#maybe a final ep table read

[hawkinslibrary]

[humanmorph]

btw if anything whack (read: extremely wild) happens in palisade tell me. just if not what

[imachaoticghost]

Me gusta soñar, me gustas tu

Summary: Timebomb x reader matching things (accessories, clothes, tattoos or etc) because they would like to get married but uh you know (request)

Warnings: no plot, fluff, gn!reader, not proof read

Pairings: Alternate!Powder x reader x Ekko

A/n: since I didn't know if the request was meant for alternate powder or Jinx, I did both. Enjoy!

Alternate! Powder and ekko

I think if they want to get married, but they can't, they'd be the type to have promise rings.

Probably one with either three small gemstones of the colour of each (blue for powder, white or orange for ekko and whatever colour you like) or one with each of your initials engraved (as in EP and your initial)

Powder would probably have it on a chain around her neck, and Ekko either on his finger or in a chain too. Under his shirt probably, to not damage it or lose it.

You're just sipping on your drink, waiting for your two partners in one of the tables of the Last Drop. It's a lazy day, slow, sunny, nothing you wouldn't like to go out in. Vander is cleaning glasses when he notices the ring.

"What's that? Getting married already?" He teases, watching Powder and Ekko come in, light catching on the silver around Powder's necks. It isn't until Ekko puts his hand on the counter that he notices the gems on his finger. "Matching rings hm? Get engaged already" He teases again, serving them their drinks.

Benzo has about the same reaction when he walks in, a playful scowl on his face. "You're too young to be thinking about marriage" He scolds, not so playfully. But you all don't care, simply happy to have matching rings.

Then there's more permanent stuff, for example tattoos

I'd see ekko being a clock, and powder either a raven or some gears. Or then you could have the moon (powder) the sun (ekko) and the stars (you). Anything that is symbolic. The three of you would have the same tattoo with the three symbols.

I don't think they would outright tattoo their partners names on their skin, it feels too... impersonal in a way. Or maybe just not like them.

You were all lounging in Powder's hideout, thinking, talking. "What about tattoos?" You proposed, and immediately ekko started doodling.

"Yeah, maybe we could do like... I don't know, birds?" He chuckled, making various different designs.

When you finally picked your designs, you went to a tattoo artist, giving him a few days to create the stencil. In the end, Ekko chose to have his on his shoulder, and powder on her calf, the three of you showing it off once it was all done.

To be honest, it's probable all of your parents were quite sceptic about the tattoos. But once it was done, it was too expensive to get it off. So no one could do anything else than warn you it might not be a good idea.

It was. You kept it forever.

If they feel more like matching things casually, then there's three options

For clothes they'd probably go off a colour, for dates, for example, today everyone goes with a red item, like a jacket, a dress, etc.

Or maybe color coding, like, everyone wears a red top and a blue bottom.

Or maybe simply pattern matching. Something like that.

"I think we should do blue" Powder argued.

"But I want to wear my red jacket!" You complained. Ekko just laughed at your antics.

"But red doesn't go with my hair" she argued.

"It does, stop being a bitch." You muttered, shoving your red hoodie at her, slipping on your red jacket.

"You're finished?" Ekko mused, red coat already slipped on. "Were going to be late"

Powder pouted, nodding as you tugged her out, on your way to meeting with all of your friends. Everyone stared at the laughing couple you were, but how could you care when your girlfriend was snickering along with your boyfriend?

You could also match a piece of jewellery you would wear every day, so for example some earrings, a bracelet, a necklace, maybe everyone a different one but theme coded.

So let's say you do earrings, powder would be blue, ekko gold. So, you could be wearing sapphire gold earring, or a gold necklace and a blue gemstone.

More than everyone wearing the same piece of jewelry, they'd do like a theme and each wears their partner's theme. So ekko could be wearing a blue earring and a ring with your theme.

Or it vould be a charm more than a colour.

Everyone noticed it, from night to day, all of you had changed the usual jewelry you wore, ekko's plain silver earings had now each a small charm, different. Powder's necklace had, added to the crystal it used to have, two more charms with it. And you wore the same, well, not excatly, they had one you didn't, and you had one each didn't have.

And finally, the third idea I'd have would be key chains or trinkets. Something that reminds you of your two partners. Maybe custom stickers, or a key chain that says E and P, etc

You could have a phone cord made by powder with blue and golden pearls or maybe gears and clock charms, or a special key chain.

And they'd have the same. Of course, you add whatever feels like you to it. So let's say, you're red and roses, you would each make a phone cord or key chain (depending on preference) with blue pearls, mechanical charms, red pearls, rose charms and golden pearls and clock or clockwork charms.

"Wait- put more blue ones" Powded shoved more pearls towards you, your key chain having a majority of gold and your color. "Please" She pouted.

You willingly agreed, chuckling as she shoved the same pearls towards Ekko. "You too, there's almost none" she complained, like a child. Even if the majority of Ekko's was of both of your colours, barely having gold.

"Powder, we're going to end up with all blue ones" He chuckled, amused at her antics.

"Well that's good, everyone needs to known you're my partners." She scoffed, tugging you closer to her.

You ended up with an almost all blue key chain with mostly charms for Ekko and barely anything for you. Not that you were complaining. Now you had both your partners always in your pocket.

You could also wear matching nails, I feel like Ekko would love to paint his nails. Maybe a colour for each partner or the same colour for everyone. Although that feels less like their chaotic energy.

You held Ekko's hands, painting his nails, one blue, one gold, one of your color, another gold and another blue. Powder was besides you, shaking her hands to make them dry faster.

Soft music played in the background, humming along with it. Your nails had been painted by Powder and hers had been painted by Ekko.

"Do you like it?" You asked softly, examination his hands for any flaws in your paint. "It's cute" you hummed.

"I love it. It's really pretty" He chuckled, taking your hand and kissing it. "Like you" he winked.

"You're gonna mess up your nails" You complained, showing them off to powder. "Look, they're gorgeous"

"Like you" she hummed, grinning. They both stared so much you couldn't help but blush.

Jinx and ekko

If we're talking about Jinx, she would probably go the extra mile and get something more than rings, who knows how far that woman would go

If you're not much the extra type, she would do rings, and so would Ekko. Just like alternate timebomb, they would have something matching in the rings

Maybe three stones again, golden, blue and your colour, or maybe more like your three names together, but jinx would probably put yours in the middle

Ekko would just be the type to follow her ideas, as she's a wild card but in the good way. And she's dedicated

"And I mean, worst that can happen is that we have to make it ourselves" she joked, already picking scrap metal. She was going to make it herself, no matter what you would argue.

And then, a few days later, you would have each a ring around your neck, on a chain. Vi would ask her about it, and the firelight's children would definitely ask Ekko. But they would keep it to themselves, just happy to know they have their partners around their neck.

If we're talking tattoos, Jinx would get the biggest tattoo ever for you and Ekko, wherever you ask her to. Ekko would probably get it somewhere more discreet, he doesn't seem like the type to get visible tattoos, it's more something for you and her

The design would be way more attention calling, you could do birds, a raven, an owl and a bird for you, or symbols, her monkey, ekkos clock or gears and whatever you feel like fits you.

Jinx would totally tattoo your name if you ask her to, but ekko would probably tell her it's not the best idea, especially since she is still a criminal and the three of you are often in danger. Giving directly your partners' names isn't the best idea.

She showed up a few days after choosing the design, showing her back and moving her braids aside. "Look toots, I got the tatto" she giggled, showing off a monkey, a clock and your symbol. "It's about time yall get yours" she pouted.

Ekko shook his head, smiling. At least he had managed to convince her to not get your name. She went towards him, throwing herself on his shoulders. "Whatcha mocking me about hm?" She scolded playfully, glancing at your soft smile.

For casual matching, or date matching, jinx isn't the type to own a lot of different clothes, so she would probably add something symbolic of you to her outfit, like, let's say, a clock for ekko (I'm obsessed with the idea of clocks representing ekko) that she would wear every day

Ekko would do the same if you're up for it.

But if we're talking proper clothes matching, Jinx would just steal something, either from you or from piltover. She would do anything to make you and Ekko happy, your wish is her comand. And Ekko would just follow the vibe, he seems like the more passive type for some reason

If we're talking jewelry, Jinx would love to wear matching jewellery for you. Whether it's the same necklace, or a similar one, she says yes immediately.

Ekko might be a bit more difficult, but he would take an alternative. He would never outright refuse to match with you, how could he?

So for example, you could buy a matching set of earrings, necklace and bracelet, or something like that and they would each take one (jixn the necklace, ekko the earrings probably)

"Hey look what I found" you smiled, showing them three pairs of earring, one with a white crystal, one blue and one of your colour.

Jinx immediately threw herself to you, catching the earrings and gushing about them to Ekko. She took one of her colour, helping ekko put it on and begging you to let her. If you didn't have your ears pierced, you better have them pierced now.

Finally we have key chains. Well, I don't think any of them would be the key chain type so they'd probably do more like... charms that they put on their clothes and belts

Maybe something Jinx and Ekko would make for you, or that you make with them. Small trinkets you'd stick on your stuff

Ekko finally finished sculpting the same monkeys that were on his machine. He added a small key ring on top, putting it besides the other two. He just had to make the three clocks now and they would be done. Jinx would love to add the chains He thought.

"Almost done pretty boy?" You kissed his cheek. It was late, you should both be asleep. Jinx was already snoring on the couch, Isha laying in her arms.

"Almost. Go rest, I'll join you later" he murmured back, hugging you and tugging you on his lap. Maybe you should sleep in his arms, while he works.

And nails, jinx would love to do your nails like hers and also ekkos if he let's her. Just imagine, jinx seeing you wear her colours, I think she would be so happy and proud.

If not maybe Ekko would help you do your nails and you'd do his the same way, and you'd beg Jinx to let you do hers too.

I think that would be cute, that the three of you do each other nails, and make matching little designs and stuff

She was giggling like a school girl, painting your nails the same colour as hers. Your back was against Ekko's chest, his legs on either side of you, his arms around you.

As soon as Jinx finished painting all of your nails you pulled her in, wrapping your legs and arms around her, pressing her back against your chest. And that's how you spent the rest of the evening, all cuddled up.

Something else Jinx would love to match would be stuff in your hair. If you have it long enough to braid, she's sticking stuff into yours and Ekkos hair before you even know about it

Maybe just the same golden stuff she has or maybe actual little trinkets and charms that she made or found

"Your hair is so pretty you know that?" She murmured, braiding your hair, adding the same golden charms she had added into her hair and into Ekko's. "So soft, so shiny, how do you do it?" She pouted a bit.

Ekko watched her with a smile, adding the same charms to her own braids.

A/n: my phone hates me and I think this isn't the right version. But have it anyways because I will not proof read this. I'm sleep deprived and I have to sleep. I hope you like it ;)

Likes, reblogs and comments are greatly appreciated, all rights reserved.

[thatgenericwriter]

The Moment Of Heat || Sam Winchester

Paring: Sam Winchester x gn!reader

Summary: dying day after day is going to be the death of you, ironic right?

Warnings: swearing

Word Count: 1.2k

p.s. based on season 3 ep 11 (mystery spot) and part 2 of the Heat of the Moment series

p.s.s. read part one here

༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶༶•┈┈୨♡୧┈┈•༶

You let the brothers deal with interviewing the people in the Mystery Spot as you were a little preoccupied scanning literally everything that could potentially kill you. A lady accidentally bumped into you and you about pissed your pants.

You shoot nervous and pleading glances at Sam hoping they will finish up soon. Finally, they walk up to you and tell you about their findings, or lack thereof, before you walk outside.

You can tell that Dean is still having a hard time wrapping his head around all of this. "So we die at the same time and then you two wake up and repeat the day again?" You and Sam, who you have now realized is walking very close to you, nod in agreement. You can see that Dean has an idea by the smug look on his face. "Okay! So let's just make sure we don't die. If we make it to tomorrow, then maybe the loop stops and we can figure all this out."

Sam looks at Dean like he has two heads before turning to you. "I think it's worth a shot." You say while shrugging, "I say we grab some takeout and head back to the motel, lay low until midnight."

Dean starts walking backwards with a big smile on his face. "All right, good. Who wants Chinese?" That puts a smile on your face as you skip happily next to Dean, ready to finally get a chance to eat, but you don't even make it three more steps before a big ass table falls from the sky onto both of you.

You wake up again fucking pissed you rush to get ready and meet up with Sam again at the dinner. After telling Dean what happened once again you guys start coming up with theories.

"So, uh ... If you're stuck in "Groundhog Day", why? What's behind it?" Dean asks while you lean your head against Sam, who doesn't say anything but slightly moves so that you can be comfortable, which you appreciate.

"Well, first I thought it was the Mystery Spot. Now I'm not so sure." Sam sighs remembering how you jumped whenever someone looked in your direction. He just wished that they could figure this out soon so you could stop suffering.

Dean looks between the two of you before asking what Sam's plan is. "Well, we keep you guys breathing. Try to make it to tomorrow. I mean, that's the only thing I can think of." Dean looks around smugly, "Shouldn't be too hard."

You let out a big sigh and lean even further into Sam, "Says you. Your memory gets wiped clean. You don't have to wake up every day knowing you're just going to die again."

They both look at you with pity clear on their faces. Sam wraps his arm around you while Dean tries to find a way to cheer you up. "Well, nothing's set in stone. You say I order the same thing every day, right?" You hum in agreement.

"Excuse me!" Dean calls out to Doris batting his eyelashes at her, "Can I get sausage instead of bacon?" Doris yells back agreeing to his request. He turns around to both of you smugly, "See? Different day already. You see if you and I decide that I am not gonna die – I'm not gonna die."

Doris brings over Dean's order, complete with his sausage, which he immediately starts to choke on. Panic crosses your features as a metallic taste starts to form in your mouth. You quickly move away from Sam as blood starts to flood your mouth.

Sam watches you and Dean struggle to breathe feeling helpless as he calls out to you both. He turns your face to look at him, "Meet us at Wartburg Lodge room 27! Okay!?"

You try to give a thumbs up but you are waking up in your bed gasping for air before you even get a chance. Quickly, you get dressed and start making your way to the lodge, but you barely get a few blocks away before you are hit by a bus.

When you wake up again you contemplate even trying to leave your apartment, but then you think about being alone all day and that scares you even more so you start your journey to the lodge once more.

You didn't even make it to the front door of your apartment building before you died.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

You wake up and die again. Gas explosion, then a burglary gone wrong. Dead, dead, dead, dead. It didn't matter what you and Sam did, nothing worked. You and Dean died every time. Every. Single. Time.

Sam was your only saving grace at this point. On the days where you guys lasted a little longer than usual were spent with casual chatter between the two of you, which eventually turned into flirting. Now you and Sam are teetering on the edge of a weird never-ending relationship.

Walking into the dinner you slide yourself into the booth with Sam as he casually puts his arm around you and pulls you in closer to his side almost protectively. You lean your head on his shoulder as you listen to him tell Dean for the literal hundredth time about what is happening to you guys.

After the stupid argument they have every day, you guys take your normal walk. Sam intertwines his fingers with yours as you name all of the things that are going to happen. Then something extraordinary happens. Dean breaks the cycle.

He asks the blonde lady about the fliers in her hands.

"A hundred Tuesdays and you never bothered to check what she was holding in her hands?" Sam shrugs as Dean holds up the flyer. It's a missing poster for a guy named Dexter Hasselback. "That's his daughter back there." Sam grabs the flyer and runs after the blonde girl.

You stay back with Dean to try and keep him from doing anything stupid to get you guys killed again, but when you look over at him he's already trying to make friends with the dog tied near you. You try to stop him but it's too late.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

You are with Sam in the booth again, but this time he brought his computer with him. You look over his shoulder as he reads the article out loud. "So the police report says Dexter Hasselback is a professor, but that's not all he is. I talked to his daughter. Guy's quite the journalist. Columns in magazines, a blog."

You look up as the man at the counter leaves. 'Does he always do that?' You watch as he walks past the window, no longer interested in the boy's conversation.

You guys stand up from the booth and you look at the now empty spot at the counter noticing something new. You pull on Sam's jacket sleeve and point to the now empty chair. Dean looks between the two of you confused. "What's wrong?"

Sam starts to pull you out of the dinner and after the guy. "This guy has maple syrup for the last hundred Tuesdays, all of a sudden he's having strawberry?"

Dean jogs slightly to catch up with the two of you letting out a sarcastic comment. "It's a free country. Man can't choose his own syrup, huh? What have we become?"

Sam shakes his head aggressively, speeding up even more. "Not in this diner. Not today. Nothing in this place ever changes. Ever. Except y/n and I."

Sadly, that would not be the day you catch the man, Dean getting hit by another car sealed your fate, however, you had faith the next day would bring answers.

[starmatzz]

uhhh imagine the members teasing hongjoong about his height in wanteez ep but seonghwa obv teases him the most, calling him short and feeling in charge but the tables turn when the recording is over and ykyk👀

umm yes please🙏🏻 i like the way your brain works😈

Small Victories

hongjoong x seonghwa

smut | mdni

1.9k

Seonghwa’s teasing about Hongjoong’s height takes an unexpected turn, shifting the dynamic between them. What starts as playful banter becomes a moment of tension, vulnerability, and quiet understanding.

nsfw tags under

rough sex, pet names, teasing, stimulation, crying, aftercare, degradation, humiliation, power play, dom!hongjoong, sub!seonghwa

Read on ao3

The members were in the middle of a lively Wanteez episode, laughter filling the room as they prepared for the next game. The task was simple: stand in order from tallest to shortest. Everyone eagerly got into position, but when they looked at Hongjoong, the teasing began.

“Look at this, our leader—finally the shortest one!” Wooyoung teased with a grin, nudging Yunho, who was a head taller.

“Yeah, Hongjoong, you’ve officially been dethroned!” Yeosang chimed in, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

The others joined in, laughter rippling through the group. Hongjoong just shook his head, chuckling at their antics, but there was a flicker of something more behind his eyes—something simmering beneath his usual calm demeanor.

And then, Seonghwa, usually reserved, decided to join in. His voice was playful, yet his eyes gleamed with something more mischievous.

“Seems like you’re the shortest one now,” Seonghwa teased, a smirk tugging at his lips as he glanced at Hongjoong. “Guess the rest of us are just taller… by a lot.”

The others chuckled, but the air between Seonghwa and Hongjoong grew heavier. Hongjoong’s smile tightened, his gaze sharp and unwavering as he looked at Seonghwa. The playful tone of Seonghwa’s words hung in the air, and the sudden shift in Hongjoong’s expression didn’t go unnoticed, though the others continued to laugh, oblivious.

Seonghwa felt the intensity of Hongjoong’s stare, but he kept his composure, shrugging casually and pretending like nothing had changed. “What? It’s just a joke,” he said with a carefree tone, though inside, his heart was pounding a little faster.

Throughout the rest of the episode, Hongjoong avoided Seonghwa’s gaze, his eyes lowering whenever Seonghwa looked his way, his expression guarded. But every so often, Seonghwa would catch a glimpse of Hongjoong’s hooded eyes, the sharp intensity behind them almost palpable. Despite the playful atmosphere, a tension lingered between them, unspoken and unresolved.

After the episode ended, the members went their separate ways, retreating to their own apartments to unwind. Seonghwa, feeling the warmth of a long day settle into his bones, slipped into something comfortable. His pajama set was soft, the fabric hugging him just enough to feel cozy as he settled into his favorite chair. The familiar soundtrack of Animal Crossing filled the room as he absentmindedly moved his character around, his mind wandering.

It was just after 10 PM when the peaceful atmosphere was interrupted by a knock on his door. Seonghwa paused, glancing up with a raised brow. His first instinct was to ignore it—maybe one of the others had forgotten something—but then his gaze drifted to the clock, wondering who could possibly need something this late.

He stood up, stretched, and shuffled to the door, still wrapped in the warmth of his pajamas. As he opened it, the figure standing in the doorway caused his heart to skip a beat.

The air felt heavier as the door to Seonghwa’s room creaked open, revealing Hongjoong leaning against the frame, his sharp gaze locked onto Seonghwa.

“Short, huh?” he murmured, his voice low, almost a challenge.

Seonghwa froze mid-motion, his hand hovering over the desk. “What are you talking about?”

Hongjoong stepped inside, the corner of his lips curling into a smirk, his eyes glinting with something dangerous, unreadable. “You called me short earlier. Thought I’d remind you who you’re talking to.”

The room felt smaller as he closed the distance between them, his presence overwhelming. Seonghwa swallowed hard, his pulse quickening under Hongjoong’s intense stare.

The door clicked shut with a soft finality, and Seonghwa’s attention snapped to Hongjoong.

“What's the matter? You looked so confident before.” Hongjoong’s voice was calm, almost too calm, as he turned the lock with deliberate slowness. The faint click echoed in the room, louder than it should have been.

Seonghwa straightened, his expression unreadable, though his eyes betrayed a flicker of unease. “What are you doing?”

Hongjoong leaned back against the door, arms crossed, his smirk growing. “Just making sure we’re not interrupted,” he replied, his tone casual but carrying an edge sharp enough to cut.

He took a step forward, and Seonghwa could feel the shift in the air, tension rolling off Hongjoong in waves. The way his eyes gleamed, dangerous and playful, made it hard to tell if he was teasing—or serious.

“You’ve got something else to say about me, Seonghwa?” Hongjoong asked, tilting his head. “Say it now.”

Seonghwa shook his head, his breath hitching as Hongjoong took another step closer. “I didn’t mean anything by it,” he said, his voice quieter than he intended.

Hongjoong raised an eyebrow, his smirk unfaltering. “Didn’t mean anything, huh?” he echoed, the words dripping with mock disbelief. “Funny how it didn’t sound that way earlier.”

Seonghwa’s gaze darted to the locked door, then back to Hongjoong, who now stood just a foot away. The air between them felt charged, like a storm brewing.

Hongjoong had a playful smile on his face as he teased Seonghwa, his voice dripping with mock disappointment. "Well, well, look who's not so confident now that we're alone," he said, pushing Seonghwa onto the bed gently. There was a twinkle in his eyes as he looked down at him, enjoying the sight of him lying there beneath him.

"On all fours." Hongjoong ordered, his voice firm and leaving no room for argument. 

Seonghwa’s breath hitched as the silence stretched between them, the weight of Hongjoong’s gaze unrelenting. He glanced away, but it did nothing to ease the tension curling in his chest.

“Well?” Hongjoong prompted, his tone sharper now, a quiet command that left no room for argument.

Without a word, Seonghwa turned to his knees, his movements deliberate and slow, testing the reaction. His hands met the mattress next, and before he realized it, he was on all fours, his head slightly bowed.

Hongjoong tilted his head, his smirk widening into something unreadable, both amused and satisfied. “Now we’re getting somewhere,” he murmured, his voice carrying a hint of mockery.

Seonghwa didn’t dare look up, his jaw clenched. The situation felt absurd, and yet, the intensity of Hongjoong’s presence left him without the strength to protest.

Hongjoong crouched slightly to bring his face closer to Seonghwa’s level. “What happened to that sharp tongue of yours?”

Seonghwa swallowed hard, his fingers curling against the blanket. “I… didn’t mean to upset you,” he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

Hongjoong chuckled softly, his eyes gleaming with satisfaction. “Didn’t mean to,” he echoed, his tone dripping with playful malice. “Good. Keep that in mind.”

With a swift movement, Hongjoong pulled Seonghwa's pajama pants down. The sudden action made Seonghwa gasp, feeling the cold air brush against his exposed skin. 

"Since I am that short, I don't even need to prepare you, am I right?" he said, voice husky as he unbuckled his belt, kneeling behind Seonghwa. "I bet you won't even feel it."

"Hongjoong—" Seonghwa whined, feeling Hongjoong's hands cup and squeeze his ass. 

"Quiet." Hongjoong ordered, giving the other a sharp slap on his bottom. He watched the skin turn a light shade of pink, smiling in satisfaction. 

"Can I trust you if I ask you not to make a noise?" He leaned closer to Seonghwa's ear, teasingly rubbing his tip up and down Seonghwa's hole. 

Seonghwa's breath hitched in his chest, gripping the blanket under his palms. Not waiting for an answer, Hongjoong covered the other's mouth with one hand as he thrusted into him with one swift move. 

Tears rimmed Seonghwa's eyes as he felt the burn at his entrance, loud screams getting muffled by Hongjoong's hand. The stretch was insane, but he would lie if he said he hadn't experienced this already. 

Hongjoong immediately started to fuck into him, his hips snapping at quick pace. 

"Look at you," he cooed, gripping Seonghwa's shoulder with his right hand, pushing his whole body back against his own roughly. "Making fun of me and my height, yet you are here crying, completely helpless." 

The slapping sounds echoed through the room, and Seonghwa was pretty sure he would be bruised from how tightly was Hongjoong holding him. 

With another sharp thrust, Seonghwa's body fell forward and he buried his face into the pillow. The action earned a chuckle from Hongjoong, who only grabbed his hips with both hands, fingers digging into the soft flesh. 

"Ho-ongjoong.." Seonghwa cried into the pillow, arching his back to allow the younger push deeper, hitting his prostate. 

"Fuck..Hwa.." Hongjoong groaned, pushing his head down into the soft pillow as he continued to snap his hips at an animalistic pace. He felt the tension build up in the pit of his stomach—and by the whimpering sounds of the man under him, he knew he was close too. 

He slapped Seonghwa's ass once again before his hips twitched, the muscles on his thighs tensing up as he came into him. 

The final slap was all Seonghwa needed to cum untouched, making a mess on his blanket with star print on it. 

After catching his breath, Hongjoong pulled out, watching his seed ooze of out Seonghwa's abused hole, dripping on the white sheets. 

"So messy.." he shook his head, turning him around. Despite the tear streaks on Seonghwa's face and his messy hair, Hongjoong only found him more beautiful. The sight of his boyfriend laid out before him, vulnerable and disheveled, sent a surge of affection through him. He leaned down, gently brushing away some of the tangles in Seonghwa's hair and tracing his finger over the tear streaks on his face.

Despite the roughness of his previous actions, Hongjoong couldn't help but soften at the sight of Seonghwa's tear-streaked face. He paused, looking at him with concern, and asked gently, "Did I hurt you?" Leaning closer, he began peppering Seonghwa's face with kisses, his touch becoming gentle and tender. Each kiss was a reassurance, a way of apologizing for any pain he may have caused.

Seonghwa shook his head, holding onto him as his eyes fluttered close. 

"Come on,” he said, his voice softer now, though the command lingered in his tone. “Let’s wash up. You look like you need it.”

He led the way to the bathroom, his presence still commanding even in the quiet of the night.

In the warm light of the bathroom, they moved around each other in comfortable silence, the earlier tension melting away with the sound of running water. Seonghwa splashed his face, stealing glances at Hongjoong as he washed up beside him.

“You’re quiet,” Hongjoong remarked, glancing at him with a faint smirk.

“Just… tired,” Seonghwa muttered, his voice soft but genuine.

Hongjoong chuckled. “Then let’s fix that.”

Once they were done, Hongjoong grabbed a towel and tossed it over Seonghwa’s head, ruffling his hair playfully. Seonghwa protested, swatting him away, but a small smile tugged at his lips.

Back in the room, Seonghwa barely had time to sit before Hongjoong scooped him up with ease, ignoring the surprised yelp.

“Hey!” Seonghwa protested weakly, but Hongjoong only grinned.

“Relax,” Hongjoong murmured, putting him onto the bed and laying him down gently before crawling in beside him. He pulled Seonghwa close, wrapping an arm securely around his waist.

“Better?” Hongjoong asked, his voice low, the edge from earlier completely gone now.

Seonghwa nodded, resting his head against Hongjoong’s chest. “Yeah. Better. And I am sorry for earlier...”

Hongjoong hummed in response, his hand tracing soothing patterns along Seonghwa’s back. "It's fine baby, I know you're a tease." he whispered—never being actually upset about it in the first place. The night settled around them, quiet and warm, the earlier tension replaced by a comforting stillness as they drifted off together.

[sidsledge]

i know Bastogne is universally recognized as the Best band of brothers episode and listen, I get it and also agree in the sense that the story portrayed is the most interesting and overall it's incredibly well written. but I'd just like to point out the excellence that's episode 5, "Crossroads."

(Crossroads is the episode that focuses the most on Dick Winters — ep 1, 2, and later 10 also do but it's not as centralized as it is here — We follow Dick through an anachronistic series of events, and the episode ends with E company moving towards Bastogne. It's directed by Tom Hanks.)

I love this episode because of all the different creative choices it has and how it stands out visually and sonically in comparison to all the other eps. so in technical aspects, it's my favorite of the bunch. this distinction is exemplary in the sequences that go from Dick writing his report quietly in his office to him leading the attack on the SS companies. It's very interesting to me how loud and obnoxious the typing gets for both Dick and the audience after a while; in the battlefield, there's nothing to pull Dick out of his concentration, always the focused leader. he has a mission to do, and he intends to carry it out as smoothly as possible (as seen in this episode). in the office, though, he's distracted, losing track of time, almost physically feeling the noises of the typewriter as if it was the sound of a gun going off inside his ears.

the back and forth between time periods is amazing. the sound design in this episode is my personal favorite (in a show with explosions and rifles, you wouldn't think a clacking typewriter and a man out of breath would be the reason for this). the combined sounds of Dick writing with the gunshots going off, the change in paragraphs with the tearing of the tape? Dick and the company running towards the enemy (clearly screaming) with nothing but the sounds of their breaths and footsteps making noise? just excellent sound design.

also, the cinematography. I could talk for hours about how good this episode's photography and lighting are. there's this particular moment I love after Alley is shown to be hit and bleeding on the barn table, where we immediately cut to Dick writing about this in his report. it's all about the stark contrast between the lived experience of seeing one of your men badly wounded and then simply writing and reading about it.

the night shots as well. it's very easy to fail in making a night scene both properly lit but also indicative of the time (some shows make it look dark as shit basically), but band of brothers does it well: in the first pic, you only have the moonlight as illumination, which is not much, but it helps to get you into Dick's perspective of having to go through this mission in the depths of night with such a limited field of vision.

there's several night scenes in this episode, most notably the battle on the Crossroads, but also Operation Pegasus, the night Moose is shot, Dick in Paris, and then Easy company going into Bastogne.

finally, the color grading. band of brothers is a strange show that's always changing in its color grading — maybe the different directors had no prior discussion before filming the episodes, as it happened with the writers' room, but I doubt this — nevertheless, Crossroads' color grading stands out, specially in the long-awaited scene of E company charging against the SS companies.

the high contrast of the dark shadows with the desaturated greens (and later reds) make for quite a sight, especially if you compare it to the warmer tones of the present scenes of Dick writing. the show wants you to know how different these moments are for Dick, who under fire is collected and focused but is ultimately crumbling under the bureaucratic pressure.

also I freaking love all the shots and framing of the typewriter. nothing to say other than they're cool as hell.

and this isn't even covering the emotional and character-driven aspects of the story! (that's a post for another day, maybe). for me Crossroads is a masterpiece of an episode in what it means to use camera, lighting, and sound to make your story as immersing as possible; it connects beautifully all technical aspects of filmmaking and, in my opinion, delivers one of the show's best episodes (that's accompanied with a great script.)

[girlfriendsofthegalaxy]

tuesday again 12/24/2024

pair of portentous tuesdayposts: this one is christmas eve and the next one is new year's eve

trying something new with the reading section, where i list off a bunch of books i bounced off and briefly explain why. let me know if this is interesting, or if it's more interesting when i finish a book i sort of enjoyed and really dissect what didn't work for me like with that annoying evil wizard book a couple weeks ago.

listening

the true champ of the past few weeks has been friends at the table's (an actual play podcast about critical worldbuilding, smart characterization, and fun interaction between good friends) horror/weird west season Sangfielle, and i know i have listened to about sixty hours of it bc i have played about sixty hours of stardew valley. i am currently on ep 49, one before the last finale episode, and it feels like it is wrapping up in a very rushed and weird way? maybe i will feel differently after listening to the six coda episodes wrapping up everyones' characters?

the song of the week is fleet foxes’ white winter hymnal, which is morbidly festive without being strictly christmas-y and is not salting the open emotional wound within my chest that is The Holiday Season. album released 2008. christ im old

-

reading

the concept of this gag award is EXTREMELY funny to me. i wish the EFF sent them a little physical trophy. perhaps a challenge coin.

bounced off a lot of stuff. the six larger books and the far top right are all from my absolute favorite thrift store with the worst vibes, who regularly has a 8/$1 media sale bc they actually want to be more of a kitchen goods and home decor thrift store and don't really want to constantly be overflowing with records no one buys. yet here they are.

i really do need to find a good indie used bookstore around here that will take books and give me back slightly more in store credit than in cash. bc i would like to fill some missing chunks of trilogies/fill out the star wars shelves a little more. but every time i have gone to half price books i have had an unpleasant time.

lumberjanes/bravest warrior/adventure time were not making me feel nostalgic and in fact made me quite sad instead (more in a memento mori way than in subject matter) so they're going to a friend's kid

glad i looked up Heartthrob (despite the really good premise of woman haunted by her heart donor) on my library's comic app bc the third one seems to mostly take place in a mental hospital which is really never a vibe i want

GRIFTER has art i don't love and a bland storyline about an ex-marine who is the saddest boy in the world and can also detect literal space aliens living among us. no thank you

tangle's game has a close-call near-sexual assault in the first chapter. no thank you! cool dystopic social credit score premise but no thanks!

gil's all fright diner is about the king of vampires and the duke of werewolves but they're hicks. the narrator hates that they're dumb hicks. did not jive with the authorial voice on this one

i bought Two Tickets to Tangiers in high school bc it looked cool and have only cracked it open now, almost fifteen years later. fifteen year old kay did not yet have the context clues from the cover that it would be a very racist travelogue

i need to stop trying agatha christie. i am never going to like agatha christie

-

watching

somehow i have seen the first tinker bell fairies movie three times this week bc that's all my bestie's toddlers want to watch. a really stupidly stacked cast??? how did all these people have free time in 2008???

-

playing

finished the community center in summer 2 of stardew valley (wildly popular and very intense farming sim) and would have finished it in winter 1 if not for the FUCKING pufferfish. i hate fishing minigames and i especially hate the fishing minigame in stardew so i am excited to leave it the fuck alone for a while.

my cauliflower got stupid mchugelarge?? i do not know why they did that. also a meteor fell on my farm and gave me a bunch of really valuable ore, just like real life meteors.

i do kind of regret picking the beach farm bc so much of my day is spent watering, but i am trying to lean harder into animal products and being more of a fun silly flower farm instead of the intense agriculture i find myself doing. i have the greenhouse, i have a small patch of sprinklerable land, i will simply make sure to buy some of every seed each season and if i really need something i will toss it in the greenhouse.

-

making

people are being very gracious about their mediocre colored pencil portraits. most of my gift budget this year was two flat rate boxes to my siblings. silly little pet portraits are very cost effective if you already have art supplies, nice paper, gumption, and very cheap small frames.

[zumicho]

MOUSETRAP! ← IWAIZUMI / AKAASHI SMAU EP18: THE LAST STRETCH ･ ⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄⠂⋆ ･ ⠄WRITTEN⠂⋆

cw: language, mention of sex

｡･ﾟﾟ･ WRITTEN PORTION BELOW ✧･ﾟ: *

— [ slight timeskip ]

approaching the podium, you spot your roommates waiting in the front row, having walked before you—faces lit up with pride. the dean hands you your degree, and you grasp it, feeling its weight, curtly waving at the camera before running off the stage to your friends.

“WE DID IT BITCH!!!!” tanaka’s hollering as bokuto envelops you in a firm hug, kiyoko’s makeup is streaming down her face, noya’s doing cartwheels. they hand you a yearbook; you laugh at the memory—running your thumb over the same area and feeling.. a lump? as you peel back the edge, there’s a light tap to your shoulder. intervened, you turn around.

“h— iwa?” that’s a face you haven’t seen in a bit.

his focus is on his shoes, clearly nervous. his hands disappear into the pockets of his slacks. “hi.” he’s says, stiff. the best part of graduation is the suits, you thirst. whore.

“it’s nice to see y—“

“I was really pissed. not to mention how much I liked you. but that’s no excuse for not giving you a chance to explain. so I’m sorry.” he finally makes eye contact. “also for interrupting you just now.”

“I’m sorry too.” you smile.

he mirrors your expression. “don’t call me iwa ever again.”

“okay.” you elbow him.

he feigns hurt, wincing dramatically. “welcome back, champ.”

“it’s nice to be back.”

from afar, akaashi watches your exchange. he’s known her for less than a year but looks at her like it’s been a lifetime - he thinks to himself. he’s completely and utterly oblivious that he looks at you the exact same way.

haji side-hugs you a goodbye, and keiji walks up to you. in a suit. yummy. “I must've been in the injury zone last time we argued, because you left me breathless." you cringe.

“is that supposed to be a pickup line? a med student pickup line?” you gape at him in disbelief.

he just smirks, the kind that makes you wanna rip it off his pretty face. “you’re like a sports injury: challenging at first, but with the right approach, I know we can heal together."

“quit it.” you kick his ankle playfully. “what’s your point?”

“I didn’t mean to bother you. I just need directions and a chaperone to the nearest cat cafe, is all.”

entertaining him this time, you quip: “what makes you think I’m the right person to ask?”

“it was worth a try.” he shrugs. “you read my letter yet?” akaashi taps the corner of the yearbook clutched to your chest with his pointer finger. peeling back the paper, you find a sticky note folded up diagonally - the same color as the one he left on the table. he holds the book for you as you unstick it open.

we never had sex.

you kissed me and I let you. that’s it.

maybe YOU’RE just ignorant and insensitive,

ms. graduate (woo congrats).

— insufferable

author’s note: 😭 second 😭 to 😭 last 😭 ep 😭

TAGLIST — REPLY/ASK!

@needtoloveoutloud @rory-cakes @minaluvu @tenjikusstuff4 @cherrypieyourface @strawberrygloom1 @bows4life @dreamsofnaughtiness @suitstars @vivianne666 @this-is-me-lolol @kettlepop @giocriedpower @literaleftist @yuminako @kagtobis @wolffmaiden @gsyche @fllavviiaa @guitarstringed-scars @hibernatinghamster @ryuverse @muyyie @gra-eae @phoenix-eclipses @cnnmairoll @neuviloved @reneny @elliott0o0 @girlkissersco @aliensstolemyheart

bolded didn’t tag

😭 lyrics 😭 that 😭 inspired 😭 the 😭 title 😭 we’re 😭 nearing 😭 the 😭 end 😭

most of the music i recommended is nothing i listen to on the regular .. with some exceptions, but UGH IS THIS SONG PERF FOR THEM

[thejesterstears]

Apparently the table read for episode 8 elicited a pretty strong reaction from the cast and now I'm terrified and going to throw up about it haha

(Also maybe someone better versed in the industry can clear this up for me but if I'm understanding correctly, them having just done the table read likely means voice work and storyboards haven't been done for eps 8 and 9 yet since iirc table reads come first, so I wonder what production is looking like for the rest of the episodes at this point)

Edit (I hope not too many people saw my previous edit that was a bit misinformed on the episode's status haha): Michael Kovach confirmed directly that the episode had not yet been recorded but would be very soon, so I'm assuming storyboarding has not yet been started either. I know Murder Drones finished recording all eps over a year before the final one even came out so it may be awhile. Still, interesting updates!

[romeactivelycries]

Note: First post 😳😳😳 Sorry if this is bad yall i literally havent written for like 3 years and its proofread by me myself and I but inspired by Angel ep 2x9 angel goes undercover and you walking in on a meeting with demons

Pairing: Angel x Reader

Request: Nopee

Gender: Hopefully neutral 🤞 (lemme know if i fucked up)

Warnings: 18+, some biting and blood but nothing crazy just like vampires u know 🥴

———————————

A yawn broke your daze as you glance over at Wesley turning the page to some demon grimore, hand covering his mouth as he glances at Cordy filing her nails instead of the papers in front of her. This awful torture had lasted all morning and well into the afternoon, research and books and files and guess what? Even more research!!

Groaning you slam your book closed, folding your arms on top of it and laying your head down on them as you mumble out a string of profanities and grievances to no one in particular.

“Got anything?” Wesley grumbles closing his own book and pushing it aside in favor of his now cold cup of tea.

“Just a headache,” you whine. You guys were trying to find out what powers were being held inside an amulet the demon of the week was wearing. It had given him enough strength to take out you, Gunn, and Wesley, he probably would have killed you all if Cordy didn’t have a vision leading Angel to drive by and pick you up. So now he was out scouting for the demons while the research led to dead end after dead end.

“I think I might go for a walk, maybe get us coffee,” you headed towards the doors grabbing your pager off the charging dock and shrugging on your jacket.

“Oo yes! Coffee sounds perfect!” Cordelia perked up, looking at Wesley who nodded in agreement. “Two mochas please!”

You move to open the front door when everyone’s pagers go off, glancing down you all read the message from Angel. It’s a location and the name of the amulet you’ve been searching for information on.

“We can finally focus our research! This is great, Cordelia can you-“ Wesley glances over at you looking at the pager and then meeting your eyes, he instantly knew. “Y/n don’t-“

You smile, running out the front door before he got the chance to tell you not to rush in head first. You were tired of the research, it was time to meet up with Angel.

By the time you reached the location it was nightfall. There was a hidden door in the alley between a nightclub and a liquor store, a brick wall amongst the cobblestone one, and when you knocked three times it slid open. Almost too easy.

As you walked through the door slide closed behind you and various half-burned candles were illuminating the staircase you descended. Looking around the small room you see 5 demons sitting around a table, one by one looking up at you.

Perhaps you had made a slight mistake.

“Look what we have here boys,” One of them begins to say, you glance over at them and see the amulet hanging around their neck. At least you were at the right place?

The demons all move to lunge at you, but before they get the chance the one sitting closest to you stands, chair shrieking as it scraps across the floor.

“This one’s mine,” He’s at your side before you can even blink. Angel. You open your mouth to say something but his eyes warn you not to as his face contorts into its vampiric appearance and he smiles, making a big show for the audience behind you. “Scream for us now.”

You feel his teeth before you even register them pricking into your neck, body paralyzed in fear as Angel moans at the taste of your blood on his tongue. Your eyes fill with tears as your body goes cold, the demons behind you grinning as they cheer him on, yet you can’t hear a sound. It’s almost pleasant to feel it all slip away, as Angel holds you in his arms, withdrawing his teeth as he gently guides you to the floor.

“Stay here, pretend to be dead please.” His voice is a stark contrast to the one he was putting on before as he turns back the demons.

Everything after is a haze, you remember seeing him tear the amulet from the first guy and putting it on himself, before turning to slay the rest of the demons. You can feel his arms wrap around you as he pulls you against his chest, whispering apologies and sweet words as he carries you through the night back to the motel.

You wake up to a train passing by, the horn blaring you from the warm comfort of sleep into the cold of night. Your hand finds its way to your neck, gently gliding over the mark left by Angel’s teeth as your memories flood back to you. Sitting up, you quickly slid out of bed and down the hall, your hands gliding along the walls and wooden doors. You had to see him, see Angel.

213, 215, 217.

You twist the knob, finding the door unlocked as you open it. Angel is sitting in his chair in the corner, turning from looking at the window to you as you close the door behind you. You both go to speak at the same time, saying each other’s name, and he motions for you to go first.

“Angel, I-“ you don’t even know what to say. Thank you? It’s okay? I’m sorry?

“I know,” he moves from his spot by the window over to you, reaching for your hand and gently pulling you to sit with him on the foot of the bed.

His hand trails up to your neck, brushing his fingers along the marks, closing his eyes and leaning his head against yours.

“Do you wanna do it again,” your voice is soft and it snaps him out of his trance as he just looks at you mouth agape, eyes flitting between back and forth between yours. “I want you to, if you want to, but if you don’t I understand-“

His fangs cut you off as they sink into your neck again. That pleasurable pinch of teeth against skin as he laps at the blood that pools there. It’s more gentle this time, more angelic, he rubs soothing circles on your shoulder and pulls back after such a short taste.

“I’m sorry,” he begins, just the faintest whisper as his lips hover near yours. Cradling his face with your hand, your bring your thumb up to his lips swiping away the remains of your blood that stained the corners of his mouth.

It’s as if your on autopilot as he opens his mouth slightly to capture your thumb, his eyes never leaving yours as he sucks and swirls his tongue around it. When you pull your thumb free, there’s just a brief moment where the world stops turning. The air is still and you can both hear your heartbeat. Once. Twice.

His lips are on yours as it skips the next beat, hands tugging at your sides as he pulls you to straddle him. You gasp at the sudden movement letting him take control of the kiss, sliding his tongue into your mouth and moaning as you entangle with one another. You wrap your arms around his neck, holding onto him as his kisses trail down your cheek and neck, bruising a path leading to his bite.

You both know it can’t go further, that it’s already gone too far, but neither can let go as he pulls you in to another intoxicating kiss. You rock your hips against him, feeling his hard on pressing against your sweet spot as you continue to roll your hips and moan into his mouth. He responds with the same urgency, hands tugging at your waist as he grinds up into you, soft moans escaping from his lips.

“Angel,” your voice is a broken whimper as you continue to press into him, trying to get as close as you possibly can. You feel his body shake and writhe the way yours does as you desperately grind against one another. “Please.”

Your not even sure what you’re asking for, but he takes it as an invitation to bite down on your neck once more and he pulls you down against him, rutting up into you as he openly moans and whines against your neck, desperately sucking and biting at whatever he can find. Your hands find their way to the nape of his neck and tangle in his hair pulling his head back as you both see stars, lazily falling back onto the bed and panting against one another.

“You’re not gonna go all crazy town on me now right?” Although you’re mostly joking there’s a hint of concern lacing your words as you pull back gently to look Angel in the eyes.

“I guess since my dick stayed in my pants we’re good,” he pants out, smiling down at you before his face contorts into one of concern.

You sit up, hand pressed against his chest as he continues to stare at you, “What is it you’re scaring me.”

“I fear Cordy and Wesley might think the opposite.” He gestures to the small mirror on the desk across from his bed and you rush over to it, catching your reflection your eyes go wide at the state of your neck. It almost looks like a rabid dog attacked you the way it’s covered in bite marks and bruises, no amount of make up would be able to cover this up.

Turning back around to him you offer a small smile and bite at your lower lip trying to think of a solution before an idea pops into your head and your smile turns into a grin. “I hear turtle necks are in right now!”

[thefreakandthehair]

@eddiemonth prompt, oct 4th: Rejection | Arsonist’s Lullaby - Hozier | Lost a/n: pre-steddie post-s4, angst with soft, happy ending because I'm a marshmallow. un-betaed because I'm challenging myself to write these in under an hour. read on ao3 | link to series on ao3

All Eddie Munson has ever wanted to do is play music. 

That’s it. There are other hobbies, of course, other things that bring him joy– D&D, fantasy novels, art– but ever since he was a kid, whenever a teacher would ask what he wants to be when he grows up, it’s always the same answer. 

I wanna play music. 

As a kid, it seems less daunting. He just has to practice, he just has to play, he just has to have the passion to make it big. To be the next Kirk Hammett, or Eddie Van Halen, or Ozzy Osbourne if he can teach himself to carry a tune. 

Making friends is hard, but he manages to find a few in middle school who can play the instruments he can’t– drums, bass. Eddie takes the role of frontman, not exactly a singer still but he’s charismatic enough to get away with it at their school talent show.

High school comes, and Corroded Coffin is revamped. New vibe, new members. He’s older now, a little more jaded with each rejection. 

No one wants their EP, recorded by hand in Gareth’s garage onto cheap cassette tapes. 

No venue will let them play, and Eddie knows that it’s probably because they’re in high school but hadn’t The Cure started in high school? 

No one believes in them, trying to push them– especially Eddie– to consider more successful careers, safer paths. 

But eventually, they book a regular gig at The Hideout and Eddie’s certain this is it. This is their big break. Until they play week after week, staring at the same five plastered faces every Tuesday. If they can prove themselves though, the owner will have to let them play on a Friday or Saturday.

He never does. 

The final nail in the proverbial coffin comes after Eddie’s final senior year. Being accused of murder should have beefed up his credibility if nothing else– he’s already been traumatized, terrorized, and hunted like a goddamn dog, nevermind almost killed via hoard of angry mutant bats. Surely, he’ll catch at least one break. 

And then the owner at The Hideout tells him he can’t play there anymore. 

The hoards of people who still blame him for Chrissy Cunningham’s death are too much for him to manage himself and, in his words, Eddie’s driving away good business. His heart shatters, his breath catches, and Eddie leaves without a word because if he were to try to speak, all that would come out is either an enraged scream or a choked sob and Eddie doesn’t want to risk either. 

He drives around aimlessly for an unknown amount of time, just circles around the outskirts of Hawkins. Maybe I’ll just leave, he thinks. Indianapolis might be far enough. Maybe Chicago. Fuck it, maybe Argyle and Jonathan can put me up for awhile in California. Eddie wants to go somewhere that makes him forget just how lost he is, how unwanted and forgotten he’s become. Being the social pariah is only fun when he’s making speeches on cafeteria tables, not when it boots him out of his one and only career path. 

Somehow, he ends up in Loch Nora. He can’t face Wayne right now, he doesn’t want to bother Robin or Nancy, he’s already let Jeff, Gareth, and Freak down in the worst way imaginable, and if he goes to his mom’s or Chrissy’s tombstones with one more sob story, he’s afraid they’ll start haunting him. Steve’s become a friend over the last year or so it makes sense. Process of elimination and all of that. 

He doesn’t have the mental bandwidth to realize that he’d started driving that way before he ruled everyone else out. 

Steve welcomes him like he always does and offers him a beer, sitting with him in companionable silence on the couch as they watch Monty Python and The Holy Grail and laugh at the same parts. Eddie knows Steve can see that he’s upset but instead of asking questions Eddie isn’t ready to answer, he just sits a little closer with their thighs touching and one arm strewn over the back of the couch, just barely grazing Eddie’s shoulder. 

The movie ends and Steve moves to switch the tape when Eddie finally speaks up. 

“The Hideout kicked us out. Can’t play there anymore.” 

Eddie sees Steve freeze from behind before turning, his eyebrows knitted together above his nose. “Are you fucking serious?” 

He nods and sighs, lifting one hand to chew on this thumbnail as he looks at the wall beyond Steve. 

“That’s bullshit, dude. Why? Because of the protestors or whatever?” 

He nods again. 

“Want me to go down there? I’ve still got my bat around here somewhere. It might be nice to swing at something that’s not trying to like, eat me.” 

Eddie huffs a small laugh through his nose and meets Steve’s eyes, their righteous anger blending with his own as he sees Steve cross his arms over his chest. It’s hard not to stare. 

 “Well, then at least I wouldn’t be the only guy in this town wanted for murder.” 

Steve shakes his head and just chooses another movie, Howard the Duck this time, before returning to his spot on the couch. It’s one of Eddie’s favorite movies but he can’t focus to save his life because Steve is even closer now, his arm draped fully across Eddie’s shoulders and creating a space for Eddie to easily just… rest. So he does. 

The title sequence starts and Eddie’s head drops to the side, resting on Steve’s shoulder. It’s one of his favorites but he can’t follow the plot to save his life. All he can focus on is the way Steve’s fingers trace symptoms and shapes against the cotton of his tee shirt, and the steady rise and fall of his chest, and the feeling of Steve’s head leaning against the top of his. 

“I had a new song and everything,” Eddie whispers, surprising both himself and Steve. 

Steve hums and tightens his arm around Eddie’s shoulders, a ghost of a hug. “Play it for me sometime?”

All Eddie Munson has ever wanted to do is play music. And maybe he still can.

[octoberland]

In which Zabel confirms that he does not understand the characters, nor his audience.

I'll put a little asterisk here to say that, of course, we all come to the table for different reasons. Some people ship Caryl. Some people don't. Regardless, I think there are unifying themes that go beyond friendship. So here's my take through my personal lense:

We aren't here because they're friends. We're here because they're survivors. Because, like us, they survived the really real world in all the messy ways humans do.

Carol survived by learning how to take a beating. She learned her husband's moods. She watched and she listened and, not dissimilar to Daryl's ability to track, she learned to read people. She could probably tell from the first moment she woke up each day what that day would bring.

Daryl learned all the practical stuff. How to hunt and fish and survive on his own. Because he had to. Because no one was there to take care of him. He learned that he didn't matter. He learned that the devil you knew was better than the one you didn't.

Do you see the parallels there? Dear, Zabel. Have you heard of trauma bonding?

But TWD went beyond that. It showed us something magical. Something few media properties ever get to show. Because it takes too long. And it takes work. And failure. And then getting back up again.

Through the lens of the apocalypse it showed us that no matter how broken we are (and they were both broken) we can survive our pasts. We can grow from our pasts. We can break our pasts.

We watched Carol and Daryl do this over YEARS of storytelling. Real time healing with all of its stops and starts. And we saw their relationship grow stronger as they each grew stronger.

And while we love their bond, really, truly love it, I think what resonates for many of us is that message that it's not too late for us. That the monsters from our past don't have to win. That we have a choice and a chance. No matter how old we are or how alone we feel.

Theirs is a story of hope.

And that is what you don't understand.

In this season and in this finale you tried - repeatedly - to dumb down the process of trauma healing. You reduced Carol to motherhood (along with Marion). You reduced Daryl to some lovelorn man entirely ungrateful of the magnitude of what Carol did.

And honestly? Your show running sucks. The last good thing you did was ER. No offense but maybe you should move on from such an important property as TWD. Take your mid life crisis elsewhere. The ONLY reason I am watching at this point is for Melissa/Carol. I can confidently say this is the worst iteration of the TWD verse I have watched. And that's saying something.

Anyway. I miss writing fic. All this has me thinking back to my old Caryl fics. I wish real life wasn't so damn busy.

[niki-phoria]

hello! is it possible if i req a fic based on drunk yeonjun? we all know hes a light weight so maybe the fic can be based around him calling out for his (m!) s/o? then taehyun just gives up and calls him for help😭😭😭 i hope this was understandable?? tysm! 🫶🏻

pairing: yeonjun x male!reader (no pronouns used) genre: fluff word count: 693

includes: probably innaccurate depiction of drunk yeonjun, this gave me an excuse to rewatch the ep so thank you lol, i strive to be as androgynous as this man

a/n: thank you for requesting !! i hope you like it :))

requests open !! read my rules first

you sigh as your phone vibrates violently against your table once again, stealing your attention away from the essay open on your computer screen. you glance back at the block of words before finally giving in and reaching over to grab it. yeonjun’s contact photo lights up the screen making you furrow your eyebrows as you slide to answer the call before pressing it against your ear. “hello?”

“y/n,” taehyun sighs from over the other line. 

“is everything okay?”

“yeah, yeah, we’re fine,” he says. in the background you can hear the muffled noises of some sort of scuffle. “i’m really sorry to ask but yeonjun’s a little drunk and he’s been asking for you.”

you chuckle, closing your computer as you stand up from your desk. “i thought you were filming something today.”

“we did. we were on suchwita with yoongi-hyung and he got a little drunk…”

“a little?”

“...okay, maybe more than a little. anyway, i’m calling because he keeps asking for you. i’ve been trying to get him to lay down but he keeps asking for you.”

“alright, i’ll be right there,” you chuckle. 

“thanks y/n.”

“anytime.” you shake your head with a small smile as you shove your computer into your backpack. you quickly swing it over your shoulder as you rush out of your stuffy apartment, running down the empty seoul streets to the txt dorm. 

the door swings open almost as soon as you knock on the wood. a very tired taehyun stands on the other side, quickly joined by yeonjun stumbling into view. “you don’t know how good it is to see you,” he chuckles as he moves to let you in.

“that bad, huh?” you chuckle. 

“y/n!” yeonjun all but pushes taehyun out of the way as he rushes to tackle you into a tight hug. you stumble backwards as he relaxes all of his body weight against you. 

“hi jagi,” you pat his back gently. yeonjun buries his face into the crook of your neck, keeping you firmly trapped in his arms. you turn to look over his shoulder as best as you can to look at taehyun. “i’ll take care of him. you can go get some rest.”

“thank you again,” taehyun smiles before he turns, disappearing into his room.

you sigh as you return your attention to yeonjun. you lean over to press a kiss against his cheek before coaxing his head away from you. “come on jagi,” you whisper. “let’s go sit down.”

yeonjun hums in acknowledgement, though he doesn’t make any attempt to move. you sigh as you wrap your arms around him, slowly guiding him towards the couch. he all but collapses onto the cushions, blinking up at you with half-lidded eyes as you grab a cup of water and some tylenol from the cabinet. “y/n,” he calls, reaching over to grab your hand. he rolls onto his side before he pulls you down to lay on the couch beside you. 

“jagi,” you whisper. you bring a hand up to brush a stray strand of hair out of his eyes. “you should eat something. or at least try.”

“don’t wanna eat,” yeonjun’s words slur together as he leans forwards once again, pushing you down onto the couch. you grunt as he shifts to lay fully on top of you; effectively pinning you down against the couch. “just cuddle with me.”

your protests fall on deaf ears as his eyes flutter closed. yeonjun hides his face into your neck once again. you finally relent with a small sigh, bringing a hand up to rub against his back. “fine,” you whisper, hiding a small smile of your own. “we can cuddle. but you have to take the advil when you wake up.”

“okay,” he mumbles. 

your hand slips underneath his shirt, causing goosebumps to arise on his skin. your other hand moves to brush through his hair. you twist the soft locks between your fingers until yeonjun’s breath evens out. he falls into a peaceful sleep on your chest as you lean down to press a kiss against his forehead before joining him in falling into bliss.

[zabala0z]

Hi welcome to “newbie suffers while listening to horror podcast” 🫶🫶 I’ve been trying to boot up my old family computer so I can write the notes digitally. I think it’ll be better formatted and easier to understand that way.

So! Mag 33! Obviously, the captain is a descendant of the Lukas family, who was present in Alone. They give money to the institute but I’m a bit skeptical on them just how they treated a grieving widow but could’ve been some…supernatural thing.

For Anatomy class, I just wrote down the names of the students. There’s been some recurring shit about teeth, (Mag 7, Mag 8, prob more I dunno and Mag 34) so yay.

Old passages is interesting cause 1. Gerard keay was there. The guy from First Aid who also had that pendant with the closed eye and he took one of Juergen Leitners books. Then he said his mom knows about all this stuff so now I’m wondering who tf his mom was 😭 also funny that Robert smirke was mentioned again. Dumbass last name.

Also another thing: when Harold was wondering the halls with blurred memories, he mentioned his skin burning, hot, choking on smoke in the dark which just reminds me of every other time some people felt intense heat. Like god.

Mag 36 had nothing to note but the whole skin rash reminded me of all the worms and the infection thing. George Baxter seems to know some shit so I’m keeping that name in mind. Plus, Nicole lost her left hand in a workplace accident like girl you work in a morgue, HOW.

Also, Jon was delivered a lighter and an old zippo with a spiderweb pattern. When I was reading over the transcripts, Gerard Keay had a zippo lighter with an eye pattern in First Aid, so my current theory is that Gerard sent that to Jon. Why? Man I dunno but Gerard seems chill so far. Plus, that table was from Across the Street. Wonder if fake graham sent it.

Mag 37! Jason North got intense feelings of heat SURPRISE SURPRISE. Also Gertrude on milk bottles. Maybe whoever put them there caused her death through like…voodoo?????????

Doing some minor research, everyone in the series so far who had these feelings of heat, were in an area involved with like…fire and shit. Like Evo was at the house on hilltop road which had burned down before (along with Father Burroughs), Lesere had burn victims with her, Jason North was in that forest that had those scorch marks and then all his shit started catching fire. Only thing I couldn’t do any connections was with Harold cause there were no links to fires but y’all I swear im like dying to know the lore. Like what the hell.

Finally Lost and Found. Nothing to note here except the ending where Jon TRIED to kill a spider and then accidentally let those shitty worms into the institute. Shit. I’m not gonna listen to the next ep until I write down all my notes digitally and even then, I might not be able to for a bit cause I got a con tomorrow!! My theory is that they’re gonna burn the institute down to get rid of them ‼️

[fandomclaws]

somewhat an analysis of Alastor

I've been going over this multiple times while it was just some rambles in my notes, but I finally decided it might as well see the light of day. if you do read this all, thank you. if not,,, understandable. it's a lot.

if this whole things is not coherent at all and does some weird jumps, I'm sorry. I took multiple breaks writing this over the span of the whole day. it was even more of a mess, I promise this is the slightly cleaned-up version.

especially the later parts get less cohesive in my eyes since I had to take longer breaks in between them. they also might jump around more. but now, in case you do want to read this; enjoy.

obvious spoilers ahead

let's start with the most interesting aspect for me: we barely know Alastor. sure, we know a little about his backstory, and get snippets of interactions here and there, but it wasn't until well into the show that we got to know his character better. ep.5 was where we see something deeper than the shallow persona he puts on for everyone. he's been more of a helping hand to make the plot progress in an interesting direction than a character with obvious deeper meaning. I don't mean to say that he was not well-written, quite the contrary, I mean to point out that he seemed more like a tool in the story than a character we are supposed to connect with on deeper levels.

we all as viewers had no idea why exactly he was there, to begin with, he said it was for his own entertainment but even then, this seemed like an awful lot of work for him to come out more or less empty-handed most of the time. it's an unfair deal for Alastor if you ask me. and honestly, he does bring little less than "entertainment" to the table until then. being used to show that he is helping yes, but mostly doing it so he can pull someone else down with his help. double-sided blade. he loses, but whoever he helps also doesn't win.

let's talk about ep.5 though. in this episode it's the first time someone truly irritates him. he didn't really care much for Vox - seemingly finding his entire obsession rather funny and never seeing him as a true threat. and Sir Pentious he didn't even truly remember. but with Lucifer that changes. Alastor doesn't just see him as bothersome, he sees him as important enough to go out of his way to prove he is better than the literal king of hell himself. at first, you could argue that he's once again doing it for his entertainment. seeing how much he can push before he needs to get back in line. but looking closer, his body language betrays him.

the way Alastor holds himself shows a true disdain for Lucifer that is, from a viewer's perspective, totally unjustified. Lucifer did not start their weird rival dynamic, it was Alastor who from the beginning on looked down on the king. maybe it's a personal reason, maybe it's just the fact that Alastor is more than well aware that no matter how much power he gets, there's no way to get above Lucifer. his omnipresence might simply be an annoyance to Alastor because he knows as well as Lucifer that the king hasn't shown his face in a long time and his reputation and power over all of the pride ring, over all of hell, still stays in place. no real threat could shake Lucifer's power into crumpling and this thought alone might bother Alastor because he had to fight for his power, to keep his power. (see Vox having presumably more power with the modern media and all that before Alastor disappeared)

and there's also of course the whole bantering going on in Hell's greatest Dad. Are Alastor's words genuine when he speaks to Charlie, or is it just a tactic to get under Lucifer's skin, maybe not seeing his powers crumble but seeing the king's nerves being reduced to nothing by his hands.

I personally don't think he was being entirely truthful. he might not have straight up lied about everything, but I don't think he truly wishes Charlie to be his daughter. Charlie herself is more than a little surprised by how Alastor suddenly treats her, and that alone is proof enough for me that he wasn't being honest in his words. if it were true, wouldn't he have at least a slight fatherly touch towards her all the time? Later on, Angel Dust even somewhat points out that Alastor has never acted like this by asking what his [Alastor's] deal is. It shows me that no matter how badly he tries to make it seem real for Lucifer, it's not real for anyone else simply because they all know how he normally acts around them.

continuing to Mimzy for a short moment; she is proven to not be a reliable narrator at all so I don't want to really take what she tells about Alastor all too seriously. she even concludes her little tale about the radio demon with "That's the story most people know." which does not make it any true. something I thought is very interesting is that the only two people who might have any idea of how truthful Mimzy is in her story are both gone. Niffty, though she also does not seem like the most reliable narrator, is not part of this conversation, and Hus kates himself out of the scene almost in the same moment Mimzy starts talking about. Husk leaving is more important since he obviously knows more about not only Alastor but also the deal Alastor is bound to. Husk and Alastor might equally hate it, but Husk does seem to care about Alastor at least a little. warning the overlord about Mimzy and how she is known for only showing up when she needs something, and I'm sure Alastor is more than aware that Mimzy wouldn't show up simply to catch up with old friends, but still. the sentiment of Husk seeking Alastor out to warn him, and even mentioning how he [Alastor] has been gone for a while now, is in itself caring, especially when moments later the viewers find out how much more Husk seems to know about Alastor. it even seems as if he is aware of limitations, mentioning how it's "Big talk for someone who's also on a leash." coming from Alastor's deal, even if Alastor himself is ignoring them [see the line "Who in their right mind would cross me?"]

the whole fact that Husk even seems to know so much about Alastor's deal is confusing in a way. I can't see Alastor willingly going to Husk and telling him about not only the deal he made with someone above himself but also about the limitations of said deal, it just doesn't make sense for the character we know Alastor to be, and even when finishing the show my opinion doesn't change. it's even more prominent how he later hides away.

after this scene, Alastor isn't seen catching back up to Charlie, Vaggie, and Lucifer to continue annoying him simply by his presence. his outburst having left him apparently on edge - showing that he isn't as calm and calculated as he likes to pretend. he obviously struggles with his own anger, be it at Husk for bringing up that he knows about Alastor's deal, or himself for ever getting into the situation in the first place.

later we see Alastor taking care of Mimzy's problem -the loan sharks. he's not seen using his powers like he did when Sir Pentious attacked though, he willingly transforms into something eldritch to devour the threat instead of simply using the tentacles, which would've been just as easy for Alastor. in my eyes that's him getting rid of the last restlessness about his outburst at Husk. choosing to do it himself, showing he still has free will over what he does and doesn't do. if not proving it to Husk then proving it to himself that he can choose to do this. he goes all out, he even comments on it himself how he needs to let off steam and later on how he's important here and willingly choosing to be here, helping ["It's time to remind everyone [Husk] why I'm here."] Alastor needs Husk to know what happens when you cross him, and when you doubt him. because he took the comments about how long he's been gone and that he's also on a leash personally. I don't even think it's necessarily because Husk said it, it's that someone in hell said it. not a soul in hell is allowed to think that Alastor, the radio demon, is not strong enough to win every fight he chooses to start.

let me come back to Mimzy once more, as if this one scene scratching the surface of what lies underneath his smile-bright persona revealed by Husk wasn't enough we get Alastor being all buddy-buddy with Mimzy, who is not only acting like a friend to him but is also introduced as such. a normal friend to someone who is so obviously not normal.

but even with his more friendly behavior towards her, he ends up sending her away after the hotel has to suffer under the problem she brought along. ["I can't have that here."] If he was genuine with what he said then, why did he phrase it like that? I might be reading too much into it, but Alastor normally picks his words wisely enough to not let too much slip, and the sentence "I don't want this here." would've been better fitting for the situation, but he says can't have that here. new question, what can't he have here? Mimzy herself? someone who knows him better than the residence with maybe a habit of blabbering? or was it just the fact that it's her problems that he needs to fix? that he can't have her bringing more work than there already is at the hotel?

now making a bit of a jump, going from ep.5 to ep.7 this episode makes me mostly wonder about what Alastor could ask from Charlie later on based on the deal the two of them made. in terms of character, it gave us little besides his dynamic with Rosie and the entirety of cannibal city. though this was also not really anything new, more just what we already knew about Alastor in a new dynamic

there is one scene I do want to talk about though. his whole little speech around smiling. him actually standing by and admitting that he is hiding behind his smile did take me a second to actually realize what just happened, I did skip back to it because I was a little stunned by the absurdity of it all. after some thought it made sense that he might not mind it, Charlie does not know him well enough for this off-hand comment to truly affect anything for him, still it made me wonder. why would he reveal it to her? was he simply so sure that she wouldn't use it against him or did he think she wouldn't even think of using anything against him in this kind of way?

so it confirms that yes; Alastor uses his smile as a facade and also as a way to show he is above others who cannot hide behind a smile like he can. his smile means indifference to himself, neutrality. for him showing anything but the indifference that his smile represents is vulnerability. weakness.

let's move on to the actual "highlight" episode of "What We Learn about Alastor" ep.8

this surely was not the first time he got humbled badly by someone in a fight. it's what he wants to avoid most, the mask slipping, everyone seeing that he can be defeated, that he is not this otherworldly powerful being that not a soul in hell [or heaven] can touch. there had to be at least one very significant moment where he was powerless in a way. where he had to strike up a deal with someone higher, the one now binding him, now having him on a leash.

Alastor went into the fight with Adam overly confident, underestimating Adam's powers to the point he barely got away. he is, after all this, still a mortal soul. a sinner. Adam on the other hand was the first man which gives him roughly the same power Lilith must have. that in itself makes me think Alastor lasted a good deal longer in the battle than I would've thought. pure angelic powers far surpassing his own and he still 1) got away in the end and 2) was able to get in a few hits.

let's quickly touch on the fact that when Adam broke his microphone he seemed to be completely stunned, apparently not having thought that he could easily break his possession without any real resistance. I personally don't think his power is necessarily in the microphone [the was the simply gave it away to Charlie in ep.7 being my proof for why it can't be. he would never abandon his power just for Charlie to sing a song for a few cannibals] but what if it maybe is some kind of amplifier for it? maybe it's also pure placebo and Alastor was simply too stunned that Adam would go for the piece of equipment instead of for a deadly blow right away. the microphone surely was a confidence boost, feeling of being 'on air' the feeling of having his broadcast behind him while doing his everyday tasks giving him the boost he sometimes needs, his ego being constantly stroked by the knowledge that there would be countless sinners bowing to him if he simply said the words into his microphone. no longer being able to do that made him stutter in more ways than one, being momentarily careless, not prepared for Adam to strike again, deadly this time. he lost where he was in his performance, in his own show, and it made him mess up.

one interesting sentence is when Adam comments on how Alastor is just a mortal soul. "You should know better than anyone what a soul can accomplish when they take charge of their own fate." which makes me want to believe that's exactly what Alastor did, taking charge of his own fate. but the thing is that we know he did not. he made a deal with someone, and he doesn't have the ability to take charge of anything about his own being anymore. he's as much on a leash as he has Husk on one. that would only mean that he isn't at his full potential, held back by the deal he so desperately wants to get out of, and is actively looking for a way to get out of it. which turns this line into something else completely. Alastor reveals that he knows what he is capable of, but cannot parade his power due to his deal.

another interesting detail is his ears before he dissolves into his shadow. they are pinned back, showing not only agitation or fear but disorientation. he opens his mouth for no sound to come out and it frightens him to have come into this situation at all.

a big part of his mental disintegration in this moment surely is also the fact that if he had died at this moment, if Adams's hit was slightly more fatal, he would've died bound to the deal still. Alastor would have gone without being able to fulfill his own goal - getting rid of the chain around his throat. getting control back over his own afterlife. if he had died at Adam's hands, he would have died being possessed by someone else which we can assume is what Alastor sees as the lowest he can fall. the people bound to him by a deal mean nothing to him as it seems, we only ever got to see those who were needed for the Hotel.

while also, dying in this moment would have proven to everyone that he stayed to protect the hotel, his friends, but retreating and not being killed in a heroic death-wish battle be had proven to especially the audience that Alastor is not ride or die for these people.

in his breakdown ballad, we can finally see where he went to to lick his wounds. his entire breakdown also shows once again how scared he truly is of being inadequate. this wasn't just a reminder from Husk that he is indeed also on a leash, being pulled to where whoever holding it wants him to go, this is a rendezvous with death, barely escaping the situation that would have proven that he is too weak, at least while being bound by this deal he is [no longer] profiting from.

the place not only reeks of death for him, like he says in his song, but it also reeks of shame at the fact that he had nearly not made it out alive. it would've been seen as a noble act had he truly died in this scene, he had not died protecting himself, he had died protecting others. it is worse than dying on a leash even since at least almost no one knows about that, it would allow him to save some face. but dying for these people? he cannot even stand the thought of it.

in his mind he needs to keep up the smiling facade, the indifference in this smile he holds obviously so dear, for eternity. him dying should not allow the indifference he stands for to evaporate, he needs to play the act even after being killed in his afterlife.

even if this now ends rather abruptly, my work here is done. see you next time I start writing and simply don't stop for a while.

it truly is "Good to be back on the Air." with a newly cleaned-up space to talk about fandoms

this might be edited later on, nothing major, maybe just to have some actual continuity in it.

[urauntiefaye]

Calling 1-800(Crisis in Love)••●•• Ep. 6 Lunch of Doom

TW: Cussing, Mentions of cheating husband, Jaehyun not reading social cues, that should be all with this one.

WC: 1637

Writing Portion in Middle-

Info , <<Previous , Next>>

Today wasn’t as bad, though still having people whisper and point at her whenever she walked by, y/n was at least grateful that she didn’t have any classes with Nicholas. Heading to the cafeteria to meet up with her friends and finally eat as she didn’t have breakfast. Often forgetting or rushing late to her first class as she always slept in from staying up all night consuming The Rampage content. Grabbing her lunch which consisted of strawberry lemonade, chicken tenders, fries, and a mini mango ice cream, her favorite kind and the only thing she actually likes from the cafeteria. Making her way through the crowded and overly loud room, to the table in the corner by the windows. Seeing all of her friends already sitting down, she sped up a little. “Hey, what are we talking about?” she placed her plate on the table, sitting down next to Jaehyun. Taesan who looked annoyed with his chin resting on his palm, “a gross customer that came in yesterday”. Natty let out an annoyed groan, “he was so gross too!, I swear we need to start placing a customer ban at our work”, her statement making Taesan grumble in agreement. 

“What did he do?”, Y/n asked, earning Yuna and Jaehyun to let a unison of grunts. “Don’t get them started,” Jaehyun pleaded, “I don’t think I can hear the story again,” Yuna added with a whine. Only making Y/n even more intrigued, looking at Natty and Taesan with eagerness in her eyes, wanting to know what happened. Natty gave in as she could rant about this non-stop, “a guy who was about maybe, what? In his late thirties, came in, right?. Well, Taesan was at the front counter while I was restocking the shelves. And you know how we work at Spencer's right? Well this dude goes in the back where all the sex toys are at, and I kid you not, this man looks me dead in my eyes and ASKED ME what toys do I prefer. I looked at him like he was fucking crazy because he WAS, and so I asked him to repeat himself, and he said his girlfriend is about my age and wants to get her something. But he doesn’t know what younger girls are into!? I tried to explain to him that wasn’t really an appropriate question to ask, and that he should ask her that. And then he got angry at ME, for being rude. And so when he went up to the counter to check out, he started to talk to Taesan about how he had a younger girlfriend, and he just can’t help himself but to date younger girls. Now, I’m not one to judge age gaps, you guys know this, but it was sooooo fucking weird and gross because he was like, fetishing it.” Natty rambled on about her encounter. 

Y/n now feeling grossed out by the guy she never met before, opening her mango ice cream hoping it'll ease the grossness of the story.. Taesan now holding his head in both of his hands, “you forgot the worst part”. Natty hit the table at his words “RIGHT! OH MY GOD SO, this dude even starts making a JOKE about how he hopes HIS WIFE DOESN’T FIND OUT” she yelled out, causing everyone in the cafeteria to look over and murmur. Y/n looking flabbergasted with the spoon in her mouth at the sheer audacity of this man, “see, this is the exact reason why I don’t date in real life men” y/n said as she shook her head and pulled out her phone. Everyone continued to chat with one another, talking about their day as Y/n scrolled on her phone. A loud squeal and gasp coming from her, “What!? God, you almost busted my ear!” Jaehyun said while holding his ear. Y/n shoved her phone in his face, leaning back as she did so, and grabbing her phone pulling it from him. He read what was on her phone and looked at her with an unimpressed expression, “this is why you put my ear in harm? Because that group you listen to is coming here for a concert?”. Everyone else only rolling their eyes and going back to their food, “they never come here though!, this is my chance to see them in person!” giggling now like she was possessed by Chucky. Taesan pitched in “do you even have the money for that?”. Now no longer giggling she slammed her head down on the table as she cried out that she was broke and her life is now meaningless as Yuna reached over the table to pat her head trying to comfort her, while Natty only shook her head. "Maybe if you spent your paycheck on less merchandise you would be able to afford it.

“Oh hey, it’s Woonhak, Woonhak here!” Jaehyun called out, Yn still not lifting her head as she felt the misery of being a broke fan consume her. Woonhak made his way to the table, his friends following him. Woonhak sat down beside Yuna, “hey guys, you remember Taki, Maki, and Nicholas right?”. The mention of the name ‘Nicholas’ snapped Yn out of her pitiful crushed dreams immediately as she shot up. Seeing the three newcomers all find a seat at the table, Taki and Maki sitting on the other side of Woonhak as Nicholas sat down in the empty space next to her. Sending all kinds of signals to Woonhak because what the hell is this?. The group all greeted each other, Yuna and Natty staring at Nicholas and her both down, while Jaehyun sat there like a gapping fish. “Yeah…we all know them”, Natty said, never breaking focus off of Nicholas. Nicholas turned to Yn and smiled at her, “hey Yn”, forcing a smile she greeted him back, turning to Woonhak trying to mentally ask him to explain. Luckily for her, he caught on “oh, yeah I forgot to mention, they’ll be sitting with us today. Maki and Taki and I are going to the gaming cafe after this so we decided to meet up, and uh well Nicholas didn’t have anything to do so I invited him?”. Answering her question as if he almost didn’t believe his own words. 

“Shouldn’t be a big deal right?” Nicholas spoke as if he was talking to everyone, but his gaze lingered only on yn, hinting that he was mostly talking to her. Chuckling nervously “yeah…not a problem”, she picked her phone back up, hoping she could ignore him via her cellular device. “What are you looking at?”, turning her head to see he had leaned closer to her, his face inches away from hers as he peered over her shoulder. Yn scooted closer to Jaehyun away from him, “um, just stuff…”, “what kind of stuff?” he asks, showing interest in the way she tilted her phone away from him. “Just you know…stuff”, not budging at his attempt, Taesan piped up “probably that group she’s always obsessed with”. Shooting Taesan a glare that could be interpreted as ‘if looks could kill’, “oh cool, what group?” Nicholas looked away from Taesan and back at her. Now finding a way to get to know her, “The Rampage…specifically The Rampage from the Exile tribe” she mumbled softly. Almost too softly where it was impossible to hear her, “the rampage? Don’t think I’ve ever heard of them". 

Yn stared him down, debating if she should keep it to herself, but the chance of being able to talk to someone about the group without having them groan and ignore her was too intriguing. “They’re a japanese group” she finally gave in a little, Nicholas now smiling as he finally got her to open up a little. “Yeah?Do you have a favorite member?”, “I do, his name is Kazuma Kawamura, he actually played in the last two movies of the High and Low series”, now feeling a little more confident and at ease to speak to him. “High and Low?, never seen them, are they any good?”, now smiling at him as she spoke about her interest, “you should, they’re really good”. Nicholas scooted closer to her, his knee brushing against hers, causing her cheeks to redden from the physical contact. “Yeah? Maybe we could watch them this weekend together?” his face inching closer to hers causing an internal panic to shoot through her. She grabbed Jaehyun's arms as she smiled in panic, “I would, but I actually have plans!, yeah yeah club stuff ya know? Right Jaehyun?”. 

Jaehyun looked over at her and Nicholas and nodded, “we’re doing activity 15 this week!” he said cheerfully. “Activity 15?” Maki asked with food in his mouth, causing Jaehyuns’ face to glow with an opportunity, “Yup!, Activity 15, we’re going to be spending the night in the Science and Math building since there’s a lot of paranormal activity there”. The three people who weren’t in the club only looked at him confused, while the ones in it dropped their heads knowing what was about to happen. “So, you’re a ghost hunting club?” Nicholas asked, Natty rubbed her temples “no, we’re an After School Activities club, where we just bullshit after school”.  “Sounds like fun” Nicholas now leaning against the table, his words making everyone even Yn to shake their heads ‘no’ in panic. Jaehyun grabbed Yns shoulders and moved her out of the way so that he was now fully looking at Nicholas. Holding a big goofy smile, if he was an anime character stars would be shining around him. “You should come with us! All of you! It's this saturday!”, Yn whipped her head around giving him a ‘are you fucking insane’ look. “I’m down, sounds like a lot of fun”, now looking at Nicholas who had spoken, Yn caught his eyes as they bored into hers. This was it, Yn was officially going to murder Jaehyun. Maybe even Woonhak for inviting this man here to eat with them.

But Nicholas only smiled, seeing as this was his chance, but another part of him simply finding himself wanting to get to know this overly animated girl. He found it entertaining and that she expressed her emotions so easily with her face, reminding him of a cartoon character. She was oddly cute in that aspect.