#my brain: here have a whole new character

[jungkoode]

死 KKANGPAE | #03 死

† breakfast and training †

"His eyes are the kind of dark that makes you forget there was ever light in the world. And you hate that you're starting to notice details about him."

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⚔ chapter details ⚔

word count: 5.4k

rating: mature

content: training violence, weapons, strong language, sexual tension

☠ author's note ☠

HELLO MY FELLOW SLEEP-DEPRIVED CREATURES. Welcome back to another episode of "Kiki makes questionable life choices and writes fanfiction instead of sleeping"!

Can we talk about how I wrote like three different versions of the gun scene before my perfectionist brain was satisfied? And by satisfied I mean "fine whatever just post it I guess." Don't @ me about gun accuracy, I play Call of Duty sometimes that's research enough (ㆆᴗㆆ)

Also yes, I am absolutely living for the whole "oh no they're training together" trope. Sue me. Or don't, I'm broke. All I have is caffeine and the ability to make my characters suffer. Speaking of which - Jeon in combat mode? chef's kiss My boy is out there being all professional and grumpy while Y/N is just trying her best not to get shot. We love that for them.

PSA: The whole "Cookie" thing was totally self-indulgent and I regret nothing. V is here to cause chaos and honestly? Goals.

Special shoutout to my cat who watched me write this at 3 AM and judged me silently. You're the best beta reader a girl could ask for, even if your only feedback is knocking my coffee over.

See you next Tuesday, you beautiful disasters! Remember: sleep is for the weak and fanfiction is for life.

crawls back into writing cave while mainlining espresso

Kiki

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Mornings in the castle hit different. Through your window, the sky's doing that thing where it can't decide if it's still night or already dawn—all soft blues mixing with hints of gold. Everything's quiet, like the world's holding its breath.

Then your alarm goes off.

"Why did we agree to this again?" Yunjin whines from her bed, fumbling to shut up the annoying buzz. Her pink hair is a mess, splayed across her pillow like cotton candy gone wrong.

"Croissants," you remind her, stretching until your joints pop. "Fresh, buttery, heavenly croissants."

"Not hungry." She burrows deeper into her blanket cocoon. "Too early for hunger. Too early for existing."

You swing your legs off the bed, bare feet hitting the cold floor. "What happened to yesterday's 'new me, new goals' speech?"

"That was yesterday's Yunjin. Today's Yunjin chooses sleep."

With a snort, you pad over to her bed. It's literally two steps away—your shared room is cozy like that, with just enough space for two singles and matching bedside tables. You give her shoulder a gentle shake.

"And what's tomorrow's Yunjin gonna think about that?"

"Tomorrow's Yunjin's problem," she mumbles, death-gripping her blanket. Smart girl. She knows your next move would've been stealing it.

"Then it's tomorrow's me problem too!" You can't help but laugh, and it finally gets her to peek one eye open.

She lets out the longest, most dramatic sigh. "Fine. Fine. You win."

Your shared laughter is soft, comfortable. It's weird how quickly Yunjin became your person here. Maybe because she's as new to this as you are—no pressure to measure up to badasses like Chaewon or keep your guard up around intimidating figures like V and Jeon.

She joined two months before you did. For her, it meant saying goodbye to having her own room, but she says it was worth the trade-off. Girl's a mess when it comes to sleep schedules, but she keeps your shared space spotless and her determination is s̶c̶a̶r̶y̶ impressive. Like, you've seen her practice seduction techniques until 3 AM, and now here she is, dragging herself up at dawn for... well, croissants and self-improvement.

There's something genuinely good about Yunjin. She's always there—to help, to listen, to just be. Five months in and everyone in Seduction already adores her. Yeah, she's clumsy as hell during physical training, but her mind is sharp. Nothing gets past her—it's like she's got a built-in lie detector.

After yesterday morning's... incident, you're extra grateful for her company.

You both grab your digital cards from your bedside tables—can't go anywhere in this place without them. They're basically your whole identity here, determining which doors open for you and which stay firmly shut.

The castle corridors feel endless this early. Most members are probably still sleeping or doing whatever gang members do at dawn. Your footsteps echo softly as you and Yunjin make your way to the cafeteria, keeping the conversation light.

"Have you had breakfast here before?" you ask, watching her stifle another yawn.

"Once." She nods, her pink ponytail bouncing. "Got up at 10 though. Wasn't worth sacrificing sleep for."

You can't help but smile. "Early breakfast hits different. You'll see."

When you reach the cafeteria, Yunjin taps her digital card against the scanner. The light blinks green, and suddenly your nose is filled with the heavenly smell of fresh pastries. Inside, only a handful of early birds are scattered around the massive space. Makes sense—most people here prefer their beds at this hour.

Your eyes do their usual sweep of the room, casual and practiced. But then something pulls at you, like a magnet finding true north. Your gaze locks with dark, piercing ones.

Jeon.

"Oh, that's Jeon, right?" Yunjin's voice cuts through your thoughts. "Guess he likes mornings too."

You nod, still watching him from the safety of the doorway. Something about the distance makes you feel almost safe. He's got that thing about him—that unmistakable aura of authority that even 6 AM can't dim.

"Damn," Yunjin says after a beat, blunt as ever. "He's hot."

"Let's get food," you mutter, rolling your eyes and heading for the pastry section.

You and Yunjin load up your plates with a bit of everything, especially those famous croissants. Finding a quiet corner, you settle in to enjoy both the food and each other's company, pointedly not thinking about piercing dark eyes or brooding corners.

You try to look casual as your eyes drift back to Jeon for the hundredth time.

He's sitting there, both hands wrapped around a steaming cup of coffee like it's his lifeline to sanity this early in the morning. The sight of those tattooed fingers curled around plain white ceramic does something to your brain that you'd rather not examine too closely.

"You know, I heard something interesting about him." Yunjin's voice makes you jump. S̶h̶i̶t̶ Great, she caught you staring.

"Oh?" You tilt your head, hoping your voice sounds more curious than guilty.

Yunjin leans in conspiratorially, her pink hair falling forward as she drops her voice to barely above a whisper. It's kind of unnecessary given how far away Jeon is, but there's something about him that makes everyone speak in hushed tones.

"Apparently, he's got this whole... ritual thing going on. Every single morning, without fail, he makes sure he's the first one to get fresh coffee. Like, the first cup from a fresh pot."

Your eyes track back to that cup held between ink-covered fingers. Now that she mentions it, you've never seen him drink anything else in the mornings. The way he's savoring it, eyes closed and expression almost peaceful, makes you think Yunjin might be onto something.

"Every day? He's literally the first one here?" The mental image of Jeon lurking outside the cafeteria doors, waiting for them to unlock, is both hilarious and weirdly endearing.

"From what I've heard. Maybe it's a power move?" Yunjin suggests with a soft laugh. "You know, asserting dominance through caffeine consumption."

The idea of someone as intimidating as Jeon—co-leader of the Assassination Division, member of the Council of 9, literal professional killer—climbing the ranks of one of South Korea's most dangerous gangs just to secure his morning coffee makes something bubble up in your chest.. You have to bite your lip to keep from laughing too loud.

"Imagine that being his master plan all along," you snort. "Join gang, become assassination chief, get first dibs on coffee."

You both dissolve into quiet giggles, but the moment shatters when something shifts in the air. It's like thorny vines suddenly wrapping around your lungs, making it hard to breathe. You don't need to look to know who it is.

"Mind if I join the fun?" V's voice slides over your skin like honey laced with poison, playful but with that edge that makes your hair stand on end.

His arms drape over your shoulders without warning, caging you and Yunjin in what should be a friendly gesture but feels more like being trapped. Your muscles tense automatically. There's something about V that keeps you perpetually on edge—like admiring a rose only to remember it's got thorns that could draw blood.

Yunjin manages a wobbly smile, but you can tell she's as unsettled as you are by his sudden appearance. "We were just... talking about coffee."

"Coffee?" V drawls the word like it personally offends him. He pulls back, throwing his arms behind his head in that carelessly graceful way of his, but stays close enough that you can smell cinnamon. "Boring. Now, this new training program? That's something worth discussing."

His eyes glint with mischief, reminding you of a cat playing with its food. "I'm keen to see what you girls bring to the table. Should be... intriguing, don't you think?"

The way he says it makes your skin crawl. There's nothing overtly threatening about his words, but the undercurrent is clear—the Assassination Division isn't known for playing nice, and V seems to view the upcoming cross-training as his personal playground.

"I'm sure it will be enlightening," you say carefully.

V's energy is infectious, but not in a good way. More like a disease you're trying not to catch.

He chuckles, and those thorny vines around your lungs squeeze tighter. "Oh, I'm sure it will be. And don't worry, yours truly will be there to add a little spice to the mix. Can't let things get too dull, can we?"

Before you can respond, his attention snaps to something—or someone—across the cafeteria. With a dismissive wave that somehow manages to feel both elegant and insulting, he strides off as suddenly as he appeared.

You exchange looks with Yunjin, both of you sagging with relief once he's gone. She looks as drained as you feel, like V's presence alone sucked all the energy from the room.

"Well, that was... something," Yunjin says, and you could write a whole essay about everything packed into that single word. Her pink hair is still slightly disheveled from where V's dramatic entrance messed it up.

"That's one way to put it." You try to shake off the phantom feeling of thorny vines around your lungs. V's presence leaves you feeling like you've been through some kind of emotional washing machine—tumbled around and wrung out.

"But oh my god." Yunjin's whole face suddenly lights up like she's remembered something amazing. The whiplash from her mood shift almost gives you vertigo.

"What?" You ask, though part of you already knows where this is going. Yunjin might be shy and perceptive, but she's also a total simp when it comes to pretty faces.

"He is SO handsome?" Her voice rises with genuine awe. "Everyone kept saying he looks like a prince, but I thought they were exaggerating. They were not."

You raise an eyebrow, wondering if you were even in the same conversation just now. Sure, V's gorgeous—that's kind of his whole thing. The dangerous beauty, the dripping poison. But after feeling his aura wrap around you like a boa constrictor, 'handsome' isn't exactly the first word that comes to mind.

"Did you miss the whole creepy vibe?" You keep your voice low, even though V's long gone. Some habits die hard in this place. "He talked about the training program like he's planning to turn it into his personal episode of Squid Game. With popcorn."

"Yeah, but like..." Yunjin waves her hand dismissively, "have you seen his face? Those cheekbones? That jawline?"

"The way he's probably plotting our deaths as we speak?" You counter, but you can't help the smile tugging at your lips. Trust Yunjin to focus on the aesthetics while completely ignoring the red flags. It's kind of adorable, in a concerning way.

"Doesn't change the fact that he's eye candy," she says with zero shame, stabbing her fork into her breakfast. "Like, premium, expensive, imported chocolate level of eye candy."

"True," you admit, finally taking a proper bite of your croissant.

And it is true—V's got that whole ethereal beauty thing going on, like a masterpiece painting that happens to be slightly cursed. The kind of face that belongs in museums but also probably comes alive at night to terrorize security guards.

But even as you acknowledge V's obvious appeal, your eyes betray you, drifting back to that other corner of the cafeteria. Back to dark eyes and hurricanes.

Back to Jeon.

It's not like you mean to look.

It just... happens.

Like your gaze has some kind of magnetic programming that keeps pulling it in his direction.

Which is s̶t̶u̶p̶i̶d̶ inconvenient because the last thing you need is to get caught staring at one of the most dangerous men in Kkangpae while you've got croissant crumbs on your face.

The rest of your morning slips by without V popping up again to make your skin crawl. You try to focus on getting ready for what's coming, but your mind keeps drifting to the upcoming training.

Working with Jeon and V's division? Yeah, that's not anxiety-inducing at all.

When you step onto the training field outside the castle, the change of scenery hits different. After being cooped up in the gang's concrete maze, the open space and towering trees feel almost surreal. The cold morning air bites at your lungs—a wake-up call you didn't ask for but probably need.

Today's not just another training day. It's your first cross-training with the Assassination Division, and the tension in the air is so thick you could cut it with one of V's knives.

Your stomach does this weird flip-flop thing as you walk towards the gathering crowd. Working with Jeon after... that incident? Not exactly on your bucket list. The memory of your last encounter sits heavy in your chest, making each step feel like you're walking through mud.

The Assassination Division is already there when you arrive, looking like they stepped out of some action movie poster. Some look ready to murder, others look ready for a nap. But it's Jeon who catches your eye—impossible not to, really. It's like the air itself is swirling around him like a storm about to break.

He's got that look on his face—you know the one. All business, no bullshit, could probably kill you with his pinky finger.

No sign of V though.

Makes sense, when you think about it. Those two aren't exactly besties—more like two wolves forced to share the same territory. Their whole approach to killing is different as night and day.

Jeon's all about precision. Clean shots, minimal mess, maximum efficiency. He's the type to plan every detail, calculate every variable. Need someone taken out from two buildings away without anyone even knowing what happened? That's his specialty. The human equivalent of a surgical strike.

V though? He's chaos incarnate. Gets up close and personal with his kills, leaves a message written in blood if he feels like it. He's the guy you call when you want someone dead and don't care how messy it gets. Planning? Fuck planning—V works on pure instinct and improvisation.

The crowd goes quiet as Jeon steps forward. The atmosphere shifts, less like a raging storm now and more like the heavy air before thunder breaks. When he speaks, his voice does that thing where it demands attention without actually raising in volume. And despite everything—despite knowing better—you find yourself leaning in slightly to catch every word.

"Your state of mind is everything in this line of work," he says, dark eyes scanning the crowd like he's reading everyone's potential in real time. "A calm, collected mind can mean the difference between life and death."

The task he lays out seems simple enough: shoot the cardboard target, hit the center, don't mess it up. But as you watch others take their turns, that knot in your stomach keeps getting tighter.

The gun feels wrong in your hand. Not that you haven't held one before—basic training covers that—but this is different. This is him watching, and somehow that makes your palms extra sweaty.

Then your turn's up.

Walking to the mark feels like crossing a minefield, every step measured and tense. Your heart's going so hard you can barely hear anything else.

Focus. You need to focus.

But Jeon's standing right there, making the air thick and hard to breathe. Your finger hovers over the trigger, but doubt creeps in like poison.

The target blurs in and out. You can feel Jeon watching, that heavy gaze picking apart every flaw in your stance. The pressure builds in your chest until you're sure something's gonna snap.

Just a bit longer. You need to be absolutely sure before taking the shot.

It's not like Seduction gets much practice with actual weapons—your arsenal usually involves batting eyelashes and strategic flirting, not bullets and gunpowder. So it's no wonder the gun starts slipping through your sweaty fingers.

You tighten your grip. A surge of determination hits you like a shot of adrenaline. Come on. It's just cardboard. You've handled way worse situations than this. You can do this.

Your finger starts to squeeze the trigger—

BANG.

That... wasn't your gun.

You flinch, turning toward the sound before you can stop yourself. Through the corner of your eye, you catch smoke curling from Jeon's pistol.

He's standing there looking bored, arm extended like this is just another one of his daily mornings. The gun fits his hand like it was molded for him, an extension of his body rather than a weapon.

When your eyes snap to the target, there it is—perfect shot, dead center, because of course it is.

A̶s̶s̶h̶o̶l̶e̶ Show-off.

You lower your gun, lips pressed tight. His gaze sits heavy on your shoulders, hurricane pressure bearing down until you want to scream. His face gives nothing away, but those dark eyes say plenty—and none of it's good.

"If you're not quick enough, you'll get killed." His voice cuts like ice. "Let that be a reminder for everyone else."

The words hit like a slap. Heat rushes to your face—anger, embarrassment, frustration, all mixing together into something that makes you want to either punch something or crawl into a hole. Preferably punch him, but you're very aware of everyone watching this little show he's putting on.

Both divisions are staring, and you've never felt more like a fish in a very small, very exposed bowl.

Your eyes meet Jeon's, and suddenly breathing gets hard. His stare hits different—those dark eyes boring into yours like he's trying to read your soul, pupils blown wide in a way that makes your stomach do weird flips.

That silver lip ring catches the light when his mouth twists into something s̶e̶x̶y̶ condescending. He opens his mouth—probably to tear into you some more—but then—

BANG.

Everyone drops like puppets with cut strings. Pure instinct.

It's instant chaos. Voices rise into a crescendo of shouts and commands, bodies moving with practiced urgency.

It's kind of beautiful, in a messed-up way—how quickly personal beef gets shelved when shit hits the fan. One minute Jeon's looking at you like you're dirt on his boot, next second he's barking orders to keep everyone safe.

Your heart's in your throat as you scan the crowd for a flash of pink hair.

Yunjin.

But Yunjin's nowhere.

The sea of faces blurs together—no Kazuha, no Eunchae, not even Sakura. Even Chaewon's vanished, which is weird because she's usually got this sixth sense about danger.

Another shot cracks through the air. Your fingers tighten around your gun until your knuckles go white. Your eyes keep drifting to the treeline, where shadows dance between patches of dark green.

A calm, collected mind can mean the difference between life and death.

His words echo in your head, which is ironic considering how not calm you feel right now.

Fuck it.

You're moving before you can second-guess yourself, legs carrying you toward the forest. Maybe it's stupid, but you need space to think. To be calm, like he said.

Plus, the trees might give you cover—an advantage you desperately need right now.

The forest swallows you up. Sunlight filters through leaves overhead, painting everything in shifting patterns of light and shadow. Every step crunches on dead leaves, making you wince. So much for stealth.

V wouldn't be happy.

The chaos from the training ground fades the deeper you go, replaced by normal forest sounds—birds chattering overhead, small animals rustling in the bushes. It's almost peaceful, if you ignore the whole possible death situation.

You spot it then—a ridge overlooking the training ground, hidden behind thick bushes. Perfect vantage point, if you can reach it. The climb makes your muscles burn, but you manage. Up here, you force yourself to breathe slow and steady, trying to quiet your racing heart. Your fingers trace the gun's cold metal like a lifeline.

Your back hits the tree with a thud. The bark scrapes against your spine through your shirt, but you barely notice. Every nerve in your body is focused on that rustling sound behind you.

Footsteps.

Your breath catches. They're quiet—too quiet to be some random person stumbling through the woods.

No, these are the steps of someone who knows how to move silently. Someone trained.

Adrenaline floods your system as you press yourself flatter against the tree. Your fingers tighten around the gun until your knuckles go white. Through a gap in the leaves, you try to catch a glimpse of whoever's approaching, but the foliage is too thick.

Friend or foe?

The question pounds in your head with each careful footstep drawing closer. Your mind races, too many possibilities—it could be an enemy, could be another member searching the area.

Could be death or salvation walking your way.

The steps are almost upon you now. Your breathing goes shallow, controlled. You might be exposed up here, but they don't know that. Surprise is your only advantage right now.

Shoot or strike?

The dilemma tears at you. A gunshot would alert everyone to your location. And if it turns out to be an ally... F̶u̶c̶k̶ No. Hand-to-hand is safer. Quieter. Less explaining to do if you're wrong.

Your muscles coil tight as a spring. When the footsteps are close enough, you launch yourself from behind the tree in one fluid motion, aiming to take them down hard and fast.

Instead, you slam into what feels like a brick wall.

Oh.

It's Jeon.

His reflexes are insane—before you can even process who he is, he's already moving. The air sweeps around you as he twists, disarming you with embarrassing ease. Your gun hits the ground with a clatter that seems to echo through the whole forest.

Recognition hits you both at the same moment. That flicker of shock in his eyes quickly turns to his usual look of disdain, because of course it does.

Then—a misstep.

Your ankle rolls, sending white-hot pain shooting up your leg. You stumble, sucking in a sharp breath. His grip on you loosens just slightly, and something that might be concern flashes across his face before his usual cold mask slips back into place.

"You okay?" His voice is gruff, like the words are being dragged out of him against his will.

"Just perfect," you snap back, because fuck his concern when your ankle feels like it's on fire and your pride hurts even worse.

He just stands there, staring at you with those dark eyes that see too much.

"What the hell were you thinking?" A pause, one eyebrow lifting. "You have a gun, don't you?"

You almost laugh. Because of course. If you'd shot at him, he'd be lecturing you about trigger discipline. Attack hand-to-hand, and suddenly you're an idiot for not using your weapon.

You seriously can't win with this man.

"Well, good thing I didn't use it on you then." The words come out lighter than you feel, dancing between playful and pissed. "And what are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be back there playing commander?"

"That's what deputies are for." The casual way he says it makes your teeth grind. "Besides, I dispatched a team to check the gunfire. Just my luck, running into you instead."

"Pleasure's all mine, chief." You load the title with all the sarcasm you can muster.

"And you?" His dark eyes study you like you're a particularly puzzling target he can't quite line up. "Any reason you're out here instead of following orders?"

"Didn't get any orders to follow." You cross your arms, ignoring how his presence makes your skin prickle. "And that ridge over there?" You jab a finger toward the overlook. "Perfect vantage point. I was trying to be strategic before you showed up."

He actually grimaces at that, like your logic physically pains him. But before he can open his mouth to deliver what's surely another lecture, you add:

"Just my luck, running into you instead."

The words—his own words turned back on him—hit their mark. His eyebrow twitches just slightly, and satisfaction blooms warm in your chest.

Score one for you.

But before you can inwardly celebrate, he grimaces. He actually grimaces before he opens his stupid mouth again.

"That?" His voice drips with condescension. "You think that's prime real estate for observation?" The asshole holds back a laughter. "Alright." He says, and you ponder the merits of hitting him with a rock.

But then he begins walking, and you trail after him, partly because s̶c̶r̶e̶w̶ ̶h̶i̶m̶ he's wrong and partly because... well, where else are you gonna go?

"Remind me again—which one of us specializes in persuasion and observation?" You can't keep the annoyance from your voice. His arrogance is starting to give you a headache.

"And which one of us is known for sniping?" He tilts his head just enough for you to catch the silver flash of his eyebrow piercing. "You think I don't know a thing or two about picking vantage points?"

"Just because you can shoot from far away doesn't mean you know the best places to shoot from." The words come out sharper than intended. "What works for a sniper might not work for surveillance. They're different skill sets."

"How so?" He doesn't even bother looking back now. "A lookout's a lookout, smartass."

Your hands find your hips. "You know what? Ask me that again when you sit in on our cross-training. Might learn something useful."

"Learn from an ensign?" His tilt is mocking. "No—learn from you?" He lets out a low chuckle that makes your teeth grind. "Pretty sure it works the other way around."

"Forgot about Flower?" You can't help the snark in your voice. "She's a chief too, and I'm sure she'd love to put you in your place."

The exhale he lets out is so exaggerated it has to be for dramatic effect. "You're insufferable."

"Feeling's mutual, chief."

You trail behind Jeon through the darkness, trying to ignore how his mere presence makes the night air feel electric against your skin. The silence wraps around you both, broken only by your footsteps until—

A rustle in the underbrush.

Before you can react, his hand clamps around your wrist. No warning, no words—just the firm press of tattooed fingers against your pulse point as he yanks you behind a massive rock. You crash against him, bodies colliding in a mess of limbs and s̶h̶i̶t̶ startled breath.

You open your mouth to tell him exactly what you think about being manhandled, but his finger presses against his lips. Shut up. His eyes scan the darkness beyond your hiding spot, focused and lethal.

And suddenly you're way too aware of him.

The moonlight paints him in silver and shadow, highlighting things you've never noticed before. Like how his eyebrow piercing catches the light—two tiny beads of silver that draw attention to the way his brow furrows in concentration. Or how that lip ring glints when his mouth sets in that stern line you know too well.

There's a scar on his left cheek—barely there, really. Just a whisper of a mark that makes you wonder what story it tells. Your eyes drift lower, catching on the small mole decorating the left side of his neck. It's such a delicate detail on someone who radiates danger, like finding a flower growing through concrete.

But it's his eyes that f̶u̶c̶k̶ y̶o̶u̶ u̶p̶ catch you off guard. Dark and deep, framed by stupidly long lashes that flutter when he blinks. They're beautiful in a way that makes your chest tight—and isn't that just f̶u̶c̶k̶i̶n̶g̶ fantastic? You didn't need to know that about him.

This close, you can see the tiny lines at the corners of those eyes. They speak of sleepless nights and heavy choices, of burdens carried too long alone. Watching him like this—he feels different now, less like a storm trying to drown you and more like standing in summer rain.

The realization hits like a punch to the gut: you're seeing Jeon. Not the cold-as-ice division chief or the intimidating Council member. Just... him. Human.

Complex.

His fingers are still wrapped around your wrist like an iron band. If anything, his grip's gotten tighter, and you're caught between wanting to yank free and being weirdly aware of how warm his hand is against your skin in the cool night air. It's hard to tell if you're feeling trapped or protected.

The footsteps draw closer—deliberate, confident. Not someone trying to hide.

You watch a muscle tick in Jeon's jaw, the kind of tiny detail you wouldn't normally notice if you weren't pressed so close to him. It's fascinating, in an annoying way, how he can look so calm while radiating such intense energy.

His eyes flick to yours for just a second, but it feels loaded with... something. Like you're suddenly partners in this mess, whether you like it or not. It's more communication than you've had in all your previous conversations combined.

The rustling gets louder. You hold your breath. Jeon's gone statue-still beside you, but you can feel the coiled tension in him. His dark eyes snap to a spot in the trees, then back to you with unnerving intensity.

"Shoot there."

You stare at him like he's lost his mind. "What?"

"There." His voice is barely a whisper, rough with urgency. He jerks his chin toward whatever he's seeing that you're apparently missing.

"You want me to shoot a tree branch?" The skepticism in your whisper could cut glass. "Seriously?"

"Just do what you're told." The words rumble out of him like distant thunder, crackling with impatience.

You give Jeon a look, but arguing isn't an option right now.

The gun feels heavy as you line up the shot. Your finger finds the trigger, and for a split second, everything goes quiet. The bang echoes through the trees, making your ears ring. You watch as the bullet hits exactly where Jeon wanted—that innocent-looking branch that apparently wasn't so innocent after all.

A net explodes from the darkness like some kind of ninja trap, shooting toward the approaching figure. But whoever it is moves like water—fluid, impossible, beautiful in a terrifying way. The net hits empty ground with a sad little flutter while your brain tries to process what just happened.

Beside you, Jeon goes still. If you weren't pressed so close, you might have missed that tiny hitch in his breath—the only sign that this wasn't part of his plan. His eyes narrow just slightly, that crack in his perfect mask making your stomach do weird flips.

He pushes you back against the rock, putting himself between you and whatever's coming. The stone digs into your spine, cold and rough through your clothes.

Then everything happens at once.

A shadow vaults over your hiding spot, moving with deadly grace. Gunshots crack through the night, and suddenly Jeon's shoving you down, his body covering yours. The world spins into a blur of motion and sound, your pulse drumming so loud you can barely think.

When reality settles back into focus, you watch the figure reach for their mask. Your fingers tighten on your gun, waiting to see what kind of threat managed to dodge one of Jeon's traps.

The mask comes off.

Oh for fuck's sake.

V's grinning like the cat that got the cream. "Paintball night!" he announces with way too much glee for someone who just scared the shit out of you.

Relief and irritation war in your chest. Of course it's V. Who else would turn a simple training exercise into their personal dramatic performance?

You watch Jeon's shoulders drop, but the annoyance is written all over his face. His jaw's so tight you can practically hear all the curses he's not saying.

Always the professional, even when he's irritated.

V's eyes dances with delight as he watches Jeon simmer. "Don't look at me like that, Kookie," he coos, lips curling into that signature smirk that makes you want to take a step back.

Cookie?

You blink, trying to process that nickname. Looking at Jeon—all dark clothes, silver piercings, and intimidating tattoos—the last thing that comes to mind is anything remotely cute or sweet. The mental image of him buying cookies from some terrified boy scouts makes you bite back a laugh.

Now that's a story you'd pay to hear.

Jeon's eyebrow shoots up in that way that somehow manages to say f̶u̶c̶k̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ more effectively than actual words. His tongue pushes against the inside of his cheek, jaw working like he's physically holding back whatever he wants to say. He's irritated.

"I'll give you some advantage," V sighs dramatically, thorny vines wrapping around your lungs even from this distance. "No fun beating you when you're unarmed." The words drip with amusement, like this whole thing is his favorite game. "See ya."

With one last unsettling grin, he melts into the darkness. Because of course he does. Dramatic asshole.

You're still sprawled on the ground, processing what just happened. Leave it to V to turn a regular night into some twisted paintball training session. The man's idea of "improving stealth skills" is giving everyone heart attacks.

Beside you, Jeon's muscles finally uncoil from their battle-ready stance. He looms over you, and you can't tell if the expression on his face is more annoyed or relieved.

"You gonna get up or what?" The words come out gruff, but there's something else there. Something that might be concern if you squint.

Then his hand appears in front of your face. You stare at it for a second, surprised. It's weirdly bare compared to his tattooed arms, and you hesitate before taking it. His grip is firm but careful as he helps you up.

The whole night feels surreal —one weird training session bleeding into another. You glance at Jeon as he stretches, working out the tension in his shoulders.

The mystery of "Cookie" tugs at your curiosity, but one look at his face tells you now's not the time to ask.

Some mysteries are probably better left unsolved.

next | index

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@cannotalwaysbenight @livingformintyoongi @itstoastsworld @redcherrykook @somehowukook

© jungkoode 2025 no reposts, translations, or adaptations

[mercars-musings]

Breaking In

Fandom: Dragon Age - The Veilguard

Pairing- Lace Harding & Taash

TW- depicted: anxiety, grief, flirting and some "immodest" touching ; mentioned: major character death, sexual acts ; genre: silly, fluff.

Description-

This is a short, silly & fluffy piece I wrote of Harding and Rook getting up to shenanegans when Lace tries to break into Taash's bedroom to stage a surprise!

Done as part of a Rook Story Prompt Ask Game on Tumblr! {This Ask Game Prompt was: 38. SD!Rook breaking in somewhere to acquire vital information.}

Ask Game Here PS. @hyperions-light Ask prompt 9 is also coming at some point in the next weekish! And @ofcrowsanddragons your fic is coming too just a little bit after ! Sorry to you both for the delay, my brain has been mush lmfao <3 /gen

Word count- 2.6k

Read on AO3: Here!

~ MAJOR SPOILERS FOR VEILGUARD BELOW ~

Lace Harding always loved finding little ways to make her partner smile, whether it was with a date or a surprise gift, she always strove to delight Taash whenever possible.

Her most recent attempt came about after she had read one of Rook's… spicier book recommendations and found a particularly risque outfit that she thought Taash would get a kick out of.

Getting the outfit should have been easy enough: all she had to do was grab some excess materials from Taash's bedroom when they were away & try the outfit out in time for their return, simple enough right?

Well, the fact that Lace had just spent the better half of an hour fighting the lock on Taash's bedroom door would beg to differ.

She would have just employed her usual method of finding a sturdy enough rock to hit the lock into submission with, but, she'd feel awful breaking something of Taash's. Even something as inconsequential and easily replaceable as a pad lock.

After a few more moments of prodding the lock, Harding bit down her pride and finally accepted that she would need to ask for help.

Maybe she could ask her fellow rogue? No, Lucanis had gone out a few hours ago, probably somewhere he could brood at Neve over coffee since she was nowhere to be seen either.

Davrin & Bellara had joined Taash on their trip to the Hall of Valour, so both of them were definitely off the table for this particular antic.

Emmrich definitely wouldn't join her heist & even if he could be persuaded, judging by the lack of giggling coming from Rook's room he probably wasn't even arou-

Wait- Rook!

Hm, Rook…

Things had been a little strange between the pair since Varric. It wasn't anything malicious, or actually damaging just- Az never really spoke about their mutual friends passing.

Lace originally just assumed it was because of his tendency to avoid talking about his personal problems like the blight. That if given long enough, he would eventually open up & finally speak to her about it, but… it had been almost a year & he still hadn't even broached the topic with Harding.

Maybe she had overestimated their friendship, maybe he didn't feel as close to her as she did him, or… maybe his discomfort talking about it was her fault.

She hadn't exactly reached out to him about it much either. She had kind of spent a large portion of the last several months stressing out about her new powers & what it meant for not only her but the Dwarven people as a whole.

If she was really honest with herself, she kind of just word-vomited a lot of that stress & anxiety at Az whenever he would check in on her. Which, probably didn't help him feel like there was much space to actually talk about Varric since so much was going on & the one other person who could get it just… wasn't very available.

Maybe some silly antics were exactly what was needed right now. Maybe, if they were able to do silly shit together again, even if it was only for a little while, it would help them re-bond a little bit? Possibly even start to re-bridge that gap so Az could feel comfortable talking to her again?

Well, it certainly couldn't hurt.

Lace rounded the corner to Rook's room, raising her hand to knock before an unexpected noise caught her attention. It was the quiet hum of music, which wouldn't have been too much of a surprise if Rook wasn't the absolute worst at trying to play literally every instrument she had seen him try.

The music continued through the door, muffled in a way that seemed like it was being kept just quiet enough to not catch any suspecting passerby's attention. However, luckily for Lace, it was still loud enough that it couldn't quite sneak by a scout.

Harding was never good at keeping her nose out of something that interested her and it certainly got her in trouble more times than she would like to admit. It made her a great scout though, few things could get past her or in her way when she was trying to find someone or something, well, except for a lock apparently.

Curiosity got the better of her as usual and instead of knocking she found herself slowly pushing the door open as to better assess the situation without immediately alarming her friend of her snooping.

When the door opened, she was greeted by the familiar smell of Lavender & Oak-moss incense. It had become Rooks favourite since he'd met Emmrich, wouldn't stop going on about how when mixed it smelt like nights with Emmrich.

Bleh.

Despite this immediate reaction, Lace really was happy for her friend, but it was also extremely foreign seeing Rook be so lovey dovey all of a sudden.

When she met him, & throughout most of their year chasing Solas, he seemed to be fully submerged in his whole "I'm allergic to love actually, so never mention it in my vicinity again or I will throw myself into the Minrathous Docks" thing.

So to see that change so fast was nice but… weirdly concerning at the same time.

Her friend was in mourning {& clearly not handling it very well}, then all of a sudden he's throwing himself into the arms of a much older man that has so much more public respect & accreditation than Rook had. It felt almost like… well she wasn't sure what it felt like but she definitely knew her gut was telling her to be weary.

She didn't want Az to get hurt anymore than he already had been.

Before she could continue mulling over the strange change in her friend, Harding's train of thought was disrupted by the strange sound that had grabbed her attention just moments prior: the unusual hum of a quiet melody that danced throughout the aquarium.

The melancholy notes that twisted through the air seemed to be coming from a projection of a lute, which was definitely an unexpected sight.

She didn't exactly doubt it was possible for someone to create a musical projection, if anything it would be weird if someone hadn't at least figured that out by now. What was weird though, is that in all her travels with Rook it seemed like he rarely used his magic outside of fighting. So it really was a surprise to see him messing around with it now, in his spare time.

This combined with the fact that Az seemed to be laying almost lazily on his couch, twirling his ankle to the tune of the music, little clicking sounds ringing out from the joint as he did… it seemed almost domestic? Like Rook had actually let himself just relax, which isn't something Harding was used to seeing but… it was nice in a way.

One particularly loud ankle pop seemed to knock her fully out of her thoughts, finally reminding her to actually announce her presence.

"Hey, Rook."

The almost calming projection & tune disappeared almost as instantly as Az shot up from where he was relaxing, his eyes wide as they met Harding's.

"Sorry," she laughed, taking in the rare site of a bewildered Rook.

"Fuckin' Hell Harding," the Qunari breathed, placing a hand on his chest. "Are you trying to kill me?"

"Not yet, kinda don't want to find out what an angry Emmrich's like." She joked.

Rook laughed at that, shaking his head slightly as he swung his legs off the side of his couch.

"I don't know, seeing a Mini Titan versus a Seasoned Necromancer? Seems like it would be a fun show."

Lace rolled her eyes at that, swinging her hip to the side slightly as she smirked.

"Yeah, till you have to deal with an angry Taash."

"Point taken," Az raised to his feet, turning to face the dwarf with a raised eyebrow. "So, whose dying now?"

"Nobody," she snorted.

"Promise? It's meant to be my day off y'know?" The mage joked back, raising his hands to meet the sides of his hips in his usual stance.

"Yeah, well… does my pride count?"

Rook's eyebrows furrowed at this, prompting Lace to continue.

"I'm trying to surprise Taash…"

"Okay…?"

"But, their bedroom doors locked & I'm not exactly lock picker Harding…" she admitted sheepishly.

"Yeah… I could have told you that after the fifth chest we had to open via cliff drop." Rook teased, pausing momentarily as the rest of Harding's words sunk in. "Wait, why do you need to get into their room?"

"For… vital information?"

Rook stared for a few seconds, eyebrows knitting together even tighter in an unconvinced stare as his head tilted slightly to the side.

"Okay, okay. Maker, you're so nosy…" Harding sighed, before continuing her answer in a quiet murmur, "I need to get a hold of a spare Dar-Saam."

"Dar-Saam?" The man responded, confusion lacing his words. "What do you want with a Dar-Saam?"

"A… thing." Lace mumbled, clearly running out of excuses & just desperate to avoid the conversation.

"Okay…" Az mercifully relented, "well, you don't need to break into Taash's room for that anyway. You can just borrow a spare one of mine."

"Wait, you wear a Dar-Saam?" Harding questioned, shooting the man a surprised look.

"Yeah," he responded matter-of-factly, pointing to his waist.

Harding's eyes shifted to where Rook's pointer finger was and then slowly adjusted to the minor difference in tones & texture along his micro-corset. There was Dar-Saam woven into the red cloth in such a way that most wouldn't really notice if they weren't looking for it.

"Huh… well thanks for the offer but um," Lace momentarily hesitated, "I don't think you'll want it back after...?"

Rook tilts his head to the side, uncertainty etched back into his features.

"Rook…" Lace sighs deeply as she rubs her forehead, "look there was this thing I read in that book you gave me-"

"The book I-?" Az stopped mid sentence as realisation set in and he threw his hands up defensively. "Oh- Maker- stop! PLEASE- forget I asked… let's just go break into Taash's room so I can get back to my rest day."

Harding held back a laugh, glad to know that her friend now found this just as unbearable of a conversation as she did & nodded.

The duo found themselves outside of Taash's room no more than five minutes later, Az kneeling in the exact same position Lace had been in less than 30 minutes ago as he assessed the pad lock.

"So, what kind of lock picking stuff does a mage use?" Lace questioned, "Oh is it like bolts of magic that move with the pins or something?"

"Uh… something like that," Az murmured, pulling a small, metallic item out of his pocket and raising it to the lock. The Qunari made a quick movement with his hands, before a click noise is heard.

"Woah, that was fast!" Harding laughed out in surprise.

"Hm? Oh yeah, this probably helped." Az retorted as he brought the piece of metal he had been handling into view.

It was a key.

"Wait, you had a key this whole time? Why did you make me say all of-!?" Harding stopped herself from getting too annoyed and simply huffed indignantly, earning a chuckle from Az.

"C'mon, you've got that 'vital information' to get. Or do you want Taash to find you sneaking into their room?" Az teased, standing back up before pushing Taash's door open slightly.

She wanted to complain, but she had a feeling their time in Taash's room would be limited, so instead she just rolled her eyes & stepped through the doorway, freezing in her tracks when she came face to face with her partner.

"Lace?" Taash asked in a mixture of confusion & slight frustration.

"T-Taash!" Harding choked out, before glancing over at Rook who just shrugged. "It's not what it looks like?"

"So, you aren't breaking into my room right now?" The warrior asked, eyebrow raised in suspicion.

"No- well, yes I uh…" Harding stumbled over her words unsure how she would be able to get her way out of this one. She was not the talker, Varric was - Az was.

"She wanted to surprise you, with some gay shit." Rook interrupted, a joking tone in his voice that had Harding mentally vowing to shoot him in the ass next time they're in a skirmish.

"Of course you'd help her break in here." Taash commented as they rolled their eyes. After a few seconds, they turned back to Lace, curiosity now lacing their tone, "A surprise?"

"Yeah... I- wait why are you here?" Lace asked, realisation dawning on her that she isn't the only one somewhere they're not supposed to be right now.

A light blush slowly suddenly began to crawl up Taash's neck and onto their cheeks as the question lingered unanswered for a few moments. The silence only being broken by a fake cough that Taash pushed out in an attempt to mask their embarrassment.

"No reason."

"So, this is all… what?" Az questioned from the doorway, gesturing lazily towards something just behind Taash.

Following the gesture, Laces eyes panned over to just behind Taash, a tiny gasp catching in the back of her throat as she was met with a truly unexpected scene.

Behind Taash was a blanket fort similar to that of Harding's in the middle of the room, fairy lights on the roof of the fort and all.

Placed throughout & around the fort were also an array of goodies: a platter of different Fereldan cheeses, bread & wine on one side; a small plant that Harding hadn't seen before on the other; and a surprising amount of extremely plush looking cushions scattered throughout.

Taash glanced back momentarily as if they just remembered how not hidden the fort was, then turned back to the pair of intruders with a groan as they crossed their arms.

"Fine." They huffed, "You've been really stressed out lately and I… wanted to do something nice."

"You did this for me?" Lace asked, her voice almost a whisper as tears pricked the corners of her eyes.

"Y-yeah." Taash faltered slightly, clearing their throat as they glanced away again. "C'mon don't make it weird…"

"This is the sweetest thing anyone's ever done for me!" Lace giggled, her mind suddenly drawn away from her earlier plans by the sweet surprise.

"Well, that's Vashedan, you deserve better than-" Taash started, cut off by Harding crashing into their side in a tight hug. Placing their hand in her hair Taash ruffled it slightly as they let out a quiet laugh, which earned a contented sight from the Dwarf.

"Well, my job is done." Rook interrupted, pushing himself off the door frame.

"Wait," Taash called, "Neither of you have told me why you both broke in yet."

"Oh," Lace murmured, pulling herself away from her partner as a embarrassed giggle escaped her. "I uh… I read there was this thing you could do with Dar-Saam, but I kind of needed to test it before you got back…"

"Oh?" Taash's voice suddenly dropped an octave lower as they spoke.

Taash's hand snaked its way to Lace's hip where it tightened around the curve of her waist slightly. This pulled a small gasp from Harding's throat as they pulled her closer to them, letting out a low growl.

"Ugh, maker- you two could at least wait till I leave!" Rook groaned in a mixture of fear and disgust before quickly turning to escape through the doorway. Leaving both Lace & Taash to laugh slightly before they…. continued.

[unhinged-simp]

Hello~ I've been lurking for awhile but I haven't seen anyone ask...

What are your most and least favorite characters in TDB? Your favorite chapter? Idk, I want to hear your opinions! Hear you simp along with us! 💛

Spoilers for chapter 13, though I don’t go that in depth with it. Also this is so long. Also thank you for asking, I really could go more into why I love these characters, but I stopped myself.

Honestly, I like most of the characters. I do have specific favorites though. I usually just count the characters I think about the most out of others my favorites.

My all time favorite is Subaru. I just randomly started liking him before his chapter even came out. I love when he shows up because I eat up every scene he’s in, and I love when they put him in chapters that aren’t Hotarubi, especially chapter 11. He was so cute during that chapter, not like he isn’t just cute in general. He’s also very pretty too. (I still don’t have his standard SSR, sob) I feel like there’s a lot we don’t know about him, and I’m excited to see what it is. He just means a lot to me.

My second favorite varies, but I’m probably going to say it’s Rui. He was the character I picked when I first started the game. I do remember them calling him a playboy, and I was kinda worried they’d go down the pervy playboy route, but I was happy they didn’t. He is such an interesting character and I’m also excited to learn more about him. He’s another character that means a lot to me.

My third favorite also varies, but most often it’s Kaito. Originally I wasn’t really into him, I just enjoyed him because he was silly. Then chapter 9 happened, and my whole view on him changed. Of course he’s still silly, but I genuinely think he’s super cool. I hope we learn more about him and his family.

My fourth favorite is probably Romeo. Originally I didn’t like him that much due to his attitude, but he’s another one that chapter 9 made me like. I saw how pretty he was and changed my mind. At that point I just liked him because he’s pretty, but I’ve gotten to the point where I enjoy his attitude.

I have some others that I don’t really number, just characters that I like and sometimes forget.

Like Jin. I absolutely love the icy tsundere but actually kind of soft to the one they like trope that he has. Plus he’s just insanely hot, totally did enjoy it when he pinned the MC to the wall in chapter 1. This recent chapter was also amazing for all of the Jin scenes in it.

Sho is another one I really like. I mean he’s literally the whole boyfriend package. He’s kind and caring, he can cook you amazing meals, he can protect you. Like what’s there to not like about him?

Haku! I like Haku too. Like why does bro have to be so hot? While I do find him kind of suspicious, he’s also very kind to MC, and I really enjoy that. I really wished we knew more about him! Maybe Chapter 15(if it is about the Hotarubi trio). I also think it’s funny how during new years, he doesn’t ask the MC on a date, but Rui and Kaito do(my friend and I joked that they sacrificed Haku’s flirtiness to give Rui and Kaito a chance).

Oh, and I absolutely love Ren too! He’s probably number 5 in the list of characters I think about. Especially when he had the puppy ears and tail. I don’t even know why, but I’m absolutely obsessed with puppyboy Ren. Before we even saw him in the episode I wanted those ears and tail to be real so badly. He’s also incredibly relatable to me.

As for my least favorite characters, I only have one I really don't like, and that’s Ed. He just acts insanely creepy in a way I hate, especially around the MC. The way he texts I absolutely hate, and it gives me brain damage every time I see it. I just want to go, “okay grandpa, it’s time for bed.” Everytime he speaks. At least he confirmed the Kykkos thing.

I don’t really enjoy Leo’s attitude, but I don’t mind him that much, so he gets an honorable mention here.

I have a lot of favorite chapters, it’s really hard to pick just one.

I really liked chapter 12, Jabberwock was a breath of fresh air and I love all of them. Plus the anomaly for that chapter was super cool.

Chapter 9 is also another of my favorites. I liked the group of characters they picked. I love the crumbs of Jiro and Zenji lore, and I want more. The Halloween outfits were all some of my favorites. I thought the anomaly in this chapter was so cool.

Chapter 10 broke me, but I love it too. Like I felt so bad for Lyca and Rui. We got to learn more about Rui’s curse! The maid/butler aesthetic was also really fun.

I also liked chapter 13 as well. I’m glad they didn’t hide the gore at all. The twist caught me off guard. We got to learn more about Tohma which is pretty neat. Jinnnnnnnn!!!! and Kaitoooo!! Luca was also nice to have around again, I forgot how enjoyable he was. The anomalies were so cooollll, I’ve been loving the recent anomaly designs a lot.

Lastly, I like chapter 5. I know there isn’t a lot in it, but the Zenji plot twist was so amazing that I really enjoy it. Plus we get Subaruuu and Hakuu.

I hope you enjoyed reading this, it definitely made me think.

[findher-ogg]

I have seen so many people fangirling and worrying about New Vegas and its endings in relation to the TV show (which you shouldn't be, you can simply ignore it! Your canon is cooler!) that I've been saddened to see almost nobody discuss my two favourite possibilities for season two: the fact that it may be paying homage to the first game and Tactics.

Lucy is obviously the Lone Wanderer -- she's looking for her dad and is happy go lucky and naive, etc, like many of us first playing Fallout 3. Over the course of the season, she becomes hardened, gaining more resolve after intimately discovering the horrors of war and the role her own father plays in them.

The Ghoul is, as close as you could argue, much the same except for the Sole Survivor. He is an angry, grieving parent who just wants to get his daughter back. Except, unlike the Sole Survivor, he's allowed to do some genuinely abhorrent things. He commits a bit of casual mass murder and cannibalism, but it's all good. Standard for your wonderfully contrasted evil karma character, and why he's so interesting in comparison to how he was before the war. Many people roleplay their Sole Survivor much the same.

But Maximus hasn't been obviously assigned a protagonist he clearly pays homage to, due to how original his own plotline is and how he is just generally disliked or ignored by the fandom simply because he is socially awkward and black. Max is my favourite, and I'm not going to be shy about this -- I love that awkward young man with every fibre of my being. He's funny! But, as much as I'd like to be, I am not here to defend Maximus from a certain subset of fans in the same way I do with Preston. I am instead here to propose which protagonist he is equivalent to: the Warrior, from Fallout Tactics.

I've yet to play Tactics personally, but I am familiar with the plot and how it's essentially schrodinger's canon. Aspects of it are canon, like the Brotherhood's usage of airships or their presence in Chicago fending off super mutants. Others, less so. Like Vault 0.

For those not in the know, Vault 0 is, to my understanding, a vault located in Colorado that hosts a device known as the Calculator. Calculator is an incredibly advanced supercomputer that manages all of Vault-Tec's vaults. The computer is powered by the cryogenically suspended brains of pre-war geniuses. Do you see where I'm going with this?

In Tactics, the Brotherhood move in to secure Vault 0 and take Calculator out of the picture. There's even a character named Maximus (who is a Paladin!) who aids the player's squad in the final battle against it.

I think that Maximus' mission in S2 is going to be a retelling and recanonisation of Tactics' plot, shifting its place in the timeline to post FO4. I mean, it makes sense given standards and precedence set by S1. Vault-Tec cryogenically suspended their best managers to selectively breed the best customer service people in existence, which obviously backfires as both Lucy and Norman unravel the truth in different ways. Vault 31 is even taken care of by a brain on a roomba!

So I'm not saying it's out of the question for Max's B-plot in season 2 to take us on Tactics' plot, and to potentially show us that that is where Barb and Janey have been the whole time. It'd get a bit dark depending on how deep they get into the territory, but Barbara Howard is so high up at Vault-Tec that she knows their most closely guarded secrets and speaks at investors meetings. She could likely have surrendered her brain to power whatever equivalent to Calculator they end up using.

I think they may end up dropping the Colorado plot thread, though, depending on how things play out. Even if Colorado is frequently referenced by various NPCs (especially Ulysses) in New Vegas, there's a chance they may move Vault 0 to California or Nevada. Maybe have it sub in for Area 51, who knows? I'm not a fly on the wall in that writer's room.

The Brotherhood's story in this show in general just seems to be full of homages or references to classics; I'm fully convinced that Knight Titus (you know, the guy who lost to a level 10 yao guai?) was named after Titus Interactive, the studio that bought out Interplay and subsequently bankrupted them. As a tongue in cheek reference, but one I can't ignore.

And what about Fallout 1? Well. I don't know if anyone noticed because it's a ten second gag that never gets brought up again, but Vault 33's water chip is broken! And even if they've relocated half of the Vault to 32 by this point, that still doesn't actually solve the problem. Hell, 32 may also have a broken water chip! My slightly more crackpot theory is that Chet's going to have a C plot where he ventures out to find a replacement water chip, a la the Vault Dweller. The director of the show seems to be a fan of the Interplay trilogy, after all.

I'm sorry if this sucks, I've had this rattling around since seeing the set leaks and it's 1am. Not proofreading this. Hope it makes sense, I may revise certain points in the future because I've not watched the show since it came out and thus spurred me into playing the games in the first place. But still! That's my theory! I'm moreso banking on Maximus Tactics than the latter, but still.

[taliquest]

Well okay I guess it's my turn but this list is gonna suck because I live under a rock.

Samurai Troopers/Ronin Warriors

Arguably my first experience with fandom if only from afar, but something that so deeply resonated and rewrote my brain chemistry (this guy in particular) that I eventually tracked down the flock, blended into the flock, and now I am deeply entwined with the flock like microplastics in the fish population.

Gundam 0080

I do not deny that there are a lot of much better, much more resonant, much more entertaining Gundam series out there. None of them hit me on as deeply a personal level as 0080 does, being that I am myself a military brat who grew up neck-deep in the propaganda of the military-industrial complex and a love of war machines, only to find the realities of war hit home at a young age... albeit not in the same way as our protagonist Al. 0080 isn't the best Gundam series, but to me, it is the ideal one.

Burn Notice

There's nothing deep here. Just a great cast and lots of explosions. Perfectly, Adequately Entertaining Mid-00s USA programming.

Danger 5

I don't know something about it just seems relevant in the current day and age. Also it's just delightfully gory comedy channeling all manner of pulp stories with perfectly executed gags parodying zero-budget productions ranging from cheap sets, costumes, miniatures, "bad" acting, and the occasional boom mic, to say nothing of send-ups of classic tokusatsu.

And mountains of dead Nazis.

Samurai Sentai Shinkenger

There are plenty of other, much more salient Sentai series out there, of that you can be certain. However, Absolute Mad Woman Yasuko Kobayashi lured me in by my samurai sympathies established by Samurai Troopers above, and hooked me with truly compelling character drama, weaving jidaigeki flawlessly into toy commercials and giant robot fights. Yes the blue on is my favorite, Ryunosuke is a delightful dork.

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon

Oh look another Yasuko Kobayashi joint. The 90s series is iconic, the manga is outstanding, and Crystal... updates it to modern times, more or less (I haven't seen Eternal or Cosmos, I'm sorry, I can't provide any greater insight). PGSM only runs the Dark Kingdom arc but brings Kobayashi's usual incredible character writing and twists, warps, and refines quite a few concepts, giving new insights and interpretations into the cast while also making them feel so much more alive.

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

I've got nothing to add that hasn't been said before other than it's nowhere near as Ow The Edge as you've probably been led to believe, and this show literally saved me.

Kamen Rider Fourze

With 50 years of history under it's belt, picking an actual favorite Rider season is an exercise in frustration because even the weaker series have parts and themes that make them shine. But my top five are consistent if constantly swapping places, and Fourze is at the top today. This is not a hard-hitting, introspective piece that questions the nature of humanity and justice that so many do. Fourze is a show in which friendship literally saves the day and grants the titular protagonist ever greater power as he forges bonds with his classmates and school faculty until even the stars themselves are within their reach. This is one of the few shows where the bad guys get redeemed at the end and yet it feels like such a natural conclusion; Fourze is a show about overcoming your hangups and your past, finding community and family, and through that becoming not just a whole person but the person you only dreamed of being before.

Fourze is beautiful and I'll gladly go to bat for it any day. But tomorrow my answer might be Ryuki, so...

The SoulTaker

Before we go any further please understand, this show is not here because I think it is good. The SoulTaker is something, but I could never in good conscience describe it as good. This show is here because it hijacked my adolescent mind in Year of Our Godoka Two Thousand Threeourive and I have not been able to escape it since. I want you to imagine THE MOST Early 00s, Post-Evangelion, Post-Matrix, Edgelord Cringe thing you can. Got it? Good. Now GO FURTHER. The SoulTaker cannot be described. It can only be experienced. Or rather, it can only be inflicted.

Gushing Over Magical Girls

You've probably heard a lot about this series. It's true. All of it. This show is transgressive and queer as hell, unapologetic in both its lust and adulation for the genre, both a touching exploration of a young girl's budding sapphic feelings for her heroines and a raunchy comedy wherein she exploits the same - and in the process causes them to have a few realizations. You may have been turned off by this show's reputation as smut, and that's true, it absolutely is.

But it's the best kind of, and very well done, smut. And right now, I think we need more of that kind of thing than ever.

who to tag, who to tag... Let's see... @yamiquietshadowflo, @starlitskvader, @popeyeotaku, @samurai-skittle-squad, and @kamenstranger, have a go if you please!

10 shows, 10 people game!

Game: Add 10 gifs from your favorite shows and tag 10 people.

Tagged by the ever sweet @snowviolettwhite 💜

9-1-1 (my emotional support family 🥹)

Warehouse 13 (another found family show 🥺)

Grimm (I can't explain how much I love this one it's like spn but happier) (911 lovers Lou Ransone is in this one and he has so many shirtless scenes lmao)

The Guest (Korean horror) (I'm actually not into horror but the fact that this is one of my fav is so funny. It's more the 3 main characters than anything, I loved their interaction)

From Today It's My Turn (Japanese) (this one's so silly and hilarious)

The Librarians (another found family show!) (yes Albert from 911 is in it. so is Elliot from Leverage)

Person of Interest (literally my babies 😭 i'm sorry i couldn't add root/shaw 😭 also you WILL sob)

Unbelievable (heavy but so 🤌🏽 based on a true story)

Beyond Evil (Korean) (Lee Dong Sik 😭😭 this WILL destroy you)

Dark (German) (actually haven't completed it yet but s1 is exquisite)

Honestly there's SO MANY shows that I love but I tried to include diverse ones and some not so popular ones.

Honourable mentions: Haven (if you know this one I'll love you forever lol), Kotaro Lives Alone, Ragnarok (Norwegian), Kingdom (Korean), Signal (Korean), Tunnel (Korean), The Following

No pressure tags @scknight05 @lemotmo @eddiediazismyhusband @jackwhiteprophetic @diazguzman @begebege28 @mazzystar24 @syfygirl1998 @monroemary @ofqueensandwitches and anyone else who wants to do this!

[sluckythewizard]

FIIIINALLY almost nailed my designs for lizzie and caspian can i get a HEEEELLL YEAAH???? i think these two make a vvery cute duo and i cannt wait to see them again. i also hope they both get hurt reaaaallly really badly. togeter

[bogos-bint3d]

Post that has rerouted my brain

[apollo-just-ice]

Original Fiction

Fictober Day 13 - “that’s not the point”, a vague bittersweet angsty kinda fic about my beloved Willow and Pyg

[wereh0gz]

Y'know what'd be really cool

We get a new sonic show right. And one of the episodes is just the main cast playing mobian dnd and having fun role-playing as their characters and they get like really into it and get into funny shenanigans both in the game and outside of it

And you get to see sonic and the others in cool fantasy outfits and doing magic and fighting with swords and stuff. And the classes and races they choose for their characters in the game reflect some aspect of their real character. Like sonic being a werewolf fighter because of the werehog. And tails is like an artificer or something. And shadow could be a paladin who swore an oath to the people to protect all of them. Etc etc

OOH and then eggman comes in to ruin the fun but once he realizes they were playing dnd he calls a truce and he joins in the game and maybe even plays the role of the villain in the campaign. And everyone finds out he's a huge nerd

And that's it that's the episode they just play dnd the whole time

[createandconstruct]

Sigh…

[scratchyemporium]

when all your pizza rolls are gone

[fingertipsmp3]

Ughhhhhhh I hate writing and I hate not writing and I hate myself

[icharchivist]

I want the Mole Troupe to get a continuation that features Sandalphon and supposed theater actor Lucio. Sandalphon probably visits Michael to check on her, out of curiosity and Lucio invites himself. It gives us opportunity for Sandy to begrudgingly accept Lucio's company, for him to have a talk with Sariel, maybe, and I absolutely want Falsch and Lucio to meet. I think Falsch would fall in love with Lucio at first sight, but be super aggro about it and get mad at every little thing about him.

PLEAASE.

I want more Mole Troupe in general (though the more it focus on the main four of them the happier i'd be, though if Barawa wants to come back and encourage them on the path of ham theater and make me cry even more i'm *twirls hair* all up for it again, he was there for me and just for me)

That said to have Sandalphon check on Michael, Sariel and Azrael would be very nice, and finally bringing back the fact Lucio has indeed a supposed theater background lmao.

There they could discuss with Sariel a bit of his situation yeah, if they really want to make /me/ happy Lucio and Sariel would get into an improv and manage to communicate with one another thanks to acting which would have Lucio finally be more accepting of Sariel's plea. Then, all of them would start to get really into the improv bit and try to drag Sandalphon into it who's really just ".... i'm not going to do that." but Michael ends up insisting and Sandalphon ends up participating out of pure peer pressure.

And i think Falsch would find Lucio so damn cool at first sight yeah, but tbh i feel like he would grow to dislike him over the fact that Lucio is so damn perfect. I mean, Lucio was an actual, acclaimed actor on stage. Falsch was a genius child actor but he hated what the spotlight did to his fellow friends, and he much prefers his silly, ham actors now, that any goody who could rival him as an actor. I actually would see Falsch constantly compare Lucio's acting skill to the rest of the Mole Troupe's, except it's always to point out how Lucio isn't as great as his Troupe. Despite the fact Lucio is, in fact, technically better.

the emotional core could also be that Falsch would actually see right through Lucio that despite him being a perfect actor in every single way, he puts no emotion into his acting, none of it is genuine, he can see that Lucio doesn't think a single of the words he's spouting. Michael, Sariel, Azrael, they may suck, but they are passionate, they have fun, and they've been trying to put their emotions and the way they relate to others in their acting. Lucio strikes me as really an actor in the sense of he is always playing a role to mask himself, never to be honest. The Mole Troupe is the opposite, they're acting to show themselves out, to find parts of themselves they don't know how to express otherwise. And i think Falsch would be super critical of Lucio being like that, which would eventually force Lucio to face the way he's still acting with the crew as well as he hides his true identity.

I actually believe in Falsch's insufferable ex-child actor prodigies supremacy to just dunk on Lucio is what i mean. Also i would find it so funny if the only human of the gang, who was shocked discovering all of his friends were angels, ended up being the only one to see right through Lucio with the powers of "your acting may be perfect in quality but you don't put any heart into it and i have no respect for you."

... I really want more Mole Troupe i'd take anything to see more of them.

[dat-asslyn]

real quick

I know I've been reblogging a lot of Attack on Titan stuff lately so I just wanna be clear, I do NOT in any way support legitimate anti-semitism or any of the other Actually-Problematic-in-Real-Life aspects of the manga/anime. It's just another flawed piece of media whose premises must be carefully interrogated.

[gibbearish]

its fun finding new religious movements popping up near you and being like. ok. i do like where youre going with this. but also. this does sound a bit like a cult. but then again most religions sound like cults, so like. who knows

[irisinluv]

Isekaied as the Yandere Villain!? PT 1

All I could do was stare at my reflection. This had to be a joke. I was going to wake up in my bed, right this instant.

“FUCK!”

Ok, so, pinching myself hurts. That’s fine. This is like. Some sort of lucid dream. What do they say to do if you’re lucid dreaming? Oh, that’s right, put your finger in your palm, it’ll phase through!

I resist the urge to scream as my finger meets solid flesh.

You see, I’m not in the right body. Or the right world from what I can tell. No, I’m supposed to be back home, waking up in a panic as I realize my alarm didn’t go off cuz my phone died after I stayed up way too late reading manga.

But of course, I’m not late to work, I’m in a lavish bedchamber right out of the latest webcomic I’d been reading! And by the looks of it…. I’m the crown princes crazy fiancé! As much as I love reading about the Isekai trope, I never wanted to be in one! And come on- as the Yandere Villain!? Couldn’t this at least be original? There’s hundred of stories just like “my next life as a villainess,” why couldn’t I be like… a stable hand or something? Ugh. Ok. Think!

I need to get home. Do the protagonists ever get back home in the stories I read? I pace around my room and rack my brain over every webcomic I’ve ever read, every manga I waited in line for, every anime I binged, even the unfinished manhwas! I can’t think of a single fucking one where they get home?

Well this isn’t going to stop me. I have a cat who’s going to absolutely flip if she’s not given fresh kibble in the morning. She has enough in her bowl for another 2 days but she needs it topped off ok! She’s a princess! I can’t be stuck here! Who’s going to throw her pompom toy for her if I’m not there???

What did all these have in common? What’s the barebones trope layout? Ok let’s see

1) person either died or falls asleep and wakes up in a new world…. Check

2) person is the villain!…. Check

3) to avoid the characters terrible death, person tries to change the story, ends up being new protagonist…

Ohhh… hey…. Do these Isekai characters ever just…. Play along? Even the “reincarnated as a baby” ones, they only play along till they’re old enough to try to run away or rework the political structure of the entire city. Maybe that’s it. Make it to the books natural end, and you’ll wake up where you belong. It’s like when you get part of a song stuck in your head. Play the whole song, and it’ll get out.

Ok, I’ve trained most of my adult life for this- I can totally ace this trope! I just have to stalk the crown prince, act totally in love with him, and be a bitch to the female lead. Then my finance will leave me, I’ll do some crazy dramatic act to try to kill the female lead, and then I’ll be exiled or executed, and wake up to feed my cat. How hard can it be?

Hard. It’s very hard.

Where the hell did he go!? My fiancé, the crown prince Eric, was JUST HERE. I swear! He turned that corner back there and then went down this hall… at least I think it was this hall? Ugh! This is impossible! For someone with such loud shoes and an armed escort, you’d think he’d be easier to follow! Now my feet just hurt. They don’t make these fancy shoes to run around the castle all day. They’re meant to daintily peek from beneath my many skirts as I host a tea party or some shit.

Ok. I’ve got this! I’ll just peek into each room until I find him, maybe I can get a better feel for the layout, or maybe find his office and see if he has a schedule or a day planner or something I can use to make this whole stalking thing easier.

I begin snooping, and it’s a bit of thrill to be honest! Back in my real life, I’m the kind of person to hide a wrapper deep in the trash can if I’m babysitting, sitting on the floor playing a game on my phone after the kid goes to bed rather than “making myself at home” the way the parents insisted as they showed me how to access Netflix. I’ve never been a snooper. Now…. Well. It’s totally on brand for this character! I’m not me, I’m a psycho lovesick fool! I giggle a bit at that as my fingers trail over a shelf of beautiful pottery in some sort of sitting room.

“What’s so amusing dearest?”

I practically screech as my heart leaps to my throat and I whirl around, and see the very person I’d been searching for has snuck up on ME…. That’s so unfair!

“W-what? O-oh! Nothing! I was just- uh, admiring the pottery?”

I stutter out as I try to recall how to act like a human being while simultaneously trying to stop feeling my own pulse in my ears. The idiot has the nerve to LAUGH! Full on snort and everything!

“What are you doing in this wing anyways? Weren’t you meant to be out riding today?”

Shit. I was so busy trying to figure out his schedule, I didn’t consider maybe the body I was shoved into had a schedule of her own. Ok. Play it cool- I’ve got this!

“Yes, well, I decided I wasn’t in the mood and wanted to stay in today instead.”

His brows furrow

“Oh, but you love riding? Are you feeling ill? I can fetch the royal physician for you if you-“

“No! That’s- that’s quite alright! I simply wanted a change of schedule, that is all. Um… what about you? What are your plans for the day?”

He looked a bit surprised at that, and a small smile danced on his lips.

“I was just going to the library to do some paperwork, boring stuff really, and then of course our dinner at its regular time.”

I nod like that means anything to me. Ok think, if I were crazy in love with this man, what would I say?

“Would you like some company? Reading in the library sounds really nice, maybe we could have some tea as well?”

Ok. I’m already fucking this up. He looks confused…. God damnit …. I knew I shouldn’t have skimmed over those early chapters- but the translation was shit ok!?

“Well… I’d actually love that. But are you sure? You haven’t exactly shown interest in reading, and you’ve never requested something like this before…. In fact I don’t think I can recall the last time we’ve interacted outside of dinner or a scheduled social event in… well. Ever.”

Wait…. What? Isn’t my character like goo-goo-ga-ga over him? Are you telling me she never asks to just… spend time with her lover? They only talk during dinner and parties or whatever?

“Of course, I think it’ll be relaxing! Just lead the way!”

My brain is working overtime as I smile politely at him as we reach the library and I pretend to browse for books. I’m missing something here. What is-

Oh. Shit. That’s right. I’m supposed to be really insecure and awkward about him. That’s why she stalks him- she spends all her free time obsessing over this man from the shadows, threatening the competition…. Yet chokes up when it comes to how to act natural. Her inferiority complex is what drives her entire character. And then to him, they’re just two nobles in an arranged marriage who speak on dull subjects like the weather and horse rides…. And who barely interact.

This must have been a real big shake up, she always stays out of sight, they never run into each other by chance. And she certainly never would ask to sit and read with him…. Maybe watch him do his work from a hidden keyhole somewhere, but that’s right…. She IS more of a traditional lady with her hobbies. She was raised to be the perfect noble wife, so naturally, her hobbies include things like dancing, needlepoint, and horse riding. The only studies she’s interested in are etiquette and things that noble ladies are supposed to know.

Well…. Shit. That’s so like me to already have fucked this up. But that’s ok. That’s ok- he’s going to meet the female lead and fall in love and so I just have to be the obstacle they need to overcome. Surely the details don’t matter too much…. It’s my first day in the job ok? Not everyone’s perfect!

I find a book that honestly actually sounds interesting, it’s historical, but it’s giving Hellen of Troy, the closest to a dark romance I think I’ll get from an academic personal library like this. I settle into what looks like the comfiest chair in the central area, and begin reading. The prince and I exist comfortably, the only sound being the scratch of his pen, and the occasional rustle of paper as he flips a document or I finish a page. We continue like this for several hours until he puts down his pen and clears his throat, getting my attention.

“I know it’s a long way from dinner…. But I was thinking I’d grab something light for a mid day meal and then take a walk about the gardens …. Would you care to join me?”

Honestly, some lunch and pretty royal gardens sounds like so much fun, so I agree. As we begin walking, I ponder how I can recover from all this.

You know what.. this can totally still go to plan. This is just me being the evil villain and sinking my claws into him! The female lead will appear, and I’ll reveal my true, nasty side to her! She’ll have to fight to save the prince from his marriage to me!

*insert evil laughter!*

“You’re smiling.”

“W-what?”

“A smile. It suits you. You’ve been doing that a lot today….. I like it.”

Ok and now I’m blushing. I go to reply when I suddenly find myself weightless for a moment, and then hit the ground with a hard thump.

“Ow! What the-!?”

My eyes snap up and glare at this pretty blonde girl who just rammed into me, and sent me flying

“Do you not know how to watch where you’re going!? Owww…. Ugh.”

Ok I’m sorry I’m usually a nice and understanding person but I’ve never been literally knocked over before! Who does that to a person?

Eric helps me to my feet and sends a reproachful glare toward the girl, asking me if I’m alright with most concerned look…. And the girl gasps and says,

“C-crown prince Eric! I apologize! I’d didn’t recognize you!”

She drops into a curtsy and lowers her eyes all demure and modest as if she hadn’t just bulldozed me. I send an incredulous look toward Eric…. She… didn’t see HIM? I’m the one she took out? He gives me an equally puzzled look and so I decide, you know what, fuck it. I’m this evil person in this world…. I need to act like it!

“And not recognizing his highness is an excuse for taking out the princess consort, soon to be crown princess? Are you blind or just daft?”

Oh my god I really just called someone daft! This feels like when you stay up late thinking all the witty comebacks you could’ve used against your high school bullies, except actually using them in the moment!

And Eric is being a sweetie and letting me handle this, waiting expectantly for blondie to answer me, just prompting her,

“Well?”

“Forgive me…. Princess consort…. You are right. My oversight in inexcusable. It appears neither of us were looking where we were going. I hope we can start fresh!”

I scoff- that’s it? Who does this bitch think she is? Yes, I was looking at Eric, but I was going a walking pace, who rounds a corner with so much force that you knock someone over?

Suddenly something clicks- oh shit! This is the female lead!!!! This scene happened in the story, just without the prince here. This is good, that means this is on track. Although I gotta say- I was much more on the female main characters side when reading it. Now, I just feel like she’s one of those mean girls in high school who’s not *technically* doing anything mean. Anyways- what was I supposed to say? That’s right.

“Yes…. Well. I’m sure we won’t be seeing much of each other anyways. If you’ll excuse me-“

Nailed ittttt…. Now her line?

“Well, actually…. My name is Lady Cressida, and I’ll be staying in the place for several months as my father is a foreign ambassador overseeing trade agreements with his highness the king. So I imagine we will be seeing *plenty* of each other. That goes for you too your highness! So please- forgive me, I look forward to getting to know each of you better!”

Oh that’s so cool, seeing her recite the lines from the story. But ok- I have a role to play as well. I scoff and grab Eric’s arm, pulling him behind me as I storm off, playing the part of entitled lover, stuck up and irritated at this ambassadors daughter who DARED to speak to my love.

Yea, this will work, Eric will think Cressida is a genuine sweetie, and see me as being the unreasonable bitch who’s refusing to accept her apology, or apologize for not looking where I was going either. And now I’m manhandling him- totally unlady like. God I’m killing this aren’t I? Minimum wage job and demanding cat, here I come!

What I don’t see, as I lead Eric by the arm, is the cold glare he shoots towards Cressida, before smiling down at our connected hands, an unreadable look in his eyes.

Part 2

SERIES IS DISCONTINUED- sorry y’all, just not inspired to write this anymore and don’t wanna force it.