#my cat went missing and he acted like I was faking it and that it wasn’t real (?????) because he was blaming himself for it

[musicaldeductions]

Me: *casually complains about my mild UV ray allergy, something I’ve self diagnosed but is very mild and rather common for people like me where I live and doesn’t bother me that much, because I got a sunburn without realizing it today and like to be dramatic when mildly inconvenienced*

My dad: you know it’s probably *type of dermatitis he has that is nothing like the allergy* and you should do x about it

Me: that’s not what I have and I don’t need to do that

Him: *gets mad* I know about your body better than you because I know more about our family health history and you really should consider what I’m saying

Me: ok (I will not be doing that)

[awkward-walking-potato]

Wolverine Masterlist

My requests are open - I am no longer accepting requests for headcannons

Main Masterlist

Multiple part Series

Bruised not Broken - Non mutant Cage fighter logan and reader who is a nurse and helps patch him up after his fight - Ongoing

Part 1 Part 2

Apple of his Eye - Biker!logan x Baker! reader. The tough Biker falls for the kind baker who always has a slice of apple pie for him - Ongoing

Part 1 Part 2

The Buddy and Scratch series

- Claws and whiskers - You come home with a cat Claws whiskers and paws - Sequel to claws and whiskers Logan's Soft Spot - Logan didn't notice you coming home cause he was busy playing with the dog

Logan X mother nature

- The hidden Sanctuary - Logan meets a dragon

Wild Interuptions - you try and escape wade for some private time with logan

Oneshots

Just keep trying - the reader is upset with themselves because everything they do or say, even in good fate, turns out wrong or the situation gets worse. Logan knows that they meant well so he tries his best to comfort them.

A Caring Gesture - reader who suffers from iron deficiency like one day reader just faint and it took some time for logan to notice makes him very panicked so since then he started putting more attention to you like reminding you to eat healthy stuffs

A wet mess - After a long trip out you decide to wash Logans bike for him

Laughter at 1 AM - Watching Jenna marble tik toks with Logan

Unspoken Understanding - Logan helping reader with anxiety

Domestic Bliss: A Wade Wilson Retrospective - Logan and readers relationship from wades perspective

Beneath the bruises - Meeting cage fighter logan for the first time

A Heart of Adamantium - Valentines day spent with logan

Purple Claws and Velvet Dreams - Logan catches you singing and dancing to Prince’s "Purple Rain" in your pajamas.

NSFW alphabet

SFW alphabet

The plan - Fake boyfriend trope

When the Sunshine Fades - Grumpy!logan x Sunshine!reader something has been bothering reader or something happened, and because of it, she’s just not acting like herself and Logan starts picking up on it

Dancing in the Kitchen - Dancing in the kitchen to 1950's music with logan

Jeff the land shark - The baby shark taking up all the reader’s attention and just being he’s cutie self while making Logan feel extremely jealous.

Something to keep you safe - When Logan has to leave he leaves you with a certain something to keep you company

A clumsy heart - Logan doesn’t take kindly to someone causing his girl Dumb

Surprises in the bedroom - Logan finds out you collect teddies

Between two worlds - Logan with a significant other that’s basically an oujia board? Like they can talk to dead people, maybe possess people or haunt their dreams

Randonauting with the X-Force - Reader, Logan, Wade, and Mary puppins went randonauting together

Casual Affections - It's hard being in love with a man when his heart is with another

Tipsy Affection - When you have a few too many drinks at the halloween party you can't help but want some attention

Costume Confusion - With not long to go till the halloween party you have to come up with a clear idea for a costume

Halloween Heroes - You get to see a different side to Logan once the kids come out trick or treating

Whispers between worlds - Logan Howlett x gn!reader that has the mutation to summon, speak and communicate with ghosts and the undead

Its in the stars - stargazing with Logan Howlett and GN!Reader

Close enough - Logan with a reader who loves physical touch but is kinda scared to initiate it

Five Times You Were Possessive of Logan, and the One Time He Was Possessive of You

Taking care of Logan

Logan helping you recover after ankle surgery

Logan helps werewolf reader with their first transition

My Kitty Cat - Logan hates his nickname, Well that is what he tells people

Missing Cat - Logan realises who you are after losing his memories

In the Shadows - Logan helps reader who has migraines

[oceannote]

Sound check - Part 2

Note from author: Hello, my babessssss. You guys have been blowing off my messages regarding a part 2 and HERE IT IS. I hope you will enjoy it just as much. I kinda left the ending in the air so maybe if your feedback is positive I can make a cheeky part 3? XoXo YK

Summary: As a sound engineer, you have always dreamed of working with your favorite artists, but is it fate that makes you cross a line with your favorite idol, or is it a pur,e dumb adrenaline decision that puts your whole career in danger?

Warnings: Characters are fake and are a result of fiction, mentions of poor health, lack of confidence and swear words. Do not copy, translate or remake the story.

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

“Stop obsessing over it. Maybe he’s just really busy with the promotion,” Iseul says from her usual spot on my couch, curled up like a cat with a blanket around her shoulders, feet dangling lazily off the armrest.

“I’m not obsessing,” I mutter, tossing my phone onto the coffee table with a little more force than necessary.

“Mm-hmm,” she hums, raising an eyebrow without looking at me. “That was the fifth time you checked his 'last seen online’ in the last ten minutes. You were basically refreshing it like a stock market app.”

I sink further into the armchair. “I was just checking. There’s nothing wrong with checking.”

She gives me a look. “You need a hobby.”

“And you need to leave,” I say, standing up and marching toward her, my fingers wiggling in the air threateningly. “Say that again and I will tickle you until you beg for mercy.”

She screams dramatically and pulls the blanket over her head. “I’m serious, Y/N!” she squeals between giggles as I poke at her sides. “You’re acting like his girlfriend, and newsflash, you’re not!”

I freeze mid-attack.

Ouch.

“I know that,” I say quietly, sitting back down on the edge of the couch, pulling my knees up to my chest.

Iseul peeks out from under the blanket. Her voice softens. “I didn’t mean it in a mean way. I just… I don’t want you to get hurt.”

I nod, staring at my phone screen lighting up for no reason at all,no message, no notification. Just the mocking glow of nothing.

She’s right. We’re not even dating. Not officially, anyway.

The last four weeks have been a blur,late-night studio sessions with Yoongi where we’d spend hours tweaking tracks and fine-tuning vocals. That part was professional. Clean. Focused.

But then there were the other parts, the quiet in-between moments.

His hand on my knee while listening to the final mix. A lingering look when the room went silent. Cuddling on my couch at 3AM when neither of us had the energy to move. A kiss that turned into more. Whispered compliments. Half-asleep “wish I could stay” confessions. Sweet nothings over text. A wink, a smirk, the kind of soft that makes you stupid.

But still… no “us.” No labels. No conversation.

Just something… whatever this is.

“I didn’t expect it to turn into this,” I say after a long pause.

Iseul watches me quietly.

“When I got the assignment, I was focused on work. I wasn’t thinking about...” I trail off, trying to find the right word. “...anything happening beyond the studio.”

“And yet here we are,” she says gently. “Now you’re checking your phone like a girl who misses her boyfriend… who’s not her boyfriend.”

“Exactly.” I laugh, but it’s hollow. “I mean, I’ve tried to bring it up a few times. The whole ‘what are we’ thing. But he always… redirects.”

“Redirects?”

“Yeah. Like, I’ll say something like, ‘Have you told anyone about us?’ and he’ll respond with, ‘Did you hear how the bass kicks in on track five now?’” I shake my head, trying to laugh it off. “It’s like verbal aikido. He dodges it so smoothly, I don’t even notice until it’s too late.”

Iseul frowns. “That’s not fair to you.”

“I know,” I whisper. “I just don’t know what this is. It’s like… we’re something, but I’m not allowed to call it anything. And lately, he’s barely been texting. Just these half-hearted ‘how are u’ messages every 12 hours like he’s clocking in for a wellness check.”

“Have you told him how you feel?”

“I’ve tried,” I sigh. “But every time I get close, I hesitate. Because I’m scared that if I ask for more, I’ll lose even this.”

“That’s not nothing,” she says. “That’s fear. And it’s valid. But… you deserve clarity. Not crumbs.”

I bite my lip, suddenly fighting off the sting behind my eyes. “I just… I don’t want to be someone he keeps in the shadows because it’s convenient. I don’t want to keep pretending like I’m okay with this when I’m not.”

Iseul gets up and sits beside me, throwing the blanket over both of us. “Then maybe it’s time to stop pretending.”

I don’t respond. I can’t. My heart is too loud right now, thumping in my chest like it’s trying to punch through the silence.

And deep down, I already know.

Something’s gotta give. —---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This Monday morning at the HYBE building should’ve felt like any other day. The same security guy nodding at the entrance. The same elevator music on the ride up. The same quiet hum of people pretending it’s not too early for work. And yet… something’s different.

Because for the first time since I started this job, I’m not walking through these halls for Yoongi.

I’m here for Jimin.

The thought still feels surreal. Jimin is launching part two of his best-selling solo album, and because my NDA and contract for Yoongi’s project are still active, and apparently my work didn’t go unnoticed, I was offered the chance to take this one on too. It all happened so quickly, and honestly, I haven’t even had time to process it fully.

As I step out of the elevator onto the 8th floor, meeting notes clutched to my chest, I’m focused. Or at least I try to be.

Until I hear a familiar voice coming down the hall.

“...and then he said it wasn’t even his car, so I don’t know who he thought he was fooling...”

“Good morning to you too,” another voice chimes in with a laugh.

I look up and see Yoongi, Jin, and Hoseok heading in my direction, clearly in the middle of an animated conversation. They all look relaxed, coffee cups in hand, their pace casual. But when Yoongi spots me, he slows down and stops completely.

“Oh, hey. Good morning,” he says, giving me a polite nod and that half-smile he always gives when he’s trying to be neutral but curious. “What are you doing here?”

“Hey, guys,” I say with a small bow to Jin and Hoseok. “I’ve got a meeting in about fifteen minutes.”

Yoongi raises an eyebrow. “Meeting?”

“Yeah,” I say, shifting the folder in my arms. “For Jimin’s project. I’m the sound engineer for the second part of his album.”

That gets his attention. His smile fades just a fraction, not enough to be obvious, but enough for me to notice.

“Since when?” he asks, more sharply than I expected.

The shift in his tone catches Jin and Hoseok off guard too. Hoseok actually tilts his head slightly, like he’s watching a tennis match he wasn’t expecting to find interesting.

“Since the team reached out and asked me to help,” I say, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. My voice is calm, but I feel the heat crawl up my neck.

Yoongi doesn’t say anything for a second. He just looks at me. Not angry. Not exactly confused either. Just… thrown off. Like he doesn’t quite know where to place this information.

“That’s great,” Jin finally says, stepping in with an easy smile. “Jimin’s been excited about this comeback for months. Good to know it’s in capable hands.”

“Definitely,” Hoseok agrees, nudging Yoongi lightly with his elbow. “You two worked well together. It makes sense they’d want to keep you around.”

I smile politely. “Thanks. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Yoongi blinks like he’s finally come back to the conversation. “Well… good luck with the meeting,” he says, his tone now carefully neutral.

“Thanks,” I say, giving him a small smile before checking the time. “I should head in. I’ll catch you guys later, yeah?”

I wave and squeeze past them, the corridor suddenly feeling narrower than usual. I don’t look back. I can feel Yoongi’s eyes on me, but I don’t give him the satisfaction of turning around. I take a deep breath as I push open the heavy glass door of the meeting room. The air inside feels cooler, a bit too crisp for my liking, or maybe it’s just my nerves. The long rectangular table is already full, everyone’s seated, papers spread out, screens flickering with presentation slides.

Of course, the only available seat is directly across from Jimin.

Great.

I try to walk casually toward it, even though every cell in my body feels stiff with awareness. I bow lightly as I pass each person. “Hello. Good morning. Sorry I’m late.” Not technically late, just not early enough to avoid this front-row seat to Park Jimin’s face.

“Ah, Y/N. Glad you could join us.” One of the production staff, someone I vaguely recognise from a past studio session, smiles and gestures to the empty chair.

I slide into the seat quietly, placing my tablet and notepad in front of me like a tiny armor shield.

Across the table, Jimin straightens a little. “It’s really nice to meet you,” he says, extending his hand over the table with that soft but steady tone I’ve only ever heard in interviews before now. “Let’s work hard on this album together.”

I reach out and shake his hand, keeping it brief. “Likewise. I’m really looking forward to it,” I say with a polite smile, even though my hand suddenly feels warm and awkward. He gives a small, genuine smile before retracting his hand and settling back in his seat.

Okay. One interaction down. You didn’t faint. Good start.

The man sitting next to Jimin, who looks like one of his MV directors based on his clipboard and the way he’s fiddling with the remote, takes over the conversation. “Y/N, I just want to say, you did an amazing job on Yoongi’s album. The sound texture you brought in… it gave the whole thing an edge. We were really impressed.”

“Oh, thank you,” I say, a bit caught off guard by the compliment.

“It’s great for us that you’re jumping into another project so quickly,” he continues, clicking the remote and bringing up a visual mood board on the screen behind him. “That being said, this one is a bit more complicated. We’re planning to shoot in Jeju Island for the natural, coastal scenes, and in Japan for a more urban and cinematic vibe. It’s ambitious.”

I nod, listening closely.

“We’d love it if you could be part of the creative process too,” he adds, glancing at me. “We value your sense of aesthetics, especially your approach to matching sound to visual storytelling.”

There’s a moment of silence while all eyes briefly turn to me. I sit up a little straighter.

“Of course,” I say, turning slightly toward Jimin as well. “That would be an honor. I’d love to contribute however I can.”

Jimin gives me a warm nod in return, his eyes holding mine for a second longer than expected. “I think your perspective could really elevate this. It’s a very personal project, so we want the team to feel connected to it.”

My chest tightens a little, but not in a bad way. There’s something reassuring about how he says that, like we’re collaborators, not just names on a file.

The meeting continues. We move into discussions about the album’s concept, seven songs, each with its own theme, its own tone. Everyone has opinions. Some of the team pushes for heavier, more melancholic visuals, while others are leaning toward bright and experimental. Jimin listens intently, occasionally chiming in with quiet but thoughtful comments.

I mostly observe for now, taking notes and trying to absorb everything.

Eventually, the conversation shifts toward selecting which three songs will get full MV treatments. It’s clear everyone has a favorite, but nothing’s finalized yet. I make a few tentative suggestions, which Jimin and the director both nod at thoughtfully.

About 45 minutes in, someone glances at their watch, and we all start closing laptops and gathering papers. The tension slowly melts into casual chatter as people begin standing up and stretching.

As we file out of the room and into the hallway, Jimin falls into step beside me, his manager a few paces behind.

“Should we grab some lunch in the cafeteria?” he asks, looking over at me, relaxed now that the meeting’s over.

My stomach growls before I can answer, earning an amused glance from him.

“Yeah,” I laugh softly. “I’m starving.”

He chuckles. “Same. I was too nervous to eat this morning.”

I glance at him, surprised. “You? Nervous?”

He shrugs, giving me a sheepish grin. “New project. New team. It always makes me a little on edge. But this one feels… promising.” “It really is an honor that you guys trust me enough to be part of this project,” I say, turning slightly toward Jimin as we walk side by side down the hallway.

He gives me a polite smile, the kind that doesn’t feel forced, warm, but professional. “Likewise. I saw your work on Yoongi-hyung’s album. It was… impressive. Especially for someone so young.” His eyes crinkle just slightly, and I can tell he means it. “You’ve got a really fresh perspective.”

“Thank you,” I reply, offering a small smile. Compliments like that never stop feeling surreal, especially coming from someone like him.

He reaches forward to hold open the cafeteria door. “After you.”

“Thanks,” I murmur, stepping through.

The room is bright and buzzing with quiet chatter, clinking utensils, and the occasional burst of laughter. It smells like coffee and fried rice, comforting, in a weird way. I scan the room quickly and walk toward a table near the corner, a little out of the way.

Jimin follows, still chatting casually. “We usually try to avoid the main lunch rush, but today’s schedule was a mess.”

“No worries. Honestly, I didn’t even eat breakfast, so this is perfect timing,” I reply, slipping into the seat across from him. I’m trying to stay composed, but there’s still that subtle awareness in my chest that I’m sitting across from someone I’ve watched on screen for years.

As I settle in, I feel the familiar buzz of my phone in my back pocket. I pull it out, already having a strange feeling about who it might be.

Sure enough. Yoongi.

The first text from him in over twelve hours.

[Yoongi]: How was the meeting?

[Yoongi]: U didn’t tell me u were picking up new projects tho

I stare at the messages for a moment, thumb hovering over the screen. Of course. Not Hi. Not How are you. Just... that.

I start typing.

[Y/N]: Well, you didn’t ask.

[Y/N]: The meeting was good.

I pause, wondering if I should leave it at that. But something pushes me to add more.

[Y/N]: I’m grabbing lunch rn, wanna come as well?

A few seconds pass before he replies.

[Yoongi]: Are you with the team?

[Y/N]: With Jimin and his manager.

Another pause. Longer this time.

[Yoongi]: Alright, then I’ll see you later today.

I stare at the screen. That’s it? No emoji, no “have a nice lunch,” no “I’ll join you.” Just… that.

I know I shouldn’t be surprised. Of course he’s not going to come. There are people around. And being Yoongi, he’s probably already halfway buried in some project or maybe just avoiding unnecessary social interaction altogether. That wouldn’t be unusual for him.

But even though I understand it, even though I know I have no right to feel disappointed… it still stings.

I slip the phone face down on the table, trying to compose my expression.

“You okay?” Jimin asks gently. He’s halfway through glancing at the menu, but clearly noticed something shift in my face.

“Oh, yeah,” I say quickly. “Just… something about the schedule later. All good.”

He nods, not pushing. “Let me guess, Yoongi hyung already changed everything you planned for the day?”

I laugh, because yeah, close enough. “Something like that.”

He leans back slightly, looking amused. “He’s particular. But he trusts you, you know? He doesn’t really let people touch his work unless he respects them.”

I nod slowly. “I know. He just has… his own way of doing things.”

“Yeah,” Jimin agrees. Then he adds with a faint smirk, “You get used to it. But you don’t always stop being confused by it.”

I smile a little at that. There’s something oddly comforting in hearing it from someone who clearly knows him so well. I'm not alone in this strange orbit.

I try to shake the weird tension out of my chest and focus on the present. The lunch. The project. The opportunity.

Even if Yoongi isn’t here, this still matters.

And I’m going to make sure I show up for it fully.

Even if part of me is quietly wondering why he didn’t. —---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It’s a little past 8 p.m., and even though the official working hours at HYBE technically end by 6, the building is still buzzing with quiet chaos. The lights are dimmed just enough to feel like evening, but there’s still a low hum of life, footsteps echoing down distant hallways, muffled beats leaking from studio doors, and the occasional whir of a vending machine doing its job.

I walk through the now-familiar hallway, one hand clutching my laptop against my chest, the other stuffed into the pocket of my hoodie. The fluorescent lights overhead flicker slightly as I approach the last bend leading to Studio 307.

Yoongi’s studio.

I slow my steps when I see the door already cracked open. Voices drift through the narrow opening, two, maybe three people inside. I pause a few feet away, letting my footsteps soften on the polished floor, half out of habit and half out of curiosity.

I lean forward just enough to peek through the door.

Inside, I spot Yoongi and Namjoon, both leaning over the desk, talking with the kind of intensity that only musicians can manage after hours, half philosophy, half technical jargon, fully passionate.

Yoongi’s gesturing toward the screen. “I’m telling you, it’s not just the layering, it’s the texture of it. It creates this space, like… like a breath right before everything crashes in.”

Namjoon nods slowly, clearly trying to absorb it. “Yeah. Yeah, you’re right. That kind of ambient depth is hard to fake. It sounds like it belongs there.”

I knock lightly on the doorframe with my knuckles before stepping inside. “Good evening.”

Both heads turn. Namjoon stands up immediately, polite and poised. “Hello,” he says with a warm smile, returning my half-bow with one of his own.

Yoongi swivels in his chair, looking far too comfortable for someone who’s probably been working since noon. “This is Y/N,” he says casually. “My sound engineer for the album.”

My sound engineer.

I blink.

That’s… definitely a first.

I tuck that little phrase into a drawer in the back of my mind and slam it shut before I have the chance to spiral into overthinking.

“Nice to meet you,” Namjoon says, extending his hand. “I heard you’re working on Jimin’s project too?”

I take his hand, surprised by how warm and grounded his presence feels. “Yes, I am. It’s been really exciting so far.”

“I bet,” he says, then glances at Yoongi. “We were just talking about how good the intro for the MV sounds.”

Yoongi gives a small nod, the corner of his mouth twitching like he’s trying not to show too much approval. “She nailed the atmosphere. The whole thing just lands because of that intro.”

My eyes widen slightly at the compliment, and I look between the two of them. “Oh… thank you. Honestly, it wasn’t that big of a thing, just a few layers and some EQ magic.”

Namjoon chuckles. “That’s what people always say when they’re actually really good at something.”

“I mean, sometimes the best stuff sounds simple because it’s done right,” Yoongi adds, leaning back in his chair.

I try to laugh it off, but my body is definitely registering the awkwardness of being praised by two of the most respected musicians in the industry while standing in my socks with a messy ponytail and an oversized hoodie.

I step further into the room, setting my laptop down on the side table as Yoongi shifts to make space for me.

“So,” I say, trying to redirect the attention, “were you guys working on the track together?”

Namjoon shakes his head. “Nah, I was just passing through. Wanted to hear what Yoongi’s been cooking. He’s being a little secretive with this one.”

Yoongi grunts. “Because it’s not ready yet.”

“It sounds ready to me,” Namjoon says with a smirk. “Anyway, I’ll get out of your way. Just wanted to say hi, and now I’m even more curious to hear the rest of the project.”

He gives me a small nod as he heads toward the door. “Nice meeting you, Y/N. Hope we get to work together sometime.”

“Likewise,” I say, watching him leave, and the room suddenly feels a lot smaller.

Yoongi glances at me from his chair. “You okay?”

I nod quickly. “Yeah. Just… wasn’t expecting Namjoon to be here.”

“He does that sometimes,” Yoongi says, typing something into the session file. “He’s got this sixth sense when good music is being made.”

I laugh under my breath. “So, I should expect Jin to crash a session when we hit vocal tracking?”

Yoongi chuckles, not looking up. “Wouldn’t put it past him.”

He gestures toward the second chair. “Come on, sit. Let’s go through that bridge section again. I want to hear it with fresh ears.”

I sit down next to him, heart still buzzing a little, not from nerves, exactly, but from the strange weight of being acknowledged. Not just as someone in the room. But as someone who belongs there.

“Let’s make it sound like breathing right before everything crashes in,” I say, quoting him back with a tiny grin.

He glances at me and raises an eyebrow. “You were eavesdropping?”

“I was gathering intel.”

Yoongi shakes his head, amused. “Fine. Let’s see what you’ve got, Miss Sound Engineer.” I quietly take the empty seat beside him, the only sound in the room the faint hum of his laptop fan and the soft tapping of his keyboard. Without thinking, I cross my legs beneath me and lean back, settling into the chair the way I always do when I’m around him, half at ease, half on guard.

He doesn’t look at me, eyes still focused on the screen, but his voice is soft when he speaks.

“I missed you, you know.”

The words catch me off guard, not because I doubt them, but because of how casually he says it. Like it’s just... obvious.

I respond without thinking. “Did you?”

My tone is sharper than I meant it to be, laced with a sarcasm I didn't intend to let slip. I curse myself internally the moment the words leave my mouth.

His fingers pause on the keyboard. Slowly, he spins in his chair to face me, one eyebrow slightly raised. There’s a short silence before he speaks.

“What was that about?” he asks, a dry laugh escaping him, more confused than amused.

I stare at a spot on the floor, chewing the inside of my cheek. My mind races through all the possible ways to deflect this. Joke it off. Pretend I’m tired. Say it’s nothing. But that “nothing” has been sitting between us for weeks now, and it’s only getting heavier.

I let out a slow breath and rub my temples. “Sorry. I’m just… a bit frustrated lately.”

“Frustrated with work?” he asks, eyes narrowing slightly. “Or… frustrated with me?”

I hesitate. My knee bounces slightly, a nervous tic I can’t seem to control around him. “Both.”

There’s another beat of silence. I can feel him watching me, trying to read between the lines.

“Okay,” he says slowly, his voice calm but clearly tense. “Why would you be frustrated with me? I haven’t done anything.”

The way he says it, like he genuinely believes that, makes something in me snap. Not in a dramatic way. Just… quietly, finally.

I turn toward him now, fully, sitting up straighter.

“That’s exactly it,” I say. “You haven’t done anything.”

He blinks, his mouth opening slightly, confused. “I don’t follow.”

“You act like I don’t exist when we’re at work,” I say, my voice barely above a whisper, but steady. “Like we don’t even know each other.”

His expression hardens, jaw clenching just a little. “And what do you want me to do?” he snaps, voice rising more than he probably meant it to. “You want me to what, freaking lick the ground you walk on in the middle of the studio?”

I flinch. Not at the volume, but at how quickly he went from distant to defensive.

“That’s not what I’m saying, Yoongi. I’m not asking for you to make a public announcement every time I walk into the room. I just…” I pause, searching for the words. “I just want to feel like I’m not invisible to you when we’re not alone.”

He runs a hand through his hair and leans back in his chair, sighing. “I thought keeping things separate was what we agreed on.”

“No. You decided that,” I say. “I went along with it because I didn’t want to make things harder for you. But I didn’t think that would mean I’d have to pretend we’re strangers.”

He looks at me now, really looks at me, and for the first time, his posture softens, if only slightly.

“It’s not that I don’t see you,” he says quietly. “It’s the opposite. I see you all the time. And it’s… hard.”

I swallow. “Why?”

“Because it’s easier to focus if I don’t let it show.” He shrugs, but there’s something vulnerable in the way he does it. “If I don’t let myself slip.”

I don’t respond right away. I let that settle between us.

“I get it,” I say eventually. “I really do. But you can’t expect me to keep pretending nothing’s going on when everything inside me is screaming that there is. I just want to know where I stand. With you. Outside of work. Outside of... all of it.”

His eyes drop to the floor. His hands are clasped now, knuckles white.

“I don’t know,” he admits. “I don’t know where I stand either.”

That hurts more than I thought it would. "I'm tired of this, Yoongi," I whisper, more to myself than to him, my voice barely carrying across the room. My eyes stay locked on my hands, which won’t stop fidgeting in my lap. Fingers tangling and untangling like they're trying to say the words I can’t.

He looks up slowly from the computer, face unreadable. “Are you tired of me?”

The question lands sharp, too sharp. I blink up at him, startled by how flat his voice is. Detached. Like he’s bracing for impact before I’ve even thrown anything.

“I didn’t say that,” I reply quickly, but my voice is too soft. It feels like it dissolves halfway between us.

“Well, it sounds like that’s what you’re trying to say,” he shoots back, still calm on the surface, but I can hear the tightness in his tone now, like he’s holding back a dozen other things he wants to say and doesn’t trust himself to.

“That’s not fair,” I say, lifting my head. “You’re twisting my words.”

“I’m hearing them. And I’m hearing that you don’t want to do this anymore.”

“God, Yoongi, no. That’s not what this is about. I’m just, tired of this. Of us not talking properly. Of walking on eggshells. Of feeling like everything I say might make things worse.”

His jaw tightens. He leans back in his chair, folding his arms like he's closing himself off. “Then what is this about? Because to me, it sounds like you're halfway out the door.”

I run a hand through my hair, frustrated. “Okay, maybe we need to just take a break. This conversation is going in circles, and we’re both getting defensive and shutting down. I don’t want to say something I’ll regret.”

There’s a pause. A long one. And then he says, “Yeah. A break. That’s probably what we need.”

He spins slightly in his chair, turning his back to me as he stares at the computer screen like it suddenly got interesting again.

But something about the way he said it doesn’t sit right. Too final. Too cold.

I narrow my eyes, confused. “What does that mean?”

He shrugs without turning around. “It means I’m taking a break from… whatever this is.” He gestures vaguely in the air, like he can’t even say it out loud.

“Wait,” I say, my heart dropping. “From us?”

“I don’t know,” he mutters. “Maybe.”

“You’re seriously doing this now? After I suggested a break from the argument, not us, and you just… escalate it like that?”

He turns his head slightly, finally meeting my eyes. His expression is tired, but more than that, it’s guarded. “I don’t know what you want me to say. You’re tired. I get it. Maybe I am too.”

My mouth opens, then closes. I want to scream. Or cry. Or rewind the last ten minutes and try again.

“Yoongi…” I start, but the words get caught in my throat.

He shakes his head, turning fully back to the screen, like he’s shutting the door between us with the click of a mouse.

“Maybe we both need some space,” he says, his voice lower now. Almost careful. “Before we keep saying things we don’t mean.”

The silence that follows feels heavy. Like it’s pressing down on my chest, making it hard to breathe.

I stare at the back of his head for a moment longer, waiting for something, anything. A look. A word. Some sign that he doesn’t really want this.

But it doesn’t come.

So I quietly get up, my chair scraping softly against the floor, and walk out of the room without another word.

The door clicks shut behind me.

And everything feels too quiet. —----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It’s been exactly one week since that encounter with Yoongi.

One week since I left his studio with tears burning behind my eyes, holding back a storm until I made it home, only to cry enough to mop the entire apartment floor. Twice. Maybe three times if we count the hallway.

Seven whole days of cycling through every stage of emotional collapse. Denial, anger, bargaining, existential sulking, passive-aggressive Spotify playlists, back to denial. Honestly, if there were a Grammy for dramatic breakdowns, I would’ve at least been nominated.

And during those seven days, I mastered the art of avoidance. I moved through the halls of Hybe like a certified ninja, quiet, calculated, heart pounding at every corner turn like it was a boss battle. I even ducked behind a vending machine once because I thought I heard his laugh. Spoiler alert: it was just Taehyung being loud on FaceTime.

But today… today feels different.

I step into the building with slightly steadier breath. No hoodie pulled low over my eyes. No sunglasses indoors like I’m in disguise. Just me. Still a little bruised, maybe, but upright.

Human again.

Kind of.

The elevator doors slide open and I’m met with the familiar sterile hallway, the buzz of overhead lights, and that faint smell of new wood and too much coffee. I clutch the cup of tea in my hands a little tighter, the warmth seeping through my fingers.

It’s snowing heavily outside, of course it is. The sky looks like it's trying to bury Seoul in silence. A slow, quiet blizzard, perfect for moody introspection and unresolved feelings.

I slide into my usual booth and exhale slowly, sinking into the chair as if it could somehow absorb all the weight in my chest.

I pull out my laptop, plug in my gear, and tell myself. This isn’t for Yoongi. This is for Jimin’s album. Entirely different energy. Entirely different situation.

The door to the recording room creaks open and a familiar head pops in.

“Hey, you’re already here.” Jimin steps inside, rubbing his gloved hands together, snowflakes still clinging to his coat. “It’s freezing out there.”

“I noticed,” I reply, nodding toward the window where the snow looks like it’s falling sideways.

He glances at me, then offers a soft smile as he hangs his coat. “You okay?”

“Yeah,” I say too quickly. “I’m fine.”

He doesn’t look convinced. “You sure?”

I hesitate, then shrug. “Getting there.”

Jimin walks over and sets a thermos down on the table. “I brought you honey ginger tea. Just in case you ran out of yours.”

I blink. “You didn’t have to...”

“I wanted to,” he says simply. “You’ve been kind of… invisible this week.”

My cheeks warm, and not from the tea.

“Sorry,” I mumble. “I didn’t mean to worry anyone.”

He waves it off, sitting in the chair across from me. “I get it. Things with… you know.” He pauses delicately. “Yoongi-hyung… didn’t go well.”

“That’s an understatement,” I mutter, staring down into my cup like it holds all the answers. “I was a mess. Still kind of am.”

He’s quiet for a moment. Then, “He’s been quiet too. More than usual.”

That makes me look up. “What do you mean?”

“Just… not talking much. Stays late. Looks tired.”

I take a sip of my tea, the sweetness biting just enough to ground me.

“I don’t know what I expected,” I admit. “It’s just… working with him felt like something bigger. Not just professionally. I guess I let my guard down.”

“And he hurt you?”

I nod slowly. “Yeah.”

Jimin leans back, thoughtful. “You don’t have to act like everything’s fine, you know. It’s okay to be upset. Just… don’t shut everyone out because of one person.”

I smile faintly. “I know. I’m trying.”

He stands and claps his hands once. “Well, then let’s make something amazing today, huh? No sulking allowed in my booth.”

“Yes, sir,” I salute half-heartedly, earning a laugh from him.

As he steps into the recording room and I turn toward the mixing board, something in me settles a bit. Maybe it’s the tea. Maybe it’s Jimin’s calm presence. Maybe it’s the way the snow blurs the world outside, making this room feel like its own little bubble.

Whatever it is… I think I can handle today.

Just today. That’s enough for now. The prerecording is going smoother than I expected. By the time lunch rolls around, we’re already halfway through the work. The vibe in the studio is relaxed, and the energy is good. Everyone is focused, but not stressed.

Jimin comes out of the recording booth, removing his headphones with a dramatic flair. “Should we order some nice, warm noodles?” he asks, stretching his arms above his head.

I blink at him for a moment, the thought of something hot and comforting sounding better than I anticipated. “Oh my god, that actually sounds like a great idea,” I reply, clapping my hands together enthusiastically. “I’m starving.”

“Alrightttt,” Jimin grins, pulling out his phone. “Let me check if the guys are around, maybe we can all eat together.” He starts typing quickly, sending a message to the group.

I pull out my own phone, scrolling absentmindedly through my inbox. Spam email after spam email fills the screen, and I swipe through them with barely a glance. But then, there it is.

A new email from Hybe management.

The title is in all caps: ‘TERMINATION OF WORKING CONTRACT WITH MIN YOONGI.’

My heart skips a beat. I immediately click on it, and my eyes scan over the corporate-sounding words on the screen. “Dear Y/n , we regret to inform you that your contract with the project centering Min Yoongi has officially expired. As such, you will no longer be required for further sessions concerning the artist.” Blah, blah, blah, corporate speak. In short: they’re cutting me from the project, and I won’t be seeing him at work anymore.

I stare at the email for a few more seconds, reading it again, just to make sure it’s real. But in my gut, I already know. Yoongi and I have both known this was coming for weeks. The email doesn’t say it outright, but the subtext is clear. We’re done. Professionally and personally.

My finger hovers over the “archive” button for a moment. I don’t need this email lingering in my inbox. I don’t need the reminder that this chapter is officially over. I press the button and feel a strange mix of relief and emptiness.

I drop the phone onto the table and push myself back in my chair, taking a deep breath. As much as I’ve told myself that I’m ready for this, it still stings a little.

I turn my attention to Jimin, who’s lounging on the studio couch, legs spread out and arms behind his head like he’s about to fall asleep. He lifts his head when I look at him. “Is it okay if Yoongi comes to eat with us too?” he asks, his voice light but slightly tentative.

For a brief moment, I freeze. Jimin knows that things have been… tense between Yoongi and me. He just doesn’t know why.

The thing is, Jimin believes it’s all about work, he thinks we’ve been clashing over the final tweaks for Yoongi’s album, and while that’s part of it, it’s far from the whole story. He has no idea about the mess of emotions that Yoongi and I have been tiptoeing around for the past month.

Iseul is the only one who knows the truth, and that’s only because she’s my best friend and I couldn’t keep it all bottled up anymore. I needed someone to hear about the late-night conversations, the stolen glances, the unspoken words. And I needed someone to talk sense into me when I finally realized that Yoongi had played with my heart and then discarded it, all while I was still hoping for more.

But Jimin? No, he doesn’t know any of that. He just thinks we had a few heated discussions in the studio, which honestly isn’t far from the truth, Yoongi and I can argue over music like no one else, and it’s not always pretty. But it was never about the music. Not for me.

Jimin’s looking at me expectantly now, a hopeful glint in his eyes. He’s so sweet and so clueless. I can’t bring myself to tell him the real reason Yoongi and I aren’t on speaking terms. It’s too complicated, too messy, and it’s not the kind of thing I want to burden him with. Not when he’s already dealing with enough.

“Yeah, of course,” I say, forcing a smile. I feel my face stretch into something that’s probably more reassuring than I feel, but I have to keep it together. “I’m all about being professional.”

Jimin tilts his head, studying me for a moment, but doesn’t seem to notice the slight tightness in my expression. “Alright! I’ll text him.”

He looks back down at his phone, and I exhale softly, grateful that he’s not pressing me further. I still have no idea what I’m going to say to Yoongi when I do see him again. I know the chances of him walking into lunch today are slim, but the thought still nags at me.

As Jimin texts Yoongi, I catch myself staring at the empty space beside me, where Yoongi should be in this moment. Just a few days ago, I was standing next to him in the studio, arguing over the last details of his album. And now? Now I’m not sure when I’ll see him again. Or if I even want to.

I shake my head, trying to push away the thoughts. Now’s not the time for that. Now’s the time for noodles. Warm, comforting, and probably a little spicy.

"Jimin," I call out, my voice a little steadier than I feel. "I’ll be right back. I need to grab something from outside.”

He looks up from his phone and nods. “Cool, I’ll go check if they’re still around.” He pulls himself off the couch and heads out of the room, leaving me to sit there in the quiet, trying to calm the storm brewing in my chest.

This is all so much more complicated than I ever expected it to be. I step into the hallway, heading in the opposite direction from where Jimin had gone earlier, still on his mission to round up his hyungs like it’s some kind of idol-themed scavenger hunt. I’m not sure who gave him the role of honorary coordinator, but he’s taking it way too seriously, and honestly, I need a break from the chaos.

I exhale through my nose and head toward the elevators, hoping for a moment of peace. Maybe I’ll disappear to the indoor garden floor, get some fresh air, and calm the weird knot that’s been sitting in my chest since I walked into that studio earlier.

To my surprise, the elevator is already on my floor, the little screen blinking its arrival with a soft chime.

Perfect. Quick escape, no awkward hallway encounters. For once, the universe seems to be cutting me a break.

That is, until the doors start to open.

And just like that, the universe decides to slap me across the face with a painfully cliché K-drama scene.

Because sitting casually, too casually, in the corner of the elevator is none other than Min Yoongi himself. Hoodie pulled low, black beanie nearly covering his eyes, one hand resting on his knee while the other holds two takeout bags. He’s mid-yawn when he notices me.

“Oh, hey,” he says, voice low and a little raspy, like he hasn’t spoken to anyone in a while.

I freeze for half a second. “Hey,” I manage, stepping into the elevator before the doors have a chance to shut in my face.

He shifts slightly, adjusting his grip on the food bags. “I got the food,” he says, raising them to eye level. “Aren’t you eating now?”

I blink. “Oh. I didn’t know it had arrived.”

He nods toward the hallway. “Jimin ran off before I could tell anyone. Said he was on a mission.”

I laugh softly, then step forward, quickly catching the door before it closes again. “Alright, yeah. I’ll come with.”

He gives a small nod. The silence that follows isn’t awkward, exactly, but it’s definitely… there. Not tense. Not easy either. Just a quiet shared space, like we’re both running on low battery and trying not to disturb the other.

The elevator hums softly as it moves, and I glance over at him briefly. He’s watching the floor numbers change like they’re the most fascinating thing in the world.

“You must be tired,” I say gently.

He shrugs. “Mm. Not too bad. Just haven’t had a proper break since this morning.”

“That makes two of us,” I mutter, mostly to myself.

He glances at me then, just for a moment. “It’s been a long day, huh?”

I nod, suddenly feeling very aware of how small the elevator is, and how real this all is. I’m not just working on a project anymore. I’m riding in an elevator with Yoongi, talking about exhaustion like we’re coworkers at some regular office job.

When the doors slide open again, we step out together in silence. The hallway seems quieter than before, like the building’s holding its breath. Yoongi walks just ahead of me, slow-paced, as if he’s conserving energy with every step.

When we reach the studio, he opens the door and gestures for me to go in first. I step inside and—

“There you are,” Jin calls out immediately, walking over like a man on a mission. He claps his hands together, then makes a beeline for the takeout bags in Yoongi’s hands. “I was starting to think you’d fallen into a ramen pot.”

Yoongi huffs a small laugh. “You’re welcome, hyung.”

“You are a treasure,” Jin says, grabbing one of the bags and inspecting the contents like a food critic.

I move toward the back corner of the studio, where a couple of chairs and a low table are set up. I set my phone down and pull my sleeves over my hands, watching the rest of the members trickle in, chatting and grabbing their food.

Yoongi joins me a moment later, holding out a container.

“This one’s yours,” he says simply.

I look down at it, a little surprised. “You remembered?”

“You said earlier you don’t like spicy.” He shrugs like it’s nothing. “I figured this would be safe.”

For a second, I forget how to answer.

“…Thanks,” I say quietly.

He just nods, then sits beside me, stretching out his legs with a small groan. “Let’s try to eat before Jimin gets back and starts filming us for some behind-the-scenes chaos.”

“Too late,” I say, nodding toward the door as Jimin bursts in, phone in hand.

“Smile! Everyone say comeback energy!”

Yoongi groans again, but there’s the hint of a smile on his face. “So, hyung,” Namjoon starts, steam rising from his bowl as he twirls his chopsticks through his noodles, “what’s your plan for the rest of the month?”

Yoongi, seated right next to me, exhales softly before answering. “Work,” he says simply, slurping his soup. “A couple of promotional things lined up, then studio sessions, as usual.”

I instantly regret choosing the seat by the wall. At first, it seemed cozy, but now I realize I’ve trapped myself, boxed in by Yoongi on one side and directly across from Jimin, who’s been sneaking glances at me since we sat down. There’s a nervous warmth bubbling in my chest, and it’s not just from the noodles. The air feels a little too thick, the kind of tension that makes you extra aware of your limbs and how close someone else’s are to yours.

Jin, sitting at the head of the table like the proud oldest brother, wipes his mouth and looks across at Jimin. “How’s the album coming along, Jimin-ah?”

Jimin perks up immediately, his voice light but confident. “It’s going really well, actually. We found a good working rhythm.” He throws a wink in my direction, smooth, casual, but not subtle. Not in the slightest.

I give a small smile and quickly look down at my bowl. Don’t overthink it. He probably winks at everyone.

“Y/N,” Namjoon chimes in, pointing his chopsticks at me like he’s about to make a dramatic point. “You should think about signing under HYBE, seriously. It’d make collaborating with us a lot easier.”

My chopsticks pause mid-air. “Oh… I mean, maybe,” I reply awkwardly, giving a shy nod. “I haven’t really thought that far ahead yet.”

The conversation itself is friendly enough, and everyone’s being warm, but I can’t help but notice how Yoongi still hasn’t looked at me once. He’s sitting rigidly upright, chewing slowly, his posture too composed. Even when Namjoon brought me into the conversation, Yoongi didn’t turn his head.

I try not to let it get to me. Maybe he’s just tired. Or maybe I’m overanalyzing.

Then, under the table, I feel it, his leg brushes lightly against mine.

It’s the softest touch. Barely noticeable. But it happens.

My heart skips a beat. I freeze, staring at my bowl like it holds all the answers to the universe.

Was that an accident?

It had to be, right?

I keep my face neutral, unwilling to feed any delusions my brain is already trying to stir up. I shift slightly in my seat, pretending to adjust, and glance at Namjoon instead.

“So, what about you?” I ask, trying to sound casual. “Got any plans for the rest of the month?”

Namjoon wipes his mouth with a napkin. “Yeah, actually. I’m helping co-write a track, Taehyung and Jungkook are doing a special collab for ARMY. Kind of a thank-you gift.”

A round of nods and approving hums ripple around the table.

“Wow, that sounds amazing,” I say genuinely. “You guys are always working. Do you even get time for, you know, life?”

Jin chuckles, clapping his hands together. “You’re not wrong. Sometimes I forget what a day off even feels like.”

“I think it’s kind of an idol thing,” Jimin says, sitting back with a thoughtful look. “We get used to being busy. If we’re not, it feels weird.”

“Yeah,” Namjoon adds, “and that’s why most idols date other idols or people in the industry. It’s easier to be with someone who understands the lifestyle instead of having to explain why you can’t text back for eight hours.”

“That makes sense,” I say, nodding slowly. “I imagine it’s hard to connect with someone outside of all this when your schedule’s so intense.”

There’s a pause at the table, a shared moment of silent understanding. Everyone seems to sink just a little into their own thoughts.

Yoongi still hasn’t said a word since his answer about work. I sneak a glance at him from the corner of my eye. He’s still eating slowly, gaze fixed on his bowl, but his jaw is tighter than before. Almost like he’s holding something in.

And then, again, his leg bumps mine. This time, it lingers. Just for a second.

I don’t move.

I don’t look at him.

But my heartbeat is definitely no longer under control. "I'm happy to see that you two made up, though," Jimin says, glancing between us and gesturing lazily with his chopsticks. His voice is light, casual, even cheerful.

But the moment the words leave his mouth, I feel my stomach drop. Oh no. Not now. Not here.

I feel the heat rise in my ears, and when I glance to my left, I can already see Yoongi shift in his seat. His posture stiffens, his expression hardens just a bit, subtle, but enough to notice if you're paying attention.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Yoongi asks, tone even but edged with irritation. His eyes stay fixed on his bowl, but the energy around him changes instantly. It’s like someone flipped a switch.

Jimin, blissfully unaware, keeps eating. "You know, the argument you had last week. About the new track. I just figured, since you’re sitting next to each other again and not avoiding eye contact, it must’ve worked itself out."

I want to teleport out of the room. Right now.

"Yeah, it wasn’t that big of a deal," I say quickly, waving my hand in the air like I’m physically trying to brush the topic away. I’m hoping, praying, that Jimin gets the hint.

He doesn’t.

"Not a big deal?" he laughs, mouth half-full. “You literally went through all seven stages of grief over it. Denial, anger, bargaining"

“Jimin,” I cut in, giving him a warning look, but it’s already too late.

Jin lets out a soft chuckle, probably thinking we’re just bantering, while Namjoon has gone completely quiet. I feel his eyes on me, calculating, watching. He’s piecing things together. And knowing Namjoon, he won’t say a word now, but I’ll be getting a phone call later.

Yoongi sets his chopsticks down quietly, but with purpose. He’s not looking at anyone, just swirling the last bit of food in his bowl.

"I didn’t know you go around sharing our arguments," he says, voice low, casual in that dangerous way that means he’s anything but.

"I didn’t," I reply, sharper than I meant to. “But you know… sometimes it’s kind of nice when people actually listen, instead of assuming they know what’s going on in my head.”

The words are out before I can catch them. I feel my chest tighten, my pulse kicking up. That wasn’t meant to come out, at least not like that. But it’s been sitting inside me, simmering, and Jimin’s comment just lit the match.

The room goes completely silent. Jin pauses mid-bite. Jimin looks up, chopsticks still in hand, blinking.

Yoongi’s eyes finally meet mine. Cold. Blank. “I think I’m done here,” he says, pushing back his chair. He stands and forces a tight-lipped smile at the others, one of those polite ones that says this is for your sake, not mine.

“Of course you are,” I mutter under my breath, not even bothering to look up.

“What was that?” he asks, his voice suddenly sharp. He’s halfway into his jacket when he turns around, eyes narrowing.

“Nothing.”

“No, no, if you’ve got something to say, say it to my face,” he challenges, stepping back toward the table.

I stand too, heart hammering, hands clenched. “Fine. I’d rather not say anything, actually. Because I’m tired of having my words twisted into something they’re not, just to fit whatever version of me you’ve already decided exists in your head.”

The silence that follows is so thick, it’s suffocating.

Yoongi stares at me like he’s trying to decide whether to argue or walk away.

He does neither.

He just exhales through his nose, gives one last glance around the table, and says, “See you tomorrow, guys” before walking out the door, letting it click shut behind him.

No one says a word.

And all I can do is sit back down, ignoring the stares, trying not to let my hands shake too visibly. —---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- It was just past 7 p.m. when I finally stepped out of the editing suite and made my way down the long hallway of the HYBE building. The day had dragged on, deadlines piling up, notes to revise, layers to tweak, my brain was officially fried. But outside, the snowstorm that had been hammering Seoul all day had finally come to a gentle halt. Through the glass windows, the world looked soft and quiet, everything blanketed in fresh snow, the streets nearly empty, and the city lights casting a soft glow on the icy sidewalks.

Perfect. I just wanted to go home, throw on some sweatpants, and melt into the couch under my heated blanket.

I reached out to press the electric door button, tugging my coat tighter around me, when I heard someone call my name behind me.

“Hey, Y/N. Heading out?”

I turned around to see Namjoon walking toward me, adjusting his face mask and tugging a navy beanie lower over his ears. His breath puffed visibly in the cold air leaking in from the lobby doors.

“Yeah,” I replied, stepping into the elevator as the doors slid open. “I was thinking of walking home. The storm’s finally let up and it looks… peaceful.”

He gave a thoughtful nod and stepped in beside me. “Mind if I walk with you? There’s something I wanted to talk to you about.”

I blinked. My heart did a very sudden and very dramatic thump. I tried not to let it show. “Oh. Yeah, of course. I don’t mind.”

As the electric door opens, he reached into his coat pocket and handed me a clean, unopened mask. The implication was crystal clear: Wear this unless you want to see your face plastered on Dispatch tomorrow morning under a headline like “Mystery Girl With BTS’s RM, Dating or Scandal?”

I took it with a small, amused smile and slipped it on.

By the time we stepped out of the building, the street was blanketed in silence. Snow crunched under our boots, the only real sound accompanying us. Cars were few and far between. The whole city felt hushed, like it was holding its breath.

“Feels like we’re walking through a snow globe,” I murmured, adjusting my scarf.

Namjoon chuckled softly. “Yeah. It’s nice, isn’t it?”

We walked in silence for a few moments, falling into an easy rhythm. It wasn’t awkward, but there was definitely something unspoken hanging in the air. I could feel it. The way he kept glancing at me, the slight fidgeting of his hands in his pockets.

Finally, he cleared his throat. “So, I’ll cut straight to the chase.”

Here we go.

He adjusted the strap of his bag on his shoulder and looked straight ahead. “What exactly happened between you and Yoongi?”

My steps faltered for just a second. “What?”

“You heard me.”

“I… I don’t know,” I said slowly, staring at my boots as they crushed into the snow. “It was just…”

Namjoon stopped walking and turned slightly to face me. “Y/N,” he said firmly, raising a hand and holding up a single finger. “I want the truth. Yoongi’s one of my closest friends. And I wish only the best for you too. I’m not here to pry, but if there’s something going on, I’d like to help, before things get worse.”

His voice wasn’t angry, but it was serious. Concerned. It made something in my chest tighten.

I let out a long breath, watching the fog of it drift into the cold air. “Fine,” I muttered. “We had a… moment. During the music video shoot. Things got kind of blurry. We got close. Like… emotionally. And physically.”

Namjoon said nothing, just nodded for me to continue.

“It wasn’t supposed to mean anything, but it started to,” I said. “For me, at least. I thought we were building something… real. But after a while, it felt like I was just someone to keep him company when he was in the mood. We'd hang out, he'd be sweet, we'd make out in his studio or my home, and then nothing for days. No texts, no calls. Just… silence.”

Namjoon’s jaw tightened, but he still didn’t speak.

“I tried to bring it up,” I continued, voice quieter now. “Told him I felt like I was being used. That I didn’t know where I stood. He didn’t take it well. Told me he needed space. That he wanted a break.”

I shrugged like it didn’t bother me. Like I hadn’t replayed that conversation in my head a hundred times since it happened. “And that was that.”

For a moment, neither of us said anything. The snow fell gently around us, and the sound of a bus rolling past on the opposite street filled the silence.

Namjoon sighed and started walking again, and I followed.

“I figured it was something like that,” he finally said. “Yoongi’s not good with feelings. He shuts down when things get real. Always has.”

“I noticed,” I said, a little bitterly.

“But he’s not heartless,” Namjoon added. “He just… doesn’t always know how to deal with emotions in the moment. Or how his actions affect other people.”

I didn’t say anything. I didn’t want to defend Yoongi, but I didn’t want to attack him either. It was all still too raw.

“Thanks for being honest with me,” Namjoon said after a while. “I’m not trying to get in the middle. I just didn’t want things to fester between you two without anyone trying to clear the air.”

I nodded, grateful but also emotionally exhausted.

“If he talks to me about it,” he added, “do you want me to say anything? Or just stay out of it?”

I hesitated. “I don’t know. I don’t want to make things worse. But… if he does bring it up, maybe remind him that communication isn’t optional. That people aren’t disposable.”

Namjoon gave me a sad smile. “Will do.”

By the time we reached my street, the snow had started to fall again, just a little heavier now. He stopped walking and looked at me.

“Get some rest, Y/N. You’ve been through more than you let on.”

“You too,” I said, then turned and made my way up the stairs to my apartment.

As I closed the door behind me, the warmth of my place hit me, but my thoughts were still tangled up somewhere outside, buried deep in the snow. For the next two weeks, I was completely buried in work, emails, production schedules, gear checklists, and endless coordination calls. With the filming trips to Jeju and Japan creeping closer by the hour, every minute felt like a countdown to chaos. Sleep became optional. Meals turned into protein bars and coffee. My calendar looked like a battlefield.

It was already Thursday afternoon, the sun barely clinging to the edge of the sky, casting long shadows across the office. The room smelled faintly of coffee and old paper. I sat across from Jimin’s manager, both of us hunched over the final checklist for tomorrow’s flight.

“We triple-checked the seating chart, right?” I asked, rubbing my temples and leaning back in the leather chair. “Last time they stuck a camera operator in economy with three pelican cases under his feet.”

He chuckled, flipping through a stack of documents. “Yes, we did. Everyone’s in their assigned seats. Equipment's cleared for cargo. Customs forms are ready for Jeju and Japan. Nothing should go wrong... hopefully.”

“I really hope this shoot goes smoothly,” I muttered, half to myself. My shoulders ached from sitting at a desk all day. “Jimin’s comeback is already under a microscope.”

He gave me a reassuring pat on the shoulder before standing up. “It’ll be fine. You’re all pros. Just try to get some rest tonight—our flight’s at 8 AM sharp.”

“Easier said than done,” I mumbled as he walked out.

The door clicked shut behind him, and for the first time all day, the office was quiet. I exhaled, letting the silence settle around me like a blanket.

And then, right on cue, the door creaked open again.

At first, I didn’t even turn around. I didn’t need to.

That subtle scent, something clean and musky, with a hint of spice, gave him away before he even spoke.

“Hey,” Yoongi said, his voice calm and low as he stepped into the room and came around the table. “You got a minute?”

I blinked, surprised. “Uh, yeah.” I straightened up a little. “What’s up?”

He sat down across from me, looking more relaxed than I’d seen him in weeks. No hoodie today, just a black button-up with the sleeves rolled to his elbows, his hair slightly tousled like he’d just walked out of rehearsal.

“I’ve got this album launch party,” he began, sliding a sleek, cream-colored envelope across the table. “It’s for the company, but there’ll be a bunch of people from the industry there too. Thought maybe you’d want to come. For networking purposes. ”

I picked up the envelope, fingers brushing over the embossed lettering. “This Saturday?” I asked, scanning the details. “Ah, I can’t, I’ll be in Jeju. We’re flying out tomorrow for Jimin’s MV shoot.”

His expression didn’t change, but he gave a small nod, taking the card back without any fuss. “Right. Forgot you were heading out so soon.”

There was a small pause, just a beat, but I felt it stretch.

“Then,” he said casually, eyes meeting mine again, “how about grabbing coffee now?”

I blinked. “Coffee? Now?”

He gave a small shrug, a quiet smile playing at the corners of his lips. “Why not?”

I stared at him for a moment, genuinely taken aback. Yoongi didn’t do spontaneous. At least, not with me. Our interactions were usually scheduled, professional, efficient. This felt... different.

“Do we have to?” I asked, only half-joking.

His smile grew, just a little. “No. But I thought you might want to get some air before locking yourself in a plane for the next few days.”

I leaned back in my chair, still a little unsure of what this was. Just a friendly offer? A break from stress? Something more?

“Alright,” I said eventually, grabbing my jacket off the back of the chair. “But only if you’re paying.”

He laughed under his breath. “Deal.”

And just like that, we walked out of the stuffy office and into the night air, quietly, like it wasn’t a big deal. “I had a talk with Namjoon yesterday,” Yoongi says as we quietly walk side by side down a narrow street toward the nearest café. The evening air is crisp, the kind that feels like it’s trying to wake you up gently from the afternoon slumber.

“Ah, I see,” I reply, offering a polite smile and trying, really trying, not to let the bitterness leak into my voice.

Yoongi doesn’t even glance at me. “Don’t start, Y/N.”

His tone is low but firm, his eyes locked straight ahead. Classic Yoongi, always calm on the surface, but I can tell he’s already bracing for impact.

I pretend I didn’t hear him. “So, what did you talk about with Namjoon?”

He exhales sharply through his nose, clearly annoyed but not surprised. “You don’t give up, do you?”

“Nope.”

We walk a few more steps in silence until he suddenly stops walking. I nearly bump into him.

“I want to say I’m sorry,” he says. Just like that. No buildup. No dramatic sigh. Just... those words.

I blink at him, caught off guard. “Oh. Okay. That’s… fine. I wasn’t expecting that.”

He turns to face me fully, the usually unreadable expression on his face now replaced with something that looks a lot like vulnerability. “I know we haven’t talked in weeks. I should’ve reached out sooner.”

“You think?” I mutter, then immediately regret it. “Sorry. That was unnecessary.”

“No, you’re right. It was a childish move on my part,” he admits, rubbing the back of his neck as his eyes flicker around the empty street. “I guess I thought that if I ignored everything, it’d just... fix itself.”

“It never does,” I say quietly.

He nods. “Yeah. I figured that out about two sleepless weeks ago.”

A small silence falls between us, not quite heavy, but not easy either. Then he says, a bit softer, “I’m not great at controlling what I say when I’m hurt or frustrated. I guess that’s not news to you.”

“That makes two of us,” I reply, offering a small, almost sad smile.

He gives me the faintest laugh, just air through his nose, but there’s a warmth to it. Then, stepping a little closer, he says, “I’m serious, though. I really am sorry, Y/N. I messed up. And... I really fucking miss you.”

My heart skips a beat at how quietly he says it. Like he’s afraid saying it too loud will make it untrue.

“Yoongi...” I step back instinctively, just enough to create space. “I don’t know what you want me to say. I missed you too, but this isn’t something I can just pretend didn’t happen. It hurt. You hurt me.”

He swallows hard, nodding slowly. “I know. And I’m not expecting everything to be okay overnight. I just thought this... apologizing... might be a first step.”

There’s something so genuine in the way he’s standing there, shoulders slightly slouched, hands in his coat pockets, eyes honest, that it disarms me.

“I was harsh that night,” he continues. “I snapped because I felt like I was losing control, and instead of talking to you like an adult, I shut down. I keep expecting people to adjust around my life, my schedule, my silence... but I never think about adjusting for theirs. For yours.”

I look at him, really look at him. There’s no arrogance here, no performance. Just a man trying.

“And maybe,” he says, voice a little quieter now, “maybe I need to learn how to say ‘I need you’ without making it sound like a demand.”

I exhale, some of the tension in my shoulders easing. “That’s probably the most mature thing I’ve ever heard you say.”

He smirks a little, eyes meeting mine. “Don’t get used to it.”

I laugh under my breath and shake my head. We stand there for a second longer, both of us knowing this conversation could’ve gone a hundred different ways, and somehow this feels like the best possible version of it.

“Come on,” I say, gently linking my arm through his. “Let’s get that coffee.”

He glances at me sideways, a hint of a smile playing at his lips as he lets me lead the way.

“You know,” he says after a few steps, “if you keep holding onto my arm like this, we’re going to end up on Dispatch’s homepage by dinner.”

“You’d mind?” I ask, bumping him lightly with my shoulder.

“Not even a little,” he replies. “But maybe we should hold hands instead. Might look less like a retired couple walking their way to bingo night.”

I snort and swat at his arm playfully. “Let’s take it one day at a time, Min Yoongi.”

He grins, and for the first time in a long while, it doesn’t feel complicated between us. Just… honest.

And that’s a start. —---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- “I still think you should take the puffer jacket,” Iseul says as she rummages through the chaos that is currently my closet. Clothes are everywhere, on the floor, the bed, the chair that’s never been used for actual sitting. “You might need it for the night shoots. The temperature drops fast near the coast.”

I glance over from my suitcase, half-zipped and already on the brink of being overstuffed. “That’s actually a good point.” I give her a thumbs-up from across the room, then toss the jacket onto the ‘maybe’ pile, which is quickly becoming bigger than the ‘definitely’ pile.

“You’re gonna thank me when you’re not freezing your butt off at 2 a.m. in front of a fog machine.”

We both laugh, but it’s short-lived. We’re back to the mission: finding something decent for me to wear that says professional without screaming I spent two hours panicking in front of the mirror.

As I’m halfway into deciding whether a turtleneck is too try-hard, the doorbell suddenly rings, loud and unexpected. We both freeze.

I glance at the clock on my nightstand. “It’s past eleven. Did you order something?”

Iseul shakes her head, arms full of sweaters. “Nope. You expecting anyone?”

“No.”

I slowly walk to the front door, my bare feet nearly silent against the wooden floor. Something about a late-night ring always puts you on edge, even in a safe neighborhood. I peek through the visor.

And freeze.

Yoongi.

I blink, just to make sure I’m not hallucinating. He’s standing there with the same tracksuit he wore earlier when we got coffee—faded black, slightly oversized, casual but effortlessly cool. He’s got a beanie pulled low over his hair, and his mask is tugged down under his chin. In his hand, a familiar white paper bag, takeout.

I crack the door open, just enough to stick my head out.

“Hey,” I say, trying to keep my voice casual, but the surprise is probably still written all over my face.

He smiles, that unmistakable gummy smile that somehow always catches me off guard. “Hey.”

“Um… everything alright?” I ask, brows furrowing. It’s not like this is totally out of character for him, but showing up at 11 p.m. with food wasn’t exactly something I expected tonight.

He lifts the bag slightly, like a peace offering. “I just figured, since you’re leaving tomorrow… maybe you’d want to have dinner together? Before you're gone for a while.”

I blink. It’s… sweet. So Yoongi, in that quiet, unassuming way of his.

But I glance back over my shoulder at the mess, at Iseul still knee-deep in my closet. I suddenly feel awkward, the door still half-closed, me looking like I just woke up from a nap, hair in a messy bun, mismatched socks. He probably thinks I’ve got someone else here. I’m barely even letting him in.

“Oh…” I say, my voice trailing awkwardly. “I’m kind of… in the middle of packing right now. Sorry, I just...”

His smile falters, just a bit. “Ah. Got it. I didn’t mean to intrude.”

“No, wait, no, it’s not like that,” I say quickly, suddenly hating how closed-off I probably seemed. I open the door all the way and step aside. “My friend Iseul’s here. She’s helping me prep for the trip. I just wasn’t sure if you’d be comfortable coming in with someone else here, that’s all.”

Yoongi chuckles softly and steps inside. “What? No, of course I don’t mind.”

I call out behind me, “Iseul! Uh, guest!”

Iseul pops her head around the corner, eyes wide when she sees Yoongi casually standing in the entryway with takeout in hand. “Oh. Oh. Hi!”

Yoongi gives a polite nod. “Hi. Sorry for the surprise visit.”

“Oh, no, please,” she says, throwing a stack of sweaters onto the bed like she suddenly remembered how messy the place is. “You’re saving her from packing anxiety. I support this.”

“Traitor,” I mutter under my breath, but I’m smiling.

He looks at me again, softer now. “So… can I stay for a little bit?”

I glance between him and the bag of food, then gesture to the living room. “Only if you brought something with extra kimchi.”

He grins. “Always.”

We step into the living room, which currently looks like a small hurricane passed through , and not the elegant kind. Hoodies, T-shirts, and half-zipped suitcases are scattered across the floor like a fashion crime scene. I let out a small breath and start pushing a few garments off the couch to clear a space.

“Sorry about the mess,” I mutter, half-laughing as I shove a hoodie onto a nearby armchair. “Packing is... going great, clearly.”

Yoongi chuckles quietly, the corners of his lips tugging into a soft smile. “Looks like you fought your closet and lost.”

“Pretty much,” I sigh, motioning toward the now visible part of the couch. “Go ahead, sit wherever isn’t covered in laundry.”

He sets down the takeout bag he’s holding and starts unpacking boxes, neatly arranging the containers on the coffee table like it’s some kind of sacred ritual. I notice he even brought side dishes. Classic Yoongi , subtle, thoughtful, and prepared.

“What would you like to drink?” I ask, stepping away and heading toward the kitchen.

“Just water’s fine,” he says, glancing up at me with that small, almost shy smile of his.

I nod and open the cupboard to grab a glass. As I’m filling it with water, I hear footsteps behind me. I turn to see Iseul walking in, slipping her crossbody bag over her shoulder.

“Hey, you leaving already?” I ask, brow furrowing slightly. She’s fully dressed like she’s got somewhere to be, coat on, phone in hand.

She nods. “Yeah. I figured I’d give you guys some space.”

I step toward her, concerned. “Everything alright?”

She stops, looks at me with this soft, knowing expression, and then pulls me into a hug, tight and grounding. I hug her back just as tightly, a familiar knot forming in my throat.

“Have fun tonight,” she says quietly near my ear. “And have an amazing trip. I mean it, Y/N. I’m proud of you. You’ve worked really hard for this. You deserve it.”

“Iseul...” I start, but she pulls back and holds me at arm’s length.

“Also...” she adds, glancing toward the living room, “I hope you can work things out with him. Whatever ‘working out’ means now.”

I let out a shaky laugh, trying to lighten the mood. “You’re going to make me cry, and you know I hate crying in front of people.”

“Good,” she says, smirking. “Maybe it'll soften that thick shell of yours.”

We both laugh softly and walk together toward the living room. She waves politely at Yoongi, who stands slightly from the couch in greeting.

“It was really nice to meet you, Yoongi. Take care of her tonight, okay?”

He gives a small bow. “Of course. And you too, it was nice meeting you.”

With a final wave and a quiet click, Iseul disappears through the front door, leaving behind a silence that feels... not awkward, but noticeable. Like the room has shifted.

I walk over and place the glass of water in front of Yoongi. “Here you go.”

“Thanks,” he says, accepting it with a quick smile, his fingers brushing lightly against the rim before taking a sip.

I sit down on the carpet beside the coffee table, grabbing a pair of chopsticks and unwrapping them slowly. “So,” I say, trying to sound casual, “how come you’re here tonight? Not that I’m not grateful for the food, but... you didn’t really say much over text.”

He picks up a piece of meat, eyes focused on his plate. “I guess... I thought it’d be nice to have dinner together. You know, before you leave.”

I look over at him, but he’s not looking at me. He’s chewing slowly, thoughtful. His tone is quiet, like he’s measuring each word.

“You don’t know when you’ll see me again,” I finish for him.

He finally glances at me, nodding. “Yeah.”

There’s a beat of silence. Not uncomfortable, just full. Full of everything that hasn’t been said.

“That’s really thoughtful of you,” I say gently, shifting a bit closer. “Honestly, I don’t think I’ve had a proper sit-down meal all week. Just coffee and stress.”

He smirks. “Sounds like your diet hasn’t changed.”

“Excuse you, I added protein bars to the mix.”

We both laugh, the tension cracking slightly like a window opening just enough to let fresh air in. I look at him, really look, and for a second, it’s like we’re back in that easy space we used to live in. Before everything got messy.

“So... what else are you thinking?” I ask quietly.

He takes a moment before responding, and this time, he does look at me directly. “I don’t know. I guess I didn’t want to leave things on pause. I know we haven’t really talked about... everything. But I didn’t want to let you leave without at least trying.”

Trying.

The word lingers between us like a question neither of us has answered yet.

I nod slowly, eyes dropping to the food between us. “Trying sounds like a good place to start.” “Hey, can I ask you something?” Yoongi says, his voice shifting into a tone that immediately grabs my attention. It’s quieter now, more serious.

I glance up from my bowl of rice, halfway through chewing. “Yeah? What is it?”

He hesitates. That alone is strange. Yoongi never hesitates—especially not with me. His eyes flicker down to his bowl, then back up to mine, and he clears his throat before saying it.

“Do you… have a crush on Jimin?”

I choke. Not even a little cough, a full-on disaster. Rice goes down the wrong way and I launch into an aggressive coughing fit, slapping my chest while reaching for water. My eyes water instantly.

“What?!” I practically scream once I’ve managed to breathe again, my voice still raspy from the coughing. “Are you being serious right now?”

Yoongi doesn’t answer right away. He keeps his eyes on the table, fiddling with the edge of his placemat like it suddenly became the most interesting thing in the world.

“I mean… I don’t know,” he mutters. “You two have been close lately. Since we had that argument, you’ve been spending a lot of time with him. And you’re working together in the studio on this… very emotional, very romantic album.”

I blink, stunned. “Yoongi, are you jealous?”

He flinches. Just a tiny bit. But I catch it.

“I just thought…” he continues, still not looking at me. “Maybe, during all those late-night sessions, while he’s pouring his heart out into lyrics and melodies, you’d start seeing him differently. He’s a good guy. And you were mad at me, so…”

I drop my chopsticks with a soft clink onto the table.

His ears are red now. Bright red. And he still refuses to meet my gaze.

Something about the way he’s sitting there, defensive, quiet, almost… insecure, it makes my heart twist. I don’t even think. I just move.

I reach across the table, grabbing his wrist gently. “Yoongi.”

He finally looks up, and there’s something in his eyes I haven’t seen in a while, uncertainty. Like he’s not sure where we stand anymore.

I stand up slowly and walk around the table without saying a word. He follows me with his eyes, probably confused, maybe even ready to back away, but I don’t give him the chance.

I slide right into his lap.

His body stiffens under me. “Wait, what are you...”

But I don’t let him finish.

I cup his face, feeling the scratch of his stubble against my palms, and I kiss him, firm, intentional, no room for misinterpretation.

For a second, he’s frozen. And then, like flipping a switch, his hands are around my waist, pulling me impossibly closer, like he can’t get enough. One hand moves to the small of my back, the other cradles the back of my neck. We’re breathing against each other now, mouths still colliding, still trying to make up for all the time we lost.

“I missed this,” I whisper in between kisses, forehead resting against his.

He lets out a breath, warm and shaky, like he’s been holding it in for weeks. “I missed you.”

We stay like that for a moment, just breathing, touching, realigning ourselves in the quiet aftermath of too many unspoken words.

And then, softly, he murmurs, “So… I’ll take that as a no about Jimin?”

I laugh into his neck, wrapping my arms tighter around him. “Definitely a no.” “I know we said we should take things slow,” Yoongi starts, his voice low and uncertain as his fingers gently comb through my hair. “And… granted, I acted like a complete ass.”

I rest my head lightly against his chest, hearing the steady thump of his heart under my ear. “Yeah, you kind of did,” I reply softly, not accusing, just honest.

He lets out a shaky breath. “But…”

“But what?” I ask, already feeling that familiar knot twist in my stomach. The kind you get before a plane takes off, equal parts excitement and fear.

He pulls back slightly so he can look at me, his dark eyes searching mine with an intensity that makes it hard to breathe. “Y/N… would you be my girlfriend?”

The world stills.

No, it collapses.

My heart skips a beat—maybe two—and for a second, I genuinely wonder if I misheard him. “Wait, what?” I blink, stunned, as the words hit me like cold water. “Are you serious?”

Without thinking, I quickly shift out of his lap, standing up so abruptly it startles him. He looks up at me, confused and caught off guard, his hands still frozen in the air like they’re reaching for something he can’t quite hold onto.

“I just...” I run a hand through my hair, trying to collect my thoughts. “Yoongi, I… I wasn’t expecting that. At all.”

He gets to his feet slowly, mirroring my unease. His fingers twitch slightly at his sides before he speaks. “I thought…” He swallows. “I thought your feelings were the same. I felt it. I still feel it.”

“They are,” I say quickly, reaching for his hand, my voice softer now. “Of course they are. I’m just… surprised. That’s all. This is, unexpected. Not bad. Just sudden.”

He exhales in relief and closes the space between us, holding my hand like it’s something fragile. “Y/N.” His voice is steadier now, but there’s still a tremble at the edges. “I know it’s bad timing. I know I probably should’ve waited, especially with your business trip tomorrow, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t let you walk out that door again without telling you what I’ve been trying so hard to ignore.”

“Yoongi…” I whisper, reaching up to cup his cheek, my thumb brushing over the skin he missed while shaving.

“Please, let me just say this,” he murmurs, leaning into my touch. “I love you. I love you so much it hurts. And I hate that it took me being stupid, and distant, and everything you didn’t deserve, to finally realize it. I’ve been angry at myself for weeks.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” I say quietly, fingers still resting on his cheek. “You’re not going to lose me.”

He closes his eyes for a moment like those words physically soothe something in him. “I’m not asking for you to say yes right now. I’m not even asking for anything, really. I just need to know… is there still a chance? Is there still space for me in your heart?”

I step closer, my voice barely above a whisper. “Yoongi… of course I love you.”

His eyes snap open, and I see something soften in him. His shoulders drop. The tension that held him upright finally gives way.

“Good,” he says, exhaling like he’s been holding his breath for weeks. “Then I’ll do everything I can to prove to you that I deserve to be your boyfriend. Not just someone from your past. Not just someone who messed up.”

He pulls me into a hug, slow and steady, arms wrapping around me like he’s anchoring himself to this moment. He presses a kiss to the top of my head and I feel it, not just physically, but all the way down to the center of my chest.

Neither of us says anything for a moment. We just stand there, holding onto each other, letting the silence fill the spaces that words can’t.

And for the first time in a long time, the future doesn’t feel so uncertain anymore.

[yyh4ever]

BOING BOING 🖐️

A funny scene from the 1994 "Yu Yu Hakusho Gaiden" game for mega drive, an original story that takes place two days before the Dark Tournament.

Demons are popping up all over town, so Koenma sends the guys off to investigate and get to the root of the problem. Reminded me of Maji Battle a little bit.

My favorite part of the game intro is when Botan is looking for the guys to inform that Koenma wants to have a word with them. Hiei's line, "who's disturbing my nap", is the best 😂

The first part of the game is divided into 4 chapters: Yusuke, Kuwabara, Hiei and Kurama. Each one takes to the streets to investigate, and eliminate demons.

Yusuke's Chapter

Yusuke is so upset about Toguro being so much stronger than him that he forgets about the mission. He asks this seemingly strong old guy, who saved Keiko from a gang, to teach him his technique. But ... he's trouble.

Gladly, Master Genkai comes to his aid.

Kuwabara's Chapter

All delinquents in town are acting strange. They have suddenly become just and been refusing to fight (isn't that a good thing? lol).

Apparently, they are all attending this strange place called the "Touzai Seminar". Kuwabara sneaks in to investigate, and fights a pumpkin-demon.

The power of love is invincible XD

Guess everything went back to normal.

Hiei's Chapter

Hiei comes across this little girl, but he doesn't have time to play with kids. It's cute that she calls Hiei "onii-chan". Hiei also mentions he's not good dealing with children XD.

Later, she goes missing.

He senses a nostalgic youki in town, and suspects the mastermind behind it is Kuroneko (dark cat), a cat demon who was Hiei's partner during his bandit days.

Kurama's Chapter

It's basically a story about Kurama's mother being kidnapped. Kurama fights some demons and rescues his mother in the museum.

I like this illustration included in the game manual. Kurama is in the museum fighting the dinosaur fossil youkai.

That blue-haired girl is also interesting, looks like Botan a little. She's looking for her dog, Pochi, but Kurama didn't see it. Then, she re-appears as a youma, and Kurama defeats it.

My Red Rose Prince ♡

After investigating and eliminating random demons, they gather at Yusuke's place. They found out that the source of the problem is in a place called Gokumon Island. It's time to go to the Demon World.

After you clear the first part, the familiar eye-catch from the anime shows up.

The second part of the game is on Gokumon Island - Makai.

The imaginary illustration of the island is beautiful (taken from the manual). I think it was inspired by the Maze Castle in Demon City.

Well, Gokumon Chapter is kinda boring. They basically walk around the island, fight demons, help human souls, and defeat the final boss in his tower, a youkai called Choujou (超嬲).

The manual illustration of the final boss castle with Kurama and Yusuke is more exciting.

Btw, even though she's not the real Keiko, it's a cute scene ❤

After defeating the final boss, Gokumon Island disappears. Mission complete! Now, it's time to go to the Dark Tournament.

But, before that, Yusuke meets the real Keiko boss XD. The game ends with the classic boob scene. Yusuke wants to check her reaction, because he was deceived by a fake Keiko last time.

IT'S THE REAL KEIKO!!!!

In the end, the guys lose the shuffle boat to Hanging Neck Island (Dark Tournament) 😂

Poor Hiei and Kurama...

The credits show monochrome images of the Dark Tournament. I like that Atsuko Urameshi appears with the girls instead of Jorge Saotome. Just like the manga!

Sorry for the lame summary, I just shared my fav parts 😅

You can find full walkthroughs of this game on YouTube.

Lastly, some love for my boy Kuwabara ♥ (illustration from the game manual)

[randomnumbers751650]

Talking about a ship for me is complicated because the feeling that I might be missing something or extrapolating too much. But still, I want to talk about Kafka/Blade.

Since HSR is a gacha, the chances of playable characters having romantic relationships are very low, so the fans have to pick the crumbs. Sometimes it’s pretty much obvious the devs want certain characters together, but the hand of the gacha business model holds them back. Other times, not really, maybe the devs are really aiming for platonic or other. And, of course, fans are free to interpret their own. So, I’m here to give my interpretation of KafBlade, why it called my attention.

From their interactions, they are working together and they have a level of affection: Kafka calls him Bladie (and he’s upset if others call him by that), Blade loves hearing her singing and is receptive to her whispers; they also seem to have good synergy in the battlefield. It also works in accomplishing missions, with Kafka’s lack of fear making her prone to injuries and Blade acting as her immortal bodyguard. Plus, there’s the implication they had to fake being a couple for a mission, which I hope it never gets a full flashback because imagining how it went is funnier. How they complement each other is what makes them so interesting.

They are both fundamentally broken people. We know Blade’s story, but it’s pretty implied Kafka has some tragedy in the closet (with Blade commenting he doesn’t want to see her sad; would it really be surprising?). And, they are villains after all.

But still, what I see in them is how they can still experience with each other things that they couldn’t imagine to experience or that they thought that they’d never experience. For example, Kafka is a liar. It’s a strength in her job, to the point even when she’s telling the truth it still feels she’s lying. She uses her whispers to dominate men and then discard them when they’ve done their jobs. She goes full “nothing personnel, kid”, because for her everything is just a job.

And then, one day, appears a guy who’s like “can you do that again?” A guy who wants to be whispered, whose lies sooth and motivate him. And then she learns he’s an immortal that wants to die and then she decides that she’ll help, but that she will strive to make his life more fun until that day because he amuses you. She has no feelings for him, because she has no feelings at all (or are very different from what normal people think to be); either she wasn’t born with them or the organization she learned her skills remove them, but still she just wants to make him feel good about his journey to death.

Blade is similar: he wants revenge. He crafted his entire life and used all his bladesmith skills to pursue that goal; it’s easy to imagine him forgoing everything, his feelings, his self-care, eating whatever slop he puts on his face, a very miserable life. And then one day a woman appears saying “join me” and she’s actually…fun to be around. Sure, they are using each other to their respective objectives, but there’s something more to it. He starts to pick her habits and helps her whenever she needs carry her stuff. And then he starts to wonder that, yes, his life sucks, but it sucks a bit less with her around. The blade he crafted for revenge can be used to protect, unexpectedly.

It should be noted that the devs already had opportunities to portray their relationship as toxic and abusive, but they haven’t. I’m not sure I’d call healthy either, but there seems to be a mutual respect and trust about them. I mean, they are dangerous (along with the rest of the Stellaron Hunters, Silverwolf, Sam and Elio himself (it’d be really funny if he was the cat)), but still it’s not hard to imagine them as a found family. We have to wait for future updates to see how they’ll be developed, but their Team Rocket dynamic with the heroes is fun.

One last thing is how I think it’s funny that KafBlade is “what if Gojo and Marin (from My Dress Up Darling) were evil?”. Kafka is the extroverted girl that loves shopping and fashion, while Blade is the recluse artist, but that grew bitter - as Yingxing, he was one the best bladesmiths of the Xianzou, he knows what beauty is (also please read the fanfic “dal segno al fine”, it really captures this side of his) – and would be reluctant even if Kafka’s feelings were like Marin’s; Kafka would have to have a lot of patience, but I think she’s not one to give up once she set up a goal.

I didn’t really review their text and quotes, I’m remembering all of it in the game and some comments in the internet. Even so, I wonder if others share these thoughts on them, especially the fact they bring out things that were previously kinda buried in each other, so it has potential for a more mature love story.

[maiko1]

I would still be holding you like this..

"im sorry but I'm not into you."

kazuha hand your confession paper back politely. "wait! Can we atleast be friends?" he looked at you and nodded. "I'm glad we can still be friend.. And here I thought u were gonna hate me for this..would you like me to company you back home? Its getting quite late.. " of course, kazuha wouldn't let you walk home alone in this time. What kind of man would he be if he didn't?

"haha.. Sure, I don't see any harm on it. Also no way, I'm not gonna hate someone who's not into me, rejections is a normal things. Everyone experiences it, though you may not experience it now, soon you will. That's just how this world works." you smiled brightly as he smile at you.

He's an extrovert while you were introvert. Though, your not that highly introvert type he still think you as a shy friends. He helps you order foods and even help you talking when there's too many crowded people.

He understands what you have been go through. Both of you had gone through alot yet he's comforting you as if his situation is not that big. So you comfort him whenever you notice his weird behaviour.

Alot of people find it hard to find when he's sad but not you, you can notice his voice a little bit low when he's sad. You aren't a good comforter so you treat him the most.

After the rejection you acted as if it's nothing while you're literally embarrassed and... Sad. You knew you shouldn't confess to him. He seem like the type who's not interested in relationships yet you still confess. It's embarrassing to talk to him after getting rejected but you buckle up your emotions and put it aside.

You wouldn't want him to comfort you for this, you think it's rather embarrassing and childish.

"hey, hold on my hand. I wouldn't want to lose you.." kazuha said as you turned to him. "excuse me you think I will get lost??"

You did once. "well uh the last time--" you hold his hand and start walking. "alright alright! Let's just go" you laughed. While he was busy looking at the other shop you happen to see someone staring at you. You blinked once and he's already gone.

You turned around to find him once again but he's just... Not here. "something caught ur interest?" you came back to reality and shake your head. "n.. No. I was just, surprised that there's so many people here.."

"i guess.. Every shop was on sale, who would wana miss the chance?" he laughed as you did. The guy who eyed you was still on your mind. He was wearing a hat...

"thank you again for company me to go shopping.. The place was really crowded.." you bow down. "i feel like something isn't right. You wana tell me about it?" kazuha said with a crossing arm.

"what do you mean?" he holds your hands and sigh. "something tell me that you saw something until now you can't seem to get that person out of ur head." he really are a weird person sometimes. Atleast he care..

"it's probably no one. Let's go home. I'm tired" you said as he nodded. Maybe sleep could get that person out of ur head.

"thank you kazuha once again for everything. I wouldn't know what to do without you." you laughed. "it's no problem at all, call me when you need me"

Getting ready to bed you went to close the door before sleeping.

"you saw me didn't you?"

What?

"you were still thinking about me."

What the hell is going on..

"aren't you curious about me?"

I... I guess but who are you?

"come meet me mingyun village. Come alone"

You woke up to your cat jumping on your stomach. "oh rika..! You scared me to death." you turn around to look at the clock. "it has only been 5 am.." the cat purred as you pet her. "should I..?"

"what the hell am I saying.. Its a dream, its not real (name). None of these dream were real." you took a deep breathe before getting to bed again.

"what if the sky were actually fake? What if the 'dreams' you have been having is actually true? Aren't you curious?"

....

"Don't pretend like didn't hear me."

...

"you are the chosen one."

What the fuck are you talking about.

"i have the answer to your questions. The second you laid ur eyes on me, I knew you are worth something to me."

As if I'm gonna fall for that.

"cmon (name) aren't you curious on how these gods were so careless?"

How the hell did you know my name..

"come with me (name) you will know what I'm talking about soon."

Leave me alone, just because I accidentally see you doesn't mean I have to follow whatever u say..

"Give me a chance would ya?"

..... Will you leave me if I did..?

"depends on your answer."

Waking up once again you feeling ur body getting hot. "i don't feel well.. What the hell is going on?" you cursed to yourself. You got up and get ready to meet the guy who won't leave you alone in your dreams.

He will leave you alone if u meet him... Its 10..it should be good.. You went out to mingyun village alone. This is a stupid idea but if he ever tries to do anything dumb you have your pyro vision to attack him.

There was a figure standing from afar already looking at you. You slowly went over there. "you look horrible." he commented. "I know.. I suddenly got cold and now I'm sick. Anyway what do u want?"

He smirk and walk towards you slowly before you quickly draw your swords and point at his neck. "don't come any closer." you cough a little.

I have no idea if I should continue or not. This is from 2021(?) 💀

[defhope]

short uni kuroo/3rd year kenma to celebrate kuroos bday!!!

!! – english is Not my first language, so i apologize for the mistakes!! and it gets a little heated in the end (no smut tho)

kuroo and kenma were inseparable. since they were kids, they would always find a way to see and be with each other.

but, as always, growing up had other plans.

it was tetsurou's first year in uni and, to say less, he wasn't very present in kenmas life anymore. – i mean, of course, he kept sending messages and calling every night, but he wasn't there. and that was enough to make kenma feel a little.. uneasy.

he never realized how much he enjoyed physical touch, especially kuroos. yes, he would hug other friends sometimes, but it wasn't the same.

it was particularly a hard day today, being the third day of the training camp without kuroo. besides, kenma hasn't seen him in four months and a half, both being just too busy. so being somewhere he associated with kuroo was just harder.

at the very least, he saved one (or five) of kuroo shirts to use, and, if you squint, it still smelled like tetsurou.

kenma brought the shirt collar to his nose and sniffled before going out of the room – he was the last one, he would never ever do that somewhere where tora could see and make fun of him for being so in love with his best friend (for the record: he wasn't, he just really liked his smell and missed his touches and missed seeing him and running his fingers through his hair and-).

the day went fast, nekoma won almost all the games – of course karasuno would make an insane twist, they have main character energy after all

also, shouyo was way better than the year prior.

kenma, yamaguchi, kageyama and hinata were chilling on the side of the court. kenma showing a video to kageyama because of course he, shouyo and tadashi were making niche brainrot jokes without realizing.

kozume heard tsukishima laugh a little and looked up to him, turning to the door in the exact moment that kuroo entered the court.

tsukishima didnt even placed his glasses correctly before being attacked by a big hug from tetsurou. yamaguchi shook his hand, kageyama just waved and hinata also hugged.

kenma was standing and waiting, almost in disbelief that kuroo was there. his kuro, right there. after four months and a half.

when their eyes finally met, kenma could pass out. he missed his best friend. he almost felt like falling but kuroo was there to catch him in a big hug.

yes, he wanted act unbothered and annoyed but he just couldn't

he hugged back and took a deep breath, enjoying everything about the contact.

"hey, kitten", said kuroo. "missed you".

"missed you too", kenma managed, sounding muffled for being burried in kuroos hoodie.

"i can tell. is that my shirt?", kenma just nodded. "you look so pretty in it"

kenma looked up, his chin on kuroos chest. they were just enjoying each other before-

"BRO?!" bokuto screamed and kuroo looked away from kenma, the last actually considered killing the owl look-alike for being in the way of their moment.

the dumb and dumber started screaming-talking to each other because why wouldn't their visits coincide.

it was just a few moments later, after a little scolding and a lot of cleaning, that kenma went to the locker room after everyone had already left.

well, everyone except kuroo.

kenma was getting his clean clothes when tetsurou hugged him from behind, burying his nose in kenmas neck.

"kuro, i'm pretty sute that im not smelling very nice right now.".

"i don't care, i missed you.".

kenma faked a disappointed sigh before turning and hugging kuroo back.

"you're such a clingy cat, you know that?", kenma teased.

"am not. seeing you in my shirt after so much time just did that to me.".

"be honest with yourself, you would've glued on me even if i was wearing rotten meat.".

silence for some seconds before kuroo grunting, trying to disentangle from kenma, who laughed and held tighter, not letting kuroo go.

"i missed you so much." he let out, not really thinking.

"i missed you too". kuroo said and looked at kenma.

once again, the moment seemed to go in slow motion. they were looking at each other, so close that their breaths were ghosting each others face. it just seemed right, so kenma gave kuroo a little peck on the lips. it lingered for some seconds before he pulled away, opening his eyes to see if kuroo was uncomfortable but then he was hit by an actual kiss.

it started slow, just lips moving together. then, kenma gave an unconscious but needed lick between testsurous lips, the kiss deepening immediately.

they broke the contact when kenmas back hit the locker.

"shit- sorry." kuroo apologized. "i'm so sorry kenma-"

"i really hope you're apologizing for stopping."

"y-you want to keep going?"

"kinda", kenma shrugged. "you don't..?"

"i do!" he answered pathetically fast, cleaning his throat before saying "i do, yes." more calmer.

"then kiss me.".

kuroo always obeyed kenma, so he didn't even had to ask twice before tetsurou kissed him once again.

"neck hurts", kenma muttered.

kuroo only hummed before grabbing the back of kenmas thighs and manhandle him up.

the kiss got heated after that, both unconsciously seeking friction.

"i missed you so much", kenma pulled away to say, leaving little kisses all over kuroos face.

tetsurou laughed shyly and gave a little squeeze in kenmas thigh, pressing their bodys even closer. "i missed you too, kitten."

"is this a bad moment to say that i think i'm in love with you?" kenma asked and kuroo shook his head no.

"i think i am, too."

then they kissed again.

and again.

and again.

until kenmas phone started ringing and they heard shouyos voice outside saying something like "i guess they got lost" and tobios voice saying that it was impossible and a fight starting.

kuroo let go of kenma and gave him one last peck. "i think thats our cue".

being away from kuroo was bad, but if that meant a good makeout sesh, then let another four months and a half be.

[thebibliomancer]

Essential Avengers: Avengers West Coast #71: "... and DIE in Infamy!"

June, 1991

PELE -- -- GODDESS OF FIRE!

Also, Sunfire.

We're still in the Pacific Overlords story. Last time in Avengers West Coast: Spider-Woman saw Jawbreaker and Kuroko getting off a boat with an unconscious man. She went to go find out what was up, got beat up a little, and limped over to the Avengers West Coast Compound to ask them for help.

Because of logic and science, the Avengers West Coast tracked the villains to a wax museum, where they fought a giant baby and learned that Godzilla villain Doctor Demonicus was the man behind the curtain.

This time: the Avengers imprison a giant baby.

In a giant playpen. Or a zoo enclosure. Who can say for sure until an establishing shot establishes more.

Big One has some lungs on him. That or its due to his power to create shockwaves. But he's just really knocking the Avengers around just by being very upset about being put in a cage.

Spider-Woman suggests that Tigra should get in the cage and purr. Babies love cats, right?

Tigra hates the idea but Scarlet Witch and Iron Man think its a good idea. And Iron Man throws Tigra into the cage.

Rude.

But it does seem to work. And if the Avengers had an HR department, I would say Tigra should bring this situation to their attention.

But with Big One calmed down, Scarlet Witch brings out a teddy bear that she'd gotten for her fake, not-real kids. Hank Pym enlarges it with Him Particles. And Spider-Woman slides the embiggened teddy bear under Big One's arm while Tigra slides out.

Tigra: "Okay... now will you tell me how you and Wanda knew he wouldn't turn my into striped jelly while I was playing little miss purr-fect?" Spider-Woman: "Actually -- we didn't. it was a chance we had to take." Tigra: "What?!"

Who is this 'we' who was taking that chance? I only saw Tigra in the cage, after Iron Man threw her.

Wanda seriously says "use your brain, Tigra!" and then offers a recap of last issue as an explanation for why Tigra wasn't in any danger at all, stop whining.

I feel like everyone is being mean to Tigra today and I don't know why.

Hawkeye shows up with some documents he found in Costa Mesa that proves Doctor Demonicus was the one who was operating the secret wax museum laboratory lair and therefore the one who mutated an actual baby.

The documents have Demonicus' legal name on them, Dr Douglas Birley. For the audience, Wasp exposits that Dr Birley is a geneticist who used the Lifestone to mutate small animals into kaiju.

Dr Demonicus doesn't have a history of experimenting on human beings but it sure seems like he's moved into that field.

Iron Man recognized some of the equipment in the lair as being manufactured in Japan and Australia. And in addition to documents, Hawkeye also found a bunch of photos. Including some of Tokyo and the Sydney Opera House.

So it definitely looks like Dr Demonicus might be in either country.

Wasp questions how convenient this clue is, which Hawkeye acknowledges. But they don't have any other clues to investigate so they may as well check the entirety of Japan and Australia.

Since the Avengers West Coast still haven't sorted out hierarchy, Hank Pym just randomly decides that Iron Man will be in charge of this case. As the newest Avenger, who definitely isn't senior Avenger Tony Stark.

Newest Avenger Iron Man says lets split up gang. He assigns Scarlet Witch, Wonder Man, and Dr Pym to investigate the Australian manufacturer. And Tigra, Wasp, and newest Avenger Iron Man to investigate the Japanese manufacturer. And Hawkeye will stay behind to hold down the fort.

Wonder Man: "If it's all the same with you, Iron Man, I'd prefer coming with your team." Iron Man: "We both know you want to switch because you and Wanda had a personal dispute. You're a pro, Simon -- as an actor, and as an Avenger. Act like one."

Savage af, newest Avenger Iron Man.

So the two teams fly off in Quinjets.

Hawkeye decides to show the photos to Big One to see if he reacts to any of them but isn't getting any response.

So he tries chatting up Spider-Woman instead.

Hawkeye: "So -- you never said why you left Denver." Spider-Woman: "No. I didn't." Hawkeye: "Maybe you can fill me in over pizza sometime." Spider-Woman: "Didn't I read somewhere you were married?" Hawkeye: "Legally separated. Besides, I was talking about a pizza, not a pre-nuptial contract."

But then the phone rings and Hawkeye has to go answer it. That's part of holding the fort.

Hawkeye: "Story of my life. Put me alone with a gorgeous redhead and a two-ton toddler -- and that's when Century-21 calls to ask if we want to sell this place."

Wokka wokka.

Actually, the call is from Dr. Jennie Falk from the Reaper and the Robot arc. The UCLA professor who was very annoyed that she had to let superheroes use the university's supercomputer? Well. Turns out that she had a dinner date with Dr Pym scheduled.

You know Hank and Jan are serious about re-splitting up if Hank's already got a date lined up.

But whoops. He's on his way to Australia now. He's not going to make that date.

Hawkeye tells Dr. Falk that Hank had to leave town and he'll have him call back as soon as he returns.

THEN there's another call.

This time from the Titan Talent Agency. Not looking to talk to Simon Williams, Wonder Man, but to Janet van Dyne, the Wasp.

Apparently, Jan sent a spec screenplay to the agency and Trish Titan is definitely interested in representing her and her script.

Jan did mention in the previous issue that she had some irons in the fire that she didn't want to reveal yet. Guess this is that.

Hawkeye: "Wonder what that was all about? I didn't know the Wasp was into writing letters, let alone movie scripts. But then -- is there anybody in Tinseltown who isn't writing a screenplay?"

Hah.

I'm interested to see where this subplot goes! I know Wasp is a multi-talented woman but I hadn't heard anything about screenwriting.

Spider-Woman urgently calls Hawkeye back to the baby imprisoning room. And that's because Big One had swiped the photos from where Hawkeye had left them and seems VERY interested in one.

In order to get the picture to find out what it is without making the enormous baby cry again, Spider-Woman uses her psychic web to yoink the photo and also distract the baby with its glowing sparkliness.

Spider-Woman: "It takes a few seconds for my psionic webs to fully materialize -- since what I'm doing is mentally affecting the inter-atomic attraction between molecular boundary layers -- but when it does, maybe I can pull the picture away without upsetting him."

When Hawkeye gets the picture, he is very surprised. It's not a picture of Japan or Australia! But of a secret third thing! Hawkeye decides to investigate and invites Spider-Woman along.

And then they take off and I guess leave the baby unattended.

Hawkeye mentions that the support crew will take care of the giant baby but still.

He is the worst babysitter.

Over wherever Dr Demonicus new base is, the bad doctor smugly reveals that he left the machines behind on purpose so that the superheroes he suspected would come sniffing around would be off on a wild goose chase in Japan or Australia instead of where he actually is.

And even if any superhero does come looking wherever here is, Dr Demonicus has his most powerful overlord standing by.

Dr Demonicus: "My 'Pacific Overlords,' who do my bidding in several nations washed by that ocean... Even my precious Lifestone, which mutated the Overlords so that each one gained a different power. All are mere waystations, on the path to the Pax Demonicus I shall soon impose on the region known as the Pacific Rim! Only a little while longer -- and it will be too late for all the superheroes on Earth to stop me! I apologize for lapsing into the cliches used by earlier would-be conquerors -- but true is true!"

Meanwhile, Hawaii. Which may be the somewhere that Dr Demonicus is.

Some tourists are hanging around, idly talking about the fire goddess Pele who lives in Kilauea volcano, when the volcano erupts and two figures burst out and fly off.

Could be Pele. She was on the cover.

Meanwhile, Namor is at Pearl Harbor on the , being honored for a plaque by the US Navy for all the Nazis he punched in World War II.

Namor starts a speech about how the Real Heroes are the people who died during the Pearl Harbor attack and how he's glad that the hostility between America, Germany, and Japan are "long since buried."

Then someone interrupts his speech by shooting him in the back with fire and yelling "It is YOU who shall be BURIED, Sub-Mariner."

Dick move.

Also, Namor is missing his wing feets. Which isn't an art error but apparently something that was going on with him during this era.

The cheap shot came from Sunfire and Pele and they're here to drive the Americans back to the mainland "where they belong!"

I guess Sunfire doesn't give a shit about the First Nations in the continental US of A.

Either way, the navy is opposed to all of this. One of them even wonders if this is another one of those mutant uprising things. But Sunfire is quick to say that he's not representing mutants here. He's only here to help Pele reclaim Hawaii.

The navy guy calls bull because why would Sunfire care about Hawaiian independence and ALSO Pele appears to navy guy as having Japanese features too so she's probably not actually Pele.

Navy guy even says that Sunfire is here to avenge Imperial Japan's loss in World War II.

Sunfire says that's just a side-benefit.

Then, Sunfire and Pele are interrupted by a smoke arrow. Fired by cha boy Hawkeye and also Spider-Woman. Sitting on a Quinjet parked on the ocean.

Quinjets just float, apparently.

Spider-Woman isn't sure how the two of them are a match for Sunfire and Pele. But Hawkeye is an Avenger because he'll try even if he's outmatched.

Leading Spider-Woman to wonder why she's here. She's not an Avenger and she's on the run from the government.

But where is she even going to go? They're parked in the middle of the ocean!

Sunfire takes exception to Hawkeye telling him to clear out. So he shoots fire and doesn't leave.

Also, Hawkeye is a little racist.

Hawkeye: "Oh, yeah, I forgot. You guys attacked this place once before without fair warning, didn't you? Well, here's a little American firepower, right back atcha!"

Hawkeye even muses to himself that its wacky to hold Sunfire responsible for Pearl Harbor since A) he wasn't there and B) was mutated by the Hiroshima bomb. But, see, Hawkeye is really annoyed by him.

This issue is sort of an anniversary for the Pearl Harbor attack and I think that was not a good idea to do. It's going to turn out that Sunfire has been brainwashed into doing this by Doctor Demonicus. But still, this isn't a good idea for an issue!

Anyway.

While Hawkeye shoots arrows in Sunfire's direction, Spider-Woman tries to fight "the self-appointed volcano mama!"

Unfortunately, her psionic webbing is too slow to catch Pele. And Pele and Sunfire both target the Quinjet, bringing into focus how outmatched the Avenger and special guest are. They're fighting two people with much more firepower AND much greater mobility. BECAUSE THEY'RE NOT PARKED ON THE OCEAN.

Even though Hawkeye says the Quinjet can take on a lot of water before it sinks, this is not an ideal battleground for him and Spider-Woman.

Hawkeye is also getting distracted, wondering what this is all about. He has pattern recognition enough to guess this is part of the Pacific Overlords thing. But he can't figure out what the evil plan is, since this seems to be random chaos and destruction.

Spider-Woman baits Pele into flying into a psionic webbing net, having disguised it by placing it where the sun was making the water glisten. Buuuuut...

Pele can just burn through the web. Even though its made of... inter-atomic attraction between molecular boundary layers? Which I guess is flammable.

Spider-Woman tears a piece off the Quinjet and uses it to splash enough water at Pele to extinguish her and knock her into the ocean.

Being of the heroic persuasion, Spider-Woman worries that the woman will drown so jumps in after her. Only to get burned because Pele's skin is super hot. And then get incapacitated by Pele's heat waves.

Pele decides she'll just let the stunned Spider-Woman drown. Very rude, Pele.

Meanwhile, Hawkeye uselessly shoots a flare arrow at Sunfire. And then fakes him out by firing a tear gas arrow that he's disguised as a flare arrow.

Then Pele blasts the Quinjet, knocking Hawkeye into the ocean.

Then then, Namor surfs up into the fray.

Pele fucks off rather than fight him. And Namor jumps and punches Sunfire, presumably while the man is still distracted by tear-gas.

Apparently, Namor knocked Sunfire out in one punch, man, because the next page has him hauling him like a sack of potatoes over to the Pearl Harbor memorial. At the same time, Hawkeye is hauling Spider-Woman out of the ocean and onto the memorial.

Namor shakes Sunfire awake and demands to know why he attacked Namor and the memorial. Sunfire has no idea what Namor is talking about.

Namor: "Great Neptune's Trident -- I believe you! The glazed look in your eyes before -- I realize now it was that of a man mesmerized!"

Hawkeye speculates that Pele was hypnotized, too. Hence why she thought she was a goddess. Spider-Woman snaps to consciousness in time to snark about how Hawkeye hangs out with Thor, who also says he's a real god.

Namor doesn't get distracted by the peanut gallery and asks what happened.

All Sunfire remembers is that he was cold cocked from behind and captured in Japan. ALSO, he remember the date July 18. That's tomorrow! In comic! And it's a very important date for reasons Sunfire can't remember.

Namor has to take off to Los Angeles but tells the Avengers to contact him if Sunfire remembers anything else.

Hawkeye says the Avengers West can probably handle this even without Namor, especially with Spider-Woman's help!

Spider-Woman: "Er... actually, Hawkeye... I have to get back to the L.A. area myself. Even if tomorrow's the end of the world -- in fact, especially if it is -- I have to go home!"

What is going on with you, Spider-Woman?

Elsewhere, in San Diego, apparently US Agent has taken to just foiling street level crime. He doesn't really have anything better to do.

He spots a guy stealing a car but his beeper goes off before he can throw a punch. So he tells the guy to sit tight while he answers it.

And who is calling but Mike Clemson, of The Commission. Specifically, the Commission on Superhuman Activities.

You know, the Commission that fired Steve Rogers as Captain America and recruited John Walker (later US Agent) to take the job. The Commission that put together Freedom Force, which was mostly Mystique and her former Brotherhood acting like dicks for a government check.

That Commission.

And Mike Clemson is looking to give US Agent a new gig. He says that Spider-Woman is a rogue agent and he wants Walker to track her down. He succeeds, he gets the job and $1000/week paycheck, retroactively starting -- uh, it doesn't say. I'm assuming either starting from this phone call or starting from when he was fired from the Avengers, so there's no gaps in his resume.

Either way, US Agent accepts the job. Even though Clemson says that Spider-Woman is to be killed on sight. US Agent isn't entirely comfortable with that order but he accepts it when Clemson claims its a matter of national security.

So then US Agent kicks the carjacker in the rear and tells him to fuck off, hops past the Mystery Machine, and jumps on a taxi, demanding to be taken to L.A.

See, the Mystery Machine.

Did you know that Scooby-Doo is loosely canon to Marvel? They also showed up in a Spider-Man novel.

What a weird universe.

Anyway, Spider-Woman is in some deep trouble and US Agent still has stuff to do in this book. You can kick him off the Avengers but you can't get rid of him so easily, I guess.

Follow @essential-avengers. Or don't. I have no power over you. But it'd be nice to get a like, reblog, or follow.

[cassandra-has-moonlit-eyes]

Notes on the Il Sistina Cats production

I was able to see the Il Sistina Production on three seperate days: 19.10.2023 20:30, 20.10.2023 20:30 and 21.10.2023 16:00. These are my notes on this production.

I will use headlines so you can skip parts you don't want to read.

I'm a lazy ass bitch so I will use the English names and not the Italian ones.

First day I had the full cast.

Second day Grizabella was covered by another actress who played Grizabella a little bit different. Unfortunetly I didn't catch her name when they anounced it.

Third day Quaxo was missing so his lines went to Alonzo.

Stage/Setting:

The Il Sistina production doesn't take place in London but in Rome. This is mostly shown by the setting but is also referenced in the lyrics (I do not speak Italian, but I understand some words). There is for example a street sign on stage which says: "Largo di Torre Argentina" which is a place in Rome and the LED wall in the background shows the Colosseum most of the time. There is also a Roman water fountain on the right side which even dispenses (fake?) water. The is also a street sign with "Via della Gatta" (Street of Cats)

Characters/Cast:

They have a lot of chorus characters: Quaxo is a seperate character from Mistoffelees, they have Jemima AND Syllabub, Electra, Etcetera, George and Bill Bailey who is also named Carbuckety.

This season Bustopher Jones and Skimbleshanks are palyed by the same actor, he plays Bustopher Jones during the first act and Skimble during the second.

Gus is a seperate character with a very strong chorus identity which also takes part in the ball and in the Macavity fight.

The Macavity chorus identity is called Admetus.

Songs and characters:

Jellicle Cats:

Munkustrap is the first character on stage. His make up and wig are the only ones I do not like, but the actor, Sergio Giagomelli, is very good. He does a lot of dancing too. Second on stage is Demeter but she is later scared away by chorus Gus who wants to sit on her spot.

The number is very energetic and I really love the choreography. It "quotes" some of the Lynne Choreo but also the new Broadway one.

The Naming of Cats:

During this song they have the poem on the wall in the background which I found very distracting. They also changed some of the names. One name was Marc Aurel which was fun. The cats move when their names are mentioned. Bombalurina is very dramatic. Her collar sparkles a lot.

White Cat Solo:

Victoria dances next to the fountain. It was very beautiful. At the end Munkustrap joins her and lifts her up.

Invitation to the Jellicle Ball:

After Victoria's solo the lines usually given to Misto are given to the Quaxo character. On the day Quaxo was missing it was given to Alonzo. Still Misto isn't a mute characters, he has some lines later in the play.

The Old Gumbie Cat:

Il Sistina plays that bit where Misto thinks Munkustrap wants to sing and where he is quite disapointed when he doesn't. He needs som comfort by Tanto and Cori afterward. Meanwhile Tugger is still on stage which I've never seen before. Now it's his chance to be annoyed by her. The Gumbie Trio is absolutly amazing, all three of them are even more prominent during the musical. Gus wants to play with Demeters tail but she just smiles at him and goes away to dance with Jelly and Bomba.

Jennyanydots wears a ball of wool. There is tap dancing and rope jumping, mice and cockroaches, but the cockroaches are just knee socks. The number is very fun and energetic.

The Rum Tum Tugger:

First of all I absolutly adore the Tugger design. He is not black but gold, has amazing Make up with a heart and golden glitter eyeshadow. He doesn't have his mane but a big belt and during his number he also wears a white leather jacket. Gus more or less introduces him by showing the audience a poster which advertises one of his shows. First the Gumbie Trio, two younger kittens, Mistoffelees and Mungojerrie dance while Tugger sings. One after another the other Cats return. First Mistoffelees and Mungojerrie try to hold the other girls back (Cassandra and Tanto included) but no chance. They storm the stage.

The line usually sung by Misto, Alonzo or Munkustrap is given to Quaxo again (The terrible bore one). On the day Quaxo was missing it was given to Alonzo again.

The Gumbie Trio also plays a very prominent role in this song. Bombalurina has a great interest in Tugger, Jellylorum is very entertained and enjoys the show and the flirting, Demeter is not that amused by Tugger and his flirting but Vibes with the other Cats and joins the choreo. Sometimes she looked very shocked at him, it was really fun. The acting by Viviana Salvo (Demeter) and Natalia Scarpolini (Jellylorum) is absolutly great during this number, same for Giorgia Cino (Bombalurina).

Giorgia Adamo who plays Tugger does a really great job with his voice and acting. I flirted a lot with the audience. Really cool, really flirty Tugger.

Interesting staging choices were made too: At the end the fangirls do not stay on stage. They place themselves between orchestra pit and audience and look up to the stage where Tugger is performing, so they themselves become part of the audience. Jemima is fangirl number one and screams for Tugger until he shushes her.

Grizabella: The Glamour Cat

All in all the auditorium (Zuschauerraum) is playing a big part in the staging choices. At the end of number Tugger goes down one of the corridors and starts to hiss because he sees Grizabella. He turns around and goes back on stage. Grizabella is following him. First part of her song she sings next to the orchestra pit, then she wants to enter the stage. Munkustrap doesn't want that to happen so he blocks her path. He doesn't want her on stage, as part of the Jellicle Ball or even the play on a meta level. They stare each other down and Grizabella wins the fight. Munkustrap steps back and she can enter the stage.

Tugger attacks her coat and Electra hisses her while Jeima wants to touch her, but not on Munkustraps watch. Demeter and Bombalurina sing the rest of the song, then Grizabella leaves on the other side of the stage again.

I would say in this production Munkustrap and Tugger are her biggest foes. They do not want her around, while Old Deuteronomy and Jemima are her biggest allies.

Bustopher Jones

There is a stone foot on the right side of the stage. This is where Bustopher Jones lives. There is a hole in the foot and he pops out of there on multiple occasions. I didn't understand much of the lyrics but this Bustopher Jones loves Sushi. Jenny is very happy to sing about him, Bombalurina not so much.

Similar to the Broadway Revival this number works with a lot of food shaped props. It's very wholesome and fun.

Bustopher Jones is very involved in the first act, sadly he wasn't in the second act because then the actor plays Skimbleshanks.

Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer

After Bustopher Jones the Macavity scare happens and interesting enough Macavity really makes an appearance. He wears a coat and a hat. There are lights on underneath his brim (Krempe?), so you can see his face. He has a very evil laughter.

Rosella Lubrina (Rumpleteazer) and Simone Raggozino (Mungojerrie) are both absolutly amazing. Simone does a lot of acrobatics, not just during his number but also during other numbers. The number is very fun with its own choreography and some propbs, like a newspaper article which is about them, a fifty Euro bill and a bucket with holes. The ending of the number is more dynamic but they also do a short version of the cartwheel.

Also Bustopher Jones makes another appearance. He wars a cooks head so I think he sang the line conected to the cook in the lyrics.

The other cats do not seem to dislike them but celebrate them which makes a lot of sense. They do some sort of Polonaise to celerbrate them.

Old Deuteronomy

Mistoffelees announces Old Deuteronomy and then Munkustrap and Tugger sing the song together while Old Deuteronomy goes around in the auditorium, mostly on the first floor.

I think Fabritio Corucci who plays Old Deuteronomy is an Opera singer because sounds very operatic.

The Jellicle Ball

The ball starts and I absolutly loved the choreography. Very fun. One thing I noted during the whole show is that there is a lot emphasis on individuality during the dance numbers. They are synchron but do not move exactly the same, the dancers bring their own style and interpretations to the movements which fits cats very well. Also there are dance groups but these groups are not strict. Cats leave their groups to join the dancing of other groups. Absolutly greatly thought through.

At the beginning of the Ball the make a formation where Cassandra is front center. There is a part during the choreography where Demeter dances alone while the two other groups dance around her. The choreographer knows which characters are important!

The first part of the Bomba section is danced by Bomba, Demeter, Jennyanydots and two other Cats. It's very acrobartic with jumps, splits and floor work, the second part of the Bomba sections are pairs, but other Cats: Tanto and Cori, Mungo and Rump, Misto and Etcetera(?), Munk and Victoria ... They do a dance with lifts. All in all there are more lifts than in the Lynne choreo, more like the Broadway choreo.

Also there is no Victoria x Plato dance. The cats dance in a group while Jemima has kind of a solo next to them. She feels Grizabella's presence. Than the cats lay down. Old Deutoronomy who sits left wants to invite Griz on stage, but Munkustrap is again not happy and so she leaves again, scared away and the ball continuous without her.

The second half of the ball is very energetic and so much fun. There are lot of acrobatics, even Bomba, Jelly and Jenny do some, as far as I remember. Like everybody has to do some. And Gus also does a lot of dancing during the ball which I'm not used to. Absolute great choreo and great energy.

At the end Grizabella returns on stage and the cats hiss at her. Interesting enough Admetus is really, really aggressiv towards her which could be the directors take on the riveraly which Macavity has to the other Jellicle Choice contenders in the 2019 movie. Admetus is really very hissy and aggressiv, he nearly attacks Grizabella but Munkustrap steps between them and hinders him. Admetus is still hissing but leaving the stage (Simone Nocerino played this part so well, he was legit scary, more scary than as Macavity). Cassandra hinders Victoria to touch her. Munkustrap hinders Jemima. Jemima is the last one to leave, Grizabella reaches out to her, but she goes away. Only Old Deut stay back on the side of the stage.

This scene was very interesting. It was like: Munkustrap doesn't want the cats to touch her and to be close to her but he also doesn't want her to get hurt by them so he protects her from Admetus.

Memory Part I

Grizabella is alone on the stage, Old Deut is still near by. She starts her sad dance and sings her song. Malika Ayane is an absolutly amazing singer, voice vice one of the best Grizabellas I've seen live. Old Deuteronomy wants to touch her, to welcome her back. At the end of her song it starts to rain. Curtain.

Intermission

Towards the end of the intermission the courtain gets lifted and people are alowed to take a picture with Old Deut. More and more Cats enter the stage and play with a tennis ball.

Moments of Happyness

I really loved Old Deuts voice, loved that it was very Opera. Jemima is great too, beautiful voice. Her design reminds me a little mit of the E-Girl trend. She is very cute. Also at the end Jellylorum hugs her before she starts singing about Gus.

Gus the Theatre Cat

Interesting choices were made again: A red curtain appears on the left side of the stage. There is also a door on the right side. For the first part of the song Gus ist not on stage. While Jellylorum is singing his shadows are projected on the curtain and the door. Only when he starts singing he steps on stage, but he doesn't sit down. One time he nearly falls but Rumpleteazer catches him. Also Munogjerrie does a salto when he calls on him (maybe it was the kittens these day part).

They also updated the lyrics. He sang something about Tiktok, Facebook and Likes and one day a woman in the audience was shouting "bravo" to that.

This Gus doesn't seem as frail and old as other Guses. He hardly even hesitates to start the Rumpus Cat number.

Rumpus Cat

The number is mostly sung by Gus and Munkustrap. It's musically quite similar to how the international tour does it, but I think different dog breeds are mentioned. What I also really liked was that the dogs are not seperated by gender. Both genders played both dog breeds. Bomba and Demeter do the wau wau part which usually goes to Rump and Mungo. Bomba, Demeter and Tugger were great dogs. I loved the choreo where all three of them were stomping and they were all so great. Etcetera was also a dog but she was a little bit more scared.

Gus comes out in a costume that reminds more of a pirate which was a fun wink at older productions. He also had a sword and he killed some of the dogs, I think Bomba died first. She did a great job at dying.

They do not play a reprise of Gus the theatre Cat. Gus just leaves and the Skimble number starts.

Skimbleshanks

At the beginning of the number the cats act in the front of the stage. Cassandra is crying (I do not know why) and Misto gives her a handkerchief so she can try her tears. It was quite funny and Gaia Soprano is an amazing Cass all in all, very beautiful, very good dancer, very dramatic, very expressive and also fun. Less proud than your usual Cass I would say.

Skimble appears wearing his uniform und sings his part. The LED wall shows a map of Italy and the route of the train. It goes through Italy, I think south. They also use long glowsticks to build a train. It seemded modernized.

Similar to the 2019 movie the stage production uses tap dancing (even the same step and later a second different step) and the other Cats sit on the ground and drum. It really sounds like a train and at the end Mistoffelees makes a really realistic choo choo noice.

The tap dancing was very simple but very effective and the audience loved the number.

Macavity

At the end of the number Macavity appears again. There is also a Macavity decoy to show his ability to teleport. The Cats attack him with Mungojerrie leading the way. But Macavity drives them away. He doesn't kidnap Old Deuteronomy yet. Old Deut stays on stage while Demeter begins the song. Macavity is also on stage, moves around in the background and listens to Demeter and Bombalurina, who mostly ignore him.

I really liked the arragement and the choreography of the number. Slightly sexy but also acrobatic and I really did love Bomba and Demeter so much. They are both great actors and dancers, active and central in every single number. Demeters make up is so fucking beautiful and it really just shows that you can do so much more than slap red lipstick on a female character to make her attractive.

There was more jumping at the end of the number. The backgournd dancers later are: Cass, Tanto, Electra, Etcetera Syllabub AND Jellylorum. They enter the stage from different sides and join the dance one after another. Loved the number so so much!

Macavity fight!

The cats come back and attack Macavity. Jenny is the first one to attack. Tugger tries to protect Old Deut but Macavity seems to be winning, so Rumpleteazer attacks Macavity from behind and saves Tugger. Mungojerrie attacks him again too but has to flee. At the end Macavity wins and disapears with Old Deut. He has a very evil laughter.

The fight has also some dance elements. At one time Macavity lifts Victoria, at another time he is lifted by two toms to attack Munkustrap. But all in all it is less brutal than in other productions I've seen.

Also, this production doesn't play the romance between Munk and Deme (or between Victoria and Admetus), as far as I saw, they are just cats, they are just vibing.

Mr. Mistoffelees

The cats do not seem very traumatized but they still want to get Old Deut back. Tugger starts the Mistoffelees song and Misto enters the stage quite at the beginning. He dances a lot and does A LOT of Magic tricks. Similar to Budapest this production descided to do more tricks and less dancing. Cassandra is his magical assistant and even does one trick by herself (cards out of the top hat). One time she is also in a floating box.

Pierpaolo Scida is a very happy, very fun Mistoffelees. He also does a good amount of dancing during the number. I think he was more happy and confident than the 2019 Mistoffelees but the production still took one idea from the movie here. Mistoffelees tries to bring Old Deut back two times, but fails two times. Macavity is seen up on the right side, laughing and holding Old Deut hostage. It seemed a little bit like a magical fight. Whose magic is stronger? Mistoffelees or Macavitys?

After failing two times Mistoffelees is very sad and he crouches on the right side of the stage, hiding his face. Tugger sits next to him, starts to sing again to encourage him to try one last time. He takes his hands and both rise up. Misto tries again and this time old Deut is back.

The Cats celebrate with a very fun choreo, Misto does some turns like in the Lynne choreo and a magic trick (turning a handkachief into a staff) and the number ends.

Memory

Grizabella is back and sings her song. I really liked both Grizabellas. This Grizabella is very strong. She didn't fall down, still Jemima sang her part.

Old Deuteronomy does announce her as Jellicle Choice, Victoria is the first one to touch her, Munkustrap second (so he doesn't hate her no more). The other Cats greet her and she goes to the heavy side layer.

The Ad-Dressing of Cats

Old Deut sings the number and the shows end. They dance a little bit on stage and go into the auditorium. End of the play.

End Notes

I really liked this production especially the make up, costumes and choreography. And I loved loved loved Demeter, Bombalurina, Jellylorum and Cassandra. Tugger, Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer were absolutly great too.

The whole play seems more fun and less sad and dramatic than in replica productions. The fight was not very brutal and nobody got seriously hurt. Less romance, less violence, less sexy, less nearly dying but very entertaining and with a positive vibe to it. Neither Grizabella nor Gus seemed really like their end was near.

These cats just enjoy each others company and they love celerbrating together, which was very clear during the jellicle ball in a part where they kind of twisted with each other.

This production was really worth the trip!

[httpiastri]

OMG hi, okay so thank you for not immediately getting angry or upset with me for asking that question about feeling like ollie’s puppy persona might be a little bit fake.

also idk if you do anons, but if you do, can I please be the cat anon?

so like you mentioned, as a fan myself obviously, he does seem genuine to me, like mostly, and you can tell that he is very sweet. he is so sweet with fans and is well liked by people that know him.

but sometimes, and i know it's for privacy and boundaries, considering that he's young and has a whole social media manager and like all these company decisions behind him, i don’t know, it throws me off a little. like i know that every f1 driver has their brands, sponsorships and franchises behind them, it just throws me off because ollie is younger than me, so it just feels so weird…

also because I'm british too, i see him as someone i could go to school with ??? and it throws me off because like british boys aren’t great but ollie seems so sweet and it’s just like… weird idk 😭 it’s just my brain being weird

also the cheating rumours, with his ex gf estelle etc idk ughhh im half doubtful the cheating thing was even true, i mean would she have an nda for an f2 driver lol? considering she has a whole tiktok, why didn’t she outright say he cheated on her or do a whole exposè? lol anyways idk

thank you for reading this long ramble!! i think maybe 1 sentence made sense 😭❤️

🐱

no no ofc i wont get angry for you just stating your opinion!! its very interesting to hear other ppls opinions, it's not fun it everyone just agrees all the time 🤣

but yeah, i get what you mean more now! ollie is so young and still he has such a big team around him and everything. and it's only gonna grow and get crazier once he gets into f1 and eventually ferrari... but yeah i understand that it feels extra weird if you're british too. i feel the same way when it comes to dino? since im swedish too and he's just two years younger than me but he still acts so... idk how to explain it 😭 and esp since he only went to school until he was 15/16, he missed out on a very big part of swedish life idk?

like i think that when young people grow up like them in the spotlight, their personalities are going to be a bit... fabricated in some way? because, and especially drivers growing up in an academy like them and esp probably a proper academy such as the fda, you're gonna grow up hearing that they need to act in a specific way to get fans and sponsors and jobs etc. so it's not weird that it feels a little fake! im sure they also themselves have issues with knowing exactly how they wanna act and what their true personalities are like (i too have these issues so it feels natural that celebs would) 🤷‍♀️

yeah i also dont rlly believe in the cheating rumors... definitely don't think she had to sign an nda for that 😭 idk im kinda sick of former wags (cough her and hermes cough) going out there and talking so much and throwing dirt on their exes who "cheated", like even if they did do you really need to go out there and post abt it in that way???? if it's something you need to share, for whatever reason i don't understand, then at least do it in a mature and mindful way. idk im just tired of this 😭

no no it all made sense, dont worry!! thank you so much for sending it all in <333 hope my answer was at least somewhat satisfactory lol and pls lmk if there was anything unclear!! (there def was bcs im pretty tired skdjhfdkfj sorry) and ofc you can be cat anon, very warm welcome!! 💗

[running-on-coffee-and-anxiety]

An Orphan's Journal, Entry 10

Monitoring increased for Samuel Elliason due to unusual activity. Cat Nap’s handler reported odd behavior, no deployment of Red Smoke when interacting with the subject and seems to potentially retain full or partial memories of prior friendship. Attempts to speak despite the broken voicebox have been reported. Concern of Experiment-1188 potentially losing conditioning are expressed but unlikely.

December 18, 1990

They said Christmas is in a week, a week is seven days and Christmas is December 25, and 25 minus 7 is 18, so today is December 18. I’ve gotten a lot better with words and numbers this year, so that is really nice. Things are okay I guess. Marie has been really jumpy since Cat Nap came to meet everyone, scared of loud noises and always looking around the whole room and sitting in the back of every class. I don’t understand what she seemed scared of, but she’s still really nice to me and she does not look really bothered by it, so I guess it’s okay. She isn’t acting like Theo did so she has to be okay. Maybe it’s a part of growing up? Miss Stella said that Marie was going to turn thirteen next year. She’s a big kid now. I hope she doesn’t leave, I don’t wanna be alone again.

Cat Nap sometimes comes out at night, but I don’t think I’m supposed to know. On nights when I can’t fall asleep, sometimes I look out my window and stare at the fake moonlight in Playcare and watch how all the colors look different in the dark. It doesn’t make me feel better or feel sleepy, but I don’t feel angry when I look outside. I’ve been feeling angry a lot more, but I don’t know why. I have not told the adults, I think they forgot over time. I think it’s been a lot of months since Theo died, the doctors stopped coming to make sure I was okay after a while. I have no clue when the last time Doctor Kovach read my writing.

I got distracted. That’s a bad thing when writing, Miss Delight says so. The Miss Delight that teaches English? I forgot they are all sisters and have the same last name. I’m gonna call her ‘Miss De-write’. But Cat Nap sometimes comes out at night. It looks like he lives in the Playhouse, but I never see him during the day after the first visit so I don’t know. He’s very stretchy, if I’m awake and looking out the window long after I’m supposed to be asleep, then he leaves the Playhouse and most of the time he sees me and walks over to stretch up and rest his head on my window. We can’t open the windows, so I just put my hand on th glass and watch and listen. They said Cat Nap has a broken voice, but I think he’s trying to talk. He starts wheezing sometimes, but the wheezing changes like he’s trying to say words.

I started trying to talk again too. Only with Cat Nap. I can’t make words yet, but I’m making sound, like Cat Nap. Maybe we can learn to talk again together. Cat Nap keeps coming to me. It reminds me of every time I went to Theo before. Is Cat Nap treating me like a good friend? Family? Theo was family, he promised to try and get us adopted together. I don’t know if I want a family anymore, but I like Cat Nap. Maybe when I can talk again I can read to Cat Nap. I think he’d like that a lot.

But I’m not stupid. I know the adults like to think they know everything because they are all older than us, but they don’t. I don’t know about the other kids, but I see things I think are supposed to be kept secret. I was hungry and wanted to get a snack, so I left my room, but I saw Cat Nap go to another kid’s room and I got curious. I don’t know Paige well, but maybe if Cat Nap wanted to play I could play with them. Maybe I could make a new friend playmate. Not a friend, I don’t think I want anymore friends. But when I looked in the room, Cat Nap breathed something that looked like smoke but was bright red in his face and Paige fell back on his bed and was asleep but his face was all scrunched up. I got a smell, it was like the Poppy doll’s hair, but I felt sick and dizzy after and went back to my room. I felt really bad and I had a nightmare when I finally fell asleep that night, though it was all fuzzy and I don’t remember what it was about, just that I was scared.

I wonder if that’s why Marie has been so jumpy? I don’t wanna think about it. Cat Nap probably just wants to help us sleep, the nightmare can’t have been caused by him.

But why does he never put me to sleep, then?

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[greatrunner]

"Just stay alive! I'm not going to lose you!" - Women and their function in 'Mission Impossible' as motivators

For whatever reason, Mission: Impossible Breaking Dawn, Part One decided to get rid of Rebecca Ferguson's Ilsa Faust in favor of keeping newcomer Hayley Atwell's Grace, a pickpocket-turned-IMF rookie.

And as someone who wasn't all that into Faust as a character (because so much of her construction seemed exclusively to lift from action heroines from foreign films, like The Villainess, and not necessarily out of love for said films), I really do not understand the motivation behind the move. Even as a fake-out, which I don't think this is.

If it was to drive home that new badie (Gabriel) was a genuine threat, it was a bad move. For one, this is an old hat in the Mission: Impossible franchise. Since the first film, killing women who were spy contemporaries in Ethan Hunt's line of work as a way of a) raising the stakes or, b) motivating Ethan Hunt (manpain central) has been this franchise's M.O.

You see it coming a mile away like a '"you killed my wife" plot in a Mel Gibson film. It's an antiquated writing device that turns women characters into objects. The only time this seemed to stop was after the third film around the time Cruise was married or still entangled with Katie Holmes).

During that time Hunt's character was married to a woman (played by an actress who is very much a Discount Katie Holmes), whose life was threatened throughout the time she was even considered important to Hunt's story.

In terms of selling the villain on that note (threatening the woman), It doesn't work with Gabriel because whatever dynamic he's supposed to have with Hunt as an old enemy never translates. We get a single flashback where he kills some nondescript woman that Hunt liked before he became a tool of the US Empire (when he was a thief, I guess). But that's it. It's a flashback without substance, a blink-and-you-miss-it moment. It never tells us anything about Hunt's specific relationship with Gabriel besides "You killed my girl!"

But who was your girl? What she did do besides exist in the same moment as you and then die in front of you?

Compare this to how John Woo communicated the relationships between Hunt, Nyah Hall, and Sean Ambrose (Dougray Scott) as rivals and lovers in the second film. Hunt and Ambrose knew or knew of each other as IMF agents IIRC. Ambrose went rogue, an action that flies in the face of Hunt's principles as an agent of IMF. They both fell in love with Nyah, a career criminal (cat burglar, etc). With Hunt it was recent, but Ambrose had a relationship with Nyah long before Hunt met her (IIRC. It's been a minute).

They both had something to lose and gain in either her survival or death once she was infected by Bellerophon. Ambrose had friends that Hunt knew he cared about and could use to hurt him. Oppositely, Ambrose never thought to go after Hunt's team unless they were actively antagonizing him. There were emotional anchors in the story that raised the stakes accordingly.

With this Gabriel character, they try to make him into something like Christopher Nolan's Bane ("I paid you" / "and you think this gives you power over me?"). He can't be manipulated and is "for the cause" through and through. They do this basically by saying he has no emotional connections to anyone, he just enjoys killing and harming people.

But the Impossible writers seemed to forget that Bane was doing all of this, primarily, because Talia Al'Ghul came back for him after he rescued her from being harmed by the men they lived in that pit with for ages. Bane was acting out of loyalty. Gabriel's whole spiel is that he lives to serve an omniscient Skynet like A.I. trying to destroy anyone it considers a threat. Like a religious zealot stereotype.

I'm sorry, but that's boring as hell (in this case).

At least with August Walker (Henry Cavill), their conflict (at first) was embedded in how they served and were loyal to the US Empire. Walker's dedication to state power (as represented by Erica Sloane, his handler) was in direct conflict with Hunt's ideology that people come before the mission and the state. (Then they fumbled that whole dynamic by making Walker a mole for Solomon whatshisface zealot, but I digress).

So killing Faust for this Johnny-come-lately guy with the presence of wet drywall was not great. The lack of depth in Hunt's relationship with Gabriel, the woman Gabriel killed just to spite Hunt, reduces Ilsa's death to a meaningless one.

This most recent Mission: Impossible film might feature the highest number of women with starring and speaking roles. There have only ever been a few female characters in the series (maybe never over three). The one that got the most Facetime usually was the one Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) was interested in. Vanessa Redgrave might be an exception to that rule, though.

In this film, we got:

Pom Klementieff (Paris) playing Discount Bond Henchman (think Xiana Onatopp),

Vanessa Kirby (White Widow) plays the ghost of Max Mitsopolis (Vanessa Redgrave, Mission Impossible),

Hayley Atwell (Grace) plays Nyah Hall (Thandie Newton, Mission: Impossible 2) sans the romance,

and Rebecca Ferguson (Ilsa Faust) plays the femme version of Ethan Hunt.

That's four women. They had considerable screen time* and a role in pushing the narrative forward.

For the time that Ferguson was in the series, the writers never went beyond innuendos and suggestions with Faust/Hunt. So, when this film started really laying on thick with the open affection Faust and Hunt showed toward each other, I knew she was cooked from the moment she appeared in the film looking like Big Boss.

I guess I'm wondering what was the point? If it wasn't a decision on the part of Ferguson to exit stage left, what did Ilsa's death serve beyond freeing up some space for Hayley Atwell?

And this line of questioning is operating on the pretense that Cruise and Co don't want more than a few women with major roles in the film. Because it's not like Grace and Ilsa couldn't exist in the franchise together.

*(considerable if you think about how Cruise-centric the Impossible series is)

[blimbo-buddy]

Cats in the City of Plague: Final Thoughts

I enjoyed this book quite a bit! It's nice to break away from Warrior Cats to read other xenofiction books, seeing as this is A.L Marlow's first fiction book, I'd say it's a great start! So let's go over what I think the pros and cons of the book are: Spoilers ahead, proceed with caution

Some quick content/trigger warnings:

Self mutilation and harm (Via the group of Flagellants, who scourge themselves with whips that have sharp metal spikes to lash their own backs with. It goes into detail about their wounds)

Religious manipulation

Animal death/harm (One of the cats killed is a child as well)

If there's any other warning that I may have missed, let me know and I'll add it

Pros:

Short and sweet. It's only around 130 pages long, it's not an incredibly intimidating read so it's good for those who want to read a good beginner book that isn't Warrior Cats

Neat setting, it takes place in 14th century France

Simple but effective descriptions of locations. Marlow's descriptions for some of the settings within chapters is well executed, the strongest ones in my opinion is when the cats are going to see the Flagellates and when the cats are in the graveyard

The deaths actually have some sort of impact on the characters

Innocent. Read the book to read about Innocent.

The characters have pretty good, fleshed out personalities, well, as much as Marlow could fit into a short 16 chapter book

The world building is simple and very casual, nothing is really that complicated. It's very down-to-earth, as down-to-earth as a xenofiction book can get

The characters have small details that give them so much to work with, such as one of the servants having scars on her face from previously dealing with cow pox, it makes you wonder what she went through and adds just even a little bit of layer to her

The book actually focuses on the humans too, it's not just focused on the cats 24/7

The scenes of cats running around while everybody is trying to catch them is greatly written, Marlow can capture chaos in the text well

The book doesn't act like the forest is where every cat must belong to, it actually details how harsh the environment is

The ending epilogue was so fucking sweet, genuinely great

Cons:

It sort of rushes towards the end

Way too many fake out deaths. I think some of them should have either died right there or have their fates unknown

This is just super common in xenofiction: More male characters compared to female characters

The chapters get. Way too short towards the end. So it's bad that there's a chapter that's only about Leander, Innocent, and Jean about to fight each other because there was a female cat nearby in heat, so Juno had to go find her and kick her ass. This goes nowhere.

Leander should have gotten humbled more I'm sorry, Lavinia should have kicked his ass

While the character deaths do impact the others, I wish it impacted them more. Leander kind of forgets about Argent two chapters after he dies

I do think the book could have been a bit longer

The story of Le Chat was a bit underwhelming as much as I enjoyed it a bit

Would I recommend the book? Yeah! If you want a short read and something different, I'd recommend it. For his first fiction novel, A.L Marlow did pretty well. It obviously has its flaws, and I advise that you don't go into this book expecting something grand with lots of world building, it's a quaint world and a simple plot with neatly packed world building both based on fiction and reality (what with the plague and all).

If you want other cat xenofiction books to read, here's a Tumblr post compiling some of them, it's how I found this book to begin with!

[hiro--aoki]

CHANDLER RIGGS IS A MAN AND I AM SICK AND TIRED OF PEOPLE SAYING HES A GIRL WHEN HES FUCKING NOT!!!! HE IS A GROWN ASS MAN AND HE SURE AS HELL WOULD NOT LIKE YOU, YOU STUOID RETARDED BITCH. HE IS A MAN! JUST BECAUSE HE HAS LONG FUCKING HAIR DOES NOT MAKE HIM A GIRL. I FUCKING HATE YOU AND PEOPLE LIKE YOU. I HOPW YOU KILL YOURSELF, I HOPE YOU GET RAPED AND BEAT, I FUCKING HATE YOU SO GOD DAMN MUCH YOU STUPID FUCKING RETARDED DYKE, I HOPE YOU GET RAPED YOU SICK FUCK. FUCK YOU I HATE YOU SO MUCH SO FUCKING MUCH YOU SICK FUCK

“Tell me why ur ears are in the nether yo eyebrows are on max brightness and yo neck be in incognito mode. Boy you be looking like the muffin man’s drug dealer level 6 diglet sticking out the top of yo head you look like you got baptized in the chum bucket yo mama use bakugons as a anal beads and you lost ur virginity to an armadillo on a trampoline in mid air, AYO stfu you cricket FROG NOISES Spinner fidget stupid midget genji main mega brain grandpa beat you with a cane. Half eaten onion ring Burger King mustard packet UPS EMPLOYEE OF THE MONTH. Waluigi dirty squeegee. I bet you talk to other girls saying “Rub my dick and you’ll see a genie” Demon slayer, HOWDY NEIGHBOUR 353 POUND Fortnite player looking ass up boy. Open yo mouth and take my cupcake and swallow it. Everytime you burp fruit flies come out of yo mouth stinky ass boy. You discord mod, You wear ur cat ear headset for to fucking long to the point there’s a dent in ur big ass skull. Like to be honest bro, I’m fucking tired bruh, I’m tired of yo ass bruh, I’m tired of all theses goofy wannabe unoriginal view hungry cringe radiating YouTube shorts creating egotistically falsely empowered muscle shirt wearing Lamborghini driving food wasting prankster. You think you so gangster so you went to dollar tree and took a fake ass cold Chain from the Saint Patrick’s Day section and wore it around ur school thinking you got drip and shit, Like boy just stfu.” “You puted a balloon on yo head and thought it was a Durag like ain’t nobody cares about you dirty ass hell boy you got a drop off dark exlier pouring down ur hair right now you like a chipmunk you better get yo Christmas comes , This time of yearrr Bro like stfu you look like Ronald McDonald from a sex cult. You be looking like muscle man from regular show you be looking like ice spice, nah you actually look like water sugar get yo stanky ass away. When you walk downstairs your whole house starts fucking rumbling bitch you bring power of eren Yeager and 37 collosal titians down ur staircase. After you eat dinner you eat the plate and then you eat the table aswell CHOMP CHOMP. You rent out the gap between your teeth as a parking space for ants you be looking emo af CUT MY LIFE IN 2 PIECES THIS MY LAST RESORT, SUFFICATION NO BREATHING Ur nose be looking like two Mario pipes coming off ya face. INFACT when you tilt your head up be ugly af tell me why the bottom of ur nose look like the discord logo. You got a bikini bottom butthole you got spongebob flipping krabby Pattie’s in ur uterus ORDER UP MR KRABS! they made a sequal of finding NEMO based off yo ass called locating chromosomes in theatres this July! You was water boarding a mouse in ur kitchen sink to solve “the mystery of the missing cheese” You act like a whole ass Karen you better get yo “My names skyler white! YO, my husbands Walter white, YO!” Shut yo dumbass up your last poop was directed by micheal bay you got gfx explosions erupting in ur TOLIET bowl.”

[sorserah]

Shower-Thoughts - Deacon/Female Sole Survivor

Summary Female Sole Survivor and Deacon enjoying the pleasures of hot water in Vault 81 Notes So this is the first fanfiction I wrote ever but I hope you enjoy anyway. (It's from 2016 guys lmao) _________________________________________________ Tags: shower sex, fluff at the end, mild smut, first person POV, I don't think there is a plot _________________________________________________ ao3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6227689

The cat was back, the medicine for the boy was found and the mole rat threat was gone.

As a reward I got my own small apartment in Vault 81. 

„Mhmm cosy“ I mumbled and it wasn’t sarcastic at all, I was happy to have a safe haven where I could go when I wanted, if I wasn’t close enough to sanctuary. I let my eyes wander through the room, a small bed, some storage space and a bathroom with a shower. Was it working?

The overseer who had shown me the room noticed that my eyes lingered on the shower. „So I know its not much, but we agreed that we could spare a bit of our hot water, lets say for once or twice a month.“ She cracked a smile. „This is great, thank you very much and I mean it, really, one of the things I miss the most is a hot shower.“ The overseer nodded understanding and left.

I was working on warm water supplies in sanctuary, but there were still a few supplies missing and I expected I would have to clean myself in ice cold, with radiation contaminated water for at least the next month.

I locked the door and undressed as fast as possible. „Um so you will take that shower now I guess?“ Deacon asked. „Yea wanna join?“ „Nah I think I‘ll pass.“ „What?! Are you serious, why?“ He sat on the bed. 

„I have had bad experience with a shower once.“ he replied and leaned back „You know, when I was on a trip for the Railroad three years ago.“ „Mhmm tell me about it“ I mumbled while I tried to get my armor parts off. He leaned forward elbows resting on his thighs „I was in a Vault like this once and there was it: a SHOWER“ he told me like it was a horror story „and I thought ‚Hey why not, you should clean yourself and maybe, but just maybe the water will be warm, like a small pond or a barrel in summer.‘ But then after I was completely naked and was about to step under it, Raiders appeared and took me and my clothes with them.“

I unzipped my Vault suit to my navel and asked with a pretended shocked voice „Oh no Deacon what happened?!“ I knew he was lying, his acting was over the top again, if he tells the truth, most of the time he’s rather uncomfortable with it. „They made me into a Pin-up Model for Raider Recruitment. It seemed it worked well.“ he shrugged his shoulders and went back to his traumatized voice „Anyway since that day I swore to myself that I will never take a shower ever again.“ He was staring at the wall and brushed away a fake tear under his shades. I started laughing and he joined. „Sometimes I am very relieved that half of the stories you tell me are lies.“ „Only half of them?“ he raised his eyebrow.

I stepped out of my Vault suit and Deacons mask slipped for a second. I turned, stepped under the shower and cast one last glance to him, he was now leaning against the door frame, arms crossed and opened his mouth but I pushed the button for the hot water and Deacons response drowned in a moan. „Oh my god yes“ The water ran down my head over my back and it felt so, so good. Not only the dirt and blood vanished in the drain, even my sorrows were gone for the moment. Its been 210 years, but back in the days taking a long hot shower at least once a week was natural. I had almost forgotten the pleasure of it.

It wasn‘t long before I heard clothes being dropped on the floor. „Is it hot in here or is it just me?“ Deacon stepped behind me in the shower, pressing his front against my back so he got something of the water as well. „Oh my god yes, you were totally right.“ he moaned deeply and I felt his growing erection against my ass. I turned around and raised my left eyebrow „You are hard. Already?“ „Keen perception Professor. And I have to admit the water here plays an important part“ he blew a kiss to the shower head „Oh yea and by the way, the last time I heard a magnificent sound like that come out of your mouth was two weeks ago and I am a little envious of that shower“ His Hands now on my shoulders slowly brushing my collar bones with his thumbs. „Mhmm Why?“ I played along, he leaned forward „Because it has this beautiful woman all for itself“ his voice low and cheeky, right next to my ear, his hands sliding down my shoulders to my back. „The water flowing down here to this well formed butt of yours" his hands squeezing my ass firmly and I giggled. He guided me to the wall kissing my neck and I gasped as I met the cold, wet tiles. One of his hands lift my thigh up and placed it around his hips „And the only one“ I put my arms around his neck, an open-mouthed kiss „who makes you moan like that“ he looked me straight in the eyes „is me.“ and he thrust into me.

Some time later we were both screaming. Not only because we reached our climax, the hot water that was available for us was empty and now it was as cold as ice, my head felt like it was on fire. We both jumped out of the shower and he threw the only bathrobe that was hanging next to it over „Thanks asshole“ I shivered from the cold and walked straight to the bed and slipped under the cover and Deacon followed, taking me inside of his bathrobe „Mhmm body heat“ he whispered and I giggled. We lay there like this for a few minutes until we reached a normal body temperature. „I think you healed me, we should take a shower more often together.“ he chuckled and I joined „I love you“ I said and clung myself closer to him. He put his arms around me holding me tight and kissed the back of my head before I fell asleep „I love you too.“.

[winderlylandchime]

Hello! So to recap my day: took the dude to the doctor. He in all seriousness during HIS OWN IMPORTANT CHECK UP, asked the doctor about testicular cancer and what can happen to a person. The doctor obviously got a bit worried and started checking his test results thinking he missed something. My brother continued to ask questions about it, such as ‘how can chemo affect sex? Is chemo or radiation the same for testicular cancer as it is for other cancers?’ And so on. I am trying to intervene to stop this madness and my brother talks over me so it’s as if im not even in the room. And mid questioning, the doctor is going through the test results looking kinda more and more worried until you could actually see a lightbulb go off and he just stopped dead in his tracks and went ‘(his name), please for the love of god, tell me that this is NOT about that guy from the tv show and that you have a legitimate reason as to why you’re asking me this’ And this idiot goes ‘okay, sure…but i think we both know the truth.’ The doctor got a little angry at him and had to explain that his check up is real life and Brian’s cancer is fake and my brother actually fucking gasped! Hand on his fucking chest! And went ‘well its real to me, it literally just happened!….hey did i tell you, I got a cat named Brian?’ Then he started showing pictures of Brian the cat to the nurses and the doctor had to bribe him with a coffee (for the next check up) if he focused on and i quote ‘himself and not a version of brian human OR feline’ also keep in mind, he is wearing his Team Brian shirt while all this is happening.

ANYWAY, then we got to the vet. And for some reason i thought he got all his weird energy out of him. Wrong. We walked in and he was holding the fucking cat like a baby. Mind you he IS STILL WEARING THE FUCKING SHIRT. He explains he is there to get any type of papers he would need and shots and all that for his new cat. I’m thinking wow look at him actually acting like an adult. Just to set the scene: it’s a waiting room with a counter and there were 3 people behind it, two are standing behind the receptionist (one was the vet and the other vet tech). And theyre like helping her with the cats file she’s putting together. She asks for his info and is writing it down and then she goes ‘and the cat’s name?’ And he looks at them (while he is holding the cat like a baby) and goes ‘this sweet little baby here, is Brian’ and they all look down at the file and she goes ‘…Brian. Okay’ and then they all stop and just slowly look up and look at his shirt and he’s confused and looks down and goes ‘oh no, that’s a different Brian. *long pause* he’s also a sweet little baby…except when he’s a dick’ And I’m dying inside but i think we can all tell by now I’ve experienced worse with him. So the vet asks to go with him and we’re in his office and he casually points to the shirt while checking the cat and goes ‘so who’s that Brian?’ This man went ‘okay so. My Brian is named after my other Brian’ and the vet tech nicely goes (thinking she’s dealing with a normal person) ‘oh so is that your boyfriend?’ and he goes ‘ha, i wish. No, it’s a tv character..besides he’s already taken so not like id have a shot’ and the vet tech clearly still trying to make conversation asks him ‘what tv character is that?’ And then all hell broke loose. It was like a kid in a candy store that was on speed. In a span of 5-10 minutes, he managed to tell the entire plot of season 1-3. And then he finished it off with ‘now I’m on season 4. They just broke up…again. AND HE HAS CANCER! On his balls! That’s just cruel. And now he’s all sick and Justin is gone and I am so so so scared. Thank god, i have my other Brian’ and then the receptionist walks in with papers and no knowledge what all happened and goes ‘so Brian is now all yours to take home’ and the fucking vet goes ‘i bet you wish she was talking about the other one, huh?’ And then when we got home, he called our parents on zoom to introduce the cat and that’s also a whole other story.

Dear sweet anon! I had a few minutes between meetings today and read these messages and showed up to a meeting where I'm the boss completely laughing and with tears streaming down my face.

Your brother is doing research about testicular cancer with his actual doctor. I'm dying. This is some fanfic prep he's doing. (Also, can we discuss Brian's death wish for a cancer with a 99% survival rate? And he calls Justin dramatic!)

‘oh so is that your boyfriend?’ and he goes ‘ha, i wish. No, it’s a tv character..besides he’s already taken so not like id have a shot’

DEAD. He, too, has a crush on Gale. Lesbians and straight men, I guess!