#like those jansport backpacks

[kleoplasm]

I have several common genders;

anime cat-boy

pretty/hot sports girl

Correct punctuation and grammar.

cat

enby in a beanie

I literally just want to read a book

huh

most of my other ones are just the same but shiny, like in pokemon.

[psychesalcove]

„ WE WANNA TALK ABOUT SEX BUT WE'RE NOT ALLOWED

↳ COLLEGE AU! PERCY JACKSON X FEM!READER ”

⚠️: reader has anxiety, percy being too obvious for his own good, shitty writing (im sorry guys 😭), mentions of sex, cursing, emotional cheating (on percys end), not proofread at all, mentions of an anxiety attack, insecure reader

IN WHICH: you and percy have been dating for around a year. however, you feel like he is always choosing annabeth over you, even if he isn't aware of it. tonight, you decided to confront him about it, ending the night not knowing where your relationship stands with him.

requested: yes, by anon

a/n: GUYS IM SO SORRY IM KIKE NOT GOOD AT WRITING ANGST BUT I TRIES 😭😭 JUST MESSAGW ME ABAIN AND ILL REWRITE IT IN A DIFFERENT WAY BUT I HOPE YOU ENJOY!!😔

you knew this talk had to happen at some point. it was inevitable. there was this unspoken tension between you and percy, and you weren't even sure if he was aware of it. for a while, you thought it was just your anxiety driven brain making you feel the tension—but you soon realized it was there and not made up.

percy and you had been dating for around a year, beggening right before your freshman year of college started. before that, percy had been in a relationship with annabeth. you were on neutral terms with her;you weren't best friends, but you also didn't hate eachother. but lately, that feeling of neutrality with her was slipping away.

you knew percy and her were close, but you didn't understand why they were as close as they were. you knew percy would never cheat, but you figured he didn't understand not being there for his partner.

anytime you wanted to be around him, he would say that annabeth needed him for something. reviewing notes for class, wanting help with decorating her condo, helping her with a new recipe she was doing, anything really.

at first, you didn't mind that much. you knew they weren't sleeping with eachother or anything, but as time went on, going into the last quarter of the school year, you knew that he would go back to annabeth sooner rather than later. his mind was always occupied with her, somehow managing to bring her up in every conversation you have with him.

ᝰ

you sat on the beige couch that you and percy had bought at Ikea last summer, looking out to the balcony area, waiting for percy to arrive. as much as you didn't want to talk to him about this, you knew the longer you put it off the harder the talk would be. you assumed he would be getting back in around 5 minutes, knowing the route he takes in his car to get to the condo from campus.

suddenly the old wooden door creaked open, disturbing the silence that blanketed the room. you sighed lightly, still wondering how to even start a conversation with percy.

percy soon came into vision, dropping his jansport backpack onto the floor before turning to you. "hi, pretty," he hummed. "how was your day?"

you decided to ease into a normal conversation between the two of you before asking the inevitable question that could determine the future of your relationship. "it was fine, english has been kicking my ass recently though, how about you?" you asked, moving around so you were in a more comfortable position.

"it was also fine, but if your having trouble with english, i could ask annabeth—" you cut him off with a sigh, knowing that was your que to steer the conversation in another direction.

"could you sit down percy, please?" you say, making eye contact with him for the first time since he came home. "we really need to talk,"

"uhm.. yeah of course" he says looking around the room quickly before sitting down on the sofa. "if this is about those mint cookies, i did eat them, didn't mean to though, promise." he explains quickly, looking at you with a small smile.

you press your lips into a thin line, knowing how different of a conversation this is going to be than that. "percy, where do you see our relationship going?"

there it is. the idea is out there, in the open, for percy to do anything with.

you watch his eyes widen slightly, looking at you with a questioning look. "what do you mean? i mean, obviously we're going to keep living together, maybe get a better place for next year, we could even make our new kitchen like annabeths–"

"there you go again talking about annabeth!" you said, raising your voice slightly. "i know that the two of you are friends, and i'm fine with that, but not if it's getting in the way of our relationship. almost every conversation you bring her up:annabeth this annabeth that. i know you two are exs, and again, i'm fine with that, but that also means you could have romantiic feelings about her still. i really don't think we should even be doing this if you do, percy."

he sat up straighter at the tone of your voice and what you said to him. "why would i still have feelings for a annabeth? that's why we chose to end our relationship, because neither of us had feelings for eachother!" he exclaimed, attempting to keep a calm voice.

"percy, i really just don't think you're in the mental place to be in a relationship with me, or maybe anyone right now. i don't know what to do—"

percy cut you off, "what do you mean you don't know what to do? i'm the one being told by my girlfriend of a year that she doesn't know if she wants to continue our relationship!" he sat up from the couch and started motioning with his hands. "I'm the one that doesn't know what to do. it's not like i'm going around and having sex with annabeth. you know i wouldn't do that to you!"

"there are other ways of cheating than that percy, and im not saying your cheating on me, I'm just saying that your mind is still on annabeth, which means I don't know if we should be a thing or not." you said. "and honestly, with the reaction your having, i wouldn't be surprised if you were cheating." you also sat up from the couch and moved to stand by him.

"i understand that, but like i said, i'm not going over there to have sex with her or kiss her or anything like that. all im doing is spending time with her, can i not chose who i spend my time with now?" percy spat at you, giving you a look that made you know he was starting to get pissed off.

"that's the problem percy! your spending time with her, which would be okay, if you weren't canceling on me, your girlfriend!" you said, continuing to raise your voice.

he scoffed at you. "name one time that i cancel—"

"last week, when we were supposed to go the cafe to study for an exam together. i was waiting for you at the door when you were grabbing your backpack, and then you come up to me and say that you can't go because annabeth had finished reviewing your notes. and, for some reason, you had to go to hers that moment to get your notes instead of saying that you could later and go to the cafe, with your girlfriend!" you rambled, getting more mad remembering the memory.

you saw a small flash of guilt in percys eyes, but you didn't let him speak. "every single week percy! its the same fucking thing! you cancle last minute to go to annabeth, even dates you've canceled. and i know that your not sleeping with her or anything, but you're still putting her first instead of me. and that hurts. it really hurts." your voice became softer, cracking when you finished speaking.

your eyes filled with tears, and you started blinking rapidly to keep them at bay. "so yeah, percy, that's why i'm wondering what's going to be our relationship in the future. because right now, i'm not seeing one at all."

you shook your head as you saw his mouth open, still wanting to talk and get through to him. "i love you, so, so much. and it hurts, knowing that i'll always be out second to annabeth. if you want to continue our relationship, you're really going to have to change, percy. and i don't know if you're willing to do that for me." your tears starting openly falling down your face, your brain thinking of what it'll be like to not have percy in your life.

you saw percys mouth open, so you quickly looked down, knowing whatever he was going to say will make you go over the edge and into an anxiety attack. "...why didn't you tell me you felt like that?" he asked with a soft tone to his voice. you shook your had again, knowing you didn't fully get through to him.

"if you were feeling like that, you could have told me and i would have stopped," percy explained, opening his arms to hug you.

you quickly stepped back, not wanting to touch him. "you know what percy? i shouldn't have even had to talk to you about it, because it shouldn't have been a problem. i would have talked to you about it sooner, but i knew it was going to go the way this is going." you said as you wrapped your arms around yourself.

"your not understanding what you did wrong, just saying that i should have done something. which i should have, but i was to nervous, i know that you're too good foe me, gods, i get reminded every single day! so i didn't bring it up to you because i knew that i could've lost you by talking about this!" you let out your first sob as you finished, now thinking of how your going to have to move all your stuff out and stay at your friends condo until you can find a new one.

"hey—hey, let's have you calm down first before we talk. i promise I'm not going anywhere unless you want me to," he said, attempting to make eye contact before you looked down again.

"can, can you just leave? just for a while, please? I–I need to think and it's just really hard being around you right now." you said through your sobs, feeling guilty of practically kicking percy out of his own home, even if just for a while.

you didn't hear what he said, but you watched through your blurred vision as he walked away twords the front hall, heard him grab his keys, and then heard the door close behind him. you quickly walked into your shared bedroom, taking a seat on the edge of your queen size bed.

you look over at percys nightstand, seeing a framed picture of the two of you on your 6th month anniversary. then, your eyes quickly go to a polaroid in front of the framed picture. you sobs grew louder as you grabbed the framed picture and threw it out of anger, sending glass shards across the carpeted floor.

the polaroid was of percy and annabeth, sitting at the campfire back at camp half blood, both having matching smiles on their faces.

you could never compete with annabeth, even in the form of a picture.

[aanhedoniaaa]

heyy i just wanted to ask if closer to halloween or whenever, u dont even have to do it, u could maybe do a halloween themed tbp boys x reader? if not 100% ok i adore ur work!!

halloween.

TBP GUYS HEADCANONS

hope you like this. it’s ass but yk

Finney Blake

the most like basic costume ever. — BUT WE LOVE HIM FOR THAT. — (if gwen doesn’t force him to dress up in something against his will) TRUST ME HE STILL DRESSES UP.

is too shy to ask for candy but he ends up getting handfuls and handfuls from gwen anyway.

does NOT like halloween parties, like at all. he’d much rather be with you watching a horror movie at home, or trick or treating with you and gwen.

his favorite candy is definitely almond joy. THE NASTIEST CANDY in my opinion…he will eat those shits up when no one wants theirs. twix is a close second.

robin arellano

his costumes are so NICHE. like everything you would expect him to wear, he’s wearing 💀

most likely dresses up as like michael myers or something horror related

takes his little cousins trick or treating a lot

gives you all of his candy, or probably tries to trade it.

HE DEFFO CARRIES AROUND A JANSPORT BACKPACK TO TRICK OR TREAT IM NOT EVEN GONNA LIE

but if you don’t like trick or treating he’s more than fine with just watching movies with you at home, or even doing something else

favorite candy has to be something gummy or sour, he’s a sucker for those. he’d literally eat anything if it’s in gummy form. or insanely sour to the point where it’s burning his tongue

bruce yamada

doesn’t trick or treat USUALLY. he’d do it without a doubt if you asked him though

still dresses up, i feel like he does group costumes with his baseball buddies or smth

he’s the kid that takes the entire bowl of candy when there’s a “take one” paper / sign

his little sister probably trick or treats with her friends so he doesn’t take her.

WE ALL KNOW THAT TRISTANS FAVORITE CANDY IS ALMOND JOY. SO OFC HIS IS GONNA BE ALMOND JOY, plus he just looks like an almond joy enjoyer like.

acts like he isn’t scared of haunted houses. (he is, the most scared guy there)

Vance Hopper

HE DOES NOT DRESS UP. LIKE AT ALL. in fact, he pretends he hates halloween. like you even bring up the topic and he’s like “i don’t celebrate it”

we all know he’s less hostile with his S/O, so he’d TRY to dress up as something with them.

but he’s so picky, like you bring up an idea for a costume, “that won’t look good on me” “i hate that show” “that movie is for losers” “I HATE THAT BAND”

favorite candy is deffo sour patch kids, he loves those shits he will DEVOUR them

[eddiemunson-reader-shame]

A Freak and a Basket Case: Eddie Munson x Fem!Hispanic!Reader

Chapter Five: I’m A Marionette

A Note From the Author: This chapter is less Eddie, more reader making outside connections. Let me just keep it real in the chat, chief: every time I see Chrissy Cunningham villainized, I die a little inside. Let’s hold hands and be friends with her. God knows Hawkins needs more girlboss teams.

[Masterlist] - [Chapter One] - [Previous Chapter] - [Next Chapter]

TW: Mentions of menstruation.

****

“You… you okay…?”

You called out awkwardly to the person in the stall next to you, because how could you not say something? It was painful listening to the person next to you shuffling on the toilet seat for a full minute. Whoever it was, they were swearing like a sailor in a high pitched voice, fumbling furiously through what sounded like a purse, and then a backpack. A slight grimace graced your lips when you realized the reason for the panic, this was a familiar sound and it made you involuntarily clench your thighs together in sympathy. That desperation was familiar to anyone with a vagina: it was the sound of a struggling soul needing a pad or a tampon, and not finding either one.

The shuffling next to you stopped when you called out. And then you heard a tentative whisper in the affirmative.

“Yeah… no I just… it’s kind of an emergency…” she whispered softly. “I’m wearing white…”

Jesus Christ she was brave. You wouldn’t be caught dead in white unless it was on a raglan.

“Pad or tampon?” You asked immediately.

“Pad… preferably.”

You sighed, leaning over to reach for your backpack hanging on the hook of the stall door. Great… of course this person would ask you for a pad. That was going to be fun, you could already feel the judgemental scoff that you knew was coming once you handed her one of the little mini mattresses you kept in your backpack. When you bled— irregularly at that— it was like the goddamn elevator doors opening in The Shining. You often had to double up on product, and the heavy flow could last up to two weeks of painful, uncomfortable hell. The thicker the products were the better, that was your mantra, but evidently the advertisements surrounding you and the more affluent girls in your old school seemed to think you needed some thin ultrafine bullshit to stand between you and the dreaded Red Death. Rooting around in your blue Jansport backpack, you finally found what you were looking for all wrapped up in pink plastic.

Burning in shame, you awkwardly handed the pad over under the stall.

“Here… um… ‘m sorry it’s so thick…” you muttered, bracing yourself for the inevitable laughter at your expense.

To your surprise, a hand reached out after she let out a sigh that sounded suspiciously like relief.

“Oh thank you!”

She fumbled for a second feeling for the pad, and grabbed it immediately when her fingertips touched the pink plastic wrapper. You were stunned. What the hell? No judgment? No scoff? No scathing comments about needing a pad, not a diaper? This was nothing like you were at all expecting. Whoever this person was, she just immediately grabbed the pad with her classy French tip manicured fingernails, the sound of her ripping open the pink plastic a reassurance.

“Thank you,” she breathed, struggling on her side of the stall, “Really. I appreciate it. I don’t know what I would have done otherwise… The dispenser ate my quarter when I tried to grab a tampon.”

“Yeah, those things are always all fucking empty.” you snorted. “Fucking pendejos never bother to refill them for crap.”

You let out a sigh you weren’t aware you’d been holding, tapping your dirty Chucks against the linoleum. You looked over to the stall wall where you knew the person sat just on the other side, trying to picture what she looked like as you read the graffiti on the stall wall. Not that you could see much of her or even know who she was. All you knew from the gap between the stall wall and the floor was that she was wearing white denim Levi’s and a pair of pumps. Probably majorly prep, but honestly she was nicer than you thought, and you were appreciative of nice people. God knew they were few and far between in this shithole of a town.

“This bleeding shit… it sucks, right?” You said.

“Oh yeah… It really does.” She agreed, finally breathing a sigh of relief once the velcro-like sounds of putting the pad on her panties stopped on her end.

You fully expected that to be the end of things, trying to return back to your ruminating, when her tentative voice reached out to you.

“Are you a senior?” She asked in a soft voice.

You were taken aback. You’d never carried a conversation in a toilet before. A part of you wanted to leave, to go wait for Eddie in the parking lot… but it was already well into the first period and you knew in your heart he would be running late to pick you up on your first date.

“Yeah. I’m a senior.” You replied, nodding even though she couldn’t see you.

“I feel like I should know you…” she hummed, “But I can’t quite put my finger on how…”

“... I think you were that girl standing outside my stall on the first day of school. Your uh… your voice is familiar.” you admitted, “I was crying… you had, like, blue high heels and a blue sundress-...”

“Yes! I remember!”

Her outburst was loud, and she cut you off mid sentence. Immediately the tension in the bathroom became thick again, before she spoke up once more.

“Why were you crying?”

Madre de Dios… are we really doing this, homegirl? Are we really doing this in the Hawkins High girl’s bathroom?

“I was… I was trying to be someone I’m not.” You replied, unable to stop the automatic response of brutal honesty, “And… and I got what I gave.”

“What do you mean?” She asks.

You could hear her shuffle closer, her pumps pointing at you from under the stall as she readjusted on her seat.

“I…”

You took a gulp. Things were about to get real fucking vulnerable in this bitch. The memory had been traumatic the moment it happened, but now, sitting on the toilet recalling your lowly first day of school, the incident just made you giggle.

“I tried to shoulder check some jock.” You giggled.

“Oh my God…!” She exclaimed, before bursting into laughter, “How’d that go for you?”

“Bad… the lockers hurt like a bitch when he got my ass back.”

Her laughter was like dainty little bells, typical giggly girly girl laughter. For some reason, it didn’t annoy you. It actually was really endearing…

“How in the world did you think you could take on a jock on your first day of school?” She asked in a breathy tone.

“I don’t know!” You laughed, “I just… I wasn’t thinking, okay? He looked like the meanest, biggest dude here and was all tall… At least six four; I thought I could just… y’know… Assert dominance.”

“Assert dominance? You’re insane! And he just what… shoved you back into the lockers?”

“Okay wait to be fair, I deserved that one.” You admitted, moving closer to the stall wall, “I mean… if it was me just walking to class minding my business, not doing nothing to nobody, and some angry bitch just suddenly shoulder checked me on purpose, I’d have checked her ass back too.”

“Fair…” she said, still giggling, “But seriously, why did you do it?”

“It… it was kind of a bad day for me already.” You admitted softly, “I didn’t want to come to Hawkins. I didn’t want to come to this school. And now… well, here we are on day two. And… I dunno, I guess it’s not so bad.”

Mentally you were not prepared for the gentle way she phrased the next question.

“Why didn’t you want to be here?” She asked.

No one had ever asked you that question. Not Eddie, not your mother or brother… no one…

“I wanted to stay back home, in New Mexico.” You replied, trying to choke back the hidden truth and tears, “We just moved here at the beginning of the month, and it was awful the first week we came. There’s a lot going on here… Lots of businesses are closed, the housing costs are tanking…”

“Yeah… these last few years have been tough for us.” She agreed quietly, “But… maybe you’ll grow to like it here?”

“Maybe.” you replied, “Do you like it here?”

You half expected her to gush about how wonderful and lovely everything was. That was usually par for the course for anyone who didn’t share your rather bleak outlook on life as a whole. But to your surprise, the girl went quiet as the grave, the only sound you could hear was a gentle tap, tap, tap, of something like long fingernails rapping against the metal toilet paper holder.

“I… I don’t know…” she admitted after a time.

“Sometimes I feel like everything’s so…” she hesitated, “... shallow. It’s like… everyone is just going through the motions at this point… no one cares about anything deeper than making things look pretty, like everything’s just fine.”

You frowned, her words hitting a little too close to home for your comfort. That was a familiar trope in your life. Just keep a smile on, hide the pain, hide the reality of the situation behind a well manicured facade.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m all alone…” whispered the girl, “Like… I’m the only one who sees things aren’t rose tinted.”

“I feel the same… It’s both a blessing and a curse, isn’t it?” you said, putting a hand on the stall wall, “Being able to see…”

“Most def…” she replied, her voice almost a whisper at this point, “It’s like being trapped behind a glass door, seeing how things really are. Meanwhile everyone else is just blind to it all. And you have to hide the pain…”

“... I’m hiding a lot of bullshit from this guy I’m kind of dating.” You admitted.

It was so random. So far detached from the current conversation, but you had to admit it to someone… even a stranger.

“What are you hiding from him?” Asked the girl.

“I’m hiding the real me.” You said, curling in on yourself as you sat, “I want… I want him to think I’m normal. That I’m good enough for him, so he won’t leave me for someone else. But it’s hard lying to him… and it’s hard keeping the ugly from popping out.”

“Why don’t you think you’re good enough for him?” She asked.

“Because he’s real perfect.” Alex said. “And I’m not.”

She scoffed, unable to keep the distaste out of her voice.

“He’s a boy, sweetie… they’re a dime a dozen. What makes him so special?”

“He’s all special, dude. He’s kind. And sweet. He cares about people. Genuinely cares, you know? Like he reaches out to help anyone and it doesn’t matter who. Just… genuinely selfless and kind.” You paused, taking a moment to let the confession hang, before changing the subject, “Do you have a boyfriend?”

“Yeah, I do. His name is Jason. He’s on the basketball team.” She replied.

“Is he nice?”

“Oh yes, very nice. He can be a bit of a meathead sometimes, but he’s so good to me. He cares about me a lot…”

She went on about the qualities of her boyfriend, describing this blonde haired blue eyed dreamboat that even had you giggling like a schoolgirl at the description.

“A la… he sounds like a stud, but I bet because he’s a jock you really gotta keep up those appearances, huh?” you asked.

“I do. I… actually I just accepted the position of head cheerleader this year for him. They said I had the leadership skills and talent, and it’s a great way to be around him more often, but…”

“But…?” You repeated.

“I have to be so perfect…” she said sadly, “All the time… the perfect leader, the perfect girlfriend… perfect everything, really. It gets exhausting. Sometimes I wish that I would have said no when they asked me to take on that position. I have no free time anymore. There’s always something going on and we don’t get to go on as many dates…”

“And I bet your boyfriend just does whatever he wants whenever he wants.” You said softly. “While you’re there in the background busting your ass for your whole squad.”

“Yes! God… he’s captain of the basketball team and he doesn’t have to do nearly as much as I do! He always thinks that all I do is play pretty girl dress up, and doesn’t even consider that we have to maintain our strength or physique… And sometimes I think… sometimes I think he just takes it for granted how much we have to do to keep up appearances… He doesn’t have to hide his real self to maintain that brainless bimbo image.”

“Well…” you said, “If it makes you feel any better… you’re not the only one hiding shit. Even a fucking geek like me is flaws from a geeky boyfriend.”

In all your years, you never thought you could connect with someone like this on a personal level. Admitting insecurity and the hidden self to a stranger, a jock’s girlfriend and cheerleader, in a bathroom with your hand dyed black skirt around your ankles.

“We can… let’s hide our bullshit together.” You giggled.

You could hear the other girl shift on the toilet seat, the top of it sounding as if it was precariously coming loose.

“I think… I think I’d really like that.” She admitted.

“Just keep all this between you, me, and the toilet.” You laughed.

“We can just flush the secret thoughts away…” she whispered, making a whooshing sound for emphasis.

You both began to laugh. Loud, racous, ugly laughter, your deep throaty bark and her high pitched hyena scream. Her laughter was so obnoxiously strong, not at all the dainty breathy whisper of a voice she put on to talk to you before. The girl’s laughter now was raw. It was real, authentic laughter that could only be found in the confines of a shared bathroom stall between two kindred spirits.

“It’s really nice to have someone to talk to about all this. I feel like most of the time I have to keep a happy face for everyone else. It’s exhausting.” She said, her voice lowering as she caught her breath.

“I know. I gave up on that shit a while back. My happy face went away, and now I’ve been turning heads with my shitty attitude.” You smiled, rubbing your knees as you stretched out your sore legs.

“I totally get that! I just… I’m getting there myself. I’m sick of the constant bullshit that goes on in my head, every emotion, every thought, it conflicts with one another. And I can’t do anything about it…” she said.

“This shit blows, man.” You muttered.

“Totally does.”

Before you could respond: the obnoxiously loud sound of the bell rang through the silent bathroom. You both muttered a collective “fuck”, realizing that you had spent the better part of the forty five minute period laughing and gossiping. It was fun though, a hell of a lot better than trying to dodge school staff between cars in the student lot.

“I guess we gotta go back out there in the world.” You grumbled.

“I guess. Can’t hide on the toilet forever.” She sighed.

Neither one of you made a move to get up, just delaying the inevitable together.

“That’s uh… ‘s a great way to get hemorrhoids.” You said.

“… or at least some seriously numb legs.” She replied.

That did it. Both of you began giggling like obnoxious little middle schoolers, simultaneously flushing. You exited the stall before the other girl as soon as you had your skirt and hosiery pulled up and put to rights. The girl came out sometime after as you were washing your hands, sliding up casually to the sink next to you. She was really pretty. All long legs and strawberry blonde hair pulled into a bun with a pink scrunchie, along with a pink pastel cropped polo.

“Need me to do a check?” You asked.

“Please!” She nodded eagerly, turning around and looking over her shoulder as she bent forward a little, “See anything?”

You turned and squinted, scrutinizing the stark white Levi’s for that telltale sanguine shade.

“No, you’re good.” You said. “They’ll never know. The only red you got is the red tab. That’s the worst shit ever though, when it leaves a big old fucking stain.”

“Now that’s some social suicide.” She cackled, “I was already pushing it with the white. But um… Thanks for checking, and for the pad. I really appreciate it.”

“Of course, here.”

You reached into your backpack, taking a handful of tampons and pads from your little pile and holding them out to her.

“Take these. My shit is so irregular and heavy, I have to keep a bunch. I think I’m going to start squirreling them away in my man’s car too.” You grinned, “Wouldn’t kill him to hold a few in his locker either.”

“You know what? That’s a good idea… I think I’ll do that next time.” She giggled. “Unless Jason flips a gasket, he acts like I asked him to dip his hand in a septic tank when I ask for him to get one from my purse.”

Both of you laughed, lamenting over the idiocy of machismo and the universal boyfriend refusal to touch clean, unused sanitary products. The girl smiled at you shyly, tilting her head to the side as she looked you over. She didn’t have that fake kindness on her face. She looked genuine. Sincere.

“You’re a lifesaver. I seriously owe you one for this.” She said.

“Don’t mention it.” You smiled, “Thank you for the talk… uh… I didn’t get your name?”

“Christine Cunningham. But everyone calls me Chrissy.”

“Christine? That’s a kick ass name.” You giggled, “It’s like the car in that movie… I won’t forget it.”

Chrissy asked your name and you gave it to her. She tested it on her tongue, complimenting it, saying your name suited you. It made you blush, not used to such kindness from someone who looked as put together as she did.

“You know… you’re really different from the other girls I know.” She said gently, “You… your whole personality is refreshing and honest. You’re so free.”

“That’s what everybody’s telling me.” You replied, “But like I said… I’m hiding a lot of crap. I’m just trying to get through the day with what I have. And it sucks, Chrissy. It really fucking sucks because I hate every minute of this.”

The conversation naturally went quiet after that little heartfelt confession. Chrissy was frowning, whether in concern or for other reasons, you didn’t know. But when not separated between two thin metal dividers, you felt self conscious and raw. And when you started feeling raw, it was time to flee.

“I better get out of here… my boyfriend’s picking me up soon and I think I should go wait for him. Um… I’ll see you around, I guess?” you asked.

“Maybe… um…” Chrissy shrugged, looking sheepish and refusing to commit even by acknowledging that you two might run into one another.

The way she hesitated made you realize immediately that she would never come to you. Not in public of her own volition.

“Hey, uh… I know you can’t really talk to me out there but, I usually come to this bathroom because no one else uses it. Maybe… maybe I’ll see you again here?” You asked, hopeful with the way she hesitated that she wouldn’t outright reject the idea.

Chrissy rocked a little on her pumps, looking everywhere but at you, before nodding and smiling softly.

“I might… I think I’ll take you up on that.” She replied, “I hope we can talk again…”

“Me too.” You said softly, “Bye, Chrissy.”

“Bye…”

You waved awkwardly to her, shouldering your backpack and leaving out of the girl’s bathroom. So far everyone was still dragging their feet to second period, feeling the weight of the day already, and it wasn’t even close to lunch time. Despite the nerves you felt by just even daring to ditch class for a second day, you knew the reward would be well worth it. Eddie had promised you he’d take you out for a fat, greasy burger and crinkle cut fries, and for the first time in months you felt free.

Talking to Chrissy had been cathartic, a relief from the jealousy and anger you’d felt the day before. It was still there, obviously it wouldn’t just go away with one talk… but it had been nice to admit that you were putting on a facade out loud to an unbiased ear.

You hoped vaguely that you’d get to talk to her again.

[oliverreedmasterass]

Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 | Interlude | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Second Interlude | Chapter 8 | Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12 | Epilogue

Notes: Thank you to @infinisonicosm for the fic idea and tolerating all of my ramblings and late night messages being like "yo is this good?"

Synopsis: In the quiet town of Frankenmuth, a string of missing persons cases opens a wider question about who is to blame, drawing a deep divide between the town and its hidden supernatural residents.

Words: 398 (keeping this prologue short my dudes, this will be a longer fic)

-----------------------------------------------------

It had started with a juvenile dare. Go into the dark woods alone for the night in exchange for $20 and some bragging rights once school rolled back around. Danny was a smart kid, but he was also a teenager and, consequently, determined to earn the respect of his peers. 

“I’ve grown up playing in those woods,” Danny reassured his best friend, Sam, in private after the dare had been settled. They were sitting in Danny’s bedroom, and Sam couldn’t stop nervously twisting his hands around. 

“Danny, people have gone missing in there. I know you know it’s not safe,” Sam tried to keep his voice steady as he looked across at his friend. 

Danny responded with his signature smile, which made Sam’s shoulders slightly loosen. 

“I’ll be fine, trust me. I know what I’m doing.” 

Sam sighed. Maybe he was overreacting. 

The next night Danny packed a bag of food and a flashlight, put on his favorite hoodie, and met with his friends in the parking lot of their high school, about a mile away from the woods. They treated him like a king, patting him on the back, giving him words of encouragement, and goofing around about watching out for the “monsters.” Danny laughed hard at all of their jokes in an attempt to cover the nervousness that was coursing through his body like a plague. Sam’s words had echoed through his head all day, and he knew they had merit. He hated that he didn’t back down when he had the chance. There was a reason no one else in his friend group was going out of their way to join him. 

In their pack they walked from the high school down along the old country road, until the trees were just visible. No one dared move any closer than they had to. 

Everyone except Danny. 

“See you on the other side,” Danny told his group of friends, faking his bright smile. 

Go, Danny thought to himself. 

He gave a joking salute to his friends and then turned to face the daunting wall of trees. Danny sucked in a deep breath and clutched onto the straps of his Jansport backpack, taking his first stride towards whatever lurked amongst the shadows ahead.

His friends watched him move deeper and deeper into the forest until his silhouette was camouflaged with the foliage around him. 

And that was the last time they saw Danny. 

[kent-farm]

—Alex Garfin as Jordan Kent using this JanSport Cityview Urban Backpack (in Black with Brown Bottom; his has brown suede leather zipper pulls like those on the JanSport Right Pack), Superman and Lois, "The Perks of Not Being a Wallflower"

[arachnidiots-a]

YOUR MUSE'S INVENTORY.

[original meme from @treasurechestrpmemes​.]

rules: list the things your muse carries in their pockets or bags in their every day life. (optional: explain their significance.) repost, don’t reblog.

table of contents:

¹ POCKETS — nothing. nothing fits in liam’s pockets. some stuff fits in liam’s pockets but it’s minimal and only the essentials. honestly, they don’t like keeping stuff in their pockets, they’re small, uncomfortable, and there’s a high probability something will fall out and be lost to the streets of earth-1530.

² KEYCHAIN — buried in pockets, or at the bottom of bags, this piece of inventory occupies a lot of spaces and sometimes it’s very own, clipped to liam’s side.

³ SCHOOL BAG — on earth-1530, there’s a number of essentials and nonessentials liam likes to have with them when in and about the city or on their way to school.

⁴ MULTIVERSE BAG — while being thrown around, liam has to pack to survive, which means ditching some belongings for others. you never know what the universe will throw at you, best to be prepared, and best to keep track of where you end up. this is what liam has during their multiverse adventures.

tagged by @h0b1e | tagging : anyone interested (& brave enough to have read all of this)

¹ POCKETS.

wallet. it’s one of those single zipper, one pouch, wallets that is constantly being tested by the amount liam shoves into it. it’s an orange leather color, and very much coming apart. she’s done a super glue job here and there. inside are crumpled receipts, a penny and a nickel, and some cards: school id (it’s an old photo of liam back from freshman year of college… somehow it looks entirely different from liam now), insurance, a gift card to a coffee shop, two debit cards, and their state id (it’s actually a recent photo— liam only got their license a year ago)

phone. it’s a small, older silver phone model that still has a headphone jack. it’s honestly a wonder how it’s still alive, having slipped out of their pockets and off tables so many times. they can’t wear a case with it or it gets too bulky in the pocket of their spider suit. instead, it’s covered in stickers on the back.

keys. their keys are occasionally shoved into their pockets, on the common occasion they feel overwhelmed and can’t stand them on their side. this is one of many items that finds itself in different places based on liam’s state.

tangled earbuds. there’s always one of the buds hanging out of any pocket liam shoved them into— a vibrant blue pair that gives them grief trying to unknot.

² KEYCHAIN

keys. they stay clipped to their side when they’re back home. with a wrist length lanyard, all five keys are constantly clanging up against their side thanks to a small, rusting, carabiner. some days liam can’t stand the extra stimulation to their synesthesia and tucks them into a pocket while she walks, other days it’s a nice grounding tool.

research badge id. it hangs there too, they need to have it easily accessible on campus but as soon as they’re off the grounds it gets shoved into a pocket or they’re backpack’s front pouch. they’d rather strangers don’t read their full name.

a photo momento keychain. back covered in tiny stickers— bar codes, fruit stickers, scraps from any sticker in the lab. on the other side, behind scratched up plastic is a photo of roxy and liam visiting the moma.

³ SCHOOL BAG

it’s a pretty well cared for blue jansport, with very intentionally placed patches on it. they’re adult achievement patches and fun ones they’ve picked up from small novelty shops.

keys. sometimes located in the front pouch. see: keychain section for more.

laptop. it’s an older macbook, nothing too intense. it runs whatever they need for school and nothing more, but it doesn’t need to. it’s silver, no case, plenty of plant stickers and some doodles over sticky notes on the inside. with that of course comes the laptop charger & one for their phone as well.

binder. 3-ring, half inch, an odd orange coral type of color. none of the 3-rings are actually used, but there’s handfuls of lab packets shoved into the pockets of it. liam’s old lab badge sits in the front cover.

loose highlighters, pens, pencils. there’s not really a place for them in their backpack, they just throw them wherever they feel like it. if they sort their backpack they try to put all of them in the front pocket but that only lasts a couple days. half of them are definitely dead or dry.

gum. liam prefers spearmint, anything else is too strong or too sweet. most of the time, they forget it’s in there and ask to borrow gum from everybody else.

loose coins. any change liam gets gets deposited straight into the front pouch of her backpack. it’s kind of a mixed dangerous bag to shiver your hand in honestly.

granola bars (& granola bar wrappers). they bring and pocket snacks wherever they can find them. with so many long days at the labs and on campus, liam breaks a rule every now and then to open up a basic bar and get some food in their system.

sunglasses. if there’s one thing liam can be recognized by, it’s their heart shaped sunglasses, they have a couple pairs and in different colors too.

water bottle. it’s a plastic water bottle, half filled, mostly crumpled and with the tag falling off. they keep meaning to use one of their four or five reusable water bottles but always forget & end up buying one on campus.

painkillers. liam is always sure to have ibuprofen and tylenol on hand, sometimes even tums. you never know.

headphones. round yellow and black, they’re a cheap pair of over-ear headphones with an average quality but they do a great job of blocking noise out.

⁴ MULTIVERSE BAG

it’s the same blue jansport.

keys. same as before, this time shoved into the bottom of the bag, so far down they forget they’re there until they jab liam in the back because they’ve rotated the wrong way. they’re useless during this time in her life.

clothes. traveling is unpredictable, and just because earth 1530 has a nice new york summer doesn’t mean the rest of the universes are the same. after six months, it hardly matters, liam’s doomed to spend the winter in tons of harsh new yorks. spare clothes are a must and they include certain stand out items: spare converse (liam burns the rubber off more shoes than they can count), an atrociously loud and colorful sweater, and three pairs of fun patterned socks with sayings on them. there’s some obvious other essentials too, but it’s pretty limited to what fits. the spider suit is obviously in there too, when they’re not wearing it & so are their signature heart shaped sunglasses.

yellow spray paint can. one way liam keeps track of everywhere they’ve been, and everywhere roxy’s been, is by using a certain spray paint design by a landmark special to both of them— a pizza place in upper manhattan. she hopes roxy sees it, she hopes roxy starts leaving her own signs, but liam’s not back in the same place twice too often.

cash & loose coins (in different currencies). same as before— it’s anything they’ve scrounged up, found on streets, or been lended.

two journals. there’s nothing special about them on the outside, but their binding is very much being tested by every single entry and item liam tapes onto the pages. it’s their way of taking notes and keeping track of everywhere they go. it’s more or less how they catalogue the multiverse in the early days that allows them to establish the web. this is accompanied by the same loose highlighters, pens, pencils rolling around in their bag as back home.

snacks, wrappers, and bottle caps. finally upgraded to a reusable water bottle, and a large assortment of pop tarts, fruit snacks, and all sorts of bars. they’re all of course smushed or broken, but liam hardly minds any of that on the long days. they still shove wrappers and metal bottle caps into the bag when there’s nowhere to dispose of them.

electronics. no laptop, but they’ve got their phone and a small point and shoot camera that’s withstood the rest of the universe. they don’t build things like they used to. for any piece of tech, there’s a charger to accompany it. there’s earbuds in this mix too— the same tangled ones as before.

painkillers. they’re prepared back home, they’re especially prepared now, with the added pack of alt verse dayquils that have kept them upright through a couple universes.

[everydaythings7807]

I thought the purse had the jansport logo like those backpacks everyone had in middle school

Moschino Pre-Fall 2022

[belialjones]

so I work in a very posh neighborhood, obvs, and there are famous high schools near by (think Fame the movie and tv show, lady gaga etc) so a lot of the time there are hoards of kiddos in the latest fashions. and maybe a few years ago it was all very fancy shit and those kanken fox backpacks everywhere. but now its all jansports and wide leg jeans like when I was kiddo! and I saw this morning these two kids with very badly dyed hair looking like its 1993 from head to toe scrounging dog ends at the subway entrance and nothing has convinced me more that time is a circle and everything is so so so very weird

[wittez]

working title: further joy

if anything, it can be safely concluded that having the worst time of your fucking life at lax is a rite of passage for every traveler around the world. it’s something almost as certain as that you’ll find sand in the arizona desert, or a crowd of completely clueless vacationers falling victim to whatever the newest hip tourist trap right by times square is.

because, you see, not one good thing has happened since he landed. or, in fact, since he even boarded the plane to begin with. the following is an abridged retelling of the series of hapless events that have plagued every aspect of eric’s very existence for about the past twelve hours, because if we sat here and started the story from any further back, then we’d find ourselves here for a long time. like, airline staff finding and shipping back the bag you lost in tokyo two months prior long.

his favorite hoodie seemingly vanished into thin air right at the moment he was about to pack it (only to later find out his sister had taken it hostage, got a bbq stain on its pocket, and buried the evidence to avoid his reaction. talk about a reaction now!).

his dad’s old printer effectively swallowed, chewed up and spit out three sheets of paper as eric tried to print out his tickets. as life just so happens to be, these were the last three sheets of paper they had in the house (and then, eric remembered he can just have his ticket on his phone. right).

speaking of his ticket, it said gate 26. after waiting two hours and focusing really, really hard on the gibberish that came out of the airport intercom, enough so that he couldn’t even peacefully consume the miserable raspberry jelly-filled donut he was having for breakfast because they were out of all the other donut kinds he actually likes, it’s suddenly revealed his flight now departs from gate 8. half a glorified poptart is abandoned in a nearby trash bin as he dashes off like a madman hauling a bag that’s more or less his own weight along with a flimsy jansport backpack that’s most certainly seen better days, sneaker soles squeaking across the linoleum despite the shoes themselves being just barely a tier above unacceptable at a thrift store.

when he finally gets to board, a horrifying finding awaits him… he’s seated right between a mother and her young child. fate smiles upon eric in the way that the kid, surprisingly, doesn’t cry. however, he discovers fate’s also frowning down at him when said kid makes it a task to question whether eric has any games on his phone every ten minutes despite the continual denials from his part.

like, seriously. eric even takes it upon himself to read some random newspaper article his mother had sent just last week about stress-induced health risks, as if to demonstrate he’s just that fucking boring and absolutely not the kind of person to have any games on his phone at all, yet the boy isn’t deterred by this.

the one thing that saves him and whatever remaining shred of sanity he had left by the two hour mark is the youth’s regularly scheduled naptime, at which point eric heaves out a breath and finally gets to play subway surfers.

…and all that is without even delving into how he nearly got into a fight with an older french lady who boarded at the connecting flight and kept claiming his seat as her own, but…

the thing is, it’s been a journey and a half yet he still isn’t anywhere near his destination.

baggage claim is another beast entirely, the conveyor belt mocking his nearly empty stomach with just how agonizingly slow it moves, and then makes fun of him once again as if only to ensure his misery by getting stuck at some point. it takes little under five minutes to get it up and running once again, but those few moments are surely enough to have eric questioning why he even packed half the things he did and if it’d actually be that much of a big deal if he left his suitcase to rot away in there in favor of walking to the nearest taco bell and finally having some real food (real is kind of a stretch, but then again he’s running on fumes and half a donut. he who doesn’t know god will pray to any saint).

truth be told, most of his life is kept right here in the bag that’s been his trusty sidekick ever since freshman year of high school— wallet, second favorite hoodie, notebook and handful of ballpoint pens half-empty to varying degrees, toothbrush, headphones and charger are all here (this is the part where he realizes his recently upgraded cellphone isn’t in that list; a hand haphazardly flies in direction of his back pocket, and a sigh of relief is released upon verifying its presence).

right as he’s at the very cusp of turning on his heel and ditching his luggage, the familiar navy blue suitcase with a neon orange tag labeled ‘DON’T LOSE ME!’ and a cat scratch across its axis finally shows up. maybe eric just wanted the conveyor belt to think he didn’t want his bag anymore so it’d spit it out at last, or possibly the truth is he was about to discard it for real. or, perhaps, that’s just what he wants it to think…!

he isn’t sure whether it’s worse to argue with an inanimate object in his head or to do so aloud, because both make him seem like just the slightest, teeniest bit of an absolute fucking loon. as he pulls out the handle of his suitcase and starts towards the nearest exit, eric supposes he can find a marginal hint of solace in the fact that at least those around him didn’t bear witness to him trying to use reverse psychology on, again, an effing conveyor belt of all things.

*

eric’s grandfather seems to always drive at half the speed limit, yet car rides with him never feel long because every time they’re together his grandfather always has a new anecdote from a childhood long gone to narrate. a glance towards his left finds the older man’s features, much like eric’s own although mellowed out by time, his gentle gaze a reflection of his kind soul. “my boy, i’m so glad you could join us this year again,” thinning skin crinkles by the elder’s eyes as he smiles, not once looking away from the road ahead. “your grandmother says she’s already got the perfect role for you at the bakery. you’ll be filling in for the cashier while we find someone new, because charlie— remember charlie, youngjae? —quit a week ago since he’s going off to college in philadelphia, or pennsylvania, or some such thing. we’re pretty short on staff right now, but the kids we have are pretty capable and easy to get along with… i’m sure you’ll have no problem making friends with them, son.”

“that so, pops?” eric doesn’t remember charlie, because from what his grandmother’s told him over the phone the younger boy had started working during fall the year prior shortly after eric had already gone back up north. still, he humors the elder. looking out through the window at the palm trees high above them leaving the frame in slow motion— a side effect of his grandfather’s leisurely driving, eric realizes as an afterthought —makes this feel just like coming back home after being gone for a long time. “when do i start?”

there’s a short pause as his grandfather considers the question, “today’s a what… tuesday, right?” eric confirms this with a nod. “you can take tomorrow off to rest up and get settled in, then start on thursday. is that okay with you, son?” eric plugs his seatbelt in, an action that had gotten tangled up in the flurry of thoughts plaguing his brain and was promptly forgotten about the second he got into the car.

“yeah! i’m excited, i can’t wait to see what this year’s new recipes are…” the promise of fresh bread is more than enough to lift his spirits, and clearly this transmits to his exterior if it gets a chuckle out of his grandfather.

some things never change.

*

lunch had been more of a gossip session rather than a lunch; if his grandfather’s an introvert, his grandmother most definitely balances it out with how extroverted she is. and actually, might even tip the scales in this direction if you ask eric. because, while he’s busy eating enough stir fried beef and rice to cover for an entire day and a half’s worth of food intake, she makes sure he knows all about a budding rivalry with a new bakery two blocks over (whose bread isn’t even good, by the way, according to her), her favorite hairstylist’s pregnancy (and how she can’t wait for the baby shower), the two employees they’ve hired since last time he came (a matter she didn’t speak much on, to his surprise, citing that she wanted him to get to know them himself), and her recent obsession with smoothies (wherein taro root and wild berries are just the anti-aging recipe!).

as he flops down on the bed— decorated by washed-out blue bedding with an assorted sports balls pattern, the windows adorned by matching curtains —a familiar ceiling stands before him, from which hangs a fan with a broken lightbulb out of three along with one of those sticky hands that were all the rage at the playground just shy of fifteen years prior that he’d never managed to… well… unstick. back then he was too short to reach up and too embarrassed to ask for help, and even though he’s tall enough by now he can’t bring himself to take the poor thing down... there’s just something about it that pulls the entire aesthetic of the room together, you know!

(WHAT DO YOU MEAN, FIFTEEN? the thought alone is nothing short of depressing and thus eric folds it up and shoves it into the corner of a drawer between his underwear and a pair of sweatpants that don’t fit him anymore, safely packed away to never see the light of day again.)

this room is just like he remembers it from last year and the one before that, and ten years before it as well, because sometimes it’s not possessions the ones that change. it’s people that do, instead. every time he visits he’s a different version of himself; an eric who’s ever so slightly improved from the last, yet fundamentally remains the same person at his core. or, sometimes, the eric that walks through the door on the first few days of june is a little bit worse than the prior one. and that much is fine, because people are always changing, and regression isn’t always a bad thing. sometimes, getting worse just means you’re experimenting as you try to find out who you really are.

and who is he really, then? is he truly himself, or is he someone else?

eric groans into his pillow drowsy in the after-lunch daze, train of thought deliberately missing the station and re-routing off his mental map as the young man pulls at the covers with clumsy hands, passengers waiting for it be damned. he’s much too tired to entertain this crap today.

as he drifts off to sleep, he wonders whether the framed pictures on the bookshelf next to the bed are of himself or of someone who just so happens to look a lot like him.

*

come thursday morning, the bright red letters of his alarm clock glowing with a furious 6:37 am, eric’s fresh out of the shower and set to start the day with a healthy dose of cautious optimism to his mood. he’d picked out cleaning products at random and is pretty certain this macadamia nut soap bar thing is supposed to be used for hands, but he feels so moisturized and… renewed, as though he’s just stepped out of one of those body wash ads with all the nature surrounding the scene and one of vivaldi’s four seasons playing in the background, that he’ll just keep it for himself from now on.

getting ready is a ritual in and of itself, that must be followed to a t every time or else it can and will disturb the flow of the rest of his day, despite how easygoing eric tends to be in regards to… most other things in life, actually, other than religiously recording and reviewing every single movie and show he's ever watched on letterboxd regardless of if they’re bad (especially if they’re bad, in fact). the last couple steps in the routine include arranging his necklaces to fall in front of his loose t-shirt, spraying a refreshing face mist and tying up dirty canvas sneakers with a double knot lest they come undone and have him tripping over his own feet like some awkward, uncoordinated loser.

not like he’s speaking from experience, of course.

rounding the corner into the kitchen his gaze meets his grandmother’s, a fond smile quickly pulling the corners of her lips upwards as soon as she spots him. “good morning, child! how’d you sleep?” but she doesn’t even let him get a single word in, because before he can even arrange the words in his mind and put them into the queue for his mouth to tell her he dreamt all his teeth fell off and his mother dyed her hair blue since she developed a phobia of ducks, she’s already placing a platter of cut up fruit in his hands and nearly shoving an orange slice into his mouth.

the kitchen itself is simple, a small space that’s all white tile with small floral details at the edges, wood flooring with cabinets that match and appliances that are probably nearing eric’s age and yellowing as time erodes away what once was a pristine coat of white paint, but the special part of it all hides away in each and every touch of individuality to be found; it’s in the collection of fridge magnets ranging from cartoony farm animals to souvenirs from european destinations, the colorful tupperware labeled and neatly arranged inside it, the decorative china set a young eric once got in trouble for using, and the handcrafted recipe book on top of the oven. there’s a treasured memory in every piece, even in the basic little salt shaker with a cracked corner eric bought for her two summers prior at the dollar store.

*

“good morning!” the bakery’s already open by the time he gets there, a good 10 minutes late but still 20 minutes early before the morning rush. the store is mostly unchanged except for the wall calendar now displaying the picture of a cat instead of a dog and being of the current year as well as a new poster advertising the strawberry cheesecake cookies they'd recently added to the menu (though you could hardly call it a poster, given that it’s barely more than just a sheet of printer paper with a title made in rainbow wordart).

“mornin’,” calls a voice from the back of the shop as eric ties up his apron and safely sticks his backpack under the counter. “you’re the new guy, right?” this is when curiosity gets the best of eric, and uncertain footsteps take him directly towards the open frame of the kitchen. the owner of said voice seems to be rummaging around the fridge, the appliance’s door obscuring his view of this mysterious individual, and the only information he knows about this guy is that he knows who eric is and that the old skool vans he wears are, somehow, even more beat up than eric’s converse.

“yeah, my name’s eric,” he answers, sincere smile in place. and then, he realizes the guy can’t actually see him so he shakes his head and tosses the smile out and into the air. “is it just us working this shift, or is someone else coming later?” it’s not until the stranger gets up from his crouching position cradling a monstrously large bag of pastry cream that eric finally gets to actually look at him, and the first thing he notices is that his dark bangs are in his eyes and eric can’t understand just how he can work like that without going crazy.

the second thing he notices is that the grin the other gives him is pretty charming.

“cool. i’m sunwoo.” the shift between his initially relaxed posture and a hand dramatically flying up towards his heart nearly gives eric whiplash, and even though he seems to want to act seriously he can’t help the laugh that escapes as he says, “what, is little old me not good enough for you?” then he shakes his head, simultaneously hauling the bag of cream onto a metallic countertop. it lands with a particularly painful-sounding thud. “bad joke, sorry.” sunwoo turns around, his back facing eric, and eric can only assume he’s now dividing the liquid into equal portions in a bunch of smaller recipients. “don’t worry, younghoon’s clocking in at ten. that way, we’ll be prepared for the lunch rush! shit gets a little crazy out there, man. i had to work register for like two days after charlie left, but!” as sunwoo speaks his words get progressively faster and start blurring into each other, but luckily he halts to turn back in eric’s direction with clasped hands and a smile. “you came to save us! hope you’re good at customer service, though, ‘cause some of these people…”

sunwoo doesn’t have to finish that thought for eric to infer what he means, because even if he doesn’t know sunwoo he’s, woefully, well-versed in the horrors of retail, customer support, and everything in between.

[strq-raving]

I feel like those would be loose in a JanSport backpack

You roll up to the Wizard Battle and your opponent takes out his spellbook but it’s just one of these

[queenscharacters]

"Pick whatever you like, hon. I promise it's okay!" Flora to River (idk like shoes, clothes, getting them all some random thing at the mall ya know ya know)

To say River was overwhelmed would be an understatement. He wasn’t sure there was a word invented for how he was feeling right now. His mother had provided for him up until a certain point, but he never really had much from her either. So many people at school thought his leather jacket was some statement or whatever, but it was the only sturdy outerwear he had for the longest time. Honestly, if it was still winter, he might’ve asked for a jacket.

Well, he would’ve if he could find words. He wasn’t even sure he could breathe. Even when his mom supported him, he never had really a say in the matter of what he got. Things had always just shown up. Initially, he had been excited to be in control of his everything, but then he realized how expensive everything was. He really hasn’t been able to get much lately, either, with how much he had been putting aside for Poppy and Hazel.

River chewed on his lip, fighting the urge to panic. He heard Mrs. Nash loud and clear, but he was still a little nervous. He didn’t want to just assume he could get whatever. “Would it be okay if I get a new backpack, maybe?” He asked shyly. He’d been using the same rusty JanSport since he was in middle school. The straps were well past the point of fraying, but the bag still worked, so he never could convince himself to replace it.

“Oh, and a pair of headphones, too? Any £20 set should do the trick…one ear hasn’t been working well since I started dating Poppy.” He smiled sheepishly. He didn’t mention how some of the times when they were “sharing” his headphones, he made sure she got the side that worked. Surely, if he thought harder, he could think of things he actually needed before those, but the idea of both items being replaced really excited him. He didn’t even care if they were secondhand - Mrs. Nash probably didn’t realize how special of an afternoon this was for him already.

[markleesthighs]

dangerous woman

pairing: idol!mark x richceo!y/n (fem)

genre: strangers to lovers!au, fluff, suggestive to smut

song: dangerous woman by SuperM (Mark’s pov) or Ariana Grande (y/n’s pov)

a/n: mark’s birthday special! Mentions of drinking, rich partying, some dom!y/n and sub!mark (suggestive and smut), also some mommy!kink (please be safe!!)

SuperM was in the US again, for another round of their concerts across the nation. You were a backer behind SuperM, loving their music and overall aesthetic. You’ve never met them since you deposited your money overseas but it would be a simple hello and thank you from them via a card and that would be it. You heard from someone that Mark’s birthday was coming up, and you wanted to give SuperM a proper place to celebrate his birthday. You decided to let SuperM stay and party at one of your mansions for the weekend. Luckily they weren’t performing the day of or day after Mark’s birthday, so it was a perfect opportunity.

You reached out to their managing staff and since you were one of the top backers for them, they humbly agreed. You arranged transportation, food, decorations, drinks, and everything the boys needed for their party celebration. You arrived at their hotel in style in your white Lamborghini, accompanied by your body guards who were driving other patrolling cars, ensuring your safety. One of them opened the door of the car for you and holding your hand. You were dressed in a black Armani pantsuit, black Louboutin heels, a black Louis Vuitton clutch, and Prada sunglasses. You were a showstopper, getting honks from cars in the streets to poor bellhop looking at you in fear. 

You entered the hotel to find the manager of the hotel to greet you. 

“Miss y/n.” The manager spoke as she bowed.

“Hello.”

“They are on the 45th floor in the penthouse suite.”

“Thank you.”

You and your bodyguards promptly went to the elevator up to the 45th floor and walked to their suite. You ringed the doorbell and knocked on the door twice. You heard a manger franticly curse in Korean before opening the door to greet you. You and your bodyguards bowed as you greeted him in Korean, asking him where SuperM was and if they were ready to depart. He apologized saying they were still packing but that you could still come inside. Their manager was yelling in Korean about how you had arrived and they had to hurry up. You walked inside and your bodyguards helped you remove your shoes as you walked into the living room area. 

You removed your sunglasses as you analyzed the room. It wasn’t super messy, just a few snacks and drinks all over the place. You picked up an empty Shin ramen cup, you smiled, these were always yummy to eat after a flight. You wondered if there was any Shin ramen laying around so you got up and found some packs in the kitchen. A member smelled the ramen and walked into the kitchen. 

“Hyung? Are you cooking ramen? Can I have-” 

He saw you and looked at you up and down. 

“Some. “

You turned to look at him, he looked so cute. His hair was still a mess, had his glasses on and a clean shaven face. 

“Wait...y-you’re...y/n! I-I’m so sorry for being informal! I-I’m M-mark from SuperM!” 

He bowed down all the way down on his knees apologizing dozens of times. You turned off the stove and walked over to him to lift his chin up. Mark smelled your Valentino Donna perfume and it was intoxicating to him. You smelled and looked amazing. Your eyes met Mark’s as he innocently gazed at you, you looked down at his lips and back up to his eyes. 

“I know who you are cutie.” You giggled. 

Mark got up after mumbling an “o-oh yeah, haha” and scratched the back of his neck. Mark kept staring at you, he had never seen anyone like you, you somehow looked like his ideal type, yet he’d never met you. Mark’s manager noticed him staring at you before he yelled at Mark to go back to his room and continue changing before he embarrasses himself in front of you. Mark apologized as he shyly left in his t shirt and pajama pants. You continued to make your ramen and ate some while you looked on your phone. You could hear the mumbling of the other members talk about you in Korean. 

“Hyung, she’s really pretty.”

“I know, I wonder how old she is.”

“You never ask a woman how old she is!”

“I would kill to date a woman like her.”

“She probably had a boyfriend or even a husband!”

You sat in the living room as each member walked out one by one greeting you and getting to know you. Mark was the last one to arrive and sheepishly apologized before joining his members in the living room. You noticed how almost all the members wore designer clothing (which you complemented them on) except Mark. He wore a simple t-shirt, jeans, baseball hat, and a Jansport backpack. You hadn’t seen one of those backpacks since elementary school. He looked simplistic yet cute, you liked it. 

“So, who’s the lucky birthday boy?” 

All the members turned and gestured to Mark pinching his cheeks and making goo goo noises towards Mark because he was the youngest of the group.

“Oh, so how old are you turning?”

“2-22 in America but 2-23 in Korean age.”

“Oh! I just turned 21 a couple months ago! How interesting. So I guess you’re my Oppa~”

Mark’s face instantly blushed looking away from you while everyone else laughed. You escorted and assigned the guys their cars and which bodyguard they’d be accompanied by. However, everyone was confused that Mark didn’t get assigned a car, which led to you announcing that Mark would be driving with you since he was the birthday boy. Everyone teased Mark with an “Ooh” or an “Ahh” and Kai blurted out in Korean “Don’t have too much fun!” as him, Ten, and Lucas left in their car. A bodyguard took Mark’s luggage and put it in one of the other cars while he gestured Mark to follow you. A bodyguard opened the car doors for you on the driver’s side and Mark on the passenger side. Mark stayed silent when you turned on the car as you prepared to leave. 

“Why so quiet birthday boy? Never been in a Lambo before?”

“Y-yeah, s-sorry that I’m being really awkward.”

“It’s alright, you ready to go?”

“Yeah!”

You and the other cars promptly left the hotel, you could see Mark’s shocked face hearing the engine and watching everyone in the streets look at you and Mark in the car. Mark looked shy and reserved keeping his hands in his lap and trying to not stare at you too much. At a stoplight you caught Mark staring at you so you turned to scare him a bit. 

“You like what you see baby?”

Mark’s ears turned red and he was panicking in the passenger seat. Mark enjoyed everything about you, your smell, look, and confidence. But you were a backer, a business partner, he shouldn’t be flirting with you. But you were so intoxicating and he wanted a little taste. Mark leaned closer to you almost brushing against your lips. 

“Maybe I do.”

Mark looked at you up and down which turned you on a bit. Mark bit his lip as you were about to kiss him, he turned away. 

“The light is green.”

“Fuck you.”

You pulled away and stepped on the gas making Mark fall back into his seat. He could see the annoyed look in your face. He liked it, it made you look cute. You sped your way to your mansion out of frustration and anger, no man has ever left you hanging like that. You stepped out of the car and slammed the door. Your bodyguards, Mark, and the other members had no time to catch up to you or ask you what was wrong. Mark now felt bad, he didn’t want to play with your heart, especially when he has only known you for three hours. Mark took his luggage as he shyly went inside with the other members. 

They were stunned by the mansion, it was shiny like a new toy to all the members. They began to hoot and holler running all over the place, looking at your giant pool, arcade room, and private spa and sauna. While they were running around wondering where they will choose to sleep, Mark wanted to find you. He kindly asked one of the body guards if they knew where your room was and they guided him into your room. 

Mark knocked on your door but there was no response so he slowly opened the door to find you no where in sight. He was confused yet shocked by the volume and luxury of your room. It was huge and simplistic yet it was also refined. Everything was perfectly clean he could smell your perfume all over your room mixed with the smell of your clean sheets. He heard some rummaging from another part of your room which was your closet. There was a crack in the door so Mark slowly approached to take a little peep to see how you were doing. 

He saw you looking around your giant Barbie-sized closet in your cute fuzzy bathrobe and bunny slippers. He noticed you pulling out a few party dresses before you settled on wearing a Versace dress with a pair of matching sandals to match. Mark watched you remove your robe to reveal your matching black lace undergarments and your almost naked body. Mark needed to look away but he couldn’t watching your hips, dips, curves and waist was making his mouth water. He watched as you put on your dress but struggled to zip it up all the way. 

Mark was about to knock on the door and pretend he wasn’t looking before you caught his adorable puppy eyes looking at you through the reflection in your full length three paneled mirror. He looked like a puppy waiting patiently for his owner to come out, you couldn’t help but pout. 

“You can come out Mark.”

Mark was in so much shock that he accidentally bumped into your door falling over onto the cold marble floor. He got up and brushed off himself and kept apologizing for creeping up on you. As you approached him his eyes kept looking down in shame. 

“I-I am s-so sorry! I didn’t mean to look but-”

“But what?” You walked closer to him taking your finger and lifting his chin up. 

“Y-you l-looked really nice.”

“Nice? Just nice?”

“Y-yeah..”

“You’re so cute. You should go get changed and go downstairs before your friends think you’ve gone missing.” You chuckled and tapped his nose. 

After that Mark promptly left your room to go downstairs to join his members in picking their rooms. Taeyong suggested that they check out the upstairs for other rooms, Mark found himself a room that was right next to yours. It was a pretty sizable room, simple decor with a full sized bathroom and walk in closet. Mark got dressed into an all black suit with a black undershirt. Mark styled his hair with a little gel. All the other SuperM members were yelling at Mark to come down to celebrate, ordering limitless amounts of chicken, beer, soju, and watermelon, Mark’s favorite meal. 

Mark walked out of his room to coincidentally see you also walk out of your room. You looked breathtaking, your hair, makeup, everything, everything was perfect. Mark gestured you to go downstairs first and watch you cascade down gracefully. As Mark walked down he could hear all his member’s screaming and clapping. They also invited some friends of Mark’s that were in the area to come help and celebrate. 

Music was blasting, drinks, food, and games were being tossed around everywhere. It was a fun night. You allowed the guys to have their fun, dance around drunk while singing karaoke or playing another round of street fighter. You liked this. You loved that SuperM gave you a taste of what it’s like to be a normal adult in their 20s, living and enjoying their life to the fullest. 

It made you ponder, you never wanted them to leave. They were a breath of fresh air, it gave you an excuse to take three vacation days from your busy schedule. It made you regret throwing yourself into a billion dollar business at 18. You just wanted to have fun, not sit and do paper work all day. But at the end of the day you felt it was worth it, because you would allow people and groups such as SuperM to thrive and bring some sort of happiness to others. 

As you were reflecting you pulled yourself outside onto the pool deck sitting in a lounge chair looking up at the clear sky, listening to your infinity pool brush water off the clear edge. Mark noticed you were alone so he took this opportunity to get to know you, before he considers pulling some real moves. 

“Hey, y/n? You alright?”

“Y-yeah! How’s the party?”

“It’s AMAZING, I can’t thank you enough for giving me a fun-filled and memorable birthday!”

“Of course.”

“Why are you outside, alone?”

“Just thinking.”

“About what?”

“What I’m going to do when you guys are gone.”

“Gone?” “Yeah I’d have to fly back to Milan soon for fashion week, I have a fittings, approvals, and adjustments of garments to do.”

“Oh.” Mark looked slightly sad. 

“I just wish you could have stayed longer with me.”

You glanced up at him. 

“Us! I mean- I mean us! SuperM! haha...”

Mark scratched the back of his neck again out of nervousness. You and Mark continued to talk about various things bonding over Full Metal Alchemist Brotherhood and Mark getting jealous that you met Justin Bieber once. You noticed the party was dying down so you decided to ask Mark if he wanted to talk to you somewhere more private. He agreed as you secretly dragged him up into your room, hoping his members didn’t see you. 

Mark’s ears felt hot, he felt himself getting excited. He stood near your bed as you closed and locked your door. You pushed Mark down on your bed crawling on top of him. Mark’s eyes were wide in shock and excitement he was waiting in anticipation before you got off of him. Mark frowned sitting up about to stand but before he could protest you started to punish him. 

“Sit.” Mark obediently sat. 

“Good boy” You spoke as you pet his hair.

“Now, because of that little stunt of a tease you did earlier in the car, no touching unless I say got it?” You seductively whispered into his ear.

Mark nodded.

“Good.”

You slowly zipped down your dress as you slowly removed one sleeve from the other. You slid your dress down with your arms down to your ankles giving Mark a clear view of your ass as you bent down. You kicked the dress to the side as you walked to sit on Mark’s lap. You could already feel him getting hard, 

“Aww, is my baby excited?”

“Y-yes.” Mark was about to wrap his arms around you but you stopped them. 

“Nuh-uh, no touching baby.”

Mark pouted.

“Good boys get rewards, are you a good boy?”

“Y-y-yes..”

“Yes who?”

“Yes...miss, y/n.”

You slapped Mark’s cheek. 

“That’s mommy to you. Again.”

“Y-yes, m-mommy.”

“Good, you’re learning. You should be rewarded.”

You shove Mark down onto his back kissing him, tasting soju and watermelon off his lips. Mark was following your rhythm, kissing you back full of passion and licking your tongue every now and then. You started to move down his neck, kissing and sucking on a soft spot. Quiet hissed and moans left Mark’s mouth as you slowly kept kissing down towards his shirt. You ripped open his shirt breaking off a few buttons. You removed his shirt and suit jacket and threw it across the room. 

“My baby is a little toned now isn’t he?”

Mark has a defined six pack which only turned you on more. You kissed down his chest while trailing your fingers down tracing his abs. You pulled down his suit pants tossing them to the side, leaving Mark in his black boxers. You could see his member outlined hardened inside. You palmed his member and Mark’s face shot up to look at you and met your eyes and let out a soft moan from his lips. You pulled down his boxers and saw his member hard, leaking with precum. 

“Baby I didn’t expect you do be so big. Mommy is so proud of you.”

“P-please...”

“Please who?”

“P-please m-mommy touch me.”

“As you wish baby.”

You played with is member pulling it up to watch it fall back and smack against his stomach. You reached into your side drawer and pulled out some lube, pouring some on top of his member before rubbing your hands against it. You could hear Mark cursing with his moans. You went faster and slower, picking up the pace to watch Mark go out of control with higher pitched moans. When Mark was about to climax you pulled your hand away and Mark whined. 

“This is what you get for teasing me in the car.”

“I-I’m sor-rry mommy! Just please!”

“Please what?”

“P-p-please let me cum!”

“Who are you talking to?”

“P-please let me cum mommy!”

As Mark spoke you picked up the pace immediately eventually sucking onto the tip of his member for added stimulation, it didn’t take long for Mark to climax into your mouth, which was a mouthful. You swallowed it and licked the rest off of his member. 

“Baby, you taste amazing.”

Mark was breathless, sweating, and seeing stars. He felt like he just did the hardest workout of his life. You climbed back on top of Mark to kiss him. 

“But...m-mommy?”

“Yes baby?”

“What about you? Shouldn’t you feel good too?”

“But it’s your birthday baby.”

“And I want to make you feel good, please. Let me make you feel good mommy~” 

The way Mark said mommy turned you on so much you wanted to go for a second round. He really knew how to rile you up. Plus, he looked adorable begging, so you gave him a free pass. 

“Alright, since it’s your birthday, you can make mommy feel good, show mommy what you’re made of baby. You are granted permission to touch me however you like baby.”

Mark immediately flipped you over and had you against your headboard with your pillows. He started to kissed you passionately while rubbing you all over your body. He would constantly ask if he was doing good and you would agree and tell him to keep going. Mark tried to remove your bra smoothly but was having some trouble. You kissed him and reassured him it was alright and removed the bra yourself. Mark kissed down your body and pulled down your underwear and he slowly pulled away your legs before licking against your wet cunt. 

“Mommy, you’re so wet...”

“All for you baby, keep going...”

Mark was surprisingly doing well making you feel really good, you were muffling your moans into your pillows before Mark finds your sweet spot which makes you jolt up to push his head down further with his hair. You were a moaning mess, Mark licked and sucked hard down on all the right places causing you to climax, almost crushing Mark’s face between your thighs. Mark smirked before kissing you, now tasting your sweet cunt in his mouth. 

“Can I put it in mommy?”

“Y-yes, please, put it in!”

Mark slowly entered you as you moaned out loud, Mark grabbed your face to look at him, he wanted to see your face. He slowly thrusted into you which felt painful at first but began to feel immense pleasure. Mark was also moaning harmoniously with you, kissing your forehead every couple of thrusts. 

“I-I’m close!”

“Me too!”

“Fuck!”

You both kissed each other as you both climaxed. Mark removed himself from you as he cuddled you into bed under your plush sheets.

“Happy birthday baby.”

[mouseunnie]

yooo where my milliennial kdrama fans at?? I was looking for something light and sweet to watch and this drama which is set in a flashback to the late-90’s is hitting all my nostalgia notes. Those brick phones and answering machines and like actual daily human interaction with the paper boy and the guy who works at your favorite bookstore. Recording tv spots on VHS and making a scrapbook journal. Jansport backpacks, overalls, and wide-leg jeans. The Adidas Samba slippers!!!!

Highly recommend to anyone with any attachment to the 90’s

TWENTY-FIVE TWENTY-ONE (2022) Dir. Jung Ji Hyun

[svchengss]

hey barista! | l.dh

summary | befriending the barista from your local cafe doesn’t seem too bad

pairing | lee donghyuck x fem!reader ft. jaemin who’s a rlly cute side character in this :(

genre | fluff, angst, slight humour (?)

warnings | a kiss?? i don’t think there’s any but if i missed anything do lmk !!

word count | 3k+

s. tg | @hyuckefi [my apologies since i didn’t release a proper teaser for this 🙏🏻]

author’s note | this is my first fic exceeding 1k words so if u enjoyed reading this, please leave some feedbacks !! rb’s are also appreciated :D ALSO I SUCK AT SUMMARIES LMAO PLS IGNORE THAT

just another day of working at palm coffee, the same old routine. cleaning the countertop and tables before opening up the cafe, prepping the ingredients - more for top favourites! - and examining the machines to make sure they’re working properly. that’s some of hyuck’s daily routines as a barista. he didn’t mind them though, he loved his job. he couldn’t specify the reason why but all these tasks are genuinely interesting to him.

seeing you drop by the cafe is a normal occurrence for him. since you are a regular customer after all, the rest of the staff already know you well. heck, they’re even good friends with you. jaemin hangs out with you more than he does despite being jaemin’s childhood friend. except for him, he doesn’t really know why. he’s not really shy, considering the fact that he’s a social butterfly. he just couldn’t bring himself to say anything to you, the only times he did so was to take your orders when the rest of the workers were busy in the store.

upon hearing the doorbell chime which signals a new customer entering the cafe, hyuck blurted out the usual line. “hello, welcome to palm coffee! how can i help-“, looking up from the cash register only to find you in a disheveled state. “-you?” he eyes you up and down, noting how a few strands of your hair were out of place, the nude lipstick smeared on the left corner of your mouth and your outfit looks really rushed. 

“sorry, what was your name again, hyuck right?” you quickly glanced at the nametag hanging nicely on his apron. “i’m in a rush right now, can i get a,” you scanned over the menu behind him, “uh, white coffee, please?”. 

“that will be six dollars. you can use the restroom in the meantime to, you know, touch up your makeup and stuff,” he takes the bills from your hand, putting them in the machine in front of him before flashing you with that warm smile of his. you wished him a quick thanks before disappearing into the back of the place.

now that was embarrassing.

your eyes scanned over the hall to find your friend before hearing her shout your name from across. damn, why does she have to be so loud? stares were directed towards you as you walked up the stairs to your designated seat. all the chatter going on in the lecture hall became quiet as soon as your professor placed her things on the desk, which means class has started. 

after hearing a two-hour lecture and writing some notes - where suddenly song lyrics and scribbles appear - the words you’ve been waiting to hear finally echoed through the speakers. 

“class is dismissed, thank you everyone for listening,” mrs. hui’s voice later being flushed out by the buzzing voices of the students walking out the hall, determined to finish their own activities. you stuffed your ipad and papers into your light yellow jansport backpack before going out to meet vic who’s waiting for you outside. 

“i’m exhausted, what did she even teach just now?” vic sighed to her heart’s content. you can’t blame her, today’s topic was quite complicated. circuits analysis or something? you can’t really wrap your head around it, your brain being stuffed with all the information. vic kept on ranting  about the problems she faced from the moment she woke up, making you giggle at some comments she made. 

“wait for me, i’m almost done,” he folded his apron neatly before shoving it into the drawer and grabbing his bag from the counter to join jaemin, who’s waiting at the front door with the keycard. hyuck accepted jaemin’s request to help him with some shopping for his sister’s birthday party next week. obviously, the rest of the staff were also invited. 

jaemin divided the shopping list into two, allowing hyuck to find the rest of the things with ease.

“now where are the streamers…” he muttered out loud enough for himself to hear, crouching down to browse through the party decorations on the shelf. or he thought so, as you could hear him sighing clearly in dire need of the certain decoration, that you decided to help him out. 

“um, hyuck? i think the party streamers are in the aisle beside this one? you look a bit troubled there,” you chuckled lightly. the heat flushed to his cheeks, feeling dumbfounded. 

“really? uh, thank you for the help,” he gave you a small grin that could hardly be seen if you didn’t spot the corner of his lips. and with that, he’s long gone with his shopping basket.

you are fond of the atmosphere you’re in right now. the decorations left you in awe - white and pink silk hanging from the wall with silver letter balloons spelling out happy birthday stitched onto them. you can see jaemin’s sister, eun-ji, being carried out of her room with a small flowy white dress and wearing a golden bow on her head, her brunette hair being tied into ponytails. the na family really adore their youngest girl.

meanwhile, there are only a couple of adults your age attending the party -  jaemin’s co-workers, some of his other friends which you aren’t familiar with and hyuck. he looked rather chill, with an oversized beige sweater and white jeans to suit the party’s theme. you’re not quite bad as well, your hair combed nicely and kept neat with a headband, a white sundress with strawberry patterns on it fit nicely on your figure, complemented with a heart-locket necklace placed on your collarbones. before reaching jaemin’s house, you made sure to drop by a local store to get some gifts for eun-ji. she’s a very well-mannered kid which made you adore her very much.

“y/n? very glad to see you here,” hyuck said as he approached you, offering you a plate of cake which he cut.

“i could say the same to you too, mr. lee,” you let out a soft laugh. he made sure to keep a mental note over how pretty you looked today.

“y/n, hyuck! glad you two broke the ice, did you know how hurt i was seeing you two act like strangers whenever y/n came by the cafe?” jaemin enveloping you into a small hug before fake pouting. you can only laugh at the fake debate the two guys in front of you were having. after conversing with hyuck and jaemin for quite some time, you realised that he’s a cool person to talk to, where all this time, you thought he hated you for some reason. before leaving, you made sure to thank mrs. na for hosting the party and off you went home. 

following the previous encounters, hyuck felt much more comfortable around you - even hanging out with you during his shift where you would do your assignments at the cafe he’s working at. every now and then, he would also invite you to hang out with him and jaemin. however, what he didn’t realise was how he slowly pent up feelings - romantically. 

ding dong!

he pressed on the doorbell button with a box of doughnuts in his left hand. the three of you were supposed to be having a movie night, but jaemin got caught up with his groupwork which leaves the two of you alone. 

“hey hyuck! come in,” you gestured, arranging the cushions on your sofa to make it look more organized. the interior of your rented apartment is calming, the light grey walls suiting the navy blue sofa and furniture with darker undertones. the walls are also not left empty, with modern art portraits hanging from it. 

“i brought donuts, your favourite, right?” he opened the box, placing it on the coffee table while you set up the television. you wished him a quick thank you before grabbing two canned drinks from the refrigerator, handing one to him and pressing play on the remote control. you two weren’t quiet throughout the whole movie, with snarky comments on how hot the actors were or how stupid they were being were made. 

he didn’t know you were sleepy though as all of a sudden, he could feel the weight of your head on top of his shoulder. it was a rather awkward situation as he didn’t move at all so you could sleep comfortably. before long, he joined you and dozed off to wonderland. the next morning, you were more than embarrassed to find yourself cuddling up to him, with the next movie still playing on the screen.

seeing your figure outside the front door made hyuck more excited to greet you today. after making a quick order for a green tea latte, you fished out your purse from your handbag, feeling frantic if you’ve lost it outside. luckily, you were the only customer in line as the rest of them were already seated and carrying out their own businesses.

“sorry, but i think this might be yours,” you turned around to find a tall-looking guy handing out your black purse. a wave of relief washed over your soul, thanking the latter profusely.

“mind if i buy you a drink? i hate feeling like i owe someone,” you offered, which he gladly accepted. 

“i’d like a double espresso, please,” he kept his hands into his pockets. 

“and your name, sir?” hyuck looked mildly bothered.

“yukhei,” he ran his slightly blonde hair through the slender fingers. hyuck hated how cocky he looked, feeling more annoyed than ever over the scene that was played in front of him just now. he hated how yukhei looked at you. 

why should he get jealous? he’s just a mere friend to you, that’s all. you have to stop overreacting, hyuck. 

those words kept running through his mind all day.

“dude, are you okay? you looked-” jaemin opened the staff room, interrupting him from the self-talk he was having, “-distracted,” finishing up his sentence. 

“nope, i’m just fine,” he said, bringing the honey smile back onto his face. jaemin nodded before disappearing back to the front to serve the customers. 

stop being so jealous, hyuck. you’re just a friend. not more, not less. 

“jaemin, how do you know if you like someone?” that question is kind of shocking to him, especially if it’s coming from hyuck. of course, he’s had a crush before but it was during middle school. just a silly, little crush. growing up, he’s never had one - not even in high school.

“you’ve asked the right person,” jaemin managed to do his obnoxious voice, even while driving the car. he’s right, he is the matchmaker of the friend group, just how many relationships worked out because of him? eyes still focused on the road - he’s a responsible driver of course, he began to explain the feeling to hyuck, making his points loud and clear.

“first of all, you start feeling a little too happy whenever you’re around them. and no, this is not the oh-we’re-best-friends-forever type of happy, it’s the i’ll-make-you-the-happiest-person-on-earth one. not to forget, you will also experience some kind of turbulence in your heart, expect them to be jumping around a bit. or a lot, whichever suits you the best.

you also tend to feel nervous around that person. like, stuttering your words in obvious or non-obvious ways, feeling faster heartbeats than usual, you name it. oh! if you’ve ever felt jealous whenever they are around someone else, i mean, in affectionate ways, you might have one. however, my tip is for you not to act out of your mind. you don’t want to ruin whatever relationship you have currently, do you?” even when driving, he still managed to deliver his points with full precision and accuracy. 

nodding his head, hyuck took some mental notes to be thought through when he gets home. 

hyuck stared at you, whose figure is snoring soundly on his lap. he assumed you must be feeling exhausted, mid-terms just ended after all. while threading his fingers through your hair, he remembered what jaemin said to him weeks earlier.

1. being happy around them

like jaemin said, it is normal to be happy around your friends. but being with you, it kind of gave more joy for him. not to mention that he started to catch himself smiling over your texts and being reminded of you over small things - your favorite donut topping, the name of that one stray puppy you gave. 

2. feeling nervous around them

his heart would beat a lot faster whenever you get closer towards him, whether accidentally or to mess with him. 

3. getting jealous over someone else

he shouldn’t be jealous of how yukhei looked at you. but he seriously can’t help it. and the way he’s always there during your hangouts. he doesn’t care if he seems petty, yukhei just isn’t in his favour.

his deep thoughts came to a halt when you called out his name, eyes still half-closed, attempting to open them a bit more. 

“did i interrupt you or something? gosh, i’m so sorry,” you quickly stood up but he pulls your body back onto his lap, asking for you to stay.

“what are we?” that question caught you off-guard. the same one that has been at debate in the back of your mind these days. 

i don’t know hyuck, it’s complicated. 

“what do you think we are, hyuck?” you shot the question back at him, your gaze piercing through his soul.

“i don’t know. it’s just-” 

“are you sure?” a deep sigh left your lips. have you been interpreting his body languages wrong? did he only see you as a normal friend, nothing more? 

“sorry, i’m not feeling well. see you later hyuck, bye,” you tried your best to shoot the sweet smile of yours but only a faint one seemed to appear. once you stepped out of the room, he buried his face into his hands. 

god, what have i done?

“don’t feel too down, y/n. maybe there’s something more that he couldn’t bring himself to say?” vic suggested, handing you some tissue.

“i don’t know, i seriously have no idea. why can’t he just say it?” you continued to sob into her arms, she pitied you, especially in your condition right now. but she can’t do anything to help you, other than consoling and listening. 

jaemin knew something was wrong, from your rare visits to the cafe to hyuck not being himself lately. something was definitely wrong and it’s between the both of you. sure, hyuck might be saying that he’s fine again and again, but his expressions can’t lie. the sweet smile of his is long gone and his jokes are no longer heard. whatever it is, jaemin is determined to solve it. he just wants his best friends back. 

looks of dismay can be read all over hyuck’s face when the person facing him is no other than the guy himself, yukhei. still, he tried to control his composure, not making his inner feelings any more obvious.

“so what brings you here?” he took a sip of the mineral water, still making his throat rough from the tension hanging in the air. 

“look, i’m not here for any fights. i know you like y/n, everybody can see it. and honestly, you were oblivious to your own feelings,” he rubbed his hands together. the latter’s puzzled face made him continue his words.

“i’m not trying to make her like me, or whatever you’ve been assuming. sorry if i gave the wrong message but you are the one who should make a move. i can see from the way she looks at you, the feelings are mutual,” he straightened up the denim jacket outside the white shirt wrapping his figure. 

letting out a heavy sigh, hyuck’s face begins to soften up. “no, i should be the one who’s sorry. i’ve been such a prick to everyone around me lately, especially you,” he took of the cap from his head, messing up his hair. 

“no problem, bro. it’s understandable, i guess. now good luck with her, please treat her well,” the two guys exchanged a fist bump for the problem solved. jaemin leaned his back against the wall, smiling and feeling satisfied.

you called out jaemin’s name but to no avail. he invited you to his apartment but seeing that the lights are out, it’s clear enough that he hasn’t finished whatever he was doing yet. just as you were about to leave, you saw hyuck at the other side of it, both your faces mirroring the same look of confusion.

“so, uh, how have you been doing these days? it’s been a while since we talked,” he chose to break the silence. now, you two were sitting facing each other by the balcony. inhaling the breeze, you paused for a moment before responding to his question.

“i’ve been feeling, not as usual. definitely not happy but not that sad,” you pushed some of the loose hair strands hanging on your forehead behind your ears before asking about his.

“you know what, i’m just going to be direct with you. i, lee donghyuck have been holding feelings for you since i don’t know when. yeah sure, i wasn’t really sure at first about what i was going through. i guess i was just scared of how you would react,” he scratched his ears which are not feeling itchy at all, but rather an attempt to distract himself from the overwhelming emotions deep inside him. 

not wanting to waste time any longer, you placed your right hand onto his cheek, standing on the heels of your feet to bring your two lips together. the kiss was short before he pulls you back in for another, this time a more passionate one. he could feel you smile against his lips before enveloping your body into his arms.

“i’ve missed you, you know?” he whispered, his voice tender, directing right into your ears before you replied with how you missed him more. the both of you continued to whisper sweet nothings while embracing each other’s presence. 

jaemin looked at the both of you from a distance, his heart swelling with pride. 

— another pair of lovers matched, cupid jaemin signing out.

[morkleemelon]

nct ideal types 2021 :: dream

127 version | this has been on my mind for a bit and I wanted to write it down- these will consist of confirmed facts and then my own thoughts. the latter part is, as it sounds, strictly from my opinion and observation and may well not be accurate. this is just for fun! proceed~

mark lee:

confirmed: likes someone with long black hair who is nice (on air nct show)

my thoughts:

he moved to korea to train when he was like 13 and has been busy as a bee ever since. I don’t know his life but I feel like he hasn’t really had the chance to date much if at all yet. this brings me to think he would prefer someone who can lead in the relationship

he grew up christian and seems to still hold those ideals. although if he really liked someone it wouldn’t be an issue, this makes me think he would be drawn to someone with similar ideals

he laughs a lot and gets along well with people who are funny (haechan, yuta, jungwoo). I think that he would like someone with a good sense of humor

he doesn’t spend money lavishly and prefers to use what he has (i.e. the jansport backpack, not having youtube premium, keeping all the gifts he receives in his bag). all of this points to him preferring someone modest and not wasteful

mark got jisung a bracelet that costs over $1000 for his birthday (what a good bro I’m cry). he likes songs like ‘I got you’ by Bazzi (mark superm quarantine playlist) which is about spoiling a girl. this all makes me think that although he is frugal for himself, he likes spoiling others and would like to spoil his significant other

From Japan official book vol 1, mark said he wasn’t sure what his ideal first date would be, but he answered that it would be to go to a restaurant and have a good meal because he likes eating. So someone who’s down for simple dates and perhaps also good at cooking (because our boy can’t even make an egg)

From the same magazine, he said he doesn’t care about fashion and would like his partner to “wear what she likes”. Doesn’t seem like he goes for style much!

huang renjun:

confirmed: n/a

my thoughts:

I strongly feel like he would want to feel like the ‘man in the relationship’. he would want to feel protective over his partner and that’s why I think he would adore someone smaller than him

he’s full of chaotic rage energy (in the cutest way that would never actually hurt anybody). to balance out these vibes, renjun would match well with someone calm and sweet

looks-wise besides being a petite person, I can envision someone very cute, probably with shorter, un-dyed hair

renjun is into sci-fi movies and shows and confirmed he believes in aliens (weekly idol). I think he’d be drawn to someone with a big imagination who likes sci-fi as well

lee jeno:

confirmed: n/a

my thoughts:

jeno is really really shy (when he met yeeun from clc to mc together, they said they couldn’t even talk at first because it was so awkward). I think jeno would like someone more outgoing but not overwhelming

I feel like his ideal type is literally like renjun- a little fiesty and literally, little. jeno has mentioned that he loves renjun’s voice too, so perhaps he would be interested in someone with a nice voice

he works out a lot and likes physical activities like biking and going to the gym. I think he’d like someone who values fitness and health too

he loves animals and has 3 cats of his own despite being allergic. because of this, I think he’d like a person who loves animals too

lee haechan:

confirmed: someone with a nice voice/ singing voice. someone with shorter hair

my thoughts:

he’s so extroverted and craves attention from whoever he’s around, and that wouldn’t be an exception for the person he likes. he’d want someone who looks up to him and gives him attention

he’s still really young and even enjoys movies like the kissing booth (I’m sorry I had to bring it up because I think it’s important). ignoring the actual bad parts of that movie, I think he’s interested in that young love, dancing together at the arcade, kissing in the rain, come over to his house in secret, type relationship

haechan seems to be especially close friends with foreign swaggers line (mark, johnny, jaehyun) so I’m thinking that perhaps he likes the western vibe

during oshiete Japan, he and Yuta were the only ones who chose to give three roses to a hypothetical ‘lover’ (they had to choose between 4 types of roses to give). the psychologist said that this means haechan is “flirty and attention-seeking” which makes a lot of sense. this adds to my point that he would like someone who gives him a lot of attention and good reactions

during a recent fansign (1/23?) OP asked “what are things girls do that makes you flattered?” to which he answered “when I did something wrong and get scolded, that scary look makes me flattered”. although it’s a bit awkwardly translated, this insinuates that he likes it when he gets scolded by a girl. *jaemin voice* sexayyy. thus, I’m adding that haechan likes a someone strong headed and not afraid to scold him

na jaemin:

confirmed: n/a

my thoughts:

he has a sort of 180 personality where he’s either really energetic or prefers to be in the background. jeno says that jaemin hardly talks at the dorms after schedules because his social battery is dead. this is classic introvert behavior so I think he would vibe well with someone patient and calm

he’s the sweetest boy and he volunteers often for unicef and was even cast to sm while he was volunteering. he’d appreciate someone who shares similar values and likes helping others

I think he often doesn’t think or worry about himself. he goes out of his way to please others and help others and often disregards what he actually wants because of it (i.e. taking his shirt off at the dream show even though he was uncomfortable I’m so sad poor baby). he needs someone who is thoughtful and who reminds him when it’s time to stop and think of himself

looks-wise, I’m gonna be completely honest when I say I think he doesn’t go for looks. personality and morals are key

his favorite member of snsd is tiffany. he never confirmed if she was his ideal type, but perhaps he’s attracted to her bubbly, girly personality

zhong chenle:

confirmed: he’s only into girls (vlive)

my thoughts:

this may be a stretch, but in a live he was doing, chenle was talking about which member of wayv princesses was the prettiest. he said something along the lines of ‘ew they all looked weird’ but later admitted that kun was probably the only one who ‘looked okay’. kun was snow white which brings me to my first prediction which is that lele likes the classic chinese beauty (black hair, pale skin, elegant, gentle)

chenle loves winning and he loves to be praised. although his mbti shows that he’s an introvert, he would crave the full attention of his s/o. someone who looks only at him

during the from home live, he was asked to act out a scenario where he accidentally ate his girlfriend’s food. haechan (who was acting as the girlfriend) went “buy me 10 more” and chenle just went “okay :)”. ngl, kinda fell in love with him then but this makes me think he’d want someone to spoil

park jisung:

confirmed: likes it when people call him 오빠 (oppa) - take this how you will

my thoughts:

debuting at 14, I’m quite sure he hasn’t had the opportunity to have a relationship yet. this being said, he also seems quite innocent and shy which is why I think he would prefer someone who knows what they’re doing and isn’t afraid to speak their opinion

just from vibes, I think he would wanna be with someone like a best friend to him. someone who’s down to just hang out and talk, play video games and watch movies etc.

he’s quite tall (the tallest in dream) so I think he’d actually be ok with a tall person maybe even around the same height as him

maybe not a definite need, but I feel like he’d be impressed by someone who can dance well since dancing is such a big part of his life