#like what is the situation to make him go from the ais we all know and love to Ocu!Ais

[sirfrogsworth]

Falling into the AI vortex.

Before I deeply criticize something, I try to understand it more than surface level.

With guns, I went into deep research mode and learned as much as I could about the actual guns so I could be more effective in my gun control advocacy.

I learned things like... silencers are not silent. They are mainly for hearing protection and not assassinations. It's actually small caliber subsonic ammo that is a concern for covert shooting. A suppressor can aid with that goal, but its benefits as hearing protection outweigh that very rare circumstance.

AR15s... not that powerful. They use a tiny bullet. Originally it could not even be used against thick animal hides. It was classified as a "varmint hunting" gun. There are other factors that make it more dangerous like lightweight ammo, magazine capacity, medium range accuracy, and being able to penetrate things because the tiny bullets go faster. But in most mass shooting situations where the shooting distance is less than 20 feet, they really aren't more effective than a handgun. They are just popular for that purpose. Dare I say... a mass shooting fad or cliche. But there are several handguns that could be more powerful and deadly—capable of one bullet kills if shot anywhere near the chest. And easier to conceal and operate in close quarters like a school hallway.

This deeper understanding tells me that banning one type of gun may not be the solution people are hoping for. And that if you don't approach gun control holistically (all guns vs one gun), you may only get marginal benefits from great effort and resources.

Now I'm starting the same process with AI tools.

Everyone is stuck in "AI is bad" mode. And I understand why. But I worry there is nuance we are missing with this reactionary approach. Plus, "AI is bad" isn't a solution to the problem. It may be bad, but it is here and we need to figure out realistic approaches to mitigate the damage.

So I have been using AI tools. I am trying to understand how they work, what they are good for, and what problems we should be most worried about.

I've been at this for nearly a month and this may not be what everyone wants to hear, but I have had some surprising interactions with AI. Good interactions. Helpful interactions. I was even able to use it to help me keep from an anxiety thought spiral. It was genuinely therapeutic. And I am still processing that experience and am not sure what to say about it yet.

If I am able to write an essay on my findings and thoughts, I hope people will understand why I went into the belly of the beast. I hope they won't see me as an AI traitor.

A big part of my motivation to do this was because of a friend of mine. He was hit by a drunk driver many years ago. He is a quadriplegic. He has limited use of his arms and hands and his head movement is constrained.

When people say, "just pick up a pencil and learn to draw" I always cringe at his expense. He was an artist. He already learned how to pick up a pencil and draw. That was taken away from him. (And please don't say he can stick a pencil in his mouth. Some quads have that ability—he does not. It is not a thing all of them can do.) But now he has a tool that allows him to be creative again. And it has noticeably changed his life. It is a kind of art therapy that has had massive positive effects on his depression.

We have had a couple of tense arguments about the ethics of AI. He is all-in because of his circumstances. And it is difficult to express my opinions when faced with that. But he asked and I answered. He tried to defend it and did a poor job. Which, considering how smart he is, was hard to watch.

But I love my friend and I feel I'd like to at least know what I'm talking about. I want to try and experience the benefits he is seeing. And I'd like to see if there is a way for this technology to exist where it doesn't hurt more than it helps.

I don't know when I will be done with my experiment. My health is improving but I am still struggling and I will need to cut my dose again soon. But for now I am just collecting information and learning.

I guess I just wanted to prepare people for what I'm doing.

And ask they keep an open mind with my findings. Not all of them will be "AI is bad."

[sparrowsupportgroup]

y’all imagine shit just going down, chaos happening all around you, and you look to Ais for help or comfort, but then he looks like THIS

This is the extra horror added to an already terrible situation. Like I NEED a situation in the game when Ais makes a situation bad, then Ocu!Ais makes it even worse.

[rowdyluv]

Talk to Me - jh86

sᴜᴍᴍᴀʀʏ: jack is stressing over how y/n is bottling something up that happened at the event they attended together. but he just wants her to open up to him like she always has

ᴡᴏʀᴅ ᴄᴏᴜɴᴛ: 2k

ᴡᴀʀɴɪɴɢs: mild language, angst, fake dating, anxious themes, oblivious characters,

© property of rowdyluv ; do not copy and re-upload as your own - anywhere. do not place my work inside AI codes, do not translate.

"Quinn, man, she's just not herself," Jack said, his forehead creased with worry as he talked to his brother’s face through the phone. The bright screen cast a bluish glow on his face, making the shadows under his eyes more pronounced. “Well. She’s herself by being closed off and not telling people what’s wrong. But.”

“But…. she’s not telling you what’s wrong and that isn’t like her.” Quinn cut his younger, middle brother off.

Jack hummed in response. Relieved that Quinn at least understood that part of the situation. Quinn has known her just as long as him, so he figured calling big brother was an appropriate option for some advice.

Quinn's voice grew softer. "Jack, have you ever thought that maybe Y/n's still dealing with what went down at the charity gala? You know she isn’t actually superwoman contrary to your all’s longest running matching halloween costumes.”

Jack was quiet for a moment. Contemplating how to answer his brother’s absurd question. “Of course I have, Q. That is all I have thought about for four days now.” Jack drug one of his hands down his face and groaned in frustration. “Since when do her and I not talk to each other?”

Quinn sighs heavily on the other side of the screen, his voice thick with annoyance towards his brother’s oblivion. "Jack, you know, you can be pretty clueless sometimes.”

“What the fuck Quinn? How did this suddenly become the time to insult me?”

Quinn rolled his eyes and propped his phone up on his coffee table. He sat up, placing his elbows on his knees, looking right at Jack through the phone’s camera. "Jack, she is your best friend. You claim to know everything about her. Or that you know her best. If that is true, we wouldn’t be on the phone arguing about why she’s avoiding what happened."

Jack frowned and whispered, feeling attacked. "I do know her best.”

“And I know you both pretty damn well.” Quinn laughed. “So. I'm going to bet that she isn't avoiding the topic of the WAGs.”

“That’s the dumbest thing I’ve heard you say this month.”

“Do you want to hear what I have to say or not, dumbass?”

Jack didn't respond to him, hoping he would take the silence as an invitation.

“Alright then. If what you told me about the ‘special moment’ you two shared is true. She could be avoiding you because of that. Think about that one.

Jack’s eyes snapped to the phone, his heart racing. He felt like the air was being sucked out of the room. “What do you mean? We have shared many hugs before. Many close moments. So what I felt like I was in heaven at that moment? She didn’t but I had it for a minute. She doesn’t care?.”

“Would you listen to yourself? Many close moments, many hugs, felt like you were in heaven? What about her? What did she feel? Had you discussed being that open about your arrangement in public yet? Or did you blindside her to have your fill?”

“Quinn.. I—. I have to go. Thank you, I love you.”

“Love you too, Jacky. Good luck.”

‘Rowdy dude. I believe you fucked up.’

————————

Jack stared at the phone screen for a moment longer before hanging up. He had been pacing the length of his bedroom, his thoughts a tumultuous mess. Quinn’s words echoed in his mind, making him feel like he had missed something crucial. He took a deep breath and headed to the couch where Y/n was curled up, fast asleep. Her chest gently rose and fell with each breath, and the soft light from the nearby lamp danced across her features. Jack was not going to wake her to let her know he was running out. He grabbed a pen and paper to leave her a note.

He scribbled down a quick message, feeling his stomach knot at the thought of her finding it. "Gone to grab a few things. Be back soon. Love ya, J." He placed the note on the coffee table and grabbed his keys. The door clicked shut behind him, leaving the apartment eerily quiet.

Jack drove to the local floral shop, his mind racing with thoughts of what to say to her. The cool evening air brushed against his skin as he exited the car and walked through the quiet streets. The bell on the door jingled merrily as he stepped into the warm, fragrant oasis of color. The woman behind the counter looked up from her book, a gentle smile spreading across her face. "Can I help you find something?"

"I'm looking for some flowers," he began, his voice a bit shakier than he'd like. "I need lilies, daffodils, and some cosmos."

The woman nodded understandingly, her eyes twinkling. "Ah, sounds like you're trying to brighten someone's day," she said knowingly. "Lilies for purity, daffodils for new beginnings, and cosmos for a bit of whimsy. A lovely combination."

Jack couldn't help but chuckle nervously. "I hope so. They're for my best friend, Y/n. She's had a tough week."

The woman's smile grew as she began to gather the flowers. "Best friends are the best kind of people to have. Tell her they're for making bad days a bit brighter."

Jack nodded, his mind racing. "Could you make them into a bouquet, please?"

"Of course, dear," the woman replied warmly. "Let me wrap these up for you. They're going to make a beautiful bouquet."

Jack felt a twinge of hope as he watched her arrange the flowers. He knew that Y/n would appreciate the gesture, its who she is, and maybe, it would be the catalyst for the conversation they needed to have. He paid for the bouquet and stepped back out into the evening light, ready to get dinner and head back home.

The pizza place was a short drive away, a place they've been going to each week since she movec. It had the perfect blend of cheese and sauce that made their taste buds dance. As he walked in, the familiar smell of fresh dough and baked bread greeted him. The bell jingled over the door and the cashier looked up, recognizing him immediately. "Jack! The usual?" she asked with a knowing smile.

"Yes, please," he replied. She wasn’t necessarily picky with her food, but when it came to this pizza, she was a creature of habit. Pepperoni, ONLY just how she liked it. He watched as the pizzamaker expertly tossed the dough and spread the sauce, feeling a sense of comfort in the familiar routine.

As the pizza baked, Jack couldn’t help but recall the way Y/n's eyes lit up when she took that first bite, how she'd always save a piece for him to share. It was these little moments that made their friendship so special.

‘Friendship?’ His inner thoughts screamed and echoed and ping-ponged around his skull so loudly Jack didnt notice the cashier was trying to get attention to pay.

Jack nodded absentmindedly, pulling out his wallet. "Oh, right." He mumbling his apology and handed over the money. "Keep the change," he said, a little too eagerly, and practically bolted out the door.

The ride home was a blur. He barely noticed the scenery passing by, his thoughts consumed by Quinn's words and the weight of his own feelings. When he pulled up to the apartment complex, his heart felt heavier than the bouquet of flowers in his hand. The elevator ride to their floor was painfully slow, each ding of the passing floors a seeming to get louder and louder.

Jack's palms were slick with nerves as he unlocked the door and stepped into their shared space. The TV was playing softly in the background and the couch was now abandoned. He sat the pizza box on the coffee table.

He called out her name tentatively. The silence that followed was deafening.

With no response he peaked around the corner and down the hallway. There was a bit of light spilling out from under the crack of the door. He took a deep breath and went to knock gently, the bouquet in one hand, his heart in the other.

"Y/n? Can I come in?"

The door to her bedroom cracked open slightly, and a confused gaze met his from the other side. She had been crying again, Jack could see the redness around her eyes and the way her cheeks were still wet with tears.

His heart feels like it just had a skate ran over it.

Jack held out the bouquet, his heart hammering in his chest like a drum. "I brought these for you," he said softly, trying to keep his voice steady. "To make the bad days seem a bit brighter."

Y/n stared at the flowers, her eyes widening with surprise. She had never seen him so nervous before, not even when he was about to go on the ice for a big game. She took the bouquet from his hand, her fingers brushing against his in a way that sent a jolt through both their systems. The sweet scent of the lilies filled the space between them, mingling with the faint scent of her perfume. "Jack, they're beautiful," she murmured, her voice thick with unshed tears.

“I have something else, c’mon.”

Jack's voice was gentle, a stark contrast to the tumultuous emotions crashing through his mind. He stepped aside, allowing Y/n to enter the hallway to head towards the living room where the pizza waited. She followed him with a tentative step, the bouquet clutched to her chest like a lifeline.

When they reached the couch, Jack turned to face her, his eyes searching hers for any hint of what she might be feeling. "Look, Y/n, I know something's been bothering you, but I don’t want to push. If you don’t want to talk about it, that’s okay. But I want you to know that I'm here for you." He took a deep breath and held out his hand to her. "Will you come with me?"

“Our pizza and my favorite flowers? Did you cause a scandal in this fake relationship.” She feigned faked shock, knowing well he didnt. At least she hoped that he hadn’t.

Jack couldn't help but smile at her attempt to lighten the mood, but he knew this was another attempt to deflect attention. He nodded his head no "I just wanted to do something nice for you."

Y/n's eyes searched his, looking for a deeper meaning behind the flowers and pizza. She sighed, her shoulders dropping slightly. "Jack, I know you're worried, but I just don't know if I can talk about it yet."

Jack dropped his head. “I truly wanted to do something nice. But i will admit i had a few motives.”

“I’m afraid that telling you will change things for worse.

Jack looked at her, his eyes filled with concern. "Y/n, I promise you, I’m not going anywhere. You can tell me anything."

Y/n looked down at the bouquet in her hands, the petals brushing against her skin as if whispering secrets she was too afraid to speak aloud. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Jack, I know you're trying to help, but it's just..." She paused, her voice cracking slightly.

Jack stepped closer, his hand reaching out to comfort her. "It's okay, Y/n. Take your time."

Y/n looked up at him, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. She took a deep breath and spoke in a hushed tone. "I've been trying to ignore it, but I can't. Have you ever wanted something so terribly bad, but you’re no good for it/them. Or do they see you differently?"

Jack's heart clenched at the pain in her voice. He went to grab her hand and she pulled away. His heart plummeted “Y/n.”

“Jack. Let me say it this way. Have you ever wanted someone so badly it physically hurt?” Y/n held Jack’s gaze silently pleading he did understand.

Jack cleared his throat before he tried to speak again. “And if I said yes, would you even believe in me?”

[jikooklove9795]

did you notice that when jm posted the birthday picture of him and jk shirtless for jks brithday, he got a lot of hate, right? but did you see that almost immediately after, we got so many videos, pictures, tiktok’s, ays with jk shitless? it feel like when he posted the tiktok, the back photo at the gym, like he was ending that shit real quick. all the hate jm got for posting it “without jks permission” as the trash called it and the jk did the same on his own??? call me delulu but i loved how it felt like he defended jm without even saying anything.

Hi anon 😊

I'm really sorry for the delayed response. I just recently started catching up on old asks and saw yours.

Now coming to your ask, you're not being delusional at all. I see it the same way too. Jungkook was totally defending Jimin there.

Let's take a look at what actually happened, shall we?

On 1st September 2023, Jungkook's birthday, Jimin posted this pic:

He got so much hate for it from tkkrs, solos and antis. It was so horrible and downright vile.

But you know, Jikook karma with Jungkook as the reigning master was just lurking in the shadows, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

No one saw it coming.

Not gonna lie, what Jungkook did had me floored. He went and posted a shirtless pic of himself at the gym:

What floored me wasn't the shirtless pic itself. It was the date. 13, it's Jimin's number. Jungkook posted this exactly one month before Jimin's birthday.

You thought it was over right?

Well. NO

Here's the jaw dropper. The time he posted this pic. 11:58 am KST.

IT'S JIMIN'S BIRTH TIME

Deliberate wasn't it? That's exactly what he was aiming for.

From then on we got pics and videos of him shirtless. And that AYS pic. The one with Jimin's name written across Jungkook's abs. A gift for us but a f*** off to the antis.

This is not the first time he had defended Jimin.

1) We all remember Jungkook's pure joy in AYS. How those were the best trips of his life. How he wanted to do it with Jimin till they're fifty. Make memories to take back home. How everyone else is just a guest on the show.

2) Making phone calls to Seokjin and Hoseok's birthday lives together. Sending flower wreaths together. Flirting with each other on social media.

3) This snippet from his live:

All these, a huge "screw you" to the antis out there. Jimin antis being the key word.

These above stated 1,2, and 3 are very recent moments. There are countless other moments from the past too. But I want to bring back a particular one. For that let's go back to 2021.

On 17th Nov 2021, BTS left for Los Angeles for their PTD On Stage concert and to attend AMAs.

On 25th Nov 2021, Jimin posted a pic of himself at a beach in LA on Weverse:

On 30th Nov 2021, Sojang a Youtuber known for spreading baseless and malicious rumors about BTS dropped a video claiming that Jimin was on a date with two female idols on that beach. Her "proof" was a beach sunset pic posted by Yein in Nov 2021.

The situation became worse when more articles were made saying both the beach pics are from the same place and time. Common, random articles used by both artists were used as "proofs" of them dating.

A few hours after the video dropped "a member" posted pics of Jimin, Jungkook and Taehyung at the same beach Jimin had earlier shared the pics of:

I love the second pic so much. It's so romantic and sweet how Jimin and Jungkook are facing each other with the sunset as background. Particularly Jungkook. Sunset is a very beautiful view right? But here we have Jungkook not facing the sunset but Jimin (a much more beautiful, "pretty" view in Jungkook's eyes).

Ahhh I went off track. Let's get back to the topic real quick.

So, these pics posted were actually a response to Sojang and the articles. An initial debunking of their false claims. This proved that Jimin went to that beach together with Jungkook and Taehyung.

Sources found that Jimin's pic was of Santa Monica beach, posted on 25th Nov 2021 while Yein's pic was of Manhattan beach, posted on 27th Nov 2021.

On 1st Dec 2021 this special, sweet moment happened. Jungkook walked up behind Jimin, wrapped himself around him, stared intently, leaned in close, put his chin on his shoulder, stared again until Jimin turned into a shy, flustered mess. Then Jungkook walked away smiling hand over his chest (Yeah your heart belongs to Jimin. I know Jungkook, I know)

To me it felt like a statement. Like Jungkook was saying "Jimin is mine". He was showing everyone that only he has that effect on Jimin and vice versa by putting his hand over his heart.

Watching the content from that time, when they were in LA, really shows how inseparable Jimin and Jungkook were. Glued to each other on stage, off stage, off camera. Eating together, working out together, Jungkook spending four hours in Jimin's room three times a day (basically, sharing the same room). They were always together.

On 6th Dec 2021, Jimin, Jungkook and Seokjin flew back to SK. Jungkook and Seokjin are the first to arrive while Jimin gets held back. Seokjin leaves. Jungkook stays back and waits 20 mins for Jimin to arrive so that they can leave for their home (not homes) together. But later they get separated due to covid restrictions and take different cars.

This is the time when their company announces that BTS members are opening their individual IG accounts.

And guess what Jungkook chose as his very first profile pic and post on IG?

This one:

Both were of the beach they visited together while in LA.

He even tagged the beach location thus confirming they were at Santa Monica and that the three of them went there together. Also, confirming that Jimin and Yein indeed were not together.

Now we have got a good idea which member actually posted those pics on their official account right?

Bro couldn't wait to shut down all those rumors. He dropped the location like a mic, loud and clear. No more guessing games. Just facts.

He then posted a story where Jimin and Taehyung can be seen. Once again with location.

First profile pic - Santa Monica

First post - Santa Monica

First story - Santa Monica

All check, Jungkook. Good job!

By the way, love the colors 🌈

I thought that was it. But no. Jungkook wasn't done yet. He had more to say. And he made sure we all heard it without saying a word.

On 10th Dec 2021, Jungkook deleted the beach story only to repost it again. But this time with the beach location and the date

On 19th Dec 2021, Sojang posted a defamation rumor against Taehyung. Which prompted him to say that he's suing her.

On 22nd Dec 2021, Sojang posted dating rumor about Jungkook and Yubi. The rumors were denied by both the parties.

On 30th Dec 2021, Sojang posted a dating rumor between Namjoon and a random girl. The next day, Namjoon posted a story on Weverse denying the rumor. He later deleted it.

On 31st Dec 2021, Jungkook posted this:

Once again Santa Monica was the star. I wanna say I was not surprised when I saw this. But I was. Because I lost count of the times he posted about it.

It was kind of wild honestly. Jungkook kept posting the same thing over and over, like he really wanted to drill it into everyone's heads. Emphasizing on the location and date. No drama, no direct call outs. Just facts. Repeated facts. He was on a personal mission to shut down the rumors.

And the thing is he'd never done that for anyone else. Not for Yoongi (Yoongi and Suran), not for Hoseok (Hoseok and Irene) and not for Namjoon (Namjoon and the poodle girl). All these were baseless rumors too. But with Jimin? He went all out. Like he was saying, "Nope. Not my bf."

But really. It's honestly impossible to ignore what Jungkook did. He's never gone this far for anyone else. Never posted the same thing over and over making sure every little detail was clear. Not for anyone else. But for Jimin? It was like he was quietly saying "You're mine to protect and I'll make sure everyone knows it".

A huge shout out to my dearest bff @jkjm9597 who very graciously shared with me the timeline of Jungkook's IG posts for Santa Monica. Love you 💜 She's not very active here. But you may know her as @myhomeisjkjm on X. She's so amazing.

Also, thanks to anon for sending this ask. I loved answering it!

Credits to the owner of the video

[reiderwriter]

😝 brain rot from my character ai scenario… the team goes out to a bar to celebrate and you wear a tiny little dress (just to rile him up obvi) but you also end up attracting a lot of male attentionand he gets SO jealous and protective of you he’s like sitting off to the side just watching you flirt with everyone and the team is like “he looks like hes gonna explode wtf” and then the SMUT HES ALL “they can’t have you, you’re all mine” “you really like all the attention huh? i’ll give you what you wanted” OMG it’s making me crazy i hope i described it good enough 🥰🥰

A/N: Is it really a reiderwriter smut if I don't have to clarify that 'I got carried away' at some point in the authors note? No, it is not. Thank you for the request. My brain is now equally rotted, oops.

Warnings: complaints, dirty talk, semi public sexual activity, partial voyeurism, fingering, hard/rough sex.

You weren't even dating.

Which made the situation even more frustrating for Spencer, and even more exciting for you. 

You'd always flirted with the man a lot, had been told multiple times to knock it off even after getting a little too close for comfort on a case. 

But you couldn't really blame yourself on that one. You'd had to do a quick takedown at a dive bar, and you'd been tasked with pretending to be a touchy couple at the bar to block the back entrance at the staff entrance. 

You'd draped yourself all over him, allowing yourself to get closer than you'd ever been before. 

If you'd just happened to let your hands fall down to his crotch, it was pure coincidence. So was giving his obviously erect length a few strokes through his jeans as he sat staring at you like you were his last meal and he was back in prison. 

Emily had to pull you aside after that one personally. 

You knew she was protective of Spencer, seeing him as a little brother, but it seemed like she was more protective of you at that moment. 

“Are you sure you know what you're doing?” She'd asked, waiting carefully for your answer before she said anything more. 

Two could play at that game. “What is this concerning?” 

“With Spencer.” 

“I'm not sure what you mean, Emily.”

“Yes, you do. Listen, I don't care what you get up to in your personal life, but Spencer has a way of making others feel very… seen. He can get protective and pushy. And I just want to know you're ready for that, and you're not going to let it affect your work.”

“Is Spencer having the same talk?” 

She laughed at that. 

“Spencer? No. I already know it's going to affect his work, because it has since you joined our team. He still gets his job done, but I know where his priorities would lie if there were an emergency.” 

You'd shivered at that and excused yourself. 

If he was that obsessed with you, why had he not told you? Stepped over that line from friends to more than that?

You needed to force the issue, and you had the perfect opportunity when Penelope invited you out for drinks. 

“Y/N! Don't go, it's Friday night, we-” she said gesturing wildly to the team gathered around you, “are going to a bar. No, you can't rain check either.” 

“Can I at least get changed first?” 

“You need to get changed. We're going to a nice bar, Y/N.” Running off again to grab the rest of your team members and force their attendance, you grinned after Penelope. 

It was time to see exactly how focused on you Spencer Reid was.

And how willing he was to let you slip through his fingers.

An hour later, you were stepping out of your taxi, pulling your skirt down as you did. The short black dress had a terrible habit of pulling up your thighs to flash your underwear at anyone in a 10 foot radius. Usually, that bothered you, but tonight, you planned on using it to your advantage. 

After all, you'd left out the underwear tonight for a reason. 

Pulling your jacket around you tighter, you pushed the door to the bar open and scanned the room for your team members. 

“Y/N, over here!” Tara called you over, nursing a beer. Luke sat next to her, Penelope on his other side, and Matt on hers and completing the group was Spencer Reid. 

“Where are JJ and Emily?” You asked, doing your very best to ignore Spencer as you sat down next to him, practically falling into his warmth. You sat so close to him. 

“At the bar. Emily is convinced she can flirt her way to a free drink, and JJ is convinced she cannot. The girl she's working on now has to be 22 at most, so it could honestly go either way.” Penelope answered, and you felt Spencer shift slightly beside you. 

“Speak of the devil,” Luke said as the two women approached. 

“Well? What's the result?” You grinned up at them, letting your head fall back against Spencer’s shoulder as you gently rested your hand on his thigh. He sat silently for a minute, not moving and just taking in the conversation. 

“I've still got it.” Emily grinned triumphantly. 

“Maybe I should give it a try. There are a few hot male bartenders tonight. Who knows, I might score more than just a drink.” 

Spencer choked on the drink he was sipping as you spoke quickly, a few knowing looks passing between every other person at the table. You'd have to be blind to miss it. Or Spencer. 

“Spencer, are you okay? You should be careful, I wouldn't want you to choke. That's how I want to end my night, but it's not for everyone.” That one earned you a few snickers from the others and a glare from the man himself. 

“I'm fine, thank you, Y/N.” He smiled down at you and gave your knee a friendly tap that turned slightly less friendly as he pushed it further up your leg. 

The others had since averted their attentions, moving their conversation onto other things, but you and Spencer were still stuck in each other's orbits. 

Your heart beat faster until you were sure it could be seen, raw and fit to burst out of your chest. His fingertips brushed your hem. He was seconds away from realising that you were going to get the attention you wanted that night. 

Slipping just an inch up the hem, he twitched almost imperceptibly as he searched for your panty line, brows knitting when he couldn't find it. 

“What's wrong, Spencer? Searching for something that isn't there?” You enjoyed watching his frown deepen as he registered your words, but you enjoyed it even more when you gently pushed his hand away as you stood. 

“Well, I need a drink. Let's hope I can recreate your success, Emily.” You said, finally pushing off your jacket. The dress may have been short, but it was also low cut, burning the candle at both ends as your breasts threatened to spill over with any particularly deep breath. 

“Sweet lord in heaven! You didn't come to play tonight.” Penelope exclaimed, practically applauding your body as you twirled for her and showed off the form fitting dress, giggling all the way. 

“You said it was a nice bar, Penelope. I'm hoping there are also some very nice men here, too.” With a wink, you turned on your heel and strode to the bar, making sure your hips swung seductively with every step. 

You couldn't immediately give in and turn to see if he was watching you when you got to the bar, though, not willing to give him the satisfaction. You were doing it all for him, but you still didn't want him to know that.

It didn't take long for men to swarm you. They came one at a time, and you entertained them each as you waited for your unnecessarily complex cocktail order to be prepared. 

In the 7 minutes you'd been away from the table, you'd been approached by three separate men. They all tried lines on you, gave you their numbers and tried their best to woo you, but with Spencer’s eyes burning across your body as you leaned against the bar, you really couldn't have cared less. 

Still, you leaned in, giggled in the appropriate places, and took the numbers, knowing they'd never be called.

When your cocktail was finally ready, and the last one offered to fund it for you  You finally felt a hand at your back. 

“That won't be necessary, thank you.” Spencer ended the conversation, handing his own card over to the bartender as he kept his hand on your back, his body crowding yours. 

The man walked away in defeat, and you turned on him, sipping your drink as you refused to move away.

“Now why ruin all my fun, Spencer?” 

“You're really enjoying all this attention, huh?” He said, pushing your hair behind your ear as he leaned closer to you, his next word a whisper against your skin.

“I can see your pussy from all the way back there,” he said, tugging down your skirt slightly. You weren't surprised though  simply taking another sip and maintaining eye contact. 

“I know.” His hand, having slipped up to your waist, tightened as his gaze dropped to your lips. 

“You want everyone to see your dripping cunt? Want to let all the men here take a turn trying to catch your attention so they can slip in?” His voice was low, practically a growl as he licked his lips.

“No. I wanted to see how long it'd take you to come over and do it. By my count, that was eight minutes, correct?” 

“Good girl. Just remember that you're mine. I'm not letting anyone else have you.” Giving your face a gentle stroke, he let it trail down your body, subtly cupping and squeezing your chest on the way down. 

“All of a sudden, I feel very tired, Spencer. Take me home.” He wasted no time, grabbing your hand and gathering you up, your jacket and bag collected from the desk as he gave minimal answers to the others as you departed. To their credit, they asked minimal questions. 

The cold air hit you hard as you pushed the doors open again, but Spencer was unperturbed, pulling you over to his car silently, a strong hand on your shoulder helping you into the passenger's seat.

You dare not talk the entire drive to his apartment, so sure that any word from you would have him turning immediately to deposit you right back at the bar. 

He didn't, though, but he also didn't look at you or touch you. You sat squirming at the heavy atmosphere, suddenly desperate to know exactly what thoughts were trapped inside Spencer’s impressive brain. 

“We're here.” He announced, pulling up quickly and cutting the engine, climbing out in a hurry. 

You fumbled with your own seat belt as he pulled your door open, catching you up in his arms as he closed the door behind you. You wrapped your legs around his waist as your arms wrapped around his neck, letting him carry you up the stairs to his apartment.

His lips didn't meet yours until the door was firmly closed and locked behind you, and even then, he didn't immediately dive in. He out you down, and a touch of disappointment flooded your body as he completely entangled himself from you. 

It dissipated completely when his hand wrapped around your throat.��

“Let me be clear, Y/N. You are mine. If you want attention, I will give it to you. If you want to choke on something, I'm more than happy to provide it. If you want to dress like a little whore, go ahead, but don't forget who your sweet little cunt belongs to.” His fingers tightened with each word as you gasped for air, back resting on the nearest wall as his body pressed up along your own. 

“Do you understand?” He asked, and you nodded repeatedly, fast and desperate. 

“Good. Now, ass up on the bed. I'll meet you there.” You practically sprinted to the room in question, slinking up onto the bed. He said ass up, but you hesitated slightly as he quietly shut the bedroom door behind you, just long enough to earn a slap on your ass as he finally returned to your side. 

“You have to listen, Y/N. You wanted this, so you have to listen nicely.” 

“I'm sorry, Spencer, it won't happen aga-” He stole the end of your sentence as he slipped his fingers into you, gently working the two longest ones up into a frenzy as he finger fucked you. 

“Sorry, what was that? I don't think I quite caught your words.” You could only moan in reply as you buried your head in his pillows, ass pressing back into his fingers to help him get deeper.

“So needy. Look at this little black dress. You knew this was going to happen, right?” A third finger slipped inside you, and you screamed out in pleasure as he continued using you.

“Burying your head isn't going to work, Y/N. Your cunt is answering for you.” 

You heard the rattle of his belt unbuckling as his fingers finally slipped out, the emptiness only a relief for a second before his cock was hitting deep inside of you. 

Thoughts escaped you as you finally got what you'd been begging for for weeks. His every frustration was pounded into you as he tugged at your hair, pulling your torso up so he could hit even deeper. 

Pulling back your head with a hand on your throat he laid a barrage of kisses across your upper back and shoulders, making sure to bite and suck and nip as his spare hand toyed with your nipples, pinching and pulling. 

In a second, you reached your climax, not having the breath left in you to let him know before you tightened on his shaft and let your body fall limp under his hands. 

“I'm going to mop up our cum with this dress, Y/N, and then I'm going to make you put it back on.” With a final grunt, he pulled out, jerking his cock through his release as he shot his load right over your pussy lips. 

He collapsed on top of you, and you finally gave up your last bit of strength beneath him, enjoying the pressure of his weight pushing down on you again. 

“Thank god that worked,” you gasped, catching your breath. You smiled as he flipped you over and pulled the dress off your head, true to his word. 

“What worked, Y/N?” 

“This. You don't know the lengths I'd have gone to to get you yo finally fuck me if this hadn't worked.” 

“But suddenly, I'm curious, and I have all the time in the world.” You laughed lightly but snuggled into his chest again, meaning to sleep. 

“Unless you want to get dressed again now…?” 

[andy-wm]

"Who's been sleeping in MY bed?" the little one asked

I had a comment on my previous post asking if Jimin & JK stayed at the same hotel in NY and I realised I had assumed Jimin stayed in JK's room. But I don't think he did and I have thoughts on this whole situation.

[[ETA a few ppl have mentioned they had to read this twice. I apologise that this post jumps around and meanders and side-tracks all over. Believe it or not i did try to organise it... unfortunately it's an accurate representation of my brain]]

It's taken a few (probably way more than necessary) hours of looking at every bloody room in the Loews-Regency NY, and going back and forth between Are You Sure, I am Still, and the AYS behind clips to work it it but I can confidently say I know exactly* what unfolded on the night Jimin arrived in NY...

*clearly a lie, since we never REALLY know anything... However by collecting all the clues** left in these 3 series I do have a lot of circumstantial evidence. Combining that with a bit of deductive reasoning and a healthy dose of speculation, I have a decent enough theory.

** This cannot be accidental. The same people would be responsible (to an extent) for all three series. They have managed not to re-use any content, except once or twice we get the same scene from different angles. And that means we have a lot of information. BH knows army well enough to know we are absolutely going to gather up the (red) threads of these series and stitch together a story.

This is what i know:

Jungkook was in a Two Bedroom Suite - he had the master bedroom.

A Grand Executive Suite was used as a dressing room (but not much else).

Jimin had a Grand Executive Suite to himself (almost).

This is what I have reasonable evidence of:

Jungkook's master bedroom in the two bedroom suite was clearly used. Clothes on a chair, two open suitcases, personal items on the nightstand etc are evidence of the space being occupied. However when we saw him packing to leave for AYS, the bed looked largely unused. A dent in one pillow (the other pillows thrown across the bed) shows someone lay down on the bed, but the comforter was undisturbed and even the blanket at the bottom of the bed was still in place.

At first i was amazed that JK's suite is shown almost without restriction. It is not treated as a private space. But then i realised we see a number of staff moving in and out of the space too. It dawned on me that even though JK has an area for his own use (the master bedroom) this is considered a work environment, much like the hotels in BV and ITS.

So it's unsuprising that when filming, the staff casually follow JK around as he does his thing, even making a point of showing spaces we wouldn't otherwise see - like the master bathroom with its great big tub. Jungkook himself invites us into the living area when he checks on reactions to the Seven MV. and in AYS we get a glimpse into the kitchen.

We don't get to see the second bedroom or bathroom so I assume a staff member - maybe JK's manager - used those.

Compare this to the way Jimin's space is treated:

Jimin's suite is treated - mostly - as a private space. It's not just careful editing. By the actions of the staff members filming him we can see they are very aware of this.

We see it at the start of AYS when the staff member wakes Jimin up. They stay in the doorway of Jimin's suite, literally not even stepping inside. We see only a glimpse of the (second) bathroom, and the footage is cut when the camera pans away. Jimin seems quite cheerful about being on camera despite his sleep swollen face and his bed hair, but nevertheless the staff member doesn't enter his room.

On both occasions when we see Jimin's suite, the staff member recording him is cautious about being his space.

That's not something we often see when BTS are on camera - especially not as overtly we saw it here. The privacy of Jimin's suite is very obviously being respected.

Packing for AYS: Jungkook vs Jimin (and the MOOD)

In the Behind clip for AYS we see both of them packing for their getaway.

Jungkook seems quite unbothered about having his packing process documented as he moves around the big suite. It crosses no boundaries for him. He hums and haws about what to take, he chats to the staff member, and he talks to the camera as he moves from room to room. He knows he's working and this is part of his job.

Jimin, on the other hand is rattled. He stuffs his clothes into the cumbersome bag with visible annoyance, not even taking the time to open the bag properly.

Now remember, Jimin is a performer. He goes out of his way to be charming and entertaining. He knows how to turn that on for the camera and in this moment he's choosing not to.

He doesn't engage with the audience.

He doesn't talk to the staff member.

He doesn't turn towards the camera.

He gives nothing.

He huffs in exasperation as he struggles with the bag, and his movements are tense and abrupt.

Prickly is the word that comes to mind, but honestly that doesn't even cover it.

When he's done packing, he snatches that bag up and marches out of the room without a second glance.

His hair covers his eyes like a shield as he walks toward the camera but the tightness in his neck and jaw betrays strong emotion.

Yeah he's not happy

He slips through the half open door and strides down the hallway.

I get the feeling that if the staff member didn't move fast enough, Jimin would run them over.

When something like this happens, my response is usually to look closer, so let's do that.

Firstly Jimin is a consummate professional. He can usually put a good face on any situation. But in this case he doesn't even seem to try. I guess whatever is bothering him is not something he can or will just brush off in that moment.

So what's actually happening here?

What is it that's pissed Jimin off to such an extent?

Let's look at it again...

They are filming him pack his bag. The staff member stands closely beside Jimin and focuses only him, his bag, and the sofa.

Let's be honest, there is absolutely nothing interesting about this scene (except the implications we are currently unpacking).

They could have made this count for a little more, maybe by panning around the room or changing the position of the camera in relation to Jimin. But they don't. Even when, by chance, there's a glimpse of what looks like takeout containers on the coffee table and some random debris on the chair behind Jimin, the staff member moves so that we only see Jimin, the bag and the sofa. That is all we're getting.

That's a clear decision and there has to be a reason for that decision.

When they leave the room, we have an abrupt cut before the camera backs out the door and down the hallway. That's another clear decision. The staff member could easily have moved behind Jimin and followed him out of the suite but this keeps them - and us - out of Jimin's personal (private) space and he remains the literal gatekeeper to that room.

Once they are out of the room Jimin lifts his head briefly, shakes his hair out of his eyes, and strides purposefully - defiantly even - on. He still doesn't interact or make eye contact. He still isn't giving them (or us) a damn thing, and even the funky upbeat muzak they've used can't alleviate the tension in this scene.

So why is Jimin in a mood?

We know Jimin was there for one night before they began filming for AYS. So all this takes place before filming for AYS began.

And that, in my mind, is the key.

Jungkook was promoting his album and he expected to be on camera. He knew the space he occupied was a filming location. Jungkook was already at work when he was packing for AYS. but Jimin was not.

Okay, but this a BIG MOOD... what else is happening?

It's not the end of the world to be asked to start your schedule a little earlier, is it? We know Jimin was already awake...

But they came into his room.

I don't believe he expected to have anyone in his private suite - anyone besides Jungkook. And I don't believe he agreed happily, based on his behaviour.

I'm 99% sure Jungkook spent the night in Jimin's suite for two reasons.

Logically it makes sense that they would choose the place they have the most privacy, and even though Jungkook had the master bedroom and a private bathroom in the bigger suite, that is a WORK LOCATION. It's not his private space.

Add to that Jungkook saying he was packed and ready to go, and only needed to brush his teeth which he would do when Jimin arrived. He even told us where he would be putting his toothbrush (future tense).

It's not hard to guess where his toothbrush was. And why.

So we have two healthy young adults who (we are told repeatedly by Jungkook) have barely seen each other. The flirting started at the restaurant, and we've already seen the evidence of a night spent in energetic passion.

And we have a closed-up room. I don't know how much air would be circulating in that room with the blinds down and the doors closed. I don't know how much air would need to circulate to remove the ...how can I put this delicately? the ripe and musky scent of celebration. I expect there was A LOT of celebration...

And we have Jimin. Jimin is MESSY. Jimin breaks mosquito nets and marks people's necks and pushes boundaries even in public. He throws his things about with not a care in the world... clothes, yes, and other things. How many of Jimin's tissues has JK picked up? You get the picture. It's a Biohazard.

Lastly, we have (or had) an expectation of privacy, of no staff, of restricted access.

Now there's a person in his private space unexpectedly. And they have a camera.

So Jimin is pissed off.

I'd be pissed off too.

He seems to be over it by the time they're filming the preamble to AYS, but he obviously felt compromised and deeply uncomfortable. I am glad he made it clear he was unhappy.

This highlights for me the importance of them having agency over their content and their personal time and space. On this occasion he must have reluctantly (and with conditions) agreed but I hope that in future his boundaries are respected.

I hope even more that ARMY (and Jikookers especially. I hold us to a higher standard) remember that their personal time and space is precious to them, and they deserve to enjoy their lives away from the public eye. Like the rest of us they should have the freedom and confidence to do what they want (no matter how messy) without the fear that someone with a camera will invade their space and record them.

Please don't go to Jungkook's house, even while he's not there. It's not a tourist attraction.

[akookminsupporter]

JIKOOK KARMA STRIKES AGAIN… AND SO DOES THE CHAOS

Jimin and Jungkook talking—or better yet, teasing us—really took me back to that last Wlive they did with Joon and Tae, when they were teasing us about AYS. It’s that same chaotic energy, where they drop just enough hints to get us all curious but refuse to spill the details. And now, once again, I’m sure the average Jikooker is sitting somewhere, wondering what kind of stories they were referring to and why they’re suddenly ‘worried’ that we might go somewhere.

Like… go where exactly? What is it that we’re supposed to be running away from? Or towards? Are they concerned we’ll collectively lose our minds and ascend to another dimension? Do they think we’ll all log off en masse? (Unlikely. Jikookers have survived worse. We don’t log off.) Or are they, for some reason, imagining us physically running somewhere? The way they worded it was so dramatic, and considering how… well, dramatic they can be, I wouldn’t put it past them to exaggerate on purpose just to wind us up.

Now, I don’t know about you guys, but the first time I read that whole conversation it sent me in a completely different direction. Hobi said that he’d heard some of these stories before and they made him laugh so hard his stomach hurt and I swear, my first thought was that they were talking about something so funny that we’d all end up running to the bathroom because we’d be laughing so hard, we’d pee ourselves. That was genuinely my first assumption ajajajajajjaaj. I don’t know if that’s me oversharing, but I promise you, that was my immediate thought process when I saw their conversation. Like, they weren’t just hinting at something mildly amusing—they were acting like these stories were comedic gold.

And honestly? Knowing Jimin and Jungkook, I can totally see it. These two have always had a way of getting themselves into ridiculous situations, whether it’s by accident or on purpose. They’re the type of people who will be completely serious one second and then somehow descend into absolute chaos the next. The number of times they’ve been caught making each other laugh uncontrollably, to the point where they’re falling over, hitting each other is endless. So, I can only imagine what kind of things they’ve been through that they personally find hilarious.

But what really gets me is the way they spoke about it. Like, the absolute drama of it all. The way they said it was so unnecessarily intense. It’s such a Jimin and Jungkook thing to do—acting as if they’ve lived through some wild, untold saga when in reality, it’s probably just them being absolute menaces and laughing at the dumbest things. And yet, here we are, hanging onto their every word, waiting to hear what exactly happened. I just know that whatever these stories are, they’re going to be peak Jikook behaviour. I. CANT. WAIT.

Now, Switching topics for a moment—because I need to talk about this—if there’s one thing that has been proven time and time again, it’s that ‘Jikook karma’ is very real. I mean, we’ve seen it play out so many times over the years, and it just keeps happening.

Like, take what happened recently. A few days ago, I saw some Jikookers talking about how the vecinas were up to their usual nonsense, this time about a restaurant. Apparently, the restaurant itself had to step in and clarify some things, which, of course, immediately made the vecinas furious. And what did they do in response? They started sending hate to the restaurant owner and blaming BHM for everything under the sun—again. Like clockwork.

But that wasn’t even the only thing going on. For some reason, the vecinas and Solos also decided to revive their weird obsession with trying to prove that Jimin and Jungkook don’t spend time together. They went back to claiming that the two of them don’t share a dorm—or whatever it’s called in the military—and that they don’t even see each other, which is just… fascinating, considering the fact that Jungkook himself already said otherwise. So, in other words, they were basically calling Jungkook a liar.

And what happened next? Classic Jikook karma. Because not only did Jimin confirm that he and Jungkook do share a dorm (or sleep in the same place, however, you want to phrase it), but both of them also casually mentioned that they’ve been through so much together—so many incredible and probably hilarious moments—that they can’t wait to tell us about them… even though they’re not sure if they can tell us. Like, they want to share, but maybe they shouldn’t. I mean, if that’s not the ultimate ‘Jikook karma’ moment, I don’t know what is.

Now, back to the fun part of all this—because I need to focus on that instead of the nonsense—Jungkook absolutely killed me when he said, "June 11th!" basically implying that the day they’re discharged from the military, they’ll spill everything. The way he just threw that date out there so confidently was hilarious, like, that’s when you’ll know everything! I love him, but yeah… I don’t see that happening.

I don’t know if being a Jikooker has made me pessimistic because deep down, I feel like we’re not actually going to hear these stories they were bragging about today. Like, I want to believe it. I want to trust that they’ll actually spill, but something tells me they won’t. They’ll either decide last minute that it’s too embarrassing, or they’ll just keep hyping it up without ever giving us the details. And honestly? That’s fine. We should be used to it by now. If anything, it’ll just be another inside joke for the fandom. After all, it took almost four years for us to finally hear about the ‘rainy day fight’. Four years. So if we have to wait another few years to hear these new stories, well… I guess we just have to be patient. Again.

[lilyclawthorne]

There’s TADC spoilers ahead so proceed with caution

I know we’re all sad about Gummigoo but honestly I feel like he kinda had to be removed because it wasn’t going to be what’s best for Pomni

This is only her second day and while her nightmare in the beginning makes it clear that kaufmo’s abstraction did a number on her mentally, it also tells us something else. That Pomni fears that she’s not going to make it and these people will not care or even remember her if she abstracts.

These people aren’t her friends. She barely knows them and she certainly isn’t trying to. The only attempts to get along with her directly are coming from Ragatha, and it’s very clear they’ve already started off with a strained relationship.

So Pomni is kinda just walked into this adventure, which she clearly isn’t interested in, and when things go haywire and she encounters someone having a similar existential crisis to the one she had only a day prior, she can relate to that. And she says it herself, she could really use a friend. She makes comparisons between Gummigoo and herself. She doesn’t have memories anymore outside of the game she’s been out in. She feels like nothing. I think she’s inadvertently telling him advice she needs to hear herself, if she wants to get through this, that this can be a home and she can be somebody real there.

But the thing here is that he’s not the same as her. He’s an NPC. An AI. A piece of the game. Pomni is missing memories. He never had any others. Pomni is trapped. He’s being offered even more of a life. Caine also let’s us know indirectly that it seems to not be good to get players and NPCs mixed up.

And once Gummigoo is gone, we move on to the final scene, Kaufmo’s funeral. Here we see that everyone aside from Jax’s absence) cared about Kaufmo. Zooble set up the service. Ragatha couldn’t keep from crying no matter how many times she’s been through this. Gangle and her drawing of the two of them. Kinger explaining how they like to do this to honor those they’ve lost. It’s made very clear that this group of people care deeply about those they’ve been forced to be stuck here with. That they’re not going to let someone who abstracts be forgotten, what Pomni feared would happen to her in her own abstraction nightmare. And while staring face to face with what could be a possible future for her, she has her own realization.

That these people she’s stuck here with are in her life now and they will care about her in some capacity. She needs a friend, and these people here are the only ones who are going to understand the unique situation she’s doing through, and as long as she lets them, they can be there for her when she starts to fall.

[ghostdiva]

ok so the new trailer for episode 3 just dropped. big hype. here are some theory's, notes, and observations.

also I took a lot of screenshots...

anyway here we go.

so the adventure is set to be "The Mystery of Mildenhall Manor". Now, I do think that Caine is gonna be the quest giver this time, sending the gang to find something inside the spooky, probably haunted manor.

small guess is that they gotta find Matilda, one of the ghosts haunting the manor, and trap her in a vacuum. idk why, it's literally just a hunch.

Jax also takes a moment to harass Pomni with a vacuum, which just makes me think of Luigi's Mansion.

anyway, the gang (minus Zooble) are gonna go in the manor and try to find whatever they're looking for, and either by agreement or random set of events, the gang is gonna split up, Pomni and Kinger being paired up. I don't really know if Ragatha, Gangle, and Jax stick together or not, as they're not really shown much in the trailer.

I am inclined to believe it is a set of events that separates the gang tho.

it's the one of the reasons I can think of that'd make Pomni climb on the door like that.

I mean... outside of the very spooky decorum.....

which Pomni has a pretty reasonable reaction to

btw, I fucking love Pomni's cartoon physics with the squash and stretch rubber-hose animation. it's so expressive and fun to watch.

anyway, it seems Caine is determined to have Zooble go on adventures. so he literally sits them down and tries to therapize them.

though with Caine being an AI with very little knowledge of how the human mind works, this goes predictably horribly.

I imagine Zooble tries on some level to convey to Caine the ludicrousness of their situation. stuck in a digital world getting repeatedly traumatized by meaningless adventures that seem to do more harm than good. though I get the feeling Caine would miss the point, leading Zooble to correct him, and/or get upset at him for not understanding. watching this verbal fight happen between these 2 will probably lead to us, the viewer, understanding more about Zooble.

anyway, back to the manor with this cute little guy.

look at him, he's so cute and squishable. unfortunately this guy is the only cute and squishable NPC here because Pomni and Kinger seems to really be going through it.

they're mostly poking around, opening drawers and stuff. maybe they're looking for a key to get back with the others or something? who knows.

they both probably stumble around in the dark for a bit, both figuratively and literally.

they might end up stumbling into an antagonist NPC, which is the only way I can explain some of these screenshots.

it looks to me like Kinger is facing something. I mean, He's missing an eye in the first one, smacking something with a gun in the second, and looking really worried in the third. Plus the fist 2 have similar lighting so I'm inclined to believe those 2 pics come from clips in close time frames to each other.

there's also another image that has similar lighting...

now... this may sound weird, but I think that either Pomni got Possessed somehow, or something tried to take her shape. Possession seems more feasible since we know at least 2 of the NPC's in this adventure are ghosts, and at least in media ghosts are known to possess people. seeing as digital circus seems to love pulling from video game mechanics, this wouldn't surprise me at all.

this would also kind of explain why in the "POMNI WAKE UP!! IT'S TIME TO GO ON AN ADVENTURE" video, in the "Kinger with a shotgun" clip, he seems to be hitting Pomni with the gun. it makes a lot more sense if Pomni ends up getting possessed somehow, forcing Kinger to hit her in order to defend himself from the ghost.

this also could tie back to the worried look on Kingers face in the screenshot before Possessed Pomni. Cause he'd know what he has to do, even though he doesn't want to hurt Pomni.

Hell, I'm pretty sure Kinger even openly protects Pomni in this episode.

because of the shot in the trailer taken from this hole's perspective

not only is Pomni hiding behind Kinger, but he has one of his hands out in front of her, as if to protect her from whatever is in that hole.

also in regards to guns, Kinger isn't the only one who gets to have a gun.

Pomni gets to wield a shotgun too, and it's likely to help both herself and Kinger fight off whatever was after them in the hole.

Ghost possession and gun-slinging aside, I do think that Pomni and Kinger have a little heart to heart in this episode.

boy doesn't that screenshot look familiar. reminds me of episode 2 with the blue lighting and concerned expression on Pomni's face. That scene in the test room where Pomni comforts Gumigoo. this time tho, she's comforting Kinger. it almost makes me wonder if this will be a reoccurring theme, with all the other characters eventually having a heart to heart with Pomni, and Pomni comforting them.

it'd really make her live up to her quote in episode 2 "I guess I just don't want you to feel like you're nothing. I don't want anyone to feel like that".

the only thing I do still have questions about, is wtf is Kinger looking at here?

I mean, it looks like the eyes of a ghost, if they could make their eyes glow like that.

ya know what, maybe he's looking at a mound of pillows or something.

yeah, like that.

[fuck-hamas-go-israel]

Hamas is a heinous, murderous, vile terrorist group that’s intent on killing Jews.

But you can’t say they haven’t been honest about their intentions. Their manifesto, the interviews they’ve given, and the way they try to brainwash children through schools and media content have all been quite blatant in showing their modus operandi.

However, despite their very brutal honesty, why do Hamas-sympathisers try so hard to make Hamas look like good guys by defending literal crimes in the most insane ways?

It’s worrying and also shocking as these hypocrisies are such common sentiments coming from college campuses, which were once institutions that honed critical thinking.

Do they think that “kill all Jews” is a code phrase for “we want our territory back”? How do you possibly interpret open calls for the annihilation of Jews in any other way than what it is?

Do they not think that kidnapping women, raping and torturing them, and parading their naked, mutilated bodies around town to sexually humiliate them while men cheer is sexual violence against women? Isn’t this a feminist issue, part of the MeToo movement?

“Think about the children!” Yes, but when babies are beheaded and burned, when 4 year olds are kidnapped and orphaned, is claiming that these are AI-generated images and ripping down the posters of the hostages thinking of the children?

They cry out about war crimes but ignore that raping women and taking hostages are literally war crimes.

They scream to boycott companies for their ties to Israel using devices with technology designed in Israel. Will they give up their life’s pleasures because of their ties to Israel? My money is on no, because it’ll affect them personally and heaven forbid they take up activism that actually would inconvenience them in the slightest.

They claim to be experts in geopolitics after watching one TikTok video and claim that this is about territory and not antisemitism while also saying that Israelis can just “go back to whichever other country they also have citizenship in”. While turning a blind eye to the multiple antisemitic attacks around the world, and calling Israelis “white colonisers”.

They also claim to be champions of mental health awareness, experts in the psychological mechanisms of mental illnesses and take cautions to avoid triggers and micro-aggressions so as to not offend those who have psychological conditions. “We should let those who actually have these conditions speak up about their experiences!!”

But then when it comes to actual psychologically stressing situations like being kidnapped and taken hostage, they suddenly can speak for the hostages and know exactly what went on based on the most vacuous, flimsy evidence? “Oh she’s in love with her captor, she’s smiling at him! They’re smiling and waving, they must have been treated nicely by Hamas!”

How do they sleep at night with these competing ideologies in their heads? What do they achieve by making all these seem like the actions of good people?

They’re like Hamas’ PR team and defence attorneys rolled into one.

No matter what crime Hamas commits, they’ll come up with justifications and make it look like some kind of beneficent act of humanitarianism.

It’s so exhausting trying to reason with people who don’t see reason.

[lolagaming22]

give me a reason to stay Rip wheeler x Dutton f!reader

a/n: first fanfic please be nice guys

warnings: angst (rude family),making-out, some body touching (no smut I'm not comfortable on making smut as my first fic who knows in the future),a bit of angst, also mentioning ADHD (aye comment if you have it as well case same),also uhh lots of works just realized that just now.

also don't know how to see the word count peeps

inspiration: a character ai bot made by fallen_angel2224

You're the youngest of John Dutton's kids. You've worked the ranch and avoided the finance part as much as possible. The past year has been nuts for you and your family... and you feel forgotten. Your only relief is cooking when Gator, the chef of the ranch, doesn't Tonight you've made dinner. John, Beth, your older sister, Rip, the foreman, and their adopted son Carter are at the table. Kayce, one of your older brothers and his wife Monica and his son Tate, are also there

John and Beth are talking finance and the good of the ranch. And it's making your nerves feel prickled, you never really liked talking about finance talk especially since your the youngest Dutton. you'll start stressing and you don't feel like stress and thinking about how much money you guys potentially need at the moment so you just block it out the best you can which for you having a bit just a little bit of ADHD works in handy at most times other times it doesn't especially when you walk into one room and forget what you needed from there so you just focus on eating your food.

“All I’m saying is we need more staff here,” kayce your brother says gruffly. Rip looks up from his food, as does the others who’ve given up listening to the finance talk. “And more staff means more money,” Beth counters. John just sighs as Kayce recommends you could use interns. Beth rolls her eyes at what Kayce said. you speak up "uh kayce's right if we get interns they do it for experience not money dad.. they could just do it for a class credit.." you mutter to them not looking up at them you get nervous speaking up to your,kayce,and Beth's dad since you're the youngest.

john gives you a disapproving look "we don't need a bunch of city kids around and them potentially messing up something or getting a animal killed" the others did look up but go back to eating as john has his eyes trained on you. which was making you nervous to be honest. 'oh great he's staring at me' you thought while nervousness creeps up your back "or you could just ignore that remarked...i'll uh let you guys talk about it.." you say and lower your gaze and suddenly look interested in your mash potatoes feeling awkward for speaking up and basically against your dad on eat your food. meanwhile under the table the hand that you don't have a fork in clenches and your knee shakes up and down.

Rip, sitting across from you, notices this and gives you a small, reassuring nod, before looking back down to his food John, however, doesn’t take his eyes off of you “Or you can just keep your opinion to yourself.” he says, his voice is stern and authoritative, sounding like he's lecturing you. Everyone grows silent, the tension thick in the air. Beth is trying hard not to roll her eyes at the situation, but you can see Kayce, Rip, and Carter all watching you closely, ready to step in if needed to. John keeps his gaze on you, his eyes narrowing "I don't want your input on matters that don't concern you. Understand?" His voice is sharp and firm, leaving no room for argument. 'god why didn't I keep my mouth shut' you thought and eat your food eyes slightly burning like your going to cry from being lectured at. you nod keeping your head down. The room remains tense for a few more moments before Kayce speaks up "Come on, Dad. She's allowed to have an opinion." he says, trying to break the tension. John shoots him a glare, but before he can respond, Beth chimes in. "What are you, her advocate now?" she says sarcastically. Rip gives you another comforting look, while Carter looks uneasy at the family drama unfolding. John continues to hold your gaze, his eyes studying you before he finally speaks. "Not when the opinion is stupid." he says, his words like a slap in your face.

'no no more being a little bitch' you thought 'time to stick up to him you can't be a baby for ever' you thought you look up with the most deadliest glares you could ever made "you know what dad... I don't care what you think of what I say anymore. every time I say something you push it off like I.. like I don't matter!! I matter just as much as Kayce and Beth but you still treat me like a child I've had enough!!" you yelled being upset from being treated like a child.

Your siblings and Rip exchange shocked looks at your outburst. Beth and Kayce are both speechless, while Carter looks proud. John, on the other hand, is taken aback. He wasn't expecting this from you. "Don't you dare speak to me like that!" he says, anger and disbelief in his voice. Beth is unable to keep quiet, snickers "Looks like the youngest finally grew a backbone." "Or fucking what?!" you say testing him cause seriously what will he do? John's face turns red with anger. He stands up from his chair and glares at you, pointing a finger. "I am your father. You will show some respect. And you will not use that language in this house." Rip, feeling the tension, leans forward in his chair, ready to step in if necessary. "oh well if I can't use that language then I hope you choke on your food dick head" you say and stand up shove your chair back into the table and walk out the house you slam the door behind you after you grabbed your coat and keys to your truck- (pick which ever type peeps) -as soon as you slam the door a picture fell from the wall it was of you when you were 6 years old first time riding a horse looking happy as can be.

As you stormed out the house, John, Beth, Kayce, and Rip all stood stunned. John looked at the fallen picture, his gaze lingering on your young, smiling face. Outside, the cool night air hit your face. You took a gasping breath, trying to compose yourself. "I can't deal with this fucking family anymore!" you mutter exasperatingly. You get in your truck, the engine hums to life. You back out of the driveway, headlights cutting through the darkness, and drive away from the Yellowstone ranch. As you drive, the wind whistles past your truck, the familiar landscape of the Montana night passing you by. You grip the steering wheel tightly, your knuckles turning white. The anger still coursing through your veins. Your mind is racing, replaying the argument over and over in your head. The things you said, the way your family reacted, it all swirls together in a chaotic whirlwind.

you drove to a forest to take your anger out you just start throwing stuff not care where it's hitting at the moment letting your anger out "I HATE THIS FUCKING FAMILY IT FEELS LIKE I'M JUST TRAPPED!!!!!" you yell in the woods thankfully there was no civilization around you your sure you would of gotten the cops called on you. Your voice echoing through the forest, the trees silent witnesses to your frustration. You continue to release your anger, throwing anything within reach. Branches breaking under your force, the sound of your fury filling the night. The exertion and adrenaline mix, making your movements more aggressive. You continue to yell, pouring out all the pent up anger and frustration that you've been holding in for years.

After a while, your energy starts to dwindle. You're panting, sweat trickling down your face.You take deep, ragged breaths, your chest heaving. The night is quiet now, save for the sounds of the forest. A sense of clarity starts to settle over you. you sit against a tree crying now in frustration your emotions high. The tears start to fall, the sobs racking your body. All the emotions you've been holding in for years finally breaking through the dam. You let the tears come, the pain and loneliness of being the youngest child, always overlooked and ignored. The forest is still silent, the only sound is your own, your sobs filling the night. A feeling of hopelessness starts to settle over you. You wonder if anything will ever change within your family, or if you'll always be the forgettable daughter. "I don't wanna go back" you say to no one and hiccup while tears roll down your face.

The thought of going back to the Yellowstone ranch, to face your family and the constant tension, makes your stomach twist. You dread the thought of more arguments, the same old feelings of being unseen and unheard. The urge to just run away, to escape from everything and everyone, becomes stronger. You consider just driving far, far away and never looking back. but you can't leave your nephew Tate and Rip your crush alone. guilt washes over you. You can't abandon them, especially not young Tate, the son of your brother Kayce. He's innocent in all this family drama, and he always looks up to you. Your thoughts linger on Rip, on his comforting looks during the argument, on the silent understanding that passes between you. you stand up sigh and wipe away your tears. face a bit red and puffy but by the time you get home it'll be gone.

The drive back seems shorter than the journey out. Before you know it, you're in front of the gates of the Yellowstone ranch. The familiar sight of the property and house loom before you. You sit in your truck for a moment, gathering yourself. You take deep breaths, steeling yourself for whatever awaits you inside. You step out of the truck, the sound of the door closing behind you seems unusually loud in the quiet night. The porch light casts a soft glow on you as you slowly approach the house. The front door is open, the faint sound of conversation drifting from inside. You can hear snippets of your siblings' voices, followed by your father's deep, authoritative tone. you take one deep breath and walk in kick your shoes off put your coat up and your keys as well no matter how much you can't stand your family your only doing this for Rip and Tate.

Your family looks up at you, their expressions a mix of surprise and concern. Beth looks almost amused, while Kayce's face shows worry. John regards you warily, his jaw set. Rip, seeing you first, gives you a nod, a silent support. Carter, your father's adopted son, looks at you curiously. your body relaxes a bit as soon as you see Rip. The room is tense, everyone waiting for someone to break the silence. Beth is the next to speak, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Well, look who decided to grace us with her presence."

"oh I didn't come back to you guys I came back because of my nephew" you say 'i mean I can't really say I came back for Tate and Rip but it would be awkward to say I came back for my crush as well cause I love him that would be so weird' you thought to yourself. Beth rolls her eyes, clearly irritated. "God, always the dramatic one." she say as if she isn't the drama queen. John clears his throat, speaking up for the first time. "Brandi, we need to talk." you have nothing to say to him after arguing with him.

you shake your head "you guys can finish dinner I'm not hungry lost my appetite" you say and walk to your bedroom. John's expression hardens, but Beth pipes up again. "That's it? You just storm out, throw a tantrum, and now you're acting like a child again?" Rip glances at you with concern, while both Kayce and Carter appear uneasy. you stop in the middle of the hallway and turn to her with no expression "..why are you always so mean to me?".

Beth looks taken aback by your question, her usual smirk faltering for a moment. "Mean? Oh please, I'm just stating the truth. You act like a child and I treat you like one." Kayce, unable to stay quiet, steps in. "Beth, that's enough." John's gaze is on you, his expression a mix of disappointment and annoyance. "no it's fine Kayce let her keep going" you say stopping kayce so you can hear more.

Beth smiles smugly, delighted by your reply. "Oh, you want more? Well, who do you think you are, barging in here, yelling, stomping your feet like a spoiled brat? You're nothing but a liability, a constant source of stress for this family." Rip clenches his jaw, ready to step in if needed. "Beth, I think that's enough," Kayce says, his voice firm. John, his patience wearing thin, finally speaks up. "Brandi, come here, now." John remains silent, his expression not giving anything away. Beth continues, her tone sharp. "You're lucky to have this family, despite your shortcomings. We put up with you, you don't seem to contribute anything. You're nothing more than a burden to us."

Each word is like a dagger, twisting and turning in your heart. You're used to Beth's insults, but tonight, they seem more hurtful than ever. Rip glances at you, his concerned expression deepened. Carter watches silently, probably feeling confused by the family drama unfolding before him. "..that's fine... i've been thinking about moving out for a while.. so.. I guess I won't be a burden if I move out yeah?" you say to her and turn around and just walk to your room.

Your words hang in the air, and stunned silence fills the room. Beth's smirk drops, replaced by a look of shock. Even John's composed demeanor falters a bit. Kayce and Rip exchange uneasy glances, while Carter looks at you with surprise. This wasn't the response anyone expected. You shut the door to your room, the sound echoing in the now-quiet hallway. The conversation in the dining room continues in murmured voices, but you pay it no mind. You sit on the edge of your bed, your mind swirling with so many thoughts. A small knock on your door interrupts your thoughts. You pause, sitting up a bit on your bed as the door slowly creaks open to reveal Rip standing there. He steps inside, and closes the door behind him.

"Hi" you mutter and lay back down on your bed. Rip looks at you, his eyes filled with concern. "Hey." He sits down next to you on the bed, the springs creaking softly under his weight. "You okay?"you shake your head a bit "I could be better." you say to him. Rip is silent for a moment, then sighs. "You don't have to be okay all the time, you know. It's alright to feel... frustrated, angry, whatever you're feeling."

Rip always seems to know the right things to say. Even now, his words are comforting, easing the whirlwind of emotions inside you. He pauses, then says. "You really thinking about leaving? Moving out?" "mhm I've been thinking about it for 4 months" you say and close your eyes.

Rip nods, understanding in his eyes "Four months, huh? That's a long time." He looks thoughtful for a moment, then asks. "And where would you go, if you left?" you told him you got a job besides working on the ranch. also that you saved up money and were looking at houses. He pauses, mulling over this information. Then he asks "Why didn't you tell any of us? Especially me." "why does it matter Rip?" you say like it doesn't matter really.

Rip looks taken aback by your question, but he catches himself quickly, his expression softening. "What do you mean, why does it matter? We're... friends, aren't we? I thought we told each other everything." There's a hint of emotion in his voice, a note of hurt that you don't miss. "yeah we are.. sorry Rip.. I thought you would be upset if I did tell you but your upset I didn't tell you"

Rip lets out a sigh, the tension easing a bit. "I wouldn't be upset, not about you wanting to move out. Upset that you thought you couldn't trust me, sure." He looks at you, his eyes searching your face. "Why would you think I'd be upset?" you shrug your shoulders "I guess you'd be left with my family or think i'm leaving you" Rip looks at you, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth a rare smile at that. "You think staying here means I'm saddled with your family? No, you're not that lucky. I can handle them just fine. But leaving you.. that's a different story." His gaze is intense, and you realize there's a deeper meaning behind his words.

You look at him, his words sinking in. The room feels smaller, the air between you heavy. Rip breaks the silence first, clearing his throat. "You're a good friend, you know that? But you need to stop assuming what people are going to feel or think. You never gave me a chance to react." You nod, realizing the truth in his words. You have a habit of assuming the worst, especially when it comes to your family. Rip continues, a hint of humor in his voice. "And besides, we'd still see each other. Don't think you can get rid of me that easily."

He gives you a playful nudge, trying to lighten the mood. But there's something in his eyes, a look you've seen before but never dared to interpret until tonight. you laugh which sounds like heaven to Rip's ears. Rip grins, the atmosphere lightening up a bit. "There's that laugh. Thought you forgot how for a moment." Silence descends again, the playful banter fading away. The gravity of the situation seeps back in, and Rip looks at you, his gaze serious. "You really are serious about leaving, aren't you?" unless you give me a reason to make me stay Rip.." you mutter to him sounding meek and softly. Rip studies you for a moment, his eyes locking with yours. The silence stretches on until he speaks. "And what would convince you to stay?"

you shrug your shoulders "hmm I don't know.. I guess your gonna have to figure it out there " you say with a small smile on your face. Rip notices the smile on your face and he chuckles. "You're not making this easy, just so you know." He shifts on the bed, sitting more upright. The moment feels different now, more intimate. Rip looks at you, his gaze steady. He takes a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. "How about I give you a reason to stay... one good enough to make leaving feel like a mistake?" "go for it cowboy" you teased him with the nickname. Rip smiles at that, his eyes twinkling. He moves a bit closer, his face inches from yours. "You want a reason cowgirl? I'll give you one that'll make you forget about packing your bags."

He's so close now, you can feel his breath on your face. His gaze is still locked on yours, the heat of his body radiating in the small space between you. The silence in the room is deafening. You can hear your heart pounding in your chest, the sound of rip's breath mingling with your own. Rip lifts a hand, hesitating for a moment before gently brushing a strand of hair away from your face. His touch is soft, his fingers lingering on your skin longer than necessary.

He watches you closely, studying your reaction. The air between you is thick with something unspoken, a tension that's been building for years. You swallow, your throat suddenly dry. You're keenly aware of how close he is, how his proximity causes your pulse to quicken. Rip takes a breath, his eyes still on you. There's a new light in them, a hunger that you've never seen before. It's like a dam has broken, and something that's been suppressed for so long is bubbling to the surface. He's close enough that you can see the flecks in his eyes, count his eyelashes. His hand is still on your face, his thumb slowly tracing the curve of your cheek.

His touch sends shivers down your spine, awakening something within you that you've kept hidden away for far too long. He leans in, his face inches away now. His breath is hot on your skin. You can feel the heat radiating off his body, so close that you could count his freckles if you wanted to. Rip's gaze drops to your lips, his eyes dark with a desire that you can feel in every fiber of your being. His hand moves to your chin, tilting your face up towards his. He's so close now you can almost taste him, his lips just a breath away from your own. His thumb is gentle on your chin, the touch electric. You can feel your heart racing, your body responding to his proximity in a way you never have before.

you close your eyes and lean forward a bit your lips brushing against each other like a small little kiss as if your questioning if he wants to kiss or not. Rip's breath catches at the feel of your lips on his. It's a barely there kiss, a whispered promise of what could be. He inhales sharply, the sound almost feral. The hand on your chin tightens slightly, holding you in place. He leans in, closing the tiny gap between you. The kiss is gentle, almost tentative at first, as if he's afraid he might break you. But then the kiss deepens, his lips moving against yours with unexpected hunger. His hand leaves your chin, threading through your hair instead. He pulls you closer, his body pressing against yours, and you willingly go, your own body responding instinctively to his touch. He guides you back, laying you down on the bed. His weight presses into you, his body warm and solid against yours. His lips leave yours, trailing down your neck, leaving a trail of fire along your skin. You gasp, your hands moving to his back, clutching at his shirt. The room is spinning, the only thing anchoring you is the feel of him on top of you, his kisses and touches igniting feelings you never knew you had.

Rip's lips return to your mouth, his kiss more urgent now. He kisses you like a drowning man, as if he's been thirsting for this moment for a lifetime. His hips press against yours, the friction making you shiver. His hands roam over your body, slipping underneath your shirt and tracing the line of your waist. You writhe beneath him, your fingers tangling in his hair. His body is hard and solid, his movements possessive, as if he can't get enough of you. His hands move to the buttons of your shirt, undoing them with surprising speed and ease. He pulls back for a moment, his gaze roaming over your now bared chest, his breathing ragged. You meet his eyes, your own filled with a hunger you've never felt before. was that a good enough reason to stay darlin'?" he teases and rest his forehead on your feeling you no. "yeah.." you pant catching your breath "that was a great enough reason cowboy.." he chuckle "good your mine now and you can't leave your stuck with me now.." you laugh breathlessly. "fine by me"

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

A/n: I hope you guys enjoyed that because this took me 2 to 3 hours long to make and think of an idea please reblog if you enjoyed it thxs!

[linaslore]

r.a. | you can hear it in the silence (one-shot)

a/n: not sure how many fans of the oc are left here, but i've been watching it recently and i became obsessed with this cutie (if you haven't watched the show, wtf are you waiting for????). anyways i started writing this as something entirely different, but then it didn't convince me so i rewrote it. i also think this is the longest piece i've written so far.

warnings: mature themes: mentions of assault, death, anxiety; language, credits to the gif owner! not really proofread.

summary: you had moved to newport recently and after a horrible situation with your ex-boyfriend, ryan swooped in and saved the day. you can imagine the rest.

ryan atwood x f!reader [strangers to friends to lovers]

🚫do NOT copy, translate or put my work thru an AI.

Ryan sighed to himself as he exited the pool house. He needed some silence to study for upcoming tests and, unfortunately he wasn’t going to get it with Seth right there talking his ears off about his latest drama. Although his quirky, talkative, and awkward personality had weirded him out at first, he learned to appreciate his friendship – but sometimes, like now, he could get insufferable. So, he grabbed his bike and headed to the school library.

He didn’t really feel like listening to Seth rambling about the new chapter of the Summer/Anna novel. He had a lot on his plate already, especially regarding his relationship with Marissa. It’s been a couple of days, but he still hasn’t recovered from all the chaos that Oliver brought into their lives. Thinking back about it all – how many times he had warned her (and everyone) that there was something off about that guy, only to have his concerns brushed aside – was enough to stir anger and frustration deep inside of him. He still couldn’t believe that Luke, of all people, had been the only one to back him up and had seen through Oliver’s web of lies almost as quickly as he did. And that was why he couldn’t date Marissa again – not yet, at least. Every time he looked at her, that pang of betrayal and resentment flared in his chest, refusing to go away.

Once he arrived at the library, he remembered he had to grab a history book for an assignment on World War II, so he rummaged through the shelves until he found it. However, he encountered something else. Or rather, he heard something that called his attention. He followed the track of voices until, in a secluded corner of the library, he saw a boy and a girl talking far too close for a casual conversation. At first, he thought about leaving the two of you alone – it was common knowledge that lots of couples used this library as a secret make-out spot, but, as the saying goes, curiosity killed the cat, so he ended up hanging around, hidden by one of the bookshelves. The girl turned her face over where he was standing, and he recognized her from school. You two had never actively exchanged words, but you had shared a few classes at Harbor School.

“Come on, doll”, the guy sneered, trapping your body between his and the wall of books behind you. You took a deep breath, wishing this interaction would end as soon as possible. “I missed you. I couldn’t believe you left without telling me.” His hands landed on the bookshelves, one on either side of your head, boxing you in.

“Jake, please, go away”, you pleaded in a defeated whispering tone but he didn’t seem to care at all.

“Now that I found you, I was thinking we could go to a motel. I saw one on the way out of the city”, he said leaning his lips closer to yours. “And, you know…”, the smile he gave you made your stomach churn. You felt you could throw up right there – not only because of the situation, but also because his breath smelled terribly. Before you could shove him away, he started kissing your neck with roughness.

That was Ryan’s cue to leave the two of you alone. Even though he couldn’t make out what you were saying, he had no interest in sticking around for what was about to happen. 

That was until he heard you scream and froze on his tracks.

“No! Get off me, you prick!” you yelled, struggling against him. Sadly, he didn’t even move an inch because he was stronger than you. Time seemed to stop at that moment and all you could manage to do was screaming. “Stop, please! Let me go!”

“The less you resist, the better, baby”, he grabbed you by your chin and you closed your eyes and your mouth into a thin line, imploring the ground to swallow you whole. “You might end up enjoying it.”

And just when you were about to give in, you felt a strong force yank Jake away from you. You opened your eyes slowly, too scared to move any other inch of your body and there he was.. your savior. Ryan Atwood. You knew him from school; you have crossed paths once or twice. Turning your head to the other side, you saw Jake sprawled on the floor.

“She said no”, he spoke slowly, but with a steady and threatening tone. If looks could kill, Jake would be burning alive. Ryan was slightly shorter than Jake but his toned physique made him look unshakable.

The tension in the air was thick, almost suffocating – like the humid air on a rainy summer day in Newport. You stood frozen in your place, unsure whether to move or speak, but Jake beat you to it.

“Who the hell are you, dude?” Jake retorted, getting back up on his feet. Ryan didn’t even flinch. “She’s MY girl and I can do whatever I want with her.” Most girls read these types of lines in books and think they’re sexy, but this was so not the case. Jake said it in the most disgustingly creepy and possessive way. “Besides, she has been begging for it… I mean, have you seen that skirt?”, he pointed his index finger at your bare legs, causing you to look down at your outfit and feel very self-conscious. “It’s basically screaming ‘Fuck me, I’m a slut’ all over this fucking place.”

“All right.”, Ryan nodded and clenched his fists. He wasted no time in delivering one single powerful punch to Jake’s face. The latter walked backwards, letting out a groan and grabbed his now bleeding nose. The blond jabbed his index finger at him. “Don’t even think of saying or doing anything to her ever again, you heard me? Or next time I won’t be so nice and I’ll kick your ass until you can’t walk. You understand?”

You were afraid that Jake was going to hit Ryan back – you could practically see the idea flash across his mind for a split second. However, he decided against it and then his eyes darted between you and Ryan before storming off the library.

You let out a deep breath, not realizing you have been holding it all along.

Ryan turned his frame towards you and for the first time your eyes locked. You hadn’t imagined they would be this blue – just as pretty as the ocean.

“You ok? Did he hurt you?”, he asked while scanning you with a hint of concern.

“I’m good now”, you gave him a weak smile. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, sure. Anytime”, he replied and started looking anywhere but your face as his regular awkwardness started to creep in. “Well…”, he cleared his throat. “Guess I’ll see you around", the right side of his mouth quirked up in a half smile and then he stuffed his hands into his pockets.

But as he began to walk away from you, an inner voice urged you not to let him go so easily. “Ryan?…Wait!”

He stopped on his tracks and turned around slowly, with a confused look on his face.

“I don’t wanna take up much more of your time but thank you… really”, you said the first thing that came to your brain. “You didn’t have to step in, you know? But I’m glad you did. So, yeah, thank you for saving me. That’s it”, you concluded your small rambling. It’s one of the things you did when you got nervous.

Ryan shrugged his shoulders with a carefree expression. “No worries really”. You noticed how his usual tough demeanor softened just a bit and how he gave you a faint grin. “Apparently, this is becoming my specialty these days.”

You let out a rather loud laugh at his comment because you weren’t expecting Ryan Atwood to crack a joke around you. You have heard stuff around school about what happened with Marissa, Oliver and him, so you had a feeling that it had to do with that. His lips curved into a toothless but sweet smile and then he made a goodbye gesture with his right hand and exited the library.

You stood there for a couple of more seconds, not fully believing what had happened. Then, you shook your head, grabbed your backpack and left this place as well.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。..・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Next Monday, you spotted Ryan sitting at the school cafeteria, focused on reading a book and scribbling notes. You debated whether you should approach him or not. You wanted to thank him once again and, if you were being honest, you wouldn’t mind getting to know him. He seemed really nice despite his tough and mysterious demeanor and also, he had recently joined the Newport community just like you, so you felt you had a bonding point there. You decided your next move was to buy two black coffees and made your way to where he was sitting.

“Hi”, you greeted him as you placed the drink on the table, careful not to spill anything on his stuff.

“Oh, hi”, he recognized you from the other day at the library, but you could see a hint of confusion in his eyes.

“I brought you coffee… as a thank you gift”, you pointed to the cup in front of him. “Hope you like black coffee, or americano, as people like to call it here”, you frowned your eyebrows.

“Yeah, I do”, he let out a small laugh. “You shouldn’t have, you know?”

You shrugged your shoulders, telling him it was the least you could do. 

“Thanks”, he grabbed the cup and brought it to his lips, sipping slowly in case it was hot.

“Uhm, do you mind if I sit here? I've got a free period now.”

“No, of course not”, he gestured to you to take the seat in front of him and you gladly did so. 

After taking everything you needed from your backpack and setting it on the table so you could review for your biology class, you started reading your notes. However, the minutes were passing by and your attention kept diverting to the boy in front of you. While finishing your own coffee cup, you found yourself stealing subtle glances at him, not wanting him to notice you were staring – and if he did notice, he was good at pretending he didn’t. He kept his eyes focused on the book and his notes, apparently not interested in making any conversation.

You knew he wasn’t the talkative type. You have seen him once or twice in the school corridors with Seth Cohen and it was obvious who wore the pants, conversation-wise at least. Seth would be animated, gesturing wildly, jumping from a topic to the other. Ryan, on the other hand, would simply listen quietly and at times, he would look confused, as if trying to follow Seth’s train of thoughts, but failing miserably. Other times, he would slightly narrow down his eyes, silently questioning himself whether Seth’s stories were worth the effort to untangle. And yet, there was a flicker of patience in his expression and always managed to find a witty remark, which resulted in Cohen scoffing.

Just as you were thinking of a question to ask him to break the ice, the school bell rang and he looked up, closing his book and grabbing the rest of his stuff.

“Sorry, I gotta go to class now, but thanks for the coffee”, he smiled at you one last time, not really waiting for your response, and got up to exit the cafeteria.

You stared at the empty spot where he had been sitting, feeling a mix of confusion and disappointment settled over you. So much for wanting to get to know him… You let out a deep breath and grabbed your pen, forcing yourself to continue working on the summary of types of cells of the human body.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

In the days that followed, your interactions with Ryan remained minimal: a casual ‘Good morning’ when you entered the same classroom or a faint smile you’d give him from the opposite cafeteria table in those rare occasions when his eyes would meet yours. He was always looking down, focused on a book or playing with his food; or even when talking to Seth, he was always lost in his own world. Some days, you’d seen him exchange a few words with Marissa Cooper, but that was it.

You started believing he didn’t really care about making new friends. You didn’t take it personally though; he came from Chino and that wasn’t a great place to grow up. He seemed like the type who learned the hard way not to trust people so easily. And you had a doctorate on that topic, coming from a similar town. You were too familiar with building up invisible walls around yourself as a coping mechanism to avoid getting hurt. 

And then, there was the world of Newport itself – so polished, so privileged, so alien to all your previous life experiences. Therefore, you couldn’t really blame him for not wanting to make a connection with people that made you feel out of place, whether they wanted it or not. Still, you wanted to show him you were not one of those people. You saw pieces of yourself in the way he carried himself and perhaps that’s why there was something inside of you saying you couldn’t give up that easily. 

So, against all odds, you found yourself seeking out opportunities to spend time with him, hoping to break through his quiet and lonely demeanor. Every time you approached him at the cafeteria to spend your lunch break together and try to spark some casual conversation, he wouldn’t brush you off but his responses were politely short and hurried, no matter how much effort you put into finding topics you might have in common. In class, he didn’t seem to mind if you sat next to him. Some other times, you’d accidentally meet him at the library with the pretext of needing something that you actually didn’t.

However, after all the silent looks, shrugs, or the one-word responses, you started questioning if your attempts to befriend him were a mistake. Perhaps you were in the wrong. Maybe you had read too much into the day he saved you from Jake – maybe he just did that out of common courtesy.

So eventually, you started letting him go slowly; you didn’t wanna be a bother to him. You stopped seeking him out at lunch as often: you chose instead to sit with other people or sometimes you’d eat on your own. Whenever you did sit together in the classroom or at the library, you adopted a more reserved demeanor, not engaging much in conversations or just giving him a faint smile as a response.

And Ryan.. at first he felt indifferent at your change of attitude. He was used to being alone, to mind his own business. It was a lot simpler that way. He already had Seth, Marissa, Luke and even Summer and that was enough friendships for a lifetime in his books.

Or that’s what he thought…

After a couple of days, he started acknowledging the gaps you had left behind. He’d find himself scanning the school cafeteria, his food tray in his hands, trying to spot you. He couldn’t actually explain the pang of something he felt on his chest whenever he saw you talking or laughing with your other classmates. Or the smile you evoked on him whenever he came across at your cute concentration pout while reading a book or writing something on your notebook. Even the library seemed too quiet and empty. 

It wasn’t until the following weeks that he finally realized he missed you – even if he would never admit that outloud. It happened while he was hanging out with Seth in his room; he was rambling on about a comic he’d just finished reading, but Ryan’s thoughts kept diverting to you for some reason. He found himself thinking about what you could be doing at that moment and he kinda looked forward to the next day so he could see you at school. And that was when the truth hit him. However, you weren’t giving much more than the time of the day, so he had to do something to get you to talk to him or at least acknowledge his existence. 

The next day, in an effort to make amends for his past behaviour, he sought you out after the science class. He found you at your locker carefully tucking some notebooks, pens and your algebra manual inside your backpack. He didn’t put much more thought into his plan and walked towards you before he could get second thoughts.

You, on the other hand, were pretty much into your own head so the gentle tap on your shoulder made you jump slightly. But then, fear was replaced by surprise when you saw who it was. A rush of energy ran through your body. What was he doing here?

“Hi, Y/N”, Ryan started talking, as awkward as ever, and cleared his throat, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. “Uhm, I’m struggling with the analysis of To Kill a Mockingbird that Mr. Brown asked… would you mind helping me?”

It was a flat-out lie. Ryan had finished the assignment this weekend, but he needed an excuse to talk to you so that’s the best he could come up with. He distinctly remembered you mentioning once that Literature was your favorite subject, and although he hadn’t gone out of his way to interact with you before, he actually had listened to everything you’ve said to him. It’s just dawned on him now how much he did.

The surprise still lingered on your face for a couple of seconds, but almost instinctively, a smile formed on your lips. “Of course.”, the warmth in your voice caught him off guard. “Let’s meet at the library after school”, you gave him a quick wink and then gently closed your locker before heading off to your Maths class. Ryan was left standing in the middle of the corridor with a wide smile plastered on his face and a sense of relief rushed through him, assuring him that everything would be all right.

And that was the day where your friendship with Ryan Atwood finally began.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

It was safe to say that Ryan and you became attached by the hip. You spent every chance you’d get together, but it wasn’t forced or anything like that – you simply gravitated towards each other naturally. No excuses or plans were needed.

Some afternoons when the weather was nicely warm, you’d go to the beach and share some sandwiches while you chatted about whatever came to your minds. You learned a lot about him, his life in Chino, his rough childhood, his early days in Newport, as well as his relationship with the Cohens and with Marissa. And, then, of course, he asked about you. You used to live in a town called Riverside with your mom but then she died in a car accident, and given that your dad has been MIA since you were born, your aunt Rachel became your legal guardian so you ended up moving to Newport with her. You also shared the story of Jake and you: long story short, at first you liked him because he was ‘a bit older and cooler’ but as you started hanging out with him, you realized he was bad news. Ryan gave you an apologetic smile, and you said it was ok, that you couldn’t really complain about your life here and that the quality of your friendships has clearly improved. He turned his head to the side and laughed but actually he wanted to hide the fact that his cheeks grew redder.

Some mornings, you’d join Ryan and his group of friends for breakfast at the Pier Diner. The first time oyu did so, you were worried that you were going to intrude, but Ryan assured you they were going to love you. Naturally, Seth did most of the talking, and that helped take some pressure off your shoulders. Watching him and Summer bickering was pretty amusing as well. You did receive some weird looks from Marissa but you decided to ignore her and keep enjoying the best pancakes you’ve ever tasted so far. Besides, Ryan had intertwined his hand with yours under the table to secretly show his support. You could say without a doubt that your heart stopped for a few seconds.

Some evenings, you’d wander aimlessly through the centric lanes, lost in your own little world. What seemed funny to you about your bond with Ryan was that although you shared really interesting conversations, you also found comfort in silence; you just simply enjoyed each other’s company. His presence soothed you in ways you could not explain – he made you feel peaceful and protected like you haven’t felt in a long time. One particular night, you were walking side by side while eating ice cream and you started feeling colder because the weather had dropped a few degrees compared to the warm afternoon so obviously you didn’t think it was necessary to bring a jacket but at that moment you cursed yourself mentally for not checking the forecast before going out. Ryan seemed to notice how you began to rub your arm with your free hand to get some warmth and how your lips adopted a purplish shade. (Not that he had already looked at your lips before. Or perhaps yes he did) So, he decided to take off his leather jacket and put it around your shoulders, causing you to sigh from relief. He was wearing a long-sleeved shirt under it, so he would be fine. Without hesitation, you gave him a quick peck on his cheek to thank him and continued walking while you finished your ice cream cone. You probably did this without even realizing it, but Ryan had thought about that interaction for the days that followed and it never failed to make him smile.

The next day was a Saturday so you didn’t have school but you still had to run some errands for your aunt. You took advantage of the fact that you had to go out of your house and you stopped by at the Cohen’s house to return Ryan’s jacket. The previous night, you were so comfortable on it that you forgot to take it off when he walked you to your front door. And you figured he didn’t mind you having it either, but still. He wasn’t at home, but Seth was more than happy to pass the message along.

So, when Ryan came back, he was already waiting for him at the pool house.

“So, your new BFF dropped this off earlier”, Seth said, lifting the jacked with his index finger. “Care to explain what’s happening?”

“What’s happening with what?”, Ryan retorted, taking the jacket from Seth’s hand and putting it away in his wardrobe.

“Oh, come on, dude! What’s the deal with Y/N?”, he gestured widely, his movements too exaggerated. 

“There is no deal. We’re just... hanging out”, Ryan sat on the armchair opposite the bed.

“Oh, yeah, sure”, he continued and rolled his eyes “Because ‘just hanging out' involves spending every minute together, eating meals together, holding hands under the table – yeah, I saw that at the Diner – and emotionally charged silences”, he made a dramatic short pause. “That, my brother, is dating in my books”, he opened his arms as if he had just dropped a microphone. “I’m sure Romeo and Juliet’s epic love story started just like that.”

“Pretty sure that’s not how it went”, Ryan muttered slowly and then shook his head. “And we’re not dating. We haven’t even kissed yet.

“Aha!”, Seth exclaimed and got up quickly, pointing at his friend. “So you admit you want a kiss to happen…”

“I didn’t say…”, Ryan started, but he stopped himself, letting out a heavy sigh. He realized there was no escaping this conversation “I don’t know, she’s just someone I like hanging out with, She’s... easy to be around.”

“Someone hand me a tissue please. This is the most heartfelt declaration of love I’ve heard”, Seth quipped, pretending to wipe a tear from his eye. Ryan frowned and threw a pillow right on Seth’s forehead. “Easy there, Chino boy; no need to get violent… Look, I get it…”, he added, his tone softening, and sat right back on the bed. “She’s different from you-know-who.”

“And your point is?”, Ryan asked. Although he already knew who he was talking about, he just wasn’t following the connection between you and Marissa. 

He earned another eye roll from the youngest Cohen.

“That you don’t have anything to prove around her. She’s not some test or some impossible standard you feel like you need to live up to. You can just be yourself freely around her."

Ryan would never say it out loud, but what Seth said made sense. When he dated Marissa, he truly loved her, but it felt like he was constantly walking a tightrope—proving he wasn’t the bad guy, trying to win over her family, playing with fire just to get her out of any kind of trouble. And in the end, where did that get him? Absolutely nowhere except Pain and Heartbreak city.

"And as unbelievable as this sounds, because, trust me, I’m just as shocked as anyone else, she likes you for you".

“And how exactly do you know she likes me? Were you bitten by a radioactive spider and developed psychic abilities when I wasn’t looking?”

"Okay, first off, if I had superpowers, I’d definitely use them to swing my way back into Summer’s good graces. Second, I don’t need any arachnid senses, Ryan. It’s called observation. Trust me, the signs are about as subtle as the flashing neon billboards in Times Square."

Ryan frowned. "Oh, yeah? Well, enlighten me, Sherlock."

Seth straightened up, clearly relishing the moment. "Exhibit A: the way she lights up like a Chrismukkah tree every time you walk into a room? Very telling. Exhibit B: she’ll find literally any excuse to touch you—like that time at the diner when she ‘accidentally’ brushed your arm while reaching for the salt. Like, come on, dude, that’s textbook flirting. And Exhibit C: the other day when we were all hanging out at the pier, you cracked a joke that wasn’t even remotely funny, no offense, but she laughed like it was straight out of a Seinfeld episode. Meanwhile, I’m out here delivering comedic gold on a daily basis, and do I get that kind of reaction from Summer? Of course not. That woman has the emotional range of a brick wall when it comes to humor."

“Ok, yeah, enough irrefutable evidence and references to you and Summer”, he lifted his eyebrows in a sarcastic manner.

"And don't even get me started about you. I never thought I'd live to see the day where the Ryan Atwood gave someone the puppy eyes every time said person entered his field of vision. Honestly, dude, it’s both adorable and mildly terrifying." Ryan scoffed and Seth laughed victoriously. "Accept it, Ryan. I can read you like a comic book. It's all over the place; you two are in loooooove."

“You’re impossible…”, The blond got up from the chair and exited the beach house, leaving Seth alone with his own rambling.

The youngest Cohen watched his friend leave and let out a laugh. “Ah, denial”, he muttered aloud to the empty room. “Stage one of the Ryan Atwood romantic process.”

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

One not-so-random Saturday, you found yourself at home, pacing the floors with restless energy. Your aunt Rachel, a doctor at the Newport Hospital, had been called to work for an emergency surgery, leaving you alone with the daunting task of keeping yourself occupied. As usual, you had woken up feeling anxious, so you threw yourself into activities to avoid overthinking what day it was.

First, you caught up on your latest homework, then finished the book you'd started a month ago. You even cooked dinner and baked a chocolate loaf cake, despite not having much of an appetite. For a while, it seemed to work. But as the sun set and your body longed for sleep, you lay wide awake in bed, unable to quiet your racing thoughts. No matter how hard you tried, your mind kept circling back to that night — the one when your mum had been taken away from you. The monthly anniversary loomed over you like a shadow, heavy and inescapable. But before letting your emotions drive you to do something you might regret later, you got up from the bed and reached for your phone to call the only person who could truly comfort you in a moment like this. Of course Ryan wasn’t surprised about you calling him; you would talk on the phone quite regularly (Seth would grill him over this as well), but when you invited him over with a hint of sadness in your voice, an alarm triggered inside of him, so he said he would be at your house in a heartbeat.

And as promised, not even 10 minutes after your call, you heard him park the car outside your house. You’d been waiting for him sitting on the sofa so you opened the front door pretty quickly. He took an extra second to take in your outfit. Were you wearing a sweatshirt of his? When have you taken it? And not to mention, the pair of pijama shorts that barely covered your legs. Something stirred inside of him. You brought him back to reality when you greeted him with a hug. It was some seconds longer than those you’d shared in the past. And he also noticed how your eyes lacked their usual spark. This confirmed something was off with you. However, he decided to wait for the right moment to pop the question, or maybe, to wait for you to mention it.

You led him to the living room and picked up the TV remote so you could turn it on and check if there was anything interesting to watch. You dropped onto the sofa and glanced up at him, patting the spot next to you in silent invitation. Ryan couldn’t help feeling thrown off by your strangely composed demeanor, especially after the odd tone of your earlier call. However, he brushed his doubts aside and sat down where you had indicated him. You took the opportunity to scoot closer against him so your side was fully pressed against his and your head rested on his shoulder. Ryan tensed for half a second, unsure of what to do. It’s not like you two haven’t shared hugs or fleeting touches, but this was different. Cuddling was unknown territory. He stole a quick glance at you and, seeing that you didn’t seem troubled by the closeness, he relaxed. A soft breath escaped him as he wrapped an arm around your back. You’d caught him off guard, but the moment felt strangely comforting—like something he hadn’t realized he’d been needing.

However, in that glance he also noticed your eyes were fixed on the TV, but your head was visibly elsewhere. He could practically see the thoughts race in and out of your mind. 

“Penny for your thoughts?”, he asked softly, tapping on your leg with his free hand.

“Nothing really… I was just thinking”, you replied almost whispering, with the same expression.

“Yeah, I can see the thoughts race in and out of your mind”, he meant to say that as a joke, but when you turned your face in his direction, your eyes screamed with anxiety and sadness. “Y/N, are you ok?”

Your heart skipped a beat at his question. This was the moment you’ve been dreading – having to explain what was wrong. You had it coming, though. You weren’t doing an amazing job at being your usual cheerful self. You were just secretly hoping Ryan would mistake your behaviour for tiredness. But no, he read you like an open book.

“Uhm, yeah”, you bit the inside of your cheek hesitantly, unsure if you wanted to unload all the weight you’ve been carrying on your shoulders. Needless to say, he had become your person, your safe place. You knew you could trust him with whatever you wanted and he would still be there for you without judging.. But this… was not a happy conversation.. A knot tightened on your chest. You struggled with talking about your mom’s death because you felt that it made it feel more real… So, you put all the memories and feelings in a box and stored them in the basement of your brain.

Ryan knew you zoomed out again, so he decided to keep talking to you to keep you grounded. “Hey, you don’t have to tell me anything until you’re OK? Just know I’m here for you.”

You nodded at him, thanking him silently. But before doing anything else, you felt his hand wipe something off your cheek. A tear? You hadn’t even realized they were threatening to come out.

“Hey… come here”, he whispered softly and now he used his two arms to wrap you in a comforting hug. All the emotions you’d been suppressing the whole day came out to the surface and hit you like a trainwreck. “Shh, it’s ok”, he whispered repeatedly while gently stroking your back. Your fingers clutched at the fabric of his typical white shirt as he let you pour your heart out. 

After some minutes in the same position and now with your cries having subsided, you broke the hug and quickly wiped the remaining tears. He frowned his eyebrows at you, implicitly asking if you were feeling better. You nodded softly.

“Thank you”, you finally spoke, your voice coming out hoarse. “I’m sorry for spoiling your favorite t-shirt”, he looked down and saw how your crying had taken a toll on this piece of clothing but then he made a dismissive gesture with his hand.

“Don’t worry. You know I have lots of these”, he joked and you couldn’t help but laugh. It was true. You rarely see him wear anything besides white sleeveless tank top and dark pants. If the weather was colder, he’d take a grey shirt or his signature leather jacket. 

Ryan stayed there in front of you, studying your expression, and removed a loose strand of hair that had fallen before your face. He couldn’t ignore how beautiful you looked, even after crying your eyes out. His hand lingered on your face longer than it should, caressing your left cheek. You could feel your heartbeat quicken under his touch and the fears of showing him your vulnerability seemed to dissolve in the warmth of his gestures. He was about to open his mouth to say something, but hesitated, as nothing felt good enough.

Instead, he looked at you, searching in your eyes for permission he wasn’t sure he needed. The silence between you felt charged but it wasn’t uncomfortable at all. He saw how your eyes looked down at his lips and, unconsciously, you licked yours subtly. His breath hitched slightly.

His hand, near your face, grabbed your chin this time and he slowly leaned in, as if testing the waters. You gave him a small nod and didn’t take long for his mouth to meet yours in a tender slow kiss. The world around you seemed to stop and all the things that have been troubling you seemed to fade in the distance. Your hand instinctively reached up, threading softly through the short hairs at the nape of his neck. The kiss then deepened just slightly, enough for both of you to feel the unspoken emotions behind it. When it ended, his forehead lingered against yours, eyes still closed, as if cursing to himself that he had to stop to breathe. It seemed your lips were custom-made for his, fitting together in a way that felt both effortless and electric. 

He gave you another quick peck before his thumb started to gently trace the curve of your cheek.

“I have to admit,” you said with a playful smirk, “I like this method of comforting.”

A soft chuckle escaped him, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he looked at you with nothing else but adoration.

“You really are something else, aren’t you?”

you made it to the end, congrats! 💜 I really hope you enjoyed it and that it wasn't too long for a one shot. I have to admit I had fun writing it and trying to replicate the characters' personalities, especially when seth appeared.

this maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay have a part 2, depending on if it flops, lol.

and as I usually say, i'd love to read some comments with your feedback :) and i'm also taking requests, so there's your chance to leave one 💗

[rowdyluv]

summary: jack is fuming mad about the gossip blog’s post about y/n. he makes a trip to her public relations manager’s office to settle the issue.

word count: 1k

warnings: angry jack, profanity, use of y/n,

notes: sincerest apologies for the delay and that it’s so short. I don’t want to mix two topics into one part and shorten the series, still working through hurricane helene damages at my sisters and a lot of co workers were affected and haven’t been able to come in.

© property of quinnylouhughesx43 ; do not copy and re-upload as your own - anywhere. do not place my work inside AI codes, do not translate.

Jack stormed into Ms. Castellanos' office, his usual bright blue eyes now a fiery mix of anger and desperation. He slammed his phone down on her desk, the screen displaying the latest headline from 'Pucking Gossip', a notorious bullshit gossip blog that had a knack for stirring drama in the lives of professional hockey players.

"You've got to be kidding me," he barked, his voice echoing off the eerily empty white walls. Castellanos kept her office appearance the way she typically came across, plain and empty. "What the hell is this? Did you even know this was out there? If not, what the hell are you doing all day? What are your employees doing? Get some smart computer person to it taken down. Find the person who wrote it, and get them to take it down. I don’t care just do it.”

Jack paced her office chewing the edge of his fingers, then his bottom lip, and back to his fingers. His motions flipped from anger, frustration, to worry for Y/n. Worry for if she had seen the lies someone had put out about her and now who knows how many people have seen it.

Ms. Castellanos took a moment to re-read the article again for the 100th time, her eyes narrowing with each line. When reading the article before she didn’t see much wrong with it. It was just another day for her in the office, another player’s problem becoming hers to clean up.

From a professional stand point she knew the stakes of the situation. Y/n had become a crucial part of Jack’s image rebranding, and any negative light on her could ruin everything they had worked so hard for. But, it was then she realized Y/n truly meant more to him than the agreement. She was skeptical of the best friends story he had spun out when suddenly she was the one taking the place of his fake girlfriend, but it’s clear now. But best friend doesn’t describe his feelings towards her in the slightest with the way he’s acting. She took a deep breath, her hands resting gently on the cold metal edge of her desk.

"Jack, I understand that this is upsetting, but we need to handle this strategically. We can't just go after the blogger or demand they take it down," Ms. Castellanos said calmly, her eyes never leaving the screen of the phone.

Jack's pacing grew more agitated, his hands balling into fists at his sides. "How is this strategic? They're tearing apart Y/n's reputation! She's not even met the girls yet." He jabbed a finger at the article, as if the digital ink could feel his fury.

Ms. Castellanos looked up from the screen, her expression shifting to one of understanding. "I know how much you care for her, Jack, and we will address this. But we can't let our emotions dictate our response. We need to control the narrative, not give them more ammo for their next article. You know all too well how quickly they will tear you apart.”

Jack stopped his pacing, his gaze locking onto hers. "But they're lying about her. She's not like that. She’s never been like that." His voice grew softer, the anger giving way to genuine concern for his friend's well-being.

Ms. Castellanos nodded, placing the phone aside. "I believe you, Jack. But we must be careful. We need to gather all the facts and build a counter-narrative that is both truthful and compelling." She paused, tapping her manicured nails on the desk. “One of the team’s charity galas is coming up. I will arrange for Amanda to interview you and Y/n on the red carpet. She will have specific questions to ask about why Y/n sits behind the bench versus why she doesn’t sit in the private box. I will arrange seating so that instead of your usual table with the singles, you’ll be with the couples. Giving her an opportunity to meet and chat. It is your responsibility to tell your teammates that none of this.” She waves her finger in a circle above the phone before sliding it across her desk. “Is true and that Y/n isn’t who it makes her out to be.”

Jack's fists unclenched slightly, the tension in his shoulders easing just a bit. "Okay," he agreed, though the skepticism was clear in his voice. "But what about the blog? What if they don't believe us?"

Castellanos steepled her fingers, her gaze sharp. "We'll have to be proactive. I'll draft a statement from both you and Y/n addressing the rumors. We'll release it before the gala so the media knows we're aware and in control of the story. We have taken multiple pictures of the two of you bumping fists or shaking hands before games or in between periods. We’ve caught you looking at her from the bench during timeouts too. We can spin a story out of it. In the statement release pre-gala we will be sure to include that the gala is the first time she will be meeting the entire team and their significant others as well. Clearing everything up, then Amanda will get personal statements in her interview.”

Jack took a deep breath, his eyes flickering with hope. He knew the PR world was a minefield, but he trusted Castellanos knew the terrain better than anyone. He finally sat down in the chair across from her desk, his shoulders slumping with the weight of his anxiety. The first genuine smile since he walked into her office graced his features. "Thank you, I appreciate it. I just need a moment to chill out."

Ms. Castellanos nodded in understanding, her own expression softening. "I'll get to work on the statement immediately. You go home and simply believe in me to get it taken care of.”

taglist: @luke-hughes43 @thedevilrisen

[slaaverin]

So I had a random thought yesterday, after reading someone’s post about Jikook enlisting together and whether it was a recent decision, or whether they had thought about it in 2020, when they were originally due to enlist. And none of us know the answer to that.

But, what the blogger answered so well, is that 2023 jikook were ready to be ‘loud’ about their relationship, which in turn allowed them to want to show themselves more, with the show, and be more sure of what they want, hence the enlistment.

What my thought was is that do you think they expected there to be more of a storm with their actions than they got, and by that I am excluding the hate they got from solos and the cult, but moreso in terms of speculation about the true nature of their relationship?

Because when I thought about it, they were maybe/surely prepared for them to blow up after the enlistment news and become something bigger, but instead they got hate, not an outing, so to speak.

To further emphasise this, when the show aired, they also maybe expected a storm, instead again, they got hate, shouts of forced fan service, and people shouting THEY ARE BROTHERS!!!. We had the producers in the last episode saying about them being worried about it airing, JK agreeing with them. The whole show was called ‘are you sure’ and they were worried the whole time about whether they can show it, for various reasons from what we have seen (lmao)

So, we have a situation where essentially JK can snuggle up to JM in bed, and slap his ass, and people will be like, they are brothers. Or where JK gently rests his head on JM on a romantic train ride watching the ocean and snow, and its all they hate each other blah blah

They surely knew that is what was going to happen to an extent, they aren’t naïve or stupid, and they see what is said online. They would have had the first dose of vitriolic hate before the enlistment too, so they absolutely knew surely, about what would happen. And yet, since then, we have JK coming on weverse live telling us he showers and sings ballads in the shower with JM, that they spend vacation time together, send wreaths together, that they share a dorm, and they spend time talking about their futures at bedtime. They have not shied away from speaking about the other, albeit it is subtle bc of where they are, thus proving that the hate (hopefully) doesn’t stop them. Its not ott, but its significant, when you look at what they have said during their time in MS. JM’s family getting death threats pre-Christmas, and we got JK coming on live saying about showering, in the New Year we got JM saying about the bedtime routine, and then being on a call with Hobi saying about sharing a dorm, and just last week JM saying that JK was next to him, when we as jkks knew they were on leave.

I just hope for their sake, that they continue to live their lives how they want. That they do not hold back, or as you said in your other post, go backwards. Love is all that matters in the world and what they have is so beautiful and so rare, I just want the best for them. Solos and the cult be damned. I want them to literally come out of the military with two fingers up to all the naysayers and haters! That is what I would want for them!

I'm totally aligned with you anon,

I indeed do believe they expected way more backlash from the public than what they got.

That's probably why they were so worried to air the show and hell we were worried sick too.

Maybe they expected more hate also for enlistement.

But instead what they got is the same amount of hate than usual but it didn't make any type of scandal (which is crazy to think about...that bed scene alone in AYS was absolutely wild and it was an insane thing to show. Any other people would have gotten a scandal bcs however you turn it there was nothing brotherly about that scene.)

They definitely decided to show more of themselves and despite what the reactions could have been...we got crickets. (Except for the usual haters that dismiss anything and twist everything you know same old same old, nothing new here.)

It was on everyone's minds tho. Did you see the reactors on YT that reacted to AYS? You could see on everyone's faces that they saw the same things we did but everyone stayed silent bcs of fear of getting bullied by tkkers, and many of them actually were.

It's like jikook are an open secret nobody is actually allowed to talk about.

Which honestly goes to their favour.

The silence, usual hate, and also the support they got for AYS + enlisting just confirms them that basically they can do whatever they want and get away with it.

It must have reassured them a lot.

Now they can move forward knowing stuff like this are fine so that's why I think even more expansion is on the table now.

Bcs what else can can they get away with? Living together? It will probably fly under the radar if we think about it.

No one and I mean no one is ready to adress the elephant in the room. I think jikook can get away with quite a lot.

And of course they know this.

So - absolutely. They will come back from military holding hands on live and sharing stories, being all over each other. That's for sure. They could be even wilder than usual (since it will be the biggest jikook karma since a long time).

And haters will stomp their foot on the floor crying and screaming but jikook will not care lol screw them

The chance of the contrary is almost nonexistent.

They already took the next step in 2023 but now they will take the next, next step for real bcs what's holding them back? Nothing. And they will be happier doing so.

I'm very positive about this.

If their discussions in MS healed some wounds and fears, things could move pretty quickly.

They will choose the heart, don't worry. I fiercely believe in them about this. They have to. It's the right thing to do for their own happiness and growth.

People can be constricted only for so long. And I don't believe they will be able to help it, AYS was proof of that.

Whatever happens at discharge, damn I can't wait. I will be basking in the joy of seeing them again and welcoming however they want to present themselves. And laugh at the haters losing their shit. It's going to be soooo funny 🤭

A truly glorious day for all the jikookers.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts anon 💜🫂

[reflections-in-a-critical-eye]

Are You Sure?! - Episode 1 Observations

Who said it during the Bon Vogaye S3 interviews? "We click". Was it Jimin or Jungkook? Either way, it's clearly mutual and and we've heard iterations of that throughout the years in other contexts, particularly in terms of work ethic.

The first night they spent in Connecticut at that cabin in the woods showed us a different facet, in a more domestic realm. The delegation of each role during cooking pointing out what the other one likes, knowing exactly how to prepare something based on a word. It was like a well-oiled machine that has been functioning for ages. It also gave us a taste of what was to come the next evening when Jungkook cooked pasta, an entire scene worthy to dissect.

But what stood out to me more was what happened next. I know we've all joked and talked about poor Jimin and his stomach bug. A very unexpected topic, but here we are. The level of candidness might have felt surprising (at least for me initially), but they are also guys and perhaps coming from a place socially and culturally in which it's not unusual.

But it did contribute to that element of authenticity I mentioned in my first post about the series. I want to digress a bit here because the entire situation reminded me of a conversation I had perhaps more than a decade ago. I was talking to an acquitance about elements that are usually kept out of films, part of the mundane. What is left out of the story due to its lack of relevancy. And he said that scenes of people urinating are common in films, but we don't see/hear people taking a shit, or even talking about it. Yes, the language was that crude. (And no, Salo doesn't count). Shortly after, Godard's Adieu au langage was released and if my memory serves right, it had that exact scene that my acquitance was talking about. I don't think it was a matter of authenticity, the film was a lot more complex than that in its experimentation, but it did go as far as to show somehow the hidden parts of human behavior on screen, now suddenly at a forefront.

What's the purpose of that in a travel show? What does it say about the choice to show it and about the people? In variety content including surviror type, travel or even food show, issues connected to the body are not something foreign or unusual. But in AYS, it's about the length and how it became a way to show the care a person has for the other and consequently becoming another example of that authenticity.

Both Jungkook and Jimin kept a light tone over Jimin's progressive state of sickness, but in no circumstances has Jungkook ever treated it like he needs to keep his distance. The man was sitting in bed, telling Jimin it's alright, while he was fighting for his life in the bathroom.

Despite keeping a light tone, in Jungkook's case it's often about his actions. His own way of showing that he cares more than what appears to. He might laugh and joke that Jimin is dying, all the while being the one to give him the medicine. He keeps on making jokes as he goes outside, only to immediately decide to build a stone temple so Jimin can get better.

I found it all very moving. I know it might also seem trivial, but I choose to see some gestures for what they appear to be a sign of: complete comfortability, with no uneasyness or shame or lack of aknowledgement. It's a result of seeing that person going through everything and knowing that person intimately, at whatever level any of us choose to interpret it.

To be continued...

[h1llzy]

MUMBO JUMBO S10 LORE THEORY/OVERVEIW: immortality

Right I have a lot of things to explain, you may be wondering…does mumbo even have lore? And I’d have to tell you yes yes he very much does and it’s stuck in my brain like a worm.

And I believe he has planned it since episode 9 of his hermitcraft series…

I’ll start in chronological order.

Firstly: when mumbo is planning and drawing out his base he has a small box at the bottom with numbers. That is what is going to be the data base in episode 20 , where he talks about him / all his inventions… living on forever. (This will be a major theme)

Now that in its self is not enough to prove anything… but in episode 25… the laboratory we learn about what a certain company is trying to achieve in their endeavours.

It talks of a couple major things: red stone research…artificial intelligence…preservation of the lived experience…

But the biggest of all “soon we will be living forever..”

And they are going to “start human trails shortly…”

Also in this same episode, Mumbo changes his skin and starts to grey.

It goes from this…

To this… and it happens midway through the episode:

(Both taken from episode 25)

So we know that the mined labaratory is testing with artificial intelligence and red stone to attempt to create some sort of immortality situation. And mumbo is being directly effected by it via aging.

But the MOST DARNED evidence is within episode 29 at the very beginning!!! He made an entire cinematic sequence…

(I can’t place the clip but seriously go watch it it’s sooo good!)

From this… we are able to see testing cells… that have chicken noises and villager noises coming from them.

Where we can sort of tell:

- one: the chickens have been tested on in order to possibly experiment on their entire life cycle. (Egg, embryo, chick, chicken..)

- two: the humans within the cinematic…talk in villager noises. So human trials have definitely started.

Then the dialogue shows even more…

“I got the notification, is it done?”

“It’s done…” and then we see this…

A mind… is 100% mapped…

THEN! Midway episode 32 he changes his skin again to grey even more!

(You may say that is because he is literally being sued but that kinda just speedens the process a bit)

So here is the basic parts I have put together in a small synopsis theory:

Mumbo is essentially patient zero, the mined company want to preserve intelligence , to see if after they die they can live as an ai. They have tested on animals, and villagers/ humans (not too sure) but now want mumbo’s intelligence via documenting it all onto a computer. Where it gets trained into an ai that is a replica of the person mind, their personality…every little bit about themselves…that why the brain is 100% mapped..because it is 100% copied… the data base, is also apart of this.. and is actually connected to mumbo in some sort of way, storing all the inventions and red stone ideas he has ever made to be placed into the ai algorithm.

This is very much having a bad effect on mumbo himself, as he seems to be aging much quicker….as if in trying to preserve life they are making it fade more quickly…

But the real question is what is going to end up happening well I have two theory’s for you there….

Silly theory: Grumbot.

You see when mumbo changed his skin it no longer had the waffle…so that possibly means that when minded was mapping out mumbo’s brain…it picked a up a bit of an anomaly..such as….someone’s soul…

Grians… (mwahhaa). So while trying to obtain a obedient ai that could persevere all of mumbo’s intelligence of red stone and inventions forever through the data base. They have also inadvertently picked up a bit of Grian within the ai (which is why the waffle from mumbo’s skin disapeared, due to the fact it’s now in the ai)… creating the famously charming Grumbot!!!

Angst theory: Ai after death

Mumbo is going to die due to the rapid aging that the mined company has placed on him…in which causes them to create basically an ai replica of mumbo, placing him in a robot body where he is essentially “replaced” by his robot version, and that ai is just now him (kinda like Astro boy)

So yeah….this took 2 hours…I need help, the brain rot is bad. Um thanks!