#only to be bombarded by romance centric things
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I think my main issue with fandoms that become ship centric or otherwise centured around the attraction to a particular character is that thereâs just such an overwhelming abundance of it. and then you get like, nothing else. itâs just weirdly isolating when youâre into something so much but everyone else seems to only be into it in one particular way
#crow thoughts#itâs not bad or anything itâs just frustrating at times!!#especially when I come on here to genuinely talk about my interests#only to be bombarded by romance centric things#sucks ass sometimes man sorry
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âââ talk away!!! pls talk about whatever suits your fancy, maybe what kinds of traits and themes draw you to a character/story idea, or what themes or traits you notice reappearing in a lot of your works?
oooooh hi hello!!!! thank you for sending this and enabling me lol
okay, so as for what i'm drawn to -- i definitely have a Thing(TM) for poor soggy little meow meows lol. i like my female characters to resemble wet orphan kittens abandoned in the rain lol, but also have a very strong side to them that is in direct opposition to their soggy-meow-meowness lol. i really enjoy that duality. i enjoy that in all sorts of characters, and when it comes to fanfic i do read m/m and only very occasionally m/f pairings, but i am very rarely -- if ever -- inspired to write for them. i guess the formula for what compels me to write something is the combination of 1. soggy woman i wanna keep in a jar 2. is it something i want to read and feel there isn't much of in the world?
i exclusively write f/f pairings and woman-centred storylines -- not bc it's the only thing i enjoy in fiction, but bc it's the sort of thing i wanted to read when i was young and there was just so little of it, and i found it almost exclusively in fanfiction, with some exceptions such as sarah waters novels that i really enjoyed, but weren't translated in my language when i was a kid so i did struggle with them a bit (i would really wanna reread those now that i have a better grasp of the english language and am no longer a tween lol, i wonder if my opinion on them would change). i like to write from experience, and my experience is that of a rather odd gay woman moving through the world, so i like to channel that in my fiction. i feel like i'm Qualified(TM) to write it lol.
i'm about to be an old man shaking my fist at the world and demanding people get out of my swamp lol, but i feel like even though there has been a huge change in the amount of wlw storylines media we are Served every year (when i was a teen i feel i could count them all, that's how few movies/books there were, and at one point it was like okay..... i've seen it all lol or at least all that was accessible to me). and even though the media landscape has changed drastically in the last 10 years, i still feel like there are such few stories that really resonate with me? and we are generally being bombarded with very meaningless stories/media, just regurgitating the same shit over and over again (disney live action remakes are a good example of that trend, saying that as someone who was always a fan of disney if you couldn't guess by my username lol, and hasn't seen any of the remakes bc i simply Do Not Care, stopped caring around 2014 when maleficent came out). if you asked me to name a wlw story, or even a woman-centric story that doesn't involve a male love interest, that i really, truly enjoy, i feel like i'd struggle a bit. we get a lot of storylines in media that, imo, lack substance, and are often audience pandering (idk why supergirl came to mind, but it's a good example i feel). and tbh, the audience isn't picky. most people will just watch whatever lol, and honestly good for them but i Cannot lol. it needs to Hit A Spot for me. as for books, there is a better choice there i feel, but a lot of it is ya novels and i am simply not interested in that lol. no shade, but it's just not something i like to read. i want an old hollywood style romance with lesbians. i want phantom of the opera, i want the Drama(TM), i want a fucking hugh grant cheesy movie with lesbians. and so that's what i like to write -- just things i always wanted but never had lol.
i feel like in my works the Themes(TM) that appear a lot are:
1. loneliness and finding something or rather someone that quenches the thirst for company in a way that matters (i have always found irl that there's a lot of people who listen but don't hear what you're saying, and since i was a child i was always searching for people who will genuinely try to understand where i'm coming from and not just immediately try to put me in a box in their mind so they can Place Me somewhere and understand me in their own language. can you try to understand me in mine?)
2. pondering of morality, what's right and wrong and is there such a thing, rejecting and questioning societal norms.
3. a lot of kinky lesbian sex lol, through which i like to explore the psyche of the characters (or sometimes i'm just horny lol and sexuality and kink is something i like to think about a lot, esp bc my formative years were so traumatic in that aspect)
4. very character driven plots/characters changing their own fate or what *should* happen to them
5. the Intricacies of interpersonal relationships/developing a deep connection with someone and generally exploring emotional connection
6. this will be most prominent in the thing i am yet to post but is almost written, but i do enjoy some horror elements, gothic horror to be specific! i guess it's all the gothic novels i read in my youth :))
#i got an ask!#oh i enjoyed to ramble about this#i feel like my style is very Specific but i struggle to like. name it or grasp it fully if that makes sense lol#i should ask my wife but she is Asleep#sort of forgot to mention -- but i do love to be challenged#i get bored very easily#so i look to challenge myself with each new fic i write!
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dream the night away
title: dream the night away
characters: (fem) reader x hwang hyunjin of stray kids
genre: slice-of-life, romance, angst, best friends to lovers au, idol au, idol!hyunjin, hyunjin centric, inspired by 3rachaâs cloud 9 but not really?
warnings: minor character death, sometimes heavy, slow burn (aka i wanted it to be but i wasnât patient enough), i tried to proofread, i gave up trying to format text convo on tumblr, i think they kiss a lot.
word count: 11.6k iâm so sorry
synopsis: one night, hyunjin wonders how he long can stay floating on cloud 9 before he loses his balance and falls all the way down to the pits of hell. After that, nothing feels right.
disclaimer: this is idol!hyunjin so i just wanna say that this is not how hyunjin is in real life and im not trying to convince you that he feels the things in the story. some parts are inspired by the things theyâve said but everything that happens here is pure fiction... which actually goes without saying since this is a fanfic, but i just feel the need to say it. for my personal long ass authorâs note, you can read it below.
Hyunjin is met with darkness when he steps into the dorm. It used to be more packed, it used to be messier, and it used to be really loud. Now he only shares the dorm with the 00z who are surprisingly quiet if you think about it. Seungmin sleeps early, Felix has his headphones stuck to his ears and plays games until the sun rises, and Jisung is snugged somewhere watching movies. On busier days, Seungmin and Felix are at the company for lessons and Jisung spends the night at the studio with Chan and Changbin. Hyunjin, meanwhile, usually has some photoshoots.
However, tonight feels unnaturally quiet, especially since Hyunjin has just won his first Bonsang as a solo artist. He switches the lights on, and his friends are soundlessly huddled together by the fridge, Jisung holding a small cake.
âSurprise!â Seungmin exclaims rather flatly as Hyunjin drops to the floor out of shock, shouting profanities. Felix proceeds to grab some candles from the kitchen counter and lights them up. âCome on, blow the candles."
Hyunjin lets out an amused sigh, rising to his feet before blowing all the candles out. âPlease tell me these arenât those candles that stay lit nâwhat the hell.â
He continues blowing, his friends giggling while Seungmin groans. âWhy did you have to curse? I was about to post that on Instagram Story!â
âWhy are we doing this anyways? Weâre not 18 anymore,â Hyunjin protests half-heartedly. He canât really remember the last time they gave each other a proper surprise. It feels like ages ago. Jisung scoffs, searching for a knife inside one of the kitchen drawers. Slicing the cake, he retorts, âYour dramatic ass loves surprises, stop denying it.â
âAnyone has anything to do tonight? The hyungs want to come over,â Felix informs while typing on his phone. Hyunjinâs vibrates after a few seconds; everyone on the Stray Kids group chat must be congratulating him.
Seungmin opens the chat, frowning. âWhereâs Jeongin?â
âHe hasnât been replying since hours ago. That brat probably fell asleep. Just ask his bro if heâs home,â Hyunjin suggests, about to reply to Chanâs message when another message pops up.
y/n: sorry i couldnt watch the show
y/n: but i saw the news! congratulations!!
y/n: so proud of you, as always!
Hyunjinâs eyes light up at your messages. Itâs been months since he saw you; heâs been busy with his solo debut and youâve been busy with school. When both of you were children, you often pictured how life would be. Hyunjin would be a famous soccer player for Manchester United and the captain of South Korea national team. You would be studying to become a doctor.
He finds it funny that youâre doing the exact same thing while heâs doing something he never even imagined before. Hyunjin is always amazed at how well you planned your whole life and executed every single plan, albeit not always instantly.
After all these years, though, he dares to say that both of you turned out okay. Amazing, even.
âOrder whatever you want. Iâm eating outside but Iâll be back soon,â Hyunjin tells his friends, bombarding you with messages before you turn your phone off, the thing you always do when youâre about to cram.
Seungmin arches an eyebrow. âY/N?â
âYeah. I asked whether she wants to eat gopchang with me.â
âYou should really be careful.â
âEveryone knows weâre best friends. No one will make a weird rumor or anything.â
Jisung clicks his tongue. âWell, do you?â
Whenever someone talks about you, it always leads to this very conversation. Hyunjin decides to let Jisungâs question (sarcasm) hang in the air, but he knows the answer. Yes, he knows you and him are just best friends. Does he like it that way?
Hyunjin knows the answer to that too. He only pretends that he doesnât.
Youâre already slurping your soup when Hyunjin says hi to the restaurant owners, Mr and Mrs. Jang. âOh Hyunjinnie, I just watched you on TV. You won something, right?â he asks. His wife ushers him to sit down, putting extra servings of kimchi on the table.
âWhy didnât I get extra kimchi?â You pout, shooting a jealous glare at Hyunjin whoâs busy explaining what a Bonsang is to the owners.
âYou did a good job, then,â Mrs. Jang coos. âYou donât need to pay today. Itâs on us!â
You quickly put your spoon down. âWhat about me? I barely sleep thesedays, and Iâm not as rich as Hyunjin!â
âAigoo, you started eating before your friend came then demand for free food. Youâre lucky we love you as much as we love Hyunjin.â
The couple laugh at your reaction, jokingly scolding you for being whinier than Hyunjin when it used to be the other way around. He smiles, remembering all the times he forced you to eat his eggplants for him and the times when he begged you to help him study because he needed to beat all of his friends.
âEat,â you scowl. âYou only have half an hour to brag. I have a night shift.â
Out of the times youâre being petty towards him, you were only seriously petty once: when he beat your English score in ninth grade although you were the one teaching him. He had to bribe you with a weekâs worth of Haribo jellies before you stopped ignoring him.
Hyunjin giggles. âWhenâs your exam? Tomorrow?â
âNext week,â you whine. âBut I have so many things to do! And I think someone stole my notes, I canât seem to find them anywhere. Do you even understand half the pain Iâm going through right now? All I need is one solid hour of sleep.â
âHmm,â he hums. âTell me something I donât know.â
You widen your eyes, eyeing Hyunjin from head to toe. âSometimes I forget youâre Stray Kidsâ Hyunjin.â
He pretends to stab himself on the chest. âThat h-hurts,â he fake-groans. âThen who do you think I am?â
âMy neighbor,â you answer. ââwho doesnât even live at home anymore.â
âTo be fair, youâre practically holed in hospital now.â
âYeah but I go home every two weeks? You go home twice a year.â
âExcuse me?! I went home on your birthday⌠in the middle of a tour! I couldâve been sleeping or practicing, but I came home!â
He always âarguesâ with you until both of you are out of breath, clutching your chests because it somehow feels hilarious. You drink the last few drops of the soup right from your bowl, setting it back on the table and empty your glass in one go.
âI donât have enough energy for this,â you sigh dreamily, prepping your head on your arm. âTell me about everything. Your first Bonsang.â
Hyunjin can still hear his fansâ voices chanting his name and cheering for him as he delivered his speech while sobbing (this is what he hates from solo promotions, nobody else is there to stop him from crying or taking over the mic from him so he could calm himself down). He remembers every single word he said and the proud faces of his fellow artists. The thrill, the triumph, the satisfaction, the love⌠itâs making him emotional all over again.
He grabs a tissue to blow his nose. âI was surprised when the company said that I was invited. Our group hasnât made a comeback this year, and although my song did chart quite well, I never expected they would even invite me.â
âThey gave me a 5-minute stage! I was so happy, I sent you my rehearsal videos, right?â
You nod, imitating one of the moves in his dance break.
âEverything was even more amazing on stage, with Stays watching me. I think I was possessed during the performance⌠I was goddamn nervous though.â
âYeah, I watched it on the way here. You kept licking your lip, I donât care if your fans think thatâs hot. To me youâre just a nervous messâŚâ
Hyunjin has started to pout when you add, â⌠who did a very great job nevertheless! Itâs just that Iâve known you so long. You canât hide anything from me.â
He notices how youâre holding your breath, waiting for him to respond. After years, Hyunjin thought he would take negative comments much less seriously, but apparently it didnât become easier. It became harder, so hard that he had to take a 3-month hiatus last year.
With you, everything is different. You can tell him that he sucks big time and heâll take it seriously, but he never gets offended. There are a lot of times when people treat him like heâs made of glass (or a snowflake, Seungmin once said), but you treat him the way youâve always treated him and he loves it. None of his other friends understands, but your honesty is priceless. Itâs what keeps him going; he knows youâll never cherish him less no matter what you say about the way he dances and raps, or the way he looks and behaves. And heâs sure that his honesty also means the world to you. You are each otherâs toughest critic, but it will never change anything.
âHyunjin.â You place your hand over his, eyes wide. âIâm sorry. It just slipped out of my mouth.â
He chuckles, flipping his palm to squeeze your hand. âYou idiot. You just stated the facts.â
You squeeze his hand back before pulling away. âIâm looking at Hwang Hyunjin of Stray Kids who sold over 100.000 copies of his first solo album, who won Bonsang for the first time, who gets worshiped by everyone he locks eyes withâexcept for me of course. Iâm a very proud friend.â
âStop it.â Hyunjin rolls his eyes, but unable to hide his smile once he sees you grinning like a happy child. âHow much time do we have left?â
You glance at your phone, sighing when a reminder for you to study pops up. â5 minutes. I have to go back to the hospital soon.â
âCan you even study during your shift?â
âI have to,â you mumble. âAnyways, thanks for dragging me out. I did miss you after all.â
âI missed you too,â Hyunjin says, probably too quick for his own good but he doesnât regret it.
âIâll be going now.â You stretch your limbs, grabbing your bag and slinging it over your shoulder. âAny last words before I go to war?â
âI should be the one asking you that.â
âOh, right.â
Chan is the only one awake by the time Hyunjin gets back home. He huffs in regret, knowing that the hyungs decided to stay over to celebrate his Bonsang win. The leader greets him with a bear hug, carefully avoiding Felix and Minho who are fast asleep on the floor. âWeâre so happy for you!â he whisper-yells. âHow was Y/N?â
Hyunjin returns his hug with an even tighter one. âThanks hyung. You composed the song after all! And sorry I came back too late.â
Chan shakes his head. âNah, itâs fine. At some point we forgot why we were here and just started playing mafia.â
âY/N is fine, anyways, just tired.â
âSheâs always tired, isnât she?â
âYeah. It turns out that medical students are probably more tired than us.â
Hyunjin leads Chan to his bedroom. Each of the 00z has their own bedroom now. Itâs much more convenient and they can arrange their stuff however they want to (they avoid entering Jisungâs room as much as possible), but Hyunjin misses the mess at times. The old dorm was cramped, either too hot or too cold, and way too noisy, but it was home for quite a long time.
Chan seems to be having the same thought. âWe miss you kiddos sometimes,â he laughs. âBut we fixed that sliding door. It closes properly now.â
âAs long as Changbin hyung keeps opening it with too much force it will be broken again in no time. Trust me.â
Both of them are lying on Hyunjinâs king size bed, staring at the sideboard table he dedicates for his music showâand now, music awardâtrophies. âThe kids donât really say it but theyâre all so proud of you. Iâm proud of you. I raised you well, didnât I?â
âYeah, you kinda did.â
âKinda?!â
âIâm joking.â Hyunjin scrunches his nose. âYou raised all of us. We raised Jeongin. And we raised each other.â
â3racha are almost finished choosing the final songs, you have 2 weeks to relax then weâll start production right away. Our next tour wonât start until May, so we have plenty of time to prepare everything.â
âOhhhhh I can feel my bones breaking already. Weâre getting old,â Hyunjin whines.
Chan pats his thighs, cracking his knuckles before jumping out of bed. âYouâre getting old,â he teases.
âIâm glad, though. Everything finally works out the way we wanted to. I guess we can say that weâre doing well now, right?â
Chan doesnât wait for Hyunjin to answer and leaves the room right away. The latter ponders the rhetorical question for a while, recalling the goals they have reached for the past few years. Entering the Melon chart (and staying on Top 20 for a week), having one of the most successful world tour, winning prestigious awards at prestigious music awards, 3racha getting acknowledged as the industryâs top composers, 00z winning music shows for their unit debut last year, Jeongin getting drama roles, and last but not least, Hyunjinâs successful solo debut.
Feeling nostalgic, he scrolls through his phone, looking at old photos and silly videos. Looking at the lyrics he wrote on his note app. Then he goes through @realstraykidsâ posts on Instagram, from when Jeongin still had braces until tonight. The latest selcas on his own official account are still getting likes, the fans showering him with praises.
Hyunjin has ticked off everything from his wish list. He has reached every goal he set a few years ago. They are doing well. Heâs doing well.
He looks at his surroundings, immersing himself in the space and peace of his room that he once craved desperately. Heâs supposed to be at peace now, but his mind wonât stop buzzing, asking himself what to do next.
For the very first time, Hyunjin realizes that heâs now floating on Cloud 9. Everything is perfect, heâs living his dream life. But at the back of his head, he can hear the clock ticking, ready to push him over the edge the moment he loses his balance, watching him fall all the way to the pits of hell.
Everything is perfect, but why does his heart feel so empty?
Hyunjinâs brows furrow as he tries to catch some comments the fans are posting. When he was a rookie he couldnât get used to how fast the comments come in, and itâs something that doesnât quite change. Probably he got used to it at some point, but they kept gaining fans that the comment section is always extremely active.
âHyunjin oppa,â he pronounces the words slowly. âSpo-spoiler please!â
He lifts his head to give the viewers a secretive smile. âNope.â He wiggles his forefinger. âYou have to wait for the teasers!â
âOhhh the comments! You guys are so excited I canât keep up!â
More comments flood in, and Hyunjin has to press his phone screen in order to read the one comment heâs been trying to read. âRecommend me a song, please!â
âUhhhââ He takes some time to think of the songs heâs been listening to, tapping his fingers against the surface of the table while the comments keep coming in, but this time he spots words that stab him right on his gut. With trembling hands, he lifts his phone, clicking the report button as subtle as possible. His vision grows blurry as he reports every single comment that has the word âfuck youâ, âdieâ or âtalentlessâ in it.
The pause has become too long and too awkward, so he stops himself from reporting more and stares at the lens. âAh, song recommendation!â he exclaims. âI have quite a lot but thesedays Iâve been listening to 00z songs a lot. We had so much fun promoting together.â
Hyunjin feels his other phone vibrating in his pocket, probably his mother checking in. It gives him a boost of energy, and he tells his fans heâll stay with them for 10 more minutes. âWhen weâre just talking like this, Iâm always reminded that weâve come so far,â Hyunjin says, a smile on his face. âIt feels good to know that all of you are making time for us, for me, after your busy day. And no, Iâm not sleepy. Donât worry, everyone!â
He reads some more comments, mostly cheesy pickup lines to cheer himself up as his brain is still trying to get all the hurtful words out of his system. âAh, I think I have to go now,â Hyunjin announces lowly. âI have to go back to practice, if not Chan hyung will barge in and drag me back to the practice room.â
âWhat? You want me to get scolded by Chan hyung? Why are you so mean?!â
Hyunjin ends up staying for 20 more minutes before finally ending the broadcast. Conversation with his fans is something he values a lot; it gives him strength and makes him laugh. It makes him feel loved and he wants his fans to feel the same.
But itâs equally tiring. He has to brace himself for some less-than-nice comments, sometimes they are way too severe for him to handle that the company sues all the commenters. Youâve told him over and over again that those people arenât his fans.
Everything couldâve been worse. Hyunjin still considers himself very lucky that he has much more fans than haters. Still, he often imagines how it will feel if he has no hater at all, since he does have some friends who seem to only hear pretty words.
Hyunjin stays inside the room for a few more minutes, replying to Seungminâs messages and assures him that heâll be back soon. He idly plays one of their songs he hasnât heard for years, the song that was always included in their setlist before being replaced by some other songs. Hyunjin initially thought he wouldnât need that song anymore, but tonight, he needs it. Maybe he needs it more now than before.
After making a mental note to ask the other boys to add the song back to the concertâs setlist, Hyunjin leaves, cursing himself for taking too much time to regain his composure.
Should I stop or not? Should I give up or not?
âHwang Hyunjin, stop coming into my room without my permission! You literally trespassed into someone elseâs property!â
Hyunjin groans into his pillow, instantly regretting his decision to pick up your call at midnight. âI didnât!â
âDonât lie to me. You took Gureum with you!â
He takes a quick glance at the rabbit plushie he placed on top of his pillow. Last night, he did go home because Kkami (everyone calls him old man now) got a little sick. âI miiiiight have made a quick detour next door when I was about to leave.â
âYouâre pathetic. You got soooooo many plushies and toys and cute headbands from fansigns and you stole my Gureum.â
âStop guilt tripping me! I missed Gureum, okay? Why didnât you take him to your dorm?â
Hyunjin senses your hesitation as you clear your throat. âWell, sometimes seeing Gureum only makes me miss everyone more, so I just left him at home.â
Now he feels guilty. Your parents are currently staying overseas to take care of your sick little sister. He pictures you coming to an empty home every two weeks, exhausted and not having anyone to welcome you.
âDo you want me to come over?â
âOur superstar isnât busy?â
âI am, but Iâm willing to sacrifice my precious time for my best friend.â
You scoff over the phone, but telling him to hurry up before ending the call. Hyunjin packs his clothes and toiletries, along with Gureumâhis birthday present for your 11th birthday. You almost never sleep without it, yet the plushie still looks brand new.
Unable to hide his smitten smile, Hyunjin grabs his keys.
The apartment complex where Hyunjin lives has changed a lot over the years. The soccer field he used to play at is now a playground. The little bookstore you loved so much is now a bakery. Now thereâs a big shopping mall right across the building. After saving up for a while, Hyunjin asked his parents whether they wanted to move to a bigger place. He kind of hoped that they wouldnât want it because he wanted to stay close to you (although coming home is a real challenge for him). Luckily, his parents said no.
He enters your door password leisurely, recalling the time when your parents told him to take care of you.
So far, youâve been the one taking care of him.
Hyunjin heads straight to your bedroom, opening the door and sees you curling on your bed. The mattress he sleeps on whenever he stays over is already laid on the floor.
âGureum!â you yell when he throws the squishy rabbit to you. Hyunjin drops his bag and settles himself on the mattress, staring up at you.
âHowâs your sis?â
You scoot towards the end of the bed, showing him a photo on your phone. Your sister is smiling; she looks much better than before, but still very pale and thin. âI havenât called her,â Hyunjin admits. âBut she got the albums I sent to her. Sent the ones signed by the others too. That kid loves Jisung, do you know that?â
âI got her into Jisung.â
He sits up, looking almost offended. âYour bias is Han Jisung?â
âThis world doesnât revolve around you, superstar.â You flash him a cheeky grin. âI wanted to ask you to let me go to the backstage again last tour, but I restrained myself. As your kind best friend, I shouldnât abuse my privilege.â
âYou know that he never cleans his room, right?â
You hum, âNobodyâs perfect, Jinnie.â
âOh come on!â Hyunjin protests. âIf itâs Jeongin I understand although he also never cleans his room. But Jisung? And youâre calling yourself my best friend!â
âHeâs funny!â you argue. âHe has a nice voiceâitâs really sexy when he raps, he dances well, he wrote all my favorite Stray Kids songs, and he actually had the balls to fight you. A real champ.â
Hyunjin rolls his eyes, making a gesture to snatch Gureum away from you. âAnd at the end of the day, you love him,â you add. âHe makes you laugh too.â
Well, itâs a fact he canât refute. You ask, âDo you think I should hit on him or something? Will people call me out? Does he have someone?â
âWe are not having this conversation Y/N. I donât care if both of you are my best friends, youâre not dating Han Jisung. What happened to that âhot seniorâ Jung Jaehyun? The last time we called, you were so in love with him.â
The mention of Jaehyunâs name causes you to slump into your bed, covering yourself with your thick blanket. âI sort of blew it up,â you mumble. âHe asked me on a real date and I said no.â
You seem to hit realization thatâs way too late, and now youâre hollering, âI said no to Jung Jaehyun! Oh my God Hyunjin⌠Iâm such an idiot!â
Hyunjin canât contain his giggles. Relief washes over him; you and Jaehyun seemed rather serious and while he wished you well, the thought of you being with someone else always pains him. He knows heâs not allowed to feel that way just because youâre best friends.
Most of the times, he canât help it.
âHeâs a real gentleman and he said he was into me. ME. Everyone would throw themselves at him but he came up to me and I flat out rejected him. What the hell is wrong with me?!â
Youâre rolling on your bed, whining and kicking at the air. âI tried not to think about it but⌠it was just a date? Even if I didnât end up dating him at least I could tell my grandchildren that I went on a date with Jung Jaehyun!â
âIs he really that great?â Hyunjin asks, out of curiosity but laced with jealousy he hopes you canât see. His words sound distant to his own ears, triggering his fear of losing you.
âYeah, I guess?â
You nudge his legs when he doesnât respond. âHow about you? Everythingâs fine? You donât look happy thesedays.â
Hyunjin never lies to you. You have a full access to his heart; he lets you in on his happiest days when life feels like the shiniest summer. He also lets you in even after the messiest thunderstorm when he feels that everything is fucked up. This time, he wants to lock you out. Thereâs nothing to see, thereâs nothing to fix.
His heart is emptyâhe is empty, and he wants to protect you from the bleakness of it.
âIâm fine, just been arguing with Felix and Minho hyung over the song weâll perform. It feels too monotone for me, but they think itâs perfect,â he explains, not completely lying. âI donât know if Iâm being selfish but somehow I just canât let it go.â
âHave you tried explaining to them? Not how you feel, but how the song is. You can always go technical, you donât need to worry just because Minho is more experienced.â
Hyunjin sighs. âI did, but probably itâs just me.â
âDo you wanna talk things out?â You yawn, squishing Gureum into your chest. âOr do you want to just sleep?â
He glances at the clock. âWe both need sleep. Itâs almost 3A.M.â
âAlright. Good nightâI mean good morning!â
Hyunjin stretches his neck to look at you, your eyes are already closed. He relaxes his body and tries to sleep, but his jumbled mind keeps him awake. Hyunjin waits until youâre fast asleep before scooting closer, softly taking your hand in his before closing his eyes once again. He did it a lot when he was younger, holding your hand until he fell asleep. You nagged at him because it woke you up, but you never told him to stop doing it.
Tonight is no different.
âHyunjin?â
âSorry.â
You turn to him, âItâs okay.â
He mumbles a thank you, ready to go to sleep when you move to the mattress. Hyunjin gulps at the close proximity, itâs been too long since you slept on the same bed as him.
âHyunjin, I missed you.â
Hyunjin heard a theory somewhere: 3.A.M-conversations are the most honest. Itâs a little over 3A.M now, and he doesnât how much of that theory is true, but your words fuel something deep within him. The feeling so strong he has to tear his gaze away from you. Hyunjin slowly pulls you into his arms, patting your back in rhythm with the clock.
He grazes his lips on your shoulder, mouthing his reply quietly, âI missed you too.â
You nod against his chest, pulling your hand out of his grasp so you could circle your arms around his torso.
Hyunjin falls asleep almost immediately, succumbing to the warmth and comfort you radiate.
Heâs going to be alright.
âDo you think Iâll ever debut?â
Hyunjin takes off his SOPA jacket, plopping onto the bed while youâre munching on a pack of jelly. âLet me sleep for 10 minutes. I have to go to the company after this.â
You slap his thigh. âWhy do you always sleep in my room? If I got a dollar everytime you sabotage my bed Iâd be really rich now. Get out, you have practice!â
He reaches for your knee, using it as a pillow. Hyunjin feels you soften as you card your hand through his hair. âIs it hard? Are those mean hyungs still bothering you?â
Hyunjin shakes his head. âChangbin hyung told those motherfuckers to mind their own business.â
âStop cursing!â you hiss. âItâs not cool, and what if you accidentally curse on broadcast later? You have so much to learnâŚâ
Hyunjin opens his eyes and smiles when he meets your gaze. âDo you think Iâll ever debut?â he repeats his question.
âHave you seen yourself dancing? Youâre better than most of the trainees I saw at the open showcase. Plus you have so many girls screaming your name. No offense, but that is definitely a plus point.â
You give his head a little smack when you notice doubt flashing through his orbs. âI believe in you, Hyunjin. Donât doubt yourself,â you tell him softly. âAnd if you need someone to give those âmotherfuckersâ a lesson, just call me. I know some people who can shut them up.â
He lets out an obnoxious gasp. âAre you a gangster now?! Your parents are going to be so disappointed in you. Looks like you have to say goodbye to medical school nowâŚâ
You sigh, now itâs your turn to look at Hyunjin with doubt in your eyes. âIâll get in, right? What if I flunk my results later?â
âThis is why I hate smart people,â he bemoans. âYou rank first in the whole school, stop saying nonsense.â
Both of you a few more minutes lying in silence. When he waves you goodbye, Hyunjin feels like he can soar.
Heâs safe with you, and youâre safe with him.
âHwang Hyunjin, get off me!â
Hyunjin wakes up to you trying to untangle your legs from his. He catches your flailing legs, removing his before examining your face. âItâs almost noon. Arenât you running late?â you pester, pointing at the clock.
âLunch?â he asks.
This is supposed to be awkward. Hyunjin canât recall what happened a few hours ago before blushingâheâs never been that intimate with you before. You two have had a fair share of platonic cuddle sessions, but last night felt different.
âNot yet,â you mutter. âI just woke up. Oh God my back hurts.â
He wants to know whether you feel the same, but youâve made your way to the bathroom before he could ask anything. âWhat do you want to eat?â you yell, almost incoherently due to the toothpaste in your mouth.
âYouâre not going to shower?â Hyunjin playfully shrieks.
âItâs my day off!â
âMy mom mustâve cooked something. Gimme 10 minutes.â
Although heâs done this at least a hundred times, itâs still hard for Hyunjin to leave home. Seeing his heâs never able to stop his heart getting heavier at the sight of bidding his family goodbye until God knows when.
âPlease come home more Y/N,â his mother asks you, raising her eyebrow. âHyunjin seems to randomly pop up whenever youâre here, so please, come home more.â
You smack his back loudly, causing him to let out a choked groan. âIâll teach him a lesson, donât worry.â
Hyunjin gives his mother a sheepish smile, knowing all too well what she meant. He pulls you out before she starts grilling him for information, yelling one last goodbye before closing the door. You search for something inside your bag, stopping him from pressing the elevator button.
âYou left something?â
âMy dorm key,â you answer, walking back to your own unit. âYou should just go,â you say. âItâs in the middle of the day anyways, we shouldnât be seen together.â
Hyunjin follows you inside, watching you rummage through one of the buffet drawers. He notices how your shoulders are slumped and the way your eyebrows furrow. As his mind wanders to last night once again, you jab at his stomach lightly. âHey, youâre spacing out.â
âOh,â is all Hyunjin can say. He takes a good look of you, something he always does before he parts ways with you. Before he can stop himself, Hyunjin has wrapped his arms around you, letting you hear his erratic heartbeat. He still misses you, even after spending the whole night together.
Eventually, you pull away. âIâll go first.â You ruffle his head. âSee you when I see you?â
âSee you soon,â he corrects you.
You smile, taking your bag from the floor and when he blinks, youâre gone.
Hyunjin still misses you now, even when you were just in his embrace a few minutes ago, burying your head into the crook of his neck. The empty space in his heart seems to expand whenever he thinks about you.
It hurts.
Minho ends the dance practice and everyone collapses on the floor the moment the music stops playing. Hyunjin immediately restarts the discussion they had before practice started.
âWe used to sing both Grow Up and You Can Stay, why do we have to choose one now?â he demands while all of them are sprawled on the floor. âOur fans miss it too, I think itâs the perfect chance to bring it back.â
Chan takes a deep breath, nodding at Hyunjin. âI canât see why not,â he says with a chuckle. âI donât even remember why we abandoned it in the first place.â
Hyunjin does, and he knows Chan does too. It was simple, really. The song that once gave them comfort turned into this big monster made out of their worst nightmares. Each member had cried to the song during some of their concerts, and now performing it in front of everyone always brings back the painful memories.
âYeah, we should sing it again,â Felix adds, kicking Jisungâs leg so the latter would sit up and voice out his opinion. âWell.â Jisung scratches the back of his head, âIâm cool with it.â
The rest of the group mumbles similar answers and Chan claps, giving Hyunjin a thumbs up. âHyunjinnie is all grown up,â he praises before gathering his things and leaves. Hyunjin snorts at the leaderâs compliment, but his sparkly eyes canât fool anyone.
He pulls out his phone to relay the happy news to you, but the sparks in his eyes quickly fade when his messages from hours ago are still unread.
âWhat time are we leaving tomorrow?â he asks.
Seungmin checks his phone. â5A.M.â
Hyunjin wipes his sweat, chugging his water. Their American tour starts in a few days, and while heâs ecstatic because theyâll be performing at LA Staples Center for the first time, he also feels uneasy.
He takes out his phone, opening his contacts and stops when he sees your name. He stares at the number he remembers by heart.
âYou okay?â Seungmin asks. âIf youâre worried about District 9âs formation change, donât. You nailed it today.â
âDistrict 9âŚâ Hyunjin trails off. âWeâre getting too old for District 9.â
Jeongin grunts in agreement. âWhenever we finish my head always spins for like a minute. Itâs been too long.â
âYah,â Seungmin scolds him. âYou need to get it checked. What if thereâs something wrong with your head?â
The youngest does an exaggerated head banging, earning a kick from the puppy-like boy. Hyunjin chuckles at the twoâs antics; some things never really change, and heâs grateful that this is one of those things.
Seungmin throws a playful punch at Jeonginâs stomach one last time before focusing his gaze back on Hyunjin. âSeriously though, did something happen?â
Hyunjinâs brain has a lot of template answers to questions like this, but the clichĂŠ words on tip of his tongue feel burning. His friends wait patiently as he fumbles for words, blinking his tears away when he fails to find the right words.
âI donât even know if thereâs anything,â he finally concludes. âItâs justâever since Bonsang, itâs been hard. Itâs been⌠nothing. Empty.â
Seungmin and Jeongin only nod, as if they understand how he feels. They probably do, Hyunjin thinks. Maybe heâs not the only one. Maybe all of his members have experienced it at some point, although at different times. Hyunjin feels slightly relieved at the thought. Iâm not insane.
When he was a trainee, he thought everything would be fine once he debuted. It was, to some extent. But he was young and naĂŻve, and when things beyond his control happened, Hyunjin barely managed to stay afloat. People told him how to handle stress, how to voice out his concerns, how to manage his body, mind and soul. He knew how to survive, theoretically.
No one actually taught him nor the other boys, and for an 18 year-old boy, feelings got intense quickly. After some trials and errors, everyone figured that it was best not to bottle up their feelings. Once again, it sounded easy in theory. In reality, with so many things happening at once, most of them eventually created a space in their own heads to seal everything in. They endured.
Jeongin looks at him with hesitation, rubbing his hands together. âIt happens,â he reassures him. âItâs okay to worry about it, hyung. But worry about it with me, please!â Jeongin raises his tone. âYou can barge into my room anytime. You can annoy the hell out of me, but stop suffering alone, will you?!â
Seungmin canât miss the chance to tease the maknae. âSays the one who cried alone all night long in the bathtub after losing his voice.â
âIf I hadnât found you, you wouldâve passed out,â Hyunjin adds. Jeongin lifts his hands in defeat. âWhatever. But I meant what I said.â
âOur Jeongin is so dependable,â Hyunjin coos.
âYou say that all the time.â Jeongin rolls his eyes. âAnd then still baby me.â
Seungmin takes Hyunjinâs phone from the floor, passing it to the owner. âCall Y/N.â
Hyunjin panics a little. âWhy?â
Seungmin shrugs. âBetter days start after meeting the person you want to see the most!â
âSpeaking of you and Y/N,â Jeongin quips. âYou guys arenât in high school anymore, stop flirting with each other and date already.â
Hyunjin gets a surge of bravery and dials your number, but immediately regrets his decision with each passing minute. He almost ends the call when you finally answer. âHyunjin?â
âH-hi,â he stammers. âBusy?â
âKind of... What? What happened?â
âCan we meet? I only need a couple of minutes. Youâre in Seoul, right?â
âI am. Hyunjin, whatâs going on? Youâre scaring me.â
Itâs scaring me too.
âI want to tell you in person. Where are you? Iâll come to you.â
Hyunjin isnât sure when the lines between best friends and something more started to get blurry. The worse thing is, he realized it way too late and things got complicated before he could do anything about it.
âItâs too late to back out,â he mouths to himself while opening the stairwell door in the hospital youâre currently at. Youâre sitting on one of the steps, dozing off as your head hits the wall every now and then.
Hyunjin runs his hand through his hair, guilt consuming him. He sits beside you, pulling your head to his right shoulder. The two of you always attended the same school until high school, when he decided to enroll in SOPA instead of a regular school. Since then, he never really knows whatâs going on in your life. You told him about your close friends, the small fights, medical studentsâ inside jokes, the good looking boys, all the knowledge and experiences youâre grateful for despite the never-ending suffering and constant lack of sleep. You told him everything, but heâs never actually seen you in your world.
Youâve seen enough of his worldâyouâve gone to his concerts, awards shows, even fansigns (as a prank because you wanted to see him getting all flustered while pretending not to know you). Hyunjin never has the time or makes an effort to do the same, and while itâs completely understandable due to the nature of his job, he feels like heâs going to lose you.
As he brushes your hair out of your face, Hyunjin asks himself whether heâs good enough for you.
âWhoa,â you suddenly whisper, straightening your body. âDid I fall asleep?â
Hyunjin stops you from getting up. âYou must be tired.â
âSo are you.â You remove his hand from your head. âSo tell me. Whatâs going on?â
Youâre here, sitting beside him, only wanting truth to come out of his mouth. Hyunjin bites his lip, the urge to just let go is eating him up, his soul begging him to get some answers. The familiar hollowness is back, and tears start to roll down his cheeks.
This isnât the first time he cries in front of you, so you just pat his head, waiting for the tears to stop. âIâm sorry,â he groans. âIâm so sorry Y/N.â
You lift his head, eyes looking straight into his. âWhat for?â you mutter. âHyunjin, please tell me.â
Hyunjin makes a silent plead at himself to toughen up, but itâs hard when youâre staring at him like this, wide eyes filled with raw concern and sincerity that never fail to touch the deepest part of his heart. âHmm?â you prompt, still patting his head ever so softly.
âItâs been hard,â Hyunjin sniffles. âItâs hard to look forward to the future. I feel restless all the time. I have nothing to fight for. ItâsâŚ,â He makes gestures with his hand in attempt to explain it better. â⌠empty.â
You wipe his tears with the sleeve of your white coat. âDo you know why you feel that way?â
Hyunjin nods. âWeâre doing well, we really are⌠and thatâs probably why. Everything is going too well I donât know what thrills me anymore. I thought Iâd feel content once I reached all of my dreams, but thatâs not the case.â
He examines your face, rehearsing the next lines in his head again and again. You cock an eyebrow, encouraging him to continue. And the last bit of Hyunjinâs defense crumbles with every blink of your pretty eyes.
âAnd you⌠I miss you all the time. Even when youâre right here with me, I still miss you. I have to hold back whenever Iâm with you because I donât want you to run away from me. I love you, Y/N. I donât know when it all started but maybe Iâve always loved you and it hurts me not being able to tell you that. The emptiness⌠it gets worse whenever you tell me we shouldnât be seen together or that you have to go or when you have other boys like Jaehyun who are clearly better for you than I am because they can be there for you. I love you so bad you donât know how hard it is to go through days without you, without kissing you good night, without hearing you laugh for me. I keep thinking, âwhat if youâre suddenly gone?â Maybe youâll leave me someday, maybe youâll tell me that you canât be my friend anymore, but I need you, Y/N. I love you and I need you here with me to keep going. Iââ
Hyunjin watches you slowlyâvery slowlyâretract your hand from his head as words fail him, and he feels as if his guts are being hammered to pieces. He canât read your eyes, canât even try to define what your gaze means.
You eventually stand up, pulling him up with you. âIâm not the answer, Hyunjin,â you mutter. âYou canât expect that youâll never feel empty again once I say that I accept your feelings. Itâs justâitâs not fair. This isnât just about us not being together.â
âButââ
âI know,â you cut him off, your body start shaking due to all the tension. âI know. Thatâs how you feel, and I canât dictate you what to feel and not to feel. Think about it like thisâŚâ
You pause to check if heâs still listening to you. He nods, weakly.
â⌠you spent years working your ass off to get recognition from everyone, and you did it. Donât ever forget that, Iâm begging you. So all of your dreams have come true and you feel lost now⌠itâs okay. You have a lot of time, Hyunjin. You can always have a new dream, you can have a thousand more. Donât make me the answer to everything just because you havenât found any other answer.â
You wait for him to respond, but Hyunjin is frozen to his spot. His world is now upside down, and he doesnât know how long it will take to fix everything.
Your phone rings, snapping him out of his trance. You look at him apologetically. âI have to go.â Those damn words again. âAsk Seungmin to help you ice your face, you donât want to show up at the airport with swollen eyes, do you? Call me before you take off, okay? Hyunjin?â
He can only nod, trying his best to give you the most reassuring smile. He feels everything all at once: shock, shame, sadness⌠but mostly regret because youâre right.
You always are.
âHave fun on tour! Send me all the photos you take!â
Now itâs turn for Hyunjinâs phone to ring as you make your way out, leaving him alone. Heâs about to press the green button when the door opens once again. Hyunjin lets his phone ring, watching you fidget with your hands.
Heâs still pretty much tongue-tied, but forces himself to ask, âDid you ever⌠love me? As more than friends?â
To his surprise, you take quick steps towards him, tiptoeing to press your lips on his. Your eyes are closed, your hands are tied to your sides and it takes Hyunjin his whole willpower to refrain himself from pulling your body closer, wrapping his arms around you and kissing the life out of you. He closes his eyes and just stands there, accepting whatever youâre willing to give him because thereâs nothing he yearns more than your love and trust.
Hyunjin almost whines when you pull away with red cheeks and teary eyes. âCome back to me when youâre ready. Iâll wait for you. Only you.â
Itâs Hyunjinâs 10th (or 11th? He canât really remember) visit to New York, but heâs still as excited as a kid with his lollipop. After years of traveling from country to country, Hyunjin realizes that he just doesnât get bored, ever. Each place holds a special memory he keeps close to his heart, something sentimental that motivates him to go back every chance he gets.
âStand there,â he motions at Seungminâthe only one whoâs willing to accompany him walking around the Empire State Building for the nth timeâto stand at the spot he points at. Seungmin follows his instruction, smiling when Hyunjin starts counting. They examine the result and Seungmin shoves his leg. âI guess you finally learned something.â
Hyunjin feigns hurt, setting his cameraâs focus on a group of kids, holding his breath before pressing the shutter. âAs if you taught me anything.â
He glances at his bandmate whoâs busy taking photos with his own camera. Photo hunting with Seungmin is always in Hyunjinâs âlimited free timeâ itinerary. Theyâve strolled around so many cities together, sometimes it takes the whole day if time allows them. Strangely, Seungmin never gets bored of it either and although itâs no surprise since he loves photography more than anything else, Hyunjin is grateful.
âYou never say no whenever I ask you to take photos with me,â Hyunjin states. âWhy?â
Seungmin frowns. âWhat kind of question is that?â
âJust wondering,â Hyunjin mumbles. âWe do pretty much the same thing everytime. Sometimes I force you to go to the places weâve been to⌠donât you get bored?â
âItâs always different everytime, I thought thatâs why sometimes you take photos at the same place? Itâs never exactly the same, donât you think?â
Hyunjin goes through the photos he took in New York last year, smiling at some of them as he recalls the funny anecdotes behind them. When he slips his phone back into his jeans pocket and lets his eyes wander⌠yes, nothing is exactly the same.
âYou truly are a photographer. Whenâs your next exhibition, Photographer Kim?â
Seungmin snaps his finger. âAh! Exhibition! I forgot to ask you, why donât we held a joint exhibition this time?â
âYou want to show your photos along with my photos?â
âWhy not? Yours are amazing too! And youâre my best friend, itâll be fun.â
Hyunjin imagines having his photo framed on the wall. Small placards pinned underneath, containing the words he constructs to explain each of them. The fans will come to feel how it feels like to be here behind the lens. Maybe people who donât even know him will come too, and get a chance to actually know him.
He reaches his phone to relay the idea to you, smiling to himself when he finds messages from you instead.
y/n: [sends a picture]
y/n: ahreum finally woke up today! isnt she pretty?
me: everyone is prettier than you
me: you must be happy!!
y/n: ??????
y/n: oh. she asked me to recommend boygroup songs
y/n: i made her listen to every single skz song
y/n: and your solo songs!!!!
me: awwwwwww
me: and you cant be doing this for free right?
âIs that your best friend slash girlfriend?â Seungmin is suddenly standing behind him, reading over his shoulder. âYou guys are so cute itâs making me feel sick.â
Hyunjin sighs, gazing at the busy street upon him. âWeâre not dating. At least not yet.â
âWhat happened? Just realized that I never really asked.â
âShe asked me to come to her when Iâm ready.â
Seungmin looks at him quizzically, but decides not to press him further. âAre you ready now?â
Theyâre flying back to Seoul next week, and while he thought he wouldnât be able to enjoy the tour, he truly did. He thinks of all the good things that have happened: the sold out shows, the happy tears, his improvement, the upcoming exhibition with Seungmin, and lastly, youâthe one whoâs patiently waiting for him.
There have been a lot of times when Hyunjin feels like heâs everywhere but nowhere at the same time. It sounds scary, but now he realizes that he only needs to admit that heâs indeed everywhere, but never nowhere.
âAlmost.â
The instrumental of Grow Up starts to play and all the boys rush back to their designated positions. The atmosphere turns a bit more sentimental as the bridge approaches, theyâre just looking at each other while Minho is singing his part. In the past, they often teased each other during this very part, afraid that they would break down if they let their emotions overtake them. Hyunjin averts his gaze to the audience, watching the beautiful color of their lightsticks light up the huge stadium. As he gestures at some of the fans to stop crying, Hyunjin thanks himself for convincing the others to add the song back to their setlist.
The song comes to an end, and Chan gathers everyone to make a circle. Hyunjin feels pats on his head and back, Chanâs voice drowned by the fans who are still singing. He canât resist the urge to turn around, so he does just that, and what he wonât trade what he sees for anything.
Their fans are standing there, eyes focused on everyone on stage as they sing each syllable perfectly. Changbin follows his gaze, and soon all of them are facing the audience again, listening to every wish, every hope, and every message relayed through the lyrics of the song.
Hyunjin lifts his mic, eyes darting to Chan who gives him a nod of approval. âThank you,â he begins. âThis is our last stop for this tour, and I canât be any prouder and thankful to all of you.â
He lets the translator translate his speech before continuing, âI had a lot of worries before the tour started. I honestly thought I wouldnât be able to go through everything.â
âYou made our dreams come true,â Hyunjin continues. âYou made my dreams come true and I naively thought that was the end of everything. But I learned a lot during this tour, and once again, you made this happen. All the pretty words you told us, they mean a lot. They always will. I realized that this will always be my dream, no matter how many times this has come true. I want to make you, who stay with us throughout everything, happy. I want to be here for a very long time. I want to be with you, to be with the members and our family, for a very long time.â
He stops when he feels he canât continue anymore, letting the others take the spotlight. He gives each of his bandmates with a loving gaze, stopping at Minho who lets tears roll down his cheeks this time. Jeongin is giggling beside him, walking over to wrap the tsundere hyung in a firm hug.
Hyunjin thinks theyâve really come a long way.
Being back home usually gives Hyunjin a peace of mind, but when he sees no notification on his phone, he feels weird. He dials his motherâs number, his heart grows even more anxious when she picks up.
âOh Hyunjin-ah, did you just land?â
âYeah.â
âCan you come over here? Or do you have an important schedule?â
âNo, we get 2 days off. Whatâs going on?â
âY/Nâs sister passed away. Sorry we didnât tell you sooner, we didnât want you to panic.â
âEomma! How could you?â
âIâm sorry. This is Y/Nâs request as well. Sheâs been here for 2 days and no one can make her eat anything. Can you take her home?â
âIâll be there soon.â
âYouâre going to live in Germany! Youâre such a lucky kid!â
The little girl smiles bashfully as you pout at her. âThe luckiest girl on Earth,â you add, fixing her messy hair.
âIf youâre so jealous of me, why donât you come along?â
âAre you kidding?â you exclaim. âIâm on my way to be the greatest doctor in this country. You canât change my mind.â
âAlright, itâs time to go,â your father interrupts, giving you one last hug before whispering things into your ear. Hyunjin steps back to allow you say goodbye to your family, tearing up at the painful sight. Your father, a doctor, accepts an offer to work in a hospital in Germany and takes the whole family with him since your sick little sister needs more intensive treatment.
But youâre staying to become a great doctor like your father, hoping youâll get a chance to cure your sister later.
âPlease take care of her, Hyunjin. We trust you,â your mother tells him. Hyunjin nods, enveloping your hand in his. âDonât worry, Iâll be here monitoring her every move and drag her back home whenever she spends too much time at the academy.â
Your sister laughs, bowing to Hyunjin. âI also want a boyfriend like Hyunjinoppa! Please take care of our unnie.â
You yank your hand away from him. âHeâs not my boyfriend!â
Hyunjin seems unbothered by your statement, bowing to your family to annoy you more. âOur family will take care of her, you can trust us.â
Your sisterâs smiling face greets Hyunjin as he enters the funeral home. He stares at the photo then closes his eyes to pray, whispering strings of apologies thatâs always too late. Iâm sorry I never visited you. Iâm sorry I failed to take care of your sister. Iâm sorry I didnât call you enough.
He bows to your family, the first bow since years ago, and he wishes he could turn back time. Hyunjin turns to you, gazing into your tired eyes. Your mother pulls him towards you. âShe hasnât eaten at all. Can you please bring her home, Hyunjin? I hope youâre not too busy. Iâm sorry that we meet like this.â
âHyunjin just landed in Seoul. How could you force him to come here?â you snap, returning his gaze. âGo home. Iâll call you later.â
Hyunjin almost yells in frustration, but swallows everything before dragging you out, only tightening his grip on your wrist when you try to pry his hand off of you. You keep shouting at him, yelling at him to stop, but Hyunjin doesnât budge. He drags you all the way to his car, opening the passenger door for you.
âGet in the car, Y/N.â
Without waiting for you to move, he lifts your body and sits you down, fastening your seatbelt. âPlease donât push me away,â he pleads. âWhy do you always tell me go home, go back to practice, to leave⌠why?! I promised your parents to take care of you. I promised your sister, why arenât you letting me do that?!â
âI never asked you to do that,â you mutter through gritted teeth, causing Hyunjin to grip your shoulders.
âYou only said that to hurt me,â he replies. âEven now youâre still trying to push me away. I want to be here Y/N. Donât you want me here?â
You avoid his eyes, keeping your gaze on your clasped hands. âTell me,â Hyunjin challenges. âTell me that you donât want me to stay with you, and Iâll leave.â
He waits for you to respond, letting out a relieved sigh he doesnât bother hiding when you shake your head. âWant you here. Thank you.â
âHave you cried?â
After your sister was born, you were told not to shed tears in front of her. Your parents always scolded you if you started crying when you saw her in pain, and after some time, it became a habit. A habit that Hyunjin absolutely despises since it makes you suppress your feelings, as if punishing you for having feelings.
âI donât know⌠maybe I havenât.â
âYou lost your sister, you can cry. Your parents cried a lot too, itâs fine.â
You nod, resting your head in the crook of his neck when tears start to well up. Hyunjin presses a kiss on your temple, finding himself tearing up the moment you start sobbing, something he has never witnessed although heâs known you for almost his whole life.
âIs this your Armani suit?â you manage to voice in the middle of sobs and snorts. He takes you into his embrace, chuckling, âYes, but you can ruin it however you want. Another privilege as my best friend.â
âCan I abuse this privilege?â
âRuining my expensive suits?â
âNo,â you laugh airily. âCrying when youâre with me.â
Hyunjin cups your wet cheeks, gently pushing your hands away when you want to wipe your tears away. âAnytime. You can cry, laugh, curse, get angry, get drunk⌠you can do anything when youâre with me.â
And thatâs all it takes before you start sobbing into his suit again. Hyunjin is standing there for the longest time, sandwiched by the passenger seat and door of his car with you in his arms. He doesnât care, he will do it all over again, and he will do much more. For you, and only you.
âWhere are you? Itâs past midnight already!â
âHwang Hyunjin, youâre lucky Iâm willing to go home when I have a morning shift tomorrow,â you scold him over the phone.
âItâs my birthday! Wait, it isnât even my birthday anymore!â he whines in an obnoxious tone that never fails to upset you. He giggles when he hears you huff, the sound of the elevator signaling that youâve already arrived.
âYou asked me to buy you a cake right before I left,â you hiss. âNow open the door, Iâm outside.â
The call ends and Hyunjin rushes to the door. Youâre carrying the red velvet cake he requested, the candles already lit and Hyunjin tries not to melt at the way you look at him. He did ask you to buy him a cake and âsurpriseâ him at your apartment, but he is nowhere near ready to see you like this: all smiley and cheery for him despite sounding annoyed over the phone.
âHappy birthday,â you sing song, your smile growing wider as he blows the candle. Hyunjin returns your smile before taking the cake from you, pulling you towards your room. âGo get changed, Iâll slice the cake for you.â
A few minutes later, both of you are seated on your couch, talking about every little thing while enjoying the cake. Hyunjin tells you about Stray Kidsâ upcoming comeback, a very special one since Minho choreographed the title track. You tell him about various cases that happened in the hospital while wondering if youâll ever finish medical school and actually be a doctor.
Everything feels the way Hyunjin expects it to be, until you put your empty plate on the table and look at him straight in the eyes. âHyunjinâŚâ
He quickly swallows and places his plate on the table as well, never breaking eye contact with you. âWhat?â
You gulp. âDo you remember when I asked you to come find me when youâre ready?â
âFeels like yesterday.â
âWell,â you murmur. âIâm just wondering if youâre⌠ready.â
Fire lights up in his stomach, and before you can continue, Hyunjin is already trapping you between his body and the couch. âI am,â he says. âAre you?â
You brush his fringe with your fingers. âYou were waiting for me?â
âYou told me to start dreaming again, so I did,â Hyunjin recalls. âAnd I realized that all of my dreams are right in front of meâyou, my family, the hyungs, Jeongin, the fans⌠keeping you guys with me is something Iâll always dream of although all of you are already here.â
You pout at him, but Hyunjin doesnât miss the proud gleam in your eyes. âThen whatâs taking you so long?â
He pinches your nose. âI waited for you to be ready, as you said before, it wasnât just about us being together. I donât want you to choose me only because you feel like you need me. I want you to⌠want me⌠to love me with a clear head. Just like what you wanted me to do. I want to give you the world, but only if you allow me to.â
You circle your arms around his neck, sighing happily, âYou gave me the world, Hyunjin. You listen to me, you console me, you give me a shoulder to cry on. Youâre the only one Iâve ever waited for, and Iâm so glad that you came back to me.â
Hyunjin is sure that his whole system has stopped working, the words you just uttered feel like the strongest, yet the sweetest liquor heâs ever tasted. He is drunk on the love you offer; heâs drunk on your touch, your smile and everything you want to give him. Youâre driving him nuts, completely nuts, but itâs the only thing he wants to feel. You are the only one he yearns to feel.
You seem to sense his burning gaze and start nibbling on your bottom lip. âSo this is the part where you kiss meâŚâ
âThis is the part where I kiss youâŚâ
You shake your head. âThis feels weird. Youâre my best friend.â
âYou kissed me,â Hyunjin reminds you. âItâs not like weâve never done it before.â
âNo, butââ You pause to let yourself breathe. âI kissed you. This is different, Iâm not going to survive you kissing me.â
âFor the love of God Y/N, justââ
You point at your lips. âAnd I still have my lipgloss on!â
Hyunjin is caressing your reddening cheek now, trying to destroy the last bit of your defense. âAnd whatâs wrong with that?â he asks softly.
âItâs sticky! Our lips will get stuck and it wonât be romantic.â
âSo what do you want to do? Go into your room and wipe it off with a cotton pad or something?â
âYeah, letâs doââ
Hyunjin doesnât let you finish as he finally dives in, capturing your lips in a searing kiss that set both of you on fire. He hums when he feels your body relax in his hold, allowing him to savor you with so much longing and want. Hyunjin lets his heart take the lead, kissing you harder whenever you tug the ends of his hair and making him putty under your touch. It never feels enough, it feels like he only gets hungrier everytime you return his kiss, the feeling of your lips moving against his almost destroys him.
Nothing is stopping him now, he came back to you and you welcomed him with open arms. Hyunjin leaves one more open mouthed kiss on your lips before pulling away with a loud pop, taking in the sight of you trying to breathe. You slowly meet his eyes with flushed cheeks, eyes mirroring his own and Hyunjin tries to remember every single detail. âGod I love you so much,â he hears himself whisper.
You smile, lifting your hand to trace his face delicately. âI love you.â
âAre you mine now?â Hyunjin knows this is childish, but he wants to hear it. He longs to hear it.
Thankfully, youâre willing to play his game tonight. âOnly yours.â
âNo more mourning over Jung Jaehyun?â
âJesus Christ, do you need to stoop that low.â
âYes.â Hyunjin pecks your nose. âHe doesnât listen to K-pop, right? Introduce him to me.â
You roll your eyes. âI love you, why the hell are we talking about Jaehyun now?â
âThen what should we talk about?â
âSince weâre on a competition to ruin the mood, lemme burst your bubble: my parents are moving back in next week so we need another place to do... this.â
âOkay,â Hyunjin answers. âWhat are we gonna do now?â
You wrap your legs around his torso, making him gasp. âI donât know, kiss me again? Iâm gonna tell you this just once, but I, along with thousands of other people, have always wanted to kiss you. It made me feel pathetic, but it is what it is.â
Hyunjin blushes, but refuses to lose to you. âYou tried to make me not kiss you a few minutes ago and now youâre desperate to kiss me. Was I that good?â
âHmmm I guess so,â you hum.
He swiftly lifts your body, grinning when you tighten your hold around his neck. âWell, Iâm yours to kiss now,â he teases, trying to walk into room without knocking into things. You leave soft kisses all over his face, prompting Hyunjin to walk faster so he could just kiss you already.
When your back hit your bed, Hyunjin stops to admire your face. âI kissed you a long time ago, donât you remember?â
Your eyes widen. âYou? Kissed me? With those plush lips? When?!â
âYou donât remember? But it was our first kiss!â
You spend the next few minutes racking your brain before nodding. âAh, it did happen a long time ago.â
âItâs okay, maybe you wanted to forget that moment. It was your darkest time, and I probably shouldnât have done that.â
Shaking your head, you run your thumb along his lip. âThank you for staying with me all these years.â
Hyunjin closes the gap between you once again, hoping to chase away all the sorrow inside your soul. You pull him closer, making him practically lying on top of you, feeling your chest rise with each touch of his lips on your skin. âThank you,â a kiss on each of your eye, âfor,â a kiss on the tip of your nose, âmaking me,â a kiss on your lipsâthis time he lets it linger, âdream,â a kiss on your chin, âagain,â and a kiss on your neck.
It took Hyunjin so long to understand the world, and now he still hasnât understood even half of it. But in the middle of his journey, he met you. He learned to dream, he learned to love you.
And he learned to love himself.
The door opens with a bang, revealing an incredibly panicked Hyunjin. He just finished training when he received a call from you, who said nothing but, âI wonât let you walk home alone.â You wouldnât end the call throughout his way home, but refused to say anything else and almost making Hyunjin dash to the police station.
Hyunjin sees your shadow, letting out a small scream when he spots you lying on the floor in the dark. He runs to you, about to carry you back into your room when you stop him. âI feel like crying,â you rasp, choking on your saliva. âI canât stop it.â
Itâs been a month since your family left, and while youâre trying your best to be a big girl and live the way you always do, itâs not easy. Hyunjin lies beside you, eyes locked on the tears rolling down your cheeks. You never cry loudly. You never sob nor wail. You just cry silently, mostly in the dark so you canât see yourself crying.
Hyunjin takes your hand in his, hovering over you before tracing your tears with his lips as if it can stop them. He pecks every wet spot, slowly getting to your lips. He leaves a chaste, barely-there kiss before wrapping his arms around you, whispering comforting things until you start falling asleep on the hard floor.
Hyunjin hopes youâll allow yourself to cry however you wish to someday.
a/n: i was so happy writing this that i almost cried when i finished because i know iâm going to miss writing this one. this story feels so sentimental, happy and sad at the same time and probably thatâs why i feel so attached to it. ive wanted to write this since last year, even before âgive my heart a chanceâ. i always wondered what would happen after we reach our dreams and i hope youâll feel a little better after reading this (especially if youâre experiencing the same thing). this story is a long journey, but i hope youâll enjoy it.Â
#stray kids scenarios#stayshub#kwritersworldnet#hyunjin scenarios#hwang hyunjin scenarios#hwang hyunjin#hyunjin#stray kids#stray kids hyunjin#hyunjin stray kids#skz#skz scenarios#skz scenario#hyunjin scenario#hyunjin fanfic#hyunjin fanfiction#stray kids fanfiction#stray kids fanfic#stray kids fanfics#hwang hyunjin fanfics#hyunjin x reader#reader x hyunjin#stray kids hwang hyunjin#stray kids fluff#stray kids angst#hyunjin fluff#hyunjin angst#kpop scenarios#kpop fanfiction#kpop fanfics
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Oh man so, first off: congrats to angel/dean shippers on getting your canon thing in spanish but secondly:
Man this whole thing thatâs been happening with this show over the last few weeks has 100% reminded me that this show and Sherlock were the two fandoms that made be super romance repulsed because of all the internalized self-hate and trauma they caused me. Like. I was romance repulsed before but those fandoms?? Jacked it up to 100% for years in which I couldnât interact with any romantic stories or fandoms at all.
Story time!!!
Tw for: self harm, self hatred, hypersexuality, mental health issues, child neglect.
So imagine you are me: a young person who has just graduated high school and, very suddently, went from being âsingle mother of your little sisterâ who you had essentially raised on your own for the last four years when she was 5 to 9 yo to âevery day college kid that sees their sibling that they raised for the last four years maybe once a month.
Also imagine that, out of all of your high school friends, none of them are attending the same university as you and so. Well.
Youâre feeling pretty lonely and depressed.
Now also imagine: you didnât really have a chance to consume media I HS because: parent. In fact 90% of what you watched was kids cartoons for your sibling +bonus Inuyasha at 3am as a...Uh....treat.....(thatâs the kind way of saying âsetting an alarm at 3am to check to make sure the parents actually got home from wherever TF they vanished to nearly every night).
But hey! You are free now and can watch/read what you want between classes! Only, well, where to start? You go to a book store and find a Sherlock Holmes book and think ���okay ya Iâve always wanted to read these!â And proceed to consume them in one week flat.
They are amazing. The relationship between Sherlock and John reminds you of your and one of your best friends/honorary cousins that you havenât seen in a while and it brings you comfort to read, but now you are out of stories so, you do what any person this day in ages does: you find fanfiction. Now, Sherlock wasnât a thing at this point and so nearly all the fanfics were based on the books and, of those, 80-85% you gen. No romance at all. Just relaxing stories about friends and solving mysteries.
Then Sherlock happens and, donât get me wrong, I was definitely a fan when the show started, but suddenly fanfiction was no longer mostly gen, it was shifting, becoming more and more shipping and romance related and it became harder and harder to find non-romantic stories.
Then a person I was living with suggested supernatural. âItâs a story about brothers and it focuses on them.â They said âvery little romance. You would probably like it.â
And so I watched it and, they were right, I did. And ya, that one wasnât exactly like the early Sherlock Holmes fandom, it had a lot of shipping from the get go, but I could also really easily find gen fics that focused on siblings and familial relationships and ignore the rest since there was a pretty even 50/50 split with a slight favor on the gen side.
(Keep in mind there is a LOT of other irl trauma going on in the BG of this story which I know Iâve talked about before. A lot of which is also feeding into the romance repulsion and my avoidance of romance in fandom spaces along with my âblossomingâ hypersexuality)
Anyway, the familial relationship in spn was a comfort. At the point I moved from Sherlock to SPN I was in my second year on university and was doing a bit better mentally (in the âsadnessâ front at least) but I was still missing seeing my sister a lot and so SPN was a comfort in that sense. It was something to relax with that didnât have romance or anything of the sort that, at that point, was only driving me further and further into hypersexuality (I was dating my first âofficialâ partner at that point and, while I can recognize it now looking back, romance in shows and movies made me feel inadequate as a partner. Like I was failing and not doing enough. Was not romantic enough. Was not showing affection enough. But physically I also couldnât bring myself to do those things either. What I could do was sex. And, well, when thatâs all you have to offer...)
ANYWAY: spn was the one show I knew of on TV that was low to no romance and that the fandom was also decently low on romance, instead focusing mostly on family and the brothers.
Cut forward a few years, Iâm back into a depression, Iâve failed at a relationship again because all I can offer is sex and thatâs really not enough for people that are looking for actual romance and:
And supernatural introduces an angel character to the show. Itâs interesting but Iâm pretty depressed and not really all that interested in the show anyway at this point-
But then the fandom happens and itâs like a flood. The romance pours in from all corners along with the absolute hate for anyone that doesnât see anything romantic happening. Itâs like watching a wild fire go through a fandom, what was once a fandom that mostly was just about siblings all of a sudden became all about this angel character and Dean. So much so that it over shadowed everything and any attempt to just enjoy the show as a gen thing or as a family-centric show became impossible.
It was also around this point that a lot of...idk what to call it really because it wasnât exactly hate, it was like a âthis is the only way to read/be in this fandom and if you arenât we are going to harass you non-stop until you see things our wayâ. If you couldnât see the romance between these two characters it was because you were homophobic. If you preferred gen it was because you were homophobic. If you focused on just the brothers and their relationship it was because you were homophobic. If you couldnât see that Dean was better off in a romantic relationship then with his brother who he had an âunhealthyâ relationship with then you were homophobic.
(Keep in mind at this point I was out as bisexual and had attempted to date a woman at this point. I say attempted because, well, again: aromantic even if I didnât know it then)
It was intense and, from the POV of an aromantic person struggling with being unable to understand even basic romance: it was traumatizing.
I tried to see it, to understand what these shippers were seeing that I couldnât. Yes, I could see how Sam and Deanâs relationship could be viewed as unhealthy, but as someone who had lived a similar life to theirs as a kid, and to suddenly be bombarded with this idea that the âhealthyâ way to cope with that is a âromantic relationshipâ it was a lot. And by a lot I mean a death spiral.
There was...a lot of one night stands and sex and half-attempted relationships after that, in that desperate attempt to understand. There was also panic, nausea, fear that my own relationship with my sister was unhealthy. Was causing both of us harm. That the only way I could keep from hurting her further was to find a âhealthyâ romantic relationship instead because siblings arenât meant to be close, not even those where one raised the other alone for years on end.
I had no context outside of fandom about what a healthy sibling relationship looked like and, hell, most TV shows at the time painted sibling relationships as antagonist 90% of the time and with them only interacting when necessary. My parents both had siblings but my dad talked to his maybe once a month and my mom faught with Hers a lot. I had never faught with my sister. We got along perfectly, mostly because from the ages on 13 - 18 I lived for her alone and so I was used to putting her first no matter what.
But this fandom, that had been a comfort for me for a while, suddenly said that was wrong. That instead romance was the way to go and I...
Well. I am conscious of myself enough now to know that I was purposely hurting myself. A lot. Punishing myself over and over and over again, not just because I couldnât figure out how to âfeelâ romance like I was supposed to do but also because I was a terrible sibling. Because I had failed my sister some how and had ended up in an âunhealthy codependentâ relationship with her since, if Sam and Deanâs relationship was like that according to fans, then obviously so was ours.
(God and donât get me started on the spiral that the new Inuyasha Sequel put me into a few months ago. Iâm STILL not out of that spiral yet. These last few months have not been good for the âromance isnât important/is unnecessaryâ front)
I would like to say that I soon realized how terrible the fandom was for my mental health and that it was causing me to harm myself but that isnât how this story ends. How it ends is that I Eventually I ended up not being able to watch SPN any more. Every episode was just another dagger in my side. Another failure to press my face into. Another series of interactions where I couldnât see. Couldnât understand. Another episode that would let to another desperate one night stand/attempt at understanding how this was better. Healthier. How this was how things were supposed to be. Another night of not talking to my family or friend and another few days of not talking to my sister because talking to her too much was wrong.
So ya. This story doesnât end nicely. It just slowly fades to black. To a point where I hate myself so much that I canât bring myself to interact with the fandom or internet at all. Where everything just kind of...goes away and vanished but where the trauma still exists. Where stories that start out about family and, suddenly, introduce love interests leave me nauseous and choked. Where my romance repulsion gets so strong that I canât sleep because I just keep remembering my failures. The fact that itâs not healthy to focus or care about your family. That there must be romance. There must There must there must. Because with out it all other relationships are bad/wrong/unhealthy and you are bad/wrong/unhealthy for only having those.
Just the endless mantra. All night long.
Bad.
Wrong.
Unhealthy.
Bad.
Wrong.
Unhealthy.
Bad
Wrong.
Unhealthy.
Over and over and over again.
#can you tell whatâs been on my mind all night?#ah memories#at least Iâm at a point where I can recognize this as self-harm behavior to âfixâ myself#and not a healthy âbut maybe if I have more sex Iâll fall in loveâ situation i had going on before
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Thor: Ragnarok (2017) Review
"We know each other! He's a friend from work!"
Thor: Ragnarok will do nothing to silence those who think Marvel movies have a tendency to be more about gags than gravitas. In fact, it is fair to say that this film is essentially two hours of Taika Waititi giving those people the finger.
While the previous Thor films attempted to take Stan Lee and Jack Kirby's colourful take on Norse mythology somewhat seriously (perhaps too much so in The Dark World's case), Waititi is having none of that. Embracing the absurdity of this series wholeheartedly, the New Zealand filmmaker has gifted us with a brilliantly bonkers superhero comedy that bombards its audience unrelentingly with gag after gag, stopping only for the requisite fight scenes or the odd bit of brotherly bonding/bickering between Thor and Loki (the true love story of this series). It's almost as if Kevin Feige wrote Waititi a $180m cheque and told him to go nuts. And go nuts he did.
Taking a page out of Iron Man 3's book, Ragnarok tears its hero down, depriving him of his friends, his hammer, and those luscious golden locks, so that he can learn that true strength comes from within or some such nonsense. As character arcs go it is pretty derivative, but the film manages to pull it off thanks in no small part to the charms of its leading man. This is Chris Hemsworth's fifth time out as the Odinson and he has never looked more comfortable in the role. Waititi takes full advantage of Hemsworth's surprising gift for comedy as well as his sparkling chemistry with Tom Hiddleston (devilishly good as always). The troubled relationship between the brothers has been a key part of the previous movies, but this is the first one where it is unopposed as the central relationship and the film's emotional anchor.
Ragnarok fixes almost everything that didn't work with the first two Thor movies, starting by ditching most of the supporting characters, notably Natalie Portman's Jane Foster, whose absence is explained away with one line and absolutely no fanfare. Thor, like the audience, is sadder about losing his hammer than losing Jane. Instead of a disinterested Portman phoning it in, we have Tessa Thompson as the wonderfully inebriated Valkyrie. Not only is Thompson more game for all this cosmic malarkey than Portman ever was, there is no awkward attempt to force a romance between her character and Thor. Is it possible that Marvel Studios has finally seen the light and will no longer force us to suffer through hopelessly unconvincing love stories in all their movies? I hope so, but I wouldn't put money on it.
Cutting Thor loose from all his Midgard-based allies also has the benefit of saving the film from becoming too Earth-centric. With the exception of some brief trips to New York and Norway, the majority of the action takes place either on Asgard or Sakaar, a junk planet literally at the arse end of the universe where Jack Kirby did all the interior decorating, and ruled over by the flamboyant Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum delivering a performance so deliciously Jeff Goldblumian, too much of it is probably bad for your health).
It is on Sakaar that Thor runs into (and is forced to fight) his fellow Avenger, the Hulk, now wasting away his days working as a gladiator for the Grandmaster. I'm going to put aside my annoyance at Marvel for denying us a proper film version of Planet Hulk (I mean, who wouldn't want to see Hulk do Gladiator in space?) because of how great the Hulk is in this film. Pairing him up with Thor results in some fantastic odd couple comedy which only gets better when he turns back into Mark Ruffalo in full blown neurotic breakdown mode.
Negatives? There are a few, but none that derailed the film for me. Cate Blanchett is clearly having a lot of fun in the role, but Hela is another in a long depressing line of one dimensional Marvel villains. Karl Urban is also pretty much wasted as her surprisingly cockney lackey, Skurge. Doctor Strange's cameo generates a few giggles, but is pretty much superfluous. And the first quarter rushes through events in order to get Thor and Loki to Sakaar as quickly as possible.
Thunder and Lighting
--Loved Mark Mothersbaugh's synth driven score.
--After seeing how this film dealt with the Warriors Three, it's probably a good thing filming of Blindspot kept Jaimie Alexander from returning as Sif.
--Waititi himself all but steals the whole show as Korg, Thor's fellow gladiator and deliverer of all the film's best lines.
--At one point a bunch of Asgardian actors perform a play based on the events of The Dark World. Fair to say it was better than the actual film.
Korg: "PISS OFF, GHOST!"
Bruce Banner: "Last time we saw you, you were trying to kill everyone. What are you up to these days?" Loki: "It varies from moment to moment."
Thor: "How did you end up here?" Korg: "Well, I tried to start a revolution, but didn't print enough pamphlets so hardly anyone turned up. Except for my mum and her boyfriend, who I hate."
Grandmaster: "Hey Sparkles, here's the deal: you want to get back to ass-place, ass-berg, wherever you came from..." Thor: "ASGARD!"
Four out of four luscious golden locks.
Mark Greig comes from the land of the ice and snow, from the midnight sun, where the hot springs flow
#Thor#Thor: Ragnarok#Thor Odinson#Loki Laufeyson#Bruce Banner#Hulk#Hela#Valkyrie#Taika Waititi#Marvel#MCU#Doux Reviews#Movie Reviews#something from the archive
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Best Dating Apps For Teenagers
Best Dating Apps For Teens
Teen Dating Apps For Windows
Local Teen Dating App
Skout is both a social networking site and dating app. It launched in 2007, and became popular due to the fact that it is a dating app with the youngest user base. Anyone 13 years or older can join, making it one of the best options for teens of all ages. #4 Best Teen Dating App â Skout. It is one of the most innovative teen dating apps. Skout enables teenagers to chat randomly with unknown people. This makes this dating application unique. Plus, it features an option called âShake and Chat,â where they just need to shake for finding out nearby matches.
When you are a teen with raging hormones, it might not feel like it, but the fact is that you have the rest of your life to date and find romance. However, that doesnât stop you from feeling urgent about the situation and wanting to dive straight in to test the waters! If you arenât careful about how you go about it, online dating can be a slightly sketchy avenue for younger daters, but if you stick to the tried and tested options, you should be fine. Have a look at the best teen dating apps!
1 Happn
This is an app that combines meeting someone in real life with actually using the programme on your phone. Every time you are within 850 feet of someone you have connected with before, it lets you see it on your timeline. This can be a fun feature if you are a teen who is still at school, as you will be able to keep in flirty touch with crushes in the hallways! itunes.apple.com play.google.com
2 Coffee Meets Bagel
This is a really great dating app for younger people who are still quite shy about putting themselves out there. Every week it curates a list of profiles that it thinks you will be compatible with, and it also provides conversation starters to help break the ice. bnc.lt bnc.lt
3 Skout
Skout has a cool âshake to chatâ feature than can be fun for the teen audience. All you need to do is shake your device and you get randomly paired with someone nearby. Itâs then up to you to see whether you strike a connection with them or not. Sometimes itâs fun to be paired with someone that isnât all based on looks. itunes.apple.com play.google.com
4 Bumble Date
Bumble is the perfect dating app for a teen girl who doesnât want to be bombarded with messages, because when you match with someone on Bumble, it is up to the female to make contact. This makes you feel like you have much more control in the situation, and it feels safer. itunes.apple.com play.google.com
5 Yubo
This is kind of like a cross between Snapchat and Tinder. It requires cell phone verification to ensure there are no fake profiles on the app, and it basically combines all of the fun messaging features that teens like so much in all of their social media platforms. itunes.apple.com play.google.com
6 Nearify
This isnât a dedicated dating app so to speak, but it is a great tool for sorting out teen-centric dates because its purpose is to let you know about all of the best and coolest events going on in your area right now. Teens love going to things like concerts, and you can even check to see if any of your Facebook friends are going for some moral support! itunes.apple.com play.google.com
7 Taffy
The fun thing about Taffy is that at first, everyoneâs profile picture is blurry. The more you chat with them, the clearer their profile becomes, and it is a great way to eliminate the superficial element of only swiping for someone who you think is hot. Itâs a good lesson for impressionable teens to learn! itunes.apple.com
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For years, online dating was only possible for straight people. Some of the sites such as Match.com and eHarmony communities whose co-founder is notoriously homophobic had historically excluded the LGBTQ community (no LGBT dating apps at all).
Even as new applications have revolutionized the world of online dating, queer people discovered that these applications had little to offer in terms of inclusiveness, acceptance, and create space for people with a wide variety of sexualities. Well, thankfully now gay, queer, and lesbian dating apps are available.
Fortunately, times are changing and engineers are making applications only for the LGBTQ people group. These applications give a stage to everything from hookups to long-haul connections.
And keeping in mind that some applications keep on taking into account explicit gatherings inside the LGBTQ people group, most are advancing toward making comprehensive and strong stages for everybody. Weâve gathered together a couple of our top choices.
Online Gay Dating Apps : A Dilemma
Is online dating a positive development or something to worry about?
It is an easy decision for positive advancement. Interestingly, itâs not online datingâitâs internet meeting individuals pursued by face to face dating.
The expression âonline datingâ is a piece of the issue and makes individuals who donât think a lot about it think it alludes to individuals shaping whole connections on the web and just gathering face to face a lot later.
The initial phase in ending up with the correct individual is meeting the ideal individual, and for something so significant in our lives, weâve had no genuine framework for doing it effectively and insightfully.
Gif Credits : washingtonpost.com
For socially awkward or restless or modest individuals, attempting to meet an outsider openly is a bad idea, and in any event, for somebody enchanting and cordial, itâs a tiresome undertaking that requires a great deal of time and courage.
The elective that frequently happens is meeting somebody through companions, which can work, yet itâs constraining yourself to single individuals your dearest loved ones happen to know.
However online dating apps have given an entirely new face to all these worries and concerns.
Best Gay or LGBT Dating Apps
Online dating, when a periphery and vilified movement, is currentlyover a $2 billion industry.
More than 40 million Americans have tried internet dating out, and over 33% of the American couples wedded somewhere in the range of 2005 and 2012 met on the web.
The primary conspicuous internet dating webpage was Match.com, which propelled in 1995. Bible dating relationship. eHarmony began in 2000, OkCupid in 2004, and all the more as of late, an influx of versatile individuals swiping applications, similar to Tinder and Hinge, have gotten uncontrollably mainstream.
We have listed some of the best LGBT dating apps:
1. Scruff â Among The Best LGBT Apps
Scruff enables you to peruse through a great many profiles from close by and around the globe. Directed toward men who have, or like, a little scruff, the application gives you choices to scan for various kinds of folks.
Gif Credits : washingtonpost.com
The engineers at Scruff have found a way to make the application increasingly comprehensive to everybody in the GBTQ people group, from being the first to incorporate a possibility for the transgender network to evacuating the necessity to list an ethnicity when setting up a profile.
Scruff is a free application. However, on the off chance that you need access to further developed hunt features, client recordings, and message narratives, youâll have to pay $15 every month for Scruff Pro.
2. Chappy â Bumbleâs Gay Dating App
Propelled in 2017, Chappy is one of the more up to date dating applications to tag along.
Chappy permits folks to talk with other men without the entirety of the disgrace appended to gay dating applications.
Image Credits : gaystarnews.com
Chappy includes various security features, for example, expecting clients to transfer an image of their face, and cautioning you in the event that somebody attempts to snatch a screen capture of your picture.
Like Tinder, you likewise must be coordinated with somebody before you can exchange messages.
Sponsored by Whitney Wolfe, the fellow benefactor of Tinder and CEO of Bumble, Chappy is growing as one of the best LGBT dating apps.
3. Grindr â App For LGBT And Queer
In case youâre burnt out on dating applications that do exclude the trans and eccentric networks, Grindr is an ideal arrangement.
Image Credits : gaystarnews.com
It is the biggest long range informal communication application for gay, bi, trans, and strange individuals. Also, people wonât be shy of decisions when searching for a date.
The application utilizes your telephoneâs area to discover different individuals close by. Itâs a fun application for visiting, exchanging photographs, and meeting up with individuals.
4. Scissr â App For Lesbian Women
Another relative newcomer to the LGBTQ dating application scene, Scissr is an exquisite dating application for ladies.
Image Credits : scissr.com
Notwithstanding giving the standard dating application admission, it additionally vows to give a protected space to ladies to discover love, companionships, and manufacture network.
While various lesbian dating applications have an enormous issue with counterfeit profiles, Scissr works admirably of weeding these out so you realize who youâre really conversing with.
5. Growlr â App For Gay Men
Directed toward bears and their admirers, Growlr has a system of a large number of individuals around the world.
With Growlr, itâs anything but difficult to talk, send photographs, or even send a holler to your town.
Image Credits : topbestalternatives.com
Growlr is a free download, yet offers a Pro enrollment from $8 every month.
Professional clients can appreciate private recordings, mysterious-looking, and advertisement free perusing. The drawback? The application is in critical need of an upgrade.
6. Tinder â Dating App For LGBT And Straight People
Tinder isnât only for straight people. It gives you a chance to swipe directly on individuals over the LGBTQ range.
Alongside Grindr, has included various new highlights to make it inviting to trans and eccentric clients.
Image Credits : datingxp.co
With 1.6 billion swipes each day, youâre certain to discover somebody to go through the night, or a lifetime, with on Tinder.
While the application is free, Tinder Gold is a paid alternative that enables you to see a rundown of individuals whoâve swiped directly on your profile.
7. Fem â Lesbian Dating App
While Fem has a ton of indistinguishable highlights from your normal dating application, it likewise has something interestingly helpful called ârooms,â which enables clients to peruse an assortment of visit rooms to meet individuals, send selfies, or simply have a late-night discussion.
Some present visit rooms incorporate âMeet Locals (W4W),â âCosmetics Talk,â and âShrewd or Nice,â which is totally NSFW. The application is designed for âlesbian and bi-inquisitive individualsâ.
As per its application store depiction, and cases to get rid of âcounterfeit singles.â
Image Credits : pure.dating
What makes Fem stand apart is its video abilities.
Clients can transfer their very own introduction recordings. It implies youâll have the option to see and hear what your match seems like before you ever meeting IRL.
8. Clover â Mobile Dating App
Like on Bumble and Tinder, clients on Clover will invest the vast majority of their energy tapping the heart or the X symbol dependent on photographs.
The application, which is eccentrically amicable yet not unequivocally strange, enables you to include interests, online networking accounts, photographs, your area, and individual subtleties. Like OkCupid, Clover has an inquiries highlight called â20 Questions.â
Image Credits : bustle.com
On Clover, clients can respond to inquiries with a basic tap, while OKC expects clients to connect somewhat more profoundly with the Q&A, some of the time addressing a solitary inquiry a few distinct ways.
Joining Elite Singles costs: $39.95 per month for a 6-month membership ($239.70 total) $52.95 per month for a 3-month membership ($158.85 total) $99.95 for a 1-month membership. The site frequently runs membership specials, though, which are worth waiting for: If youâre looking for a serious relationship on a dating site or app, choosing one. Key Elite Singles Cost Details The Premium Classic Membership cost is $59.95 per month. This is a one-month membership and saves you about 50% from the normal monthly price. The Premium Light Membership is $57.95 per month. Premium membership includes unlimited site communication, and allows the viewing of all profile photos on peopleâs profiles. Premium membership gives more features, offering a more in-depth personality profile, read receipts for messages, and the ability to search through. https://promotiondating491.tumblr.com/post/657453507482419200/elite-dating-site-cost.
Clover additionally enables you to look at who likes you, who youâve loved, and who youâve as of late passed.
9. LGBTQutie â AMong Best LGBT Apps
The new application LGBTQutie was made in light of the fact that the fellow benefactors saw that most dating applications are intended for hetero connections, or in the event that they are LGBTQ comprehensive, they center around gay men or lesbian ladies.
Image Credits : phreesite.com
As per a discharge, seeing that absence of network for LGBTQ individuals searching for long haul connections, companionships, or important connections was disappointing.
So they made LGBTQutie, which is intended to be an increasingly comprehensive, relationship-centered application for the LGBTQ people group.
The application likewise gives LGBTQ news and web journals. Its emphasis on the psychological well-being of seeing someone.
You can talk about what propensities make solid connections. It is overly key regardless of what sort of relationship you have with somebody.
10. Thurst â Dating App For Queer People Of All Genders
This stand-out dating application brands itself as the principal dating application for strange individuals everything being equal and sexualities.
Thurstis additionally one of the main LGBT dating apps that take into account strange, cisgender, transgender, and non-parallel non-white individuals in the LGBTQ people group.
Image Credits : techcrunch.com
Best Dating Apps For Teens
The author of Thurst, Morgen Bromell, made it when they found that ethnic minorities in the LGBTQ people group needed safe spaces in online dating.
Thus, then they assembled Thurst in the desire for building a feeling of the network â however an extraordinary network. It eradicates one that difficulties the more heteronormative, fierce conditions that different applications have inside the dating scene.
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Wrapped Up
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How To Write Men In Romance Fiction
I have recently come across one of the most fascinating articles published in the recent 2015, written by a man who doesnât read romance novels, about â you guessed it â Romance Literature! Thereâs a saying in Bulgarian, which we started using about 15 years ago (I believe it was used in a sketch by a comedian), and it goes like this: âI laugh in the face of tragedy because what else could I do â cry?â
I believe this article gives meaning to that expression in ways I did not think possible.
Now, gender is a stupid thing to begin with, letâs base our conversation on that. Creating a general picture of manhood or womanhood is ridiculously impossible affair, because not only does it vary by culture, it varies by person, and we end up with the bottom line that we all experience gender in unique unquantifiable ways.
Plus, gender itself is a social construct which isnât even perceived universally as a binary and often is either viewed on a spectrum or a combination of identities which depend on the circumstances. It is Western-centric to perceive it as the dualistic man-woman, and it is blatantly wrong, considering the idea of man versus woman is a religious indoctrination spread by Christianity. If you donât believe me, please check with the numerous African, and South and East Asian communities who struggle to retain or fight to remember the identities typical of their culture while theyâre being bombarded by Western propaganda in the media and religious indoctrination by supposedly well-wishing ministers.
So, this blog author begins by telling us not only that he does not read romance, but that a genre written for women is making a mistake assuming men can be more than sex-crazed, muscle-pumping, emotionally immature, fragile creatures with a drive for overachievement and allergy to housework and childcare. We have of course done a tremendous mistake surrendering to that fantasy, especially since apparently, men donât portray women in idealistic ways (e.g. promiscuous, beautiful and available, strong on paper but dependant on the protagonist in practice).
You can feel the irony in the last sentence, right? I donât need to spell it?
Now, this was all clear by the end of the first paragraph, and I was already laughing. By the time I was done reading, I was breathless and wiping tears of hysterical, unseemly, unladylike (lol) cackles. It was great. I have never been so amused especially considering the biggest crime seems to be that fact that romance authors dare say men notice things like the colour of their love interestâs eyes.
See, I always thought Americans were supposed to lead the way in social change. I never quite believed the notion that there were people who thought so extremely like this: that men and women belong in boxes. (You, my folks, have sold the idea of your own superior greatness well, bravo!) I recall reading an article about Russian scientists, who admit to facing sexism at the workplace, but as girls at school or University, it never even occurred to them or their peers, parents, or teachers, that girls cannot and will not excel in any field they would like. I always assumed sexism was subtle and unspoken, especially after we passed 2010, and the conversation about gender seemed to tackle ongoing issues like the Gender Pay Gap and Parental Leave. We talked and are still talking about gender violence, rape culture, and unfair housework distribution.
I never thought weâd still have to come back and talk about the fact that men and women can be whoever the fuck they want.
First and foremost, men have internal monologue. They have emotions. They have thoughts. Aspirations. Beliefs. Passions. Goals. Dreams. Saying men should be written as creatures of single-minded, sex related focus is outrageous and offensive. To men.
Let me say that again: it is offensive to men.
Men are complex. They have internal monologue and they do not think with their penises. This is not a dream and it is not a womenâs fantasy. Itâs a fact. Men are permitted to have emotions and they are permitted to notice more than the love interestâs boobs when they meet her. (Talking about m/f couple here, specifically.) Â
I was laughing so hysterically at this article, because this is the topic we must discuss in this day and age: that men can feel, and that their retinas do not become glued to secondary sexual characteristics when they find a woman attractive.
To the author of that article, I would like to explain to you why are women not only allowed, but should write men in the ways they have so far. You must know this, and so must your like-minded fellow humans.
The Romance Genre has managed to successfully include men who are not committed to macho culture and toxic masculinity. There is a long way to go in literature when it comes to healthy relationships and free gender expression, not to mention intersexionality on religious, ethnic, racial, and sexual orientation aspects, but it has done one thing right at least.
It has told men they are not obligated to be predatory and emotionally constipated, and it has given women hope such men exist. It has given women standards.
Maybe that is what scares you, and the like-minded folk who still roam the shady corners of the 21st century. Maybe it was easier when women were supposed to look for the lad who can protect them and be âthe man of the houseâ. But as times change and gender roles change with them; as gender evolves to be something beautiful and complex and personal, so rises the demand for characters who can do more than throw a punch, tell the woman what to do, silence her with kisses, and occasionally toss her to the wall in wild expression of his animalistic lust.
Men are more. And we demand they are allowed to show it.
Lastly, I would like to leave you with this important note. We do not need advice from men on how to write men. We really donât â especially unsolicited one from somebody who does not understand the genre and has no idea why itâs popular amongst women.
Women are surrounded by masculinity and patriarchal views. We must by necessity take our examples from men, learn from men's experience, and must relate to men characters or public figures. We know men.
When we write them in ways which is unfamiliar to you it is not because we do not know men, it is simply because we wish to give men freedom to be everything they want.
Weâve got the Romance Genre covered, thanks! ;)Â
 Stay readin,
Ro-ri
#sexism#feminism#romance literature#romance novels#writers#writing advice#writing help#men in fiction#women authors#m/f#romance genre#writing#writing tips#mansplaining#my essays#essays
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