#oh she also constantly points out how one of us always draws darker things while completely disregarding the reason she draws what she does

[fangssss2006]

Okay guys buckle up it's Fangs yap time again

If you also like marauders I apologize I do have some marauders rooted head canons in here

I make mood/vision boards I use in my Tik Toks and they all have hidden head canons so finally my time to talk about them

Teddy Lupin

He definitely collects CDs and also burns and makes his own CDs. He also collects those pin buttons especially the space and NASA ones. He loves gummies, it got to the point everyone has a bag on hand if they know he's coming because they'll just end up at the store anyway if they don't have some. He plays guitar and he'll sometimes burn CDs and make some with his own music. He occasionally gives these to his friends and loved ones. I also think people tell him a lot that he looks like his mom and has her soul and has his dad's heart.

Victoire Weasley

Loves those healthy breakfasts like oatmeal and smooth bowls and always reads a book while eating or she's outside or looking out the window just enjoying nature. LOVE taking pictures she always has a camera on her and has memory cards full of her and teddy. Has a trinket box she decorated when she was like 11 and adds trinkets all the time. Loves those beaded and braided bracelets but she hasn't figured out how to completely master it so her sister makes them for her. And you see how her and teddy have flowers in their pockets? Yeah they pick flowers and put them in their pockets then they'll go back inside and make cute little crafts or add another page to a scrap book

Dominique Weasley

She has darker red hair but has blonde streaks. Loves to draw and write she has journals filled with drawings and writings it's all cluttered together but perfectly together that it's still extremely organized. Loves donuts especially the kind of ones in the picture. Has a strict skin care routine and night routine that she has to go through with doesn't matter the time as long as she does it before bed. She loves Paris she prefers it over any other place. When they visit she lives in the moment every second. She has a big fluffy white dog she takes every where don't ask why but she definitely does. She's definitely the "cold" sibling and has some depression (self projecting 🤞)

Louis Weasley

He definitely prefers to read in French and always picks up at least 5 books every time they visit Paris. Loves fruit he can eat it all day everyday and loves coconut water? Idk man that's just what I'm getting. Wears a lot of rings strictly only silver. He also prefers Paris over anywhere else. He's definitely closer to Dominique they're always together especially after vic started hanging out with Teddy more (it's ok tho they love him and understand). He absolutely loves Dominique's dog, basically just both of their baby

James Sirius Potter

Bro falls asleep constantly, if he's sitting down and starts reading or is being read to he's just out like a baby. He LOVES vinyl and is constantly trying to find his favs on it. He definitely started loving it after Harry decided to give him some of Sirius' old ones and some of his dad's he found. He doesn't play guitar but he collects guitar picks because he thinks they're cool. It started after teddy would give him his old ones after he would get new ones. Obviously he plays quidditch and he loves it. As much as he loves playing it I think he enjoys it more watching it and cheering. He definitely has a golden retriever that he's had since he was like 12. Just like Harry gets people saying how much he looks like his dad James gets the same thing but it's always oh you look just like Harry...and he looks like his oh my you're just like them both and he doesn't get sad about it he smiles big every time and says thank you they're the best guys I've known and heard of

Albus Severus Potter

(side note I saw someone head canon a name change of Cedric Remus potter. Idk how I feel about it but maybe some one would like it)

He has a pocket watch that belonged to regulus all though Harry thought it was Sirius' because he would carry it around all the time. He loves sketching out mythical creatures and plants, also putting samples of leaves or fur or scales if he has any, and basically making his own magic guide books. He would wear headphones a lot or have them on his neck if they had them. He collects a shit ton of crystals and pretty much any little witch trinket from muggle spiritual shops (can't remember the name rn even though I literally go to them all the time) has Altoids tins or something adjacent and puts things he might use for spells be might find useful and keeps them in his bag or Pocket. Has a black cat that he got from the shelter when James got his dog, he originally didn't want one he just was excited about a dog being in the house but he saw the cat and she was the runt and stayed away from the rest and he just felt something about her so he asked and ofc they got her

Lily Luna Potter

She loves fairy tales and loves the older style books because they're GORGEOUS so ginny always gets one when she finds them thrifting. When ginny gets new makeup or doesn't feel like something she got fits her she'll give it to Lily to use for fun because Lily likes to paint with them or just color things but she'll keep the red pallets to practice with. Her and Harry will pick little flowers on the side of the sidewalk on walks then go home and dry them in books and Lily tacs them on the walls of her room and Harry has some all over him and Ginny's room. Lily has colorful succulents everywhere and always comes home with some because professor Long bottom always gives her herbology plants. She definitely has that dog i saw her and was omg your definitely lily's. They just fit each other's vibe so well, I think she got her for Christmas one year. She also looks scarily like Lily when she was her age and people say it all the time and Lily also doesn't mind because she thinks Lily was absolutely pretty

Scorpius Malfoy

He definitely reads fantasy books like LOTR religiously. I like to believe teddy sometimes visits with them because they're family and it was dracos idea. So one year teddy gave him a ds and he was OBSESSED. He definitely makes those decorative tube jars with flowers and bugs that are naturally preserved and has them around his room. This also isn't on the board but I think his ceiling has constellations on it and it has Sirius, regulus, draco, and Scorpius up there so in away he had family there. He definitely got the tin idea from Albus but instead put things he loves in there and puts it in his pocket or bag. There's no way he doesn't like those little calico critters he definitely has some. He also got a golden retriever puppy after the whole time travel stuff

Delphi Riddle

(side note don't come after me for adding her this happened on tik tok I think she's a very interesting character and like to look into that. I'm not saying I like her I just like interesting characters.)

Gets nose bleeds a lot especially when she's reading while she's stressed so she has a lot of stains in her books. Prefers to just light candles instead of turning on a lamp It's easier on her eyes because she's constantly getting headaches and she likes to be extra and edgy. Has a pet snake or two I feel like that's a given. She collects snake skin and preserves snakes in jars if she finds them so they can still live in memory. She just has a weird connection with snakes just like her father. Has her father's and mother's jewelry that she wears all the time. She's constantly trying to look in the mirror and see them because she WANTS to be them. She's not worried about being them that's her greatest wish

I will have to do another part because I can't fit all the Weasleys on here but I'll work on more boards because I haven't gotten to anyone else but who's on here and the Weasleys yet but hopefully you enjoy my yap session. If you couldn't tell I'm extremely ill and autistic about the wizarding world (BUT FUCK JKR)

Chat I keep thinking about Harry Potter next Gen and I just want that fandom to be as good as the marauders please can we build it 😭🙏🙏🙏

I WILL start building it myself I already have headcannons

[surrender-souls]

maybe i shouldve told someone other than the gossip besties that the art teacher when talking about her friends autistic kid and then promptly finding out im autistic and took offense with how she talked about them basically said ”not like that though”

[fluffi]

SARCOLINE SUNSET I: WELCOME HOME, OUTSIDER :: SOOBIN

pairing: soobin x gn!reader, platonic!ot5 x gn!reader genre: fluff, some subjective angst, bits of humor, enemies-to-lovers, childhood friends word count: 4002 event: #summerscape for @kpopscape credit: @enha-woodzies​ for making the gfx for this series! show her some love <3 author’s note: i accidentally deleted this post so here is a rushed reupload. it might not be as good as the original because it isnt proof read as well but i still hope the algorithm picks it up, maybe this’ll be good for the post. Also, the second part will be coming out in 15 days. warnings: people disappearing, mentions of burning and fire (further warnings will be released in the next parts as the story gets darker)

THIS STORY IS PURELY A WORK OF FICTION AND DOES NOT DICTATE JAY OR NI-KI’S PERSONAL LIVES AND/OR FAMILY.

part two ->

The blonde stared up at an intricately designed structure in awe, walking forward to touch the sides of it and running his calloused hands up and down its rusted carved wedges. It seemed oddly cliche and unrealistic, but he could feel its story. Every touch of the ceramic pillar provided him with emotion that he couldn’t bring himself to explain.

The sun hadn’t set yet, but he could make out the faint reflection of it settling in the background. The huge pine trees around him were making conversation with each other; their faint whispers and rustles providing peace to his veins.

So entranced in the scenery of such a mystical place, he forgot to watch out for his younger peer. Kicking back into his senses, he nervously called out, “Riki! You there?” His voice, usually strong and boisterous, laced fear today.

“Don’t worry about me Jay, I’m right behind you. Just climbing this fence..and..there!” Riki let out a grunt as he jumped onto the soft grass, looking at his older friend with an innocent grin.

At the sight of his buddy, Jay visibly loosened. It was clear that he didn’t feel safe in this environment, yet felt entranced to it in some way. Riki caught up to him in a quick jog before standing next to Jay, in awe at the magnificent view that they were spectating for the first and possibly last time.

“Is this…the place you were talking about?” Riki was out of breath from running after his peer. He pats the grassy patch below him before slumping onto it, crossing his legs afterward.

Jay took a seat next to him, setting his canvas satchel and leather jacket next to him. “According to the maps and books, this is the right spot. I just want to see if the myth is true.”

Riki clapped his hands in excitement and turned to face Jay. “We’re staying till the sun sets right? I want to see what the carousel looks like at night! This structure is so fascinating. It must be beautiful out here at night.”

“No, we’re walking back as soon as the sun goes down. I do not want to risk being out here at night. People have disappeared from staying too long and I wouldn’t want to worry your mother.”

Riki visibly slumped and turned back in time to see the last drop of orange dip. It was quiet for a while. The singing birds stopped humming their soulful tunes, yet the whispering trees grew louder, their inaudible gossip echoing in the ears of the two boys.

At nine at night, Riki’s mother would call Jay, heeding no response. She would do the same for his parents and his friends. The only piece of information they could provide was that Jay had brought Riki, in his words, to “a magical place”. With no other vital details they could draw from their son’s peers, Jay and Riki’s family agree to call the local police, reporting two missing people: two minors, one last seen in a brown leather jacket, and a taller one tailing alongside him. Both their hairs were dyed in a striking shade of blonde.

Summer’s heat-blasted onto your skin as soon as you stepped out of your sleek white Toyota. It was good to be back, you supposed. Although it was something that not many people would fawn over, you were ecstatic to be home in town.

Leaving at the mere age of sixteen wasn’t easy. After your parents decided that you were too good for a mediocre high school where people cared more about their body count than grade count, they immediately sent you off to a prestigious boarding school in the big city. You were given three days to pack and say goodbye to your friends, the rest of your family, your world. As excited as you were to study in the evolutionary epicenter of technology, you didn’t like how you had almost no say in this decision.

You didn’t return home from high school even after four years of studying at that mentally draining institution. It wasn’t like you didn’t want to come back, you were just so accustomed to life in the big city that it seemed pointless to return to square one. With the rest of the world finally in your grip (or so you thought), you enrolled in a highly expensive university and received a full-ride scholarship.

Perhaps that was your breaking point. Piles of work that could never be cleared must’ve got to your head. No one out there seemed to care about your mental health and well-being. The only reason you were allowed to take a break from the university and return was because of your constant breakdowns that your lecturers called “distracting” and “unethical”. You were hoping that this drop-by in town would give you a physical and mental cleanse.

There was no place as hot as home, from where you had been. The blazing sun scorched onto the road. Carrying baggage by itself was already hard enough, but this heat was immensely torturing. You struggled to carry your belongings while trying to close the car boot at the same time. Oh, a pity. You had just returned home and you were slowly turning into a bundle of disorganization, unlike your previous methodical attitude.

“Need a hand?” A familiar suede voice behind your shoulder sounded like music to your ears as you dropped all of your luggage and turned back to see…

“Taehyun!” Child best friend number one. You were looking at a once-innocent boy with doe eyes who had matured into a fine young man. His hair was dyed platinum blonde and, although younger than you, possessed a flair that was completely unlike his past self. His facial features were more prominent than ever and you wondered if all of your friends had developed as well as he had.

You locked your arms around his neck and embraced him as he took your baggage from you.

“You’re so tall now!” You gasped in awe and looked him up and down.

“Of course I am! A boy has to grow, doesn’t he?”

Speak of the devil(s), four people tagged behind Taehyun, waiting for you to notice their presence. All of them were just as tall (if not taller) than your blonde friend and stood out like a sore thumb. It wasn’t just the height, their hair was also in very...exciting colors.

“Can’t believe you forgot about us just for Taehyun.” Ah, that nasal voice was so recognizable. Choi Yeonjun, second-best friend. You cherished him like he was your secret weapon, a power waiting to be unleashed into your industrial world. Although older than Taehyun, they seemed to be the same height now. You couldn’t tell because his new neon pink hair was waxed slick and puffy which made him look a teensy bit taller than his younger friend. You had seen him around on social media and he was a hair-changing chameleon.

Alongside Yeonjun was Hueningkai, better known as Kai in the friend group. He was the youngest one, constantly babied and spoiled, you could say. He was probably influenced by the rest of his friends too, his hair now in a mossy shade of blonde. 

Poor Yeonjun, you completely disregarded his existence and dashed over to Kai instead, eagerly standing next to him to compare heights. The kid had grown so much, you couldn’t tell if you were contented that he was now taller than you or dejected that you had missed so much when you weren’t around.

“Hey, wait up!” Someone from behind called. With Hueningkai and Yeonjun blocking your view you couldn’t see who that one person walking next to Choi Beomgyu was.

Beomgyu, the last friend who joined the friend group. He was always a comedian and never failed to make your day. Although, he didn’t seem so smiley anymore. You figured that it was school stress and adulting getting the best of him. We all had those days; you regrettably knew them like you knew the back of your hand . Unlike the rest of his friends, Beomgyu’s hair was kept in a natural shade of ivory brown. He had never been swayed by the rest of the crowd.

There were so many things to do, so many people to see. You had missed out on most of your growing: having fun with friends, staying up late at night just to watch the stars, dancing on your balcony. You had missed the people too. The town felt different from when you had left it.

“Soobin! Don’t just stand behind, meet our friend! They just returned from the city, right?” Beomgyu ran over to you before giving you a little squeeze.

Who’s Soobin?

“Hey, I’m Choi Soobin. Twenty-one this year. I moved here a few years ago. You must have left before I showed up.” A simple and concise introduction from the blue-haired man. Maybe he was the root of this hair-dyeing trend in town (pun very much intended), as well as the height trend since he was just as tall, if not taller than the rest of the boys.

You briefly introduced yourself but that was about it. You didn’t know how to create small talk, nonetheless with someone completely unfamiliar to you.

Later that day, you wondered if he had replaced you, become another guardian in the friend group. As one of the oldest, you and Yeonjun were always known as the parents of your three “kids”, but Soobin seemed to take care of them equally well. Throughout the day, you watched his every action, how he helped Beomgyu with homework, how he styled Kai’s hair, how he treated Taehyun to his favorite meal, exactly like what you did when you were still around. For once, you felt like the outsider.

Marshmallow Night had always been a tradition here. It was a five-of-you kind of thing, well, the six-of-you now. It had always been the go-to celebration whenever one of you hit a milestone, or was just held for fun. The days of joy where the only thing you had to worry about was whether your smores were burnt.

It had changed a lot over the years, you guys would add some new events to it and remove the ones you guys outgrew, like hopscotch.

You had missed most of its evolution.

Instead of being the main catalyst for today’s event, you resorted to sitting at the side as Soobin took the lead, carrying tables back and forth as well as setting up the fire in a method that the five of you had never used.

Oh, how much you loathed him. You hated his innocent-looking face that spurred out words of authority and boastfulness. You couldn’t stand how he looked so obnoxious with his bright blue hair, his dark brown eyes that held an impeccable gleam. He looked so cheeky, so mean, and worst of all, he had made all of your friends convert to mini spawns of him. Even Yeonjun, the oldest member, no longer felt like the Choi Yeonjun you once knew.

If you could, you would throw him out of your hometown, except that you seemed to be the outsider here. Anyone who walked past would see five people sitting on a huge log, helping each other light marshmallows and biscuits. They would barely notice the one person hunched over on the other side, sitting on the ground, eyes dazed and uninterested.

Occasionally one of the boys would call out to you, either hand you a s’more or ask if you were alright, to which you responded, “I’m alright! Don’t worry about me, I’m having fun.”

Anyone could also see that you weren’t in the zone, but you didn’t want to ruin the moment and be a party pooper. You ended up spending most of the time scrolling on your phone, checking school emails, and such. It didn’t feel like you were back home, it felt like you were on a vacation, on your own.

The commotion had died down, for the most part. Everyone else was either discussing school gossip in hushed voices or making the most of use of their electronic device. You were tempted to join the little heated conversation that Soobin and Beomgyu were having, but you didn’t know who this ‘Chaeyeon’ girl was and either way, you wouldn’t want to voluntarily speak to Choi Soobin.

It wasn’t long before both of them went to do something else, the only sound prevalent being the wood crackling from the bonfire and the occasional chirp of evening birds.

It was a loud, sucked-in breath that drew the attention of everyone, eyes pinned onto the instigator.

Choi Soobin, once again disrupting the peace of this curated environment. He ducked his head in apology and you were about to return to your world when Kai’s curiosity got the best of him.

“Why did you just do that?” His booming voice resounded over everyone else.

You weren’t going to lie, you were curious too. It wasn’t every day you heard a gasp like that.

Soobin looked back up, eyes wide and awake. He was excited about something but seemed to be masking it for the sake of..suspense?

“Okay. You guys know Yongsam Park right?” He put his phone down and tapped his hands on his thighs in a state of urgency.

Now that statement got everyone’s attention. “It’s the flower place outside our town, everyone passes it when they enter. Of course we would know where the place is. Why are you so adamant about it?” Taehyun inquired.

“Well, have any of you gone inside the park? Or near the landmark in general?”

“No. Why would we? There’s nothing to do there than to take pictures of boring flower statues.” You stated.

“See. You guys don’t know anything about the place.” He smirked tilting his head upwards and proudly crossing his arms.

“Could you cut to the chase and tell us what it is already?” Thank Yeonjun for his smart, impatient mouth.

Soobin didn’t answer and merely flipped his phone so you could see whatever was on it. The only words you could make out were “Yongsam...missing...carnival” and something related to the park before he turned it back, away from your view.

“You can’t just say that we don’t know anything about this place then proceed to give us nothing about it.” You rolled your eyes, disinterested in the conversation once again.

“Fine. I’ll send it to you.” Soobin rolled his eyes back as four of the other boys snickered. They loved seeing the two of you bicker.

In courtesy of Beomgyu who gave Soobin your number (without your consent), you received a news article and skimmed through it with eager eyes:

[WHAT’S THE HYBE?]

YONGSAM PARK CURRENTLY UNDER INVESTIGATION, AUTHORITIES SAY 3 days ago

What’s the deal with Yongsam Park? Insiders say that, although bland and boring, Yongsam Park is currently under high-level investigation for the disappearance of a few citizens. The flower-decorated park is the perfect place to take Instagram-worthy pictures and is quite harmless in itself, so visitors were shocked to arrive at the park only to find it surrounded by heaps of yellow tape.

Yongsam Park was developed by Kim Yongsam, director of My Flowers, a multi-million florist franchise that has now spread to Japan and Taiwan. In a 2015 Interview with the millionaire, he mentioned that he had created the park in the inspiration of the rising ootd picture trend, also known as the outfit-of-the-day trend, which he had initially discovered from his teen daughter. 

“I wanted to create a welcoming park for people of all ages, but I couldn’t find a suitable place to do it without the budget being drastically high. In the end, my team and I found an abandoned site and decided to build a simple structure with lower costs up there. Props to my team for the discovery of this landmark. The scenery there, especially in the evening, is stunning .” He stated in the 2015 interview with Soup Magazine.

What’s the abandoned site? With the evidence that is still standing, Yongsam Park is rumored to have previously been a carnival. Said evidence is a worn-down carousel in the back of the park, along with piles of other burnt carnival decoration and equipment. With research, Yongsam Park’s site may have once been an abandoned carnival that perished from an unknown wildfire. This may have been the primary cause of the drought that ensued in the 80s, leaving only a carousel and ashes behind. When questioned, Mr. Kim said that he had decided to leave the carousel standing behind the park due because he felt ‘drawn by its alluring glow’, as quoted.

Investigators and the local police have only enclosed the flower section of Yongsam Park because that was where the victims were spotted. They believe that disappearances took place there and are currently trying to find evidence to back up their stance. Most of this new information is not known to the public, however, Kim and his team are trying to keep it that way. The current disappearance count is seven people, the most recent case being two high-schoolers.

The carousel is still open and does not require a visitor ticket, but visitors are advised to take precautions and leave before the sun sets.

RELATED

TWO MORE BOYS HAVE DISAPPEARED AT THE NOW INFAMOUS YONGSAM PARK 5 days ago

FAMILY OF TOURISTS DISAPPEAR AT YONGSAM PARK, INSIDERS SAY THIS IS THE SECOND CASE OF DISAPPEARANCE HERE 2 weeks ago

JAPANESE COUPLE DISAPPEAR AT FLOWER PARK, NETIZENS CALL THE NEWS A POLITICAL DISTRACTION 3 weeks ago

“Are you seriously...telling us...that we should visit a place where people have been kidnapped?” Yeonjun gawked. “Dude, that’s so stupid. What if we die or something?”

“Don’t say that! I was just curious if you guys wanted to go since it’s so near and since your old friend is back home.”

“It’s a dumb move. I’m not risking my life just so I can celebrate the return of my friend. Not worth it.” Beomgyu huffed.

“Hey! You’re worth it, right?” Soobin glanced at you, waiting for a response.

He was...defending you? His ulterior motives were questionable and you weren’t sure if he was protecting you because he cared about you (cue the puking) or solely because he wanted to go to Yongsam Park that bad.

You didn’t reply and chose to drown out the wailing and chaos that ensued with your friends. You clicked on a related article below, curious to learn more about this lesser-known part of the park.

[WHAT’S THE HYBE?]

TWO MORE BOYS HAVE DISAPPEARED AT THE NOW INFAMOUS YONGSAM PARK 5 days ago

Park Jongseong (20) and Nishimura Riki (15) mentioned to their friends that they would be heading to ‘a magical place’, before disappearing for around a week. They were last spotted walking through Yongsam Park, according to anonymous witnesses. This is the third case of disappearances at the park and both teens are the sixth and seventh people to go missing.

Both families reported their children missing just two days after their disappearance. With this case being the last straw, local authorities forcibly shut down Yongsam Park despite protests from staff and management.

Parents of the two minors refused to respond when called for an interview and HYBE reporters resorted to interviewing the victims’ friends instead.

“Jay’s never been a bad kid. Yeah, he might be late here and there, but he wouldn’t skip class or fly across the country for vacation during school. I just don’t understand why he’s not here with us. He wouldn’t voluntarily disappear.” Park Sunghoon (19), a friend and classmate of Jongseong (who is better known as Jay among his friends) said.

“Although I’m not close with Jay, I know Riki personally and I know for a fact that both of them wouldn’t run away like that. Why, Riki was gearing up for a dance competition that he’s been excited about all year, and now he’s just gone? Like that? Riki has always been like my little brother, and he’ll always be. I just want him back at my side.” A teary-eyed Lee Heeseung (20) says.

Netizens have been complaining about the lack of coverage on this issue.

“Maybe Mr. Kim spent all his money on covering this story up from the mainstream public. That’s why he had to build the stupid park on an abandoned sketchy site.” An anonymous netizen commented.

Regardless, we’ll be keeping our prayers for Jongseong and Riki, as well as the five other victims, to return home soon.

“...you guys are such wimps.” That was the first thing you heard Soobin say when you tuned in to the conversation again.

How dare he say that? How dare he have the courage to call you, someone who moved out on your own at 16 to live in the big, scary world, a..wimp?

“Look, Choi Soobin. I may be a lot of things, but I’m not a wimp. I didn’t say that I wasn’t interested on this trip.” You stand up and blurt out without thinking twice.

The rest of the boys are gawking at you, their mouths open wide in awe and shock. Yes, you weren’t a wimp, that was for sure, but they had known you all their life as someone who could not stand going out into the wilderness. Maybe the big city had really changed you.

“At least someone wants to go! Perfect. We can leave tomorrow at noon, bring your camping stuff!” Soobin grabbed his things and began walking away.

“Camping?” The five of you exclaimed in unison.

Taehyun, the rational member, gasped. “I, personally, wouldn’t mind going to the carousel thing..or whatever it is, but I am not staying the night. Dude, are you nuts?” The rest of you nodded your heads in agreement.

“It says in the article that we are advised to leave before the sun sets.” You point out, trying to keep your voice as steady as possible in fear of breaking this mask of false confidence, when in reality, you were terrified of this place.

Soobin turned back and eyed you down disinterestedly. “Conclusion is that we’ll bring a small backpack, or whatever you guys want to pack, and we’ll stay there until eight. Deal?”

“Seven.” Hueningkai timidly said.

“Whatever you guys want.”

You hadn’t been able to sleep last night. It wasn’t due to fear of the place you were going, rather, you weren’t too excited about having to spend half of your day around Soobin.

What were you going to say to him? You were definitely overthinking at this point.

You know, they always say that the person one hates the most is the one that they also love most. And when Soobin flipped his blue hair back or cheekily smiled, showing his endearing dimples, you couldn’t help but…

No! You loathe Choi Soobin. You couldn’t stand his smile, or his hair, or his height. That evil moonwitch.

“Hey, you ready to go?” Speak of the devil (or moonwitch), you spotted a fluff of blue hair in your peripheral vision.

You couldn’t even muster up the courage to look back at him, merely nodding your head while staring at the white wall.

“Why aren’t you looking at me? Are you...scared?” You could see him wiggle his eyebrows as he made that statement.

That was it. You turned back at him. “Yes I am. I’m absolute terrified. I can’t stand the fact that I have to forcibly spend my precious time around you. It’s like I’m about to voluntarily live a nightmare.”

Woah there, calm down. You had smoke spurting out of your ears at this point.

Soobin’s once excited face fell into one of disappointment. “Yeah, it’s a nightmare having to be around you too. Gosh, the immaturity.” He left the room in haste as your eyes shot lasers through his well-toned back.

Maybe you had gone too far with the insult. He hadn’t been mean to you at all, really.

Then again, he had been mean. He took your place when you weren’t around. Suddenly, you were determined to get it back.

“Hop on the magic school bus!”

“Shut up, Yeonjun.” You deadpanned before leaning your head on his shoulder. The two of you were finally falling back into routine and you couldn’t help but bask in this nostalgia.

You also couldn’t help but notice how Soobin kept on looking through the rearview mirror at the both of you, pupils darting away once you locked eyes with him.

Man, this was going to be a long ride.

2021 © fluffi

[volturicangetit]

A.V/J.V/EM.C/R.C- Happy with someone else

Summary: Alice gets a vision about you and the Volturi. Luckily it’s a good one, but Emmett and Rosalie still aren’t happy. 

Request: YES/no @rexburn12​ : Can I Have A Part 2 For Loved At Last Basically When Reader Left To Italy? The Other Cullens Are Disappointed and Angry At How Emmett and Rosalie Treated Reader To Harshly. Alice, and Jasper Especially Since They're Reader's Friends. Alice Explains To Everyone Reader Was Supposed To Join Them He Would've Brought Joy To Everyone. Alice Tells Everyone Reader's Wolf Form Would Have Been White With Beautiful Golden Eyes. And Alice Shows A Drawing Of It. Stunning Everyone Of How Beautiful It Is.

Warings: none

Wordcount: 1742

PART 1

The three masters had sent a letter to the Cullens and the wolves pack to let them know that you would be living in the castle from now on. Demitri and Felix went to get your stuff since you didn't want to show your face in Forks again. They didn't get a warm welcome. They had to meet up at the reservoir border since they couldn't come in the wolves territory. They found an angry Paul and Seth waiting for them with your bags. Sam was also there to hold back Paul in case things got violent. "Is Y/n doing okay?" Seth asks the two vampires.

Demitri nods at him as we walk closer to the wolves to grab your bags. "They are happy. I wouldn't normally say this about your kind but I'm glad that they're in the castle," he says. Seth nods at this. He misses you. God, how much he misses you. But he also knows how hard it can be when your imprints reject you.

"Did they....um. Did they imprint again?" Seth asks. Felix nods. The tension that has been building up in all of the wolves now drops. You were happy. You were living with your imprints. Sam hands Demitri your bags, making sure to be extra careful with them. "You can visit when you want to, you know," Felix says.

Paul lets out a scoff. "Being in the vampire capital? Not really for us," Sam says calmly. Demitri nods understandingly. An awkward silence lingers over the group for a while before Demitri and Felix say their goodbyes and walking back to their car. They load your bag into the car and drive off quickly towards the airport, racing through every speed limit.

____

"I'm so disappointed in you two," Carlisle says. His arms are crossed over his chest as he holds the letter from the Volturi in one hand. Emmett and Rosalie are sitting on the couch, both on opposite ends of it. They both looked like kicked dogs. "I thought that you would be more mature than this.".

Neither of the two mates dares to speak a word. Sending you away and saying those harmful words had been their biggest regret these last couple of months. You were just another wolf to them first. But now that you are gone they can feel that you were more. The empty hole in both of their chests gives away any hope of covering it up by just 'missing a friend'. They are missing their mate. Emmett shakes his head to get his self-deprecating thoughts to stop.

"Well, whatever you wanted, it worked. Y/n's living in Volterra now.". Rosalie looks up from the ground and up at Carlisle. She quickly stands up from the couch, her fists now clenched by her side.

"What?" she whispers. She thought that you were just with the wolves for these couple of months. If she knew you had left, she would have stopped you from leaving. "You're lying. It's dangerous! Do you know how many vampires live there?".

Carlisle throws the letter at her. She manages to catch it. Emmett stands up and walks over to his mate. He stands behind Rosalie and reading the letter along with her while letting his head rest on her shoulder. He shakes his head against her as the word register in his head.

Dear Carlisle,

It seems like your coven members have driven away Y/n. What a shame. Luckily, our sweet Jane and Alec found them. We can assure you that Y/n will live their days happily in the castle with their imprints. Demitri and Felix will come to pick up their belongings on the 24th.

Greetings,

The Volturi

"That was yesterday," Emmett says softly. "We missed them.". Carlisle nods. He runs his hands over his face. He had never been this disappointed or disgusted by any of them but now he couldn't even look Emmett or Rosalie in the eyes. He couldn't for months now.

"Bella and Edward are moving back in. You guys are going to stay in their cottage. We all need some time away from you," Carlisle says. Emmett's jaw drop. He shakes his head. "You can't just kick us out," Rosalie says.

Carlisle grabs the pair of keys laying on the coffee table in front of the couch. "We aren't," he says as he hands the keys over to Emmett. "We just need to breathe for a bit.". He finally looks up to see both of their faces. Sadness is pooling in their eyes. Both look exhausted and their eyes are darker than normal. They have been forgetting to go hunting. But that's their fault.

___

The castle has been wonderful. It's cooler inside even without an AC due to the thick bricks that make up the walls and the lack of windows. It took some time getting used to living with vampires. The wolf in you is still constantly at guard, feeling a threat nearby. But Jane and Alec have been helping you through it. They have both become more joyful and less serious now that you've been in their lives. They started living more for themselves and not only for the Volturi. Some of the lower guards still had to get used to the fact that there was now a wolf living with them but no one ever dared to hurt you or insult you, so at least that was good.

"What are you thinking about?" Alec says. You turn your head so that you can look at him. You let out a sigh and let your rest against his shoulder while your fingers are still laced with Jane's. You shrug.

"Everything," you say with a droopy smile. "How much better everything is with you guys.". Jane lets out a soft giggle. She nods. "It better be," she says.

Alec snakes his arm around you to pull you closer to him. Both vampires always loved how warm you are. It might just be a wolf thing, but you always seemed to be warmer than normal people. And since Alec and Jane couldn't keep themselves anymore, any warmth you could give them was always welcome.

"I can't imagine how things would have been if I stayed in Forks," you say. Alec raises his brows at your comment to which you shrug again. "I would have been so miserable. Being in the same town as them.". Jane lays a hand on your cheek to turn your head towards her.

"But you aren't there," she says softly. "You are here. With us. And happy.". You give her a kiss on the top of her hand before pulling her closer to you as well. The twins cuddle into you. "That's true," you say. You are with them. And happy. Happier than you've ever been.

____

Jasper's sad eyes are focused on the trees. He's sitting on the couch, knees pulled up to his chest. He took you leaving the hardest, probably. You and he were close friends, best friends even. When you left you took a part of him with you. Alice knew how he felt. She was also close to you. Not as close as you were with Jasper but still close. Alice stays behind Jasper. She leans against the wall while holding a book you gave her. She has been reading it back-to-back since you left.

All of a sudden a vivid vision floods her mind. Her fingers grip tighter onto the book as images of you flash before her eyes. You, laughing with Alec and Jane. The other Volturi members are in the same room as you. Though it's peaceful, she can feel it. Everyone is laughing together.

Jasper turns his head towards Alice. He sees her eyes darting from place to place and he immediately knows what's happening. He grabs the sketchbook and pencil that are laying before him and runs over to Alice. he guides her to the table, sits her down at a chair and pushes the pencil into her hand. She starts sketching the images from her vision.

A wolf, white with bright golden eyes flashes before her eyes and she quickly draws it out onto the paper. Thick fur and pearly white fangs. She blinks a couple of times as the vision starts to go away. Once her regular sight her recovered again, she looks up at Jasper. He's staring down at the drawings his mate made. "Who's that?" he asks as he points at the wolf.

"Y/n," Alice whispers out. Edward suddenly enters the room. He noticed Alice's vision due to his gift. Esme, Carlisle, Bella, Emmet and Rosalie soon follow behind him.

"What's going on?" Bella asks. Edward points to the sketchbook laying on the table. Rosalie snatched it away from Alice and Holds it closer to herself to get a better look at it before handing it over to Emmett. "Is that Y/n?" Bella asks. Alice nods.

Alice reaches out for Jasper and he quickly pulls her close to her. "I saw them, in my vision," she says. Carlisle looks at her with a tilted head, eager to hear more. "They brought happiness to the Volturi. And peace. That's them.". She points at her drawing, now in Esme's hands. Emmett nods his head.

'Did you see more?" he asks. Alice smiles at him. "They're happy. Really happy. The Volturi takes good care of Y/n.". The tension building up in Emmett's shoulder is released. He grabs ahold of Rosalie's hand. She gives him a sad smile.

The rest of the Cullens understand what they're thinking about. 'They're happy, Emmett," Edward says. "Maybe not with you, but they're happy.". Emmett nods. He lets out a sigh.

'You're right, they're happy," he says. He's happy for you, he truly is. But oh God, how much you were that happy because of him.

TWILIGHT TAGLIST (OPEN):

@scuzmunkie @thanossexual @prettyinblack231 @kpopgirlbtssvt​ @cullens-stuff​ @rexburn12​

[al-perthe]

The Arcana - MC with Epilepsy Headcanons (LIs & Courtiers)

I know we're most of the way through November, but it's National Epilepsy Awareness Month, and as someone with seizures, I thought I'd do a headcanon post for the Main 6 & Courtiers with an apprentice who has epilepsy - can be interpreted as platonic or romantic if you so choose. The Courtier ones are more about prevention or very specific scenarios so theymaynotbeasgood

Note that epilepsy manifests differently for everyone, so I may not have had the same experiences as someone else; I did my best to research outside of my own experiences but it may come across as rather general or vague. That being said, feel free to add on if you'd like to contribute (especially for the Courtiers... pls help).

EDIT: Under a read more because I didn’t realize how big this was, sorry!

ASRA:

Getting you to take your medication, and remember when to do so, was one of the challenges he faced when you awakened without any memories three years ago.It really took him a while to feel safe travelling out of the city, constantly worrying about what if you forgot a dose, what if you had a really bad seizure and got hurt, or even the thought of you just having a smaller one and feeling alone and afraid... As someone who enjoys naps, he's probably the best at making sure you get a good night of rest to help prevent seizures.

Safe. Peaceful. No danger.

Naturally, Faust is going to help comfort you after a seizure, especially if she can tell that you're experiencing fear and/or confusion as a result of it.

NADIA:

When you first started the investigation, you made sure she was aware of your condition. You assured her you'd be okay to take it on, just be a little patient if you were ever 'out of it' for a few minutes.

Oh, it's no trouble at all - she'll make sure that a specialist is brought in to ensure your treatment is the best it can be.

But a few moments later, she clarifies - this isn't being done for the sake of the investigation, and she apologizes if she gave off that impression. She does genuinely care about your well-being, and if she needs to take a step back or if there's more she can do, just let her know.

Her room is definitely the go-to spot if you need a quiet spot to wind down after a seizure.

Also good at making sure you're comfortable and can sleep well.

JULIAN:

Part of you wondered 'what if...?' when you found out about Julian's healing mark, but you dismissed it quickly - there's a chance it wouldn't work, and with the whole murder investigation going on, dealing with seizures (even if temporarily in theory) would just be another thing weighing on him. You couldn't do it. You wouldn't do it. It was selfish.As a doctor, he's the best at recognizing your symptoms as a result - he can tell right away if you're having an aura and need to move to a quieter spot or at least sit down. He does worry about it each time it happens, but puts on a calm face for your sake.Even Malak seems a little bit quieter when you're having a rough time with your epilepsy.Need a distraction afterwards ? Count on him to have a story from his travels to get your mind off it!Of course, let him know if your symptoms change, or if your medication doesn't seem to be having the same effect - he'll look into finding a more effective treatment.

MURIEL:

Inanna's the best at picking up when you're about to have a seizure, and lets Muriel know immediately.Since she can't always accompany him, he's done his best to learn to recognize when a seizure's on the way, or when it's happening. As someone who prefers peace and quiet, he knows the go-to places for some privacy if you're in the presence of other people.The most calming presence you could ask for once the seizure has passed. If you're experiencing confusion afterward, he asks you simple questions and makes simplified statements to help ground you in reality. So ironically, he's the best at helping you remember what happened.He may not be the best at striking up a conversation, but will offer you some words of comfort and reassurance afterwards.

PORTIA:

After your first seizure around her, she acknowledges that 'something just didn't feel right' moments before.

No guilty feelings though - once you've settled down, she asks what she can do to help in the future. She'll support you the best she can.

She's actually the one who brings you to Mazelinka, to see if she knows about any home remedies that could somehow help. At the very least, her soup will give you a good night's sleep to help prevent them!

Naturally, she also seeks guidance from Julian on how to help you with your condition.

If you're feeling anxious after a seizure, she's actually the one who's best at rationalizing you through those fears. The dread that there's someone just outside the cottage, the shop, etc that could hurt you? She checks out the windows and doors first, confirms with you that there's nobody out there, and reassures you that even if there was someone out there after you, they'll have to go through her first!

Expect to find notes from time to time with compliments or general positivity that also remind you to take your medication!

LUCIO:

If you've spaced out due to a seizure, you might need something repeated. He's not normally one for patience... but you're the exception. If anyone gives you a hard time for it, he's bound to round on them with a death glare.

As the Count, he's got access to all kinds of resources. He spares no expense at making sure there's specialists who can get you the best medication as possible, as quickly as possible, when you're in need of a new supply.

Mercedes and Melchior spend more time around you too - they aren't as quick to pick up on an oncoming seizure, but when they do, they make a great team. One of them stays with you, and the other goes off to find Lucio.

Need to get your mind off it? Did you know that he had a saltwater crocodile as a companion during his travels near the Sea of Persephia in his early mercenary days? When he first met the crocodile, it was clearly starving, so he had to wrestle it off... and as he goes on his heroic tirade, it's not so much the adventures themselves but the clearly exaggerated parts that entertain and distract you.

Sometimes you just need something or someone to hold onto, to keep you at peace and keep you feeling real after a seizure. Okay... so... patience, peace, and quiet aren't exactly his strong points. But - with a firm yet comforting hand on your shoulder - he's got your back, and you'll get through this.

VALDEMAR:

Epilepsy? It's actually more common than you think. They've naturally seen it plenty of times over the years.

Some types of epilepsy are limited to specific regions of the brain. Theoretically, it could be possible through surgery to alter or even remove the areas where your seizures generate... you leave it at a "I'll get back to you on it" and stick with your medication for now.

Then it finally happens. You've had a seizure in their presence. You're feeling confused and uneasy, but Valdemar doesn't seem bothered at all. "Seems like you're starting to come back. You might feel unwell for a few minutes, but that's typical in the postictal stage." More confusion. "... Right, simplified terms. You had a seizure. Now you're recovering. What you're feeling will pass. You need only wait a few minutes."

The explanations are nonchalant, blunt, and brief. But that just makes it easier to understand. It's... surprisingly calming, too. You scoot a little closer to them. They don't move away.

Will share interesting accounts of historical figures who also dealt with epilepsy, and reviews their own records of past patients with symptoms similar to yours to study potential triggers and effective treatments or preventions. After a while, you start talking beyond that, about how your day went and other chitchat. It seems that as a result of the time spent around you, they have grown... rather fond of your presence.

VALERIUS:

Obviously, for safety reasons, you're not going to drink heavily. But while some people have to avoid alcohol entirely due to their seizures, you're part of the typical group that can handle some alcohol, a drink or two depending on the strength.

If you're out with Valerius at some sort of soiree, he'll make sure that the one drink you get is the best one suited to your palate. Similarly, he points out the best food to pair with it so that way you're also eating to neutralize the alcohol.

Sometimes, you decide to pass on the drinking, and have fruit juice or even just straight up water served in a wine glass. He'll frown at you, but you KNOW you saw the briefest hint of amusement in his eyes.

To be frank, he usually attends these sort of gatherings for the wine and/or meeting with important figures. So he is ready to get you out of there if you need a quiet spot away from others.

He's not very good with reassurance. Sure, just a simple 'it's going to be okay' can help, but is it really enough? You can't just expect him to repeat it like a mantra or something. He's absolutely making that flustered face as he tries to figure out other things to say, but that's comforting on its own - he's trying for your sake.

VLASTOMIL:

Maybe there was a sudden flash of lightning, maybe there was some 'grand finale' of a fireworks show, but your photosensitivity stirred up a seizure in you.

He's not really sure what to do, but a cautious approach is a best approach.

He draws you aside later to ask about what happened - now admittedly, he's not very familiar with epilepsy. But photosensitivity? Absolutely! There are certain species of worm that are actually quite sensitive to lighting, such as... oh, right. The point is, for some enclosures, he's used a special type of tinted glass to reduce the effects of sunlight and nights when the moon is brighter, and perhaps something similar might be useful for you?

A week later, he brings you a pair of spectacles with darker lenses. They actually do the job pretty well? And he even had them designed to go along with your aesthetic? Whether he had them commissioned or if he just crafted them himself, this is... surprisingly nice.

Oh, and you can't forget the tea. Filling you in on the latest gossip and the occasional Worm Fact once you're feeling calmer is his way of taking your mind off any lingering anxiety. Also, he recommends a variety of herbal teas that calm nerves or even help you fall asleep.

VOLTA:

The first time it happened, oh, Volta did not know what to do! She was so distraught that someone else had to step in and help you collect yourself.

But now that she's aware of your condition, she will offer you words of comfort and kindness to help you after your seizure has passed. Volta's a sweetheart, of course she'd be good at that!

She has a highly developed sense of smell thanks to all the food she exposes herself to. It seems as though, when you were having stronger or more frequent seizures, there was something in your diet you had been eating more often.

In other words, she helped you determine that certain foods were contributing to your seizures. Grapefruit seemed to be the only thing you needed to avoid - come to think of it, you recall that it doesn't react well with certain components used in preparing your medicine - and other foods just needed to be consumed less.

She'll eat those foods at any gatherings, since you're trying to avoid them... oh, but save some of the other dishes for Volta, too!

VULGORA:

Tonic-clonic or grand mal seizures... call them what you will, but point is, if you collapse and lose consciousness in a seizure, they will get everyone to STAND. BACK.

"It's a seizure, just give it a minute or two, it'll pass! I SAID, STAND. BACK!! IF you're so much as THINKING about trying to hold them down, DON'T. NO! Swallowing the tongue IS NOT A THING!! Not unless you CUT IT OFF and FORCE IT IN SOMEONE'S MOUTH! Which I am CLEARLY NOT DOING!!"

... Okay, so getting other people to stay calm while you're having a seizure is not their strong suit. But they're certainly good at getting people to keep their distance, at least.

They're talkative and energetic! Of course being calm and quiet is hard for them! ... But maybe that's just another challenge for them to conquer? The first time they tried they basically just held their breath as long as they could.

Someone actually had the audacity to make a rude remark about your condition. But unfortunately for them, they somehow missed the bright red figure of Pontifex Vulgora in the vicinity.

That person was never seen in Vesuvia again. Because they moved out, after receiving a rather persuasive argument to move to... some other place. Oh, okay, you were worried there was some other reason they disappeared.

[zims-left-shoe]

Can you do a Dib x Reader that’s into tarot cards and horoscopes? Also can make this AU a college AU? I know you said you write the characters up to high school but I was just wondering if you would. It’s fine you do them in high school.

Yeah! Just a warning, I’m not super experienced with tarot cards and everything, so apologies if a lot of it is inaccurate. I hope it’s still okay!!

The air was warm, and the sweet scents of pastries mingled with the sharp smell of coffee. The surrounding chatter of voices and calm music served as decent white noise. You lifted your drink to your lips, eyes drifting to the window next to you. Shades of grey painted the sky, muted tones growing ever darker as time ticked by. Outside, the air had a nasty nip to it, and you were not looking forward to stepping outside again. Plus, you were enjoying yourself in the moment. Your gaze was drawn back to the man across from you, his large glasses fogging slightly from the heat of his own drink. 

You were more than delighted that he had asked you to come study with him at the coffee shop. Sure, you had wished he had the courage to bite the bullet and ask you on an actual date, but on a chilly winter afternoon a relaxing coffee hangout and study session was still enjoyable. Admittedly, you had developed feelings for the reserved cryptid fanatic who sat next to you in your cell biology class. That being said, you were ecstatic when he had quietly asked that morning if you would like to grab a coffee and study with him. Although you wished for a bit more, the current situation was completely fine by you.

"Have you been doing anything interesting lately?" Both of you had finished your work quite some time ago, spending the rest of the time talking to each other, a silence only settling for a brief minute or two before you continued the conversation. Sure, it was small talk, but the kind of talk that occurs between friends when they can sense their time together is drawing to a close, and that the hangout will end soon. The kind of talk when you aren't ready to leave each other's company, so you attempt to draw out the conversation with simple things.

"Oh, you know, only what every normal college kid does. Party hard, baby." The straight face he was attempting to hold fell apart almost immediately as he broke into a chuckle. "Nah. Just the usual, studying the paranormal. Aliens, ghosts, all that stuff." A smile spread on your face. Of course he was. You found his unique obsession with spooks and cryptids cute, and you were glad he had a passion in life. Even if that passion was restricted while he was away at school, he would still find ways to express himself. He was always scribbling supernatural doodles in the margins of his notes, monitoring the local cryptid stories constantly. "Sorry. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm just not that interesting."

"Please. Liking the paranormal is much more interesting than being a party animal whose only hobby is getting wasted." You paused, setting your cup down on the table. "I wouldn't be here otherwise. I'm only attrac-I mean, drawn, to people who are intriguing."

Nice save, stupid... You thought to yourself. At this point, you were unsure if you should just tell him how you felt. You were reasonably confident that he felt the same way, but he was just too damn nervous to ruin your friendship. 

"Okay then, any secrets, or maybe embarrassing stories? Everyone has some. If you tell me one of yours, I'll tell you a story of mine." You bumped your bag that was resting underneath the table with your foot as you stared out at him, trying to pressure him into telling you something good. He always had the best stories. Especially when they were about aliens.

"My whole life is one embarrassing story after the other." He set his cup down as well, finding your eyes once more. "But, I guess one time I had my DNA fused with baloney." You laughed, believing him to be joking. You believed him a majority of the time, but that one was just so outlandish it couldn't possibly be true. "I'm not lying! Remember my stupid alien classmate? Well, he decided to get me back for throwing lunch meat in his face by making me sit on a tack that fused baloney DNA with my own." He was completely serious, so that left only two options: he was either completely insane or it was the truth. For the time you've known and befriended him, he seemed to have a good head on his shoulders, so what the hell. Why not believe him?

"I'm honestly not sure which part to ask for a follow up on, the alien classmate having baloney genetic makeup on the ready or being fused with sandwich meat." Brushing stray strands of hair from your face, you sighed, knowing that your story was in no way going to top that. "Mine isn't that exciting or embarrassing, but in high school, I charged for tarot readings in the bathrooms as a way to make some money. Well, I did until a teacher reported me for 'Satan worshipping'. Which, for starters is complete bullshit, but she was just jealous I made more money a week than she did." You smirked, remembering the look on her face when she confiscated your receipt book that you used to keep track of your profits. 

"Wait, you used to read tarot cards?" Dib offered you his full attention, eyes filled with wonder. "I've always thought it was cool, but I just never really had gotten into it. Too busy saving the Earth from aliens and all that."

"I still do. You have your cryptids and space creatures, I have my tarot cards and horoscopes." To your amazement, Dib appeared to be enchanted by the subject. Then again, you supposed it was more or less something you could see him getting into.

"How did I not know that about you?" You shrugged in response to his words. It had just never came up in conversation. "Maybe we could hang out again soon and you could walk me through it?" He looked to be a bit apprehensive, almost as if you had already rejected the idea in his mind. You didn't even have to consider the idea. Not only did you harbor feelings for him, you would jump at the chance to show off your skills and interests.

"I would love to. My roommate has to work Friday night, maybe you could come to my dorm then?" A dorky grin spread across his face as he reached for his cup to drink the remaining coffee.

"It's a date, then." His face flushed as he realized his wording. "Not like that! As friends! You know what I mean." His fingers drummed on the tabletop, and you were sure he was sweating.

"I mean, unless...?" You made an overexaggerated thinking face, and after a moment, you both busted up laughing. However, you were of course only half joking.

(more under the cut)

-

Pushing open the door, you stepped into the room you had made your own. Kicking aside some shoes your roommate had left piled by the door, you let the man behind you inside.

"Sorry for the mess, I asked my roommate to clean up. They didn't."

"It's fine. You should see my dorm, it's definitely worse." Chuckling, you led him to your side of the room, which was a stark contrast from the other. Everything, for the most part anyway, was organized within bins, your desk nice and tidy despite having many trinkets and various things resting on the desktop. You had made a nice personal space under your bed, it was where you would often sit when you got tired of your desk or bed. Gesturing for him to take a seat on the floor under your bed, you went over to your desk, shuffling through one of your drawers until you felt your fingers close around your tarot deck.

"You have any questions before we start?" You hummed as you closed the drawer.

Dib's eyes were intently focused on you as he sat cross-legged underneath your bed. Finally, he spoke, albeit tentatively. "Just one, but it's kind of stupid."

"There are no stupid questions."

"Okay, in that case...does reading tarot cards like, open up your third eye and let you see ghosts and stuff?" Staring into his face revealed that he wasn't kidding. He was legitimately asking if you could see ghosts when you learned to read tarot cards.

"I changed my mind. There are stupid questions." Laughter slipped out as you sunk down the the floor across from him, tipping the box in your hands until the cards slid out. "Of course it does."

"Woah, really?" His cinnamon eyes sparkled with excitement, and yet again, a flurry of giggles escaped you.

"No, of course not. It doesn't make you see ghosts. It develops greater intuition and understanding." Dib let out a long breath, gaze falling to the floor as he picked at the chipping black polish on his nails, regretting he ever asked that question.

"Can we just forget I ever said that? Please?" You nodded as you separated the deck in your hands, shuffling them together. You did this many times over, the sharp sounds of cards coming together cutting through the stillness that had settled over the room. Dib stared at the cards in your hand, watching as you shuffled them with skill. He had lost track of how many times you had done so by the time you had stacked them together for the final time.

"So, is there anything specific you want to learn? I can't exactly teach you to read, since it takes a lot of practice and a deck you're comfortable with." As you looked to him expectantly, he appeared to be at a total loss for what to even ask for. "I could give you a simple reading just for fun." 

"Sure! But, uh, how do they work?" A smile crept onto your face. You felt a warm glow of happiness at being able to share your interests with someone who was genuinely interested in learning about them.

"Well, if I were to do it by myself, I would shuffle them as I did now. It helps bring your energy to the cards, and therefore you will be more drawn to certain ones. Plus, you can better interpret them." You passed the deck to Dib. "If you can shuffle, shuffle them. Do it several times."

"Okay...what exactly are you reading for?" He began shuffling, although not as cleanly as you. A few times the cards had slipped from his grip, flying out in all directions. Every time that would happen, he gathered the cards and began to shuffle again as he listened to you.

"Well, we're just going to do a simple spread of three, but it can be for almost anything. Your past, present, and future, advice for obstacles, relationships, all of that stuff." 

"Relationships?" Dib stacked the cards for a final time, handing them back to you. You took them, spreading them out in front of you, face down. 

"Yeah, there's all different types of readings for relationships. Is that the simple spread you want?" He thought for a moment, a hint of a smile playing at his lips as he looked to you. 

"I think so. You said there's different types of relationship readings, so just make an executive decision for me."

"That's not how this works." Your sigh was broken by a chuckle. "But fine. I'll do a spread where a card represents you, the other person, and the relationship." You found yourself wishing for a good outcome, thinking that he was most likely asking about the relationship he could possibly have with you, or at least that's what you were hoping for. "Pick three cards that you're drawn to and line them up across from you."

"Alright..." He stared at the arc of cards that was laid out in the space between you, deliberating, eyes carefully calculating. He brushed a finger across the glossy backs of the cards, finally deciding on two close to the middle, and one on the leftmost edge. He laid them out as you had asked, looking back to you expectantly. "Now what?"

"Now I give you your reading. I'll try my best to interpret the cards in the context of your life, but don't hold it against me if I'm not one hundred percent accurate." You flipped over the spread, the three cards facing up.

"Did I do good...?"

"It's not about making the right choices, it's about being drawn to the cards." You chided, looking at his spread. The cards that had been turned over were an upright Nine of Wands, a reversed Hanged Man, and an upright World. "Let's start with you." You pushed the card a little closer to him. It depicted a bandaged man leaning heavily on a wooden wand, surrounded by the other eight. "This is the Nine of Wands."

"Is it bad?" He looked curious, but there were concerned undertones in his expression.

"No, not necessarily. As a card, it represents courage, determination, and resilience. In the context of your part in the relationship, there may be or have been setbacks for you personally, but you have the strength to overcome those things. You might get hurt, or things may be tough and uncertain for you right now, but you will persist and get through it." A light blush dusted his cheeks as he nodded.

"Yeah, that sounds about right...does getting in your own way count as a setback?" Dib chuckled, running a hand through his dark hair.

"Sure. If I had to offer advice...no risk, no reward, right?" You both locked eyes for a moment, a hush falling over the room yet again. Again, this same, infuriating dance. You both were aware of how you felt. Yet neither would make a move. 

"I suppose..." Dib actually seemed to be taking all of this into deep consideration. You couldn't help the hope that you felt rising in your chest.

"Alright, next...the other individual. This is the Hanged Man, but it's reversed." Again, you pushed the card forward. It depicted a man who was supposed to be hanging by the ankle from a tree, but from the direction it was turned, it appeared he was more standing upright.

"Are reversed cards bad?"

"They can be. The reversed Hanged Man for example generally means that the person is ready to go but is being held back. In context of the other person in your case, maybe they're ready to jump into a relationship but you might be holding them back by not taking a chance." Okay, so maybe that wasn't really a reading. You may have been guilty of inserting your own personal feelings into the reading, since you assumed the relationship in question was between yourself and Dib. You recognized the hint of irritation that was edging your words, so you drew in a deep breath, continuing on in a softer tone. "You know, like you said. You said your setback could be getting in your own way. You might be overthinking everything, which is restricting the other person from taking the next step."

"You think so?" Again, that damned knowing tone. When you looked into his eyes, you knew that he was aware of how you felt. And yet he still stopped himself every time from taking that leap. Was he waiting for you to make the first move? You hoped not. Sure, it may have been hypocritical, but you wanted no part in asking for a more romantic end to your friendship.

Clearing your throat, you decided to move to the last card of the spread. "The relationship itself. This card is the World." You held it up this time to show him, wishing to hold onto it. The card illustrated a naked woman in the middle of a wreath, surrounded by various animal heads. "Generally, it represents being in the right place, pausing before the next stage." Admittedly, that was not the reading you had desired. You didn't want to stay as only friends. "In context of the relationship, it could be interpreted as staying put, and just appreciating where the two of you are. There will be lots of options and pathways ahead and all that." You waved your hand dismissively, unable to fight off the exhaustion that was settling in. "So, anyway, that was your very basic reading." You stacked the cards together again, lazily patting the ground around you for the box.

"Is this stuff, like, certain advice?"

"You mean, do you have to take it? No, I suppose not. It's just suggestions and life advice based on interpretations."

Dib crawled his way over to sit by your side as you put your cards safely back in their box. You quirked an eyebrow, yet said nothing. "Okay, because I'm not too into that last one." Without tearing his eyes away from yours, his fingers brushed your own. He kept eyeing your face to confirm that what he was doing was alright. Always cautious, that one. 

"I probably shouldn't give my input, since it's your life advice, but me either." A smile tugged at the corners of your mouth as his fingers finally laced themselves with yours, his free hand drifting up to your face. His touch was light, so much so that you weren't even sure if it was there. In that moment, Dib was a walking contradiction, unsure of himself yet completely secure at the same time.

"But if you're reading the cards, aren't I asking for your input?" Slowly he leaned his face closer to yours, hand still resting on your cheek. Fitting, wasn't it? Everything the both of you had ever done was drug out to the maximum. Whether it was that you both enjoyed the frustration or you wanted to extend every moment you had together, you would never know. Nor did it matter. Especially not then. 

"I suppose you are." You reached out a hand to run it through his hair, intertwining your fingers with the dark strands. "You're sure, then?" Each word that was spoken became progressively fainter. The entire time you spoke, his lips were barely a breath away from your own.

As if your words were the cue he needed to commit, he murmured a quick, "I think so." before finally closing the distance and pressing his lips softly against yours. He didn't need to speak for you to know that was all he had been dreaming of doing for a long while. It was obvious in the magical way he was moving his lips in time with your own, in the way delighted hums and mumbles would rise from his throat. In your opinion, there was something to be said about mouth-to-mouth communication. This was possibly the happiest you had ever seen him, you didn't need to be a master of intuition to interpret that. You felt him smile into the kiss, and you couldn't resist smiling along with him. 

Dib finally pulled away after what felt like both an eternity and hardly any time at all. "You said it yourself. No risk, no reward." His grin was wide, and his eyes shone with joy behind his large glasses. 

"Correct." Your hand fell from his hair to his coat, fingers playing with the fabric of the collar. "I usually charge for tarot readings, but for you, another kiss and consider your tab paid."

"Sounds fair enough to me." Leaning in once more, Dib planted yet another kiss on your lips. It was much quicker than the previous one, but after pulling back he proceeded to pepper several little kisses all over your face. Each was very light and brief, leaving your skin feeling tingly. His lips found your own once more, both hands tangling themselves in your hair. A simple tarot reading had somehow morphed into a very physical expression of feelings that had been pushed down for months. You wouldn't complain, though.

"Thank you for your payment." Your words were broke by giggles after you had parted. 

"Of course." Dib's gaze drifted to the box of cards that was sitting off to the side, his smile never wavering. "You know, you should teach me how to read those."

"Only if you take me cryptid hunting."

"Deal." He laughed at the determined smirk on your face, wrapping his arms around you. You let him pull you into a hug, your arms snaking around him as if that was where they were always meant to be. 

"So, can we safely consider ourselves ex-friends now? Because personally, I feel that we're much better off as lovers."

"Like I said before, I trust your input, it's what I asked for." 

"So, lovers it is?"

"Lovers it is." Dib's voice was pleasant as you snickered into his chest, more than pleased with how the day had went. You sensed that he would agree with that notion. 

[please-buckme]

You Belong with Me. - Anakin Skywalker x reader

Unisex.

⚠️Warnings: the reader says goddamn.

3113 words

This day started the same as any other day. You woke from your small room that was very high up in the Jedi Temple. You got out of bed and got ready for the monotonous day a head of you. You took a quick shower, got out and dried off. The only thing you took extra time on was your Padawan braid. You wore it with pride no matter how bad you hated it and couldn't wait to become a master to chop it off. Throwing your robes on quickly, you headed for the door. You only had an hour before your meeting with your master and the council. You wouldn't dare be late but you had gotten back from a mission very late the night before and hadn't eaten in days, so you headed to the dining hall to grab something quick like a meiloorun and some juice.

You had hoped to run into some friends along the way since you hadn't been home in a while. Your two best friends were Anakin and Makenna. Both extraordinary Jedi and your most favorite people in the world. But to no avail that's not who you ran into.

"(Y/N)! Oh I am so glad to see you've made it back safely!" Padmé says running up and embracing you in a rather tight hug. "When did you get in?"

"We got back last night. I would've told you but it was very late." You say breaking the hug and awkwardly crossing your arm to hold the other. You had known Padmé for a long time. You once had to escort her back to her home planet on Naboo for a mission, so you had gotten to know much about her. But it seemed no matter how polite and gentle she was a part of you was always a little intimidated by her. After all she was one of the most beautiful women in the galaxy and to top it off, a senator. You couldn't help but stare at the floor when talking to her, almost as if her beauty was blinding.

"Ani will be so glad to hear you're back." She said rubbing the arm you were holding. You suddenly sensed the feeling of worry coming from Padmé. You look up into her sorrrow felled eyes.

"What is it?" You ask. She makes a you-already-know face towards you and you bring your hand up to pinch the bridge of your nose. "The dreams again?"

"Unfortunately. But you know he won't tell me about them." She now puts her head down shaking it side to side. "It's just- I don't know why he can't talk to me, I'm his-" she smiled down at the floor shaking her head, "Apart from that I'm glad he has you! You are his best friend!" You cringe at her last sentence. You loved being Anakin's best friend but an even bigger part of you wants so much more. You've never felt in competition with Padmé because there's no contest. He would pick her every time and you couldn't blame him. She wore the most extravagant dresses credit could buy and you were in your tolerable, baggy Jedi attire.

"Okay well just tell him to come find me later." Your mind was being overcome with ill-mannered comments about how she didn't deserve him but you kept quiet. "Shall I escort you to the dining hall?" You hold your arm out to walk Padmé down the long corridor to the dining hall.

"Oh this is perfect! I was just heading that way to speak with Ani. You may join us." Padmé says as if you had no choice, but you didn't like being around them when they were together. You were consumed with jealousy when he, or she, made advances towards one another. Anakin would always look at her so lovingly as he caressed Padmé face, she'd blush and reveal her bewitching smile. Neither of them knew your feeling a towards Anakin. You pushed your feelings deep deep down but you were afraid if you got too jealous you wouldn't be able to stop Anakin from sensing your emotions.

"Thank you for the offer, Padmé. But I'm going to be in a bit of a rush seeing as though I have a meeting with the council in just a few minutes, so I'm just gonna sit by myself to not distract myself." What you said didn't make sense in your head and it didn't sound any better coming out. You didn't know what else to tell her though. Hey Padmé I can't sit with you because I'm madly in love with your boyfriend. Absolutely not.

"Oh, okay! That's fine. I'll just have him find you later." You could sense something was off about Padmé again but this time you weren't sure what.

Once you got into the dining hall your eyes overtly go to Anakin sitting by himself. Your breath hitched in your throat at the mere sight of him. You started to feel your cheeks warm up as you blush. You then clear your throat and tell Padmé goodbye before she makes her way to Anakin. You grabbed your breakfast and sat just behind them at another table. You didn't want to sit with them but you wanted to hear their conversation.

Padmé was upset with him, that much you knew. She kept saying things like; you always do this, how dare you and even sometimes I question our alliance.

She was talking about their marriage. She doesn't know you know about their marriage but you did. When Anakin told you he was so happy. You faked it for hours then finally excused yourself to your room and almost drown in your own tears. He talked about wanting to marry her but that's not the Jedi way so you thought nothing of it. You didn't talk to either of them for weeks. Your master knew of your feelings for Anakin, so she helped you out by telling them you were on a mission when in reality you were so emotionally weak you could barely move a muscle.

"Hey you're back!" You heard your friend Makenna from over your shoulder. You shushed her still trying to ease drop on Anakin and Padmé. "Oh shit what'd I miss?" She asked trying to get the dirt on their relationship. Makenna also knew about their marriage because you told her. You had to tell her. You weren't eating, you weren't sleeping and her being your best friend you couldn't keep it from her any longer.

"They're fighting." You say in a hushed tone.

"Oh yeah. They've been fighting for weeks now. Ever since you left actually." Makenna said.

"Do you know why?" You ask out of curiosity.

"Just Anakin being Anakin. I heard that he has been disagreeing with the council again and," she got closer to your ear to whisper a little softer, "he's been disappearing randomly. Like he's supposed to be on a mission right now with Obi-Wan, but no one could find him. He's in a lot of trouble right now and Padmé has been livid. They're constantly at each other's throats."  Makenna took a sip of your juice after telling you the recent gossip. Your stomach twisted at the emotions you could feel coming from Anakin. He was stressed, anxious, tired and furious all at the same time. The tension made you feel sick.  You turned your focus back to Makenna to distract yourself from getting sick.

"Doesn't help that he's having the dreams again." You say making her eyes grow huge.

"Again?! What of this time?" She asked.

"I don't know yet. Padmé just filled me in on it. She says he won't talk to her about them, as usual. If he can't even open up to her then why is he with her? Can't he see that I'm the one who understands him?" You say putting your head down now starring at the table. You start to think back to the nights when Anakin would cry himself to sleep in your bed. How you'd comb through is hair with your fingers and watch him sleep. He never slept peacefully but there were those few seconds in between his conscious and unconscious state. Where his head was filled with nothing but the peace of silence, before the dreaming and after the breakdown. Those were the little moments you lived for with Anakin. I wondered if Padmé had every really looked at him the way you do. You doubted it though. Seeing as their relationship is so hidden it's almost like they keep it a secret from each other as well. They always asked for you to join them in whatever they were doing because they didn't like being alone together. And Anakin isn't the only one who keeps secrets in that toxic relationship. He tells you all the time about the secrets she keeps in her head. He, sometimes, even reads her mind because the deceitfulness becomes too much to bare. At this point you're starring at them. They're still fighting but they're covering it up with fake smiles.

"Hey?" Makenna says nudging your arm, "He's a boy. Chosen one or not. And boys are stupid. They see one pretty girl and think they're in love. You and I clearly know that he should be with you but he's not because he's a stupid boy. So, get over him, move on. Stop letting him hold you back from living your life, (Y/N)." Makenna started rubbing your back soothingly and you nodded towards her. She was right. Anakin never showed interest in you and only came to you for his problems. No more.

"You know what? You're right." You say standing up now. "I- I have been living in Padmé's shadow trying to compete and for what? He has never looked at me twice. I'm done. You say angrily in a hushed tone trying not to draw attention. "Thank you, my friend. I have to go now. I have a stupid council meeting." You rub her shoulder in gratitude and head out of the dining hall. When you open the doors to the corridor it almost felt as though you were walking into your new life. A life of no Anakin. It definitely scarred you but it also felt like something you should've done a long time ago.

—————— Night Time

After the council meeting you had a very good day. Your master gave you the day to do as you pleased sense you had been on your last mission for so long. So you just did stuff to kill time and to avoid Padmé and Anakin. Neither of them ever really went to the training arena so that's where you spent most of the day. You trained along side a fellow Padawan, Kham. Kham was a couple inches taller than you but not quite as tall as Anakin. He had darker hair and blue eyes that went with his beautiful dark complexion. It had been rumored for a while that he had a crush on you but you never got that vibe from him. To you you guys were nothing more than just friends.

After training and hanging out for a while he asked if he could walk you back to your apartment. You said yes not wanting to be rude and to also not walk alone. You guys were telling corny jokes and making each other laugh until you got to your front door. There sat Anakin against the wall awaiting your arrival. When he looked up to see you walking with Kham you saw his face contort into a rage. Was he jealous? No he couldn't be. What was there to be jealous of? You were you and nothing more than a best friend to him.

"Anakin." You say greeting him with a nod. For once you weren't happy to see him. At this point you wouldn't mind if you never saw him again. Just the sight of him enraged you.

"(Y/N)." he said back to you in an angered tone, "Kham." He greeted Kham as well. "I've been waiting here for well over an hour." He spat at you as if to make you feel bad. Kham felt the tension between the two of you.

"Okay, I'm gonna go. Anakin," he nodded. "Good to see you and (Y/N) I'll see you tomorrow." He says giving you a sweet smile. You smile back in response and he leaves you with Anakin. Great.

"Why didn't you tell me you were home. I had to find out from Padmé." He says jumping right into an argument.

"Sorry dad we got back late." You say.

"What's tomorrow?" Anakin asked. In reference to what Kham had said to you.

"A word to describe the upcoming day." You say sarcastically knowing exactly how he'd respond. You didn't care though. You simply walked past him and into your apartment.

"You know exactly what I mean. What is wrong with you?" He asks annoyed with your new attitude towards him.

"Are you really here to find out what's wrong with me or for me to be your emotional support blanket? Come here Ani let me soak up every ounce of frustration and anger you feel so you can feel better about yourself." You're tone had gotten louder. You didn't care if the entire temple could hear you. You were just glad that you were finally sticking up for yourself.

"Oh, so now my emotions annoy you?" He says way too dramatically for your taste.

"No Anakin that's not what I'm saying. I'm annoyed that that's all we talk about now. Ever sense Padmé came into the picture all I get from you is your emotional, sad, depressed state and the second you feel better you run right back to her. I'm exhausted Ani. I'm exhausted. I can't do this anymore." You say turning your back to him to not show him the tears you're holding back.

"Well, if that's how you feel then fine. I'll go." You could hear him head to the door but you wanted him to hear everything you had to say because you didn't know if you'd have the guts to say it again.

"You know- I used to think you hung the goddamn moon and all the stars, Ani. I so obviously loved you and you couldn't careless. For years I have been by your side through all your ups and downs and I got nothing in return. You never greet me when I come home from missions but oh- I didn't show up one time when you came home and you didn't talk to me for a week. So you go Anakin because I'm done. I can't take it anymore of this emotional abuse. I- I can't." You could feel the pooling tears in your eyes start to full. The tears you wept were not for him but for you. They symbolized everything you held back from him all these years. You were overwhelmed but relieved to finally be done with the charade and excited to be your own person again, if you ever were to begin with.

Anakin was frozen in his tracks still looking at the door. You cried silently not wanting him to stay and comfort you. You also knew he needed time to process everything you just told him. You'd never talked to Anakin that way and you wish you didn't have to. You wondered if he would indeed just leave. You wondered if he'd say absolutely nothing and walk out the door. But he didn't. All Anakin did was turn swiftly on his feet. Now starring at you he puts one foot in front of the other as if he was going to walk over to you. He stops as if he were still numb by your words.

"You think after all this time I didn't know you loved me? If you didn't love me why would you stay up with me all those nights just to talk? I've always known." He pauses for a moment. You just stare at him in confusion. Were your feelings a game to him? You wondered unto he spoke again. "Even after all this time and all those late nights you never once realized how crazy an- and insanely in love I am with you?" You gasped at his words throwing your hand over your mouth. "I never show up when you come home because I get too nerves to see you and when you come home hurt I- I lose my mind. When you didn't show up that one time I thought you needed space. When I saw you with Kham I almost lost it." Everything he said was music to your ears except the last part. He's jealous of a guy you're not even dating?

"Your jealous of Kham? That's funny, um, how about your wife? How do you think that makes me feel? I have to see you guys together constantly. If you love me so much then why do you torture me? Why did you marry her?" You wipe a tear away aggressively trying to appear stronger than you feel.

"Because I don't have to worry about her as much. Before her you're all I thought about day and night, which I still do. I thought being with her would help me get over you. Every time you go on a mission I'm scarred it'll be your last. I can't think straight or concentrate on anything when you're gone. You're my rock." He walked towards you now at a steady pace. Your tempted to take a step back but you don't. You just stare at Anakin until he fills in the empty space between you.

"I love you, (Y/N). I have always loved you."

You say nothing in response. You just do the one thing you'd been dying to do since you met. You kissed him. You kissed him in a way that cannot be described with words. Butterflies ran all through your body. Your head now feeling dizzy from all the passion and emotion that seeped from your mouth into his. He did not hesitate to kiss you back in this long awaited kiss either. You felt him smile on your lips which made you giggle. You nuzzled you're head into his chest and he enveloped his arms around your lower back. You were over come with joy now knowing that your best friend, Anakin Skywalker, the chosen one, was in love with you. You picked your head up to stare into his beautiful blue orbs.

"I love you, Ani." He just smirked down at you and kissed you ones again.

xMasterlist.x

[fallershipping]

Looker x Anabel Retrospective

The absolute ultimate Retrospective post as to explain why I’ve been on this OTP since 2016. Especially made in mind with the idea that some new peeps on the boat may not realize the extent of the lore between these two characters. Feel free to read this or skip this if you want, because I did pour out my heart and soul and it can be kind of a lengthy read.

Enjoy~

So Looker and Anabel have been two existing characters in Pokemon for the longest time, with both being sort of beloved for different reasons but not too often thought about as compared to other NPCs. One’s a reoccurring comedy relief detective since Platinum and the other is probably the most memorable and strongest of the Hoenn Battle Frontier from Emerald.

But when SunMoon dropped, these two characters got a new lease on life that no one really saw coming. This special appearance made them go from NPCs I never really thought too much about to placing them as my top two favorite Pokemon characters of all time.

The UB Task Force mission, as much as a glorified fetch quest as it seems to be, continues some of the darker, more adult themes brought along with SunMoon. While the main story dealt with subjects of abuse and what it means to be a truly strong person in the case of hardships, the post game surprisingly delves into the corrupt side of a seemingly good organization and idea of sacrificing one life to save another. What appears to be another run of the mill Looker mission takes a dive into the tragic backstory shared between certain characters, and all of this lore was scrapped in the ‘definitive’ USUM games.

So while a lot of people might have played this portion of the game, many could have skipped it entirely or didn’t give the dialogue too much thought.

But you’re asking, why is it special? And why have I cared so much for a potential romantic relationship between Looker and Anabel enough to draw them as much as I have?

Haha. Buckle up buckaroo.

So right off the bat, Looker and Anabel’s banter sets up what kind of relationship they have with one another. They’re formal as coworkers can be, but the more they talk to one another, the friendliness that they share quickly becomes apparent. They also tend to speak highly of each other, no matter if the person is in the room or gone out.

And he’s not wrong! Looker is well aware of just how capable Anabel is for a guy that isn’t really known for Pokemon battles himself.

After the first UB on the list is securely captured, Looker insists on a feast for everyone to enjoy in one of Alola’s famous restaurants, in which Anabel points out asking how he had known of this already having just now arrived here. Looker, flustered, says that he’s read it in a magazine and dashes out to make reservations, cuing Anabel to react to his odd antics in a more...

Affectionate way.

Look at that lil smile.

He’s an odd fellow, for sure. A lot of characters in the past called him weird or were off put by his personality, but Anabel is very patient and sort of endeared by him. He constantly returns to the gang yelling “It’s a catastrophe!” in different languages-- And Anabel doesn’t snap at him angrily for it, but calmly asks him to repeat himself in english so that she can understand him.

During the course of the post game while Looker’s away, Anabel is always talking about him in a positive manner. Despite his quirks, she finds him a league of his own even amongst the elite of the International Police.

Despite this acknowledgment of Looker’s skill and ability, she seems to be awfully dead set on keeping Looker as backup in their base of operations.

Anabel knows how dangerous UBs are. They’re not human criminals that he can easily deal with with his own fists-- they are aggravated alien monsters. Her imagining Looker facing one of them alone without any Pokemon to defend himself with probably scares her deeply.

Scares her enough for her to constantly assign him to be backup for her and the Protag, despite his protests and his expertise in fieldwork.

And yet she never fails to remind him that he is important regardless of whether he’s on the field fighting alongside her or set to backup. Almost, in a way, finding a way to flatter him. (smiling at him as reassurance or perhaps even putting up a bit of charm) She is thankful for his help on getting intel and he’s a valuable asset to the mission, but she cannot bear the thought of her friend getting hurt when she can handle the UBs with her own fully trained Pokemon team.

However, despite her confidence, Anabel grows more and more fatigued with each UB encounter. Looker’s worry rises and he tries even harder to let himself take her place in the field.

As much as she also insists on not wanting to worry him, Looker’s usual goofy and eccentric demeanor begins to change. His speech patterns start to become more serious and his sentences trail off more often, which throughout all the games, is a rather rare sight to see. His care for Anabel brings out something vulnerable and emotional out of someone self proclaimed hard-boiled.

With all the respect he gives her and all the times he commemorates her aptitude, he still fears for her greatly.

And when a familiar character appears, we understand why.

Nanu comes in to talk about the truth behind Anabel’s reappearance in the series; much like the UBs, she came from another world through Ultra Space and ended up as what Interpol dubbed as a Faller. 

Fallers are bathed in the energy from ultra wormholes. Thus, UBs are attracted to these humans, mistaking them as a way back home and going on the attack. Back then, Interpol found a particular use for Fallers by using them to direct the attention of UBs away from public areas.

Which is what happened ten years prior to the events of SunMoon. Looker, Nanu, and a third member were sent to fight a Guzzlord. However, Looker hesitated in harming it further when it realized it was just scared monster sent here against it’s will. But his lapse in judgment cost the life of the third member, a Faller woman, to fall victim to Guzzlord’s attack.

Looker and Nanu took down the Guzzlord but learned the horrible truth about their companion, who was not trained in combat-- she was designated as bait, but the catastrophic results were a failure that shadows Interpol forever. Not long after, the two agents found a woman washed up Poni’s shore recollecting nothing about herself but her name; Anabel.

This is why Looker has been growing ever so worried for Anabel’s safety and why he even asked the champion in the first place to help. The protag is indeed a Faller as well. He thought he could be able to control the situation with having a fantastic trainer who befriended Solgaleo/Lunala to keep the UB outbreak in check-- To make sure Anabel was safe. After all, the protag is able to help the mission go along beautifully and safely capture each UB.

But not without a price. Anabel was still being hurt, and Nanu had to intervene to make Looker realize that he had made a big mistake.

After all, Anabel isn’t aware that she’s a Faller herself. Why doesn’t she know yet? Wouldn’t Looker tell her? Or Nanu?

It would appear as Interpol learned something after all these years, and isn’t really using her as Bait as they did before with the first Faller. Anabel is said to have autonomy over this and chose to save the UBs from a worse fate. Unlike the first Faller, she was properly trained for the UB Task Force missions and for many other Interpol related missions as her own strong, resourceful agent. However, Interpol is still quiet about her status as a Faller and anything relating to them from the past.

And Looker, years after the incident with Guzzlord, is now met with an Anabel with a newly built Interpol life determined to help people, Pokemon, and UBs in need no matter what. She absolutely believes in her successes and her cause. And she is adamant of going on these missions. Looker grows a bond with her and is faced with this troubling realization;

To tell her the truth would mean to collapse the whole world upon her.

After all... Having rebuilt her life, seeing her so confident, so passionate about what she’s doing... He sees her succeed in something he feels all too familiar with-- Starting from the bottom and creating an identity, somehow.

Having been found in the Battle Resort, washed ashore with no memory, not even a name to go by. Looker knows her pain more than anyone else. She needs to know about what she is going through-- But the uttermost pain she will feel and the lingering eyes of Interpol’s heads has been keeping him mortified and silent.

So he does anything and everything in his power to protect her in the meantime, before she can be told the truth. And with the way the Alola mission went, that time is coming up real soon.

However, with the protag and Nanu’s help the UB Task Force finally had every UB under control. And Anabel was kept safe and sound, much to Looker’s relief. They can finally enjoy some time off and no doubt will be in for quite a long, painful, but necessary conversation when the time comes.

Not of course before Looker going off into a slight panic over the idea of Anabel going on a date.

And that was the line that made me totally think “Oh yep, yep! Looker’s got a massive crush on her!”

SO! What’s the take away from all this madness??

The fact that Looker and Anabel care deeply for one another so much, as they go far too out of their way to protect each other from harm. Not just out of necessity, but their banter clearly shows that there’s a deeper connection between the two than just a professional coworker one.

You might argue that Looker is only worrying about her this deeply because of what he went through all those years ago and is trying to prevent the same thing from happening, and yet... He’s grown to appreciate and know Anabel for who she is. She is in fact her own agent that joined Interpol on her own volition and chose to do the UB missions due to her empathy to the lost beings so far from home.

He knows when she’s unwell, he knows why she hides it away. He understands her as a person and it’s wonderful how much they show that they grew to have a bond with one another. Enough for both of them to catch on to each other’s quirks and feel comfortable.

The small giggle that she gives him, the small yet playfully affectionate jab, the way it just says “Oh there he goes again thinking about the feast at this time... Just Looker being Looker~” Because she also knows him deeply as well! This man is not one of her best allies but one of her most trusted companions in this new life of hers and it shows!! 

They’re each other’s most trusted companions and their partnership is just wonderful to see.

Of course, romance can’t happen between them yet-- Not until Anabel knows the truth about Fallers and what Interpol did long ago. But let’s be honest, even the big angst/hurt/comfort fest that would come from that conversation would be a whirlwind of emotions that would just end up with them having an even stronger relationship than they’ve ever had before.

It’s not just that they look wonderful together, complement each other, and such-- It’s all those things plus the backstory and close bond and tragedy that comes from this mission. It makes me want to see them overcome every hurdle and be happy with one another and have all the joy and happiness they deserve after all they’ve been through.

I want to see them in more situations where they can be casual with one another, fight alongside one another, and so on so forth. They just have so much potential and I really think Game Freak sees it too.

And as for a lil bonus, Looker in USUM finding out the protag is the champion but is more impressed with Anabel’s knowledge than the actual champion. Also they’re always vacationing together mutually huh hmm wowie?

--

tl;dr go ship Looker/Anabel aka Fallershipping aka Lookabel best ship 10/10

[kumamon-kp]

Late night imagine (For Roji)

She’s the one

Think about her face every time I wake up

At night I wanna ask about how her day was

But I just haven't told her yet

11:30 am

(23.4.20)

He sits in the bed next to Minhyuk. His laying on his back with his phone in his hands scrolling through his Instagram news feed looking at everyone else’s awesome days with their girlfriends and all the old couples making videos and getting older together.

He smiles at some of the pictures, until she pops up into his mind.

“Oh I forgot I haven’t asked Rojina how she’s going yet? It’s her birthday tomorrow” He sits on his side.

There’s nothing but silence in the room, Kihyun could feel a stare. He looked over at the other bed to see Minhyuk looking up from his phone and smirking at him.

“You really can’t stop thinking about her can you?” Minhyuks on his belly whilst his feet are up in the air waving around like a teenage girl.

Kihyun laughs nervously, his face turning a light shade of pink. He ruffles his wet hair and pushes it back exposing his forehead. He sighs again.

He is constantly wanting to see how she’s feeling and what she’s doing. He cares about her so much that is what is constantly on his mind from the moment he wakes up till the moment he falls asleep.

He knows he doesn’t have a place in her heart yet, he admits it, but he always manages to put those thoughts aside and thinks about how much he can love her no matter the distance in their feelings.

Minhyuk can hear little tapping noises in front of him, he looks up from his phone again and sees Kihyun tapping his blank phone screen.

“Just text her, she might appreciate it you know” Minhyuk grabs his lips and plays with it. Kihyun groans and rolls over on his stomach. His heart is racing again.

12 am

(24.4.20)

K: Happy birthday beautiful ~

Love U (Rojina POV)

You make me crazy it's not just the wine

Go on and take me right across the line

Looking at you, I got one thing on my mind

8 pm

(24.4.20)

Saeng il chuk ha ham ni da

saeng il chuk ha ham ni da

sarang ha neun Rojinaaaa

saeng il chuk ha ham ni da

Your friends were all extra. Some were screaming the song, some were 3 octaves lower then normal and some were just soothing… you look over at Kihyun who had the biggest smile. He was clapping and laughing so hard that his little dimple showed on his cheek.

Tonight, you wore your tight black dress since your friends made this birthday a little more special then the others. You were all sat at fancy restaurant in the private section.

“Make a wish Rojina” Kihyun whispered in your ear sending shivers down your spine. He was on his knees next to you. He placed his warm hand on your cold shoulder sending heat waves down your body. His hands were so soft, and he smelt so good you felt a little confused at how much more attractive he looked tonight. His skinny looked so soft, his eyes were darker, and his hair was slicked back showing his forehead.

“ooh- you’re so cold?” his eyes widened. He panics a little removing his jacket and placing it on your bare shoulders. At this point everyone had moved around, someone had taken the cake to cut it up and the other were letting you have your moment… moment? Was it a moment? No no it definitely not a moment.

You looked away trying to join into another conversation

But… every time you tried to draw your attention to something other than him you always managed to make eye contact with him. At some point he looked flustered, bit his lip a little and looked away at the other boys.

“You know you’re still with Wonho right?” Eleni whispered scaring the shit out of you.

“Yah I know!” Your heart rate had increased by 100.

“Really?” her voice going high pitched, crossing her leg she continued eating a cake.

“I mean… I don’t know if eye fucking Kihyun is you remembering Wonho” you choked on your drink slapping her arm. You continued coughing and she stared laughing at your pain.

“Shut up!” you drank more wine hoping it might get you drunk enough to forget.

“I’m just stating the facts” she got up and walked over to other side where her boyfriend was sitting.

This night continued to confuse you.

You missed Wonho the truth was, but you guys ‘technically’ broke up 5 months ago. He hasn’t bothered to call you back, he just left you without saying anything and now your lost. It’s not like you hate him but it’s not like your happy that he left you with no explanation. You still love him but you’re slowly losing hope in waiting for him. Questions like when will he come back? Will he come back? Was it my fault did I scare him away? What can I do to get to where he is right now?

10.30 pm

“Kihyun I really don’t think this is a good idea” Kihyun laid on top of you. You were both out of breath from your heated make out but things started to get serious. His face wasn’t the same as usually, he seemed darker and much more determined.

“I want you now, even if we both regret it in the morning”

“but we’re drunk Kihyun”

“It’s not the wine baby”

His touch was soft, gentle something you missed and something you’d lost. He kissed your forehead. You grabbed his face pulling him in to kiss you. His lips were soft, you could taste the wine which didn’t feel great but something was telling you that this night was more then this moment.

Happy without me (Wonho POV)

Do you think about me sometimes?

'Cause I think about you sometimes

You can’t hold my heart no more (Rojina POV)

And, there's nothing that I can say at all

You can't hold my heart no more

And I'm waiting for your arms to fall

You can't hold my heart no more

11 pm

2.05.20

“Hi” your heart sank. It hurt so much hearing his voice again. Your eyes watered immediately; you took a deep breath holding the phone away, so he didn’t hear you.

“Wonho if you’re ringing to try and apologise, I’d rather just not hear it”

“Rojina…”

“Just tell me you’ve been ok-ay” your voice broke a little.

“Rojina”

“STOP SAYING MY NAME! Just tell me you’ve been okay I don’t want excuses and that nonsense bullshit Wonho” you were crying. You hated this, you hated showing him that you struggled without him.

“I’m sorry, I know you’ve been worried I’ve asked the boys about you every week, I don’t think you’ll understand anything I explain to you now”

You stayed silent. Your heart was in pain, his voice made you so mad but so happy and relieved.

You were both still silent.

“I missed you” he whispered in the phone, you could hear the sniffles from the other side of the call.

“I just need time” he spoke again each time his voice getting weaker.

“I have to go… thanks for remembering me… but I’ve moved on now Wonho, I can’t stand holding my heart away from other people anymore just because I’m depending on you to come back and hold it for me and protect it, because I trusted you with my heart once and this is how you treated it”

The phone stayed silent; it was just sobs coming from Wonho.

“Mm” he agreed, he had no words.

“It was nice knowing you Wonho, I hope you finally figure out what you need to figure out”

You ended the phone call, you laid on the floor, your heart hurt, the tears were never ending.

GOT MY NUMBER (Rojina POV)

If you need someone who can love you while he's gone

Baby, you got my number, got my number, whoa

When you realize it ain't him that's on your mind

12 pm

You saw your phone buzz again, you wiped your tears and opened it with a racing nervous heart. Your heart was relieved to see Kihyun’s appear on your screen.

K: Hi, are you okay? I just wanted to see how you were.

Your heart fluttered again, you hesitated.

R: Please come here.

K: Why?

R: I just need you..

K: I’ll be over soon.

You were nervous, you’ve never felt so many emotions within one hour.

You heard your doorbell ring and you quickly ran to the door. You wiped any left-over tears before you opened the door. He stood there with a bag in his hands, his black hoodie and his face bare. He dropped his bag and wrapped his arms around you, holding you tight. He rubbed your hair as you started to sob again. His hoodie was soft, and it smelt fresh. You held on to his hoodie hoping he would never let go.

“Don’t cry please” he pulled you away and you giggled a little feeling embarrassed that you cried so easily.

“I told you anytime, no matter what, you have my number and you can call me, and I’ll be right over” he held your shoulders and looked at you with a worried expression.

You both sat on the couch, you put your head on his shoulder and stared out into your own thoughts.

“You know he did text us every week but… he told us not to tell you”

You nodded already knowing the situation.

“I would be saying to forgive him right now but I also have to worry about my own feelings right now to, you know?”

You looked up at him confused.

“since that night together… you have been on my mind and even before that and ill keep hiding my feelings to step away from you and wonho but-“

You cut him off by pecking his lips, he was talking too much for your brain right now. His face was bright red this time.

“I know how you feel and I know that I feel something too but you just have to give me more time” you managed to finially say. He nodded biting his lip, looking down at his hands. You grabbed his hands and leaned against him weakly. He moved his arm out of the way and let your head fall into his lap. Your felt all sorts of things but this moment was definetly making you feel at ease. He did something to your heart that you hadn’t felt before, warmth and safeness.

Bye bye its late.

[serenzippity]

Viva

Words: 3718 Member: Eventual Hyungwon/OC, mentions of Wonho/OC, OC/ OC Genre: Angst Warning(s): Mentions of DV

Chapter Three

September 9th, 2019 Hamlin Penthouse Seoul, South Korea

Considering how expensive the sheets were I always internally lamented about how stiff they seemed to be. They didn’t caress my skin like the cheap, jersey-knit ones I had in college. Nor did they maintain any sort of comforting smell, rather they held the sterile smell of Damien’s outrageously pricey detergent.

Everything of his—and by extension, everything of mine—was painfully costly. From his socks, all the way to the type of lip balm he used, maintained some kind of egregious opulence that would put most people to shame. Designer clothes, designer products, and even designer furnishings were staples in the life of Damien Hamlin. When I first met him, he said that he preferred the nicer things because he grew up with nothing and I only fell harder at his hardworking sentiments.

It became clear that he liked nicer things because they were easy to control and he could show them off like a cool trophy, and I was soon put in the same category as his Hermes wallets and Rolexes. As much as I tried to deny it, I was undeniably one of Damien’s pretty little trinkets. I was his exotic wife that had dark eyes and even darker skin, with hair that was relaxed to perfection on top of a petite little body. Demure and always hanging on his every word, there was a stark difference between my work persona and the face I put on around my husband. It was a sort of two-faced personality that I had to perfect quickly when his colors began to show underneath the Tom Ford suits he wore.

“We will be attending the Starship Investors Gala on Saturday. Make sure you go find a dress for it.” He wasn’t even looking at me as he spoke, preferring to keep all his attention on his bright phone. The clicking was irritating to my tired mind, but I didn’t want to voice my concerns. He was resting nonchalantly against the headboard, completely bare with the sheets resting over his lap as if he didn’t just exert his complete power over my body. “Make sure you send me pictures so I can approve what you choose.”

“Of course, baby,” I whispered, turning onto my side to stare at the digital clock on my end table. My naked skin stuck uncomfortably to the sheets and the ache in between my legs was enough to send a painful shudder up and down my spine. I felt his stickiness coating my core and inner thighs, but I knew better than to get up and clean off residue out of fear of ‘disrespecting’ my husband.

I closed my eyes in an attempt to get some semblance of sleep. Damien’s clicking, however, reverberated through the whole room. It felt like it was right next to my ear and I could feel the dull throbbing of a headache grow behind my eyes. Beyond the iPhone clicking, I also heard a soft vibration that I realized was coming from my nightstand.

Looking over my shoulder at Damien to see him wholly engrossed in his screen, I reached over and picked up my respective phone to find a new text message from someone I hadn’t talked to in a couple of weeks.

I hadn’t heard or seen Hyungwon since I confronted him at the restaurant with his date. After seeing him in such an intimate setting I was completely dead-set on avoiding him at all costs, and it was easy to do because of his oncoming schedules in Japan, Germany, and the United States. On occasion my mind would wander to him, questioning if his silence was fleeting or if I should anticipate another instance of having to threaten him. I quickly shut those thoughts down, preferring to get through everything day by day without thinking about the handsome idol.

Looking at the text, I immediately went into overdrive. I had a sneaking suspicion that if I didn’t respond he would send another text. I also knew that if I did respond I would be adding fuel to his aggravating confidence. It was a war that I had with myself constantly when it came to the bold man. I knew that it was bordering on unprofessionalism, but I also did give his bandmate my personal number just in case he had any questions. I also argued that casual conversation with someone who is considered a ‘client’ isn’t the end of mine or his career. If anything moved beyond simple, seemingly innocent questions then I would put an end to any and all contact.

It wasn’t just my job that plagued the back of my mind as I contemplated responding. It was also the man lying next to me and his terrifyingly jealous streak. I already had to hide the fact that I retained Seyoung as my assistant from him, so I’d undoubtedly had to hide the fact that a few idols had my phone number. ‘What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him… or you,’ my mind told me as I stared at Hyungwon’s question.

Figuring that one simple text wouldn’t kill me, I sent him a sharp and to the point response. Quickly closing my phone, I placed it back on my nightstand and attempted to close my eyes to get at least a few hours of sleep.

However, Damien’s clicking and a slight craving for ramen kept me up all night.

-x-

“I’m getting really annoyed right now.”

“Stop it you look hot.”

I sighed as I looked in the mirror at the overpriced dress. It was literally just a piece of silk that was stitched together to create an emerald green silhouette. There was nothing overtly special about it, no embellishments nor add-ons that would warrant it costing enough to feed a small country. I would literally be paying for a tag on the inside of it.

“It’s way too much and I can’t justify spending this much on a dress that I’ll wear once.” I reached around for the zipper, struggling to work it until Seyoung took pity on me and got up to help.

“What did Damien say was your budget?” he asked, but I knew that he knew the answer to that question before it even left his lips.

“No budget,” I whispered, “Just something revealing that won’t disappoint him.” I looked at the dress biting my lip because while it was gorgeous, I just didn’t feel comfortable in it. “As per usual.” The last bit came out as a quiet whisper, but Seyoung didn’t say anything even if he heard it.

Stepping out of the dress, I appraised the rack that was especially pulled out for me by the manager of the posh boutique. All of the dresses screamed “Mrs. Hamlin” and were stunning, but I didn’t feel comfortable in a single one of them. They were all similar silhouettes with varying colors—tight around the hips with a low neckline that could be considered indecent if they were even a centimeter lower. Each one would guarantee Damien’s approval but my discomfort in the process.

“I guess I’ll take the red one,” I said, quickly downing the glass of champagne that was waiting for me on a little table next to the mirrors. The shop assistant grabbed the dress and scurried away, leaving Seyoung and I alone in the private dressing room.

I shot off a quick text to my husband, letting him know that I chose the red one that had garnered his consent when I sent him a photo earlier. I knew he wouldn’t respond if he approved, but I sent it nonetheless. He gave me a sad smile that screamed pity as he handed me his glass, letting me down his champagne in a quick second. I was grateful for the buzz as I thanked him before getting dressed.

I contemplated not buying the dress for a quick second, but I pushed that down when I remembered Damien’s words. “Make sure you send me pictures so I can approve what you choose.”I could hear him whisper the words in my ear like a thinly veiled threat that had me shuddering.

Putting on my shoes, I signaled for Seyoung to follow me out on the boutique floor. He and I made a bee-line for their jewelry section where a large assortment was laid out for me. Seyoung and I chatted idly for a bit, picking up pieces and commenting on how overtly gaudy they were. The sales associate was clearly irritated as we joked and made fun of her merchandise, but I had a feeling that she knew better than to act upon it.

“Oh god could you imagine?” I giggled as I held up a necklace that weighed an egregious amount and probably cost more than my annual salary. “I feel like I should drop this over the edge of a ship when I’m 80 or something.”

Seyoung laughed as he grabbed the matching earrings. “These will rip your lobes out! Who would be dumb enough to buy them?” I couldn’t help but let out an unladylike snort. I felt genuinely blissful and happy as Seyoung and I joked around at the expense of the stuffy sales associate. My cheeks were hurting, especially when he picked up a large diamond bracelet and pretended to fall forward at the sheer weight of it.

Soon we were both two more glasses of champagne in as we caroused the jewelry selections. We got to the point where we would try on multiple pieces at a time, looking obnoxious along the way. Layering up on diamonds and gemstones, Seyoung and I were drunken messes that were inevitably protected by my last name.

“I think the sapphire earrings suit you, darling,” I cooed, drawing out the last word like a cheap Scarlett O’Hara impersonator.

“Why thank you, darling,” Seyoung purred back, clinking our glasses together as we sipped on the sparkling alcohol. He was dripping in diamonds and looked ridiculous all the same. I didn’t look much better, but the champagne kept me from caring even as the uptight sales associate failed to hide her glare.

“I’m thinking I should go with the silver collar. Ya know-” I slurred, holding my glass up high, “-that way the love of my life can really show who I belong to.” Every word was dragged out as if I was telling the most interesting story in the world. A giggle emphasized the end of my rather distasteful sentence, and if I wasn’t so engrossed I would have noticed Seyoung’s slight grimace.

“Lux…” he hissed. “That’s enough for you.” I gave him a pout as he took my champagne glass from me, but I also knew that I was speaking out of a place that needed to be stifled quickly.

“Fine,” I huffed, turning to the sales associate. “I will take the pavé necklace and the earrings. Charge them to the account.” I gave Seyoung a tiny pout, but he only smirked at me. He and I were silent for a couple moments as the staff worked on packing up all my items and we took off the piles of jewelry that we jokingly put on. The dress had to be hemmed, but I was able to take home the jewelry and shoes to show Damien the work I put into looking good and not disappointing him for the gala.

We were both lost in a tipsy daydream as the associates fluttered around us. I leaned against the counter as my head got slightly heavy, silently loving the fact that I had a driver waiting for me outside so I could rush home and take a nap. I was also thankful that Damien was out of town for the night so I could sprawl across the bed and pamper myself. The idea of a nap followed by junk food and a bubble bath made me lean into Seyoung with a satisfied groan. Resting my head on his shoulder, he and I watched the sales associates pack the jewelry and shoes carefully as if they were the most precious items in the world.

I was in a staring contest with the painfully high, black heels I was buying when the door of the boutique opened and a loud laugh wafted through the door. Three men stumbled in, all of them in street clothes covered by a dust mask. I watched them warily as they walked over to the front sales associate with an air of confidence that seemed achingly recognizable. She hopped-to and ushered them towards the jewelry counter and by extension Seyoung and me.

One of them, the tallest of the three, looked strikingly familiar but I was too tipsy to try to attempt to rack my brain. But I didn’t have to think hard enough because they all stopped on sight when they saw me. Two of them looked shocked and almost fearful, but the tall one had eyes that glinted. I could see his cheeks pull up behind his mask and everything clicked when he came to stop a few feet in front of me and spoke.

“Mrs. Hamlin,” he purred.

“Mr. Chae,” I replied, glaring at him as I pushed off of Seyoung and stood up tall. I felt my fight or flight instincts begin to bristle in the back of my neck, and my hands tensed around the edge of the jewelry display. The metal edge bit into my hand but I didn’t feel the pain as I wished him away. “Mr. Lee and Mr. Lee,” I nodded acknowledging the other two members with him, both of whom gave me a low bow.

“How are you today?” Hyungwon smirked, coming to stand beside me. He leaned on the display case nonchalantly, the other two looking at him like he grew a second head at how casually he was acting around me.

“Well, there aren’t any more dating scandals to deal with today, so I think I am fine Mr. Chae.” I could practically taste the venom pooling on my tongue as I spoke each word. It was coursing through my blood ever since he said my last name with wanton familiarity, clearly not understanding that I wasn’t going to be welcoming to him.  

Hoseok, on the other hand, flushed a deep red behind his face mask and looked down in what I could only assume was embarrassment. For such a big guy he was adorably shy. “I’m kidding Mr. Lee,” I said quickly replacing my scowl with a small smile that I directed solely towards him. “Mr. Chae here just likes to irritate me with his cavalier extra-curriculars. Sometimes I just can’t stop the sarcasm.”

He lifted his head to look at me and gave me a small nod before shuffling uncomfortably and looking away once more. Hyungwon, however, only smiled widely at my sharp comment and pulled down his mask to reveal his full, amused face. He was still, as per usual, painfully handsome despite the bags under his eyes and his messy hair. A tick in my mind reminded me that they were fresh from a Singapore engagement and bound to be tired, something that I filed away as quick as the epiphany came.

“All of our extra-curriculars are of special interest to our legal team,” he smiled deeply, leaning slightly forward to invade my space. I smelled a small breeze of coffee and something that was distinctly clean, but not in a sterile sense like Damien preferred. It was comforting almost, kind of like when your parents do your laundry and fold it with extra care. It was hard to describe, but I couldn’t focus on the smell as he leaned closer to me than what I would deem acceptable.

I took a step back, practically pushing Seyoung in a bid to escape his oncoming presence. His attention flickered between Hyungwon and me, watching us like a tennis match. Hoseok and Jooheon were the same, confused and wary of the short interaction that would without a doubt garner question later on.

I opened my mouth to respond, but before a single syllable could tumble out the jewelry associate came back with her snarky head held high and her full lips were, obviously, freshly glossed. “Mrs. Hamlin,” her tone had switched from one of annoyance to one that screamed artificial, “Would you like to come back and pick up your dress or should we have it couriered?”

“Couriered please,” I replied as I watched her blatantly ogle the three idols. My words didn’t matter to her, and I made a mental note to tell the manager who handled my account about my delivery preference. She was shameless as she checked them out, eyes flitting over all three from head to toe in appraisal. I cocked an eyebrow at her which she failed to notice. Everyone was quiet for a moment, and I watched her intently as I waited for someone to break the silence. I didn’t wait long, because once her gaze landed and stayed on Hyungwon for what was longer than appropriate I felt a flood of annoyance rush into my head.

Clearing my throat, she jumped at the slight intrusion into her fantasy-induced bubble. Her head snapped to look at me so fast it was a wonder she didn’t get whiplash. Wide eyes came to meet upon angry brown ones as I stared her down with a mocking look that I mastered in law school. “You’re excused,” I told her pointedly which seemed to shock everyone around me. I returned my attention back to Hyungwon and the other Monsta X members, not bothering to look at the sales associate as she huffed away.

The current thorn in my side was giving me the widest, most Cheshire-like smirk I had ever seen. His members behind him were wide-eyed, but all my focus was on Hyungwon as he looked at me like I was a piece of meat and he was a ravenous lion. The look—despite the blood rushing to my head at it—made me shift uneasily. The move didn’t go unnoticed by him, and his smirk grew which only made my usual glare flit back to my face.

“Can I help you, Mr. Chae?” I challenged, crossing my arms over my chest in a silent dare.

He leaned closer, crossing his arms over his chest to match my stance. “Didn’t I tell you to call me Hyungwon, noona,” he hummed, leaning uncomfortably close to my face. He was only a few inches away, but I didn’t pull back or move. I wasn’t going to back down, no matter the circumstances. This was a standoff and my pride was rising steeply.

“Step back Mr. Chae,” I growled, “And please refrain from flirting with me. It’s not at all appropriate.” The venom from earlier was dripping from every word, falling off my tongue in a bitter bite as I spit fire at him.

But he didn’t listen to me. He stayed put, that saccharine smile stretching across his cheeks. I could see every crevice and pore on his smooth skin, even the small freckle on his lip that caught the attention of millions of ladies around the world. I was fixated on it, scowling at the mole like it was the most offensive thing in the world to me.

“Who said I was flirting?” I watched the mole move as he spoke, the words falling over me like a bucket of cold water, ending the silent challenge. They extinguished the fire inside, practically exhausting me in the process. It was like talking to him was a marathon I had to complete and I had already run one less than an hour before. My shoulders loosened and slumped, the arms across my chest falling as I took my defeat. The challenge between us was gone, fallen away like a glass placed over a candle.

I turned to look at Seyoung, cocking my head in a bid for us to leave and leave quickly. “Gentlemen,” I nodded in farewell, moving to walk away from the three idols. I didn’t even bother to see if they were going to say anything or return a goodbye. It was like my feet were on fire as I rushed to get out of the store and by extension away from Hyungwon.

I could feel his eyes following me as I gathered my bags from the various sales associates. When they were all safely nestled in the crook of my elbow, I began to make my way out of the store. Without fail, I couldn’t even do that as a velvety voice rang through the air.

“Goodbye, Lalita.” I froze in the doorway at the mention of my name. It was wholly inappropriate on his end, but I was too shocked to scold him. My first name falling out of his mouth felt like a cold shard of ice falling down my back. However, at the same time, it felt like a warm tickle. It sent a shiver up and down my spine, causing goosebumps to erupt all over my skin. I didn’t turn to acknowledge him, instead choosing to rush out the door to put as much distance between Hyungwon and me.

Seyoung followed along blindly, shocked at my blushing face and how I practically sprinted out. I all but jumped into the awaiting car, shifting in quickly to make room for Seyoung. When the car started and the driver pulled away from the curb, I finally released a breath that I didn’t realize I was holding in. Slumping in my seat, I eyed the city passing by with distracted disinterest.

“He seems weirdly fixated on you,” Seyoung whispered into the tense car, eyeing me closely to see my reaction. I just shrugged, continuing to stare out the window into the concrete and neon jungle that zoomed by.

In each glass window, I watched the setting sun reflect on them to create what looked like multiple glimmering diamonds. In the sparkle and glimmer I saw mischievous, jasper colored eyes, and I hated my mind for conjuring up images of someone who made my blood run cold. My mind was conjuring up images of the wrong person and that terrified me.

A/N: Here’s the delayed second chapter! I’m reworking major plot points of the series, but I’m gonna continue to try to push these out every Sunday! Let me know what you think!

[goldenslowpoke]

Uncracked - Tales of the Pink Court Pt. 1 - Successor

It’s finally here! After a lot of false starts, waffling over how to do it, and a lot of drawing it’s finally come together! My first piece of writing for the Uncracked AU.

As I’m sure you’ve all noticed by now, I’ve been very intentionally avoiding using the phrase “Chapters” for this AU. And that’s because I’m very specifically not writing a 50 chapter fanfic in linear order my enjoyment be damned. Instead I’m just writing smaller self-contained works like Tales of the Pink Court here. It’s a three-parter that basically lays the foundations to this AU. Well, Steven’s foundations.

And so we set our scene. Homeworld, Pink Diamond’s Chambers....

Before we begin, there is one thing that must be eminently understood. Pink Diamond had spent 8000 years trying desperately to change, to atone for an act she had very nearly committed. This must be understood, or nothing that follows will seem marvelous. Though this tale may not be her’s, it remains the tale of her desire to change. A desire that led her to have a son, Steven Universe, who today was waking up in the private chambers of Pink Diamond.

This is, of course, because Steven Universe is Pink Diamond. The role he inherited from his Mother, the aforementioned Pink Diamond. Confusing? Even worse for the Gems of Homeworld. But that’s getting ahead of ourselves. Let us begin by discussing the matter of Steven’s birth.

For you see, Gems do not normally have children. In fact, Pink Diamond was the first, for having Steven carried a terrible cost for her. Pink Diamond had to pass on her gem to Steven, the very core of a Gem’s being. Pink Diamond was gone now, and now Steven was Pink Diamond. I told you it was even more confusing for the Gems of Homeworld. Some of them still struggled with the idea that Steven was Pink Diamond, but not Pink Diamond.

It didn’t bother Steven that much, though. Steven didn't live on Homeworld,  he lived on Earth. In a nice beach house by an old Gem temple, or sometimes in the Moon Base his mother used to watch over the Earth from when it was still an ordinary Colony. Back before the great Gem War, but that’s also getting ahead of ourselves. There will be a time to talk about the Gem War, but now is the time to talk about Steven.

Steven very rarely came to Homeworld, and today’s reason was to attend a ball of all things. His first, and his first official presentation to Gems as a whole. And… he hated it. For a number of reasons, but top on his mind this… morning were the dreams. He only had the dreams when he stayed on Homeworld, and they were terrible dreams.  Locked in dark places, attacked by his aunts, the Diamonds White, Yellow, and Blue, or dreams of himself nearly hurting Peep, one of the Gems that took care of him since he was just a little kid.

And speaking of Peep, the pink-hued Pearl had been waiting by the chamber’s window, a window that stared out at the giant torso and head where White Diamond resided. Peep was still dressed the same as always, something Steven was sure to hear no end to. It was a bold and large outfit, that would look more befitting a Garnet than it would a Pearl. A dark pink skirt, stretching down to the Pearl’s ankles. Its sole redeeming features, for a Pearl anyway, were a sheer layer over top of it, and the fact it was open in the front to reveal similarly-colored leggings and brighter pink ballet slippers that one would have expected on any Pearl, along with the pink stars marking her court that dotted the inside of it. On top she looked much more like a normal Pearl, diamond cutout for her navel-set Pearl, the only flaw was the large puffy shoulders she sported.

Steven then turned his attention to the actual exit, where another Pearl stood watch. Unlike the Pink, and more Pink, Peep, this Pearl was like a black and white picture were it not for her side-swept peach hair. This was Akoya Pearl, and she made sure everyone knew she didn’t do cute nicknames like Peep had. She also was dressed uncommonly for a Pearl, wearing a black suit top with sheer white trim around the wrists and flaring out from the bottom, and a white ruffled shirt underneath. Her tights were black, and so were her shoes.

The two Pearls were the only ones that were with Steven right now, no matter how much he wanted other Gems there too. On Earth, nobody cared who lived with Steven, but on Homeworld? Here there were norms, here there were protocols. Peep was here because, in the eyes of Homeworld, she was still just “Pink Diamond’s Pearl,” and Steven was Pink Diamond, so she had to stay with him. A rogue Pearl was in serious danger on Homeworld still. Akoya, though? That he wasn't quite as sure of, his Mother for sure never owned Akoya, actually Steven didn’t know if anyone did. Even when he asked, Akoya never revealed anything about where she came from before his Mother. Still, Steven was glad to have her here.

Akoya had always been like a mother, or perhaps a nanny, to Steven. Other Gems came and went as they pleased, doing their part to keep Steven’s “colony” running, but Akoya had always been there. She taught  him “what a Diamond needed to know,” as she would always put it, even when most definitely not teaching him anything relevant to Diamond-hood, or instead just mothering the hybrid.

“Steven, you’re awake!” Akoya had been the first one to notice, too. It made sense, though, since Peep was staring out at the bright lights of Homeworld. Steven was probably the only thing on the planet that slept, so of course the walkways and geometrical buildings outside were always brightly lit and bustling.

“Oh! Steven! Thank goodness, White Diamond’s been asking for us for the last six hours now!” Peep finally realized he was awake, turning toward the simple square bed produced by the room for its owner. The exact length of time Peep mentioned was lost on Steven, given he’d just woken up and wanted little more than a little bathroom, but it wasn’t lost on Akoya.

“Six hours!? And why was I not informed of this?” She was practically ranting already, “I’m the one making out Steven’s schedule here.”

“You may be the one making his schedule, but I’m still ‘his Pearl,’” Peep almost sounded like she was taking pride in bringing it up, in twisting some kind of knife between the two of them, “Besides she just wanted to move up the Ball. You would have said no to her, too.”

“Move it up!? The Ball isn’t even supposed to start for another three hours. When did she want it to be?”

“Lets see, if I’m doing this right…. Right about now,” Peep started, before immediately adding on “Don’t worry, don't worry, I told her no. Besides, looking out there guests are only just now arriving, we’ll have a few hours before Steven is anything more than fashionably late” after seeing Akoya looking like she was about to go off on her.

“Now!?” Well, Akoya still went off, but she was too busy racing to Steven’s bag of clothes to do anything more than yell. Clothes sent flying as Akoya looked for the one specific outfit she had set aside for this exact moment, “We need to get Steven ready! We can't keep the other Diamonds waiting.”

“Come on Akoya, what’s the harm in letting White Diamond sit a while? You need to learn how to live a little rebelliously,” Peep teased, as a red shirt with a yellow star on it was throwing at her face. Truth be told, for how motherly Akoya was, Peep was quite the opposite. She was like… Steven’s cool aunt or something. The most rebellious Pearl Steven had ever met. And Steven liked that about her.

“You know what she could do, now why don’t you head down to the ballroom and make sure the other Diamonds know we’re coming?” Akoya asked, holding up a pair of pants while looking at Steven. Without even listening for a response, Akoya started to dig in the bag again.

“Yeah, fine, if it gets us back to the Earth faster. Hey Steven, when we get back do you want to take a trip to Funland?”

Steven wanted to say yes, well he actually wanted to say “boy would I” but Akoya was now throwing clothes at him. Incredibly soft, probably wool, they were something fancy that Akoya had prepared for events like this that much was for sure. He thought he heard Peep saying something, but by the time the clothes were all removed from his head, the pink Pearl was gone.

-

Once Steven was dressed, he and Akoya set off after Peep. Steven dressed in the clothes that Akoya had packed specially for him. Fancy black pants, tight shoes, light pink shirt with a darker pink cardigan over the top of it. His top cut perfectly to expose the Pink Diamond sitting in his gut.

And he did not like it, “Do I really need to wear this? Can’t I just wear my red shirt?”

“Absolutely not, Steven. At this ball you are Pink Diamond. And that means you need to wear Pink, the same way your court does,” Akoya explained, pointing down a number of branching paths in the complex that served as both a sort of castle, and as a large dock for Pink Diamond’s personal ship. Various Gems were shuffling around all of them wearing some sort of Pink, and all of them sporting a Pink Star on their outfit.

“Well maybe I don’t like everyone wearing pink here. They should be wearing whatever they want, like everyone does on Earth.”

“Steven, you know it doesn’t work like that. Earth and Homeworld are different. White, Yellow and Blue have different rules than—”

“Than Mom, I know,” Steven suddenly cut Akoya off as they passed by a large mural. A mural of his mother, sharp and blocky, every point from her dress to her hair was emphasized. And the gem was wrong, cut like Blue or Yellow’s Gem instead of her… his actual Gem. And cradled in her hands, being held up to the sky, was a single planet and moon, representing the Earth.

The Gem everyone on Homeworld thought Steven was, and everyone on Earth wanted Steven to be. It wasn't like he could just forget how different she was when it was shoved in his face constantly. The only Diamond to have a “Free Colony.” The only Diamond not to shatter her defective Gems. The only Diamond to take defects from other Courts. The perfect story for a perfect Diamond.

And Steven was expected to live up to all of that, just because he had his mother’s Gem.

“Exactly,” Steven was snapped out of his thoughts by Akoya continuing, “Don't worry this Ball won't take long. And if we take the Galaxy Warp instead of your ship we can be back on Earth before bed.”

“I hope so,” Steven muttered as the hallway shifted from Pink hues to yellows and browns.

“Now what happened to Peep? I swear I sent her ahead of us,” Akoya asked herself as the duo came up to a large doorway blocked by layers of curtains. Steven could hear the distant grinding of what passed for ballroom music on Homeworld.

“I sent her off for a bit,” another Gem’s voice said from behind Steven. He spun around to look at whoever was talking to him, but no one was there. Then Steven felt a tap on his shoulder, and heard Pearl yelp and jump. Spinning around again, he finally saw the culprit.

Two star-shaped pink pigtails was all Steven needed to see to know who it was. “Spinel!” he called out, hugging the Gem only about his size. Careful around her pointed shoulderpads, and of the heart-shaped gem on her chest.

After recovering from her scare, Akoya wasted no time inserting her arms between the two, pushing them apart, “Spinel are you saying you sent Peep away? I specifically sent her here to get ready for Steven’s entrance.”

“It’ll be fine,” Spinel stressed, stretching an arm around Akoya, “I just sent her to go check with Jasper and her security. Besides I didn't want her overhearing our little chat here.”

“Our chat? Spinel we’re on a very strict timetable here, and we’re already late,” Akoya snapped. “Then I’ll be even quicker about it. You both know Peep well, and you're a Pearl too, Akoya, so I need your opinion on this,” Spinel motored her way through, before pulling something out of her gem. A small, multicolored flower, made of crystal. Pinks, Reds, and Blues reflecting across the flower, that had a similarity to the hair buns on a certain Pink Pearl…

“You sent Peep away over a rose?” Akoya asked, a growing anger behind her voice. Thankfully, Steven butt in before she could get into any more arguments, “Oh wow that looks so beautiful. You got it for Peep?”

“A-huh,” Spinel proudly replied, flatly ignoring Akoya, “I’m gonna give it to Peep during the ball.”

“That sounds wonderful!” Steven had missed the point of Spinel’s gesture, but it still made her smile wide to hear.

“See No-Fun? Steven thinks it’s a good idea.”

“Yes well your good idea has one rather large flaw. None of us are to be part of this Ball. Peep and I will introduce Steven, and then we will wait for the Ball to end and him to join us,” Akoya pinched the bridge of her long nose, glancing past Spinel and silently hoping Peep would turn the corner and put an end to this.

“Well that’s fine, then. We’ll just hold our own Ball out here instead. And you won’t be invited to it, you can just stand over there like a ‘good Pearl’ should,” Spinel crossed her arms and stared Akoya down. Akoya wasn’t angered this time, just smiling wider until someone tapped Spinel on the shoulder.

And that Gem was Peep, startling Spinel so badly she almost dropped her crystal flower before scrambling to hide it back in her Gem. “Oh good, Steven you’re here too, I just got back from talking with Jasper. Security is as pointless on Homeworld as ever. But she did get Akoya’s orders about screening out Gems.”

“Screening Gems?” Steven asked, turning his head back toward Akoya, who he was fairly sure still hadn’t moved an inch since she first noticed Peep walking up. “Oh yes, about that. Do you remember how this Ball is going to work?

Steven sighed, this wasn’t the first time since they left Earth that Akoya had stressed this to him, “Yes. I’ll sit on Mom’s seat and Gems will come up to present themselves to me, or to request things of me, and you want me to just nod and wave them along.”

“Exactly. And so to go with that I made sure to tell Jasper to make sure that the only Gems that ask you for things are things we’re comfortable with just saying yes to. A pre-screening, if you will,” Akoya explained before the music coming from the ballroom stopped. Suddenly she straightened up, “Oh no, White knows we’re here. Okay ready everyone. Steven you’ll do fine, just smile and wave. Peep are you ready?”

“Yeah yeah I’m ready. Now Steven when you start getting bored, and trust me you will, just start yawning… or some other human thing. Pink would do that all the time when she was tired of Balls. The Diamonds will end things so fast if they think you’re going to break that perfect facade a diamond should have.”

Peep and Akoya then took up positions on each side of the curtain, leaving Steven to try and commit all the instructions to memory as it slowly was opened from within.

“Presenting the newest Diamond, lord of the Pink Court, Steven, Pink Diamond!”

[seokkie123]

of cute things and cow hybrids

yes, cow hybrid seok is based on that cow hybrid jimin tweet. unfortunately there is no milking or nsfw in this fic (I’ll save those for later uwu)

showho, 1.8k words, rated T

Hoseok usually accompanies Hyunwoo whenever he makes the forty minute drive into town to go shopping. Part of it is because he still worries sometimes, about being left alone or something happening to Hyunwoo. It’s been about half a year since Hyunwoo let him stay at his farm, but some ghosts from his past never quite stop haunting him.

The other, more obvious reason is that Hoseok always, always convinces Hyunwoo to buy stuff they don’t need with his big sparkly puppy (cow?) eyes. (The most recent purchase was a pair of bear onesies, Hoseok claiming he absolutely needs them because he gets cold and the blankets aren’t enough sometimes, and Hyunwoo needs one too so they can match).

But today, Hoseok had fallen asleep in a patch of sunlight while getting some well deserved tummy rubs. He’d been up most of the night with Hyunwoo trying to comfort one of their sick horses, and it really had taken its toll on him. The hybrid’s flawless milky white skin had turned a shade darker under his eyes, and Hyunwoo wanted him to get his rest. Plus Hoseok just looked too beautiful like that, curled up on the couch, ears and tail occasionally twitching in his sleep, black and white silk shorts riding up on his creamy thighs, and that baby blue crop top...

Ever since Hoseok learned about the existence of crop tops, they’ve been inseparable. “It’s easier for you to do this,” he’d explained shyly, taking Hyunwoo’s hand and placing it on his stomach.

The hybrid loved to be pet and massaged and kissed just about everywhere, but there must be something special about tummy rubs because he just enjoyed them so much. It’s one of those Hoseok things that Hyunwoo finds adorable. It also stirs that protective urge inside him to take Hoseok in his arms and shield him from everything bad and evil in the world.

Hyunwoo had left a note saying he’d probably be back before Hoseok woke up, but if not, then he would be back as soon as possible, and to call if he needed anything.

He hadn’t received any calls or texts, so he was surprised to come home after the trip to find an empty couch and no sign of Hoseok.

“Seokkie?” He calls out while heading over to the kitchen. It’s strange. Usually he would hear the hybrid’s feet running down the stairs, or the little bell on his collar chiming as he threw himself into Hyunwoo’s arms. But today, there’s nothing.

“Baby? Where are you?” The slightest seed of worry plants itself into his mind. Hyunwoo quickly puts away the groceries and leaves the rest to go find Hoseok.

He isn't in their bedroom, or the bathroom, or the spare room… Maybe he went to check on the horses? Hyunwoo is on his way out to the barn when he hears it. The sound of someone sniffling, and breathing heavily, like they were trying not to cry.

Alarmed, Hyunwoo turns the other way from the stables, and opens the gate to the chicken coop.

And there, he finds Hoseok, sitting in a corner cradling something in his arms.

“Hoseok--,” Hyunwoo rushes to him, and is immediately attacked by a large mother hen.

The flurry of feathers and angry squawking makes Hoseok turn around. Hyunwoo notices tear lines on his face as he manages a slightly amused look.

“You can’t just barge in here, Woo. She thought you were gonna hurt her babies,” he says quietly while Hyunwoo struggles to calm the chicken and get her to stop pecking at his feet.

“I was worried about you-- wait, babies?” Hyunwoo glances up at Hoseok again, confused. He finally makes his way around to where the hybrid is sitting and… oh.

Three tiny chicks are huddled close to Hoseok’s chest, chirping and squirming to get comfortable.

“Ah, I didn’t think the eggs would hatch today,” Hyunwoo smiles, crouching down and easing his arms around his hybrid in a soft hug. Hoseok just sniffles, doesn’t react for a few seconds, but then leans back into him with a sigh.

Carefully, Hyunwoo reaches around to cradle one of his cheeks in his hand. Hoseok is still absorbed in watching the little ones in his arms, so Hyunwoo slides his hand up to caress the soft, white ears on top of his head.

“The babies are almost as cute as you are,” he offers, and finally receives a dry laugh from Hoseok.

“Lame,” the hybrid mumbles, but he’s smiling as he gently deposits the three chicks back into the safety of their mother’s wing. The second his arms are free he spins around and melts against Hyunwoo, letting out a soft hum in contentedness.

Hyunwoo does a quick check, notices that the chicken have already been fed and taken care of thanks to Hoseok. So he helps him to his feet before lifting Hoseok into his arms and carrying him back into their home and straight to bed.

Only when he’s all wrapped up in fluffy blankets, cheeks and ears kissed thoroughly, and burrowed in Hyunwoo’s shoulder does Hyunwoo finally ask, “Why were you crying earlier, baby?”

One of Hyunwoo’s hands rests on Hoseok’s tiny waist, drawing patterns up his stomach until he squirms and complains that it tickles. “Hyunwoo! If you tickle me I won’t tell you.”

Hyunwoo pouts, and pokes at Hoseok’s smiling cheek. “I only did that because you weren’t answering me..” he says, but eases up with his fingers and resorts to a slow massage instead.

Hoseok nuzzles into his neck a little deeper, appeased. “I was… ah, it seems dumb now.”

“Even if it’s dumb, I still want to know.”

A small whine leaves Hoseok. Hyunwoo’s quick to place a reassuring kiss atop his head.

“I woke up and… you weren’t there so I went to check on the eggs. But then I saw the tiny chicks and-- they were so fluffy! And soft and cute and it made me tear up,” Hoseok’s voice goes quiet at the end, but Hyunwoo doesn’t say anything, just tugs up the blanket to his chin so they’re in a cocoon of warmth. A few moments later, the hybrid continues, “And I started thinking about you, and how you just let me stay with you without knowing me that day, and how I’m really lucky but I don’t do anything for you in return, and I love you a lot but I feel like I don’t d--”

Hyunwoo stops him, tilting his head up to press their lips together. He moves his other hand up to hold the back of Hoseok’s neck so he doesn’t strain it, and licks along his plush, bottom lip until he moans and opens his mouth for more. Hyunwoo presses in closer, moving their lips together slowly, tongues laving against each other and relishing in the way Hoseok clings tightly onto his shoulder. Hoseok always reacts so well, tiny noises of pleasure coming from the back of his throat. Only when he throws a leg over Hyunwoo’s thigh does Hyunwoo pull away. As much as he’d love to continue, he needs to finish their conversation first. A conversation that the hybrid has apparently forgotten about.

“More,” he says, reaching up for another kiss that Hyunwoo denies him.

“I didn’t think my distraction technique would work that well,” Hyunwoo replies, amused. He caresses the hybrid’s wet lower lip with his thumb as Hoseok huffs. “...I love you, Hoseokkie. So much. And I want you to know that even if you did nothing but lie on my couch in that one spot where the sun hits and do nothing but eat ramen all day, I would still love you.”

Hyunwoo pauses to collect his thoughts, shifting to hold Hoseok a bit more snug against his chest. He really wishes he was better at the whole.. talking thing. He wishes he could easily find the right words to tell to his hybrid so he doesn’t constantly worry about not being enough, or at least ease some of the burden off of his shoulders.

He knows he isn’t good at it, but in the meantime, he’s gonna try his best.

“Actually, I always thought I was the lucky one. That day we were making dinner and you told me you loved me..”

“And then we burnt the pasta,” Hoseok interjects with a giggle.

Hyunwoo grins at the memory. “If I remember correctly, it was your kisses that made me forget about the timer. But see, that day was the first time I’d heard those words said to me, from someone other than my parents, of course.”

That catches Hoseok’s attention. “Really?” he whispers, blinking huge eyes up at Hyunwoo.

“Mhm. It isn’t that surprising, is it? I live all the way out here and don’t have a lot of friends...”

“But you have so many! In town!” Hoseok exclaims. “Everyone says hi to you when we walk by the stores!”

“Yeah, they know me, but we aren’t close. No one knows me like you do,” Hyunwoo murmurs. “They find me good company but usually they just tell me about themselves, or talk about something mundane. I used to think I was just too awkward, or not cut out to have someone by my side. But then you literally fell into my life and changed everything.”

The hybrid stares at him for a bit, clearly surprised. “I didn’t know that..”

Hyunwoo shrugs as much as he can while surrounded in Hoseok and blankets. “I wasn’t really too bothered by it…okay, maybe just a little. But the point is that you changed my life as much as I changed yours. And I’m really grateful for you, Seokkie. You and your cute smile, and soft cheeks.. All of it,” Hyunwoo reaches down to squeeze his ass to emphasize the part about cheeks, making Hoseok giggle again.

“You don’t have to do anything for me, but you do it anyway. Just last night when you helped soothe the horses. Feeding the animals when I’m not here, moving the heavy crates back and forth from the truck, taking calls for me when I get lazy… you do so much baby. When in reality, all you had to do was just love me back,” Hyunwoo concludes his little speech feeling proud.

He watches his hybrid, who’s still propped up on his chest, seemingly digesting his words. So Hyunwoo slides a hand through his smooth hair, stroking it for a few seconds before moving on to his ears, then changing his sights to Hoseok’s tail (and butt) which quickly has Hoseok squirming again.

“Done thinking?” Hyunwoo asks.

Hoseok smiles, trying to hide his blush by hiding his face. “I.. didn’t know what to say-- ah, Woo, I’m... you know I’m sensitive there--”

“Yeah,” Hyunwoo uses his grip on Hoseok’s ass to scoot him up a bit on his chest. “You didn’t have to say anything. Just kiss me.”

So Hoseok kisses him.

[la-knight]

BOOKS I (RE)READ IN 2018: FURTHERMORE BY TAHEREH MAFI

"Alice Alexis Queensmeadow, 12, rates three things most important: Mother, who wouldn’t miss her; magic and color, which seem to elude her; and Father, who always loved her. Father disappeared from Ferenwood with only a ruler, almost three years ago. But she will have to travel through the mythical, dangerous land of Furthermore, where down can be up, paper is alive, and left can be both right and very, very wrong. Her only companion is Oliver whose own magic is based in lies and deceit. Alice must first find herself—and hold fast to the magic of love in the face of loss." "Red was ruby, green was fluorescent, yellow was simply incandescent. Color was life. Color was everything. Color, you see, was the universal sign of magic." "Love, it turned out, could both hurt and heal." "Narrow-mindedness will only get you as far as Nowhere, and once you're there, you're lost forever.” "Alice was an odd girl, even for Ferenwood, where the sun occasionally rained and the colors were brighter than usual and magic was as common as a frowning parent." "Making magic is far more interesting than making sense." So I actually read this book a few months ago and then recently reread it via audio so I could remember all the details for this review. I was first introduced to Tahereh Mafi’s work through her book Shatter Me, her debut novel. Ironically, it wasn’t through any of the ways I normally hear about books - Booktube, Goodreads, my best friend, Booklr - but from my husband’s aunt. She runs - or used to run, not sure if she’s still doing it - a book review blog. And she posted a review of Shatter Me and I was like, “What a weird, interesting writing style, lemme check this out.” At this point the entire Shatter Me Trilogy plus novellas had been published and I devoured all of them (still need to review those, too). So when I heard Tahereh Mafi was writing a middle grade book, I got super excited! Especially because this was during a time when I was too stressed out to read any YA, since most of the YA I like involves having to save the world and all the stress that entails. I need to lay out some trigger warnings real quick: the main character, Alice? Her mom is incredibly abusive, both emotionally and physically. It’s treated as not such a big deal in the book, which is honestly the story’s only real flaw, but it’s bad. It took me seven tries and resorting to an audiobook (and even with a fantastic narrator, that short audiobook took me almost a month to get through) because the abuse was so bad. So:

TRIGGER WARNING: THIS BOOK CONTAINS EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL ABUSE OF A CHILD BY THEIR PARENT

Let’s get started, yo! First of all, the setting. OMG. See, I love tthis thing called Victorian fairy tales, which is something you can find in books like Mary Poppins - these super fantastical bits of whimsy that just warm your heart and make you grin because they’re so creative and fun. In the Mary Poppins books, you can jump into chalk drawings and go to a circus amidst the stars and make friends with a woman who sells living candy-cane horses. In Catherynne Valente’s Fairyland series, there are shadow balls and talking phonographs. And in Furthermore, there’s light raining down from the sky in literal drops, sticks of magic you use like money, and forests full of invisible berries. The way the world is put together and described, so full of color and imagination, is awesome and beautiful and I could picture it perfectly. It reminded me in all the best ways of books like The Phantom Tollbooth (one of my favorites). But I wouldn’t want to live there, because Ferenwood is full of colorism and ick. Alice, the female lead, is an albino in a world where color is important and the darker you are, the more magical you’re considered to be. So Alice gets treated like garbage. 

Also I think Alice may be autistic, but I don’t know if she’s deliberately coded autistic or if Tahereh Mafi did it by accident while trying to make Alice eccentric, but she comes across as autistic. I’ve actually begun to pay more attention to that sort of the thing in recent years, being autistic myself, and I see it a lot - authors giving their characters autistic characteristics, often without meaning to. I just touch on it here because Alice is already treated badly for being albino, but she’s also considered a freak because of the way she behaves - like an autistic preteen. And I wonder if Tahereh Mafi did that on purpose as a sort of commentary or not, because while Alice is treated badly by the people of Ferenwood for her behavior, the Narrator (who is an actual character in the story; love when that happens) always sides with Alice in this regard. The storyline is sweet and I love it. Alice tries to compete in the magical testing all the preteens do on their twelfth birthday, and so she dances. And her dancing is magical but it’s not Magical, you know? So she fails the test. Well, turns out a boy who passed the test the year before, Oliver (the brat), needs Alice’s help fulfilling a quest - rescuing Alice’s missing dad. So they go on a quest together, although Alice hates Oliver (and rightly so, he’s rude). They go to a dozen different and cool places, all of which are dangerous and all of which are different. I wish we could’ve spent more time in those places but I understand why we didn’t. The only annoying thing is there’s an origami fox on the cover but it only pops up in one of the worlds for like two pages and then it’s gone and I thought we could spend more time both in that world and with that creature since it ended up on the cover. But alas, not. I understand why - middle grade is often cursed to be short, especially if it’s the author’s first MG novel ever. Once you get big and bad like Rick Riordan you can start tossing out gihugic tomes like Son of Neptune or Blood of Olympus on the regular. Oliver’s reason for needing Alice was one I didn’t see coming, nor was her magical talent - a talent they hint at throughout the book but never explain until near the end, at the perfect moment. I thought it was an interesting commentary on how young girls perceive themselves, that Alice hates this marvelous, amazing talent she has of bringing color into the world from nothing...because she can’t use it to change how she looks. Society has trained her already, by the age of twelve, to discount something incredible about herself because she can’t use it to make herself into what society wants her to be. That’s pretty impressive for a book this short. I loved some of the more deliberate messages in the work - the thing I mentioned about society’s pressures on young girls, and also that it’s okay to tell boys to screw off if they’re mean to you, and to have hope and to look for second chances (Alice thinks she only has one chance to pass the test and believes her life is over when she fails, only to find out she can try again the next year). I love all of that, and the lyrical and whimsical quality of the prose, and the world building is so creative and also makes me a bit hungry (people eat magic in this book, among other things; I wonder what it tastes like). Now...let’s talk about the abuse. That’s my biggest issue with the book. Alice’s mother is a total bitch. And not in a cool, kickass way like the lady in the show Empire. She’s vicious, she’s cruel, and she’s abusive. Alice knows - and the Narrator confirms - that she turned bad when her husband went missing, and apparently the worry for him and the strain of raising four kids on her own is making her hard and sad, but I don’t give a shit. I was hoping Tahereh Mafi would’ve gone all Hansel and Gretel on this lady and when Alice comes home with her dad, the wife’s dead or something. She beats Alice (at one point she beat Alice for chasing a boy out of the place where she was sleeping, even though he kept staring at her in her sleeping clothes, because apparently the boy - Oliver - had the right to break into their barn at 3AM and ogle Alice???), she verbally abuses Alice, she sends her to bed regularly without dinner, is constantly criticizing, won’t hug her or kiss her, and - this one really got me, for some reason - forces her to do illegal things. Those invisible berries I mentioned? Alice can find them and bring back whole baskets because of her magical gift, and so her mom sends her out to pick them all the time. If she brings home enough, her mom smiles. If she doesn’t, her mom yells and calls her names and sometimes beats her. Guess what? Picking those berries is illegal. We don’t find this out until much later in the book, but it is. The thing I didn’t like about the berries is that Oliver, who’s thirteen, is less concerned about Alice’s mother beating her for not picking enough contraband berries and instead focuses on how her ability to find the berries in the first place means Alice has really impressive magic. NOBODY seems to care how much Alice is being abused, not even the Narrator. The Narrator sympathizes with Alice’s hurt feelings and despair over her missing Father, but it’s never objectively stated that her mom is abusing her AND SHE IS. Yeah, her mom is sooo glad to have her back after Alice almost dies on her trip with Oliver, but so what? My roommate’s mom is so abusive that my roommate’s clergy leaders, doctors, and psychological therapist all said my roommate needed to cut ties with said mom, even though my roommate’s mom has also exhibited the same kind of “oh baby I’m so sorry, I love you so much” bullshit. That’s what abusers do. So I hate Alice’s mom. She literally makes her daughter feel like if she doesn’t risk her life numerous times AND bring her father back, there is no chance her mother will ever love her. And if she pulls that stuff off (which she does), then MAYBE her mother will love her. Nuh-uh. Nope. Hate that bitch. Other than that, I really loved this book. The characters felt real (Alice is me, but without my anger), Even the ones I didn’t like were still REAL, and well-drawn. The world building and word choice is fantastic. Basically, if you can get past the evil mom, read this book. World Building: 1 star Realism: 1 star Word Choice: 1 star Plot: 1 star Characterization: 1 star - ¼ star because Oliver Newbanks is an obnoxious little creep - 1 star because the mom is AN ABUSIVE EVIL BITCH - ¼ star because NOBODY DOES ANYTHING ABOUT THAT +½ star because Alice is amazing and has a genius brain and I love her Total score: 4/5 stars Would I Buy It: Yes! I own it and loved it enough I got the sequel for Christmas (in...2017...I've been sitting on this review for months...)! Would I Recommend: yes, but with trigger warnings. Again, highly abusive evil bitch mom who somehow doesn’t die.

[ninetyeightwriter-blog]

Untitled

A/N: So… I love reading, since I was little, and, at some point, I started fantasizing about actually writing the stories I wanted to read somewhere. Here goes the first shot with a concept I sent to etherealmins, who was kind enough to give the approval I was looking for.

WORD COUNT: 1731

Date time, though were scarce, were treasured and longed for by the two of you.

They’re carefully planned, checking the empty slots on the calendar hanging by the kitchen door, checking again to make sure they remained empty throughout the weeks prior. It wasn’t unusual to find the two of you discussing the plans over and over again, adding details, searching new ways to do old ideas, letting the excitement for even 1, 2 hours together squeezed in between busy schedules built into expectation.

Also, they often started way before the date itself, the bubbling anticipation for the hours to come displayed on the small grins and lingering gazes full of adoration perceived through reflexion on the mirror above the bathroom sink while standing side by side. Rooftop picnic, stargazing outside town, dinner with reservations… They all stared, almost sacredly, on the meticulous preparation for the little escapade, when you’re applying an extra layer of lipstick or he’s adjusting the cufflinks you got him on your second anniversary.

That’s where you can be found now, silver bangles and bracelets jangling on the moving arm responsible to hold the mascara brush whilst mouth lays agape humming along the soothing sound echoing from the bedroom. Stuck in the peacefulness of the moment, eyes glued on the reflected task, the senses fail to acknowledge a new presence shyly invading the ambient. Only when leaning back into a proper standing position you’re able to catch by the corner of your eyes his fidgeting figure cuffing and uncuffing his dress shirt, widening the collar opening only to button a few sets again.

Basking in the buzzing feeling of his presence, it takes more than just a while to notice the uneasiness flashing as an outdoor sign across his pitch-black orbs. What doesn’t take long though, is the worry that settles within when eyes fall upon the awkward movements of his fingers against his shirt’s fabric, this one getting crumped by the second. As a small smile forms on marsala lips, you turn his direction and slowly make your way to him, carefully not to disturb even more his obviously unsettled track of thoughts. Your hands move naturally to rest on his chest once he’s in reach and his own come to a halt only to leave his shirt and wrap around your hips instead, thumbs absently moving in circles as if to calm himself.

“What is up in that big brain of yours?” Your voice is barely a whisper, but you know he’s heard from how his hands tighten around you.

And then he smiles. The award-winning, heart-warming gummy smile that swooned you from day one and you almost let it distract you from how his eyes focus on everything but yours. Almost.

“Hey, talk to me… If you don’t want to g-“ He doesn’t even let you finish the sentence before he is frantically shaking his head. You let out a breath probably stuck on your throat for even thinking about calling out the date while still searching for what might be disturbing your lover boy.

“It’s kinda dumb, really…” He starts, but then his right hand rises to the back of his head and you know he’s going to need a little more coaxing to start opening up.

Silently, your eyes plead for his racing mind to stop as your hands reach for his and fall on his chest with intertwined fingers.

“C’mon,” You whisper looking into his eyes intensely to assure there’s nothing to worry about “Just use words, I’m sure there are plenty that can do the work…”

He scoffs at your words, but a fading pink starts to bloom on his pale cheeks and a smile falls on constantly chapped lips.

“Remember the photoshoot for the last album?” You nod, uncertainly as to why he is bringing it up, and he continues “You spent almost a month after the pictures were released talking about how much you loved everything about them, but mostly about how much you liked how Noonas did my hair.”

He didn’t need to explain further which shoot he was referring to. You could picture it perfectly on your mind.

Yoongi never really showed much of the projects for Bangtan before the official releasing date. You’d get to listen unfinished melodies he was still figuring out, here and there listen to a semi-polished song that was rejected from the album and sometimes read some verses when he wanted your opinion. But never a official thing. Like concept pictures.

He seemed really excited about the new album as well as the other boys, to such a extend you could feel it would be amazing. To say you were anxious about it would be an understatement. However, it didn’t matter how much you anticipated them, the photoshoots announcing the group’s new phase got you completely by surprise.

It looked like they were trying to bring a nostalgic vibe to it, all concepts were old fashioned and high class, still holding a boyish appeal to them. And Yoongi was specially stunning in every single one. Sure, you knew he looks like he stopped aging at his twenties and you certainly knew his gummy smile made him look tiny and dainty, but you can swear you’ve never seen well-produced pictures for his group in which he looked so much like a joyful rich boy.

Everything was perfect, from the outfit to the wide grin he was displaying, but what really gave Yoongi a headache from how much you talked about it was his hair. It was in natural colour after a long time, dark locks of silken hair styled in subtle waves bringing a flow to it. Maybe you were just hyped from the expectations, maybe it really was the cherry-on-top, what you knew was you loved that hair and it broke your heart to never see it in the flesh.

You’ve begged him to style like that at least once, just for your own pleasure, only for him to stare at you in amusement or laugh at what he called “cute whines”. He never gave in, so you just stopped asking. The shoot was still you homescreen, a daily reminder of how soft and precious your lover boy was.

He knew how deep run your love and adoration for the specific hairstyle and yet, up until now, acknowledgement was as far as you got.

Well…

“Well... I asked if they could teach me how to recreate it, but I’m not sure if I’m handling the curling iron right… Could you, ya know, give me a hand?”

You blink once. Then twice. And then you let out an overly excited squeal followed by giggles from his part.

“Yes! Oh God, yes! Why didn’t you say it already?! C’mon, let’s move to the bedroom, shall we?” You say in a suggestive tone, earning a full laugh as the two of you make the way through the door “You know the iron must be on, right?”

***

The soft beats from his playlist fill the silence while you work on his hair, both comfortably placed in the middle of the bed. Yoongi’s instructions turn out to be only two or three tips on how the mousse should be applied and how big each strand must be for the curl to be subtle, making the task in hand much easier than you once expected (oh if only you knew…).

While focused on mastering the style, his long fingers draw absently on the exposed skin of your things laying on each side of him. Short nails scratching gently, as if to mark quietly his presence, to state he was still there.

“I think it’s done…” You say after almost half an hour, hands busy carefully turning the machinery off.

He moves to face you quietly, just as you set aside the hair mousse on his side table, waiting for your attention to fall on him.

“So…” He tries in a hushed tone “Is it any good?”

His hand fly to his neck, nail digging in the nape. He waits attentively for your opinion.

You take good a look at him, eyes scanning his figure, and it couldn’t be more different from the shoot. The hair was definitively there, but everything else didn’t match. Starting from his outfit, the plain black colour staining from the matted material of his shoelace and belt to the tailoring pants and the dress shirt give off a far darker and grave feeling to him, making you question for a second how on earth he manages his duality so well. His face is also make-up free, the signs on left cheek and on “boopable” nose visible and waiting to be smooched. The big grin is now replaced by shy side smile and expectant eyes.

You let out a dreamy sigh. That’s your lover boy, right before you.

It suddenly hits you, doesn’t matter how much you wanted – no, scratch that, how much you longed to see the manifestation of said photoshoot in the flash, your boy always delivered something way better. Because it’s himself. Because it’s reality and you could feel it in the totality of your senses, from the pine fragrance to the smooth skin.

Caught in a daze, you move forward to straddle his thighs and connect your lips to his in a hurried but pretty assertive act. The marsala colour once staining your lips comes to leave an imprint on his lips, cheeks and neck during your audacious pursuit of claiming every bit of skin presented to you. Mouth moves in a passionate stupor not to leave anything unattended.

“It’s perfect Min Yoongi,” You mumble once a space was created between you, eyes never leaving his lips now swollen and smeared in lipstick “You’re always perfect Gi… I don’t know how I managed to hit the jackpot getting someone like you to be with me…”

***

You arrived twenty minutes late to your reservations, the hostess makes sure to press it on you by the disapproval stare she casts on the two of you while leading the way to the table, but the time was well used. There was no chance you’d be getting your boy walk out the door without basking him in all the love and adoration he deserved, particularly when he was looking so perfect for your own pleasure and it alone. Your perfect lover boy.

[hysteriamodes]

Coloring in grey scale

So, hey, this is somewhat of a tutorial for those curious about some of my coloring and blending. I made this especially for anyone younger than me and is exploring digital art, but this is also for others who are curious about what I do. I love reading other artist’s comments and looking at their WIPs, so why not.

Another reminder: if you’re looking for my artwork, please follow @rainbow-illness and not this blog. All of my finished stuff goes there; usually, my works in progress (WIPs) or Angry Doodle Corner go here. Sometimes I use this blog to repost my art, but that is my official art blog, no this one. Not unless you like nonsensical posting and metal, then have at it. If you have any questions, don’t be afraid to hit me up, I love talking about art.

So I can’t always sit down and talk about my processes and how I go about doing them, but I was able to sit down and take some screencaps while I was working on my iPad Pro. Using the iPad is actually my first choice to draw on because of the convenience of carrying it around like a sketchbook, whereas my laptop isn’t always easy to carry around--it’s a big laptop. While I use my iPad, I also like to go back and correct things, recolor, re-proportion, or spend more time privately working on a drawing. I have my iPad with me, all the time, so I’m out in places usually like Starbucks doing this. I also struggle with pretty bad PTSD and agoraphobia, so having my iPad out with my headphones on gives me an excuse to put my mind elsewhere to calm down.  My family just usually looks at me and goes “oh, she’s working on her art again”; I did this as a kid, too, only with sketchbooks.

I do not have a Cintiq either, though I would absolutely love one. This laptop is capable of using a stylus, but I think I need a better one to do it with. All I’m using is a cheap Wacom Bamboo tablet that I’ve had for five years, that’s it. Everything I’ve done on this blog has been on a small surface. So if you’re just dabbling into art, don’t beat yourself up for having the small stuff, I’ve worked with small stuff and still do. The only thing I have that’s not small is, well, the space and processor on my laptop are much faster than any other laptop I’ve owned, bought especially for graphic design classes and my artwork. 

So, that being said lemme just forewarn some of you guys. My artwork is all done in two to three layers! Yes, you read that right! Why? When I was 16, I didn’t have a Wacom tablet to mess with, so I had to use a mouse and learned from there. When I turned 18, I got my first Wacom tablet while working my first official job and the family computer didn’t have a good processor. So when I got my first official laptop, it was basic and not made to run anything beyond the web browser and such, it could barely handle Photoshop. It did, however, run Paint Tool SAI with no issue (which is why I still prefer it over anything I use), it just couldn’t handle more than five layers. After losing my drawings constantly and not being able to do anything in the prized software I’ve been eyeing since my Sophmore year of high school, I found a workaround with it. 

And that’s what I’m going to write about here. With that in mind, no, you do not have to limit your layers! I’ve taken traditional art classes so my first instinct is to literally paint over my stuff like I would on a canvas. If you don’t want to do that, you don’t have to! Yes, I am nuts. 

That being said, let's do this.

If you haven’t taken traditional art classes, that’s cool! I’m going to be using some art terms you haven’t heard of, but you definitely will when you take your first ever drawing class. These terms are foreground, value, negative space, contour, and weighted line (I’ve seen it called line weight too). For the more experienced art students who are likely groaning over that stupid contour practice from that book “Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain”, I’m sorry, guys. Newbies, you are going to know this. 

And you are going to hate it. While I still hate it and, yeah, my eyes are rolling into my skull right now just even talking about it, there are some useful practices in here that I... actually use. Who would have thought? At least we’re not talking about still lives.

Anyway, here’s what I’M going to say that some art teachers will not tell you but I want anyone to read this to know:

- Do not obsess over your drawing to look exactly like your reference. Just don’t. Forget this completely, worry about it later or don’t even worry about it at all. This is your style, your interpretation.

- Digital art is hard. Art is hard! Practice makes perfect and you learn over time just by studying (looking at) other pieces of art. It took me like well over 10 years to find my own little niche and I’m still playing around with coloring styles. I have a lot.

- If you’re just starting to draw with a tablet of any kind, play around with it. My first official program was a cheaper version of Paint Shop Pro and when I first got it when I was 14, I sat around and experimented on layers to see what it would look like. Explore!

- When you start drawing figures or faces, try not to think of it as, well,  face or a figure. Reduce it to basic shapes, like squares, triangles, and circles.

Greyscale can establish light source, value, scale, and negative space.

I don’t always use greyscale for my art, but when I do, I appreciate it because it makes my life easier. For example, Alphonse Mucha’s pieces here from his “Slav Epic”.

Chances are, you’ve seen Mucha’s art nouveau on prints, fanart, fabrics, and all of that. But Mucha did so much more and he is a huge influence on me for a reason. By the greyscale we see here, we can see foreground/subject with each illustration. Mucha is using value (that’s shadow) to emphasize this, in addition to negative space (background) to draw you in, just by using black and white. Notice how the other subjects don’t have such a powerful contrast and light source versus the other, especially the woman on the left. Mucha made his art pop by his understanding of contrast.

For this first part of this entry, I’m going to be using Papa Emeritus II from “Ghost”... who is a good example of how to draw faces, too. Huh. Regardless of what drawing program you’re using, keep your opacity low, at 50%.

Simplicity at its finest

Instead of focusing a lot on Emeritus’ face, I’m going to focus on the negative space behind him. I’m using this to define his figure. This is a good picture because of the stark contrast, though, it’s a little tricky because it is really contrasted and you can’t see where the light source really is. But that is okay!  I am going in and just using this negative space, the contour of his head and torso. Before I even think of a face, I want to softly go in and use black (or grey) to fill up that negative space. Keep it simple and work your way up.

After I lightly fill in the negative space around him, I can start lightly going in and establish his face by blocks of shadow.  And this is why Emeritus II is such a good example for this kind of work. I don’t usually start going in and drawing eyes, I rely on the shadows of the face to see where their eyes, ears, lips, and such lie. 

Here’s another example (though, it’s old):

This is in my maroon style underpaint, which is what I post most of the time. For their faces, I just used basically eye sockets to start working on their faces, like Papa Emeritus II down below. Again, this dude is a great example.

Here is where it may get a little funky.  I created a new layer and set that layer to Multiply, still keeping that opacity low. Since I have no light source and I just want to create a really dramatic lighting, I made a vignette with a simple airbrush tool.  

With that little vignette, you can create a new layer (unless you’re me, I just merge it down because of that constant fear of nonexistent software crashing) and I’m using the color pick tool to go back and forth to start using greys to really get into Emeritus’ face, especially his wrinkles. I’m painting over it constantly, switching back and forth between a paintbrush tool and color pick tool to blend. Again, keep your opacity low... unless you’re me and you’re feeling adventurous. You’ll also notice here that I have more than one photo reference. I use several for a lot of my art, so I encourage you to do the same. I had no idea what his jaw looked like, so I grabbed a second photo. Now that I have a better idea of where his hat ends on his forehead and how his nose looks, I start doing a weighted line.

Weighted line and Contour

Now is the dreaded talk. Of contour.

Welcome to Drawing I hell. This cursed image is from the book “How to Draw on the Right Side of the Brain” and if your teacher does not talk about this in your first drawing class, I am going to eat my hat... I have a hat lying around here somewhere. ANYWAY, the contour line exercise is basically you just using a neverending line for a drawing. I don’t know who drew this (and tbh, thanks a lot for every single boring assignment I’ve done in drawing classes), but this guy used contour lines for his drawing. I’m having war flashbacks over here, but I managed to find an art teacher’s page talking about different types of contour. My god, they are evolving.

Going back to our dear friend Papa Emeritus II, I used weighted line to start adding in little shadows to his face.  Weighted line goes hand in hand with contour; it is a great technique to not only add details, but add little bits of shadows.

This is a simple example; the thicker line is adding to the shadow of the apple, giving it value!

Papa Emeritus II is such a good reference... I used him as inspiration for King Melwas here.

Gwenhwyfar is also a good example of weighted line. Gwen is essentially a very, very pale character. In contrast to Melwas, who is in darker clothing, Gwen is soft, she is the focal point in this drawing. For the little pieces of her hair, the corner of her lips, eyelashes, and her fingertips, I used a weighted line to establish these things, otherwise, Gwen is so pale, she’ll easily be washed out completely.

This drawing of Alice, which I’m still messing around with, is another example of how effective a weighted line can be with depth. The lines I added into her face, eyelashes, creases, hair, and fingers add those little details since everything I’ve done before like Papa Emeritus II was so soft with a low opacity on the brush settings.

Layer masks and curves

There are two ways you can color greyscale images.

You can do this by going into Layer > Adjustment Layer > Curves (this is how it looks like in Procreate).

This gives you a neat ol’ base color! I am playing around in the blues, adding soft hues of blue in their figures and the white in this picture can either turn blue, cream, or even green. You don’t have to use Blue, you can use any of the other colors. For me, I’m always drawn to blues. Another cool thing to play around with is Color Balance, which is underneath the same function as Curves.

But if you don’t have any of these, you can add a new layer, and do Multiply.

The only drawback to this, of course, is how destaturated (the lack of color) it looks. And yes, that’s an issue you will have and I did run into this while doing this. How I combat this is using additional layer masks. Believe it or not, Alice here was once at a grey scale, looking even more desaturated than Gwen.

For Alice’s face, I went in and use:

- Soft Light because she needed more peach and roses in her skin. Omri’s original drawing gave her a light rose blush so I wanted to do the same.

- Overlay to mask out the black lines from the greyscale I had.

- Lighten which I used to make her lips pinker, her apron’s shadows lighter, and parts of her hair brown.

The same went for Gwen, who is, again, very pale. But while she’s supposed to be pale, I didn’t wash her out completely. To add more saturation, I used a combination of Soft Light over my Multiply layer and Overlay to start working at the highlights on her hair, nose, and shoulder. 

This little walkthrough isn’t as visual as I like, but with limited software like Fire Alpaca, GIMP, or Paint Tool SAI that don’t have the abilities of Photoshop in terms of color correction and playing around with colors, I really encourage you, readers, to play around with these tools. Using the color picker back and forth, especially after using layer masks, gives you an ability to mix and blend colors. The reason why I work with greyscale or a maroon under paint is that you can create brilliant colors and make a new palette; the trick is to constantly mess around with them. I never go in and flat out color anything, with the exception of things like “angry doodle corner” which is basically what I call my lazy drawings, drawings where I’m just honestly goofing off with.

So in summation...! Or me trying to summarize this.

 Experiment and explore with layer masks and adjustments. Whoever says that using these tools isn’t real art, they’re wrong. And please don’t ever be afraid of using references of any sort!  Alphonse Mucha is saved ten times over on this computer.

[sambart93]

2018.03.19 Dance with Devils The Musical: Fermata [Part One Review!]

I have two tickets to see this play (I gotta see both endings, duh!)  and I’m seeing it for the second time on Wednesday but seriously you guys...this is definitely making my top 5 stages/musicals for the year! I HAVE to get this review/report out ASAP! And once I’ve seen it a second time, I’ll make a Part Two post which will be more coherent and more detailed perhaps? Or just has extra notes.. we’ll see. 

MAIN POINT 

THIS WAS AMAZING AND I NEED TO GET THAT OUT ASAP! 

I’m watching Patarillo today (Tuesday) between the two DWD shows but in all honesty, now I don’t give a shit about Patarillo! I just wanna watch DWD again!! Hurry up Wednesday!!!

Official Website here Official Twitter here Press Coverage 1, 2, 3, 4

CAST and CHARACTERS

Kaminaga Kousuke as Remu Takano Akira as Lindo Yamazaki Shougo as Urie Yoshioka Yu as Mage Yasukawa Junpei as Shiki Tanaka Ryuusei as Jek Naitou Daiki as Loewen Washio Noboru as Viv Kimata Hiroyuki as Grand Fukui Daisuke as Ell Kobayashi Tatsuyuki as Shida Fukushima Kaita as Kazura Kitagawa Naoya as Marius Kimotsuki Rui as Ritsuka Dancer: Imai Ryo, Tsuji Daiki, Kimura Atsuki, Osaka Sora, Ozeki Kousuke

*

I had a front FUCKING row for this tonight! I had THE center seat for this! IT WAS AmAZiNG! Pretty much the best 8800 yen I’ve every spent! Excluding that one front row seat in Ki ni Mesu Mama where Tomo held my hand.

*NON-SPOILER WILL BE POSTED AFTER SECOND VIEWING but guaranteed it’s atleast a 9/10 rating.

Jumping straight into spoilers!

STORY

So the story is still the bare basics, the devils coming to the human world to find Ritsuka and the Grimore and the vampires stealing Ritsuka BUT we have Marius who watches over and narrates this story (in fact he even says the 'who will you choose? Akuma or Exocist?' which is what used to just be written on the walls via projection mapping) and hints that history and this story will forever repeat itself and he has some connection with Loewen and Jek ad is able to visually manipulate Shiki which causes the story to change somewhat; Shiki ends up taking Jek's side which ends in Shiki and Mage fighting, Shiki is also manipulated into seeing his old angel friend who he brutally killed and murdered years ago and is the reason why he's so in love with breaking things. << As you can tell, we get a LOT more Shiki this time, so much Shiki story, scenes and development this time around. Also instead of Holland we have Urie's butlers so we get more of Urie's backstory and personality, which leads to Urie being more forward to Remu about liking Ritsuka and this causes a MASSIVE fight between them RIGHT at the end of the story -- it broke my heart! 

The ending I watched for my first show was the Remu ending.

That's pretty much all the major changes, so let's get down to the structure changes.

We actually spend a LONG time doing scenes before we get to the main opening theme song! We have Urie's butlers having daydream scenes of Urie and his relationship with Remu -- they do it via an over-the-top ridiculous comedy skit. And then we have Remu and Urie talking about Remu going to the human world by himself but Urie persuades Remu to let him go too; Mage and Shiki over hear and force their way into joining too. THEN we finally get to the opening theme song.

The story between Ritsuka starting school and Ritsuka being kidnapped is essentially the same 100%; we get their solo songs, we get them trying to talk to her in the school council, we get Remu saving her when her house is burnt down, we get Lindo returning from London and the students trying to figure out who he is etc. BUT we have extra scenes of Shiki and Ritsuka in this when she sees him painting and he goes to destroy it and she tries to stop him and they have a moment. Also Jek's song this time is a crowd pleaser that you're allowed to clap along to and squeal to. AND the freaking students have a song this time around that we can clap along to and is so much fun!

As previously mentioned we also get Shiki's backstory of when he was in heaven and he had a fellow angel friend called Ell but Shiki was drawn towards destroying stuff, so much so that eventually he turned on his friend and murders him and that's why he got kicked out of heaven.

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OKAY now to me randomly flailing about everything! It's going to be VERY all over the place but as long as you know the basic story, I think you'll understand what I'm talking about:

During the scene when the students are talking about Lindo 'the new transfer student', the students reminisce about when they gave presents to Remu and it turns into a comedy skit where: The students drew the worst picture of Remu but it was during a comedy skit so Remu was fake happy about it and we had Mage behind him like 'it looks exactly like you!' and Remu replied 'STFU!' xD The drawing of Remu!!! Then Shiki came in and took the drawing and ripped it oh so slowly.

When the boys first meet Ritsuka, this time Urie was REALLY feeling up Ritsuka!! He held her and then rubbed his hand up her thigh really strongly and slowly and I was like 'OH MY!' 

When it's just Ritsuka and Shiki, and Shiki holds her close and goes pretty vampy on her with his mouth SO SO close to her neck. I love how after this scene, she goes to her brother but still has Shiki's paint brush in her hand. OHHHHH AND HOW FUCKING MUCH SHE TRIES TO PROTECT SHIKI MULTIPLE TIMES FROM EVERYONE ELSE (cos they're trying to beat him up and hurt him) AT ONE POINT!!! OMG IT WAS TOO PRECIOUS!!!

Also the scene with Shiki and the students and the knife! The students didn't know what to do with him so they tried to hold it but got scared so tried to put it in their pants but got spooked again, their reactions were amazing! Serious kudos to the students this time around! They were absolutely FABULOUS!

In fact in general, ALL the reactions and little movements we get from the rest of the characters when they're in the background and/or aren't the main focus of the scene at that point were all amazing! We got such good moments; like the students (above) and we had things like Mage and Shiki holding hands at one point, and we had Shiki smiling so evilly when things weren't going well for Remu, 

AND!! Marius in general - he's never really the center stage, he's always in his little bubble up on the top left so he is constantly giving the best and most interesting reactions and Naoya does this thing of evilly licking his lips multiple times and I enjoyed it a BIT too much xD But, Naoya is ridiculously thin. You could see all the muscles in his legs and arms (like even the muscles between his wrist and elbow) and his elbows have like THREE points because he's just so thin. I swear he's currently medically anorexic which hurts my heart! I hope he puts weight on soon.

And just... ALL the little things were amazing.

I feel like this time around is SO MUCH DARKER. Especialy towards the end when we have Shiki and Jek pairing up, we also have Shiki almost killing Ritsuka at one point, we also have (I think it was in the anime though) Jek slitting Ritsuka's wrists, we have Shiki and Ell fighting, Shiki and Mage, Remu and Urie fighting. Especially the DAMN ending where it looks like Ritsuka and Remu are about to walk off and Urie is like 'fight me here RIGHT now. I'm not letting you have Ritsuka' and they beat the crap out of each other... goddammit. 

Which also leads to my next point; I CRIED LIKE A BITCH! Seeing Shiki and Mage and then the twist with Remu and Urie, I was in STREAMS of tears! I was an absolute wreck! I also burst out into tears when they did the slow version of the theme song ♡ It's so good!

Personally I feel that ALL the crap they added and change and stuff was just PERFECTION!

Ohh! We also had new songs from Lindo, Jek, the Students and I think one more. I liked all the new songs! And I really liked Lindo's new song and he dances with Ritsuka in it which is so cute! Also he sang this song during the live but it was with Loewen and seeing them do the dance together was ADORABLE! During Lindo and Loewen's duet and Loewen was all curled up and barking and it was adorable! AND during the students' song Lindo was so bullied by them because they didn't know it was him and he tried to join in with their dancing and stuff and they just pushed him out xD

OOHHH BUT I HAVE TO TELL YOU!!!!!! YOSHIOKA AND JP ACCIDENTALLY KISSED AT ONE POINT!!! AND YOSHIOKA COULDN'T GET BACK INTO CHARACTER COS HE WAS SHOCKED AND THE AUDIENCE WERE SQUEALING. JP managed to keep his cool and Yoshioka was taken completely off balance xD It happened just after Mage's solo and Shiki walks in after Ritsuka has run away from Mage.

The new Urie is so damn PRETTY!! He’s the best singer for Urie they’ve had I think. And he reminded me of Ino Hiroki a tad. While I am still Kamisato bias for Urie, this guy did a damn good job and I wouldn't mind him staying as Urie from now on. 

They kept Ritsuka as a male ballet dancer and he did a really good job! He was cute too (not Miura Hiroki cute but cute enough) He was a bit taller than what we've had before - so I kinda giggled when the rest of the boys got close to 'her' because I think she was taller than most of them xD And because he's over 20 (the dancer) this time, it explained why Urie, Shiki and such got a lot more touchy feely with Ritsuka this time around. I feel like they also they weren't as bothered this time about hiding Ritsuka's face because (I assume) they know the audience likes that it's a guy playing Ritsuka and we all want to know what he looks like and such. BUT it could just be because I was right at the front so the lighting and stuff didn't hide any of her face from me? We'll see.

It was either Remu and Urie or Mage and Shiki but either Urie/Shiki smiled and starred at the other for a long time and I was getting just such BL feels.... It was Shiki and Mage! I remembered now! Shiki was just starring down Mage and I was getting a little...hot.

I am so thankful that the production and director listened to us fans this time and gave us so much more Shiki ♡ it was the best!

Also it did not feel like 2 and a half hours which proves it was a damn good play! If something is so enjoyable that you don't feel it, you know they did good.

I feel like Kaminaga is SUCH an UNDERATED actor and I too always underrated him; like I LOVE whatever the hell I see him in but the rest of the time, I just forget about him! But he's such a good Remu!!!!!!!! He's so great!!!! He needs more love!!!

The girls behind me were like ‘woah this is our fifth time! But we haven’t been THIS close (second row) yet! Now I’m super nervous’ xD

ANNND! Can we discuss AKIRA’S THIGHS?!?!?! Can we just?! Because they are SO NICE! They fit his jeans so TIGHTLY! They looked great!!!

Seriously, the ending fucked me up when Urie started turning on Remu!!! Holy crap! And it sounded like the actor really smacked his leg on the floor so I think his hobbling was real for a good few minutes.

OMG and just before Jek's solo, Ryuusei came trampsing on stage like 'Today's magic word it Maji Manji!' and then he went on talking about something like being a high school girl xD I wouldn't put it past him.

I LOVE how Urie's butler Viv and his guard Grand dressed up in school uniforms and had these cute buns and hairstyles for their cover.

During the live Urie gave his rose to Mage and he was like 'what do I want this for?!' and then Shiki ran after him and was like 'give it to me!' but Mage refused and offered to a girl in the front row instead xD Seriously, JP and Yoshioka are such good friends and it just SHINES through whenever I watch DWD. 

There's a moment where Urie is constantly whipping and Mage is constantly punching Shiki.... Urie with a whip is not good o_O but really it is xD

I really really liked the new set! Center back we had this steampunk like bell and we had cogs around the rest of the stage and in the center we had an arrangement of steps around in a circle and the circle platform would spin around. I really liked it!

OHHH! Remu's Sauron eye of a father made several appearances. AND I spend the first few minutes of the stage laughing at Remu because I remembered just HOW MUCH I hate his shoes.

Also after the fight scene, I could hear Urie's actor ripping the velcro straps off his costume the MOMENT he stepped off stage xD It was pretty loud actually, especially because it was a non-music quiet scene on stage.

ALSO I swear to god one of the music tracks is very similar to LoTR music! I heard it and I was like 'where are my elves at?!' it sounds so familiar! 

In general, all the DWD music is great! I don't think I have a song or soundtrack number I don't like...

Final note: I will fight ANYONE who’s all for Ritsuka/Lindo instead of Ritsuka/Remu!!! << But watched me watch the other ending on Wednesday and I fall for Lindo/Ritsuka xD

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OH! After the show, there were kankeishas in front of me when I was walking out;

Guy: so this is a series? What number are we at? Girl: this was the second one

It took ALL my energy not to butt in and correct her. It is the THIRD one ACTUALLY!

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GOODS

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And I’m done! Now to go and see Patarillo now... but I just want tomorrow already!