#live neo reaction
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yakool-foolio · 2 days ago
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(Project Eden's Garden spoilers below)
I DON'T LIKE THAT ULYSSES MENTIONED HE CAN'T SMELL ANYTHING CAUSE I HAVE A RAPIDLY SINKING FEELING THAT HE'S GONNA EAT POISONED FOOD AT THE DINING HALL ON ACCIDENT DON'T DO THIS TO ME
Got through a good bit of investigating the pharmacy area before stopping for the night. But uh yeah Ulysses is raising death flags painted in neon red and covered in flashing lights. I'm scared chat. Tozu is a very entertaining mastermind, trying to make himself appear forgiving and generous but loves to dip into a devilishly malicious persona where insulting him enters his ears as a compliment. I worry about what Kai means by seeing someone overdose on drugs firsthand; wonder if it means one of his family members or close friends was a substance abuser so he vowed to never end up like them. Diana is very sweet but one of my friends is really set on her being a potential culprit. I need to access that pachinko and gacha machine right now to satisfy my lucky gambler spirit or I fear I'll explode.
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beep3 · 2 years ago
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Posting bad Neo memes to try and make the week before the finale shorter - day 5
This one is especially bad, enjoy lol
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cishet-dj-octavio · 2 years ago
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Whiteboard dump
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breedsblood · 8 months ago
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Blind Hex - Dystopia - Live Streaming with Songs and Thongs
Click Link For Full Video
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st-just · 1 month ago
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The reason I can tell that on some bone-deep and fundamental level I am temperamentally a liberal is that, like -
Even if all the wonky neo-trad arguments about the declining marriage rate and the collapse in church attendance/thick inherited community obligations and etc etc were entirely correct on the object level and (to the first approximation) everyone really would be happier and more fulfilled if we ended no-fault divorce and brought back shotgun weddings and arranged marriages -
My incredibly powerful visceral reaction is no, not worth it. The dissolution of all unchosen bonds is a terminal value to be pursued for its own sake. You are a citizen of a the world and a cousin to every living soul, all else is (should be) as fleeting and contingent as your passions and whims. Concessions to reality on this are purely temporary and pragmatic.
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oaks-and-willows · 7 months ago
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So Kanaky-New Caledonia is going through the most violent times it has seen since the 1980s revolt and it's barely on the news. I'm not a local, let alone indigenous, but I'm stuck in Brisbane on my way there because the international airport of Nouméa closed, and worried indigenous friends are keeping me updated.
The Southern Province is seeing a lot of lootings and armed barricades, and two youths were killed by French special forces today.
Why? Because the French government passed a law that changes who gets to vote in Kanaky New Caledonia, from indigenous people, people born in KNC, and people who have lived there continuously since 1998, to everyone who has lived there for at least 10 years. Less than half the population is Kanak, and the strong influx of French people is shrinking their proportion even further. Immigrants who like the sun and the tropical sea but don't need that to mean that they'll learn about the cultures and the country, i.e. expats. So far, this influx was bad for the job prospects of locals and for property prices, but it didn't matter in local elections. The current government is pro-independence, a stance strongly congruent with Kanaks but not with Europeans.
This is Darmanin's and Macron's reaction to the third referendum on independence from France having failed. Darmanin called it 'a minimum of democracy'. The first two referendums were close calls and the second (51/49) more so than the first (53/46). The third was 90% against independence, which was due to a boycott of the referendum; it happened during Covid, electoral campaigns were impossible except vis TV, which is easier for the well-funded loyalists than for their opponents. Macron ignored this. The referendums were very peaceful and disciplined, but since this discipline was used by the State against the indigenous population to legitimize neo-colonialism, the current violence is not a surprise. Last time barricades were used, in the 1980s, they were very successful. We'll see what happens this time.
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train-wrecc · 5 months ago
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Waiting. Lee Eun-Hyeok.
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(This picture was all I could find y'all 😭 +from Safari)
word count: 1.8k
warnings: The use of "Oppa" (I know some people don't like it or think it's cringey so here's your warning.) Unrequited love? Mentions of blood.
summary: Lee Eun-Hyeok's return.
pairing: Lee Eun-Hyeok x Fem!Reader
─── ・ 。゚☆: *.☽ .* :☆゚. ───
It had felt like an eternity since you had been able to meet his dark brown eyes with those of your own. They looked exactly the same, dark brown, yet they weren't your Lee Eun-hyeok's. They were the brown eyes of a stranger.
He stood in front of you appearing as the same man you had been waiting for, longing for, surviving for. His shoulders no longer held the weight of the world on them, which that you were grateful for. To those who didn't know him, his eyes had always lacked a warmth to them; but to you there had once been a small tinge of lightness in them. Now, they truly held nothing but indifference.
As you took in every inch of him, desperate to familiarize yourself with the sight of him once again, he stood looking at you. He wasn't analyzing your every move like he used to, he was simply looking at you. Nothing more and nothing less.
Your arms itched to wrap themselves around him but you refrained from doing so. The air felt tense, not much could be heard aside from your slight uneven breaths. He turned to walk away, "Are you really leaving me again?" His steps slowed to a stop. From his reaction alone you first thought he didn't recognize you.
His back stayed facing you, "Lee Eun-Hyeok, you've been alive all this time, and not once did you try to look for me?" He couldn't even turn to face you. "Why would I?" You could feel the tears begging to spill from your eyes, but you blinked them away. "Because you love me. You love me like I love you." You reached for his hand but stopped midway fearing that he would pull away.
Just how you feared he'd pull away from your touch you feared his response to your words. "Because I waited for you and I lived for you, I almost died searching for just a glimpse of you..." You quietly let out, desperately trying to keep your voice steady. "I never asked you to do any of that." He finally turned toward you. His face was void of emotion, "Do you know the way to the stadium?" His eyes once again met yours, and you looked away not being able to gaze into their emptiness.
"Why are you being like this?"
"So, you don't know how to get to the stadium?" This time you turned your back towards him, trying to catch your breath, because each word he said continued to feel like a punch to the gut, another finger around your throat.
A stray tear stained your cheek, your hand flying up to quickly swipe it away. You faced him once again, "Is that all you care about, huh? The stadium?" You let out a dry laugh. "No," and for a second you had hope, "I don't care about anything, just curious." There he went shredding every ounce of it. 
It broke you out of your trance for a second, turning to look at the bus your brother Cha Hyun-Su was trapped in. You were overwhelmed and not sure what to do, various emotions drowning you. "Help me get Hyun-Su out." You nodded to the bus, not wanting to speak of your feelings for him any longer.
"No, this is his test." He said taking a seat on some steps. You huffed, irritation flooding you. It was as if you were speaking to a wall.  "Yah! Lee Eun-Hyeok do something!" You yelled at him. He simply stared at you blankly. "He's a neo-human. He can get himself out."
"What if he can't? I just found him again, please, Lee Eun-Hyeok..." You whispered shakily, sniffling. "Then I guess you're both useless to me." You didn't ever think you'd hear Eun-Hyeok say something like that to you. The last words he'd said were a promise of love and that he would return to you.
Now he sat in front of you not because he had returned to you, but by chance, because he didn't willingly seek you out. "Don't say that. Stop being like this!" You cried out. "I waited all this time for you, just for you to— to what? Hate me? You said you loved me! You promised me you'd come back and you never did! And now you're— you're acting like this!" You gave up on trying to match his nonchalance, you couldn't take it, couldn't stand the sight of his lips in that straight emotionless line. From his unfurrowed brows to his dry eyes, they all led you to the conclusion that he didn't care.
"I don't hate you, and I don't love you." You couldn't even feel your nails digging into the palm of your hands leaving deep crescent marks.
When did he stop loving you? Why did he stop loving you? You didn't want to know. You just wanted to feel his warm embrace around you. What he should've done when he first saw you. Yet here he was calling you useless, another finger tightening around your throat. You weren't sure when you had started crying but there was no stopping the tears now.
You wanted him to see that he was hurting you, you wanted him to stop. Maybe he could see it in your eyes, your desperation to see a glimpse of the Eun-Hyeok you knew because his next words were "I'm not the Eun-Hyeok you remember." Not even flinching at the sight of your tears.
He used to kiss those same tears away, and now he was the cause of them, the fuel that aided them.
"I'm a neohuman, the next step in human evolution."
"I don't care, Hyeok!" He almost flinched at the memory of your nickname for him. Almost.
"I don't care if you're a neohuman or a monster, all I care about is you! But you don't care about me, you don't love..." you didn't finish your sentence, you couldn't. You could no longer hold your body up, falling to the rough tar of the street. You felt a warm liquid against the skin of your knees due to the fall. That pain was nothing compared to the wound to your heart.
Your chest felt as if it was on fire. "Why are you doing this to me?" You sobbed, your hands coming up to cover your eyes.
"Oppa..." you cried for Hyun-Su. Suddenly Eun-Hyeok was crouched beside you as shards of the bus burst through the air. You uncovered your eyes, tears still falling as you looked at Eun-Hyeok.
"If you got hurt he would never agree to help me." You bit your lip to hold in the sob.
You looked past him to see Hyun-Su standing in front of the remains of the bus. His brown eyes made you cry harder. He was back. Eun-Hyeok stood up, as Hyun-Su made his way toward the both of you.
Once he stood in front of you he pulled you to your feet, before his arms tightly embraced you. "Oppa...you're back." You couldn't help but cry, causing him to gently rub your back in an attempt to calm you. "It's okay." Another attempt to soothe you. You hugged him tighter, begging the ache in your heart to go away. He slightly pulled away as your breathing evened out, but tears still raced down your cheeks. He wiped the tears, "I'm sorry." Escaping his lips.
It felt as if he was apologizing for letting dark Hyun-Su take over but also for Eun-Hyoek's actions.
"It's okay, Hyun-Su." You struggled to put a smile on. Eun-Hyeok began walking off toward the way he assumed the stadium was. You squeezed Hyun-Su's hand, "Thank you for coming back to me." You gently said before letting go. You caught up to Eun-Hyeok, grabbing his wrist to stop him. "I'm not letting you leave again. You can hurt me all you want, I don't care how much more pain I have to go through or how long I have to wait for you, I'll wait." You sniffled.
He turned to face you, "I have my memories, but I don't have any emotions." It felt as if this was his way of  apologizing. "That's how it is for us, and we learn fast." He pulled your hand off his own wrist. "If you're fast learners, you can learn emotions. I'll love you... love you until you learn to love me again." You said in an even voice. He remained silent, turning to walk off again.
Another tear slipped from your red eyes. Grabbing his wrist once again you turned, pulling him in the opposite direction, the correct way to the stadium. Your hand clasped his tightly not allowing him to let go. As you reached Hyun-Su your other hand finding his as you continued to make your way to the stadium. Hyun-Su threw a glare at Eun-Hyeok, infuriated that your tears were his cause.
Hyun-Su squeezed your hand in his pulling you more towards him, "You shouldn't wait for him, he doesn't deserve it." He said as if Eun-Hyeok wasn't even there. If it weren't for your hand tightly gripping his cold one, you'd forget he was even there. "I know, but I—I still love him." You stuttered and glanced at Eun-Hyeok whose sharp eyes never strayed from looking in front of him.
You turned resting your head on Hyun-Su's shoulder, "You don't know how much I missed you, Oppa." Eun-Hyeok's eyes cautiously glanced your way as you weren't looking.
"Me too," Hyun-Su replied glancing toward you, placing a kiss to your forehead. A small smile painted your lips. It was your first genuine smile since he had returned. Lee Eun-Hyeok gazed ahead once again, not wanting to stare at your smile for too long. Something about it caused a stir deep within him.
You had grown used to waiting, almost numb to the feeling. You had waited for Lee Eun-Hyeok, for your brother Cha Hyun-Su, if you had to wait a little longer to truly be united with the man you loved then that is what you will do. You refused to believe that the Eun-Hyeok you love was no longer within the man beside you. You knew deep within him he was there somewhere. Although Eun-Hyeok had crushed all your hope, the return of your Hyun-Su reignited it. You had Hyun-Su now, and that would be enough.
You will ignore the ache in your heart and wait for Lee Eun-Hyeok's return. You will gaze into his dark brown cold eyes with the warmth of your own. Meet his emotionless face with your own filled with desperation, love, any other emotion you could muster. You will love this shell of a man that used to be your Eun-Hyeok. Because it's all you could do.
─── ・ 。゚☆: *.☽ .* :☆゚. ───
A/N: Is this my first post in like over a year? Yes… 😭😭 Did I write this at like 4am after I finished watching season 3? Yes.
Also I was v disappointed with Lee Eun Hyeoks return or how it was written I guess, like why was he more loving toward Cha Hyun Su than his sister? 😭😭
+Also where are all the sweet home fics? I’ve read like all of them already 😭
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h3nderyss · 17 days ago
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you as nct 127's 9th member - part 2 (headcanons)
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pairing: ot8 x fem!reader . . . masterlist . . . 127 (part 1) dream ver wayv ver genre: fluff a/n: requested part 2! romantic headcanons for each member if you were the 9th member and only girl in 127! u can imagine if ur in a secret relationship or not! (can u tell i got carried away with taeyong.. then ended up running out of ideas.)
・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・・
taeyong
he'd remember the little things about u, if u once told him a snack you liked, expect him to show up w it the next day
handwritten notes from him end up on ur mirror, simple things like just saying "fighting!!"
he'd keep a protective eye on you during rehearsals and help u fix ur form if ur too tired that day
encourages your ideas! in group activities he'd ask you, "what do you think?"
he'd hang around with you after practice ends, after all the members left
especially if it becomes too late and u end up napping in the practice room on the couch, u best bet he'd STAY there
he'd surprise u with small gifts, leaving snacks or ur fav drink at ur spot during practice without saying anything
if both of u are accidentally in the dance room or recording studio overnight, u guys would watch the sunrise together!
in his solo album he'd write songs about u 100%
and you'd also probably have a few vocal adlibs
OR MAYBE he'd have a song featuring you! literally couple of the year.
if you're having a hard day, expect taeyong to be soo comforting
leader instincts KICK IN.
saying things like "you're doing so well," or "take 5 minutes, at least"
he'd gaze at u through the mirror during dance practices
he'd be playfully jealous like "do you compliment the others as much as you do to me?"
fans would call u king & queen neo
johnny
def playfully tease u, if there was a goofy dance move for a part of choreo he'd go "you're the only one to make this look cool."
expect spontaneous adventures with johnny
he KNOWS ur preferences, if u were getting coffee or any drink tg, he'd order for u literally knowing what u want
mind reader??
u will NOT be overworking. not on his watch. "nope, it's break time, come on."
fills his phone with candid shots of u!
car rides are karaoke sessions atp. less singing too, more laughing
SUCH a playful protector, since this man is like 6'1 you bet he'd act like ur bodyguard
he'd plan dates to underground restaurants he finds online
and goes "i wanted this to be our thing..!"
he'd provide comfortable words like "you're stronger than you realize."
yuta
a man of bold affection, literally tells u straight up "you're the best thing about my day"
during casual convos he'd brush a piece of hair behind ur ear or just hold ur hand tbh
u guys have humour that's reserved for only u two. the members lowkey get confused why u guys just randomly burst laughing
during group travels he'd secretly buy u a souvenir and give it to u when ur back home
has a habit of staring at u during practices and smiles when u notice (this is so cute?????)
enjoys just sitting in silence with u
loves ur company
doyoung
such a classic romantic, surprises u with homemade meals
connnstantlyy reassuring you! "you don't have to be perfect, you're already enough."
guys, his smile is so adorable, pls make him laugh a lot
if u two sit together, expect his hand to intertwine with yours
soft kisses omg
you'd have quiet, intimate dates enjoying each other's company and just be infatuated w e/o
before live performances expect him to hype u the hell up!
he's like a personal cheerleader
he'd post u on his story a lot
jaehyun
he loves quiet affection like squeezing ur hand under the table to let u know he's there
lowkey feel like you guys would have tons of polaroid pics tg
and of each other
AND photobooth films
and it'd literally just be of u kissing like u guys just can't help urselves
and the deep talks get DEEP
same with taeyong, he'd dedicate his songs abt u
he'd loove seeing ur reactions to his songs too, ESPECIALLY from his new album
yea he'd surprise u with concert tickets for ur fav artists you've mentioned
such a protective aura like in areas with crowded fans, he'd keep his hand on ur waist to make sure ur not going ANYWHERE
movie nights turn into movie naps
jungwoo
he'd love when u play with his hair
he'd be a puppy
but like a really hot puppy too,
genuinely leave u speechless at everything he does bc hey, it's jungwoo?? he's so infatuating
loves to mimic ur reactions just to see u giggle and try to get him back
like i said in part 1 expect emojis when u text, expect him to send gifs too
WILL suddenly hug u out of the blue
literally treasures anything you give him
mark
ur the only person he would genuinely spill all the tea to, about WHATEVER
could be about his own struggles, or insane tea about his friend
softly sings to u, he likes humming and just full on singing, even if he purposely sounds goofy
let's say he accidentally brushes his hand against yours
but he ends up intertwining ur hands as if it was intentional!
i feel like he loves skinship
he'd be cuddled to u any chance he gets
or just resting his hand around your waist A LOTTT
also lots of nicknames he'd call u, sometimes catching u off guard by saying something really cringe
would also write so many songs abt u
haechan
ur the person he'd be the MOST clingy to
we all know how he's so touchy w the members
well, you'd be the #1 person he'd do that to.
out of nowhere he'd surprise u with compliments
actually floods ur phone with memes, pics, random selfies just to make u smile
he loooves giving u back hugs or just going full koala mode
also literally napping on u
u guys would just look like two losers in love, the members being always teasing
but like, he'd actually be insane sometimes and say something to get u riled up. (iykwim.)
or even like, DO something. especially when he dances?
it's like a private show for u, and he knows how that makes you feel.
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yongility · 21 days ago
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NEO TV # I LIKE ME BETTER WHEN I'M WITH YOU. (jaehyun x reader) 7/?
genre: angst, suggestive, gang au, rich kid au, enemies to lovers (kinda), a lil of fluffy stuff. slowburn, series.
warnings: drug use mentions, gangs, fights, use of weapons, adult language, illegal activities, cheating (not on the main couple), toxic family environment, addictions, manipulation, insecurities, illegal street racing, death mentions. jeno is jaehyun's younger brother, angst, smut and if I slip something my bad haha.
word count: +10k?
Warnings for this chapter: might be kinda long af cuz I don’t want to make this series long, so maybe we’ll have this chapter and two more for the finale. In this chapter we’re gonna get some description about Winwin’s trauma and accident, so it might be deep. Also NSFW, unprotected sex (don’t do it plssss), drug use, loooots of angst, police involvement (if that’s a warning lol)
To be dead while alive.
To live without feeling.
Or to watch your life pass before your eyes… unable to do anything. Winwin wasn’t sure which of those options was worse. Feeling his body trapped in a hospital bed, his mind awake but powerless, was a fate worse than death itself. He couldn’t move. He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t find any comfort within his own mind to give him even the slightest peace… It was like being trapped in a glass bubble, unable to touch anything, not even the people who still kept him company to this day.
He wasn’t even aware of how much time had passed since the accident, since the last reaction he managed to have, and since the last time his body had been connected to his mind… it might have felt like an eternity. In his mind, his memories of life before the accident grew blurry, as if they belonged to someone else. All that remained was emptiness. The present was a thick fog that never cleared.
He wanted to be able to do something, for himself, for his friends… especially for the memory of his parents.
He felt trapped in his own body, it was impossible not to think that. With every new visitor, except Jaehyun, Mark, or Lucas, he hoped that it would be the day he could finally do something to change his current state, but he seemed to betray himself. It was as if his mind was disconnected from his body, as if his soul were somewhere else, because no matter how much he wished to overcome it and regain some control over his life, he seemed broken enough not to be able to. He was a spectator of his own life.
Sometimes, when his friends came to visit him, Winwin focused on their voices, on every word and request, but it was inevitable to think that he wasn’t able to give them anything in return. It was like being dead while alive.
The worst part of all was not only the inactivity of his body but the inability to let go of the guilt. The guilt of not being strong enough to avoid the accident, the guilt of not being able to save his parents, the guilt of not being able to recover and be what everyone expected of him. There was no comfort, because all he could feel was that he was failing.
The clock on the wall seemed to mock (Y/N), marking each second with a coldness that unsettled her. It was the first time she found herself alone in that room… and she didn’t even know why she had mustered the courage to do it. Winwin wasn’t her friend. She didn’t even know about the situation he was in months ago… there was no specific reason that led her to that place.
Why am I here? she asked herself, looking at the white walls of the room. What do I expect to find? Visiting someone with whom I’d never had a close relationship? The truth was, she wasn’t sure… she could just blame it on curiosity if she wanted to.
The mere thought of seeing Winwin in that place, sunk into an almost eternal stillness, churned her stomach. Yet, a part of her knew this visit was more about understanding Jaehyun than about offering anything to Winwin. She wanted to make sense of what had happened—the tragedy that had left everyone around Winwin shattered, including Jaehyun. Perhaps, by understanding it, she could grasp why everything had fallen apart.
Maybe that understanding was what made her cling to the idea that Jaehyun was still capable of changing himself.
Winwin was there. Motionless. As if life itself had stopped flowing through him. She could barely make out the faint movements that indicated he was still alive, breathing, but somehow, it felt like he was no longer present. His face, so serene, stood in stark contrast to the turmoil she felt inside. How could anyone move forward after losing so much?
Unintentionally, her mind began to wander through memories of Jaehyun, the moments when he had spoken about Winwin—always with affection, with a loyalty that had begun to make her feel like an outsider. Jaehyun had made it clear how important Winwin was, how what had happened to him hadn’t just affected him but everyone who cared about him.
“They really miss you,” (Y/N) managed to say. “I don’t know if I should even be here, but… I guess now I’m also hoping you’ll go back to being who you once were.”
She waited for a reaction, but she knew there wouldn’t be one.
“I’m sorry for assuming you’d just moved back to China... I know we were never close, just classmates, but I shouldn’t have been so wrapped up in my own little world that I didn’t know what had really happened to you,” she said, her voice heavy with regret. The thought that Winwin was her age, yet the stark difference between them lay in how her life had kept moving forward while his had come to a halt, gnawed at her.
“The dance team really lost their brightest star. I wish I could have told you this under different circumstances, not after finding out what you’ve been through… but you really were the heart of that team,” she added with a soft, bittersweet laugh.
What am I doing here?
There was something profoundly unsettling about the situation, something that left her without answers. Yet, in that moment, she realized it didn’t matter how deeply she reflected on it or how sincere her words were—nothing could change reality.
In the end, all that remained was silence.
Silence.
That was all there was between them. Just the muffled echo of a room where even the machines seemed to breathe louder than Winwin. The tension in the air was palpable, an invisible hum that seemed to vibrate against the stark white walls of the room. (Y/N) sat quietly beside the bed, her eyes fixed on Winwin, who lay motionless, trapped in a body that refused to respond.
The words swirled in her throat, but at the same time, they felt utterly useless. Speaking to him felt like tossing stones into a bottomless well. Still, the faint movement she’d noticed earlier lingered in her mind. It was like a hidden heartbeat beneath centuries of stillness. She couldn’t ignore it.
Gently, she reached for his hand, as if afraid her touch might break him. It was cold, pale, with faint scars that told the story of his silent battle.
“I know you’re still there,” she murmured, her voice cracking on the last word. She wasn’t sure if she was saying it to convince him or herself. “I know you can hear me, Winwin.”
Her words hung in the air, unanswered. Closing her eyes, (Y/N) felt the weight of emotional exhaustion settle in her chest. She took a deep breath, searching for the strength she felt slipping away, and spoke again.
“I don’t know if anyone’s told you this before, but... it’s okay to feel tired. It’s okay to not know how to keep going.” Tears began to stream down her face, unstoppable. “But please… don’t give up. Not yet.”
Trapped in the prison of his own mind, Winwin felt something. A spark. Small, but real. Her words seeped through the thick fog surrounding him. He had been in the void for so long that he’d forgotten what it felt like to feel. Now, emotions were beginning to stir, like a river slowly breaking free of its icy shell.
Inside, he screamed. He tried to move his hand, open his eyes, anything to show her he was there. It was a desperate effort, as if he were trying to break invisible chains that bound him in place.
And then, it happened.
A small spasm ran through his hand—barely a flicker—but enough for (Y/N) to feel it. She gasped, almost letting go in surprise. Her eyes widened as she stared at him, searching for another sign.
“Winwin?” she whispered, her voice trembling.
Inside, Winwin couldn’t respond the way he wanted, but he clung to her words. They weren’t empty promises. They were a lifeline from someone who wasn’t ready to give up on him.
And for the first time in what felt like forever, the darkness inside him seemed to recede just a little.
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When Lucas received the call from the clinic notifying him that, once again, Winwin had shown a small reaction, he felt a spark of hope illuminate the darkest corner of his heart. It had been so long since anything remotely positive had happened that just hearing the word reaction seemed almost miraculous. However, when he arrived at the hospital and found the unexpected company of Hwang (Y/N), he couldn’t help but feel a mix of surprise and relief. He didn’t know her well, but at that moment, her presence felt like an anchor in the middle of a sea of uncertainty.
Lucas had tried to contact Jaehyun, leaving multiple messages in his voicemail. He knew how much Winwin meant to him and how much it hurt to be caught between the weight of guilt and helplessness. But while waiting for Jaehyun to arrive, Lucas listened to the doctor with all the attention he could gather, striving to process the words full of medical terms and uncertain possibilities.
The doctor cautiously explained that those small reactions, although minimal, could indicate that something was happening neurologically. That maybe, after so much time of apparent inertia, Winwin’s mind was beginning to respond. It wasn’t a guarantee, much less an immediate solution, but it was a spark of hope, something that gave them a reason to keep believing.
When the doctor left the room, leaving Lucas and (Y/N) alone with Winwin, Lucas took a moment to breathe deeply. His eyes rested on his friend, as motionless as ever, but this time with a different aura, as if something invisible was awakening inside him. He closed his eyes for a moment, thanking the universe, any higher power that might exist, for this small victory. As tiny as it was, it meant the world to him.
“Thank you for being here,” he said, turning to (Y/N). There was something in his tone that was sincere, almost vulnerable. “I’m glad that Winwin had a stimulation at the right moment to push him to react.”
(Y/N) looked at him, barely smiling. She wasn’t sure what to say. Words seemed insufficient to express everything she was feeling. Finally, she chose the truth.
“To be honest, I really don’t clearly know why I’m here. I don’t know why I came to see him in the first place.”
Lucas nodded, understanding more than she imagined. There was something in that uncertainty that resonated with him. Sometimes, reasons didn’t matter as much as actions themselves.
“You don’t need to know,” he assured her, his voice firm but kind. “What’s important is that you’re here now.”
A comfortable silence settled between them. Both looked at Winwin, each with their own thoughts but sharing a common emotion: hope.
Lucas finally let himself sink into the chair next to the bed, his eyes fixed on his friend. He had spent so much time talking to a motionless body, trying to fill the void with his own words, that he had grown used to the absence of a response. But now, every small movement, every tiny reaction, was a reminder that Winwin was still there, fighting in some way.
Unfortunately, and to their bad luck, visiting hours that day had already ended, so after giving Winwin one last look, they were forced to leave.
The exit from the clinic was marked by a heavy silence. The cold night air wrapped around Lucas and (Y/N) as they walked through the empty parking lot, their steps echoing against the concrete. Both carried in their minds the image of Winwin, motionless but full of a hope that was just beginning to sprout. However, that faint light didn’t seem enough to dissipate the cloud hanging over them.
When Lucas finally broke the silence, his tone was almost conspiratorial, as if speaking aloud could invoke undesirable consequences.
“I shouldn’t tell you this,” he admitted, stopping next to a light post. The shadows danced on his face, making his expression seem even more serious. “But I think you deserve to know.”
(Y/N) frowned, her confusion evident. She crossed her arms, watching him expectantly. “What is it?” she asked, trying to stay calm, though something in Lucas’s tone gave her a bad feeling.
Lucas lowered his gaze for a moment, as if deciding whether he should really continue. But when he raised his eyes to her, they were full of determination.
“Sooman asked Jaehyun to make an exchange with him.”
The weight of those words fell on (Y/N) like a bucket of cold water. At first, the words didn’t fully make sense. Exchange? What did that mean in this context? But it only took an instant for the gravity of the situation to begin taking shape in her mind.
“I don’t understand,” she finally said, her voice trembling slightly. But deep down, she already sensed it wasn’t anything good.
Lucas sighed, running a hand through his hair in frustration. “Sooman wants Jaehyun to accompany him to a weapons exchange... which means Sooman expects him to take a more active role in the gang. To become someone willing to get his hands completely dirty. And to achieve that, he’s asking him to go along. An exchange... for his absolute loyalty.”
The words echoed in (Y/N)’s head. She felt how anger and helplessness began to form in her chest, fighting to surface. Jaehyun, always so stubborn, so convinced that he could protect everyone from that dark world, was now being dragged even further.
“Why are you telling me this?” she finally murmured, her voice barely a whisper.
Lucas looked at her with a mix of compassion and seriousness. “Because I think you two deserve a chance together. And because, if that’s going to happen, Jaehyun needs to stay far away from this mess, far from everything the gang means.”
(Y/N) shook her head, pressing her lips together while trying to control the emotions swirling inside her. She felt like she was about to break, but she forced herself to stay composed.
“Jaehyun isn’t going to leave the gang,” she said, almost as if reminding herself as much as Lucas. “He’s made that clear more than once. He’s stubborn. I won’t be able to change his mind.”
Lucas shrugged but didn’t stop looking at her with firmness. “Maybe you can’t change his mind. But that doesn’t mean you should give up on him. Jaehyun isn’t bad, (Y/N). He’s trapped in this because of a twisted sense of responsibility. But if anyone can make him see things differently, I think it’s you.”
(Y/N) let out a bitter laugh, lowering her gaze to the ground. “And what if he doesn’t want to listen to me? What if he’s so convinced he’s doing the right thing that he doesn’t care what I say?” she asked, a hint of despair in her voice.
Lucas stepped closer, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Then at least you’ll have tried. Because if you do nothing, Sooman will take him further than any of us can reach. And trust me, that’s not a place that’s easy to come back from.”
Lucas’s words struck deeply in (Y/N). She glanced back at the clinic one last time, as if seeking strength from the place that had witnessed the small spark of hope for Winwin. Now, she understood that it wasn’t just Winwin who was trapped. Jaehyun was too, though in a different way. The question was whether she had the strength to try and save them both.
(Y/N) remained silent, her thoughts echoing endlessly in her mind. Lucas’s words weighed heavier than she wanted to admit. She knew he made sense, but she also knew that confronting Jaehyun would be like talking to a wall: hard, impenetrable, and determined to stay standing no matter what.
Lucas broke the silence, his voice softer this time, almost as if he feared breaking something in her. “You don’t have to decide now,” he said, his hands buried in the pockets of his jacket. “But, (Y/N), Jaehyun is playing with fire. And the problem with fire isn’t just that it burns you… it also consumes everything close to you. If you don’t do something now, I don’t know how much longer he’ll stay safe.”
She looked up at him, meeting his eyes that, despite their apparent strength, reflected the weight of worry. She wanted to respond, to say something comforting, but she couldn’t. She was caught between the desire to help and the fear of failing.
“Why me?” she finally asked, her voice barely a whisper. There was no challenge in her tone, only genuine uncertainty. “What makes you think I can do anything?”
Lucas gave her a faint smile, almost tinged with resignation. “Because Jaehyun listens when you speak. He might not show it, but he listens. And because you’re not trapped in this—not the way we are. You have something to offer him, something that can remind him there’s more beyond this world. Something worth fighting for.”
His words struck (Y/N) deeply. She had always known that Jaehyun was special to her, but hearing someone else put it into words made the feeling more real, more tangible.
She took a deep breath of the cold air, trying to clear her mind. Something inside her stirred—a spark that was beginning to ignite, though she wasn’t sure if it would be enough for what lay ahead.
“Where is he?” she finally asked, her tone more resolute.
Lucas looked at her for a moment before nodding, as if he had been expecting that question all along.
“At home. That’s where he usually goes when he needs to clear his head. But also…” He hesitated, carefully choosing his words. “It’s where he goes when he’s planning something. I don’t know how open he’ll be to listening, but if anyone can get him to stop and hear, it’s you.”
(Y/N) nodded slowly, her fingers fidgeting with the strap of her bag as she processed the information. There was no time for doubt or second-guessing. If Jaehyun was at risk of sinking even further, she couldn’t stand by and do nothing.
“Thank you, Lucas,” she said finally, before turning toward the parking lot. Her voice was low, but there was a hint of determination in it.
“(Y/N),” he called, just before she could walk away. She turned, and for a moment, Lucas seemed more vulnerable than she had ever seen him. “Be careful. He might be stubborn, but he doesn’t deserve to lose you too. Nobody does.”
She didn’t respond, but she gave him a small smile, just enough to show that she understood.
With every step she took toward her car, the weight on her chest felt both lighter and heavier at the same time. The thought of facing Jaehyun scared her, but the thought of doing nothing… that was far worse.
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The last time she had stepped into Jaehyun’s house, the memories had etched themselves onto her like marks on her skin. It hadn’t been just a moment; it had been a clash of emotions, a revelation that left her caught between the warmth of sharing something intimate with him and the chill of understanding just how trapped he was in Neo Zone, that dark, tangled world that seemed to consume him. She remembered the feel of his lips, how Jaehyun had allowed a small part of himself to open up to her, offering a glimpse of something he guarded so closely. But she also remembered the weight of realizing how much of him was anchored to that life holding him back.
That was why, standing in front of his door once more, her emotions were a whirlwind. Every step that had brought her here had been a mix of conviction and doubt. Was she ready to face him? To confront what it meant to stand beside someone like him? Even so, she raised her hand and knocked softly, as if afraid the door itself might crumble under the weight of her intentions.
When Jaehyun opened the door, his expression was a mix of confusion and something almost vulnerable, as if he hadn’t been prepared to see her there. His eyes searched hers, as though trying to decipher what her presence in that moment could mean. Then, the words left his mouth with a sharpness he hadn’t intended.
“What are you doing here?”
His tone was harsher than he meant, but (Y/N) didn’t flinch. She had expected this reaction. She took a deep breath, trying to keep her voice steady as she looked him straight in the eye.
“I need you.”
Jaehyun blinked, thrown off balance. Those two words hit him harder than he cared to admit. There were many things he was used to hearing: orders, reprimands, warnings. But I need you... those words carried a weight he didn’t know how to handle. He stayed silent, staring at (Y/N) as if waiting for her to elaborate, to explain what those words meant.
“I thought we already talked about this, angel,” he said, his body leaning toward her instinctively, as if an invisible magnet always drew them together.
“I know, and I told you then that there’s always something pulling me to you.”
Jaehyun exhaled slowly, trying to keep his composure, but (Y/N)’s words disarmed him, as they always did. That raw honesty, that way she had of saying exactly what she felt, left him defenseless.
“(Y/N)...” he began, but his voice trailed off. He couldn’t find the words. He didn’t know how to respond without revealing just how much those simple phrases affected him.
She looked at him with an intensity that almost made him step back, but he didn’t. Instead, he took a step closer, closing the distance between them.
“I need you,” she repeated, her whisper brushing against his lips.
Jaehyun didn’t wait another second before crashing his lips against hers in a hungry, desperate kiss.
His hands roamed wherever they could—her hips, her waist, her lower back—as if needing to confirm she was really there. He tugged her closer, pulling her into the house and pressing her against the wall. His lips left hers to trail kisses along her neck.
Lost in the moment and the intoxicating rush, she brought her hands to the back of his neck, pulling him even closer, if that was possible. She could feel the heat, the desire, the overwhelming hunger that wrapped around them both in that moment. Her legs, with a small jump, wrapped around Jaehyun’s waist, and his hands moved to her thighs to hold her securely as she clung to him.
The intensity between them was undeniable, a whirlwind of passion and longing that neither could resist.
“You make me loose myself in you” Jaehyun confessed in a sigh and returning to her lips. “You're a danger to me” she attacked his mouth again, causing a moan to come from deep inside her, achieving a thrill inside the boy and making his dick twitch in his pants. The kissing session simply became more cadenced as the seconds passed and in the blink of an eye, without understanding how, they ended up entering Jaehyun's room. Where, once, being inside, she (Y/N) was gently thrown onto the bed of the boy, who positioned himself on top of her and continued his caresses down her body.
“You're the most beautiful thing I have... and I can't become selfish enough to let you stay” he murmured.
“Jaehyun” she moaned. “I want you.”
The boy looked into her eyes as he brought his hands to the girl's shirt and untucked it with breathtaking fluidity.
“Where do you want me, my love?” he asked lustfully.
“Inside me... wherever... but I need you, I want you.”
(Y/N) had a way with words, because right there, releasing that sentence, being under Jaehyun's body, so willing to him... the boy wanted to give her everything he had at that moment. The kisses became hotter, the caresses more needy and rougher, and the clothes were quickly disappearing. Every touch and every glance was charged with so much lust and passion that it caused Jaehyun to be unable to think of anything else. Nothing of her life, nothing of the gang, nothing of the exchange.
Just (Y/N).
(Y/N)... (Y/N)... (Y/N).
“Jae” the girl let out a sigh when Jaehyun's hand was on her intimate part, caressing her over the fabric of her panties, feeling the wetness that the situation was generating in her, but her ecstasy was on the rise when Jaehyun decided to get rid of her panties and bring his mouth to her sex.
She could feel a little air crashing into her mules. “You're always a cutie” Jaehyun murmured and without further ado he plunged his mouth into her womanhood running his warm tongue between her lips, I feel gentle.
(Y/N)'s mouth could only let out moans here and there. Feeling her breath hitch as Jaehyun decided to lightly suck on her clit, Jaehyun placed his hands on her thighs to continue his work, pressing his mouth against her core and moving his tongue inside with the tip, generating more stimulation.
Jaehyun surely isn’t shy about using his tongue on her; because he’s just good about it. (Y/N)’s hands go straight to Jaheyun’s hair trying to get a hold on anything that can make her not to lose her shit, but the grip has Jaehyun going feral; as he just apples more pressure in her thighs and bring his head closer, if that’s even possible, to her pussy. Must be pretty obvious she was close enough to cum, because Jaehyun took the chance to introduce his middle finger into her entrance, sliding just perfectly.
“Shit… Jae- keep going” she murmured biting her lip and gripping tighter onto his hair.
“Just keep moaning like that, my pretty baby angel” he says taking a breath to once again lap at her pussy, working his tongue so beautifully that got (Y/N) seeing stars.
“You want me to fuck you, baby?” Jaehyun asks when he left her pussy to be able to stare at her.
She nodded and tug his hair so he could get closer to her face, she looked at him straight in the eyes and she could swear, his eyes were twinkling. She gave him a fucked out look and she brought him closer.
“Yes, baby; I want you to fuck me. Make a mess on me” she stated as she kissed passionately on his lips.
This kiss was eager, so full of warmth and love, that they got too lost in the moment. Jaehyun’s fingers kept sliding in her pussy simultaneously, making her shake under him.
It was just too good.
Then Jaehyun took his fingers out and his hand went straight to take a hold on his cock so he could just rub it on her pussy. Making her whimper and feeling her legs shaking; because the moment Jaehyun had decided to make his cock enter her pussy, was just her endgame. She could feel him so deep inside and oh so thick that she could swear she wouldn’t last long.
Too cockdrunk, she couldn’t even former a sentence out, she was just moaning and growling every time Jaehyun’s tip stroke so deliciously on her walls. Then, Jaheyun was leaning in and wrapping his lips on (Y/N) nipples.
“You’re perfect” Jaehyun said. “Not enough for you”
“Yes Jae. You’re enough for me” she replied. “You make me feel so good, so full” she moaned bucking her hips towards him.
That was enough to make him go wilder, thrusting so hard and fast that she was starting to feel reaching her climax. Her tits bouncing every time Jaehyun just pushed all the way out to her g spot.
“Fuck Yoonoh” she gasps. “You’re so deep.”
“You’re close, right angel?” he asks. “Just cum for me. You’re squeezing me so good, might just cum inside you.”
“Yes, Jae. Make a mess on me. Fill me up” He groaned and started to fuck her harder. “Don’t stop.” She asked again.
“That’s it baby, cum all over my cock.”
Just a little more of thrusts were enough to make her go all over the edge, squeezing Jaehyun so hard she only cummed once his tip reached once again her g spot. And a couple of more thrusts make him cum inside her as well.
He kissed her again. All over her face. All over her neck. He just wanted to feel her one more time. He just wanted to know that she was right there with him, she could just feel how Jaehyun was babbling some praises for her as he slides out of her entrances and dropped to her side, just to hold her closer to his body and be able to give her proper cuddles.
The room was bathed in shadows, with the streetlight casting faint lines through the curtains. Everything seemed frozen in time, except for the sound of their uneven breathing filling the space. Jaehyun held (Y/N)’s naked body from behind, while she gently massaged his arm wrapped around her waist. Unable to think any further, unable to face the boy… unable to forget.
“Do you know what’s the worst part of all this?” she suddenly spoke, breaking the silence. Her voice was soft, but heavy with a weight Jaehyun couldn’t ignore.
He slowly lifted his gaze, his dark eyes reflecting something between exhaustion and regret.
“What?”
(Y/N) turned towards him, and though she tried to stay strong, her eyes betrayed the pain she felt.
“That I always hope you’ll choose something different. That you’ll choose to stay. But every time I think you will, you show me the opposite… I know about the exchange.”
Jaehyun swallowed hard, diverting his gaze to the floor. His heart pounded, but his lips remained sealed.
She shifted in his arms, stopping in front of him. Her voice trembled, but she didn’t stop speaking.
“It was Lucas who told you about that, wasn’t it?”
“I can’t keep pretending this doesn’t affect me, Jaehyun. Watching you walk towards something I know could destroy you… it’s killing me. And I know it probably doesn’t matter to you, but I had to tell you.”
He raised his head, their eyes meeting for a moment. There was something broken in his gaze, something he rarely allowed to show.
“It’s not that I don’t care,” he murmured. “It’s just that there are things already out of my hands.”
(Y/N) stepped back, as if his words had pushed her away.
“That’s not true. You always have a choice, Jaehyun. Always. But it seems like I’m never part of it.”
The silence that followed was suffocating. She had hoped he would say something, anything, but he just stood there, motionless.
“If you decide to go through with this,” she said finally, her voice cracking, “you won’t see me again.”
Jaehyun looked at her, and for a moment, it seemed like he was going to say something, but he didn’t. His eyes begged her in a way his words couldn’t, but she had already made up her mind.
With a broken heart, (Y/N) took a step back toward the door. Each step was harder than the last, but she knew she couldn’t stay.
“Goodbye, Jaehyun,” she said before leaving, gently closing the door behind her.
The click of the lock echoed like a shadow in the empty room. Jaehyun remained seated, staring into the void, as if time had stopped. He didn’t know how much time had passed before he felt his chest tightening, and the feeling of loss hit him like an unstoppable wave.
Slowly, he brought his hands to his face, letting the tears he had held back for so long fall. It was a strange sight for someone like him, someone who always kept his composure, but that night, in the solitude of his room, Jaehyun allowed himself to break down.
Every word from (Y/N) echoed in his mind, over and over again, like a reminder of what he had just lost. He knew it was probably too late to fix it, but still, the thought of never seeing her again destroyed him more than he could have ever imagined.
As the streetlights continued to flicker on the other side of the window, Jaehyun remained there, facing the emptiness of his decision and the weight of his emotions.
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Jaehyun needed clarity, and when confusion overwhelmed him, there was only one place that seemed to bring him some balance: that lookout on the outskirts of the city. From there, the city lights barely flickered like tiny artificial stars, while the sun slowly sank into the horizon, painting the sky with shades of fire and melancholy.
He collapsed onto the grass, resting his elbows on his knees and burying his face in his hands. The cold wind tousled his hair, but it couldn’t extinguish the burning heat of the thoughts tormenting him.
One problem after another, hasty decisions, and now, a countdown that seemed to suffocate him. There were only a few days left before the meeting, but with each passing hour, his resolve weakened.
He lifted his gaze to the sunset, searching for answers in the play of colors in the sky. There was always something in that place that reminded him of how insignificant he was, a speck of dust in an immense universe. And yet, in that moment, he felt that his decision could trigger an avalanche that would not only drag him down but also those he cared about.
One part of his mind tried to justify it: A quick exchange. No one would get hurt if everything went well. But the other part, the harder one to silence, whispered an uncomfortable truth: "Nothing is that simple. Once you cross that line, the responsibilities will only rise."
His phone vibrated in his pocket, pulling him out of his reverie. He didn’t need to look at the screen to know who the message was from; the intermediary never stopped reminding him of the details. Jaehyun squeezed the device in his hand, as if the simple act of holding it could give him an answer.
Was he doing it for money? Yes, in part. But above all, he was doing it because he felt he had no other choice. And that was the most painful part: the lack of control over his own life, the weight of a society pushing him to extremes. "If only it were different…" he thought, but didn’t finish the sentence. The words were lost in the air, just like his hope.
He sat on the grass, feeling the dampness of the ground seep through the fabric of his pants. With slow movements, he pulled out a crumpled cigarette from his pocket and lit it. The first drag was slow, almost ceremonial, as the smoke filled his lungs. When he exhaled, the nicotine-laden air formed a cloud that faded with the breeze. He closed his eyes, allowing the silence to envelop him, the kind of stillness only found away from the chaos of the city. For a moment, the world stopped being a complicated place.
Then, a voice broke the calm:
“Jung Jaehyun.”
The sound of his name was unexpected enough to make him open his eyes abruptly. He looked toward the source of the call, and as he recognized the familiar figure, he couldn’t help but let out a sigh, followed by a crooked smile. It almost felt like a joke from fate.
“I don’t have anything on me,” he said, raising his hands with feigned innocence, leaving the cigarette dangling carelessly from his lips. “This is tobacco, Officer Baekhyun.”
The man in front of him raised an eyebrow, a slight smile tugging at the corner of his lips. His uniform was disheveled, as if he’d had a long day, and the way he scratched the back of his neck suggested he wasn’t there on official business. Without replying, Baekhyun sat down next to Jaehyun, letting out a sigh as he turned his attention to the horizon, painted in warm tones.
“I’m not here to take you to the station,” he assured with a calm voice, laden with sincerity that contrasted with his position as authority.
Their relationship couldn’t be described as simple. On more than one occasion, Jaehyun had faced Baekhyun under less friendly circumstances. Being part of Neo Zone had placed him on the officer’s radar, and though most interactions ended with Jaehyun sitting in a cold interrogation room, there was something about Baekhyun that set him apart from other cops. It wasn’t his tolerance, but the way he seemed to see beyond the criminal record.
“Got an extra one?” asked the officer, gesturing casually at the cigarette.
Jaehyun looked at him with a mix of disbelief and amusement. The irony was almost delicious. Without saying a word, he pulled another cigarette from his pocket and handed it over. Baekhyun took it, lighting it with a silver lighter he pulled from his jacket. The first drag was brief, but enough for the officer to release a sigh accompanied by a cloud of smoke.
Jaehyun glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, trying to decipher the intentions behind this unexpected visit. There was something in Baekhyun’s relaxed posture that unsettled him. It was strange to share a moment of calm with someone who, technically, should be his enemy. And yet, there they were, sitting side by side, as if the weight of their respective worlds could be suspended for a few minutes.
The wind carried the scent of tobacco into the cool afternoon air, and for a moment, neither of them spoke. They just watched the sunset, as if in that fleeting spectacle they could find the answers they both seemed to be searching for in silence.
Jaehyun glanced sideways at Officer Baekhyun as he exhaled the smoke calmly, as if they weren’t two men on opposite sides of the law sharing a casual moment. The contrast between them had always struck him as odd; Baekhyun had this mix of relaxed authority and curiosity that made him difficult to read. He wasn’t an ordinary cop, and maybe that’s why Jaehyun had never been able to decide if he should respect him, distrust him, or both.
“And what brings you here, officer?” Jaehyun asked, feigning disinterest while toying with the cigarette between his fingers. The usual tension in his tone was absent, replaced by a kind of calm resignation. After all, if Baekhyun had come to arrest him, he’d already be handcuffed.
Baekhyun didn’t answer right away. Instead, he looked at the horizon, where the last traces of light were fading into shades of purple and gray. Finally, after another drag, he spoke.
“You know, this place has something, don’t you think? It’s like time stops here, even if just for a moment.”
Jaehyun frowned. Baekhyun wasn’t one for beating around the bush. “Are you here to philosophize with me, or do you have something to tell me?”
The officer let out a soft laugh, shaking his head as though trying to ease the tension in the conversation. But his gaze remained sharp.
“Straight to the point, as always. Alright, Jaehyun.” He turned his head to face him, and his expression grew more serious, as if each word he was about to say carried more weight than he cared to admit. “I want to negotiate with you.”
Jaehyun’s body tensed almost immediately, an instinctive reaction. In his world, negotiations didn’t usually end well for anyone. But, as always, his face remained expressionless. He took another drag of the cigarette, holding the smoke in his lungs a few seconds longer than necessary before exhaling slowly. “I don’t think it’s very ethical of you, officer,” he replied with a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
The response didn’t seem to surprise Baekhyun. “I know about the exchange.”
Jaehyun’s face immediately changed. The small smile on his lips vanished in an instant. He swallowed but tried to maintain his composure. “I don’t know what you’re talking about,” he said firmly, though the slight tremor in his hands betrayed his attempt to appear indifferent.
Baekhyun brought the cigarette to his lips and took a drag before continuing, his tone calm, almost casual, as if he were talking about the weather. “When I took the position of chief of police, I promised myself one thing: to end Neo Zone. I’ve been following your steps, Jaehyun. You’re an important thread in this case.”
Jaehyun scoffed, a weak attempt to appear unconcerned. “And what do I do with this information?” he asked, turning to look at the officer with an arched eyebrow. “I don’t think it’s very wise of you to come all the way out here and tell someone from Neo Zone that you’re planning something against them.”
The officer let out a long sigh, a sound full of exhaustion and frustration. For a moment, he seemed to hesitate, as if the words he needed to say were too difficult to pronounce. Finally, he spoke, his voice lower, almost vulnerable. “Because I don’t want to see you sink further, Jaehyun. I’m serious.”
Jaehyun turned toward him with a look of disbelief. That answer wasn’t what he expected. “What the hell are you saying? Why do you care what I do or don’t do?”
Baekhyun shrugged, looking back at the horizon where the sun was beginning to set. “Because I know you’re not like the others. There’s something in you, Jaehyun. Something you haven’t destroyed yet. And believe me, I’ve seen enough people cross that line to know that once you do, there’s no turning back.”
Jaehyun clenched his jaw, a mix of frustration and something else he couldn’t identify burning in his chest. He was tired of hearing that same story. “You have potential, Jaehyun.” “You can be better than this.” Baekhyun’s words weren’t new, but they came with a different weight, a sincerity that unsettled him.
“And what’s the deal supposed to be?” he asked finally, his tone heavy with disdain.
Baekhyun nodded, as though he’d been expecting that question. “We found out about the exchange almost by accident. But when we knew enough, everything pointed to you. We know you’re part of the team that’s going to carry it out. I can offer you entry into the witness protection program if you decide to cooperate with us.”
Jaehyun let the words settle in his mind for a moment. Then, he slowly shook his head. “You want me to be a rat in my own gang?” he asked with a dry, bitter laugh.
Baekhyun held his gaze and nodded. “With all due respect, officer,” Jaehyun continued, leaning forward with a sarcastic expression, “But you’re crazy. What do you think would happen if they found out I was the one who ratted them out? It wouldn’t just be my head, it would be my life, my family. A bullet to the head would be the kindest thing they could do to me for being a snitch.”
“That’s why I can offer you protection,” Baekhyun insisted, his tone firmer now. “I’ve worked on this case for years, doing everything I can to make this program exist. The state can guarantee your safety and your family's if you cooperate.”
“My safety?” Jaehyun let out a hollow laugh, shaking his head. “I don’t need protection for myself. I need it for my family. I’m doing this for them, you understand? Not for me.”
Baekhyun looked at him with an intensity that Jaehyun couldn’t quite interpret. “Your family would be protected too. While you’re in the program, they will be a priority. And yes, you’ve made legal mistakes. But if you cooperate fully and give us the information we need to close this case, the judge may consider granting you clemency. You could start fresh. You wouldn’t face legal consequences.”
The words hung heavily in the air. Jaehyun lowered his gaze, his thoughts a chaotic mess. It was an enticing offer, but he couldn’t ignore the fear, the certainty that taking that path would mean losing everything he knew.
Jaehyun’s cigarette was burning slowly between his fingers, completely forgotten as Baekhyun’s words echoed in his head. The idea of betraying Neo Zone, of becoming a “protected informant,” seemed not only insane but suicidal.
“Are you kidding me?” Jaehyun murmured, more to himself than to the officer. He raised his eyes to Baekhyun, hoping to find some sign that this was some sort of trick, but the officer’s gaze was serious, almost… sincere.
“I know it sounds crazy,” Baekhyun replied, stamping his cigarette out on the ground with a measured motion. “But think of it as an opportunity. Not just for you, but for the people you love.”
That sentence hit a nerve. Jaehyun’s jaw tightened, and he turned his gaze toward the horizon, where the sun had already disappeared, leaving a gray-tinged sky. His family… (Y/N)… Years had passed, and excuses had become easier, but the truth was simple: he had entered this world to protect them, even if the price was carrying the weight of his own decisions. “It’s easy for you to say,” he finally replied, his voice low but full of bitterness. “You have a job, a uniform, a life that doesn’t depend on looking over your shoulder. But me… I don’t have that option. I haven’t had it for years.”
Baekhyun listened in silence, with a patience that irritated Jaehyun. Why did he care so much? What did he see in him that others didn’t? “And what if I told you that you could have it now?” the officer pressed. “You and your family. A life away from this. Away from Neo Zone.”
Jaehyun let out a dry, bitter laugh, shaking his head. “And then what? Do I hide for the rest of my life? Living in fear that someone will find out where I am? Because believe me, officer, those people don’t forget. You can lock up one, two, or ten of them, but there’s always more. And when they find out I’m the one who spoke…” He paused, bringing his fingers to his temples as if trying to calm the chaos in his mind. “I don’t even want to imagine what they’d do.”
Baekhyun slightly tilted his head, his eyes fixed on Jaehyun. There was something in his expression, a type of understanding that didn’t quite fit his role as a police officer.
“Jaehyun,” he said quietly, as if the name carried a special weight. “I know you’re scared. And I understand. But I also know you’re not like them. You have something to fight for. Something that’s worth more than any false loyalty you think you have to Neo Zone.”
“False?” Jaehyun let out an incredulous laugh. “What makes you think I can trust you, when you’re just another cop playing hero?” The sincerity in Baekhyun’s eyes didn’t waver. “Because I’m not a hero. And I don’t want you to end up as just another statistic.”
Jaehyun didn’t answer immediately. The wind was blowing strongly now, taking the warmth from the night that loomed over them. In his mind, the officer’s words mixed with memories of everything he had done to survive, to keep his family safe, even when it meant getting his hands dirty.
“If I accept this…” he began, his voice trembling for the first time. “If I trust you, how do I know it won’t go wrong? How do I know I won’t lose everything anyway?”
“Because you’ll be in control for the first time in a long time,” Baekhyun replied firmly. “You can stay where you are and let Neo Zone dictate every decision you make, or you can start building something different. Something that’s yours.”
Silence settled between them again. Jaehyun looked at the cigarette in his hand, now reduced to a filter that barely served any purpose. He stamped it out on the ground, wondering if Baekhyun was right, if he really could change his fate.
“This isn’t an easy decision,” he murmured finally. “I can’t promise anything.”
“I don’t expect you to do it today,” Baekhyun replied. “But time is running out, Jaehyun. And when the time comes, I want you to remember that there’s another way out.”
The officer stood up, brushing off his pants before turning toward him. Jaehyun didn’t stop him, and Baekhyun didn’t look back as he walked away. But the words remained, lodged like a weight in Jaehyun’s chest, still sitting under the cold night breeze, trying to decipher the right line to cross.
“If you decide to accept, you know where to find me… and if you decide not to, this conversation will stay between us.”
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a/n:NOT PROOFEAD! So yes, it was way easier to write now that my laptop is working again TT, also this week was my bday yayyy! I hope you liked this chapter, i would really love if you could gave sum feedback! (specially since english is not my first language, so it makes it a little harder to write) I was just want to clarify that the informant protection program does exist and yup, people with illegal backgrounds can be part of it and almost get a plea if they colaborate enough.
taglist is open! if you want to be added just lemme know;)
taglist: @spicyryujin @daegalismybiasinnct @peachfulnight @gojoscumslut @bluedbliss @dear-97 @girlwholovespreppyattire @hana-off-icial @cigarettesafterjae @beomgyusonlywife @bts-iris @dojaejung @methneo @kriizztin @mrsuhnshine @pieddpiperr @completelyjae (idk why some of the tags just don’t work out!)
Feel free to send any asks here if you want!
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unikhroma · 5 months ago
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i like swatchton the most out of any other spamton pairing because their relation to each other canonically is so interesting to me. they clearly enjoyed each other's company but ended up growing apart due to circumstances that neither of them could control
in-game, swatch says that spamton was a valued customer, which implies that they thought of him highly back when he lived in the mansion. but between spamton breaking into the mansion and later successfully stealing neo, their own creation, swatch is understandably offput by him now
on the other hand with spamton, it's revealed in the sweepstakes that swatch was his shoulder to cry on (his exact words) and says they used to be his friend. however, swatch's allegiance to queen and general commitment to their role made them not take spamton's side when he was being evicted, and now spamton is upset with them
both of them have such an interesting thing going on where one is very dedicated to their position as a darkner despite the downsides and the other desperately wants to break out of his role and escape, and that dichotomy is unique between them. they have vastly different ways of seeing the world they exist within and it's interesting to think about how that affected their relationship
despite them no longer being friends currently, i like the idea of them reconciling. out of all of spamton's canon relationships, i feel like this one has the least amount of vitriol between parties, especially from spamton's side, so i can see it happening. his reaction to swatch in the Q&A is almost coy compared to other people from his past like the addisons or jevil
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yakool-foolio · 3 months ago
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WHYYYYYYYYYY DO I ALWAYS HAVE FAVORITE CHARACTERS THAT TURN OUT TO BE MURDERERS GOD DAMN IT WHY IS IT ALWAYS ME
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twice-inamillion · 9 months ago
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Feel Special 
Fluff
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Chapter 230
 600 Words 
(Feel Special reaction from the members and Sana.)
Only a few minutes remain until the group’s music video drops. It’s also the member’s first time seeing the complete music video, and they are excited to see their hard work. They sit on the large couch and look at the screen as the minute countdown begins. 
“Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one!” 
The music video plays, and they see themselves for the first time. The song begins with them in white, then switches to a scene with Chaeyoung lying down. It then switches to a scene with Tzuyu, dressed in a beautiful dress, and captures the attention of the rest of the members, “Wow, tzuyu, you're so beautiful.” 
The members giggle and tease Tzuyu until you hear Jihyo silencing and everyone saying, “Be quiet.” With the members now silent, they pay attention to the video, watching each other and their parts. 
Seating across the couch, you see Sana, completely quiet and focused on the video. You noticed her sniffle and her eyes glossy from the reflection. The members also notice her tearing up and remain silent. 
Sana holds her hand over her face, trying to cover her expression, but you can see that it's causing a reaction in her. She sees herself dancing in the middle of the group, then singing on the ground against a steel door on how the world tries to bring her down with hurtful words that stab her. 
Then the scene switches to Nayeon, who sings, “Again I feel special, one moment I feel like I’m nothing at all. Like no one would notice if I were gone, but then when I hear you calling me, I feel loved; I feel so special.” 
Mina appears lost in a forest of neo-fluorescent lights, wandering around in her own world. “I just wanted to hide, didn’t wanna face the world as if everything has lost meaning. I just sat there still,” watching as everyone around her passed by, living their own life without a care. 
Sana remembers her darkest moment, the loss of her unborn child, the strangers who judged her and said hateful comments. Everything comes flooding back into her mind, and recalling the moment that she almost died…
”Then you appeared before me with a warm smile, and you held your hand.” Remember how you, the members, and her fans (Once) held their hand to her when she needed it. From consoling her in the hospital, giving her positive energy and thoughts, to taking care of her daily needs for the months she was depressed and suffering. 
“No matter how the world brings me down, even when hurtful words stab me, I smile again cuz you’re there,” knowing that she has people around her that will always make her feel special. 
In that moment, she realizes that whatever the world might think or say about isn’t important. She looks around the room and sees everyone's warm smile. She covers her face when the members shout, "We love you, Sana." 
Sana giggles, wiping her tears as the member go in for a large hug.
You’re happy to see the amount of process Sana and the members have made these last months and wish them the best for what’s to come.
————-
At the same time all the Once around the world watch the music video. They think about the struggles they’ve lived through and the strength they got from the community and Twice. They pray for Sana's health and wish for her return.
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seren1tyhaze · 1 year ago
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Sit Down!
PAIRING: idol!jaemin x afab reader (ft other neos)
WORD COUNT: 2.3K
SUMMARY: you think you're going to the Unity tour to see your favorite ilichils but get more than what you bargin for when you are seated in front of the dreamies with your lightstick covered in Jaemin stickers and Jaeminbun in your pocket
AUTHOR NOTE: It's been a long couple weeks in ncity and I started writing this before last night's collective breakdown during the live stream. This was based on some tweets going around of reactions from fans sitting in the same section as the dreamies. I hope this crack-ish fic brings some smiles to my fellow neos and know I'm hugging you all through the screen. Mark broke me and maybe one day I'll be okay but for now this is all I can offer <3 Love you all!
WARNINGS: explicit smut, idolverse, pet names, public sex
PLAYLIST: Sit Down! by NCT 127, Quiet Down by NCT Dream, 2 Baddies by NCT 127
(Don't tell me where to be) sit down! (I'll show you how to be) sit down!
--
The crowd is getting excited as the pre-show music starts blaring. It’s the third night of six shows and you can’t wait to see some of your favorite artists on the planet again. You had missed the night before because tickets were hard to get for the Saturday show but your friend had luckily managed to get pretty good seats in a section near the extended stage that looped around the dome stadium. She nudges you with her arm and wiggles her eyebrows at you as you nervously fidget with the charm hanging off your lightstick. Suddenly you hear an increase in the noise level behind you and you see your friend’s eyes widen as she glances behind you but quickly whips back around.
Pulling your brows together in a furrow, you turn fully, knocking the seat with your lightstick covered in a large Doyoung decal that you had haphazardly applied on the subway on the way over. Jaemin stickers are covering the handle with a large beaded chain with “NANA” looped around your wrist keeping it securely in your hand. What you’re met with when you turn is the face of a stern looking man, moving quickly past the seats in the row behind you followed by a broad man, equally tall but covered in a black hoodie and mask, only showing crescents of eyes. An even taller man is beside him followed by a shorter one in glasses and a plaid cap. You can barely register what is happening as the eyes of the fourth man narrow at you, black mask covering most of his features, as he slides out of his jacket and the woman next to him folds it neatly in her lap.
You almost fall over as you realize, Na Jaemin, your ult bias and object of every desire is standing behind you at the NCT 127 Unity Tour. Your mouth drops open behind your own mask, eyes blinking rapidly as he narrows his eyes at you, giving you a look up and down. He’s tall and his strong biceps are peeking out under the simple white t-shirt you’ve seen him wear hundreds of times through your phone screen.
You suddenly want the floor to open up and swallow you whole but all you can do is stare at him blinking, moving your hand up your arm to try to control your shiver. Your concert outfit was cute but still casual, definitely not what you had worn if you had known you would have been seated in front of four of the most beautiful men on the planet.
Your friend is tugging on your arm and all you can do is continue to stare until Jaemin lifts a finger to his masked lips and then gestures for you to face forward. You flush deeply, whipping back around so fast that your lightstick clacks against the seat again and you swear you hear Renjun snicker behind you. Your friend meets your gaze with wide eyes, shaking her head lightly as you both lift your phones to record the opening to the show.
Your phone won’t unlock and you’re stuck trying multiple times before yanking down your mask and entering your passcode in defeat, only to receive a sharp jab in your side from your friend who is now alerting you to your lock screen. Jaemin’s all too recognisable face is covering the entire screen, accented with hearts, stars, and small bunny emojis. Swiping it open isn’t any better as there’s more widgets with his face there. You pull your camera app open as fast as you can, ignoring what you think is a laugh from him behind you. You convince yourself he was just laughing at a face Haechan just made on the big screen on stage.
When you move to sit for one of the next songs, you feel you make eye contact with Jaemin once more just as your Jaeminbun doll slips from your pocket and before you can reach down to grab it, he’s thrusting it forward toward you. Lips are near your ear and you feel breath fan out across the skin as the lights dim and the lightsticks flash in red in unison.
“I told you to stay facing forward. Bad girl,” he all but grunts at you, pushing the plushie into your hoodie pocket before backing away, still keeping eye contact with you.
You gulp and blink, nodding lightly at him as if confirming his statement. He looks annoyed but there’s also an unreadable expression on his face. You’re surprised no one around you is paying attention to the interaction but if they are, they probably assume you’re someone’s family member or a part of the staff based on how much he’s speaking to you.
“When the staff comes to get you later, follow them. Let’s see if you know how to listen to directions. Now sit down,” he continues with an eye roll, fingering the Jaehyun photocard dangling near your arm, letting the tips of his fingers brush against your bare wrist before dropping his hands back in front of his crotch. 
A clearing of Jisung’s throat from next to him draws both of your attention and you take the opportunity to turn back around, visibly shaken and hands trembling. Your throat is impossibly dry and you can barely even sing along to your favorite song as it fills the air around you.
As the venue staff starts clearing the sections one by one at the end of the concert, a shorter woman comes to you, quietly bowing and gesturing for you and your friend to follow her. She leads you through winding hallways and through countless doors before gesturing for you to follow a large, burly man and getting your friend settled in a small seating area with water and snacks. She offers a small smile, eyes wide in disbelief as she settles into the couch with her phone, undoubtedly texting her boyfriend about the turn of events.
The security guard opens a final door and there Jaemin sits, knees pulled up on a plush couch, distracted by something on his phone. You can faintly hear Haechan’s loud laugh down the hall and you freeze, realising you might have to face your fears of seeing the rest of NCT in person during whatever the hell this was that was currently happening. It had to be the longest dream - or nightmare - of your life, there was no other explanation.
“Oh, so you can listen,” he teases, standing and letting his phone drop to the cushion, pushing his feet back into his sneakers and crossing to close the distance between you. He takes your bag from you and in one swift motion has your cheek in one hand and the other in your long hair, flowing around your shoulders and lightly curled.
“What other things are you good at, my little Nana worshipper?” he chides, tongue darting out over his lower lip as he looks down at your face, gazing at you tenderly.
You can’t find your words, instead pressing up into his hold and pushing your lips across his, snaking a hand up to his neck to angle his face to meet yours in a comfortable position. You can feel him smile into the kiss and you would rather never listen to music again than fumble the bag at this moment.
His hand in your hair tightens and you melt into his hold, sliding your hand up the hem of his t-shirt to feel the hard muscles of his back. A small moan falls from your trembling lips in the brief moment he breaks the kiss, long eyelashes daintily fluttering open to gaze upon you again before diving back in hungrily. His lips float down your neck, teeth grazing over your now exposed collarbone as you back him towards the couch, pushing him to sit.
He lets out a small, surprised yelp but spreads his legs eagerly, playing with the waistband of his sweatpants as you sink to your knees in front of him. 
“Give me another instruction and you can see how well I take direction,” you purr out, hands sliding up his clothed calves, pushing him open even further.
Fire is in Jaemin’s eyes as he brings a strong hand up to your throat, cocking your head up and to the side as if he’s sizing you up. You can’t quite read the expression on his face and try to ignore the sounds that occasionally float from down the hallway. You had heard things about people being brought backstage after shows but nothing could have prepared you for this particular situation.
“Make me feel good, baby,” he replies quietly but firmly and it’s the only thing you need to hear before you’re yanking at his waistband and peppering kisses along his hip bone.
He’s hard and flushed at tip, matching the surprising amount of blush covering the tops of his cheeks. You smile slightly at this, wondering if he’s embarrassed, shy, or just horny.
The grip on your throat tightens lightly and you sense his impatience, lowering yourself down to lick a long stripe up the vein under his cock. He groans, loudly, and you kiss sweetly at the head before hollowing your cheeks around his length, taking in over half of him all at once. His hand slides back to your neck, not pushing, but asserting his dominance there as he massages his fingertips on your scalp.
You sigh at the touch, bracing yourself on his thighs, wanting so desperately to slide your hands under his ass but not wanting to push the limits. He’s not making much noise, which surprises you, and you can’t help but wonder if that’s how he always is in bed or if it’s due to the dangerous situation of possibly being walked in on.
Without warning he’s spilling down your throat and lost in your thoughts you don’t have much time to prepare, gagging around him with warmth leaking from your lips. He shudders at the overstimulation, yanking you up by your hair and to his waiting mouth, licking across your lips and into your mouth, filthily swallowing his own cum.
You groan into his mouth as he pushes his fingers between your legs and into you quickly, finding your thin underwear soaked through. You’re hovering over his lap, knees digging into the couch as he licks into your mouth. 
“Sit down, baby,” he murmurs, breaking the kiss with a smirk. Like being pulled by a magnet, you sink into his lap and further onto his fingers. You can’t help but grind down onto his hand, feeling his softening cock under you in his lap and making you flush. It doesn’t take long before pleasure is washing over you, digging your face into his neck as he strokes you through your orgasm. His other hand is in your hair still, gentle and soft while he is whispering in your ear words you never thought you would hear him say.
You pull back, trying to adjust your clothes quickly, knowing there’s no time for tender embraces in your last few moments. You search his eyes for any sense of urgency and are surprised when you see a blissful, mischievous look across his gorgeous features.
“Thank you…” is all you can manage, your voice squeaking out and throat still sore from his length. You know it sounds silly, thanking him for sex but nothing else seems right to say at this point.
He lets out a loud laugh, clutching his chest as he does so, sliding you off him and comfortably next to him on the couch, pulling his pants up.
“You won’t be thanking me in a few minutes…” he says, holding out his hand as he stands, gesturing for you to stand.
You accept his offered hand, rising to shaky legs and cocking a brow as you follow him down the hall where a dull hum of noise and music is still coming from.
“Doyoung hyung and Jaehyun hyung are very much looking forward to meeting this fan who came to their concert with Jaemin merch all over her lightstick,” he chuckles, lacing his fingers with yours as you walk.
Your eyes widen at his words and can’t find anything else to say as you round the corner, many pairs of familiar eyes boring into you as you bow your head, ashamed at your very presence.
“Well well well, so this is who made our Jaeminnie so distracted during our show,” Haechan smiles, popping a grape into his mouth. Mark smacks his arm and tugs him away from the group with an apologetic smile to you. There’s a couple laughs from other members nearby and all you can do is blush further.
A hooded figure from a nearby couch laughs low and you look over and realize it’s Jaehyun, a sleepy Doyoung’s head tilted to his shoulder. He shrugs off the dark haired man and stands, walking over to you as Jaemin hands your lightstick to him.
“Hmm not my favorite photocard,” Jaehyun sneers, pulling it out of the case and crumpling it in his hand. 
Your mouth drops open in shock as he leans forward, brushing lips against your cheek and tasting the drying liquid missed in your hurried attempts to wipe your face. You see a demonic grin materalize on his face as he leans back, licking his lips menacingly. You swear you see him mouth the word “tasty” but can barely meet his gaze, Jaemin’s grip on your hand tightening.
“Down boy,” Jaemin mutters as Doyoung stirs on the couch, blinking heavily at the three of you before smirking.
“Let’s get out of here,” Doyoung sings out, suddenly sounding energetic and rising from the couch, reaching out for your hand.
“I’ve been told I’m really good at following instructions,” you manage to say with a shadow of confidence, Jaemin biting the inside of his cheek as you speak. Jaehyun just smiles, slinging an arm around Doyoung’s shoulder, nuzzling into his neck sweetly.
You were in for a long night. --
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rosie-read-that · 13 days ago
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jamie dutton hot takes as someone watching yellowstone five seasons late*
*and having only seen 1.5 seasons
beth's s1 "you're only care about yourself" and s2 "you have no morality" speeches are more revealing about beth than jamie, and that is a hill i will die on as a beth and jamie enjoyer. he gets called out as someone with zero sense of self, but beth also has no idea who she is outside of "i killed my mom/i can't have children/i must live for my father until he dies." all of the duttons exhibit antisocial personality traits, actually, so beth bringing up jamie's selfishness and lack of morality is very pot calling kettle, and in fact, i would posit that beth hinges a lot of her identity on jamie and vice versa. that said, as much as they function as walking rorschach tests for each other and voids they can stare into and project the worst parts of themselves, i don't think beth has a single clue who jamie is as a person, neither does jamie know beth deep-down (the way rip does). they're too busy seeing themselves to see each other - therefore everything beth says about jamie and jamie says about beth is unreliable narration and i ain't no dummy, so i believe none of it.
i don't think taylor sheridan is this nuanced, but a lot of the fandom reaction to jamie and the response to him in-universe is because the world and also "the world of yellowstone" doesn't take kindly to weak men. jamie is incapable of pulling himself up by his bootstraps, he is the most emotional man on the show, he doesn't lose his shit in the rip way or the kayce way, the macho-adjacent "acceptable" way. he stares at himself in the mirror and ugly cries. he blubbers as he does a murder, then cowers when he has to tell his dad what he's done. he gets called a coward and a bitch and all sorts of emasculation-coded words, beth makes a lot of comments about him not having balls. in neo-western society, men like jamie are inferior, and actually the "acceptable" way to be a man is as narrow as evelyn dutton's "acceptable" way for beth to be a woman. sheridan isn't gonna do it, but i'm sure as hell looking those gender roles in the face and saying "not today, satan!"
kayce got to kill like half a dozen people in s1, he strung a man up from a tree, "disappearing" ranch hands is common practice at the yellowstone, so john saying he draws the line at jamie's one (1) murder makes absolutely no sense. if beth had been the one to strangle that reporter and yeet her into the river, john would've patted her on the back, handed her a drink, and said, "thank you, sweetheart."
knowing as i know that jamie is adopted kiiiinda gives me a lil bit of the ick in the way that some of the show's messaging is obviously conservative, and so john hating his adopted son puts a lot of emphasis on him not being a "real" dutton, not part of the bloodline, not pure. he's basically framed as another interloper, a changeling, someone who shouldn't be there and who the family would be better off without. this being taken off the table entirely when jamie is discussed is sus af. like, what loyalty does he owe john and beth (shhhh, lee and kayce, you don't come into this) when they've done nothing but heap on abuse? he didn't ask john and evelyn to adopt him. his education was paid for because john wanted a lawyer in his arsenal. so ?????
added to above: forget about being an accessory to the crime, if jamie dutton had decided to send john into the afterlife with his own two hands and a meat cleaver, it's what john would've deserved!!!!!
i'm obviously not excusing what jamie did to beth - being forcibly sterilized is horrific - but some of y'all act like he was a middle aged man when everything happened. i've seen age debates like "he was 17! probably 18!" and it makes me want to ben-affleck-smoke-a-cigarette if you think a 17-18 year old knows what the hell they're doing in a high-pressure, high-stress situation where you can't confide in a real adult, and also you're terrified of doing something that would create a headache for your abusive parent. beth shouldn't "be over" what he allowed to happen to her, but she deflects a lot of her feelings onto him because, mentally, she can't handle seeing her parents' faults. evelyn bears a lot of the blame here because using your last breaths to tell your daughter that she's at fault for your death is some fucked up shit, and also where was john????? where was the parent??? why was he not aware of his daughter's risky behavior!!! did he even bother giving her the sex talk? i think not!
take a shot every time someone snidely mentions that jamie cares soooo much what people think of him.... at john. take a shot at john, because there's a man upset that he's sliding into irrelevance and that his name doesn't open all the magic doors anymore, so if you think jamie is a big baby, well, he learned how to be a big baby from his dad.
i don't actually have an issue with jamie's emotionality or failson tendencies. moral failure? name one moral person on this show. i wish he had the strength of will to disown his family, gtfo of montana and be a lawyer somewhere else. my dream would be for beth, kayce, and jamie (and rip!) to realize what a bag of dicks their dad was and to burn the yellowstone to the ground before cashing in their land checks, but that's obviously not gonna happen, so i'll settle for none of the siblings dying, because having john and evelyn as parents was punishment enough, and in terms of crimes, i think they're all pretty much even.
yeah.... i guess it all boils down to "i hate john dutton." all the people who said "but i watched for him!" YOU WATCHED FOR WHO???? FOR HIM???? as a how-not-to-be-a-dad manual, right? ........right??
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theamityelf · 26 days ago
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Okay at this point am just gonna start calling myself chai anon if you don't mind because it seems like am here to stay with the ideas (ahoge makoto, sharing makoto between students)
Okay soooooo i was thinking about class 77 reaction to their minis after leaving the simulation
And this is perhaps in an au where they all live? Or maybe if like canon only makoto,kyoko,aoi, byakuya, yashiro,toko live
BUUUUT basically they leave the simulation and are like :O
Because HEY their minis that they had to take care of are now not minis,just normal people
But despite that I think perchance habits are still hard to break whether it be kazuichi looking out for chihiro or mahiru making sure hifumi doesn't do anything you get my point
But I just wanna see when nagito sees big makoto or when the class does they'd be like '... nothing changed' because they're right, makoto is still the same clumsy guy that gets lost repeatedly and that sometimes the class has to look for him albeit not as much,so maybe like nagito would also keep up the habits he built on petting him or the class would sometimes pull at his ahoge if makoto insists on working when he should get some sleep
Ahhhh now am imagining it with the au of makoto being fuyuhiko's mini but an all honesty am all out of brain juice currently because am studying for an exam when I got stuck with the idea
This is a threat,you will see me again with more ideas :)
Chai anon-
(I look forward to it! 😁)
Mini Classmates AUs Masterlist
You know, from a rehabilitating-the-Remnants standpoint (in this AU), I'm sure the idea behind the mini kouhais was to give the Remnants an opportunity to care about someone who depended on them and couldn't do much/anything for them in return.
Like, the Neo World Program was meant to be a scenario where they were experiencing communal love for their classmates as a collective, friend love for those they specifically connected with, and selfless love for the kouhai they were taking care of.
But they definitely missed the mark on that last point, because the takeaway for a lot of them definitely ended up being, "Some of my mental health is now staked on the fact that this person depends on me and I get to take care of them and project feelings onto them and keep them close."
That possessiveness we talked about is going to be propping up a lot of the weight for their sense of self, once the foundations of who they are get shaken by remembering what they've done.
And when the feeling of ownership they had over their kouhais is challenged by them being people-sized, I don't think all of the Remnants are going to be willing to let go. A lot of them are going to want to act out some version of that relationship on the full-sized kouhais.
And after everything they've done, there's a lot they can justify now. After all, if cuddling with their kouhais keeps them from relapsing into despair and committing bigger atrocities, then they should do everything in their power to make sure they can cuddle with their kouhais, right?
(Basically, A Panel of Hope Experts, but for everyone.)
The matter of whether or not the whole 78th class is alive becomes huge, in this case.
If not, one imagines the Neo World Program was supposed to have a whole process for letting the proxies for the people who died say goodbye and go away and just generally break things to the Remnants gently and give them time to grieve before the full brunt of the apocalypse hits him.
Instead, the killing game happened, and there was presumably no time to adjust to their kouhais actually being dead before the Remnants woke up with a deluge of traumatic memories and had no one to make a little sleep space for or carry to the dining hall or anything.
They just have these six. And Aoi doesn't need Akane to cut up her food anymore. Makoto still falls a lot, but he doesn't need them to help him up. Toko doesn't need to be protected from Gundham's hamsters, Byakuya doesn't need to be helped up to the sink basin, they can take care of themselves.
But a lot of the Remnants really want to act like they can't.
And those whose kouhais died find themselves very attached to whichever survivor was closest to them. Hiyoko is even more attached to Aoi than Akane is; Ibuki again joins Nagito in smothering Makoto; Mikan is obsessed with the fact that Yasuhiro was one of the last ones to genuinely try to connect with Taka.
(Kazuichi is mostly just bitter about everything.)
If the 78th class is alive, then that's a bit better for everyone. Kazuichi would definitely be less bitter if Chihiro was alive to care about. But Taka should be worried, because Mikan will be the clingiest she's ever been. And Fuyuhiko definitely won't like being shorter than Mondo again.
In this situation, pretty much everyone can just fixate on their specific kouhai, instead of having to collectively share.
Chiaki wasn't really human, so Celeste doesn't have a senpai. Just imagining Mikan eagerly volunteering to take her in. It's as if she's just adopted two black-haired, red-eyed orphans.
Either way, we end up in a situation where, first of all, some of the Remnants will be very quick to make their kouhais need them.
(The Makoto ahoge hack, definitely. He'll be trying to get work done, and one of them just starts brushing his hair, and he's like, "I know what you're doing. It's not gonna work." But he's asleep in minutes, and they get to carry him to bed or let him sleep across their lap. And I'm sure at least some of the other Remnants have found similar things that make their kouhais sleepy or vulnerable.)
And second of all, if Hajime/Izuru thinks it will benefit his friends' recovery, he will make sure the kouhais need their senpais. Maybe he'll lightly poison them so they'll be sick for a while.
(Maybe he omits Kyoko from whatever he does, just out of personal loyalty. She was his mini, after all. She can observe from the sidelines alongside him. He'll make sure she doesn't interfere.)
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justinspoliticalcorner · 27 days ago
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Keith Edwards at No Lies Detected:
Last Monday morning, I endured the spectacle of MSNBC hosts Joe Scarborough and Mika Brzezinski defending their post-election pilgrimage to Mar-a-Lago, marking their first meeting with Donald Trump in seven years. As they sat there reading from a prepared script, blissfully arrogant and hypocritical, a now-familiar nausea washed over me. It began in late October, when Jeff Bezos — with billions of dollars of business before the federal government — instructed the Washington Post’s publisher to break 36 years of precedent and make no endorsement in the most consequential election of our lives. I felt it again last week when CNN’s Dana Bash bizarrely both-sidesed the somehow unknowable politics of neo-Nazis on the march in Columbus. It was clear to me, as I’m sure it was to you, that Joe and Mika were afraid of what Trump 2.0 would do to them, which Brian Stelter’s CNN later confirmed. (See my YouTube video for my initial reaction).
[...]
Powerful media figures' craven capitulation to government power — before that power is even inaugurated — surely smacks of the preemptive compliance Snyder describes. Since we as Americans have no experience of authoritarian rule, speculating about what comes next is a challenge. To imagine what a returned Trump might do once in power, consider Russia’s experience during Vladimir Putin’s rise:  Four days after Putin’s inauguration as Russia’s president in May 2000, Russian federal tax agents raided the offices of NTV, one of the country’s few independent media outlets. NTV had pitilessly mocked the notoriously thin-skinned Putin; once he got to power, he wasted no time deploying the full force of the Russian federal government against it. Under the guise of financial crimes, NTV’s owner was swiftly arrested, imprisoned, and coerced into selling NTV to a pro-government conglomerate who would replace NTV’s journalists and make it a Kremlin mouthpiece. The following month, Putin summoned Russia’s most powerful business figures to the Kremlin where he made clear their new reality: Stay out of politics, and you all can keep your businesses, your wealth, and your freedom. In one fell swoop, the Russian state had cowed its media elites.
If you’re saying, “Well, that’s Russia and this is the United States,” compare the parallels between our country today and the Russia of 2000. Trump of course is pathetically sensitive to media criticism, and he has repeatedly made plain his intention to continue his weaponization of the federal government against his perceived enemies. Senate Republicans are eager to grant him his loyalist hacks as law enforcement officials (so long as they aren't generationally loathsome accused sexual predators!) who will unleash prosecutions against his enemies. As recently as today, Elon Musk — whose willingness to light money on fire extends from Twitter to Trump-Vance 2024  — has menaced MSNBC with a pro-Trump takeover. Meanwhile, social media and tech moguls fell over themselves to ingratiate themselves with Trump after his victory, having essentially shadowbanned political content prior to it. Trump moreover enters office with advantages Putin did not. He will be the first U.S. president with a media company of his own, which before Trump took a sledgehammer to our norms would have been unthinkable (though it worked out in Italy!). He enjoys the unlimited support of Elon Musk and his wholly owned and radicalized X, as well as of an emerging army of Gen Z podcast bros. Lastly, a rightwing legacy media propaganda machine consisting of Fox News, Newsmax, and OAN stands at the ready. A cinematic universe of Made-in-America state-run media served from your TV to your browser to your phone.
Dear Media: Do Nor Obey In Advance.
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