#it's just like when I was a kid and cut and pasted magazines to make weird pictures

[e-tankx]

It's theft of their skill and of their talent, and it's refusing to pay them for the work they've put into getting this far. Imagine I like someone's art style, and they've done a lot of work getting to that point, but I'd really like my personal OC in that style. Now, I could go and commission them, put money in their pocket for their work and capability, ensuring that they can continue to make art and live. Or instead of paying them I could just feed a bunch of their artwork (without their permission) to an AI to make something 'close enough' and derivative of their work. I bought access to the AI, in which case the only person who profits is some fucking silicon valley bro who is facilitating theft on a grand scale and the artist gets to be told 'Look I made something out of all your work that I love, but you're never seeing a dime, even though it's blatantly based on your previous works'. I don't see how disney would benefit from having it so that anything made with AI turns out to be immediately labeled copyright theft or even uncopyrightable, because you know disney jerks off every day with the idea of how many copyrights they actually own. Hell every 'creative' corporation does the same. Every single contract says anything you create, even on your own free time, is magically theirs forever. Making the tool that they could use to try and shove actual artists out of the creative process (While once again without permission, feeding previous arts into said tool, and no having to sign a contract in order to work doesn't count as permission, IMO that's the same shit as company stores/scrip. Incredibly anti-worker and needs to be shot into the sun.) immediately be considered as potentially infringing copyright, and even making it so anything developed via AI being uncopyrightable means that literally anyone can make use of their work. Remember how much Disney lobbied to increase the length of copyright because they were *terrified* of Mickey Mouse going public domain? Anything made with AI would be immediately in the public domain, and that's the only thing that corporations/shareholders care about. How much money they can make off of it. If it's public domain they can't charge people to show it, they can't shut down people making toys without permission, they can't do cease and desist letters towards people who are making art based on their 'work'.

So, Shockingly, they'd not use 'degenerative AI' to make their shit.

on the other end the copyright argument against ai art is just so bad. I hate how that's the most common one people use, like I'm sorry but an interpretation of copyright law that classifies images made with generative ai as "plagiarism" or "theft" would be a worst-case scenario for everyone except the walt disney corporation

[021894s]

— 28 betrayal, hurt…reconciliation [3.9k w]

MASTERLIST | PREV | NEXT

PAIRING: brothers bsf! sunghoon x f!reader

WARNINGS: hurt, betrayal, language

AUTHORS NOTE: I tried surprising you guys by not telling you I was posting td hehe, enjoy <3

how could this have happened? he analyzes the photos closely, his heart sinking as he sees the images of you and Sunghoon, his best friend? his little sister? with their lips locked in a kiss?what the actual fuck. The betrayal cuts deep, and fury courses through his veins, each beat of his heart pounding louder in his ears.

The phone slips from his grasp, clattering onto the table as he scramble for his car keys. There's no time to think, no time to process what he’s just seen. The only thing that matters is getting to your house. he doesn’t care about the speed limit, the world outside blurring into a haze as he presses the pedal to the floor.

his mind races faster than the car, a torrent of emotions threatening to drown him. Anger, hurt, and a desperate need for answers fuel his reckless drive. As he approached your house, he barely registers the screech of tires against asphalt. All he knows is that you need to be confronted, to understand why you two did this to him.

Saerom was lounging on the couch, flipping through the endless arrays of movies and dramas that failed to catch her eye, when a loud, insistent knock echoed through the house. She frowned, setting the magazine aside and heading toward the door. when she opened it, she was met with Heeseung’s intense gaze and furrowed brows.

"Heeseung, hey—" she began, a bit taken aback by his agitated demeanor.

“Y/N here?” he cut her off abruptly, not waiting for an answer as he brushed past her and stormed into the house.

“Heeseung, wait—” Saerom tried to protest, but he was already making his way to your room, his footsteps heavy with urgency.

Heeseung didn’t bother knocking. He threw the door open, and there, in a tangle of blankets, were you and Sunghoon, your head nestled against his chest as he mindlessly scrolled on his phone.

“Un fucking believable,” Heeseung spat, his voice laced with betrayal.

you and Sunghoon scrambled to sit up, shock written across your faces. Sunghoon’s eyes widened, and your mouth opened and closed, searching for words.

“Heeseung, I—” you started, but the intensity of his glare silenced you.

“How long has this been going on?” Heeseung demanded, his voice trembling with anger and hurt.

you and Sunghoon exchanged a nervous glance, each silently pleading for the other to say something. Heeseung’s patience snapped.

“fucking answer me!” he bellowed, his voice echoing through the room.

Sunghoon swallowed hard, his voice barely a whisper as he stammered, “T-technically since Japan.”

Heeseung’s eyes widened with fury, his fists clenching at his sides. “are you fucking kidding me? I trust you to accompany my sister and in turn you start sleeping with her?? what the fuck sunghoon?!”

your eyes filled with tears as you finally found your voice. “We were gonna tell you, I promise.”

Heeseung scoffed, his anger unrelenting. “Before or after you got caught?”

you took a deep breath, trying to steady your trembling hands. “Heeseung, you have to understand, it wasn’t like we planned this to hurt you. We were just scared of how you’d react.”

Heeseung’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing. “Scared of how I’d react? You’re my sister and sunghoon is supposed to be my best friend! How did you think I’d react?”

Sunghoon finally mustered the courage to step forward. “Heeseung, we didn’t mean for it to happen this way. We just… we care about each other.”

The sight of Sunghoon’s face seemed to ignite something in Heeseung. Without warning, he swung his fist, connecting with Sunghoon’s jaw.

Sunghoon staggered back, clutching his face, his eyes wide with shock and pain. “Heeseung, I—”

Heeseung didn’t let him finish. “You fucking asshole” he yelled, his voice breaking. “You were supposed to be there for her not fall for her”

you stepped in front of him. “Heeseung, please! Let’s talk this out. just please don’t hurt him!” you plead, your voice breaking.

the tension in the room reached its peak, the sound of a door creaking open echoed down the hall. Jake, who had been in the restroom, heard the commotion and rushed towards your room. He burst in just as Heeseung was about to throw another punch at Sunghoon.

“Hey hey hey, stop it!” Jake shouted, grabbing Heeseung’s arm and pulling him back.

Heeseung struggled against Jake’s hold, his fury not yet abated. “Jake, let me fucking go. He deserves this!”

Jake tightened his grip, stepping between Heeseung and Sunghoon. “Enough, Heeseung! This isn’t going to solve anything.”

Heeseung glared at Jake, his eyes filled with betrayal. “You knew, didn’t you? You knew this whole time and didn’t think to tell me?”

Jake looked pained, but he held his ground. “It wasn’t my secret to tell, Heeseung. I wanted to, but it wasn’t my place.”

Heeseung’s anger flared again, though this time it was mixed with hurt. “So you just let them lie to me? Let them sneak around behind my back?”

Jake shook his head. “I didn’t let them do anything. I told them they needed to tell you, but it was their decision to make.”

still standing between the boys, you looked at Heeseung with tear-filled eyes. “Heeseung, please. Jake didn’t do anything wrong. This is on us.”

Heeseung looked between you, Sunghoon, and Jake, his emotions a whirlwind. Finally, he took a step back, his shoulders slumping. “I don’t know who I can trust anymore.”

Jake released Heeseung’s arm, his expression filled with sympathy. “You can trust that we all care about you. We just didn’t handle things the right way.”

Heeseung rubbed his temples, the weight of everything pressing down on him. “I can’t even look at you right now.”

tears are streaming down your face, looking at Heeseung with desperation. “Heeseung… I love him.”

Heeseung paused, his eyes filling with more pain. He turned to look at you, his expression a mixture of hurt and concern. "He’s going to hurt you," he said, his voice trembling.

you shook her head, her heart aching. "No, Heeseung, he won't."

Heeseung’s eyes brimmed with tears. "How can you be so sure? You’ve been sneaking around, lying to me. How can you trust him after all this?"

you took a step closer, pleading with him. "Because I know him. And I know this is hard for you to believe right now, but he makes me happy."

Heeseung looked at you, the pain in his eyes evident. "I just want to protect you. I don’t want to see you get hurt."

your voice softened, filled with love and determination. "I know, Heeseung. And I appreciate that. But I need you to trust me on this. Please."

Heeseung swallowed hard, the tears finally spilling over. "I don’t know if I can. Not right now."

you nodded, your own tears flowing freely. "Take your time. But please, believe me when I say we didn’t mean to hurt you. We love you."

Heeseung looked away, wiping his eyes. "I love you too, y/n. That's why this hurts so much." he looks over to sunghoon, “don’t bother coming home, you’re out.”

With that, he turned and walked out of the room, leaving you standing there, your heart breaking for your brother, and it was no one’s fault but your own.

your world had become a shadow of its former self. The weight of Heeseung's hurt and disappointment bore down on your shoulders like a crushing burden. Days passed in a haze of misery. you found yourself withdrawing from everything you once enjoyed, your appetite dwindling, and even the thought of attending classes seemed unbearable.

your best friends noticed the change immediately. Saerom, who had always been your confidante, approached you gently one afternoon.

"y/n please talk to me," Saerom pleaded, sitting beside you on the bed where you had been listlessly staring at nothing in particular.

you blinked back tears, your voice barely above a whisper. "I can't, Saerom. I've messed everything up. I hurt Heeseung so much."

Saerom wrapped her arms around you, holding you close. "You didn’t mean to hurt him, baby. Sometimes things just happen."

you shook her head, her tears flowing freely now. "But I did hurt him. I betrayed his trust. And now he won’t even talk to me."

she rubbed your back soothingly, feeling utterly helpless. "Give him time, y/n . He loves you. He’ll come around."

you pulled away,eyes filled with despair. "I don’t know if he ever will. And even if he does, how can things ever be the same?"

Saerom’s heart broke for you. "I wish I had the answers. Just know that I’m here for you, no matter what."

you nodded weakly, appreciating Saerom’s support even as the ache in your heart persisted. youfelt lost, adrift in a sea of guilt and sorrow, unable to find solace in anything, not even in the presence of your closest friends.

A week had passed since the tumultuous confrontation in your room. Heeseung found himself in the university library, an unusual place for him on a quiet afternoon. He was buried in his textbooks, trying to focus on the equations and theories in front of him, anything to distract himself from the ache in his heart.

He flipped through pages, his mind wandering back to the events of the past week. The hurt and betrayal were still fresh, but being surrounded by the hushed atmosphere of the library offered a semblance of peace. It was a stark contrast to the turmoil of emotions that had consumed him since discovering your secret.

Sunghoon took a deep breath, his face still bruised from Heeseung’s punch. “Can I sit?”

Heeseung glanced up at him, his expression conflicted. After a moment, he nodded.

Sunghoon sat down, the silence between them heavy. Finally, he spoke. “Heeseung, I’m so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you.”

Heeseung kept his gaze fixed on the ground. “You were my best friend, Sunghoon. I trusted you more than anyone.”

Sunghoon swallowed hard. “I know. And I betrayed that trust. But I swear, it wasn’t intentional. I just... I fell in love with her.”

Heeseung looked up, his eyes filled with pain. “And you couldn’t tell me? You had to sneak around behind my back?”

Sunghoon nodded, his voice barely above a whisper. “We were scared. We didn’t want to lose you.”

Heeseung’s anger flared again, though not as intensely as before. “You lost me the moment you decided to lie to me.”

Sunghoon’s shoulders slumped. “I know. And I don’t expect you to forgive me right away. But I need you to know that I love y/n. I would never hurt her.”

Heeseung shook his head, tears welling up again. “How can I believe that? After all this?”

Sunghoon’s voice was steady, filled with sincerity. “Because I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life. I love her, Heeseung. And I love you too. You’re like a brother to me. Losing you... it’s the last thing I ever wanted.”

Heeseung wiped his eyes, taking a deep breath. “This is going to take time. I don’t know if I can trust either of you right now.”

Sunghoon nodded, understanding. “I’ll wait as long as it takes. Just... please don’t shut us out. We need you- she needs you. she isn’t taking it well.”

Heeseung looked at Sunghoon, seeing the genuine remorse and love in his eyes. “I need time to process this. But... i’ll talk to her”.

Sunghoon managed a small, grateful smile. “Thank you, Heeseung. That means a lot.”

Heeseung nodded, the pain still raw but a small glimmer of hope beginning to form. “We’ll see. Just... don’t hurt her. Or I won’t forgive you. Ever.”

Sunghoon placed a hand on Heeseung’s shoulder, his voice firm. “I won’t. I promise.”

They sat in silence for a while, the weight of their conversation lingering, but there was a sense of understanding beginning to bridge the gap between them.

Sunghoon had been by your side through it all, his own heart heavy with guilt and longing to make things right. later that afternoon, you both lay together in the cacoon of your duvet, hiding you from the outside world. Sunghoon gently pulled you into his arms.

"I talked to Heeseung," Sunghoon murmured softly, his fingers tracing soothing patterns on the soft skin of your back.

you looked up at him, eyes searching his face. "you did?? what did he say? are you ok? did he hit you again?"

Sunghoon sighed, his expression pained. "i’m ok but…he's hurting, baby. deeply. But he's starting to listen. I think... I think there's hope."

Tears welled up in your eyes again. "I miss him, hoon. I miss my brother."

Sunghoon held you tighter, his own eyes moistening. "He misses you too, y/n. He just needs time to heal."

you nodded, burying your face in Sunghoon's chest, seeking comfort in his warmth. "I wish I could take back everything. I wish I hadn’t hurt him."

Sunghoon kissed the top of your head gently. "We’ll get through this, baby. I promise. We just have to be patient."

you stayed like that for a while, finding solace in each other’s embrace, both hoping and praying that time would heal the wounds you had inadvertently caused.

"I love you," you whispered, your voice filled with sincerity and a hint of vulnerability.

Sunghoon cupped you face gently, his gaze locked with yours. "I love you too, y/n," he murmured, pressing a tender kiss to your forehead.

In that moment, despite the pain and uncertainty, your love remained a steadfast anchor, offering hope for reconciliation and a future where healing could finally begin.

The next day, you were sitting in your room, staring blankly at the wall, when there was a gentle knock on the door. you looked up, heart skipping a beat when you saw Heeseung standing in the doorway, a tentative look on his face.

"Can we talk?" Heeseung asked softly, stepping inside.

you nodded, feeling a mix of hope and apprehension. "Of course."

Heeseung took a deep breath, sitting down on the edge of the bed. "I've been thinking a lot, you know about everything."

your eyes filled with tears. "I’m so sorry, Hee. I never wanted to hurt you."

Heeseung nodded, his own eyes glistening. "I know. And I’m sorry for how I reacted. I was just... I felt- i feel so betrayed."

you reached out, taking his hand. "I never meant for it to happen like this. i just didn’t want you to be disappointed, you mean too much to me. but so does he.

Heeseung squeezed your hand gently. "Sunghoon talked to me yesterday. He explained everything. I realize now that you both love each other, and as much as it hurt to find out the way I did, I can’t stand the thought of losing either of you."

your tears spilled over, a mixture of relief and sorrow. "I miss you."

Heeseung’s voice cracked with emotion. "I miss you too, y/n. And I don’t want to lose you. It’s going to take time for me to fully trust again, but I’m willing to try."

you nodded, heart swelling with hope. "i’ll do whatever it takes to make things right. I promise."

he pulls you into a tight embrace, his tears mingling with yours. "We’ll get through this together. I love you, sis"

"I love you too, hee," she whispered, holding him close. "Thank you for giving me a chance to make things right."

As you pulled away from the heartfelt embrace, Heeseung wiped his eyes and managed a small, teasing smile. "You look like shit, by the way."

you laughed through your tears, lightly punching his arm. "wow thanks. You’re not looking so hot yourself."

Heeseung chuckled, the tension in the room easing slightly. "I guess we've both been a mess, huh?"

you nodded, a smile playing on your lips. "Yeah, but maybe now we can start to clean up the mess together."

Heeseung grinned, ruffling your hair. "Sounds like a plan. Just promise me you’ll start eating and going to classes again. We both need to get our lives back on track."

you rolled her eyes playfully. "alright, big brother. I promise. But only if you promise to stop hiding in the library, it’s kinda scary to be honest."

Heeseung laughed, shaking his head. "Deal. Let’s both try to get back to some kind of normal."

you smiled, feeling a warmth in her chest she hadn't felt in days. "I’m really glad we talked, hee."

Heeseung nodded, his expression softening. "Me too, y/n. Me too."

Heeseung leaned back, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "You know, I should probably have a little chat with Sunghoon too."

you raised an eyebrow, curiosity piqued. "Oh? And what are you going to say to him?"

Heeseung smirked, crossing his arms. "Just a friendly reminder that if he ever hurts you, I’ll turn his life into a never-ending horror movie. You know, typical big brother stuff."

you laughed, shaking her head. "Poor Sunghoon. He's already scared of you as it is."

Heeseung chuckled. "Good. Keeps him on his toes."

Just then, Sunghoon timidly peeked around the corner, having overheard the last part of their conversation. "Uh, did I hear my name?"

Heeseung turned to him, his expression mock-serious. "Yeah, just giving y/n a heads-up about your imminent doom if you screw this up."

Sunghoon gulped, trying to hide his nervousness. "Duly noted. I promise, Heeseung, I'll take good care of her."

Heeseung's serious facade broke, and he grinned. "Relax, Sunghoon. Just don’t forget, I’ll always be watching."

Sunghoon laughed nervously, and you rolled your eyes playfully. "Alright, you two, enough with the threats. Let’s just focus on moving forward."

Heeseung nodded, still smiling. "Agreed. But remember, Sunghoon, horror movie."

Sunghoon nodded fervently. "Got it. No horror movies."

Just as the tension in the room began to ease, there was a loud commotion from the front door. Jungwon, Sunoo, and Niki barged into the house, their voices filled with excitement.

"Guess who brought chicken!!!" Jungwon shouted, holding up a bag of takeout.

The trio stopped in their tracks when they saw Heeseung standing in the living room with you and sunghoon, an awkward silence immediately filling the space .

Sunoo looked around, his eyes wide with surprise. "Should we leave?" he whispered to the others, his voice barely audible.

Heeseung, still processing the sudden intrusion, managed to chuckle. "No, it's fine. Come on in."

Jungwon, Sunoo, and Niki exchanged nervous glances but slowly entered the room, setting the bags of food on the table. Niki looked at Heeseung, trying to gauge the situation. "Are you sure? We didn’t mean to interrupt anything."

you smiled, wiping away the remnants of your tears. "It's okay. We were just finishing up."

Sunoo glanced at Sunghoon, noticing his bruised face . "he didn’t punch you again did he?" he says in a whisper.

Sunghoon smiled sheepishly. "no, he didn’t”

sunoo pumps his fist in the air discreetly “progress!!” he whispers.

Jungwon, trying to lighten the mood, clapped his hands together. "Well, since we're all here, why don’t we eat? Maybe some food will help clear the air."

Heeseung nodded, a small smile forming. "Yeah, that sounds good. Let’s eat."

you all gathered around the table, the atmosphere slowly shifted from tense to more relaxed. The sound of laughter and chatter began to fill the room, a reminder of the bond you all shared and the hope that, in time, everything could be mended.

Sunoo leaned over to you, whispering with a playful grin, "You better make sure Heeseung gets the biggest piece of chicken. Peace offering and all."

you laughed, nodding. "Consider it done."

as you ate, the group gradually began to relax, the earlier tension dissipating. Heeseung, Sunghoon, and you exchanged glances, knowing that this was just the beginning of yourjourney to rebuild trust and heal their relationships. But surrounded by friends and shared laughter

a little over a month later, time had done its work, gradually healing the rift between Heeseung, Sunghoon, and you. Heeseung had come to terms with your relationship, and while it had been a rocky road, the bond you shared had grown stronger.

One sunny afternoon, Heeseung pulled up in front of your house to pick up you and Sunghoon for a lunch outing you had planned. He honked the horn lightly, signaling his arrival.

you both emerged from the house, holding hands and smiling. climbing into the backseat of Heeseung’s car, leaving the front seat empty.

Heeseung glanced in the rearview mirror, raising an eyebrow. "Really? The backseat?"

Sunghoon grinned, wrapping his arm around you . "What can I say? We like being close."

you leaned your head on Sunghoon’s shoulder, eyes twinkling with mischief. "Thanks for driving us, Heeseung. You make a great chauffeur."

Heeseung rolled his eyes, starting the engine. "Yah, just don’t do anything you’re not supposed to be doing in my car."

Sunghoon laughed, squeezing your hand. "We promise to be good. Well, mostly."

you often found yourrself reflecting on how much had changed. you had feared losing your brother’s trust and your relationship with Sunghoon in the process, but instead, you had all come out of it closer and more resilient.

One evening, as the sun set, painting the sky in hues of pink and orange, you sat on the balcony of your house. Heeseung and Sunghoon joined you, sitting on either side, each lost in their thoughts.

“Do you ever think about how far we’ve come?” you asked softly, glancing at both of them.

Heeseung nodded, a gentle smile on his face. “Yeah, I do. It wasn’t easy, but I’m glad we made it through.”

Sunghoon took yourhand, squeezing it lightly. “We’ve grown a lot, all of us. And I wouldn’t trade any of it for the world.”

you leaned her head on Heeseung’s shoulder, feeling the warmth of their presence. “I’m just glad I have both of you. It was tough, but it’s worth it. Having you both by my side means everything to me.”

Heeseung wrapped an arm around you, his smile widening. “We’re family. And nothing is going to change that.”

Sunghoon nodded, looking at Heeseung. “Thank you for accepting us, Heeseung. It means a lot.”

Heeseung chuckled, ruffling Sunghoon’s hair. “Just remember, if you ever hurt her, you’ll have to deal with me.”

you laughed, feeling a sense of peace and contentment. “I wouldn’t have it any other way. I love you both so much.”

The three of you sat there, enjoying the serene evening, knowing that despite the challenges you had faced, you had come out stronger and more united. The love and trust you had rebuilt were the foundation of your unbreakable bond.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, you felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude. It had been a rocky and tough situation, but you had both your boys, and that was all that really mattered.

taglist: @cornenhapovs @myjaeyuns @magssu @jentlecoeur @heeslut4life @variety-is-the-joy-of-life @jaeyungxrl @rapmonie2047 @anormieee @nishislcve @leesura @en-happiness @heelariously @rikiwaify-blog og @ihrtgyuuu be @hoonharem @g0niki @hearts4itoshi i i @yongbokified @shuichi-sama @xiaoderrrr r @skylalyla @yzzyhee @jwnghyuns @seokseokjinkim @syzavxy @xrvrqs @soulvrrs @velvetkisscs @eneiyri @meowmeowjang @simpjay @moonlighthoon @gaylilseokie @seunghancore @heelovesmeknot @nyfwyeonjun @kookify @jayhoonvroom @charlizefaye @mooniikay @nikiswifiee @heemilktea @yorukoshii i @sumzysworld @softieluvsyou @idkwhyimheresworld

[gok1bvri72]

×+×+×+ Random Death the Kid splurbs +×+×+×

/Reader's Gender/: Irrelevant, not mentioned

/SFW ofc/

Honestly just me simping for this boy, I simply adore him! He's just so funny>< My cringe, 2000s - 2010s mindset just eats up all the very angsty content that is just a beautiful snapshot of the era! I wish I could have just have been old enough to have experienced it myself T^T

_______________________________________

MMMMM THIS BOY HAS NO DARN RIGHT BEING THIS /FINE/.

Okay but seriously how did you land him, I want clear cut directions and instructions.

All the girls (and even some boys👁👁) are INCREDIBLY jealous of you. Kid's the cutest boy in the school!

/And/ he is Lord Death's son! Literally just about every girl is seething at you when you walk past them, biting on their shirt/dress collars all angry like.

If I had to guess, it was probably you who asked him out.

He may be absolutely gorgeous, stunning, and have a silver tongue but that doesn't exactly mean he knows how to use any of it....

What I'm saying is is guy is /awkward/ with a capital A.

Sweetheart with good intentions once you get to his core and can find a way to look past his obsession with folding toilet paper, but still awkward regardless.

So whether you boldly walked up to him and declared your love with a bouquet of roses and dramatic lighting and music or you were stumbling over your words, on the verge of crying and soiling your pants, and just giving up and running away- you were still the one to ask him out first.

Depending on how you asked I can see him responding in a plethora of ways but my favourite is dead ass looking you in the eye and saying "Even though I'm asymmetrical garbage?" while a singular tear just dramatically trails down his cheek.

Realistically he probably just said yes at first cuz he had nothing better to do. Or if you were the ladder option of the before, probably felt bad.

But the more time you guys hung out the more he found himself beginning to actually /like/ like you.

Maybe you were helping him snap back into focus during his episodes- or maybe you were trying to make him happy by dressing as symmetrically as you could and folding your toilet paper. (Even if it wasn't perfect, it's the sentiment that counted for him this time.)

At first, it just felt weird when you weren't around and he would find himself thinking about you in those situations. But then he started finding himself actively seeking you out when you weren't there.

He would be having a perfectly normal Sunday and then he would find a picture that reminded him of you in a magazine or maybe saw a shirt in the clothes store's window that he thought you would look cute in.

Then he would begin to wonder what you were doing at that moment. He would find himself missing your presence. And when he noticed this, he immediately denied it.

He just agreed to hang out cuz he felt bad/was bored, right? /Right?/

But it kept happening, more and more. It began to happen when he was on missions, he would get distracted and slip up. Okay, this wasn't working out. He needed to do something about this.

He asked you to partner with him on missions.

Let's assume you're a weapon in this scenario. (If you're a meister you just go with him with your own weapon.)

His excuse was "Well if Liz or Patty is out of commission, I can't fight. And since you're a set of perfectly symmetrical twin blades you would make for an excellent back up."

So you started going on missions with him, a lot.

But one time, Patty got sick. So just you and Kid went on the mission while Liz stayed home to take care of her.

This started happening more and more. (Not the Patty getting sick part, although she did probably get sick off of eating crayons regularly a few times.)

At this point, you were essentially going on as many solo missions with him that he had gone on and goes on with Liz and Patty.

But what really made him realise that he does actually like.... /like/ like you was when the two of you resonated souls.

It was weird, being able to hear each other's unfiltered thoughts.

He learned about a lot of weird things that go on inside your head after that- but that's besides the point.

Point being, with how easily the two of you resonated souls without having ever practised before was kind of the last nudge he needed before he decided to stop running from and denying his genuine feelings for you.

He didn't really change much after that, after all you don't exactly become a new person immediately after he acknowledged his feelings, but he did seem a lot happier once he came to terms with it; lot less tense at least.

He seemed a lot less hesitant when asking you out for a spot of tea and was /a lot/ less hesitant when touching you. Of course he still isn't /huge/ on PDA outside of hand holding, but he doesn't feel the need to slather his hands in hand sanitizer after holding yours and doesn't ask you where you've been before hugging you.

That and he doesn't do the awkward side hug anymore, he iniates actual hugs now. Not often, like I said he isn't much into PDA and probably- no, /definitely/ doesn't like his clothes wrinkled but.... maybe he doesn't mind so much when it's you.

After all, he /does/ love you.

And you fold the toilet paper for him.

[jo-harrington]

Freaky Friday - A Stranger Things Story (Part 1)

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5

Word Count: 3.5k

Pairing: Eddie Munson x Fem!Reader, Steve Harrington x Fem!Reader, Eddie and Steve (Enemies to Friends)

Summary: Eddie thinks that Steve has everything in life handed to him on a silver platter (including his new girlfriend who Eddie has a crush on). And Steve just can't believe that the kids look up to Eddie the Freak, or that he lives his life without giving a single fuck.

Must be nice. But you know what they say, the grass is always greener.

Warnings/Themes: AU with no Upside Down. Body swapping, dark magic/alchemy, unrequited love--some crushes at least, Babysitter Steve, No Upside Down means slightly still King Steve, unresolved feelings, manipulation/deception, Reader gets a nickname (Honey), no Y/N if I can help it, no smut in Part 1 but liable to be in other chapters

Note: After a very hot and fast suggestion by @shiftingtherain, this mini-series was born. And instead of working on Store Manager Verse like I wanted to, here we are. This part is a little shorter...it's the intro, sue me. Next few parts will be a tad longer.

Credit for the header partially goes to me for the design and the logistics but I was tired, so I may have borrowed gifs from @emziess and Netflix itself as a jumping off point (with permission from Emzies and Netflix is a corporation so they can rot). I can only do so much guys, I also had to write this thing too.

You can find my masterlist here.

Please do not interact if you are not 18+.

Enjoy!

If Eddie never saw Steve Harrington again in his life, it would still be too soon.

He didn't always indulge in rentals from Family Video—if it was too cold and wet to have band practice in Gareth's garage, or if he was having an especially bad week at school, or if he needed something a little more realistic than the illustrations of Heavy Metal magazine to help him satisfy his needs—but today just had that special feel to it.

He'd gotten a B on his math test, Rick had been feeling a little under the weather and let Eddie make the rounds to his usuals for a sweet little cut, and he had found a dusty old book about alchemy and occultism at the library that was going to help him put the finishing touches on tomorrow night's Hellfire session.

For all of that, Eddie thought a little reward was in order.

A little Dark Crystal, a little pizza from Lou's, a little weed...he'd be having the best Thursday night.

Except...

For the past twenty minutes, he'd pretended to hem and haw over the selection of movies just so he could glare across the store at the counter, where Steve stood, flirting and making grandiose promises, with you.

He burned with jealousy, and God, it took almost everything in him not to gag as Steve reached across the counter to slyly hold your hand. And everything else for his heart not to break as you just let it happen.

Eddie didn't know how or when or why this started—when Harrington had gotten his claws into you and how he had managed to charm his way into your heart—when it should have been Eddie instead.

Eddie'd had a crush on you for years but had always been too nervous to do anything about it.

You were a year younger than him, and friends with his pal Mickey's younger sister, so he'd seen you around quite a bit. Smart and funny and pretty; maybe not as unpopular as Eddie was, but certainly not in the running for homecoming court or whatever other social hierarchies were in place at Hawkins High either. He figured...you know, maybe once he got to senior year he'd get the courage. Maybe take you to prom or something; who wouldn't want to go out with a senior?

But he'd gotten the notice from Higgins that he wouldn't be graduating with the rest of the Class of '84 and it really put a damper on his plans.

He had been hopeful again the following year, actually had a few classes with you and sat with you for partner work when no one else wanted to work with him, when they laughed at him. You weren't even afraid to go up to him in the cafeteria to ask a question, or walk with him in the hall if you had to go in the same direction for your next class. You'd talk about assignments mostly, but he savored every little fact he could learn about you. What books you'd been reading, the fact that you watched Svengoolie on Saturday nights—just like he did—or that you'd had some squabble with Mickey's sister over a scrunchie of all things and were no longer speaking.

But Eddie knew how bad his grades were—somehow even worse than the year before—and aside from the work you did with him, he knew it wasn't gonna be enough for him to graduate. So he wasn't gonna put himself in the position for you to laugh in his face—not that you would but...just in case you did—by asking you out.

He thought you would disappear from his life after you graduated. Get the hell out of Hawkins the way everyone else wanted to. But no. You took a few classes at the community college and worked the dinner shift at Benny's a few nights a week. You'd been there every Tuesday night, when he and the guys grabbed food after their gig at the Hideout. The usual booth reserved, drinks already poured by the time they sat down, and their usual orders already written in your little order pad.

You usually gave him extra whipped cream on his slice of cherry pie too.

The guys always urged him to ask for your number...but he never did. How could he? Even if you were stuck in this town the same way he was...he just couldn't bring himself to do it.

And now...here you were, listening to Harrington talk about some great surprise he had planned for your third date the next day.

Eddie wondered why you hadn't screamed in outrage when Steve mentioned how much Nancy Wheeler had liked it when he took her to this mystery place. He would have definitely expected you to at least flinch at the mention of his ex-girlfriend's name.

"It sounds really great," you said instead, smiling and nodding. "I get out of class at 3 on Fridays...should I be here around 4?"

"4 is perfect, honey," Steve grinned.

Eddie couldn't stand to hear whatever sickeningly sweet goodbye you both would come up with so he just grabbed whatever tape was in front of him and approached the counter. You and Steve both flinched when Eddie slammed his selections down on the counter to be checked out.

“Uh…I’ll see you tomorrow then. Bye Steve,” you muttered, eyeing Eddie with a half-smile that felt a bit sad. “Bye Eddie.”

"Bye honey."

“Bye honey,” Eddie mocked once you were out the door, then turned back to Steve. “You gonna try and make goo goo eyes at me next Harrington? I don’t have all day.”

“Jesus Munson. What’s up your ass?” Steve scoffed, grabbing the tapes.

“I’m just trying to get my videos and go.” Eddie rapped his knuckles on the counter. “Not really interested in the kind of customer service you're trying to provide."

Steve wondered what the likelihood of getting fired would be, if he just punched that smug look right off of Munson's face.

Keith hated the guy too, he always left the Adult section looking like a mess. Maybe Steve would get a promotion instead.

For years Eddie roamed around Hawkins being a general menace with his gaggle of friends. Causing trouble, shouting at people, making faces at old ladies. He’d gotten “taken in” to the police station one too many times but always seemed to make it out without actually being arrested. Which baffled Steve; Eddie was a drug dealer for crying out loud.

And yeah, Steve had even asked him to come and deal at a party or two but…people like that were bad. Simple as that.

Even after all of that, after you got past the “bad boy” persona….he was a fucking nerd. He wasn’t even cool like the bad boys in movies were. Steve felt like someone was tricking him the first time he had walked past the Hellfire Club’s table in the cafeteria. For all the leather and chains and band tees—all the talk of satanic rituals and blood sacrifices—there was sure a lot of talk about elves and…and bards and Star Wars.

So it shouldn’t have been a surprise to Steve that the kids would flock to Eddie by the time they made it to Hawkins High.

But it had been. A huge shock.

His unexpected little gaggle of morons…weren’t really his anymore.

Steve had dropped Dustin off on the first day of school and said “don’t get into any trouble.” Even made Robin promise to keep an eye out for him. He expected the kid to…join the mathletes or something. Get roped in with the science nerds.

But by the end of the week, the kids were all clamoring about how they would need to reschedule movie nights with Steve so they could go to Hellfire club with Eddie.

Steve couldn’t understand it. Eddie was a freak, a punk, some good for nothing…and now the kids were suddenly following him like he was some sort of prophet. Spreading the word of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

See? Steve could do the nerd talk too when he wanted...thanks to Dustin.

Who, much to Steve's annoyance, was apparently Eddie's biggest fan. The guy could do no wrong in Dustin's eyes, and it really irked Steve.

Will and Lucas were spending Saturdays at the library—not for homework, but for research because apparently Eddie really liked incorporating mythology into his campaigns. (Whatever that meant.) Mike was growing his hair out because "Eddie's hair was cool.” What about Steve, whose literal nickname was The Hair? Shit, he'd even seen Eddie give Max a ride to school on a few occasions when he was late dropping Robin off. And he knew Max and her mom had been having a hard time since her step-dad skipped town and Billy...

Steve knew some of the town gossip about Eddie was just a bunch of bullshit...but if Max Mayfield was cool with him?

Yeah, he just couldn't help but be suspicious of the guy.

Regardless, the sooner Steve could get him out of the store, the better his night was gonna get.

...actually...

"That's gonna be $10." Steve announced dryly.

"Woah, $10?!" Eddie scoffed. "I have a membership."

"Since when?" Steve asked, hands immediately landing on his hips.

"I use one every time I'm in here."

"Yeah you use Reefer Rick's."

"So?"

"New policy," Steve lied, hoping it would get Eddie out of his hair for a good while. "No sharing memberships outside of your family. Last I checked, your last name isn't Lipton. So you either cough up the $25 for a new membership Munson, or the $10 for your rental. What's it gonna be?"

Eddie grumbled and dug his wallet out of his pocket, slamming the money on the counter.

"Any candy?" Steve asked mockingly before grabbing the cash.

Eddie grabbed the tape and grumbled under his breath as he exited the store.

Yeah, Steve wasn't gonna be dealing with him any time soon.

For a second though, as he went to start processing returns, he wondered...

If Eddie was in some ritualistic cult...what kind of curse could he possibly put on me?

But that was a dumb thought to have.

Eddie's night just went down hill from the minute he left Family Video.

He didn't notice that they'd given him the wrong pizza at Lou's so now he was stuck with some specialty veggie pie with broccoli on it, the tape he had grabbed indiscriminately had been some artsy foreign romance crap, and just now he'd just spilled Dr. Pepper all over his Hellfire notebook.

"Fuck," he shouted as it spilled over the side of the coffee table and onto his sock-clad feet. He couldn't give a shit about the carpet, he could even ignore his wet socks, but his notebook. Weeks of work, planning and toiling over the most sadistic campaign.

He liked to keep all of the notes of Hellfire's completed campaigns, a sort of...record for future kids to look back on and reference. And now this specific masterpiece would be lost to memory.

He cleaned everything up as best he could before making a quick trip back to his room for an extra notebook or something he could use to salvage his plans for tomorrow's session. He had always been really bad at...keeping spare notebooks on hand. Even the ones he'd used for class always ended up covered in his drawings or notes, little bits and ideas of dialogue he could use for speeches or NPCs.

The best he could find was his math notebook from last year which, surprisingly, sat relatively untouched.

Eddie knew why: that was a class he shared with you. And as he opened to some random mostly-empty page, he saw his little scribbles in the margins surrounding half-faded, penciled-in algebraic equations. Daggers and hearts and his and your initials intertwined together.

It was the one class where he would never encounter partner work with you, so he felt compelled to fill the pages with his daydreams instead of fantasies and lore. You would never see it.

"Well," he huffed as he dropped back down onto the floor and slapped the notebook onto the coffee table. He grabbed his pen and scribbled over the drawings on the page. "Now that she's with Harrington, no use living in this fantasy. Fuck, I was stupid, so stupid to ever think she would want anything to do with me."

He grabbed the dusty old alchemical book from the library and found his place, staring at old sigils and runes and text indiscriminately until he came upon one that looked too perfect for the campaign. Concentric circles, arcane lettering, angular lines...

While Eddie would usually use a clean page for something like this—something he would hand off to his players—he drew a copy of the sigil onto the page and planned to rip the edges off, maybe singe them with his lighter to make it look more authentic.

He kept staring at the still-noticeable doodles beneath the pen scribbles and his heart ached a little in his chest.

Yeah, he would definitely want to burn those too.

By the time he was done copying the sigil, a wave of exhaustion overtook him and he glanced down at his watch.

It wasn't much later than he usually went to bed on a weeknight...

He stared at the half-ruined notes for tomorrow's session that he still needed to rewrite and sighed.

"Fuck it, I'll just redo them in the morning." He got up and stretched his arms over his head. "I can just sleep in tomorrow. Skip class. Show up for Hellfire. Who cares anymore.”

He put the rest of the pizza in the fridge for Wayne and then headed to bed, only to be plagued with dreams of scribbled out love hearts, movie theater candy, guitar solos, and big red gum.

When Eddie woke up the next morning, he felt...honestly felt like he was floating on a cloud. Every muscle in his body felt looser, yet somehow tighter at the same time. His skin felt tighter, like it wasn't right, like it didn't fit somehow, it was suffocating him.

He must have died but he wasn't quite sure if this was heaven or hell.

His eyes burned and blurred slightly as he opened them and what he saw was...unexpected.

Gone were the off-white walls, his posters, the piles of his crap, and that concerning patch of probably-mold in the corner of the ceiling. Instead there was a sturdy ceiling, plaid-papered walls, and matching curtains?

Eddie groaned and rolled over.

What the fuck was this place?

There was a slam of a door somewhere that practically shook the walls surrounding Eddie and as he sat up, he found himself only wearing...briefs? He didn't wear briefs.

This wasn’t his bed, wasn’t his room…wasn’t his… body?

He looked down at his chest, his arms, his hands…his fingers weren’t right, he didn’t have this many freckles and moles, he didn’t have…abs, if that’s what you could call the slight definition on his torso. Still it was more than his body had ever had. His skin…was itchy and mostly hairless.

Eddie reached up and touches his hair—shorter than he was used to, not curly…at all—then his face, as if that was any indicator to what he—

“A mirror!” He exclaimed. His voice…sounded familiar, but different. Fuck what kind of dream was this?

Because it had to be a dream right? It had to be. How else did he wake up in someone else’s body?

He pushed himself out of the bed, walking slightly off-cadence, which…yeah probably came with the territory of your brain needing to get used to a new body. Fuck…was his brain even his brain or did his mind just get transported what was happening?

Ugh it was too early to think about that.

Eddie slowly cracked the bedroom door open and peaked into the rest of the house. He spotted a bathroom just across the way, otherwise…shit, this place actually looked a little familiar. Where the fuck was he? Who the fuck was he?

He quickly crossed the landing into the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind him. He heaved a breath and leaned back against the door for a moment to calm himself; his hands were shaking and felt cold. Could he even feel his fingers? Nice to know the occasional nervousness that snuck up on him at his lowest moments hadn’t been left behind in his old body, that they’d followed him to this one.

His body…would it still be in his bed? What if he really had died and…had jumped into his new body? Was this reincarnation?

Fuck, if he was dead…Wayne would find him. Could he even…see his uncle again? How could he ever explain who he was?

Eddie felt the tears prick his eyes and his throat tighten and he slapped his face a few times.

“Come on man, come on,” he muttered. “It’s not that bad. It’s only…mildly awful. Fuck, ok. Just go, just look, just…rip it off like a bandaid.”

Eddie took a deep breath and nodded, then crossed the short distance to stand in front of the sink. He stared at his new feet, wiggled his new toes. You never…appreciated the toes you had until you have new ones.

That was awful and you’re an idiot. Just look.

Eddie closed his eyes again and turned his face up towards the mirror. He could do it. He would do it.

He opened his eyes.

“Jesus H. Christ!”

Steve woke up feeling like absolute shit. Everything ached—like he had pulled a muscle or something by sleeping crookedly—he had awful cottonmouth, and he had inhaled…some yarn or something because he woke up coughing and gagging until he got the intrusive strands out of his mouth.

“Gahh, shit, shit,” he said and scratched at his throat. He sounded hoarse. Ugh was he getting sick? He’d have to ask his mom to bring home some soup or something.

Could he call out of work? Shit he had to take Robin to school. She could walk today, he felt awful.

Steve blinked his eyes open and took in the unfamiliar popcorn ceiling with growing concern.

He looked around at the…piles of garbage and the cracks in the plaster walls partially covered by band posters...and felt the rise of panic grow within him. He tried to recall the night before.

He’d wrapped up his shift at Family Video, gone home and had a rare dinner with both of his parents, then…felt extremely tired and went to bed.

So how did he end up here…wherever here was?

This was a kidnapping; it had to be. He was…drugged—explained the cottonmouth—and kidnapped. And now someone was holding him for ransom or something to…blackmail his father? Thomas Harrington was kind of a dick sometimes, sure, but still…he was a pretty decent guy. Who would want to blackmail him?

“H-hello?” Steve called out. “Anyone there? C-can anyone hear me?”

There was some shuffling outside of the door of the room.

Thankfully Steve wasn’t tied up or anything. God, what kind of kidnappers were these? He quickly glanced around the room for a weapon of some sort and he immediately spotted...

A guitar? A few guitars actually. Man these kidnappers really liked music huh?

One was a weird shape--he'd seen some hair metal bands use guitars like that in magazines, but he'd never seen one in person--and was a mottled red color. One was just what you'd expect when someone said "electric guitar." And one was acoustic and looked like it could pack a real wallop.

Bingo.

Steve pushed himself out of the bed and immediately jumped because whatever had been in his mouth was on his shoulders now. He reached up to grab it: hair. Long, wavy, messy...knotty and frizzy. Like it hadn't been brushed for days, maybe weeks?

And his arm, sticking out from whatever t-shirt he'd been put in...was lithe and weak and there were tattoos. On both arms. A creepy claw hand and a bunch of bats.

What was this? How long had they held him hostage for? No wonder they didn't feel the need to tie him up! He'd been knocked out cold.

He needed to get out of here. Now. He needed to get home.

Steve crossed the room to grab the guitar when he noticed it. At first he thought it was another person. But no, it was just a mirror...and in the mirror...his reflection.

Only it wasn't...his reflection.

It had startled him and he had jumped. Then he moved his arms a little and watched the figure in the mirror mimic him. Over and over.

A wave, a turn, a funny face.

He couldn’t believe it. This had to be a joke. A dream. A nightmare.

Because it was him, his reflection. But it was not his—Steve Harrington’s—reflection.

It was Eddie Munson's.

[zoe-oneesama]

On a serious note, why do you not like Derision? I mean, I can guess why, but I’m genuinely curious to hear your thoughts (if you want to).

What have they done to my boy?!

I guess we'll start with the whole "trauma" thing since that's how the episode starts - with Marinette going on a date with Adrien at the pool but constantly getting heart palpitations at the very idea of it. And not good lovey-dovey crush ones like Sabine thinks. The Actual Panic Attack kind.

This just feels unnecessary AND too late. Unnecessary because there are plenty of pre-established reasons why Marinette could be hesitant to go all in with Adrien (Being Ladybug, the 354th other times going for Adrien has failed or left her humiliated, Being Ladybug). So I don't know why they invented a trauma for her in the final hour and didn't think it was worth talking about before now?

They really came up with this whole scheme to explain why Marinette does Marinette things, like learning Adrien's schedule, planning out everything before she tries to make a move, needing to know everything about him, as if the show hasn't been mocking her for these exact traits and allowing them to blow up in her face over and over again. But NOW it's due to her TRAUMA. So...retroactively when her friends laughed at her or slapped their foreheads in frustration or the show framed her failures as a joke...we know it's actually from a tragic place and can't laugh anymore.

I mean, I was never laughing, but you get what I mean. They framed it like it was part of the comedy and now they're pulling the rug out from under themselves. How are you supposed to laugh when Adrien brings Marinette constipation medicine, or when her pictures of him are blasted all over Paris Television, or the *ugh* Statue Scene plays out and now you know that this is just adding to her pre-existing trauma? They have shot the show's rewatch value.

I never thought Marinette needed a "reason" act the way she was because those were always just kinda The Things Teenage Girls Do when they have a crush. I've admitted in the past to learning my crush's class schedule just to orchestrate running into each other in the hallways more often, and if their crush had public interviews and magazine pictures, I'm pretty sure most kids would also cut out their pictures to keep and would read and remember the interviews. I never really saw her behavior as that weird for a girl her age with a crush and recognize some cartoon exaggeration.

...Stealing his phone was a little weird, though, I'll give them that though Alya is the one who suggested it first...

SO, we enter a long flashback to One Year Ago (with Marinette now on her third Almost-Akumatization, good lord) and learn what life was like for Marinette pre-Origins, and oh boy. It's hell. She's making up illnesses to avoid school, avoiding all contact with anyone in the courtyard, having cockroaches put in her locker, having the Principal catch her "late" for class (after she had to clean herself up from a water prank), gets yelled at by the teacher for being late, sits in paint, mocked in class and then yelled at again by the teacher for pointing out the person mocking her probably planted it, and gets Saturday detention. All in one day. And when anyone tries to talk to her or even glares at the person responsible, they get threatened too.

The main reason this is hell is because Marinette is being let down by every single adult in her life. Sabine just laughs and tells Marinette that she only has a few weeks left with Chloe and it's not like she'll be in the same class as her next year.🙃 Well, why don't you make SURE she doesn't?! Maybe this is just an American vs French school thing, but where I come from, it's totally within your rights to request that your child not be put in the same class as someone else, they could at least put in a throw away line about her parents TRYING to move her, but Chloe's not allowing it JUST to keep Marinette close to her. And maybe take this a little more seriously, Sabine- your daughter is faking illness to avoid One. Girl. That should be concerning, not "lol my daughter is so silly for trying to get out of class."

Damocles finds Marinette and yells at her for being "constantly late" and praising the "anonymous notes" (signed by Chloe -_-) for always alerting him when she's behind, and then later gives her Saturday detention for...someone clearly planting paint on her desk chair? He sees a victim of bullying and punishes her for it. At the end of the episode he even suspends Socqueline for something that happened outside of school, yet in "Jubilation" she's pumping him up as The Best Principal?! Does this show thinks we're stupid or something?!

Mendeleiev also yells at Marinette for being late. She allows Chloe to make fun of Marinette for looking depressed when she comes in and allows Chloe to mock Marinette for sitting in paint, but when Marinette doesn't even stand up for herself but just accuses Chloe of putting the paint there, THEN Mendeleiev has something to say, and it's to Marinette? For "groundlessly" accusing the only person in the room laughing at Marinette, the one who was just making fun of her, the one who kept her eyes on Marinette so she could watch her sit in the paint?

Marinette tells Socqueline that all the adults are scared of Chloe, but that's not what I saw. Sure, at the end of the episode Damocles is afraid when Chloe pulls a "Lady Wifi" to force him to punish Socqueline for smashing Sabrina's phone, but the sequence of events played out more like the adults participating in the bullying. It wasn't like Damocles was sympathetic to Marinette and then Chloe cleared her throat, so he straightened up nervously and started berating Marinette. It wasn't like Marinette accused Chloe and then Chloe glared at Mendeleiev, forcing her to finally intervene. All the adults see what's going on and are either completely oblivious or don't care.

Also, Chloe totally unprompted says this:

GET A LIFE, what is your PROBLEM?! Like, why have a flashback episode and not have it explain what Chloe's fixation on Marinette even is?! It doesn't have to be big or anything! Like, have Marinette trip and spill something on Chloe in art class! Just do something!

And like, I totally get that irl bullies just choose their targets for no real reason and this is just another example of that, but to this level?! Just...get a hobby!

And then there's the big thing they did in this stupid episode. The unforgivable. The reprehensible.

This fucking guy.

It's been so long since we've seen Bully Kim that I was pretty sure he was left behind entirely on the draft floor. Sure, Kim is still capable of being insensitive or not thinking long-term, but he was a good kid. He roots for his friends and wants everyone to have a good time.

Hell, I could even buy that Kim was dumb enough to believe Chloe when she claims what he did was a funny practical joke that they'd all laugh about later...until Socqueline came up and yelled at him that he should be ashamed of himself.

And Ondine yelled at him in the present that he should be ashamed of himself.

And it's a year later and he should have realized by now that he should be ashamed of himself.

Kim is dumb, that's just a fact, but the way he doubles down and is so sure of himself that NO it's everyone ELSE who has a problem because they can't take a JOKE? Like...why?! Why did they co-sign on this character assassination?!

Just make him become akumatized because he's A S H A M E D of what he did now that he's finally sitting down and thinking about it a year later! He can keep the same look and motif, just have Monarch stroke the part of him that doesn't want him to be the jerk, the old Kim! It's totally normal, especially for a kid, to want to believe that they're not the bad guy even with all the evidence pointing to it, so I could even see the akuma being exactly the same.

But naur, it's KIM who talks like a right-wing podcast douche bag, complaining that you can't just speak your mind these days and everyone needs to get a sense of humor, they just don't GET it man, this is just how he IS brah, take it or leave it! His akuma's even named "Dark Humor", like edgy losers on reddit who make racist/sexist jokes and then get mad when he's downvoted and boo'd out of a forum. God, we just CAN'T TAKE A JOKE I guess.

I'm glad this is resolved by Ladybug gluing a toilet to his head.

I just...I feel like this could've worked in Season 1, or Season 2. Like...put it before Dark Cupid or before Syren or something. That way, Kim being a total douche is the starting point of his character arc, not the Season 5 Post-Hero Run point, ugh.

It'd also make this stupid line make more sense:

I'm sorry, the girl who got you akumatized after she humiliated you in nearly the same way you humiliated Marinette? I guess that was "just a prank bro" too, right?

Establish Marinette's problems with romance early, so she can overcome them or at least give them the proper context. It'd at least make the show look better if they hadn't made fun of her for 4 Seasons only to drop this bombshell on us at the end. You know...the thing that they just did.

This episode just isn't fun. I hated "Illusion" because all you get to see is the bad guys winning and outsmarting the heroes, but "Derision" is a marathon of seeing the absolute misery Marinette was put through, just to jump forward to the present to destroy a character that I really liked.

Would a kid even like this episode?

[make-friends-with-the-rats]

Newsies Interview with Christian Bale for Seventeen Magazine, 1992

(transcript under the cut)

---

Cristian Bale lumbers into a conference room on a rainy Saturday morning. He plops down in a chair, yawns, and wipes sleep from his eyes. Dressed in black jeans, a sweatshirt, and sneakers, he apologizes for being late. "I'm just getting over the flu and I'm still jet-lagged," he explains, "so I'm moving a little slowly."

But the six-foot-two British-born actor, best known for his film debut as a young schoolboy in Steven Spielberg's epic Empire of the Sun and more recently for Kenneth Branagh's Henry V, need not apologize. For the past few weeks, he's been flying round and round from L.A. to London to Prague and back again.

"I've been doing reshoots for Newsies here, doing preproduction work on a new film, Swing Kids, in Prague, and visiting my mom, sister, and girlfriend in England. And I don't even like to fly!" he says with a slight shudder. "Before I came here, I flew on a plane that sounded like it had a window open the whole time."

When Bale heard about Newsies, a live-action musical recounting the tale of the New York newsboys' strike of 1899, he claims he had no interest in auditioning for the project. "I'd never sung or danced, and I didn't think I could do a musical," he says. "I read for the film in England, and then Disney flew me to Los Angeles for a screen test. But before I signed the contract, I meet with the director [Kenny Ortega] and told him I wasn't comfortable with the dancing and singing and I didn't want to be a bloody Artful Dodger in a remake of Oliver!, jumping down the street with a big smile on my face. But he told me it wouldn't be like that, and then he lied to me about all of these different actors who had done musicals, like Al Pacino."

After he was cast as Jack Kelly, the head Newsie, Bale joined the rest of the films actors and dancers in two months of "Newsies school." He studied singing, dancing, speaking with a Brooklyn accent (circa 1899), gymnastics, and karate. "We had a kung fu master," he recalls with a laugh. "Thirty of us would be standing in a room doing something like t'ai chi to this humming music. It's very relaxing, but when you see yourself in a mirror, it's really funny.

"Filming Newsies was a blast," he says. "By the time the cameras started rolling, we were so prepared we were ready for anything. The blend of technically great dancers and actors with great characterizations made it all work perfectly." And what about his Oliver! fear? "Sure, we're singing and dancing in the streets," he says, "but we don't always have smiles on our faces."

Immediately upon finishing Newsies, Bale flew up to Prague to begin Swing Kids, which costars Robert Sean Leonard and Frank Whaley. "It's set in 1930s Hamburg, Germany," the eighteen-year-old explains. "There was quite a big culture then among teenagers who liked to dress in zoot suits and go to swing clubs. The story is about three friends from different backgrounds who love swing music. I play the bad seed."

In between movies, Bale tries to squeeze in time with his family and girlfriend. "I've been going with the same girl for three years," he says shyly. "But she's going to a university in England and I'm relocating to Los Angeles, where my father lives. If I had nothing to do with the film industry, I'd stay in England, but Bournemouth [the city where he's lived for the past five years] isn't exactly the film capital of the world."

If he never made another movie, however, Bale says he wouldn't mind a noncelebrity life. "I love making movies," he concludes, "but I also love my privacy. If it all ended tomorrow, I'd just live by the sea and be perfectly happy."

[canon-in-too-deep]

Fonts: Body Fonts

I had some free time, and I thought, what could be more fun, than putting together a post of some of my thoughts on my favorite fonts? Certainly not going outside or any activity involving moving from my chair, so font talk, here we come! (Links to where to get the fonts for free included in this post). So of course first up we have the majestic Comic Sans..........I kid! <insert baaing goat gif> While it is surely a most iconic font, I will unfortunately not be covering Sir Comic of the Sans in all his glory. See below the break for the full actual post on my favorite fonts to work with.

Note, my interest in fonts is entirely enthusiastically non-professional. Thus, if there's a technical aspect I called 'the tippy bits' instead of tapers or what have you, uh, my amateur ass doth apologizes.

Body Fonts

Body fonts are the all the main parts of a text. The good ol' torso that carries the headers and stands above the footers. They're the font you see the most of and spend the most time with. They're the part of the text that hugs the eyes, to use an entirely weird metaphor. *** My favorite body fonts are the IM FELL series. Especially IM Fell English.

Look at that pretty serif. It's got a great classic appearance to it that reminds me of old paperbacks. There's a grittiness and unevenness to it that gives a more 'natural' look, and is reminiscent of text from a typewriter. The imperfections of this font (like the uneven tippy bits of that lower case y) are my favorite parts, and they add a lot of character to a text while still being legible. I know some folks may not be as fond of the italicized version of IM FELL, but personally I've never had trouble reading it, and enjoy how fancy it looks. IM FELL English is a font that could work as a letter from a gentleman's daughter to the arrogant, handsome heir visiting town, or as the carefully kept diary of a mad scientist detailing the experiment that would eventually rise up and try to kill him. Fun things like that. *** Next font is Crimson Text (there's a Crimson Pro as well, but I like the Text version better for it's fancier capitals).

Just take a look at that w. Sharp enough to cut through digital paper. And the capital W is even better. The angles, the triple Vs...whew, that letter's a work of art! It looks like it should be walking down the runway at a european fashion show and stared down by an unsmiling stone cold magazine editor.

Crimson Text is a very clean, crisp font. It's got those little sharp tippy bits at the end of letters that look like they could prick you if you tried to pick them up. Crimson Text lends itself well to more modern, artistic text. I tend to personally use Crimson Text sparingly, because while it is a very aesthetically pleasing text, it can be a bit harsh for my tastes, and difficult to work with when pairing with other fonts/design elements. Crimson Text is a font that I feel like is for a special occasion, and that occasion is hard to pinpoint, but when it arrives, it makes the most striking appearance. *** Following that, we have EB Garamond, which is probably the second most used font in my personal typesets.

Garamond is a classic. You see it a lot, in one version or another, in published works. For me, it feels very familiar and comforting to read text in EB Garamond. It's like an old, worn blanket that's still perfectly soft and plush. It's the kind of thing that'd get past down generations in the back of a closet, brought out whenever there was a need. Simple, straightforward, and timeless. The only caveat with EB Garamond is the 'e' in it's italicized form is a bit of an exhibitionist that likes to inappropriately protrude it's bottom bits out into it's neighbor. It's a quick fix to teach that 'e' some modesty if you're on Affinity. Just turn off the final forms for the font by going into Text Style Editior -> Variants -> uncheck Final Forms. And now you're prudently dressed for a night of font formatting. *** The last I'm going to talk about in this post is Baskervville. This is, as per the about page on google fonts, a 'revival of Jacob’s revival of Baskerville’s typeface'. I'm not familiar with the original Baskerville, but hey, an extra letter thrown in has to be extra lucky, right?

The thing that really sticks out for me with Baskervville is the 'o's, and the 'o' shape you can see with the 'e's and 'b's and 'd's and such. It's a very...circular, and pronounced font. Round. Rotund. Orbital. There's a flow and balance to this font that stands out, and makes it unique against other fonts on this list. Conversely, the lines of this font as much thinner and sharper than, say, the lines in the Libre Baskerville version. I like that contrast, though it is a bit of a strange one. Like having long stick thin arms and legs and a really round torso. Like one of those mascots for M&Ms (controversial footwear unspecified). Anyway, Baskervville kind of hovers between classic and modern. It's a font you see a lot of (in one version or another) in published works. It's 'family' has been around a long time, and this latest version is like the youngest son of an old, rich, prestigious family. It's got a lot of potential, and can be applied in new, exciting ways, or it can easily fall into a traditional role and live off of it's trust fund. Recently, I used Baskervville for a Pride and Prejudice modern day high school au, and it really felt like the font blended together the two worlds and two time periods well. It's kind of like a hipster that manages to pull off the fedora (a fine hat, I might say. Hats need a bigger comeback, in my opinion). *** That brings us to the end of this post. You'll have noticed that all these fonts were serif fonts. I just like serif fonts best for body fonts. They're the most commonly used in published books, and so they're the ones I've grown most comfortable with. However, a good sans serif can work well in the right setting. For my own work, though, sans serif are usually kept to titles or headers. If there's interest, I'd like to do similar posts on Drop Caps fonts, Title fonts, etc.

[cyborg-franky]

Prompt: hello friends! thank you for providing us with such a fun event, can it be April already? 🤧 if anyone of you feels inspired from it, can i request grocery shopping headcanons with Law, Thatch, Sanji and Robin? like would they scold you for buying too many sweets or do they leave you at the checkout to fetch something they forgot and you panic like when you did when your parents did the same? lol just thinking out loud 🤣 i’m sure i will love everything you come up with! thanks a lot!!

SFW

Repost of mine from libary of ohara

Chaos, she lives for it.

She will let you get whatever you want, she doesn’t mind.

If it’s Halloween she’ll add almost every decoration she can find in the store, deal with it, this is your life now.

100% takes all the free samples, she has many hands, a sample for each right?

She enjoys watching badly behaved kids run around and trip over, the delight on her face when the little shit walks into something.

A fun person to shop with, will always coax you into shopping at strange times of night because that’s when all the lunatics come out, she enjoys being around ‘interesting’ people despite how you cling to her when the guy arguing with the can of baked beans makes eye contact with you.

Neither of you is going to be the one that reminds the other you need more than coffee and Halloween decorations for substance.

BELOW CUT - LAW - SANJI - THATCH

-Every time he hears a child scream you can feel he has this look on his face even if you can’t see it. - Is the type to move someone’s cart if it’s in the middle of the lane. - Law is already mentally done with the trip the second you set foot in the place. - Hears a child crying and just nods his head and mumbles ‘mood’ under his breath. - You have to bribe him with coffee to get him in and to shop. - Has very few opinions on things but will be vocal if he doesn’t like something. - Tries his best not to throw hands at the next person who gives him and his tattoos a shitty look. - Sometimes you decide to leave him on the magazine row and do the shopping yourself. - It takes you both as a pair two hours of him dragging his feet and being unhappy to shop whereas it takes him five minutes by himself. - Just rooms everything into the cart regardless of if you need it.

Has like five shopping lists.

Spends like an hour caressing the melons and other produce to make sure he’s getting the best.

Will fight to the death with the man at the fish counter over prices.

Will fight to the death with the cheese guy if he thinks he’s being cheaped out on quality.

Will fight to the death with the meat guy who cut a piece with too much fat.

Just expect a battle over everything.

Also mansplains all the wines as you pass them, he gives you like an hour-long ‘pros and cons’ of this wine versus this when all you wanna do is get smashed this weekend on the £2.99 bottle of red with the clip art font on the front.

You can have whatever you want as long as he gets to check the label.

He will also fight you to the death if you pick up instant noodles or microwave meals.

Thatch is just an angel.

He might spend too long picking out bread, you notice how much his hair looks like a fancy loaf.

He can’t walk past the fruit section without picking up a pineapple and making a joke about Marco.

You beat him to it now, just to speed things along.

It’s you who needs to have a magazine to hand when he’s shopping in the hair care section.

He’s talking about how he needs like eight bottles of the £10.99 brand, or his hair will just not behave for him.

Puns, puns oh lord puns.

“We need to grab some buns” “I’ll give you some buns to grab” -EYEBROW WAGGLES IN 4D-

He’s fun though, he lets you have some bad things and treats as well as good choices.

Likes to use the cart to whiz along, enjoy a forty something year old man going ‘weee’

[mulders-too-large-shirt]

s3 episode 9 thoughts

i have so much to say. i just copied and pasted my notes, and my thoughts were COMICALLY long. but it was SUCH a good episode so i have a LOT to point out. even more than usual, somehow.

(screams to let it all out and then tries to take a deep breath and gather myself)

okay. OKAY FUCK. okay. whew. we start from the top. the very very top, in which i click on the episode. and so begins an emotional rollercoaster.

this episode description mentions a train. as does the one after that!!! am i in for a two parter?!?! well, if so, at least i am prepared with this information, so i don’t get a massive shock like with duane barry! (author’s note: i was right!)

a train. huh. would love to ride one of those someday. unfortunately i’m american. we only really have cargo ones hanging about. but their noise is deeply familiar and comforting to me regardless.

(little did i know that this was the very kind of train to be featured in this episode!!)

camera opens on tennessee! children are riding bikes to watch a train. ah, good to know the desire to stop doing other things and instead watch a train go by is universal.

now it’s night at the train. is some graffiti action going to take place? the music is getting weirder as we look at the top of this train, and it appears we are in for no ordinary graffiti moment as some cars pull up. 

and these people are from japan! in tenneseee! boarding the train…? which is full of science stuff!! this is odd on many levels.

(japan to tennessee… whew, that’s a long flight. give these men some caffeine now!)

caffeine seems to be ignored because they are in surgery looking gear cutting something open. and green stuff flows into a jar? hey. not liking that. 

they are cutting into what looks like, in my opinion, some guts.

until people run in and start shooting!!! really truly shooting and killing everyone!!! what!!! what the hell!! who are these guys!! are they with cig man??? holy fuck, if that WAS an alien autopsy, way to ruin the scientific method with bullets in the lab!!

and they are zipping an alien into a bag!! so it was!!! the blatant disregard for learning here!! it’s appallingly american! who are these people?!!

bum bum bum bum… woo woo woo woo wooo wooo… woo woo woo woo WOOO woo… intro time.

mulder has his feet up on the desk. fiddling with… something. scully opens the door and he tells her to come on in, with the face of a man who is scheming. he has it all dark like a movie theatre!!!

LMAOOOO he ordered a video from a magazine of an alien autopsy. and that must be why he looks like a kid in a candy store. $29.95, plus shipping!!! THAT IS A LOT!!

she’s like, you literally cannot see what they are operating on. and she says it’s hokier than the one they aired on fox news. which means i have to google a few things to learn if that actually happened. actually i don’t want to even know.

he mentions the green goo and he says “it’s widely held that aliens don’t have blood, scully” <- girl how would she know that. also you literally almost died FROM alien blood. so explain.

they’re arguing the merits of what makes an authentic alien autopsy tape, and then he points out how the people burst in with guns right before the film cuts off. well, that could make it look more authentic, or less!

some guy in allentown got the tapes so they’re visiting LMAOOO road trip road trip!!!! to a very old looking house. 

the studio is called “rat tail productions” okayyy. i kinda like that. but it’s all boarded up so they have to try and break in.

and they find a dead body!! that is still warm!!! what is going on!!!

someone else enters!! and mulder chases after them and jumps the fence yelling that he is a federal agent. zooooom that is a speedy man. 

and just when it seems mulder has the guy, he starts kicking and punching and BOOM! down goes mulder. until he shoots something nearby to show he isn’t playing. 

mulder is wet from falling into a bunch of garbage… king. and the language barrier is being a barrier!

(sidenote i’m surprised they didn’t make mulder learn another language in school or for the fbi?? like actually really shocked. you’d think he’d have at least one other one, or a few basic phrases, under his belt. idk, where i’m from higher education in humanities related fields requires language learning, but he somehow escaped)

mulder is pretty despite being covered in garbage and bringing a man to a police station

scully says they can’t find an interpreter! this is not really shocking because they are in pennsylvania. 

“well look at this… a beacon in the night” says mulder whilst smiling, and who is it he glances upon but SKINNER?!?! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?? are they in trouble?? does… skinner know japanese??

(mulder asks and he does not 💔)

skinner says they have to let the guy (kazuo sakurai) go because he is a high ranking diplomat. so if you’re a diplomat can you just… walk away from a murder scene and that isn’t a problem?? at all? i did not think it worked like this.

skinner asks what they’re doing and mulder says he’s tracking down a “video piracy thing” LMAOOOO least convincing lie ever. 

skinner tells him to go back home, and then very purposefully brushes into his shoulder before walking away. yowch! that has got to sting. mulder looks like he just got caught and is trying to charm his way out of it

scully rightfully points out that this makes no sense, and asks if he wants to drop it, but mulder says he paid his $29.95 and he is gonna get his answers!!!

LMAOOO he “forgot” to turn in the suitcase kazuo was carrying. it has a list of members of a ufo society with a local woman’s name circled!! was she gonna be their next target…?

he tells her to get a motel and he is going to go back to D.C. and be “a good boy” for skinner… LMAOOO, and he’ll show the files to his besties 

back in D.C., and woah, mulder looks like a real slut with his hands on his waist and his jeans and tucked in turtleneck sweater. i am NOT complaining. just merely observing. it’s kinda giving that one photo of the rock. i see where he took his style inspo from.

so the lone gunmen say that the japanese were looking for a sunken ship from wartime, and it looks like they found it, but they brought it to virginia? very weird. maybe they did not find a sub… but something else.

the diplomats are heading home. or not. because someone is beating up kazuo! huh?! WHAT!

scully on da scene in allentown pa. serving. knocking at a door of the person whose name was circled in the files.

but the person goes to answer the door and she says they know her. she’s like umm not sure about that?? until another person comes to the door and says “oh my god… she’s one” WHAT??

(is this like a secret society of people who were abducted or like. are they trying to scam her or something?)

she looks super freaked out. she’s trying to explain that she’s here for murder investigation reasons, but the lady in pink (penny) is calling and saying everyone needs to come over right away. this will surely make scully even more stressed.

they ask her if there was some unexplained event that happened last year. and also to please sit down. so you KNOW things are about to get wild.

mulder is asking about the ship that allegedly was returning through panama. and the boat was stopped! but then kept going? the guy he’s asking to look into this does not seem to be pleased to discuss this subject. 

scully is freaking tf out but trying to gently explain that she does NOT KNOW THESE PEOPLE. but they’re talking about being taken to “the bright white place” and that she was only taken once, but these other women were taken many times. WHAT IS GOING ON.

they ask her about regression hypnosis and she’s like i do not want to talk about this. (and yes i even TRIED IT) and she looks around at all the other women and it is creepy. SAVE HER… save them all.

mulder is running away from the guy he asked for the files from. he’s always going somewhere. looking at a boat. looking at another boat. is he gonna sneak on the boat? YES HE IS. HE IS JUMPING ON IT. elbowing a window open to get in. this is a wild man!! he will break into your boat!!!

he’s going through drawers looking for stuff and i’m thinking, oh man i really hope the boat doesn’t start heading out to sea… he has nothing to survive on. and we’ve seen them kill people, so don’t say “accidental” boat abandonment with a guy on it is out of the realm of possibility. but it IS the boat he was hoping for. and now he’s sneaking about its underbelly. 

NO! he has been caught. the boat is being swarmed by men with guns. he seems too tall to hide…. but he did!! AND HE JUMPS INTO THE HARBOR LMAOOOOO, NOOO, THE POLLUTANTS!!

back to scully. i was so caught up in the boat espionage i had forgotten about scully’s dilemma. and they say that she won’t remember what happened to her for a while. cut scene to her being blowed up again like we saw in s2.

and she is really freaking out now, because they point out that they all have the mark and she just wants to learn about this murder, damn it, not unpack trauma!!

but betsy, who she came to see, is dealing with very severe cancer. and they say that what she is dealing with is going to happen to all of them. WHAT??? “we’re all dying because of what they do to us” OH MY GOD??? she has tears in her eyes. WHAT!!! what. 

back to the boat. do i look like i give a damn about the boat!! no!! but mulder is crawling- at night- from the harbor. so did he stay there all evening or….

so he’s once again on the run. and soaking wet. please take a shower, my friend. you know not what they do in that harbor. 

he sees people pulling in to the warehouse nearby!! with guns!!! and we see him sneak by!!! no, mulder, consider going home and not getting caught!! but what if he finds something that can help scully…? and oh my gosh, he doesn’t even KNOW she’s slowly dying yet. oh my gosh wait i need to sit down (said by the girl who is literally sitting)

the orchestral score is popping off, too. he peeks in a window and sees a giant… thing? being gassed. with cameras out and about. like a blimp looking thing. 

somehow he gets a change of clothes. and he goes home but his apartment door was unlocked! so he has his gun. is it skinner? 

IT IS!! whew! that was best case scenario, so it was just wishful thinking on my part, but maybe i really am deeply attuned to this show. skinner is sitting there in the dark. we see some photos on mulder’s desk but they kinda just look like random places. one is some sort of field? and the other is a house, i think? not recognizable to me. but back to the plot at hand.

skinner tells him to put the gun down. sort of like you tell a dog to drop it. he obeys. aww, he is a good boy for skinner, like he mentioned earlier.

so skinner has some tea; kazuo’s body was found in a canal!!!! he didn’t make his flight!! and they government thinks he was killed over his BRIEFCASE!!! 

mulder plays dumb. then he admits that scully has the briefcase in her car. he seems like he’s trying to play it cool but skinner is NOT having it. “this is bigger than me, you, or the FBI, agent mulder” okayyyy king of being vague. and he says he is not getting involved!!! woah!!!

so mulder goes to… a senator!!! yes, the senator we saw very briefly a few times before, whose name is richard matheson? i didn’t really understand that in the past, but maybe it was building up to this. richard says to return the photos, but mulder says he’ll be entangled in a murder investigation, which he cannot afford because he is so close to the truth!

this senator claims to be telling mulder the truth about what is going on. and he explains what happens in tennessee, how the japanese doctors were murdered doing a secret thing. 

“what am i onto here?” , he asks. “monsters begetting monsters”, says the senator. ohhhhhhh that does not sound good.

(i hope he exposes the alien people and the torture and they blow up all the people that hurt scully and the rest of those women and then hold hands)

he’s back in his office with his glasses on. and i would be glad for a glasses mulder win under normal circumstances, but my heart is sick over scully. i take what i can get when i can get it, though, because he is a beautiful man in glasses. 

SCULLY’S BACK!! and she is still freaking out. she relays the news that she might be dying, and he looks up at her so innocently and says “but you’re fine, aren’t you scully?” OHHHH BABY. BABY. GROWN MAN. BUT BABY. OHHHHHHH MY HEART. MY HEART ITS MELTING. MY EYES ARE TEARING. “but you’re fine, aren’t you?” oh lord… he cannot lose anymore people. 

she is terrified- “am i? i don’t know, mulder” NOOOOOOOO MY BABY. STOP. DO NOT DO THIS TO HER.

he pulls up a photo and she says she knows someone in it, but that guy has been dead since 1965. mulder seems to find this difficult to believe, but last episode he was suggesting that someone was bleeding another person’s blood, so i feel he of all people should be open to this idea.

(oh…. they’re using unit 731 for the storyline here. and they have done that in the past as well but. wow. awful lot of baggage to dredge up there. very very painful and unhealed wounds)

((and i guess before they have done similar things involving nazis, right, remember victor? and his experiments? even if it was done before though, it doesn’t make it any less chilling to me. i’m not sure how i feel about using real horrific war crimes as plot points in an alien show))

but my reckoning with history aside, mulder says that four of the men in that photo were in the alien autopsy video. and they were murdered.

“murdered for what? or murdered by whom?” oh scully, you deserve none of the suffering that the world has given to you. NONE OF IT. if i were mulder, i would hug her and never let go ever. ever ever. 

he thinks they’re still trying to make an alien-human hybrid, but she still isn’t buying it, even after everything; she needs proof. she says believing is the easy part, but he disagrees. “you think that believing is easy?” he asks, and it hangs in the air.

oh, i want to linger in that space forever. the tension it creates, the things it reveals about him. how belief is centered on hope, how he has to fight for it, that it doesn’t come as natural as breathing as he might have you thinking. it’s hope for a better future, it’s hope for righting old wrongs, it’s looking where no one else will go find the answers. it’s about getting family back. it’s about fighting and sneaking and learning and even killing to get what you need to know. but it’s never easy. 

FUCK. I’M LIKE GONNA JUMP UP AND DOWN. THIS IS WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT!!!!!! THIS IS THE STUFF!!!

they hold eye contact for a bit, until she sighs and breaks it (fuck me, i’m emotional) and he points out that they DO have proof, as he reaches for her arms- the spy photos were tracking a ship that pulled a UFO out of the ocean, and the UFO is in that warehouse that he saw earlier!! that thing i said looked like a blimp!!!

he says the US has a secret railroad. i yearn so desperately for accessible transportation. if the government said tomorrow, yeah, we have a secret rail system, i’m not sure how i’d react. perhaps relief?

there is very very very charged eye contact. 

okay, bringing the thingy from her neck to a guy who can understand it. it’s a “micro processor”, and there are a few companies that make them. and they are being used for many things. so was it made by ordinary people, and not alien tech…? who is doing the torturing and testing…? and to what end???

it’s all women in that room… is it for alien breeding purposes… oh, i shutter to imagine

back in west virginia!!! mulder has a leather jacket on and a dream as he climbs up into some sort of railroad building’s roof. his hair blows dreamily in the wind as he busts out some binoculars. if he were to be caught, he could probably convincingly claim he was a birder. i understand they go through a lot to find their birds. 

people are showing up. they’re speaking japanese and getting what looks like a LIVING ALIEN onto the train? mulder is on the move. the train is taking off. is he gonna play subway surfers irl and try to jump on that thing? yes, he is SPRINTING. but he realizes he cannot outrun a train. 

back to scully cam. she is watching footage. a japanese surgeon is taking off his surgical gear and she recognizes him!! OH MY GOSH SHE RECOGNIZES HIM FROM HER TESTING! NOOOOO!!! NOOOO!

she answers the phone like she wasn’t unpacking horrific information and mulder reports from west virginia. and she points out that she recognizes the doctor… but not from the video tape. NOOOOOOO. realization crosses his face, and i’m sure only adds fuel to his fire to get on that damn train.

so mulder is trying to catch up with the train. a handsome japanese man is being followed by the dude that killed the other guy earlier. AND NO!!!! the killer just killed the handsome japanese man and locked him in the bathroom. then adjusted his hair???

mulder JUST misses the train. perhaps this is for the best?

scully going home. WHY IS X THERE?!?!?!? he’s telling her to tell mulder to get OFF OF THE TRAIN. she rightly is suspicious but he is NOT playing around.

mulder is about to leap on top of the train when he gets the call from scully. and he asks who told her what he was doing and to stop it, and like me, she is also probably realizing she doesn’t know this dude X’s name. 

and he jumps on the train!!! but loses his phone in the process!!!!!

TO BE CONTINUED!!!!

WHAT THE HELL.

okay, my yelling aside, THIS is when the show is at its best, imo. THIS is the blueprint for me. character driven. heart of the plot. reveal after reveal but vague enough to keep me wanting more. the government is evil and every conspiracy has more conspiracies. getting to know what is ACTUALLY going on in snippets. skinner is there. this episode truly had it all.

EXCEPT an ending, of course, because now i have to WAIT to watch the next part. SO TRULY DIABOLICAL!

no no, i jest, i can take a cliffhanger most of them time. i just better not have ANY distractions tomorrow. 

whew, so much to unpack. i think there are two things that are sticking out the most to me here: scully’s terror and mulder’s belief.

her not knowing what to believe is true about herself and the world she has studied so carefully, being surrounded by strangers who claim to know her, that know things ABOUT her, and who tell her she is going to die slowly and horribly. how she tears up when she learns this. how she tried so hard to get control over the situation by pivoting to the murder case, only to be denied. how the reigns of control slip from her hands, and it is left to fate. and how horrific that is. how she cannot handle processing what was done to her, but is forced to, by seeing this guy who did unspeakable things to her again. how she says she needs proof. as if she’s biding her time, waiting for a full answer so that the reality of what she has gone through can sink in. if there’s never proof, maybe she’ll never have to process it.

and mulder, who thinks that belief is hard. who has sacrificed so much of his life to belief, put himself in danger countless times to find the truth that everyone around him either denies or ridicules him for. how he has little more than his work, because he needs there to be hope. if belief is terror for scully, to him it is a source of possibility. how they’re both wrapped into the same tragedy with entirely separate takes on what it means and how to proceed but whatever is bringing them together keeps weaving them tighter and tighter. 

AUGHHHHHHHHHHHHH. i could scream.

i actually typed all of that, took way more notes than usual, and STILL feel like i’m barely scratching the surface. i feel like i need to give a lecture on this subject matter to even sort of drain the giant well within me of feelings regarding them. his face, how he insists she has to be okay, right? right? and her terror when she admits she doesn’t know.

now. i hate to say it, but i have seen vague spoilers about what happens in the next season, involving illness. and i have a feeling i’m gonna cry like a baby because i’m so messed up just by this. maybe it’s a sensitive topic for me, or maybe i’m just too deeply attached to these nerds and need them to be happy. 

but the depth of my feeling is indicative of how amazing this episode was. it was fast-paced, but not too fast to follow. it explored our character’s hopes and dreams and fears. the dialogue and acting was excellent. how much can be said with just eye contact, and then it breaking, is stunning. i want to know what happens next, and despite my eagerness, i am too disciplined and sleepy to go onto the next episode. 

(i have some thoughts that i need to gather and articulate at a later time regarding the use of unit 731 as a plot point, but they’re still loading, and frankly it would be better to make a post just on that subject once i can figure out how to verbalize them and if i feel that i can confidently tackle the subject matter)

goodnight world, i’m gonna scream. 

[xhoneygirlxx]

warnings: angst, no happy ending. heartbreak/end of a relationship. Eddie and Reader are 20+

minors plz go away, this account is 18+ only.

this is inspired by Nothings New by Rio Romeo, the same song that’s been stuck on repeat for the past couple of weeks. I hope you all enjoy this <3

*if you see spelling errors/bad writing, pretend it didn’t happen

—

You both knew it was coming, a thought in the back of your mind that constantly ate away at you until it finally came true. There’s a moment in life when you just know it’s not going to work out anymore, that no matter how much you love a person it all comes down to a spark and when that spark is gone, so is the relationship.

It’s like a sandcastle right on the shoreline, you wait with bated breath as the water inches closer and closer to your creation and there’s nothing you can do about it because you’ve built it on a bad foundation. It’s like a balloon, it can only fly so long before the helium seeps out, one day it’s high up in the sky and the next day it clings to the ground where it will stay before it eventually deflates.

You nor Eddie set out to end like this, no one gets into a relationship in the hopes it ends but somehow, you ended up right where you hoped you wouldn’t.

I love you’s weren’t shared as much anymore, sweet kisses turned into chaste pecks on the cheek, and the closeness you both craved was now despised. A long fall from the pedestal your relationship was once held upon, now it was just an obligation that felt torturous to even continue.

The dinner on the table is perfect, the kind you would find photographed in some kind of home and lifestyle magazine, but the two people consuming it are anything but. A date night that was supposed to be fun and exciting felt like a job, a requirement that both of you had signed on for that you just couldn’t get out of.

Eddie looks handsome as always, a sleek button up adorning his torso and unruly curls are tamed down by the products in the bathroom that both of you share. He cuts his steak with tattooed hands, the same silver rings he wore in high school decorate his digits as well as the one you bought him all those years ago when you first got together. You look at the thick black band, the engraved lettering of your initials that go across it, and you wonder if he only wears it out of habit- something he only wears on his right ring finger because he would feel unbalanced without it.

Despite the crowd that sits at neighboring tables, it’s quiet, and not the peaceful kind of silence most people would imagine. It’s the kind that happens after a car accident when dust and debris settle to ground, the sulfur from the airbags fill the air, and the ringing in your ears are too loud to hear through anything else.

You poke at your plate mindlessly as you continue to look at him, trying to piece together where it all went wrong and why the two of you have let it go this far. A bitter taste fills your mouth, one that can’t be washed down by the red wine that sits in your untouched glass, making a ball form in your throat.

As you look at the man across from you, you don’t see the person you’ve grown tired of but rather the boy you fell in love with all those years ago. Wide eyes and dimpled smile, rosy cheeks and shaky hands. Memories of shy banter and longing stares fill your head. Two young kids so full of love and adoration for one another now sit silently as they ignore one another’s presence.

Your heart squeezes, painfully twisting in a devastating way as it prepares for what’s going to happen. A tear escapes from your waterline and you don’t fight it. As much as you don’t want to be the dramatic girlfriend in the middle of a fancy restaurant you allow yourself to cry, mourning the death of a love story that started with two star cross teenagers that lost their way.

Although he isn’t looking at you Eddie can sense it, the beginning of the goodbye he’s tried desperately to avoid. He sets his fork and knife down, swallowing his food down as best as he can while his throat begins to choke up in unshed tears.

There’s a pause in his movements, a delay from looking into the eyes of the one he promised to love until his dying day. He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, reaching his hand out across the table in search of your own. Fingers interlace, palms touching for the first time in a long time and for once you both feel it, the spark you used to feel when everything was fresh and new- only it doesn’t linger, it slowly blows out and fades away into the cold night air.

Big chocolate eyes meet yours, the tears that brim in his tear ducts match your own, the shared sadness for the future you will no longer share.

“This is it?” Eddie’s voice is small, like he’s straining in the hopes the sobs won’t break out.

You can’t stop it, the wobble of your pouted lip and the river that falls from your eyes. There’s no words you can say, none that will capture the amount of pain this brings to you, so instead you just nod your head.

Eddie isn’t any better, eyes closing with the hopes that this will all go away when he opens them once more. When he opens them back up he doesn’t find a different outcome but instead the blur of the fat tears that cloud his vision.

“You know I love you, right? I always have and always will love you Eddie, but this isn’t good for us anymore.” It’s like you’re pleading, begging for all of the misery to end for not just yourself but him too.

The subtle nod of his head tells you all you need to know, he agrees just as much as you that this isn’t going to work anymore, that this is killing him as much as it is you and if it continues this way it’ll only be a matter of time before this slow and painful death creeps up on you.

“I love you too, always have.” Eddie makes sure to look you in the eyes when he says it, like he wants you to know that everything that’s happened was never intentional.

You give his hand a squeeze, an acknowledgment to his statement, he squeezes right back.

This was the end, in the middle of a fancy restaurant where families, couples, and friends laugh and talk over warm meals, you and Eddie slowly cut the string that’s been keeping you tethered together for more than five years.

—

—

[nczennie]

summer 1963.

Part One of She's Like The Wind

Pairing: Reader x Stray Kid's Lee Know AU: Summer love, based on the film Dirty Dancing Genre: Angst, Fluff (this part) Preview: “Yeah, I carried a watermelon.” The words tumble out of your mouth before your mind can comprehend them. At this, Minho spares you a judging glance that makes you feel small, not bothering another word before turning and walking back to the dance floor. Words: 7.9k *Warnings under cut

Warnings: Some curse words, mentions of food, eating, and being full, mentions and allusions to drug use and bad side effects of said usage, overall mature themes.

Your head lulls softly to the side, pulling your gaze to the window- the same green stretch of grass stuck in your view for the past couple of hours of your drive. The deep colors seem refreshing even in the summer heat, much more appealing than the grey concrete that you were accustomed to. 

Looking to your right, you see your older sister trying for the fifth time this hour to paint her toes a deep red without messing up with the occasional bumps on the road. In the passenger seat, your mom flips through a home decor magazine- one of the hundreds she brought to keep herself busy during the long ride to the countryside. Driving, your dad stays concentrated on the destination all while humming along to the songs coming from the radio. 

You’ve come to love the idea of spending your last summer with your family at a resort a couple of hours away from the city. When your parents first mentioned the idea, it seemed less than appealing- being more focused on quality time with your friends before everyone moved away for college. But now that you’re here, you’re glad to have this time with them knowing once you leave to the college an hour from home- everything will be different. 

You push those thoughts away for now-  the inevitable change that is making you more nervous by the day but you want to focus on what you have now. 

Not a half-hour later, the car makes its way on the dirt path to the large buildings surrounded by vast fields of green. The many guests loiter around outside, walking to their next destination or sitting, soaking up the sun. The closer you get, you spot a large lake just down the hill, complete with some volleyball nets and kids splashing in the water while their moms try their hand at tanning. 

The scene is so different than the summers you’re used to and suddenly you can���t wait to see what else there is in store here.

Pulling up to the front behind several other cars, your dad parks and gets out, everyone else following in suit. A worker, no doubt a high school student with a summer job, quickly comes to assist with taking your luggage out of your car. You let your eyes wander to him, feeling bad as he’s left to heavy bags by himself as your family follows your father- he’s just spotted the owner of the resort and his old friend and excitedly makes his way to greet him. Staying behind, you make your way to the back of the car and start to hand bags to the boy. He gives you a genuine smile, his eyes nearly closing as he does and you can’t help but return it. 

“You really don’t have to help, it’s my job, ya’know. You’re here to relax.” He claims as he places the bags on the bell cart. You smile softly, “I know, but it’s the least I can do. My sister tends to overpack, that would explain why we have eight suitcases when there’s only four of us.” You chuckle and the black-haired boy joins in. “Well, thank you for your help. I hope you have a wonderful stay.” He says piling up the last of the bags. “Thanks,” you let your eyes wander to his nametag, “Jeongin. Have a nice day.” 

Jeongin waves you off as you make your way to find your family. You’re thankful you don’t have to go far when you see them standing in front of the resort, your dad still talking to his friend. At your presence, your father puts his arm around you bringing you closer into the view of his friend, introducing you as his youngest daughter. 

“And this is here is my roommate and dear friend from college, Max Kellermen. He also owns this lovely place and invited us here for a stay.” Your dad smiles brightly as he talks about his friend. The middle-aged man politely shakes your hand as he smiles just as bright, the two of them clearly excited to catch up. 

“I have no doubt you and your family will have a life-changing experience here. This vacation will be like no other.”

After a slow afternoon of settling in and wandering around the property, you find yourself sat between your dad and sister at the dinner table. One of the nicer dresses you packed feeling much harder to breathe in after the five-course meal that was presented to you.  Dinner at the resort was held in a fancy ballroom-like hall where all the guests gathered to be waited on by the multiple waiters from the kitchen.  The whole thing was enjoyable but the events from the day were starting to wear on you. You quietly stir at your coffee, barely listening to your father who loudly babbles on to Max who has joined your table for dessert. 

“Is there anything else I can do for you all?” Your waiter for the night, a polite, handsome young man with an enjoyable sense of humor, asks checking in on you all once again. Max and your father smile up at him, “I think we’re good, Chan.” 

Chan smiles his charming smile and you speak up before he can leave, “Actually, can I have a box for my leftovers. I wouldn’t want to waste,” You finish off bashfully almost embarrassed by your comment. Your father nearly rejoices by it though, “That’s right, Chan. We could all use some boxes. Wasted food and hunger are the worst problems in our country, could you believe?” You feel second hand embarrassment by your fathers words, clearly being affected by the wine he had for dinner.  “You see,” he speaks to Chan and Max, “My youngest here is going to change the world. She starts college this fall and then after that, the Peace Corps that President Kennedy founded” He smiles proudly at you and you feel nauseous by the statement. You grew up close to your father, whereas your older sister enjoyed tea parties, ballet, and shopping trips with your mom, you tended to golf and volunteer with your dad. You suppose your closeness has allowed for him to push his views on you, so it shouldn’t surprise you at this point how much faith he puts into you and your nonexistent aspirations.

You hate it.

All this he talks of, college, peace corps, those are his dreams not yours. You fear that after all this time you lost a sense of who you are without your father's interference. You love the man to death, but hate the fact that you are living under his idea of a perfect daughter.

Max merely smiles at you before turning to your sister, “Well if she is going to change the world, what are you going to do, Daisy?” Your mother chuckles speaking up, “Oh, she’s going to decorate it.” 

It takes you all by surprise when Chan speaks up as he clears the used dishes, “I think she already does.” He smiles at her before excusing himself. You giggle at the redness of her face and give your mom a look knowing just how much your sister loved it.

The conversation drags even longer between the two and you’ve even ended up asking Chan for another cup of coffee to help keep the sleep off of you. 

Sometime later, a young man comes to your table seeking Max out, “Uncle, there you are. I’ve been waiting at our table or an hour now.” He chuckles and you glance over him.  Max lights up at his presence and stands to wrap his arm around his nephews shoulder, “Everyone, this is my nephew, Neil. He is one of the managers here at the resort.” He proudly smiles at the boy. Neil politely greets everyone before taking an empty seat next to his uncle, “You must be the family my uncle has been talking nonstop about all summer. He’s so excited you all could finally make it out.” He keeps a wide smile on his face, letting his eyes wander over everyone at the table. 

You keep a small smile on your face but inwardly groan at the thought of the conversation continuing any longer.  The next fifteen minutes are spent with your dad being utterly impressed with Neil as he talks nonstop about himself and his accomplishments for being so young. You don’t think you've ever heard one man talk for so long about only his own matters and it didn’t take long for you to be completely put off by the boy. 

Your relief came not long after when the boy stood, “Well, it was so nice to meet you all but I must be going. I’m due in the lounge to watch over the dancing.” He politely smiles. “There’s dancing?” Your sister asks curious about the activity she has yet to see at the resort.  “Oh, yes. Every night we have a live band in the longue and most guests come to dance the hottest dances- from the foxtrot to the mambo. We even have professional dancers staffed that can teach and demonstrate to the guests. It’s really great.” Neil explains the situation and Max nods along proud of the popular activity the resort could provide. 

Your mom and sister look to each other clearly interested in the activity whereas you could care less, never really have been much interested in dancing yourself.  You look up with a start as your dad calls your name, “Doesn’t that sound fun? You know, Neil, maybe you should take her over to check it out, I bet she would love it.” Your dad smiles excitedly and you realize quickly he was so impressed with the boy he’s started to play matchmaker. 

Trying your best to keep your emotions contained, simply looking to your father. “I don’t know, daddy. I’m quite tired from traveling today.”  “We don’t have to stay long,” Neil smiles at you, “You can just check the scene out that way you know where it is for other nights.”  “That’s a good idea, sweetie. Why don’t you go check it out for us and let us know if we should all go over tomorrow night.” Your mom speaks up nodding at you.

The longue is much bigger than you expected and the dimly lit room made for the perfect atmosphere. The live band continuously played upbeat and slower tunes to appease the large crowd of dancing guests.  Though, much to your dismay, Neil insisted on having one dance with you and yet here you both were three songs later.  You were never much of a dancer, not even interested in the deed during your final prom in the spring. Not much has changed as you stand swaying boringly back and forth with your partner. Though all the people around you seem to be having the time of their lives lazily moving to the music, you were bored from the moment you started. 

As Neil continues his nonstop talking, you begin to think maybe it’s your partner that is making the dancing so miserable. The owner's nephew was very polite, but it didn’t take long for you to realize just how full of himself he is. The past fifteen minutes were full of him going on about how amazing he is to have started managing- not one but three resorts, at such a young age. You were able to slip in a few words about how hardworking he must be but other than that, he seemed to be content with you just listening to his whole life story. 

The song finally comes to an end, the crowd stops their movements to applaud the band. You’re thankful for the opportunity to prepare yourself to tell Neil just how tired you were, but the band starts again- playing a much more upbeat tune than that of any you have heard the time you’ve been here. 

You look on with curiosity as the crowd starts to cheer and clap as a couple makes their way into the center of the circle the guests have carved out for them. 

Your eyes follow the couple in awe as they command the spotlight and start to dance, clearly much more advanced than anyone else in the room. 

You’re unable to even find it in yourself to leave Neil as you’re absolutely captivated by the way the pair move across the floor all by themselves. Eyes wandering to the boy as he swiftly and gracefully moves across the floor, effortlessly gliding his partner. 

A smile pulls on your face as he lifts her slightly, spinning her around letting the coral dress she’s wearing flow freely around her. The two were clearly professionals and watching their dance brought you joy as well as all of the other guests who stayed aside to watch their show. You had never seen professional dancers before but watching them now you were allured by their talent, unable to take your eyes off of them. Every part of their bodies seemed to move to every beat, everything about what they did seemed natural and intentional at the same time. “They’re amazing,” you let out as your eyes continue to follow the couple whose looks are as beautiful as their movements.  Neil scoffs from beside you, “Yeah, well they should be we pay them for it.” He shakes his head as he continues to watch their routine, “They’re supposed to be selling lessons to the guests but they’re just showing off.” You want to argue that everyone around them is clearly enjoying the act but you don’t bother using the energy to talk to the boy. 

You stay watching the couple, unable to tear your gaze away from every twist and twirl they make. They eventually end and bow respectively to the crowd who cheers loudly for their talents. Even then, your eyes stay focused on the gorgeous girl and boy who shines just as beautifully. You watch as they go their separate ways, making their way in the crowd to politely dance with some of the guests- a clear part of their attempt to sell lessons. You follow the boy’s head until you can no longer see it, mind wandering to ask your father to pay for dance lessons this summer. That would be a great idea, you thought, if only you liked dancing.

The next couple days of your vacation were uneventful- relaxing but nothing too memorable. You often found yourself wandering the resort by yourself as you parents partook in the multiple activities offered and your sister spent as much time as she could with the waiter, Chan. 

This night wasn’t much different as you wandered around the different paths of the resort after dinner, picking daisies that littered the grass. The sun had fallen long ago but you couldn’t find it in yourself to stay cooped up in the room when Daisy had gone into town with Chan and your parents were watching a screening of a new movie in the small theater within the hotel. So, much like any other time, you found your feet carried you outside and simply walked where you could. 

You hum along to a song that’s tune has been in your head all day as you hop along the rock-paved path going to the bottom of a hill you have yet to explore. Half way down, you notice the presence of another. It was a boy who seemed to struggling to carry something as he walked further in front of you. Squinting your eyes, you notice the boy is familiar. “Jeongin! Hey!” You call out with a smile, happy to see another person you know. You jog briskly down the hill to meet him where he stopped with a smile. You hold your white dress to keep it from flowing too far up and you make your way to the black haired boy, sending him a big smile as you finally reach him. “Hey,” he returns your smile and you look down to see him struggling to keep his grip on a couple of watermelons. You automatically go to grab one with a huff as it’s much heavier than you first expected, “Where are you going? I’ll help take this there.” Jeongin chuckles at you, “What? Don’t you have to go meet your manager boyfriend?” 

You frown at the mention of Neil, the boy clearly having seen your parents attempt of having you spend time with the conceded boy. Rather annoyed by his comment, you roll your eyes, roughly pushing the watermelon back into his arms and turn around to take your leave, disappointed by the boy you were originally pleased to see. 

“Hey! Wait! I was messing around, c’mon I could use your help.” You spin around, sending the boy a glare as you pull the extra fruit from his arms. Jeongin laughs and hoists the fruit he still has further up in his arms, “Well, let’s go then. But don’t you dare even mention what I’m about to show you.” he says the threat with such a light tone that you barely register what he was saying. “What do you mean?” You ask as you follow him further away from where you met. “Where we’re going is only for staff members, so you’re not even allowed to be there.” He says nonchalantly and your confused as to whether he is being serious or not. “And when I say that, I mean only certain staff,” he huffs as you two make your way up a hill, “So don’t mention it to nobody, especially not the manager.” You roll your eyes but refrain from biting back at the comment about Neil once again.

Finally making your way to a small wooden building, Jeongin roughly shoves the two doors open using the back of his body, making sure one of them stayed open long enough to safely let you in. Yet you’re so surprised by your new surroundings you can’t even find it in yourself to thank him.

Though the lighting is dim just like the dance lounge on the main resort - that is the only thing that you find familiar.  The room is hazy and filled with smoke and there is a loud booming from the speakers playing music from the record. A completely different genre from that of the live music you enjoyed at dinner and in the lounge. It sounds much like the music your peers listened to on their own record players when you visited their homes.

As you try to keep your gaze on Jeongin to follow him to the designated destination he had in mind, you find it nearly impossible. The room was crowded with workers who are enjoying their time off, dancing to the loud beat of an unfamiliar song.  And though you try your hardest to keep your eyes on Jeongin through the tight-nit crowd of people, you can’t help them wandering to take in just how the people around you are dancing. 

Never in your life have you seen just- frankly to put it; crude dancing. You weren’t really sure if you could call it dancing at all.

Pairs of people who pressed together so tightly it was nearly difficult to tell where one body ended and the other began.  There was groping with wandering hands and groins pressed and rocking together. Your cheeks flushed as were almost certain these moves were only meant to be done in private. 

Finally reaching your destination, you place the watermelon on an empty table beside Jeongin's. Wiping his hands on his jeans, he chuckles probably taking in your flustered reaction. “Do you like the dancing?” he moves a bit to lean back against the wood, moving his view the the crowd of moving people before you both. 

Following his actions, you move closer to him, making sure he could hear you even with the blaring music, “So they are dancing?”  You aren’t even sure yourself if your question is facetious or not.  Jeongin merely lets out a laugh, “Could you imagine if people danced like this out on the main floor?” He shakes his head just thinking about it, “Max would have all of our asses out on the street.” 

You smooth the fabric of your dress down, suddenly feeling self conscious of how you're dressed. Compared to those around you, you feel like you're dressed for church. "Wanna try?"Jeongin speaks up from next to you, raising his eyebrows, as you swiftly shake your head. There was no way you would dance like that. Not only did you not believe your body would move like that, but you were sure you would be far too embarrassed.

Your attention is drawn back to the crowd when everyone seems to let out a small cheer, looking you notice they make way for a new couple to join the dancing right in the center of the room, where everyone can see them. 

Immediately, you recognize the pair. 

It was hard not to, with the man striking features and the smoothness in which both of them move. Though this dance is completely opposite than that of what they danced to the last time you saw them.  You enjoy watching them nonetheless, you could hardly keep your eyes off of them, absolutely captivated by their swiftness. Automatically, your head starts to bob to music.  “They’re incredible!” You lean closer to Jeongin to express your fondness.  “Right? They’re the best this resort has. That there is my cousin, Minho. And his partner is Momo!” The boy has a smile on his face as though he is proud to introduce you to the talented pair he happens to know very well. 

“They make such a great couple.” You let out, even you could see their chemistry. 

“You would think so, huh? They’re not romantically involved though.”

Pursing your lips, you look at Jeongin after his comment, blown away with the information he just shared with you, “Seriously?”

He nods quickly, crossing his arms, “Oh, yeah. They tried it out once in high school, ended it two days later. Momo actually has a boyfriend who lives in town.”

You let out a small hum of acknowledgment, letting your eyes stay focused on the pair you two talked about, “And what about him, your cousin?”  The younger boy laughs beside you, “Oh he’s single, alright.” The current song comes to an end and some pairs start to break away.  Almost as if he knew you were talking about him, his cousin's eyes wander over to where you and Jeongin are resting. 

And much to your dismay, he starts to make his way over to you both.

As the boy makes his way in front of you both, you realize how intimidating he was. His dark eyes are sharp and unimpressed, sweat lingering on his face from dancing in the hot, crowded room. Maybe it was because you were aware you weren't supposed to be here, but you swear his gaze was intense enough to make you sweat yourself. You do your best to keep your eyes locked on his chest, his arms, his neck, anywhere that kept you from meeting his eyes. All the while you could feel his own locked on you.

“What is she doing here?” The older boy questions his cousin. “Oh, she helped me out on the way here. Saw me struggling and all.” Jeongin trails off as if to observe what his cousin’s reaction would be. “Yeah, I carried a watermelon.”  The words tumble out of your mouth before your mind can comprehend them. At this, Minho spares you a judging glance that makes you feel small, not bothering another word before turning and walking back to the dance floor. And as soon he turns your eyes rolls and you mumble to yourself about your idiotic words, shaking your head with a sigh as you wish you could forget the awkward encounter.

The next couple of songs play without incident; you stay by Jeongin's side, making idle small talk as you enjoy the music. All the songs being played are quite different from those that the live band play on the main floor, but you might even enjoy these songs even more. As each melody goes on you find yourself subconsciously moving and bobbing to the beat, especially as you watch everyone around you flowing along with the instrumentals. 

Continuing your small movements with a small smile upon your lips, your eyes wander around the room, taking in how the crowd changes their movements when a slightly more upbeat song starts to play. As your eyes make their way back to in front of you, the smile you once sported falls just as you still your body. You find a familiar dancer making his way straight towards you. 

He makes his appearance without a word, simply reaching out to grasp your hand with his nimble fingers. Minho gently gives you a tug, head nodding towards the dance floor as he walks you there. You feel your mouth slightly part in surprise but you find yourself unable to protest, head glancing back as Jeongin as he merely gives you a shrug, looking almost as confused as you are.

Minho doesn’t stop until you’re both in the middle of the dance floor, surrounded by the other moving bodies. He makes his way in front of you making sure he has your attention, “Watch.” You swallow deeply as the taller boy starts to move, simply swaying his hips back and forth to the beat of the song. “Go on.” He states again and you bite the inside of your cheek questioning if you would rather run back to his cousin than to attempt to dance in front of him, but you figure you can attempt this basic move he basically saw you doing before he dragged you out here.

You start to move after a deep breath, following along the best you could though you could already tell you were not nearly as smooth as the dancer.

“Good,” he nods his head “Now bend your knees, lower your hips.” He taps his pelvis to draw attention to the next move, his body now lower even as he continues his swaying movements.

Your body awkwardly lowers to try to match him and you suddenly become aware of how foolish you must look. A fish out of water compared to how smooth everyone is around you. Quickly glancing around you, you try to see if anyone else is seeing how awful you’re doing.

“Hey, look at me. Keep your eyes on me.” You draw your eyes back to Minho as he attempts to keep your attention on him. You do your best to keep everyone else around you out of your mind and hope you don’t draw their eyes in with your bad dancing. “Now roll your hips right,” he demonstrates slowly, “And then left.” He smoothly rolls his hips in a circle, alternating sides as he told you. 

When it was your turn to attempt you furrow your brows clearly having to concentrate more to get it done. He chuckles slightly at you but still praises, “Good, that’s it.” 

The two of you continue that for a moment before he creeps closer, grabbing your waist and pulling you flush against him. Your breath hitches in your throat as he holds your hips to his, having to place one of your hands on his bicep to keep you from stumbling, both of you still moving with the flow he taught you moments before. You can feel your face flush at the proximity and the mere movement you both are doing together. The only other time you can think of doing something similar involves the last boy you were with and being between the sheets, the movements could almost be the same you find yourself thinking. Only the thought flushes your cheeks even more.

As the two of you fall into a more comfortable rhythm matching the song, Minho starts to move more. He skillfully sways you both side to side even dipping you back slightly, your hand finding its way to his shoulder to steady yourself. It’s all much funner than you expected and you can’t help the smile that finds its way onto your face along with a giggle that breaks through your lips as he pulls you closer to him.

Unfortunately the fun and the song have to end at some point, Minho separates from you, magically twirling you around as the last notes of the song play. The crowd around you stops dancing and the room fills with claps and cheers end off the music. 

Still giddy, you clap along turning around with a smile only to find the boy was nowhere to be seen. 

Awkwardly stopping your movements, you flatten your hair and start to move through the crowd looking to make your way back to Jeongin, suddenly feeling red and flustered, your heart still pounding in your chest from the small dance you just shared.

It’s only a few short nights later that you find yourself in the presence of Minho once again, but this time the circumstances are very different. 

You stand under a well lit gazebo along with your parents and Max. The large platform acts as a dance floor, many bodies dancing classically to the soft music, a change of scenery from the usual ballroom floor. The fairy lights are bright enough to brighten up the whole area, the music plays from a record player in the corner; a contrast to the live band, and being outside once the sun goes down allows for a coolness to cover the space. It’s not much, but you are glad you decided to wear your cardigan. 

You stand closely to your mother, both of you keeping an eye on your sister who dances in the center of the place with Chan, who had the night off. Glancing up at her you both give each other a knowing smile at the kind boy that has caught Daisy’s eye this summer. 

As they move a bit from out of your sight, you bring your attention back to your father and Neil as they talk of their old college days. 

As the bodies continue to sway and move you can’t help but notice Minho among the crowd, his expert moves sticking out like a sore thumb. You watch as him and his partner move closer to the corner where you stood. You look at the girl in his arms and notice it’s not his usual partner Jeongin introduced to you as Momo. Instead this woman you could immediately tell was much older than Minho in age, that was obvious in appearance. And unlike Momo’s professionalism, this woman seemed much more interested in staying close to the boy rather than any real ballroom dancing. 

“Hello, Ruby. How are you doing?” You turn your head towards Max who speaks to the woman in Minho’s arms. She gives him a cunning smile, resting her head on the dark-haired boy’s shoulder, “I’m doing just fine, Max.” Max keeps a smile and nods as the pair continue their dance moving on along the room.

Once they’re far enough you hear Max sigh, “That’s what we call a Bungalow Bunny here.” This has the attention of both you and your parents, “They come every summer with their husbands, though their husbands only come down on the weekend. Ruby’s husband pays for her dance lessons,” he puts out his head to where she was with Minho. “It’s a difficult situation, she must be lonely.” He states and you swallow at his implications; that Minho is offering much more than dance lessons to this married woman. 

You find yourself getting sleepy the more you stand there, no longer interested in any of the conversation your father and Max find themselves having. And just when you thought your mood couldn’t be more sour, you spot Neil entering the gazebo and make his way over to the corner. You politely greet him but you dread it when he asks you to join him for a dance, “Oh I don’t know, Neil. I’m practically falling asleep here.” You force out a giggle to keep the atmosphere light. “Well how about a walk then? There’s a full moon tonight and the view will be beautiful by the lake.” 

You’re just as ready to turn his offer down again, but you feel your mom slightly push your lower back. You know right away what this means, go on with him. Though you dread it, you know it’s the right thing to do when his uncle is standing right next to you and he being the one to invite your family to stay at his resort. 

So that’s how you find yourself walking along the grass towards the lake, the moonlight being the only form of brightness in the night. Neil has been dragging on about how he got in an argument with one of the lifeguards and you haven’t been able to get a single word in since you started your walk. Finally getting to the dock, you take a deep breath and enjoy the view trying your best to block out Neil’s ramblings. 

Your view seems to almost be ruined though, when you feel the boy place his arm over your shoulder, “And I said, you know what Jimmy doesn’t have? Three hotels!” The boy laughs at his own joke and you give him a tight lipped smile to keep your rudeness at bay. 

But that seems to be getting harder to do when you feel Neil start to play with the ends of your hair, taking it softly in the tips of his fingers. “You know, when it comes time, there are much more important things than looks when choosing a man is involved.”

An unamused laugh leaves your lips as you slip yourself from out of his grip, “You know Neil, I’m actually kind of hungry. Maybe we can head back so I can have a snack.” He smiles at you, not at all fazed by your actions, “No problem at all, there’s actually a small kitchen for the staff in this building, we can grab you something there before heading back.” 

You follow him to the small building by the lake, you look around the dark building as Neil points out the sights. “And here is the kitchen, it’s pretty small but it’s usually just for the staff to have their lunches when they’re working around the lake.” He stands by the doorframe as you walk in the narrow kitchen. The boy continues to talk about some of the different staff schedules as you hear a small whimper coming from the corner. 

Looking alarmed at Neil, he doesn’t seem to notice as he continues his talking. Carefully you move further into the room pretending to look at the different arrangement of snacks. Finally you hear the sound more clearly and look in the corner, someone is hunched between the fridge and the wall. The person looks up and you fight the gasp that threatens to leave your throat. You make eye contact and immediately know who it is, you would recognize his partner anywhere.

Momo looks up from you, whimpering and shaking, clearly having been crying for who knows how long.  

You swallow quickly and trust your gut.

Turning around you make your way back to Neil, grabbing an apple in the basket by the door, “I think it will do, Neil. Thank you for showing me this, and for the snack. I think we should head back now, I wouldn’t want to worry my parents.”

“Of course, let’s go.” He shuts the door behind him and you make your way back to the gazebo as quickly as you can. 

Your heart is in your throat and you consider yourself lucky that Neil has separated himself from you by the time you get back to the gazebo. You try to think of the best way to approach the situation and decide it’s best not to interrupt Minho, whom you still barely know, especially when he’s with his client in the middle of the dance floor. Recalling from earlier in the night, you remember you saw Jeongin in the opposite corner from you, doing his job of handing out drinks to the guests.

Relief floods your system when you see the dark-haired boy in the same spot as before. Rushing over as quickly as you could without drawing attention to yourself, you finally place your arm on his shoulder. A friendly smile starts to form on his face but before he could even greet you, you bring your mouth to his ear, hand cupping around them both in order to tell him of the questionable situation you were in before finding him. 

His eyes widen at your words and he quickly makes his way to Minho in the middle of the floor, obviously not having the same worries as you did about interrupting him. You keep your eyes on the two boys and you notice Minho becomes just as alert as Jeongin when he tells him. There’s a part of you that is relieved you told the boys, it seems as though you made the right decision with how they’re reacting as you watch them rush out of the busy gazebo. 

And before you can tell yourself any better, you follow them.

The adrenaline is still high in your bloodstream as you follow both of the boys as they nearly run to reach Momo. You’ve realized long ago you really have no place to be here but your curiosity gets the best of you once again; you need to know what’s happened to the girl and you can only hope it’s nothing bad. 

“Do you know what happened?” you ask and they get closer to the location and Jeongin looks back as if he’s shocked you’re still there. He answers nonetheless, “She’s having a bad high.” The older doesn’t seem pleased by the information his cousin disposed and he nearly yells back at him, “Fuck, Jeongin! You can’t just go around telling people that shit.”

Your heart is stuck in your throat as you feel you’re being told off, perhaps you now know why curiosity killed the cat.

“Now she’s going to off to tell her manager boyfriend, gonna get us all fired” Minho mumbles even further and you can’t help but your blood to boil at the underming comment. “I would never tell anyone, I’m not some kind of snitch.” You bit back not even getting the chance to explain your nonexistent relationship with Neil before you’ve reached the destination. 

You stay put outside with Jeongin and Minho hurriedly picks up Momo and comes out to continue along the path. 

Figuring you’re already in deep enough, you continue to follow them to where you assume is their home for the summer. 

Further down the dirt road, you’re met with a series of small apartment-like houses; there’s a sign further up the hill reading “Staff Housing”. They’re quaint and obviously not as well taken care of as the main resort. The porch creeks under the weight of you all as you make your way into room numbered 143.

You stay put by the door you’ve closed behind you, keeping your hand on the handle; ready to leave if the hosts deemed your presence unnecessary (though you already knew it was). 

Watching quietly, you take in how Jeongin brings her a glass of water and Minho wraps her in a blanket, sitting beside her on the small couch and urging her to drink.

Momo must’ve had been alone for some time because she already seems to be sobering up and paying attention to Minho who rubs her back comfortingly. 

“You have to do the program, Mo.” He speaks softly to her and you listen carefully to their hushed conversation. 

Jeongin, who had made his way back to stand closer to you whispers to you, “There’s a program she’s found out about that could help break the addiction.” You nod at him, silently thanking him for explaining to you once again. 

The girl finishes her water and the boy beside her repeats himself once again, softly removing the hair from her face in order to look at her properly. She scoffs in return, turning her head away from his hands, “You know I can’t.”

“Why not?” You speak, what you meant to be a whisper where only Jeongin could hear but your voice comes out much louder than you intended. The couple on the couch look at you and your face flushes with the feeling you don’t belong. 

“The program costs a lot of money,” Jeongin murmurs, still answering your question whether the other two wanted it to be known or not. 

Momo, who seemingly just noticed you were here, stares at you for a second before speaking up herself, “Yeah, try three hundred dollars. That’s a whole summer’s worth of paychecks.” She leans back into the couch but keeps her cold gaze on you, “But you wouldn’t understand that, would you? Must be nice to have access to daddy’s money.” 

It’s clear the words are spoken with the purpose to hurt you but you don’t make a move, not giving her the satisfaction. It feels as though you both are in a staring contest until Jeongin makes the first move, “I’ll make you a sandwich, you should eat.” Momo turns her eyes to the younger boy, giving him a smile and you take the chance to quietly leave the room you were never welcome in.

You knew you shouldn’t let the words Momo said affect you so much, she had not been in the right state in the first place. But nonetheless, her comment played through your head as you toss and turn in bed that night. 

The next morning you found yourself trekking to the golf course bright and early to find your father. Walking along in the cool morning you’ve tried to justify your actions by convincing yourself what you’re about to do is for the sake of helping someone else. But no matter how many times you repeat it, you know that’s not the reason at all for your petty actions.

“Daddy!” You call out finally locating your parents practicing their putting. Grabbing his attention, he looks up with a smile, “Good morning, my love. Did you already have breakfast?”. Keeping the bright smile on your face you go to hug him, “I was on my way to but thought I would say good morning first since I didn’t see you last night.” 

He hums, taking another hit at a ball. “Daddy, about last night,” you start recalling the lie you’ve made up, “I made a friend and she’s trying to buy a place ticket. Her mom is sick and she wants to go home and see her but she has no way of affording it.” He silently looks at you and you take the chance to continue, “She’s a worker here and they don’t pay enough for her to buy it herself.” 

He nods and hits another ball, “And what do you suggest we do?” You make your smile a bit smaller, “I was hoping we could help her, daddy. As a doctor I know you always help people in need so I thought this could be my way of helping her, wouldn’t that be nice?” 

Knowing you’ve hit a soft spot with him as he tries to hide his smile, you keep your own bashful. “I suppose you’re right. I’m so lucky that my daughter has a good heart like you. I’ll write you a check at lunch.”

Walking into the workers lounge late that night, you feel almost powerful with the check in your hand. You confidently make your way in, moving through the bodies closely dancing together until you spot Jeongin on the side of the room. 

You make your way to him giving him a smile which he returns. Just to the right you notice Momo dancing with Minho to the calm song playing over the speakers and you take the chance to approach her. Jeongin follows closely, either curious about what you have to say or worried she won’t be happy to see you. 

You slightly tap Momo on the shoulder, grabbing both her and Minho’s attention. Motioning for them to follow you, you go to the edge of the dance floor where they could hear you better. 

The pair follow without question, obviously curious about what you have to say. They stare at you for a moment and you hold out the check to her, “Here.” 

She cautiously grabs the paper and looks shocked when she realizes what it is, “Are you serious right now?” Minho looks just as surprised, grabbing the check to look at it himself. You merely nod at her, keeping your face serious. “How did you get this?” The dancer speaks up as he examines the check and you keep your gaze steady, “It was easy, all I had to do was go ask my daddy.” You look at Momo raising your eyebrows, “Right?” You can’t help but the petty comment to slip your lips but you thought it was the least she deserved. 

She bashfully looks down and takes the check, passing it back to you, “Thanks, but I can’t take it.” 

Your eyebrows furrow, “Why not?” Your confusion grows as even the man beside her looks shocked, “Yeah, why not? You need to take it, Mo.” She merely shakes her head and it’s Jeongin who finally speaks up. “The program takes place on Thursday nights,” at the comment Minho seems to understand, a frown forming on his face. 

“What does that mean?” Jeongin looks at you, “They both have another gig at a hotel a little away from here. If they don’t show up they lose their spot not only this summer but next summer too. They need the money,” he trails off.

You think quickly, “Well can’t someone else take your place?” Minho rolls his eyes at your suggestion, “No, no one can take her place. Everyone works around here but that’s not something you would know about.”

Eyebrows furrowed, you feel fed up with the comments about your work ethic and you’re half tempted to grab the check and leave, never having to talk to them again.

But before you can even process, Momo lights up, “That’s right! It’s perfect, everyone does work but she doesn’t! She can take my place!” You already panic at the weird idea and you can see right away Minho does too, “What, absolutely not! She’s not a dancer!” 

His cousin on the other hand seems to agree with Momo, “I think it’s a great idea! I mean, you were literally just teaching her how to dance the other night, weren’t you?” Jeongin states almost smugly. At this Momo turns her head to Minho, raising her brows, “Well, then that’s that.”

Taglist:  @linocvp1d @blankdyean @adeards @lomllino @brooklynie @noellllslut @djeniryuu @eternitywaveshello @drhsthl @urmomma0324

Copyright © 2023 by nczennie. All rights reserved.

🌼 All feedback is appreciated and welcomed 🌼

[itsyoung8]

The age of the students at Bullworth Academy (part III)

Salut! Today I'm going to attack the age of the Greasers! Enjoy reading and don't hesitate to let me know what you think!

Details:

-> I'm going to assume that Bullworth Academy is a high school

-> Since it is a high school located in the United States, four years ago and not three as in Europe (ex: France). That's why I'm going to make the following cut:

1st year: 14-15 years old - Freshman

2nd year: 15-16 years old - Sophomore

3rd year: 16-17 years old - Junior

4th year: 17-18 years old - Senior

Greasers:

Johnny Vincent:

Johnny constantly uses the word "kid" in his lines of dialogue. I think he's a 17-18 year old senior because, I repeat, who calls someone "kid" when you're the same age or slightly older by a year or two? No one.

Peanut Romano:

"Nah. Maybe this year sometime". Right off the bat, we can say that Peanut is not a first year because the sentence here implies that Peanut was already at Bullworth Academy the year before. "Look! The fresh meat… I-I mean the freshmen is here". This line of dialogue reinforces this idea that Peanut is not a safe first year.

When Peanut demands money from Jimmy, he implies in two lines of dialogue that he's not old enough to buy adult magazines. Which means that Peanut isn't a 17-18 year old senior either, otherwise he might buy them himself.

Peanut in a lot of lines of dialogue talks about how tall he is and how he is so small compared to other people his age or younger. I think Peanut is a 16-17 year old junior.

Norton Williams:

Already, just like Johnny and those who are also seniors, Norton uses the word "kid" several times. To this, we can add the fact that he is about to graduate very soon since he is already talking about what he will do after school, especially in construction. I come to say that he is a 17-18 year old senior.

Vance Medici:

As for Vance, I couldn't find anything concrete enough to indicate a certain age other than that in one line of dialogue he uses the word "kid". Maybe he's a 17-18 year old senior too, but I'm not sure.

Ricky Pucino:

Ricky must be a 17-18 year old senior as well. He uses the word "kid" in a line of dialogue, which is spoken by students much older than Jimmy. He has an older brother slightly older than him and tried to return a duty to Mr. Galloway that his brother turned in in the past not far enough for Mr. Galloway to remember. From there, we can still assume that Ricky must be in his last year of school before graduation.

Lola Lombardi:

"I'm getting so old! My life is almost over!" Just by this sentence we can say that Lola is a senior of 17-18 years old. In addition, Lola has a cherry tattoo on her left ankle. In the United States, and especially in New England, the majority of states prohibit tattoos for minors. This reinforces the idea that Lola is a 17-18 year old senior.

Lucky De Luca:

"So, there's some new kid making waves around the school. I heard he's trying to get with Pinky". First of all, Lucky is not a first year as one might think with this line of dialogue.

In some of his lines of dialogue, Jimmy's school year isn't his first, which reinforces this idea that he's not a freshman, but isn't in his last at Bullworth Academy and is therefore not a senior.

Finally, Neil tells Jimmy during the first workshop class that the cars are only for the elderly, so seniors. One might think that Lucky is a senior but it is written on the wiki that he is very mature for his age and as said before, Lucky is probably not a senior. We can then think of the fact that he must be a junior of 16-17 years old but a junior in advance.

Hal Esposito:

So I really have no idea omg. At the end of the day, Hal says in a line of dialogue that he has to go buy cigarettes. If we assume that the events are set in 2006 in New England, you can buy cigarettes at the age of 18. You might think that Hal is a 17-18 year old senior, but nothing has been decided.

Lefty Mancini:

"Get any action at the carnival last year". Lefty isn't a first-year-old or he wouldn't know the funfair. Subsequently, when he is walking alone, he can be heard saying: "Gotta get me another pack of smokes and a hot dog". Seen for a moment with Hal, only people 18 and older can buy cigarettes according to New England state laws in 2006. That would mean that Lefty is a 17-18 year old senior. We can continue this momentum by the fact that he, like many others, also uses the word "kid"

End of this third part. In the next one, we'll talk about the Nerds. Thank you for reading this post to the end. A bientôt!

[daisynik7]

Cut From the Same Cloth

Pairing: Mitsuya x Original Female Character

Rating: Mature

Word Count: ~3.6k

Summary: Takashi Mitsuya has always lived his life being true to himself. Despite being the proud Second Division Captain of the notorious Tokyo Manji Gang, he never hides the softer side of him: He cares deeply for his two younger sisters and enjoys spending his free time sewing. When a classmate, Hana Shimizu, approaches him, asking for lessons in sewing, he agrees, not seeing any downsides to having some company.

Author's Note: I hope you enjoy this first chapter! Likes, comments, and/or reblogs are always appreciated. Would love to hear what you think about this so far! You can also read this on my ao3.

Masterlist | Next Chapter

If one of us gets hurt, we'll protect them. A gang that's all for one, one for all.

Mitsuya chuckles to himself, glancing at the photo propped to his vanity mirror, reminiscing. He checks his reflection, noticing dark circles under his eyes and the rare grey hair he manages to spot in the field of silver-lilac. Not bothering to pluck it, his focus switches back to the picture, six familiar faces staring back him, including his own. It was taken five years ago, but he remembers it like yesterday; just a couple of hoodlum kids riding their bikes, swearing their loyalty to each other. Two years later, one gets arrested and sent to juvenile detention, another is dead, a third is the one who caused it. They were fifteen; too young to deal with the consequences of this lifestyle, but too old to blame it on “kids being kids.” All the fighting, the turmoil, the violence…he never liked it. Only use your strength to protect; that is his personal motto. But does it matter when he’s the only one who follows it?

He sighs, smile lessening as he grabs his backpack from the floor, heading out of his bedroom and into the kitchen. Luna and Mana are at the dining table, scarfing down a bowl of sugary cereal. His mom is on the couch, sleeping with the remote teetering in her hand, TV displaying the morning news on the lowest volume. He ruffles his sisters’ heads before grabbing an apple from the counter, rinsing it at the sink.

“See you two later, I’ll be home before dinner,” he muffles, chewing his bite of apple, walking towards the door to slip into his shoes. “Make sure you wake mom up so she can take you to school.” They wave happily at him, mouths too stuffed with mushy cornflakes to bid a proper goodbye.

Shibuya High School isn’t that far from their home; twenty minutes by walking, twenty-five by bus, because of all the stops. Regardless, Mitsuya rides his motorbike to school, not only because it’s the fastest mode of transportation, but also because it exerts his dominance as the highest-ranking member of Toman on-campus. Behind him is Peh-Yan, who followed him after middle school. Being the top delinquent gives him the power to do as he pleases without judgement or ridicule, which is why he’s often found after school, sewing in the home economics room, doing what he loves.

In middle school, he was president of the Sewing Club, where he was highly respected by its members, mostly girls. However, his high school doesn’t have one, and this hobby didn’t garner enough attention for him to start a club for it. So, for the past two and a half years, he sews in solitude, which he doesn’t mind. Sometimes, Peh-Yan joins him to read manga or a dirty magazine. Hakkai stops by when he’s not too busy doing tasks for Mikey or picking fights with opposing gangs. Occasionally, Takemichi and Hina would visit from their school to say hello. Other than that, Mitsuya is alone.

Until today.

~~~

You never thought in your entire eighteen years of living that you would intentionally approach a member of the Tokyo Manji Gang, of any gang for that matter. But here you are, sidling against the wall beside the door frame of the home economics room, gathering the courage to talk to Takashi Mitsuya.

He is well-known on campus, and not in the way you’d expect. Even though he is technically a delinquent, many of your peers like him. He often walks around with a lazy smile on his face, respecting others, keeping to himself for the most part. As a first-year, there was an incident where two upperclassmen were caught harassing a second-year for money. Sixteen-year-old Mitsuya, despite being shorter and younger, didn’t hesitate to fight them off. A year later, there was another instance, when some girls in your class were being creeped on by a new teacher. Again, Mitsuya did not falter, even when it was an authority figure. He gave that pervert a good beating, and with the many witnesses that came forward in his defense, he didn’t suffer any consequences to his school record. Many respected him for his personality, more feared him for his association with the most notorious biker gang in Tokyo. Nobody, however, actually knew him. Except for his few friends from the gang, the rest of your class only shared stories of what they’ve heard or seen him do in the past. Everybody outside of Toman only saw what was on the surface. In theory, you didn’t have a good reason to be fearful of him, considering you’ve barely interacted with him prior to this. Still, it’s the uncertainty of his character that makes you uneasy. That, and his undeniable “bad boy” charm.

Who are you kidding, though? He probably has no clue who you are. While you’re happy in your own skin, you’re not exactly a stunner compared to the other girls in your class. Your friends, Mei and Keiko, often shower you in compliments, though you’re certain it’s only because they love you, and those don’t count in the grand scheme of things. Truth be told, you’ve made peace knowing you’ll never be the object of one’s affection, at least, not in this high school. Maybe one day, in the far future, where men have developed from immature teens to immature adults. For now, you’re perfectly fine enjoying your last semester before college. Still, it doesn’t hurt to imagine strikingly handsome Takashi Mitsuya in your girlish fantasies, right?

You shake your head of any inappropriate thoughts, finally willing yourself to enter the room. His back is turned towards you, head bowed over the desk. The curtains are open wide, allowing bright streaks of sunlight to cover the room in a golden glow. You clear your throat to get his attention, and when it isn’t enough for him to react, you do it louder, announcing your presence. “Hello, Mitsuya.”

He straightens up, craning his neck to look at you, removing his left earbud. “Shimizu?”

You’re surprised he knows your name. You’ve been classmates since last semester, but you didn’t think he’d recognize you, nor remember your name. “Yes, hi. I want to ask you a favor if that’s alright.”

Popping the other earbud off, he smiles, swiveling his chair to face you directly. “Okay. Shoot.”

You cross your arms over your chest, swallowing hard. “Um, well, I was wondering if you could teach me how to sew.”

He raises a brow at you, curious. “Sew?”

You nod. “Yes. I want to learn before I go to college in the fall. My mom usually hems my pants and what not, but I want to learn for myself. She isn’t the best teacher, and I heard you were president of your middle school’s sewing club. So, I figured it’d be nice to learn. From you.”

He stares at you, contemplating. His gaze is intense, as if he’s inspecting you, processing the many different outcomes for how this scenario could play out. Before he responds, you add, “I can pay you. Or I can do your homework for you, although I’m not the smartest in the class…”

“Do you babysit?”

You blink at him, making sure you heard correctly. “Babysit?” You’re an only child, so you never needed to. The most experience you’ve had is spending time with younger cousins during house parties. How hard could it be? “I can babysit,” you reply, not too confidentially.

“Normally, I would help you out without expecting anything in return. But since you offered, I’d love it if you could babysit. Not every day, but maybe once a week. We can do our sewing lessons the same amount, so that it’s fair. What do you say?” He holds his hand out, wanting to shake on it to make it official. You wonder if this is how oaths are done in the Tokyo Manji Gang, which makes you giggle thinking you could ever be a part of an intense organization like that.

You shake on it, fingers squeezing around his in a firm grip. “Deal.”

He grins, releasing you. “Great. We can start this week if you’re up for it. How about Friday?”

“Sure. Do you want me to babysit that day, too?”

“Yes, unless you already have plans.”

You usually spend your Friday nights with your parents, watching a movie, or with friends, watching a movie. Either way, it’s not significant enough that you can’t sacrifice it for the next couple of weeks. “I’ll be free.”

“Great. We can go right after our lesson. I’ll introduce you to my sisters, Luna, and Mana. That’s who you’ll be babysitting.” He reaches into his pocket pulling his phone out, holding the screen towards you. The background is a picture of him with two young girls, making silly faces at the camera.

You smile. “Cute. I look forward to meeting them.”

“Cool. I’ll see you here Friday, then.”

“I’ll be here. Thank you, I really appreciate it.”

He nods, waving farewell as you step out of the room and down the hall. It’s a fair arrangement that should go smoothly. Sewing lessons in exchange for babysitting. What could possibly go wrong?

~~~

Friday afternoon, Mitsuya sets up shop as usual. It’s part of his weekly routine: After his last class of the day, if there aren’t any pressing manners concerning Toman, he strolls into the home economics room and heads immediately to the windows to open the curtains, basking in the sunlight. It’s the best type of lighting for when he’s sewing. It also gives him that natural boost of happiness, which is an added bonus.

Today, he’s working on Luna’s skirt, which tore while she was playing at school. It’s an easy fix, so he brought more clothing from home to mend. Later tonight, there’s a big meeting at Musashi Shrine to discuss the gang’s current state of affairs. Recently, there’s been talks of absorbing the Leviathans, a new gang that has emerged from Shinjuku. Not much is known about them, and with Mitsuya being preoccupied with school and taking care of his sisters, he hasn’t been too involved in any direct action. He plans to meet with Draken for dinner prior to the meeting to get caught up with any important matters.

He pushes his earbuds in, ready to listen to his favorite playlist, when he someone clear their throat behind him. He turns to see his classmate, Shimizu, waving politely at him. “Hello.”

“Oh, shit,” he swears out loud, scratching his nape, embarrassed. “I’m sorry, I totally forgot about today.”

She sets her backpack on one of the nearby desks, pulling a chair next to him. “That’s okay. I hope I’m not bothering you.”

“Nah, not at all. I’m so used to being alone in here, it’ll be nice to have some company.” He points to his sister’s skirt. “I’m fixing this if you want to watch. This one is pretty simple.”

He explains the process thoroughly, turning it inside out, poking a pin through the edges to hold together. She watches as he describes what a backstitch is, pointing at the different spots for the needle to enter and exit. He does it slowly, repeating it several times until it’s engrained in her mind. When he’s done, he loops the thread, knotting it to finish. She blinks several times, as if she missed something. He laughs softly, amused by her reaction. “That I can’t really repeat, so you’ll just have to practice.”

Her face relaxes into a smile. “It’s like magic.”

He trims the excess threading, inspects his work once more, then flips the skirt, tugging where the tear used to be. “I guess I’m sort of a wizard then,” he teases, winking at her.

For the next hour, Mitsuya demonstrates other simple tasks: hemming his mom’s pants, fixing buttons on one of his cardigans, mending a tear in Hakkai’s jacket. She observes intently, listening to his every word, repeating it aloud to better memorize. When he’s not teaching her the basics of sewing, he’s making small talk, learning that they have more in common than he originally expected. They both dislike math, enjoy cooking, indulge in similar types of food, even listen to some of the same bands and artists. He doesn’t remember ever conversing with Shimizu before this, not to this extent at least. He’s always been aware of her since they’re in the same class, but he never gave her much thought. Then again, Mitsuya never really gives any of the girls in school much thought, too focused on his own hobbies and extracurriculars. It also seems like the girls in his class generally avoid him, probably due to his affiliation to Toman. It isn’t that he’s not attracted to anyone; sure, he indulges in the occasion second glance at a pretty face passing by. He’s just too busy with other things to pay attention.

That being said, he gives credit to Shimizu for actually having the guts to approach him first. It seems that she’s prepared to go beyond her comfort level to get what she wants, and that’s something he can respect whole heartedly. She must be really determined to learn how to sew if she’s willing to ask a delinquent for help.

Before he knows it, it’s already five o’clock. His phone vibrates, his mom’s contact flashing on the screen. He checks it while Shimizu studies the stitch on Hakkai’s jacket, running her fingers along where the rip used to be, amazed. His mom informs him that she’s leaving for work now, indicating that he should head home as soon as possible to watch his siblings. Almost forgetting their deal, he looks up from his phone to ask, “Are you still good with watching my sisters tonight?”

She nods to confirm, setting the clothing back on the table. Mitsuya gathers his belongings, stuffing the repaired clothes into his backpack. “Alright, want to head out now?”

“Sure.” She swings her backpack over her shoulders, holding her own phone in her hands. “Are we taking the bus or walking?”

He steps to one of the cupboards, retrieving two helmets. “Neither. Have you ever ridden on a motorbike before?”

~~~

This is definitely not what you had in mind. You never expected to ride on the back of a motorbike, firmly gripping the waist of Tokyo Manji Gang’s Second Division captain. Yet, here you are, skull heavy from the sturdy helmet Mitsuya plopped on your head, clothes flailing in the wind behind you, terrified and exhilarated all at once.

“You okay?” he yells out, barely audible. The cross earring on his left ear glimmers in the sunshine, a small grin on his face, glancing at you through his shades.

You’re hesitant to answer, too afraid to open your mouth in case the rest of the breath remaining in your body escapes. So, you simply huddle closer to him, nodding into his back, blinking your eyes rapidly to lubricate the contacts that are currently drying against your corneas. Next time, you’re definitely bringing sunglasses.

Thankfully, the trip lasts only ten minutes. Still, it’s enough to have your heart racing with adrenaline, even though you weren’t the one driving. He pulls up to the front of a quaint home, slowing to a stop at the garage door. “We can get off now.”

You carefully dismount, legs wobbly and balance slightly off, but in one piece. He follows, tapping the kickstand to prop the bike upright, stepping towards a small panel to punch in a code, activating the garage door. You notice it’s generally clean, except for the standard clutter organized on the side shelves.  He moves it inside, hanging his helmet on one of the handles. He faces you, beckoning you to pass him the other still tied to your head.

“Oh, right,” you say, unbuckling it. It’s only now that you realize sweat is trickling down your forehead, matting your already matted hair to your scalp. Without seeing a reflection, you know you look ridiculous, and suddenly, you’re self-conscious. You hand it to him sheepishly, attempting to fix your hair by running your fingers through it. He doesn’t seem to notice as he places the helmet on the other side. “How’d you like your first ride?”

Collecting yourself, you respond, “Fun, but definitely a little scary. Somehow I managed to stay alive.”

He laughs softly, stepping out and pushing a button on the panel to close the garage door. “You’ll get used to it. Maybe you’ll want to learn to drive it after you master sewing.”

“That’s a pretty big jump. Maybe let’s try something a little less life-threatening before that?”

He chuckles louder. “Not used to living on the edge, huh?”

“Not really. But I’m willing to give anything a try at least once.”

“That’s the spirit.”

He unlocks the front door, motioning for you to go in first. You remove your shoes, setting them to the side. It seems empty at first, until two young girls sprint from the hallway, peering up at you curiously.

“Luna, Mana. This is Hana Shimizu, my classmate. These are my sisters. Luna,” he points to the taller one, “and Mana,” then at the shorter one.

You kneel down to meet Luna eye-to-eye, smiling. “Hello Luna. Hello Mana. Nice to meet you.”

“Are you Taka’s girlfriend?” Mana blurts out.

You shake your head, laughing. “No, no, no. I’m his classmate.”

“Taka never brings girls over! Except that one time that we’re supposed to keep secret – ”

Mitsuya covers Luna’s mouth with his hand, chuckling nervously. “And that will remain a secret, right Loony? Right.” She muffles, wriggling from her brother’s grip. Eventually, he releases her after she’s drooled into his palm.

Mana tugs at your sleeve, eyes wide and bright with that classic childlike wonder. “How old are you?”

“Guess,” you tell her, resting your chin onto your knuckles.

“Fourteen?”

“I’m actually eighteen,” you answer.

Mana’s eyes open even wider. “You’re Taka’s age?”

“Yup.”

“Ohhhhh,” the two sisters harmonize, nodding simultaneously. They’re too adorable for their own good.

Luna grabs your other sleeve, pulling you towards the hallway. “Let’s go to our room now!”

Mitsuya interrupts, pulling his sisters off you. “Hey, you two monsters, I will give our guest the formal house tour. You two wash your hands before you keep touching her with your grubby little fingers.” They obey, fleeing into the kitchen, kicking a small step stool in front of the sink to stand on. He shakes his head, laughing. “Sorry. It’s been a while since they’ve seen a girl that isn’t my mom.”

You smirk. “Except for that one time, right?” Before he protests, you quickly add, “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.”

He chuckles, staring at his feet. “Thanks. I appreciate that. Anyways, they’re pretty stoked, so I hope you don’t mind the high energy.”

“Not at all. They’re really cute.”

Their home isn’t that large, but Mitsuya explains everything thoroughly. The master bedroom at the end of the hall is where his mom sleeps, so it’s completely off limits, of course. To the right is the girls’ room, which they share. To the left is his room, which he opens to give you a brief glimpse before closing it again. He doesn’t explicitly mention that it’s restricted, though you don’t find any reason why you would need to go in there in anyways, so you assume it is.

He shows you around the living room and kitchen, where most of the action will be happening tonight. There’s a box neatly tucked away next to the TV. Inside is a variety of activities, including toy cars, action figures, building blocks, two dolls, and a tea party set. You smile to yourself, seeing how most of it must be hand-me-downs from their big brother. In the kitchen, he points out the major appliances and where all the necessary accessories are located. Inside the pantry are snacks and instant ramen, which will be the girls’ dinner.

“Help yourself to whatever you can find,” he comments, closing the refrigerator after showing you its contents. “They’re not too picky, so the ramen should be enough for them.” He pulls his phone out of his pocket, checking the time and his text messages. “Do you have any questions before I leave?”

You look around the room, racking your brain for anything you might be unsure of. “I think I’m okay.”

“Well, if something comes up, call me. What’s your number?”

You recite it to him, watching him tap it into his phone. A second later, your phone begins vibrating from your backpack. “That’s me,” he says, hanging up instantly. “Now you have mine in case you need it. I’m heading out now.” He faces his sisters, who are sitting on the couch, watching TV. “Luna, Mana. Behave, okay?”

“We will!” Mana replies.

“We always do!” Luna announces proudly.

He walks over to the closet near the front door, reaching for a jacket that you realize is the official Toman uniform, jet black with beautiful gold embroidery adorned on the back and sleeves. You wonder if Mitsuya is the one who designed it.

Grabbing your backpack from the floor near your shoes, you wave goodbye to him as he leaves. On the couch, you sit beside his sisters, retrieving your phone from your bag. You wait for the distinct rev of the engine and the loud pounding of the exhaust drifting away until it’s a low drone in the distance. Staring at the unfamiliar number displayed on your screen, you save it under his name with a small grin on your face.

[dollarstoreartsupplies]

For the Drabble/doodle prompt:

Fem!Reddie But I’m a Cheerleader AU

ohhhh babey hell yeah

me and @haaawaiianshirt actually discussed this au like a million years ago but I genuinely can't remember who was who, so after like a full forty five minutes of staring at a wall, thinking about Them, I reengineered it to make eddie megan... except she still gets to be a little butch

ficlet below cut:

i haven't written these babies in so long so I sincerely apologize if im rusty but have some Eddie-specific, non-canon scene, but i'm a cheerleader vibes:

Eddie… didn’t quite see it working out like this.

Which to be perfectly fair, isn’t, like out of the picture. The past almost two months have been exclusively didn’t quite see it working out like this. 

Being accused of lesbianism, being sent to conversion therapy, and, goddamnit, especially not the accusation being right.

But when she’d been sitting outside the office, panic coursing through her nervous system, waiting, Eddie had genuinely thought that she was going to lie. She was fully prepared to pretend she was straight, to say that none of it had ever happened. That she’d never loved Richie Tozier and she was so, horribly, incredibly excited to graduate into a dull, mind-numbingly pink life of heterosexuality.

Richie was going to look at her with huge, betrayed eyes. Richie was going to get kicked out. She’d already carved out a place in her brain for the guilt.

Eddie was a good girl, Eddie was a catholic girl, Eddie was her mother’s perfect daughter, Eddie was a fucking cheerleader. Richie was the brave, snarky, proud-to-be-a-dyke one, not her.

But for some fucking reason, staring her mother down as tears and snot dripped down her face, demanding she reconsider, while Robert fucking Gray in neat little blue suit grinned at her and told her she could have a second chance, she couldn’t do it. Fuck that, she’d thought, considering a life of boyfriends and a raised ranch in the suburbs and two and a half kids, Fuck that.

Richie had said she was braver than she fucking thought that night, her hand slid under her skirt in the back of the Cocksucker, her voice all soft and smiley and genuine. She hadn’t really realized that she’d meant it comparatively. That Eddie was brave because Richie wasn’t.

Maybe that wasn’t fair. Eddie just… doesn’t know how to feel fair right now. 

She was supposed to leave with her and she hadn’t.

(The spot in her head she’d reserved for betraying-Richie guilt has been instead taken up with the image of Richie herself, pale and crying and more quiet than she’d ever seen her be, mouthing silent ‘I’m so sorry’s. With the words, ‘It’s been decided, then. Richie will do the simulation with Connor. Edith, you can go.’)

Adrien and Don had told her to take her time with the whole thing. Stan had rolled their eyes and told her that she’d get over it. She doesn’t think either of them are fucking right.

Not when she’s so fucking mad and confused, and every time she closes her eyes she pictures Conner fucking Bowers, sleazy, gay Conner Bowers, simulating sex that she knows Richie doesn’t want to have. 

She stares hard at the ceiling of her new bedroom. It’s smaller than her one at home, the walls painted a bright, angry red, and self-help books and dyke memoirs and magazines she knows you can’t buy in the grocery stores unsubtly sitting on the bedside table. 

It’s a weird, hands off sort of acceptance she’s not used to. And it’s better than her Mother’s cloying need to have control, but it almost makes her uncomfortable.

She doesn’t know what the fuck she’s doing, in general and as a fucking lesbian and… god, maybe it’s selfish but she almost wishes Richie were here just so she could tell her the steps. 

Richie was the same age as her, sure, but she had more experience with this whole thing. She’d kissed girls, she knew what fucking… scissoring meant, she was good at it, she had the fucking training hours and everything that Eddie specifically lacked. 

(Though, she realizes, maybe that's the difference.

Richie knew. Richie came into this whole thing well aware she was a lesbian. From what she’d whispered, hidden in the dark corners of New Horizons, when they’d stopped making out just long enough to talk, it’d been one of the openly apparent things everyone around her knew and hated since she was thirteen. 

All her sex talk and bold sexuality shit that Eddie’d been so intimidated by at first, that she kind of longs for now, was just a defense mechanism that could be easily broken down and manipulated. 

Eddie… had honestly just never considered the idea before her mom sent her away.

Having sex with Conner would have grossed her out before, probably. She’d never even wanted to kiss Myran when they were dating, and now that she knew why, she wasn’t about to back down.

Somehow, Richie having more time to figure everything out made it even more complicated.

Christ, it’s not like any of this shit feels simple for Eddie, though.)

Without thinking about it she kicks herself off her bed and slams into the bathroom. 

‘Sweetheart, don’t worry about being a perfect lesbian,’ Adrian had soothed when she’d shown up, crying with suitcases, ‘Just worry about being yourself.’

It’d probably been good advice. If she’d known who the fuck she was.

She knew she was a cheerleader, that one had just been a fact.

She knew she was a lesbian, she’d figured that one out fast and then let it sink it incredibly slowly. 

She knew she was angry and she knew she was sad, and she knew that Richie might have had a point about her being brave. And that one had been after doing something impulsive and maybe stupid. 

She doesn’t really have time to recreate the first two, slowly burned life changes, but she can probably do the impulsive stupid one again. 

The least she could do was try, she thinks, digging in one of the drawers under the sink until she finds what she’s looking for. 

Her hair falls in clumps as she hacks at it with dull, bathroom cabinet scissors, uneven and probably ugly and she’s gonna have to get someone to fix it. Suddenly, though, she doesn’t think she gives a shit. 

She wonders if it’s a cliche, a dyke with short hair. She’s not necessarily sure she cares any more. Her head feels lighter than it ever has. 

She wonders why the fuck she hadn’t done this earlier, short hair would be so much easier for cheer than a fucking hair-sprayed stiff blow out. 

She wonders if Richie would like it. 

Richie. 

Fuck.

(Mother fucker… well, impulsive and stupid worked twice, right?)

She slams into Stan’s bedroom, the sudden plan shaking its way out of her skin too hard to take anything slow. They blink up from their book and look her over, cocking an eyebrow, “Nice hair.”

“Thank you,” She grins, feeling hot all over and shaky and kind of like she’s gonna pass out. Just, in a good way, somehow, “Wanna go crash the graduation tomorrow?”

[jeffbiblesupremacy]

Jeff's interview for Mint Magazine Thailand

Let’s Make Everyday SATURday (x)

Translation below

After KinnPorsche The Series World Tour 2023 and Jeff Satur Live on Saturn: First Solo Concert in Bangkok, the first solo concert of Jeff Worakamon Satur ended beautifully, and Mint and him met again to catch up about his works. Jeff has grown tremendously as an artist who has his music but also his acting and he has shown his skills to the eyes of the Saturdays throughout the year.

It is believed that the definition of the world "artist" is different for each person. For Jeff Worakamon Satur, also known as Jeff Satur, being an artist is being a storyteller, to convey the stories to the audience with sincerity and spirituality, and without any frame or line, because Jeff's artistic prowess is boundless, just like the story he's going to tell you in this interview.

Mint: What role do you identify with the most? Being a singer or being an actor?

Jeff: In fact, my root is being an artist. I feel like the responsibility of an artist is telling stories. For me, I started with telling stories through songs. Then it expanded to tell stories through acting. Therefore, I'm not looking at myself as a singer or an actor. I'm an artist that shows my true self to the audience.

Mint: What made you come back to music?

Jeff: I don't reckon it as a coming back to music. I’ve never left. I have continued working on my music. Just that, at that time, there was an interesting opportunity for acting. The role was interesting, it fitted me, and I could do it great. Kinnporsche is the only story. I can confirm that music is still my priority tho.

Mint: What criteria do you use to choose a show/role?

Jeff: Actually, there is nothing specific, but it has to be a story that interest me. Personally, I've been listening and telling stories since I was a kid. I like listening stories, watching movies, watching cartoons, watching series, and devouring every story. I grew up with these stories, so I live with a lot of them. I look for new and interesting stories with different plots that make me feel like I want to be part of those storie

Mint: What inspired you to choose Kinnporsche when you just had re-debuted with Warner Music?

Jeff: I get this question a lot during interviews. The first question always was "do you see yourself as a musician or as an actor?" and I would answer "I'm a singer, I don't like acting. I can't do it". In the past, I had never accepted an acting job and I always wanted someone else to be in my MVs, because I didn't like acting and I didn't like to see my face on the screen. I was like I just want to sign autographs, let someone else do the acting instead.

My re-debut with Warner Music was 2 years ago, and I chose the "No boundaries" concept, because I wanted my work had no limits or line. I feel like I've grown up in a way that I shouldn't have a limit to work in anything. If I want to tell something or play something, I just do it. The division is a fictional thing. Being a singer. Being a actor. Even about women and men, about love. All of them are human-made frameworks. I decided to cut them off and focus on being an artist in my own way.

Mint: Do you think you'll change more in the future?

Jeff: I can't answer for the future. It may changed. But now... I don't know. Maybe I will be more open or maybe narrow down until I can find something that truly fits me. In this moment, I feel like the more I open, the more I can see clearer what fits me and what not. Where and how much I can add myself into the works. At the end of the day, all the 6 songs I released are totally different but they all are my songs and they are me today.

Mint: Are you happy with your old works?

Jeff: I'm very happy. I'm happy with everything I've done, even with my old works.

Mint: Since the day you joined Be On Cloud, do you feel like you have grown up?

Jeff: I've grown up a lot. Working with Be On Cloud has been one of the most important moments in my life. Their work culture have made me grown a lot. P'Pong has taught me how to grow up, how to change in terms of working methods and how to think as well, not only as an artist but also as a person who wants to follow a direction as a CEO.

Mint: What's do you think is the difference between Be On Cloud and Warner’s work culture?

Jeff: P'Pond is a very creative person, he's an artist whose projects are very sexy. I got a lot of great things from him, both as an artist and as an executive, and it has a balanced level of familiarity and professionalism.

Warner is being very professional since the beginning, and as time goes on, it's becoming a family with the Global Company system. Although it's a professional style, you can feel the human touch and the love is put into work.

Mint: Personally, what kind of working culture are you most comfortable with?

Jeff: I like both. They have different advantages, so I decided I want to try it for myself. And Studio on Saturn was born, wich is a Jeff Satur Management Company (laughs). It's a co-management with Warner Music, which means I'm in charge of the creative direction and they will help me to make them come true.

Mint: Has working with these two companies changed you?

Jeff: I think the change has to do more with myself and being working in different genres. The more I open up, the more I feel myself, and the more I have the desire to be myself. Especially when I look back to my acting roles, I feel like there are still parts that I want to expand and play on the stage. I started to see clearly what I like in the show. For example my last MV has a lot of me personally than the first MV I released. Working with Be On Cloud and Warner Music have encouraged me and let me dare to be myself.

Mint: So before that, you didn't dare to be yourself?

Jeff: I didn't dare. In the past, I was quite afraid of how others would look at me. I was afraid that people would categorize me in a way that I didn't want to. So I didn't dare to do anything. For example, it took me 3 years to upload my first video on YouTube, because it was easier just to sit in front of the mirror and play the guitar comfortably, without lightning or a camera. It turns out you have to be the one who dares to take yourself out, just by yourself.

Mint: Why didn't you dare to be yourself back then?

Jeff: I think it was because I didn't know how to be myself. I used to not believe what I thought was right. Some cultures make you think that being yourself is not always right. For example, when I was a kid, if I painted my nails or wore eyeliner, I would be teased by my friends. The society didn't empower me to be myself. At home, my mum supported me but when I was outside, the society looked at me in a different way.

Nowadays, there is a lot of talk about gender diversity and beauty standards. I think it has opened many doors for everyone to dare to be themselves more without having to care about what people think/say.

Mint: So we can say that Jeff is being himself now.

Jeff: Yes, in the past, when I was on stage, I was myself but at the same time, I was worried if I was singing right or if I was performing right. If I had to walk or stay still. If I had to come back to the middle of the stage... It turned out that the focus was wrong. Even if I still focus on the work, I can say that I'm 100% myself.

For example my last concert ended without me even realizing it (laughs). The audience probably felt the same way. It went so quickly that I didn't even have time to think anything. I just performed.

Mint: What do you get from Kinnporsche?

Jeff: I always get something back to be someone other than myself. Whether from 'Kim' in KinnPorsche or 'Dan' that I played in the drama "Closer", they always teach me something. From Kim's character I got the courage from him without knowing it. I developed some skills and now they're part of me implicitly. I dare to be myself because Kim's courage came to me.

Mint: You're famous now. Is it what you were waiting for?

Jeff: I don't think I'm famous but my work is more widely known. But it's not something I was yearning for (laughs) I just want people to listen to my music. I want these songs to reach them. What I'm most proud of is that my work has inspired others. I used to write a blog and the message of my blog has helped many people who wanted to commit suicide and I got messages back to tell me they feel better because of my work. No matter what kind of work, but I feel like this is the essence of being an artist. I want my work to inspire others. That's what means to be an artist for me.

Mint: How much does Jeff Satur value his fame today?

Jeff: I value the work. Some people may look at how-well known you are as a success, which it's not wrong, but I feel if you pay attention to how famous you are, you will have the wrong focus. If you're chasing after fame, it will never come to you. But if you work for doing a good job, then the fame will eventually be there. The most important thing is don't compete with other, compete with yourself. Also, fame will be gone one day, and Jeff Satur will not be here forever. But as long as I can be someone's inspiration and sell produce good works, then I will do my best.

Mint: Do you think Kinnporshe has helped people to get to know you?

Jeff: Very much, very much. It's being one of the most important turning points in my life. Including the song "Why don't you stay" has make people to get to know me and listen to my other songs as well. It has pushed me both in my acting career and my music career.

Mint: Have you ever felt sorry that people didn't know you before Kinporsche?

Jeff: I think everything has its own time. If I listen to "Afraid to say" now, I would need to cover my ears (laughs). I felt it was not the right time. I have improved my singing a lot as well as my confidence, which back then was not as strong as today. The stage is my safe place now, and I feel so relaxed on it. I can live there. So I would say everything, including my perception, is at the perfect time. Not better, not worse, but just perfect. It's the best moment.

Mint: Have KinnPorsche The Series World Tour 2023 help you to support your next step?

Jeff: It has helped. The World Tour allowed me to meet people that I don't usually meet like fans abroad. There are places like Taipei, Vietnam or Singapore that I'd never been to, But once I went and I could see how there are people who actually listen to my songs and they sing in Thai is wow, so there is an opportunity to do a World Tour.

Mint: We’ve seen you being more playful on stage, what gives you the courage to unlock this part of you?

Jeff: I've said before that fans like to do memes with my face, right? Like when they find something funny or hilarious. They do like everything about me, even the parts I don't like at all, so I don't have to be cool all the time if I can make them happy anyway. In fact, we're crazy people. When I go to stage, it's the same. I'm tired of "oh, the camera is here, give me a good angle" (laughs)

Mint: Your first solo concert is the starting point or a checkpoint?

Jeff: It's the end of the last chapter. It's the beginning of a new chapter and the end of the last chapter. Oh, what a poet! (laughs). I never thought I could tell the story of my life at the beginning of my concert. The VCR is like a video that I wrote about what I experienced when I was a child, what I used to play and what kind of music I used to hear. There I was playing with Joey, then I was playing the harp, and listening to Korean music too. Perhaps people don't know it, but I'm a Korean music fan, so I picked all of these things to tell. There are many things in my life that have been conveyed through this concert.

Mint: Was your first idea for the VCR like this?

Jeff: Have you ever watched Evangelion? It's an anime and the ending is very confusing, but I think the idea was cool, so I though Why don't I try to tell life stories? Think about it like a sound is made with a story, so every sound has a story, and everyone has a different sound, but also I have a sound that I've collected unconsciously. I want to tell people that there are sounds for everyone. Sometimes there are songs that sound bad but there are not bad songs. There isn't a sad song for everyone or a love song for everyone. it's just one of your songs.

As for the sound of tearing the screen... At that time, I thought it was a cool idea (laughs). That part is dark, right, and then it starts tearing. I explained it to my team and everyone was confused so I got acrylics colors and black paper and I painted it to show them what I wanted and they finally got it. I watched that scene a lot of times and everyone was like, "hey, what's going on?" (laughs). It was just like I imagined in my head, but I didn't do it in the middle of the stage as I wanted at first.

Mint: How do you handle your ideas when you're working with others?

Jeff: First of all, I write them down. Write them all over my phone no matter if they're good or bad ideas. But write them down first. Then, the next day I will check them to see if there's something that works. As for the moment when I have to show them to others... sometimes I have problems explaining them so I have to make them first to see what it will be like. But everyone is always respectful and understand it.

Mint: In addition to this idea, you also chose all the songs for the setlist.

Jeff: Yes, I chose all of them and put them together. The videos, the ideas, the outfits, the set... I feel like people will think that the performance is very serious, but it's a place for us. I feel like I live on stage because it's my safe zone so I want it to represent me.

Mint: Why did you decide to put the song "ไม่กล้าบอกชัด" (Afraid to say) on the setlist?

Jeff: It's a reminder of the beginning. I've reached a safest point, the middle, but this song is part of me and it reminds me of my childhood and how he's known as Jeff Satur now, so why not sing the first song that made me known? I sang this first song with him in the back of my mind. We're far away and maybe he can't see us clearly but I sang that song with him. Slowly I've come forward and end up on a stage, so it was like meeting him with the first song.

Mint: You are involved in every step of your work so, do you get obsessed with the result?

Jeff: It's hard, like in the music video, I sat and edited it as well. I sat and use an editing program to tap and see the frames because I wanted the image in my head to come out as straight as possible. P'Pan, who is the director, helped me. If my idea wasn't working, I had P'Pan to guide me. He listened to my idea and my story and helped me to write it, so I have to thank him very much.

Mint: What else will we see in the next step?

Jeff: There are many things that I can't say but I'm very excited to try out. I still want to try to play in a movie which it's something I've never done before. I have some collab projects with a thai artist and with a foreign artist too, which I never thought he would want to collaborate with me. And there are places that I've never been and I'm very excited to go. I can't say anything right now but it's coming very soon. Everybody will slowly see it like reading a novel and wondering what the next chapter will tell (laughs).

Mint: Anything you'd like to say to the future Jeff Satur in 2 years?

Jeff: Live a happy life because you owe me one.

[swadloom]

I was curious what the crew's files said so I took pictures. Taken from my tablet so they're not the best. Some of this is stuff that's already revealed or contextualized in this magazine (shoutout to @atlantis-archive for his super cool work) but there's interesting stuff in there nonetheless, like Vinny's explosion incident happening when he was fairly young and what's shown of Mole's past being more tame than Sweet made it out to be (though maybe the sewer exploration just grosses him out, I can see that being something Sweet would be disgusted by as a cleanly doctor and Audrey wouldn't care as much about.)

Unfortunately Vinny and Packard have a lot of their information blocked out and there's barely anything for Rourke at all, I wonder if it's intentional since it makes Rourke more ominous, Packard has a more minor comedic role, and being forced to wonder how many times Vinny got sent to jail is pretty funny.

Transcription under cut. Brackets means I'm interpereting a word that's cut off, question marks means that I'm not sure if I got it right or what it means, and parethesis are for adding context or my own personal commentary or analysis of their backstories. If anyone has any context for some things mentioned that they think they could explain (like place names or historical context), that would be appreciated!

GARTAN MOLIERE Mineralogist and [Excavator] 39 [Birthplace]: Paris, France [Parents:] Christef and Gabrielle Moliere [Expertise:] Extensive knowledge of… the new science of tectonics. Advise… National du France (?), Ottoman Mining, Aus… New South Wales Coal, Slate and Granite… American Coal and Lumber. Has developed… independent mining and excavation vehicle… related equipment. Holds patents on… Acute senses, particularly taste and… enable… to correctly identify any type of… soil… benefit or aid of any scientific… 98.7… time.

Background: [Gartan]… working family, the [young?]… parents were teachers… courses at the Sorbonne… music teacher. Gartan [discovered?]… subterranean pursuits at the… exploring the vast sever [networks]… Paris. By the age of 13, [Moliere]… specialized type of goggles… exploring caves in the surrounding… and catacombs held no [fun?]… He entered Sorbonne at… opportunity to… mining company…

(it sounds like one of his parents was a music teacher at the same college he went to, which is fun to think about.)

VINCENZO [SANTORINI] Explosives and [Demolition] [Palermo], Italy …and Fabiela Santorini (father’s name unknown) …elance (no idea what the word after this that starts with M is, maybe a place in Italy?) …ining 190(?)…[1903] 1903- (dash indicates a range of dates)… Demolitions; Delphi… (?) 1909, Bachelor’s… Delphi Prison… 1910, Technical Overseer… Hardrock Blasting… 1913.

…“Vinny” Santorini is the eldest… ela Santorini (only have “ela” to work from, so this could also be the name of one of his siblings). The parents own… [specializes] in floral arrangement… to an unfortunate, and to… the Santorini family was… [business?]. Young Vincenzo seemed… fascination for fire, and… small boy… blazes. …became… began… 18. By…

(He would have been around 27 in 1903, I’m guessing it might be a range of time that he was in jail. Also he’s apparently been arrested in Greece, so he might have been on the run too. I wonder from the companies mentioned if Vinny worked as a professional demolitionist but would overdo it just for the excitement and cause serious damage) (He’s mentioned as teaching himself about explosives all on his own in the scan, and also the incident that drew him away from the flower business was when he was too young to have finished college unless he’s a huge savant like Milo, so I’m guessing the mentions of degrees are ones that his parents have in botany-related subjects. I like the implication that he comes from a well-educated family and is probably very smart himself but ended up not liking the business he had to be a part of as a kid and instead putting that energy into blowing stuff up)

[AUDREY] ROCIO RAMIREZ [Chief] Mechanic [Michigan] (Parents names are blocked out, though Manuel can be seen later) …in her… assistant… for [mechanical/mechanics]… at age of… age of… orvisery(?) [position] at age 11. …with fledgling… Credited with developing… method 1909. Developed… oling(?) system 1910. …drive gears 1910. …Reduction-Gear Steering …[Master] Mechanic Manuel… [Industries], Audrey Rocia… from the time she… months, she could… any clock in the… Ana Ramirez found… any lock she… of trying to keep… that no matter

(Master Mechanic Manuel sounds plausible for the name of her father’s business. He’s characterized as somewhat self-centered along with how Audrey talks about him in the movie, she also seems to look up to her sister more than him with how she talks about her and has probably learned some about fighting from her. I can see him contributing to her tough attitude. Unknown if Ana is the name of her mother or sister.)

[STRONGBEAR SWEET] [Medical] Officer …Jerika [Sweet] [Internal Medicine?]… … .D. [University]… 189(?)… Medic… with… until 1901, acting as… Roosevelt's personal… during the Kettle and… [instrumental] in treatment of… in disease-ridden… ceased… Received no… [personal] letter from… [knowledge] of Arapho and… by his maternal (assuming uncle)… and studied… 1905. Traveled to… at Prins Oklahoma and… at Baxter

…in Fort Phil (Kearny?)… Pine Ridge

(I tried looking up Kansas universities that might fit with what’s cut off, seems like most likely he went to college out of state. ?.D. university… My best guesses are the universities of Idaho, South Dakota, or North Dakota. The University of Idaho may have been too young at the time to be a candidate, he would have been 27 already when it was established.) (if anyone knows what “the Kettle” is referring to please let me know!) (Side note, the mention in the scan of Sweet caring for people on both sides of the battle, presumably the Spanish-American war, calls to mind how Sweet seems to distrust Rourke’s motives but still tags along to be a doctor for the team. He’s so underrated I love Sweet so much.)

(Packard’s page, first angle:) [phone] in 1888… [professional]… ment(?) of work. …known… 1893. …1898-1901. …Worked… 1902-04. …1902. …1903. …[develop Radar]… (Packard’s page, second angle:) …[BERTHA] PACKARD [Communications?] Officer Cudot (parent name) …1875… of… [communication]… full… brating(?) Telephone in 1888… Secured congressional… (not much to gather from this one except that she seems to have been working with researchers and communication technology all her life, since she was 22. Could explain why she’s so nonchalant about her job by now.)

(Rourke’s page:) …life of… “C”… Golden… became… Also… (I wonder what “C” means, perhaps a codename? I'm assuming Golden refers to some kind of reward from the military.)