#tbh it seems in character for him to get drunk and talk about how much he misses his lover (even if they’re right there) | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

yuri-is-online · 7 months ago

Note

TD anon here, I do feel you on the "torture" scene with Taiga, I didn't want my last ask getting any longer lmao.

While the scene definitely made me squeal, for me personally it was undercut by the emotionally charged scene that happened immediately after with Romeo lmao. It's exactly how I felt with Frostheim too, being excited over the dance with Jin, and then immediately after we get the cigarette kiss scene with Jin and Tohma LOL. But it only makes sense, MC has only just showed up at the school, not enough time to bond, and honestly with these kinds of joseimuke games I don't have much expectations of interactions between the cast and MC so in TD she's already much more involved with the whole comic thing anyways.

Eating the Like Dove raw... was really a raw scene lol. He seems to be attracted to blood for some reason? Since he paused when MC's cut started bleeding, I think he was about to lick the blood tbh.

And yeah I do wonder if his shoddy memory has anything to do with his deal's cost. Another vibe theory time, I feel like his fear of the Like Dove might've been... ingrained in him somehow? Maybe he had a run-in before but can't remember it. The reason why I think this is because when MC met him alone, when she reminded him that she was the Honor student, his response was "Oh no wonder I didn't kill you on the spot", he literally forgot about her but his body/instinct made him aware she's someone he's not supposed to kill.... if that makes sense?

He feels like an even bigger enigma than Towa, I'm curious to know what's going on in his head in the moments he goes eerily quiet. Not to mention he's the poster boy of the game, has to be a reason. Luca feels more in line to be the poster boy but it's Taiga...

I enjoyed Haru's drunk spiel about how helpful MC is lol. Also my eyes going wide when Rui said he wants to know what she's made of too... what does that mean....... I need more Rui content, I love his blatant flirtations lol. I got a campus event with Rui, Haru and Romeo in the bar before I even read the chapter, their unexpected friendship is very cute ngl.

(sorry in case this is sent repeatedly, smth wrong with my net atm)

Generally speaking I have found tumblr doesn't post or send things twice but it sure as hell reblogs them with the same tags 42 times making me look like some sort of freak

for me personally it was undercut by the emotionally charged scene that happened immediately after

Yeah I get this. The cigarette kiss with Tohma and Jin took me off guard, but that was mostly because I thought this was an otome game? Come to think of it I don't think we've had confirmation of the whole joseimuke v otome game thing beyond the existence of the like dove and individual character affinity... Well and that when this was announced it was supposed to be an otome game. I know that the otome games subreddit has been having some, shall we say spirited? Discussions lately about how players feel about ros getting into relationships with each other. The general opinion was that a lot of times the ro x ro relationships feel more fleshed out that the ro x mc ones, and I agree. I actually stopped writing something I wanted to be an otome game because the story started shaping up to be more about the mc's mentor than them, and I personally do not think that is very fun. People do like laid back mcs, they do not like mcs who have no place in the narrative, and some writers aren't good at balancing that. TDB mc is doing pretty well when it comes to interactions with the main cast compared to something like Twisted Wonderland if what you want is explicit romance, so far it feels like Season 1 of og Obey Me! from what I remember of that game, so we'll see.

I didn't get the same level of intimacy from Romeo and Taiga as I did Jin and Tohma? But I think that's because in both cases I thought the like dove had appeared before Romeo got there and was talking to Taiga and the second scene made me think Taiga was angry at him for interrupting his "fun." Whatever that "fun" was going to wind up being because yeeeeeah he seems like he has a blood kink of some sort. I think he was going to suck on it and bite her a bit, but licking seems like a logical first step and less influenced by what's wrong with me. Like I said over here the scene with the Like Dove fascinates me... it says more about Taiga than any other character in the game that we get to see the dove twice and that when given the chance he shoots and eats it... if that isn't a metaphor for denial and emotional repression then I am not sure what is.

he literally forgot about her but his body/instinct made him aware she's someone he's not supposed to kill…. if that makes sense?

YES. I wanted to talk about this but it sort of got into conspiracy theory territory and my answer was getting long. I don't know if anyone remembers, but waaaay back in Book 1 when mc tries to escape the school she isn't able to get anyone's attention. It's like they don't see her, is that because of her curse or is it because of preventative measures put in place by the school? I want to lean towards the latter because it makes more sense BUT I also want to be delusional and say that it's part of mc's curse. There's something about Taiga's instinctual fear of the Like Dove and his comments to the mc that make me think his body knows her but his paranoia and memory issues keep him from knowing it.

This is just me writing fan fic... but Taiga is technically the first ghoul you meet. He is the poster boy of the game, he is the first person to bring mc into the main loop and tell her there's a spy. I want so badly for him to have known her at some point but to have been robbed of his memories... Romeo seems to think he is trying to forget stuff on purpose "gone off the deep end" and "escape reality" are both things he says to describe him though granted that last one was due to a misunderstanding about what Taiga was trying to do with the anomaly. Something real bad happened last year, something I feel like Taiga doesn't want to acknowledge unless he can get revenge on whoever caused it. I mentioned in another post, but I sort of want MC to have something to do with Clementia and that's why she's there at the dorm beyond it just being empty due to the clash. (I do get why Luca isn't the poster boy; he's not a dorm captain and those seem to be what the game wants to push. well them and towa lol)

Haru and Rui

Rui is a bar tender who is described as being "popular with the female students" probably because of how flirty he is ha. I love his dynamic with Haru and Romeo, just a barman and his two favorite customers shooting the shit and trying to relax. Rui is cursed to kill whoever he touches, so I think he wants to talk with MC more because he can relate to her in a very unique way. And he got gate kept from doing so by Haku in book one so he's extra curious now. I have his SR so I'll put him on my homescreen for a bit and see what voice lines I can shake out of him. For the little bit I did have him there he called him and mc "curse twins" which I thought was very cute. In a dark sort of way. The entire section at the Obscuary bar endeared me to all three of those idiots.

But especially Haru. He called Peekaboo his child this chapter too ;-; he's such a good dad. I wonder if he is going to show up next books at all? Or if it's going to be like the previous books and we'll instead see Taiga and maaaaybe Towa? Since he's friends with Zenji. Nothing to do but wait for May 0-0

#<3 asks #tokyo debunker #td anon #hotarubi anon??? art thou the same?#taiga hoshibami #tdb #rui mizuki #haru sagara

68 notes · View notes

aspiring-creative-person · 1 year ago

Text

Ok but I was just thinking

Jooster is kind of the only actual solid relationship in Jeeves and Wooster?? Like platonic or romantic, let me explain

Like obviously it’s the focus, but like. Listen.

Everyone else hops from girl to girl, or guy to guy, and each one is filled with turmoil. This is just talking about Bertie’s friends, right?

But also, as friends, they really suck. They constantly get him to do things for them and do nothing in return.

Even the aunts and uncles don’t usually have spouses that are actually on screen!! Who knows if there were divorces or something?? Like people’s parents are hardly ever present it’s always some rich aunt or uncle, with Bertie yes but even with all his friends 😅😂

Everyone in that show is just so… detached from each other. There’s a particular moment where Bertie is driving Bingo and Tuppy home, and they’re just ranting about their women to each other and not listening to the other, and Bertie is just so done with it. I think that illustrates this point pretty well.

Anyway, Jeeves and Bertie are so not that. There’s another post somewhere on Tumblr talking about how Bertie always replies to Jeeves’ subtext and they pick up on each others moods essentially, which I think is a great point. And generally they just really like each other. Just read any of the books to see how much Bertie admires Jeeves, and read “Mr. Wooster Changes His Mind,” which is from Jeeves’ perspective, and you can see how he cares a lot for Bertie as well.

And like. They have their own language. Bertie is used to Jeeves materializing into rooms (this generally freaks out other people), he is now comfortable with it. Also he knows that whenever Jeeves is cold to him it’s almost always about his fashion choices, and that is a constant theme of how they interact. They have their quips about music sometimes. Jeeves always helps solve Bertie’s (and friends’) problems, and even when Bertie gets the short end of the stick, if it’s Jeeves’ plan he immediately is satisfied with the conclusion.

The biggest thing, though, is probably their brief break-up. Like. They had a disagreement and broke up, and then missed each other. There weren’t even any hard feelings, just longing tbh. And at the end they got back together, and stayed together, and were happy to see each other again. They clearly enjoy each others’ company. And Jeeves seemed to think that the other candidates for his employer did not even compare to Bertie.

Name another couple in this show who is as devoted as they are

Half of the women go for men for their status, the other half at whims

All of the men go for women on whims, and half of them find another girl when they have some sort of disagreement with the previous one

And even if they get back with a previous partner, there’s no guarantee that they will stay together

But Jooster is in for the long haul. The most consistent relationship, the most caring relationship, the most in-tune relationship, the most long-term relationship.

Oh yeah also with familial relations and all that. Aunt Agatha has been quoted to say she thinks Bertie should probably be put in some home. Like, that’s pretty rude and everything. She also tries to get him to marry all the time, she doesn’t care about him in a way that is healthy at least, only so much as he can be out of the way and out of trouble. Even Aunt Dahlia, who says he is her favorite nephew, and who takes advantage of his nature to get him to do things for her, insults him and throws things at him sometimes. His cousin Gussy, when he gets drunk, insults him in front of a crowd, going so far as to say he hates him. Claude and Eustice put him into the soup without a care for how mad Aunt Agatha will be at him.

Jeeves never insults him, or not his character at least. Yes, they have their disagreements about fashion and music. But Jeeves never insults his intelligence. He never calls him clumsy. He never underestimates him. Yes, he is his employee, but I have a feeling that it doesn’t have to do with that. Even when he was split up, like I mentioned, he came back and said the other employers weren’t up to snuff compared to Bertie.

Omg and then there’s all the women who think Bertie loves them/who want to marry Bertie. Of course, they all have delusions about him, because if they knew him at all they would know he is not in love with them. They would know that he’s too much of a pushover to say no to them. But they don’t. Which just shows further the disconnect everyone has in this show.

Ok referencing one more post because I like the point they have. It was something about how the actors keep changing for the side characters, unintentionally showing how Jeeves is really the only constant in Bertie’s life. Again showing the difference in their relationship vs his disconnected everyone else is. While I’m sure it’s not an intentional choice in that regard, it certainly is an interesting connection.

Anyway like I said at the beginning of this, you can interpret their relationship as romantic or platonic or somewhere in between, but it’s definitely the only solid one in the series.

215 notes · View notes

dejwritesarchived · 2 years ago

Text

❪ ♡ ❫ ─── ( synopsis ) ugly duckling zeke yeager return to campus looking better than ever and he’s back dealing with his biggest academic rival that want what he has.

♡ ˙ ˖ ✧ — reader discretion is advised: female reader, female anatomy described, her/she pronouns, written with black reader in mind, college au, teacher assistant!zeke, grad student!reader, mean girl!reader, profanity, cumeating, mentions of alcohol drinking, academic rivals trope, zeke and his freakin’ daddy issues, hand job, spit usage, slight exhibitionism, they kinda do it at a party but it’s after the party, corruption kink (on both ends), tbh reader and zeke should just be happy and make out already, if i am 1 out of maybe 30 zeke simps i am okay with that, mentions of other aot characters, is this kinda self indulgent? yes, the marley men just have some flavor to them to me, entry for @poohbea 'once upon a collab' event, art credit

ANOTHER YEAR OF GRAD SCHOOL MEANT ANOTHER YEAR BEING AT THE TOP OF YOUR DEPARTMENT. You were in competition with yourself in academics, fashion, popularity, social status—you name it. You went from student body president during undergrad to the grad student that everyone could lean on when they needed something. That was until he returned to campus. The eldest son of infamous doctor Grisha Yeager—Zeke Yeager. He not only knocked you to number two in your department, but he also snatched your teacher assistant position right from you. Eventually, taking away that excellent bullet point on your resume.

You felt frustrated that the opportunity even got snatched from your hands in the first place. Of course, the guy with the infamous doctor would get the position before you. You had to figure out how you could get back on top. You could torment him as you did during undergrad. No, that wouldn’t work. The way he was looking now—he wouldn’t fall for your tactic of inviting him out to drink and causing him to miss an exam. Maybe, cause a scandal within his family. His family does always seem to stay in the tabloids. No, that wouldn’t work. Their PR agent would have that buried before you could convince your professor to give you the teacher assistant position.

“Are you going to this party tonight? Please don’t tell me you’re spending your Friday at home again,” Your friend asked as she tapped her manicured fingers on your kitchen top. “Everyone is going to be at this party, you know?”

“Why would I want to be around drunk strangers? How does that benefit me at all?” You asked while letting your finger trace alongside the rim of your wine glass.

Your friend was here to convince you to come to this party just by her attire. You were sure she would be zooming to this party immediately after her poor attempt to get you to come out. You always told her not to let you rain on her parade. Go out and have fun; just be safe.

“What if I told you Eren Yeager is hosting it, and it’s at his family’s lovely home?” Your friend leaned over, smiling at you.

“I’m not interested in Eren Yeager. Do I look like one of those sophomores that easily let his man bun distract them on how much of a manwhore he is,” You sipped from your glass before you heard your friend drag out a sigh.

“If one brother is going to be there, obviously the other will be.” Your friend rolls her eyes at your obviously, not-smart thinking. “Perfect opportunity to talk to him to let you have the teacher assistant position. After all, it’s not like he will need it anyway. I’m sure daddy has a job lined up for both of his sons.”

“I highly doubt he’ll be there. Doesn’t even seem like his scene,” You added.

“You think he trusts his younger brother to throw a party in one of their family properties alone?”

You thought about it for a second. Hypothetically, this could be a perfect opportunity to convince him to step down from the position. Give him a couple of cups of alcohol and get to batting your eyelashes—this could work.

“Fine, let me change into something else,” You finished your glass of wine before your friend could let out a squeal of excitement.

You went into your room to freshen up and get changed. When you stepped out, your friend had some devious grin as her eyes flickered up and down to look at your outfit. “Let’s hope the outfit works in your favor.” She says as she places the wine glasses you guys used in the sink.

“Hope so.” The dress you wore wasn’t too fancy, but it was something that could have anyone doing a double look. You glanced in the full-body mirror in your living room—slowly leaning forward to apply a coat of clear lip gloss.

The ride to the party was filled with rules; you and your friend always went over. If you were leaving with a guy, let the other know. If you hit your alcohol limit—it’s time to go. Don’t leave without the other without confirmation that you were; that was common sense. As you dawned closer to one of the biggest houses in the gated community, it seemed you could hear the music as you got closer and closer. When you entered the party, it was crowded, from people dancing in the living room to people littering the steps sitting, and talking. Your friend had seen one of her usual semester flings and instantly shot right towards them after letting you know that if you were ready to go—just find her.

Now you were alone in a sea of people hoping you could clichely bump into the older Yeager sibling. You pushed your way through to find him yourself. Hoping he wasn’t indulging in flirting with someone

You tried your hardest to avoid anybody that knew you. Each of them gets in the way of why you were here in the first place. You spent the past thirty minutes pretending to be interested in conversations until you eventually entered the kitchen to see the person you were searching for. There he stood up, scrunching up his face at the taste of the mixed drink his younger brother had made.

“It’s not that bad,” Eren said as he sipped from the red solo cup.

“It’s horrible, but when does alcohol ever taste good?” Zeke questioned as he placed his empty solo cup on the counter.

“Exactly! Everyone is going to love this Yeager juice,” His brother responded before he poured more of the drink into two cups and made his way out of the kitchen.

Zeke was all alone, sipping alcohol in the kitchen and chatting with his friends. You didn’t even know you caught yourself staring at him and how his biceps flexed in the tight black shirt he wore. Did he get hotter from the last time you saw him? His little internship in France surely must have done wonders for him. Wait, you weren’t here to drool over his attractiveness—focus.

As you inched further to get something to drink, Zeke's eyes landed on you, and you watched his lips curve into a smirk before he met you near the counter you were near. You were glancing at all the alcohol choices they offered, pretending that you weren’t here for something else.

“It’s funny that this will be where we bump into each other again.” Zeke interrupted your pretend task of searching for alcohol of your choosing.

“Couldn’t turn down a Yeager party,” You shrug your shoulders while collecting a bottle and pouring some into the cup. “It was the talk of the campus. Everyone is here.”

“Would have thought you’ll ditch to do some project or something.” Zeke leaned against the counter that was next to you. His head tilts like an innocent puppy attempting to challenge its owner.

“You know me, any project or paper I must do is most likely done already. Come on; we didn’t play hot potato for the top of the class spot for nothing.” You sipped from your cup, peeking up at him.

“Still the same overachiever, I see.” Zeke poured him some of the drink Eren had made. “Same girl that tormented me.”

“That’s what I’m here for. To apologize; we’ve matured now. I’ve matured now.” You placed your hand on your heart and gave him a sweet smile before that smile disappeared after hearing his snickers.

“You’re funny; what do you want?” Zeke took another sip of his drink and poured more into his cup once more now that it was empty.

Your lips gasp upon pretending to be offended. “I can’t just see how you been?”

“When did you ever care?” Zeke backfired. “Before, during, or after you were the biggest manipulator during undergrad?

“Okay, I’m sorry. I’m sorry for being a horrible person to you, Zeke.” You gave him a pout. “So please let me have that T.A. position you have.”

The sound of his laughter caused your eye to twitch in annoyance. His eyes form tears as he hunches over to laugh. “You’re hilarious. I knew you wanted something, and the answer is no. For once, you couldn’t beat me or use some conniving way to beat me. Enjoy the rest of the party, Y/N.” He clinks his red solo cup with yours and talks to his friend Pieck who is searching the fridge for something.

You inhaled sharply and exhaled slowly. Your nails dig into the palm of your hand before you turn to fill your cup up. You had to think of another way, but you needed to drink for now. You ventured around the property two times, searching for your friend. You had no luck but found yourself in the living room talking to your friend Reiner. You remember being lab partners with him; he was such a sweetheart. He didn’t know how to do the labs, but he was charming. You felt someone staring at you as you laughed at one of his jokes, you felt someone staring at you. To your shock, Zeke's eyes were staring at you as some random girl was talking his head off. You turned around after playfully rolling your eyes at him.

Hours went by, and people headed home to sleep off the alcohol they consumed or head to the next party. Your friend had gone home with their semester fling after confirming with you that it was okay. You decided to stay back to continue to pester Zeke. He hasn't budged at all with giving you the teacher assistant position—and you weren’t giving up that easily. As you help, throw away the red solo cups that decorated the expensive marble counters. Zeke was collecting the empty alcohol bottles to toss in the recycle bin. The two of you silently cleaned up the kitchen as you could hear Eren and his friends drunkenly messing around in the living room. Zeke knew they weren’t doing any type of cleaning as they told him they were doing.

“You know…” Zeke broke the silence between the two of you.

“You’re going to let me have the T.A. position?” You interjected as you tossed another cup in the trash.

“No, but I find your eagerness—quite attractive,” He chuckles, dropping a whiskey bottle in the bin. He walks closely towards you, and you meet him halfway, dragging the black trash back with you.

Just as you met in the middle of the kitchen where the counter was, he stared at you with his gray-colored eyes trying to read you. He wasn’t sure if you had changed or not since undergrad. “It’s quite comical that you even parted your lips to ask me after the hell you put me through during undergrad.” He grabs the empty red solo cup off the counter and grabs the black trash bag you had.

Being sure to let his fingertips brush against your hand as he takes the bag. He threw the cup in the trash before speaking again, “You were a horrible person. Kinda need you to beg a little more,” he reached by you to grab another liquor bottle.

“I apologized so many times. I don’t understand why you need the position so much.” You snatch the alcohol bottle out of his hand and place it on the counter. His need to ensure the kitchen was clean before his parents returned to their luxury trip distracted you from your goal. “Your daddy will help you find the perfect job when you graduate.”

You watched as Zeke’s jaw clenched in annoyance, hearing your words. Your eyebrows scrunch together in confusion before your lips curve into a smirk. This was your opening. “Oh, that struck a nerve, huh?” Your head tilts as you watch those eyes darken.

You’ve seen that look countless times during undergrad, especially when you caused him to miss a final exam which helped you to have the highest GPA in your department.

“That’s not true. I work very hard for the positions I have.” He glanced at you, and now it was him with a devious smirk on his face. “Just like the T.A. position that you want.”

“You leave for an internship in France for the summer and come back with some balls; that’s what’s fuckin’ comical, actually.” You suck your teeth before stepping back and hopping on the counter.

You were growing frustrated with not getting what you wanted after years of getting what you wanted—which you didn’t have an infamous surname and an academic medical school building named after your father to do so. It was a bit insulting to you that he was dangling this position in front of you.

“Don’t tell me you’re giving up already. It’s only one in the morning. You’ve tormented me longer than this.” Zeke went back to cleaning up. “I’m starting to think you may just want to be in my company or something. I must advise you; others wouldn’t mind being in my company and not being a pain in my ass.” He tossed a bag of opened chips in the trash.

“And yet, you’ve declined them all night just to let me pester you.” You muttered under your breath.

“And yet you spent this whole night pestering me, ignoring all the advances thrown at you. You really think Reiner cares about your fuckin’ marketing project?” Zeke backfired as he leaned against the counter opposite where you were sitting. He rubs at the thick blonde beard on his face in a mockingly thinking manner. “Starting to think you may like me.”

“I would rather gouge my eyeballs out and take the least-rated Professor in our university than ever admit any attraction to you, Zeke Yeager.” You shrugged your shoulders at him, but you also noticed that he had stepped closer once again, not being afraid to invade your space.

You just were trying to figure out if you thought this was a good idea. The sexual tension was there. It was obviously there—you two wouldn’t be going back and forth like an intense tennis game if it wasn’t. You grabbed Zeke’s belt, tugging him closer to fill the gap between your thighs.

“You’re still that ugly duckling in undergrad that I enjoyed sabotaging to be on top.” You attempted to push him, but his hand caught yours before eventually letting his lips crash upon yours.

The taste of hard whiskey and Eren’s horrible mixed Yeager juice lingers on your tongue as you’re eagerly tracing it to get a taste of all the liquor Zeke consumed during the night. The scent of a freshly opened pack of cigarettes and a woodsy-scented cologne crawls up your nostrils to cause you to be even more intoxicated. Your grasp on his shirt as if he was going to blow up was a bit funny, considering you were insulting him all night. You wanted more; you needed more. The kiss broke apart, and you tried to utter another degrading thing. The short break from tasting each other allowed Zeke to remove his glasses and place them next to you on the counter—before his lips were back on yours. Shoving his tongue down your throat in a heated makeout session because he would rather have that than hear your nagging about him being undeserving of a position he has already.

Your hand untangled from the cotton threads of his shirt to travel down to his pants to rub his hardened cock. The bulge was so noticeable you would have thought he was a virgin that just discovered an exclusive OnlyFans account. Zeke breaks the kiss again, his plush lips pecking soft subtle kisses on yours as if he didn’t want the kiss to end. Now those gray hues of his were softened—they didn’t look at you as if he hated your guts. But for pure hunger for you.

“Want to go upstairs?” Zeke asked; he didn’t budge from towering over you as you were on the counter. He could hear the loud laughter of his younger brother and his friends playing another round of Never Have I Ever.

You rubbed your lips together before shaking your head. “What’s the fun in that?” You questioned as your hands fiddled to undo his belt. “It’s a bit more exciting when you’re about to get caught by your brother, isn’t it?”

You never saw Zeke’s face turn red so quickly. His cheeks are stained a crimson color as you’re unbuttoning his pants. He watches as you bring your hand up to your mouth to spit it and soon dig into his boxers to massage the tip of his cock. You didn’t want to fully bring his cock out just in case someone walked in, so you brought him closer using the heel of your foot, and your hand slowly guided up and down his shaft. His head fell back in complete bliss as he was poorly attempting not to utter a moan.

“If you think this is going to….” His body shutters when he feels the pad of your thumb brush against his plump mushroom-shaped tip. “—going to get me to step down from the teacher assistant position, you’re highly mistaken.” He finishes.

You leaned up to place a kiss on the corner of his lips. “At this point, is it really about the damn T.A. position?” You questioned as you continued to palm his cock. This time your hand is pushing his pants down just a bit to give yourself some more room.

If anyone was to walk in, they could assume that the two of you were just making out—but really, Zeke was desperately thrusting forward for more friction as your hand squeezed around his cock. Broken groans trembled out of Zeke as he prompted his hand on the cabinet just a few inches from your head to hold himself up. “Shit, I’m going to cum.” He utters as your hand slides up and down his cock.

“I’m going to stop that from happening,” Your teeth bite your lower lip as your hand palms at his thick cock.

“Mhmm, okay.” Zeke leans in to kiss you again, but you’re quick to lean back teasingly. Continuing the urge to make sure he cums and becomes a bowl of putty right in front of you.

You’ve adored seeing Zeke get tugged from the temporary bliss of passion. You could sense the heat from his skin and all the color rush to his face. Thick ropes of cum came out so quickly before you could spit out some witty comment. Your hand motions slowed to ensure that he experienced every emotion that came from the fact that you had him in the palm of your hand. Zeke’s chest heaved upward as he tried to regain his composure. His eyes watched as you removed your hands from his box just in time to hear footsteps behind Zeke. Eren walked into the kitchen to grab something from the fridge.

“I didn’t know anyone else was here,” Eren said as he opened the bottle of water in his hand. His eyes were shot red from the weed he smoked, and he went through the many stages of cottonmouth.

The droplet of Zeke’s cum imprinted your fingertips, and you brought your fingers to your mouth to lick up the mess he made in your hand. He let out a shaky sigh before quickly fixing his bottoms to answer his brother.

“She was just leaving,” He sighed.

Eren’s thick brows raised at the sight he was seeing before he let out a laugh at his brother's words, “Sure, just be sure to wear protection. Our father finds out you knocked someone up—say goodbye to your cut of his will.” He gives a sly wave to you before he leaves the kitchen again.

“I’m going to go get cleaned up, and when I return, I would love for you not to be here.” He admits as he steps back from the space in between your thighs.

“Okay,” You didn’t bother to argue as you gave him an innocent smile. “No goodbye kiss,” Your teeth nibbled at your lower lip as you glanced up at him through your lashes.

“You’re a pain in my ass.” You heard Zeke utter.

But he didn’t argue against your wishes; his large hands cupped your face so gently that you could only grasp his waist, not wanting to let go. When he finally pulled away, he let his eyes linger on you just a bit longer before escaping the kitchen.

He would always be your ugly duckling that you enjoyed bothering—but this time, he wasn’t afraid to bother you right back.

⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀thanks for reading, reblogs & comments are highly appreciated.

❪ ♡ ❫ ─── TAGS: @tyga-lily @maydayaisha @eiflawriting @stunnababyyabyyy @shamelesshoefairy @violxtbxbyy @kenpachis-woman @euhmae25 @mostlyclearbeans @emotionalfatbword @bella-fl1z @levisecretgfblog @cherrypussprincess @zcmbi @4522-08 @sprkled @magxnoria @lisia-primary @ramenaddicted @tashniko @charminstasia @cluelessb19 @maxi8898 @hyunsannie @awkatsukis @cashae @indiecursor @melaninmight @blessedfatui @hopelhss @trueformsukuna @kentcs

#zeke yeager x reader #zeke yeager smut #aot x smut #aot x reader #black reader #anime x reader #anime smut #aot x black reader #attack on titan smut #aot smut #x black reader

861 notes · View notes

anotherobeymeblog · 1 year ago

Note

Which of the characters are the loudest in bed? 👀

I had to rewrite some of these parts three times because tumblr kept not saving the draft when I clicked "save draft" so forgive me if some of them sound a little clipped, I'm pretty annoyed about it lol

Loud

Mammon: Yeah, Mammon has absolutely no concept of volume control. Naturally, he's wildly embarrassed by this and will try to deny how loud he is even in between moans. It's pretty fun to tease him about this. It almost makes it worth all the times someone will bang on the door demanding you keep it down. Almost.

Diavolo: Idk what you expected. He sees no reason to try to hide what you're doing, so he doesn't bother keeping his voice down. And, tbh, I'm not convinced he could be quiet if he tried. This man has a big, booming voice and even his dirty talk sounds more like shouting. Barbatos isn't paid enough for this shit.

Solomon: Whore 💖 He's absolutely shameless, so you better hope no one else is in the same building as you when you fuck. Of course, if you ask him to try to be quiet, he'll happily make even more obnoxiously obscene noises just to annoy you.

Moderate

Leviathan: Levi will bite his lip raw to try to stifle his noises if you don't stop him. He's actually pretty quiet as far as like... decibels go, but his tone is so shrill, his voice carries much farther than it would otherwise. He sounds absolutely pathetic, and if you call him out for this, he will cry, but he will also cum on the spot.

Asmodeus: Okay, I know this is a hot take, but considering his vast uh. Experience, there's no way Asmo doesn't know how to adjust his volume for the situation. Much like everything else related to sex with Asmo, YMMV because he will try to shape himself into your ideal partner. However, if you do manage to get him to loosen up and stop trying to impress you, he naturally makes these clipped, high-pitched whines that are super cute, but not that loud.

Belphegor: So sex with Belphie can really be divided into two categories. Sometimes, it's slow, lazy sex where he's still half asleep and adorably clingy. In these cases, he's almost silent, with the only noises he's making being little sighs and incoherent mumbling that you think might be your name. But on the other hand, when he's in a particularly bratty mood and wants you to wreck his shit, it's a totally different story, and he will be spitting taunts at you even as the words keep getting cut off by choked moans.

Simeon: Simeon is prone to crying during sex and everyone else can fight me. He tries to maintain some semblance of dignity at first, but it never takes long before he falls apart and starts crying out freely.

Quiet

Lucifer: Yeah, the most you're getting from him is the occasional tremor in his voice. He's bad at showing vulnerability at the best of times, so you just have to get used to picking up on the way his mouth twists or his brow furrows, because you won't be getting any more obvious reactions than that. (Unless he's drunk, but that's another story altogether.)

Satan: Depending on his mood, the sounds he makes range from low growls to soft, breathy moans. Either way, it's gonna be pretty quiet, and you'd need to be within a couple feet of him to be able to hear them at all.

Beelzebub: If you're doing something particularly intense, you may be treated to some choked grunts, but otherwise, the only noises he really makes are his breath getting heavier and whispered praises that grow increasingly incoherent as he approaches his orgasm, at which point he seems to stop breathing altogether.

Barbatos: Barbatos makes these drawn-out, airy noises that are very cute, but almost inaudible if your faces aren't right up against each other. If you make it known that you want to hear him better, he won't get any louder, but instead will lean towards you to moan right in your ear.

#obey me #nsft #gn reader #obey me asmodeus #obey me leviathan #obey me belphegor #obey me mammon #obey me lucifer #obey me satan #obey me beelzebub #obey me simeon #obey me diavolo #obey me solomon #obey me barbatos #reader insert #obey me x reader

276 notes · View notes

abrthephantomq · 8 months ago

Note

🌋Additional fun facts about Uendo Toneido!

In tha original Japanese version, it's a bit more obvious that tha alters are fictives of sorts. Kisegawa retains her name from tha rakugo story of 'Omitate', but Patches's original name was 'Ippachi' while Owen's original name was 'Sadakichi Isoda'. They're both rakugo characters that feature in a number of stories, Ippachi especially.

While Uendo's original stage name was 'Bifu Senputei', Uendo Toneido functions as a real Japanese name! (Ya can even see it a split second written on the fan they threw) Translating roughly to "Feather Performer", we believe.

A right cute detail is the fan symbol pepperin' their design is not only a mechanical fan, but one with specifically 4 blades.

Them gettin' drunk off of a sake bun is actually a rakugo reference! 'The scary manju bun' is a tale of a man claiming that his biggest fear, one that makes him pass out, are manju buns. When his friends prank him with a bunch of them, he eats them all and goes 'hmm... my biggest fear now is... a bottle of alcohol...' 'r somethin' like that!

Number of mats a rakugo artist sits on can be indicative of how popular/well liked they are! Can't get full details on this but it's 'parently a gag in rakugo shows/series that this can happen. So it's fair ta say that Uendo is fairly well liked as a performer ('n probably does give out autographs!)

Uendo calls Geiru "big sis" and Athena "sis" in the original Japanese

Uendo actually falls in line with a specific theme of Spirit of Justice, which I can only really describe as being themed ta spirit channelin'? Albhi and the dog being able to talk somehow, the magician twins pretending to be one person, Uendo and co. all seem to be sort of allusions to that element. In a sense they're kind of a parallel to Maya Fey, in fact they're actually the same age as her in canon, if ya look closely! It makes sense, if ya consider Maya and Mia are basically two characters in one. 'N with how many cocouncil characters allude ta Maya (if ya haven't played the Professor Layton one the gal in that is uh. The most blatant one, we'll say.), Uendo sorta... inadvertently confirms the whole dang series has been awfully plural for a long time? It's interestin'.

Can't remember anythin' else atm, but hope ya liked all that! - Helen

Mannnnnnn. I am absolutely loving all of this. ❤️ Thank you for stopping by with these fun facts!!

I haven't played the crossover game (I desperately wanna tho), but ... Yeah. I def see what you mean about things being System- coded.

These little facts just make everything so much better, though. And tbh I'm not surprised that the Uendo's headmates may be fictives - considering how large rakugo is as a piece of their shared life.

Idk it seems like they did a decent amount of research for rep that actually felt reasonable within the context of the AA universe. Especially with these added little facts. ❤️

#uendo toneido #ace attorney

43 notes · View notes

runninglikeabuckley · 3 months ago

Text

as someone who does like bucktommy rn but wants buddie endgame, this my pitch for their break up:

they’re basically as serious as in canon, maybe buck/taylor levels but they dont live together. they’re pretty happy together, no major issues until…

the topic of kids comes up, possibly in passing. tommy doesn’t want any. buck does. tommy’s absolutely certain. buck says/thinks he isn’t, but can’t settle with the idea of not having kids.

buck talks to maddie, to hen, to chim, maybe even to josh (he’s the only character i can think of without kids tbh but i feel like buck would go to him as a fellow queer man). he doesn’t talk to eddie about it (much like the sperm donor arc…) whoever he does talk to, tells him he needs to talk to tommy. this is not something he can just shove down, it’s not even something he wants to shove down, but he doesn’t want this relationship to end

i also think we should have a montage of scenes with buck and kids throughout all the seasons. no guesses for who features most prominently, but i would for sure end it on the season 1 clip of buck holding the baby from the pipe

eventually, he tells tommy they need to talk. tommy says he knows. he says he had a feeling this was coming sooner than later and he was putting it off.

they talk. tommy says he’s absolutely certain. maybe he talks about his own childhood, and how does or does not impact his choice. maybe he talks about how long it’s taken him to feel comfortable in himself. maybe he says that he looks at buck and he can see all the love that he has left over from his lonely childhood and how badly he wants to share it, to make sure that no little kid ever feels that unwanted again. but tommy can’t do it with him. he can’t change like that. and in a way that’s reminiscent of buck and taylor in a way, buck says he wouldn't want tommy to change for him

THEN. tommy says that christopher's a good kid, they get on well, and maybe if it was just him they were talking about things woukd be different

record scratch. buck goes ??? what does chris have to do with anything. tommy says, well he's a teenager, it's not like coming into a young kid's life. buck says yeah but he's not my kid? tommy says evan.

they break up. it's sad, but it is what it is. buck gets wine drunk with maddie about it. he doesn't tell eddie why they broke up. he doesn't know why

the kids question is far from resolved, and we can see that it's weighing on him. and then. and THEN.

he meets a kid on a call. maybe it's a safe haven surrender, maybe it's a lanky 9 year old. maybe it's a little boy whose parents don't seem to care when he gets hurt. but buck looks at that kid, and his heart goes oh.

then we have the arc of him deciding he wants to foster, trying to get approved, trying to tell people without it being like the sperm donor thing all over again. and eddie's right there with him, stepping into his mess with him.

and THEN we get a feelings realisation arc and buddie

thank you for coming to my ted talk

#i have another post to make about buck having a kid #but this is my pitch #no need for bad guys or cheating or anything #but tie the kids thing inextricably to eddie because that’s how it truly is #buddie #911 abc #911 spec #911 season 8 #buckley diaz family

15 notes · View notes

heartbreakslow · 3 months ago

Text

Da$h watch, 2x04

"Fruit on the bottom sounds like a homophobic uncle’s rule about bunk beds”—Chris Fleming

The camping episode! This one gets a separate post bc it’s kind of a break in the da$h s2 arc.

2x04. The subplot starts comedic: Darren sees Malakai and Rowan putting on sunscreen and starts having an OTT porn fantasy about the two of them suggestively squirting sunscreen on each other’s chests and inviting Darren to join. Cash interrupts by bringing them a Fanta and they’re so startled they drop the girl who’s rope climbing, are too frazzled to open a can of soda, and run away blaming the heat.

Later the kids play Never Have I Ever. When anal sex comes up Darren performatively chugs their whole drink while Cash tries to sneakily take a sip but everyone notices, including Darren who is shocked.

Later Cash climbs into their bed and asks if they’re okay. He starts making out with them, but then he tries to give them a handjob which has clearly never happened before:

Darren: wait, what are you doing?

Cash: giving you what you want.

Darren: what do YOU want?

Beat, Cash conspicuously doesn’t answer, then goes to kiss them again. Darren rolls away from him: “let’s just go to sleep.” Cash doesn’t go to sleep.

The next day they’re lost in the woods when Cash asks to “debrief.” Darren: “nothing happened, we were drunk, it wasn’t right, I don’t want to talk about it.” Cash points out they kept trying to have sex with him before, and now “the moment I try, you reject me.” Darren says “how do you think I feel, knowing you’re doing it to pity me?” and walks away. Cash says “I don’t pity you, I love you, can we just talk about this for two seconds” and then they’re both distracted by finding mushrooms.

Everyone takes the mushrooms. After a few hours, Cash and Darren each seem to be tripping on their own and in a good mood. Cash has a big smile on his face, comes up behind Darren, turns them around, takes their hand, and says “come with me.” (Discussion question: is it probbo for him to do this when they’re high? I’m sure he was more experienced/less affected than they were.)

We see them sitting by the lake and Cash says if they’re in a relationship they need to learn to talk to each other, especially about the hard stuff.

So Darren shares that they felt “thrown” and “jealous” when they played Never Have I Ever, because they found out Cash had a lot of sexual experiences and they wondered “why them and not me?”

Cash doesn’t respond to that; he says “I want to find a way that works for both of us.”

Darren says, “I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.”

Cash says, “that’s impossible! You’ve only ever made me feel comfortable.” (Really????) “You’re my soulmate,” which makes Darren cry and Cash tenderly wipes their tears and it leads into the two of them kissing. Darren says, "I want you to lead. Tell me what you want," and Cash says, "I want you to touch yourself."

Then they have this shared experience: Darren getting off, the two of them kissing, and Cash just touching Darren's face/neck while watching their expressions and kissing them and whispering directions in their ear. It's really intense and happy; by the end of it they have their foreheads together and are like, laughing in each other's faces and telling each other how much they love each other.

Not to editorialize too much but I don't think I have ever seen something like this depicted in media? Not really?

The next morning, the two of them walk back to camp, check in with each other about the night before, and engage in some PDA. Cash is standing there giving Darren a Christian side hug like, "Look!! They're MY partner and we figured out a way to have sex!"

Thoughts:

Neither character communicates perfectly, but they did a fine job tbh--they were both so precious and concerned about each other here, and so happy and proud when they figured out something that worked. That's the thing that makes it feel like a "break" from the s2 arc of secrecy/miscommunication.

Darren’s overcorrecting from s1. Instead of being coercive they’re deciding FOR Cash that he doesn’t want to, and hiding from him when they’re horny/sexually frustrated. I think this fits into how they join the puriteens later.

And they still can slip into thinking it’s about their own worth (“why them and not me?”).

Meanwhile, Cash is being Like That as usual. Tbf, it’s really hard to articulate wanting some sexual things but not for the usual reasons. But the way he was like “Darren we have to talk!” and then Darren shared exactly what they were feeling and Cash just changed the subject because he didn’t want to talk about the thing they brought up...I also thought the “you’re my soulmate” thing cut off a real discussion that needed to happen.

Really not serious complaints, though. I’m proud of them both! They did a nice job!

Even more thoughts:

-I’ve never wanted Darren to do a point by point verbal apology for how they treated Cash in s1; I thought the show covered everything well in showing where that behavior came from and showing Darren questioning that worldview and changing their behavior. BUT, in this episode, I kind of wish it had just been acknowledged because it seemed to be hanging over how cautious Darren was. When Cash said “you’ve only ever made me feel comfortable” I was like do you have the memory of a goldfish?

-We can already glean that Cash forced himself to have sex and it was bad, based on the conversation in 1x07 (the devastating line reading of “it’s not…enjoyable”!!!). But that was pretty subtle, maybe Darren didn’t put it together, I’ll allow it.

-This subplot is VERY underdiscussed, which frustrates me, because it’s so interesting!

I have seen some fans interpret this subplot as Cash being demi or sex favorable ace, which I think is a misread. Or maybe people have learned some ace jargon but don't understand what those things actually look like? IMO, this is a complex ace character who's largely sex repulsed, but has a bit of wiggle room he wants to explore with his partner. I didn't see any sexual desire or libido.

It's still unclear exactly what his motivations/interests/limits are, but here are my guesses:

The key was "I want you to lead," not the specific act they were doing. That's the distinction Darren didn't understand when they tried to initiate something later.

In the bunk bed scene, Cash couldn't answer "what do you want?" because what he just said ("giving you what you want") IS what he wants. He wanted to do this for Darren and he approached it in a way that was comfortable for him--watching the scene, you can see he's positioned himself as big spoon/on top and he's the one to escalate each "step" and Darren is just responding to what he does. Cash could see that the answer he gave was the "wrong" answer but he had no other answer. (As someone who's fairly similar to Cash, I initially felt annoyed with Darren's response and thought they were being patronizing by questioning what he really "wanted." But there's such a lack of knowledge about this kind of thing that I can't really blame them for being confused and cautious, especially because of how badly they treated him in the past.)

#heartbreak high #da$h watch //#hbh ace talk

7 notes · View notes

yloiseconeillants · 6 months ago

Text

@eorzeanflowers asked: 16 17 (For the GAP. :D (I love that this the acronym))

16. One thing one character likes about their partner(s). 17. Now one thing that the other character(s) likes about the first chara.

I had to crowdsource this answer again, so (putting it under the cut because there's some Strategically Censored Nudity in one of the screencaps lmao and also THIS IS GOING TO GET VERY LONG)-

Ariadne would say that One Thing She Likes About Kytheon is how easy he is to talk to - like he's so worldly and full of stories so you would think he wouldn't care that much about whatever petty nonsense was flitting around your head, but that's not what he's like at all? He manages to listen to people in a way that feels engaging and vital and makes her feel like less of a fool every time they have a conversation.

Kyth @mythandral: She's social and warm and has a great laugh; he likes how their modes of affection are very similar. She's his hug go-to (and god, what an honour) (TRULY)

Ari ADORES Mori and admires her so much. The first thing that comes to mind is how like, subversive Mori seems in a place like Amaurot - that she does what she wants and isn't as plagued by the pressure to conform to Amaurotine social rules as Ari feels like she has to - and that feels so freeing to be in her presence.

Timoria @lilbittymonster: Mori loves Ariadne's devotion to her projects and her fascination for flora whenever they manage to get her outside of Amaurot. Amaurot is always so obsessed with the perfect and the grandiose that it's refreshing to be around someone who finds beauty in the mundane and the rot and the little things in the soil beneath them.

She would say that Minthe always knows exactly what to do (from Ari's perspective at least) - like not just like, knowing what would get her up in the morning or how to exact righteous vengeance on Hades - she just seems so confidently Right about everything. I can easily see the two of them collaborating on Something and Ari Not knowing what is Off about it but something is wrong - and like, Minthe swiping a quick taste or look at it and knowing exactly how to fix it.

Minthe @tallbluelady: The nice thing about Ariadne is that she's real passionate about the strangest things.

Ariadne and Icarus have never done anything wrong in their entire lives and they know this and love each other.

Icarus @hermits-hovel: I imagine he grew to like her a lot during the theatre days. She was a LOT of fun to work with and probably didn’t fret about the same things that he did lmao (something that would’ve kept him grounded tbh. Which IG applies also to their mutual cope later but idk. Ari’s personality gels with his in a lot of ways and I love it.)

Ari would like, really struggle to put into words to a neutral third party something that she likes about Ras so it would probably be something like "Ras can lift me to windows I cannot reach on my own" gkslgk. But what she would WANT to say if she could form words about it is his gentleness that she witnesses in small moments - with creatures and with her (i think about his futile attempts to do Nice Things for her when he thinks she won't remember and it kills me because of course she does. Her memory is fucking excellent which is why she has to go to Mnemo to erase her memories in the first place - and that she sort of recognizes what he is attempting but knows he doesn't do this when she's sober creates a maelstrom of an overthinking loop - like does Ras only like her when she's drunk and she should never mention this to him ever since he only does it because he thinks she won't remember so she will lie about how much she can't remember from Last Night but hopefully in a way flippant enough that no one is worried that she's joking about getting black out drunk on a regular Basis) ANYWAY outside of the agonies watching him with creatures feels like a Secret and she treasures that

Erasmos @azure-dragonsinger: Ras likes that Ari cares about her weird mushrooms, that she fills silence easily and generally admires how sociable she is. (He also likes that she got him to come out of himself and included him in things but he also didnt like that so he doesn't want to encourage it XD) Also also its Ras so he'd just be like "Ari's pretty cool."

Ari would just be like "Panthea is the coolest person I have ever met in my life" and then go on to list in graphic detail all the gross stuff they've been up to. (i just want to like, point at the bit about staying within societal expectations again, because like, I do think that Ariadne really does struggle with this, especially considering that like, she's friends with people like Kyth and Mori who make it seem so easy to buck expectations [even if that's not actually the case or not] so having someone like Pan around who is like, deeply entrenched in Amaurot and its ways and bureaucracies and still manages to navigate it and find space to be true to herself is so so so inspiring)

Panthea @whatsthisascianbullshit: And as for Panthea I think it's definitely an admiration of someone who is also interested in the less idk pretty? parts of how nature and life works and forges onwards in that interest while navigating staying somewhat within Societal Expectations™️ she really loves how Ari seeks to include people and I legit think she gets little flutters every time Ari turns her smile towards her. It's warmth and inclusion and staying up late drunkenly discussing the impact venom glands would have on the decomposition process as far as fungus was concerned

BONUS: not GAP members but friends regardless:

Ari thinks Ares is a very intense person and loves that? But also their willingness to put up with her nonsense fbslgjd i don't think she expected that from Ares and is completely delighted (and will be careful to not push her Chaos Agenda too much to the point of discomfort)

Ares Nemo @abyssalmermaiden they admire how she's found what she likes (fungi and decay) and gets creative with it. And she's fun to be around and doesn't make them feel like they need to be defensive (the way many academics do)

Ari loves that Daedalus is both passionate AND good at what he does and the gremlining is SO FUN. Daedalus is fun! Even his fucking giant robot castle of Depression is fun when it isn't trying to kill her.

Daedalus @azure-dragonsinger: Daedalus has a deep and intense fondness for how much of a gremlin he and Ari could be together and that is absolutley something he really values even after they both leave the theatre.

#oh my god

15 notes · View notes

silverdune · 5 months ago

Text

1978. | the one who caught my likeness

"..is he painting us?"

minors dni. ageless blogs dni. blank blogs dni. you'll be blocked. <- previous | 1978 masterlist | next -> character(s): kim hongjoong, jung wooyoung (ft. park seonghwa, jeong yunho, kang yeosang, choi san, song mingi) tags: explicit language, painter!wy, alcohol, drunk behaviour, hj drunkenly runs across a busy street (he's fine!), awkward moments, slight emotional angst word count: 5.9k summary: the time hongjoong met a painter who was capturing his likeness from across the street.. a/n: so this is somehow the longest chapter i've written so far lmao.. tbh it's more context than anything else but i also think i hold this chapter near and dear to my heart so, i hope you enjoy!

you say i captivated you don’t understand how that could be true when it was you and how your colours bled into my view i don’t know how you did it but you painted me in a way i knew was true

× April, 1974 ×

“Oh, darling, I cannot believe it! When you told me you had a surprise, I never once imagined it would be this!”

Hongjoong could hear his ma’s astonished tone, full of love and pride, and it made tears bubble up in his eyes.

“Aw, thank you, ma. Do you see now why I couldn’t reveal anything?” he asked with a chuckle.

“Certainly! I am just.. I am just so incredibly over the moon for you. You should be incredibly proud of yourself for how far you’ve come.”

Hongjoong blinked back the tears that threatened to fall and sniffled quietly so his ma couldn’t hear. “Thanks, ma. I’ve worked so hard on this album.”

“You’ve worked so hard to get there in the first place! I knew you wouldn’t give up on your passion for anyone.”

There was a hint of melancholy in her tone and it made Hongjoong’s chest feel heavy. Anyone meant his father.

He had never been one for confrontation, and he didn’t want to act smugly in the face of his father. He just didn’t have the heart to be like that.

There was a faint sound of movement on the other end, and Hongjoong could hear another voice talking to her. He straightened his back: speaking of which..

“Oh, Hongjoong, your father wants to talk to you quickly..”

Hongjoong caught the tension in his ma’s voice. She was worried her husband would pick a fight with her son over the phone.

“That’s okay, ma,” he said, an act of reassurance, “you can pass him the phone.”

The waves in between their two receivers seemed to pull taut at the idea. His ma exhaled, and after a few seconds, his pa’s voice rang through the speaker. “Hello?”

“Ah, hello, pa. How are you doing?” Hongjoong scratched the back of his neck.

“I’m not doing too bad. And yourself?”

Hongjoong hated the formal way in which they spoke to one another. It wasn’t cold, it was just still. “I’m doing.. really well, yes.”

His pa gave a faint smile. “That’s good to know. We heard about the release of your first album. It’s quite maniacal to imagine that you’ve actually done it.”

Hongjoong scoffed a laugh in his throat. That was one thing they could agree on. “Indeed. I wake up every morning and still think I’m in a dream.”

Much to Hongjoong’s surprise, his pa laughed a little. “You’ll feel like that for a while, I suspect. Heck, five years down the line you might still feel like that.”

Five years..

Did his father genuinely believe Hongjoong would make it to five years as an artist? Did he really have that level of belief in him?

“Gee, five years would be insane, ha..”

“It would be, absolutely, but I think if you put your mind to it, you’ll make it anywhere.”

Hongjoong drew back in shock. What leaf had his father turned?

“You really believe that?” he wondered, not holding back on the amount of confusion in his voice.

Eventually, his father sighed. “Hongjoong.. I’ve had many months to think about everything that happened before you left for Seoul. I recognise that I wasn’t always the most.. supportive person towards you and your ambitions.”

Hongjoong felt dizzy. He took a seat on the couch.

“I asked myself, ‘what kind of father would I be to continue being so dismissive of my son?’ And so, I will try to be.. more supportive.”

Something churned inside Hongjoong. Initially, he wondered if his father had been prompted by his mother to say something, but in the end, Hongjoong realised he didn’t care.

This was the first step, and he would take anything above his own pa acting like he doesn’t exist.

“Pa.. I don’t know what to say.”

“Don’t say a word. It’s not you that needs to make up for anything.”

Hongjoong’s heart disintegrated in his chest. He gripped the receiver until his palm hurt and cried quietly into his shirt sleeve.

At that moment, Seonghwa entered the living room.

In an instant, Seonghwa dropped down beside Hongjoong on the couch. Hongjoong was on the verge of tears, and quickly said goodbye to his pa with a promise that they’ll talk again soon.

“Talk to you soon, son. And good luck.”

Once Hongjoong put the receiver down, he fell apart in Seonghwa’s arms.

“Hey, it’s okay.. What happened?” The ease and comfort in Seonghwa’s voice helped calm Hongjoong down fairly quickly, and when he lifted his head, Seonghwa was shocked to see a gleaming smile on his lips. “Um.. You okay?”

Hongjoong sniffed. “Couldn’t be happier,” he said. He put space between the two of them as he mopped up the rest of his tears.

“Right..” said Seonghwa, laughing nervously. “What exactly happened?”

“Pa spoke to me. He said that he thought a lot about what happened before I left for Seoul, the argument we had, and he said that he would try to be more supportive of me going forward.”

Stunned, Seonghwa curtly said, “Wow. So he apologised?”

Hongjoong stopped. He thought back on their conversation. No, he hadn’t. “Um, not exactly..”

“So, he said all of that without an apology?” Seonghwa flexed a brow.

Hongjoong looked over at him. He could understand Seonghwa’s perspective, but at the same time, “I’ll take anything, Hwa. The fact that he even said that to me is huge.”

Seonghwa stared at him for a while until his eyes softened. He recalled how Hongjoong broke down just now. He couldn’t take this moment away from him. “Okay, just.. don’t let him get away without apologising properly,” he said, softly.

Hongjoong smiled. “I won’t, don’t worry.”

Seonghwa mirrored his expression and let out a sigh. “Good. I’m happy that you’ve had this conversation with your father.” Hongjoong looked back at the phone on the side table. He breathed out, a tinge of hope in its wind. “Me too, Seonghwa. Me too.”

×-×

San was the reason the six of them found themselves outside Mountain Top Merlot celebrating the release of Hongjoong’s first album.

So much had happened in the past few months alone, and Hongjoong was struggling to keep up with most of it.

When he saw Yunho from across the way holding a shiny new copy of his first vinyl - not signed, because Hongjoong refused to make a deity of himself - boasting a smile full of immense pride at his best friend’s achievements, Hongjoong felt the world stop around him. Yunho was eager to show it off to anyone who would listen, just so he could spend five minutes waxing lyrical on how talented his lifelong friend was, and how thrilled he was to be holding a tapestry to the blood, sweat and tears said friend had put in to make it happen.

Hongjoong couldn’t run away from the feeling that he hadn’t done a damn thing, and that he had just been extraordinarily lucky.

It was Yeosang who broke him out of these thoughts with a hand on his shoulder. “Staring at your pride and joy, huh?” He was nursing a glass of red wine in his other hand, and took a sip of it before letting go of Hongjoong’s shoulder.

“Hm?” Hongjoong blinked and looked at Yeosang. “Oh- Oh, yes, yeah, uh.. Quite crazy, huh?”

Yeosang immediately detected the light warble of his words and the way they didn’t fully resonate with the level of happiness he had shown before now.

Hongjoong stared at the bottle in his hand and lightly shook the contents before finishing the last few drops. In the split second between emptying the bottle and removing it from his lips, he saw Yunho and the vinyl through the bottom of the glass. Warped and blurry.

Yeosang nudged him. “Feeling out of sorts?”

“You could say that,” replied Hongjoong. He kept staring at the bottle. “One minute I’m over the moon and immensely proud and all of this is a dream and whatnot.. The next I’m tripping over myself, wondering what I even did to make it this far.” He glanced up. Yunho was still brandishing the vinyl as if it were his own. As if Hongjoong’s name wasn’t on the front.

But Hongjoong’s name was the only one coming out of Yunho’s mouth.

The beer swirled in Hongjoong’s stomach and it almost made him feel sick. He put the bottle down on the nearest table.

Yeosang caught Hongjoong staring, and for a brief minute, he physically turned Hongjoong on the spot to look at him.

“Hongjoong, folks may have been kind, but that doesn’t mean you deserve no credit for the work you’ve put in and the determination you’ve had to make this a reality. You came all the way to Seoul to pursue your dream; that takes a hefty amount of courage and a certain confidence. And you have the skill. You’ve connected with people. The reviews on your first album have been glowing. People enjoy your work, and like you for the way you’ve presented yourself. Of course, they’ll never know the full you, not the real real Kim Hongjoong. But the heart you’ve put into your work hasn’t gone unnoticed. And that is something noteworthy.”

Hongjoong stared at him, then glanced over at Yunho. Yunho, full of zeal in his inebriated state, pointed to the vinyl, then pointed at Hongjoong and mouthed you fucking did it.

Hongjoong laughed despite himself, and took a deep breath in.

Yeosang, with a smile on his face, shook his head at Yunho’s antics before looking back at Hongjoong. “Give yourself a bit of credit. Afford yourself the space to be proud of yourself and what you’ve done. Lord knows, we all are.” Hongjoong looked around. He was surrounded by friends. They were all here to celebrate his achievements.

Hongjoong never particularly liked being the centre of attention, he just wanted to do what he was passionate about.

Maybe, just once, he can give himself the time of day.

×-×

An hour had passed, and shockingly, it was Seonghwa who suggested they start playing drinking games.

Sat around a table outside the bar, as they had been since they first arrived two hours prior, they played a few rounds of flick-the-cap. Yunho won twice, San won once and Mingi also won once before they all decided they’d had enough soju to last them a month.

Hongjoong’s mood had picked up, and he was keeling over in laughter at every joke Mingi made.

That was, until, someone caught his eye from a distance.

The second they locked eyes, the stranger glanced back down. He was sitting in front of an easel with a palette in one hand and a paintbrush in the other. He looked to be hard at work. Through the cloudiness of his drunken state, Hongjoong wondered what he could be painting.

Yeosang plucked him and everyone out of their thoughts with an announcement that he was going to get them all a pitcher of water. He’d had the least amount to drink, and one look around the table was enough for him to know that he should get something to sober them all up.

San openly protested this, loudly exclaiming that he hadn’t had that much. Yeosang politely reminded him that not only had he had the most to drink, but that he also had the weakest tolerance. San’s face went bright red, and he folded his arms across his chest. His head was fuzzy with alcohol, so much so his better instinct kicked in. “..Alright,” he muffled under his breath.

Hongjoong for one, welcomed the pitcher of water, and when it arrived he went to gulp down a glass when Seonghwa stopped him.

“Don’t.. drink it all.. down in one..” His voice slurred every syllable. “You need-” He belched, to which the others grimaced. “You need- to- sip it..” He leaned over and brought his hand up to the bottom of Hongjoong’s glass, giggling as Hongjoong took slow, small sips as instructed. “Yeah, see? Baby sips, baby sips.” Seonghwa laughed and took his hand away, then sipped on his own water.

“My God, you are so drunk,” remarked Yunho, equally tipsy.

“Hey! I’m not that drunk, I’m just.. buzzed!” Seonghwa’s head nearly collapsed onto the table and Yunho had to save him. Hongjoong finished sipping his water then put the glass down.

His eyes turned back to the stranger.

The stranger was watching them every so often. There was a smile on his face. He turned back to the easel.

Is.. Is he painting.. us?

Hongjoong was ultimately too curious at this point to leave the question unanswered. He stood up, much to everyone’s discouragement, and told them that he would be back in a few minutes, he just needed to check something.

He stumbled away from the table, past the other people also congregating outside the bar, and towards the edge of the road. It was probably against his better judgement, but he just needed to know if this stranger was painting them.

“Hongjoong!” called a voice from behind him. The stranger’s head snapped up and his face fell in panic.

Hongjoong looked back. Yeosang was standing up straight, beckoning him to come back and not be such an idiot.

“It’s fine! I’m fine!” shouted Hongjoong in response. Yeosang was unconvinced, and set everything aside to join Hongjoong at the curb.

“What the hell are you doing?” he asked the instant he was by Hongjoong’s side.

Hongjoong didn’t want to draw any more attention to himself than he already had, so he leaned in close to Yeosang’s ear and whispered, “I think there’s someone across the street painting us.” Yeosang furrowed his eyebrows. He leaned back and looked directly at Hongjoong. “Are you sure?”

Hongjoong nodded fiercely, then turned back to the man on the other side of the street.

The painter, now very flustered and embarrassed, was quickly throwing all of his supplies into his satchel with little care.

“Hey! Wait!” yelled Hongjoong. Talk about not bringing any more attention to yourself.

The man glanced over, then immediately rushed to pack everything away and run. Hongjoong helplessly ran out into the street.

Yeosang let out a yelp at the sight and sound of car horns and vehicles coming to a screeching halt just inches away from the hapless drunk steamrolling across the road. He clutched his chest and took a deep breath in when he realised Hongjoong had somehow made it to the other side in one piece, then turned back to see not only their friends, but the rest of the patrons outside the bar look on in horror. Eventually, the patrons carried on with their conversations. Hongjoong’s friends continued staring.

The painter was seconds away from making a break for it, but was caught by Hongjoong stopping dead in front of him; his long, black hair fell in front of his eyes and his cheeks became a very deep shade of pink.

“Um-” he uttered. The canvas was still precariously leaning against the easel. Hongjoong saw it in his peripheral vision.

His eyes widened. “Holy shit..” he muttered under his breath.

“Uh-” The man eyed the floor in shame. He swallowed the lump in his throat. “I- I can-” He tripped over the lump and choked on it. “I can, uh.. I can explain.”

His voice was low and timid. Guilt radiated through every inch of his skin as he held the satchel close to his stomach.

Hongjoong stared at the painting again. Between the drink-induced nature of his curdled brain and the adrenaline in his blood from running what felt like half a marathon, all he could think to say about the painting was, “That’s so fucking good.”

The man glanced over at him. “W-What?”

Hongjoong coughed into his clenched fist then pointed at the canvas. “That. That’s a really good painting.” Hongjoong eyed him. “So you were painting us.”

It was a statement above a question. Less accusatory than expected, but it still made the man look away. “I.. I people-watch and paint,” he shrugged. “It’s what I do.”

The explanation was purposefully vague, owing to Hongjoong’s inebriation, but it was enough at that moment for Hongjoong to say, “Wow. You’re really talented.”

His eyes met Hongjoong’s once more. Ultimately puzzled but nonetheless grateful, he said, “Thanks. Look, I’m sorry if I’ve made you uncomfortable by painting you. It was just..” He sighed. “It seemed like a happy occasion. I like to document happy occasions.” Hongjoong’s brain was all over the place. He couldn’t think much about the reason given and instead just said again, “You’re really talented.”

A smile betrayed the man. “Thanks. Again.” He picked up the canvas and set it aside, then disassembled the small easel and tucked it under his free arm.

“Could I have the painting?” blurted Hongjoong. “I think my friends would like to see it.”

His tone of voice wasn’t degrading nor condescending, merely opportunistic. Friendly. The painter wondered if the man were a lot more sober would he be so gracious.

Not wanting to take advantage of such a moment, the man politely declined.

“Um, I don’t know if that’s a good idea.” He held the canvas in his free hand. “But thank you for being so interested,” he said, earnestly. “And I hope you enjoy the rest of your night. Your friends seem like great people.”

Hongjoong, a little foggy, watched the painter as he walked past him and into the distance. The air surrounding them seemed to grow much quieter, much darker, the further he walked.

As he prepared himself to head back over to the bar, one thing looped in Hongjoong’s mind incessantly.

Your friends seem like great people.

Hongjoong saw his friends across the way, still looking at him blankly like they’d just seen the dramatic climax of an opera.

They are, stranger, Hongjoong thought to himself, they are.

By the time he looked back in the direction that the painter had gone, he had already disappeared.

Hongjoong hummed. He wondered if they’d ever cross paths again.

Hongjoong would find that he’d think about it a lot over the coming days.

If only to see that painting again.

if only to see that painting again a stroke of luck i think about every now and again you said you like to document happy occasions and now you’re a part of my happiest times

The incident had kept Hongjoong up every night since it happened.

In the wake of his sobriety and incredibly dense headache the following morning, he could remember every second of it in what felt like excruciating detail. None of his friends decided to ask him about it out of respect for his dignity; he did almost risk his life for the sake of talking to a painter.

There was no getting away from it. It circled the back of his mind every day.

He just wasn’t expecting to run into the man again exactly a week later.

Hongjoong stopped in the middle of the street. The stranger was sitting on a stool and looking out towards the Han River. Much like that night outside Moutain Top Merlot, he had an easel in front of him, with a canvas secured tightly to the frame.

From afar, Hongjoong watched as the man dipped his brush in water, then in paint, then in water again, before spreading it quite liberally over the canvas. He noticed that it was a faint wash of blue. For the river, Hongjoong thought.

He didn’t want to disturb him in the middle of his work, but Hongjoong was so curious at the same time. He needed to talk to him and ask him about that night. I like to document happy occasions.

If only to see that painting again.

Step by step, Hongjoong gradually made his way over to the painter, who saw Hongjoong in his peripheral vision and paused.

Hongjoong also froze. He wasn’t close enough to make any kind of comment without raising his voice, but he’d been spotted.

Putting the brush down, the man looked over at Hongjoong. “Can I help you?”

His voice was oddly neutral for someone who should probably be weirded out by this. There was also, if Hongjoong wasn’t imagining it, the soft lilt of genuine curiosity in his voice. Nothing mean or standoffish about him at all.

“Um-” Hongjoong took a careful step forward. “I- I’m sorry, I- I didn’t mean to disturb.”

“Nah, it’s alright,” he said, standing up from his stool. His demeanour was as calm as the river they were adjacent to. Hongjoong didn’t know if he should be thankful or freaked out himself. “You’re the guy who ran across the street last Friday, right?”

Hongjoong tried to hold back a fluster at that question. “Yeah.. That was me,” he chuckled nervously.

The man opposite smiled brightly. “I must admit, it was quite scary. I legitimately thought you were gonna get hurt..” He then frowned and swallowed anxiously. “I don’t know if I’d forgiven myself for making you dart across the road like that..”

Hongjoong closed the distance between them some more. “To be honest, I feel like an idiot for doing that. I shouldn’t have been so careless.. But I was also drunk, so..”

“I could tell,” said the man, boldly. He then coughed on his comment and added, “Sorry- It just- You seemed-”

“No, no, it’s okay, it’s fair to point it out.”

The two men smiled at one another. It was strange. Odd. Pleasant, in many ways.

“Wooyoung.” He held out a hand.

Hongjoong stared at it, then looked back up at him. “Wooyoung?” he repeated. Wooyoung nodded. “Hongjoong,” he replied with a grin, shaking his hand.

Wooyoung knitted his brows. He recognised that name. “Ah! Like the singer!” Hongjoong froze solid. Wooyoung dropped his hand and shoved both into his pockets. “I bought his first album the day after it came out ‘cause I heard one of the songs on the radio. It’s so good. Have you heard of him?”

The words got caught in Hongjoong's throat as he stood across from Wooyoung.

Is he talking about me?

“Um-” Hongjoong didn’t mean to stutter. He just had no idea how to respond.

In the seconds before any of them said anything, Hongjoong let the words spin around his head, trying to conceive of any other possibility apart from the one where Wooyoung is indeed talking about him and not some other well-known artist named Hongjoong. Were there any other artists by that name? Hongjoong really had to rack his brains.

“I.. I guess not,” said Wooyoung with a nervous chuckle. Hongjoong became a block of ice. How did he even ask if it was him Wooyoung was referring to? Wooyoung was about to return to his easel when Hongjoong blurted out his name. “..Yeah?”

My face isn’t on the cover art of the album. Hongjoong pondered this for some time.

“You said, um, that you bought the album a few days ago?” Wooyoung nodded. “What does the album cover look like?”

Hongjoong knew it by heart since he had taken the photo for it. It was the view from his bedroom in the apartment he and Seonghwa shared, overlooking the tall skyscrapers of Seoul. If Wooyoung’s description of the cover art matched, it was his album alright.

When Wooyoung described it back to him, the description was identical.

Hongjoong’s jaw dropped.

“..That’s my album,” he uttered shamelessly.

Wooyoung’s head felt like it just grew three sizes.

“I-I’m sorry?” Wooyoung furrowed his brows and took a step closer to Hongjoong.

Hongjoong almost kicked himself for just letting it out like that, but there was no taking it back now. Better to just own it. “That’s my album. I’m Hongjoong.”

The way he said it carried the same level of surprise Wooyoung felt upon hearing this revelation.

“No fucking way..” he muttered under his breath. “No fucking way!” he said again, louder this time. “You’re Hongjoong?” Wooyoung started to fret. He turned this way and that, glancing back and forth between the easel and Hongjoong. He had painted Hongjoong. He had painted Hongjoong. He had painted Hongjoong!

Hongjoong noticed the panic on Wooyoung’s face and closed the distance between them. “Hey, it’s okay! Yes, I’m Hongjoong.” He placed a hand on his chest. “The cover art you described matched the one on the album I released a few days ago: up so high i can’t breathe, but-”

“-i don’t wanna come down,” finished Wooyoung. Hongjoong smiled knowingly. “Holy fuck.” Then his eyes became sceptical. “Wait.. How do I know for a fact you’re really Hongjoong?” He folded his arms.

Hongjoong blinked. “Um- Well-” His mind went blank; he couldn’t think of a way to legitimise his identity.

Then, a lightbulb went off in his head. Wooyoung relaxed his arms.

“Say, have you picked up a copy of Rolling Stone lately?”

×-×

Wooyoung couldn’t believe his eyes.

There he was, standing beside the Hongjoong, and staring at a page of the newest import edition of Rolling Stone. He had a tiny box dedicated to him in the Up-and-Coming Stars section, with a small summary about his first release and a quote from Hongjoong himself about how excited he was to be kickstaring his career. Beside that, a small picture of him holding a copy of his vinyl in the lobby of Kang Arts & Co.

Wooyoung glanced over, his jaw on the ground and his eyes twice the size of his head.

“You really are Hongjoong.” He was practically starstruck.

Hongjoong’s face flushed, and he timidly eyed the ground. “..Yes.”

“I- I can’t believe it.” Wooyoung glanced back at the page. There Hongjoong was, the vinyl nestled in his palms. It reminded Wooyoung of how he would hold his finished paintings. He closed the magazine and placed it back on the shelf, then turned back to Hongjoong. “I’m sorry I ever doubted you.”

“No, don’t apologise, it’s totally fine. I can see why you were sceptical. But, uh- now that we’re here, I guess I should thank you for buying my album and enjoying it so much.”

They turned to leave the shop, standing shoulder to shoulder. Hongjoong was helping Wooyoung carry his supplies around, and had the easel tucked under his arm. It made him think about the painting, and whether he would ever see it again. He needed to admire it in full sobriety.

Wooyoung smiled. “Thank you for releasing it. It’s some of my most favourite music I’ve ever heard.” Hongjoong’s heart spun in his chest. Some of his most favourite? It was completely beyond Hongjoong to even consider it. “It’s so nice to just sit and paint to. It really helps get the creative juices flowing.”

Hongjoong was vibrating with sheer happiness. He’d heard plenty from his friends about how much they enjoyed his music, but to hear from someone else that not only did they enjoy it, it actually helped inspire their creativity? Hongjoong was a damn puddle on the floor. He imagined Wooyoung listening to his album while peacefully painting a new work of art, and it made him feel flustered with elation. So much so, he couldn’t even properly convey it with words. “That makes me so happy to hear. Thank you so much, that’s all I ever wish for when people listen to my music.”

As they left the shop, Wooyoung said, “Your music is really easy to connect to and relate to. It’s.. helped me unpack some of my own feelings of loneliness and not knowing what I want out of the world, or what I want to do in the world. As a painter, I’ve struggled with the realisation I might not be able to make a career out of it. My parents have always told me I should just take up medicine or science, something more substantial, as they put it.” The desolation in his voice made Hongjoong’s stomach churn. It was heavily reminiscent of how he felt over a year ago, how his parents - or more his pa - treated his passion for music. He remembered the conversation he had with his father some time ago, and how much it felt like the tides were finally turning.

He frowned. He found himself wanting the same for Wooyoung.

“Well.. I’m so thankful that you’ve found something to relate to in my music. Trust me when I say that I’ve been there before myself.” Wooyoung looked over at him. “I know exactly how you feel. It’s definitely hard to carry on pursuing your passion when the whole world is against you. But you shouldn’t give up on it. For your sake more than anything.”

Wooyoung gave a faint smile, then turned his eyes back to the ground. He kicked his feet across the pavement and sighed. “Thank you. I’ll definitely keep it in mind.”

Hongjoong then thought of the painting again, and smiled. He wanted to talk to Wooyoung about it, perhaps get some insight on what inspired him to paint their celebration from across the street. Selfishly, he wanted to see the painting again, but that took a backseat for the time being. I like to document happy occasions.

“Hey..” Wooyoung glanced up. “The painting you did of my friends and I last week.” Wooyoung’s cheeks warmed up. He turned away in embarrassment. “I would really like to see it.”

That threw Wooyoung for a loop.

“W-Wait, really?”

“Mhm. I’d love to know what inspired you to paint it. I know you said you like to document happy occasions, but I want to see the painting again. I want to know how you put it together and why you chose to paint it as you did..” Hongjoong recognised he might be getting too far ahead of himself in his proposition and reined it in a bit. “..If you don’t mind.”

Wooyoung beamed, and it was as though the heavens had opened. “I would love to.”

×-×

The minute Hongjoong stepped into Wooyoung’s apartment, his jaw fell to the ground and his eyes sparkled.

“Holy shit..” he mumbled to himself, but Wooyoung managed to catch it, and a whisper of a smile reached his lips.

“Welcome to the abode,” he announced, shutting the front door once Hongjoong entered. “You probably won’t be surprised to find that most of the apartment is filled with supplies. I literally live in one corner and everything else is just.. art,” he chuckled.

Hongjoong couldn’t answer, he was fascinated by everything; he wanted to ask so many questions about each and every painting he saw.

But, that would have to wait. He knew exactly what he came here for, and he was itching to see it again.

Wooyoung led him through the mess of his apartment. Paint pots, palettes, blank canvases and torn bits of newspaper were strewn about the place, the true mark of a creative. Hongjoong likened it to the bits of paper that were scattered across the table in the café where he and Mingi spent hours writing songs. Or his own desk.

Once Wooyoung reached one particular room, he stopped in the doorway and said, “Ah! Here we go.”

Hongjoong trailed behind him, and he realised once he followed Wooyoung into the room that this was supposed to be the lounge. Instead, it had been flipped upside down and turned into a makeshift art studio.

“Mind yourself, there’s lots of shit on the floor I have yet to clear up.”

Hongjoong paid it no mind whatsoever, he liked the fact that it wasn’t so neat and tidy.

Wooyoung made his way over to the other side of the room, and dug around for a few seconds until he found what he was looking for. “Ah- here we are!” He pulled out the canvas and brought it over to an easel that was permanently set up in the corner of the room. Securing it in place, he turned to Hongjoong and said, “Without further ado.. The Happiest Times.”

Wooyoung stood to the side, revealing the artwork behind him.

Hongjoong was floored.

“Oh my God!” His hands flew to his mouth and he leaned in to take a closer look. “Holy shit, this is- This is fantastic!”

Wooyoung cleared his throat. “The Happiest Times: a watercolour painting, filled with washes of mainly warm colours, reds, oranges, yellows, as well as some blues and some greens. The painting focuses on the delight of a group of young men, perhaps in their early 20s, sharing in the joy of a celebratory event or an accomplishment. The setting is a popular jazz bar in downtown Seoul, and the event takes place at night, as shown by the navy of the sky and the blur of streetlights. There is laughter, and joy radiates through the canvas, as the men depicted are clearly elated with whatever or whoever they are celebrating. The wash of colour surrounds this focal point like a vignette, where the men and their happiness take centre stage.” Hongjoong reflexively looked over as Wooyoung finished his explanation. He smiled wholeheartedly at the commitment to illustrating this occasion, and it only widened when Wooyoung added an extra bit of information to his speech. “Much like the singer at the centre of it all.”

Hongjoong straightened his back and applauded. Wooyoung bowed his head, his hands behind his back.

“My God. Fantastic. This is absolutely incredible. I adore this,” said Hongjoong, sincerely.

Wooyoung shrugged a little. “It’s nothing.”

“Nothing?” Hongjoong uttered in complete shock. “This is amazing. Your work needs to be put in galleries, I swear.”

Wooyoung swallowed the lump in his throat. “..Thank you. That means a lot coming from you.”

Hongjoong scoffed. “Please, I’m just a guy from Anyang who likes to write music.”

“Music that captivated me.”

Hongjoong stilled. He glanced back at the painting again.

With fresh eyes, he noticed every detail. Upon an even closer inspection, Hongjoong could make out every single feature on his own face. He had been depicted so brilliantly, so truthfully from such a great distance that it left Hongjoong floored.

Turning back to Wooyoung, “And I say: your work has definitely captivated me.”

Wooyoung froze, then smiled. “Thank you. So much.”

An idea popped into Hongjoong’s mind, and it made his smile grow twice the size. “Hey, when it comes time for me to release a new album.. would you be interested in painting the cover art for it?”

Wooyoung could have fallen through the floor. He was so stunned he could hardly think for a second.

“You’re- You’re serious, like- no- like- you actually- wait a second-”

Hongjoong laughed. “I’ll let you think about it, of course.”

Wooyoung covered his mouth with one hand. “I just- That- That would be amazing, I-”

Hongjoong’s laughter died down to a grin. “And.. If it’s okay with you, I’d really like to show my friends your painting.”

This time, Wooyoung was more than happy to accept.

“Absolutely. The painting’s yours.”

The two men smiled at one another.

Wooyoung wished he could document this happy occasion.

a part of every little vignette you flooded every corner of the page i thank you for the way you knew how to capture everything that was true

taglist: @bikerjongho × @viviixlyy

× silverdune (ave). do not repost. ×

#ateez scenarios #ateez imagines #hongjoong scenarios #hongjoong imagines #ateez au #ateez fanfic #words.(ave)#fic: 1978

8 notes · View notes

his-tamine · 7 months ago

Note

Can we know more about Eden's trauma? I'm so into their story

Good question, anon :] tbh I've been pretty reluctant to go into too much detail about Eden's past on here, since even though he's a fictional character, the stuff that happened to him is more along the lines of "realistic fiction" - meaning that the mentioned events *can* occur in real life - and therefore could trigger real people who might've experienced anything similar.

BUT I think it should be fine, so long as I add a trigger warning. // TW for talk of: physical abuse, domestic violence, verbal abuse, death while in labor, murder, alcoholism, & a brief mention of hypothetical miscarriage. If any of the things listed trigger you, maybe don't read this one to be safe, ight? The short & sweet version is that Eden's father and stepmother are some stank bitches. and Eden's sister, Forrest's mother, & Eden's adoptive grandma are queens.

If you stuck around, here we go. (This is SUPER long, so I'm sorry ab that) Eden Ash Harmon's birth - February 5th, 2000 - was a long, painful, & ultimately fatal one for his mother, Lauren May Harmon. various complications occurred, and she ended up not even surviving long enough to get to see him draw his first breath. His father, Troy Harmon, was devastated over his wife's passing, and overwhelmed by the prospect of not only becoming a new parent, but now becoming a single parent. He had to grieve, whilst trying to raise Eden. which was even harder, because he was born prematurely and of course, smaller and weaker than normal, so he required a lot of extra care. This took a serious toll on him, and Troy began to unfortunately rely on alcohol - a reliance which only got worse over time, and developed into just alcoholism. By the time Eden was just three years old, his father had grown to resent him, and blame him for all of the struggles he faced. and by the time Eden was 4, he'd unfortunately begun expressing his resentment aloud. He'd say really nasty things like how he wished Lauren had just miscarried instead of giving her life to birth Eden, because he'd rather have his wife back than have Eden. To Eden's face. Both drunk, and sober. Making sure Eden knew exactly how much of a "burden" he was. Which, of course, was really harmful. Troy was also physically abusive toward him, doing things such as putting out cigarettes on his skin - the burn scars of which Eden still has to this day, though they're now more faint. Then, one day Troy brought home a woman called Sharon, and introduced the two to each other. It wasn't uncommon for Troy to bring women home for one-night-stands, but come to find out, Troy and Sharon had actually been dating for around three months before this introduction. Eden, at first, was honestly excited. He thought this meant his father would be happy again, and he may get a mother.

The first part seemed true for a while. Troy was much calmer than he'd previously been, but that didn't last. because Sharon soon got pregnant. Now Sharon was originally indifferent towards kids for the most part, and because of this, didn't become too close with Eden at the time, but she found herself wanting to keep the baby. The news of the pregnancy triggered Troy, and sent him into a panic. all of the memories of the day Eden was born and he lost his first wife, came flooding back. He didn't know how to handle this properly, and started to behave aggressive towards Sharon too, as he had with Eden. He hadn't physically hurt her, but he was getting close to it (think, punching walls or throwing things - aggressive hand gestures, etc.) and it soon dawned on Sharon that the home was not safe anymore.

So, she planned to leave without telling him. Eden himself still isn't sure why, but she opted to take him with her. maybe it was pity, maybe it was newfound maternal instinct due to having her own baby on the way, who knows? well, not long after her baby - & Eden's younger half sister - Beatrice Harmon, was born, while Troy was out one evening, Sharon packed what she could of their belongings - only the important things & clothing - that she could fit in her purse, & made for her mother's house, maybe 2 hours away.

Sharon's mother, Susan, was - for lack of a better term - an angel. Though they weren't blood-related, she immediately welcomed Eden as her grandson, with open arms. She stayed with them every day while Sharon was at work, and actively engaged with and played with them. Eden even had his first birthday celebration there when he turned five. This was by far the best year of his entire life at the time.

Well, of course, that also didn't last. (Here's where things take an even darker turn, so if you need to, refer back to the tw.)

Troy found them. Susan was behind the corner, fixing lunch for Eden and Bea, when he showed up, and broke in. In broad daylight. Eden completely froze at first, unable to even believe that this was happening. Troy destroyed things, and stomped all throughout the small home, calling Sharon's name. But Sharon, ironically, wasn't even home - she was at work. Susan yelled for him to leave, and grabbed a kitchen knife in order to protect the kids, then dialed 9-1-1.

Troy flew into a rage, and injured her, very badly. She was only in her mid-sixties, but she was still an older woman. She kept screaming for Eden to take his sister and run to the neighbors, since the front door was still ajar, but Eden couldn't yet hear anything. His ears were ringing, and his body was completely paralyzed with fear. Troy injured one of her legs badly enough that she couldn't get up off of the ground, and then ended up knocking her unconscious.

when Eden could finally make his body move, all he could think was not to stop Troy. Stop him from hurting Susan any further, and not to let him lay a finger on his baby sister. So, he grabbed the kitchen knife and did what he had to. The end result wasn't immediate however, and - still pumped full of adrenaline - Troy ended up injuring Eden quiet badly as well. Then, he realized how badly injured he *himself* was, panicked, and promptly took off on foot.

Eden was unable to move due to his injuries, but still semi-conscious. Susan was gravely injured, and he wasn't sure whether or not she was even still alive. Bea ended up being completely physically unharmed. Neighbors came outside, found them, and dialed 9-1-1, successfully hitting 'call' this time. All three were rushed to the hospital to be examined & treated. The hospital also contacted Sharon, and she got there as fast as she could.

At first, Sharon was just so relieved that her mother and Eden were alive, and that Bea wasn't injured. But after a day & a half, authorities found Troy. Not alive. He'd failed to get medical attention for his own injuries, obviously for fear of going to prison. When Sharon found that out, she was - surprisingly - devastated. apparently at one point, she'd gotten it in her head that they could reconcile someday in the near future, and had - stupidly - given him strong hints as to where they were all staying.

and of course, now that he was dead, all those plans went up in smoke. So, who does she blame? If you said Eden, you win! :,]

Eden, still being a kid - and a severely traumatized one, at that - of course did the same thing he did the last time he was blamed for someone's death, and believed that it really was his fault. So now, in his mind, he'd killed *both* his parents (which of course was not the case - it was not his fault at all.)

Sharon took custody of he and Beatrice, as she was pretty much all they had left. And like last time, she let her resentment fester, and turn into physical and verbal abuse. Only toward Eden though. Bea grew up witnessing this, and since her older brother was literally nothing but nice to her - and practically raised her due to Sharon's neglect of both kids - she fortunately stood up for him whenever she got the opportunity.

Susan held on as long as she could - until Eden was eleven - but eventually succumbed to her internal injuries. Infections played a role. Eden was forbidden from attending her memorial service, by Sharon, because - in her words - "She wasn't even really your grandma." She forced Bea to attend with her, and left Eden home alone that day.

Fast forward, and Eden's sixteen. Sharon demands that he start paying rent, or else she'll kick him out. Eden's not stupid, so he at first refuses, stating the obvious - that she couldn't kick out a sixteen-year-old. but she does anyway. she kicks him out, then calls the cops, and reports him as a runaway. Making him out to be an unruly teenager, who just wears her out all the time, and runs away when asked to do simple house chores such as cleaning his room (lies, lies, lies.)

She did this multiple times, and every time, the cops believed her. Eden got sick of it, and finally agreed to get a job so that he could pay rent. He went to work at a shitty local coffee shop, as a barista. There, he met Forrest! :] Yes, we finally get to some GOOD news.

At first, they didn't talk much, but after a while, Forrest noticed Eden struggling with certain things, and that whenever he asked for help, he was either ignored or insulted for "not knowing how to do his job." So, he offered to help him, since he knew his way around the place by then. That's how their interactions started. Coworkers to friends to lovers, basically.

Eden began spending every lunch with Forrest, listening to him infodump. everyone else thought Forrest's constant yapping was "annoying," but Eden was just glad to have someone who wanted to talk to him. Especially someone his age, and especially someone friendly.

By the time Eden was 17, he'd already filled Forrest in briefly about his home life, and Forrest and his mother Margaret, had made it clear to Eden that if it came down to it, he was welcome to stay with them. Sharon was constantly ranting about how she couldn't wait for the day when she was no longer legally responsible for him anymore, so Eden prepared. He made sure Bea still had a way to keep in touch with him whenever she needed, and he packed one bag of essentials, and kept it hidden until his 18th birthday.

On his 18th, he was immediately kicked out. I'm talking 2 o'clock in the morning, woken up, and told to get out and never come back. So, he did. He went to stay with Forrest & Margaret, and stayed there for 3 years. During which he remained working with Forrest at the coffee shop, and offered to pay Margaret rent, to which she laughed and told him to save his money, and he didn't need to do that.

Margaret too is an angel, fr. Anyways, at 21, he and Forrest were dating and decided to move in together. And ofc, Beatrice later ended up moving out right away at 18 because she couldn't stand her mother. And the rest is history. :]

I always say, the silliest goose has the most fucked up backstory

#spiideranswers #not snz #the yapping continues #oc yapping <3 #DARK oc yapping </3 #oc eden & oc forrest

9 notes · View notes