#not included: writers who just write mc

[friedricebunny]

I respect x reader writers in otome fandoms who use you or y/n and all but man finding that one author that just uses the mc's name is just *mwah*

[writers-potion]

Writing Weapons (2): Knives and Daggers

Dagger vs. Sword

In many situations, daggers might be more plausible than a sword fight.

Dagger are eaiser to carry and conceal, lighter, faster, good for spontaneous action, suicide bids, self-defense and assassination.

Dagger vs. Knife

No clear distinction; terms used interchangeably

Dagger is more for thrusting with 2 sharp edges

Knife is more for cutting (slashing) with 1 sharp edge

Concealment

Carried in a leather sheath on the belt

Can be concealed under a cloak, in a bodice (sheath sewn into the bodice), in a boot, behind hari ornaments

Bodice daggers (popular in the Renaissance) had no cross guards.

Connotations

Beside its combat value, the dagger has lots of emotional and sexual symbolisms.

The closeness need to attack with a dagger creates intense personal connection. They are often used in fights where emotions are running high: gang warfare, hate crime, vengeance.

Due to its shape and the fact that it's usually worn on a belt made it a symbol of virility in many cultures and periods.

Sometimes it was the hilt rather than the blade: like in the case of bollocks daggers with two...balls on either side of the hilt.

Fighting Techniques

Stabbing:-

The dagger with long, thin blades are made to stab a vital organ like the kidneys, liver, bowel, stomach or heart.

Stabbing directly at the chest seldom works, since the blde may glance off the ribs. Position the dagger below the ribcage and drive it upwards, through the diaphragm and into the lungs. If the sword is long enough and your fighter is a professional, you can get to the heart.

If no professional, just keep going for the stomach and you'll get one of the vital organs eventually.

Slashing:-

When describing a slash wound, show a lot of blood streaming, or even spurting.

Slashing dagger fights are bloody - show your MC's hands getting slick with blood, grip on the weapon slipping.

The aim is to cut the opponent's throat or cut tendoms, muscles, or ligaments to disable. Slashing the muscles in the weapon-wielding arm is the most effective; insides of the writst or back of the knee is also critical.

Assassinations:-

Show good knowledge of the humna antatomy

Use a stabbing dagger

A single, determined, calculated and efficient stroke, probably below the ribs.

Self-Defense:-

Disable the attacker by slashing their weapon-wielding hand (elbow or wrist)

Quick, multiple stabs wherever the MC can get the blade to land; the attacker won't give time for careful positioning

If the blade is too short to do any significant damage, maek up for this by stabbing so ast that the pain and blood loss distracts the opponent.

Vegeance and Hatred:-

Someone who is motivated by raging emotions will stab the victim repeatedly, even after he is already dead.

The attacker may stab or salsh the victim's face, disfiguring it.

Contemporary street fights and gang warfare usually involves these.

Duels:-

If both fighters are armed with daggers, include wrestling-type moves as they try to restrict each other's weapon hand.

Show them trying to disable each other by slashing insides of writes, elbows, the back of the knees, etc.

Dagger + Sword

If the character is expecting a fight, they can hold a sword in their right hand, and a dagger in their left to fight with both

Sword + mace combination also common.

Blunders to Avoid:

Direct stabbing at the chest wouldn't work.

Hero cannot cut his bread with a stabbing sword

adapted from <Writer's Craft> by Rayne Hall

[smileysuh]

hello !!

im the same anon who messaged recently about the new mark fic :) since you're one of my favorite authors on here do you have any fic recommendations? Im interested to see what you deem a good fic

hi!!!! This is such a good question! You can find my archived rec's here. tbh, I don't read that much, and when I do read, I'm usually already friends with the author, or through reblogs and such I become friends with the author- so Imma tag some of my favourite writer beans :)

@domjaehyun (masterlist) - NCT & others

Jewel has a writing style that I can't even quantify. Her stuff is INTENSE, it gets you in the moment, it's literally everything- she's got some long fics that pass so fast cuz you're just THAT into what's going on. Her Hyuck filth is GOD TIER

My favourites are: Pussy Fiend & Quarentine Chronicals & Kiss U Right Now

@sehunniepotwrites (masterlist) NCT & others

Nikki is another one of those writers who I could read forever. Her stuff is so wholesome and sweet, but the smut is also hot as hell. The amount of detail is astounding- literally publishable work. Like, babes, write a book already

My favourites are: Going For The Gold & The Midnight Shift

@milfgyuu (masterlist) NCT & Ateez & SVT & others

Lana is so good at everything she puts her mind to. Like, the multi fandom in me lives for her blog. I started reading for her SVT stuff, died for her nct content, and I was foaming at the mouth when Ateez was added to the mix. 10/10 content no matter what group.

My favourites are: Babe Watch & Bingo & Peach

@seokgyuu (masterlist) SVT & others

Mitchie my love- I'd been meaning to read her long standing chaptered series for a while, put it off- finally started and couldn't put it down. Read the whole series in a day and now I'm obsessed. This hoe holds it over me tho- who is mc going to end up with? we don't know- but I think I'll cry no matter what because it's the end of an era

My favourite is: the Challenge Me Series

@bitchlessdino (masterlist) SVT

Nana is such an interesting writer. One of the softest bitches I know, down BAD for Dino- and then just pops up with a Halloween fic that included blood play. I really can't even with this girl- all I know is, her mind is amazing, and I wanna read more.

My favourites are: Scream Your Heart Out & Nobodys Home

@honeykyeom (masterlist) SVT

Mo is another one of those writers who does poetry. I've sat with this girl for hours and she types out one like four paragraphs of some of the most thought inducing, detailed shit I've ever heard. Fics like hers take time, and it shows

My favourite is: White Noise

[espressoristretto-patronum]

[sorry already for the long post and broken English 🙃]

✨Best people of 2024✨

Thank you to the people who have thought of me, even considering me one of the best, you don't know how much I've appreciated your tags! (no, I'm not crying, no no).

I'm answering now because I was spending the holidays with my family and... I got a little overwhelmed by your tags, I didn't expect so many of them 😭

Let's start saying that this is the list of the best people of Tumblr: @everyone. Seriously everyone is so nice and talented and you guys have seriously saved my 2024. And all of your MCs are so dear to me!

But there are of course some people I want to thank personally, even if I believe I can't really express my deep gratitude.

@celestial--sapphic I thank you for a million things: for writing the best sapphic fanfictions (pure poetry, you're indeed my favourite writer!), for encouraging me to open this blog, for when I decided to start writing my fanfiction and you volunteered as beta-reader and seriously I couldn't ask for a better person! You are so patient and so supportive with my English and I thank you for the positive feedback I got on my work! Last but not least I thank you for that amazing drabble because TORI AND POPPY WRITTEN BY MY FAV WRITER? HELLO 112 YES HI I'M HAVING A HEART ATTACK!  My heart melts every time I read it, because of course, I still read your works!

@superconductivebean my first follower ❤️ Thank you for all the tags on your beautiful drabbles! I enjoyed every single one! I'm not so into throuple but Poppy x Julia x Imelda is the amazing exception! You're headcanons are the best I want to marry your brain!

@infernalrusalka THE COOLEST! Talking to you is always a great pleasure! You were also one of my first followers and you was already so supportive! I'm forever grateful we met here on Tumblr ❤️

@myokk my spanish counterpart aka EL DIABLO for killing me a million times with your amazing arts and writing! I still can't believe that a person so talented and cool is talking to a little potato like me 😭 I keep looking at your work with heart eyes. I mean, Tori in my favourite artist's style?! Three times?! 😭 Answering your tag (I had a nice heart attack when I saw it 🥹): I had ALL reason to be supportive, you deserve every single kudos, reblog and positive comments in the world! Not only you are so talented (girl, is there anything you can't do?!), but you're also so nice and sweet and humble! It's always a pleasure talking to you, commenting your wonderful works! Thanks to you I've read To kill a mockingbird and now is literally one of my favourite book! But also, thank you for A little life, I still keep a good distance from that book lmao

@heyitszev and @theladyofshalott1989 the HL queer community is so glad and honored to have you, seriously! You make Tumblr a safer place for queers and I thank you so much for including me ❤️ also, before you I was quite adamant about not reading Sebastian x MC ff but you changed my mind! You're so talented and it's always a pleasure reading your works! Even if sometimes I'm so slow! 😅

Also, you both wrote Tori in your stories and really I'm not crying, I just have a hippogriff in my eyes 😭

@rypnami you! Come here and let me hug you! Before you Leander was just a side npc but now "it's Char's boy!", don't stop being creative and unique!

@gothic-lottie my Gothic Latte ❤️ you're a great artist and writer, your works are great! Keep doing because I love your stories and fanarts!

@traceyc-uk @dom1re @diana-bluewolf every time I see your works the kudos is automatic! I love your boys! And it's even better when I see them together when you collaborate!

@endeavour12345 you and Philip deserve a lot of hugs 🫂🫂 I love reading your works ❤️ thank you for the hugs you dropped in my comments when I felt sad!

A special thanks to the amazing HCU squad: @acslytherpuff @girl-named-matty @savingsallow (MY SWEETEST WIFE BEAN 😘) @ps-cactus @accio-bagel @ravenwind-75 @theladyofshalott1989 @leaping-toadstool-caps @freddiestheproblemchild

I've surely thanked you a thousand times for being the best, for being so supportive and what an honour for including Tori 😭

Only a few times in my life I received more love than I've given and for this I will forever thankful ❤️ I'm so happy I can call you friends and thank you again for being there when I needed it, thank you for making me laugh even when I'm down, thank you for everything 🫂

@midnight-faye  quanto è bello trovare un'altra italiana! Sono contenta che tu sia parte del fandom, adoro la storia di Erina! Immagina lei e Tori nella stessa stanza? UN CHIASSO!

@light-of-the-room @morrowlegacy @sparxyv @heylorrain @raenegade-accio @thursdaymoonrise11 few of my newest followers but your art have already my heart, and you of course, because you're so nice! Can't wait to see more!

@knightxflowers the author of one of my favourite Poppy x MC, and I'm still so super invested in your ff, can't wait to read more!

@mscostac I'm so so glad @ps_cactus has suggested your ff because only a talented person like you could write an amazing ff with Taylor's lyrics as references! And Tori and Poppy mentioned in the epilogue? WHAT AN HONOUR, I STILL CAN'T BELIEVE IT!

@lynnsartsworld hope you're doing okay during this break! I enjoyed the conversations we had 😁 Can't wait to see more April and Poppy!

@anomalyaly @saibugslegacy @shanaraharlyah @thriftstorebabayaga @a-usernamelol @honeybadgerdontcare394 @the-chaotic-scilla-aster @thingsmaygetalittlecrazy @pitter-patter-pottah @boxdstars @jam-the-silly @m3nta11yunstab13 @kiwiplaetzchen @lilac-ravenclaw maybe we didn't talk much, but I love seeing your stuff everytime I scroll Tumblr and your comments on my silly stuff! You're so talented and nice!

Last but definitely not the least a big thank you to @myokk @celestial--sapphic @girl-named-matty @a-florable @acslytherpuff @pheexblack @ladyofsappho @mscostac @rypnami @ravenwind-75 @savingsallow @leaping-toadstool-caps @accio-bagel @endeavour12345 for drawing/writing/taking photo of Tori, you can't believe how much I appreciate your works which are literally gifts, I'm really surrounded amazing and talented people 🥹 I still go back on your works because I love every one of them, I will never thank you enough for taking your time doing them for me!

Thank you all again ❤️ I love you and I wish 2025 is a year full of fulfilled dreams ❤️ you deserve all love!

[thesophiewhit]

PHONING FAUST -- A Sapphic Novel of Demonic Contracts, Demisexuality, and Yearning by me! A cool queer author ~

Are you LGBT+ or BIPOC or just REALLY LOVE BOOKS? Interested in being an ARC reader and reading a book and helping a fellow queer indie author out? (Pretty please? -- ARC links all the way at the bottom of this post (beneath the rainbow banner) for those who like Sapphic demon x human angst books ~)

AND LOOK AT THE CHARACTER ART OF MEMPHIS (BADASS DEMON) AND DIAN (HUMAN) BY MY ARTIST FRIEND SNAX

https://linktr.ee/artsnaxk

ABOUT ME

Demisexual?? Queer? Nonbinary? All these were magical words to me until it hit...

Oh-- that's me.

It took me a while to come out as queer, longer to come out as nonbinary, and then some more time to reconcile all this with being a mixed Indonesian kid. A dash of mental health, a sprig of figuring out asexuality and neurodivergence. But atop all that? One thing has been constant.

I've always been a writer.

That's some live footage of me summoning some forces to reign my characters in from being feral.

WHY I WROTE PHONING FAUST

Well, well, well, after years of battling imposter's syndrome, I did it. I wrote another book! It's called PHONING FAUST and it's getting published with queer indie publishing company @ninestarpress-blog because they're all cool and LGBT+ and super talented!

Why did I write PHONING FAUST?

What is... a Faust?

A Faustian bargain is what's popularly known as the devil's bargain. A usually losing situation or a trick where the devil tricks someone out of their soul in exchange for ULTIMATE POWER!

I rewrote Faust to be Sapphic as can be. It stars a mixed Indonesian lesbian named Dian Faust who battles depression tooth and nail and ends up calling a mental health crisis hotline. Bc... she's lonely.

PAUSE-- and this is a horror comedy. Comedy. COMEDY-- you might say?

WHY? HOW? Sounds sad and depressing, right?

WHAT'S FAUST?

Well... in the original retelling version of Goethe's Faust (who retold it from folklore etc etc) the main character of Dr. Faustus accidentally summons the devil or something when he too is about to consider the meaning of life and it gets sad bc he doesn't see one so he makes the devil's bargain FOR ULTIMATE POWER. Or something.

But in my version-- it's based off my experiences as a queer person. Before I had community. Before I understood and accepted myself-- I had a rough time. For a whole bunch of factors outside of that-- I didn't feel like my life was in a good place. And even worse-- I felt isolated.

THE PLOT

I didn't want to bother my friends with my problems. So-- I'd call the Trevor Project or a crisis hotline just to have somebody to talk to. In the same way-- Dian Faust is struggling with depression in the story I write. So she calls a hotline like the Trevor Project just to not be alone.

And guess who she finds?

A super hot genderfluid devil called MEMPHIS, short for Mephistopheles. A pierced and tatted punk rocker who has an interest for telling tall tales and serving Dian Faust's every wish and command! (No, not like that!)

Because Dian Faust, like me, is a mixed Indonesian kid trying to figure out what it means to be queer AND demisexual (finding attraction only after really getting to emotionally connect with someone and feeling, as I explain in the book, a lack of that before then for anyone). And she's figuring plenty out--- including how to save her immortal soul and her feelings for a certain genderfluid demon but if you want to know more-- YOU CAN BUT YOU HAVE TO SCROLL TO THE END OF THIS POST TO FIND OUT !

I wrote this book PHONING FAUST (coming out in 2025 sometime with NineStar Press btw. I have these books CATCH LILI TOO and WAKE THE DEAD also starring Sapphic demiace MCs if it's helpful while you wait!

I WROTE MORE QUEER BOOKS (if interested)! (ARC SIGN UP LINK IS STILL BELOW THIS ONE THO! > FOLLOW THE RAINBOW !!)

MY OTHER QUEER BOOKS: https://sophiawhittemore.com/books/ ) <3 <3 <3

I wrote PHONING FAUST (train of thought, sorry, that's the neurodivergence) because I wanted people to feel less alone.

I was, like Dian Faust and like a lot of people, a queer person who felt like I was on an island unto myself. I didn't know who to turn to-- so I turned to no one. By reaching out to hotlines (no hot devils unfortunately), I managed to get the help I needed to avoid making rash decisions-- to get the help I needed to get better. To take that first step.

PHONING FAUST is a novel that raises the importance of mental health and finding community, and most importantly, not giving up. As Dian Faust says in my upcoming book...

There are stars out there-- I had only to see it.

***

🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈

🌈🌈🌈🌈ARC LINK SIGN UPS HERE 🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈🌈

ARC LINK SIGN UPS IN LINKTREE <3

Want to be an ARC reader for this queer book starring a demisexual Sapphic couple and BIPOC cast?

Sign up here! : https://tr.ee/mWPM8I9Zev

***

Hmmm, demon contracts...now where might young 2010 emo me have heard that before... ? ?

[class1akids]

Do you think there is any way of fixing what happened in the next chapter? I don't think Horikoshi is a great writer but I don't understand how could he have flumbled so bad when the set up he wrote himself made obvious what should happen. Everybody knows that a big motif was to save the villains and then that's not what happens with the MC and main antagonist? That is kind of like insulting levels of misdirection. I'm foolishly hoping that the next chapters fixes it somehow.

I've been trying to think circles around it, because I do agree with those bloggers who say that it's WILDLY OOC for Deku and it makes them suspect it's a fakeout.

Unfortunately, I only see plausible options with this set-up along the following lines:

Tomura "awakens" the missing Overhaul reconstruction component and rebuilds himself and goes to fix his dying villain buddies. -> Great. It delivers on Tomura's goal to be a hero of the villains and maybe he can turn a new leaf with a healing quirk to try to start fixing the damage he caused. It's sort of an answer to Tomura's arc, but Deku's arc is still destroyed, because he still killed the guy for all he knows and never in any way engaged with his complaints about society. Nothing changed except AFO is dead.

Deku punched TomurAFO with Vestige Magic BS he unlocked offscreen with the exact amount of force to reconstruct Tenko's body out, save the crying boy and give him a second life -> obviously total asspull, but fandom will be happy because who is not a fan of a cute crying child, and "look we told you that Deku is the greatest". Imho, this kind of solution would basically ruin Tomura's development, disregard his progress with the LoV, and would not be good for Deku if he decided that the "crying child" gets to live and told Tomura that he's unforgivable and he needs to die because he never engaged with his villain, only with a ghost of a past that normally doesn't exist anymore and is not a feasible solution to save other people like Tenko this way.

Tomura transferred OFA back to Deku and his vestige as Tenko will live inside Deku so "he'll be a hero" -> I see people getting excited with this, but the vestiges don't "live" there with his "oba-chan". Being a ghost, being trapped inside someone else, never be able to make a decision for themselves is not a life. I don't see it as a good ending for a character who didn't experience much freedom in his entire life. I also think Deku should be rid of the vestiges - it's not healthy to have them yap in his head. If you want this kind of ending, might as well write that Tenko got to join Mon, Mom, Hana etc in heaven and is living there happily in the afterlife.

Deku has brought along Eri's horn and it being in the blast zone of OFA - AFO collision it's fractional rewind turned into a mass rewind effect and he did this in purpose and knew it was gonna work out this way and was totally gonna save everyone with it, including Tomura. And their "farewell scene" was just a clumsily written misdirect. -> OK. Got MHA trending. Editors happy.

Basically Option 1, but AFO being defeated is not the end of the fight, because the Alien Parasite that infected his mom and is the source of all quirks takes form and then the LoV come in to help defeat it. Everyone loses their quirks, no more quirk society. Tomura and Spinner start a gaming youtube channel. Deku becomes a cop.

I mean, I can sit here, come up with these wild, wild BS scenarios that "undo" Tomura's death. But I don't really see a way that salvages both Tomura's and Deku's arc and makes them both deliver on the promise of their arc. Like linkspooky wrote - Deku's entire journey is what would have mattered. Him engaging with villain stories, especially with Tomura's story, trying to empathize, trying to change the root cause. But it feels like in the end, precious little changed compared to the All Might era.

I feel like both Ochako and the Todoroki family confronted Toga and Toya more at both levels - not just at the level of the cute kid whose life went off the rails, but also at the level of the person they grew into: Ochako by offering blood to Toga and the Todorokis by wanting Toya back in his current damaged form and willing to go through hell with him (unlike Toga's folks, who immediately disowned their child). But Deku only embraced crying Tenko. He really didn't offer anything to grown-up Tomura and that's where the problem lies for me.

[yuri-is-online]

consumed by lust for a ghost and a workaholic

I am working on smut hc for both of them because same

Zenji's post is getting kind of weird because I feel like he'd be into writing extensively about his feelings for MC, including the erotic ones. Especially the erotic ones. But I over explained why so I need to edit the post- basically there's this type of Japanese literature called Zuihitsu that's essentially a stream of consciousness diary where the writer muses on their personal perspective relative to the time they lived in and the original one is called the Pillow Book and it inspired an "erotic movie" of the same title. Anyway given how obsessed with classic Japanese literature and art Zenji is I feel like he'd write his own pillow book about his "affair" with the MC but writing all of that out is deeply unsexy so I'll just put it here and focus on what he's writing about for his post. If he wasn't a ghost I would have added a section about Kinbaku/Shibari but I guess you'll have to save that for the next life.

Haru's just fun. He's a domestic and very exhausted guy who deserves a break. Writing nsfw for him is actually really easy because it just feels like writing the romantic stuff I usually do. He's consumed with lust because he loves you! Of course he's hard already, he's been looking forward to being with you all day. He's always happy to see you! Now stop being embarrassed and sit on his face before the baby wakes up. And don't ask which one that'll kill the mood.

[kisa-ownworld]

(Part 3) Time for Hyotei team to shine!! Here's my first impression of Hyotei! This team is also really interesting as they are popular (and one of the reasons for their popularity is VERY OBVIOUS *looks at the captain*). As much as i want to talk about Atobe, im afraid i might ended up writing a whole ass essay, but just know that in Gakupuri, he appears in other characters' route so much that i ended up fall in love with him before I even watch his route.

Hyotei characters' route are very cute and hilarious, especially Yuushi's. He's very flirty towards MC but she is just so damn oblivious to all of his attempts and it's so amusing to watch XD Hiyoshi's route is also pretty great, he keeps talking about scary stories and bringing MC to haunted houses knowing that she is scared of them and enjoys it everytime MC clings on to him lol.

Shishido's route has so many dialogues abt him and Otori (compare to the other doubles pairs) that it makes me wonder what was on the writer's mind when they wrote his story and it kinda feels like MC ships them lol.

Kabaji, like Jackal, deserves to have his own route like i won't be surprise if there are fans who would wanna choose him in the game.

(There's actually one more Hyotei member that i didn't include in the slides bcs he didn't even appeared in the game (i think u can only see him in the background or something) so i didn't know anything abt him sorry maybe i'll know once i start watching the anime)

(Part 2, 4)

[lovetei]

I have an AU and I enjoy sharing so. Gift, from a (semi-?) writer to writer I suppose

but Swapped Obey me Au

where the brothers and side characters are humans- here’s the dynamic simplification;

Humans (Solomon / MC) : Cryptids

Demons (The Brothers / Diavolo / Barbatos) - humans/humanoids

Angels (Luke / Simeon) - Monster hunters

Maybe a modernish Victorian era, with castles and monster stories and that fun stuff + technology. Prince Diavolo starts a school to hopefully make peace between the three tribes of being.

So Solomon the Land siren (maybe a Lamia/Naga?) and MC the Mutt sheep cryptid. Where invited to the human school,

I can go on for hours- but hope this helps with ideas! I’d love to hear ya take. I love the way you write Obey me so yeah!

I'm so sorry this took so long, I need to create a visual in my head first and it takes long to write an AU :')

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

Swapped Alternate Universe

Swapped Universe: Introduction

Warnings:

Links: Masterlist

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

You were just going around the forests beside fields, feeding on whatever there is

But all of a sudden

An entitled prince, randomly sent you a letter saying you're invited into this type of program

But it's suspicious

The incentives favors the participants way too much...

What could possibly be the catch?

ROLES: Cryptids

MC MCLN

TYPE: Cryptid (Mutt sheep)

It is rumored that the "Mutt-Sheep" cryptids are a cross between lambs and canines, and are known to be found in areas with dense forests. Some describe them as a cross between a sheep and a dog, with a thick sheep-like coat covering their body, large claws on their paws for digging in the forest floor, and a canine's nose and teeth for hunting small animals. However, the exact origin and nature of the Mutt-Sheep cryptids are still unknown and shrouded in mystery. Despite this, sightings of these creatures have been reported by people who claim to have seen them lurking in the forest.

SOLOMON

TYPE: Cryptid (Naga)

They are described as having a human upper body, often with arms and chest, and from the waist down, they have the tail and scales of a snake. The Naga are said to be intelligent and powerful beings, capable of controlling the elements of nature and using their powers to influence the world around them. Many people believe that the Naga possess magical abilities that they use to protect their territory and the creatures that live there.

ROLE: Humans

DIAVOLO

JOB: President of RLD

The Royal Lab of Diavolo (RLD) is a highly advanced underground research facility with top-notch equipment and state-of-the-art technology. The lab is focused on developing peace between different races, such as humans, humanoid, cryptids, and monster hunters. The primary goal of the lab is to find ways to bridge the gap between the different races, and to create an environment where all beings can live together in harmony. The lab is led by a team of highly skilled scientists and researchers who work tirelessly around the clock to advance their research and find solutions to the world's problems.

BARBATOS

JOB: Vice president of RLD

The vice president of the Royal Lab of Diavolo is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the lab, including the management of staff, the supervision of research projects, and the coordination of activities with external partners and stakeholders. The vice president also plays a key role in managing the lab's finances and ensuring that resources are being used effectively and efficiently. Additionally, they may be involved in developing and implementing strategic plans for the lab's long-term growth and success. Therefore, the vice president plays an important role in the lab's success and helps to ensure that its mission of promoting peace and unity among different beings is achieved.

LUCIFER

JOB: Chief Fiance Officer (CFO)

The Chief Financial Officer (CFO) is a high-level executive position that is responsible for overseeing the financial operations and strategy of an organization. He works for the government and is supporting the current king.

MAMMON

JOB: Actor

He is the most famous actor out there starring in every genre whether it may be romance, comedy, action or adventure. He also stars in his own TV show series that broke multiple records and nominated multiple times on award show as well as receiving hundreds of awards.

LEVIATHAN

JOB: Programmer and Developer

A famous IT that works for the government and helps maintain government systems and Technologies, being one of the most trusted and talented worker in this field he has access to everything that can be found online.

SATAN

JOB: Proffesor

The youngest and top proffesor of one of the best schools found in the world, being the charming and mysterious proffesor whose world seems to revolve around books and his well known addiction, cats.

ASMODEUS

JOB: Model

The jewel of the human world, modeling for every possible brands to exist. He's known for his unforgettable face and his unmatched charm that helped him rise to the top of the world of fashion.

BEELZEBUB

JOB: Chef

A world-class chef that cooks for the king, known for his unique skills and for his beautiful physique. A man that made multiple woman swoon because of his looks and cooking skills.

BELPHEGOR

JOB: Doctor

A mysterious Doctor who seems to enjoy cutting things up and inventing antidotes or medicines against viruses and diseases that does not have a cure yet. He seems to be passionate about his job but the reason why he entered this field is still unknown.

ROLE: Hunters

SIMEON

RANK: A

A Rank A monster hunter is one of the best, most skilled and experienced monster hunters out there. They have exceptional abilities and skill in fighting and defeating monsters, as well as an in-depth knowledge of different types of monsters and how to defeat them.

Rank A Monster hunters are highly skilled and experienced in the art of hunting monsters. They are sought after for their exceptional abilities and knowledge. Their skill and experience have earned them a reputation as some of the finest monster hunters in the world.

LUKE

RANK: C

A Rank C monster hunter is considered an entry-level monster hunter. They are relatively new to the field and are still developing their skills and gaining experience. While they may have some basic knowledge of monster hunting techniques, they lack the advanced abilities and knowledge of higher-ranked Hunters. Nonetheless, they can still be an asset to a team and can perform certain tasks with supervision and guidance.

Overall, Rank C monster hunters are still learning and gaining experience. They are not always ready to handle high-level or dangerous missions, and are often assigned tasks and roles under the supervision and guidance of

[theladyofshalott1989]

 🎉 30,000 Reads on Like Moths to a Flame!!!

This morning, I hit 30,000 reads on Wattpad, Like Moths to a Flame's first home, so to speak. <3 When I started writing my series on Wattpad in March 2023, I had absolutely no idea where it would take me. In fact, I thought it was only going to be a one-shot. Silly me! In the past year and half, I'm learned so much about myself. It turns out I can write 3 whole books in that relatively short period of time, alongside a plethora of one-shots, a short story, and a spin-off fic. All combined, that amounts to over 300,000 words. (I'm including the currently unpublished word count for the third book, chapters of which I'm posting weekly.)

I've also gained so much, the best of which are the wonderful, creative, and kind friends I've met along the way. Even during the hard times, just thinking of you all (you know who you are!!!) can turn my day around. <3

Some other things I've gained:

1. My writing skills have improved considerably, despite the fact that I've been writing on and off since I was a pre-teen. Writing daily will do that (haha). 2. I finally have an AO3 account! I've been reading on AO3 for over a decade but I never had my own account. I finally joined last August and I'm so glad I did! The AO3 community is so wonderful and I'm thrilled to finally be contributing to it as a writer. 3. I rejoined Tumblr. In January of this year, a reader on Wattpad recommended I check out the HL community here, so I said, why the hell not? And now look where we are. :)

4. Fan art! Last summer, a wonderful reader reached out to me on Wattpad with fanart and it snowballed from there. Every piece I receive from an artist, even to this day, I tear up in the best way. I've never been able to create art in this way (believe me, I tried for years LOL), and I am in absolute awe of all you amazing artists that can do so. The fact that so many of you have been inspired by my work and have had the courage to reach out and share your beautiful creations with me is truly astounding. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. 5. Last, but certainly not least, HL rekindled my passion for writing. Prior to last spring, it had been years since I'd written something for myself. The moment I set pen to paper (yes, I wrote the first chapter in a notebook first because I wasn't sure if I was going to share it with the world!), I knew that was it for me. I was done-zo. I was sucked back into the world of writing. And I'll forever be grateful to the game for doing that for me. Finally, here's to Sebastian and Damien, who have taken on a life of their own. They're my boys, my brainrot, my children (besides my actual child - Sorry K, LOL - and yes, she may only be three but she could absolutely point out Sebastian in a lineup), and they'll hold a special place in my heart for all time.

Thanks for being on this journey with me! It's been a blast. :)

And just because, here's my Sebastien relationship playlist, which I think I've only shared here on Tumblr once before. It has a lot of fun, upbeat songs on it. Enjoy!

[viscari-a]

Lee Hakhyun my boi Q-Q

major spoilers for orv novel and side story 5! (760s)

I’m not fully up to date on the side stories but I’m a major chunk of the way in (the Zodiac Ball arc). Im someone who always finds myself rooting for the side/mob characters that appear for 2 chapters and never again. And Lee Hakhyun, with all his compassion, his regrets, his failures, his concerns, his insecurities, feels so uniquely human and relatable in a way that not even Kim Dokja had felt. ORV I started because of the premise and story telling and I got attached to the characters along the way. Lee Hakhyun…I got attached a few chapters in Anyway, the crazy thing is that I’m kind of mourning Lee Hakhyun more and more as the story pass. He’s still alive!!! And I’m grieving for him!!! He’s changed over time and maybe it’s character development, or confidence, but it feels more like the loss of an identity. Especially because in the current arc I’m on and the ones before it, he takes on Kim Dokja’s identity again and again, over and over and over. And at first, it’s so apparent what the differences are!! It’s really amazing, and full props to the author for being able to distinguish and write their characters so well. It’s also because of this that I feel like Lee Hakhyun is becoming Kim Dokja, and if so, that’s so…sad. Not in a bad way or anything fully negative. Change is inevitable, change happens. It’s not always bad, but thinking of what was is always…sad. (Also all of this is fully intentionally on the author’s part I believe, LOL). If it an identity change, it’s one thats almost coerced onto him, and that makes it sadder. The company calls him Kim Dokja and want him to be Kim Dokja, his current group calls him Kim Dokja because of context, his stories are telling him to be Kim Dokja. In truth, in one of the earlier chapters, I was so relieved and happy when the cast shared their true names and our MC said ‘Lee Hakhyun.” He wanted a new identity, and he got it; he has lived a whole life full of successes and failures that are entirely his own. But in the end, it’s cyclical. He was a person (kdj), but just a part, such that people appreciate but are not satisfied. He is an author compelled to write someone else’s story, such that readers admire that story but not his writing. (An author who got popular off a work that you wrote but that isnt your own, how scary is that?? As a writer, that sounds terrifying) He is himself, trying to be whole, but is made to be someone who he didn’t/doesnt want to be (49%), and the more he is made to play that role, the more his boundaries get lost. Lee Hakhyun, the more the story goes on, the more I can’t tell what actions/thoughts are yours, perhaps made with more confidence, and what actions/thoughts are Kim Dokja, whether acting as him or slowly becoming him. I want the story to have a happy ending, but is that even possible, with my perceptions of it? What would it entail? Can he be two different people at the same time? He has people around him to remind him who he is as Lee Hakhyun, but the knowledge that they’re all fragments of Kim Dokja add a level of instability and mind fuckery that makes it less reassuring than it should be. How much has he changed from the 560s to the 760s? Is it character development, or character transition? What is the core of his identity, considering everything? Lee Hakhyun of the beginning is someone I’ll remember fondly for how human he is, and I’ll have to do some rereads to define him more concretely, but I’ll miss him, if he’s not there anymore In context of this post and the whole story, honestly rip our MC for constantly being in an identity limbo and rip me because I didn’t expect the side story to include so much existential crisis. Regardless, i really truly hope he’s happy and content and confident in/by the end

[drinkyourvillainjuice]

Drink Your Villain Juice - FAQ

Contains mild spoilers.

What is the story about?

You play as a science experiment turned undercover supervillain, charged with gathering information on a mysterious new villain group in town. With many skeletons in your closet and mixed allegiances, whose side are you really on?

Genres: Horror, action, traumatised people trying to heal (or get worse)

Who is involved with this IF?

There's the writer, and there's her wife (the secretary!). Both of us are active on the blog, so you may sometimes see posts unrelated directly to DYVJ, usually tagged #unrelated.

What are the protagonist's powers?

The protagonist/MC can grow a protective membrane over their body, forming two tendrils from their shoulders. The membrane makes them stronger, faster, and more resilient.

MC can also select one of three power specialities: inducing wild and uncontrolled mutations of their body, creating small creepy-crawly minions (referred to as 'nodes'), and growing an armoured carapace.

Will we be able to gain multiple powers/will you add new powers?

No: both would add too much complexity and also detract from the significance of the choice.

Will our powers get stronger?

Yes, to an extent, but I don't write based on power levels anyway. :)

Who is this Paradigm/Dime person people keep talking about?

Paradigm, AKA Dime, is the MC! It's their codename with their 'true' faction.

How long will the story be? Is it going to be a series?

Length: I have no idea! I'm not intending to get completely bonkers, but I want to ensure all the ROs get their time in the sun too.

Series: I suspect this will be a duology, but I can't be certain yet as we're not deep enough into the narrative.

Did you say Romance Options!? Elaborate!

There are currently 7 romanceable characters in DYVJ. You can also play the MC as aromantic, asexual, or both. The ROs are explained in more detail on choice of games, but briefly:

Mallory (non-binary), Wilson/Wilma/Willow (gender-selectable), Kay (female), Teddie (male, men only), Control Group (female), Alistair (male), Beth (female, women/nonbinaries).

I'm intending on including at least one poly route, featuring Wil and Kay.

I've heard there's a choice to have a previous RO in the past?

Correct! There's a flashback sequence with MC and some friends before the supervillainy. You can choose to have MC dating or crushing on Prii (nonbinary), Shauna (female), Grant (male), or Beth (female). This doesn't prevent you from romancing someone else later on!

Will the characters from the flashback show up again?

I can promise some level of closure! There won't be romance routes though. (Beth notwithstanding)

Will you make [X] an RO?

Seven is already an awful lot! I don't want to overcommit by adding more!

Can I select all the options for the Juice changing my character's appearance?

I'm presently not planning on adding this. I'd have to alter some code in an annoying way and I enjoy it being a choice with intent instead of an 'all of the above'.

Will we be able to get off the Juice/free from control?

Keep playing and see. ;)

How villainous can I get?/Do I have to be a villain?

There will be opportunities to leap off the proverbial slippery slope, but also to be unhappy and conflicted about what you're being forced to do.

Drink Your Villain Juice! is kind of a goofy name.

So I've heard! I know it's given people the impression that this is a comedy, which it, uh, very much is not. Honestly Drink Your Villain Juice! was the only title that popped for me in the conceptual stage: everything else felt much more bland or generic.

I've found a bug, how can I let you know?

First, please make sure you didn't resume playing on Dashingdon from an old save: updates to Dashingdon tend to break a lot of stuff in the backend and that's been the root of a lot of errors in the past.

If you're confident this isn't the problem, then just send an ask or post on the COG forum! I'll look into it.

I'd like to give feedback on the game!

Once again, send an ask, or post on the COG forum. I also have a feedback form I'm trying out for each chapter, so you can fill that out if you like!

Can I support you?

That's very kind of you! Support from fans is how I can work on the game and update as frequently as I do. I have a Patreon and a Ko-fi, but honestly, I'm grateful just for your feedback. :)

Do you have a discord?

Yes, it's tied to Patreon membership. However, if you have sent a tip/donation/etc, please reach out to DYVJ requests to talk about an invite. :)

[shuadotcom]

request guidelines

requests are O P E N

request guidelines:

be sure to familiarize yourself with my guidelines below before requesting ✰ if you send a request that has anything in my “what i will not write” list your ask will automatically be deleted ✰ if i post your request, please reblog it at least - it’s one of the nicest thank yous a writer here can receive ✰ please be kind when requesting from me. using “please” and “thank you” is free and always appreciated ♡ ✰ don't be afraid to ask me any questions before requesting!

WHO i will write for right now (this list will change depending on my motivation):

ateez ❥ nct dream ❥ seventeen ❥ stray kids ❥ the boyz ❥ txt (no smut for huening kai)

WHAT i will write:

sfw & nsfw ✿ member(s) x reader ✿ fluff, smut, angst, romance, supernatural, slice of life, hybrid (i will consider other genres, these are just my usuals) ✿ multiple members/polyam relationships (limit of 4 members + reader - writing more dicks than that seems hard ngl) ✿ dom/sub/switch/no dynamic specification ✿ drabble or one-shot (this depends on how inspired your request makes me) ✿ fem or gender neutral reader (default is fem unless you ask for otherwise) ✿ i'll consider anything else that's not listed below

WHAT i will NOT* write (this list will be updated as i see fit):

mtl lists ✘ any specific race or size of reader (excluding black or chubby/fat - as i identify with both i can write this upon request, otherwise my mcs are left as vague as possible) ✘ high school, harry potter, mafia/crime aus ✘ substance/physical abuse ✘ extreme violence/blood play ✘ noncon ✘ mxm (excluding poly scenarios including reader) ✘ foot play ✘ extreme toxicity ✘ self-harm/mental illnesses ✘ incest/stepcest ✘ rape/kidnapping fantasies ✘ ddlg/age play ✘ lactation kink ✘ pregnancy ✘ pet play ✘ beastiality ✘ piss/scat/vomit kink ✘ necrophilia ✘ anything else i’m uncomfy with and/or i don’t think i have the experience needed to write it successfully

WHEN will i finish/post your request:

whenever i can so BE PATIENT WITH ME OR I WILL STOP TAKING REQUESTS. i’m a grown adult with grown adult responsibilities and problems - writing is a fun hobby i do for free. i will post your request as soon as i can, i promise 🩷

↳ if you have read and understand my guidelines...

WHERE and HOW to submit requests:

go to my askbox and let me know:

➸ the member ➸ the genre, au, and/or idea you have in mind ➸ other specific elements you’d like included ➸ the emoji you want me to use for you if you wish to remain anonymous**

**SMUT MUST BE REQUESTED OFF ANON - this is for age verification. if you want me to post the drabble/one shot and not tag you, please include the emoji you want to be addressed by. i will add in the author’s note: “this is a request from 🍒 anon”

WHY* i won’t write these things:

this is a list of kinks i either am not comfortable with, don’t personally enjoy, or don’t have the knowledge to write successfully. what i write/don’t write isn’t inclusive of all that i read. read whatever you enjoy! (ノᴖ◡ᴖ)ノ☆｡₀:ﾟ✲ ° ♡ • ➵ ✩ °⑅·˚ ♡

[damatically]

Zayne mini rant cuz i really love him and how he is written even tho we only have 8 chapters and current cards to tell his personality bc this game is newly released

Zayne beating allegations of him being emotionally constipated black haired ml one card at the time is such a treat.

Sure he's a man with few words but he's not afraid or shy to openly expresses his feelings abt certain things and his feelings for mc.

His sarcastic side came off really friendly to me and its not obnoxious sometimes when writers write mls who are supposed to be sarcastic those dudes just came off bland or rude in execution but zayne doesnt.

I feel like he's actually based on a real person atp cuz how can you capture such a realistic personality like this??? Its so good.

For now he doesnt have the spiciest cards but the way his cards convey his relationship with mc is such a breath of fresh air. His take is mature and secured. Im so sick of jealous possessive mls it feels tacky rn for me. But it doesnt mean that zayne doesnt get jealous it was hinted in a slightest he does get jealous a bit but he doesnt stay quiet and turn it into a whole fight he addresses it.

Another thing i love ofc iTS HIS VISUAL. Its simple but man im weak lmao leave me alone. aLSO HIS HANDS 🥺🥺🥺 devs knows how to attack me.

The only thing i dont like is how ppl will say he's similar to xyz and xyz ml's are nothing like him. Im not gonna mention the otome games but im just saying Zayne didnt come off problematic unlike those characters you compared him to. Style wise they can be similar but it irks me that they even include everything abt him. I can accept few comparison bc the rest is just me going to side eye from far away.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk

[satansaidnottoday]

Obey Me! Human AU.

I've been working on this AU for some time. I have a lot of writing for it that I want to publish here, so I thought I should write a guide to it!

I've decided to keep their names the same, as it makes for less confusion.

Warnings: Child death. Mentions of child neglect and abuse.

Brothers age and occupation:

More info about each of them here.

Lucifer: 34 years old, Lawyer.

Mammon: 28 years old, Bartender/Aspiring model.

Leviathan: 26 years old, Streamer/Retail worker at a manga shop.

Satan: 24 years old, Librarian.

Asmodeus: 23 years old, Full time student.

Beelzebub: 22 years old, Full time student.

Belphegor: 22 years old, Student/Part-time worker at a café.

Side characters age and occupation:

Diavolo: 35 years old, Lawyer.

Barbatos: unknown, Diavolo's personal assistant.

Simeon: 30 years old, Writer.

Luke: 12 years ago, Kid.

Solomon: 25 years old, Owner of a Holistic shop (he absolutely does NOT sell any kind of illegal substance, stop asking. Who are you? The police?).

Main Mc: is around Lucifer's age, Owner of a cat Café.

The brothers story:

Note: the term foster home is the nearest translation I could find. It's more of a permanent place of living for kids on the system, like an individually owned orphanage.

They grew up together in a foster home. The owners were in it for the money and didn't care about them. They did the bare minimum to keep them, like buying them food and sending them to school.

The parental duties fell on the older siblings. Mostly Lucifer, who was significantly older than the rest. The twins and Lilith were babies when they arrived, Lucifer and Mammon basically raised them.

They met Simeon there. He lived with them for a few months before his parents regained custody over him.

Lucifer managed to get a retail job before aging out of the system. It allowed him to rent a room in a student residence and enroll in law school, where he met Diavolo.

They instantly became friends, mostly through Diavolo's efforts. Lucifer was reluctant at first, but found that he enjoyed his company.

Diavolo convinced him to be his roommate. He didn't really need one, as his dad owned the apartment, but he really liked the idea of living with a friend. It was a bonus that it got Lucifer out of paying an exorbitant rent just to bunk with 4 other people.

Lucifer wouldn't sleep or eat much during that time, putting all of his time and energy into studying.

He kept a close relationship with his siblings, visiting every weekend and bringing them gifts when he was able to afford them.

He started to notice obvious signs of neglect on their younger sister, Lilith. He ended up fighting with his foster parents. He was banned from the house after that.

Lucifer made a legal complaint, but nothing was done about it.

From then on, Mammon and sometimes Levi, would make secret visits to Lucifer's place to tell him all the news and smuggle groceries and gifts back into the house.

He graduated with Diavolo's class, a full year ahead and with honors.

After graduation, Diavolo offered Lucifer a position on his dad's law firm, but he wanted to become a family defence attorney.

It was a few days after that Mammon came crying at their door.

Lilith had died. She had a lung infection their caretakers refused to treat.

Lucifer felt he was drowning. Tears wouldn't stop falling from his eyes, and he couldn't breathe. But Mammon was there, crying too. All of his brother's were probably crying too, trapped inside of that house. He needed to take them out. He couldn't let them there.

And so he didn't grieve, he held Mammon in his arms until he fell asleep crying. And then he got to work.

With the help of Diavolo's family, he started a case against the home, and a claim for his brother's custody.

He needed to prove he was able to care for all of them, and that included a place to live in. Diavolo lent him the money to buy a house big enough for all of them. It was run down and on the outskirts of the city, but it passed all security checks.

He could give it back when he wanted, no interest rate or pressure. The only condition was to work for him. Lucifer accepted without thinking.

Levi and Mammon helped gather evidence of the neglect they were subject to in the house.

With that and Lilith's death (and the help of a very well regarded judge who was friends with Diavolo's family) he was able to win the case in a year.

It was the happiest day of his life, and also the most exhausting.

He took all of them out for dinner, some of his brothers he hadn't had a direct conversation with since he was banned from the house.

It was the first time he saw them all happy in a long time.

They had a lot of hardships to overcome, but they were together at last.

About Mc.

The main Mc in this story is the owner of a Cat Café in the brother's neighborhood. Their café was the only decent place to eat at when they moved, so it became a regular spot for them. They develop a romantic relationship with Lucifer.

All of the brothers have different MC's that play roles in their stories, but this MC is the most present through the whole AU.

That's all for this post! The specifics of what the brothers did after that is in my other post. It goes more in depth about each of them.

All of the content for this AU will be under the tag #OB!HumanAu

Thanks for reading!

[bp-zb1fics]

hi! i love how you write bp trainee!reader fics and i was like ‘omg imagine jay x g group trainee!reader’ so i came here to request something. i wanted to request jay chang confessing to g group!reader during the boys planet finale, or something a long the lines of that. i wanted to see your take on how he would confess to someone, you can always switch up the plot or even ignore this ask if you don’t want to write it! <3

If this was a movie

pairing: jay x g group reader

genre: canon, fluff

tw/tags: lots of pining, confessions, a kiss or two, some swears, jay kinda dramatic and very in denial, kamden, matthew, ricky best wingmen, a lil hui vs jay action but not really 

wc: 1731

summary: it’s the sleepover night before the finale and jay has something to tell you.

a/n Hi! First of all thank you so much for this lovely request, it was an utter pleasure to write and I really enjoyed it and I hope you will too! I'm always a sucker for canon fics because it's so fun to take the show we all know and love and hate sometimes bc mnet kinda shady and write about it. I've lifted lines directly from the sleepover segment from episode 12, just be citing my sources. I definitely would have included reader/ mc/ y/n's pov but ended up keeping it to jay's pov for some reason, idk maybe it's like writer brain. If anyone wants a "your pov" version, do let me know~ that would be a fun part 2

Check my pinned for more fics~

Italics mean it’s spoken in English.

Jay tips his head back and exaggerates his cringe, laughing along with everyone at Gunwook stealing Junhyeon’s aegyo. Only he can’t help but let his eyes linger back to you giggling quietly from where you’re leaning against Hoetaek, the elder playing with your hair. 

And even if he knows that Hoetaek is a little more familiar with the former Cube trainees like you and Matthew and Sung Hanbin, he can’t help but feel the smallest twinge of jealousy. He wanted to be close to you like that, to mess with your hair until you pout at him and he can’t help but-

“By all means, keep staring, we might as well get a neon sign that says I LIKE YOU and put it on your head.”

Kamden mumbles from beside him, effectively snapping him out of his maladaptive daydreaming. 

“Oh my god dude, shut up.”

He hisses, still keeping one eye on you as you lean into Hoetaek’s touch. Think positive, Jay. Even if you're also a fellow English speaker, at least you’re far away enough that you probably won’t overhear them. Ricky snickers from his other side.

“You’re so subtle, man.”

He levels them a look. It’s their last night, can’t he get a break?

“It’s our last night Jay, you know, you should tell them.”

Apparently not. 

He looks up and Kamden manages to look even more unimpressed than he usually does, head tilting a little more than 45° for emphasis.

“Nah, it’s cool, besides, they’re definitely not into me.”

Jay deflects, ignoring the sinking feeling that begins to take hold. 

“You don’t know that.”

“I’m pretty sure I do.”

“Just try.”

“You’re being very persistent today, Kam, I dunno, it’s kinda sus.”

Before Kamden can fire back, the whole conversation about memorable first impressions turns around and bites Jay in the ass because the universe loves messing with him.

“So who was your best first impression, Jay-ah?” 

Suddenly everyone’s looking at him expectantly. Kamden and Ricky look like they already know and Jay knows that they know that the answer sitting at the tip of his tongue is just across the room, Hoetaek’s arm around their shoulder. Still, Jay hesitates.

He’s had a crush on you ever since the Star Level test. You had immediately caught his attention walking in. Sure, there were perfect visuals like Jiwoong and Hanbin but you were the most attractive person he’s ever seen. And you were talented, Jay could swear your performance was one of the best but Kamden’s convinced that he’s just biased.

But even though you’re both from G-group, you’ve always ended up in different teams, leaving Jay with not that many opportunities to talk with you. When he does end up around you, he just can’t, defaulting to his usual over the top expressions for laughs. While he’s always thought of himself as a confident person, he just finds himself fumbling around you. It doesn’t help that you seem to stick to Hoetaek or Sung Hanbin or one of your team members. You’re friendly with each other, sure, but nothing more than that. 

Right, back to the question.

“The person I remember the most is Yujin.”

He immediately feels the collective disappointment that emanates from his corner of the room as the rest of the trainees react, Matthew even sitting up to hit him with some bombastic side-eye. He pretends he doesn’t hear Kamden sighs, doing an impression of Yujin which looks more like a possession honestly. The others laugh. Jongwoo’s comment is the crutch he needs to limp away as he holds Yujin in check as competition.

Of course, it wouldn’t be that easy.

“For me, as soon as I heard Jay sing, I felt like I was in trouble.” 

Hoetaek speaks up and Jay forces himself into another exaggerated look of surprise and shoves down the ugly feeling that jumps out at the way you hug one of Hoetaek’s arms. 

“Your competitor?” One of them jokes.

Not just in singing, Jay thinks.

“But you did watch Love Me Right, hyung?” Jongwoo asks. Jay really wants this conversation to move on.

“It was so hard to watch Love Me Right.” He watches as Hoetaek shifts so that you can lean more comfortably.

“That’s not the only thing that’s hard to watch right now.” Ricky breathes out. Now Kamden and Matthew are snickering.

Just smile, Jay. 

“Honestly, I wanted to give up when I saw you, hyung.” He manages to grit out without giving himself away, hopefully. 

Everyone laughs and Jay desperately sends a prayer to the universe to let his pain end. Ironically, it’s Kamden and Matthew who come to his rescue.

“Actually, I’m curious about something. Did I give off an American vibe?”

The conversation swerves towards Matthew’s imitation of Kamden, the apparently routine mispronunciation of Jiwoong’s name and Kamden’s impressive first impression of Ricky’s hair.

By the time they move on to Keita’s first meeting with Zhang Hao, Jay thinks he’s in the clear.

He's not.

Kamden proceeds to smack his arm and he meets eyes with Matthew whose usual bright smile was beginning to border on shit-eating grin territory.

“If you didn’t notice, they’ve been looking at you the whole time we were talking.” Kamden says lowly, Matthew nodding in agreement.

“Nah, you’re capping.”

“No, for real, Kam and I were literally right here giving some top-tier content and all they could see was you.” Matthew insisted.

“That doesn’t mean anything.”

“It definitely means something.” Ricky counters because he was apparently listening in on them the whole time while everyone else watched Jiwoong wax poetry over Hao’s violin playing. Jay shakes his head.

“It really doesn’t.”

Kamden looks like he wants to jump on him and start shaking some sense in. Matthew sighs. Ricky just shrugs and lies back down.

“Ah well, we’ll have to see then. I didn’t let Kam slander my hair and my catchphrase for nothing.”

After having to spectate the absolute trainwreck of awkwardness that is Zhang Hao and Kum Junhyeon, there’s the slightest chill that goes down Jay’s spine that he ignores, figuring it must be the weather.

It was definitely not the weather. He should have run while he still had a chance.

“Actually, there’s another pair I want to see.” Matthew speaks up. Suddenly he feels Kamden and Ricky both watching him like hawks as if he’s going to bolt any second now.

After Matthew names you and him, Jay actually wants to bolt. Kamden and Ricky are extremely helpful in explaining to the others the minimal interactions you two have had as the “least close trainees in G-group.” You look like a deer in headlights as Hoetaek gently shoves you towards the middle of the room, whispering something to you before he goes back to his spot. 

“Wah they’re both so red.” Jay becomes acutely aware of how much his cheeks are burning as he sits across you. You don’t seem to be any better, making eye contact before looking literally anywhere else.

Well, might as well get over it so he can go back and die of embarrassment.

“Uh, the first time I saw you was during the Star Level test. I thought you were very talented.”

Damn, when did Korean become so hard? Maybe it was the way your hands were holding his, can you feel how fast his pulse is racing? Okay Jay, you can do this, just speedrun it.

“And I really liked the song you performed, it really fit your voice. Your stage outfit was also very pr- very noticeable, it made you stand out. And I really wanted to get to know you more but we were in different groups all the time which really sucked and you don’t know how many times I wished you chose Home so we could perform together or the Star Creators would put us both in Over me and I understand, you’re really perfect for the concepts of your songs and it’s crazy how much I like you, seriously so crazy.”

Pin-drop silence. Three things, in order, that Jay realises.

Speedrunning this might not have been the best idea.

Switching to English midway through the conversation is a skill that he didn’t know he was capable of considering his level of Korean would definitely be more byelingual than actual, intelligent multilingual like Matthew.

He might have confessed his feelings to you. No actually, he did. Fuck, now would be a great time to get on the next plane and fly off to the States and cry to Beomhan for a month. Forget debuting, he’d settle for a nice normal life without the evil editing and the screen time robbing and the utter stress of eliminations.

But before Jay can actually bolt, you speak up.

“Uh- uhm…” You look so unsure that it freezes him there, seated in front of you, holding your hands like it’s his last lifeline.

“I really like you too.”

Everyone gasps and begins murmuring quietly.

“Wait, my English is bad, what are they saying?”

“Finally, they’ve confessed, I knew it.”

“Wait who confessed?”

“That was like an American romance movie, wow.”

Then the clapping starts. Jay tears his eyes away from you for one second to look at Kamden in utter disbelief. His co-conspirators don’t miss a beat.

“Congratulations, you finally did it! Thank fuck.”

“Be happy together, you two!”

And because Ricky apparently wasn’t satisfied with the slander he had put himself through.

“Now kiss.”

Which turned into a chant because even the trainees who didn’t speak English fluently knew what they were talking about. Someone even helpfully throws a blanket over Yujin to protect his eyes.

Jay turns back and finds you giggling. While it looks like embarrassment, now he could feel the way your fingers interlocked with his, your eyes flitting to his lips. The chanting becomes background noise as he leans in, pressing his lips against yours firmly.

Fireworks explode in the background as you pull away.

Everyone applauds with the occasional whistling, oohing as Jay tugs you to sit between his legs, Ricky graciously scooting over to make space.

Kamden claps him on the back and Matthew flashes both of you a thumbs up.

God, he loves hates these guys.

As the conversation settles back down and everyone decides to actually sleep, you sneak another kiss before cuddling up to his side.

Jay smiles. Maybe this is a movie.