#kim dokja is a hypocrite

[justaravingwritingdesk]

i guess kdj really was meant to be a demon king. i mean, look at him. LOOK AT HIM.

first few chapters of the novel, and we already see him denying any possibility of his being “good”, even if it's just in his mind, like those times with gilyoung and with sangah, and then with hyunsung and heewon.

he's also a cynic, not unlike hsy and yjh (though the sunfish borders pessimist at first), although he doesn't express it as much as the other two. he keeps expecting the worst of yjh sometimes, even after yjh has long proven he can be better. can't blame him for that though, not when we know that kdj knows all the ways yjh could get worse.

then there's the way he keeps leading everyone on, right before he jumps off the deep end and then goes off the grid and off the radar for god knows how long. he has “good” intentions, yes, but he leads them down the road to hell for that. one of his worst – if not the very worst – is during the 73rd demon king scenario. when he made them attack him with the intent to kill. hsy herself even asked him: “do you think I'm a monster with no emotions?” because no matter how at odds she gets with the company, she still gets them in her own way. and it's really ironic, considering how right then and there in that situation, the one who could truly be considered a monster with no emotion is none other than kdj himself – all thanks to the 4th wall. ysa had to break and remake her morals again. it's not the first time, and it certainly wouldn't be the last. but what hurts for her is that the one forcing her to do so was someone she cared deeply about. gilyoung and yoosung looked up to kdj a lot and trusted him like they would a parent. what he did made way for them blaming themselves for being so weak the one protecting them had to die. hyunsung and heewon dedicated themselves to becoming his sword and shield, because they didn't want him to put himself out on the front lines. but then to have the person they swore to protect tell them to kill him... that's not an easy ask. gong pildu might not have had a lot of emotional interactions with kdj, but he still feels for the kid. because he can see that kdj did not have the luxury of a normal life as a child and it reflected on the adult he became. he doesn't want that for his own kid. he doesn't want her to end up like kdj. ljh killed her best friend with her own hands. now she has to kill someone close to her heart, again. yjh has his regressions – need we say more? there's a lot of intersection here and there, but the commonality there is that they all got hurt by kdj. sure, at the end of the day he saved their lives, but not their hearts. demon king of salvation couldn't fit him any better.

the cycle repeats again for the rest of the novel, albeit at different levels.

there's also the times he has bad intentions but covers them up as good, but he wouldn't be the first to do that. it wouldn't be the first time he did that either.

the final nail in the coffin is the confirmation that his nature does not align with Good in any way.

[metanarrates]

kim dokja makes me insaaaane hes such a hypocrite he HATES that his mother's most tangible love for him was through self sacrifice and yet that's also the only way he's learned to express love himself. the cycle of destroying yourself for everyone you love and knowing they'll resent you for it but feeling like it's what you owe them... it's unbreakable! he is in the cycle no matter how much he hates it! man!!!

[1800-page-not-found]

Hi! Glad to see an ORV writer. They seem to be a very rare breed. Like trying to find a needle in a haystack. Anyhow, as you might have guessed. I have an ORV request for you. I got sort of inspired by that vampire. How about having our reader being a phoenix? Ya know the mythical immortal firebird? With the related powers? Like how would KDJ and YHJ react to their “s/o” being one? Like say they seemingly ‘died’ but then ina red flash of flames they are instantly revived, completely healed.

School is starting soon which means my updates are gonna be even scarcer lol

Kim Dokja, Yoo Joonghyuk (seperate) x reader

Summary: You sacrificed yourself for them, but just before they can grieve, you come back to life?

Using the Disaster of Floods chapters when Shin Yoosung obliterated KDJ in the novel.

also, Yoo joonghyuk never dated Lee seolhwa bc plot

Kim Dokja knew you were a phoenix, as it said from the story and your character profile said so. What he didn't realize was the fact that you also shared the same abilities as one (your character was mentioned only a few times in TWSA). So when you died, Kim Dokja was terrified.

Kim Dokja's eyes widened at your body standing in front of him. Nononono! He-He was supposed to take the shot! Why did you do that?! You knew he could revive again!-why?

He dashed to catch your fallen body. "No, no, no! [name]! Y-you can't die! Shit! Why did you do that!?" But your body had already fell limp. Kim Dokja cried for his favorite side character, his lover, his idol.

He held you close, yet tears were unable to fall due to the fourth wall. "I can't even cry or mourn you...What kind of lover am I?" He could only close his eyes and curse fate for doing this to him.

-

You opened your eyes to darkness, until a screen popped up.

[You have died.]

[Revitalization count down has finished.]

[The skill, Phoenix:Revive, is taking effect.]

-

Kim Dokja's eyes opened, then widening as your body started to burn. He could only step back, and watch as your body lit on fire. Your clothes started to burn, besides the ones which were fire resistant. 'I couldn't even give you a proper goodbye and their taking me away from you?...' Kim Dokja thought bitterly. He looked down at the ground, clenching his fists in anger.

-

You opened your eyes, your body feeling warm as a flame engulfed you. 'Ah...how nice it is to be a phoenix...' You sighed in relief.

-

The sound of your sigh snapped Kim Dokja's head up to you. "[N-name]? H-how?" Oh, how he wanted to cry so much right then and there. Too bad for the fourth wall.

You stood up as the flames lessoned and cooled down, dusting off some ash. "Huh?...But I thought you knew? I'm a phoenix remember?" You tilted your head in confusion. Wasn't he the one to realize you were a phoenix the moment you met? Surely it wasn't a bluff right?

"A-ah right...how could I be so foolish..." He mumbled, blushing a bit as his heart rate cooled down from the shock. He ran up to you, hugging you tightly and not letting go, ignoring the sweat and high temperature that surrounded you. "Y-you can't do that again!.."

You stood still, a menacing aura coming from you. "What the hell do you mean 'I can't do that again?' Once the cool down is finished, I won't let you die. Hypocrite. You were gonna take the shot for that wretched man, so why can't I?" You seethed in anger.

"Right right sorry..." Kim Dokja scratched his head bashfully. You were right... "I won't stop you okay? Don't be mad..." (He lied he was going to make sure you never had the chance to sacrifice yourself again no matter what).

---------

Just as Shin Yoosung fired the bright beam, your body instinctively moved. "Joonghyuk! Stop staring like a deer in headlights!-" You grabbed Yoo Joonghyuk by the collar, throwing him back behind you as you took the hit.

"Keugh!-" You fell on your knees, coughing up blood nonstop. "A-Ah..no...[name]?..." Yoo Joonghyuk took fast, trembling steps as he caught your falling body.

"Heuk...it hurts...Joonghyuk it hurt so much!..." You cried, your tears mixing with your blood as it dripped down to the side of your face. "P-please don't regress...These new companions, don't abandon them please. I'll be okay.." You begged, grasping onto Yoo Joonghyuk's clothes weakly, before dropping limp, dead.

"Haah, Haah..." Yoo Joonghyuk breathed deeply. Why did he have to see you die again? His only lover in each regression, who cherished him deeply and believed him when he told them he was a regressor, and stayed by his side no matter what. "Why?...Why did you die for me?" Tears dripped down onto your face. The single fear Yoo Joonghyuk had every regression...your death.

-

You opened your eyes to darkness. 'I wonder if he stayed?' You pondered. He, your lover, the man who saved you from your eternal cure of sleep as a phoenix.

[You have died.]

Ah right, you were a phoenix.

[Revitalization count down has finished.]

Thankfully, the countdown ended, so you could return to your lover.

[The skill, Phoenix:Revive, is taking effect.]

-

Yoo Joonghyuk felt a burning pain in his hands as you were set ablaze. "No!" Yoo Joonghyuk screamed, were the gods not even allowing him to bury you properly? Kim Dokja had to hold Yoo Joonghyuk back as he thrashed around, continuously hurting the man, trying to reach his lover.

"[NAME]!" He shouted, then eyes widening as he stepped back. "[name]?..." Your clothes were a bit burned besides the fire resistant ones.

"I wonder if he stayed?..." You mumbled, looking around. You really hoped he didn't regress.

"Y-you're alive...H-how?" Joonghyuk stood still.

"I'm a phoenix, remember? I can come back to life." You smiled, tears dripping down your face. "I'm so happy you didn't regress this time."

His eyes widened in horror and regret. Does that mean..Every time you died and he had regressed, you came back to life moments later? No...no...how-how much time had you spent alone? How could he leave you?

Guilt crept into him. He took a shaky step towards you. "E-every time...you came back?.." His eyes widened, hands shaking as he reached out to hug you.

You nodded solemnly. "I'm afraid so." A bitter chuckle came from you lips. He spoke, "I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to leave you, I-" You cut him off and hugged him as he sobbed into your shoulder.

"Its alright, my dear. Just don't do it again alright? Wait for me. I don't want to be alone."

"Alright." He whispered.

[harley-style]

imagine 999th regression being the canon beginning of orv. imagine yjh dying. and then regressing. but kim dokja and the rest of the others are there. technically speaking, they CAN clear the scenarios without yjh, but kim dokja is least happy about it.

but what can he do? 999!yjh is as sacrificial as he is. so of course, he dies, bc dokja's too slow.

so what happens is everyone moves on. the world moves on. kdj has to also, because life has always been particularly shitty to him. life on earth was hell but twsa was his silver lining. in this brand new universe worldline, his light dies, but he still has his family.

losing yjh takes a toll on them. kdj is their heart, but yjh is equally so. they grow weary, tired. they keep going, most of all kdj, because he doesn't have yjh's "second chances"

and oh, does kdj begin to hate that word. hate yjh's stigma. his sponsor.

through his grief, kdj becomes a lot less happy. he resembles his mother a lot more, in temperament. he sheds the white coat and dons yjh's black coat. he gets stronger. all of them do, because yjh isn't there to cover their asses anymore.

hsy, donning the white coat, the only one of them who remains optimistic about their chances (in her special hsy way), finds a way to break the narrative.

they become outer gods, much to SP's displeasure bc somehow he's lost control of everything and gdi kim dokja can you sit still for five minutes)

999!kimcom travels the worldlines to find their yjh and like. look. they find him. but they also find the most ancient dream.

yjh and kdj fight and my god its a beautiful disaster. hsy takes advantage of their monkey brains and steals MAD away, kdj is not pleased. yjh insists they let MAD live because he doesnt want kdj to die.

bitterly, kdj responds "you should have thought of that before you went and left us," with a wry smile, the fucking hypocrite. but well, its not like he's sacrificed himself in a while.

i dont really have anything more to add here this was just a "what if yjh succeeds regressing but the worldline is still intact bc kdj exists"

[mhaynoot]

[orv spoilers]

thinking a bit more on kdj and how being a reader defined his life but also how his perception of being forever a lonely person never allowed him to see the connections he does have with others. how he could not see the connection between author and reader and how he was never truly alone when he read.

to read is to bring a story into your own story. to engage in a piece of medium so fully you don't simply consume it but let it into your soul.

kdj's library held wos. when no one else was there for him, he always had wos and yoo joonghyuk. to guide, to admire, to help, to breathe and continue and live and to read.

we often think of reading as a solitary activity and the same goes to writing. but that ignores the connection between author and reader. kdj and hsy have one of the most touching and beautiful relationship and their connection as reader and author binds the story of orv together. 13 years of writing for one reader and 13 years of reading one story is still a connection forged in devotion. kdj had presumed it was a one-sided communication where he was a consumer as devouring as a constellation and his guilt time and time again reappears in the form of flagrant disregard and labelling himself a hypocrite. but also orv disproves that time and again.

kdj was a constellation and he loved a story that it became a part of him and he a part of it.

alone in living, but his dokja life had the story of another and the words they had come from. he had been engaging with wos, every single chapter, he left a comment of what he thought and talked to the author. the author had responded back sometimes in replies but always with a story. kim dokja was never alone, he simply didn't see it.

after all, what are you reading but another view of the author's story? as if you don't bring your own story into the narrative when you engage with it? as if reading and writing is not the author's letter to the reader.

to read is to connect with the world just a little more, to expand your understanding and empathy to the words and story of others.

to read is to let yourself connect with others. kdj's library was filled with wos. he had let it into him, become a part of his soul and story, because it meant so much for him. kim dokja was never alone, he always had han sooyoung's story and the story of yoo joonghyuk besides his soul. he just could never see it.

[starlesswritings]

unfinished orv fic #2

it's really not the second but who's counting?

Joonghyuk had no idea if he was going to murder Kim Dokja or if he's going to murder him.

Ah, peace was never an option.

"Give me my phone back!" Dokja squeaked, limbs flailing as he tried to reach the phone that was in Joonghyuk's hand, far enough Kim Dokja could not reach.

"No."

Dokja's eyes got teary. "You don't understand! I need that!"

"You're just going to fawn over that fictional character like always," Joonghyuk snarled as he shoved his large hand in Dokja's face, effectively keeping him away in this fashion.

"The Secretive Plotter is amazing! He's so cool, and a lot better than you," Dokja yelled, furiously clawing in the air, hands and arms not long enough to get his mobile device. "Far more attractive."

Joonghyuk deadpanned, "He's just a blob of text on your screen." Was he really that unattractive? Everyone else seemed to think Joonghyuk was anything but ugly, however Dokja often said the opposite. It was ridiculous, that this one person was capable of burrowing underneath his skin in such an annoying manner. "Just words, nothing more."

Dokja looked offended. "He's more than just words, Joonghyuk! You wouldn't understand! He's a character! He's like a real person! You couldn't know. You don't love stories!"

It was true, Joonghyuk wasn't one for reading much. He found it too tiring and time consuming, which was hypocritical since he liked to game and that could easily take hours. "The Secretive Plotter sounds like an actual asshole," he muttered.

"You take that back!"

"You're not getting your phone back today. This is confiscated until further notice."

"You're not my parent nor the boss of me, give it!"

Joonghyuk stared sadly at the little child trying to crawl up his legs and arm, not amused in the slightest. "I might as well be, you fool," he seethed, keeping Kim Dokja at bay. "You have a smartphone addiction, which is unhealthy at your age. Go outside and breathe fresh air."

Kim Dokja screamed as if the words had literally burned him. "You... you suck!"

Yoo Joonghyuk was not paid enough to watch over this brat. "You tire me."

"I want my phone!"

"No."

Kim Dokja's eyes welled up with angry tears. Without saying another word, he stalked out of the living room into his bedroom, slamming the door shut. Had he been Joonghyuk's actual child, or sibling, he might have whacked him on the butt with a spatula or something similar, but Dokja was right. He was not his parent, and therefore, he simply sighed, setting the phone onto a high place where Dokja could not reach.

This hadn't been what he wanted.

The house phone rang, and he angrily picked up with a harsh, "What the fuck do you want?"

A calm voice over the phone sounded a bit scalded, and he nearly whacked himself on the head. "Is... is now a bad time to call?"

"Yes. I mean, no, not at all, Uriel. What do you need?"

"I just wanted to ask if you felt like coming out to lunch, but I guess that's out of the question —"

Joonghyuk would have normally said no, that he didn't want to go, that he should stay home with the little kid (brat), but he was tired. He just wanted a break. Still, he couldn't leave Kim Dokja. "Give me a few minutes."

"It was about time that you took that thing away, he's going to be blind before he's thirty if he keeps going like that," an acquaintance muttered.

"Michael!" Uriel cried, smacking him on the shoulder. "Little Dokja simply wants to be like other kids." Turning to Joonghyuk, she added, "Did you really have to take it away and ground him like that?"

"He's not grounded, I just took it because he was being..." Joonghyuk held his tongue before he said something he would regret later. Uriel might have looked innocent and unassuming, but that woman was terrifying. And, for reasons he didn't really understand, she seemed to adore Kim Dokja.

Sun Wukong laughed while Uriel looked ready to pommel the dark haired man into the ground. "Maknae is being difficult, eh? Well, he is at that age, you know. Children only think about two things."

"Relationships?" Uriel asked.

"Murder," Michael muttered, to which Gabriel smacked him on the head.

"Homicide?" The ABFD asked (no one could remember his name, not even ABFD himself, and he had gotten stuck with this stupid set of letters).

"How is that any different?!" Gabriel exclaimed.

Sun Wukong laughed nervously, tearing a hand through his golden hair. "I was going to say rebellion and getting older, but I suppose that all your suggestions do have merit."

Joonghyuk slammed his head into the table, not caring that he was getting looks. "I fucking hate kids."

Uriel gasped. "You love Yoo Mia, don't you?"

"She's my sister. I'm legally required to care for her. Kim Dokja, on the other hand, that stupid squid looking rude ass motherfucker," Joonghyuk snarled, but a new voice interrupted before he could finish what he had been planning to say.

"Kim Dokja is... what, exactly?"

The blood in Yoo Joonghyuk's body froze ice cold. The other adults at the table looked surprised, but Sun Wukong smiled broadly.

"Persephone! I knew you'd come."

He did? Joonghyuk would have to beat the crap out of that blond bastard later.

"Where is he? I thought I left him in your care, Yoo Joonghyuk."

He was going to die. He needed to bury himself out of this situation. He could dig up the ground with his spoon and make his way into the wild, never to be seen or heard from again. "About that..."

"Han Sooyoung is watching him, I don't really see what the problem is," Michael singsongs, looking every bit like a man Joonghyuk wanted to punch directly in the face. Uriel cast a worried glance for Joonghyuk as Persephone stiffened.

"Is this the sort of thing I pay you for?" she asked sweetly, tone barely masking the power and quite possible rage behind her voice.

He was screwed. Not even dying would save him now. "Uh..."

"Fortunately, I actually like Han Sooyoung a bit, so your life is not yet forfeit," Persephone went on seamlessly, and Yoo Joonghyuk resisted the urge to glare at her without restraint. She was playing with him, and he did not like it one bit. "But tell me, what has my adopted son done now?"

"He's being difficult."

Michael added, "He's just fawning over that dumb main character in his favorite novel."

Persephone's eyes glittered. "Ah, Ways To Survive in a Ruined World?"

Joonghyuk's eyes snapped to her, observing her with a strange look that was hard to describe. "You've read it?"

"Han Sooyoung has told me a bit about it. What's wrong with the novel? Don't you like it?"

There was something in her tone that made him feel uncomfortable. What was Han Sooyoung doing talking about Dokja's favorite novel with his adopted mom? "I haven't read it, nor do I feel like ever reading such garbage." He turned to look away. "It's rotting that pitiful child's brain."

Persephone laughed. "Oh, what I'd give for my husband to see the blindfold over your eyes right about now!"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Joonghyuk asked, eyes narrowing dangerously.

She let out a tight giggle. "Maybe you should read the novel and see, Yoo Joonghyuk."

Uriel seemed to know what she was talking about. Blood spurted from her nose, and Gabriel shrieked in distress. Michael whined over the fact that their table was getting stares for everyone being so weird. ABFD sent a manic death glare towards the onlookers, and had Joonghyuk been less confused, he probably would have done the same.

"I don't like reading," he deadpanned.

Persephone simply smiled. It was very unsettling. "Oh, who knows? You might end up really understanding this story, though?"

He had a headache. He did not want to deal with this shit right now. "What do you mean by that?"

"It means, that you should read the novel!" Sun Wukong barked loudly, laughing like a dying eel.

Yoo Joonghyuk did not want to read the stupid novel. However, he would have been a liar if he did not admit that Persephone had piqued his curiosity. There was clearly something about the novel that was worth looking into — particularly Yoo Joonghyuk. Something was calling to him from beyond his mortal plane of understanding.

"I'm not reading it," he announced, rising from the table as he donned his jacket and rose to leave.

Uriel giggled. "See you later, Joonghyuk!"

Ways to Survive in a Ruined World.

Joonghyuk stared at his phone as if it would bite him at any second. What a dumb title. What a dumb story. The Secret Plotter hadn't even been introduced for more than one chapter, and Joonghyuk already wanted to punch him in his supposedly good looking face.

Truly, the character was quite punchable. Infuriating. Joonghyuk was now slightly concerned about Kim Dokja's taste in characters he favored. Surely this scumbag was too much like a thug or a punk for Kim Dokja to enjoy reading about him?

Apparently not. The Secret Plotter had been Dokja's favorite character for the past year. Solid.

He could only handle reading ten chapters in one sitting before deciding that was definitely enough for the week.

[sm1l3b0t]

Orv ask game with a twist! (5) And (6) but also a personal question. What's your most KDJ moment while reading the series?

hello!!! ask game with a twist you say......

5. if you could ask the authors any question, what would you ask them?

id want to ask them what their plan for orv looked like when they first started writing it, and how that plan changed throughout publishing the chapters! so much of orv feels perfectly preplanned out and i want to know if they really knew how every part of orv was gonna go from the beginning, if they didn't how did they make such a coherent novel, whether there were any scenes where the characters/action just started running away from them, etc. i need to know their secrets for writing such a long and coherent book!

6. whats a headcanon i have that i absolutely believe is canon

i think kim dokja enjoys cooking and is pretty good at it! he didn't have a lot of money to buy ingredients very often, but i think considering how much he idolised yoo jonghyuk and how often in wos there were graphic descriptions of yoo jonghyuk cooking delicious meals specifically designed to make kim dokja hungry, i think he did try and cook when he could - and he was good! i believe he can follow a recipe book, and thats all you really need anyway. also, post epilogue yoo jonghyuk teaches him the secret ways of his super good cooking and kim dokja goes from pretty good to damn good. the kids always fight over who gets to eat his food :)

personal question!!! very exciting. whats my most kim dokja moment reading orv..........there are a lot of moments so its possible this one is just the most fresh in my brain right now but im gonna pick this one

obviously i relate a lot to all of kim dokjas moments because he was designed in a lab to be incredibly relatable to whoever read orv. but i especially relate to this moment. again, obviously i rely heavily on fiction to escape the struggles of my day to day life and kim dokjas obsession with ways of survival is deeply relatable (i am in the orv fandom, kim dokja is my favourite character, we know, etc). 'i just feel steady when i look at this' is how i would describe my relationship to reading on the whole and orv especially, so that bit of dialogue especially.

what makes this moment more 'woah im literally kim dokja' than any of the other moments when he talks about needing to read to feel safe/steady/hope/etc is the hypocrisy of 'fuck the constellations for surviving off of others stories! not me tho im different than yall <3'. cause like. its orv doing a fun little meta tap dance. kim dokja hates the constellations and is one. you hate the constellations and are one. its a very intense feeling of. it may be too early for me to fully articulate this. we are all readers we are all reading a story to survive and we are all being fucking hypocrites about it! very fun to me didnt so much make me relate to kim dokja as punched me in the face and went YOU ARE KIM DOKJA

ok this was really long im so sorry BUT thank you for the ask!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! i love answering these so much :)) <3

[myfckingnameisnuwanda]

Late Night Chatting (Joongdok)

No Star System AU where Yoo Joonghyuk, professional videogamer, and Kim Dokja, videogame developer that knows a lot of bugs, talk through a videogame's DMs.

[>:(]

[Stop frowning! You're going to get wrinkles!]

[i wont]

Those simple words made Kim Dokja's heart ache. He knew yoohyukk_ said that, not to contradict Kim Dokja, but because he knew that he would never live long enough for the lines to etch themselves into his face.

His sickness would stop him before he could.

[It's okay, yoohyukk-ah. I'll make sure you live a long, happy life. Long enough for you to get old and wrinkled!]

He was already gathering the money. He just hoped he would have enough in time.

[i thought you didnt want me to get wrinkles?] Yoo Joonghyuk said, a small smile on his lips [arent you being a bit hypocritical rn?]

[I'm not! I just meant that you weren't supposed to get wrinkles right now, especially not from frowning... Buuuuut it wouldn't be too terrible if you got wrinkles from laughing or smiling too much.] Kim Dokja typed seriously [yoohyukk-ah, I want to make you so happy that it makes a permanent mark on your face.]

Yoo Joonghyuk freezed for a while after that. ReaderKim51 was, surely, trying to kill him sooner.

[orviposition]

(long ask, sorry)

me, starting to read orv: *never questions anything, why the novel became a reality, who yjh's sponsor is, buying into kim dokja's shitty explanations for his extreme self-sacrificial tendencies. Because. those things just aren't questioned, and definitely not answered in most isekai rpg-esque stories i read*

me, finishing orv: *traumatized, because singnsong proceeded to answer all of those blanks in horrifyingly profound and literary ways*

i just..never thought about it too much?? i reallly did go into this blind, thinking it was a normal, wish fulfillment/self-insert, loser mc to hero fantasy T.T i should've gone in further to your posts because maybe i might've been warned (i started reading cuz of you !!! now pay for my therapy :)

OD reveal my beloved <3 everything about kdj just makes me cry man. i did not think i was gonna get attached to him as much as i am now 😭😭 maybe i was jaded from the multiple shitty isekai anime and manga i've read but i really just wasn't expecting kdj to have such character- ALL of the characters to be so lovable and make me want to cry, cheer and cherish all of them. ESPECIALLY yoo joonghyuk, man the early days of orv where i thought he was gonna be the typical punching bag asshole, unimportant side-character, who the mc gives a beatdown to as some kind of power play(?) 😭 embarassing. hahahhaha

i feel like thats exactly orv's goal. to lure you in with a bunch of trendy genres and tropes and then somewhere down the line it hits your psyche at your most vulnerable. you see kdj being so confident in his knowledge of the world, so omniscient, so to speak, that you simply do not need to question his otherwise eyebrow-raising deeds. he says that helping lgy was hypocritical. he tells ysa that he threw the insect net in her direction by coincidence. he says that yjh is a cold psycho who only cares about seeing the end of the scenarios. and you end up "believing" him. bcs he's omniscient

but then, fast forward a few scenarios later and kdj prioritizes lgy over himself and gives him to yjh to fill the green zone. fast forward a few scenarios more and kdj saves ysa's life with 4th wall's help. he sees yjh lose it when he dies in front of him. he gets so emotional when he finds out yjh has come to the demon realm for him (albeit kdj always seems to give yjh the short end of the stick by Doubting him but by this point we know that he may not be as omniscient as we first thought. especially when it comes to knowing everything about yjh)

fun fact abt me i also kinda went into orv 'blind' so to speak. sure i knew who od sp and tls123 were in names only but the actual revelations shook me to my core regardless 😭😭

and omg 🥺🥺 you read orv because of me im so honored OTL making ppl read orv is like my only goal in life at this point gjsjsh

[clopuffs]

The difference between orv web novel vs webtoon tho…

I compared chapter 33 in webnovel to ep 34 in webtoon cuz same events

They really cut off the part Kim dokja mentioned the side character that died yesterday and straight up said “Yoo Joonghyuk killed him. He could’ve saved him.”

I’m like “ !!” YOU DID NOT SAID THAT WEBTOON KIM DOKJA

Then web novel Kim dokja reflects upon himself and thought how he is a hypocrite and thought “But hypocrites speak plausible words.”

From what I can understand, I feel like I’m seeing Kim Dokja from an outsider’s pov in webtoon and I see his thought bubbles but it feels like this is how the other characters seen him. While reading orv webtoon, it feels like you got ur heart hit from the sheer shock of Kim Dokja’s thoughts or something

[walmart-miku]

ORV rereading liveblog chapters: 27-35 (episode 7-8)

:D DAD DOKJA DAD DOKJA DAD DOKJA DAD DOK

ITS THE FIRST "COMPANIONS OF LIFE AND DEATH" OF ORV!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAHHHHHHHHHH (chapter 28 btw ;))

He's so insufferable (affectionate)

Don't worry Kim Dokja give it a ■■■■■■ of ■■■■■■■■ and Yoo Joonghyuk will be tenderly cradling you in his arms as ■■■ ■■■ (happens ■■■■■ if I'm remembering right) give it a ■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■ ■■■■■■■■ and Yoo Joonghyuk will be ■■■■■■■■■■ you to keep you from ■■■■■■■ yourself :D (comment has been filtered due to spoilers!!!)

Kim Dokja you fucking hypocrite

Because he loves you. Because he loves them. Because this is the happiest Kim Dokja has likely been in his 28 years of existence so far. Because while he might talk big about efficiency and the best route his best route is the one where no one dies. Because he sees himself in you. Because he read a novel for 10 years about someone that tried and failed and tried again to save the world and its people. Because he can.

BUT YOU ARE KIM DOKJA YOU ARE EVERYTHING TO THIS LITTLE BOY RIGHT NOW YOU ARE LEE GILYOUNG'S WHOLE WORLD RIGHT NOW. HE WOULD DIE FOR YOU (not that you'd let him) HE WOULD KILL FOR YOU (not that Jung Heewon would let him) THIS. JUST THIS INTERACTION. ITS JUST SO. AAAUUUGGGGHHHHHHH

"I wouldn't let Lee Gilyoung die. At least, not today." KIM DOKJA I THINK YOU MEAN NOT EVER

BECAUSE ITS ■■■ THE ■■■■■ ■■■■!!!!!! BECAUSE AAHHHHHHHH (comment has been filtered due to spoilers!!!)

Fucking emotionally constipated husbands. Poor Lee Gilyoung, has to be handed off to his other dad :(

Kim "I'm just a normal guy" Dokja my ass (also he cares so much about them I'm not ok)

Yoo Joonghyuk out here trying to get custody of Lee Gilyoung

Kim Dokja your story is so interesting that orv has a cult following

Ah *sniffles* bbys first bounty :') idk how many times this happens but it's a lot

Of course Kim Dokja is crazy how to do you think he got this far???? No sane person survives the scenarios and no sane person cones out of ORV sane

Average ORV reader

Yknow you love him Kim Dokja

Ding ding ding! Kim Dokja's sunfish regression depression radar is going off!!! Time for him to go save a sunfish :D

[pttucker]

SCREW YOU SECRETIVE PLOTTER! GIVE BACK OUR DOKJA! 😡

Some small, wishful part of me is hoping that it's a big ruse or a big misunderstanding or something. I'm really trying to recall if he ever outright said that Dokja had to die or if Joonghyuk just assumed that was the end goal of egging him on. Because he specifically took him saying that he needed him for something when he could have killed him right then and there.

Granted, that something may not be good, but it'd be a little strange for him to want Dokja dead if he had a scheme in mind that required him alive. Unless something that's happened since their big fight has changed his plans?

Oh man though, Secretive Plotter calling Joonghyuk out for going against his ideals, and Joonghyuk himself knowing that he's being a hypocrite and not following his own vow to kill all Constellations. He gets so upset when Secretive Plotter points out that if he succeeds in his goal of destroying the Star Stream, Dokja will die.

It's actually kind of ironic because Dokja himself has had the goal of destroying all of these terrible Constellations and likely would have joined Joonghyuk in destroying the Star Stream, even if it meant that he would die in the end (because it's Dokja), except he has also realized that maybe various Constellations aren't actually bad (and atm he finally wants to live). Like, he's super hard on himself and blames himself for being no different from all the Constellations he hates, but that's not how he sees others (now) and that's not how Joonghyuk sees him.

Even if Secretive Plotter actually made a really interesting point that I'd never thought of before...and don't necessarily agree with, but a point nonetheless. No wonder Joonghyuk was so angry at Dokja when he found out about TWSA if he construes him reading the novel as being no different from being one of those despised Constellations, just watching on for their own enjoyment. Or in Dokja's case, for his own self-preservation, which Secretive Plotter equates to Constellations consuming another's life to extend their own.

And they even mentioned the comments! Which is something I thought only Dokja would ever mention, especially in regards to him potentially making things worse and just meddling in the world in general...sort of like how a Constellation does by creating scenarios and bounties and sponsoring Incarnations and so on...

Of course, I don't think this really translates 1:1 because there's a huge difference between watching a real person suffer for your enjoyment and doing nothing and watching a character that you would never think is a real person suffer, not to mention the fact that you don't actually have any way of helping them. Dokja could try with his comments but ultimately what happens in TWSA wasn't his decision and, again, none of it was real from his perspective so why would he even try?

And when it suddenly was real he started doing everything in his power to make sure his companions, both "real" and "not", got to see their happy endings.

So yeah, I love that Joonghyuk may have been upset before but now that he's cooled down he absolutely sees that Dokja is not one of the Constellations that he swore to bring down with the Star Stream, and honestly I wonder if even Secretive Plotter sees him as that, or if it was just him trying to goad Joonghyuk into giving up on him again.

Sorry Secretive Plotter, Joonghyuk may not be able to verbalize his feelings for Dokja, even to himself, but he at least knows he's never abandoning him again.

All that said... I guess now we start the epic rescue mission?

Oh, and now Joonghyuk gets to explain to everyone exactly what (and who) happened to their precious Kim Dokja. That'll be fun.

[limelocked]

Thinks about Kim Dokja, kindest man alive, fucking asshole, hypocrite sunfish, dead, gay

[betawooper]

[ID: A written passage featuring Yoo Joonghyuk and Yoo Sangah from Omniscient Reader. Transcript:

“Stop eavesdropping and come out. If you don’t, I’ll kill you.”

The air seemed to split, and glimpses of a lithe body dropped quietly to the floor. Her form was distorted because of her cloak. When she removed her hood, her frightened eyes dazzled more brilliantly than he had seen her before.

... Yoo Sangah.

“I’m really sorry, but I—I swear it wasn’t on purpose!” Yoo Sangah, the incarnation of Olympus and Kim Dokja’s little girlfriend, sputtered nervously.

Joonghyuk sighed, then caught himself. Always disliked men. Always trusted women more. The inkling of the Prophet’s words tickled the inners of his ears again. He hated that the moment he saw Yoo Sangah, he relaxed because that made him so hypocritical.

I am not weak to women, Kim Dokja. I’ll prove it right now.

Joonghyuk readied his stance and blade, and watched Yoo Sangah back away with unexpected surprise. “You look as if you have inherited an interesting story. Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t take it from you right now.”

End ID.]

this is referring to the “something that dokja didnt necessarily see as a sign of weakness but in joonghyuk’s eyes, was a personal moral failing and aimed to overcorrect that” message i posted earlier

[thefirstimagifabricator]

that art I just rbed linked back to this so. here I am again. and I have some Thoughts that just happened so ima share them bc. I want to

so I have two sets of thoughts. first one is actually the second I thought of while looking at this post but is smth from ~10 minutes before (re-)seeing it so. putting that first—

btw this first one is. less orv and kinda more general and personal lol (though not in terms of info and shite—I’m not doxxing myself or oversharing trauma or wtv lmao 💀)

just. the first sentence of the second paragraph here. “the moment you love a story it becomes immortal, neverending.” it reminded me of the thought process I had like ten minutes ago, that was about how just. I love stories so so much and. wait actually lemme backtrack slightly—stories are immortal so long as they’ve been told and remembered; they’re the things that carry through time, the ones we haven’t forgotten even over millennia—and that’s why I want to read them (or watch them or wtv) and why I want to write them, because I want to remember, and I want to be remembered. but then I was thinking about all the forgotten stories, and it made me sad—but then I also thought that, if they’ve been told, and people have listened, then they’ve made an impact, haven’t they? they left a mark, a portion of influence, even if seemingly not very large. and so they’re immortalized in the passage of time, in their impact, in how they affected people and their emotions and how they thought about things and did things and what things they did—that all cannot be removed from the process of time; it is there forever, and therefore is immortal.

second thought thing!! this is also kinda personal, a bit more so than the first, but also more directly orv-related lol. though it’s also a lot longer and, tbh, kinda darker, and also I think less coherent and more ramble-y so ima put it under a cut I think—

so I. I am a kdj kinnie lol—but really what I mean when I say that is that I see myself in him, and himself in me—but it’s like looking into the deep end of a pool from a shallower area, and it’s like you somehow swam to where you are from somewhere nearer to that deep end without realizing you were doing so most of the time. looking back and realizing now how you’d been drowning without being aware, having not even ever really taken a breath of air, or not enough of them to get the taste of it, and not enough to miss it—and all the points where you finally caught a lungful of it, but also where you were thrown deeper, and the pain burning in your lungs screaming for air that wasn’t within reach—seeing now how you’ve found close companions along the way and helped each other in your journey, if even just as motivation to chase each other and continue onwards most of the time—and knowing how some days and some weeks and sometimes months you still slip deeper, you trip, your head goes beneath the surface, and you flounder.

but you see all this. and you look back. and you see another. and they look just like you, and their path is quite similar, but more ragged, and deeper, further beneath the surface most of the time, shoved there by forces he couldn’t control. and you want to reach out, to guide him gently along to reach where you are now, but you can’t reach him, can’t touch him, can speak to him no matter how hard you try. so all you can do is hope for his sake.

I think I also still see his flaws in myself, the habits we share that I curse him for and yet, hypocritically, still persist in—and yet we are also different in not just overall scope and depth of the ‘water’ we’re trapped in, but how far we’ve come and how much we’ve changed—I kin Kim Dokja because he reminds me of myself, yet the recognition of our similarities leads me further and further from him, ironically.

so I think what I’m saying, in relation to the original post, is that Kim Dokja has helped to teach me how to drag myself along and continue to live, but largely in how he’s taught me not to do so, or rather, called attention to things I’ve already learned not to do for that…and people may say that then it doesn’t make sense for me to kin him, as he is a cautionary tale to me—which would make sense, except he isn’t such; all that most separated the circumstances and occurrences of his life from mine were just that—circumstances set up by incidents which he had no control over, not really, things that could happen to anyone but happened to all happen to him—a collection of tragedies set up by chance.

orv and its core message being: live, even if you must claw your way out of the grave and even if you must burn every page of this book to keep you warm. you can consume us to sustain you through the winter and we will still be there when spring arrives.

the moment you love a story it becomes immortal, neverending. take it. take all of it. we don't mind.

[kim-dokja-you-adjective-bastard]

kim dokja you hypocritical bastard.