#parents share regretful experiences about having kids

[blackgirlslivingwell]

These Parents Regret Having Children - And That's Okay! Confessions of Parental Regret

[infamousbondagemurder]

DUCK! THE CARBINE HIGH MASSACRE - EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW!

Hello!!!! i’m very autistic and I wanted to put my effort into something I could share with you all, so without any more unnecessary ranting here’s all you need to know about duck! the carbine high massacre. please comment anything I should add or any mistakes I may make, beware this is my first post like this so im a newby go easy on a gal!

Full film:

https://youtu.be/UScvX4bjExg?si=Cohq29YGoYCsOtBY

Trailer:

https://youtu.be/zNtUviDpyQg?si=23nQgFQo75OQ-RC_

Film soundtrack:

https://youtu.be/2ky9FrEj8Fk?si=DqRVcTdFQEtJ6owC

Website archived:

https://web.archive.org/web/20040815013848/http://www.duck2k.com/docs/carbine_comm.html

Other interviews unrelated to specifically this film:

https://youtu.be/gEbZVXdsX-U?si=cG5bTGb41ee-1fFh

https://youtu.be/WUjqIoDidr4?si=sDMMUzzKhIWImuL5

https://youtu.be/W04lj1BdK0o?si=DHRIixDEpn39KBne

Filming:

Duck! the Carbine High Massacre was a spoof about Columbine that was made soon after the massacre, infact only 6 months after. It was created by Joey Smack (Joseph Miller) and William Hellfire (William Apriceno) two (at the time) collage aged film makers. A lot of viewers received it as this as distasteful and terrible, but others find this to be one of the greatest movies of all time. Smack and Hellfire mainly made a living on creating fetish content for their small but loyal cult following, but unlike most of Smack and Hellfires other films this one was based on true events and NOT made for fetish content. (it only had a few titties here and there ;-D) A lot of people who had starred the movie had received a lot of back lash including piles of death threats.

Duck, along with most other Factory 2000 films was edited in Adobe premier and shot on VHS cameras including a broadcast Super VHS camcorder, a handheld RCA, and another unidentified camcorder.

The films first dvd release was in 2004, along with minor color corrections.

The whole budget was about 3,000$ along with inexperienced actors, most of them being Hellfire and Smacks friends taking some time off work.

On Columbines anniversary they had a showing of the film at CBGB’s where an interview with Court Tv was held and they had stated some of the reasons behind making the movie, what they would say to the parents at Columbine, and the reasoning behind making the movie.

It was here where they explained they were *not* making fun of the victims but instead the media in America’s portrayal of all the victims and the shooters on the news.

Interview:

https://youtu.be/QjPlPsGUuKI?si=gel6kBCbpzmUmiDE

The producers had gotten arrested for creating this film, not because of the crude nature but because they had brought fire arms onto school property .

Court Tv producers getting arrested:

https://youtu.be/i7LiNTkksJs?si=C8IbynDgwj9oP9YE

The film racked up $6,034 in the box office and the film was said to have helped pay Hellfires legal fees.

Experiences on set:

William hellfire stated that he did remember filming and creating most of duck because he was so drugged up on pain killers he was using to treat his cancer pains. He had no remorse or regret for making the film

Chris Perez hopped on reddit to describe his experience “Fun and loose. Everyone was really laid back and chill and we had a good time with the filming. There was a script, but we also improved a lot of stuff. Sometimes, Bill, Joe, and Todd would just give us a general idea of what they wanted us to do and say and we'd work off that.” He along with many others would receive blowback from the incident.

Misty Mundae said that the film was a "crappy little movie" which "has permanently staked its place in underground cult cinema"

Cast:

Derick- Joey Smack (Joseph Miller)

Derwin- William Hellfire (William Apriceno)

Retard- Henry Krinkle

Bible Girl- Misty Mundae (Erin Brown)

Play Girl- Lilly Tiger

Car Kid- Chris Perez

Spam Jock- Michael Ovum

Benchpress- Ryan Trimmer

Afro-American- Kendall "Shorty" Ward

Song Girl- Mazur

Goth Boy- Mike Roser

Goth Girl- Liz Bathory

No Info Boy- Michael Lema

The Principal- Larry Wellman

The Janitor- Rodney Sleurtols

Policeman- Karl Pitt

Plot:

With a running of 101 minutes Duck! the Carbine High Masscre was about spoof about the events that took place at Columbine on April 20th, 1999. The movie took place at Carbine high school where two bullied, neo-nazi, trenchcoat wearing high-school students, Derick and Derwin fail at a double suicide attempt. While walking home Derwin gets attacked by jocks and misses school the next day. After school it is then the two high schoolers plan a massacre against their school. The pair then bought several guns from a black market dealer. The next day the two boys bid farewell to their parents for the last time and head to school with the guns in arm. Once they get to school they head to the cafeteria trying to get the student’s attention, when yelling failed Derwin got onto a chair and yelled “What’s for lunch?” before the two began shooting. The two kill several people in gruesome manners before heading down to the basement and sharing a last cigarette before shooting each other.

Other films:

William Hellfire and Joey Smack typically made fetish films and soft-core porno flicks, some notable ones include (but are not limited tooooo!) Erotic Survivor, Silk Stocking Strangler, Vampire Strangler, TITanic 2000, and so many other underground gems. I, infamousbondagemurder sincerely urge you to watch these movies, buy the dvds, and support the living William Hellfire.

Here’s a link to watch more movies by William (unfortunately not ALL his movies are on this keep in mind. i also did not create this link so credits to the creator, which i’m not sure who the creator is)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-2iH0WjcolYtbat61F2zLs8SSw5dbMy15mnCnuq4suE/edit

What most people don’t know is Joey Smack starred in the semi-popular film Where the Dead go to Die, where he voice acted as the characters Ralph Stanley, Tommy’s father, and The legless war veteran. He dropped iconic lines in this movie such as: “You fuckin’ dog! What the fuck are you some sort of faggot cannibal! Aggghhh! Your eatin’ my dick!”

Dvd:

Hello! so I am basing this off of the DVD that I personally own, these details may differ from DVD to DVD so if you own a different sort of DVD, please comment anything extra that you have on yours.

Dvd includes:

* Deleted scenes

* Behind COURT TV- cbgb’s screening

* PRODUCER/DIRECTOR interviews

* TODAY is the DAY LIVE in Hoboken NJ

* KING GHIDORAH! LIVE in Hoboken NJ

* Original trailers

* Shooting gallery

* Film soundtrack

* And of course, this wonderful shitty movie :-)

Rest in peace Joey Smack:

On Saturday June 29th, 2019 Joseph Robert Miller, better known by many fans as ‘Joey Smack’ passed away. The circumstances are unknown and a mystery to all fans. There are rumors of suicide but there are no confirmations. I advice you to read his obituary and donate to catholic charities, diocese of paterson, the charity which paid his brother joshua's medical bills after his passing in 1998.

Joseph was loved by many and passed at the age of 41. Fans, family and friends all mourn him to this day. He was described by friends as a kind hearted true and utter weirdo, who had lived in his own world. he didn’t talk to many people but if you had been let into his select group, he would go out of his way to make friends laugh and smile with his warped sense of humor.

His memorial services were held Tuesday, July 2nd, 2019 from 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Browning-Forshay funeral home on Lafayette Ave in Hawthorne.

Rest in peace Joey Smack, a truely great man who loved what he did and put so much love into all of his creations. Well wishes to his surviving family and friends:

Joey Smacks obituary:

https://emeto.neocities.org/joeysmack

CREDS:

Mainly wiki like a chud

Actors themselfs

The dvd

I’m dumb

[rizsu]

ꪆ୧ ── REAP WHAT YOU SOW ┊ LOVE TO LOSE ﹑ JJK. ⤿ starring: gojo satoru x fem!reader.

꒰ heart to none ﹢ if only he knew karma would come back to bite his ass a few years later. now he misses his ex while she's moved on.

𖧷 · love, ‘su: nothing much!! just moments of him suffering

co-parenting with satoru truly isn't all butterflies. as reserved and respectful as he is (to a selected few), satoru never hesitated to taunt you whenever you mentioned going on dates.

“a date? hmm, good luck with that.”

“if it happens to kick off, good for you, but i don't want him near my child.”

“how exciting! i hope it fails.”

those are just some examples of his behaviour. he's vocal about disliking you and the idea of sharing you. had he known beforehand he'd become slightly possessive, he would've avoided you and relationships altogether.

loving someone his mind hates but his heart longs for isn't an experience he'd wish upon his worst enemy — it's too much. the wretched feeling in his chest deepens whenever he's with the kid; scenarios of you being beside him at that very moment flashes before his eyes, but his pride's too high to crash whatever you're doing.

that doesn't stop him from texting, however. he never had an issue with double—triple texting you. if he had something to say (which is never anything important), he'll say it.

satoru: hey.

satoru: did you forget you have a family at home?

satoru: my child's asleep btw, we had fun all day.

you: my* child. not yours.

satoru: so what am i, an elf on babysitting duties?

you: sure if that's what you want. now stop texting my phone.

satoru: what if i'm dying?

you: i'd pop some champagne. throw something on the grill. light up a cigarette, even.

satoru: you don't even like cigarettes.

you: exactly. now bye i'll be there for six.

yeah, there's no doubt that you'll never entertain him again. he, too, wouldn't entertain himself if he was in your position. sure, he was an ass in the relationship but— you're both older and wiser. maybe you can put the differences aside and come together? a flat no is what you'd answer.

satoru doesn't even hear from you often; most of your activity reports come from your child who excitedly tells their father the details, wishing he was there.

“you guys had fun. i wish i was there too, bub.”

a sentimental tone settled in his voice. he's suffering the consequences of his actions, and he desperately needs you to help him through it.

just like old times: you'd be there for him, going along with whatever he needed to calm down. whether it's wanting to be in you or on you— as long as your arms were wrapped around him.

but it's all a memory now. a bitter one.

do you show your vulnerable side to the guys you date, too? do you hold them the way you held him? do they even know what you like? do they know you the way he knows you?

jealousy, regret, longing— everything mixes in his mind. his stomach aches. it feels as though his insides are hollow.

he adores your child. they look mostly like him, but the personality stems from you. the attitude, tantrums, even the way they hold things — it's all you. he guesses the kid's observed you and eventually picked up your habits. satoru relates; after all, he still has some of your habits he picked up.

as the clock ticks on, his fingers hover over the keyboard on his phone. somehow, he found himself in your pinned chat— debating whether he should text or not. he's been typing and deleting for the past ten minutes. unless you're not on the app, there's no way you didn't notice the ‘typing...’ under his contact name.

satoru: i've been thinking.

(message deleted)

satoru: fuck your date let's get back together.

(message deleted)

satoru: or whatever you're doing right now. let me apologize — it's been years. our baby's four now.

(message deleted)

satoru: hey.

you: what's with these deleted messages?

you: are you okay?

he wonders. is he okay? would you come over if he said no? are you going to be mad if he re-sent what the deleted messages said?

satoru: uhhh yeah. everything's fine.

satoru: i'm bored that's why.

satoru: you should totally come over.

you: no.

you: talk to you later.

satoru: please? i'm serious.

you: fine.

satoru: might as well spend the night.

(message deleted)

satoru: thanks.

(message delivered)

“well fuck...” he sighs, raking his fingers through his hair. he doesn't have anything to say nor do with you. actually, he does — he has quite a few, but he wouldn't push your buttons. he'd love to, but the chances of him receiving a slap is high.

[demonslayerunhinged]

Unhinged theory

Okay so this theory is complete bullshit and doesn't have any merit but I just wanted to get it out of my system.

I wonder why Shizu didn't eat the kids the moment she killed them. Like we know that when you're turned into a demon you're overcome by a hunger so great that you won't be able to think straight.

Like okay, maybe she wanted to finish off Genya before she started feasting but she could have just eaten them, it's not like Genya posed any actual danger and her movements were too calculated like oneshotting all 4 kids including Koto and breaking the lights right before attacking Genya.

So here's my theory, I think Shizu deliberately killed her kids. Why? Because she was tired of them. Y'know how becoming a demon brings out the twisted version of your soul like Akaza's fighting, Dakis obsession with beauty and Gyutaros hatred of humanity, and Hantengu's entire existence? What if Shizu deep down was tired of being a mom? And she low-key resented her kids? What if she was tired of seeing them suffer?

Genya said she was very small but what if in reality she was just very young? Like in her late teens? It's not so out there after all Tamayo is 19 biologically and she had a husband and kids. Shizu could have been 14 or 15 when she had Sanemi.

So this is a young girl, married this older man, probably out of necessity or against her will, and given Kyogo's violence there's a chance that some of the kids were a product of rape.

She's living in poverty, married to an absolute dick of a husband who beats her all while trying to make ends meet and take care of SEVEN kids!

Even for the Taisho era, seven kids is a lot and other people seem to think so too, in the light novel Genya remembers how their landlord's son used to taunt them as 'the poor people with a lot of kids'.

The thing that really cemented this theory for me is the afterlife scene with Sanemi. Her shame. Not sadness or despair but shame. Shame so strong she doesn't even want to alert her kids to her existence and she covers her face and hides when she sees Sanemi. What if that shame stems from guilty? Guilt over her resentment towards her kids?

I'm not saying that Shizu hated her kids, but what if she was just...tired? Tired of being used as a punching bag? Tired of seeing her babies get hurt and go hungry every night? Tired of being treated like dirt and having people make fun of her family? Tired of being judged for circumstances that were out of her control? Tired of struggling? Tired of her life? Tired of everything?

Regarding Sanemi and Genya, I feel like they both have an idealized image of their mother and that's probably why Sanemi refused to accept the knowledge that Nezuko could resist attacking humans by thinking about her family, because then he would have to face the truth that maybe their mother never really loved them? Or that her love wasn't as strong as he thought?

It's a really hard pill to swallow for a lot of us because we don't want to think about the fact that our moms, even if they love us or at least tolerate us, may not have wanted us or may have thought their lives would've been better if they hadn't had us.

This isn't uncommon in real life either. The subreddit r/regretfulparents has over 120k members, then there's this insightful thread where parents who regret having kids share their feelings, there's also experiences from women here and here.

Something to think about. I'm sorry but I feel like the Shinazugawa kids, all they truly had was each other and they didn't know it. They never really stood a chance.

Yea so...

[lxmelle]

The KFC breakup was about friendship more than ideology.

The question posited by Geto : Yes it was about identity. Yes it was about choice. Yes it was jarring.

It was also an expression of hurt and pain. It was (immature -ahem, they were kids) retaliation - that’s why Geto saw it as an argument. “They fought” and “that was it”. He regretted it, and that’s why he also told his family “not to argue amongst themselves.” Geto packed in the message in there: You left me figuratively; and I’ll leave you. You decided for me; I’ll decide for you. But you can choose based on what you want; I’ve chosen my path anyway.

Let me elaborate. But first: Let’s get a few things out of the way.

Gojo did not have an issue with killing humans.

He went after Toji. For what purpose? Revenge? He said he wasn’t angry. Let’s look at his mindset after near death or to any threat (like after the parade with Miguel’s cursed tool that interfered with his CT). Auto limitless. He eliminated all potential weapons that could harm him. Gojo did not like it. He wanted to eliminate threats. With Toji? He possibly wanted to try and see if he was more powerful than what felled him. So he killed this person who was no longer an active threat. Then he sincerely did not know whether or not to kill the clapping peeps. Why? Why even think about it? Geto didn’t think about it.

Why indeed?

He didn’t have an issue. Even after internalising what Geto said, he didn’t actually believe it, because he simply didn’t feel it.

Also, why spare Geto? After Toji and the spear, all that was left to his awareness at that time, that could hurt him, was Geto. He couldn’t kill him. Yes , we know it was because he realised he loved him. Geto’s life was precious. This was the message Geto wanted him to realise after all - life was precious. Not only his. With this experience, Gojo finally could feel what it meant.

So let’s go to the KFC breakup and their exchange.

Dissect it:

It’s not about your parents. You told me it was pointless to kill non-sorcerers.

Geto interjects: But there is meaning; there is also purpose.

Gojo doesn’t want to know. Despite there possibly being meaning and purpose, he continued:

That’s impossible! There is no point in attempting the impossible.

He is asking Geto: Why are you attempting something impossible for you? Doing something you can’t do is pointless, at best! (Why did you go against what you told me not to do, even if you say there is meaning, purpose, and it is for justice, you shouldn’t attempt it).

In the original, the language is more condescending/belittling and implies that Geto’s chipping away at it would be inefficient 「できもしねぇことをセコセコやんのを意味ねぇっつーんだよ!!」

And Geto replied with: how arrogant.

Why?

Because: paraphrasing, “Are you determining for me what is impossible, when you can do it? Is it only because I’m not as strong as you, so you’re considering what’s important to me, as pointless?”

Also, of all the things he could’ve talked about, Gojo was focused on Strength. Viewing Geto in that black & white way. It was impossible for Geto, he implied. It reflected his lack of belief in his friend and respect of their shared bond.

Yes, Geto acted on his own. Gojo had a right to be angry. And so did Geto, who felt left behind by Gojo who prioritised training at the expense of other things like friendships - which were probably not seen as something he ever needed to treasure or be insecure about. Unlike Geto. Who knew loss all too well and felt it to his core. They were made very differently. I want to emphasise: Neither is better or worse.

Over this particular exchange, Geto was hurt and the conversation was pretty much over. Geto was always going to attempt this path despite not being the strongest. That wasn’t the point. He had already vehemently dedicated himself to this one path he cornered himself into.

The Crux of it was that: the friendship wasn’t mutual and Geto felt the disrespect and condescension in Gojo’s remark.

Geto had always focused on Gojo’s Humanity. Even if he saw that Gojo lacked meaning and purpose (parts that make us human; and btw Nanami was accurate in knowing Gojo was jujutsu crazy), he believed in Gojo’s capacity for humanity and love. He respected his friend and their shared bond. He recognised Gojo’s potential and wanted him to remain on the right path, as long as it was good for him.

So the breakup was about friendship.

It was about, believing in the other, not based on what one can or can’t do.

Paraphrasing for clarity: “who are you to tell me what I can/can’t do, if you yourself can do it?”

I never stopped believing in you. Did our friendship mean nothing to you?

If there was meaning and purpose, Gojo didn’t want to know about it at all. Yet he knew enough for him to say it was pointless for Geto to attempt it. He knew nothing of Geto’s suffering and how he valued his fellow sorcerers. He was implying, Geto’s ideals and sacrifice were worthless because he wasn’t strong.

Because he, the strongest Gojo Satoru, deemed so. The strong. Keeping. The weak. In check.

But Geto doesn’t subscribe to this. It hit a nerve. He goes by the philosophy of the weak keeping the strong in check; about not abusing one’s power. 「弱きを助け強きを挫く」 ⬅️ This is a known proverb Geto used to advise Gojo in HI when they were in the classroom (anime would be the basketball courts?). And Gojo responds by saying that attaching meaning was for the weak.

But. After what Geto did, he realised it was hypocritical. He was strong. But also comparatively weak. The non-sorcerers were “strong” with the power to hurt the minority / “weak” / the sorcerers. In this context: He knew more than anyone that his crimes were an abuse of power. Hence his self-imposed death sentence to Gojo’s hand. The draft shows him saying: it wouldn’t be bad to die by your hand. In jjk 0 he collapsed to the floor immediately - conceding completely. Even saying “you’re late Satoru”.

Knowing his hypocrisy, that’s why he chose to live as he did - denying himself any pleasures of humankind by only opting for things made by sorcerers where possible, but never imposing this on his family. He didn’t feel he deserved it. He would just be a tool for the sake of this ideal. But. Back to Gojo and Geto.

What Geto saw, that Gojo didn’t, was...

The value of the person vs absolute strength of the person. Geto cared about people and saw Gojo didn’t naturally do that. So he asked him to think - who was Gojo Satoru? The Gojo who just thought about strength, or the Gojo who could care about someone beyond it?

See, Geto has never done that; he always encouraged Gojo. If he could do it, it was worth Gojo trying. Like having humanity. Caring for Riko. Protecting the weak. Having principles about meaning. Being respectful to elders. That was also why Geto felt they “fought” because for the first time, he imposed onto Gojo: I can do it, but you shouldn’t. He was knowingly hypocritical again. And this was also why he did not think Gojo would have any trust left for him after they “fought”.

Killing non-sorcerers aside (we know Gojo didn’t have much of an issue with it at this point in time), Gojo did not believe in Geto. Did not seem to respect Geto.

That’s what made Geto retaliate.

He thought there was weight in their friendship even if the power gap had increased exponentially. Even if he was going to walk down another path. He didn’t know if Gojo was going to just hunt him down or talk - that’s why he was “testing his luck”. Gojo the sorcerer could have just come to exterminate him. Gojo the friend could stop to talk. I think the latter happened but it was too clumsy between them both. Geto was childish himself, as Shoko said. But he was noble enough to not take Gojo with him.

Nevertheless...

He turned away.

As if to say: Don’t even follow me. We are done talking. I’ve heard what you had to say; you don’t see me as someone equal to you. It wasn’t mutual. I’ve decided how to live my life. I know I’ve done wrong, so kill me if you want, I know there would be meaning to it.

We will part ways on this bad note. It’s clear you’ll only respect me if I’m “you” since you only respect yourself. He shoved him roughly into the righteous path instead of his usual gentle way. He never intended on having Gojo follow him anyway. He didn’t like the idea of others being tools - but just himself - he was okay being one. We know Geto didn’t hold too much value to himself.

Gojo was within his absolute right to be beyond upset. Left behind. This came out of nowhere. Geto going back on his own words. He belatedly probably realised what he really wanted to say was, why did you act all on your own, especially going against all that you preached to me? I’m strong, why couldn’t I be strong for you, with you?

And: Why was I the last to know...? I thought you needed me just as much as I needed you.

Geto… knew what he did was wrong. He was under no illusions but chose to walk that path and buried himself in the denial, so he could live pursuing something he could accept. For the sake of… something he felt needed his protection. He would not use Gojo Satoru as his weapon, even if Gojo Satoru chose so himself.

Sigh. My heart hurts.

You and Gojo Satoru both. Idiots. Why did you let yourself become tools?!?!?!

Sigh. One loved by clinging on. The other loved by letting go.

Angst. Aah, angst.

I feel like I’ve somewhat ruined my wip fic by writing posts like these, but nevermind, lol. It wasn’t a given that they’d be read anyway 😳

Take whatever Ive written with a pinch of salt. It’s just my take. I don’t think Geto was jealous of Gojo. I think they were both extremely hurt and both felt left behind. Both carried regrets and treasured the memory of the other, wanted to protect the other (and others like them), in their own ways. It was not enough to be anything (strong / idealistic) if they were alone. I think their reunion made it clear that they needed each other to be happy. I might be completely humbled by the release of the GIGA booklet on Gojo, but we shall see... if anything further on this KFC scene is revealed.

I probably have talked too much on this topic lol.

Thanks for reading if you made it this far 🫶

[rottenpumpkin13]

I think Genesis has some incel vibes, especially when he talks shit about Sephiroth, then immediately demands his cells, then proceeds to be both offended and surprised he is not given cells. He acts like people owe him favours. He has this "I want you, but if you don't want me, then I will retaliate" thing going on, and he never considers he's hard to want when he constantly needs to humiliate people to feel good about himself. We saw many of his interactions with Sephiroth, Zack, Tseng etc and he needs to humiliate people all the time. Angeal is also fighting against ShinRa, but we don't see him tripping people or calling others lapdogs or monsters.

The man discovered the degradation in the worst possible way—his body began to deteriorate before he even understood why, and he found out he was a failed experiment from a project he and his friends were part of.

His role as the antagonist of the game isn’t—like Angeal joked in that one scene—world domination or to have power; he wants none of that. All Genesis wants from the moment he starts degrading and finds out the truth is a) a cure and b) freedom from Shinra and the lies he's been told his whole life without knowing it. He wants to live, and he wants to take his life and dreams back, but all the while, he’s not healing. He’s looking at every possibility for the gift of the Goddess, a cure, and facing this view-shattering dilemma: he could never be an equal like Sephiroth or a hero like he’s always wanted because, in Genesis' mind, he’s a monster. They’re all monsters, all three of them, and yeah, he’s angry. Who wouldn’t be? Imagine if you found out Shinra orchestrated all the shit happening in your life, that all you were to them until having your eyes opened was a lap dog, a Shinra lap dog, and that’s what people like Zack, Tseng, Lazard, and everyone, hell, even Sephiroth, are now because they don’t know the truth.

The scene at the reactor with Sephiroth, where he told him the truth and revealed what Jenova was in that damning and insensitive way, is what I believe was Genesis’ way of giving it to Sephiroth raw and cold, like shocking the truth into him in hopes that Sephiroth would wake up and see what was truly going on. Could he have done that better? Absolutely. Was it worded poorly on his part? Yup. Genesis’ relationship with Sephiroth before he degraded and deserted was that he wanted to be Sephiroth’s equal, to be a hero just like him. His whole dream as a little kid was to share the Banora Whites that grew on his parents’ property with Sephiroth, and I think it’s very telling of his intentions when he offered the apple to Sephiroth after asking for his cells. Maybe it was regret on his part, and I think it’s true if you see how he didn’t fight, argue, or anything after Sephiroth rejected him. He could’ve fought Sephiroth, could’ve yelled, demanded cells, etc., but no. Instead he lets Sephiroth go and looks disappointed, yes, but he didn’t retaliate.

Of course none of this excuses his actions, but there's always multiple ways to view something and that's how I see it.

[btscontentenjoyer]

BTS Summer Fic Recs

Here are some summer fanfic recommendations if you need something to read on the beach, by the pool, or just in your room while you're trying to escape the heat! If you enjoy any of these stories, please don't forget to let the author know by reblogging and leaving feedback. Most of these stories contain smut or other mature themes so MINORS DNI!

kim namjoon

solace by @m-yg93 (13.5k) fluff/smut

[roommates to lovers]

summary: Namjoon thought getting used to a new roommate would take time and adaptation but you fit yourself into his apartment with ease. He swears he only landed in your bed to keep you safe in his arms when you get spooked by the storm. Surely he can blame the eventual lack of clothing on the summer’s heat stroke.

kim seokjin

all you’re giving me is friction by @hot-soop (28.3k) angst/smut/fluff

[surfer!seokjin x lifeguard!f.reader, lovers to enemies (lite) to lovers]

summary: You’ve graduated! Congratulations - you’ve got one thing checked off your parents ten year plan! Now all that’s left to do is start your dreary office job, drag yourself up the ladder to CEO, marry your (as yet unknown) dream guy, and carve out some time to pop out a few kids before your ovaries shrivel up… Except all of that sounds horrendous, and you’d much rather spend the next three months at Hoseok’s beach house with your closest friends - relaxing, partying, and sleeping late while you still can. And it would be your last perfect summer break, if it weren’t for the most irritating man on the planet (and his chickens) living next door.

min yoongi

the landlord by @ppersonna (4.3k) smut/light crack/pwp

[landlord!yoongi]

summary: your air conditioner breaks right at the height of a recordbreaking heat wave.  good thing your hot landlord, yoongi, knows how to attend to any needs you may have.

watermelon sugar by @yoonjinkooked (23k) smut/romcom

[strangers to lovers, vacation au]

summary: Travelling alone to your dream destination had sounded like a good idea at the time. And you don’t regret doing it, of course not - you’re in Greece! The food! The sun! The smell of the sea! The white walls and blue chairs, the hills, the warm days and colder nights. A little company wouldn’t hurt, though. That’s how you end up talking to Min Yoongi, your next door neighbour with whom you practically share a balcony. He’s quiet, he barely leaves his room but when you reach out, he doesn’t push you away. That’s how your Greek adventure begins.

jung hoseok

strawberry sundae by @youtifulhobi (6k) fluff

[lifeguard!hoseok x olympian swimmer!reader, meet cute]

summary: A few years after you begin dating Jung Hoseok, the two of you reminisce about how you met when he was a lifeguard and saved you from drowning, when in reality you had just fell off your strawberry floatie and he just wanted to talk to you.

a taste of paradise by @theharrowing (8k) light angst/smut

[strangers to lovers, chance encounters]

summary: A handsome stranger helps take your mind off of all of the drama that awaits you back home. It is bittersweet, isn’t it, how a chance encounter that makes you feel so good can also just leave you craving more.

park jimin

i need you tonight by @minisugakoobies (1.5k) smut/slight angst?

[pool boy!jimin]

summary: You’re tired of watching your evil stepmom waste your father’s money. So you steal one of her toys.

you dtf? by @sailoryooons (10.2k) smut/pwp

[strangers to one-night stand]

summary:  You’ve never had a one night stand. Jimin has had countless. You’re trying to experience new things. Jimin loves doing the same old shit. So when you meet the man going around the club inviting people to touch his ripped abs, you think perhaps this is the perfect opportunity to try new things. It’s Labor Day weekend at the shore - what can go wrong?

into the wilderness by @gukyi (27k) angst/fluff/comedy

[friends to lovers, camp counsellor au, unrequited love]

summary: alright, so last summer’s camp was… disastrous. from the murky green showers to the wasps nests, it was all-around a bad time. but none of those things could be quite as catastrophic as the end-of-camp counselor campfire, when you told park jimin that you were in love with him. and if telling him was terrible, then seeing him again this summer, one year after your fruitless confession, just might be the death of you.

kim taehyung

summer feelings by @jjkeverlast (558) fluff/crack

[childhood best friends to lovers]

summary: taehyung catches you off guard during your first trip to the beach.

himbo hours by @gimmethatagustd (7k) pwp/smut/humor

[himbo!taehyung x reader, strangers to lovers]

summary: Trouble always seems to follow Taehyung. An innocent night of finding new friends to share his alcohol, drugs, and boxy smiles quickly turns into a mess when he accidentally punches you, a poor, unsuspecting clubgoer, right in the face. Whoops!

trip by @daechwitatamic (22k) fluff

[friends to lovers, camping au]

summary: Your gigantic crush on Kim Taehyung is so bad that you drop whatever you’re holding every time he speaks to you. Your dirty liar of a best friend SWORE to you he wouldn’t be on this camping trip, but he is. Luckily, the trip gives Taehyung the chance to see you in a new light, admittedly with some help from his best friend (and definitely hired spy) Park Jimin.

jeon jungkook

in which sour and salt could be so sweet when jungkook’s existence reminds you that there is still good in the world. by @onlyswan (3.1k) fluff/a pinch of angst/suggestive

[established relationship]

baecation by @1kook (5.9k) smut

[richboy!jungkook, vacation au]

summary: “Lose the top, or lose the right to present yourself in any low back gown for the next three months.” He truly knew the way to your heart.

heartless by @here2bbtstrash (7.4k) pwp/smut

[exes hooking up]

summary: after a wild summer at the shore where he made more than a few mistakes, jungkook is ready to remind you why you always take him back.

no longer strangers by @soft4gguk (9.4k) fluff/smut

[jungkook x inexperienced!reader, strangers to lovers, summer love au]

at the end of the day by @starshapedkookie (13.3k) fluff/smut/a little angst

[ex-baseball player!jungkook, high school friends to lovers, beach/vacation au]

summary: You and Jungkook have been best friends for 8 years, going through absolute hell and back together. After senior year of high school, you and Jungkook began a tradition of taking annual vacations together during the summer months. This summer is no different, with you and Jungkook celebrating graduating college just a couple months prior. You're set to move to NYC after the summer, with you and Jungkook soaking in the sun and as many moments as you can together. You'd think nothing could ever tear your friendship apart with him, but when you've sat on the beach for too many days in a row watching him surf, you can't help but wonder - when did your best friend get so hot?

lemon sherbet by @extravaguk (15k) fluff/smut/angst

[tattoo artist!&piercing artist!jungkook x popular!reader, ex high school classmates, kinda frenemies to lovers, summer au]

summary: But above all things, the last thing you expected to happen when you came back was to show your tits and get pierced by none other than motherfucking Jeon Jungkook. Jeon Jungkook. Guk. Gukkie. Jeongukkie.

concrete king by @bratkook (16.7k) fluff/smut

[skaterboy!jungkook x reader, himbo energy]

summary: when a cute boy in a tacky hawaiian shirt lands a trick in your honor there’s no way you could ever say no to him

ex on the beach by @beahae (mini-series, 18.2k) fluff/light angst/smut

[exes to lovers]

summary: You and Jungkook broke up. But it would be very silly of you to let the fancy beach vacation you both won go to waste, right?

stars behind waves by @taegularities (22.7k) angst/fluff/smut

[estranged childhood best friends to lovers, beach/vacation au]

summary: With a decade’s distance between Jungkook and you, your paths cross on the same island you deemed your second home years ago. And you realise once again – the ocean can never compare to the twinkle in his starry eyes.

paddle with me by @yoongsgguktae (two-shot, 30k) angst/smut

[enemies to lovers, camp counsellor au]

summary: when your camp leader forces you and jeongguk as partners in a team building activity. with frustrations and anger flaring during your journey down the river, how will all this pent-up emotion get released?

Thank you so much for taking the time to check out my list! I read some of these stories while on vacation this year, and some have stayed with me for a while since I read them last summer. If anyone has more summery recommendations, I'd love to hear them, so don't be afraid to put them in the comments or send me an ask <3

[shineemoon]

TAEMIN ✨ NME Interview (Full → HERE)

“A lot of my songs carry words that could be considered negative and although positive words have power, I think it’s more attractive to make the negative look beautiful.”

Taemin’s definition of love: “There’s different forms. There is love that you receive from your parents, the love from your girlfriend or boyfriend, and the love from fans. But there’s always a sacrifice, and pushing someone to sacrifice is also love. There are a lot of things I gain from being a singer but, at the same time, there are lots of things I have to give up, and these are the ones I emphasised in this single.”

“I learned to be careful to trust someone, because it really hurts when someone suddenly disappoints you. It’s very important in relationships to be careful about what you talk and what you do.” These words reflect Taemin’s growth since he released his previous mini-album, 2020’s ‘Advice’, shortly before enlisting in South Korea’s obligatory military service. During that break from music, he realised that people learn from experience. “I found out that I’m interested in different hobbies, different food, different restaurants, different vacation spots. Having moments to relax were an opportunity to feel like the person Taemin, instead of the artist Taemin.”

“I like to separate the personas. It’s like actors, who separate the person and the character. Off stage, I think I’m more playful and simpler, like a little kid.” While reminiscing about this dichotomy, he goes as far as to compare his life to the 1998 satirical drama The Truman Show. “In the movie, Jim Carey realises that everyone has been watching him at the end. I came to SM [Entertainment] when I was 12 years old, and the period of time when I was training, my debut, all the moments where I was growing up were shared and seen by a lot of people, so I relate to that.”

“The music video was [also] inspired by this book called Eroticism, by George Bataille. It covers a lot of topics about breaking taboos, and I thought about how this can reflect on my music and the perspective I put into it. For example, showing skin is still a taboo, so when a male performer rips their shirt and the crowd goes wild, I wanted to understand and incorporate the concept of breaking that taboo.” He describes his albums as ways into himself. “I always learn something. Like when you’re writing a journal, you can organise your thoughts [there], but I find that I’m able to organise what I learned and what I think through the albums that I release.” And then, in order to apply his lessons, he pours all his “energy and passion” into performances, to the point of no regrets. “Because there’s some wear to any image, I always think of how to change and show different sides of myself.”

“I have a very different lifestyle than most people, and I realised that, because of my career, I receive a lot of love and support. I knew it in my head, but now I feel it in my skin. Many people my age are still finding their way, so I feel very fortunate to have found out what I love to do.”

[phantomato]

Tom Riddle As A Parent: Why So Compelling?

(to me. Not meant to generalize.)

Tom-as-parent runs counter to canon in possibly baffling ways. He despises his own father and has no respect for his mother. He doesn’t have a confirmed romantic or sexual attachment to anyone at any point in the story—I’m disregarding Cursed Child here, as my canon is the original seven-book series.

Tom is ill-suited to parenting: we see him in a challenging job or unemployed but busy with his pursuit of power. His personal qualities include a lack of bedside manner, and he’s shown to tolerate putting on a polite face only when it serves him with people who have more power. Yet I’ve written Tom as a parent multiple times, including my longest work. The idea continues to compel me. What gives?

Canon Tom has no business being a parent—let me make it his business

Partly, I want this because it is just so unlikely to fit the character as we know him. Whenever a fic idea or characterization choice seems incongruous and wrong, my impulse as a writer is to wonder how to make it right. What shifts must take place for this person to do this thing?

I’ve long held that I am interested in a Tom Riddle who can feel love. Not that he loves easily or admits it to himself, but that he is a person with the ability to feel that emotion. Given that Tom can love, a child is an interesting place to explore that. How did the child come into his life? How did he reconcile himself to loving it? What shape does that love take? No matter the universe, some parts of Tom will always struggle to be a conventional parent.

This is a great path for Tom as an unintentional parent—kidnapping Harry of course, but also (my favorite) partnering with a single parent and navigating the family he gains as a side effect of that romance. Particularly coming into a teenage stepchild, which was an interesting writing experience because with an older child who remembered a deceased birth parent, I was free to give that Voldemort less personal responsibility for the kid. He could create something other than full parenthood in his relationship with Theodore Nott, where they came to understand and care for one another through their shared love for Nott Sr. I let Voldemort recognize his own unsuitedness to parenting and thus make compromises with it, and the relationship was overall more emotionally moving to me as a result. 

Tom Riddle will have an impact on any parenting that I force him to do. Because he’s not traditionally fit for it, the unique form his parenting takes is a chance to say so much about his character and the choices that he’s made in that universe.

Forcing Tom to reconcile with himself

It’s no mystery that Tom Riddle has parent issues. His mom dies while birthing him. He was raised in an orphanage. He kills his father. There are a lot of obstacles in the way of Tom having a healthy relationship with parenting.

In making him a parent, then, I’m asking his character to get with it real quick. There is a baby or a small child only growing older and more independent by the day; they are pulling their ideas of the world from him like a sponge sucking up water. He will have an influence on them. And what has Tom Riddle ever wanted more than influence?

Part of what I like about parent!Tom is asking what would happen to him if he took the prospect seriously. He is responsible for this kid, so he takes care of them. There must be many feelings there. After all, Tom went to his father seeking something. Magical heritage, sure, but he knew before he walked up that hill that he wouldn’t find it, and still he went. We can’t know anything with certainty (except in fanfic), but when writing him as a parent, I like to think that he might be changed when he’s forced to play the opposite role.

Tom with a child is a Tom who can possibly come to understand his parents or regret not getting to know them. He might see his mother’s care, to deliver her baby where he would live. He might see his father’s fear, at confronting his own trauma through the form of his child. He never got to learn what his mother might have taught him, and my own dislike of her aside, the character of Tom might miss her, forgive her, or never learn about her abuse. If he does know that his mother assaulted his father, it might spark his regret over committing that murder. And he Mrs. Cole as a caretaker as well, whose faults do not erase the intimacy of their relationship. All of these emotions can be explored via reflection as Tom experiences raising his child. He is making his own choices about being a parent, dissimilar or not to those made by Merope and Tom Sr. and Mrs. Cole, and facing unpleasant facts about his sympathy for their positions.

And all of this is equally as interesting to me when Tom is the child, or when he considers his feelings about his parents and mentors later in life. Tom’s hope to be a teacher likewise takes on more dimensions if we consider mentorship and influence on young people as relating to how he might feel about his own childhood, or what must change to make him suited for that responsibility. Tom-as-parent is particularly special as it features in fics that have helped define my characterization of him, and it is because the role is so unnatural for him, not in spite of it, that it inspires this kind of consideration.

[milfgyuu]

Lessons in Love Pairing: Choi Jongho x Fem!Reader Series: Mr. Right Next Door Tags: 3.5k, Co-Worker!AU, Friends to Lovers, Fluff, Humor Warnings: One good smooch and mentions of more smooching. Summary: Your students learn that both you and the teacher next door are single which brings up the pressing matter of getting you two together. Immediately.

You love teaching your fourth-grade class - they are still sweet and inquisitive. Still learning how the world works and all its wonders. They’ve yet to outgrow their innocence and kindness. It’s a beautiful age to experience with an adult perspective and even more amazing that you’re allowed a hand in growing their ever-expanding knowledge and shaping their character. 

One thing you hadn’t considered was their surprisingly persistent interest in your lack of a love life. 

It had begun at the start of the year when you were getting to know your students and in turn, allowed them to get to know you as well. The kids had so many questions. Did you have a dog? A cat? A house? An apartment? Did you live with your parents? Can you drive a car? Are you married?

It was the answer to the last question that had struck them the most for some reason. You were a grown up but you weren’t married. In their minds, being married is just part of being a grown up so why were you single? What does being single even mean? Do you not know anyone to marry?

A simple introduction had turned into the great inquisition and with wide eyes and a nervous chuckle, you had to re-direct them to the only other interesting topic you could think of. 

Recess. 

Those clever little things hadn’t forgotten about the lack of a band on your left hand though and made it a point to bring it up every few weeks. Did you go on any dates this weekend? What kind of person would you like to date? If you have lunch with someone every day could that be counted as a date?

Admittedly, you fumbled through those. 

You hadn’t realized that you might regret the way in which you answered them because it seems your ever-observant children have been spying you in the cafeteria with the teacher next door whom they’ve also learned is single. 

“So, do you like Mr. Choi? You guys always have lunch together!”

“Yeah! And you guys are always smiling and laughing together!”

“And Mr. Choi brings you coffee!”

“My friend in Mr. Choi’s class said that he is single too!”

“Mr. Choi said you had pretty hair!”

“Mr. Choi has really shiny hair too so your kids would have nice hair!”

Left and right the children pelted you with words you had stopped comprehending after the first mention of ‘Mr. Choi’.

Oh boy. 

Mr. Choi is your next-door neighbor at school. His classroom is actually attached to yours by a shared storage room and you suppose you do spend quite a bit of time together in front of the students but that’s only natural - you spend just as much time with the other fourth grade teachers. 

Well, maybe not the exact same amount of time. You’re usually on lunch and recess patrols together. You always get paired up to chaperone field trips and tend to volunteer for many of the same events like dances and fundraisers. 

If you had to really stop and think about it, Jongho was quite handsome. Broad shoulders, pretty smile, kind eyes. His surprisingly dry sense of humor did always make you laugh and he always leaves a coffee on your desk when he notices you’re running late since he is a chronic early riser. 

Again, you manage to calm the children and their increasing pitch - your eyes darting to the adjoining door between you and Jongho’s classrooms. 

It doesn’t end there, unfortunately, for you and your white blouse, exactly four days later. 

“Imagine the fallout if the kids found out we went on a real date…”

Your mouthful of juice sputters and dribbles down your chin before staining the silk of your top with bright red liquid. 

Jongho’s mouth straightens into a flat line and he hands you several napkins to dab at your ruined mess. “That doesn’t hurt my feelings at all.”

Leveling him with a peeved look you sigh, “It’s not like that,” and glance back down at your blouse, “You just caught me off guard at the worst possible moment.”

Neither of you are on lunch duties today so you’re sat across from each other at a craft table in the corner of your empty classroom. Little paper chains rustle in the crisp air pumping from the school’s icy vents and you’re grateful for them in the moment since they make you keep a long grey cardigan hung over the back of your chair at all times. 

You push back and ignore the sound of your knees popping when you stand to full height. Pinching the material of your shirt you tug at it rapidly as if you have some hope of at least drying the wet spots and speak openly to Jongho who is still diligently picking apart his salad from the cafeteria. 

“I can’t believe they’re all so invested,” you comment before rolling your eyes, “Little gossips.”

Jongho snorts. “I’m surprised that you’re surprised. They love ‘spilling the tea’,” he says with an added flair that tells you it’s something he’s picked up from his students, “Whatever that means.”

“Look at you using the lingo,” you chuckle as you sit back down, “And what ‘real date’? Last I checked cafeteria lunch didn’t count. Thought you’d be more of a romantic, Mr. Choi.”

You’re smirking with mirth until Jongho decides to match your teasing, hooking his foot behind the leg of your chair to haul you closer to the table. You squeak in shock at the jolting motion and he laughs, stabbing another bit of cucumber and moving on like you’re not internally marveling at his flippant show of strength. 

His thighs are kind of thick and firm you suppose if you think about it. 

Which you’re not. 

That would be weird. 

“What?”

You say it so hastily that Jongho looks at you like you’re losing it and laughs. “I didn’t say anything.”

Oh, so it was because you are crazy. 

Embarrassed you shove too much of your sub in your mouth, awkwardly and probably repulsively chewing to manage the gargantuan bite. The sound masks that of the napkin sliding across the table under one of Jongho’s fingers. You look up at him and he just pinches his lips together like he’s sure you don’t want to hear anything he might have to say about the mess on your face. 

After the driest most excruciating swallow you’ve experienced to date, you attempt to wash it down with your water in your stupidly expensive bottle and nothing comes out. Pathetically, you whine and try to pry it open. There is a mechanism on the inside of the lid that keeps jamming and you really could use a new one but they’re pricey and you’re living on a teaching salary and a prayer. 

“Let me help,” he says, pushing back in his little chair to rub his hands over his jeans like he’s preparing to empty his full strength into the effort to open your bottle but when it gives without so much as a pause he snickers and shrugs handing it back over to you. “Not really much of an opportunity to show off.”

You gawk at him. “What are you talking about? That thing was like welded shut!”

Jongho’s brows playfully rise until they’re high enough to hide beneath his fringe and the overwhelming urge to giggle and playfully swat at him nearly swallows you whole. He is so flirting with you.

Openly.

And you’re tripping all over yourself with glee.

Like any free moment in your school day, it comes to an end far too quickly and your classes are due to arrive in less than five minutes to continue instruction. Ignoring the butterflies in your belly, you take both your trash and Jongho’s to dispose of while he straightens up the table and then it’s time for him to head back to his own room and yet…you both awkwardly linger by the door instead.

“We should-”

“Maybe we-”

Embarrassingly enough, you open your mouths at the same time and talk over each other but you know you do not want to finish your own sentence and Jongho rocks back on his heels knowing he’s got a solid sixty seconds before little voices trail down the hall toward the door.

He takes a deep breath and says your name which is so odd because has he ever said your first name? Surely, he has…so why does it sound different now?

“Have dinner with me tonight.”

It comes out in a bit of a rush and he tacks on a “please” after a second thought and you nod because words don’t seem to form and you’re just stupidly staring back at him but…yes…you would like that. A lot. 

Jongho blinks as if he’s shocked that you actually said yes…or well, gestured, that yes you wanted to have dinner together. He hadn’t even planned to ask. He’s not sure when the idea sprouted in his head but once it bubbled up and up and up he just had to let it out. 

Now he has to plan the perfect date in less than five hours which means…

He grins and throws his hand up, thumb pointed toward the door behind you. “Gotta meet the kids…How’s seven o’clock? My place? I’ll cook.”

Still nodding, you manage to say something at last, “Yeah…yes. That’s…fine.”

“Okay.”

“Okay.”

He slips out the door and you let out a long laughter-filled breath. With your room still empty, no one catches you twirling all the way back to your desk before you flop down into your chair. Well, it’s possible one person saw you since your door bursts open right after and you’re jumping up and into an incredibly animated history lesson.

Meanwhile, Jongho is assembling his kids in a group huddle because they have a new assignment: Helping him decide what to cook.

Your hands shake down at your sides just after you ring Jongho’s doorbell. 

Fingers dance along the skirts of your dress - one different than you’d wear in the classroom. Typically, you wear fun floral or artful prints with plants or planets. Things the kids love to talk about. This however is one you hope Jongho will think about, even after your gone. Even when he sees you in your overalls on Monday because your kids are working on art projects.

The door clicks open and there is Jongho in fitted black slacks and a loose white button-down smiling back at you. His hair is…fluffier than usual which is an odd distinction to latch onto but the combination of his hair and his clothing, the relaxed slope of his posture….you can’t seem to stop looking at him.

“You look different.”

Jongho chuckles. “You look the same,” he says and it jolts an incredulous laugh out of you, “I meant that to say I think you always look good but I see that sentiment isn’t shared.”

“Are you going to invite me inside or what, Mr. Choi?”

“Wouldn’t dream of sending you away in that dress,” he smarts, stepping aside to let you in, “Besides,” he closes the door behind you both, “You have to see what a romantic I truly am since you decided to tease me about it.”

A romantic indeed.

His home is crisp, clean, inviting, and it smells heavenly between the cooking he’s been doing and the candles lit throughout. Your eyes dart to little details along the walls and shelves as he guides you to the dining room - also set perfectly with flowers and more candles.

It’s not at all what you expected.

At work, Jongho is relatively quiet but you learned after a few meetings that he was rather charming and engaging. He likes sports and cars - kind of a man’s man. When you became closer, you realized he was chock-full of sarcasm and dry humor. You appreciated him for his company and the laughter that he supplied more than anything and that still stands true but this is a different side of him you haven’t really mapped out.

Hardly noticing that your feet have stopped moving, you’re surprised when you hear Jongho chuckle from your right. “How did I do?”

He almost sounds unsure of himself until you turn to him with a warm smile. “It’s really nice, Jongho.”

Just the sound of his name from your lips makes the tips of his ear tingle. “The kids said flowers and candles were the way to go.”

Taking your seats at the table, you agree. “The kids seem to know too much about romancing for their age.”

Jongho gestures to your glass with the bottle of red in his hands and fills your glass when you nod. “It’s a little admirable though,” he mentions, eyes glancing up to yours, “They have such a pure and simple definition of love. Everything is still so beautiful in their eyes so all they know is a happily ever after and I wish it would stay that way for them.”

“Oh, you’re such a softie.”

Jongho pokes his tongue into his cheek and grins, using his fork to point toward your plate, “Shut up and try the food.”

Again, not something you imagined Jongho would be good at but the food is delicious and there isn’t a takeout box in sight. He mentions something about not getting too excited because he only knows how to make a handful of meals on rotation but it’s still impressive. He also keeps you laughing and entertained throughout the meal, even with the prickles of ‘holy cow, this is a real date’ floating around in your head. It all feels so natural.

“So, you clean up nice, your house is immaculate, you can cook, you’re good with kids…” You twirl you wine, bellies full and plates empty as you sit across from one another, “What are you hiding, Mr. Choi? Where is the catch?”

He grins, crossing his thick arms over his chest. “No, catch. I’m perfect.”

“The catch is that you’re an awful smartass,” you chuckle before draining the last of you drink. “I suppose I already knew that though.”

“I suppose you do,” he returns, gathering the dishes to deposit in the sink for later - for now, he moves you both into the living room to relax on the couch and continue the conversation. “I am genuinely a ‘what you see is what you get’ kinda guy so I don’t know how much I’ll surprise you but ask the hard questions and I’ll answer them honestly. Anything you might want to know before we decide this is a good idea or just mutual attraction and peer pressure from ten-year-olds.”

Because you’re both adults, co-workers, and friends. It would be a waste to pursue a relationship you both want different things out of.

You purse your lips and think for a minute. “Dogs or cats?”

“Both,” he answers easily, “You?”

You tilt your chin in thought, “Both is good…I’m still in the ‘plant mom’ phase so I don’t have any pets but I’d like to. Any plans to relocate in the future?”

Jongho shrugs, “I’m not particularly attached one way or the other. The area here is pretty nice but there are lots of nice places.”

“You’re not overly picky, are you?”

He laughs. “No, not really. I’m pretty laid back.”

In the time you’ve known and worked with him, that tracks. You pivot in your seat, facing him a little more fully. “Oh, boy,” he jests, “Getting to the big stuff, huh?”

“Marriage…kids,” you state plainly, “Thoughts and feelings.”

Jongho rolls his shoulders. “I’m interested in both,” he says simply, though there is a tinge of hesitation like he’s waiting for your reaction, “My parents have been married for thirty years and are still very much in love so it’s probably given me a set of rose-colored glasses when it comes to long-term commitment but the idea of having ‘a person’...like “my person’ to share love and life with, to grow old together…that sounds good to me.”

You nod, chewing on his answer. “And kids? Singular? Plural?”

“Eight.”

You instinctively recoil. He’s playing with you, so you’ll play.

“Well, this has been great,” you pretend to stand up to leave, “See you Monday, frien-”

A funny little ‘oof!’ puffs from your lips when Jongho grabs your hand and pulls you back down onto the couch. It’s just a lucky coincidence you land much closer this time and when Jongho releases your hand, he keeps it close, almost hovering nearby like he’s aching to take it again.

“Yes, I would like kids and no, I don’t care how many. Even one is a blessing and I would be over the moon to be a dad,” his eyes twinkle and it kindles a little warmth in your chest, “You look all ooey-gooey right now. I think you like me.”

You give into the urge to swat him this time. Right in the chest.

Jongho loves it.

“I already like you,” you roll your eyes at yourself for admitting so out loud but it’s a bit obvious at this point and he’s teasing. “I’m not ready for all…that…just yet but I would agree we have enough in common to maybe…give this a try?”

You don’t mean for it to sound so unsure but you haven’t dated anyone in a while and this is your friend, your co-worker…this is kind of a big decision to pursue a relationship and you want to take it seriously.

Jongho squeezes your hand and doesn’t remove it this time.

“If you’re asking me to go steady, I’d gladly accept.”

You let yourself lean into him as you laugh. “Do you always have to give me a hard time? You’re so unserious!”

“That’s not even a word! Aren’t you a teacher?”

You push yourself back with a hand against his arm, “Unserious is totally a word! Aren’t you a teacher?!”

Dissolving into laughter, you wind up holding your hands over your belly to soothe the ache, heads dropped back against the couch. It takes several minutes to settle down, no thanks to Jongho and his smart mouth, but you’re having so much fun you don’t care that your stomach hurts or that your cheeks sting from smiling too much.

Spending time with him like this is something you want more of. 

Rolling your head toward him, you break open the fresh silence with a question.

“So, Jongho,” you manage, still a little breathy from laughing, “Would you like to go steady with me?”

He smiles and it’s gorgeous to behold. “Yes, I would.”

Both shoulders jump up to your ears as if the excitement you feel is trying to escape your body and you grin like a fool. 

A boyfriend. That’s fun.

“Don’t get mad,” Jongho chuckles, taking your hand back into his, now playing with your fingers comfortably, “I might have seen you dance all the way back to your desk after I asked you out today. You’re really cute.”

Like a vortex opening up and swallowing you whole, you crumble, shrinking into the couch. “You’re kidding...”

Jongho almost feels bad for sweeping your high away so quickly but he’s telling the truth. It was the cutest thing he’d ever seen and shot his ego through the roof. “If it makes you feel better, I called an emergency meeting with my students. They helped me choose dinner and suggested the flowers and candles.”

“And the wine?” you raise a brow, coming back out of your shell.

Jongho uses his free hand to scratch the back of his head. “Called my mom.”

It’s quiet for only a moment and then you’re fawning all over him. “Awww!!! Who’s cute now? That’s so sweet!”

He pretends not to love all your attention. “Yeah, yeah…so, it’s a Friday night and we don’t have school tomorrow…”

“Mhm,” you grin, nodding along playfully.

Jongho lists options off as if he’s reading off a menu. “We can grab another glass of wine, or a beer, I have that too,” he winks, “and bullshit the night away. We could watch a movie or if you’re tired of my company I could just kiss you goodnight - I mean - walk you out.”

He’s smirking like he’s just so funny.

“You could kiss me now, grab me a beer, and then we could talk shit for a little while longer,” you suggest with equal teasing, and his brows shoot up.

Butterflies hardly have time to take flight in your belly before Jongho’s lips touch yours, though it’s not rushed at all. It’s an easy sort of confidence in his movements like he’s so comfortable kissing you - like it’s not the first time and most certainly won’t be the last.

One hand cradles your jaw and he’s still smirking when he pulls away because it was a good kiss and he knows it.

You know it. The universe knows it. 

“Beer, movie, and makeout?” he jokingly suggests and you’re hopelessly falling for every ridiculous, unserious word coming out of his mouth.

“You really are just a man’s man, aren’t you?”

Jongho shrugs and gets up to retrieve two cold beers from the fridge calling over his shoulder, “I’m not really into guys, but I could be your man!”

Letting out a sigh that fades into a breathy laugh, you smile to yourself. Yeah, he absolutely could be your man.

Series M.List | ATEEZ M.List | Main M.List

→ Do not copy, re-post, translate, or share any of my works on other platforms WITHOUT PERMISSION! All stories are copyrighted, Bubblebeom, 2021. ©️

[jelloapocalypse]

caught you answering questions whichs means I can finally ask my own!

First question, what opinion or review have you shared do you think has made people the MOST angry?

Second, has anyone ever been really weird about your character to your face before? (You know like, WEIRD weird)

And thirdly, do you have any VA roles you regret doing?

these are very incendiary questions

I mean the obvious answer to the first is that I didn't like Infinity Train. I went out of my way to watch it when it had just been cancelled so that if it was good I could raise my voice alongside the other people in order to defend it, but I genuinely think it was one of the most unpleasant watching experiences I've ever had, especially Season 4. Kez in particular is truly one of the worst executions of a character I've seen put to screen.

I also got a lot of flack for complaining about the way children's media handles generational trauma as a theme. Speaking as someone with some pretty impactful generational issues on my mom's side, I dislike how it sets up a parental or grandparental figure as the root of all evil and then "resolves" that by having the lead character go "You are being mean!" and then said parent/grandparent just turns their personality on a dime to create a "happy ending". It just feels so disingenuous and it's the kind of lesson that will get kids hit in the face with a shoe.

Of course, the two big examples I used were the two relevant ones at the time, Encanto and Turning Red, so I got accusations of being racist etc. etc., twitter.

That's very funny because Turning Red and Everything Everywhere All at Once have the same three-generational divide setup and the same culture of origin and I think the latter movie managed to stick the landing in the exact way I think Turning Red missed.

I don't have a lot of popular characters I've voiced but people have walked up to me in person at cons and stuff and given me porn of my characters, which is insanely awkward.

I did a "Did You Know Anime" narration on Baccano! once and I just really phoned it in. No idea why, it's just an awful performance. I still feel kinda bad about that.

[hard-deckpilots]

Trinkets & Memories.

Fandom: Top Gun. Pairing: Bradley 'Rooster' Bradshaw x Y/N! Mitchell. Summary: After the mission Maverick and Rooster went on, Rooster helps Mav in the hanger. Then finds a trinket from childhood that you had helped keep safe. Warnings: Mentions of Goose's and Carols' death. Tears. Mentions of grief. Mentions of near death experience. Wordcount: 647 Tags: @sebsxphia A/n: Only a short fic but an idea i shared this morning became a fic, so hope you enjoy.

Image not mine.

Helping Maverick out on the P-51 Mustang and become a common past time for Bradley nowadays. Now that the Dagger Squad had been based permanently at Fighter Town, he had time to catch up with Maverick and catch up with you. Y/n Mitchell. Mavericks only kid, who had known Bradley his whole life.

Maverick had left to go to the store and grab something. Leaving Bradley to wash himself up and put the tools away. He heard a bike pull up and naturally thought it was Maverick.

"Hey Mav, I put all the tools away so you wouldn't have to worry." Bradley spoke not seeing it was you.

"Wrong Mitchell there chicken egg." You spoke softly. As Bradley realised it was you, he span around and quickly ran over to hug you. You held each other tight for a few minutes and then Bradley let you back onto the floor.

"You're alive Bradley." You smiled softly cupping his cheek. "Thank you for keeping dad alive. I would've killed you both if you died."

Bradley leaned into your hand and relished your touch. It had been a while since you had seen each other, Bradley going on multiple deployments and missions. Then you travelling around on your motorbike.

"He saved me Y/n." Bradley spoke softly and then looked over at the wall with all the pictures. So many memories and trinkets of Mavericks life. Pictures of you and Bradley in high school going to homecoming, he had asked you that year especially since he was the only boy maverick trusted.

Pictures of Goose, Carol and baby Bradley... Goose and Carol. When Carol passed away, you lost count of the days and nights where Bradley spent mourning the loss of both his parents. Your dad only could do so much, suffering so much grief, regret and guilt in his own way after the crash.

The man in front of you now wasn't the same Bradley you knew when you were younger. But he was still your Bradley no matter how much you saw each other over the years.

"Uhm... I have something of yours that I found the other day in our storage unit." You spoke as you walked over to the locker that was next to your dads,

"You do?" Bradley asked curiously and walked over with you.

"I don't remember when or how I kept it with me... I think you may have left it at mine when we use to play." You responded and you pulled out a toy of an F-14, like the ones Maverick and Goose use to fly in.

"You... You still have that? I was wondering where that had went... You had it all this time." Bradley smiled holding the toy, turning it over in his hand.

"Just wanted a reminder of my favorite chicken egg I suppose." You leaned into his side, "Dad said you're permanently based here now, is that true?" You asked softly.

"That's right... you wanna go out at some point?" He responded with a question as he dragged you to the sofa that's in the hanger.

"I would but not today." Your response was quiet as Bradley laid on the sofa and you laid on top of him. All you could feel was Bradley's hand stroking through your hair which eventually led you drifting off to sleep.

By the time Maverick had gotten back he saw you both asleep and smiled. Grabbing a spare blanket he laid it over the pair of you to keep you warm. As Maverick was about to walk away he saw the toy plane and picked it up placing it with all the trinkets that go on his memory wall. But then he also took a picture of you and Bradley to add to the wall.

"Bradley is good for you kiddo." Maverick whispered as he went into his trailer.

[ghostlythunderbird]

As a Spouse and a Parent~ Task Force 141 

Pairings: Simon Riley, John MacTavish, Kyle Garrick, John Price X Fem! Reader

Warnings: Fluff, Pregnancy, Prior Abuse, some NSFW is referenced

Word Count: 2,269

Author Notes: Is this feeding into a deep longing of mine? Why yes, yes it is. I'm sorry if this is poorly written I was writing this at 3am

Simon “Ghost” Riley

As a Spouse

Simon actually didn’t want to get married in the beginning, because if you wanted to get married it would only put a potential target on not just you but anyone you're close to. But I can assure you he wanted nothing more than to put a ring on your finger, and as a testament to that you should have heard how picky he was with your ring. Soap was definitely losing his mind while trying to help Simon out

After the initial hesitation in the first year of your marriage not much had changed between you and Simon, but your relationship continued to grow as Simon became more upfront with nothing that seemed to really bother him. Of course keeping everything related to his job confidential.

He became more doting on you, constantly craving for your attention whenever he’s at home. It was honestly comical that this large man seemed to melt into a puddle at the slightest touch from you, practically purring for you when you rake your hands through his hair when you cuddle in those late mornings. Even after this he will ask you not to share how he truly acts at home with any of his teammates, there often was the threat of not getting any more breakfasts in bed from him.

Oh and when I tell you this man can cook, I mean he can COOK. Like this man can cook full course meals but the only time you have to interfere is because he doesn't use seasoning very much. Secretly he enjoys these small moments with you, just spending quality time whenever he can is what helps him realize that getting married was the best decision.

As a Parent

When you told him you were pregnant for the first time he had a whole mental meltdown that ended up with him leaving to take a walk around your neighborhood. Now it wasn’t because he was angry, if anything he was terrified.

This is a man who has faced horrid abuse at the hands of his father, had his Brother, mother, sister in law, and his nephew murdered because of his job, had so many near death experiences, and killed men without a second thought. How could someone like him raise a child properly, much less raise one that wouldn’t hate him for who he was.

After returning and talking his fears out, you both soon started to prepare the arrival of your child. And lets be real he is fascinated with each step of your pregnancy, His favorite part was feeling his child react to his touch each time. Just to add this in because I just have a feeling this might happen, this man would definitely end up having at least 5 kids because he falls in love all over again with each one. Not only that but he wants to prove that he is a better dad than his own could have ever been.

Simon loves all his kids and will spend each moment he can with them, going to dance recitals, practice, helping with homework, putting them all to bed. Does he become a tired dad after 5 kids? Well of course he would but does he regret it, Never.

Johnny “Soap” MacTavish

As a Spouse

Oh my gosh, now this man right here is one of the Sweetest Hubbies out there. You talk about remodeling the kitchen? Well here is your new kitchen after a month. Craving a certain food, he’s either buying it or attempting to make it.

From the first point when I mean attempting I really mean “Attempting” because this man cannot cook to save his life. And before you try to say he can, he can cook a few things but hardly anything is seasoned because the military has ruined his sense of taste. While he can’t outright cook more than simple meals like grilled cheese sandwiches it doesn't mean he can't help chop up ingredients or be your taste tester. His favorite thing to do is help you bake and you know this man will be licking the spoon and the bowl, he ended up stealing it once and locked himself in the bathroom so you couldn't stop him.

When he's home you can guarantee you're gonna be cuddled to death by him, he hardly ever lets you leave and if you're gone for more than five minutes he's going to look for you and become a human koala. Johnny I feel like is a very affectionate lover and will do anything to find a compromise if you two can't agree on something. He never makes big decisions without you as in his eyes being married means you have to work together not against each other.

As a Parent

Ok let's be real here out over everyone in the task force Johnny has the BIGGEST Breeding kink out there, and like most men he isn't much of a fan of condoms simply because it takes out the intimacy. He has a true addiction to cumming inside you so it's no surprise you end up becoming pregnant.

When you tell him you're pregnant he would let out the biggest yell and then tackle you into a bear hug while crying from pure joy. After finding this out he immediately called and told both of your families. He's very invested with both yours and the baby's development over time. His favorite thing to do is to fall asleep on your lap with his head near your bump no matter how big or small it is while running his hand over it.

While he does get prepared once you start reaching the end of your pregnancy it doesn't stop the military one bit. After hearing he would end up deploying towards the end he was devastated, while he understands you cant stop when you're called back to base he wanted nothing more to stay home and would even risk going AWOL.

He would constantly facetime you everyday when he's gone, and while he wasn't physically there for the birth of your child he did encourage you from the phone while being hundreds of miles from home. And when he was finally able to finally come home? He gathered you both up in his arms and refused to let go.

But as your child grows up I can definitely say Johnny is the most supportive and fun dad out there. He wants nothing more than to see his kid grow up to be a respectful and easy person who still takes time to appreciate the little things and know when to have a little fun.

Kyle “Gaz” Garrick

As a Spouse

This man I feel like can be often overlooked so here we're gonna give him a whole bunch of lovins here. Gaz is more of a selfless lover by heart, so be prepared to be showered in love and attention 24/7. Trying to read a book? Well now you're both reading a book because he wants to constantly be in your presence.

While Kyle is home he would definitely want to go on walks and hikes with you just so you're both exploring together. That being said he tries to plan yearly vacations for you both wherever you both decide to visit. Like Simon, Kyle wants to spend as much time with you as he can while he's home. The awful part about his job is to think that there might be a last time he would ever see you, so he wants to take advantage of every second.

Kyle loves to talk about your future together, wondering about your lives of what could happen or what could have been. His favorite part though is to talk about settling down somewhere away from the hustle and bustle of the big cities in the UK. Having a little house in a village far out into the countryside where the both of you can live in peace.

Maybe there are often times where he thinks that your dreams of living out your lives together may never become a reality when coming back after a rather rough mission. You will have to talk him out of those thoughts just to remind him that even on the roughest days you'll always be by his side even when he can't see you.

As a Parent

This man is NOT prepared to hear that you're pregnant. Wanna know what he does when you wait until he comes home to tell him? This man straight up faints from the overwhelming news. After hearing you freaking out after coming to he just wraps you up as you're both on the floor and just says “This wasn't in our road map, love” as a joke.

It does take him off guard to understand that he's not only fighting the darkness just to protect you but for his child now. And to say that it keeps driving him forward to survive every mission more than ever before is a vast understatement.

Kyle ends up asking you one day after being home for a week on how many you both feel comfortable with having, you both decide on having two. Over time his excitement continued to grow the bigger your child got and when I tell you this man keeps buying toys and baby clothes I'm not joking. He's a hoarder of baby stuff now

When your little one is finally born this man has constant tears that the nurses even joked that your husband cried more than you while in labor. He's mesmerized by this child, that while you fall asleep he begins to pledge his life for the newborn in his arms. Gaz as a dad is one of the sweetest things in the world, always wanting to be involved in his children's lives and to spend every minute with them.

John Price

As a Spouse

This man is by far the biggest romantic out there without a doubt, always wanting to surprise you when you least expect him to be home. His favorite memory was when he came in with you eating ice cream on the couch and he grabbed you from behind, he didn't regret having to clean the couch afterwards.

You better expect he's gonna take you out whenever he gets home too, like this man WANTS to show you off no matter where you go. You both go out to a fancy restaurant you're getting shown off, at a taco truck just down from your shared home. Well guess what you're still getting shown off even if you're dressed in sweatpants and a T-shirt.

Don’t blame this man for any of it because he's just so in love with you he can't help himself. But if he had to choose between staying at home or going out without a doubt he would choose to stay in with you and just enjoy the limited time he has. While yes sometimes he has to bring home paperwork he still finds a way such as having you curled up in his lap over his tights and having a blanket draped over the both of you.

That being said there have been times you've both fallen asleep in the chair and you both totally have NEVER tipped the chair back. It definitely became an inside joke between the both of you but it's something you both never mention to anyone else.

As a Parent

You and John have talked about what you might do if you ever decided to have kids, but you've both tried to be as safe during your “Adult” time but it seems that life said otherwise. While you had no reason to be upset or nervous about telling John you couldn't help the nagging feeling of anxiety. You don't tell him right away, but you rather plan it around one of your nightly walks.

At first he thought you were messing with him and doing one of your pranks again, but after seeing your serious face he was speechless. After the initial shock he pulls you in and kisses you, he lets out a laugh after pulling back before resting his hand over your stomach. John tries to be around as much as he can for the majority of your pregnancy, but life as an officer is a very demanding one.

While he's gone on deployments he tries to stay in contact as much as he can, and if he doesn't have service he keeps a picture of you and a sonogram picture of his little one tucked away in his tactical vest. The only person he shows and talks about his new child with is Simon, because this man is dealing with 5 kids even after saying he's too old for this life.

You end up giving birth right before John was getting ready to land, and let's just say this man threatened a lot of people just so he could get to the hospital as soon as possible. John overall as a parent would definitely be doting but he knows when he needs to put his foot down, even if it does end up drawing tears. He’s one of those dads too that definitely lets his kids do whatever to him, especially if he has a daughter.

[badmoonriiising]

After they parted ways, Regulus decided not to look back for James despite of how much he wanted to. He was already too late. James had a wife and a little boy. It made sense: everyone knew from the beginning how fitting Lily was for him, James would be an incredible dad, and Regulus, aware of how kids deseve to be loved and have such good parents because of his own experiencies, decided to let Harry Potter have a father devoted to his family.

Life carried on.

Years later, Regulus doesn't regret his decision. He does, however, think that his old heartbreak has nothing to do with how losing Pandora due to her experiments has shattered his heart to pieces. She was his best friend. Regulus could keep up with everything just because she was always keeping his hand with such gentleness. Evan, Barty and Dorcas are a mess about it too. Xenophilius seems to get madder day by day. And little Luna, who witnesed everthing, is devastaded. She has Pandora's curios gaze, always looking for Regulus now that she seeks comfort, holding him almost afrid of losing her godfather too.

It happens rather quickly. Xenophilius doesn't get better, never ready to take care of his daughter again, and Regulus keeps his thoughts about how kids deserve to be taken care of with pure joy and love after years. Luna was Pandora's, Regulus was hers too, so it makes sense they now belong to each other.

Regulus Black isn't build to be a father. But how he tries. Luna ends up having his meaning grin, mixes her interest for magical creatures with her godfather's anthics for books, and always stands for herself, never letting anyone laugh at her.

He's never loved someone this much in his entire life.

She's the one to achieve what Sirius and James never could, getting him out of Grimmauld Place, making him forget everything about the Black family, because Luna must never be near to anything slightly related to them.

But things are never easy, aren't they? Of course Luna has to go to Hogwarts and get back being friends with Harry Potter.

After years and years of hidding his pain, Regulus faces his brother, with complicated feelings among them: obviously Sirius thought he would never do better and won't admit he's more than impressed about how Regulus has raised this little girl.

And of course, there's James Potter. He's not longer with Lily, but they work side by side because they still care deeply for each other and have a boy they would die for in common. It's different now. James has a family, but so does Regulus. He likes his peace and doesn't want any Potter nearer than necessary. It's easier to pretend he doesn't see the pain burning in James' eyes when he discovers the reason why Regulus never reached out, of how he decided to let him have his happy life and pretended he preferred Walburga Black in the end. And let's not misunderstand it: despite it all, James is fucking happy. But he always wanted to share his happiness with Regulus, and Luna reminds him so much of him back when they were at school that it breaks his heart every single time.

[theflyindutchwoman]

You think you'll ever have kids? Uh, honestly? I, uh, thought I would've had some by now. Isabel and I, we made all these plans -- pop out three kids, watch them grow up, have kids of their own. But… Things don't always work out. Which is why you think I should make contingency plans.

| ANATOMY OF A SCENE - CHENFORD EDITION 4.05 - A.C.H.

In many ways, this scene illustrates perfectly how Tim and Lucy's relationship blossoms and matures in season 04. With her being his aide, it would have been so easy to fall into a trap where their bond would at best remain stagnant, at worse reverse back to their old TO/subordinate dynamic… But it hasn't… Something has changed between them emotionally after that hug, even if they don't fully realise it. Even if it is subtle… They're somehow more at ease than before. Closer. Like partners, despite their difference in ranks… Like equals, as indicated by Lucy's presence behind the wheels, a rare occurrence.

Now this is far from the first time they talk about their personal life in the shop… That's actually the foundation of their relationship. What has started as a need for Tim to justify himself, to explain his actions to Lucy as they impacted her directly, has grown progressively into something more organic, more natural. She made him feel safe to share his feelings, his past with her and in return, he started to drop his walls. To heal. This is a continuation of that… Only deeper. Talking about the future he once envisaged, the dreams he had of having children… His dad… The way he says he's 'living proof that some people should not be parents'… There's something extremely vulnerable in opening up about these subjects. And he does it freely now, without much hesitation or reluctance. Lucy's glance at him displays perfectly their shorthand, how well they know each other. She doesn't have the full picture yet, but she knows enough to understand to what he is referring. His face when she asks him if he thinks he'll ever have kids… He's completely caught off-guard. That he doesn't dismiss or deflect her question shows how much he has changed and grown. How much more laid back he now is, especially with her. Thanks to her. And the fact that he looks at her while answering… He's not hiding from her, despite the nature of the question. He could have simply answered her vaguely, but instead, he decides to share a piece of himself, giving her a far more personal answer than she probably expected. Talking about Isabel and the dreams they had… This is extremely intimate. They've come a long way since he said : 'I'm married, Officer Chen, and this isn't something you and I talk about'.

And this is so amazing to hear him mention grandchildren. It makes Lucy's casual remark about having grandkids on their second date even more significant. This is a direct callback to his dream, a way of telling him that they share the same one and they could have it together now… And it makes her gesture even more special because he looks quite resigned here, the regrets all over his face. Almost as if he feels that this has passed him by… But this is a good segue to why he was encouraging her to go ahead with the process of freezing her eggs, as an insurance. At the time, it almost felt like he wasn't being supportive or rather, not understanding of her outrage. But he wasn't taking her Mom's side as much as he was simply speaking from his personal experience and offering her a different perspective. He simply doesn't want her to live with that regret, like he does.

And here they are now… talking about kids and grandkids, joking freely about this future. But to get there, they had to start with these little moments. That's how they built their beautiful relationship.

[milaisreading]

Oh, ok, It may be a request or may be not (looks like more I just share my own thoughts, sorry if I bother you). Don't push yourself to write it, really, I just have so many thoughts about Bllk manager and just want to share them~

So, listen, you mentioned in your platonic!Ego fic that manager had an experience as football team manager in her previous school. So now I can't stop thinking about Manager-chan as Hakuho HS (Reo and Nagi school) manager (AU? Or not AU? IDK). Just imagine their friendship! How Reo and manager take care of Nagi like his parents and joke about it. How boys develop their feelings for manager. How they have these overnight stays in each others house, where they just talk about their future dreams and enjoy each others company. How girls in the school bully manager, because she gets along with Reo, and Reo with Nagi protect her. Omg, this thought has a whole series potential!

Anyway, thank you for listening and I wish that you'll have a great day!

Author: YOUR MIND! I LOVE IT! This was written in one sitting, Idk when I wrote this fast. Here u go! Thanks for the request :3🩷

Characters: Reo Mikage, Nagi Seishiro and the Reader

Warnings ⚠️: Reader uses she/her. Requests are open.

⚽️Blue Lock belongs to: Muneyuki Kaneshiro and Yusuke Nomura⚽️

Being a student at a prestige high school like Hakuho was a privilege. From the great staff, study material and most importantly, the great connections one could make during the years of stay there. It was no secret that majority of the kids there were rich, with a small % being students from middle class, who got into school thanks to their academic achievements. (Y/n) was among the richer students and had fairly normal grades, nothing really outstanding, but enough for her. Aside from that, she also had Hakuho's football team to manage, as her parents thought it would be a great way to train. After all, once everything is done and over, she will have to take over her father's CEO position.  Well... that's when some of her regrets started. The first one was meeting Reo, the second one was Nagi and the third one for allowing them to enter her close friend circle. (Y/n) didn't really plan any of it, but it was Reo who forcefully made it into her life, dragging Nagi along.

It was a peaceful day for (Y/n), she just finished reporting to the coach on the stats of the players and was planning on going home, when shit hit the fan. Walking put of the gym, she saw a large group of girls surrounding one of their star players, Reo Mikage. Who happens to also be the richest one in school, so that added to his charm too.

Sighing, (Y/n) walked over to them to stop the commotion. Would it have been anywhere else, she wouldn't have cared, but the coach strictly told her to keep the peace around the gym and field.

"Alright, can you all keep it down." (Y/n) said loudly, causing the group to look at her, including Reo.

"What do you want, (L/n)? You as his manager can talk to him whenever you want, give us a shot too." One of the girl's said, leaving (Y/n) stunned for a moment.

"I could care less if you want to talk to him or not. Just move it somewhere else."

"Ha?" The group wondered.

"The coach will be mad over the yelling. If you want to ambush Mikage so much, do it somewhere else." Reo was left stunned as the girl's sighed and after a few more minutes left the area.

'Finally.' She thought as she was about to leave, but the purple-haired boy stopped her.

"Manager, wait!"

"What?" But before she could turn around to see him properly, he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.

"Hey!" She yelled in protest as the boy grinned down at her.

"Let's be friends."

"What?!" She asked again, left confused by his demand.

And so it started, for days Reo would paster the girl, whether it's during lunch, during break or even during practice. Classes were a whole new experience now that he bribed the person sitting next to her, to switch seats. The change was sudden, but (Y/n) didn't mind it much, considering that he didn't ruin her routines or anything. So now fast forward a few weeks and the duo was pretty close, to the point where they called each other by their first names. Just as (Y/n) got adjusted to Reo in her life, he introduced her to someone else.

"(Y/n), meet Nagi Seishiro. He is the new addition to our football club." The girl looked at the white haired boy and nodded her head.

"(L/n) (Y/n), nice to meet you."

"Same." Nagi said back, making an awkward silence between the three.

"So... what did you need? An introduction to the football club's rules or-"

"Give me money." Nagi said, stretching his hand out. Reo chocked on his spit and started scolding the passive boy. (Y/n) looked at Nagi in disbelief, surprised with his boldness.

"If I have to be here and talk with people, the least I can expect is being paid." Nagi protested, causing (Y/n) to chuckle a little.

'Where did Reo find him now?'

And with that awkward introduction, the trio became basically inseparable. While it took Nagi a while to warm up to (Y/n), her liking some video games he played made it a lot easier to talk with her. To add to that, she would take her time in talking with him and let him sleep when he wished to. That had Nagi pretty much whipped for her.

"You don't want to eat? Nagi, Reo is waiting for us outside." (Y/n) argued as the boy waved her off and laid his head on the desk. "You can go without me. I want to sleep." Nagi whined and (Y/n) let out a sigh. Taking her phone out, she quickly texted Reo that the plans got changed and she pulled her desk closer.

"What are you doing?" Nagi wondered, opening his eyes.

"We will be eating here then. Reo will be here soon too."

The albino sat up straight now as he looked at (Y/n) in confusion. The girl took out her bento and started eating.

"You eat too, otherwise you won't be playing today."

"Says who?" Nagi questioned.

"I say that, and the coach too when he finds out you didn't eat anything."

"That doesn't sound like a smart plan for the school." Nagi sighed as (Y/n) stopped eating to look at him.

"After all, the school will lose today if I don't play."

"Ok? I don't really care for that. I want you healthy and not playing with a empty stomach. The school and its reputation are the last thing on my mind." Nagi's eyes widened a little as (Y/n) started eating again. The boy slowly nodded his head and went to take out his own lunch to eat.

Reo was pretty much attached to her from the get-go, liking her more carefree attitude when she is out of school. But also liking it when she took charge during their practices, specifically if a fight started between some players. Reo enjoyed in the fact that (Y/n) didn't care for his status or who his parents were, she just wanted to hang out with him.

"Soo where are we going?" (Y/n) wondered as the duo walked down the street. Nagi was out with a flue today, so the two visited him, bringing some medicine and food for him.

"We can go and get lunch? I know a good restaurant down the street." Reo suggested as (Y/n) nodded her head, as she was pretty hungry.

"You did great during practice today. I always like watching how fast you adapt and copy everyone." (Y/n) spoke up, causing the boy to look at her with a confused expression.

"Really? I always thought you liked Nagi's techniques more, since he is the best scorer." Reo said.

"I do like watching him too, but to me you both are equally good. Maybe I like your techniques more since you adapt faster than Nagi, it's really interesting." (Y/n) said absent-mindedly as Reo blushed from the compliment.

"Ah... it's really nothing special. But thank you." Reo smiled as (Y/n) sent him a short glance.

"It is though, not everyone can pull of the the things you do. Be more proud of it."

Reo said nothing as they approached the restaurant. If he wasn't sure about his feelings for her before, then he sure is now.

"Nagi, you have to eat, and stop making (Y/n) feed you!" Reo scolded the boy as he shook his head. The girl sighed and picked some of the meat and rice up, then fed Nagi with it.

"As long as he eats, I really don't mind. You should be eating your food tho, it will get cold." (Y/n) commented, looking at Reo's bent. The boy held back a groan as Nagi chuckled a little.

"I swear, sometimes it feels like we are parents and Nagi is our child, (Y/n)." The purple-haired boy said, grinning as the girl let out a chuckle. Nagi frowned at the comment, the idea of (Y/n) and Reo being married and having kids left a sour taste in his mouth.

"Anyways, are you two excited for Blue Lock? Being a manager for more players has me stressed now." The girl asked.

"Yeah! This will be so much fun, you as our manager and Nagi and I playing. Who knows, the two of us might win the World Cup together." Reo grinned while pointing at Nagi.

"Sure. (Y/n), you can wear my jersey when that happens." Nagi said, directing his attention to the girl. (Y/n) laughed and nodded at the idea, but before she could say anything, Reo spoke up.

"Mine would fit you better though. Besides, I call dibs since I met you first." Reo pouted and looked at (Y/n).

"I don't think calling dibs works like that." She commented, not noticing the glares Nagi kept sending Reo.

"Besides, I might not wear either at the end."

"What do you mean by that?" Nagi asked and Reo followed.

"Yeah! You would break my heart if you rejected it." Thinking he was simply teasing, (Y/n) wanted to joke in return. Unfortunately for her, she set of a flood of worried that way.

"Well, you never know if I catch a future players attention and end up marrying him. After all, the wives or girlfriend's always wear their men's jerseys."

Reo and Nagi's eyes widened at that and anxiety hit them both like a ton of bricks. They started to laugh nervously and nodded their heads, app the while sending each other worried looks. They could handle this rivalry between each other but with someone else? That is a no go, they will have to protect (Y/n) from whoever ends up in Blue Lock.