#so i'd already been writing this before this ask popped into my inbox but i think it fills the request rather nicely

[owl-with-a-pen]

Could you write something about what happened in the aftermath of the Flash episode? Like the team coming back and hearing about what happened, and maybe Nia talking to the first Dreamer. Thank you!

Okay so this is more just Nia telling Brainy, but I hope you enjoy. 😉

After a quick pit-stop at Central City’s Jitters – as recommended by one Iris West-Allen - the journey home passed Nia in nothing more than a caffeine-induced blur.

She hadn’t exactly planned on indulging in quite as much coffee to start with, but what she’d seen of Iris’s dream had piqued her curiosity. She could say one thing for certain: things ran far smoother in the real world’s Jitters, one where Barry Allen was safe and sound behind a hero’s mask and not a barista counter.

Nia wasn’t sure what time she got back to the apartment that night, but that wasn’t important to her. Besides, sleep was definitely not an option right now. She’d been practically buzzing since her last espresso shot and, while the come down would not be pretty, it was more than worth it to be awake for when Brainy got home.

The second she heard the tell-tale click in the lock, she was already on her feet and had Brainy pulled into a hug long before he could get a step through the front door. She melted into the crook of his throat the moment she was in his arms, breathing him in. He still smelled like the nano fibres that made up his super suit, which probably meant he’d disengaged it just seconds before touching down. They must have only arrived back on Earth in the last hour.

Brainy’s hands were quick to wind around Nia’s back, linking together at the base of her spine. She grinned into his shoulder before tipping her chin up to greet him. “Hey.”

“Nia.” Brainy spoke her name in one long exhale, the warmth of his breath prickling pleasantly across her cheek. Through it, she could hear that mark of relief that always accompanied her name whenever they’d been apart for too long, a habit neither one of them had been willing to break ever since Brainy’s recall to the future.

There was something different in his tone this time, though, something extra. A shift of unease that could only really mean one thing.

Crap. He knew.

Nia pulled away from him enough to see her boyfriend’s expression in full, which only confirmed her fears. Her face fell immediately. “Who told you?”

Brainy’s dark eyes held her firmly. “No one had to tell us anything. The Tower received twelve identical distress calls from Team Flash in the span of two hours.”

Nia groaned. “I had a feeling you were gonna say that.” Before Brainy could respond, she turned away from him, padding over to the kitchen. “You know what I think? Barry jumps the gun to panic way too quickly.” She plucked Brainy’s favourite mug from the drying rack, forcing a laugh over her shoulder. “Speedsters, am I right?”

Brainy didn’t say anything. In fact, he kept silent even while Nia poured him a share from the still warm coffee pot on the counter. The longer the silence remained unbroken, the more certain she became that they were going to need something a whole lot stronger to get through this conversation.

Finally, Brainy shifted in the doorway. She listened to his hesitant footfalls as he walked without urgency to the other side of the breakfast bar. She sighed, tapping the edge of his mug idly before pushing it out towards him.

“Nia,” Brainy said again, making no move to take it. There wasn’t any real anger in his voice, only a wary concern bred from everything she’d yet to tell him. He didn’t need to say anything else; she could read between the lines.

“I’m fine, Brainy,” she insisted. “I swear, okay? Actually, I’m a lot better than fine.” She smiled up at him then, unable to hide her own excitement. “I have so much I want to tell you.”

Brainy’s eyes flickered restlessly across her face, a look she recognised all too well. She’d definitely caught herself doing it to Brainy on more than one occasion. It was that final once over you gave your partner after a fight or on patrol, the one to make sure there were no cuts or bruises, no cleverly disguised signs of injury.

Her smile softened when Brainy finally relaxed. His hand grazed over hers as he took the mug from the counter. Nodding reservedly, he gestured towards the sofa. “Then, by all means.”

For the next hour, all Nia did was talk. She tried to stick to a somewhat chronological account of events, even if that was a little hard considering half of them had happened in the dream realm. Brainy sat silently at her side, drinking in every word with expect focus. He didn’t interject once throughout the story, although she did catch him twisting his ring particularly hard whenever she mentioned the parts about her nightmare vision, or at least what she’d thought had been a nightmare at the time.

After she’d finished, she realised that the wariness in Brainy’s demeanour had been replaced with total fascination. His eyes practically glittered with it. He’d stuck strictly to his side of the sofa for most of the story, but as she’d neared the end, he’d shuffled in closer, enough that their shoulders were nearly touching.

A breath caught in Nia’s throat as Brainy reached out, his fingers tracing a delicate pathway along the lines of her jaw and cheekbone where the Naltorian symbols had glowed the most prominently. She was sure there were no signs of them now she was back in the waking world, and yet Brainy touched upon their exact placement without any foreknowledge to guide him.

“Extraordinary,” he murmured, his voice soft with awe. “And you can see this… ancient Naltorian? Right now?” He straightened suddenly, eyes darting vigilantly about the room.

Nia snorted, covering her mouth. God, she’d missed him. “She isn’t always here,” she admitted. “But, uh, for the record…” She nodded over to the bedroom door where the first Dreamer had been stood watching over them for some time. She, too, had shown a great reverence in Nia’s recounting of events, smiling openly throughout as though to encourage her.

Brainy pointed bluntly in the direction Nia had referenced. “There?”

Nia bit her lip, taking Brainy’s arm and gently guiding it until his hand had crossed over the first Dreamer’s exact location. “There,” she said.

Brainy’s eyes lit up. He turned his full attention to that spot, bowing his head in a way that was equal parts respectful and adorkable.  

The first Dreamer also looked amused.

Nia smiled. “I think she likes you.”

Brainy lifted his head. “She does?”

 “Definitely. Maybe we can arrange a proper meet sometime in the dream realm.”

“I would be honoured,” Brainy said earnestly. He turned back to her, eyes wide. “This step you have taken in your pursuit to unlock the fullest extent of your abilities, it is astounding, Nia, truly. I am so glad you have finally been able to achieve it.”

“Yeah,” Nia said, rolling her eyes. “And all I had to do was stop trying to control everything.”

“You would be surprised how rarely a person is able to relinquish such control.” Brainy’s lips twitched fondly. “It is a particularly stubborn state of mind that extends to most intelligent lifeforms.”

“Even the most intelligent?” Nia teased.

“Especially the most intelligent,” Brainy returned gravely. He placed his hand across her knee, leaning in close. “How do you feel?”

Nia’s breath sharpened at the question. It was kind of silly, but up until then, she hadn’t really stopped to think about it. She closed her eyes, letting the rest of her breath ease slowly through her teeth as she considered her answer. “Like… my blood’s fizzing, but in a good way.” She chuckled lightly, flexing her hands out in front of her. “For that short time I couldn’t access my powers, I felt so strange, like the easiest thing in the world had suddenly become so hard. And… when they came back, it didn’t exactly feel as easy as it had before.” She frowned, opening her eyes. “Does that make sense?”

Brainy smiled knowingly. “As I understand it, that suggests your Naltorian ancestor has much she wishes to teach you.”

“And I intend to learn, believe me,” Nia said, feeling the first Dreamer’s watchful eyes on her, the calm fondness that seemed to radiate from that corner of the room. “But it does feel good, Brainy. I feel more powerful than ever.” Nia glanced down at her hands, willing a burst of dream energy through her bracelets. They lit up her fingers with such vibrancy, webbing between them like buzzing blue veins. “I thought I had a pretty good handle on turning this stuff into just about anything.” She clenched her hands together again, letting the energy disperse as quickly as it had appeared. She grinned. “Now I know that, before, I was barely scraping the surface of what these powers can do. I can’t wait to try them out.” Before she could say any more, a yawn claimed her and Nia reached for her mouth with a grimace. “Ugh, but that can wait ‘til tomorrow. Despite the whole being in a coma for most of the day thing, I’m exhausted.”

“Then rest,” Brainy said, kissing her cheek. He brushed his nose against hers before pulling away, squeezing her knee tight. “You have more than earned it.”

Nia sighed – that was certainly true. As she stood to stretch, she could feel a little of that buzz from the coffee swarm in the back of her head, although it could have just as easily been a trill from her newly developed powers. Her Naltorian metabolism would have the caffeine out of her system in no time, but the rest? She supposed she’d just have to get used to it.

As she headed to the bedroom alongside Brainy, she found herself passing by the first Dreamer once again. A tingle ran down her spine at such close proximity to the entity, but it wasn’t unpleasant.

When Nia was sure Brainy was out of earshot, she turned to the first Dreamer in earnest, clasping her hands in front of her. “Thank you,” she whispered. “For everything you’ve shown me, for everything else you’re gonna show me, but uh… for now?” She winced awkwardly. “Could we, um, get a little privacy, maybe?”

The first Dreamer’s smile broadened and she bowed her head in a similar fashion to Brainy’s initial greeting. She left without fanfare - one blink and she was gone.

Well, not gone, exactly. Nia knew that whether she could see the first Dreamer or not, a part of her would always remain within herself. In fact, that part had always been there.

She just hadn’t been looking hard enough before.

[sansaorgana]

Ok but Buck getting jealous or riled up from a British Air Force trying to get at his gal 👀

EDIT: I've just realized I totally misread this and didn't notice it's about BRITISH Air Force sdfghjkl; I hope you forgive me 🤣 I'm an idiot, I swear to God. feel free to send it again so I'll write another one!!!

hi, babe 🧸 thank you for your request 💗 Buck and reader are in America while this short fic takes place. let's say he got a few weeks off to spend at home 🏡

i currently have 2 more requests in my inbox but i was busy watching the bear today and now i have a slight migraine so i'll deal with them tomorrow, sorry xx

my inbox is open for blurb/short fic requests for major cleven 🤗

"What are you thinking of, doll?" his deep voice made you look up and blink a few times like you couldn't believe that he was there; back in your arms, so close and so warm. You were slow dancing together with Buck for the past half an hour but you couldn't focus on the moment even though you knew you should. He wasn't back for good. Not yet.

"You've only a few missions left," you bit on your lower lip and he chuckled before leaning in to look deep into your eyes.

"Aw, don't think 'bout it, babe. I left it behind for a few weeks, yes?" he pecked your lips and you tried to smile. "Come on, why the long face?"

"I'm sorry," you sniffled back the tears forming in the corners of your eyes and shook your head.

"Makes me think you're not happy to see me back in town," he teased and spun you around gently before pressing you close to him again. "What? Won't be able to see a loverboy for a while?"

"Don't be stupid, Buck. There ain't no loverboy but you," you chuckled finally and pushed him softly.

"There better not be 'cause I'd have to fix his face right."

"Sure thing, big man," you gave him a wide smile and cupped his face to caress his cheeks. You loved seeing your hands on him. You especially loved seeing your engagment ring on your finger. "You look so handsome in that suit, Cleven."

"That's Major Cleven for you, big mouth," he winked at you and you pulled a face to make him laugh.

"Fetch me something to drink, will you, Major Cleven?" you leaned in to kiss his cheek and asked. "All that dancing made me thirsty."

"Yes, ma'am," he nodded and walked you back to the table that had been occupied by you two before. He grabbed his cap to put it back on his head and approached the bar.

In the meantime, you opened your purse and tried to find a compact mirror with the powder to fix your shining nose and forehead. You didn't notice that some man stood above you. When you were done with your looks, you closed the mirror with a loud pop sound and you almost jumped in your seat at the sound of a tall dark-haired guy that kept staring at you.

"Excuse me?" you asked and looked him up and down. He was wearing a suit like your Buck but he was no Major.

"Um, I'm sorry, I've just noticed a beautiful girl sitting here all by herself and… I thought that, well, uh, I'mma fix that, perhaps…?" he took his cap off and squeezed it nervously with one of his hands as his other one went behind his head to scratch it awkwardly.

"And you are…?" you tried not to laugh at him. He was kind of adorable in that.

"Um… Sergeant… Sergeant Tommy Smith, miss," he introduced himself.

"Sergeant?" you raised an eyebrow. "Have you been to Europe already?"

"No, miss, no, I… I am going soon… It's my last few weeks before I go," he explained and you could see sweat forming upon his forehead. "Can I… Can I perhaps sit down?" he proposed, probably not realizing how bold it was. But he looked like he was about to faint any given moment.

"Sure thing, honey," you moved a little to give him a spot next to you but you tried to find Buck amongst the crowd. You couldn't see him, though, which was no surprise because the place was full of people – airmen, soldiers and their sweethearts... or girls hoping to become sweethearts soon.

"You're so… So kind, miss," Tommy nodded his head at you as he sat next to you. "What are you doing here all alone?"

"Who said I was alone?" you smiled at him and he blushed. "Oh, don't worry, he's not the beating up kind, my man."

Tommy seemed to sigh with relief but then his eyes widened at the sight of someone standing behind you.

"Is… Is that him?"

"Oh, honey, he's not scary at all, my man, he's…" you started with a chuckle but then you turned around and you saw the man that Tommy had been referring to.

It wasn't Buck. He was huge, enormous even. You've never seen an uniform so tight on the muscles like that. And he was tall as well. Wearing sunglasses inside at night type of guy. He was handsome, oh yes, he was. But he had this aura around him as if he had thought that the whole wolrd revolved around him. He was also an airman and he was chewing gum arrogantly.

"Is that kid bothering you, love?" he asked.

"Um… No," you shook your head and tried to find Buck desperately with your eyes but there was still no sight of him. "Not at all," you added.

"I'll g-go now…" Tommy stood up to leave quietly.

"No, don't leave me…" you tried to plead in a whisper but he put his cap back on and disappeared as quickly as he appeared.

So, now you were left with the big guy.

"Finally. These new ones are like pests," he sighed and sat next to you without asking for permission.

"Excuse me…?" you squealed but he only laughed and took his sunglasses off to take a better look at you.

"Why so scared, gorgeous?" he grinned showing off a set of pearly white teeth.

"Care to at least give me your name?" you asked, trying to move as far away as possible while staying discreet.

"Let's say you're about to find out later that night when you're gonna scream it, sugar," he winked at you and you almost gagged.

"Oh, I do believe I already have a name to scream," you stated, deciding that perhaps being as vulgar as him would make him finally get the message. But that was not the case.

"That guy's?" he laughed. "That kid's?"

"No," you shook your head and looked around but Buck wasn't coming.

"Something tells me you're bluffing me, little one," he leaned in and you took a deep breath in, trying to calm yourself down.

"Why would I?" you raised your hand to show him your ring. He hummed and whistled at it.

"Nice piece, baby. But it can mean anything," he insisted. "I think you're just playing hard to get, am I right, sweetheart?"

"Please, I am not interested," you shook your head as he was trying to put his arm around you.

"Why not? You seemed to be interested in the other guy and he was a fucking nobody."

"He was kind… And he wasn't pushy," you tried to get away as he was moving closer and closer.

"What's your name, by the way, sugar?" the man asked.

"Her name is Mrs. Gale Cleven," Buck's familiar, deep and warm voice made you look up as you smiled through the tears of humiliation.

He was standing above you with a drink in his hand and he looked oh-so-pissed like you've never seen him before.

"Shit, man, you mean she's married to that Major Cleven?" the big man let go of you and stood up immediately, grabbing his sunglasses from the table. "Thanks for the heads up, dude. And you are…?"

"Major Gale Cleven, dude," Buck answered angrily and you watched how the creep's smile dropped instantly.

"Oh, there's… There's been some misunderstanding, Major, I… There was a young Sergeant bothering your wife and I…" he started to stutter.

Buck looked at you now and you knew that he wasn't angry at you but his intense bright eyes still caused a chill go down your spine.

"Is that true?" he asked.

"There was a young Sergeant talking to me, I invited him to sit with me. He was friendly," you nodded. "I did not require saving as far as I am concerned… You, on the other hand," you looked at the scared big guy, "you were far from polite and you didn't treat me like a lady at all."

Buck put the glass down loudly in front of you and stared at the guy with contempt as the muscles of his jaw twitched.

"Let's take it outside," he proposed as your eyes widened. Buck was never the type to start a bar fight or anything of that sort. And as much as you believed in your brave Major, you didn't want him to fight that huge man.

"Buck, honey," you stood up to put a hand on his chest, "let him go, he's just drunk. He's not worth getting in trouble."

"I'm sorry Major, I didn't mean to be rude to your wife, sir," the man saluted.

"You only apologize because you know she's my wife. Otherwise you'd keep bothering her," Buck squinted his eyes.

"No, sir."

"Yes, Lieutenant, now get the fuck out of here."

"Sir, yes, sir!" the man saluted for the last time before walking away as fast as possible.

"Buck!" you pushed him gently as your jaw dropped. "Where did you learn such language?"

He didn't answer, however. He sat down, took his cap off and ran his fingers through his hair. You could see his hands shaking from restraining himself. You decided to give him a moment so you just sat down as well and sipped on your drink.

"Thanks for the coke, baby," you whispered eventually.

"You're welcome. The queue was long, sorry 'bout that."

"Oh, no need to be sorry," you caressed his tense arm. "Buck, you're okay?"

"Yeah, um, no," he looked up to meet your gaze and you furrowed your brow. He took your left hand and caressed your knuckles. "We should get married for real."

"I know, baby," you smiled widely, "when you come back to me for good, yes?"

"No, now," he insited all of sudden in a serious tone. "What if I don't come back for good?"

"Oh, don't say that! You've only a few missions left and… And this is supposed to ensure that you come back! God won't let you die when he knows you've a marriage to look forward to!"

"I want you to be safe if I don't come back," he didn't listen to you. "You'll have more privileges as a widow."

"Why are you bringing this up?!" you could feel tears forming in your eyes. "You were the one to tell me to stop thinking about it."

"But that jerk made me realize a thing or two, alright? Shh… Shh…" he cupped your face and kissed you. "Don't you want to be Mrs. Gale Cleven for real, sweetheart?"

"I… I do," you chuckled and nodded.

"God," he sighed and pecked your lips one more time, "thinking of you wearing my surname makes me dizzy more than any turbulence I've ever had to deal with."

"Just you wait and see, Major," you laughed through the tears, "being married to me will be the worst turbulence you'll ever experience."

"I hope that's a promise, doll."

MASTERLIST || BUCK MASTERLIST

[inkblackorchid]

me again! 😹 I love the headcanons you wrote ,thank you ! While reading them I imagined something else so I thought to give it a try !

Perhaps, do you think you could write Faithshipping married headcanons? That would be so cool , thank you in advance:)

Also ,I am so excited for more Faithshipping fanfictions. Also ,I love how you're giving Aki more time to shine and get actual development 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

@mathemagician93 Hope you don't mind me combining these since they pertain to similar topics!

Had to think about these for a while so they've unfortunately been sitting in my inbox for a couple of days, haha. But here we go, married faithshipping headcanons!

The proposal is a long time coming (especially to Aki and Yusei's long-suffering friend circle), but both of them don't know how to go about it at first.

I imagine Aki's parents are just traditional enough that they're basically expecting Yusei to propose, while Aki herself really doesn't mind who proposes, but ends up being too chicken to do it herself. (She doesn't think Yusei would reject her, but old fears are a bitch and she knows it would break her heart if he said no for any reason.)

Yusei, meanwhile, definitely has the courage to propose, but doesn't have the foggiest idea how to. What do people do when they propose?? (Jack and Crow are the polar opposite of helpful, btw.) He ends up taking Martha's advice of doing it in a simple, but heartfelt way.

It's not a big thing. It's a date, but not a date that immediately seems special. There's no crowd, only them. The question's quiet and earnest, and the memory of it belongs to them and them alone.

(For a couple of days, the others don't even know the big question came up. Everyone's offended as hell when they find out Aki and Yusei didn't consider it big enough of a deal to make a big announcement out of it. But big doesn't matter to them. What matters is each other.)

I imagine several parties would try to hijack the wedding planning. Among them, Jack, Carly, and Aki's parents. Nobody manages to keep their trap shut and not make unprompted suggestions, at any rate.

Despite the above, the wedding wouldn't be big and fancy, either. Everyone who's important is there, but nobody beyond that. Aki manages to wriggle the occasional input out of Yusei and puts together some kickass (floral, duh) decor.

(They both stress about the wedding. Aki looks more like she stresses, but in truth, Yusei's also worried he's going to make an idiot of himself. Fancy occasions were never his thing. But they manage to put their heads together and make it work, because that's what they're best at.)

Married life ends up not being all that different from the way things were before. I'd imagine they already lived together and tackled day-to-day life together before. Except now both of them are Dr. Fudo.

(Yusei wouldn't have minded taking Aki's name, but Aki's parents fussed and she wasn't too attached to Izayoi, anyway, so she happily takes Fudo.)

They absolutely manage to mix up their name tags for work (if not their lab coats outright) at some point.

Half of the nurses working with Aki know and are convinced she's married to Yusei Fudo (yes, that Yusei Fudo). The other half are dead convinced the others are just pulling their legs and that it's a rumour because it would be cliché anyway, etc. The reason why is that Aki doesn't see the reason to make a big deal out of her marriage (and knows Yusei likes his privacy).

By contrast, the entirety of MIDS knows Yusei's married to Aki Izayoi. Because he brings her up every second conversation—not even to brag (although he sometimes does), but simply because he thinks of her that often. (You cannot convince me Yusei would not be one of the most wife guys to ever wife guy.)

They are popular with literally all their neighbours because they're the most capable couple on the block. Your washing machine is broken? Ask Yusei about it. Your grandma tripped and fell? Better pop over to Aki.

They're good at dividing up the chores and know exactly which chores each the other likes to do less. (Aki's better at doing the laundry and hates cleaning the bathroom, Yusei's better at doing the dishes and hates dusting the furniture.)

Despite Aki's demanding work hours, being a doctor and all, Yusei still always manages to be awake earlier than her. He knows exactly for what time her alarm is set and always makes sure a cup of tea and something small to eat are ready for her by then.

In return, Aki likes to stay on top of making sure that Yusei's got lunch he can take with him to work. (Because she knows his abysmal working habits and the fact that he makes time to actually go for lunch too rarely.)

They coordinate their days off to the best of their ability. What free time they have, they want to be able to spend together.

Yusei may or may not forget his lunch on occasion. Aki, on days where she's not stuck at work herself, may or may not pop into MIDS to bring her husband his lunch. (Yusei's coworkers find it hilarious.)

Hope you like these! And thank you so, so much, glad you enjoy my stories! Aki deserves every little bit of development I can give her. ^^

[beautifulpersonpeach]

Jimin, dude, man, bro, wtf? What in actual goddamn fuck???

Listen, there like 3 Jimin solo songs I like and I am not a big fan of some of his vocal choices but let me tell you I was really hyped and hooked when the teasers came out. The drama, war anthem-ness, the grandeur of everything, I liked it all. So I was quite disappointed when the news of him rapping came out because I've heard him rap before and it was bad, and I especially was reluctant to watch the whole MV after I heard a snippet of it on my tl (the stylistically autotuned rap part, yeah). I was afraid to be disappointed after such great teasers.

despite my fears I finally watched the MV... fuck... WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK PARK JIMIN??? It's so damn good! Even the rap part??? I LOVED it. Separately it doesn't sound very nice but combined and mixed it somehow works well. And his stylistic vocal choices, the way he changes his voice all the time, it's amazing, it keeps you hooked and anticipating what comes next, it keeps surprising you, even shocked at some point. I haven't been a fan of bts songs since the fake love era (even black swan is not IT for me, it's really good but not THAT great) so it says a lot. this one is easily one of my faves EVER in their discography.

The song is a statement. A grand opening. Empowering.

BTW, the song is totally a type of song that you would play in your car while driving around with your friends and singing-shouting along. Wow, just wow.

*

Ask 2: Opinions on set me free pt. 2 seem to be divided in some circles 👀👀👀 ofc because of the vocal processingz that’s a common complaint for so many years already lol. I mean Pdogg is the main producer of the album so idk what they expected… personally i love the song and i think the vocal processing works but i think i can understand some people have different tastes and expectations… at the end of that day it was a choice consciously chosen by jimin and his producers. It’s there for a reason imo. I’m happy though that jimin really tried something different!!!!! So many people were expecting a ballad for this title instead we got a banger lol… and like you said Yoongi’s style is obvious even when he doesnt have a hand in making it directly… now i’m so curious what like crazy will sound like!!!! But i wanna ask if youll be making a post for set me free bpp???

***

Posting these two asks now because my inbox is already getting out of control and between getting zero sleep and a flight I've got to catch in exactly 73 minutes, I'd rather briefly get out some thoughts now, regardless of if they're coherent or not, because I don't know when next I'll have time.

Hi Anon(s),

I don't think I'll ever write a full review for this song, because there's a lot about it I don't want to talk about, a lot I don't want to share and would rather keep to myself.

That said,

Everything about Set Me Free Pt. 2 is right up my alley and objectively brilliant. Every single thing about it: the melody, the autotune, the chants, the rap, the fact the whole thing plays out in the same prison, the way Jimin uses his body as a canvas for inscriptions that only enhance his storytelling, the performance.

I have nothing to say to anyone who doesn't like this or that about it. Rapper Jimin was in my wishlist for PJM1 so... and I'm a hiphop head who listens to Travis Scott-type autotune at least a couple times a day. Plus I've got Yoongi, that nasty, autotune-loving, foul-mouthed cat as my bias. Joon and Hobi aren't that much nicer either. Anybody reading this to hear me say something critical about this song should wake up and smell the matcha.

Some things I want to gush about:

First of all, the instrumentals. PDogg went stuuuuuuuuuuuupid on this track goddamn.

This song is pure trap. An orchestral, haunting trap anthem is what Set Me Free Pt. 2 is.

It is so sick. So maddening in how good it is. No wonder he was so excited about Jimin ending k-pop in 2023, the song he produced is easily the best produced Korean song so far and believe me when I tell you that is really saying something, because the competition this year has been stiff.

*

The Vocals

Jimin's voice is the most emotive in BTS. That's one reason I love it. Another reason is because nobody's vocals in BTS, in k-pop, fuck, in all of Korea, drips as much sauce as Park Jimin's. I've said before, Jimin sounds inhuman almost, I describe his voice as serrated steel coated in honey and wrapped in silk because it sounds distinctly metallic, but can be oddly soothing. But with Jimin, there's a tone he takes sometimes that has this undercurrent of nasty, of unapologetic vulgarity, and in Set Me Free Pt. 2, he uses autotune to amplify it to brain-piercing perfection.

PDogg brilliantly uses autotune to aid Jimin in sending a message.

The shrillest, most distorted we hear Jimin is when he raps after the first chorus, and that's by design. The use of autotune in this song is intentional, and we can see this because every time it ratchets up, Jimin is being crude and uninhibited - as though it's a second voice, an alter-ego, or Jimin himself speaking the deepest truest thoughts he holds, pushing them to the surface after suppressing them for nine years.

PDogg has used this sort of autotune on Jimin's voice before, in the second chorus of Black Swan (timestamp: 2:24 - 2:50)

It's hidden in the backing vocals in Black Swan but felt in full cathartic force in SMF pt 2. And it feels incredible.

Stream:

*

The Message/Lyrics

This is the part I don't want to write about because I'd rather keep my thoughts to myself. Not because I have special insight or think I've discovered something no one else sees or whatever, but because it's the only thing about this song that stayed within my expectations of who I think Jimin is. Plus I'm certain various interpretations will be offered by many other bloggers, so I'm okay sitting this one out.

That's the most I'll say now.

[im-a-marion3tt3]

...at this point i might as well just make a home for myself in your inbox, haha !! (please please please tell me if i'm in here too often !!) i notice that you're still wanting fic requests so i can't stop myself from popping in again :0

i have two suggestions, but goodness, please don't feel pressured to write both. and if neither of them interest you, that's completely fine too !! <3 (as a cw, both requests are related to your sh/ed fics)

the first is a request for (yet another O_O) continuation of the swiss/phantom storyline. you've left me wanting more again, haha !! so perhaps swiss' screaming match conversation with dew and rain about their negative influence on phantom ?

if that doesn't take your fancy, the line in sickeningly sweet "sure he told mountain a lot but never that much" has also got me wanting more of your writing and storytelling ! i'd be really interested to know what you think phantom has and hasn't told mountain in regards to his issues with eating (and maybe even dew as well, because mountain mentioning that dew told him a few extra details that phantom hadn't has got my brain running wild with possibilities !!)

this got very long, i'm so sorry :0 and i have so, so much more to say about all of your writing too !!? but i'll leave this ask as it is for the moment, since it's already quite long <3

Omg sorry I took so long writing this. I like drowning in work rn but I finally have the time to write again! I like your idea of Mountain and Dew so here you go! Thank you for the suggestion so much and I hope you like it! Sorry it's a little short.

Dew was laid on Mountain's chest, the two of them inside of the green house on a reclining patio chair. Gently, Mountain dragged his hair through Dewdrops long hair as he gently hummed. He had been working with both Phantom and Dewdrop on their eating, being the only ghoul to have enough patience and not tell the two to "just eat". So he found himself here, enjoying the warmth of the greenhouse.

"How's Tom?" Dewdrop asked softly after a few minutes of silence. After Mountain had taken him through the list of genuinely concerning side effects, Dewdrop had felt terrible for what he had done and turned to worrying for Phantom far more than himself.

"He's getting there but it's not great. He cried over having to eat breakfast. It took him half an hour to even try it but it's better than last week when he simply fell asleep rather than ate," Mountain said in a sad tone. It had broken his heart to see the poor kit distraught over essentially nothing; but he knew it was basically everything to Phantom.

"I'm so sorry," Dewdrop whispered, his heart shattering some. Mountain just rubbed his back and sighed, feeling sorry for both of them.

"It's all my fault, Mountain, I was the one who started this," he murmured biting back tears before continuing on in a meek voice, "I d-didnt realize he was going to do this so sometimes I'd point out the calories in things I wouldn't eat. I didn't even think he knew what a calorie was. And I said so much hurtful shit after that too. I thought he wanted me to be mean to him, I really did. I thought I was making him better by being worse." Tears streaked down his face by this point as Mountain held him close, just letting him get it all out.

"And, and, I made him hate his favorite food. Do you remember when Copia would get him cakes or cookies or just something sweet after every concert? And how happy he was to get them? He was so proud of himself... And I said he looked so much better not having eaten that shit. That it showed on his hips and that it was the reason he was starting to look like a little piglet. Why did I ever say that? This is all my fault!" At this point Dewdrop was sobbing, his body shaking as he cried. Mountain just held him tightly and let him cry. To think that both of them thought like that though, it made him want to cry too. They were both getting better though, and that was what mattered. What had been said couldn't be undone, so all that was left was to hopefully undue the damages.

[bluedalahorse]

Hey! I love your YR analysis posts, thank you so much for sharing your ideas with us! :) I'd love to hear your opinion on what you think happens in August's mind that allows him to look beyond Sara's class background when date her, given his obsession with defining himself by his status social standing. Thank you!

Hi! Thanks for reading my analysis; I’m glad you like it! I’ve been dreaming of answering an ask like yours for a long time, so I’m glad you popped up in my inbox. As it happens, I have a shorter answer and then a much longer answer prepared.

So, the first part of my thesis here is that August’s attraction isn’t rational. Feelings kinda happen however they’re going to happen, and people try to rationalize those feelings and make them make sense and fit into the frames they have for relationships. You are right to notice that August has to get past some mental blocks to get to the place where he sees Sara as a dating prospect at all. But once he gets there, he rationalizes her presence in his life using frames he understands.

Now, August doesn’t necessarily see status as something he has to earn. He sees it as something he already has and is owed more of, and as something with ideals he strives to live up to. Nonetheless, as much as August clings to his status to give himself a sense of stability in the wake of family trauma, his status is constantly in jeopardy throughout both seasons. This is what makes his behavior so erratic, and why he lashes out at others.

My (potentially controversial?) sargust theory is that Sara and August are attracted to one another from the earliest episodes of season 1, even if they don’t understand that as true at first. August’s understanding of his attraction to Sara changes over time, the same way his sense of security in his status changes. How he responds to Sara is tied together with how he responds to his perceived power in any given moment.

We often think of the ruling class as being tied to old, outdated traditions, and to some extent, that is true. But from my experience of working in proximity to people of considerable privilege, one of the ways they express that privilege is in how and when they move goalposts to fulfill their desires. Those who are privileged claim the power to write the rules, but also the power to decide what the few rare exceptions to those rules are. By the time August recognizes that he’s fallen in love with Sara and is willing to commit to her, he’s also decided to rationalize her as one of those exceptions.

It’s a little easier to see the evolution of his thoughts when you break his interactions with Sara down by half-season. Luckily, I had a meta started focused on what I see as the timeline of their relationship, so I was able to take what I’d already written and modify it to answer this ask. I’m putting this behind a cut, because it’s SUPER long. But hopefully it shows the shifts in his thinking and the ways he eventually ties Sara to his philosophy of exceptionalism. Feel free to read on if you’re curious…

(Content warning for most August topics, especially in this case toxic relationship dynamics and class-based sexual harassment.)

Intro: Framing Attraction

Before we start, we have to recognize some things about the nature of attraction. First, it’s important to realize that not everyone feels attraction in the same way or at the same pace. Wilhelm and Simon fall for one another pretty quickly, to the point where Simon makes an unambiguous move on Wilhelm at the end of 1.2. For all that Simon and Wilhelm still have a lot to understand about their feelings, Sara and August are both less in touch with their feelings and what they would want out of a relationship. In Sara’s case, we see her asking a lot of questions to the other girls that shows understanding her own feelings isn’t always easy for her. (I imagine one of the ways her AuDHD manifests is alexithymia, which, haha I relate tho.) August, meanwhile, spends so much time in cycles of self-denial and self-punishment that he’s gotten used to ignoring his own needs, whether that’s emotional needs or even needs around things like food and not over-exercising his body. As a result, what occurs between Sara and August is paced and dealt with in dialogue a little bit differently than the Wilmon stuff, but it’s just as dramatic.

Second, and less comfortably, we have to acknowledge that attraction is not always accompanied by purity of intentions or emotions, and that a person’s understanding of their own attractions can be influenced by outside social structures. As a result of these structures and systems, attraction can also be expressed in ways that are laced with disdain. (Patriarchy, for instance, gives heterosexual men an abundance of sexist language and tropes to draw on when describing or addressing women, even women they’re attracted to.) Hence August calling Sara a “freak” and berating her early on in the study hall scene. This is not to agree with the idea that A Little Boy Pulls On A Little Girl’s Pigtails Because He Secretly Likes Her, because that is a dangerous and harmful idea and I don’t subscribe to it. Rather, I want to examine how societally-influenced biases shape our ability to process and act on our feelings in a healthy way.

Sara and August sit at an intersection of class, gender, and neurotype that influences how they react to one another and initially prevents them from seeing one another as potential partners. Consider that an overwhelming amount of Western history and culture includes men who harass women into relationships, spouses complaining about one another, working class women getting taken advantage of by upper class men, and just general… *waves at all of that.* As much as we want to believe we’re now in the era of the emotionally honest softboy, these sexist, classist, and ableist influences are still very much with us, and we still see the kind of nonsense that’s out there nowadays radicalizing young men into crap behaviors toward women. We don’t have to be resigned to this in our own society, but we do have to acknowledge it and how it influences August. I mean, August can’t even express his attraction to Felice without being gross and offensive about it, and she’s of his class and therefore someone his biases nudge him to see as “marriage material” at first. So how is he supposed to recognize what he’s feeling about Sara and reframe it in a healthy way?

For what it’s worth, we can see how Wilhelm’s societal programming impacts his relationship with Simon, too. It’s not just the sexual orientation stuff, but the class stuff. We can see the little moments where Wilhelm starts to drift into “we can just hook up and have it be a secret forever.” We see how he tries to make things happen with Felice (and that’s additionally nuanced, because he and Felice are also performing Gender as Hillerska defines it.) The part where Wilhelm denies being with Simon in the video on live TV is really the apex of that kind of class-based thinking, that would let him just kind of have Simon be a secret guy on the side. 

Wilhelm however, unlike August, is much more willing to actively question his biases from the beginning of the series. He protests against being at Hillerska in the first place because he doesn’t want to be surrounded by people who parrot the ideas he was raised with and validate him on everything. Wilhelm wants his views challenged, even when he is periodically tempted to slide back into the habits of the upper classes. August wants his views reinforced, because he clings to his class status and social hierarchy as something that makes him feel grounded, and that’s always slipping away from him in a way it isn’t for Wilhelm. August eventually does push past his biases and see his attraction to Sara for what it is, but things go to hell again when he tries to assimilate her into his class-bound cultural norms.

1.1-1.3: August and Sara discover each other’s existence

In the first three episodes, August isn’t trying to assert his status by pursuing Sara. Instead, he’s pursuing Felice, who he insists that he wants to marry. (Marriage is, after all, a way to keep the noble classes going.) Still, there’s little hints about his future with Sara that we should be watching for, it’s just that neither Sara nor August quite knows the vibes they are putting out just yet.

I want to start by pointing out a moment of foreshadowing during the party scene in 1.1. August is giving Wilhelm his “we could murder someone and get away with it” speech which ends in the question of “who wants to be ordinary?” The Eriksson siblings enter the party right then, and the camera cuts over to Simon and Sara together. We’re following Wilhelm’s gaze at this point, and the camera is showing us his attraction to Simon, what with the way the way Simon is surrounded by colored light, all glow sticks and casual clothes and charisma. (I love this moment because it’s an immediate visual rebuke to August’s philosophy of exceptionalism and special-ordinary dichotomy; the special can be found within the ordinary, and there is so much beauty there.) We’re in Wilhelm’s head and being pulled along into his attraction to Simon. At the same time, August is shadowing Wilhelm the same way that Sara shadows Simon. From the start, we are being primed to see these two relationships as parallel. The camera isn’t quite ready to hint at full-fledged attraction yet, but it’s telling you to get ready for that attraction to develop and track it throughout the season.

In 1.2 and 1.3 we have moments of uncomfortable subtext. Consider the moment in 1.2 where August slides up to Sara and casually asks if maybe, could he please try some of her ADHD medication?

(Crap, I saved this but I forgot who made it. If someone tells me, I’ll credit them in an edit.)

I wouldn’t call their vibe consciously flirty or anything; that’s not quite what’s happening here. Sara’s initially buried in her book the way I am when a guy tries to talk to me on the metro. (She can be feeling attraction but still find the attention unwanted, which is important to mention. These things are complicated.) Still… there is a Vibe on August’s part. I say there is a Vibe because of how Simon reacts when he sees the conversation happening. Immediately Simon rolls in and plays the protective brother and is very��never talk to my sister again. Which is about the 50 mg of Vyvanse, yes. But I find it hard to believe that this is not also about August potentially hitting on Sara, and Simon being worried about that.

As for 1.3, one place where there might be subtext about Sara’s feelings is the whole to-do over lunch tables. August is gatekeeping the Erikssons’ access to lunch as a way of flexing his power, and each Eriksson reacts in a way that’s quite telling. Simon is incensed, and uses it as the springboard for a (very justified) rant. Linda isn’t bothered; she is so cheerily sure it’s all just a misunderstanding and of course they’re going to be served in a minute. Sara… is quiet and withdrawn in a way that suggests she might be embarrassed by both her brother and her mother. Simon is unwilling to accept the rules while Linda doesn’t understand them. Sara’s worked so hard to learn the social rules and fit in, and here are her family members flagrantly ignoring the rules! In front of people! In front of… a person she might be developing a crush on, but knows she “shouldn’t” be? It’s not quite there until you think about it in retrospect, but that’s why Young Royals has so much rewatch value.

To be fair, both of these scenes are operating very much in the realm of subtext rather than text (and neither of them portrays a healthy sargust power dynamic.) It’s comparatively rare to encounter a heterosexual pairing who can’t quite find the words or social structures to articulate what they are, while the same-sex pairing they’re paralleled to knows very much that they care for one another. Wilhelm may struggle to label himself, but he understands that he desires Simon. Meanwhile, August is quick to claim a label and perform heterosexuality as a political stance, but doesn’t understand how nuanced and unexpected his desires can be.

I will also remind you that August and Rousseau are the same character, and that instead of giving us an overt, literal, absolutely excruciating Sara-August-Felice love triangle, Lisa dives into the horse subtext instead. A lot of what is under-the-surface in the early part of season 1 is expressed through the horse stuff!

1.4-1.6: Realization and Recognition

The second half of season 1 marks more of a transitional period in the sargust relationship. At this point, the subtext from before is rapidly beginning to surface in the text, and Sara and August are learning more about one another and trying to make sense of what they’re feeling about each other. There’s always been a vibe hanging between them, but now is really where they start to get pulled into one another’s orbit. At first, this looks like it’s going to conform to a toxic patriarchal paradigm, but that paradigm gets twisted a bit at the end of season 1.

Naturally the first scene that marks this shift is the one in 1.4 where August looking for Felice in the stables and encounters Sara instead. August’s immediate response to finding Sara alone is to try and sexually harass information out of her, which… is definitely uncomfortable again. We’ve got to acknowledge that in order to unpack this scene.

I’ve seen a lot of people argue that the stables scene is where Sara’s attraction begins, and I’m not sure if I agree with that. Sara’s inexperienced when it comes to relationships, but I don’t think she’s so pure and naive that August’s cocky performance is what sweeps her off her feet and makes her fall for him. We also know she isn’t taking what he says at face value, because one of the questions she asks him is what he really wants. Instead, it makes infinitely more sense to me that Sara’s already been attracted to August for a few weeks and is still kind of wondering what those butterfly feelings are in her stomach, and now here’s this extra bizarre social interaction (with added kissing that Sara doesn’t consent to but may have wanted under different circumstances) for her to hang those feelings on.

On August’s end… man. Why must this boy be such a can of emotional worms? I do wonder how much something is shifting in his head as he begins to hit on Sara. Most of those shifts are happening for him subconsciously. Maybe what he’s settling on in 1.4 is that, it’s fun to flirt with Sara to assert his social dominance that way, but at that point in the narrative he doesn’t think she counts as a long-term relationship/marriage material kinda girl the way Felice does.

Here I think it’s important to remember for that for most of Western history, wealthy upper class men weren’t shamed for pursuing women of lower classes on the side of their married relationships. (Sometimes these side relationships were more or less consensual relationships with mistresses, but other times men were just taking advantage of women who worked for them, and consent was impossible.) I’m not saying that August is thinking consciously about Sara being “available” for temporary amusement because she’s working class, but I am saying that’s the historical tradition of toxic masculinity that he’s been raised in. He does not expect to be caught and dumped for kissing Sara, because unconsciously he’s absorbed the upper class patriarchal programming that doesn’t even identify this behavior as cheating. It’s just a “fun” way to get the information he wants. (Ugh.)

Tl;dr it’s important to view August hitting on Sara in the stables not as August leaning awayfrom his upper class status, but rather as him trying to assert it. Yes, he does try to get Felice into a committed relationship with him to assert his status and masculinity, but now that he’s in a committed relationship with her he doesn’t feel any more secure in his status. So now he’s pulled Sara into his whole social class deal as well. (Ugh. UGH.)

That isn’t, thankfully, where August stays. 1.6 marks another key shift in his mindset toward Sara, because it’s where August sees a genuine connection between them for the first time. When Sara goes to confront August about why he leaked the video of Simon and Wilhelm, he corners her and offers to give her whatever she wants. Sara confesses her secret desire—to be a boarder at Hillerska and become one of its elite students. August’s reaction is fascinating, because there’s almost a quality of relief to it. Part of that, of course, is because he can easily buy her off. But I think it’s also because he’s finally not alone. It’s worth remembering that August has spent most of season 1 worrying about paying his tuition and the possibility that he might get kicked out of school. As Erik tells us before he dies, August made Hillerska his entire personality as a way of dealing with the grief over his father’s suicide. Sara, who is using Hillerska to escape her own family trauma, feels similarly about it as a space where she can feel more agency, and now she’s worried that her mother will pull her out of school.

(On Sara’s part, August’s behavior has become increasingly erratic over the course of the last few episodes, and I think she’s drawn to the idea that he might need help. I covered a little of this when I talked about Sara being the special horse girl who wants to tame the troubled horse, but we also see this come out in her friendship with Felice. She wants to help Felice when they first meet! Not to mention, one of the big things Sara gets in trouble for is revealing people’s secrets. If you think about it, August has revealed the biggest secret of the series by leaking the video about Simon and Wilhelm. As pissed as Sara is on Simon’s behalf—and people forget how pissed she is, in 1.6—she also understands what it’s like to have let a secret out and regretted it. Sara’s doing rationalizing of her own.)

I don’t know how much of that runs through August’s head in an obvious or logical way, but in his gut, he’s feeling this jolt of recognition. Sara feels it too. Sara sees him, and he sees her. The magnetic pull has finally brought them together, and when she kisses him, he kisses back. We’d be rooting for these kids as they found a genuine connection, if they weren’t also covering up a horrendous and harmful crime. Sigh! And know we know we’re in for some drama in season 2…

2.1-2.3: Liminal Companionship

Season 2 begins with both Sara and August in an in-between state, where neither of them quite fits into the world they’ve been placed in. Sara’s gotten her coveted boarder’s scholarship to Hillerska, but is rapidly becoming disillusioned with the amount of wealth her dorm mates take for granted. August, meanwhile, hasn’t had to leave school after all, but is convinced he could lose his status and freedom at any minute if anyone finds out he leaked the video. They don’t really discuss this directly, but it’s clear they feel more comfortable around one another because each of them has seen a side of the other the rest of the world isn’t aware of. Moreover, given the amount of discomfort each of them is feeling at the beginning of the season, it’s understandable that Sara and August would seek out one another’s company more deliberately.

It’s in this in-between space, where August feels like he’s lost so much of his Hillerska identity, that he finally starts to recognize that Sara is someone who can hold emotional space for him. At the same time, he goes back and forth between wanting to be vulnerable with her and keeping her at a distance. He breaks down and panics in front of her, causing her to teach him deep breathing, but then runs away after. He seems to like Sara, but he’s cautious about getting too close.

Sara and August’s physical relationship is also in a liminal state at this point in season 2, somewhere between an unexpected platonic friendship and a blossoming romance. Not that anyone should have to define a relationship if they don’t want to, but it’s almost humorous to me how you have this period between 1.6 and 2.3 where Sara and August keep touching and kissing and even grinding on one another and they just… keep acting like it’s happening for the first time. Like. Do we maybe want to communicate about that? No? Yes? Omg you kids are such teenagers, stop.

Sara takes the physical lead most of the time, which is a change from the aggressive predatory gender roles we see August performing in 1.4. I don’t think August is more passive because he isn’t interested (we see the way he lifts Sara up onto his desk in 1.6, and the way he laughs to himself after Sara leaves his room in 2.2.) I personally think this is more about August’s tendency to punish himself. His establishing shots in 2.1 are all about self-punishment and self-denial—the grueling exercise, the infamous bites of kale. We also see him refusing to fight for himself when Wilhelm starts maneuvering him out of his Hillerska positions. August is starting to give up in a big way, and at first he holds Sara at arms’ length because he isn’t letting himself indulge in anything that could bring him actual joy.

For that reason, we don’t really see a reciprocal ebb and flow develop between Sara and August until 2.3, when they finally more consciously choose to do relationshippy things and decide to have sex for the first time. One thing that really stands out to me in this scene is that August is so sure he’s doomed. He is genuinely convinced at this point that the palace is going to send him to jail and brand him a criminal for life. And now that he’s lower than he’s ever been at any point in the series, he’s weirdly somehow gained the ability to show compassion for himself. This is also the episode where he throws his pills aside and pats Rousseau (his narrative shadow) on the nose. If August is doomed anyway, and he’s about to lose everything, well, why not give in to his developing feelings for the girl who likes him back even if she knows he made a terrible decision? Maybe he thinks it’s his one chance to be with her.

I don’t know if August expects that he’ll fall hard for Sara. The reality is, by the time they’re together, he already has fallen for her. Suddenly, she’s a person he’ll fight to keep in his life. Suddenly, August doesn’t want to give up anymore.

2.4-2.6: Whose Cinderella fantasy?

The first time I watched season two, I wondered if August was going to approach Sara differently after his meeting at the palace. There was always the possibility that his (alleged) new security in life would influence him to cast her aside and go back to pursuing upper class girls. Instead what we see is that August is just as devoted to Sara as before—even more devoted, in fact. He invites her to the dance so they can debut together as a public couple. He sets up his room with candles and champagne and waits for her and there’s almost marriage proposal vibes about the whole thing and we all die of second-hand embarrassment when Sara texts to say she’s changed plans. August and Sara argue at the Valentine’s dance, causing August to backslide and start scheming again, but the minute she shows up and cries at his door about losing Rousseau, he takes her in and comforts her. He buys her the horse. He refuses to snitch on her in the field when Wilhelm has a gun pointed at his chest.

Anyway. We know August has very deep feelings for Sara, and it’d be easy to say his feelings run deep enough that he no longer cares that she isn’t high class. And his feelings do run that deep. But there’s another component too, when you think about how August is envisioning his future, and how Sara is part of that future. He’s happy to have her listen in on his phone call about the ten-year plan because he sees her as part of the ten-year plan.

After August’s meeting at the palace, he no longer sees himself as the heir to Årnäs, but rather as a prince in line for the Swedish throne. A noble is supposed to serve and protect the king by making an advantageous marriage and having sons—August explains this much in 1.4 when he’s talking to Wilhelm about the Society—but the king (in August’s fantasies at least) is ultimately at the top of the hierarchy and can bend the rules to suit his will. So August marrying who he wants is really an expression of kingly power, in August’s mind. Of course he can rewrite the rules for himself and marry Sara and make her his queen. He almost says exactly that out loud, when he promises never to hurt her and frames it as a royal oath. And while August and Sara never discuss having children, I’m sure August assumes it will happen someday. (That weirdo probably has names picked out and everything.) That means he’ll be able to fulfill one of the most important duties of kingship (especially in an era where a king’s powers are mostly symbolic) which is producing an heir and keeping the monarchy going.

Anyway, I actually do think that between Sara and August, it’s not Sara who’s caught up in the Cinderella fantasy—it’s August. He really wants to be the prince who rescues her from her ordinary life of drudgery and makes her dreams come true. Why? Because August loathes himself and can’t sit with his own flaws, and it’s more comfortable to imagine himself as Sara’s princely hero than as the guy who leaked the video. And he and Sara are soulmates, in August’s mind. He sees her ambition, and sees himself in it, and he wants to reward it. I don’t think that’s something he could see himself doing as the heir to Årnäs, but maybe it’s something he can do as heir to the throne.

Implicitly I think there’s an element of competition with Wilhelm, too. Sara and August’s fight at the Valentine’s dance brings that subtext bubbling to the surface. Sara is concerned about being in a public relationship with her a royal when she saw what happened to her brother after being outed. August replies, bitterly, that he isn’t Wilhelm, and accuses Sara of just wanting sex.

It’s worth unpacking this. As viewers, we know exactly how devoted Wilhelm is to Simon. But from August’s point of view, all he sees is Wilhelm disavowing Simon on live TV and not standing by him. Keep in mind, too, that the rumors of Wille and Felice’s hookup are traveling around the school at that time, and yet Felice and Wille are not attending the dance together, probably signaling to August that either a) Wilhelm treated Felice like a conquest and then pushed her aside, or b) Felice is a gold digger who took advantage of Wilhelm for her own gain. From August’s perspective, what he’s thinking is, he’ll be more committed and mature than Wilhelm. He will be a good partner. He’s not afraid of being seen with his Eriksson sibling, who he absolutely intends to take to the dance properly and stand in posed graduation photos with and probably marry someday. August is keeping score, and he also believes in his own hype. He’s infuriated that Sara can’t see how he’s different than Wilhelm. That’s why the moment he and Sara are back in each other’s arms in 2.5, he immediately leans toward rhetoric about making her his queen and staying with her long-term. I do think he genuinely means this, but we also can’t ignore that he sees himself as better than Wilhelm for it. He’ll do an unexpected fairy tale romance of his own and he’ll do it better than Wilhelm ever did, dammit!

Now if you’re very clever (and yes, this is me trying to channel the gravitas of Abigail Thorn) you’ll notice how actively ignorant and irrational August is being. He’s constructing a narrative about his relationship with Sara that ignores their rocky beginnings. To some extent, August doesn’t have a full picture of what’s going on in Wilhelm’s head, and he’s also assuming he’ll have a lot more free will as king than would actually be true. (We see this in another way, when he tells Jan-Olof he has some ideas about how to modify the Jubilee Day speech, and gets stopped from doing so.) But it still doesn’t stop August from dreaming about being able to write the rules for himself.

Well, of course August is actively ignorant. Systems of oppression thrive on the active ignorance of those at the top. That’s exactly what allows people in August’s position to think well of themselves and genuinely see themselves as good people (who occasionally make mistakes) rather than people running a system that perpetuates wealth disparities and patriarchy and inequality.

Conclusion: The Privileges of Inconsistency and Ignorance

To sum up: I genuinely do think that August is attracted to Sara from almost the beginning of the show. At first, his warped worldview causes him to ignore or lash out at or objectify her, and overall fail to treat her with respect. When it looks like he might lose all of his power, he does have a brief window where he can see her as a fellow human being who makes him feel less alone, and discovers his feelings for her in a new light. As soon as he’s spared by the royal court, however, he becomes consumed by the fantasy of being king and rewriting the rules to make Sara his queen. Being able to cast her in that role would go against convention, but it would also be the ultimate expression of his power and agency. Other people would still have to follow the rules, but August would get to break them, because the king gets to make the rules and be the authority on everything. This isn’t, of course, what Sara wants—but part of August’s hamartia is that he assumes he and Sara are on the same page.

Maybe this isn’t a popular opinion, but it’s upsetting to me that Sara and August didn’t get to connect under different circumstances. When they work together, they work. But by god do they need some therapy and a social revolution to boot. I 99% agree with (I believe) missbolt’s post on Sara and August, where she talks about them fulfilling a deep need in one another. The one place I disagree (possibly in a very nitpicky way that isn’t really disagreement) is that I do think August sees real ambition/struggle to survive in Sara, and I do think Sara sees real vulnerability/loneliness in August. These traits are real and not illusions. Because Young Royals emphasizes choices over “innate” moral personality traits, however, what Sara and August don’t foresee in each other is the choices and sacrifices the other is willing to make. Sara is willing to put aside her ambitions to try and make things right with her brother, while August shoves away his vulnerability to try and prove to himself that he’s worthy of power within a system that’s content to just use him and toss him aside when he isn’t useful anymore.

Neither Sara nor August really expects the other to make these decisions, and that’s what drives them apart. Sara’s choice will hopefully save her and allow her to reconnect with community; August’s choice will only further isolate him and drive him toward destruction if he doesn’t check himself and change course. August could stop this cycle of self-harm if he stopped subscribing the aristocratic ideals of masculinity, but he hasn’t yet. How infuriating! The amount of sleep I have lost over this fictional character’s terrible decisions, let me tell you.

(It kills me how gendered Sara and August’s sacrifices are, too. Sometimes I just think about it and I want to scream. But I can also appreciate the well-written tragedy of it all.)

I will also say that this reading of the characters influences my reading of the show at large. It’s part of why I’m not personally in favor of the monarchy sticking around and a Prince Consort Simon future. (I get why it appeals to other people and can read others’ fics based around that, but it’s not my personal preference.) It’s also why I can’t find hotness in the idea of Wilhelm being a sort of sexy masc dom prince who orders people around and pulls strings to make things more convenient for his precious Simon. August already exists in the narrative as a cautionary tale against that kind of power dynamic! There’s more to be said here about the way you can look at August’s choices compared to Wilhelm’s, and how they are foils to one another. Ultimately, there is danger in trying to rewrite an oppressive system in accordance with one’s individual whims, even when a person imagines something as noble as romantic love as being what motivates them.

Once upon a time, I was leaving @heliza24 a comment on the Heart and Homeland draft she sent me, and I said this:

“The road to democracy is letting aristocratic boys embrace their submissive tendencies.”

And… maybe I was being a little bit facetious. But on a symbolic level I think what I meant was, Wilhelm and August both have to envision themselves in new positions, possibly even as part of a new system, if they want to do right by the people they love. Moreover, they need to think beyond the people they love, and consider the impact of their power has on the world at large. They need to learn humility, to listen, and to manage their emotions. So far, it’s Wilhelm who’s succeeding in that kind of growth, and he doesn’t win that victory by trusting in his love for Simon alone. Instead, as I pointed out in my justice meta, Wilhelm needs therapy and community and the willingness to self-examine in order to move forward. He learns to stop focusing on winning Simon’s love like it’s a prize, and focus more on being the kind of person Simon would choose to be in a relationship with, while still acknowledging that ultimately the choice is Simon’s.

Will August eventually be able learn the same lessons? Only season 3 can tell for sure. I kind of hope he can figure it out eventually, against all odds, if only so he can one day heal from his trauma. He also has to radically accept that he caused harm toward Simon, Wilhelm, and others. If August wants to get there, he’s going to have to stop subscribing to the philosophy of exceptionalism, and instead start valuing the special within the ordinary.

[laf-outloud]

Did you see Jared talking about discussing things with writers for a reboot today? Do you think that will happen?

Since I received a few different asks (with varying degree of interest, lol), all about the reboot discussion from HonCon, I thought I'd combine them and share my thoughts about what Jensen and Jared shared.

Now, the main panel didn't really have anything substantative in regards to when a reboot might happen or what it might be about so I'm mostly basing my thoughts on the Gold panel (which you can view here.)

(Side note: The English teacher mention was just referencing the attendee who asked the last question because she actually was a student of Jared's mom.)

The question (starting at 29:31) was basically asking about how the scenes would play out between Sam and Dean in Heaven, post 15x20, when Sam tells Dean about Dean Jr., and then later Sam's anticipation and reunion (and meeting his Uncle) when Dean Jr. joins them in Heaven. Here's their response:

Jared: "I will say, un, not to try and dodge it, but I hope... I have some ideas, and I hope now that the writers are back, and actors are back, that we all get to see it together."

Jensen: "We get to see those scenes played out in real life?" shrug "Wait, what?... Yeah, (?) stay tuned on that."

Jared: "Yeah, yes."

Jensen: "There's some conversations regarding that conversation that are being had."

So, I know they've talked reboot before, and usually it's pretty vague... "putting the boots back on" kind of stuff. Here, Jared does dodge the question, which was very specific. If, what I'm thinking, actually sees fruition, @lol-jackles should ask for a writing credit, because he's shared this idea before!

Basically (and I'm not a mind-reader so this is just my opinion), I think they're looking at the possibility of doing a post-15x20 series that centers around Dean Jr. with Sam and Dean popping in as side characters. And I think that for a couple of different reasons. One, is, like I mentioned, Jared's dodge of a very specific post-15x20 question. The second, if you go earlier in the panel (around 9:40), Jared is still talking about hanging up the acting boots and moving behind the scenes to tell stories. I don't think he wants to go back to the grind of SPN as a lead. I think he knows that a successful reboot requires both Sam and Dean, but I imagine they would be there in a limited capacity as a way of handing over the baton to the next generation.

Now, you may say that Jensen already tried that and failed with The Winchesters so why would they do another series where Sam and Dean's roles were limited? Well, I think TW had other issues besides the lack of Sam that helped doom the show, not the least of which was an inexperienced production team. With Jared on board as an EP, which he's proven he can do successfully, he'd have power over the story, the casting, hiring the writers, etc. that could give a reboot a better chance.

Of course, it still sounds like they're in the earliest stages, even though they've had three years to think about it, and who knows what the industry will look like in the next few years. As Jared and Jensen shared in the main panel, if Supernatural had aired it's first season this last year, it would have been canceled because of all the changes the industry is going through.

Personally, I don't know if a reboot will ever see the light of day, regardless of how much Jared and Jensen may want it. There's so many obstacles they'd have to get through, including studio support. (And let's be honest, the WB is not in a good place right now.) Final answer... who knows! LOL!

Anyway, those are my thoughts. I hope you didn't mind waiting, but this was something that I wanted to respond to thoughtfully, instead of a quick glib answer. (Partly because the glib answers end up with tinhatters in my inbox, lol!)

[fuzzydreamin]

dropping into your inbox because i'm thinking about al <3

in what ways would you say they've changed the most since you created them? in what ways are they the same?

is there anything new you've recently added to their lore?

what's their relationship with the brotherhood of steel like? how'd they meet reed?

Thank you!!!💖🥰 I shall happily rant about my blorbo under the cut~

Hmmm... Al sort of popped into my brain fairly fully formed - or at least already part-way through the process of getting cooked. I tend to rotate ideas in my head for a bit before I decide if I will keep them or not.

Like, the first time I thought about them was how the presence of the LW in my Fo4 story would impact things, which meant I had to have a fairly good idea of who they would have been before that point - mostly running off the fact that Fo3 throws a lot of crap the players way, and they're pretty young for it all, so that had to have left a lot of scars (physical and mental). I've certainly ironed things out more and fleshed out certain niches of personality and backstory, but not so much that I feel I could specifically point anything out? The broad stuff is pretty much already there, I just have to actually get to writing things down to see how they change from here. (I keep telling myself I need to replay Fo3 at some point so I can take more notes on smaller things or things that could potentially change larger things, but I have a backlog of stuff I want to work on first.)

Mostly I'd say their visual appearance has changed more, but that sits more on my ability to convey it. I've always had at least a rough idea of how they should look, but getting ideas onto a canvas is a whole ordeal, especially since I am not well practised. I need to do more general sketching and working on different face shapes. The character sheet reference I am working on is closer to how I want them to appear, but I don't know yet if I am fully happy with it. It's also the first time I am drawing her from the front, so I'm not sure how well the changes will translate (maybe I should work on a new side shot of her too)? Time will tell. Overall, I feel I have drawn their face too rounded and feminine in the past, and my first drawing of them didn't have the right skin tone. I also still need to work out scars and any other markings, like more tattoos (or any piercings), which is another thing I need to return to Fo3 for as well.

-

Al's relationship with the Brotherhood is definitely complicated. They were brought there by Dr Li after James died and joined up as a way to better protect Dr Li and the other scientists while they completed Project Purity - viewing her fathers death as at least partially her own fault, since she was meant to be the muscle.

They didn't know a lot about the Brotherhood really, and they weren't in a good mental state and didn't think it through very well. If asked, they wouldn't say they agreed with most of the Brotherhood's ideals - they certainly don't follow the codex. Hell, they even work with the Railroad within the Capital when called upon (not super common - they have other people for most jobs - but it happens), so their personal stance within the Commonwealth's faction war turns out the be rather conflicted from that alone (the Brotherhood/Maxson don't know she works with them).

That's all a large part of why she's a Sentinel though. After the events of the main game, with nowhere else to go, Al tried to stick with the Brotherhood for a while but it didn't really work out. Other than the general conflict of ideals, they felt trapped by the routine and mostly staying in one place and listening to orders all day. Owyn saw that they struggled and decided to make them a Sentinel shortly before his death, letting them roam and (mostly) do as they please while still being considered a member of the Brotherhood (This wasn't entirely out of good will alone, since it allowed the Brotherhood to maintain a claim over The Lone Wanderer and still call on her when they needed, rather than forcing her to stick around until she'd likely cut ties and self-exile to get away).

Even still, they have a strong connection to the faction due to them being the only solid foundation for them to fall back on during such a hard time in their life, as well as having close relationships with Owyn, Sarah, Cross, and Arthur. Al can be doggedly loyal to those they care about, and again they don't always think their actions through before taking them - they're a fighter not a diplomat. She is aware that she's like that though, and isn't a total puppet.

-

As for meeting Reed... Well, I've already let @bokatan know I might've begun working on something 👀 Largely inspired by this post. But, I still need to write at least a first draft and then run it by Bo before I feel I can say much more on any of that.

(Also, to add a disclaimer, all Reed/Al stuff is an alternate OC-verse kinda thing, and not part of their actual stories.)

[breezydaysoflife]

For the ask game!! A, J, N, V!

A: Of the fanfic you’ve written, which is your favorite and why?

You are a cruel, cruel person for this one- you know that?? Wants and Needs has almost 30 fics, how am I supposed to choose? I'm not gonna, that's how- you get 3. First is Needy- a very early fic that was written when I still had no idea where W&N was going, but still one of the ones I reach for when life gets a little too much. Second, The Past, The Future. The Crowley was Raphael fic. I love the emotion I put into it, the characterizations of both the ineffables- it's definitely one of the ones I'm proudest of, even now. Third(and yes, finally, I've already cheated enough), Drunken Nights Lead To Conversations. The banter when they're drunk, Crowley letting himself ask for what he wants, Aziraphale's easy acceptance of said wants- I just can't get enough of it tbh, and I think it's one of the perfect examples of what W&N is all about.

J:  What’s your favorite fanfic trope?  Have you written it?

Ooohhhh fuck this is a hard question, I usually just read whatever I can get my hands on, mostly, but uh... recently I've been really drawn to human AUs I guess? Mostly bcs a lot of them don't conform to/reference s2 and I need a bit more time before I'm able to read anything related to s2 more then once every 2 weeks or so./lh I haven't written any, mostly because they just don't fit how I like to write and my style.

N: Any fic ideas brewing that you’d care to share?

Mostly The Wedding Fic rn! I have. So many thoughts. It's gonna be 7 chapters, and I'm already having a blast planning their perfect ceremony. I also have some stuff for the ✨side series✨ I'm playing with, but I scrapped the last version of that fic for Reasons and I haven't started the new one yet

V: Are there certain comments you’ve received on your stories that have stuck with you?

Hmm. I wouldn't say it's specific comments, though I'm sure if I dug through literally all of them I'd rediscover something that really hits the feels, but I definitely remember people. There are at least a few usernames I see pop up in my inbox almost every time I post something, and knowing that they're there and still enjoying my work always brings a smile to my face.

[apriltearsbringmayfears]

Oh wow! You definitely have talent here. As much as I'd love to flood your inbox with requests, I also do hope you're taking time for yourself. You deserve all the good things in life.

Anyways, I would love to request the M6 getting a haircut from MC? With some extra fluff, if possible.

Thank you very kindly. I hope to see more of your work on here soon.

~M6 Getting a Haircut from MC~

Hi Anon! Thank you for the request, I hope you like it. I apologize if there isn't enough fluff. Midterms were this week and I've been a little sidetracked. However, my requests are always open or if you want me to write something more personal (like a oneshot) about a specific character, feel free to DM me (100% free, I don't do commissions :D ) 

Asra:

Asra has most definitely cut his hair himself before

However, he’d much rather have you do it

His hair has gotten a little shaggy, fully covering his eyes

Asra runs his fingers through his wavy hair and moves in front of you, inches away from your face

“MC, could you give me a trim? I can’t see you’re beautiful face enough-“

You run your fingers through his hair, almost massaging his scalp

His hair is incredibly soft (fun fact: that's canon)

He’s looking up at you the entire time, his hand planted on your waist

After, he looks in the mirror and smiles softly, “Absolutely gorgeous, MC”

He kisses all over your face, pulling you close

Nadia:

To be cutting her hair is a true honor and privilege

Only specific servants or well-known stylists have cut it in the past

But one day she looks at you and the thought entertains her

She’s feeling risky 

“Darling, would you like to try trimming my hair? Just my pesky dead ends..?”

She’s watching you like a hawk, giving directions (lovingly)

Her hair is silky smooth with a natural shine

It turns out great, she starts twirling her hair with a finger, admiring it

“You deserve a reward darling, anything you want~”

There’s a suggestive gleam in her eye

She decides to pop a special bottle of wine and have a nice dinner prepared

Julian:

Julian usually cuts his hair

But one day he thinks it might be fun to look up to you and have you do it for him

Not that he doesn’t already look up at you a lot of the time anyways *cough cough*

He’s twiddling his thumbs once you start cutting, face red 

His hair is pretty coarse and soft to the touch

You brush his hair from the front of his face, he leans into your hand

“You’re so good at this, MC”, he grins

Sort of gives you puppy dog eyes the entire time

He most definitely has you standing in between his legs, his thighs almost trapping you

After it’s done, he runs his hands through his hair “Mazelinka is going to be impressed, you know?”

He buys you a drink after, proudly showing off his new cut

Muriel:

Muriel has always been the one to cut his hair

Not sure if “cut” is the right word, it’s more like chop

He’s never given much thought about his hairstyle

You ask if you can cut it because it’s getting a little long and you can tell he’s getting a bit annoyed at the length

“I…uhh, I guess”, he looks away blushing

His hair is a little rough, with lots of dead ends but still soft and easy to take care of

At first, he’s tense, his shoulders are bunched up

But after a while, his shoulders go down and he closes his eyes

He finds it comforting and peaceful, leaning into you

After it’s done and he sees the end result, he just smiles

Pulls you close and kisses your forehead, “Thank you, MC”

Portia:

In the past, Portia would cut her hair herself or have Mazelinka cut her hair 

“You know what would be fun, MC?”

She practically bounces in front of you, curls bobbing up and down

“If we cut each other's hair!!”, she beams a bright smile

While you’re cutting, her feet are patting the ground in excitement

Her hair is soft, her curls are very defined and somehow never become frizzy

Pepi comes out of nowhere, looking at the situation and meowing in delight

“She says you’re doing a wonderful job~”

After the haircut, Portia won’t stop telling everyone what an amazing job you did

She’s incredibly proud

Lucio:

Lucio is the pickiest about who cuts his hair

His pride and joy are his looks (other than you)-

He quickly realizes that not many people want to cut his hair anymore, urging him to ask you

His hair is smooth, he takes well care of it

He’s directing you the entire time

“No, no, like this-“

He has photos for reference (paintings of himself)

He takes your hands and directs you on how to cut

His thumb is lovingly circling your palm

“There you go, sweetheart, just like that~”

He ends up loving it, and won’t stop looking at himself in the mirror

[minisugakoobies]

Mugs & Kisses | JJK

Pairing: Jungkook x Reader

Genre: fluff, Barista!AU, strangers to lovers

Rating: T

Warnings: kissing, Taehyung is a bit of a rapscallion, general silliness, this fic may cause your teeth to rot - my apologies to your dentists

Word Count: 6k

Disclaimer: SFW, obviously I don’t own BTS - they just inspire me

Summary: Jungkook has something he'd like to tell you, but he can't find the words. So he's thought of another way.

A/N: I wrote this for ficscafe's au pairing event, using prompt fifty-two: ceo x barista ; where the barista unknowingly writes daily cute little messages on the cup of the richest person in the country. Put my own little spin on it, and set it at Christmas time because I am a sucker for holiday fluff. Unbeta'd as usual. I'd love to know what you think - my inbox is always open! 💕

Masterlist �� Find me on AO3 💜

The bell chimed as the door to the coffee shop swung open. Jungkook’s head popped up above the counter where he was crouching as he cleaned, looking around frantically to see if someone had just walked in.

“Don’t worry, it’s not her,” Taehyung’s low voice droned over his shoulder.

“It’s not?” Jungkook whipped his head around to gawk at his coworker, who leaned casually on the cash register in front of him, waiting for the customer in line to put away his phone and give his order. “I mean, uh, what are you talking about?”

Taehyung rolled his eyes. “Her. You know. The woman you’ve been making eyes at for the last month or so? Always comes in on Saturdays at this time of morning, always orders a caramel macchiato to go. And you always stare at her like a lovestruck puppy the entire time.”

Jungkook felt his face heating. Was he really that obvious?

He didn’t get a chance to refute Taehyung’s words before the door chimed again, and you swept in.

It must’ve started flurrying outside, Jungkook realized, from the snowflakes that dotted your hair and face, tiny drops of white that melted away as the heat of the coffee shop slowly thawed you. You peeled off your gloves and queued up behind Taehyung’s customer. He watched as you scanned the menu that hung on the wall behind him, eyes flicking back and forth as if mulling over your options, even though you always ordered the same drink.

Jungkook thought you had the prettiest eyes he’d ever seen.

“Kook,” Taehyung’s voice broke through his reverie. “Large dark roast, with one shot of espresso, to go, for Yoongi.”

Jungkook sprang into action. “Got it.” He snatched a cup, grabbed his fine tip marker, wrote “Yoongi” on it in loopy lettering, then set about making the drink. Once finished, he stepped to the end of the counter and called out “Yoongi!” A sleepy-looking man with pink hair wandered up and took his drink with a grunt that Jungkook assumed meant “Thanks.”

When he returned to his spot by Taehyung at his register, you were already placing your order.

“Medium caramel macchiato to go, please,” you chirped, your voice the sweetest melody to Jungkook’s ears.

Taehyung asked your name and you mentioned it as Jungkook remained rooted to the spot, gazing at you softly.

“Did you get that, Kook?” Taehyung repeated your name. Jungkook blinked and nodded, reaching for a cup and his marker. He started to write, then paused, thinking hard.

A minute passed.

“Uh, are you planning on making that drink anytime soon?” Taehyung asked, smirking at his friend. “Or did you want to ogle our customer a little more?” Jungkook glanced up, relieved to see that you had wandered off to wait for your drink, well out of earshot of Taehyung’s teasing. He shot his friend a dark look, then finished what he was writing and hurried off to make your drink.

You heard your name called out a minute later and walked up to the counter where the doe-eyed barista stood. He didn’t acknowledge you, focused on cleaning his equipment, but you thanked him anyway and picked up your cup. Stopping by the door to put your gloves back on, you shifted the drink in your hands, noting in happy wonder that, below your name, there was an intricate, beautifully etched snowflake, with “Stay warm!” scrawled beside it.

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

A week later, an amused Jungkook watched as a pile of shopping bags on legs burst through the door of the coffee shop. It trundled up to the counter, a pair of bewitching eyes peeking over the tops of the packages.

“Hi!” your voice rang out. “Can I get a medium caramel macchiato, to go, please?” Your face appeared as you lowered the bags, gingerly juggling them as you attempted to reach for your wallet.

“Starting your holiday shopping?” Taehyung questioned as you handed him your card.

“Finishing it!” you trilled cheerfully.

“Wow, this early? It’s only the beginning of December! I’m impressed.”

You shrugged, a pleased smile crossing your lips. “I like to get an early start, beat the crowds.”

As you and Taehyung chatted, Jungkook’s hands worked swiftly, his marker flying over your cup. He half-listened to your conversation, wishing he could join in. You and Taehyung struck up an easy rapport, gabbing away while Jungkook worked on your order.

He envied the way Taehyung could talk to anyone. Jungkook sometimes found it hard to say what he was thinking, especially if he was excited. He’d get overwhelmed and the message would get mixed up, words jumbling together somewhere between his brain and his mouth.

When a beautiful woman like you got his heart racing, he’d lose his words completely.

He didn’t realize how long he was taking until Taehyung raised an eyebrow at him, silently asking what he was waiting for. Jungkook ignored him and scurried off to make your drink.

You managed to rearrange your purchases by the time your order was ready, giving yourself a free hand. As you reached for your cup, thanking the dark-haired barista who was once again occupied with wiping down his workstation, you giggled at the detailed drawing of a cute little elf, a tiny gift box in its hands with your name written across it.

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

“Hoseok!” Jungkook called out, pushing a tray of drinks towards the edge of the counter.

“Jin!” He slid another tray forward.

Another busy Saturday in December. Only two weeks left until Christmas. The closer the holidays got, the more hectic the little shop became, gallons of coffee flying out the door as sleep-deprived shoppers fueled themselves for more retail madness.

Normally, this made Jungkook happy, because it meant the hours ticked by faster - and he usually left with bigger tips. But today, he wasn’t particularly enjoying himself.

He tried to convince himself that it had nothing to do with the fact that you hadn’t been in this morning, for the first time in weeks. That was certainly Taehyung’s theory, which he’d told Jungkook during their break, complaining that Jungkook’s sour mood was killing his “vibe,” whatever that meant. But he wouldn’t give Taehyung the satisfaction of agreeing with him.

Jungkook was in the middle of whipping up another tray of eggnog lattes when he heard Taehyung call out your name. As he dusted nutmeg over the drinks, he risked a swift peek at the register, where you stood talking at the blue-haired man taking your order. You were the last customer in line, which meant Taehyung could catch his breath and rest for a minute, before the next crowd shuffled in and the frenzy started all over again.

Jungkook quickly handed out the lattes, then hopped over to grab a cup for your order. Spotting a sly glance leveled his way, Jungkook understood with a sinking feeling that Taehyung was going to take advantage of the lull not to relax, but to bask in his favorite pastime - torturing Jungkook.

“I’m guessing you weren’t out shopping, since you are shopping bag free today,” Taehyung mused as he leaned towards you, resting his chin in his hand. “Not to mention you don’ t look like you’ve been fighting the crowds. No one who’s been out in those throngs could come in here looking as pretty as you do.”

Jungkook frowned as his marker swirled your name over the cup.

“Oh, no, I just needed my weekly fix of macchiato,” you answered, smiling sweetly in return. “I would’ve been here earlier this morning, but I slept through my alarm.”

“Late night?” Taehyung cocked an eyebrow.

You shot him a conspiratorial wink. “Oh yeah. This project I’m finishing for work kept me up all night.”

“Hmph, how rude of it. Well, I’m glad you came in. Wouldn’t be a good Saturday without my weekly fix of you.” He grinned, lips revealing a brilliant, boxy smile, hitting you with the full dazzling Taehyung charm.

Something that sounded like a rather annoyed grunt sounded from your left, and you turned to curiously eye the shaggy-haired barista standing next to Taehyung. He must’ve felt your gaze, because he suddenly looked up. As your eyes met, he froze.

You were struck by the thought that he very much resembled a deer caught in headlights.

After a few seconds, he seemed to snap out of it and spun on his heel, rushing off to make your drink. You cocked your head, wondering what that was all about.

“Sorry about him. Overcaffeinated. Hazard of the job.” Taehyung commented dryly.

You peered at the flirty employee standing at the register. “I’m sure it is.”

Your gaze kept snapping back to the tall barista crafting your drink. You watched him work in thoughtful silence, suddenly remembering something.

“Oh, do you have comment cards?” you asked Taehyung. “I wanted to tell your bosses how much I love the little holiday illustrations on your cups! They’re so cute and festive!”

Jungkook’s ears perked up. He tried to lean towards the conversation as unobtrusively as possible.

“The… holiday illustrations?” Taehyung repeated in a puzzled tone.

“You know, the drawings? Snowflakes and elves? I really like them.” You beamed. “They even look hand drawn, like a little personal touch. It’s a nice change from the plain cups.” Catching the confusion on his face, your smile began to falter.

“I have no idea what y-“

“Here you go, miss!” Jungkook cut Taehyung off as he set your drink at the end of the counter.

You strode towards the other handsome barista. As ever, his eyes were averted, but you caught a slight nod when you thanked him. Grabbing your drink, you twirled it in your hands until you saw your name. You grinned and brandished the cup towards Taehyung.

“I think this one is my favorite!” you giggled as you displayed a little reindeer, its antlers all tangled up in Christmas lights, the caption ‘Oh deer’ hanging above its head. “Thanks, guys!”

As the door closed behind you, Taehyung scrutinized Jungkook carefully, realization slowly dawning across his face. “Ohhhhhhh,” he crowed.

“Shut up,” Jungkook growled, walking away.

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“So, what will our artist-in-residence be sketching tomorrow, hmmm?” Taehyung teased Jungkook the following Friday. “Santa Claus? Christmas tree? Do you decide these things ahead of time, or do you find inspiration in the moment?”

“Don’t you have some work you should be doing right now?” Jungkook retorted as he tried to focus on the gingerbread latte he was crafting. Taehyung was crowding his workspace. “Cleaning? Restocking? Literally anything else?”

“Mmmm, nope,” Taehyung intoned. He draped himself across the counter to Jungkook’s left, not close enough to be in Jungkook’s way as he worked, but just close enough to be a major nuisance anyway. “You know what you should draw?”

Jungkook sighed, defeated. “What’s that?”

“Your phone number.”

“How… how do I draw a phone number?”

Taehyung stared at Jungkook.

Jungkook stared at Taehyung.

Taehyung sighed. “Dude. I just mean, give her your number already.”

Jungkook scowled. “Order ready for Namjoon!” He handed the drink to a tall man in glasses who flashed a dimple-laden smile. “Will you please drop it?” Taehyung had been hounding him about giving you his phone number all week.

Jungkook slipped past his friend, bolting for the stockroom in the hopes of ending the conversation. But Taehyung simply followed, undeterred.

“I don’t understand what the big deal is,” Taehyung went on as Jungkook paced the stockroom, pretending to take inventory of the cups and lids. “You like her, right? What do you have to lose?”

“I just… don’t you think that’s a little cheesy? Hey pretty lady, here’s my phone number! Call me!” Jungkook punctuated his words with finger guns, aiming at Taehyung.

“Well, yeah, if you do it like that, it’s definitely cheesy. Creepy, too.” Taehyung quipped. “Just write your number on her cup and leave it up to her. If she’s interested, she’ll call. If she’s not, she won’t. No harm done.”

“I don’t know,” Jungkook fretted. “What if she thinks it’s weird? Some random guy hitting on her? Or what if I make her uncomfortable? That’s the last thing I want!” Resigned to Taehyung’s nagging, he abandoned his inventory scheme and walked back out to the counter, knowing Taehyung would be on his heels.

“You’re overthinking this,” Taehyung declared.

“Maybe. Maybe not.” Jungkook waffled, turning to look at his friend. “I think I’d feel better about slipping her my number if we’d ever talked before. We haven’t even exchanged a simple ‘hello’.”

“Hello!”

Taehyung and Jungkook jumped, both surprised to find you standing at the counter, smiling brightly. Neither had heard the door open while they were in the stockroom.

“We gotta get a louder bell,” Taehyung murmured.

“Is it always this quiet on a Friday?” you wondered out loud as you surveyed the nearly empty shop. Pulling off your pink knit hat, you shook the snow from the fluffy pom-pom before unraveling your matching scarf.

“You just missed the morning rush,” Taehyung told you. “The usual, to go?”

Jungkook automatically picked up a cup and reached for his marker when you shook your head.

“Actually, could I have that for here instead?” You held up a laptop case. “Need to get some work done, wanted a little change of scenery.”

Jungkook slowly lowered the cup as Taehyung grinned widely.

“Of course! We’ll be happy to have your company today.” Taehyung rang you up as Jungkook marched rotely over to the espresso machine, lost in thought. “Have a seat and we’ll bring it right out.”

You chose a table by the window where you could watch the crowds drift by. Shedding your winter gear, you sat down and started typing away as you waited.

The shop was quiet save for some tinny holiday music rattling out of a speaker overhead. But after a few minutes, you thought you detected a whispered argument, a few choice expletives being hurled back and forth in hushed tones. You chose to mind your business and kept focused on your work.

You were so in the zone that you didn’t realize someone was hovering over you until they cleared their throat. You glanced up, startled.

The handsome barista with the big eyes was staring down at you. Jungkook, that was his name. He seemed almost as spooked as you. “Sorry. I, uh, didn’t mean to scare you.” He held out a large cup on a saucer. “Here you go.”

You slid your laptop to the side to make room. He lowered the cup and mumbled a quick, “haveagoodday,” about to turn and walk away when your fingers closed around his wrist. He stopped, going completely still with shock.

“Oh, how cute!” you cooed as you inspected your drink. The foam floating on top of your macchiato had been deftly swirled into the shape of a polar bear, bundled up in a big hat and scarf. In your delight, you had reached out to grab the barista’s arm unthinkingly. Upon realizing this, you gently released him.

Peering up at him, you inquired, “Did you do this?”

Jungkook nodded, tongue feeling too thick in his mouth to speak.

“That’s so cool. Do they teach you how to make different designs when you work here?”

Jungkook shook his head. “They didn’t - they don’t teach that stuff here. I figured it out on my own.”

“You taught yourself how to make foam art?” Your eyes widened. “Wow!” You watched the little bear bob gently across the surface of your drink. “I’m jealous of your skills.”

You gazed up at Jungkook with a warm smile. His heart somersaulted in his chest.

“Th-thanks,” he stammered, his hand rubbing the back of his neck. “Um, enjoy your macchiato.”

He bustled back towards the safety of the stockroom and sat down on a pile of boxes turned into a makeshift chair. A moment later, Taehyung strolled in, hands in his pockets, expression nonchalant.

“Sooooo, how did that go?” His tone implied innocence, but Jungkook knew he’d been stretching himself over the counter as much as humanly possible, trying to listen in. But he didn’t care.

“She liked my bear. She said - she said she was jealous of my skills.” Jungkook clapped his hands over his ears, feeling to see if the tips were as hot as they felt. He scrunched his nose as he grinned at Taehyung.

“And then?”

“And then I came back here.”

“That’s it?”

“Yeah.”

Taehyung looked aghast. “Good god, the way you’re reacting, I figured you’d asked her out - or, more likely, she’d asked you out. You just talked about foam art?!”

Jungkook nodded.

“You’re hopeless, man. Hope. Less.” Taehyung drifted away, leaving Jungkook still smiling to himself.

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The next time you visited the shop, Jungkook did a double take. Then a third.

Every other time he’d seen you, you were dressed casually - usually jeans and boots, though one time in late October you’d worn yoga pants and a clingy tank top, apologizing for being sweaty by explaining you’d just come from your first (and last) attempt at pilates, and he’d accidentally inhaled a noseful of espresso when you’d removed your coat to reveal your form-fitting workout clothes.

But you’d never walked through the coffee shop’s door looking the way you did on this particular Monday morning.

You wore an immaculately tailored dark green wool coat, with large black buttons running down your torso, that nipped in tightly with a shiny belt at your waist, then flared out into a ruffled hem, accentuating your hourglass curves. A black pencil skirt peeked out from underneath the coat, stopping just above your knee. Your calves were swathed in dark nylons, and as you turned to make sure the door closed behind you, Jungkook noticed a seam running along the backs of your legs. He swallowed thickly as he followed the line down to the intimidatingly tall high heels you wore that gave you an extra few inches, bringing you eye-level with him as you sauntered up to the counter and smiled.

Right at him.

From his post at his register, Taehyung whistled. “Wow,” he said, breathing your name. “You look amazing!”

You tore your gaze away from Jungkook. “Thank you, Taehyung,” you flushed, giving a little twirl at his compliment. “I’m happy to hear you say that, because I haven’t worn my power suit in a very long time, and I really needed a confidence boost today!”

“Your power suit?”

“Yeah.” Your fingers dropped to your skirt, smoothing a nearly imperceptible wrinkle as you explained. “I’m hoping to close an important negotiation today. Business deals like this always make me super nervous. But this suit is my secret weapon. It’s like a coat of armor - makes me feel like I can conquer anything. And then, you know, I had to make sure the rest of me was pulled together nicely - hair done, heels on, complete the whole look.” You grinned, posing cutely. “You think it works?”

“It definitely works.” Jungkook heard the words leave his lips before his brain alerted him that he’d said them.

Two heads swiveled in his direction.

Before Jungkook could think about running away, your phone rang.

“Ah, excuse me, I gotta take this!” You stepped away from the counter as you swiped your phone open, but not before the baristas heard you answer with your full name.

Taehyung suddenly released his grip on his register, popping upright. “Did… did she just say…” He repeated your name to Jungkook, who nodded, still sweating from his accidental utterance.

Taehyung’s fingers flew over his phone. “Whoa. I knew that I knew that name!”

Jungkook just waited, knowing from his friend’s tone of voice that he had something interesting to share.

But he was not prepared for the headline on the article on Taehyung’s screen:

Country’s Youngest Tech CEO Now Country’s Richest Tech CEO

He gaped at the photo accompanying the headline. It was you, appearing very much like you did today, hair pinned up, makeup tastefully done, and wearing the same skirt with similar nylons and heels. The top half of your suit was on display, and Jungkook had to admit - calling it your ‘secret weapon’ was no lie, because you were absolutely lethal in the fitted jacket, ready to vanquish your enemies.

The satisfied smirk on your face knocked the air from his lungs.

Once he regained the ability to breathe, Jungkook peered at Taehyung, baffled. “You read Tech Biz Weekly magazine?”

“My roommate Jimin’s cousin’s boyfriend works for her.” Taehyung informed him as Jungkook scrolled his phone, reading. “He tweeted this article the other day. She’s a big deal in software. I guess she, like, revolutionized the work from home industry with a program or something? I don’t know, I just skimmed it.” He shrugged. “But the point is, her company is crazy successful and she’s stupid rich. Like, could probably buy several islands without blinking rich.”

“But… she wears jeans?” Jungkook’s brain was completely scrambled, making it even harder than usual to find the right words to express what he was thinking. You didn’t look like a CEO, he meant to say.

“Yeah, dude,” Taehyung confirmed. “Rich people wear jeans sometimes. You expect her to dress like that all the time?” He pointed to your back. You were still on your phone, pacing in an empty corner as you spoke.

“Well, no, of course not, but… she was here on Friday and not dressed in office clothing.” You didn’t appear to work in a stuffy corporate job. “Right. Work from home technology, remember?” Taehyung shrugged again. “She probably uses her own products.”

“But she’s always alone? Shouldn’t she have bodyguards or something?”

Taehyung gave him a look. “I don’t think many people recognize her. She’s rich, she’s not Beyoncé.”

“She’s our age.” How could someone his own age be so rich and powerful?

“She’s your age, dude. I’m still your hyung, you know.” Taehyung gazed into the distance. “Oh. That means she’s younger than me. I need a minute to process.”

Jungkook attempted to reconcile everything he’d read and everything Tae was (rather blasély) telling him with everything he’d learned about you over the last few weeks. He already knew you were smart and confident. Was it really so surprising that you could be a tech savant, too? It… made sense, as much as it all could.

It just meant that you were even more out of his league than he’d thought. As if you’d ever be interested in a goofy, tongue-tied barista.

You returned to the counter, sliding your phone back into your pocket. “Sorry about that.”

“No worries,” Taehyung waved his hand. “So, medium caramel macchiato to go?” “Better make it large today,” you stated, handing him your card.

Jungkook had barely put the tip of his marker to your cup before your phone went off again. Wincing, you mouthed an apology to the two men as you grabbed your card and took the call at the same time.

You were so absorbed in your conversation, going over the final details for your big meeting, that you didn’t note how long it was taking for your drink to be made. But eventually you heard your name called over the voice of the lawyer nattering in your ear, and you flashed Jungkook a quick smile as you grabbed your drink from him and dashed out of the store.

Jungkook tried to ignore the pang of disappointment that struck when you didn’t even glance at the drawing on the cup. Ah, well. You were clearly a very busy woman.

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Two days left until Christmas. The coffee shop was a madhouse, with last-minute shoppers and holiday travelers packing the lobby and keeping the staff hustling from open to close. Jungkook barely had the time to think about you.

Yet somehow he did it anyway.

He wondered how your meeting went while he was whipping up peppermint mochas and snickerdoodle lattes. Wiping down his station, he imagined your face when you saw his drawing, hoping it had made you smile. Running to the stockroom for more cups, he remembered how you’d spun in your gorgeous coat and skirt, and paused to stare unseeing at the shelves, adrift in reverie.

He knew he’d have to get over this crush eventually. But it couldn’t hurt to stand there and pretend for a few moments that you might feel the same way.

It was while he was in the back that you entered the shop, door chiming as you scanned the counter.

Taehyung stood alone. Leaned alone, to be more precise, draped as usual over his register, blissfully enjoying a rare moment of silence between the swarms of shoppers. Catching your eye, he grinned.

“If it isn’t our favorite customer,” he greeted you cheerfully. You clocked the “our” as you reached into your shoulder bag and produced an empty coffee cup, setting it in front of him.

Taehyung snatched it up, examining it curiously. “You brought your cup back? Um, we appreciate your commitment to recycling, but we don’t reuse our paper cups. They are biodegradable, though.”

You didn’t reply, but simply reached out and rotated the cup in Taehyung’s hand until he saw it.

Inscribed across the cup was a stunning sketch of a fierce-looking woman, wielding a shield, sword raised above her head. Next to her was scribbled “파이팅.” Most would assume it was an illustration of a random warrior, but you recognized the woman’s eyes right away.

They were your own.

Based on the way Taehyung glanced between the drawing and your face, he recognized them, too.

“What does this mean?” you implored, tapping the word written in Hangul.

“Paiting,” Taehyung smiled. “It’s like, good luck, or let’s go! Like someone’s encouraging you.”

“Mmm,” you hummed, staring at the cup. Taehyung handed it back to you and you held it delicately, lowering your head as you contemplated his words. He opened his mouth to ask if he could take your order, but the question died on his tongue when you gazed up at him, an intense expression on your face. “Okay. Thank you, Taehyung.”

He tilted his head, not really sure what he’d done for you. “You’re welcome?”

You smiled. “I’ll see you later,” you said, walking away. As you exited the shop, shoppers streamed past you, filling the lobby again, and Taehyung’s attention was diverted by the next wave of customers.

It wasn’t until he was lying in bed that night, drifting off to sleep, that he realized he’d never told Jungkook about your visit.

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Christmas Eve morning was mercifully slow. The neighborhood businesses were already closed for the holiday, so there weren’t any employees needing their daily caffeine fix. By now, most travelers had reached their destinations, so they were no longer piling into the shop. The only steady flow of customers were the remaining last-last-minute shoppers, those who had procrastinated until there were only literal hours left to shop, and thankfully they were more of a trickle than a flood.

Yet despite the holiday and the quiet, Taehyung wasn’t surprised to see you walk through the door.

“Is he here?” you inquired by way of greeting, dusting snow from your hat.

Taehyung didn’t bother to ask you to clarify. “Yeah, he’s in the back. Let me grab him.”

Jungkook was combing through boxes, scouring for more caramel syrup, when he heard his friend’s voice call out, “Kook. You have a visitor.” He lifted his head to glance at the doorway and ask who it was, but Taehyung had vanished.

He blinked, suddenly nervous.

Taehyung was missing from his register when Jungkook emerged from the stockroom. And you were standing at the other end of the counter, bundled in your winter gear, with a cup in your hands and a soft smile on your lips.

Jungkook forced his legs to carry him to his workstation. You looked up as he approached.

“Hi Jungkook.”

His name had never sounded so sweet.

“Hi,” he responded. “Um, can I help you?”

You waved the cup around. “Did you draw this?”

Jungkook nodded.

“I didn’t notice it until I was on my way to my meeting yesterday,” you confessed, twiddling the cup in your hands. “It… it made me smile. I wanted to tell you that. And thank you.” You looked away shyly for a minute before giving him another sweet smile, and Jungkook felt his face heating in response. “The meeting went so smoothly. Even though I didn’t know what you wrote, I still felt like someone was cheering me on, and it helped. A lot.”

Jungkook knew he was still standing in front of you, but he felt like he was floating towards the ceiling.

“You’re welcome,” he murmured, just barely loud enough for you to hear.

“Did you do all those other sketches? The reindeer, the elf… was that you?”

“Yeah.”

“I thought so.” You regarded him closely. “Did you draw them for all your other customers?”

He shook his head, fighting the urge to cover his ears, knowing they were burning. “No.”

“Ah.” You bit your lip, fighting a smile. “You’re not much of a talker, huh?”

Jungkook just blinked his doe eyes in alarm.

“It’s ok. I talk enough for the two of us.” You suddenly dug into your bag, searching for something. “Anyway, like I said, I wanted to thank you. This time of year can be... hard, you know? I didn’t intend to visit this place so often, honestly - I’m not much of a coffee drinker, as you can tell by my preferred order.” You grinned and Jungkook couldn’t stop himself from beaming as well. “But you and Taehyung have always been so nice, and then the little sketches… well, they made me happy. I wanted to show my appreciation, so… here.” You thrust a small package into his hands. Jungkook stared at the beautiful gold wrapping paper, the gauzy white bow, and the tiny tag that read “Jungkook” in elegant handwriting.

A gift? For him?

He automatically moved to open the package and you quickly interjected. “Wait, don’t open that now!”

He stopped, gazing at you with wide eyes. You smiled at his startled expression.

“Sorry. I just… just open that later, okay? After I leave.” You cleared your throat. “I, uh, took the liberty of breaking it in. But I don’t draw, so… you’ll see,” you blathered, fiddling with the strap of your bag.

“Okay.” He easily acquiesced to your plea and tucked the package under the counter, out of sight.

“Okay,” you repeated, nodding. “I better get going. Got a lot of miles to travel today.” You edged towards the door. “Merry Christmas, Jungkook. Please give Taehyung my wishes for a good holiday.”

He nodded, watching you walk away. He felt like he was going to burst. As your fingers gripped the door handle, he found his voice, calling out your name.

“Merry Christmas. And… thank you.”

Your smile shone brighter than all the Christmas lights strung throughout the shop.

The moment the door closed behind you, Taehyung instantaneously reappeared. Jungkook assumed this meant he’d been hanging out in the back hallway, eavesdropping on your conversation. He didn’t care. He grabbed the gift and set it on the counter.

Taehyung gestured for him to continue.

The metallic paper sparkled as Jungkook turned the gift over in his hands. It was wrapped so neatly that it almost seemed a shame to tear into it. But he didn’t think he could wait a second longer.

Peeling back the layers of ribbon and paper, he found a gorgeous, leather-bound sketchbook. Tucked inside the cover was a row of pristine pencils arranged in a perfect rainbow of colors.

On the first page of the pad was written a little note:

Jungkook,

Talent like yours deserves a better canvas. Hope this helps.

And underneath your signature, a phone number.

“Whoa,” Taehyung marveled, plucking the sketchbook from Jungkook’s hands and inspecting the contents. “Fancy!”

Jungkook was halfway through the lobby before Taehyung looked up.

“Where are you going? You don’t have your coat!” he heard his friend yell as he opened the door and dashed out into the cold.

❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️❄️

Falling snow made it difficult to see very far as Jungkook spun around, scanning the street. He shivered, wishing he had grabbed his jacket. But he’d been moving on instinct, his gut telling him to run out the door before he lost you.

Though he was starting to fear that he already had as he surveyed the scene around him. The boulevard was mostly bare, only a few other people out trekking through the wintry weather. Then he spotted it - that fuzzy pompom, bouncing on the top of your knit cap as you strolled away a few blocks down from the shop. Jungkook started to run, skidding slightly on the slippery pavement.

“Hey!” A voice was shouting your name. You slowed your pace, glancing over your shoulder, eyebrows shooting up as you saw Jungkook dashing towards you.

“Jungkook!” you exclaimed as he came to a halt, breath huffing into little white clouds as he panted in the chilly air. You observed his lack of outerwear with a frown. “You must be freezing!” Taking his arm, you ducked into the entryway of a closed clothing store, tugging him behind you, giving him partial protection from the snow and wind.

Huddling close to you in the doorway, Jungkook forgot his words again.

The wind whipped up, nipping at your face. Brushing your hair out of your eyes, you retreated more, leading Jungkook further out of the cold, until your back bumped the door behind you. You peeked up at him patiently, giving him time.

Eventually, he spoke. “I just… wanted to thank you. For the sketchbook. It’s amazing.” A shy smile crossed his face, eyes crinkling as he beamed, and you swore your heart skipped a beat. “No one’s ever given me a gift like that before.”

“Well, I have to be honest. I gave it to you for rather selfish reasons,” you admitted.

His deer in headlights expression returned. “You did?”

“Yeah. Because I can’t wait to see what you do with it.” You looked down at your feet, feeling slightly bashful yourself. “I’m hoping you’ll show me.”

Jungkook’s gaze flitted to your lips. He licked his own unconsciously, fighting the urge to lean in. Would it be too forward to kiss you?

You lifted your head, and something hanging above Jungkook’s head caught your eye as it swayed in the wind.

“Jungkook,” you murmured, pointing. “Mistletoe.”

His eyes followed your finger, missing the way you glanced at his mouth, watching the perfect cupid’s bow and pouty bottom lip pop open in surprise. He gawked at the little green sprig someone had strung up above the store’s entrance.

How else should he interpret the tiny plant, but as an answer to his question?

Jungkook cupped his hands over your cheeks, drawing you to him for a tender kiss.

Your eyes fell shut, lips brushing against Jungkook’s as he pulled you close. Warmth flooded from your head to your toes, driving out the winter air’s icy sting. Your fingers fisted in his apron as Jungkook hummed into the kiss, stepping forward until he was flush against you, pressing your back firmly into the door, causing you to squeak slightly.

Jungkook broke the kiss. “Sorry! I - I got carried away,” he apologized, dropping his hands from your face.

You shook your head vehemently. “No! Don’t apologize. That was really nice,” you gushed, releasing your grip, trying to iron the wrinkled material of his apron with your hands. “But you should probably get back to work before you catch a cold! I can’t believe you’re out here like this.”

Jungkook lowered his head, grinning sheepishly. “Yeah, I, uh, didn’t really think this through. I just wanted to see you. And….” he trailed off, running his fingers through his dark, messy hair.

“And?” you prompted him lightly.

“And ask if you want to get dinner with me. Maybe next Friday?” He peered at you hopefully. “I’ll bring my sketchbook.”

“To show me or to draw me?” you teased.

“Both, if you’ll let me,” he replied, without hesitation, a playful gleam in his eye.

Your neck burned as you nodded your acceptance, suddenly too shy to speak.

Jungkook promised to text you before sprinting off back to work.

As the door chimed, announcing Jungkook’s arrival, Taehyung poked his head out from where he’d been standing in the back, savoring the quiet with a hot cocoa.

“Well?” he demanded.

Jungkook just smiled. He opened his gift, selected a pink pencil, and started to sketch.

© 2021-22-23 by sunshinerainbowsbts/minisugakoobies. Crossposted to AO3. Please do not copy or repost.

[whitleyschn33]

Hey, I don't mean to bother you again, but if you're still feeling up to it, I'd still like to see your opinions on each member of the Schnee family. No pressure if you don't want to do it though; I still appreciate seeing whatever you do post.

Hey!

You’re not bothering me, trust me. My motivation for... well, everything, but this blog in particular fluctuates pretty wildly, and that means that asks can sit in my inbox for months. The world going to hell hasn’t helped much. Also, every single time I’ve tried to write this, I’ve ended losing chunks of it cause I was too dumb to just type this in a word doc and copy-paste, so that’s been frustrating, to say the least.

Now that I’ve gotten smarter, though, let’s get into the Schnees!

Jacques

I have mixed feelings about how he was (potentially) written out of the show (and I have a feeling I’m going to be saying that a lot in this reply). I said in this post awhile back that I didn’t want Jacques to become an agent of Salem because something like that would most likely become the focal point of his asshole-ness and shove everything else to the side. That feeling holds true, but not really in the way I had been expecting.

How he ended up benefiting Salem, I’m perfectly good with. Him not knowing about Salem or Watts’ motives for making the deal with him, making the deal because it of how it would benefit him and not to serve Salem/kill people - that I’m good with. He was an unknowing pawn Watts/Salem manipulated around the board, but not a mustache-twirling villain all on board with working with the genocidal maniac/serving on her council of villains, and that’s all I really wanted - for him to not be a knowing member of Salem’s board of evil. Being part of a group that desires global destruction just doesn’t fit his motives – can’t make money off people if they’re all dead.

However, the fact that that’s why he was arrested - that his downfall was due to and focused solely on being involved in a Salem plot that just popped up this volume rather than anything to do with his treatment of the Schnees or the Faunus - that kinda rankles. This goes back to the ask I answered a while back - the focus on all the new plots and characters that meant a lot of the old stuff that’s been built up was shoved aside. Jacques being taken down feels like it should have been this huge emotional climax, tensions running high with all of the Schnees there and a huge release of all of those tensions as Jacques gets taken down for the crimes that we as the audiences most revile him for – his treatment of the Schnees. Instead it was… none of that. Jacques is arrested by Weiss for his aid to Watts… and she promptly cracks a joke about it to kill the tension. Winter is able to get in a decent snap at him, but that’s it from her. The entirety of Jacques’ arrest is focused on the heating crisis. He’s dragged off, and only Willow and Whitley get to witness and react to it, and even that’s just a look from Willow and Whitley running off looking completely done with everything – they don’t even react with each other. There’s nothing in Jacques’ downfall about his abuse to his wife and children or even the Faunus, it’s all the election and Watts – plot points that don’t hold nearly as much weight to the audience as ones that have been set up for years.

So, TLDR for Jacques: I actually hope this isn’t the last we see of him, because that would be a disappointing way to end the Schnee’s arc as a family. At the very least, I hope we get to see him talked about between Winter, Willow, and Whitley if/when they actually get to talk to each other.

Willow

Mixed Feelings: Round Two.

Her design? Love it. Her conversation with Weiss? Gold. Willow as a character? A bit more involved than I would’ve thought from how very non-existent she’s been up until now and implied to have been in Weiss’s life, but I can roll with her being a bit more aware than I would’ve gone with. Willow’s role in this volume? Ehhhhhhhh….

I hate that she literally just has a camera hidden in Jacques’ office and recorded the entire thing. It seems like such a cheap way of Weiss getting the information she needed, and comes out of nowhere after there was already a way for her to get the information set up in Whitley. Seriously – we already had Whitley established as having seen Watts, seen Jacques’ reaction to him, look suspicious at Watts, and hear at least the man’s first name. Whitley absolutely had the information Weiss needed – so why the hell pull “Willow actually has cameras set up everywhere” out of thin air? And actually – wouldn’t Jacques have his office swept for cameras and bugs on the regular? You know, like the head of an extremely powerful organization and high-profile target of at least one major terrorist group probably would? To prevent something like this exact situation from happening? I just find it hard to believe that she could’ve set them up for long without being found, and setting them up just before something important to the plot happened in that room is just very convenient.

And like, there’s actually no reason that it needed to be that way. Willow and Weiss could have had the same conversation, just swap out the lines about the cameras with “I don’t know, but I know who would – your brother”, and you can even have Weiss still say that he wants nothing to do with her and Willow agree with her “you left him here with us” line, prompting Weiss to seek him out to get the information she needs and maybe even have a heart-to-heart with him. Whitley wouldn’t even have to give up the information in that conversation – he could be incredibly stubborn about it and unwilling to help until Weiss is called into a meeting about the heating crisis, which Whitley would absolutely follow into to listen whether he’s invited or not, and hearing what’s going done, decide to step up and come clean, realizing if he doesn’t, thousands of people will die. I can actually picture it in my head, and it would be so much better than just “Oh, yeah, I got cameras that recorded the entire nefarious conversation.”

And I’ve spent this entire section not really talking about Willow. Uhh… again, I really like her design. I like that she’s wearing purple, a color no other Schnee wears (except… Whitley with that wine… hmmm) – a mixture of red and blue, her freedom being drowned in something else until it’s completely tainted. Her voice is good, and for the most part, I really do like her conversation with Weiss. I also love that she finally points out what me and other Whitley fans have been screaming for ages – that you can’t expect someone that you basically abandoned (in his eyes) to look favorably on you, and I like that she acknowledges her own role in that, that she’s been a poor parent as well, and actively a detriment to Whitley.

TLDR, I like Willow, I just hate the damn cameras that seem to only exist for this plot point (since if they existed before, shouldn’t Weiss being hit be what they were meant to capture?).

Winter

Best girl, hands down. Not kidding, Winter basically carried this volume for me – rational, yet having very human reactions to things while recognizing that the emotional response isn’t necessarily the right one, the star of a badass fight with Cinder in which her Aura breaks but she still goes on fighting and holding her own against a damn Maiden, an awesome new outfit, wonderful conversations with Penny and just a very interesting relationship with her overall, actually gets to fight back against Jacques to his face – is there any point where this woman doesn’t exceed all my expectations?

I wasn’t a huge Winter fan before this volume, but I’ve successfully been converted. Second favorite Schnee for sure.

Weiss

On thin ice. Still my favorite of the RWBY crew, but considering how much of a nose dive the other three (in particular Ruby) took in this volume, that’s not saying a lot. A lot of what irks me with Weiss are… little moments. Implying that Winter shouldn’t trust Ironwood because he “could” be keeping secrets when she’s the one lying while Ironwood has been nothing but honest, the implication that Winter isn’t capable of making her own choices in regards to the military and the Maiden and that Ironwood must have been grooming her (I really hate this implication, both for trying to tear Ironwood down and for trying to rob Winter of her own agency – like, joining the military was her choice, her escape from Jacques, and you want to turn that into some kind of long game manipulation on Ironwood’s part? You want to prove Jacques of all people right in that he “stole” Winter, rather than Winter making her own choices and Ironwood recognizing her abilities and offering her the Maiden’s powers? Really?), trying to brush aside Ironwood’s concerns about just how much RWBY has done behind his back, calling Mantle “her home” when it’s never been that in front of Marrow who is almost certainly from Mantle – just, a lot of little things that I really dislike, not to mention that this is probably the worst design she’s had. But there hasn’t been anything that’s just blatantly ruined her for me, and she remains the most interesting and well executed character of RWBY for me.

TLDR, a lot of bratty moments that push me away from her, but still holds promise.

Whitley

My poor boy! He finally got more screentime and some of our headcanons comfirmed, but made the butt of a joke that could’ve easily been replaced with character development and underutilized so much. I’d say mixed feelings, but no – love his character, hate how he was used would probably be the best summary. Of course, I’m very much biased, but let’s not let something like that stop me.

More screentime! And letting him talk to someone other than Weiss! His banter with Ironwood was good, seeing his reactions to Jacques, how afraid and timid he was, was heartbreaking, and even if it didn’t go anywhere, his suspicion of Watts was nice to see. It’s always sweet to see headcanons confirmed too – the painting of him playing the piano was nice, and even if I’d have rather had it come out of his own mouth, Willow’s confirmation of him feeling abandoned by Weiss was such a satisfying thing to hear.

On the other hand, I absolutely hate the wine prank. It was way too drawn out and petty – seeing so much joy on JNR’s face while setting it up over the course of a whole minute and using an stack of food half his size to toss onto him – it was way too over the top. If they had to go for the food thing, having Oscar (or someone else, but Oscar is the one without a huntsman license, so he’s more believably clumsy) just pretend to trip with a regular plate and get it on his shirt would’ve been just fine, and we could’ve gotten a nice interaction between Whitley and someone new and get some character development. But nope. We got to have RBYJNR take way too much glee in dumping a mountain of food on a boy they’ve never met before for… talking to his sister and unwittingly getting in their way. It just puts a bad taste in my mouth.

And of course, what I talked about in Willow’s section, the set up of him seeing Watts going absolutely nowhere. Seriously – you set up the perfect opportunity, and then took an out-of-nowhere cop out. It feels like such a squandered set-up, and really disappoints me.

At least we actually got him reacting to Jacques, and it was given an appropriate emotion and fitting cinematography. I love the shot of Whitley sitting all alone on the stairs, watching the only person that actually gives him attention being dragged away without explanation, and seeing the weariness and sadness in his expression as he looks up – I love it, I love it so much. The last bit of hope that they may actually treat my boy right in the end…

TLDR: My boy!

And there you have it! Months late, my thoughts on the Schnee after the most recent volume! How will these change after volume 8? Hopefully for the better, but we’ll have to wait and see!

Thank you for the ask, and once again, sorry for the wait. I may try and take a few more hits at my inbox, but that’ll have to wait for tomorrow, since I’ve got work in the morning.

Have a good night, and stay safe!

[omgdexnursey]

hey again its crisis anon and i'm starting to rly want to try my hand at writing fanfic!! embracing the "fuck it" mentality atm🤪🤙 & i think i have the language aspect of writing down, like i'm good enough at it lol, but i've never written for a fandom before so its kind of daunting :( if its not an inconvenience i'd love to know if u have any tips!!

sorry on the lateness of this reply!! i’ve been thinking about this ask pretty much since i got it.

(this got kinda long oops i hope this is useful)

first and foremost, i would say that when deciding to write fic: write the stories you want to read. that is absolutely essential to fic writing because if you aren’t inspired by a story or it’s not something you’re all that interested in, chances are it’s either a) not gonna be all that great because you weren’t invested in it or b) it’s not gonna get finished because you’ll get bored of it. also, while i do write because i love the community aspect of it and i love people commenting and sharing my stories and talking about them, the core of my writing stems from me wanting to write and getting excited about a story i think is really cool. sometimes i think: am i really going to write this stupid au that no one else cares about and the answer is usually yes because I want to write it and therefore to me, it’s a story worth telling. this also applies if you’re writing a story you feel has already been done a million times - even if it has, it’s never been told by you 

second: be patient with yourself. if you’ve been following me for a while, you probably know that my tag for posts about writing and its struggles is “writing is hard” and it is! sometimes i start stories, get only a little bit of the way into it and then think of a new story and start writing that instead. it’s totally okay (and not unusual) to bounce around in fics, especially if you’re stuck, because otherwise it’ll start feeling less like a fun hobby and more like a chore to finish. i have fics i started over a year ago, or haven’t worked on in months because i got stuck, and a lot of times i find that after working on something else or just giving my mind time away from it, i’ll think of a scene that i want to add or how to get around where i’m stuck. sometimes i open up a doc that’s been there for months, write one sentence i thought of, and then leave it again. 

(as an add-on: writing is not linear! sometimes i know how i want a fic to end or start or just one event that happens somewhere in the middle and nothing else, and i start by writing the parts that inspired me to write it, then build around it.)

writing is also very fluid. by that i mean there’s so many times i’ve gone into a fic with an idea that is the core of the fic only to get partially or completely through writing it and realize that i want to change it in some way or go in a different direction than when i first started, so don’t be afraid to reshape an idea you originally had.

on a practical level, if you have an idea, write it down somewhere. there have been so many times that i’ll just randomly have an idea pop into my head and i’m like trying to fall asleep or i’m doing something else and i foolishly tell myself that i’ll remember it later so i don’t need to write it down now. (you might be able to guess - i do not remember a lot of them) i have notes on my phone that have just like lines of dialogues or the outline of a scene and some of them don’t really mean anything from the outside (ex. from a note about an artist au i have in progress: “dex wakes up and nursey’s painting - it’s really late”) just something for you to read and remember what you wanted from it.

also, don’t completely delete scenes if you want to take them out of a fic. i have a document titled “random unused ideas” and part of it is just scraps of ideas referenced in the above paragraph, and some of it is scenes i’ve taken out of fics but don’t want to get rid of because they might come in handy in other fics. i just recently decided to take a bunch of the snippets of scenes i had and put them into one fic to be worked on in the future. i also like to make an adjacent doc to put scenes in just in case i want them back in the fic i was writing. so for example, when i was writing “under the summer sun with you” i had a doc titled “fishing trip au extras”, and there was an entire scene i ended up taking out but i had in that doc because i wasn’t sure yet if it was going to make the final cut. (now it’s in my general “random unused ideas”)

finally, if you can, find people to talk to about writing. i get so excited when people want to talk about my stories and my friends here bounce ideas back and forth, which has helped me work around some of the roadblocks i’ve encountered. 

hope this helps and if you do write good luck!!! my inbox + messages are always open and i love talking about writing!! it’s scary and challenging but if you find that you enjoy it, that’s really what matters!

[captainkippen]

hi! i'd absolutely love to write this fic myself but a)i procrastinate and b) my writing could never be as good as yours so anyways could i get a fluffy tj teaching cyrus how to play basketball fic? surprisingly i don't think i've ever seen a fic done of this and i need it in my lifeee! tysm 💜

SEND ME FIC PROMPTS  

(My inbox is currently very full, but feel free to send prompts if you don’t mind possibly waiting a little while for them to be filled!)

Your writing could be the best in the world with enough practice! Have more faith in yourself. This is a lovely prompt btw, so here you go.

“I need you to teach me how to play basketball.”

TJ looks up to find Cyrus dropping his bag down next to him looking exhausted. TJ has been hiding under a tree at the back of the football field for about two hours now - he’s had a free period and he’s avoiding geography. Pop tests are dumb and rivers are stupid, he doesn’t need to be graded on his knowledge about them. This is the spot he usually picks to sneak away to, so he’s not surprised that Cyrus has found him, but he’s definitely surprised by Cyrus’ request.

“You want me to what?”

“Teach me to play basketball.”

“But… you hate sports?”

It’s true. Cyrus is the least athletic person TJ knows. He takes dance because he was forced to for P.E. and sometimes he runs when he gets overexcited about baby taters, but that’s about it for exercise when it comes to Cyrus. He’s attended God knows how many basketball games and track meets to support TJ and Buffy, but somehow he’s managed to fall asleep about halfway through every one of them.

“That’s correct,” Cyrus confirms.

TJ frowns. “If this is a joke I don’t get it.”

Cyrus sighs and sits down next to him, leaning his back against the tree and kicking his long legs out in front of him.

“So you know Jacob Szabo?”

“The kid who lies a lot?”

“Yeah, him. Anyway, we have homeroom together and today he made fun of me for being uncoordinated, and Buffy told me I should stand up for myself more so I said I wasn’t uncoordinated, it was just that walking in a straight line wasn’t my best sport and he asked what my best sport was so-”

“You said basketball,” TJ finishes, shaking his head a little in disbelief. “Are you serious? We try to explain the points system to you once and you gave up immediately. I watched you literally knock yourself out with my ball once. You tell me on a weekly basis that basketball shorts give you the heebie-jeebies.”

“I didn’t say it was a smart thing to say, I just said it was a thing that I said,” Cyrus replies, laughing slightly as he gives TJ a soft shove to the shoulder. “But now he wants proof.”

“Wait… he believed you when you said you play basketball? Like enough to want proof?”

“I know. I was shocked too.”

“No offence, but Jacob Szabo’s an idiot.”

“None taken. No one’s more aware of my lack of athletic talent than I am,” Cyrus sighs.

TJ nudges him gently. “Hey… you can do a somersault now, at least? And it’s a good thing I’m varsity captain, ‘cause if you’re gonna learn it’s gonna have to be from the best.”

“So you’ll do it?” The way Cyrus grins at him makes TJ’s heart feel like it’s doing backflips.

“Of course I will, Underdog.”

“Okay, this was a mistake,” Cyrus says, failing completely to catch the ball that TJ bounces at him. It’s Saturday morning and TJ’s managed to convince Coach Rez to give them access to the school’s gym to practice in. Cyrus and early mornings don’t really go together, which is proved by the fact that he hasn’t even bothered to style his hair today. TJ had practically had to drag him out of bed so they could leave on time.

“We haven’t even started properly yet!”

“But I already suck.”

“That’s the point of practising, like… what did you expect?”

“I don’t know,” Cyrus admits. “I thought maybe it’d be like in the movies where I ask you to help and you agree, albeit reluctantly, and then there’s a cool montage where I’m terrible at first but I eventually get the hang of it and by the end of the session I’m a total b-ball legend.”

TJ grins. “Did you just call it b-ball?”

Cyrus sticks his tongue out then picks up a ball and tosses it at him. TJ laughs as he catches it with perfect grace.

“Ugh, stop being so gifted. It’s unnecessary,” Cyrus complains, then mumbles, “you’re already good at everything else.”

While it’s definitely good for his own ego, TJ can see Cyrus’ taking a hit. Cyrus has a habit of casually tearing himself down. It’s something that TJ never tolerated, and he won’t start letting him do it now. He tosses the ball back at Cyrus again.

“You want that movie-montage? Then you gotta go through the part where you’re terrible at first, right?” He says. “C’mon, you can do this. You’re Cyrus fucking Goodman. Let me hear you say it.”

Cyrus stares at him. TJ nods encouragingly.

“I’m Cyrus… freaking Goodman?”

“You know what? That’s good enough.”

By the end of a relatively gruelling three hours, the two of them are sprawled in sweaty heaps across the bleachers slowly getting their breath back. It’s been a fun afternoon, though that shouldn’t surprise TJ because it’s fun whenever he gets to spend time alone with Cyrus. He should’ve thought about trying to teach him basketball before honestly, it’s turned out to have so many more pros than he could imagine. For one, there had been a moment earlier where Cyrus wasn’t quite getting the hang of shots, so TJ had an excuse to press up against his back and wrap his arms around him to show him the correct positioning. It wasn’t totally necessary, but… well. He’d seen an opportunity and he’d taken it. Cyrus had even started getting the hang of the game before they finished. Progress.

“You good?” He asks Cyrus, who’s currently gulping down water from his bottle like a fish.

Cyrus nods and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand. He looks unfairly good; it’s a torment to TJ. His hair flops into his eyes, forcing him to push it back every few seconds, and he looks so soft in his t-shirt and gym shorts like he would be very easy to cuddle right now.

“Are you?”

“I’m great,” TJ spreads out so he’s lying on the bench. He watches as Cyrus stands up, kicks slightly at one of the balls by his feet, then wanders over to TJ. He kneels down next to him, and TJ turns his head so they’re face to face.

There’s an odd look on Cyrus’ face like he’s deciding whether or not to do something, and TJ can’t work it out at all. It’s a little frustrating; he’s used to being able to read Cyrus like an open book.

“What’s up?

Cyrus shrugs and brushes TJ’s hair away from where it’s fallen across his forehead, then lets his finger trace gently down the side of his face and across his jawline. TJ holds his breath. It feels like something’s happening, but he doesn’t want to do anything in case he’s getting the wrong message. Then, in a swift move that surprises him completely, Cyrus leans in and presses their lips together.

The kiss is tender and exploratory. It feels so comfortable and TJ can’t imagine ever feeling this right with anybody else. He lifts his hand, trying to ignore the slight tremors going through it, and slides it into Cyrus’ hair to carefully pull him closer. Cyrus presses in more, opening his mouth slightly and letting TJ nip softly at his lower lip. He never wants to stop kissing him, and a sense of disappointment envelopes TJ when Cyrus pulls away. Fortunately, Cyrus doesn’t look like he regrets making a move at all. He has a small satisfied smile on his face.

“I’ve been waiting to do that forever,” he admits.

“Really?”

He nods.

“What made you do it now?”

He shrugs again. “You just looked… inviting. I don’t know. It felt like the right moment. Was I wrong?”

“No,” TJ says, smiling. “You were right. You’re always right.”

[evesbeve]

Exactly one year ago, I posted my first Ninjago fanfiction on Tumblr

(Yes, this is one of these big and personal posts, but bear with me for a second ^w^)

I've already talked about how much Ninjago means to me, and what a positive impact it has had on my life, but to celebrate a year into this fandom, I'd like to focus on its community here on Tumblr.

I've always been into Ninjago. In fact, I started watching it back in 2011, when it first came out!

Later on, I discovered fanfiction. It was like a dream come true, to read original stories about my favorite ninja, and to write them myself too! Eventually I began posting them, and I must say... They weren't good XD

But hey, I loved writing them! So I did just that - I kept writing and writing, until... Well, I grew out of Ninjago when I reached 7th grade.

But last year, I decided to rewatch the entire series during Christmas break. It was like falling in love with my favorite ninja all over again.

And who would have thought there would be an active fanbase here on Tumblr?

I remember scrolling down the tag and smiling at every single artwork and piece of fanfic (+ memes, of course. Who can forget about memes?) that I found.

(And bruh, discovering bruiseshipping? Holy FSM, that was truly a Christmas miracle.)

On December 28th of 2017, I made my first Ninjago Vocal Cover.

The feedback I got was incredible. I had never, ever received such positive comments before, and the encouragement to do more helped me get out of the bad mental state I was in.

So I got writing again.

If I was going to post Ninjago, I was going to post Pixane.

So I did do that, and on January 1st of 2018, I posted my first Ninjago fanfiction in years.

Did I post it as soon as I finished it? Yes!

Had I beta-ed it? ... No...?

It was still a huge step for me though! Once that story was up, I was on freaking fire.

To make you understand, I published a total of 30 Ninjago related stories (and that was just the stuff I made public!)

I have never produced this much content before!

If that wasn't enough, I picked up my YouTube channel again, occasionally made some art, and heck, somehow I got motivated to clean up my room to make space for LEGOs.

I even had the pleasure of hosting a collaborative project with around 30 people! (Yes, the new one is on the way, we're all still working on it :D)

Suddenly I was motivated to do stuff, I wasn't sad all the time, I made new friends!

All that is because of YOU.

I'm just a random girl from Greece that happens to like a bunch of LEGO ninja. Yet, you've treated me with so much kindness, and made me feel like so much more than that.

I'm not oblivious to the fact that I am known inside this fanbase. I just want to make sure you know that you made my voice loud.

And for that, I am greatful.

I am greatful for the joy you've given me, and the memories I was able to make because of you.

I've always wanted this blog to be a place of positivity. It makes me so incredibly happy that you can seek to it to get away from everything else, that it makes you happy.

This blog, is our blog.

So I'd like to take a moment to personally thank a few people from this community that played an important role in my life in 2018. If you don't want to go through a big thank you list, that is totally understandable, so I'll put it under the cut. To those of you who are leaving this post now,

Happy New Year!

Before I start, I'd like to say that it would be impossible to include every single person I know into one post. If you're not in here but you're still relatively active, chances are I don't know you personally (but I have probably noticed you!) OR I accidentally forgot to include you, in which case I'M SO SORRY, AAAA!

Without any further ado!

Thank you @diamantdrache, for drawing me like three times without me even asking, holy crap ;w; You're so amazing dude, I'm always happy to see you around. Keep being awesome!

Thank you to @strawberryhipster and @kunoichi-of-fangirling for always screaming with me about Pixane!

Thank you @i-am-the-bluejay for making me laugh through your amazing bruise fanfics! They never failed to cheer me up :D

A special thanks to @parachutingkitten, for, gosh, everything. Discovered your fanfics during a very hard time, and trying to solve the mystery behind them kept me going. You're so kind and sweet to me all the time, and I'm so happy we ran into each other!

Huge thanks to @volzorra for dropping by my inbox to tell me the randomest of things! I adore everything you do, keep it up!! :D

Thanks to @panwitha-plan, @purplerose244, @monstriframinerva and @ninjago-rewritten for making me giggle whenever you pop up in my feed and notifications! You guys rock 💜

A big one to @ninjakitten1699 for coming up with such amazing scenarios featuring the one true mastermind of Ninjago - Dr. Kitty Saunders! Not only that, but somehow you always remember what stuff I like, and tag me in funny posts (and angst bc I live for that) and making my day! Thank you so much for everything!

Thank you @coco-jaguar for being a mom to all of us in the fandom, and organising such cool events like the Secret Santa!

Thanks to @loud-quiet-and-fragile for going through 100 of my posts at once and commenting at every single one! You're just so fun to be around, and my mood instantly improves when I see you!

You knew it was coming, @nightlybirdie! Thank you, for always responding to my yelling about your art, and for yelling on my content as well! You're one of the sweetest people I know, I'm seriously so happy we met!

Thank you to @kara-is-so-ninja!! For not only having such an amazing AU, but for spreading joy everywhere you go! I admire your work so freaking much, but I admire you as a person even more. Thank you for always putting a smile on my face 💜

Thank you @ninjagojed, for being so easy and fun to talk to! I enjoy your company to death!

HUGE THANKS TO MY WONDERFUL DAUGHTER @lindsey-chr-not-found!! I've known you for so long and, its amazing we found each other again! Thanks for screaming to me about our ideas, and, well, for letting me adopt you XD

A big thanks to @echojulien for being such a supportive friend, and always there when I'm in need of our boy Echo!! :D

This is where it starts to get really difficult to fit things into a single paragraph...

To @hottchoco, who is basically one of the reasons I started shipping bruise in the first place, thank you for opening my eyes. Thank you for being that one person that is somehow into all of my fandoms at once, and screaming to me in random about them. Thank you for, even though we have different tastes sometimes, being respectful no matter what. Thank you, for being my shoulder to cry on when I need it. Thanks for everything dude :D 💜

Thank you @spinharmony, for creating a server where I made such amazing friends, and for BEING one of those amazing friends. It's so easy to talk to you about anything. You're always there, whether it's screaming about our misunderstood favorite characters, or talking about our problems. Thank you so much for just being there. I am so lucky to be able to call you my friend 💜

Thank you @hollsheadcanons!! You were one of the first people I met in this fandom, and definitely someone I was comfortable with since day one. We spend so much time just meming and yelling, that I literally feel like there's nothing to be afraid of when I'm with you. You make all my problems disappear, but you're also here to comfort me when I'm in need of hugs. Words are not enough to describe how much you mean to me. You're one of my best friends in the entire world, and for that, I thank you. Love you so much Holls!!💜

And finally, @clumsinessinperson and @ninjagoruinedmylife. You two, it feels wrong to talk about you separatedly because we're always together! I don't even know where to begin with you guys, I just love you so freaking much. No matter how upset I am, you always lift me up. You're so understanding of how I feel, and I know I can always count on you for anything. I just can't believe how close we are, and how many things we've created and been through together. I want you to know that you mean the world to me, and I love you so much. Thank you for being my friends. I love you 💜

To everyone reading this, regardless of being in my list or not, thank you so much for being part of my year, and for being part of my life. Thank you for everything 💜

[veterveter]

Hey hey, it's gay bike anon again! I'm more than honoured to get my own tag!!! I definitely would like to keep talking to you <3 And only love for you too <3

I'll gladly wait for your response to my ask (or asks??? we'll see one day ehehehe)! I feel you, when people cite some of my text messages from a few months (or more) ago I'm often like "nope, nah-ah, that's not me, you're wrong". Same for older essays, I often can't believe I wrote those. And even with things I wrote late at night a few weeks ago, sometimes I'm like "I wrote that? That monstrosity??? Okay, I need more sleep before writing". (My capacity of writing in correct English grammar usually goes to sleep before I do, same goes for varied word choice). But sometimes I'll see this project I've worked on YEARS ago and exactly recognize the pieces I wrote? Since the ask would be fairly recent, I suppose I would recognise my writing style and word choice and since I didn't wrote it whilst sleep deprived (I hope??) I'm setting my chances of recognising it pretty high. But we'll see one day, the mystery will marinate for a while... [I am rereading this in the daytime, and this is EXACTLY what I meant, at night I make the weirdest word choices?? I’m definitely not changing it though because I might find it kinda funny]

I snorted so hard about the way you talked about your almost-name, I'm giggling here like crazy. Apparently my name means something alike 'dedicated to God', but my parents aren't really believers, so gotta love that. The meaning of my sibling's name is 'summer', but I'm the one born in the summer, whilst my sibling is born in autumn, oops. Guess my parents never checked one of those sites/ books where you can find the meaning of a name hahaha.

I love how my ask was so weird and chaotic that you sent a screenshot to a friend. I LOVE that she had no idea what was going on. Then again, I watched the semis (obviously hahaha) but I had no idea what was going on either... But honestly it was peak Dutch culture, water and bicycles, I would just add an ode to 'hagelslag' and voila, the entirety of Dutch culture summed up... [Also: if you don't know: 'hagelslag' is just sprinkles which we eat on bread, yes, on bread, we do not not only eat sprinkles as on cake or on donuts, like in any other country, no, we put it on bread. It's actually a really popular sandwich topping here. My ultimate favourites are the chocolate ones, but you also have them in several fruity flavours (like forest fruit) and anise flavour.] Thank you, perfect chaotic energy is an ultimate goal I strive towards *bows like I'm Victorian royalty or something*

You're absolutely right, it went EXACTLY like that. Specifically, I would be studying for my exams, explaining topics to myself like I always do, so I'd tell myself "The six possible origins of economies of scope are indivisibility, specialisation, marketing, research and development, GUESS WHAT.. SUBWAY DRIVER GANDÍA... ehhh... what was I doing again??" OR: "one of the most detailed and most used models of responsive regulation is Brathwaite's piramid. His enforcement piramid visually shows, nope not important, SUBWAY DRIVER GANDÍAAAAAA" And I'd laugh, continue explaining theories and calculations to myself until my focus started lessening again and my thoughts would wander off again. I am VERY glad I'm not the only one who thinks about it from time to time, and I'm glad you're not suing me for any mental harm yet.

Yess, those pictures I saw from Promising Young Woman look so beautiful and aesthetic!! I'll probably watch it somewhere after the 16th, because I'll most likely have finished my last exams by then. I'll tell you what I thought about it! Thank you SO SO SO much for all the luck wishes!!!! I had an exam last Friday and I absolutely rewarded myself, because it went better than I expected and I passed an earlier exam and a paper too! I didn't buy myself a tricorne (yet), but I did buy funko pops (my inner economist said it was 100% rational because it was a really good deal hahaha). I still have two exams to go, so I could always buy a tricorne for finishing either of those, OR. EVEN BETTER. I'll ask my parents (or my grandparents) for one for my birthday. I mean, that would be hilarious. They'd be so confused. They've never seen S3 and S4 of LCDP so they'll have no idea, even if I tried to explain it. It would be so incredibly funny (and really really weird for them), I am laughing like crazy just at the thought of it.

I've never been in Finland before, but those temperatures do not sound legal indeed. I have no knowledge of Finnish law, but maybe article 3 of the European Convention on Human Rights, the prohibition of torture, would work? If I was the judge I’d 100% agree, so we should all sue the weather sksksks. I'm glad to have brought you rain though (and that I apparently possess the power to do so - magic weather controlling pirate seems like a nice enough job to me)!!! I hope the temperature has become at least somewhat lower. You're right, climate change should just... stop... right away. The weather is pretty weird here, right now: one day it will be super sunny and (at least) around 27 degrees and almost melting away, and the other day it will be raining and I'll be wearing my warmest sweater. Like, why the extremes??

I love that I am able to make you lose your coherent thoughts (that's probably why we have one brain energy about Underwater, because I, too, have the ability to make myself lose my coherent thoughts). I'm glad for your faith in my impersonation of Martín. I even started Duolingo Spanish again, and now know the phrase, "Yo bebo leche" (I drink milk) which obviously would be very important to him. Now I'll just need an Argentinian accent to go with it. Leaning menacingly on a cane would be GREAT, I love the idea. I'll open job applications for a Denver. Maybe my cat could help me, she, much like Denver, is super loud and she is super aggressive towards other cats, so there is potential there. And guiding dogs and even tiny guiding horses exist, why not a guiding cat?

I always assumed I would follow a more... you know… legal... career path, maybe even literally a career in law. But, my accounting professor also showed us how to manipulate financial statements ("so you can notice when people are doing this", uh-huh sure, sure that’s why) and another professor of mine also said that a criminal career sometimes could be the more rational, rewarding choice over a legally acceptable career. So, I suppose I should not be surprised by this sudden change of career plans. I should have seen this coming. And what better way to be able to avoid the laws than by knowing exactly what they are and how far you can go. And if that plan doesn’t work out, the books of law I have (they’re combined in two huge hardcover bundles) are really heavy and you could probably harm someone with them if you hit hard enough… Well, I suppose you can even leave “hard” away, just by hitting someone softly with those books you can bring serious harm to them… Ah, and like that one professor would say: in this scenario it would be a rational choice to become a pirate instead of a privateer. Oh dear, not Arturito :/ Mutiny would seem like a good option, I’ll take over the ship and become Palermo the Pirate. Sounds much and much better than “Arturo the Pirate”, since that isn’t an alliteration, sooo mutiny is reasonable even for that reason. And then there’s the fact that it’s Arturo, I mean, that says enough.

YOU LOVE UNDERWATER TOO????!!!! I completely forgot that you posted that! It seems we do indeed already have one shared braincell energy my friend <3

Last week has been pretty good (except for having to make a test at 9:30, what a godless time, I’m usually barely awake by then ehehehe), I think I aced the test I had, got back some good grades and finally got my first Covid vaccination (and only shortly slight dizziness as a side effect, so that's pretty great). And thanks so much!!! For now I’m safe from Gandía, but somewhere in mid-July I’ll have to take an exam on campus, so I’ll might be able to bring out my inner Palermo then.

How was your week? If the weather is still unkind to you (well, also if the weather *is* kind to you), treat yourself to your favourite ice cream and a break every now and then <3 Do you already have holidays or hasn’t your academical year ended yet?

You’re also right - this is conversation and we’re friends now <3 And I absolutely do like cookies! I would say my favourites are american cookies (though stroopwafels are reaally good as well) but honestly there are only a few kinds of cookies that I don’t love that much. And anything with chocolate in it is GREAT. I do also love apples and bananas, though grapes (which I just had) are even better! What’s your favourite kind of cookie?

Also, I know I have been giving you so many prompts already, but I saw this one in that list you reblogged and it gave me so much Berlermo energy: you live in an apartment with your best friend. the two of you always fall asleep in each other's arms, but one day, your friend isn't there. they've fallen in love with someone else. it's your other best friend, who recently moved in with you. and that's when you realize, that those nights you spent together, weren't so platonic after all. I would love it if you’d write it, but if you decide not to that’s absolutely fine too, no worries <3

By the way, I was going to post this quite a bit earlier, but my laptop (unlike me) decided yesterday night, when I was finishing writing this, that it was time to sleep, so I had to quickly dump this whole rant in Google Docs (it’s almost two and a half pages what the heck) and I was busy all day so I only was able to upload it just now. I swear I can ractually espond faster than after a week :) Have a lovely evening, much love from the gay bike country <3

Heeeeeeey you are back!!! How happy am I to see my favouritest gay bike anon return to my inbox!!! 💕 [Author's note: You can tell I started this reply right away because you've sent me three or four asks since this one and one can tell you are indeed back hahaha]

Yeeeeeees this is how one makes friends!! You know, I was just thinking the other night of how "gay bike anon" shortens to GBA, like the Game Boy Advance, you know. Make of that what you will, but it pleases me to know that you can also have a cute nickname for your cute nickname. Nicknameception.

Yes, exactly that, "I did not write that, and if I did in fact write that.. No I did not." Also, "the mystery will marinate"??? That's an amazing word choice and some day I will absolutely use it for something, just you wait. I think it just goes to show that you should write everything while tired, haha.

Haha I love that naming convention for you. It may make very little sense, but....... but. Also, happy birthday for whenever it is, presumably in the nearby past or future!! Lots of love!! You're the summer child while your sibling is... a summer child, but like, different.

Since you appreciated my almost-name story, I'll reward you with the rest of it: so my name is Tuuli, which is Finnish for "wind". My mum originally wanted to name me Pilvi, which means "cloud". And then she was like oh no this child is not at all serene and cloud-like??? and thus, a new me. I'm glad she had second thoughts, although I wonder if having such an ill-fittingly chill name would've done anything to alter my personality? Nomen est omen and all. There's some kind of an alternate universe where all of that played out, but I'm glad it's not this one.

Yeah either you watched the semis and have no idea, or you didn't watch them and have no idea. There is no way to get what was going on there, I'm certain they themselves also didn't get it. I had no idea about hagelslag but thjipgnhefjpihjo that's amazing, I love that for you!!!! There was absolutely no reason to go there but you as a country just... did that. Amazing. Please have some and report to me so I can live through you. And also, you are absolutely legit Victorian royalty [or something] *bows in return*. Also, I do love how you say "I watched the semis (obviously)." Imagine if you didn't and this entire time I was tragically misinterpreting the nature and intentions of your ask and you were just rolling with it because you've no idea what I'm on about but are also too polite to tell me that. Khhhhhhh

Your brain has priorities!!!! And they're honestly beautiful. Well done, brain. Subway driver Gandíaaaaaaaaaa~~~ My brain is filled with Berlermo quotes that come @ me at random times during the day and leave me just a tad shell-shocked, remembering how it all went down. I'm eating my morning yoghurt and my brain goes yo te propuse fundir oro juntos, and I'm just there like :)))))) Real nice, brain.

Have you had the opportunity to see Promising Young Woman yet? Hhhhh it's so pretty, every time I work on this reply [it's a lot of times, okay, I'm very diligent about this, I stare at this ask and craft snazzy replies in my head all the time, that's why I'm so slow in... actually replying] I'm reminded of that. I'm not a very visual person but the colours and the framing... that was really nice.

I am somewhat glad you've not been to Finland yet, you must hit me up when you come visit, I'll take you for coffee!!! It's actually cooler now (bless!!!!!!!!!!!), the last... four days have been reasonable 14-20 degrees, after four consequtive weeks of 25+. Kkhhhh thinking back to it makes me feel a little ill, but now beret weather is back. I own a lot of berets, dear gay bike anon. I'm going to my university city for the weekend and I'm already wondering which beret(s) I should bring with me. This is an important decision with potential long-lasting consequences. I don't know if you've played any of Telltale's games (The Wolf Among Us and the first two seasons of The Walking Dead are the best ones, fight me), but when you make a decision and the game goes "This character will remember that." and you instantly go oh no what have I done??? That's how I feel about choosing the perfect beret for my city outing. But yes, weather extremes are just the worst. We've been having the longest drought I've ever seen here (it's still not properly rained, for the record, on Tuesday it rained for an hour or so) while in other places there's awful flooding. That's awful.

Ahhh I'm so happy you're continuing your Spanish-learning!! I took a beginner's course at uni in the spring semester, I'm going to take the next one when uni resumes in September. And yes, I'm studying it for LCDP. I mean I love languages in general, but I never had a particular need to study Spanish, until this year I suddenly did. I'm also Duolingo-ing it! Very slowly and steadily. Also, I adore the idea of your cat being your Denver. What's your cat's name??? What do they look like?? Tell me everything, you can't just leave it at my cat, you simply must allow me to meet them. Also, you know why guide cats aren't a thing? Because cats are the worst. I love cats, but you can't just teach them to do useful things. They'll do them if they want to. As I type this, my cat is trying to catch flies at my feet. Her name is Muusa.

I studied accounting for my undergrad!! So I can join you in [[[preventing]]] tax fraud and [[[recognising]]] tampering with financial statements. We can make a totally legitimate business out of it. No but truly, I'm certain we were taught some of those things with the expectation that our future employers would expect it of us. Capitalism is so fun :)))))) And you shouldn't be surprised, academia is but a stepping stone to crime, honestly. Any dark academia book will tell you this. You start out learning Latin and wearing turtlenecks, you end up with murder. That's just how academia works. And you seem to have already chosen your weapon... you're well on your way. :) Palermo the Pirate sounds great!!! I support your mutiny. I don't think I said, but this is my favourite word of the English language. Mutiny. Mutiny????? It doesn't sound very serious. It sounds cute, actually. I love it.

I'm so happy to hear you got your covid vaccine!!!! I had mine a month ago or so - I typed you a reply to the subway Gandía thing on the train ride back, actually. I was really stressed about getting it on my right arm, because I'm left-handed, and last time I got a vaccination (like a decade ago) they insisted on giving it on my left arm and I was sad :( But this time!! I got it on my chosen arm and was very pleased. So anyway, that was a segue. I'm glad you got your covid shot and were side effect -free!!!

My week has been good, thank you!! I went to my uni city for my niece's birthday on Monday, and as said I'm going back on Friday (tomorrow). So this time in between has felt like exactly that, time in between. I started reading Call Me By Your Name. I had my Korean class last night. Now I'm hanging out with my cat (she has stopped chasing flies and climbed to my lap) and talking to you. My holidays started already in May! And uni resumes in the beginning of September, but I'm a tutor for new students so I need to show up three weeks earlier for the orientation weeks. Yes, we do three weeks of orientation (read: three weeks of drinking). It's a bit insane.

Now I need to ask you again how your week has been, since I'm so slow. How has your week been?? Are you free from your exams?? When does your uni resume?

Stroopwafels are so good ahhh I'll have to buy them when and or if I see them. Possibly when I'm in central Europe but haha I can hope to be lucky and see them at a store with imported stuff, you know. My favourite cookies??? Omg maybe these ones - they have this truffle filling, and they're fun to eat (this is important in cookies, you see):

And of course they're Fazer. Because Finnish people have only one setting, apparently. Or maybe that's just me. But all cookies are great, honestly. I like making American cookies, that's always a fun pastime (and you get to have cookie dough, that's like half the fun). I've actually not made them for a lifetime??? Maybe I should, soon. I'll keep you updated. Also, brookies. I love making brookies, they're great.

I really really appreciate being given prompts, I hope you know that!! Thank you!! Consider me pocketing this prompt and maybe eventually some day theoretically getting back to you about it!! You're right - it has Berlermo energy. Insofar as either of them actually have other friends. :)

Thank you for this kind message, dear gay bike anon <3 I'd apologise for my slowness in replying but I think I'd rather you just assume that I'll get back to you, and thank you for your patience <3 Your kind and funny and chaotic asks always brighten my day. I hope you'll have a great rest of the week and just... all the nice and fun and good things and great vibes in life. All the best, dear gay bike anon <3 Take care!! And greetings from Muusa as well - she just yawned and I presume that means "greetings".