but im also scared im going to love him to death. ofc i have my fears, who doesnt? its only natural. i just know i want his babies and when that time comes, i hope hes made me his wife and forever partner. im scared i blossomed in life too late. im 25 and in the “prime of my life” but i cant help but still feel like a teenager. i think my mental timeline has halted. i feel like im living the same week over and over again and again. i feel like the best of life has yet to visit me and i it. idk. perhaps im too content with the simple life. but i also dont wanna be in the clubs. 10000% would rather watch movies and make pancakes with my lover than be out and about . im scared ima let life with friend and other pass me by because im too focused on the love in front of me. its weird to think i have no social life but for as long as i can remember, i could not get along with any friends more than a year. every close thing to me had an expiration date. and maybe thats why my fears kick in with my person. the year marked passed and i feel like im just waiting for the shit to hit the fan. i know it shouldnt be that way but still... it feels like my next chapters are just me purposely waiting in the waiting rooms of my life. a psychological doctors office.

Dont get me wrong. im very happy but i think im scared of life. i was sheltered my whole life until i was 20. it think that has to fuck u up lol. i dont even drive yet. that shit should tell you something right there. but look at the end of the day im grateful where i stand, a very cute, in love, lovely girl who gets to go to work and have little people ( children ) say they love me and how i am. i cant really get better than that. i love that i get to kiss my partner and feel the love transfer back and forth to each other. i feel happy that i get to wake up and just be me. i feel like me. i love being me. 

[lifebeneaththerainbow]

TLDR: I’m breaking my tumblr hiatus for this game so I can fangirl about the moments that happen to the community (sorry not sorry 😇)

Probably super late to the party but I’m literally breaking my 6 year hiatus from tumblr for this otome game… lol

Disclaimer: This is probably my first “official” otome game I’ve played (on the switch), unless you count the apps from the App Store, but usually those are pay and pick for a route and story… needless to say this was a bit different, having a route be chosen for you based on the actions you decide to take.

Anywhooooo, first play through, no cheating, just purely based on decision making, wanted to see who I would get and what will happen (although I have already picked my favorites hehe, I’ll suck it up and make it through once before diving down their paths >:3). Was alright, interesting enough storyline, pretty sure I ended up going down Chojiro’s path…. Good ending or bad ending… not sure yet, haven’t finished but O.M.G *spoiler alert if you are planning to play this game*

Once again, literally making a post for the first time in 6 years due to this b.s. (not actually, I might be in love lol). Can we take a minute for KuroYuki?!? Like wtf, okay spoiler incoming so stop reading now, you have been warned. When he saves the main character from Chojiro?!? I DIED, first of all I love his character so it was an extra hit for me but where did he come from?!? I was 10000% not excepting that. Literally making this post after the scene happened because wtf. Lol. I’m dead. I’m pretty sure this route is making me fall in love with everyone except Chojiro (sorry not sorry…?). Anyways that was the turning point for me so now I’m back to fangirling on Tumblr for fictional men (yay). Probably will be posting a lot more random rants as I play through the game and go through the routes :’)

I’m honestly kind of surprised that I lasted this long without getting into the otome games but better late than never I guess lol… I just wish they had diabolik lovers in eng🥲

[thisisanude]

like i love him so much i can’t imagine a life without him ive been so sure about him being in my future for so long now i mean we’re almost at 5 years and there were small parts of our relationship where i became uncertain mostly that one late summer/fall where i was posting a lot on this… but aside from those few months ive been so sure that we would be together forever. and after those few months ended and we fixed things for the most part and he got less mentally ill or. more like stopped projecting his mental illness on me. but now it’s just like. even weirder because those few months i was distancing myself from him and i feel like he could tell and he was trying to be better and then the next few months after that he was like genuinely the best boyfriend ever. and THEN when he HIMSELF brought up the fact that i want to fuck women and he was like yes you should do it that was when i was like i want to marry this man on the spot rn. and then he changed his mind )-: how could he change his mind again! he seemed so sure this time he seemed so confident in our relationship and so comfortable and trustworthy. and i don’t know what changed. i don’t i really don’t but i regret not making the situation work for him because i remember thinking this is my chance i don’t wanna blow it i need to make sure he doesn’t regret changing his mind he needs to be happy in his decision i need to be the best gf ever i need to make him horny from the fact not jealous. however i didn’t really try that hard and then he changed his mind and i regret asking him about it when he was in a bad mood because maybe he would’ve been more understanding if i asked him about it in a good mood. i literally feel crazy like im begging my boyfriend to fuck a woman and of course he’s gonna feel jealous but God why can’t i have both. i really feel like i need both. and every time we have a disagreement now im like wow i should break up with him because i want to fuck women but really the things we fight about are minor. sometimes he’s mentally ill and i’ve learned to not really be bothered by it and then he gets over it and apologizes and i don’t apologize unless i genuinely feel like i’ve done something wrong and i wonder if me being less concerned and more like just Ok whatever makes him feel like i don’t care about the relationship. it’s honestly also the fact that if i have more reasons to break up with him other than just i need to have lesbian sex or else i can’t live a fulfilling life and if he’s doing a bunch of stuff wrong and being annoying and starting fights over small things and not being understanding and empathetic then he’s not the same guy i fell in love with and i should leave anyway. because i cannot imagine a world where i break up with him for the sole reason of needing to fuck women and then not regret it. i would 10000% regret it. but the thing is. i would be in so much pain regardless! if he truly did a lot of things wrong and didn’t apologize and it got worse than it is now and i broke up with him i would be so sad i would be devastated. i’m in love with him ive never felt this way before i thought i was in love in my past relationship but that wasn’t even close to how i feel now. i want to build a future with him how could i want to tear that all down? the thing is i want to build a future with perfect him the nice him when he’s not being super mentally ill and also when he’s comfortable in our relationship and our trust to allow non monogamy. i literally WISH SO BAD he was even attracted to other people but ofc he has to be demi sexual so only sexually attracted to people he is romantically attracted to. that is not the case at all for me so that’s really unfortunate that we can’t relate at all on this topic. and what if he was doing a bunch of stuff wrong and i broke up with him and then all i could think about is when he was so good and all the times he’s helped me and all the times he was a great boyfriend. and all the times i wasn’t the best girlfriend. because of course im not perfect either but i never really pick fights idk

[the-storming-sea]

yes i am a dreamling fan but it is astounding how one-sided the relationship is in both directions.

yes that makes no sense but listen. listen. They like to think they are the most important person in the other’s lives and they are both somehow incorrect. They have met each other six times and each time barely lasted an hour canonically. some of them lasted less than five minutes. hob is canonically terrified of dream yet immediately afterword he just decides he doesn’t give a single fuck, yet at the same time he has so many fucks to give because “am i doing it right? am i doing it right, stranger?” dream’s bet with death was lost in 1489 and he looks like has -10000% interest in Hob, yet he’s the one who decides to study this curious little man creature like a bug. Hob all but buys himself into knighthood in 1589 and spends the whole night bragging on his accomplishments and dream couldn’t care less, and hob gets pissy bc his god or w/e is paying attention to someone that isn’t him. they have met twice now.

in 1689 dream became hob’s sugar daddy where the sex is replaced with stories for a whole night, and that’s the kindest dream’s ever been to him because he felt for this grieving father so much like him and yet so much more, yet probably all hob could think of was “finally some good fucking food,” even though despite everything he came to their meeting. Hob did such deplorable acts that in 1789, dream ‘i imprisoned my ex for 10000+ years’ of the endless looked at him and said “you’re better than this” and put him on the right path, yet god forbid he get up while hob knocks out two men for them, and hob would kill for him but god forbid his stranger tell him what to do until his stranger sits him down and explains. 1889 dream verbally hits Hob in the face after he makes fun of a woman who has more trauma than hes ever known, and hob decides to tell his mysterious lord to his face that he’s lonely and hob will be the one to fix him after they only met six times, after dream has helped Hob at least three times in return for nothing but stories. and the worst part is Hob’s right on some level but dream is so far above hob that why should hob’s words matter. both dream and hob wish to meet in 1989 even when they can’t.

hob probably builds the new inn, or at least names it just to wait for dream. after he gets his power back the first person dream actually goes to is hob. hob teases him for being late. dream calls him his friend. they both are able to live without the other person, yet they both self-centered-ly think they are the other’s most important person that they couldn’t live without. they are both correct in this. yet they have never thought about the other’s feelings on them in a way that isn’t self-serving or self-absorbed during their entire relationship until maybe 1989. none of them are on the same page.

[songbird-sunrise]

Ooc: Hmm you don’t have to answer this publicly it can just sit in your ask box or something else I don’t mind.

I havent actually been following songbird!wilbur for a significant amount of time, really, the impact was being friends and sometimes friends of friends of people who were running the anonverse and bedrock verse. I feel like I’m overstating my connection, I’m often just following bloggers who are friends with the rp ers, and they are some of the most passionate people they’re totally insane and I love being witness to it

hell, I only started following a couple of months ago, and I didn’t even see whatever meat of conflict that has happened. I’ve just watched it unfold on my dash whatever’s been happening. I don’t think I’ve even sent in an ask.

so that’s to say, I have such a lack of connection to this story, no complex history, no deep understanding, which makes it so much more impressive that the little parts I’ve seen are so emotionally beautiful to me. Even just like the blog header. I’ve been hearing about this story for so long that part of it is the thrill when I do figure out something that’s happened

but more of it? Maybe even most of it? Is because of how much dedication and soul has gone into this story. There is a reason that so many people are passionate, there is a reason that some days I see more fanart of songbird on the dash than like cwjlbur or ccwilbur combined. Because you have made something exquisite with this story and what an honour right? To bear witness to it, even this late, even this far behind.

I think the message, the little scraps of it that my colander brain (system lol) can pick up and I think the message of that. Getting better. Finding community and trust. Finding yourself. I think it’s wonderful.

(What’s embarrassing is that i am for all intents and purposes a fake fan </3 not caught up on any lore I just stare at your header and feel Emotions, so all of this could be entirely 10000% wrong which is why it’s a bit of a like… maybe don’t publish it but perhaps I deserve public punishment for being a clown on anon and sharing emotions)

so yeah uhh you’re amazing I love your rp character and I hope to one day be one of the people posting about them when a particularly cool thing happens. I thank you and applaud you for the amount of work that you have put into this story. Good job. Happy new year to you and happy new year to songbird!wilbur too.

what an exquisite thing I get to see, what could I feel other than honour.

-rib

OOC: Ohhhh my god. oh wow. oh holy shit. this is like the sweetest thing I've ever gotten wtf

usually I don't get very sentimental on here ooc but hey. I'll do it for today

it's been a bit rough writing on songbird-sunrise lately. Nothing I write feels good, and it all feels like such a chore most days. But hearing that you, someone who only recently got involved, loves this silly little character I've made so much absolutely warms my heart. It reminds me of why I do this in the first place

songbird-sunrise is, in a way, my love letter to the dreamsmp and c!wilbur. I know you said your analysis on songbird's themes was probably wrong, but you're actually completely right. We want to show the messy, complicated, hard, and beautiful parts of healing and finding yourself. And the fact that it's conveyed to you without even seeing everything is just. fucking amazing. it's nice to have a direct reminder that I'm actually good at what I love to do for lack of better words

all this to say, thank you. thank you for sending this ask, and thank all of you out there. Whether you're an old fan, a new fan, someone who sends a lot of asks, someone who likes to lurk, someone who makes art, analyses, all of you. thank you, and I promise that there are still some big things planned. The journey of healing is never over, and really, songbird!Wilbur is just beginning :)

-holly and wilbur

[ashdumpsterpile]

ASH’S TMA HURT/COMFORT/FLUFF REC LIST 

For the gays. (And @damcrows who’s been dead for the past 24 hours. Rest in peace babe. Read some gay fic. Deny the inevitability of canon. <3)

___

the end, but the start (of all things that are left to do)  by @ajkal2

Jon wakes up.

aka. mag200 tore out my heart

(Very smol, very short, very spoiler. Def recommend for anyone who just finished the podcast.)

remind me how to smile by @tamerofdarkstars

Jon is probably fine, just hiding out somewhere while the whole murder thing blows over and that's... fine. Martin is fine with that explanation. Really. He's got plenty to distract himself - like listening through the entire What the Ghost episode library, for example. Or watching Georgie Barker's Instagram livestreams.

(Yea this was in the last rec list, but you don’t understand THE ADMIRAL GIVES CUDDLES)

Chamomile by Dribbledscribbles

Whatever the ex-tea was, if it really had ever been that last bag of chamomile Martin claimed he’d found tucked in the back of the cupboard, it was fast now.

Martin had tried catching it, chasing it, blocking its way with shoebox lids and plates and an upended footstool, but the thing was just too quick. Jon knew as well as Knew that he might have left off the attempts completely if not for the creature’s preferred game.

The game was, See How Many Times I Can Push Martin Towards Cardiac Arrest Before He Comes at Me with The Broom.

(Scottish Honeymoon Era. Adorable and weird. A vampire gets harassed.)

hey stranger by @ennuijpg

It’s a late night Tesco run, how eventful could it be? It’s not like Martin is going to run into his boss who’s wearing something absurdly different from usual and get the most acute form of whiplash possible from seeing him, right?

(Martin runs into Jon at the grocery store and has an existential crisis.)

roses roses, roses. by @judesstfrancis

Rose scented laundry detergent. Running into Jon in the breakroom. Running into Jon on his way back to his desk. Rose scented detergent. Running into Jon. Roses. Jon. Roses, roses, roses. 

(Canon enemies to friends to lovers au-ish. Martin POV. Very pining much sweet.)

go softly by doomcountry

And there is nothing else besides this. 

(More hurt/comfort than fluff. Scottish Honeymoon Era. Mild eye mutilation.)

Not Alone by @backofthebookshelf

After the coffin, Daisy and Jon are both fragile. They hold each other up. 

(Post-buried Jon&Daisy starter pack. Very hurt/comfort.)

trust my love by antlsepticeye

“you… you’re real, aren’t you?” jon whispers, the fog slowly dissipating from his mind. “it is not a trick?”

“i’m here,” martin says softly, reaching up to grab jon’s hand that was resting on his cheek, intertwining his fingers with jon’s and squeezing. he moves jon’s hand to martin’s chest, resting it over his heart. “you’re alright. i’m alright. take your time, love. let’s just take some deep breaths, okay?”

(TOUCHSTARVED JON HAS ENTERED THE CHAT.)

reaching out by Athina_Blaine

By the time things settled, when Martin had finally managed to crack through his cold shell, feel some of his old self returning to him in bits and pieces, they had found their little routine.

One that had the two of them sleeping in the same bed, making breakfast, going to the mart. Where Jon reached for his wrist while they slept, and Martin luxuriated in the gentle warmth of his fingers.  

But not one where Martin reached back. One that had Martin kissing Jon awake or taking his hand over the breakfast table, because ... Martin never had the courage to try. And then it never became a part of the routine.

And Martin desperately wanted it to be.

-

Martin and Jon have an important conversation.

(More Scottish Honeymoon Era for the soul. Hurt/comfort/fluff.)

Belabor by @janekfan​

Jon's given the position of Archivist and is falling apart at the seams. Tim and Sasha are upset and playing games. Elias is overbearing and manipulative.

And poor Martin is stuck cleaning up the mess.

(THEE first fic I ever read for tma. Season 1, hurt/comfort/fluff, and hints of Jmartin. janekfan is the absolute master of seasons 1-3 hurt/comfort. This is my favorite, but pls check out the rest of their fics.)

tea, blankets, and a damnable stubborn attitude by ivelostmyspectacles

“Are you really gonna stay here and pester Jon all evening?”

“I’m not pestering him,” Martin retorted, sounding vehement if not busy going through the cupboards. “I’m heating up soup.”

“Oh, you might as well make him another cup of tea while you’re at it.”

“Oh, good idea.”

Jon shot Tim a withering look.

(The one where Jon is ill, Martin makes tea and they watch doctor who together. Fluff 1000%.)

A Kind Hand by @voiceless-terror

Jonathan Sims was adjusting just fine, thank you very much.

In which a minor workplace spill causes Jon to realize that he might have friends.

(Ah yes, the other master of seasons 1-3 fic aka voiceless-terror being my other fav author in the fandom. This one is also season 1 hurt/comfort/fluff.)

A Weather In The Flesh by @cuttoothed

"There is a span of years where Jon doesn’t touch anyone other than the occasional hand shake. It’s not so bad. He’s never been someone who’s needed physical affection."

*

Jon has never been any good at making people want to stick around.

(More touched starved Jon! Much hurt/comfort!)

Something Old, Something New by @cirrus-grey

Months have passed, and everyone is doing better than they were. Daisy and Basira are getting married, Melanie is feeling her old self, Georgie is as much herself as she has ever been, and even Jon has stabilized on his wild fall away from humanity. Everyone is doing better.

Well. Almost everyone.

(Daisy/Barsira wedding! Melanie is a bitch and we love her! Jmartin dance! Post-canon (almost) everyone lives!)

The Weight of Love by @voiceless-terror

Jon is a restless sleeper. Martin attempts to adjust. 

(The fic where Jon is literally me and Martin attempts to sleep for 1k words.)

The Art of Conversation by @voiceless-terror

"Do you ever stop talking?"

Jon has a complicated relationship with words. Difficulties come and go.

(Jon has adhd and Martin is in love.)

Novelty by @backofthebookshelf

Jon experiences A Sexual Attraction; Martin has A Concern. They figure it out.

(Any fic that explores the ace spectrum is a 10/10. We stan all ace interpretations of jon on this blog.)

Half a Hug by Dathen

I know you weren’t going to hurt me, I trust you, he said again and again. And then a different kind of fear shone through, hollow and echoing: “Please don’t stop touching me."

-

Or: Life is hard when you're touch-starved but have trauma related to your closest friend.  Spoilers through TMA 132.

(Honestly bless every author who saw jon&daisy and was like. They’re siblings. No I will not elaborate.)

the loneliness never left me (but i can put it down in the pleasure of your company) by Athina_Blaine

It was about Martin making Jon feel safe, treasured, and loved. And it had been so, so long since anyone made him feel that way.

And, in the face of it all, Jon was starting to flounder.

(At this point I just need to make separate rec list for Scottish Honeymoon Era.)

you can watch me corrode by scarletfish

"So, how long have you been pulling this shit then?"

"I… excuse me?" Jon’s indignant, certain she can’t mean what he thinks she means.

"When was the last time you ate?"

(Georgie decides Jon and Melanie need a normal day off. Jon learns that he and Melanie have more in common than he thought.)

(Look, Melanie isn’t my favorite person in tma, but she and Jon are like THE SAME PERSON and I adore fics that elaborate on their relationship.)

Out of the Wind, In From the Cold by @ostentenacity

There are two bedrooms in the safehouse, and two beds.

For a moment, Jon considers asking to share, but decides against it with a wince. “I really loved you,” Martin had told him. Loved. Past tense. And Martin doesn’t exactly have a lot of choices right now in terms of company; it would be cruel to demand he play at feelings he no longer has just to make Jon happy.

(For a moment, Martin considers asking to share. But he dismisses the idea with a shake of his head. Jon has already done so much for him. Martin isn’t about to ask for more, especially not when it’s something he doesn’t really need. He has his right mind back, and he has Jon’s friendship. That should be enough for him. It’ll have to be.)

---

Jon thinks that Martin doesn’t love him. Martin thinks that Jon doesn’t love him. They do not, of course, discuss this. Unrequited love is already awkward enough, right? No need to dwell on it.

(THEE SCOTTISH HONEYMOON ERA FIC. IT’S ABOUT THE PINING, BEING MUTUALLY OBLIVIOUS AND FALLING IN LOVE. 10000/10.) 

I Do by @voiceless-terror

“I, um- this was supposed to be a lot more romantic, I swear.” Martin looks down at the dirty bar floor. “I had it all planned out, I-I was going to take you somewhere nice, and then we’d go for a walk in the square- I’ll still do it!” He hurries to explain, as if that’s the most pressing part of this situation. “It’ll be really nice, I’ve already hired a photographer-”

In a fit of protectiveness, Martin proposes to Jon.

(Everyone lives, Martin accidentally proposes and Jon is crying in public.) 

________

[eustochium]

reviews of every movie i’ve seen in theaters lately, because this is what i do with my friday nights now. maybe spoilers or whatever if you care

-Elvis: i do genuinely believe austin butler made some faustian pact for an oscar because there’s no way that he managed to turn out a performance like that when his resume to that point consisted of supporting roles in Sharpay’s Fabulous Adventure and Vanessa Hudgens’ Coachella appearances. anyway it was unfortunately good, bc Baz Luhrmann is the hollywood purveyor of grandiose spectacle and tragicomic fairy tales, and for that end chooses his source material very well. costume design was objectively perfect, because of course it was. staging a montage representing elvis’s hollywood years to an instrumental britney spears mashup before punctuating it with the sound of a gunshot and cronkite’s voice announcing the assassination of MLK is probably one of the most insane creative choices i’ve seen on a screen and shows that baz knew exactly what kind of story he wanted to tell. the unfortunate part is that baz is also a wildly wealthy white australian who, despite a well-intended effort, was extremely out of his depth in trying to portray the nuanced realities of race in mid century america as they pertained to Elvis Presley’s career, but this effort still led to objectively the best musical scenes in the movie. stan yola and go stream her album right now. 8/10

-Don’t Worry Darling: literally so much fun. Harry Styles didn’t quite sell the character for me thru most of it, until the ending sort of gave some justification for why he might have come across as less than wholly convincing—but tbh i doubt that was an intentional performance choice. his press conference soundbite about how DWD “feels like a movie” got rightfully clowned on but it’s actually like. the most apt assessment of it lmao. definitely sets you up to know there’s gonna be some big shocking final twist, and while idk how i feel about it, at least it kind of resolved my biggest issue throughout watching most of it which is the glaring fact that not a single person in this movie convincingly looks like they’re from the 1950s. everyone in the movie has a face that knows about texting and the costume design doesn’t help either, literally like an online brain poisoned person’s mental image of what 1950s suburbia looks like, so that works. messy plot that didn’t really know what to do with itself. nevertheless Miss Flo ate and left no crumbs, as the kids say. also the supposed controversy abt the behind-the-scenes drama was one of the first truly enjoyable entertainment news cycles in a good long while. not a great film but genuinely a great time. 7/10

SMILE: viscerally creepy at a few scenes but that’s rly all there is. freaky premise on the surface but overall not very good and didn’t have anything to say about its central theme of trauma that hasn’t already been said much more effectively by plenty of other, much better movies. 3/10

Pearl: slapped, went absolutely insane, spoke to the soul, talented brilliant amazing showstopping spectacular never the same un-afraid to reference or not reference etc etc. never seen X and don’t particularly care to bc there’s truly nothing i could ever imagine in any way adding to what that movie did for me. didn’t breathe once during mia goth’s entire 8 minute monologue, literally exited the theater feeling like that “girls with they ____” meme, in the best way. she named her murderous pet gator after Theda Bara. absolutely zero notes. 10000/10

Moonage Daydream: A good movie to go see with your mom, if your mom’s celebrity crush growing up was David Bowie. 9/10

[bisluthq]

I don’t like 1989 either, I don’t get the music industry’s obsession but jfc. It is truly not worth getting this unhinged about. Unless it’s for attention then go off I guess.

I mean it sure as shit isn’t because I give a fuck about any of this like who cares about Taylor Swift or her music dude like it’s some artist?

What am I meant to write when y’all ask me?

“This entire album is lyrically uninspired. It opens with a repetitive synthy song that is 2 years too late on gay marriage at the time of being penned, and just repeats itself over and over. Taylor Swift is not from New York, nor is she gay, nor should she have been this excited about any of this. The one interesting image in this song is the idea of broken hearts being in a drawer but Ms Swift does not expand on it because she’d rather sing about gay marriage - I suppose - and a city she has no discernible connection to but shortly after producing this song took a multi million dollar deal to promote. For clearer skin stream Empire State of Mind.

The album then proceeds into Blank Space which is Gd tier. It is hilarious as satire, it is incredible as a chaos anthem, it is witty. 10000/10. Outstanding.

Next, we have a song Taylor wrote from a track that reminded her of Daft Punk which had beaten her in the previous Grammys. She liked said track and with Max Martin proceeded to write lyrics that played on her ex fling’s name and an anachronistic haircut in order to sell it because she had “publicly sworn off dating” so she couldn’t exactly write on the name of a contemporary boyfriend so Harry Styles it was. As Sophie Turner would say, it’s not not a bop.

We then go into Out of The Woods which contains one of my favorite Taylor images - “we moved the furniture so we could dance” - unfortunately this is never expanded upon and the rest of the song is just her repeating herself. A pity because we came close. This too was written to track, unsurprisingly.

I do not want to talk about AYTHDWS which is a song where Taylor just yells and is somehow less hated by her fans than Stay Stay Stay from RED despite having the identical concept and clearly being inspired by similar fantasies. One is expressly framed as fantasy and so is hated and the other is supposedly about the time a teenager played her and so is Art. Keep up!

We get to Shake It Off. This is, as I’ve previously mentioned, a song so deeply uninspired and derivative that when it went to copyright court the defense was “hey hey hey you cannot copyright stupid!!” and I am on the defendant’s side because you cannot, in fact, copyright stupid. Weird hill for Taylor Swift to die on since she’s copyrighted her birth year and name and the term “Taylor’s Version” but since I don’t believe she should’ve been copyrighting that shit I am on her side in the trial.

IWYW is actually not a terrible song aside from being dull and repetitive. It is just ruined by fans figuring out who it’s about as though the song doesn’t clearly deal with a fantasy (ie the narrator is in her house and the person is driving around and shit). I’m gonna give this song 6.5/10 for objective reasons like it’s not terrible but -1/10 for what it inspired in her fandom.

Bad Blood is a fight club situation where we shouldn’t talk about it.

Wildest Dreams is a cute concept but the “standing in a nice dress” brings us back to the uninspired and unoriginal and frankly tired core theses and themes on the album. We could’ve had literally ANYTHING else here. Red dress? Black dress? White dress? That would be a better description than “nice dress” but we live in the darkest timeline so whatever.

HYGTG is actually peak camp I am actually gonna defend it - not because it’s clever or interesting but because people think this song, which rhymes rain and insane unironically, is an important klue for Taylor’s sexuality and I find that funny. Also rhyming rain with insane is funny.

This Love is a terribly written song which uses 8th grade imagery (THE SEA!!!!) and repeats the line “this love is good this love is bad”. It has no excuses since it started as a poem. It just shows that when she says, earlier in this album, that people say she has nothing in her brain they have stronger klues than Gaylors tbh.

I Know Places lives in the group chat with Style and OOTW and actually IWYW like it’s not horrifying like This Love but it’s very fucking repetitive. She described it as a fantasy and I do get her need for that so respect it but again have my personal thoughts marred by the fact that in fandom it is a klue even though the lady has said it’s not. If it is a klue, it’s a bad one because she did NOT appear to know many places in this era.

Clean is a decent song. I accept it.

Wonderland is an okay song only if it’s about her apartment. Again, camp. If it’s about Harry Styles ew like why are you in Wonderland with a child and if it’s about Dianna Agron why were you taking breaks for children? I belieb it is about her home and so I’m okay with it although I do not like it because once again it is very repetitive.

YAIL is very cute. Sad for Jack and Lena but what a cute song! I like it. Maybe not as much as Blank Space or the line in OOTW about the furniture but as much if not more than Clean.

New Romantics is adorable. Love friendship songs.”

Okay so those are my thoughts on the album. Thoughts on the era: fake, chaotic, unhealthy and over reliant on substances. A bad time and not something we should revisit. When we factor that in to how the music was underwhelming idk why we’d be tempted to. Idk why we’d watch her parade random models on stage and be like “🥺🥺 how fun” like said the narrator: “it was not fun, it was pathetic af and she knew it - she said she felt she had to do gimmicks because otherwise people wouldn’t come.”

Now my thoughts on the relationships that allegedly inspired it: Dianna and Skarsgard didn’t happen, Harry was unimportant, the “publicists call you” song might be Douglas but so fictionalized that like who cares if it hadn’t been him it’d have been someone else and like girl y were u still hung up on that ain’t shit Gyllenhaal chap? Ouch. I don’t want to think about that!!!!

In conclusion: let’s collectively pretend this era never happened.

As pop fans you are welcome to love the bops but then call her Saylor Twift or something because it sure as shit wasn’t indicative of the rest of her work or discography.

[bubblesuga]

Special-Tea

Summary: Yoongi’s always been a coffee man. When stuck at the studio in the early hours of the morning, he craves caffeine. The only problem with that is there’s no coffee shops open at three in the morning. So, he finds himself at the next best thing, a 24 hour tea shop where he finds you. 

Warnings: cussing, smut, shower sex, unprotected sex (wrap it before you tap it), oral (f receiving)

W/C: 4,798

It’s too early for this. 

Or maybe it’s too late. 

Yoongi isn’t sure. In fact, he’s pretty sure his clock stopped working three hours ago. Unless the last few minutes have felt like hours, then Yoongi was on the verge of tearing every piece of equipment from the wall and smashing it into a million pieces. 

Yoongi’s been working on this album for far too long. His fingers are cramped from continuously playing the same three notes over and over just hoping and praying that something will come to him. He’s confused more than anything. Before he had no problem spitting out 2 or 3 songs in a day, recording demos and having the studio ready to record for the other members the following day. 

Lately, however, he’s lucky if he can even get a concept for a song down. It’s like his mind has been clouded over with writers block and he’s not getting anywhere. Like someone sucked his ability to compose music right from his brain with a straw. 

He tosses the pen he had been anxiously tapping on the desk into his bag, along with his notebook, and he stands abruptly. 

Scoffing at his phone, he glares at the black 4:37 on the screen while the elevator in the BigHit offices slides downward. There’s no coffee shops open yet, there has to be something though. He just needs caffeine, though he could really go for an iced americano with- 

“Special-tea...?” He raises an eyebrow at his phone, Google holding up options for the nearest place selling caffeinated beverages. Rolling his eyes, he begins the short journey to the one 24 hour shop within a five mile radius. 

What kind of a name is ‘Special-tea’? Who sat in an office and thought, ‘ah you know what? Let’s name a tea shop but make it punny.’

“Stupid.” He grumbles to himself. He’s well aware that he’s far too tired to be having human interaction right now but he needs to get some progress done. At this point he’ll take a ghost of a song. 

Stepping into the tea shop, he’s overwhelmed by the smell of flowers. Undeniably strong, he takes a moment to collect his thoughts before stepping all the way in. As the door chimes, he hears a gasp and a patter of foot steps.

“Welcome to Special-tea! How are you doing today?” 

The voice is loud, echoing off of the various shelves scattered around the shop with loose tea for sale. He whips his head towards the register, spotting you. 

“I’m fine, thank you.” He didn’t realize how sore his voice was from attempting to record backing vocals earlier in the day, but it came out gruff and quiet. A stark contrast to the bubbly barista in front of him, her nose dusted in flour and a messy apron protecting her clothes. Well, attempting at least, because Yoongi has to hold back a smile when he notices hand prints of flour on your backside. 

“What can I get you this morning?” you question, leaning over the counter and causing Yoongi to blush when he notices the way you’re smiling. When you meet his eyes, Yoongi can tell you recognize him. For a moment he feels the need to brace himself, but soon realizes you’re calm. 

Yoongi returns a smile, haphazardly running his fingers through his hair. “Dumb question, but do you guys sell coffee?” 

“Coffee? No, but we do sell black earl grey. I’m told that’s a close comparison as far as bitterness goes,” You explain, turning to the shelf behind you and pulling out a bag of tea, “you’re welcome to smell it if you like.” 

He raises an eyebrow, leaning forward and sniffing the bag. He backs away quickly and watches you bite your lip to stifle a laugh, “It’s not exactly a new tea drinker’s type of tea.” 

“I’m not really a new tea drinker,” he grumbles, wiping his nose, “I’m a tea drinker only in times of desperation.” 

She smiles again, “What causes said desperation?” 

Yoongi rolls his neck, “I’m trying to write another song. Get the ball rolling to finishing up an album.” 

“BE, right? I’ve heard good things about the process,” you say softly, surprising Yoongi by your admission to being a fan, “I figured it would be finished already?” 

His eyes stay trained on you as you turn back to the shelves, rummaging through various boxes of tea. It takes him a moment to realize what your question was, so he sucks in a breath, “Ah, yeah. It’s nearly there, we just need one more track because one of them got trashed.” 

Why is he revealing so much to a stranger? Namjoon is going to kill him. 

“Trashed? Why’s that?” 

“We realized the song itself didn’t follow any of the messages we wanted to put out there.” 

Damn it, Yoongi. Stop talking. 

You finally stop rummaging and pull out a bag of tea without showing Yoongi. He tries to catch a glimpse but instead watches as you boil more water and begin steeping the tea. 

“What kind of message did it have?” You ask, leaning backward against the counter and crossing your arms. Having expected a follow up question, Yoongi swiftly dismisses it, “What kind of tea are you making?” 

“The kind you drink.” You smirk. 

He lowers his gaze at you, “It’s kind of your job to tell the customer what they’re getting.” 

You laugh, “Alright. Jasmine green tea. It’s subtle enough that it won’t get your coffee loving tongue in a twist, and has enough caffeine to keep you up to finish whatever you’re working on.” 

Yoongi is happy with this response, taking the time to lean away from the counter and gaze around the shop. It’s small, something he’s definitely not used to from coffee shops. The earthy smells from earlier have dwindled down to a nice summery scent, lavender filling his nose the closer he got to the register. 

As much as he tried to keep his eyes away from the cute girl behind the counter, he couldn’t help but turn back and watch you as you organize various things. Something about the way your hair slips from the messy bun it’s in and your charismatic way of helping him while also providing a sense of normalcy drew him in in a way he has never experienced before. 

“Order up, Suga.” 

He shakes his head from his gaze, walking back up to the counter and pulling out his wallet. 

“On me,” you say, “besides... don’t want to make you pay for something you may not like.” 

Yoongi nods, murmuring a small ‘thank you’ and bringing the cup up to his mouth. 

Without missing a beat, he reaches for his wallet and pulls out a 10000 won bill, stuffing it in the tip jar. He gives you a small smile, thanking you again as he turns towards the door. 

“Wait!” you call, “What do you think?”

Yoongi raises his hand up just before he walks out of the door, “It’s delicious!” 

The smile on your face was worth Yoongi’s little white lie. 

~*~*~

“Alright, this is great! We’ll record tomorrow, yeah?” Seokjin speaks for the entire group as Yoongi plays them the demo of the song he was finally able to right. There were a few jabs here and there about the auto tune Yoongi likes to utilize, but other than that it was well received. 

The only person he could think was you, though, because if he hadn’t have tasted that tea he would have never thought of writing what he did. 

“How did you manage to spit out something like this in a night?” Jungkook teases, patting Yoongi’s shoulder softly. 

“What do you mean?” Yoongi chuckles, clicking sound files around and creating a copy of his demo.

Jungkook grins, “Who’s the girl that made you think of that?” 

“No girl,” he defends, “a good writer doesn’t need actual experiences. All from the imagination, young Jungkookie.” 

Namjoon raises an eyebrow, “I’m pretty sure that’s not the case at all.” 

Yoongi shushes him, saving his project one more time before deciding to kick everyone out and lock the studio. 

Of course they’re going to find out eventually what happened. Especially since Park Jimin follows Yoongi to the elevator. Once they’re the only ones inside, Jimin turns to his Hyung, “Tell me about the girl.” 

Yoongi, knowing that no one else could read him better than Jimin, sighs in defeat. “She’s gorgeous. Her nose had flour on it, her hair was messy, and she was everything that I’m not used to. She has a smirk- god the way she smiles- it just makes me melt for her.”

Jimin seems pleased with this answer, “and you’re going to see her now?” 

“Yep.” 

The bell above his head is a welcoming sound. This time you’re not waiting in the back. Instead, you’re counting money at the register as he enters. This time you wore a purple apron, and it’s clean compared to a couple of days ago. You still haven’t looked up, so Yoongi walks slowly up to the counter and taps his fingers twice. 

“Ah- Yoongi! Good evening, what can I get you started today?” 

“The same as last time, please.” Yoongi grins, watching you carefully as you nod at him and turn on your heel and kick on the kettle. The way the straps of the apron tie right above the curve of your back has Yoongi’s mind beginning to wander. It’s been years since he even thought of looking at a woman like this in person, but for some reason when it comes to you he just can’t stop. 

“So,” you break the silence, “how did that song writing go?”

“Oh,” his cheeks are a rosy pink, “it went well. I showed the other members the demo and we’re recording it tomorrow.” 

“I can’t wait to hear it.” You grin, pouring the water over the tea bags. Yoongi thanks you quietly and pulls out his wallet once more. You shake your head, “Nope. Your last tip was enough to cover your next 3 drinks.” 

Yoongi nods, “Oh okay.” but then ignores you, slipping another 10000 won bill into the tip jar. Just as you’re about to open your mouth in protest, Yoongi sends you a wink and salutes on his way out before he closes the door behind him. 

~*~*~

Your alarm is too loud. 

It’s like a banshee screeching in your ear, like a baby crying, like a rooster crowing. You groaned loudly at the sound and threw your hand on top of it, rolling out of bed to drag yourself to the shower. 

It’s been a few weeks since Yoongi became a regular to your work. The initial star struck feeling you got when you were around him had dwindled away, and now you feel you can call him a friend. 

Your routine was as follows: Yoongi enters the shop, you make him his drink, and he stays and distracts you for a while. Much against everything you stand for, you drop everything to talk to him. It causes you to have to move much faster than usual on your prep work but you didn’t mind, because you loved seeing the way Yoongi would laugh at your jokes. 

You feel like you know the man beyond the idol. The person who hides under the shadow of a stoic demeanor is bright. The way you perceived him prior to actually knowing him was wrong. He is, without a single doubt in your mind, the most interesting man on the planet. 

When you arrived at work, your evening worker is already willing to go. 

“I counted the safe and there’s some money missing. If Summer asks, it wasn’t me.” Flora says, shrugging her shoulders. 

“Okay,” you raise an eyebrow, walking towards the back, “any orders?” 

“Uh, yeah!” you hear her call, “chocolate covered strawberries for 6!” 

“Awesome-- thank you!” You call back just as the door dings and Flora exits the store. You take a moment to walk through the kitchen to make sure everything is set up and then you pull your apron over your head. 

The doorbell dings and you can’t help the smile that stretches across your face. 

“What’ll it be today, Mr. Min?” You still stand in the back, glancing in the mirror to make sure you look your best. 

“Honey butter croissant,” he yells back, “how did you know it was me?” 

When you’re happy with your look, you finally walk to the front and smile, “So we’re changing it up today, are you okay? You sick or something?” 

“I just wanted something new,” Yoongi looks different today. He’s dressed in a cream cardigan and black jeans, the usual rose tint to his cheeks is a bit stronger today. 

“Okay, I’ll have to bake some new ones. It’ll take about 20 minutes if you’re willing to wait.” You explain, with an unsure smile. 

Yoongi looks around for a moment, “Ugh, I guess I can wait.” 

“Awesome,” you speak, “I’ll be back in a moment.” 

As you walk towards the back, Yoongi listens carefully to you humming along to a song that’s been stuck in your head for days. You pull out a couple of fresh croissants and prep a baking sheet. Sticking it into the oven, you brush the flour from your hands onto your apron and walk back to the front. 

Yoongi jumps up from his phone when he notices you standing in front of him. This is the closest you’ve ever been to him, the freckles across your nose easing him into a sense of comfort. “Do you plan on telling me why you kept ordering a drink you hate?�� 

Yoongi’s eyes widen, “Now why on Earth would you think that I hate it?” 

“Welp,” you laugh, “you’re usually my only customer at night, and every morning I would check the outside garbage to see if it needed to be changed, yet the only thing I would find is a full cup of tea, with your name on it.” 

For a moment, Yoongi was silent. He stumbles over his thoughts in an attempt to come up with some type of excuse. Something to hide why he had been coming here all this time. Yet, he couldn’t. So instead he looks up from his chair and smirks, “How else was I supposed to talk to the pretty girl at the tea shop?” 

You swallow, your mind racing a million miles a second. Before you have the chance to respond, he stands. His body is close, and he smells so good. His cologne is expensive, herbal and earthy, and it makes you want to bury your nose into his neck and inhale. His eyes, the usual dark brown has turned into honey, drawing you in and keeping you there. 

“You could have asked me on a date, we could have gone from there.” You shrug, feeling Yoongi’s calloused hand gently push away a stray hair behind your ear. He doesn’t move it afterwards, though, instead his thumb finds home on your cheekbone, stroking gently. His face has shifted, and he laughs. Almost bitterly, causing your heart to sink. 

“I wasn’t sure if you’d be interested in the types of dates I get. You see,” his other hand slithers around your waist, “we get long walks in the park but we have to wear a mask and a hat. We get picnics by streams late enough at night that we know no one will be around. Sometimes we can slip away to another country where we pray that no one recognizes us, but with my schedule that thought is laughable at best.” 

“What if I like long walks in the park with masks and late night picnics?” You breath, the look in your eyes stirring Yoongi’s heart. 

“Then I guess we’d have to give it a shot, wouldn’t we?” He whispers. Your eyes flutter from his eyes to his lips, silently begging him to close the gap. You could sense his hesitancy, though. It blossoms from his chest and heats up his entire body but for some reason he’s frozen, completely still. He’s fighting, urging himself to lean forward and kiss you but he can’t move. 

Good news for him, though, because you take a moment to lean up and press your lips against his softly. It’s gentle, easing him into the feeling of you so close to him. His lips taste of mint chocolate, causing you to smile into the kiss. It takes a moment, and for a second you’re hoping that you didn’t read the situation wrong until finally, he kisses back. It’s eager, introducing his tongue to yours and grinning idly into the kiss. 

You allow him to back you up against the counter, boxing you in and surrounding you completely. His hands move down and pull your hips close to his, feeling the strain of his cock against his jeans. 

“We’re entering dangerous territory here, baby.” Yoongi speaks, pulling away just a little bit. His eyes stay closed and his breath is hot on your face. 

“How so?” You whisper, afraid of the answer but also intrigued. He doesn’t respond, instead capturing your lips and breaking the kiss repeatedly. Your fingertips dig into his shoulders and he smiles at the knowledge that you’re enjoying this just as much as he is. 

A groan fills the air when you finally buck your hips towards him. In a feverish attempt to feel more, you wrap your legs around his waist and hang from his shoulders. Just as you’re about to slip your hand between your bodies, the timer on the oven blares through the building, shattering the small walls you built around the two of you. 

“Fuck--” you gently pull away, “I’m sorry. I’ll be back in a moment.” 

Quickly, you slip off the counter and rush to the oven. You pull out the croissants and douse them in honey butter from the fridge. You watch the butter melt for a moment, collecting your thoughts.

Did that just happen? Did that actually hap-

When you walk back out, Yoongi’s hands are clasped behind his back. He mutters a small thank you as you hand him the plate. He rips off a corner of the pastry, and pops it into his mouth. 

There’s a beat of silence. One-- two-- then he speaks. 

“It’s delicious.” 

“Thank you, I work hard on them.” 

~*~*~

“And you just left her?!” 

Oh god. Yoongi has never seen Jimin so angry before. The small man can yell louder than ever imagined, and Yoongi would be lying if he said that he wasn’t scared. 

A mere 30 hours ago, Yoongi had his tongue buried in your mouth and he was the happiest man on the planet. Then it changed quickly once he realized what exactly this could entail. Even though he wanted nothing more than to bend you over the dough table and take you roughly while you scream his name, he couldn’t help but over think. 

Standing in Jimin’s living room, he expected to be comforted and given some nice advice from his friend. Instead he’s learning that he pulled a bad move.

“You’re supposed to be giving me advice, not yelling at me!” Yoongi yells back, gesturing his hands wildly. Even though he’s scared, he can’t help but defend himself to a certain extent. 

“Hyung, I thought you’d have enough intelligence not to kiss her and run!” 

Yoongi groans and drops onto the couch, his face falling into his hands, “The things I was feeling scared me.” 

“Oh my god, go to the tea shop!” 

~*~*~

Yoongi spots a customer at the register. He opens the door quietly, the break of dawn just behind the mountains. This was different to Yoongi’s usual time and you know that, your eyes going wide in surprise while you finish ringing up the last customer. 

Once Yoongi hears the heels clack against the tile and the door open, he rounds the shelf and walks up to you. 

“I’m sorry I left so quickly yesterday. I just- I got scared. I wasn’t sure how to approach the situation but after thinking over it I realized that I really need you to kiss me again,” Yoongi speaks fast, quicker than you’ve heard him before and it takes a moment for the words to settle in your mind, “I can’t stop thinking about you.” 

You breathe out a laugh, leaning forward and pressing your lips to his again. This time it’s slow and soft, different but Yoongi loves every second of it. The minute you kiss him, you taste coffee. You hold back another laugh, pulling away with mock hurt, “You cheated.” 

Yoongi brows furrow, “I don’t follow.” 

“You drink coffee and then come try to sweep tea shop girl off her feet? Cheater!” You tease, putting your hand on your chest as though you’re in pain. 

Yoongi grins, “You’re crazy. I would never drink coffee, not when I can taste you. You’re probably going to have to kiss me to make sure.” 

You gnaw your lip, leaning upward and pressing a kiss to him again. He giggles against your lips, a sound that you will never get sick of. You pull away much to both of your dismay, “Let me take you back to my apartment. It’s small but it’s big enough for the two of us.” 

He agrees instantly. 

Yoongi waits in the car while your relief shows up and you clean up. He taps his feet against the pedals anxiously, the thought of what could happen exciting him. You have clouded his mind for a weeks now and as you skip out of the building and hop into Yoongi’s passenger seat, he can’t wait to get his hands on you. 

He follows your directions, his hand resting on your thigh as he tries not to speed. When he pulls into the parking lot, you lead him up the stairs to your apartment. 

Nervously, you toss your bag onto the couch, “It’s not much. . . but it works for me.” 

Yoongi grins, “It’s quaint. Cute.” He reaches forward and wraps his arms around you in a back hug. You welcome it, craning your neck to kiss him. 

“I need a shower. Join me?”

Yoongi nods, “Yes please.” 

There’s a thumb in your chest louder than you’ve ever felt before. This is actually happening. Min Yoongi, is being lead to your bathroom and you’re about to shower with him. 

Yoongi doesn’t waste much time once the door is shut behind you. He latches his lips onto your neck, tugging at the hem of your shirt and easing it over your head. 

“I want to make sure you want this as much as I do.” Yoongi says breathlessly as he catches a glimpse of your bare chest. You don’t respond verbally, but you look him directly in the eye as you slip your pants and panties off in one swoop. 

You stand in the shower, turning on the water and peaking your head behind the curtain, “What’s taking you so long?” 

Yoongi moves fast as he tears off his own clothing, and you close the curtain so you don’t spot his body too quickly. Building suspense for yourself, you wet your hair under the warm water and feel your muscles relax after your long day of work. Although your eyes are closed, your ears are trained on Yoongi. He steps behind you, continuing his assault on your neck. 

You sigh happily, but everything changes the minute Yoongi opens his mouth. 

“Spread your legs, baby. I’ll hold you up.” 

Instantly you feel your cunt clenching around nothing (unfortunately). You immediately allow Yoongi to guide your leg to the edge of the tub. He slides a finger in between your folds, collecting your wetness all while his lips trail kisses across your chest. 

Finally you allow yourself to open your eyes, gasping at the image in front of you. Yoongi’s body is as rosy as his cheeks, his knees on the bottom of the floor and his face level with your heat. 

“Ah, now you open your eyes.” He smirks, and doesn’t give you much warning as he licks a long stripe from your heat to your clit. You instantly moan, tossing your head back and bracing yourself against the wall of the shower. 

He moves ruthlessly, consuming you like a starved man. The feeling of him against you doesn’t compare to the imagine in front of you. His fingers reach between your folds and pump in and out of you while he continues to nip and suck mercilessly at your clit. He looks up at you through his lashes, and you swear you feel him smirk against you as he speeds up his thrusts and sucks as hard as he can. 

“You look so good like this,” you moan, “your tongue feels so good.” 

Yoongi pulls away to let out a groan, “Fuck.” His chest is heaving and he reaches a hand down to squeeze his shaft for a moment of relief, then he stands. 

“Think you can hold your leg up for a moment, baby?” Yoongi instructs, laying a kiss on your forehead as you spot his hand pumping himself a few more times. You nod silently, allowing yourself to relish in his glistening skin as he runs the head of his cock over your slit. You appreciate his concern, and you know he’s going to take care of you after he’s finished ruining you. You couldn’t be more excited as Yoongi’s cock continues to slip over you. 

For a moment you feel him enter, both of you gasping at the contact but just as quickly as he enters, he slips out. 

“No,” you shake your head, “please no teasing. Fuck me.” 

Yoongi gives you a devilish grin, his hand holding up your thigh once again as he finally begins to push into you. He takes pleasure in the way that your lips part with every inch that he pushes in. Yoongi was proud of his size, and your reaction further fuels his ego. Finally, he bottoms out and you’re rewarded with being filled to the hilt with nothing but Yoongi. 

He moans your name in your air after you adjust to his size, beginning to thrust faster. “So... tight. Fuck.” He sinks his teeth into your collarbone, relishing in the feeling of your nails scratching into his back. He can’t bare to leave your cunt for more than a few seconds, because the way you clench tightly around him was the closest thing to Heaven on Earth that he’s ever experienced. Every one of his thrusts is meant with a rewarding moan from you, your juices coating his cock more and more and fueling his pleasure. 

“Ah,” you moan, “Yoongi. So good.” Your brain was absolute mush. You couldn’t think of anything else but him. 

“So good at taking my cock,” he laughs breathlessly, “I can’t believe how well you’re doing.” 

You surrender yourself completely to Yoongi at his words, his encouragement pushing you closer to the edge. “I’m close.” 

“Good girl, cum for me. Cream on my cock.” Yoongi praises, kissing your lips tenderly as you feel yourself clench tightly around him. White hot electric shocks rush through your body, your eyes rolling to the back of your head. 

He breaks the kiss with a bite to your bottom lip, “Take my cum. Take it- fuck fuck-” Yoongi’s cut off by his orgasm taking over, and you open just in time to see his jaw drop as he rides out both of your orgasms with increasingly slow thrusts until finally, he slips out, the feeling of his release dripping down your thighs. 

He rests his forehead against yours, suddenly hyper aware of the water dripping down your bodies.

You lower your legs onto the floor, Yoongi holding you up while you struggle to regain your balance. The two of you giggle, sharing kisses for a moment as you both work off the pleasure. 

You reach behind Yoongi, squeezing shampoo into your hands and massaging it through your scalp as Yoongi takes your soap across your body. It’s such a simple move, but even though you’ve already had sex he still is taking the time to take care of you. It’s endearing, and it fills you with hope for something more with Yoongi. 

As you both finish the shower, you step out of the bath tub and reach for a towel. 

“Oh, by the way, Yoongi?” You say as he runs a brush through your hair. You bite your lip to hold back a giggle as he stops, “Yes baby?” 

“I still tasted coffee.” 

Yoongi laughs, “God damn it.” 

[jenxwp]

‘A Necessary Evil’ NZ script

Hey guys! We are finally up to the last episode of the Destiny-Quest-Necessary Evil arc, and boy, are we going out with a bang. Until I started reading through this script I didn’t realise how this story must have evolved! There are so many differences, so this post is going to be long.. #sorrynotsorry. 

No, honestly… clear your calendar for the day and grab a coffee because we are going for a ride.. but if you stick with me it will be WELL worth it. 🤯

So first off, a little bit about this script. This one is special to me because it was used on-set in New Zealand and I don’t have many like that. How do I know? The two ring binding on the left is the main give-away along with the fax detailing. The script has seen better days, but considering its 25 years old and been around New Zealand and made its way across the seas to Australia- I think it’s going good!

Who is Russell? Well that’s a mystery I have been trying to work out for many years. I have spoken to people who worked on set and it is still an enigma. 

At the top of each page you can see that the document was faxed from LA through to New Zealand on November 8th 1996. I have covered up the number- not sure if it’s still active, but I don’t know international numbers and better safe than sorry!

Interestingly, the shooting schedule for this episode was from November 26th to December 5th with 8 shooting days allocated. Whether this changed because of Lucy’s accident I am not sure, but these are the dates I have on my season 2 main unit production schedule. With this script, I am not sure if it is a final copy because it is annotated ‘2nd draft’. Scripts will go through many versions before the final, but I would have thought because the writers are in LA, only the final would have gone to NZ. But then again the script is dated November 22nd.. which is weeks AFTER it was faxed. Ok there is some voodoo shit going on here. AND if shooting was to begin on the 26th, SURELY it was finalised by the 22nd… but then again.. *I* am a last minute kinda gal so I can’t really judge.. and... Argh! Help! If anyone has a ‘shooting draft’ for this episode, please give me a shout-out- we can compare!

I have digressed. Alright, first up- the teaser. It is so different to what we end up with on screen:

Interestingly, instead of having the dialogue between Gabrielle and Ephiny regarding the ‘Amazon parades’, we have some friendly banter between Xena and Gabrielle about sleeping in late and sleeping in trees. It’s good light-hearted fun.

In the script, Velasca has a lot more meaty dialogue. Which to be honest, I am glad they reduced. Statements like “gift from the gods… to MAKE A GOD” is so much more powerful compared to what is written above. That’s my opinion, but it’s so interesting to read what was originally intended. There was also much more emphasis on Xena being injured in this initial battle which is brought up many times in this script.

The next scene after the intro is also so different to what we saw! I am just going to leave this here...

I have mixed feelings about this. I do feel like the conversation with Xena and Gabrielle is forced, and to be honest, what we got on screen was more genuine. Those two can convey more in one look than 5 pages of dialogue.

Moving on.. Callisto and her pet rat in the Labyrinth of the Gods!

Hear me out. I am glad this changed. I am one of those ones that enjoys Hercules. Let me make clear that I don’t like Sorbo… but I grew up watching the action back-2-back and I will still watch it on occasion. Xena is 10000% times better than Hercules, but I just love the entire WORLD that they create- X:WP, H:TLJ, and Young Hercules. So I like the seamless continuity.

This next one is interesting because this replaces the scene where the Amazons ‘offer’ up Ephiny at night time. I do like the original…

Next up is a bit more of an explanation why they are going in a hole to retrieve Callisto.. continuity.. heh 😄

BUT. I don’t like the implication that Gabrielle would leave Xena? I know it was in jest but I really just don’t think given the circumstances they would joke about that. Or am I being overly analytical?

Down into Callisto’s tomb…

I just wish we saw Xena break off a stalagmite… meanwhile we have Gabrielle and a rabbit up top.

(gifs from @aphroditexwp​)

‘Nuff said.

Next up we have a real change from the screen. In the script, Velasca destroys a temple to Demeter, not Artemis.

Artemis makes sense… goddess of the Amazons. Lets stick with the latter shall we?

Now this bit is good. In this script, the manner in which Xena tells the story of Cirra to the villagers and Callisto’s reaction is very different to what we see. Callisto is much more involved.

I would like to have seen how this played out. I greatly admire Hudson’s acting of Callisto because she is such a loose cannon. You never know how it will be portrayed. But that look she gives in the episode- that almost robotic moment; it just makes the scene for me and we would NEVER have got that with this dialogue. So is it greedy of me to want both?

So the scene in the ‘mountain arena’ (as I am going to dub it) isn’t too different, but since Callisto gets blown into pieces I feel it is worth visiting:

Following on from this, we also have SUCH a different campfire scene:

I have reservations about how good a ‘general’ Callisto would have been. I think she was much more impulsive and wouldn’t have sat around discussing tactics. She definitely wouldn’t have discussed things on the same level as Xena. I know these differences are dealt with in the scene but I really just don’t see it. I would love to know what others think of this because maybe I am bias… NOTHING could be beat the campfire scene between Gabrielle and Callisto.

I wasn’t going to include this next snippet because I know this post is already very long but… Chariot!!

Alright. Here we are. The penultimate fight. Buckle up. THIS IS SO DIFFERENT. Lets read:

… so XENA is the one on the rope bridge telling GABRIELLE to cut the ropes! AND SHE DOES! I am just shook.

Okay, final scene back in the Amazon village:

What do you prefer? The Wizard of Oz version or the ‘Less-Wizardy’?

I do really like the imagery of Velasca and Callisto imprisoned like flies in amber, but I am unsure if CGI at the time would have done it justice. The gutteral screams and laughs really get you in the feels in that closing scene. But from what I remember, I think there was intentions to have Velasca resurrected from the lava like Callisto was at some point. At least it was left open and I would have loved her return. Imagine if she came back after the 25-year time jump with no understanding of ANYTHING between Season 2 and Season 6. That would have been fun.

Alrighty guys, if you’re still with me, THANK YOU. Its been an epic one. You deserve a stiff drink.

Until next time xo

[fortysevenswrites]

SethKate for the ship questionnaire!

So...I got a little wordy on this one. Under the cut!

How did they first meet?

Well, Kate almost ran Seth over her family's RV, if we want to be technical, where she called him, "just some weirdo", not knowing that she's going to one day become...his second wife! (I will never be able to stop myself from referencing we don’t make the future, we just know it). But actual real meeting was when Richie dragged her back from the Dew Drop Inn pool at gunpoint and found Seth in the hotel room with her dad and brother.

Who felt romantic feelings first?

So Kate had a moment of "oh shit I just had a sexual awakening and I don't know what to do" when Seth punched out the doorman for being a creep (which, also, she had another one of those when Kisa had Richie drink tequila off her foot, so like, it was a VERY long day for Kate and she didn't really have time to explore any of THAT, what with the whole, vampire of it all) and Seth just had NO clue why he was so drawn to Kate during the Longest and Worst Night Of Their Lives TM.

All the same, I think Seth felt more, real, "oh shit, Kate is my forever PERSON" feelings first, during the Mexican Honeymoon and it SCARED THE FUCK OUT OF HIM, because she was taking to criminal life like a duck to water and was like, the most perfect partner he could imagine outside his brother, which then sent his brain on a tailspin because Richie was supposed to be his only ever perfect partner. Which was a big part of why he thought it was right to send her away for her safety in 2x02.

And while Kate definitely had feelings at the time, more of her feelings developed after she died and was fighting off Amaru in her body, and she saw Seth's soul when Amaru tried to kill him, and then saw all the efforts he was making to save her after he found out she was alive.

You! Made! Them! Into! Heroes!

Like, that's when she KNEW she was totally and completely done for.

Did either of them try to resist their feelings?

Hahahaha SO MUCH. Like I said in the last answer, Seth liked Kate so much it scared him enough that he thought the best option was just to send her away for her safety (forgetting that she's so fucking stubborn and is basically the human form of the "fight me" emoji--which, was probably because of the heroin fucking up his what little complex reasoning skills he has.)

And Kate definitely resisted any feelings back in Mexico because of the heroin and she was NOT going to ever commit herself to a junkie.

Who initiated their feelings first?

SETH GECKO JUST WANTS TO HOLD KATE FULLER'S HAND AND I THINK THAT'S BEAUTIFUL.

(yes, I'm referring to 3x04)

It was Seth with his actions throughout season 3, especially once he confirmed that she was actually still alive in 3x04. But it was Kate who said the words first and hit him with the metaphorical 2x4 before she walked through the gate in 3x10.

Who said “I love you” first?

Like I said, it was Kate in 3x10 before she walked into the gate. I also think it's Kate, AGAIN, post-canon, because Seth loves Kate so much he doesn't have sense, but also has a martyr complex a mile wide and is too scared to make a move because...did she mean in general? was she just talking to Scott? did she mean like love in the romantic sense or platonic???? why couldn't she be more clear it's not like we were facing the end of the world or anything.

And Kate had to be like "yes I actually love you, you donut"

Who gets jealous easily?

While Kate may have some insecurities about Seth's history and the women he's been with in the past, Seth really doesn't like other men who are closer to Kate's age to talk to her, especially at Jed's. He's not a caveman about it, but there are times where he'll get a little huffy about it until Kate sets him straight. It's not something that happens often, and it helps that Kate doesn't look like she was just recently a teenager thanks to the red hair.

Who is more protective?

Seth is SO protective. SO protective. A lot of it is because of what Kate's gone through and Seth really wants to shield her from having to deal with anything even remotely like what she went through over those two years. But at the same time? NO ONE fucks with her boys and gets away with it. Kate can be pretty vicious when she wants to be. Do no harm, but take no shit. And Seth LOVES it.

Who remembers the little things?

Seth feels like he can't afford to forget anything because of everything that happened to them since they met. While they both remember like, all the things, Seth is the ones who brings it up the most, like off-hand comments that Kate made in Mexico about things she likes or dislikes, and it always throws her when he remembers things that she didn't expect him to remember.

Who talks about their feelings more?

Kate is the one who instigates the conversations because Seth can kind of be emotionally constipated. He always feels like he feels WAY more than she does and doesn't want to overwhelm her, and Kate's just like, "shut the fuck up, I'm so stupid about you its almost embarrassing".

Who uses the cheesier pickup lines?

Seth, 1000000%, because he loves him some old movies and can't help but quote them. And then he dies a little on the inside when Kate doesn't understand that reference. But she likes the pickup lines all the same.

(Richie, on the other hand, is disgusted by them both.)

What does a first date look like for them?

Because of, you know, everything, they don't really do a traditional first date. They just go from not together (because she was dead, and then possessed) to extremely together, very quickly. The first time they go on a traditional date is probably one night on a trip they take to Galveston some months after season 3. Seth's like, oh shit, we haven't actually gone on a DATE, and Kate's like, whatever you want to do sounds nice (partly because she doesn't want him to feel obligated to do traditional relationship things since from what she knows about him, he's never been about that life), but Seth pulls out all the stops (really nice restaurant out by the beach, brings her flowers, etc) and it's awkward for all of five minutes because they feel like they should be doing traditional early-relationship date things, until they remember everything they've gone through together and Kate makes some comment about Richie which reminds Seth of a funny story about them and one of their early heists and suddenly it's all back to normal.

What do they like to do together?

Crime. They both saw the potential of what they could be as partners with the mercado heist, but of course didn't have time to think about it all what with everything that happened after, but when Seth let himself accept Kate as a partner, it opened up Los Tres Geckos to a hell of a lot more successful and lucrative crimes to pull off. Kate's REALLY fucking good at crime, and Seth loves it.

(Richie, on the other hand, is kind of disgusted by how much Seth loves how good at crime Kate is)

Which one gets angry the most, leaving the other to calm them down?

Kate is definitely the one who tends to be more even-keeled, especially with her "violence is not the answer" upbringing. She knows better than to let Seth get lost in his own head for too long, and with them being together Seth gets a lot better at handling both his anger and his anxiety.

Do they like PDA?

Seth is much more comfortable with it than Kate is. Kate is just really not a fan of how their culebra family and staff have heightened senses and like ALWAYS KNOW thanks to pheromones, so she tries to be as even-keeled as possible and PDA-free around them. Seth doesn't always let her get away with it.

(This may or may not play into the events of House Hunters: Culebra Properties Edition....just saying.)

What are their big spoon / little spoon arrangements?

More often than not, Kate is the big spoon, but it also depends on who's having the worst nightmares and when. Kate just tends to sprawl, and most of that sprawling ends up being on top of Seth.

Does one like the cuddle more than the other?

Seth Gecko is a WORLD CHAMPION CUDDLER. World. Freaking. Champion. Kate is a little surprised by it, but she's super into it. They're pretty much always touching in one way, shape, or form when they're around each other.

Who hogs the blankets?

I don't think either, so much as Seth runs so warm at night that he tends to kick the blankets off both of them and he uses his both heat to keep Kate warm at night.

Who’s more likely to initiate sex?

Seth, 10000%. Kate's always into it, because Seth is DAMN good at what he does, but he tends to initiate more.

Who’s the kinkiest?

Kate is 10000000% not aware of her kinks because of her upbringing, but she finds she's pretty much into whatever Seth suggests. It's all pretty vanilla, but there are some positions that Kate never would have thought of and she's here for it.

Who is the top and bottom in their sex life? Are they interchangeable?

Seth is usually the one who takes control of things, but the times where Kate's in charge, well, are some of the best sex that Seth has ever had.

Who likes giving and who likes receiving oral?

Definitely both. Seth does it more because he doesn't like to let Kate, and also prefers to finish inside her, but Kate is also very good at what she does, on those times.

Can they last more than one round?

Oh definitely. Y'all, despite the fact that Seth started going gray in his late 20s, Seth is NOT that old. He can keep up.

Which one is a morning person?

Kate is slightly more of a morning person compared to Seth, who is absolutely NOT, but considering their lifestyle is mostly nocturnal, but tend to stay up pretty late.

Do either of them like to cook?

Seth knows how to cook fast food-type food from his time at Big Kahuna, and Kate likes to bake more than she likes to cook. But Kate does know how too cook thanks to her upbringing in Bethel and "traditional woman things". They'll split the difference for breakfast, but most often lunches and dinner are either brought in or eaten at Jed's.

If they get married, who proposes first?

This is one of the times in Kate's life where she is pretty traditional, and lets Seth do the proposing. It's also a lot more of a traditional proposal than she expected, with Seth setting up a fuckton of candles on the balcony of their beach house in Galveston and surprising here with takeout from her favorite restaurant and getting down on one knee before dessert.

What kind of wedding do they have?

It's small, and not technically legal since they're all technically dead. Richie officiates, Scott shows up with his culebra girlfriend, and Kisa comes with a very nice gift that Seth is kind of a dick about accepting from her, because they're very much those antagonistic type of friends and he feels awkward about any sincerity from her and being sincere in return. He's also not comfortable with how much dancing Richie and Kisa do together at their small reception, which Kate thinks is hilarious.

Does anyone object to their relationship?

Freddie isn't a fan, but he doesn't get a vote. Scott doesn't like Seth because of how their families first came together (kidnapping is kind of a bad first impression, I guess), but grows to accept their relationship especially after all the efforts Seth took to get Kate back and how Seth did ultimately save Kate's life while Scott was busy freaking out in the church.

Do they have any kids?

Their lifestyle isn't conductive for children (read: crime is illegal), and also Seth is terrified by the idea of treating any potential children like his dad did, or fucking them up in some way. Along with her fears of potentially going through what her mother suffered before she died, Kate is also scared of passing on any potential leftovers from Amaru. They just mutually decide to pass on that.

They do end up taking in the newly turned culebra teenagers that come their way, because Kate has some experience with encountering culebras at a young age, and Scott is always available for consults as an eternal 16-year-old. They stay at Jed's for a while to acclimate before moving on. It ends up being a handful every year, and Kate always keeps track of them and stays in touch. It's as close to motherhood as it gets for her, and she loves it.

Do they have any pets?

One day, Seth finds an injured cat in their backyard, and just like that, they have a cat. Once she recovers, she becomes the queen of the house, and she loves cuddling with them both on the couch in the evenings.

[lia-jones]

hello again, lia! i hope your day has been wonderful so far! i'm so sad to hear about your recent diagnosis, but i know you will get better! i'm hoping for a speedy recovery for you, and by the mean time, please remember to get as much rest as possible! 💖 now for your questions! i'll answer yours below and put my questions for you below it: 1. What's your favorite trope? Or theme, in writing? With regards to romance, probably when one of the characters (most often the main character) is at risk of losing their love interest - who is someone they had always overlooked before and never really realized their feelings for them until it was too late. In the moment, I usually hate it when this happens, but I have a sort of appreciation for authors who write difficult topics and are not afraid to put their characters in tough positions.

2. What's your love language? What do you think screams I love you like nothing else? Funny you asked, because just the other day one of my close friends posed this question to me, so I've had quite some time to think on it. I would say probably words of affirmation! While it might seem somewhat meaningless (since really anyone could tell you pretty words, but not mean it), a simple "I appreciate you" from the people close to me really means a lot.

3. What makes you lose hope in the world? And what brings you hope? The thing that most makes me lose hope in the world is probably when I see other people not treating animals with the care and love that they deserve. Unfortunately, mistreatment of animals is more common than one might think, but hopefully I can change that one day. As you might expect, the thing that restores my hope in humanity is when I see people helping out dying strays and holding their pets in high regard!

4. Tell me about the happiest day/time in your life. I don't think I have a happiest day (yet), but I have lived through some wonderful moments, despite being stuck in lockdown for the past few years. A while ago, I had visited Mexico, and it still remains one of the best experiences I have ever had. I learnt so much in the week I spent there, and I would totally recommend you travel there whenever it's possible! I just know you'll enjoy it!

5. What's the most annoying thing you can think of? This might not come as a surprise to you, but the first thing that popped up in my mind when I read this question was MC 😪 But on a more serious note, I can think of a couple of annoying things off the top of my head, including: people walking too quickly behind you and accidentally smashing the back of your shoe, saying 'excuse me' to someone when you're trying to get pass and them not hearing you, and...group projects. All these things are making me sound like a crabby old lady (lol), but I promise this isn't the case.

6. And now, sorry, I can't help myself, but related to this story: is there anything you'd like to see happen (an emotion more explored, a scenario, an event) and I haven't written yet? I'm always open to ideas. I've been thinking about this question for a while, and I'm so glad you asked! Also I saw your most recent post about your list of questions regarding your story, and I just wanted to let you know that I would 10000% be willing to answer all of it! Anyways, I'm going to go into more detail about what I would like to see down below: I. Maybe Victor's relationship with his mother? You've already touched on his relationship with his (despicable) father, but I think it would also be nice to see how his mother impacted him when she was alive. Whether it be in a flashback or not, I'll leave it up to your own genius to decide. II. Diane and Andy's friendship!!!!! It doesn't have to be anything big, but I'm a sucker for friendship, especially in stories where the romance is more heavily focused. I think this is all I can call off the top of my head! Hopefully it's nothing too obtrusive to the plot that you've already planned. If you can't find anywhere to fit it in, feel free to leave them out!

here are my questions for you now:

1. what's your love language? (i hope you don't mind if i steal one of your questions, hehe) 2. describe yourself in 5 words. 3. do you watch documentaries? and if so, what's your favorite? 4. tea or coffee? and why? 5. do you believe that everyone you meet is random? or does everyone in your life serve a particular purpose? 6. what are three things that make you happy, and why?

ok, those are all the questions i can think of right now, and i absolutely loved answering yours! once again, i really hope you get better soon, and don't push yourself too hard while you're ill! i hope to hear from you soon! 😋

- 🌸 anon

Hey, so nice to hear from you! I'm sorry for not replying earlier, but if you see my latest post you'll know why *sigh*. Hopefully things will get back on track soon!

I loved your answers and you do not sound like a grumpy lady at all, those things are super annoying and I think it would be awesome if people learned to be more civic. So I'm with you! I thought about your suggestions and you are so right! I have bits and pieces already written about the subject (not posted) and it will be fun to explore both ideas a little more, and I think I have the perfect setting actually! Hold on to your proverbial hat!

Now to your questions:

1. what's your love language? (i hope you don't mind if i steal one of your questions, hehe)

Acts of service, mostly. That's how I naturally show love and how I like to receive it. A close second would be also words of appreciation. It feels good when people notice your hard work and how far you are willing to go for them. I'm not extremely verbal myself, but I try to be, because I know how meaningful it can be.

2. describe yourself in 5 words.

Ooo. Value-oriented. Pragmatic. Bluntly honest. Demanding (with others, but especially myself). Resilient.

3. do you watch documentaries? and if so, what's your favorite?

I don't watch as much TV or Netflix as I wanted, but I do watch some documentaries. The latest I can remember is the Octopus Teacher, and it made me cry in the end. Right now I'm watching bit by bit The Principles of Pleasure, and it's about sexuality, which I still think many people don't know much of and should be properly educated.

4. tea or coffee? and why?

Oh coffee, hands down! I absolutely love coffee and in Portugal it's very common to have coffee (espresso mostly) when socializing, or after a good meal. So I associate it with the things I love in life the most: friends, good food, an outing somewhere. And I also like to have a mug of good coffee when I'm working or when I'm writing, not because I need the caffeine, but because I find it extremely comforting.

5. do you believe that everyone you meet is random? or does everyone in your life serve a particular purpose?

I'm not sure if people come in randomly, although I like to believe in fate. In my experience, everyone has served a purpose and led me to something different from what I was before. Now, if it's like that by design or it's just my wishful thinking, I have no idea. But what I know for sure is that anyone can serve a purpose and leave you richer than you were before, even a negative experience, if one is smart enough to learn. There is always a lesson to be learned, I think.

6. what are three things that make you happy, and why?

Ok, one, my family and pets, for all their cute and sometimes annoying traits.

Two has to be writing. I will always write, even if I don't post. It allows me to explore things I wouldn't in real life and it surely helps me grow emotionally and deal with some demons. And it makes happy to know someone read it and related to it. God, you have no idea how happy it makes me when people reach out. I share a huge chunk of myself when I write. Being acknowledged feels like being accepted.

Three, working. It frustrates me, it makes me anxious sometimes, but mostly, it makes me happy, because fortunately I have a job that allows me to see the finished product of my labor, and the feeling of accomplishment is great. And I'm also lucky to work in a place where "Good job!" is not treated like a swear word. Everyone is extremely encouraging towards the other, from top to bottom. Thank you so much for your questions! I enjoyed answering them so much, and it's so nice to get to know you better! Lots of love!