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bobbydagen24 · 9 months ago

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Okay, this has honestly been in the back of my mind for years now, but I feel like I must ask. Did anyone else feel an immense feeling of anger/discomfort when Poppy brought the entire village into Branch's bunker? Because I did. When I first saw it, I felt uncomfortable. And to this day, I get the ick thinking about it. Like, I get why she did it, and I understand that it was the safest thing to do for the village, but like... I can't explain just how upsetting it was to me. Branch is a better person than I am, because if it were me, just... no. And she didn't even ask properly! And then had the audacity to say it was a solid burn returned like??? No? No it wasn't? That was a home invasion, not a snipe back at him, what? In what world is his comment on her life skills even remotely on the same level as her just letting the ENTIRE VILLAGE in his house? And they weren't even good houseguests either! They IMMEDIATELY started messing with his stuff, like, have these trolls never heard of proper guest etiquette? Look, I love Poppy, but she can seriously get on my nerves a lot. Especially since the movies made it so that in the end, she doesn't really learn much because her screw ups have a way of completely disappearing with little to no consequences.

To add to this, anyone else feel like when rewatching the first Trolls movie, that Branch was in the right, and that he was done so dirty by so many? Like, the ukulele scene. As a kid, I did think Branch was being rude, but now? Those 2 were literally out in the woods, with who knows what out there. Poppy literally got her friends kidnapped by a BERGEN literally the DAY BEFORE, and she's going back to singing loudly? Like, Poppy, babe, are you TRYING to die? Her whole song just shows how much plot armor Poppy has because, seriously? Not to mention, trolls are tiny, so her singing could genuinely put a target on them. I feel like the only reason Branch didn't up and say this is because it probably should be common knowledge, but apparently, pop trolls don't really have much common sense. I really wish they had Branch explain it though, because as a kid, I thought him to be a killjoy and unnecessarily bossy. But now? Yeah, I can see why singing in the forest when you're tiny might not be the best idea. Makes me wonder just how the pop trolls survived all this time?

I love Poppy, I really do. She's fun, nice, and is a complex protagonist (who is awesome and not a Mary Sue, though the same can't be said for TBGO/Trollstopia Poppy) whose character development is very visible. However, the writers really focus more on Branch's character development than hers and focus more on finding new ways to traumatize him than finding ways to make Poppy more mature, and that's what really bugs me about Poppy's character.

I really wanna start a petition for DreamWorks to lay off Branch for once and give Poppy more attention. I'm not asking to all out traumatize her (though the idea of DreamWorks giving her the Branch Treatment is funny in the mean way) but it would be nice if they gave her another journey where she has to learn and grow, and for there to be consequences that aren't easily waved away by a song and dance. TWT did a decent job at it (it could have been better, but it was a start), and I really need DreamWorks to do something like that (but better, obviously) again.

That being said, I do like how they handled Broppy. They went from rival/strangers to friends to lovers. It didn't happen instantly, and the progression of the relationship didn't feel rushed or forced. They both have an equal standing in the relationship and are supportive of each other. It's cute, and I'm glad DreamWorks at least got that right.

This should have probably been separate asks, but oh well. YOLO or whatever. I just really wanna know your thoughts.

I'm mostly of the same mind it angers me but I get why she did it I feel at the very least she should have told everyone to behave themselves and not act like they were teenagers throwing a house party while their parents were away for the night.

some people have said that maybe she did in on purpose to pressure Branch into going with her but I prefer to think that wasn't the case because in my opinion that would be straight up villainous.

a Royal abusing their power to put pressure on a civilian to Risk their life to rescue a group of your friends who are in danger due to your incompetent leadership.

not to mention a civilian who she knows is more terrified of the Bergens than anyone else in the village.

yeah that would make her an out and out villain imo so I prefer to think that wasn't her intention.

I don't feel its so bad it needs to be changed in the story overall but I would have liked it had Branch actually called her out on it.

basically just have him angrily point out to her after she acts like it wasn't a big deal because it was just a bunch of old Junk. that it wasn't just a place to him it was his home and that wasn't just a load of old Junk it was stuff he worked hard for years to make and it made him feel safer it was the only place he actually felt safe and like he could relax.

maybe prompting Poppy to actually give a more genuine apology as before she just thought of his home as him being over the top for the sake of it.

since she and the village just viewed him as a Drama queen and she didn't really realise his fears were actually so genuine that the Bunker actually mattered to him that deeply.

part of me thinks the intent by the writers was for her consequences in the first film to be being betrayed by Creek who she cared about but yeah that whole thing could have been handled better.

her and her dads leadership put him in danger and he literally said what he had to say in order to avoid being eaten alive he didn't really have any agency in the betrayal.

so Poppy's somber pleas for him to not go through with it kinda make me mad tbh like this whole situation is your fault yet my guy Creek is expected to die because of it.

so your incompetent dad can live? yeah no.

also if you made that Petition for Branch I'd totally sign it 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂

and I agree Poppy deserves some more focus and development tho a touch of angst for her I think could maybe be a good thing in making her character stronger.

like I've said before maybe having Peppy die in a future film and her at first trying to ignore her grief by focusing on her queen duties and slapping on her usual smile worrying both Branch and Viva.

or having her mother turn up in the future like some fans have suggested only for her to be a selfish villain who couldn't care less about Poppy and Viva.

and this is the proper shock to Poppy's "" family is always great "" mentality as even with Bro zone they worked things out in the end making her think no family could be entirely broken.

but her mother literally doesn't give a shit if her children live or die and she maybe abandoned them both when Poppy was a baby.

drawing a little contrast with Branch only for the mother to have zero remorse since she didn't want children and maybe she was only with Peppy for status as royalty.

and Bro zone could be shown as being more remorseful over the past even a while after the events of TBT which contrasts with Poppy's mom kinda nicely.

anyway I'm getting off topic a bit lol but yeah I agree Poppy needs more focus and Branch's needs to be picked on less by the writers.

but I feel a touch of angst directed Poppy's way could give her some good development and make her a stronger character overall.

edit. also as someone who doesn't like Hugs Poppy's smug stunt with the Hug time Bracelets does make me a little mad like tell the Trolls to Respect people's Boundaries Girl.

#trolls #dreamworks trolls

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angorwhosebabyisthis · 7 months ago

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[cws: violent ableism and fantasy racism, anti-indigenous racism mention, dehumanization, abuse culture, implied SA/CSA which did not happen but sure would have looked like it to outside parties.]

every single time i see someone talk about how the ancients (more specifically the amaurotines, because they always mean the amaurotines) weren't that bad--sure, their society had a few little problems, but overall they were responsible and compassionate and knew what they were doing, and had a good thing going that shouldn't have been interfered with even internally--i think about them turning the violent death of a grieving coworker's disabled daughter, the events of which they mock him for, into a funny story to share around the water cooler.

i think about how someone in a high position of authority, who was in charge of the legal aspect of her existence--of deciding whether she should be euthanized or not, in fact!--ignored blatant red flags for her being sexually abused when he was fully in a position to help. obviously, as fucked as what was happening with meteion was that was not the case. and hermes, i love you. but holy shit is 'haha yeah i made a little girl servant i have complete power over, and didn't register or approve her existence with the government like i'm supposed to. which also would have involved people looking her over. because she's my pet project :)' a REALLY bad look. people should have been investigating him, and the person whose primary job it was to investigate him went 'oh okay, you're an authority figure and i know you so i'll take your word for it :)'

i think about how that authority figure barely remembered she died or even existed, and thought the idea that she could be murdered or should be grieved at all was an odd little thought her quirky dad was self-harming by making such a big deal out of. i think about the fact that these people preen about their ~vigorous intellectual debates~ and ~constructive free exchange of ideas about society,~ and yet after untold thousands of years this idea is such an utterly unthinkable fringe position that supposedly no one has ever heard of it.

(no shade on hythlodaeus enjoyers but holy shit i do NOT like this man, and this is one of the biggest reasons why. jesus fucking christ.)

like i'm sorry but no amount of pretty parks and sharing and being polite and paying lip service to responsible creation, and speaking nicely to children (sometimes) and meaning well (sometimes), and just generally not being a bunch of malicious mustache-twirling cartoon villains, changes the fact that amaurot was a society of cruel evil selfish bastards who had the power to treat the world like their personal toybox and get away with it. and who are also strongly implied to have been colonizers long before the final days, no less. and it horrifies me how it sails over so many people's heads that the entire point of the Nicey Nice Everyone Shares and Gets Along and is Happy is that it's absolutely fucking terrifying how effective they clearly were at stifling any meaningful accountability, opposition, or reform.

(don't get me started on the take i keep seeing everywhere that the amaurotines are analogous to real-life indigenous genocide victims, oh my god do NOT get me started, jesus wept)

like. this isn't just annoyance over incorrect or kind of insensitive takes. the vast majority of the time when i see people try to defend the ancients, they say with their whole chests a mountain of absolutely horrible things--implied or mask off--about real life issues, and seeing things like this reduced down to 'having a few little problems, but really what society doesn't' is just. upsetting. it is really upsetting and i wish it was not such a constant, and that i could find more people actually talking about the nature of amaurot's fuckery without at best getting immediately derailed into SO YOU'RE SAYING THEY SHOULD ALL BE DRAGGED OUT AND SHOT IN THE STREET, IS THAT IT

all this is to say: setting aside any wider-scale events, it boggles my fucking mind that just for that passage alone the fandom as a whole wouldn't cheer hermes on if he started setting people in his vicinity on fire lmao

#final fantasy xiv #ffxiv #ffxiv hermes #ffxiv meteion #ffxiv ancients #like man that passage was an absolute gut punch and i have no idea how it is not front and center in every discussion i see about them #i became aware of the short stories after i had already been analyzing for a While what it is that was terribly wrong here #and this excerpt was a real He Just Tweeted It Out moment #also among other things i think it is very telling that the amaurotines tiktokified the words 'kill' and 'death' into 'return to the star'#which is supposed to be something only living beings with 'souls' can do; whatever that consists of; including sapients #almost kind of like they purposefully defined a class of people out of the concept of murder 🙃#anyway Not All Amaurotines(tm) but as a society they can go fuck themselves lmao #ffxivtag #the salt files #cws in post #warning: worm grass #dyn: fish inside a birdcage

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scarletsaphire · 9 months ago

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tell me about kit!

*cracks knuckles* You have fallen into my trap. Prepare to hear about the singular best character that has ever been created.

Kit Baxter, also known as the Flying Squirrel, is the sidekick to Canada's greatest superhero, the marvelous masked man known only as the Red Panda from the radio show Adventures of the Red Panda. She is also his chauffeur for his secret identity (which remains secret even to the listeners for most of the show.) One other important bit of context is that the show is set during the great depression in Toronto, Canada, so life kinda sucks ass a little bit.

Kit is a first generation Russian immigrant, her father ran a boxing ring and taught her to drive. She's quick witted and quick on her feet, can throw a mean right hook, and drives better than most other people in the city, which earned her a spot as a taxi driver. Panda ended up in her car in his Secret Identity, asked her to drive (recklessly) to a crime scene he wanted to stop, and she, obviously, refused. She wasn't going to be running around like an idiot for some rich asshole. Panda than waved some money in her face to try and get her to listen, and what did she do? She said no, because she isn't some trained dog that'll bark for some rich asshole the moment he gives her a bone. She'd rather go hungry tonight than do that kind of shit for him, and if he's gonna act like he doesn't even know what manners are, he can get the hell out of her cab. (Once he says sorry and asks nicely, than she puts the petal to the metal.)

She's also like. So smart and cool and good with people, she's a jokester and flirtatious (mostly with Panda because she likes flustering him, its really funny) but she's allowed to be all of those things without ever feeling like "Oh she's just there to be the attractive side kick." Kit is very much her own person, its just that she happens to like being a thorn in Panda's side and sometimes that means batting her eyelids (and climbing up walls in a skintight cat suit).

Kit became the Flying Squirrel after, and I quote "I figured out your secret identity and then blackmailed you into letting me play." She cares so, so deeply about the people of her city, especially the people on the streets she comes from because she did not grow up in a nice area of town, and she is constantly trying to fight for the most vulnerable parts of town, despite many of them looking down on her as a woman, especially a woman in her field. She never takes anyone's shit, either towards herself or anyone else, and she is always ready to throw hands with someone she thinks deserves it.

(I'm going to be getting into spoiler stuff underneath the cut. I am asking so very nicely for you to listen to the Adventures of the Red Panda. They're on spotify here ad free, and you can also find them on their website decoderringtheatre.com along with all of their other shows and their audiobooks. It truly is one of the most impressive, fun, and thrilling stories I have ever read, watched, or heard, and it is Criminally Underrated. If you think this is even like. A Tiny Bit Interesting, throw on the first episode, its only 20 minutes, see if you like it. If you don't mind spoilers, or ended up not liking it, keep going.)

Something that I really, really like about Kit is how she's handled later on in the story, once we get into WWII. Her and Panda get married, and she ends up pregnant right as he ends up MIA (presumed dead by most of the world) and she is left to try and defend all of Toronto largely by herself with a child on the way and Archangel, a nazi spy whose manipulating p much everything, bringing havoc upon her city.

It would be super easy to let her fade into the background during all of this. It would be so, so easy to write her off as so many different things do as a mother and a wife and leave her at that. But they don't. She steps up as the mastermind behind everything, pulling the strings of their connections they've forged over the years, continues to fight in her suit until she physically can't anymore, working as hard as she can in and out of costume to make sure that her city, because with Panda gone (not dead. She never believes he's dead for a second and has and will fight anyone who says otherwise.) It is her city and her people and she will not let it fall to ruin. She will not let anyone else, Nazi or American or Canadian or anyone take her city from her.

Katya Baxter is a wonderful character who is just so, so funny and amazing and if anybody knew what the Adventures of the Red Panda were she would be an absolute HIT of a character on here. I love her so, so much.

#also i love you for asking.#i never expected anyone to actually DO it yknow #but shes just #shes so COOL man #i need more people to love her like I do because i've literally never had another person to talk to about this that isn't my dad.

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late-to-the-magnus-archives · 3 months ago

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Out - a Malevolent fic

A day for realizations.

A day for concern.

A day for so many things to come to a head.

Part of the Surrogate series.

In which Arthur gets there in time as we all knew he would... but maybe it's too late.

AO3

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Arthur couldn’t see.

He hadn’t gotten used to it, really, and by now, believed he never would. That didn’t stop him from staring blindly in Odd’s direction with what had to be all the doubt in the world on his face. “Out?”

“Out,” said Odd, whose voice was lovely, who always smelled remarkably good, whose touches were amazing and whose warmth Arthur found himself wanting to be close to late at night.

He didn’t analyze that. It was just how things were for him: like a person, trust a person, then you want to be close to that person. Wasn’t that how it was for everybody?

“And Hastur… agreed to this?” said Arthur even more dubiously.

Arthur! Arthur, we should go! Arthur! Are you listening to me? Arthur!

“Well, half the party has already started, evidently,” said Arthur dryly.

Odd laughed like music, like stringed instruments and distant bells. “I say we take advantage of this moment of rationality on the part of Sir Grabbington. Besides, Parker’s already agreed.”

“And Sunny, of course?” said Arthur, who always checked for consent.

“My brother, he agreed before Parker did,” said Odd. “Apparently, they haven’t had a daytime date in a bit. Some time out on the town got them both excited.”

“Are we sure of no more assassins?” said Arthur, who just wasn’t sure this was wise.

“Well,” said Odd carefully. “The way Hastur put it was, ‘If they can reach him in Carcosa as it is now, then they can reach him here, as well.’ So… as sure as he can be. Admittedly, I’ve seen the protections on the city. They’re pretty thorough.”

“Hm,” said Arthur.

Arthur! Arthur! John’s hand flapped like a bird.

Arthur laughed. “What, for fuck’s sake?”

We need to go! We should go! I’ve wanted to do this for YEARS! We have to go!

Arthur sighed. Well. What was a guy to do when his best friend wanted something so badly they could both taste it? “All right.”

YES! Yes, Arthur! Yes!

“It’s not that big a deal,” Arthur murmured.

“Then it’s decided!” Odd’s hands landed on his shoulders. “Now, Arthur. Please. For the love of all the gods that ever were,” he said intensely. “Let me dress you up.”

Arthur honestly didn’t mind being dressed up. It was nice not to have to think about it, nice that he hadn’t had to think about it for years, but it still felt like he had to put up a protest for the sake of… something.

Dignity? Did he have any left? He didn’t feel undignified these days, so… maybe?

Sunny and Odd formed a weird, unified front. Parker had apparently long given in, and sat to the side, humming tunelessly and watching with great amusement. “Ooh, good one,” he’d say once in a while.

Sunny scoffed. Of course it is! Wait, try it on the other side. Then we can balance it out with the blue.

Arthur laughed. “Blue what?”

“Eyeshadow, my darling,” said Odd, his voice near Arthur’s ear as he focused his steady hand.

Arthur laughed again. “Why?”

“Because it makes you look stunning?” said Odd. “You really have great cheekbones. Doesn’t he, gents?”

“Oh, yeah, that’s a thing we always talked about back in the gumshoe days,” Parker drawled. “Great cheekbones.”

Is that so? Sunny purred; but there was humor in it, no malice or jealousy whatsoever, and he snickered. So did Parker.

Arthur directed a dry look in their direction.

“All right, all right,” Parker admitted. “I sure as fuck thought it, though.”

Arthur’s face went hot.

He has the best cheekbones.

“Oh, for fucking… we are not talking about my cheekbones,” Arthur said.

I will talk about your cheekbones if I want to talk about your cheekbones!

“I swear, it’s like someone gave him too much sugar before bed,” Arthur muttered.

Fuck you.

Parker laughed. “Quit flirting. We ready?”

“Just… another… yes! There we go.” Odd stood back. “What do you think?”

Arthur listened as Parker stood across from him, too; he could hear them there, breathing, shifting; he couldn’t see them, and as always, being watched while being unable to watch made his skin crawl just a little.

It wasn’t their fault, and he tamped it down.

“You really pulled it off,” said Parker. “He doesn’t quite look like everybody’s favorite composer.”

Odd laughed, delighted. “It’s all in the shading! You tweak a little of that, and the shape of the face seems to completely change. Like I said, I’ll take full attention, anyway. The rest of you heathens are along for the ride.”

Arthur realized he was clutching John’s left hand. Well, no reason to stop now. “It’s been a long time since we were in the city without me being dragged in front of an audience. Since Faroe had her… um. Grand tour, actually.”

I’ll make sure you miss nothing, John promised, soft, and his thumb stroked the back of Arthur’s hand.

That helped. “I know.”

But whereto? Sunny asked quietly. There’s so much of the city out there.

“Dunno,” said Parker. “I mean, we have favorite spots, but maybe Odd does, too.”

From the sound, Odd spun to face them—Arthur knew he was usually quieter on his feet, but maybe he was being deliberately audible to help him. “I do! And why not explore them all? This is our chance, my friends! We all know we won’t get him out of the palace again without a crowbar.”

Arthur laughed explosively. Odd was right. Probably. He took no offense. “Two crowbars. At least.”

John grumbled something.

“What was that?”

We never do anything.

“What, you’re bored now? I’m boring?” Arthur teased.

You’re not. The environment is.

“Well, I’m not responsible for that, am I?” Arthur said, grinning.

“Tonight you are,” said Odd. “Tonight… our environment is ours to weave!” He spun again, judging by the sound, and must have ended it with some kind of wild flourish because Sunny laughed and Parker clapped.

Granted, it was a slow clap. “Fancy. Let’s do this. I’m hungry,” said Parker.

So was Arthur. “I’m ready. Let’s go.” He stood.

Arthur had forgotten how things could smell outside of Hastur’s palace.

Neither smell was bad; far from it. Hastur liked pleasant things, and indulged heavily in those items human beings would find enjoyable (which, Arthur had no delusions, was due to Faroe). The city hardly smelled bad, either; but by gods, it smelled.

Spices. Flowers. Heavy scents he thought might be fruit. The musk of various animals, perfumes wafting by, the shock of scented oils, the pleasant acridity of burning wood, and so much food of so many kinds that it all made his eyes water.

It was overwhelming. It would pass. He just had to not focus on one drowning sense and focus on another. His friends were talking—

(Music, laughter, shouts from a boxing match or who knew what, carts rattling, hooves clopping, children demanding—)

“This fantastic little place serves, of all things, olives, and not for any reason you’d expect,” said Odd. “According to local legend, the whole city ran out one year after a Rite—and since then they have to deliver a tithe of olives to the Palace every year, two weeks before the Rite on the dot, because someone apparently can’t do without. Eating them now (straight from the jar of course) is a rite, ahem, of passage.”

Parker snorted.

Sunny laughed.

Odd joined him.

“You can’t be serious,” said Arthur.

“See for yourself! Eat Like a King is the blasted name of the place,” Odd said cheerfully, and with a gentle touch on Arthur’s arm, adjusted his course. “Just watch the pits!”

Arthur, Carcosa is amazing, John said, sounding almost breathless. It’s changed since we saw it before.

“We never saw all that much of it,” Arthur said.

Yes, but he… when he went all fucked in the head, he made half of it terrible.

“Well, not terrible,” Odd allowed. “Just, ah… inhospitable to mortals?”

Terrible, John clarified.

“It won’t stay that way,” said Parker.

“How do you know?” said Arthur.

“Observation. My bet? He's gonna reverse it in a way that makes Faroe look good.”

Arthur stopped walking and looked his way. “Really?”

“You haven’t noticed?” Parker said. “All his latest laws got real specific wriggle-room. Sunny’s the one who picked up on it.”

There came a pause, a slight lull giving Sunny the opportunity to speak or not as he willed.

I don’t know exactly what’s happening, Sunny said, his confidence apparently growing by the day, but the King has been going out of his way to ensure all new contracts and allies must give space for mortal needs.

Arthur frowned. “What does that mean?”

“I think… he’s all about protecting his people,” said Odd thoughtfully. “You are his people. Probably Faroe’s the top, but… we’re his family. No matter how it was before, we’ve become his focus.”

Arthur looked down. He could feel the tears pricking; well, if the makeup wasn’t waterproof, that wasn’t his fault. “I sort of knew that, but… I'm glad. I want her protected forever. I know that’s not possible.”

“Everybody wants that,” said Odd gently. “But maybe it’s better she learns to fight so she can protect herself.”

“I know.” He did. He really did. (And his inability to protect her had lost her completely once, and that was years ago, and he should have gotten over it, and he had not at all, and only John suspected but surely no one else knew, and—)

Parker smacked him on the back. “Cheer up, English. She’s on her way to bein’ a firecracker.”

“She's going to set the world on fire,” Arthur softly vowed.

Odd threw his arms around both their shoulders. “Are we here to have a bittersweet time? Hell no!”

Hell no, said Sunny, soft but fervent, who always joined in such proclamations.

Arthur laughed. “Sorry. I wasn't trying to bring down the mood.”

“As if discussing the pulchritudinous princess could ever bring anyone down,” said the effusive Odd, and began walking, pulling along both men—who were, Arthur felt, both shorter than the bard.

The tour of Carcosa was not at all what Arthur expected because it was so human.

Maybe he was using “human” wrong. Almost no one they talked to was, but conversation was easy, and they talked to a lot of people. He couldn’t even be sure what set off all the talking; he’d never exactly been the star of any party, though he’d lent joy through music and ebullience.

That was not how Odd did things. Odd was the sun, and all flowers turned his way.

Arthur couldn't see him (and John had described him as “sinfully dark”), but knew that Odd glowed. Odd’s laughter multiplied like wildflowers in spring. His stories gathered attention, no matter how soft he shared. Even better, there was no pressure in Odd’s presence, no push to match his energy or performance. He was a cool breeze on a warm day, carrying scents of distant lands unknown, refreshing everyone who came near.

It was great. Sweet. Fun.

John had been silent during the Faroe discussion, but made up for it with wild enthusiasm after. Try that! See if you like it! Tell me how it tastes! was definitely the loudest demand, but there was so much more.

Arthur, the silks are clearly magical. They move slowly behind the dancers, billowing like they’re underwater, and their edges sparkle in the sun. I want to touch them.

Arthur, the pipe smoke in here plays according to the will of the one who breathes it, and they’ve made an incredible, silent play out of smoke-people, who pantomime emotions better than most actors I’ve seen. They’re taking a bow! I wish I could smell it.

Arthur, this stall is set up to be as welcoming as possible but to far too many types of beings, and it’s a riotous mess. Too many colors, shapes—weird clown-head kites next to small crude cars carved from wood, enormous ropes of fried dough with powdered sugar hung right beside actual intestines withering in the sun. It’s madness. I want to experience it all.

It sounded like imagination made real to Arthur—incredible, beautiful, something he would have once loved to read about in a book. He wished he could see it, but knew he would not, and that wish lacked the deep and debilitating ache it used to carry. Kayne’s words from long ago still resonated: You only have eyes for him.

What in fuck did that really mean?

Sure, sure, the obvious things were mockery and cruelty. Only eyes for John. They had a unique relationship, with intimacy no one else had ever shared—John helped him wash his ass, for fuck’s sake—and the romantic implications were clear even for someone who didn’t really think that way.

(Arthur didn’t really think that way, but he couldn’t miss it. They were… well, he didn’t have a word for it. Of course John was intimate with him. No one alive knew him as well, not even Parker, and that mattered.)

Odd gasped next to him; his tail flicked, brushed against Arthur’s calf unconsciously. “My man,” said Odd in a low voice, a deeply velvet tone. “You can dance.”

“Yeah, I can cut a rug,” said Parker, whose voice was moving around them, whose feet made no sound above the syncopated rhythms and strange flutes (maybe flutes—Arthur wasn’t sure) that seemed to be decreasing gravity by the moment. Even Arthur couldn’t help tapping his foot.

He can dance better than even the King’s own, said Sunny, voice gleaming with pride.

“Yeah, I can see that,” said Odd. “Hey. Can I join you?”

“Go ahead,” said Arthur before anyone could feel bad. “I’m not much of a dancer.”

That’s a lie, John whispered.

“It is not,” Arthur whispered back.

“You sure?” said Parker.

“Absolutely. Have some fun, will you?” said Arthur, tone bright and honest.

“Don’t mind if I do!” said Odd, and his laughter followed the movement of Parker’s, evidently tracing some repeating pattern with their feet that took them closer and further, closer and further.

Arthur smiled and swayed.

Why don't you dance anymore, Arthur?

Arthur sighed. “Because the last time I did, Bella and I did it slowly across a miserable room full of her father’s cronies, teetotalers and judgmental churchgoers. She was heavily pregnant, and everyone there knew it had happened before we got married, and everyone smiled to our faces and whispered behind our backs, and when she finally started to cry, I told the host she could fuck herself and took Bella home. Her dad never apologized for making us show up to that. At least he didn’t ask us to return.”

Fuck. What's wrong with humans?

“It's not all humans,” said Arthur, unsure what he was defending beyond a vague monolith of what humans were supposed to be. “It's not even all religious people. Just… assholes tend to form tribes.”

John was silent for a moment.

Parker danced past, Sunny laughing, and Odd made some comment about pie that got Parker laughing, too.

Arthur smiled. Their happiness added to his.

If I were there, I’d make them pay.

Arthur laughed softly. “There’s nothing to pay, just… people being stupid. It happens, John.”

It doesn't have to.

Arthur sighed. “It does if people are free. That means freedom to be stupid, too.”

John rumbled quietly. Not the way I'd do things.

“I would rather there be assholes than there be no choice,” said Arthur, possibly sharper than intended.

Parker and Odd and Sunny spun past, Sunny saying something about dandelions in the wind.

You still have things to teach me, said John quietly. After all these years. After my returned memories. You still can teach me.

What a bizarre thing to say. “John?” said Arthur softly, unsure.

I'm here, Arthur. All of me is here. The god. The lost fool. The companion in your darkest times. The dancing partner in the light. I'm here.

And Arthur… stirred.

It was desire. He knew it was, confusing as it might be, born from deep and anchored intimacy sewn with bloodied hands and clinging teeth, not nakedness of flesh, but spirit, the resting sorrow of tears shed, and volcanic eruptions (Yes, Arthur!) of pleasant surprise.

Arthur went very still, breath held, confusion harvested. He never felt this, or almost never, but that’s what this was, unmistakably, and if John had been standing here in city garb like he and Parker and Odd, Arthur would have kissed him.

Oh.

Arthur?

Oh.

John had dozens of reasons (none of them reliable) to try for something like seduction, like control of the body they shared. But Arthur…

Arthur did not feel desire easily. He'd felt broken in his teens because the needle in his gage didn’t move, though he could plainly see what was attractive and what was not. This...

This had happened only a few times in his life.

With Frank, making music while their eyes met and arpeggios soared.

With Bella, sharing laughter at bad jokes, making him feel big and strong.

With…

There weren't many other times. At least, none he’d bothered remembering.

This. There was no mistaking this.

Arthur?

Arthur didn’t know what to do.

Arthur?

He had to answer. What should he answer? “What, John?”

Fuck. I thought I lost you again. John’s hand clutched Arthur’s shirt, right over their heart.

“No, sorry. Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. This one was just old-fashioned woolgathering.”

Odd laughed and whooped; from the angle of his voice, he’d either done some rather impressive aerobics, or he’d been dipped.

“Comin’ for you next, English!” Parker warned as he passed.

Arthur laughed. “You’ll have to catch me first!” he said just to say something, and did not run.

Fuck. John sounded shaken.

“I’m sorry, John.” Arthur placed his hand over John’s, still off-kilter from his new and inescapable realization. “There’s a lot on my mind.”

Faroe? John guessed.

He wasn’t wrong. “Yes.”

She’ll be fine, Arthur. She’s just entering that difficult human age.

Arthur scoffed. “What do you know about difficult human ages, anyway?”

You’re still in it, for one.

Arthur was still laughing as Parker swept around, slightly breathless, and took his arm. “Come on, English, let’s dance.”

What timing… “I… I don’t have any designs on anybody, or…” Arthur stammered guiltily as Parker drew him out.

I’m open. Let’s do it, Sunny said.

Really? They must have discussed it. The agreement still surprised.“Wait, I can’t dance, I’m blind!”

“Excuses don’t fly here,” said Parker, and began to move.

They weren’t as fast as he had been with Odd, to Arthur’s gratitude. And he hadn’t danced in years.

And never in public with a man.

It was utterly different from Frank, who’d been all about slow swaying, closeness, hands in intimate places. This was hands on hands, bodies not too close, a completely friendly and welcoming thing without crossing boundaries.

Arthur relaxed.

“That’s better,” says Parker. “Not that you ain’t still stiff as overworked dough.”

“Fuck you,” Arthur said amiably.

Not a chance, said Sunny, very clearly (and fortunately) a joke.

He doesn’t even know how, said John.

“Fuck you, too,” said Arthur, and allowed Parker to spin him.

This was… nice. Actually. Really nice. The music had a great beat, not too fast to follow, not too slow to make things uncomfortable. He found himself humming, harmonizing with the low strings.

“Is that a smile I see, English?” said Parker. “Can’t be. Gotta be a trick of the light.”

Definitely a trick of the light, agreed Sunny.

Arthur laughed. “Ah, slag off, you two.”

“Slag! Some weird foreign language thing goin’ on here,” said Parker with grave suspicious.

Clearly untrustworthy, said Sunny.

This was ridiculous, and delightful, and Arthur couldn’t stop smiling enough to tell them off with faux seriousness. “So what if I am, then? Smiling, not untrustworthy.”

John scoffed. You are many things, but not that.

“Many things, am I?” said Arthur as Parker spun him again.

Including being a moody teenager, as we have just established, said John.

Arthur sputtered. Sunny laughed. Parker coughed politely. “Feel like I maybe missed somethin’ there.”

“Nothing of any importance,” Arthur said, cheeks burning, still grinning.

Parker pulled him closer and made an investigative guess. “Let it go, Arthur. She’ll grow up. We all do. We’re all dicks in the middle there for a while.”

“She’s not a dick, and if you say that again, I’ll punch you in yours,” said Arthur just as softly.

“Wouldn’t expect no less. You ready for something to eat?”

“Are we already done?” Arthur could hardly believe the words coming out of his mouth.

“Only if you wanna be. One more round?”

“Please.”

So they danced through the next song, not talking about much, laughing and just relaxing in ways they hadn’t ever been able to on Earth.

It was very good.

Finally, the group went to eat, Odd happy and talkative, Sunny all but chirping with excitement, John still behaving like no one had ever seen anything like any of this before, and Parker still keeping an eye on things, ensuring the group felt safe.

Which apparently, hadn’t been at risk at all. “There he is again,” Parker murmured.

“I still haven’t seen… oh. Oooh. Yes, you’re right,” said Odd, and started to laugh. “Oh my gods.”

“Literally,” said Parker. “So you see it too, right?”

“What?” said Arthur. “See what?”

John gasped. Oh! There’s a guard following us!

“A guard? You sure?” said Parker, absolutely dry as Odd continued to giggle.

A pause.

Uh, said John.

“What the hell is wrong with you all? What do you see?” Arthur demanded.

“So that’s Hastur in a weird human four-armed form following us around, or I’m an anchovy,” said Parker.

“What?” said Arthur, and apparently did it with such shock that it got them all laughing.

“Oh,” said Odd, who sounded like he was wiping his face. “I’m so torn. On the one hand, none of us can let on we know, because that’s just hurtful to the poor fellow’s ego. On the other hand, I really would not mind getting to know Mister Tall, Dark, and Twenty-Fingered in a deeply intimate—”

“Please,” said Arthur. “I do not want to know the details.”

Odd’s sigh was magnificent and stage-worthy. “Alas. I must bend to the demands of mine audience.”

“Speaking of,” said Parker, “your audience smells somethin’ real good.”

And so, they made their way down toward Lake Hali, where Dagon’s people had set up the most amazing fish fry any of them had ever seen, smelled, or tasted.

“Oh gods,” Odd moaned over and over, indulging in soft-shell crab. “Oh gods…”

Sunny was little better, and seemed to have ascended to some higher plane of pleasure, which Parker was happy to encourage.

Arthur had to admit it: this was fucking delicious. Just the right amount of salt. Just the right amount of batter. He’d never had seafood this fresh, this good, and he’d spent his adulthood in New England.

Partway through the meal, though, something changed.

He wasn’t sure what. It didn’t seem like a big deal, didn’t seem like any kind of problem. But John was upset?

Arthur! Fuck! Arthur!

“Hm?”

Fuck! You… You’re there? You’re still there?

Of course he was there.

Wasn’t he?

It didn’t seem particularly important one way or another. “Yes?”

“English?”

Arthur blinked once, and realized Parker was in front of him, between him what he had been watching—the setting suns dancing on the water, beautiful and random and perfect. “Parker?”

“English. You been quiet for a while now, okay?” said Parker in a tone Arthur knew.

It was the tone Parker used when emergencies were happening. Arthur knew that. But nothing was wrong. “Oh?”

“It’s okay!” Odd was saying behind them, followed by a deep and terrible groan (Hastur? Yes, Arthur remembered Hastur). “Let them talk! It’s okay. Hold me. Breathe. Just breathe.”

Arthur blinked, and the suns were halfway into the water now, turning it all red, dancing on its sharp-edged waves.

Arthur!

“Yes?” said Arthur, because John had spoken.

“This has gone too long,” said Hastur behind them.

He’s always come back. He’ll come back, said John, his voice cracking.

That wasn’t right. “Hey.” Arthur remembered his hand, and how to move it, and placed it over John’s clenched fist. “It’s all right. I’ve got you.”

But who’s got you? John cried.

“You do,” said Arthur, and blinked.

The sunset lake became a ribbed and vaulted ceiling.

Harp music—delicate, lovely, precise—drifted toward him, each note like a little firefly through his thoughts, subtly illuminating. He recognized it distantly, like seeing a photograph so faded that only he could know the contents: he’d written this for Faroe, and she’d played it for him.

There was the missed second octave F sharp. It was her performance.

He should… feel something about that. Shouldn’t he?

“—faster than I thought it would,” filtered in from the Keeper, and she sounded very sad. “I am sorry, Hastur. At present, there is not—”

So it’s my fault? John said, and he was… crying?

No, John shouldn’t be crying, that shouldn’t happen, but he was, his big voice ragged, his psychical breaths uneven and gasping, and it broke through the calm, unbreathing surface of Arthur’s awareness. “John?”

Arthur! Arthur!

“John, don’t cry,” said Arthur, trying to remember how to use his hand. “I’ve got you.”

John cried harder. Arthur’s breath sped.

“This was not your fault at all,” said the Keeper.

But I wanted to taste… I yearned for it, missed it, I wanted…

“You did not try to take his body, did you?” she said gently.

Of course not!

“Then it was not your fault.”

But it is, because I’m growing!

“You are growing,” said the Keeper gently, who never lied, even though John cried. “But that is not your fault.”

“We will find a solution,” Hastur said, voice like a fusillade. “There will be one!”

The Keeper was silent. Maybe she was thinking.

“Dude,” said Tabby, leaning into view. “Hey.”

Arthur remembered Tabby, and there could be no mistaking her and her blue hair. “Hello.”

“You know where you are, buddy?” she said, far more gently than he’d ever heard her speak.

That was… that… she was worried, wasn’t she? “I… the Scriptorium?” Wait. They’d been down at Lake Hali. Hadn’t they? His head felt muzzy, cotton-filled. Nothing seemed quite real. Vague, sepia, faded… and by the moment, worse. More faded, more numb, and he realized it was hard to breathe, realized he couldn’t move, realized he couldn’t feel, realized he couldn’t sit up, he could not sit up—

“Help me,” he said, high and trembling, feeling like he was falling into some dream or hole or coma from which he could not swim free. “Somebody help me!”

I’ve got you! I’ve got you! John grabbed him around the chest.

And then Arthur felt the mark. Hastur’s mark, searing and perfect, embedded so deep, so familiar, almost-John’s, and it held him, anchored him, kept him from sinking away.

Sight shuttered, and familiar darkness took its place. With its loss came a feeling of solidity, of here-ness, of being in the present time, and Arthur gladly took the trade.

He cried out like a sob, like a scream, like a stab wound.

“Arthur!” Parker called, but Arthur focused on John’s grip, curling into it, trying to stop hyperventilating.

What had just happened? This felt like climbing back to consciousness after being cold-cocked. He felt disconnected, ill-fitting, dim—except for the welcome sharpness of Hastur’s mark. He hadn’t felt that mark in… ages. Hastur hadn’t touched it. But right now, right here, Arthur was so grateful for it. He felt weirdly light, dizzy; he could move, but not well, and clutched at John’s hand. “What’s happening?” He couldn’t stop his breath from hitching. “What the fuck is happening to me? Why could I suddenly see? Where did I go?”

“You could see?” said Hastur with a writhing sound as though all his tentacles had twisted.

“John can see,” the Keeper said gently. “As Arthur loses this battle, their senses will become more confused.”

Battle? There was no battle! “I…” He had seen. He had seen. He had seen, but it hadn’t been him seeing, and it had come at such cost.

Tabby helped him sit up. Her particular scent (always accompanied by hair dye) clarified identity. “Easy. Easy. Breathe.”

Arthur couldn’t stop shaking. “Please, someone answer me,” he said, clinging to John’s arm.

Hastur took a deep breath, took a moment, took the bullet. “John is growing. It is good; it means he’s healing. Yet… there is a downside.”

“What?” said Arthur, blinking back tears, gripping those new memories of sight with nausea because they had come with such a feeling of disconnection.

“Your body cannot host you both,” said Hastur slowly, evenly. “You are running out of metaphysical room. And though it is not his choice, nor yours, nor anyone’s, you are… being forced out. Your soul moorings are stretched, Arthur. Stretched so badly.”

“Wh… what?” said Arthur. “What? That makes no sense! We’re… no! No! We’re fine!”

“Arthur…” Hastur sounded so heavy, so weary, so wounded. “This is why his anger hurts you, and has for years. Why, when he grows too emotional, his essence swells, which you've interpreted as pain. Why, when he forgot himself after being poisoned, he nearly shoved you out just by stretching his powers—there was barely room enough for you two then. Why, though he attempts nothing at all, now you are being purged.”

“P… purged…” Arthur’s voice broke. “This can’t be happening.”

Take me out! John howled. Just fucking take me out!

“You’ll die,” said Hastur.

I don’t care!

“Don’t you dare,” snarled Arthur. “Don’t you dare touch him!”

But you’ll die! said John.

“I don’t care!” Arthur yelled.

“Yo!” Tabby said. “Hey. Hey. Let’s take it down a notch. We all want to solve this. Shouting won’t do that, okay?”

The Keeper moved, her fabrics rustling, her pull like a planet’s as she paced (or walked or floated) by. “There is nothing I can do,” she whispered, sounding helpless. “I don’t have the power to fix this. But… I know who does.”

Hastur began murmuring to her, and she murmured back too quietly to hear.

They were all here. Arthur could hear Parker and Sunny muttering. That was good, maybe? He couldn't slow his breathing, but at least he could breathe, could feel. He pulled John’s hand to his face, gripping probably too tightly, though John did not complain. It wasn’t enough. He needed to bathe in sensation. He rocked slightly, his entire body still tingling as if his nervous system had gone mildly electric.

Right now, he didn’t care if it fucking burned. He needed to feel here. To feel grounded. He’d nearly lost himself. It felt like… yes, trying to escape the coma, only that had been moving up, toward consciousness. This was falling in.

He hadn’t even known it was happening. He hadn’t even been afraid, and should have been, and that made it all much worse.

“Good idea, buddy,” Tabby said quietly, just to him. “Let’s focus on five things you can feel. Yeah?”

“F… feel?” Arthur managed. “I… I… my clothes. They’re… they’re not scratchy, and they’re warm, and a little damp. Your hand—on my shoulder, helping me not float away. Whatever I’m sitting on—”

“But that is such a risk!” Hastur suddenly snarled. “I am hardly the favored supplicant!”

“I sincerely doubt she holds quite the same distaste for you as she once did,” the Keeper said, voice as firm-yet-kind as she’d ever been.

“I won’t be given help from that quarter!” Hastur said, sounding on the edge of panic.

“I will be the one asking,” said the Keeper. “I will be the facilitator of this. Besides which, we wish to keep them both alive, do we not? This is beyond us, Hastur.”

“I know.” Hastur moaned it. “I know. Oh, fuck… I have to tell Faroe.”

“There’s nothing to tell her yet, dude,” said Tabby. “She can’t help with this, and if you bring her back in a panic, I’m not sure how good that’ll be for anybody. When she needs to be back, portal, boom. Until then, let her have her space.”

Hastur panted. From the sound of his breathing, he was pacing back and forth.

I’m so sorry, John moaned. I did this. I did this.

“You didn’t,” said Arthur, speaking into John’s palm. “You didn’t. Stop blaming yourself or I will fucking bite you. I’m a moody teen now, remember?”

There came a pause in which Arthur suspected everybody was staring at him, trying to decide if he were mentally sane. Then John began to laugh.

A teen who bites, John managed, voice still too shaky to not be tears, exactly, but it wasn’t all-out crying. Sure. Why not.

“I’ve got you. You’ve got me. We’ll get through this,” said Arthur, who still felt woozy, who still felt like he wore his body like a cloak instead of truly inhabiting it, and might fall out if he tripped.

I can’t lose you, John whispered.

“You won’t,” Arthur promised.

You. Can’t. Promise. That. John’s rage was still a headache, still bad, but it felt distant.

Arthur chose not to freak out. John needed comfort now. “Too bad. I just did.”

John growled. Stop it! Stop saying good things! We have no hope!

“Not with that attitude,” said Arthur, and bit.

A pause.

Ow, said John moodily.

Arthur smiled. “I warned you. Wacko.”

“Okay,” said Tabby. “That’s one way to ground yourself.”

Parker (known immediately by the scent, by the familiar weight sitting next to him on whatever furniture this was) joined him. “Gave us a pretty good scare.”

Please don’t die, said Sunny. We… we are a family, here. All of us. Don’t die. I forgave you; you can’t die.

A beautiful thing, was Sunny’s forgiveness. “I’m not planning to,” said Arthur. “Where’s Odd?”

“Out like a light,” said Parker. “He was able to calm His Fussiness and prevent a complete meltdown. Turns out marked people got the power to do that, or something? I’m pretty fuzzy on the details.”

Well, that was news. Then again, Hastur and Arthur had never exactly had the normal god-and-marked relationship. “Is he okay?”

Yeah. He fell asleep about half an hour ago, said Sunny. Whatever was happening there exhausted him.

Because of him. “I’m sorry,” said Arthur quietly.

“Don’t you start,” said Parker. “Sickbed or no, I’ll smack the nonsense outta ya.”

Arthur snorted. “You would, too. Smash a plate over my head, or something.”

“Hey, if it works, don’t knock it.”

John’s hand had moved down and gripped Arthur’s upper arm, across his chest as though to keep him from flying out of it.

And it felt like Arthur might. He was grateful.

“You’re turnin’ colors, English,” said Parker. “Shock, I think. Lie down.”

“Okay,” Arthur whispered, and did. “Hastur? How long did you… know about this?”

A terrible, guilty pause. “A long time,” said Hastur slowly. “I’ve… tried to find a way to fix it, in the middle of everything, but this… this is beyond me, Arthur.”

“You can’t just… make him a body? Or… no, don’t take him into yourself, that’s death, too,” Arthur said.

Hastur sighed. “We couldn't rejoin even if we wanted to, now, and I can't make a body that will keep up with what he is. Fleshcrafting takes such effort that I can’t simply have an endless stream of functioning bodies for him. If he were truly a baby god, maybe I could, but he’s not. He’s as old as I am, and though severed, powerful. Any fleshcrafting I do will not fit him for long, and we’d run into the same problem—along with the risk of not making a new body in time, and losing him to the Dark World.”

Arthur clutched John back. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

“What good would it have done?” Hastur groaned.

“What GOOD—”

“Okay, enough,” said Parker. “English, sleep. Hastur, go do… something. We all need a sec to get our bearings.”

Arthur sniffled and closed his eyes. He was exhausted, weary as if he’d been swept out to sea on a rip tide and fought for hours to get back to shore. That was what this felt like, complete muscle fatigue, eyelids heavy as the ocean itself.

But it wasn’t vague. It was all here, present, now, and he accepted it with gratitude he’d never had for unpleasantness before. Anything was better than falling away and not even knowing he was.

John began to hum.

Arthur knew the tune. “The Bold Grenadier,” a song he’d sung to Faroe when she was young for the sake of the lovely tune—since the lyrics were about a soldier staying faithful to his wife, which, sure, but not really child-appropriate. The tune, though. It was soothing, lilting, the kind of thing he could time his breathing to and relax.

For one moment, Arthur teetered on that tired edge, held back by fear of falling too deep. No; no. They wouldn’t let him fall. Hastur would not. John would not. He was in the safest place he could possibly be. It was going to be okay. It had to be. To accept anything else…

No; no. It was going to be okay.

John’s deep and treasured bass made this tune into magic, as much as any spell ever cast, and Arthur let it cocoon him. He drifted into sleep, and behind his eyes, in his memory, the light danced on the sun-kissed water while children played on the golden shore.

----------

Notes:

the song John sings

#surrogate series #surrogate malevolent #surrogate fic #malevolent fic #malevolent au #arthur lester

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kimkaitual · 1 year ago

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bias tag game

tagged by: @lee-minhoe (ty beloved 💜)

rules: you're going to pick 10 of your biases (or as many biases as you have and then fill in the rest of the spots with idols you like) and number them 1-10, then answer the questions below. try not to look at the questions before you make your list!

tagging (ofc only if you want to): @cheolmatez @sunminshine @boobzi @kimsmingyu @janggtoco @choiyeonjuns +anyone else who sees this and wants to do it!! Pls tag me if you do 🫶🏻

questions below the cut

My Bias List (narrowing down to 10 biases was an impossible ask. I'm still very much in my exo brainrot so I have all 3 of my exo biases on this and also moon taeil ily. Also sorry to all the women I bias. I could literally make a list of 10 gg biases and do this a 2nd time):

Baekhyun

Taeil

Jongin

Chanyeol

Minho (shinee)

Dokyeom

Wonwoo

Haechan

Donghun

Kihyun

QUESTIONS

1. Between 7 and 5, who did you bias first?

Minho. Choi Minho is my og bias wrecker. Plus I started stanning shinee in 2010 before seventeen was even a thing. Wonwoo was just a babe in the woods at that point 😂

2. Between 2 and 6, who are you more attached to?

TAEIL v. DOKYEOM?? Well, it should come as no surprise to anyone but the answer is Moon Taeil. I adore that man with my whole being (I hope he's recovering and resting well rn). Lee Seokmin is very important to me too, but he was up against my moon man and stood no chance. Sorry, DK 💔

3. If you were to spend the day with either 3 or 1, who would you choose and what would you do?

I have to pick between Kim Jongin and Byun Baekhyun??? This game is rude 😒 but ofc I'm choosing Baekhyun. Mel had a really cute answer to this that I'm not going to be able to compare to. But I feel like Baek just needs a break. So I'd probably choose to do something chill (I say as tho I wouldn't be a basket case and like I can speak Korean). Maybe go to a coffee place, preferably one with baked goods, near a park or a river and just take our coffee (and pastries) to a nice spot to chill and talk. Maybe get some pizza for lunch. Play some video games (truthfully I'd probably just watch HIM play since I only play single player games due to being shit at them). Idk 🤷‍♀️ I'm bad at this lmao

4. What is your favorite physical feature about 9?

HIS SMILE!! I know he's known for his sad eyes while singing but COME ON!! LOOK AT HIM 🥺 (yes, I'm stealing mel's idea of including a picture, but mostly bc more people should know and love Donghun)

5. What is your favorite part of 6's personality?

Dokyeom is like the literal embodiment of sunshine. He is so bright and happy!! You can tell he loves life and finds joy in little things. His laughter and smile is such a serotonin boost! I know that he feels and thinks about things deeply and can be a little (a lot) hard on himself. But he's got this big, big heart. I just love how full of light he is, yk?

7. Between 1 and 2, whose closet would you raid?

Why do I feel like neither Baekhyun nor Taeil have much that I would want to raid from their closets? 🤔 idk that I pay that close attention to their own personal styles either tbh. I think I'm picking Baek tho. I don't have a great reason other than I know he's always wearing these oversized things. And oversized clothes are cozy 🤷‍♀️ I'm stealing one of that man's hoodies and keeping it for the rest of my life thanks so much

8. What is a style that you want to see 3 try?

I don't feel like I have any notes for Mr. Gucci. Jongin has a much better grasp on fashion than I do. AND he's done pretty much everything and can pull off the craziest things.

9. Between 5 and 4, who are you closer to in height?

Minho, but I'm not actually close to his height either. Chanyeol's just a tol boy™️

10. Between 10 and 9, whose music do you like the best?

Oh man this is such a difficult question. Out of the 2, Kihyun's the only one with solo work. But Donghun's voice is SOOO 👌🏻💯🤧👏🏻👍🏻 I feel similarly about Kihyun's voice tho. If we're saying between a.c.e's music and monsta x's tho...?? I *think* I'm choosing a.c.e's, but kihyun's solos are so good 😭😭 this is such an impossible decision to make 🙃

#ok i could do this with 1000 questions #this was a lot of fun #and lowkey makes me want to answer with my gg biases #could also do this again with an alternate list of boys 😅#i'm sad i didn't really say much about a few of the biases on my list lol #tag games

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ngmn2002 · 2 years ago

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Ch 102: Random thoughts (part 1)

My mind is still not working too well, but I'll try my best... here we go... Ok, starting with...

How sweet!

Ugh... discovering you lack the knowledge abut some parts of your life is indeed frustrating. I surly feel sorry for him. Hang in there, young man. Though... I swear at times I feel thins manga doesn't only have a 'moon' trend... It also has a 'window' trend. Too many important shots with windows around? Taking 'some' examples of 'this boy' alone (cause there are ones with other characters):

I would like to remember there are other places he likes to be in while he is in such a mood...

Hmm... though things seem to be more serious now for him to go 'bumming around' Tsuchigomori's place, but the rooftop and moon thingy... feels like an option... hmm... connected to a specific person in some way, and the person is present in this issue, that is... if he remembers Tsukasa was around while he was fixing the clock... and -if he does- I wonder... if there he considers the option of going to ask Tsukasa about this thing, since Tsukasa was with him while fixing the clock and was there in general during that time, so maybe he remember all Amane doesn't and can remind him? Going back to the main point, maybe he wanted to be around if Nene wanted to see him for any reason instead of her looking for him around. How thoughtful of him, even while in such a condition!

Um... speaking of Tsukasa... isn't it a bit funny... right now I believe the twins are like this:

.........

Everything you say... please try to remember everything... then do tell her, alrightttt? In hope we won't get to see you leaving her in a painting or leaving her in the severance without intending to see her again or anything of that sort.

Ok, moving on! wow... didn't expect talking about that only thing will be this long...

Can't stop looking at the 2 things side by side. Ok indeed, Hanako... ghosts do have their worries. To ease your worries… should a thing like this work…?

Hmmm..... no... it's not the time or the place for such a thing to cheer you up, unfortunately...

You took the right decision! You're a truly cute, sweet, thoughtful, too understanding, soft and a gentle girl my dear! Keep it up! Amane is so lucky to have you! (maybe someday, when he is worried over a normal thing in life, you, his girlfriend now /or soon to be -officially-/, would cheer him up in that way)

Ugh... IDK whether to find this funny or to be angry at it... stop making fun of the girl and give her a break! you're asking for her help and that's how you call her... at least it's a good thing it doesn't sound like she feels down because of it... *sigh*

Ok, good to see he is doing well now, and nice to see him getting along well with Nene like they did in the hell of mirrors, shopping together while he surely makes it more fun... they share a nice 'firendship'. I wonder if during their whole time together, he was trying to hold back the need to *eat* something or even... her.

Ok, he is nice in here.

Mischief........ oh... no! no no!! no no no!!! I won't think about him! NO! moving on quickly! if we were talking about him (wizard Tsu)... he did it out of curiosity... and because it's fun. Looking more in depth into things, she reached her answer. I have to say, after being involved with various of things for some time, she got to have a nice psychology knowledge... nice. Will count on you to get to that boy I have in mind and understand his psyche (yes, I'm talking about a boy whose name starts with 'T', but this could also include 'A' as well). That will be a great help for all of us I believe. Understanding the twins is a true challenge, I hope one day you'll overcome it! <3 Speaking of 'T', you got he must have been lonely in the red house and he is not out for revenge in the p.p arc. Good job! Keep it up!

She is so nice! Thoguh... the little girl's comment was a bit embarrassing (and funny)...

That was funny. I didn't laugh or say Nene looked… both cute and funny… like… girl? you didn't think about it before? you, the romantic girl who thinks too much about such things? you imagine them all the time and when they come true… oh… The diffrence between:

Imagination, and...

Reality. You're too cute Nene-chan. Don't change, dear.

And, oh! It looks like what she said in there is kinda true? since after the summer event she sort of became a couple with Hanako and they did in fact share a kiss. That's a true win. Hmm... speaking about that again... did she end up with a protection charm or not? The nature of that thing... what is it? Could it be given by other ways? Should it be 'intentional' to be given to someone? Like... if he kissed her and didn't intend for it to be a protection charm then it won't? can it be given by the other mysteries or only the 7th? The true question is... can it be given by Tsukasa? ........ if Amane can do it...I'm sure he can. oh... now I need to see how he would do that... ops... another little thought... can a protection charm be given by No.7 to his yorishiro? (maybe via a kiss to Tsukasa's forehead? or cheek! I think the cheek one works better? on his seal specifically?) 'it's the job of a mystery to give his yorishiro protection?' or can it be given by the yorishiro to No.7? oh...

On a fun note... would Hanako's reaction look like this once reminded of what happened between him and Nene?

Hmm... yeah... they are made for each other. <3

Mitsuba 2.0 pulling out a Hanako. Since when did he become this mature?

Nene brings out the psychologist in her once again.

It's impressive the times he almost broke that promise didn't come to her mind.

Ah... Nene-chan... ahhh.. some twins' hell you got yourself into. Don't worry too much, things will be alright someday. let's ask my beloved cardcaptor Sakura for advice on this regard, since a well-known saying of her says... I couldn't resist the need to include her

Don't lose hope Nene-chan and keep fighting! One day you'll reach what you want! Also, the ending of this chapter kind of answered back to her words in there... but I will talk about it later. I will keep the talk about him and the ending of the chapter for later.

See? That's what I was talking about. A true romantic girl. <3 But, yes! If it feels unwholesome to you, then nothing stops you from doing it properly! Go get him!

Though, it's a bit funny, I've always had the feeling Nene would be the one to confess, since Amane's nature surely doesn't afford that. She kind of did before... and now she is going to do it yet again. still, it's really wholesome to see how much Nene-chan has grown up. From the girl who doesn't really know about the true nature of love, who only wants a boy to like her, who tried to change herself to get a boy, who did too many complicated things for that to happen--- to the girl who knows the true nature of love now, who is going to confess to the true love of her life, the boy she truly wants to understand, help, see happy and be with forever even if it meant she will give up on anything and everything. Isn't that wholesome? Truly romantic? It's too beautiful! This feeling must be too precious and beautiful to her! I do want to see her confess to him! It will be really something! I want to see Amane's reaction…! It would be priceless! But, I don't know if now is a good timing for that to happen…

Aww... cutie girl!! All I can say... is that I hope things will go alright. ........ I wonder how she plans on doing her confession properly...? Would she ... um... think about a proper place? a proper setting? a proper speech? a proper kind of gift? when I think about these things... this little moment comes to my mind... with everything it has. The place, setting, speech she told (I really wonder what will change in it now and what it will hold, too exciting!)

As for the gift! What would Amane like more than...

Hmm... I think it would be cute to recreate the moment? With some changes now, since...

Let's make one point clear. He is soooooo your type. And the other change is for things to go smoothly. I love you, Tsukasa... but maybe... we don't need a dramatic entry like that one you made back then again... you're... invited... but... um... maybe it's better to give the 2 some alone time? (or maybe as always you'll prove me wrong... if you ended up making a much needed entry) And lastly, I hope the whole situation that would be going on would allow things to go smoothly between the 2 of you! Good luck, Nene-chan! Do your best! I hope things will go as you hope and even better!

You're so thoughtful Nene-chan. I don't think it will be that easy... but it's still worth a try, better than nothing at least. Hmm, this thing really reminds me of this... . . .

(due to pic limits... part 2)

#finally... I could bring myself to make it...#didn't expect it will turn out too long...#it's finally over... 3 days before the new chapter release...#phew...#jibaku shonen kanako kun #jibaku shonen hanako kun #toilet bound hanako kun #jshk #tbhk #(.)

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queenlua · 2 years ago

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let's see about 5, 11, 12, 13 for the ask meme?

5. What game would you recommend to someone new to the series?

ugh this is so HARD because i don't think there's any game that's perfect for this...

if they're new to the series but have enjoyed at least a couple older video games at some point (and thus have some tolerance for a bit of gameplay cruft and GBA-era rough edges), i'd be really tempted to throw Sacred Stones at them. absolutely gorgeous sprites, good music, probably the most solid/focused/best-executed story in the series, fun support conversations, and very good gameplay whose only flaw is "it's kinda too easy." but it's satisfying and if someone likes everything about it but "too easy," then that's an easy problem to fix with subsequent games lol

i suspect Awakening is probably the objectively-better answer, though. first "modern"-feeling FE in terms of how streamlined and nice the mechanics feel, the depth/multiplicity of strategies, the storyline is weaker but still has definite highlights (especially when the kids show up), etc

Three Houses is a solid contender but the game is kind of bloated with extras that i think can make playing it feel like a bit of a drag; i know a lot of people who just kinda flaked out or gave up b/c of all the monastery stuff, and i wouldn't want someone's first FE to end that way

i do love the Tellius games but i wouldn't recommend them as starter games. the 3d sprites are kinda ugly and it definitely shows its age a bit in terms of gameplay cruft

11. A character that deserved better?

Edelgard, tbh. she's fantastic when the game isn't trying to make her all woobie/waifu/etc. wouldn't even take many changes to fix this one!

also Renning. i love what's on the page but he gets so little and shows up so late. give the dude some damn base conversations plz

also Meg. the game is so mean to her, goddamn.

12. A game that deserved better?

oh boy. the problem here is, if i finished playing an FE game, that means i liked it well enough over all, even if there's stuff i didn't like. like, i wish Awakening's storyline was stronger, but it definitely feels like it executed on exactly what it wanted to do, so i wouldn't say the game deserves better per se

so i guess i'll say the two FE games i tried and failed to play:

fe6: i ragequit on the map with the fucking reinforcements that move the same turn that they spawn. motherfuckers. why

fe14: i was already pretty "eh" on the story and then that one fucking "defend [x] turns" map (unhappy reunion iirc) took SO much finicky effort to survive that by the time i finished it i was like. ugh. i'm so tired. and then i put it down for a while and never picked it back up oops

13. What do you like most about Fire Emblem?

...god this is going to make me sound SO uncultured but, the support conversations, especially in the older games, are just so delightful. delightful in-and-of-themselves (especially when they would happen DIRECTLY ON THE BATTLEFIELD lmao), and also, were probably weirdly influential in how i thought about game writing / writing generally. conveyed a huge amount of personality & implied huge things about the world & in a relatively small space; and also refused to let anyone be just a rando soldier in your army; you can look back at short fiction i wrote in middle school and see how much i was striving to get that huge-cast-small-space-feel in that format. simple but effective approach

also it's nice to have a big-name game series that executes so well on story and gameplay, on average. i've played a lot of Final Fantasy and i love those games but. often the gameplay is just kinda mediocre/grind-y, right, and i'm forcing my way through for the story? could NOT be fire emblem lol

#airlock

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killerandhealerqueen · 1 year ago

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For the 'ask a reader' meme - A3, A9, B3, B4, C4, C9, D2, D6, D7

A3. When did you get your AO3/FFN/Wattpad account (whichever was first)?

Oh lord...I got my FFN account first and I was in highschool then, probably 9th grade so...2014? I had an AFF (AsianFanFics) account and a DeviantArt account before that where I posted fanfics. That was in middle school so...maybe 2012-2013?

A9. Who was your first ship?

Goku/Vegeta. I still enjoy reading fics for them every now and then but it's very hard to find good ones

B3. What’s the best device to read on (phone, laptop, tablet…)? Why?

I like reading on my phone, just cuz it's right in my hand, but I also don't mind reading on my laptop if I'm alone in my house. I'm on my computer almost all the time, so it's just convenient for me

B4. Who is your current favourite author? What is their best story?

Okay, so other than myself (because it's very rare these days for me to read something other than my own fics) I'd have to say Only_1_Truth. I really enjoy their 00Q fics. My favorite of theirs is Noster nostri. I go back and read it quite a bit. But all of their 00Q fics are really good

C4. What thing that fandom loves do you actually kind of hate? Why?

Hatewatching? I guess? Or like...continuing to watch a drama even though you like...aren't happy with it? Cuz like, if it's not vibing with you or you don't like the characters...just stop watching? And stop making posts about how much you either hate the drama or hate specific characters and shit cuz like...the rest of us don't wanna read that, you know? (I don't know if fandoms love doing this but it's something that irks me. Like if you're not enjoying something, just stop doing/watching it)

C9. What show did you really try to watch, but you just couldn’t?

Uh...I watched the first 2 episodes of Vigilante but I just can't get into it. The reporter in it pisses me the hell off and idk, the MC is overly violent for a vigilante. Not that it's a bad thing, I'm just like...some of his methods are a little...much. For me personally. I normally like these kinds of shows but I think the reporter pisses me off to much for me to enjoy it. Same with My Roommate is a Detective. I got through 10 episodes before I had to call it quits because the reporter in there just pissed me the hell off. In both cases, these reporters care more about stories and fame than actually reporting the truth and sometimes they don't even care about the consequences that their actions might have on the victims of the cases. And as someone who works/has works/wants to work in forensics...you gotta be mindful of the family and their feelings as well as the victims (if they survive the attack). And like...if you blatantly disregard that all for a story...then you're just a piece of shit whose journalism license should be revoked

D2. Who/Where did you get your last fic rec from?

Last fic rec was from a mutual on here who reblogged a Beyond Evil fic. It was really good

D6. How many bookmarks do you have?

352. I'm very picky with my stories and like I said, I mainly just end up reading my own because I write what I wanna read

D7. Why did you leave your most recent comment? Will you share it with us?

The last comment I remember leaving was on a CSI: Miami fic. I wrote: "I adored this fic. It’s so well written, I feel like I’m reading an actual episode. Well done, I loved this"

I left it because the fic felt like I was reading an actual CSI: Miami episode even though it wasn't one. It was just so well written, all the characters felt true and not ooc and just...it was just a nice read. Had me on the edge of my seat the entire time

ask a reader meme | send me asks

#sass answers #took 🐸#ask a reader meme

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thetriggeredhappy · 20 days ago

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consensus seems to be a loud “no” so this is my routine soapbox about Why People Do ‘Nice Things’ In Their Community

for this one in particular, the long and short of it is that One Day, You Will Meet.

listen. one day, you will, more likely than not, meet your neighbor. if you live in an apartment building, there will be a fire drill, or there will be a noise complaint about one of you, or there will be a power outage and you will make eye contact as you both peek out the door. if you live in a house, maybe their mail was delivered to you mistakenly, or they might need to park in your driveway or in front of your house as there’s piping maintenance in front of theirs, or there’s a lost dog that you believe is theirs, or vice versa. and the fact of the matter is, if the very first time you speak to this other person is because of circumstances in which one of you could be reasonably framed as Being Inconsiderate, as Overstepping, as Treading On Your Space and Life, you are not going to have a pleasant experience with this person. maybe you’re irritated with them, maybe you feel guilty, maybe you just feel downright awkward around this complete stranger whose territory encroaches upon your own.

so, for both of your sakes, that should not be the first time you meet.

the cultural notion of ‘saying hello to your new neighbors’ is, yes, a nice thing to do, but it’s also practical. if you introduce yourself, make minimal small talk, make mention of anyone else you live with, your pets, your kids, an approximation of your hours, now your neighbor is no longer ‘probably grumbling about this asshole next door who comes and goes at all times of night’. now your neighbor is going, ‘ah, right, Tabitha mentioned some classes going late, must be that!’. now when your neighbor comes over and asks that the party you’re hosting please quiet down after 10 or so, your first thought might be, ‘oh, right, he has two school-aged kids who will need to be in bed’ rather than ‘how dare he be so uptight! mind your business!’

if once a season you make a point to, for some reason, in some manner, extend a tiny kindness and politeness to your neighbor, then when there’s a major power outage, you will feel significantly less uncomfortable with the idea of walking over and knocking on their door and asking if by any chance they might have batteries that fit your flashlight. that one day, your elderly neighbor might feel comfortable with asking you to keep an eye out for their escaped cat. the point of this is not to become best friends with other people you don’t know and who very well might be assholes, but instead to cease being strangers.

this doesn’t even need to be in person. many times, because of my own issues, i haven’t felt confident enough to have a real conversation impromptu for no reason. instead, when i move in, i’ve made a little box of baked goods, written a little note introducing myself and saying what the food was, and in some cases provided a method of contact, and left it at their door at a reasonable hour. sometimes this garners a response - sometimes it doesn’t. but now that there’s a method easily available to contact me if they need something, i feel much more comfortable hosting for friends, coming and going at odd hours, leaving entirely for the weekend. one former neighbor told me that it made her feel more comfortable with the idea of raising her kids there, when she felt it wouldn’t be ‘impolite’ to try to meet the other people who lived nearby. she said that knowing my name made her feel like, if something was badly wrong and her husband wasn’t there, she could reasonably have someone nearby who she could go to for help, because she knew who i was and that i was surely friendly.

maybe you bake, maybe you make paper as a hobbyist, maybe you carve little wooden ducks, maybe you grow flowers. whatever it is that you do, making an effort to give something small and tell your neighbor your name is the kind of thing that will go a long, long way towards making you both feel like real human people, and will stop a lot of arguments a long time before they start. it’s nice, sure, but also, if you’ve given your neighbor a number to text, they don’t have to use your landlord as a liaison with your lost package or to let you know that they’re planning on using a power saw all day Saturday and to let them know if there would be a better specific time.

wait was everyone not taught growing up that you should occasionally give some kind of homemade gift to your neighbors. is that really not something everyone knows they should try to do

#shut up me #the fiendship tag

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solivagantsalix · 3 years ago

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my therapist is slightly worried about me 🥴

#sallow speaks #shes like oh youre handling your fp dating someone else very well you actually seem excited and happy for them #and i was like yeah!#i got very used to expecting nothing from people i like because i am not the kind of person people love #and shes like we have 2 minutes left well talk about that next week!#i didnt say it exactly like that but that was the gist #like? idk im lowkey worried abt talking to her abt it bc like #one of my pet peeves is people lying to me? and having a therapist who i pay to make me feel better be like #oh youre such a good nice person whose trying their best and has so many redeeming qualities its like bro #just let me pay you and we can pretend we talked and i dont have to hear you lie to me for an hour #like im n o t a good person thats the p o i n t #if i was i might actually feel bad when people dont like me back but its like? bro i dont like me either?#*slaps roof of man* this mfer can fit so many irredeemable and annoying traits in them!#like i can be dramatic and upset about it all i want on here bc it doesnt matter and its just like a way to get my emotions to be less big #but that doesnt mean im actually torn up about it or i think i deserve better #i know what i deserve and yet every time my dandelion heart grows through the concrete mausoleum floor like thats its fucking job #stay dead! stay down! be better and maybe youll be worth something in the future but probably not!

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kxxkiecxre · 2 years ago

Text

ʚ✟⃛ɞ LANGUAGE || J.J.K ʚ✟⃛ɞ

PAIRING: Jungkook X reader.

SUMMARY: forgive and forget… with a little dick on the side of course to make up for it.

WARNINGS: smut, unprotected sex, a lot of titty talk, a lot of hickeys, Jungkook has a big dick 🫣, so much kissing, Yeji is literally in the other room???, overstimulation cause purrrr, biting… I think that’s it? Lol

GENRE: best friends brother au.

Unedited because I bitch couldn’t be bothered… tbf tho I did edit a small bit but I hate editing so 🤭

WC: 5.3k

PREVIOUSLY… NEXT…

JUST LIKE many other people that surrounded you at the shop, you were tired, aching and internally screaming as you approached the lengthy queue, hoping to god another till opens up so you can get out of here as fast as possible and get home take a shower and sleep.

It’s been quite in the recent five months that you’ve last spoken to Jungkook, and like any good friends you and Yeji still hang out and talk. Which proved to be a little harder at first then you expected, but to your luck Jungkook has left for a match in America a couple days ago, so you and Yeji get to finally have a much needed sleepover at her place.

Rolling your neck around and trying your best to not fall asleep in the middle of the shop. As if to wake you up, a shopping cart bumps into you, and you whip around to look at the culprit, only to find two tiny hands holding onto the bar.

“Oh sorry!” The kid mumbles cutely, a floppy mess of hair on top of his head.

“Where’s your dad handsome?” You questioned, finally meeting the babies eyes, warm gentle and sweet.

“He said he’ll be back in two seconds” he smiled cutely, “and I’m five today!”

“Oh wow you’re five? Well happy birthday buddy” you smile just as you see his dad, a drop dead gorgeous man, approach.

“Thank you” he chuckles happily.

“I’m sorry, I hope he didn’t cause too much trouble” his dad, a tall beautiful Angel apologies.

Almost like you’re in a trance you softly say, “he’s a sweet kid, I don’t think you have to worry about him causing trouble”.

“Dad, can I ask her name?” The kid asks as his dad lifts him up in his arms.

“Well that depends if the lady will tell you her name.” He shrugs chuckling.

“I’m Y/N, what about you?”

“My name is roowon and this is my dad Seokjin!” He announces proudly.

“Nice to meet you guys!” You coo at him as he gives the sweetest smile to you.

Within small talk you exchanged numbers with Seokjin, promising to have dinner together as soon as both of your schedules clear up. And however much you may like about Seokjin, whose divorced from his wife for a year now, you can’t seem to stop thinking about someone who wasn’t even yours in the first place or the pain that comes with it.

Finding comfort in the warmth of your house did very little, and as much as you like the taste of your favourite wine, you know it won’t suffice the emptiness within you. Not even in a million years, but it does the job of keeping you calm.

However it doesn’t stop you from calling Jimin, and don’t get it wrong the sex is amazing, and Jimin is great. He’s apologised for what went down, and choosing pleasure over pain was too good to let go. You’re not one to hold grudges anyway, you’d rather forgive and forget.

But it wasn’t enough. It wasn’t what you needed, what you craved for. It wasn’t what you knew would settle the pain. And you felt awful about it, because Jimin was more than understanding as he laid beside you. Any woman would be lucky to have him, he’s a great person. The perfect guy even. The thing about you though, is you don’t fancy perfect. You like the waves that come with life, you adapted to that life. It’s all you know, since forever.

And life is just that, wavy, rocky and unsettled. But it’s comforting, it’s home. And Jimin… Jimin deserves better than that, he deserved someone as loving and perfect like him. He’s an Angel, an Angel you haven’t yet grown to appreciate. Which is ridiculous. Laughable. Stupid, even. Because any other sensible woman would ground him, marry him in a heart beat, and perhaps in another life you could see yourself with him. Having a family and a loving home, but at this moment? I’m this life? You don’t even know what the true meaning of a loving home is. You just don’t.

You’ve never had the comfort of your mothers embrace, or the comfort of your fathers protection. You’ve only ever had yourself. When you were little you’d cry yourself to sleep, you’d hug your own little body and comfort yourself the way your parents couldn’t. You didn’t have anyone to care for you, to worry about your late returns home on a night out. Your parents didn’t even have your number saved in their phone. They just didn’t care.

From a young age, you learned to fend for yourself. Cook, clean, and eventually make money to afford the things you needed, the things your own parents couldn’t provide.

The only thing you do remember, is the beatings, the way your skin would burn with every slap, whip and hit. The way you eventually stopped crying for them to stop, or the way your teenage self would wash away the blood or cover up the bruises. You knew all about that. You knew all too well how the rage in your fathers eyes was the only sense of comfort or attention you’ve ever gotten from him, the way your mother would grab onto your skin and dig her nails in, the way she’d scream and insult you and wish upon your death, that was the only touch of ‘love’ you’ve ever expected from her, the only attention you’ve ever received from them was just that, abuse. Neglect and pain.

Feeling loved, cared about and needed was more than welcome, but it was also more than strange. So maybe it wasn’t understandable, why you’d get slightly uncomfortable when someone would show you love, or kindness, and why you pushed away the people closest to you when they cared and worried about you because you never actually knew what it was before, so you weren’t used to it, so you pushed them away.

It’s bizarre how you want to love someone, to care and worry about them, yet don’t know how to feel about that being returned to you. You don’t know.

You carry the scars well though, they’re fairly easy to cover up and pretend like you’ve had the most general upbringing known to humanity. It’s, amazing.

Tiredness takes over you, and you finally fall asleep. Jimin watched the calmness on your face, covering you with the blanket more and exhaling. He knew about everything, he knew. He’s seen it too, maybe that’s why he knows you so well, he kisses your forehead before leaving your apartment and leaving a note.

The difficulty of waking up in the morning never gets easier, especially when you expected a warm body next to you, except to find it empty and cold. Confusion taking over your face as you roll out of bed, throwing on whatever first lands in your hands.

Your concern gets even worse when you notice the small letter on your kitchen counter, labelled Jimin.

You know better than to continue wasting time, I know you can never love me the way I’ve loved you for years, but within these years, I’ve learned that our souls are intertwined anyway, because I know exactly what you need, what you crave and what hurts you. I know it all in an instant. It’s almost like my body needs it too, and right the second I met him, I knew. I knew you were madly in love with him, I knew then, I had no chance. So within my frustration, I drank, far too much and let my mouth run. I am sorry. I know I apologised already, but I truly am sorry. You didn’t deserve it. I’ll move on eventually, I’ll learn to love someone else, like I’ve learned to keep your eyes staring into mine somewhere In the back of my mind, like I’ve learned to desensitise the scent of your hair away from my senses, or the need to feel your soft skin against my fingers. I’ve learned to love you from a distance, to care and appreciate you as much as I can because I knew that eventually, you’d fell in love with someone, that someone not being me was hard to accept at first, but it got easier. But stop the pettiness, fix the mess and go to him, you deserve love. You deserve to be happy, so be just that.

Happy,

Jimin.

That was absolutely not what you expected first thing in the morning, or the tears in your eyes. Or the guilt your body felt knowing you were unintentionally hurting Jimin. You wish it was easier. Easier to learn to love someone you don’t crave in that way. Easier to make yourself fall in love with someone who deserves you. You wish it was easy.

But nothing in life comes easy.

No, every step and breathe you take comes with effort. With every take want and need, you have to give. For the basic essentials and human life, you have to work. All day, all night, all life. Eternally. Everything has to be earned, because nothing. Absolutely nothing, comes free.

Work. Most of the time you hate it, but recently, it’s become your favourite place. You can take your mind off of everything going on in your life, invoke your mind with something else other than him. The person who so cruelly cut a hole in your heart and stole it, put it in his pocket and let it rot. How inhumane.

The bustle of the busy streets of Seoul always comforted you in some type of way. The many lights and many different people, styles and aesthetics made you feel alive, safe and not alone in this big city. It was easy to lose yourself once you were in it, but living here for half your life proved to help you out in some way.

“Mr. Kim wants you in his office.. pronto” Hoseok hands you your coffee, clicking number 9 on the elevator and you roll your eyes.

“I swear to almighty Jesus if he just wants to stare at me for five minutes and then ask me to order him lunch I will literally murder him with my hands” you grumble, obviously not amused.

“I don’t think that’s it…” he mumbles.

Sighing you walk out in a rush once the elevator dings, nodding a thank you to Hobi for getting you the much needed coffee. Preparing yourself for anything and everything outside of Kim’s office you finally enter the door, where he stands in almighty glory, looking good as ever.

“Y/N, please take a seat” he says, and you do, sitting in front of his desk and reading the name tag ‘CEO Kim Taehyung’ in pure awkwardness as he stares at you and then a letter.

“You need a break,” he takes a sip of his coffee as if the words he just said hurt him deeply, “take it and go before I throw a fit”

Shocked and taken a back you begin to protest, “hold on, Taehyung, no”.

“It’s Mr.Kim at work dumbass, now go before I literally slap you”

“But-“

“No but’s, unless we are talking about the other type of butts” he smirks chuckling.

“Tae are you pulling a prank on me?”

“Y/NNNAAAH, be professional and call me Mr.Kim” he whines dramatically.

“Shut up before I kick you in the balls,” you grumble, “why?”

“Because you’ve worked hard and as your only other male best friend aside from Hoseok, I am adamant on you getting a break before the bags under your eyes sue me”

“Oh don’t be dramatic,” you stand from your chair scoffing, “I’m fine, now let me get back to work”

“No can do workacholic,” he sets his mug on the table, “it’s home or the security guard will kick you out… or I’ll fire you.”

Shocked and gasping quite dramatically you say, “you would never.”

“Wanna find out?” He continues threatening.

“Kim Taehyung wait till I tell your father how manipulative you are” you practically growl at him as he pushes you other the door, and before he can take his hand away from your shoulder you bite him as hard as you can.

Flinching and gasping he looks flabbergasted as you straighten your back and sway your hips on the way out, “you are insane Y/N, INSANE” he yells after you.

At the elevator, once again, you ponder what to do now. Work was like your best distraction every since everything went down, Tae did a good job helping you mould yourself together and not to mention how considerate and sweet he was during that time. Taehyung’s wife was just a replica of him, except even better because she was a woman, and understood certain matters better than him.

Regardless, you sighed, opening your messages app and clicking onto Seokjin’s contact, messaging him a short “hey, off work for a couple days, want to have dinner soon?” And locked your phone again when the elevator reached third floor.

“Jung Hoseok, you dirty little cheating work husband, I will grab your balls and tie them in a knot the next time you choose to lie to me” you squint your eyes at him as you sit at the edge of his desk, watching as he gulps a little.

“I can explain,” he offers.

“No need, tell Yoongs to leave me a free space in a couple days hmm?”

“Can’t you ring him yourself-“

“He’s your roommate Jung, please he’ll listen to you more because you’re like number one best friends brothers thingy” you sigh rolling your neck around to release the gas that’s stuck.

“You’re so sly sometimes babe” he kissed his teeth as he leaned back into his chair.

“Mmm wonder where I got that from huh?”

Rolling his eyes with a small chuckle, he runs a hand through his dark hair, “you’re lucky I love you”

“On the contrary, you’re lucky I love you” you smiled.

“Besides, why do you need yoongi?”

Silence, dead silence fell into the atmosphere and Hobi figured you out in less than three seconds, “really?”

You nodded, biting your lip “a tattoo? I mean are you sure? Like that’s permanent?”

“Hoseok I know what a tattoo is” you dead pan, “I’ve been thinking of getting one for awhile anyway…”

His eyes turn worried for a minute, as he very gently speaks, “and you’re not just acting out because of you know….. Jungkook?”

Blinking you scoff, “you’re threading on thin ice Jung,” you get off his desk, leaning over him as you stare him dead in the eyes, face too close for comfort, “no man could make me do anything.”

Once you’re a safe distance from him, he lets out a breath shuddering a little, “do you forget I am a man sometimes?”

“No,” you smile sweetly, “I love watching you squirm because of me babe”

“I’m gonna divorce you”

“Awe too bad love, work couples can’t divorce.”

“Aren’t you suppose to be going home? Should I get Taehyung?”

Mouth falling open your eyes turn into slits and Hoseok prepares himself for the mouth full he’s about to get, “I will bite you and him. I won’t hesitate Jung Hoseok, besides keep messing with me and I’ll quit, no more seeing me no more free coffee and homemade lunch bitch” you walk away with a scoff.

Hoseok rushes towards you, desperately trying to catch up, “please not the homemade lunch,”

“Pfft, good luck sucker, he’s given me a week off” you stick your tongue out like a child once the elevator dings and the doors close.

“I’ve got both because I didn’t know what to choose” you mutter cutely as you set the wine and grocery bag on the counter.

Yeji stands beside you, eyes big and bright and expression that of a mellow kitten, like a child whose sipped on the most heavenly hot chocolate, “I missed you.”

Your heart skips a beat, internally beating yourself up for neglecting her during this whole thing. You awe as you hug her tightly, the smell of her strawberry shampoo never changing, “I’ve missed you too Ji.”

“I’m sorry, he can be an asshole sometimes but he shouldn’t be able to get between us” she mutters into your hair.

Your chest tightens as you hear her sniffle, she didn’t deserve this. You shouldn’t of done this to her, made her suffer with you. You’ve been a bad friend and you can recognise that, and you feel like utter shit about it because Yeji is priceless, she’s a diamond in disguise.

“I am so so sorry Yeji, I shouldn’t have let him get between us.”

The rest of the night was spent eating junk food and consuming an unhealthy amount of wine. As SpongeBob plays in the background and you apply the tiger sheet face mask on Yejis face you begin to tell her about Seokjin and Roowon.

“Was he good looking?”

“Oh ‘Ji,” you sigh heavily, “if you’ve only seen him, he’s like an Angel. God he’s gorgeous”

“Yah thats not fair! I wanna see him now”

“I’ll try sneak a picture of him when I’ll see him for dinner?”

Just as you say that, the sound of the hallway door dinging interrupts you, and both you and Yeji exchange looks of concern.

“Ji? I’m home, I hope you have no guy over because I’ll kick him out” the sound of his voice shakes everything inside of you. Everything becomes unstable like a poorly structured building during an earthquake.

Yeji looks at you sorrowfully, “yeah im here”

“The match got rescheduled so I thought I’d surprise you,” his voice faded it out as you didn’t dare to look his way, instead choosing to look at the wooden floor as your knees raised more inward towards to your chest, as if to protect your heart.

The silence was deafening, excruciating as all three of you didn’t know what to say, and you closed your eyes briefly as you cleared your throat, “I, Um, I can go?”

“No” Yeji immediately calls out, her voice, although not loud, seemed to echo off the walls as if even the furniture in the apartment froze in place, speechless.

“I’ll stay out the way don’t worry Ji” he mutters, pecking her head quickly before disappearing into the bathroom.

Yeji looked at you full of guilt, beginning to apologise but you stopped her, “it’s not your fault, plus we’re adults Ji, we can stay in the same room without hurting each other I promise. You’ve nothing to worry about, I’m okay.”

“I didn’t know he was going to be back” she continues, full of guilt.

“Don’t be dramatic, it’s okay. He’s your brother, besides, it’s not like I hate him. I still love him Ji, he was my best friend, that’ll never go away”.

For the rest of Jungkooks evening, all he had heard was your laughter. It rang through his body like an electric shock and he regretted everything. He hated himself for letting this drag on for this long, he hated that he couldn’t be there with you, laughing and sharing jokes like usually.

He drowned himself in everything possible to avoid hearing the conversation about a guy you met and how amazing he was, he worked, listened to music, texted his friends. But nothing worked.

And as the night died down and the house was consumed with silence. He laid on his bed, reminiscing the moments were he was your best friend. He remembered the time you went strawberry picking, you were dressed in the cutest outfit imaginable, a faded pink and white checkered dress, with pink wellies. Hair tied back in a bun with a strawberry claw clip.

He remembered how you shared the entire summer together, how he thought you to swim and how excited you were to be able to go to the depths of the ocean with him. How in love he was with you in the moment, the way your big surprised eyes stared into his as he dived underneath the water and came back up behind you, the way you’d call him Kookie in the times you needed him the most.

He remembers how you hate thunderstorms. How he spent the entire night with you on your couch, letting you cuddle into him and falling asleep in his lap.

It exactly that he regrets.

He regrets that he ruined the way you felt comfortable and safe around him and now he fears you’ll never be like that again.

For what seems like hours, Jungkook tosses and turns in his bed. Huffing in slight annoyance that his brain won’t shut off. Leaving his room in a haste he enters the kitchen, stilling for a moment as he sees you sat on the kitchen island, legs kicking back and forth as if you’re in deep thought.

He felt creepy standing there watching you eat your favourite cherry chocolates, the ones that had liquor inside. He remembers how much you love them.

He couldn’t go back to his room now, that’d be too awkward, especially since you’ve locked eyes with him for a mere second through the glass of the cupboards. He cleared his throat gently, going to the fridge to get his favourite whiskey, he could feel your presence behind him and he knew you were looking but you were stubborn.

You would not be the first one to say a word, he knows that, which is why he reaches for a second glass and fills both of them, turning to you with sad eyes, his hand extends toward you, holding the glass of whiskey outward, not thinking much you take it from him, throwing the liquid to the back of your throat and sighing. He does the same.

“I’m,” he clears his tight voice, “I’m sorry”.

You say nothing, biting your lip as he continues on, “I was out of line for the things I said. I’m aware, but I couldn’t help but feel protective. I’m sorry.”

“I was only angry because I have begged you to not get disqualified because of me, but you did that despite all of my begging” you whispered, barely audible and staring ahead as he looked at the side of your face.

“I’m sorry,” he swallows the lump in his throat, “I really am”.

“I know” is all you say. Not really giving him much aside from pushing the box of chocolate towards him.

“I miss you,” he mutters, “I miss having you in my life”.

Finally, as if your heart couldn’t take it, you look right into his eyes and he swears his knees buckle a little, despite your eyes looking a little sad, you smile gently at him, “I miss you too”.

“I never meant to say all those things, god Y/N, if I could go back in time” he closes his eyes. You pull on his shirt, pulling him between your legs as you hug him.

“Well you can’t,” you muffle in his chest as his arms tighten around you, “but, you can make it up to me?”.

You feel him nod as he not so sneakily sniffs your scent, “you can take Yeji out tomorrow, spend some quality time with her. She’s worried about you Kook, she needs her brother, she needs just a little bit of your time”.

He hugs you tighter, kissing your head, “I promise I will”.

You pull away, smiling gently at him as you peck his cheek, “good”.

You don’t know wether it was the buzz from the whiskey and alcohol infused chocolates, but whatever it was, it made your eyes drop to his lips. God he looked so good, hair messy and his sleeve on display. Fuck was he beautiful.

Almost like he could smell your slightly horny phase, he leans in deeper, eyes darkened a deep shade and his hand innocently laid on your waist, “you ok?” He asks.

Asshole, “yeah” your voice came out a little breathy within your whisper, and your entire aura soaked Jungkook in shudders. The way you were sat, legs spread to accommodate him between them, white shirt doing absolutely nothing to cover your perky pierced nipples.

He couldn’t take it anymore, and neither could you.

Looking into his eyes, your lips separated, inviting him in as your noses ever so gently brushed against each other, his hooded gaze solemnly fixated on your lips, and yours on his eyes, “what are you doing to me y/n” his voice husky, whispering in your ear.

“Kiss me Jungkook” your breathing got heavier and so has his, and he shook his head gently, scoffing in denial as your lips brushed past each other.

“Are you sure?”

“Fuck,” you gasped, as he licked your earlobe, what a fucking tease, “yes Jungkook”.

Not wasting anymore time he attached his lips on yours, moving them in rhythm as he basically abused the flesh, barely giving you any time to catch your breath as he switched his head from side to side, grabbing the back of your neck to pull you in closer, you could feel yourself growing wet, soaking your panties as you grabbed onto his shirt, nails digging into his skin as your hands travelled to his back, within pulling each other closer neither of you realised how close you have gotten, too immersed in the smacking of your lips as your core rubbed against his, hard and poking through his tracksuits.

You moaned right into his mouth and he swallowed it up, fuck he’d do anything for you. He’s dreamt of feeling your lips on his for years. His mouth travelled from your swollen lips to your neck, “fuck take my shirt of Kook”.

He could nut right there as you gave him all these orders, but he listened, slipping your shirt off to find your perky tits so ready for his mouth, he laid you back against the cool counter his mouth never giving up his abuse on your skin, marking nipping anywhere possible but the neck, he couldn’t be bothered to explain to his sister. He sucked bruises onto your boobs, hearing your quiet moans as he took one nipple into his mouth, twirling the pink nub with his tongue, before moving onto the other, but not before biting each nipple gently, the cold that was left on your nipples after his warm mouth worked you up even more as he trailed his kisses down your stomach, to your hips, once again sucking biting and bruising, fuck he loved your skin.

“Take your shirt of” you mumble quietly, taking your tits in your hands and rubbing the nipples in small circles, fuck he did not expect to ever see you like this. Sprawled out on his kitchen island, hands on your boobs and your panties sporting a wet patch on your clothed pussy telling him just how turned on your are right now. Shit.

His mouth latched onto your thighs before moving onto your clothes pussy, smothering his face in the warmth of it as you gasped quite loudly, smacking your hand on your mouth to keep quiet. Fuck. His tongue ran a strip from the bottom to the top, the fact that the only material keeping his tongue from touching you directly was your underwear was driving you insane.

“Kook fuck me already”

“I don’t have a condom” he said against you.

“Fuck im clean and on the pill”

“I’m clean too”

Without any more words, he helped you up, taking your panties to the side and taking his grey sweats down his legs. Fuck. His dick was hot, long and thick, tip red and oozing precum.

Fucking hell.

He ran his tip up and down your pussy, collecting your arousal before he eased gently inside you. Letting you adjust to him. You could feel him everywhere, his throbbing tip kissing your cervix as he bottomed out. And fuck were you so full, so deliciously full of him. With the way you relaxed he knew you were ready, slowly and carefully moving in and out, his hand found purchase on your shoulder, pushing you down gently as he watched the way your tits bounced slowly.

The way you moaned so quietly and the way your chest heaved, fuck you were absolutely ravishing to watch. Your skin was marked by his lips everywhere, stomach littered in bruises, hips and tits too, everywhere but your neck and it looked so inviting right now, begging for him to give it the same attention, and before he could think straight, he went for it, nipping at the skin of your neck as his body leaned fully into yours, before you could even take a breath he picked up the pace, smacking his hips lewdly into yours, his balls slapping of your ass as the noise bounced around the room. The sound your lips made as your lips connected once again adding to the mix.

It was hot, it was wet and it was loud. But it felt amazing, it felt too good to stop. The way he ramming into, hitting all the right spots as you mewled underneath him, the knot in your stomach tightening at the feel of his tip abusing your cervix, but before you could release he sat you up, edging your ass to almost be off the counter before he gripped onto it and hammered himself into you, the only rational part of you hid your face in his neck, moaning as he fucked right into you, he tugged onto your hair as he leaned his forehead into yours, both of you watching the way his dick disappeared into your swollen cunt, and then it hit you, like a ton of bricks, you clenched around him, your legs twitching slightly as you came around him, your orgasm hurting in all the right ways like if you were electrocuted, you could feel it from your toes to your head.

He was close behind, his hips stilling as his dick throbbed, twitching the slightest bit before he coated your walls white. Leaning against your palms on the counter you tried catching your breath again, and before you could say anything, he was on his knees, his mouth latching onto your clit as you yelped, sensitive from your previous orgasm.

“Kook I can’t”

“Yes you can baby,” he mumbled, his voice muffled by your pussy, “for me”

Groaning you gasped as he sucked onto your clit, twirling your sensitive nub with his tongue as he eased his finger into you, hooking it up and fucking you slowly.

The mix of mouth and finger was intoxicating the way he was making out with your pussy was sinful but you couldn’t get enough, especially not when your legs shook, your eyes teared up and his hands soothed your legs, he switched his finger and tongue, fucking you slowly with his warm tongue and drawing figure eights onto your clit and fuck you couldn’t take it.

Slapping down your hand on the counter you moaned his name as you came for the second time this night, legs shaking and chest heaving as he stood up, kissing your lower belly before he grinned above you.

“What do you say for round three in the bathroom?”

⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯⎯

A/N: part three? I mean they haven’t resolved much except for some steamy sex? 🤭

MASTERLIST

NO REPOSTING, EDITING, TRANSLATION OR COPYING OF ANY OF MY WORKS!

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teabights · 2 years ago

Text

River Like You

Sunmary: best friend to lover trope. You and joe grew close during your time on stranger things. You have a mini melt down after an interview and Joe comes to your rescue

Warning: Joke about suicide

You slump down in your spot on the couch as you wait for your castmates. If you have to answer one more question about getting to kiss Joseph Quinn, your head is going to explode. He is a fantastic kisser, you’ll give him that. Despite kissing him, Joe Keery is where your heart stayed loyal. Joe was always around when you two were filming. He’d run lines with you, go on mid-day coffee runs for you. You got to pet his dog when he’d bring it. He also checked on you every day, making sure you were feeling good. He was the best person. Your brain fought you on the fact that he was being so nice, maybe he was nice to everyone.

“Hey, Y/N,” Joseph says as he sits himself down next to you. You straighten yourself up.

“Hey Joseph. Are you getting a lot of questions about kissing me?” You ask.

“Oh my God, all the time.” He just chuckles. “I don’t know how many times I have to go over the fact that you are a great kisser.”

“If they even try to make romance rumors I will shut it down so quickly.” You remark.

“If Joe could get his head out of his ass and…” Joseph stops when he notices the other man.

“And do what?” Joe sits himself down on the other side of Joseph.

“Do you mind trading me? I get nervous, the arm of the couch is like a crutch for me.” Joseph says.

You give him a small death glare and watch the men switch spots. “Joseph was talking about he knew you were going to steal the end of the couch.”

“Oh, well, when you two are planted in the middle, it seemed like the obvious choice.” Joe says with a small laugh.

“So sorry, traffic was fucking crazy.” Maya says as she rushes over to sit on the other side of you.

The way you four were sitting seemed so off. Maya and Joe always played off of each other, and Joseph’s and your characters are in a relationship.

“Wait…” You say, your brain is now too focused on the seating. You get up.

You watch Joseph scoot to Joe and you sit on the end now between the arm of the chair and Joseph.

Joe glances over at you. “Does this make the most sense dynamically?” His tone was soft and even, just honestly trying to help.

“Yes… Sorry…” You mumble, embarrassed by the action.

“You’re o-.” Joe starts but the interviewer sits down.

After the interview and the millionth “How is it getting to kiss everyone’s favorite man?” question this circuit, you four got released from the set.

“Hey, Y/N, are you doing okay? You looked like you wanted to blow your brains out.” Joe asks.

“Oh my God, I hate answering about Joseph. Like we have one kiss, sure it was pretty hot, but that’s it. I wish I could put that as part of the questions I won’t answer…” You just let loose. “Like, what about my scenes with Finn and Gaten, or like when I actually get to show off my true talent, but noooo I am just a girl, whose only talent was kissing one man.”

“Jesus, have you told anyone about this?” Joe asks.

“Obviously not Joe. Now, excuse me, I have to drive to my hotel and I would like to take a nice bubble bath and drown myself.” Your tone is only slightly playful during that last part because you feel like you have to be.

“Well, instead of that, you could come out tonight… Maya has a little gig at 8, I told her I’d go. I think you would have fun.” Joe says. “Joseph has to set off to London tomorrow so he’s not going.”

“Maybe…” You say to him.

“Come on, it’ll be fun. She might let me do a song.” He says, like it was a selling point for you.

“Which song?” You ask like it actually mattered, you were still probably not going to go.

“Chat…” He watches your face scrunch up. “Rii…” Your face scrunches again. “Gloom.” His final answer actually made you a little excited, he’s only done it live one other time.

“Huh, still maybe.” You say.

You walk off from him, walking outside and to the rental you have. You get in your rental. You drive back to the hotel. You hand the key off to the valet and walk in the building. You walk the one flight of stairs to the second floor to get to your room. You open the room and check your phone: one text from Joe, two from Joseph, and one from your mother.

Mom: Dear good luck on your interview. Miss you bunches. Come visit as soon as you can.

That is the usual text to you these days.

Joe: Hey, listen, I really hope you come tonight. If you need someone to keep you company tonight, let me know, I’ll be there. Wait… I mean like if you just need someone to hang out with.

You laugh a little, he is truly a fucking idiot.

Joseph: Go with Joe to Maya’s thing. He obviously is trying to make a move.

Joseph: Joe texted me worried that you were going to actually drown in the bath - please let him know you were kidding.

You roll your eyes a little bit at the text. You shoot back your texts before setting your phone back down. You walk into the bathroom, plugging up the tub and starting the semi-hot bathwater. You walk back to grab your phone as you see a text from Joe had come in.

Joe: Hey, I am glad you were kidding about the bath. But seriously, I am here if you need to talk about life or anything. I am really glad we got as close as we did. I like being around you. Please come to Maya’s show, it’ll mean the world to her. I’d like to see you.

What a whirlwind of emotions that fill you up. You put your phone down on the counter, pulling up your hair into a high bun. You grab your phone and start the reply, telling him to grab you at 7:30 and bring street tacos. You start to click through your podcast that you frequent while laying in hot water. You see Joe’s message comes in.

Joe: 7:30 - gotcha. :) 2 Carne Asada with extra rice on flour?

You can’t help the smile as you text him a quick ‘yes please.’ You play Last Podcast on the Left and put on the Jonestown episode. You turn off the water and completely get naked. You slide into the bathtub, it is a big warm hug. You love it. It was only 4pm, so you know you had time to enjoy the bath, and find something cute to wear to Maya's show. Around 6pm you hear a knock on your door. It makes your heart race. You get out of the bath, drying off quickly then wrapping yourself in the robe that the room had. You walk to the room and look through the peephole. Joe? It was only 6pm… You unlock the door and open it.

“You are a whole hour and half early, dude.” You say.

“I know, but I got hungry and I wanted to eat with you. So I brought dinner a little early.” Joe says.

“Uh, come in. I am going to uh, get ready then I’ll join you. There is a nice little table out on the balcony.” You motion to the other side of the room.

“Yeah, shit I am sorry. I should have checked.” Joe says as he walks in, starting to the other half of the room.

“It’s okay. I like eating with other people a lot more than eating by myself.” You say.

Joe walks over to open the door of the balcony and put the food and drinks down on the table. “I’ll stay out here… just join me when you are ready.”

“You don’t have to. I can change in the bathroom, it’s no big deal.” You tell him.

“Okay…” His word is almost breathless.

You walk around to the drawer you put most of your clothes in. You grab underwear and jeans. You dig around for a moment.

“Fuck.” You mutter.

“What’s up?” Joe says looking up from his phone from the chair by the bed, which you’ve shown so much love while in this room. It has a great view of the outside and you could shift a little and watch TV.

“I thought…” What a girl thing. “I thought I packed the matching bra with these underwear. It would have been good tonight.”

“Can you just…” Joe starts.

“Joseph David Keery, if you think I can wear mismatched undergarments after freaking out about the way we sat today at our interview, then you are clearly not as intelligent as you come off as.” You cut him off with.

“I am sure it is just misplaced. Maybe it’s still in your suitcase.” He says.

You just nod your head, giving the drawer one more look through and then check your suitcase. He must be a witch you pull it out and hold it up.

“Keery, are you a witch?” You ask rhetorically.

“No, just logical.” He comments, glancing at the brassiere before looking at his phone again.

You go to grab the top you wanted, which was a checkered see through top. You also grab socks for your docs. You move to the bathroom. You unplug the tub and pause the podcast. You derobe and start to get dressed. You don’t dare put on your socks. You grab your phone and make sure that you look okay. Your makeup hadn’t moved. Thank the Lord. You walk out and toss your socks next to the pair of Doc Martin’s on the floor.

“Let’s eat.” You say.

“Alr-... you look good.” Joe comments.

“Oh Joey, shush.” You mutter as you move to sit on a chair on the balcony.

He sits across from you. You two start to eat the food. It is so good.

"God, this is the best…" You mutter.

"Glad you liked it, I wasn't sure. It was a new one for me, so I didn't think that they would do your tacos right." He admits.

"It was perfect Joey." You offer him a small smile. You glance at your phone. 6:45. You still have an hour and 15 minutes.

"You were joking about… drowning yourself right? Like obviously you didn't, but…" His words trails off.

"Joe, listen, I am over dramatic and a bit OCD. I don't want to die." You feel like he needed to hear those words specifically.

"Okay, that's good to know." He offers you a warm smile. "I am here for you."

"I know Joey, you've been here for me since you laid eyes on me the first day of set, which I am forever grateful for." You flash him a little smile.

"Do you want to go for a walk?" Joe asks.

"Uh, sure, let me get shoes on." You say as you head back inside.

You walk to where you ditched your socks. You slide your socks on then your shoes. Joe places the trash can down where he got it from, you can only assume he cleaned up. You get up from the floor. You grab your bag and look over at him. He walks over to you with a smile. You walk to the door and open it for him. He mumbles a small thank you as he walks out and you are quick to follow him out. He starts to head in the direction of the elevator.

"Where are you going?" You ask, after you realize he was going to get on the elevator and you are headed to the stairs.

"To the elevator… are you going to the stairs?" He asks, looking at you.

"Y-yes." Another moment where you feel embarrassed.

"Are you scared of elevators?" He asks so casually.

"I never get a room above the third floor and if I do, I will ask for a room change." You admit to him. He just walks over to you.

"Fine, no elevator." He grabs your wrist and drags you to the stairs.

You can't help the laugh as you walk with him. His hand moves tentatively from your wrist to properly holding your hand. You tangle your fingers with his. You two descend down the stairs to the front lobby. Joe grips your hand a bit tighter as you two go outside. He pulls you close as you two start walking in a random direction.

"So, what do you have lined up?" He asks.

"Oh, I got to meet… shit uh… Mariama Diallo at a coffee shop, I boasted about how much I love her work. She said she was working on something new and offered me a part." You say with a smile. "It's still horror related. I think Misha Green announced a possible season two of Lovecraft Country being written, I would like to audition for that."

"Keeping it in the horror family?" He asks.

"Like you didn't do a whole movie about a wannabe social influencer who decided to kill people." You remark.

"True, fine. There is nothing wrong with liking one genre of film the most." He shrugs his shoulders. "Finn does horror specifically. Producing his own horror movie."

"Joseph plays miserable little shit heads who doesn't know what comfort is." You state with a small laugh.

Joe laughs. "Yeah, poor guy. He needs to be in a romance movie where he gets the girl in the end."

"You though, you do everything. Comedy, horror, romance. It's impressive." You comment.

"Yeah, I like doing a little bit of everything." His hand squeezes yours.

"I just enjoy horror too much. I would do a rom-com or play an older sister in a teen flick." You shrug your shoulders.

"I'll write you and Joseph in a rom-com, so you both can be happy." He lets out a small chuckle.

"That would be great. I get to kiss Joseph all the time. Get asked about kissing him all the time." You roll your eyes, even though you at least would be comfortable with kissing your co-star.

"Yeah, but then you two could be fucking adorable all the time." Joe comments.

"Yeah? He's a great friend. I think the girl who ends up with him is going to be so happy." You say.

"Yeah." Joe goes quiet after this.

You look around for a moment. "Should we head to Maya's gig?"

"Oh yeah, probably." Joe says as he takes out his phone.

He drops your hand to quickly maneuver his way to the mapping app on his phone, to see how far you guys are from the venue. You pull out your phone, just to seem as busy for a moment, seeing a message had come in.

Maya: joe said you are coming tonight, so excited xoxo

You send a quick text back to Maya that you were excited also. You put your phone away. Joe was also putting his phone away. He takes your hand again, y’all fingers tangle together with no issues. Joe starts to lead you guys to the venus. You took in the sigh of the city.

“How come you are scared of elevators?” He asks.

“There were 17,000 deaths last year due to elevators.” You answer him.

“Damn, that’s fair enough.” He chuckles.

“They’re literally my nightmare.” You whisper.

After about 15 more minutes, you two arrive at the venue. You two are able to slip in the side. Maya had let you two in, hugging you guys tightly.

“I am going to get a drink, do you need anything?” Joe asks.

“Just a beer.” You say. Joe nods and walks off.

“Why were you two holding hands?” Maya asks. “Did he finally tell you?”

“Because we - wait, what?” You say.

“Shit, nothing…” Maya goes back.

“Maya…” You press.

“No, nope, no.” Maya says as she scurries off.

You just laugh and follow her. You help her get ready for the show in the green room. Joe comes in with two beers. He sets the beer down in front of you.

“Thanks Joey.” You say.

“No problem.” He says and leans against the counter, watching you do Maya’s makeup.

You pick up the beer, taking a sip. You finish the makeup. “Beautiful!”

“Thanks bestie.” Maya says with a chuckle.

You move next to Joe. His beer switches hands and his arm moves around you. You lean into his touch. You two sip your beer. Your eyes look at the clock. She goes on in like ten minutes.

“Do you want to stand in the crowd?” You ask Joe.

“Yeah sure.” Joe says.

“Okay, Maya good luck! Joe and I are going to stand in the crowd.” You say as you move off the counter.

“Okay, thank you guys for coming!” Maya says.

“You got this.” Joe says as he moves to Maya. He gives her a quick hug and a small kiss on the head.

You and Joe move to sneak from backstage to the crowd, standing near the back. There was a heavy female audience. After a few more minutes, Maya comes out on stage. The crowd sings along to her music. It made you and Joe smile. It was so cool to see her do something so cool.

“This is for my friends. I think they need a little help.” Maya says, her eyes land on you. She starts the song ‘River Like You.’ Joe looks at Maya with wide eyes. You listen to the words and feel your heart thump hard. Joe’s hand squeezes yours. You look over at him. He leans over to kiss you. You meet him halfway and kiss him back. His hand moves to cup your face. You can hear Maya singing. “YES!” Maya says after the song stops. Joe pulls from your lips with a small laugh.

“I like you a lot.” Joe says.

“God, I like you a lot too.” You say.

#joe keery #joe keery x reader #joe keery fan fiction #joe keery fanfiction #joe keery fan fic #joe keery fanfic

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lokiarc64 · 2 years ago

Text

Carnival Communication (Claw Communication 2)

“Carnival”

Yang: So how’s your first carnival Weiss?

Weiss: It’s somewhat tolerable.

Yang: I just can’t believe you’ve never been to one of these.

Weiss: Well my childhood wasn’t exactly like others.

Yang: Sheesh way to kill the mood Ice Queen.

Yang: Carnivals are meant to be fun, you gotta let lose and enjoy.

Weiss: You mean like your sister?

Weiss: “Points to Ruby”

Ruby: “Eating massive cotton candy”

Yang: Ruby don’t eat so much!

Ruby: HAHA, You can’t stop me!

Ruby: Nom Nom.

Weiss: “Scoffs”

Weiss: Have some dignity Ruby, your a team leader.

Nora: HEY!

RWY: “Glances at Nora, Ren, & Pyrrha”

Ruby: Hey guys, you’re here too?

Nora: Heck ya, this place is awesome, have you been to that slingshot ride?

Ruby: Yeah, I rode that with Weiss.

Weiss: That was a horrid experience.

Ruby: She screamed a lot.

Weiss: No I didn’t!

Nora: Yeah, Jaune threw up on that ride.

Nora: And the ride before that, and the ride before that, and the ride before that, and th-

Ren: Nora I think they get the point.

Yang: Speaking of, where is Vomit Boy?

Weiss: Yes where is your dunce of a leader?

Yang: Would it kill you to say something nice about the guy.

Weiss: Yes and yes.

Pyrrha: Well Jaune’s taking a break from the rides and playing some of the games.

Nora: He’s really good at them he won me a sloth plushie, soon I will have an army of these.

Ren: Oum, please have mercy when the day comes.

Ruby: Jaune’s good at carnival games?

Nora: Yeah he won Ren and Pyrrha prizes too.

Ren: “Holding Yoshi plush”

Pyrrha: “Holding stuffed bear”

Ren: He didn’t need to spend his lien for us.

Pyrrha: I like them it’s the thought that counts.

Ruby: Oh maybe he can win us prizes like last time.

Ruby: Right Yang?

Yang: 😠😠😠

Yang: “Crosses arms”

Ruby: Oh cmon, your not still mad about last time are you?

Yang (Angrily): I don’t want to talk about it!

Ren: What happened last time?

Ruby: Well Yang spent all her lien trying to-

Yang: “Covers Ruby’s mouth”

Yang: “Eyes red”

Yang: I SAID I DON’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT IT!!!

Jaune: Talk about what?

RWYNPR: “Glance toward Jaune”

Pyrrha: Hello Jaune.

Nora: Fearless Leaders back!

Nora: Did ya get me anything?

Jaune: Actually yes Nora.

Jaune: “Hands Nora sleeping sloth plush”

Nora: He’s so cute.

Nora: “Holding two sloth plushies”

Nora: I’m a proud mother of two.

Jaune: Hope you enjoy that one while you can Nora cause I’m not stopping anytime soon.

Weiss: “Rolls her eyes”

Weiss: Of course someone of your intellect would spend your time playing such childish games.

Jaune: Hey these games are difficult to win, luckily I was taught by my uncle to win each and every kind of carnival game.

Weiss: Please, as if you need actual skills required to win something so simple.

Pyrrha: Sorry to interject but many of these games are difficult in their own ways.

Pyrrha: The fact that Jaune has an understand of each and everyone of them is quite impressive.

Nora: Cause he’s the best!

Weiss: He’s the worst!

Jaune: Alright care to make things interesting?

Weiss: What are you rambling on now?

Jaune: You said it yourself, these games are easy, so if what you said is true then you would have no problem beating me at them.

Jaune: If you beat me in at least one game I’ll be your personal butler for the rest of the school year.

Jaune: But if I win then you have to go on one date with me.

Weiss: That’s absurd.

Nora: But you said it’s easy, so it shouldn’t be that hard.

Jaune: Whose side are you on?

Nora: Meh, which ever one wins.

Nora: Unless your scared Ice Queen.

Weiss: 😠😠😠

Weiss: Fine it’s a deal.

Jaune & Weiss: “Shake hands”

Weiss: Get ready to fix my meals for the rest of the year!

Jaune: We’ll see about that!

Jaune & Weiss: “Walk off”

Nora: She’s gonna regret that.

Yang: Yeah, she has no idea what Jaune is capable of.

Pyrrha: Yang your eyes.

Ruby: Cmon Yang, let’s go to the punching machine to blow off some steam.

Yang: Fine.

Yang (Mumbling): Finally something I’m better at than Vomit Boy.

“Ring toss”

Weiss: Why are there so many dirty bottles?

Jaune: You have to toss these rings onto the bottles, the more bottles you ring the better the prize.

Weiss: Seems simple enough.

Jaune: “Hands booth keeper lien”

Jaune: Two plays please.

Clerk: Right away.

Clerk: “Hands Jaune & Weiss 10 rings each”

Jaune: “Tosses 1st ring which wraps around bottle”

Weiss: If that dolt can do it then so can I.

Weiss: “Tosses 1st ring which misses completely”

Weiss: No need to fret Weiss, it’s only one ring.

“2 Minutes later”

Jaune: “Tossed every ring successfully”

Weiss: “Missed every bottle”

Clerk: Winner

Clerk: “Hands Jaune stuffed scarfed penguin”

Jaune: Thanks mister.

Clerk: “Hands Weiss tootsie roll”

Weiss: What’s this?

Clerk: We hand out pity prizes for losers.

Weiss: 😠😠😠

Jaune: Let’s go to the next game Weiss.

Weiss: Fine!

Weiss (Internally): Mark my word Arc, this is only the beginning.

“Balloon Pop”

Clerk: Step right up, step right up.

Clerk: Pop balloons with three darts to win a prize.

Clerk: You with the blonde hair and adorable hoodie, you wanna test your luck.

Jaune: Yeah me and my friend.

Clerk: Great.

Clerk: It’s 5 lien per person.

Jaune: Hands 10 lien to clerk.

Clerk: “Hands darts to Jaune & Weiss”

Clerk: Rules are what you expect, pop at least 6 balloons and you walk out with a prize.

Weiss: “Throws dart toward red balloon”

“Pop”

Weiss: “Claps hands”

Weiss: “Throws dart toward blue & yellow balloons”

“Pop”

Weiss: Just a few more.

Weiss: “Throws dart toward orange & green balloons”

Weiss: I got close that time.

Weiss: Well that should be enough to put Arc in his place.

Jaune: “Simultaneously popping several balloons with a single dart”

Weiss: 😦😦😦

Clerk: Winner winner chicken dinner!

Clerk: “Hands Jaune pig plush”

Clerk: Do hold it against him little missy some people are just more skilled than others.

Weiss: “Glares”

Weiss: “I will not be humiliated by Arc”

Weiss: “Grabs Jaune”

Weiss: Cmon, I’m surely to best you at the next game.

Jaune: O-Okay.

“Test your strength”

Jaune: This one is pretty self explanatory, just hit the puck and try to ring the bell.

Weiss: So be it.

Jaune: “Pays clerk”

Clerk (Quietly): Good luck ya scrawny bunch.

Jaune: “Hands Weiss hammer”

Jaune: Ladies first.

Weiss: “Scoffs”

Weiss: “Snatches hammer from Jaune”

Weiss: “Strikes puck”

Puck: “Kinda strong”

Weiss: That’s more than enough to beat you.

Jaune: We’ll see.

Jaune: “Takes hammer”

Weiss (Thinking): Please, he can’t even overpower Winchester in combat class I shouldn’t have to worry about-

“Ring”

Clerk: Hmph.

Clerk: Impressive.

Clerk: “Hands Jaune Pikachu plush”

Clerk: Your not as scrawny as you look kid.

Jaune (Confused): Thanks?

“1 Hour Later”

Weiss: How?!?!?

Weiss: How can someone so unbelievably idiotic and childish have such incredible luck?

Jaune: It’s not luck, I just learned about these games from my uncle.

Weiss: Oh well maybe your uncle can teach you how to be a decent huntsman or even better a decent human being.

Jaune: …

Jaune: “Looks down”

Weiss: I’m sorry.

Weiss: I let my emotions get the better of me.

Weiss: I don’t handle losing well.

Weiss: For me I was taught that winning is a necessity for my life, for my name.

Weiss: If I fail I dishonor my family’s name.

Jaune: I’m sorry to hear that.

Weiss: It’s just so frustrating.

Jaune: “Hands Weiss stuffed scarfed penguin”

Weiss: Why are you giving me this?

Jaune: Think of it as a sense of closure.

Jaune: I hug mine when I’m stressed and no ones there to help.

Jaune: It feels like there’s someone there for you when you need it.

Weiss: “Looks at stuffed scarfed penguin”

Weiss: “Hugs stuffed scarfed penguin”

Weiss: Thank you Ar- Jaune.

Weiss: This was admittedly a really fun day for me.

Jaune: Glad to hear that Snow Angel.

Weiss: “Smiles”

Jaune: So about that date?

Weiss: “Rolls eyes”

Weiss: Of course your still on that.

Jaune: “Smiles”

“With the others”

Pyrrha: Hey there something I’ve been wondering for a while now.

Yang: What’s that?

Pyrrha: Where’s Blake?

Yang: We don’t know, she said she was getting lunch but we haven’t seen her since.

“Meanwhile”

Clerk: Test you luck.

Clerk: Scoop up a fish and it’s your to keep.

Clerk: Who’s walking out with a new friend.

Blake: “Looks at gold fish”

Blake: “Licks lips”

#Rwby #Jaune arc #weiss schnee #yang xiao long #ruby rose #lie ren #nora valkyrie #pyrrha nikos #blake belladonna

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