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6ad6ro · 10 months ago

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ok. i finally finished final fantasy vii rebirth. and i wanna talk about it. i guess you could call this my "review". this post will be vague and spoiler-free unless you click on the "read more".

i do love this game, but it's an absolute mixed bag: story: 10/10 combat mechanics: 9/10 music: 9/10 art direction: 10/10 voice acting (jp): 10/10 open world (non-quest stuff): 4/10 sidequests: 6/10 minigames: 3/10 pacing: 1/10 does this game have flaws? yes. is it as good as the og ff7? no. but is it worth playing? absolutely. i almost feel like this game needs a "cheat sheet" in order to know what parts to play and what parts to avoid. but the good parts (mostly the linear main story stuff) is SO gd good that it's still a must-play game. ok but now i'm gonna go into details (and spoilers) under the rm cut.

so i'll go over some of my scores. firstly, the story is the main reason to play this. they def fuck around a lot, maybe they bait and switch a bit too often, but in the end it makes for a very compelling (or at least interesting) narrative. at first, i was REALLY worried that this game was gonna turn into just some "fan pandering nightmare". and it felt like it was "ff7 without it's claws". esp when everybody was dancing like pop stars and aerith and tifa kept high fiving. but... it def got into that good ff7 trauma we know and love later on. and respect to them for following through with killing aerith. yes, they did what i sorta expected. they teased tifa dying instead, teased aerith NOT dying, and then killed aerith anyway. they EASILY could have left her alive, but they didn't. they kept in the loss angle, which imo is what makes ff7 "ff7". i kinda LOVE that now you have a batshit cloud "seeing" aerith's ghost like it's star wars. and everyone else seems almost... afraid of him. and rightfully so. also i LOVED the zack stuff, even though it was absolutely confusing. i like that they're hinting at zack somehow breaking through his reality into the rm universe. i also like the tease that... idk... will there be another "party" involving zack, kyrie, biggs (if he's still alive or not)? regardless, a great story!

the combat feels mostly improved over rm. the gameplay is fantastic with very few flaws. difficulty is way more balanced than rm, with easy feeling a bit harder and normal feeling less unfair. the only times i felt frustrated by the gameplay was when they laid the "stone" status effect on too thick in parts bc it felt cheap. is it as good as the og combat? no. it still def has the unfun "you desperately need to heal but don't have a charge and the enemy is immune to everything so you just die" thing. but credit where its due, the "free item a few times per battle" materia fixes a lotta those issues.

the music is incredible. the remakes of old songs generally kick ass. some of the new music was pretty good, too. though it gets a point off because a lot of the open world stuff music felt... generic? this is just a situation where the og game's music is TOO GOOD, so the new music will always be fighting this sort of uphill battle.

the art was perfect. just the shading alone... like jesus this game is absolutely beautiful. i took so many goddamn screenshots in game, and they'd often end up looking like key renders, even tho it'd just be a random ss i could take at any angle. this game went above and beyond all expectations.

the voice acting... there was SO MUCH and it was all SO GOOD. tho i did switch to jp voices. bc... in this sorta storytelling, eng just sounds like "drama club"? idk there's a reason the language of origin cast is usually better and that's just how it is. it was perfect.

ok now we're gonna get into some of my issues, starting with the open world. it's not ENTIRELY awful? some was genuinely fun and exciting. but the majority was busywork. like it's so weird when the mainline stuff was so good that this would feel like a shitty ubisoft game. and chadley... fuck that dude. worst character in the series. but for SOME gd reason he ends up talking to you nonstop! i hit the point where i'd wince any time i heard his "radio" turn on. he took an already mediocre open world and made it way worse. fuckin chudly.

the sidequests that weren't just repeated busywork were usually neat. tho some were bad, and others withstood their welcome. the cutscenes/dialogue were usually fun or genuinely great, but they too often came at the cost of wasting your time. they often had shit rewards. and they often incorporated the shittiest "minigames" ever (i'll go into this more in a minute). example: you gotta find ingredients for a character who is learning to cook. but it isn't just going out to find them in the world. no no no. you gotta follow a dog (ftr i love the song) as they slowly meander through a jungle, running into every mob they see. and when you finally get to where the "salt" is, there's a dumb scavenger hunt minigame where you need to find only the 5(?) salt piles that look like the photo. THEN you gotta get on your chocobo and look for mushrooms in a confusing, puzzle-like terrain. which also involves a smelling/follow the direction minigame, which always leads you into mobs. and once you get to each mushroom? there's this STUPID picking minigame. after all that, what reward do you get? an accessory that functions like maybe the worst materia in the game, but also takes up the accessory slot, making it even more unusable. FUCK this game sometimes, lol.

speakin of "fuck this game", the minigames. the 200 minigames (exaggeration, but it really feels like that many). some are genuinely incredible, like the piano minigame? which might be one of my favorite minigames of all time, it's legit THAT good. or "red xiii rocket league". but for every good minigame, there was a mediocre one. and then a terrible one. or one that gets WAY too hard in higher difficulties, like the mog game which starts fun but ends up dogshit and unplayable a few levels in. even tho the good and passable minigames are the majority, the bad minigames? they're maybe some of the worst minigames i've ever played in my goddamn life. like, by design, they're almost anti-fun. i genuinely believe some of the people in charge of the bad minigames should be blackballed from the industry. it's bewildering.

and finally that brings us to the pacing. if you play the game the way they seemingly expect you to play, getting to each new area and sidequesting a bit before continuing on with the story? then you'll spend five hours of mediocre/bad sidequest for each hour of good story. that's even worst if you're a "completionist" at all, you can triple or quadruple that number. we all loved remake because it "expanded the midgar section". we were all hoping they'd do the same with the og open world. the very idea of "big open world, but so much bigger" seemed incredible. but they certainly gave it to us! like they gave us exactly what we said we wanted, lol. when i first started playing rb, i was mostly completing each area. by the second or third area, i was more than 50 hours in. "burnout" is a gross understatement. all the mediocre sidequests combined with the sometimes unplayable minigames ALSO COMBINED with fuckin chudly? and i actually started to hate this game. it made me miserable. i'd get to a new area and just roll my eyes. i'd see a new minigame tutorial pop up and i'd mash "cancel". but wouldn't you know it, once i started skipping most minigames/sidequests? i started havin a ton of fun. turns out this pacing issue can be mitigated a lot. straight up you can ignore most of the open world, and i would actually strongly recommend it. if you DO wanna sidequest a bit between story, i'd say put on a podcast, set the difficulty to easy, and turn the voices down (bc chudly). and don't do everything. oh no. just do enough to unlock the chocobo, to buy the best materia chudly has from that area, and maybe get the summoning. even THAT is probably too much. bc near the end of the game, you get the opportunity to go back and finish a bunch of the stuff you missed the first time. and i actually enjoyed a lotta that stuff then! it was almost like a period of rest and relaxation before the end story stuff.

there are ways, intentional or not, to make this game feel even BETTER than remake. when you skip most of the side stuff, it's paced incredibly well. so it's hard to say it's a bad game. it's actually a really GOOD game with "too much side content". if you treat the open world stuff as just like, a living, detailed world you glance at as you zoom by? it's actually really cool that it's there. i have a couple more pros/cons that i wanna mention, but i don't know where else to put em. like the end fights. thematically, i adored em. in execution, it went on for way way WAY too long. it was like a 15 (yes FIFTEEN) phase fight. on normal, i swear it felt like it took close to two hours, full of unskippable cutscenes and only like one checkpoint. it also takes away al of your team composition too, consistently forcing you to use characters you don't wanna use in the hardest fights in the game. first time, i got through to the very last sliver of final sephiroth's health, only for him to cast some dogshit unblockable "everyone is at 1hp" move at the end. it was ok bc "i'd prepared for this". so i instantly had one character use a gigapotion on the other, who i switched to so they could dodge just to be extra safe. the potion... missed? how? and then before i had a chance to use another, he killed the remaining character. bad game. shit game. but whatever, i hit retry. and i couldn't believe it. it sent me back 7 phases. i was livid. it had sucked the air outta the room. so i said fuck it and restarted the whole fight from the start on easy, because i can't tolerate that kind of scumbag game design that wastes a player's time. and wouldn't you know it, turns out i'd been at the very end of the fight when i died. if the potion had gone off like it shoulda, i would have won, no question. ironically even on easy, that trash situation happened again, but the potion actually went off this time, that was the only difference. but yeah. fuck that fight. it was cooler thematically than the final fight in rm, but it was three times as long, and three times more unfair. fuck whoever designed this fight, they too should be blackballed from the industry, lol.

the last thing i wanna talk about is queens blood. bc my feelings on it are sorta all over. so it starts out kinda boring, like as basic as ff8 triple triad, but wayyy less fun. and you're very limited in who you can play and what cards you can add to your deck. the ai seemingly "cheats", but it's so "linear" that you can win anyhow. and they musta known they'd lose most players, so they legit give you the ability to "flip the game board" at any point in the match and start over with zero punishment. they knew the game wasn't rly fair by design. but it's still good they had the easy retry feature, or they woulda lost me too. the qb experience sorta continues this way until you get to the latter junon area, where suddenly you run into... idk what to call it. intense difficulty spikes? like this dickwad who's playin a rockabilly guitar. FUCK that dude's deck and FUCK his ai. almost single-handedly got me to drop qb altogether. i was absolutely done, had decided qb was just a poorly designed game. thankfully, right after junon they have this big tournament on the boat to costa del sol and it's really fun. you suddenly are getting cards that have actual strategy. and suddenly qb opens up. there was a slight misstep after the boat where they make you play these stupid "puzzle" versions of qb, but you can look up guides and, even if they aren't fun, they help teach you about the game. anyways, i cautiously started playin more matches in later areas (skippin fights that seemed too lame), and before i knew it, i'd kinda fallen in love w the game. it also helped that they started incorporating this fun n bizarre story, too. so idk. i'd say play qb the same way you play the side content, skip a lot of it until you get to the end game? and then go back with cards you bought or won and finish the ones u missed. it's so weird that so much of this game works this way. and i could see someone arguing that "it's just a bad game". because when most games hand you content, even side content, most players expect they should at least give the content a fair shot. it really is kinda poorly executed. but! there are so any ways to mitigate the bad and focus on the good. knowing what i know now, i like this game even more than remake (which i really REALLY love). rebirth was fuckin great. and thank fuck i didn't get spoiled, tho i never wanna hafta try n rush through a 100+ hour open world ever again. i'm really excited for part three, just hopin i can remember to skip over a lotta the optional stuff. also hoping i won't have to buy a fuckin ps6 or whatever just to play it.

#final fantasy vii rebirth #spoiler #spoilers #final fantasy vii spoilers #final fantasy vii rebirth spoilers #long #i had a lot to say

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gunsatthaphan · 1 year ago

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Hi I don't have any friends that watch only friends so here I am screaming in your ask box about it

1. God something about First as Sand has me in a chokehold idk if it's the way he's styled in the show but I am NOT OKAY he's tooo damn fine

2. FirstKhao's chemistry is insane. It's at the point where I feel it kinda overtakes the whole ray is in love with mew storyline because the way ray looks at sand overshadows the way ray looks at mew? And it's probably just because khao has more chemistry with first than he does with book

3. People are probably gonna scream at me for this but I am NOT feeling topmew? They're so boring. And the thing is that I love forcebook and I think top and mew's characters are actually quite interesting. Unfortunately forcebooks acting just aren't good enough to bring out their characters. First, khaotung, neo and mark's acting has overshadowed their acting at this point. Forcebook has good chemistry off screen I just don't know why it doesn't translate on screen

4. We're finally going to get an insight on the whole topsand drama and I cannot wait. I did not expect to find out at ep 4 and since it's so quick I don't think it's anything to do with ray? Because sand still has his boundaries with ray so the whole "it's clear you just can't take care of what's yours" is leaning very closely to the theory that top slept with sand's ex and that prior to that top and sand were probably friends

5. I'm looking forward to seeing nick and sand scenes so much

Sorry for the thought dump, I hope I am making sense as English is not my main language and thank you for the only friends gifs I love them

hi there nonny!!!

my inbox exists for screaming so go ahead lmao.

Sand is doing things to me for sure like we still don't know much about him but just one look at Ray and you can tell he's already far gone djkghd truly no one is immune to First's doe eyes djhfd I'm a weak bitch for him 😩 can't wait for some of his secrets to come out 👀 .

The RayMew storyline is weak so far but I think it's more because they haven't given it a lot of screentime lol like we've seen a few jealous looks from Ray towards Top etc. but there has not been a single interaction between him and Mew that would make me think he's in love with him lmao. However after this week's episode I'm thinking they're telling this story in the past. I was surprised that this has been a non-issue in the present as Ray doesn't seem to have any trouble going all in with Sand but I think that might be why. It looks like it all peaked 2 years ago when the kiss happened etc. but we'll see about that next week I guess. But also regardless the FK chemistry I mean what can I say. my kings are slaying. I have no further comment. they have me screeching and kicking my feet 24/7 as it is but it's all peaking on Saturdays lmao. they're insane. literally nickboston who lmao. they can have all the steamy scenes they want but they will not be able to surpass the FK magic for me lol. no one does it like them. .

I feel the same about TopMew. I don't find them boring per se but compared the other 2 they lack something and it's not sex lol. I like Mew but I feel like his character is a bit inconclusive. It seems to me that he doesn't know what he wants. And it's strange to me how people worship him just because he refuses to sleep with Top lmao. that doesn't give a character a striking personality. I agree that ForceBook's acting is not as strong as the others' but so far it's not bothering me. It's noticeable but it's not the issue with their story imo. idk I just need to know about Mew's past with Ray and Top's past with Sand so I can sleep at night djhgd .

I'm very sure the top sleeping with sand's ex theory is correct like it has to be that. right??? I don't see any other possibility unless it's something boring like some business fraud or sth lmao. I don't think it has anything to do with Ray either. He might get involved once Sand finds out about his crush on Mew and maybe if the cheating theory is correct then it might have happened at the same time as the MewRay situation but I don't think he's connected to Sand's issue with Top. I just.... need to know asap lmao. .

I believe in SandNick roomies supremacy 🕯️🙏🏻🙏🏻🕯️ I really hope we get to see them live together, Sand seems so excited 🥺 And Nick is still a standalone character so it would be nice to see him with some friends around that aren't Boston's lol. thank you for liking my gifs!! 💜 can't wait for next week lol. have a nice day anon!! 💜

xxx

#only friends #only friends the series #thoughts #opinions

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alder-saan · 1 year ago

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TAG GAME!!!

thanks to Mother™ @yourlocaldisneyvillain for tagging me

1. how many works do you have on AO3?

1... I only posted one work since I was writing on tumblr before haha

2. what's your total AO3 word count?

6199 :) just one work

3. what fandoms do you write for?

on tumblr, Agent Carter only

4. what are your top five fics by kudos?

Well...

Of Scars and Fresh Blood first?

5. do you respond to comments?

yes! always (or almost) that's why I have as many kudos as comments under my only fic posted there

6. what is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

well...

Of Scars and Fresh Blood?

And it might stay in this position since the ending is... Well it's a major character(s) death soooooo

7. what's the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

always the same even tho it might change :)

8. do you get hate on fics?

nope (or not that I'm aware of?) people seemed to like my fic haha :)

9. do you write smut? if so, what kind?

I do. But I call it the pwtmp. Porn With Too Much Plot. Last time I tried I had 6k words of plot and no smut yet so I'm not very good at it.

10. do you write crossovers? what's the craziest one you've written?

nope, never, I might do it one day (I just want to see Dottie from Agent Carter meet Dottie from Phryne Fisher's murder mystery :))

11. have you ever had a fic stolen?

nope (or again, not that I am aware of)

12. have you ever had a fic translated?

yes, I did it myself for an old fic in the Gwen Fandom, I translated it in French. But I stopped because no one was reading it.

13. have you ever co-written a fic before?

I am actually trying to do it even tho it's complicated with my lovely @tanith-rhea

14. what's your all-time favourite ship?

uh... An obscure ship from Blake and Mortimer (not Blake/Mortimer, but Blake/Nastasia) I wouldn't say it's my favourite, because... I don't really have a favourite, but it's the ship I think I spent the most time thinking about it (I still do nowadays even tho I was in middle school when I shipped it loool)

15. what's a WIP you want to finish but doubt you ever will?

A Larissa x non-binary! italian! reader I was writing and I know some of you (@dianneking) is waiting for me to finish it. I will (I hope)

16. what are your writing strengths?

I think I'm good with tension and pacing? Also, Mother™ said that I have "the sense of drama" and I'm happy with this.

17. what are your writing weaknesses?

dialogues? I don't know I always feel like it's not natural for people to say this. (and also I always have the blank room syndrome)

18. thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in fic?

Idk, if it's translated I'm ok but if it's not (and I don't understand the languages, like wtf Carterwood fandom, stop writing whole sentences in Russian, I'm learning it but I cannot understand everything) well I'm like "what's the point in writing this if I don't understand? Why did you do it, you could've just said nothing" Also, please. Stop it with French or ask me. I'm willing to help you with French but don't post something in French without proofreading because there are A LOT of English sayings that are REALLY weird (in a creepy-pedophilic way) in French (all the things including "girl" or "boy", like PLEASE DO NOT TRANSLATE "MY DARLING GIRL").

19. first fandom you wrote for?

warrior cats

20. favourite fic you've written?

Of Scars and Fresh Blood

tagging idk man, just consider yourself tagged if you see it

#gwendoline christie #carterwood #dottie underwood #agent carter #peggy carter #larissa weems #writer of tumblr #tag game

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glasyasbutch · 7 months ago

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playlist: daykez (good ending)

please god please ms narrative let this be the canon one

link to playlist on spotify

explanations below the cut

1. In the Middle by Dodie

You said you’re into closure, shake hands like you’re supposed to / I’ll be in the middle while you two get along / You’ve got so much in common, talk about your taste in women / I’ll be in the middle while you two get along

PALADIN 👏 SANDWICH👏

Very first song that got added to the playlist. It's also the opener on sloppy seconds. Because for a brief moment in time (the like 4 days between Kez asking Daybreak if they wanted a third and Day deciding who he was gonna sleep with first) they were one and the same universe. And no matter whether you're here or in the sloppy seconds au. Know that Day and Break and Kez were all doing it together freak style. amen.

2. After Midnight by Chappell Roan

'Cause after midnight / I'm feeling kinda freaky, maybe it's the club lights / I kinda wanna kiss your girlfriend if you don't mind / I love a little drama, let's start a bar fight / 'Cause everything good happens after midnight

Very last song that got added to the playlist. This is much more a Kez song than it is a Day song. Like, first of all, if you really wanna get into this go on Morgan's blog for the full Kez playlist and explanations post, but Kez grew up with a lot of Good Child Expectations that they (pretty literally) ran away from. So the underlying theme of "fuck you mom I'm so much happier this way" is. It's potent. It's rich.

But also, and this is going to be a theme for the entire first half of the playlist, something about Kez's love being carefree and reckless and impulsive was what made it so special! And this song really encapsulates that.

Plus, you know, "I kinda wanna kiss your girlfriend if you don't mind" canonical nod to Break, and "let's start a bar fight" canonical nod to Day and Kez's second trip to the club (the first one was incredibly uneventful and boring because Day had never been to the club before and so he spent the night full bodyguard mode and it was awkward and tense and NO fun despite Kez's best efforts. And then the second one, uh. Go check the next song.) It's simply them!! IDK!!!!

3. For My Eyes Only by NEW CITY

I can't share you with nobody else, nobody else / I can't watch you love somebody else / Girl, just lock it up for me / Everywhere she goes / I'm watching everywhere she goes / I want her for my eyes only

Just because Day and Kez weren't exclusive doesn't mean they weren't possessive. That second trip to the club I mentioned in the last song? Aha.

Day was being stoic and focused like a good paladin, making sure Kez didn't get into any sort of harmful trouble, and some?? random stranger????? Decided that Day needed to loosen up. Started flirting with her in FRONT OF KEZ??????? Which simply couldn't stand. Kez requested for them, SO politely, to "back the fuck off. She's mine." To which they responded, "Seems like you weren't doing that good a job of keeping her."

So a punch got thrown. And Day's warning voice was kind of hot, which this other person decided to comment on, so a second punch got thrown, and then No More, because Day was grabbing Kez by the hips (nothing else to grab, backless shirt you see) and hoisting them over their shoulder and carrying them out before they could get kicked out.

They only barely made it through the back door before Day was adjusting his hold on Kez to press her up against the wall and -

4. Holliday by The Weekend Run Club

I'm not stubborn and there's nothing you can do to change my mind / I'm not special I just like to get attention all the time / My heart is my sleeve, do you like what you see? / My heart is my sleeve will you know me?

This entire song is so lovely to me. It's the silly, impulsive type of love thing again, running outside just to hold your lover in the rain because no one else is and its a brand new experience you can share together, just the two of you. It's so. Augh.

But then the CHORUS!!!!! Absolutely, Day is a stubborn little shit, and absolutely, Kez is an attention whore, and absolutely, they are baring their entire fucking souls to each other and begging the other person to really, truly see them past their fronts and flaws, and to love that version of them, and then actually getting that. It's like nothing else.

5. Wine Song by Nicole Amine

The way you grip my tongue / Pour you down a little more, and my lips go numb / I, I, I never wanna run dry, dry, dry of you my love

i think morgan sent me this one. cannot truly remember. (went back and checked, yes she did).

I originally had "Champagne" by Cassadee Pope on here and then had to take it off bc even 5 years later it's still branded Tovra to me. But this song serves a similar niche of alcohol metaphor for love, used to represent being silly and stupid and reckless and tripped up and a little in over your head in love. And also getting drunk in the club together tb so h.

This song is ALSO the sister song to Joni Mitchell's "Case of You" on the in-progress bad ending playlist. This one's about being so in love it takes you over, gets you drunk. "Case of You" is about having fallen out enough that even when you're trying to get drunk, it stops affecting you the same way. I love being evil.

6. Because The Night by The Midnight

Come on now try and understand the way I feel under your command / Take my hand as the sun descends, they can't touch you now / Because the night belongs to lovers, because the night belongs to lust / Because the night belongs to lovers, because the night belongs to us

Yes, yes, they were at the club together, and doing all that self indulgent shit, and they happened to fall in love. We know this. I like this song because it feels almost defiant about it. It's not like, oh, we happened to fall in love despite all the silliness we were getting up to. That is the love, and no one can take that away or undermine or overwrite it.

One of the verses has the line "love is an angel disguised as lust" and that's also sums it up very well I think. Day and Kez (and Break) first got together bc Kez wanted to get railed by two giant hunks of guy, dykestyle, and then they kept following that, because why the fuck not, it's fun and it feels good. Then somewhere in there, a switch flipped and they realized they weren't doing it just to have a good time anymore, but because they were deeply in love, and they wanted to embrace that and each other.

7. How Good it Is by Morningsiders

I never knew / How good it is to be young and admired / How good it is to feel your fire / How good it is to be your lover today

Morgan said it very succinctly when she said that the core of daykez was them being young, dumb, and full of you know. Together.

Day had been in love before. Day had been in love with Break for hundreds of years. Love was not new to them. But Day knew love as something that was patient and measured and slow and old, and Kez showed them a way for it to be frantic and fresh and young and, god, it was so different, and it was so good. Day never knew childhood, but Kez gave them youth. They were young together. They were young together.

(And also, bonus item, the way this singer accentuates the word "To-Day" really makes me bite and chew and chew and bite.)

(Second bonus item, this song also has a sister song off the same album on the Bad Ending playlist. Probably. I might take it off so I'm not gonna get too into it rn.)

8. NFWMB by Hozier

Nothing fucks with my baby / Nothing can get a look in on my baby / Nothing fucks with my baby / Nothing, nothing, nothing

Oath of the Shield Paladin vs. Abjuration Wizard, whose subclass can be more protective, FIGHT!

And! and!!!!!! Yes, most of this playlist so far has been about them being silly and stupid together in their down time but let us not fucking forget!!! A good portion of their love was forged in adventures, in fights to the death and quests that shot them up to folk hero status, which really fits the biblical, mythical imagery of this song.

Like .... "When I first saw you, the end was soon" Day and Kez literally met each other when they both showed up to save a town from being wiped off the face of the earth by a titan. LIKE!!!!!!!!

9. The End of All Things by Panic! at the Disco

Whether near or far I am always yours / Any change in time, we are young again / Lay us down, we're love / In the coming years many things will change / But the way I feel will remain the same / Lay us down, we're in love

Holding hands as you stare at the shattered remains of the woman you both fell desperately in love with and promising that you still have each other, we haven't lost each other, and one of us is going to have to go away for a while, but we'll get her back, and she might be a little different, but she'll be alive and ours again, and it will be okay, and hey, by the way, don't know if you noticed, but we did it, we saved the world and we're heroes now, and everyone knows, so that'll be new, and strange, but we'll face it together, like we faced everything else together, we haven't lost each other yet.

10. radio friendly by molly ofgeography

Burnt autumn lеaves and a week fall away / Oh love dear not grief, nothing good ever stays / You know I believe I can keep you today / Hum this summertime tune, baby press play

So I'm going to shamelessly cherry pick a few lines from the artists explanation of what this song is about to start us off: "it's about how everything ends, but that's ok. ... good stuff has to end, too ... sometimes the best thing to do is say hello, i love you, goodbye. tralalalala."

This song, to me, is about something that we haven't really touched on Much but sticks out SO much to me in the Daykez timeline. Namely, that while Day was gone for that year sculpting Astral, Kez kept moving. Kez kept moving, and doing, and living, and growing, and Day didn't, because his entire job with Astral was to live in the past. Day came back to a Call that was entirely different than when he left it, and he was clearly the odd one out, and he didn't know what to do with that besides … float.

This is for those first few years of retirement when the visits were infrequent and short, and everything felt like it was slipping away, but neither of them wanted to say it. For Day's internal conflict, choosing between hoping this was just a temporary thing and it would all settle down and go back to the way things were, once Kez was done worrying about other stuff; and accepting that he chose to go with Astral instead of Kez, and because of that, it was actually already done for.

11. Are You With Me? by Air Traffic Controller

No one can imagine something bad is gonna happen / It just wakes us from our most delightful dreams / Yeah, everything was fine until you stopped to look behind you / Now you're wishin' you could build a time machine, you're wrong / I just decided to be happy / Are you with me?

Spoiler alert: Day wasn't.

Okay, so, yes, of course, it's very Kez to laugh and drink and drug trip their way through things in the name of pleasure above all else, and on a surface level, that can be what this song's about. But more than that, Morgan and her scholars have talked about Kez in the aftermath of Break's death like ... actively choosing not to grieve because they couldn't afford to grieve.

Callie and Arthur were new parents, with a son to take care of, they needed her. Thorn had half her face ripped off by the planar rift and was recovering, she needed her. The reporters and the brand managers and the biographers and the politicians and the HOA in the area they were building their new tower were hounding everyone at every turn, and they had made themself the face of the Call, even these strangers needed her. And, on top of all that, Day was basically unreachable in the Aegis demiplane, and it was going to take a year no matter what, so what would be the point in thinking about them just to get sad. He had so much to do! He wasn't going to grieve! He just decided to be happy!

And then Day came back to that choice and had to face someone who, to him, felt like they had already forgotten what they were and what they had lost and it just became ... incompatible.

12. Creatures in Heaven by Glass Animals

I don't think I realize just how much I miss you sometimes / We were so young and in love / We were just creatures in Heaven

A rare Kate find, and a late addition to the playlist bc I needed this one to also be 20 songs to match bad end and sloppy seconds. This song makes me want to eat my own shirt.

There's just . There's SO much. It didn't make it into the selected lyrics but the repetition of that "here in the moment, free in the moment" after describing the most desperate clinging romance ... It perfectly sums up the feeling of the first half of this playlist (young and dumb in love together) and then says "and it might be gone, and I regret none of it, because it was exactly what I needed when it happened, even though it hurts now to remember. Also. "You held me like my mother made me just for you, you held me so close that I broke in two". Don't even get me started on the fucking sculpting implications here.

13. Lovesong by Adele

However far away, I will always love you / However long I stay, I will always love you / Whatever words I say, I will always love you / I will always love you

2 years in love without a second apart, 2 years barely seeing each other, each having bigger priorities and swearing they'd get back to each other in time, 22 years without a word, and still neither of them fell out.

I'd had the original version by the Cure on here for a long time, and then at the very last minute swapped it out for the Adele cover. Something about the slower guitar and vocals without anything else feels more ... intimate. And also mature. I think it works particularly well for the absolute expanse of time that Day and Kez spent apart, growing older without each other, while still loving each other fiercely.

14. Beam Me Up by P!nk

Give me a minute, I don't know what I'd say in it / I'd probably just stare, happy just to be there, holding your face / Would you beam me up?

Courtesy of Morgan. Sort of a flipside to "Lovesong", which is about that promise that their separation isn't forever, this one's about the possibility that maybe it is. It's asking for that moment to reconnect, sure, but it's almost afraid of it. It speaks about it like it's a dream, a dream they're never going to stop having, but that will only ever be a dream.

It's easily the saddest song on this playlist (this statement is now false after the addition of the next song), and the one that could most easily be swapped to the bad ending one, but I stand by my decision to put it here. The uncertainty if it will work out again and the willingness to face it anyways is what makes their potential (🙏) reunion so sweet.

Also. "I'm tired of being a fighter, I think" for them in retirement from adventuring is SO!!!!!!

15. All We Have Is Now by The Modern Electric

Every beat, every beat of your heart, is one less I've got / Honey you should be here, but you're not, oh / There'll come a day when it's all over, baby all we have is now, now

Bekah delivery!!!! I was gonna wait to add this to the playlist until we'd done the Day + Callie lifespan conversation in game but I got impatient.

One of the main things that, ironically, made Day pull away from Kez was the knowledge that Kez was going to die and Day wasn't. Day couldn't bear to see Kez grow old without her, so she left entirely.

But the longer they were away, the more they were aware that they wouldn't ever get that time back, and it ate and ate and ate away at them until they went crawling back to Kez to face all the discomfort and anger and grief, because they realized they were going to feel it no matter what, and better to feel it warm in Kez's arms instead of touching the cold marble of their headstone.

16. maybe, i'm afraid by lovelytheband

Maybe all we are is fools with hearts who try too hard / And maybe that's just fine as long as you're here in my arms / Dancing in your party dress / You were singing me some Frank Sinatra as you wept / Maybe you're just too good, maybe I'll run away / Maybe I'm over you, maybe I shouldn't stay / Maybe I just don't care, maybe I talk too much / But baby, I'll be there, yeah, baby, I'll be there

courtesy of bekah, it actually makes me want to throw up on the floor! it fucks me up so bad!!!!!!!

This is the song for their in-game fights and whatever this reunion apology ends up being, and where it could go if they're willing to be terrifyingly, horribly, vulnerable. They've both made mistakes, and there's a lot of "maybe"s to be said about who did what, and when, and to who - and they're going to get said, don't get me wrong - but in the end, does any of that really matter? Really all it is, is that they're both just afraid of losing each other. The only thing that really needs to be said is "I'll be there".

15. All Over Again by Zolita

So break my heart, rip it out / We'll have better luck the second time around / There's no doubt that I'll fall for you / Again, again, again

SECOND CHANCES SOMETIMES WORK BABY SOMETIMES THEY FUCKING WORK!

This is the point at which we slip into speculation. This is where it really becomes "the good ending", rather than just, Daykez as it has been. Maybe whatever the hell is happening now is the breakup, maybe it's gonna get worse from here, but the hope is that at the end of it all, they come out of it more in love than they have ever been, because (Rallie take notes) they're going to start over, dump the memories and the ghosts, and get to know the new person that each of them has become and fall in love with THAT version this time.

16. Yes, And - by molly ofgeography

Forgive me, are you trying to forgive me? / Are you trying to forgive me? / Are you trying to? / Are you sorry? Do you love me? / Can we try again?

Yes, Molly gets two songs. I like her. Is that a fucking crime. Plus this one's a duet. So I literally had to.

Mostly this one is here because it's about making and following through on a choice. Day and Kez hurt each other, more than anything, through their passiveness. Through waiting and assuming it was on the other person to do something first and then making up reasons in their head why the other person didn't. And so there's something really really powerful in saying, no, this time, they're actively choosing to be in love again. They're choosing each other. It's going to hurt and it's going to be hard but they both want it and so they're going to choose it and work for it and. Yeah.

17. Always Starting Over by Idina Menzel (If/Then OST)

You promised to love me, a promise you have kept / And I won't be sorry that you said to leap and I leapt / I won't regret what I did then / Though it hurts more than I could imagine back when / All the same even so, I would love you all over again

From Morgan, this is a very happy song, along similar lines as the last one. They know they fucked it up, they know they made mistakes, but as long as there's even a sliver of hope that it's going to work out, they will throw out their hangups and their mistakes and their anger and start over so they can get back the good thing again. It's all worth it for the chance to start over with each other.

This is a very happy song, ignore the next three paragraphs.

"Fuck you for making me think that this life would be fair" - That particular line REALLY sticks out to me, as the sort of representation of the "it's Kez's fault" monologue (which certainly won't come up in game and cause huge problems). This monologue, for the uninitiated, essentially revolves around the idea that losing Astral, and also leaving the Aegis, is really mostly Kez's fault. Day had been through death and re-sculptings with Break/Astral so many times before, and they were never like this. Because before they had only had each other, and this time, they also had Kez. There was a new piece; a new, lovely, optimistic, mortal piece, that they had both decided was worth their heart, and who now couldn't be there when it all started over, and it really mucked the whole thing up in an irreparable way. Fuck you for making them fall for you, Kez.

"I'm through with fighting, what the gods have to give I'll take and I'll live and be bold" - This line is making me feel some kind of WAY knowing Day and Kez are quite literally retired god hunters, and that trying to hunt god is what caused all their pain to begin with. Is it maybe so bad to just (sorry Theo) live quiet and take what they're given. Maybe it's not worth it to go against fate anymore. I mean, the narrative wrote them a real good love story the first time. Let her write them another.

"My love, our life is over, but I'll make you one last vow to start over, and over, and over somehow" - Also feeling super normal about this one, knowing full well Day gave UP his ability to start over infinitely to love Kez. Just. So normal. Btw.

^^^ Don't worry about all that THIS IS A HAPPY SONG ON THE GOOD ENDING PLAYLIST!!!!!!!!!!!!!

18. Valerie by Amy Winehouse

Since I've come on home, well, my body's been a mess/ And I've missed your ginger hair and the way you like to dress / Won't you come on over? Stop makin' a fool out of me / Why don't you come on over, Valerie?

One of the first songs, got added at the same time as "In the Middle", and it's closing out the playlist because it's really very quintessentially Daykez to me.

Like, initially, I added it at a point in time where they had had their first fight (in the spell set-up room) and then made up, but hadn't yet delivered my nuclear bomb evil monologue. And yes, obviously, this works for that, of Day admitting that it's been too damn long he's missed Kez and he just wants her back.

But more than that it's so. There's no animosity in the lyrics. So many of the songs on here are about "oh, we're mad and we fought and we did shitty stuff and we made mistakes, but we're moving past it" and they're good! They're good, and they're accurate.

But this one doesn't do that. The entire thing is just one great big "I knew you once, and now I'm just missing you, I want to know you again." It feels to me like the thing Morgan said in the explanations for "Landslide" that made me scream and cry and kick a hole in the wall about how Kez got the evil monologue. Other people might talk how mean it was, but we don't need to think about that here, that's not the important part. The love is.

Come with me, take my hand, listen to this song. We're going to think about the love that stretches across the distance and lasts and lasts and lasts until you can get back to the source. It doesn't matter how long it's been. It doesn't matter what happened in the space in between. We don't need to talk about it anymore. Just come over here and be mine again.

#playlists #day #narrative campaign #daykez

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namtanlovesfilm · 2 years ago

Note

Things I love and appreciate about Not Me a year later:

(All of this is based on the 50 or so shows I’ve watched)

1. The first show I watched not to use the whole husband/wife thing. I hate it so much and I’m glad they didn’t. It’s very heteronormative and doesn’t deserve a place in our community.

2. One of the first BLs not to have the main couple get married in the end (and now Gap too)

3. Not Me had more than one female character and with different personalities too! and Lookjun (my love) wasn’t the scorn woman. It’s so fucking annoying how female characters are treated in shows. They’re bitchy, mean, don’t take no for an answer, the obstacle in the main queer relationship etc

4. The cinematography was EVERYTHING. The sun during the rooftop kissing scene was a paid actor! The sun did what it needed to do!

5. Not Me was the first BL (or one of the first) where the “bottom” didn’t have to be meek and shy while the “top” heavily pursued them to the point where it can get uncomfortable. And after they had sex they genuinely seemed to still like each other, still want to be around each other, and couldn’t keep their hands to themselves. BLs often make the “bottom” act embarrassed and try to push the “top” away from them after they had sex for the first time. The “bottom” must be pursued and persuade before, during and after they have sex. “Bottoms” want to fuck too, come on now! They almost never show the two characters desire each other. It’s like a cat and mouse game that never ends but not in a good way. The one-sidedness of a lot of couples doesn’t seem consensual.

6. You can tell Not Me was filmed by a woman. If a man (definitely a straight man) directed the show it would be A LOT different. Only a woman could film the actors the way she did. The care she took with the camera work and to really show the movements of their hands like when Sean was checking to see if White was sleeping. The lingering, the slowness, the softness was the female gaze. The close up on their faces as they cry and allowing male characters to be “soft” was the female gaze. The entire van scene was the female gaze. I knew Not Me was either written or directed by a woman from the first episode when White is in bed with his girlfriend and the camera isn’t zooming in on her chest as she’s sleeping. It used to only be a western thing but I’m noticing it more and more in certain kdramas.

7. Not homophobic which is laughable. Imagine an LGBT+ show being homophobic but I’ve seen them, but not with Not Me.

a post about loving not me??? this is gonna be a good day <3 I couldn't agree more about everything, not me is the female gaze personified 😌 just one thing, though, about the whole husband/wife thing. I used to HATE it just like you before I understood the cultural difference behind it. I'm not saying it doesn't come from thailand's heteronormative society, but it is something that is ingrained in the thai language, as "puahmia" (husbandwife) is an alternative word for "couple" in thai, meaning that the queer couples who use those terms actually just want to normalize being a couple out in society. where my issue lies more is when the term "wife" is represented as something to be ashamed of in thai dramas. you often see a character fighting this label of "wife" bc of sexism & being seen as the more feminine one is insulting to him. that's why I liked when in the eclipse ayan was happy to be called the wife, I actually thought it was cute. so yeah to conclude I've yet to see an irl thai queer couple complain about the husband/wife thing so idk if we should be fighting their issues for them. but apart from that this was a great ask that highlighted a lot of the points that make not me absolutely superior in every way 😌

xxx

#answers #not me #not me the series

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feuqueerfire · 7 months ago

Text

The Worst of Evil Live Blogging

Finished A Shop for Killers and was supposed to start My Stand-In so that I can be caught up for ep 10 but I have a Very Important Thing next week and idk I feel like My Stand-In might take up too much brain space and I also wanna savour it and spend time on it so... I'm starting this instead even though it's not like short or not intense lmfao. Good luck to me

I don't know much about this except 1) Wi Hajoon (he was literally the reason I started actually getting into dramas after Squid Game because usually I'd just watch a show every 6-12 months and not watch anything until the next show a year later lol but I watched a bunch of things for him and now here I am), 2) police drama? they're cops I think, 3) one of them has a wife, and 4) I saw an author who wrote a couple fanfics of them on AO3 but idk if it's like a bromance or if it's like just a ship the writer liked.

I'm excited to Wi Hajoon again after a long while, I haven't watched anything of his since Squid Game, all of it was stuff before Squid Game because I started watching it around the time SQ was released. I'm also curious about his current noona romance Midnight Romance in Hagwon but I'll give this one a try first.

I keep debating between this and My Stand-In because it feels like I'm kinda in the mood for something dark or heavy but I might also be in the mood for BL/romance/relationship stuff, so idk. we'll see how this one goes.

Ep 1 (June 21)

bloody fight to start with. the butcher knives make it more visceral, though not as intriguing as the Shop For Killers beginning violence

2 years ago, 1994

ah, the wife is an elite officer and so her brother is begging the husband because he's a "lowly detective" or smth

Wi Hajoon is a DJ? Girl I thought he was a cop. maybe he's undercover? anyway, this outfit reminds me of the serial killer fucker he played in Midnight

Wi Hajoon: Gicheul

oh, Gichul is actually being recruited by... some shady guy? he's the opposite of a cop lol

1 year later, 1995

ohh Gicheul is treated like shit and feels slighted so is making plans to wipe out the current top guys + their thugs at this hotel in the middle of the woods and just taking over Gangnam?

is this cool? I guess I'm supposed to think this sneak attack and planning to overthrow is cool? they mostly seem like posers other than the knife guy

oof, stupid dude Taeho

so they've killed the secondary boss guy who's their boss

Busan

Ah, okay, I was wondering how killing these people was just give them Gangnam, esp cuz they also worked for somebody but I guess Gicheul wants Gangnam from the big boss

So that's how the cop and Gicheul end up meeting. The detective is gonna infiltrate the gang to try to find who is selling meth to the Japanese gangs. also, when Gicheul was securing the hotel, he gave the guy in the car a little baggie with white stuff... I'm guessing that's what they're looking for?

Ah, his father is a drug user, that's why all that tension

damn, this fucker explicitly says he nor anybody higher-up would give a promotion to a drug addict's son

Gicheul's group (?) is known Gangnam Union and the 4 guys knew each other since high school (thus the hyung/donsaeng close relationship) and there are 3 of them now that Taeho's dead but the knife guy joined ig so it's 4 again. they appear like a social club but they've taken over nearly every club in Gangnam

fake identity: Taeho's non-existent cousin named Seungho

ooh, he wants to meet Gicheul his own way. If I was pretending to be Seungho but wanted to make sure I get close to Gicheul without raising suspicion... maybe I'd first start off antagonistic actually? Like oh you fuckers killed Taeho, how dare you, etc. etc. or make it seem like I was planning on doing something for revenge. because then they'd think I actually knew Taeho + am who I say I am + wouldn't be obvious that I'm clearly trying to get close to Gicheul

they don't translate the ssibals that Seungho (I can't remember his real name rip) keeps dropping every sentence smh

okay, Seungho went in a slightly similar route to me in that he made a scene and went in antagonistically but his plan was obviously more fleshed out and more fun/cool. I love a first meeting like this, with secrets and planning. The watch was a nice touch, is it a similar watch to which Taeho stole from that Sergeant Jang guy or what?

Fave scene: I love love love a first meeting or the initial scenes in a story where one party has secrets and the other party doesn't know. I'll also be very excited to see how Gicheul finds out Seungho's real identity and how he reacts.

I didn't know this was the synopsis of this show lmfao I feel like I didn't know anything for at the beginning for both this show and A Shop for Killers even though the things were in the synopsis lol it's fun this way though. I like an undercover story

Yo, I'm irritated, I thought the synopsis would probably have stuff just from this ep but from skimming it, I found out Seungho's wife is also gonna be undercover for this operation, wish I had found that out on my own.

Ep 2 (June 21)

okay, the father was also told by the cops Seungho's backstory and he's playing along

this was interesting because the guy literally told most of the other gangsters to not fight, it'll be like 1 v 7, not 1 v 30 lol so it makes why they're just standing around

okay but Taeho's killer is just the Sergeant Jang who they also killed, right? like Gicheul knifed that man

oh? one of Gicheul's friends (Heesung) who neither him nor the other old friend take seriously wants to team up with one of the guys they slashed back then (I'm guessing) to take down Gicheul? is this the thing that will have Gicheul and Seungho on the same side? i feel like that's too soon for Gicheul to fall from grace. or is this like... a trick?

Gicheul notices something about Heesung

not Heesung saying they're my friends and brothers so don't let anything bad happen and don't hurt them to much?? girl, what do you think is gonna happen exactly?

ohhh so it was indeed a trap

what must it feel like for the cop dude who's outside the building lmfao must feel like a trap for Seungho but indeed it's for the other guys who filed in. mans being like fuckkk do i call 112 or nah

oh brutal fucking torture wtf girl anyway if I was Seungho I'd be scared af of getting found out (maybe that's also why they're putting on a show of what happens when you betray Gicheul)

damn, why was the big boss looking at all those weapons? anyway, Gicheul isn't gonna send him money anymore apparently

but that's angering the boss and he wants Gicheul dead but the Japan guy the boss works with really likes Gicheul

right, okay, Seungho wasn't supposed to know that Srgt Jang was dead, so Gicheul finally tells him after kinda testing him + opening the place for Taeho

heh Seungho now being the maknae of the gang. i love the bureaucracy or mundaneness of gangster life, like some jokes about jobs and money in A Shop for Killers too

the cop also keeps patrolling and looking out for Seungho ig

Yongdae's so cute, our other maknae

a love triangle?

scary af too the gang know she's a cop and are like... you were meeting a cop. whelp

he's saying that his father is held at the police station for drugs... can they somehow check that Taeho's uncle is indeed there or whatever?

matching necklaces and first loves good god

If they were brave, we'd get a proper triangle lmfao bring Gicheul as a third into the marriage! but also i'm thinking, is Gicheul gonna die or be in prison or something by the end?

Also, I've heard Ji Chang Wook's name often but haven't watched anything he's in. He's doing really well as Junmo/Seungho so far. omg some people on the r/kdrama said the FL often dies in similar kdramas, esp with 2 main male leads and... no. she can't. This reminded me of The Devil Judge and Jinyoung's character's love interest dying and simply, no. if they kill the woman I'll be annoyed

Ep 3 (June 21)

oh Euijung bought the couple necklace for Gicheul, damn

I think Euijung started wearing it again since she just brought it home again recently but Gicheul always wears it still ig

what happened, Gicheul's parent was arrested or what?

omg okay Gicheul's asking his contact in the cops about Kwan Seungho's father's criminal record (to check that he's in jail from drugs or whatever Seungho said) + also checking for Euijung's cop husband

they faked Seungho's father's records so they must be able to give a photo of a different man for Euijung's husband

okay whew, can't blow cover in ep 3

they both call her noona ahhh

did the cops send in the thugs to Gicheol and have Seungho save him or whatever? but um what if some of these people die?

lol they all just left at once, a gunshot wasn't even fired, how choreographed, how suspicious imo

damn, Gicheol heard Seungho's "I'm Gicheul" to "trick" the people and now trusts him fully

oh, so they were literally cops, not even hired thugs omg and they're not being told that Gicheol had a literal gun (and they don't know that Seungho/Junmo is one of them because he's from a random village/town station, not Seoul ig)

Junmo-Seungho getting pissed as Gicheol talks about Euijung and also insults her husband lmfao

oof, Seungho managed to get away with not going to see Euijung's mother at the hospital with Gicheol bc she would def just be like oh, my police son-in-law Junmo, hello

damn, so the Japan guy also wants Gicheol gone? girl

lol Gicheol tryna get in Euijung's mother's good graces

oh wait, he wasn't the Japan guy that loves Gicheol. The Kanemoto guy who loves Gicheol making money for him killed the other guy ig. idk what's happening there lol

oh, that was Song Donghyuk. and Kanemoto or whoever is who Gicheol calls Father/Abeoji

There are cameras here but do they work when the electricity's out?

lmfaooo Gicheol used Euijung's birthday as the passcode for the most important door. Seungho mad as hell in the middle of his investigation

so that kid got Gangnam Crystal from one of the stores that the Gangnam Union runs right? hm, seems like he was selling something else before but now is selling this?

omg not the cops pretending to be thugs dropping a flashlight that day and now Gicheol and the top people know...

okay, yeah, the important Gangnam Union quartet + Seungho gathered to take down the other druglord guy

Gicheol quite scary as he's yelling at Seungho to kill the man to establish trust omg

Ep 4 (June 21)

I was supposed to have watched 3 eps the whole day, not 3 episodes before 3 pm and onto the 4th... I have things to do bruh. I should pause in the middle of the ep instead of waiting for the end bc they end on cliffhangers

so he couldn't kill the guy this time

i don't think i liked that transition into the title card lol

Heesung really doesn't trust Seungho and for good reason. i wonder at which point Gicheol will find out for certain and whether he'll tell everybody or how he'll react. i guess by the time the opening credit happens, he still doesn't know because Euijung's with him while Seungho's at the other side? or something

okay at least the other cop said they're not asking Junmo's wife for help, they're asking the talented and capable Inspector Euijung because agh it's so annoying somehow that Junmo gets to infiltrate the gang and show off his fighting skills and such while Euijung is supposed to like... flirt with Gicheol to get close to him. in a different show where this is the premise it'd be different but it feels unfair somehow that the men get to do cool and dangerous things while she's like a trophy they want to possess and there's anger and jealousy over her like agh

she's pretending she's had a divorce. fewer questions about her husband + Gicheol's gonna think he has a chance

okay I'll try to not be mad about how they're inserting her and how i think it's unfair and instead focus on the interesting and emotionally-charged dynamics between the 3 of them

interesting how Gicheol's the one in the dark while a literal police couple are the only other 2 people in the car

Won't Gicheol notice how Seungho keeps avoiding meeting Euijung's family or people who should know him?

but damn sucks that Junmo can't appear at his mother-in-law's funeral + Euijung's gonna have to field questions from her family about where tf her husband is

awwww the scene where Seungho peeks in and she sees and her lips start trembling and eyes watering but obviously they can't interact or comfort each other is so sad

omg this child calling Seungho 이모부, meaning maternal aunt's husband (not even just like oh regular old uncle who may not be related to me) in front of Gicheol but the other cop guy (the one whose working with them + is keeping an eye on everybody) whose photo is being used as Euijung's husband also showed up right then, whew

this fucking quartet lmfaoooooooo first we have Euijung, everybody knows her real identity and occupation. Then we have Gicheol, the guy who has been obsessed with Euijung since high school and still loves and is clearly aiming to date her. Witnessing all this is Junmo as Gicheol, Euijung's real husband but pretending to be just a friend who only kind of knows her and is Gicheol's minion but he's seething in jealousy and anger at all their interactions. Finally joins the cop who's in on the plan + is mascarading as Euijung's husband Junmo loll he can show some of the resentment the real Junmo feels but has to masquerade as a loser husband or rather ex-husband because they're pretend divorced as well

funny dynamic but also we've got a dick-measuring contest now while Euijung is mostly passive like alright

omg this is so sad, Junmo not being able to say goodbye to his MIL and her being pretty much the only person from Euijung's family who is actually good to him + also said she likes him more than her actual 2 sons that's crazy. reminds me a bit of 18 Again because we don't see MIL-son-in-law dynamics much but that one really gutted me

ah, okay, Gicheol's mother killed his father after the fucker came to find them after they ran away from his abusive ass. that's why she was both bloody and in cuffs in the flashback

hah. Gicheol wants Seungho's help to win over Euijung

I don't fully get everything and what gangs etc but ig another 2 gangs wanna pair up to take down Gicheol

oh and they're tryna recruit people from Gicheol's gang Gangnam Union or whatever

who is that face with the towel that they showed... i'm so fucking bad at facial recognition bruh. was it one of the top 3 people? honestly wouldn't be surprised if it's the knife guy because he seemed dissatisfied when speaking to Seungho

is the guy who pulled out of fishing really preoccupied or is he planning something? what with all these people tryna take down Gicheol. was he the one under the towel?

ah, they're taking Seungho fishing instead of the Seo knife guy. and Chief Seo and Seungho had also talked a bit about alliances kinda/sticking together

Heeseung or whoever long-haired also scheming?

how can they cliffhanger end on Seungho possibly shooting somebody to kill two eps in a row lmfaoo

Fave Scene: when Junmo and Euijung's eyes first meet at the funeral and it's so tragic that they can't meet. then when Junmo breaks down and bows while thinking about his MIL being kind to him.

Ep 5 (June 21)

um hm so last ep I did not stop halfway through the ep and now it's 4:30pm but I must do it this ep... around 5pm i should stop and do some work...

he really did start shooting people this time, even if not fatally

ah, towel guy was knife Seo

but he said he wouldn't betray them and also came in to help. took his sweet time to intervene though lmao

damn, I'm invested in Junmo/Euijung and also sometimes am into Seungho/Gicheol... why can't this be a fucking triangle bruh

why did those 2 guys (not the top two) who knew about them going fishing tell Seungho to be worried about himself... I know the long-haired Heesung was a rat, maybe Jeongdae is a rat, are these two also rats? Were they the people who met at the billiards thing idek can't remember the faces rip

Youngdae better not be a spy and he better not die, he's such a cutie. he legit thinks the world's gonna end in 4 years what the hell

Youngdae saw the cop getting out of the van after speaking to Seungho...

so is it not Heeseung fr? but he saw those vans following their car?

oh Seongho really does not want people die, especially not at his hands or because of him

oof, Gicheol's really letting him live... how can you be at the top of the gang if you just beat up the rat who almost got you and somebody else killed and also has caused problems with your drug trade with the Japanese lmfao now other people are gonna be like well even if i sell em out, i won't die

also I've been saying the wrong names!!!! long haired guy is Jeongbae, short haired guy is Heesung. i know once somebody else called long-haired as Jeongbae but I'd already thought he was Heeseong so I was like... I will ignore this

oh yeah, what was up with the old professor? she was mentioned at the very start but never again until this glimpse now... is the the one who makes or gives instructions on how to make the drugs? was she a prof of chemistry or smth i can't rmr

oh lol she's Yoon Wongil and she'd previously been caught for cooking meth, i see

okay wtf actually why is Gicheol fucking ditching the Chinese meeting (that's happening because of the ambush and them not being able to deliver their fucking drugs) to hang out with Euijung... be so serious right now. the day after he lets the rat live no less. are you cut out to be the leader like this wtf

right, we already know that long-hair Jeongbae (not Heeseung, wrong name) was in kahoots with the other gang

...did Seo knife guy do something at all? They showed him saying no etc but he was quite late in saving the 2 of them. but he's questioning now how they found Gicheol that night, so maybe he didn't tell them

Seo's killing the guy who attacked Gicheol... we know he followed them from Seoul but not in his own car... possibly in Seo's car?

okay, so Gicheol had said to take care of Kang Geon. and Heeseung and Jeongbae are clean. Jeongbae really had his kid we know that at least

Gicheol so fucking obvious, Jeongbae's like it's because of Euijeong right?

Jeongbae and Gicheol trusting each other and speaking... Euijeong and Junmo also meeting up alone after So Long at home... T.T

always makes me nervous when Junmo meets the cops

so these last 2 people were also part of the Chinese people who were coming right?

Euijung worries about her husband and gets mad at the lack of precautions and wants to help more to ensure he's safe/finishes the missions asap. I think that's a reasonable reaction where it respects his autonomy while also expressing her own feelings, I think it'd be fair if she has an even worse reaction considering he could die at any moment, even if he's done nothing to give anything away, because people wanna kill Gicheol.

Junmo on the other hand is so proprietary over Euijung like she is indeed also a cop, she's an inspector, she's ranked higher than you. And she's not even in as much of a danger, just that Gicheol likes her and doesn't like her husband and it's not like Euijung's gonna fucking get with Gicheol. it's not unreasonable for him to be jealous but the way he's so... yeah idk what else to say except proprietary and as if he can dictate her actions like stfu idk i'm so fucking picky in my het romances and how the man treats/views the woman. But I also get him because he feels that he's not good enough for her, everybody says so from his wife's family to fuckass Gicheol, so to have her flirt with somebody rich and perhaps more successful in the eyes of others will rub him the wrong way.

A lot of people on the on-air think Dohyung (the undercover cop guy) is actually working for the bad guys and tipping them off after communicating with Seungho. I didn't even think of that tbh lol

Ep 6 (June 21)

marriage?! Gicheol's been wanting to marry Euijung since high school, girl meet a different lover!

ah, the people at the end last ep were Japanese, not from the Chinese branch

this hotel meeting is filled with cops because of the Kr-Jpn-Chn meeting and also the Gangnam cops who are trailing them for murdering that Cho drug dealer

this meeting is just near heart attack one after the other

wants him to pretend nd stand so that he can see if he's being watched

lol do they just wanna talk alone

lmao yeah. so he aint even watching?

Jeongbae sees the undercover cops too

okay i was having dinner so barely wrote anything but lots of stuff happened

It's important that 1) Jeongbae has seen the undercover cop Dohyung but unrelated to Seungho 2) Yeongdae saw the cop coming out of/near the van when Seungho was in it

the Chinese woman keeps noting how Seungho's going far and risking his life for Gicheol lol

Talking about how Seungho fully trusts Gicheol. both Gicheol and the Chinese woman noting it

It's actually interesting that she's taking Such A Note of Seungho, like more than Gicheol, she's taking Seungho more into account regarding whether she'll continue business with them

also Junmo's so good at this lmfao he's fooling everybody about his identity and loyalties

bruh, Miss Lee likes Seungho

please, these cops

hah, Seungho being like yeah lemme turn myself into the police, I'll take the fall no worries, just let me in on the drug trade next time plsplspls

I love Miss Lee, loveeee her. the way she speaks and watches, ah. also her "your Japanese is acting like a kiiing" @ 50:45 is great. I hope she appears again later

Ep 7 (June 21)

I was supposed to watch 3 episodes today, how am I about to start ep 7, it's 8:30pm I've done nothing today except watch this show...

Damn, the clueless angry gangnam cop really beat the shit out of Seungho. I've never really considered whether he'd turn to the "bad" side tbh cuz he seems invested in his cop life and is averse to killing and he def wouldn't be worthy of his wife as a criminal but this sort of cop abuse of authority should at least make him consider wtf cops are lol

Jeongbae's intuitions crazy good + his suspicions all correct and yet they all keep brushing him off to protect Seungho lmfao fools

Ah, Gicheol feels inferior against the Chinese and Japanese reps and how they treat him

Is the Chinese assistant scouting out a new seller or anything

Miss Lee, I love you

pls not her basically dragging Seungho around on a date kinda

the way Seungho's speaking sounds like he's in love with Gicheol

damn, Gicheol's been stashing away some of the meth and selling here? or has that been Jeongbae (the Yankee kid was getting it from Jeongbae)

cringe "you can spend more time with me" i don't wanna watch omg, you think she gives a fuck about spending more time with you ohhhh men.

at least she barely laughed lol I was ready for a raucous laughter

ahh, they fucking got Jeongbae's ass and letting him go free made it even worse in Gicheol's eyes.

omg not their friendship falling the fuck apart because of lying etc

Jeongbae is literally correct that Gicheol needs him because Gicheol can't see Seungho's suspicious actions nor can he think because of Euijung

omg Jeongbae literally having an angry outburst but he's only yelling things that are true, this is wild

"One day you'll realize you were blinded. I guarantee it." oh Jeongbae, I hope you live to see it and that you're not collateral damage who dies or smth

their entire floor must be just cigarette butts and the burnt stuff

why the hell is Seo now fighting Jeongbae. I like Jeongbae, can we not do this right now... I need him to live and cackle when he finally hears down the grape vine that Seungho was indeed an undercover cop and Gicheol was a dumbass

omg... Gicheol did a very nice thing for Euijeong but he overheard one of the ladies and has figured out that Euijeong didn't use to live in the same city as Seungho...

ahhhh the corrupt cop fell off the roof in a fight with Seungho...

but Seungho's more relieved to see he got the papers that would've blown his cover

he's leaving the man like this and taking the documents + phone that would've ruined his gig

why the hell are Gicheol and Euijeong's dates and hangouts so fucking boring. I didn't care about their past flashbacks but that's not surprising but even their current scenes together are so... freaking mellow and feel kinda useless because it's not like Euijeong's really helping the case progress, it's so boring when they're together. i'd expected more mind games at least!

I started and ended this episode being like hm... Seungho going to the dark side possibly? I don't think he'd actually abandon it, but he's probably gonna become more and more ambiguous as time goes on, especially with how we ended this ep. Also interesting that both the start and end of this ep began with corrupt cops

okay hear me out so Gicheol is completely blind when it comes to Euijeong right, like she's a fucking cop but he's just hagnigng around her and plans to marry her lol and similarly... he is blinded by Seungho, he trusts him deeply and worries for him and wants him by his side. This means that Gicheol also likes/loves/has romantic feelings for Seungho. yes.

Ep 8 (June 21)

It's nearly 11pm, I want to say this will be my last episode for the day but who knows. What an addictive, exciting show

Miss Lee is too kind not killing these sexist fuckers

ah, Seungho being haunted by that guy's death. expected

woah, all 4 of them at one place. you know i was like let's have a 3some with euijeong/seungho/gicheol but now it's like 4some with Miss Lee let's go

but it's funny how Miss Lee immediately clocked Euijeong and Gicheol lmfao, she did Not like the way they looked at each other

I wanna know Yongdae's little mission so bad, what a cutie. I'll be mad as fuck if he dies frrrr

not Euijeong and Gicheol both looking at their guns...

and Euijeong and Seungho's dates both being like .hm. at them calling/their phone ringing

I... think Seungho and Miss Lee should kiss. actually i think it happens bc in the ep 6-7 on-air somebody mentioned an edit where they were kissing apparently

I'm so proud of Yongdae for all the intel and research yay

lmfao Gicheol has Yongdae pretending to be a cop

i'm so excited, they keep reaching for their guns and also I want to know exactly what and how much Yongdae said and Gicheol knows. like probably that Euijeong's father never worked at Wonju but did Yongdae say that the photo of Junmu is literally Seungho?

is he choosing between gun vs necklace?

the handheld cameras shakiness is throwing me off, I don't like it

aghhhh they keep covering their trails too well, now they've got Euijeong's dad working at Wonju smh and probably replaced the Junmu photo too

I want Gicheol to find out soon so fucking bad but I don't think he will in these 2 eps because I accidentally had clicked on the 8-9 on-air and the first comment was about how Seungho was doing so much and going so far for this mission or whatever. so we'll find out in the last quarter. i just want it not in the last 30 minutes or whatever man

Yongdae has now seen Dohyung the cop coming from the van/near the van where Seungho was + now at the police room + also... would he recognize him from Junmo's photo?

omg, the Gangnam cops found Seungho/Junmo's lighter at the PI death scene

poor Gicheol getting confessed to and Literally Crying over it but it's all A Lie. at least Euijeong's now taking the leap and getting even closer to Gicheol fr now

stay away from Gicheol at all costs tonight...???

Gicheol on a fucking date with a cop while the Japanese folks are talking to another gang lmfao what the hell man. he's so smart in some scenarios (keeps digging and cross-checking everything) but whenever he trusts Euijung, every rational thought goes out the window

I like Miss Lee and Seungho and I also know why Seungho's not expressing much outward interest toward her but I want better for her... after she compliments a man she's on a date with, he should also say what he likes about her, no? or show any sort of initiative or attraction

Gicheol wants to become a good person...? is he gonna push back on Seungho's drug deal and be like no i am to become a reformed person? lol

ahhhh I love Miss Lee/Seungho even though Seungho's uh... not really having a good time/into it. it started out kinda hot but got sadder as time went on. sorry that i was into it at first despite you experiencing workplace sexual harassment junmo. also i'm nervous he's gonna say Euijeong's name...

ah... China and Japan are teaming up with Jageon group and gonna attack Gicheol... will we Finally get the intro scene please?

ahh exciting

Ep 9 (June 21)

If we figure out the identities this ep, I'll be so happy. Also glad we're finally getting the intro scene cuz everything for me was like this isn't the intro scene yet, so they don't know this or that won't happen, etc

aw no, the flashback to their wedding and the father interruption

both Seungho and Gicheol noticing Euijung in a chokehold... and Gicheol having to save her... it's not that I don't get it but I'm just frustrated

just disgusting and violent and brutal... and Euijung witness Junmo-Seungho that way...

Miss Lee and Seungho on one side of the gladd, Euijeong and Gicheol on the other...

brutal... Seungho like this truly reminds me of Strangers From Hell last episode

Heeseung noticed how Gicheol didn't help him even as he nearly died (but was focused on the cop woman I think)

ah, both of them are reminiscing about the start of the relationship... also Euijeong clenched her fist when Gicheol kissed her both in the past and last episode but she kissed Junmo first and doesn't do that

clean office the next day lol

oof, almost got Seungho with the lighter thing

but he does know/have a very big hunch that Seungho killed the PI and he's correct

Seungho wants this trade to happen more than Gicheol does

and he’s willing to do anything wtf is this finger thing is Gicheol missing a finger at all

ah, betrayal in the Japanese yakuza

ah, Gicheol knew about the betrayal. that’s why he was disrespectful to the old man and fucking things up bc he knew he’ll do business with new guy

Euijung's actress is from True Beauty - the cool older sister

just insane. I’m really liking this show. only 3 more eps left, hope it doesn’t let me down ahh. I Need it to stick the landing

Ep 10 (June 22)

mad that i got woken up at 5:30am, esp bc i’ve got less than 5 hours of sleep or smth but uh, i wanna watch next ep…

lmfao Gicheol wants to hand over this thing to Seungho and walk away and be a normal man bc of Euijeong… girl both your right hand Seungho and your girl Euijeong want you in jail!!!

either Junmo nor Gicheol feeling worthy of Euijeong and wanting to be

i just feel like so far, despite doing too much and going too far, Seungho hasn’t shown interest in actually becoming the boss or staying in this lifestyle

no like this Mingoo cop is so bothersome like if he was like Jaengdo it’d be fine bc he’d be correct and it’d be ironic how they’re ignoring him but he’s also constantly abusing his power and it’s annoying. why the hell don’t the cops control him more

lol double date and it’ll be fun to see Euijung jealous

Miss Lee is funny as hell i love her

I just Neeeed to know whether Miss Lee can see the intense eye contact and emotion that Euijeong and Seungho share

i am ILL why do I like Miss Lee/Seungho so fucking much. like in the end i still want the real married couple in love to end up together and overcome this but I really like these two and their cute little dates (workplace sexual harassment not withstanding…). and also Seungho has been giving Miss Lee little smiles tonight, ah how cute

pls the way Miss Lee is like do you even have feelings for me? she’s so spoiled that she doesn’t care if he does or doesn’t, he wants him just bc she likes him.

Knife Seo pissed me the fuck off with brutalizing Jeongbae just as he was leaving but if he kills Mingoo i will be less mad

Junmo’s father?!?! Meth Park?

they’re trying to set up Knife Seo for Manager Cho’s death - which isn’t untrue but there’s a reason for the fake witness setup ig

stop suspecting Jeongnbae, you dumbass

ah, they gave up Knife Seo kinda to distract Mingoo ig…

Dohyung telling Junmo to not overdo it and that he’s a cop who needs to return to that life

Everybody going to the port while Euijeong sitting worried at home, agh this show

Jeonbae at the office… and saying he told Gicheol the cop bitch would screw him over…

Ep 11 (June 22)

Two episodes left, pleaseeee stick the landing

2 Days Earlier oof

It’s annoying because Mingoo is kinda good at his job in some aspects and so keeps catching onto things lmfao

i get more mad as they show Euijeong helpless to stop the deal from going through and is just upset and worried at home

Gicheol sees himself in Seungho

not this random ass car crash with Dodgers. is this Mingoo’s doing wtf

omg the car blowing up?!

oh that was Kyungjin (the previous rat), not Dodgers oops. So Jeongbae did this? omg

1 week to get the stolen drugs back oof, will they meander a lot? also when will Gicheol find out about the identities?

fucking he’ll, Mingoo’s at Junmo’s old station where people actually know him

what is Changchun to Seungho or maybe Junmo rather…

oh he’s just excited that he knows that the gang is based in Changchun

Dohyung playing as Park Junmo at Gangnam station with Mingoo but Knife Seo and Yongdae (guy who has seen Dohyung multiple times now including the piece of paper like 2 secs ago that Seo saw) also caught a glimpse from the outside

Gicheol having by to tell Seungho to not cross the line after he suggests fucking up Jeongbae’s family members omg

guess Jeongbae stole all the money and everything oof stupid, how can y’all leave everything unmanned?

fucks sake I’m so over Euijeong playing worried, useless wife. and Dohyung is annoying too like obviously Seungho’s fucked up. obviously he is. what the hell you want him to do

and Knife Seo + Yongdae know that the man (Dohyung cosplaying Junmo) is a narcotics division cop who swapped pages for an investigation

also they don’t fucking tell Seungho that his father was taken in for questioning at Gangnam. he may not realize at once that he’s Meth Park but some prep, some foresight could happen

omg Knife Seo brutalizing Dohyung and finding out he’s not Junmo and also not trusting Seungho and wanting him to stab Dohyung

Ep 12 (June 22)

one hour left… be good please. I’ll watch it at 1x speed

damn Seo killed Dohyung

Dohyung still telling Seungho that he’s a cop and to never forget

wonder what Yongdae’s gonna make of this and if he’ll inform Gicheol

I need Gicheol to find out the identities and soooon and have enough time for the realization and heartbreak and anger that comes with it

“If I’m gonna die anyway, I might as well be killed by hyung” Jeongbae to Gicheol omg… should’ve been shipping these two this whole time they make me so fucking sad

I need to kill Mingoo like actually. annoying ass fucker

Jeongbae and Heesung teaming up and going to Mingoo with the drugs… crazy but also funny in ways because the cops of this case Don’t Want That, they wanna catch em red-handed along w China and Japan branches

like Mingoo wants to catch Gicheol or whatever but that’s not what the investigation wants, they want whole drug ring and how it’s being passed around

Heeseung and Jeongbae really betrayed him like this. Can’t say I’m surprised

parallels of Gicheol getting taken away in the cop car

2nd purposeful car crash in two consecutive episodes lol

does Euijung actually do anything except stand and worry/cry?

no but what’s the plan lol like we have Gicheol but the drug trade ain’t gonna happen without the drugs

Dohyung died ig but they aren’t telling Seungho

okay, one more plan for handoff to Japan, everybody involved and knows what’s happening (though not everybody knows who else knows lol)

30 minutes left

I keep thinking Miss Lee’s guard mans is gonna interfere somehow

Mingoo if you don’t fucking stop brih

how did Mingoo and his lackey find out about Seungho being Junmo and the wedding photo before all of them im dead

okay god bless, Seungho was at least like how about you stay somewhere far away, so Miss Lee is still a lovesick fool (her and Gicheol similarities….) and I assume didn’t betray him even though she knows who he is

she’s stabbed Mingoo, thank you. hated that fucker

Think I could’ve also shipped Miss Lee with her guard, similar to History 3: Trapped

good luck Miss Lee, thank you for being here for these last few episodes because I couldn’t have taken it if fucking Euijung was out only female characters

Seungho betraying Gicheol but not revealing who he is but also keeping the key in the ignition of the car where he handcuffed Gicheol…

the arrest somehow anticlimactic but wrapping up well. need moreeee from Gicheol

ah okay Gicheol here in their apartment and knows things now

oof

damn, Junmo shot for the fucking heart, I thought he’d shoot Gicheol’s arm so that he can’t kill himself or whatever

the fact that he killed Gicheol like that is crazy like actually fr

what ring did Junmo leave… wedding ring??? w a cigarette. and Euijeong had left her cross matching necklace

I wonder why Jungmo killed Gicheol and what it accomplished. The only thing I can think of is that getting murdered is better than committing suicide, afterlife punishment wise, so in a twisted, romantic way you can think of it as Junmo saving Gicheol’s soul from eternal damnation or whatever due to suicide by surrendering his own soul to it instead since he committed murder. Some people said maybe he did it because then Euijeong didn't lead to her friend's suicide (even if she didn't love him like he wanted, she seemingly cared for Gicheol to a certain extent), but idk would her husband being a murderer be better?

Overall:

Surprised even myself by binging this in 24 hours (10am-10am June 21-22) when I was planning on watching ~3eps/day for 4 days. Intense, interesting, engaging, exciting, thrilling. How fun. Been a while since I couldn't stop watching a show from beginning to end because even when I'd be excited and binge a few eps, I'd usually lose interest or be disappointed or just falter after a couple episodes.

Last time I binged like this might've been Alice In Borderland last year, April 2023, S1 8 eps in ~14 hours. I did watch Good Bad Mother 14 episodes in ~50 hours this April 2024 though.

This was exciting because it made me feel like when I had just started watching k-dramas or thrillers, and everything was exciting and I'd just watch it for hours on end. Also helped because I straight up knew nothing about this except Wi Hajoon is in this (the guy who really had me getting into watching shows and dramas) + cop story; I literally thought they were a pair of cops lmfao not infiltration.

For A Shop for Killers, I started watching at 1.25x halfway through because it was slow and I wanted it to get a move on/finish certain parts quicker. This one I started with 1.25x from the very first episode and it goes very well with the fast-paced nature of this show.

The 90s timeline was a nice touch, it let us go farther with the "nobody in this city far away from where he lives/works knows what Junmo (a random cop in a random station) looks like"

I wasn't on anybody's side - I knew/suspected the cops and Seungho would win because that's just the kind of story but I wanted more and better from each side, I wanted them to be clever and to outsmart each other. When Gicheol did something clever, I was excited and when Seungho did something clever, I was equally excited.

It was also just a unique experience to have Jeongbae literally telling Gicheol about the suspicious people and being right on the money while Gicheol brushes him off. That one at least I enjoyed because I liked to see the group fracture and lose trust but I hated the Mingoo fucker so bad. It would've been one thing if he was actually just doing it all sneakily but ethically (as much as you can be as a cop lmfao) because he wanted to help or whatever, it would've been ironic how I still wouldn't want him to have much progress because I'd want the main investigation to go well, but this dirty cop motherfucker who also plays with these gangs but wants to arrest Gicheol for the police fame and notoriety too? Miss Lee you are a real and true winner for killing that motherfucker.

I pity Gicheol, he really had Seungho and Euijeong left at the end but they both were conspiring against him. But Seungho was right that Gicheol didn't need to do all this, it's an excuse, he just wanted to be powerful and at the top and rich. It's not surprising that others turned their back on him (didn't he himself kill the previous leader to take over + by the end he was only worried about himself and not really his friends or the guys under him) and it's not surprising how he turned out. He was also making such stupid decisions because of his love for Euijeong. he was not portrayed in a heinous light despite his criminal and cruel behaviour. Sometimes he would yell (ex. when he was yelling at Seungho to shoot Cho) and it felt like I could see more of his ruthless side

Seungho-Junmo's character was interesting too, enjoyed him constantly pushing farther and doing too much just to keep his cover and have the investigation continue. I don't think I ever really thought that Junmo would go to the dark side or really team up with Gicheol or anything, it seemed clear that he was doing this for the investigation and to keep his wife's involvement as low as possible + to prove himself as well. I haven't watched Ji Changwook in anything before this but he was impressive with the acting.

I liked the main romance at the beginning, it was so heartbreaking how Junmo couldn't be at his MIL's funeral and the scene when he and Euijeong made eye contact secretly was tragic and touching. The scenarios where they had to pretend to not be together and either going on dates with Gicheol or on that double date were also interesting. But after a while, it got boring and repetitive because they weren't giving Euijeong any new material. It makes sense that they divorced or stopped being together after that mission, Gicheol was a changed man, a more ruthless and cold man who is not doing alright and Euijeong saw him kill Gicheol in front of her. They had asked before the last scene if they could go back to normal like before and the answer is simply no.

I don't think she was romantically interested in Gicheol at all by the way.

I didn't think of The Devil Judge while watching this show but as I was thinking about it afterwards, I kind of started noticing similarities a bit, so I'll write some of my thoughts in comparison. SPOILERS ALSO FOR DEVIL JUDGE IF ANYBODY OTHER THAN ME IS READING THIS:

Taeho-Seungho and Yohan's brother-Gaon: the former was somebody close to Gicheol-Yohan who died and reminded him of him. Gaon was much more directly and often referred to as similar to Yohan's brother but Seungho had bits of Taeho as his cousin (though Seungho reminded Gicheol more of himself tbh)

Euijeong and Soohyun (I think that's her): our main characters Seungho and Gaon had female love interests who were also both cops but were underutilized, underwritten, and ultimately not very useful. I fucking wish Euijeong was more involved, did more cool things, not just wait around and be worried about Junmo (and Gicheol) and have extremely boring dates with Gicheol. at least she didn't die i guess...

Miss Lee Haeryeong and Seonah: ahhh my interesting, antagonist women who I was obsessed with. The were given more personality and dimension than the first love interests I'd mentioned but it could never work out with them because they were too dangerous or not on the right side and the one she likes does not like her back. I think Miss Lee was especially important here because Devil Judge at least had other female characters who got screentime (younger sister Elijah was a semi-prominent character and the Minister was a badass) but here she was the only one other than Euijeong and I've already expressed my dissatisfaction with how they used that character. Miss Lee Haeryeong was a lovesick fool truly, but I give it a pass because we have an even bigger lovesick fool in this cast (oh, Gicheol), so it wasn't just like a sexist stereotype. I had loved how unhinged Seonah and Yohan were like truly unpredictable and dangerous and this show wasn't that (well Haeryeong did sexually assault/coerce Seungho that one time yikes) but her dynamic with Seungho still brought some fun into it all. She was kinder in letting Seungho's plan go through though instead of Seonah backstabbing Yohan, but Seungho was also kinder to her by telling her to leave the countries than Yohan was so Seonah.

Gicheol and Yohan: the actors were very good choices for their roles because they are not good people but they are very charming and make you want to root for them even as they do bad things or commit crimes. Yohan was overall "better" while Gicheol was literally a criminal and drug dealer and murderer who owned businesses. I didn't think of Gicheol as the antagonist because despite him definitely being that and I think it's mostly due to the way he was portrayed in the show but also about how Wi Hajoon specifically idk

homoeroticism? I think it's Much more pronounced in The Devil Judge but here, I was like... we can get a threesome going with Euijeong involved. Seungho was never on Gicheol's side here unlike with Gaon and Yohan being allies/friends/whatever in Devil Judge and the scriptwriters also didn't frame it as a possible ship ever whereas it definitely seemed like something they were alluding to in DJ. But it's a fun thought, maybe if I rewatch it and am not just so focused on the plot, I can try looking at it in that way.

The Ending: ...sad. Gaon and Junmo are changed people. Gicheol's dead, which is not surprising to me, though the way it happened wasn't what I was expecting. Junmo is not doing well, his marriage is falling apart, he's killed people, Dohyung's death has taken a toll on him, he's a more jaded person, he resents the fact that he had to do this mission. It was a fitting ending after all this.

Anyway, not super similar plot-wise but certain threads are maybe just common tropes.

The Devil Judge started off with 7.5 stars but lost its 0.5 to become 7 because I can't actually remember much about the show's plot and hold no affection for the characters. I hope my feelings for this show ages better.

I'm especially curious how I'll feel because my 3 favourite k-dramas are Squid Game, Beyond Evil, and Squid Game and I felt so deeply for the characters there. However, for the Devil Judge, I didn't feel attached to the characters after watching and so I do not think about that show at all. While watching The Worst of Evil, I wasn't against anybody nor was I on anybody's side and I didn't form attachments to the characters, like I don't love the 2 main leads and their bond or anything. So I thoroughly enjoyed the thrilling ride for the first time but to make me rewatch or think about the show weeks and months from now, usually a strong character arc or character relationship is necessary and this show doesn't really have that. So we'll see how I feel about it later on. I wrote a whole lot omg

Rating: 7.5/10

#the worst of evil #ep by ep commentary

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albatris · 2 years ago

Text

been thinkin about how much of a dick quinn is early story. like. chapters 1 and 2, I feel (I hope??) the readers like nat, sympathise with him, root for him, etc. but I think people might have trouble getting into the groove of a quinn chapter with quinn acting so. uh. quinn

but idk if they *need* to be pulled in the same way to quinn's pov as they are with nat? at least not initially? like if the question is "does the reader care for quinn", is it fine if the answer early on is "no"?

I need the reader to care about what's happening, but in quinn's chapter there are several things happening that are not me attempting to get the reader to care for quinn -

1. the reader cares for NAT, and the reader is tense because it's clear quinn is zeroing in on nat and is up to no good, the reader wonders why, the reader gets these little tidbits of information about nat's mystery in quinn's chapter - the reader is invested in nat and the vibe of quinn's chapter is very much "hey uhhhhhh I'm Afraid". it's fine for the reader to think this is a villain pov chapter lol

2. there are other people AROUND quinn that the reader is able to care for and sympathise with, like alex (seems reasonable and kind, doesn't want to get involved with this whole mess) and cleo (helped nat out in chapter one, seems friendly, is clearly being manipulated and threatened by quinn)

3. there are a few new questions introduced that the reader can gnaw on, like: Who Is The Knight, Who Are The Ethels, and Hey Are These Guys Vampires? I'm Getting Vampire Vibes Are They Vampires?

4. quinn is a FUN narrator even if they're shady as all fuck. there's drama there's pizzazz

n all of this is HOPEFULLY enough to draw the readers' interest along even if as a narrator quinn is kind of a dick at first

there needs to be enough OOMPH to quinn's chapters that the reader isn't too alienated by how Quinn quinn is, and to draw them along until they ARE invested in quinn and start to care for them

#a rental car takes a left down rake street and disappears

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stuffedsand · 8 months ago

Note

Es - 1, 4, 12, and 20

Shidou - 6, 18, 23, and 25

Kazui - 2, 12, 13, and 25

Ok redoing this again 💥💥💥 thankyou for the ask rain Tumblr tried to eat it twice now

Es:

1) why do you like/dislike this character?

Ok I have a good few reasons for this!!! I love es milgram that much is obvious but my reasons for liking characters is usually really disorganized so I'll try my best

A) they're so cool looking I love their character design!!! Like holy shit. I've cosplayed them before type of good character design yk

B) they just like me fr

C) they're such a fun concept for an audience insert!! With their own opinions and morals that are somewhat shaped by the audience. Affected by but not entirely reflective of the audiences views and opinions because they're still their own character. Augh.

4) if you could put them in any other media, what would it be?

Hmm if you mean type of media I'd say video game milgram 💥 it'd be fun!!

If by media you mean fandom... Then idk 💀 I'm not the type to crossover single characters, so it'd be like. All of Milgram into something like hsr (iirc someone made this concept... I've thought about it alot but I don't remember who)

12) what's a headcanon you have for this character?

I like to think they regularly check in on the prisoners of their own will! They say it's routine checkup but realistically jackalope didn't say shit about checking in on prisoners outside of interrogations.

Alternatively I think they tend to hold jackalope while sleeping. He hates this

20) ideal best friend for this character

This one's a hard one... Within Milgram I'd say......... Yuno? Or fuuta? Just based on vibes, really. Maybe muu but I haven't watched her voice dramas yet...

Shidou:

6) something you have in common with this character?

He is not a character you'd want to have things in common with if I'm to be honest. Anyways.

Probably my manner of speaking? Doesn't come across as much in text because I make good use of emojis and the words lmao and lol too much. Also the rebuttal of Es' statement in trial 1 vd is something I'd do no hesitation. I was hoping he'd do that actually.

Alternatively... I guess general personality? In the whole mellow, apparently resting bitch face and unintentional aura of intimidation (friends words), and I guess being stupid and stubborn counts, yeah?

18) Relationship with another character in canon that you admire?

....is it off topic to say him and his wife. I think they were cute. Unfortunate, the use of past tense tho lmao

As of current milgram......... Idk he's not the most interactive. Seems to be just acquaintances with most other prisoners... Maybe him n Kazui? The relationship is formed on an unhealthy habit but they seem to by trying to have each other's backs and that's nice.

23) favourite picture of this character

TRIAL 2 ALBUM ART it's so pretty. The way the light flares frame his face like a "halo" in a way no other door art does. The lighting....

Honorary mention to the I think 1st anni art that I have as a standee :)

His t2 album art makes me insane man. The fucking colours on that thing. I really like the colours purple and blue so like. Gestures. Yeah

25) What was your first impression of the character? How about now?

Oh my god you wouldn't believe. Ok so first impression was amusement if I'm fr. I thought him being the only one going "yeah I'd like to die. As atonement of course" was really funny. After that, because I did buy into the organ harvesting theory at the time, I thought the innocent vote was funny. Then triage made me cry.

Now I have Very Complicated Feelings (positive) of points at him hello Mr morally fucked up. I want to see you get worse. I am extremely strange about my favourites I think you can tell.

Kazui:

2) Favourite canon thing about him?

If you're talking generally then I love the songs I love half so much I love cats so much . What about him makes him always get banger songs

If we're talking traits then....I suppose it's how he acts. Like his regret for his "murder". It's so fun to spin around, that he knows it's not legally murder but by god will he feel responsible for her death, enough to consider himself a murderer. Augh

12) headcanon for this character?

I'm not gonna say he's queer I'm not gonna say that he's queer I'm not I'm a stronger person than thi

Anyways. That even years into their marriage he and hinako continued to go on little "dates" (which isn't common apparently? Not where I am)

Though that might be canon... What with that part in cat. Hm...

I like to think he did actually want to be an actor at some point. Or at least had passion in an artistic field. Oh the woes of social construct

13) emoji that reminds you of the character

I think we know. 🍏

(🥬🍏🤍🩵💙 iykyk)

What he would use tho... 👍 Probably.he feels like a 👍 guy

25) first impression vs current one

Well....on first watch of half I spent an hour analysing it, but I can't quite remember my first impression of kazui as a character...

I know I liked the theatre imagery and the implication that he was hiding something. I also remember that even then I did not believe the cheating allegations. I was right btw/silly

Now he makes me sad. I still hold a similar impression but now there's the extra thing that cat gave me of him being a liar since birth so it's not just a lie thing it's a mask to keep yourself safe thing. Aughghghg

#sand speaks #ask game #looooong one #tumblr ate it twice but we keep moving #thankyou for the ask rain :D was very fun to think about

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the-bi-space-ace · 1 year ago

Note

For the character ask, I'm going to be wild and ask about two characters: Crosshair and Teal'c. Feel free to only do one, if you'd like, or both!

3. Least favorite canon thing about this character?

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

5. What's the first song that comes to mind when you think about them?

9. Could you be roommates with this character?

22. If you're a fic reader, what's something you like in fics when it comes to this character? Something you don't like?

Oooooh I'm excited about these two!

3. Least favorite canon thing about this character?

Crosshair - He was a 'I have to touch the stove to make sure it's actually hot' kid (I was too so this is a self burn (lol burn... bc the stove is hot... I'm sorry). He's gotta learn the hard way. Ya know, Crossy, you could just not learn the hard way. You could just not do that.

Teal'c - (I hate saying anything bad about you my darling boy I'm so sorry) my least favorite thing about Teal'c is that he doesn't always get that people are hurt by his actions because he did them for reasons he believes in. Like leaving his family when he started fighting for the freedom of Jaffa. It fucking hurt his wife and son and he just... didn't get that for awhile. Or when he undermines Ishta. Again, he is doing and fighting for what he believes in but he doesn't seem to get that just because he is doing something for the right reasons that doesn't erase the hurt and pain caused by them. He learns. He grows. But it's frustrating to watch him not get it sometimes.

4. If you could put this character in any other media, be it a book, a movie, anything, what would you put them in?

Crosshair - you know what would be funny? Dropping him in a musical. I'm talking Grease or Mean Girls or Cats. Just. Any musical. And make him aware that he's in a musical and has no clue what's going on. Do you know how funny it would be to watch him try to talk to people and have them break into song????

Teal'c - Parks & Rec. Why? They would love him. I think April would love him so much and he'd just have such good comedic timing. Imagine him looking into the camera with judgement on SG-1. Also maybe he'd eventually get to be a fire fighter like in that one episode where he was seeing himself in an alternate reality and I just think Teal'c as a fire fighter was really cool.

5. What's the first song that comes to mind when you think about them?

Crosshair - Good 4 U by Olivia Rodrigo. The drama. The angst. The lyrics. That is a Crosshair song to me. Like yeah. Good for you! You're doing so well and loving life without me isn't that great WELL I'M NOT! Idk. It just really hits for me.

Teal'c - Born For This by The Score. Just. His commitment to his cause. The way he has such faith that one day all Jaffa will finally be free. He will fight for every single last one of them. He doesn't give up.

9. Could you be roommates with this character?

Crosshair - maaaaaaaaaybe. On one hand I think he'd stick to himself and mind his own business and like having cats around and also scare away unwanted visitors with his general demeanor and protectiveness so that part I like! No strange men would literally ever try anything bc I mean... look at him. No one is messing with him... on the other hand I feel like he'd wander around in the dark and throw knives at the wall and be really territorial over his stuff to the point of me being afraid to touch anything so... it's a solid 5/10 chance we'd get along. I lived with 7 other people at one point and all of them had very different personalities so I can get along with a wide variety of people but he's a good toss up for me.

Teal'c - yes. 100%. I've seen the episode where he has his own apartment and that man is a perfect neighbor and probably a very respectful roommate. He's sweet! He watches out for people! He'd have a lot of candles which I like! And quite like Crosshair he'd scare away unwanted visitors. He's a quiet person and I'm a quiet person so we'd be able to sit in silence and it be okay and I looooove that. He also likes star wars so we're gonna do movie nights :)

22. If you're a fic reader, what's something you like in fics when it comes to this character? Something you don't like?

Crosshair - I love Protective Crosshair in fics. It's my weakness. Give me protective Crosshair any day. A man who is grumpy and snarky and petty but loves so fiercely it's almost scary. Someone who doesn't know how to show how he feels so he covers it in snark and still covers the people he cares about in his own brand of love.

And something I don't like... okay... Sometimes people pretend he doesn't gaf bc he's evil or whatever. OR they act like he doesn't exist. Both things bother me. SO he's either overly callous in a way that is just plain mean and nasty and not callous in the way Crosshair actually is. Yes he can be mean. Yes he is sharp and he speaks his mind and he's grumpy and all of that is true. But his portrayal can veer into something that is less a personality trait and more an outright evil villain caricature. It's a double edged sword in fics. There's a weird idea that he doesn't have a single good trait and he's clearly just evil and it makes my blood boil. IT'S EITHER THAT OR I'VE SEEN STUFF WHERE HE JUST HATES ECHO ALL OF THE TIME. Like... I'm not sure we're all watching the same show... but... I don't think he would constantly belittle and try to harm Echo and I've seen plenty of fics where they simply never ever get along and I just don't know where that comes from. (I'm sorry I have so much to say about this ohmygoodness)

Teal'c - THAT HE'S FUNNY. And he's a good person at his core and even though he doesn't always talk very much in fics his personality is still there. I haven't read many Stargate fics yet but anytime Teal'c is in them I am hoping he's got a pretty good role in it because he is just so entertaining.

Sometimes he just stands in the background. AND LISTEN okay I know in the show a lot of the time he doesn't speak bc he's not much of a conversationalist BUT HIS PERSONALITY STILL SHINES. He's still funny and kind and interesting and sometimes he's just forgotten. So forgotten. I love him pls don't forget him.

I had so much to say thank you for coming to my TED Talk :)

#I JUST LOVE TEAL’C AND CROSSHAIR SO MUCH #they’re so beautiful #also thanks for sending me these it was a lot of fun 🤍

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pineforphantompain · 1 day ago

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2024 Drama Year In Review

I didn't watch my first drama of the year until July, but it's been pretty productive since then.

Movies: (K) Dog Days (2024) Dogs + Lee Hyun Woo how could I not watch? Rating: 7.5/10

(K) Lucid Dream (2017) Rating: 6.5/10

(K) Familyhood (2016) Rating: 8/10

(J) Till We Meet Again on the Lily Hill (2023) I don't even know how I feel about this one. Rating: 6.5/10

(K) Forbidden Dream (2019) It wasn't bad, but it wasn't particularly interesting or worth watching either. Rating 7.5/10

(J) Analog (2023) I really liked this one. It isn't groundbreaking or anything, just a solid romance melo. Rating: 9/10

Dramas:

When the Phone Rings (2024) (currently airing) 10/12 eps watched Good, but I don't love it the way others seem to. Chae Soo Bin is captivating and beautiful, though. Projected rating: 8.0/10

Cinderella Game (2024) (currently airing) 22/100 watched Sometimes I watch daily dramas.

Who Is She? (2024) (currently airing) 2/12 watched I liked both versions I have seen of the movie and as soon as saw both Jinyoung and Kim Haesook were in a Miss Granny remake I knew I would have to watch it. Too soon to tell, but hopefully it doesn't disappoint.

Dog Knows Everything (2024) 12/12 watched A mystery slice-of-life drama starring veteran actors and a dog (plus Gong Chan who is also a puppy to me). Easily my favourite of the year. Rating: 9.0/10

Mr. Plankton (2024) 10/10 watched The cast is excellent and it was well-made, but I didn't really like it. Even Woo Do Hwan can only pull off swarmy yet charming so far. Quirked a little too close to the sun for my taste I'm afraid. Rating: 7.5/10

Parole Examiner Lee (2024) 12/12 watched Rating: 8.5/10

And now on to the older dramas I watched this year:

Love Frequency 37.2 (2014) 6/6 watched The first drama I watched this year (in July…). Cool concept, but the actual stories were unremarkable. I had started watching this years ago, but idk how far I got then and just started over.Rating: 7/10

New Tales of The Gisaeng (2011) 32/52 watched We have a serious contender for one of the worst male leads ever… I still intend to force myself through the rest of this, but I don't know if I have the strength.

Flower Boy Ramen Shop (2011) 8/16 previously watched —> 16/16 watched There is some great comedic acting and it has its entertaining moments, but whatever early tvn romcom charm it has does not save the overall ickiness. One of the worst "romance"s I've ever seen. Genuinely made my stomach turn at some points. Rating: 5.5/10

Tree of Heaven (2006) 10/10 watched Beautiful scenery, and yay for Park Shin Hye in a classic melo. Unfortunately, it was very repetitive and frustrating to watch. So much of this drama was just yelling/crying and running after cars. Rating: 7/10

Pale Moon (2023) 10/10 watched It was good. Rating: 8.5/10

(J) Kami no Tsuki / Pale Moon (2014) 1/5 watched I really want to watch this (and am convinced it would be my favourite version), but couldn't find it fully subbed anywhere. :(

Exactly What's Going On? (2015) 10/10 watched Well… Considering the premise it could have been much worse. Every now and then I am just compelled to watch something that seems weird and/or bad. Rating: 6.5/10

The Most Beautiful Goodbye in the World (2017) 4/4 watched Rating: 8.5/10

Equator Man (2012) 14/20 previously watched --> 20/20 watched Finally finished the drama I've left on hold for the longest. When I noticed I was at 99 completed dramas I knew this just had to be number 100. Jumping back in without rewatching the previous episodes and without benefit of dramabeans recaps I had forgotten many characters and plot points. It was fine, but I really just wanted to get it done. Rating: 7.0/10 ?

Solomon's Perjury (2016) 7/12 previously watched --> 12/12 watched (Thankfully I had recaps for this one so I could refresh my memory) It was good. Gave it the same rating as the movies, though I liked it just slightly less. Rating: 8/10

Sweet Savage Family (2015) 7/16 previously watched --> 16/16 watched Good as casual viewing, but kind of messy and nothing special. Rating: 7/10

The Snow Queen (2006) 16/16 watched (1/16 previously watched but I restarted)My final watch of the year. I did have to push through some tedious episodes and have some other complaints (like the lack of attention to the relationship between Bo Ra and her mother), but it was pretty good. It's a winter-themed classic sad drama starring fluffy baby Hyun Bin and prominently featuring math — how could it not be great? Rating: 8.5/10.

2024 Goals Review

3+/3 movies

5+/5 dramas including at least:

1+/1 new drama

1+/1 pre-2010 drama

2+/2 from on-hold Quite successful, but I don’t want to push my luck, so I’ll keep this next year’s simple as well

2025 Goals:

5 movies

5 dramas including:

2 new releases

2 from on-hold

1 rewatch

#drama year in review #my thoughts #kdrama #asian dramas #film #2024 drama watching

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overlydramaticinephile · 2 years ago

Text

just one kiss.

Pairing: Steve Harrington x Fem! Reader (no physical descriptions)

Summary: Y/N happens to be falling for Steve but does he feel the same way? (pt. 2)

Word count: 3.9k

Warnings: Friends to lovers trope, based in the aftermath of season 4 but without the sad parts (the ending if y'know what i mean didn't happen like that), douche behaviour, mostly fluff though. Pretty much another teen movie vibes fic. some cursing. shy!reader but also kind of a mess!reader (English is NOT my first language)

A/N: Hi! Thank you so so much for reading Part 1 of Just one kiss. This is still inspired by The Oc season 4 (ryan x taylor) bc i love teen dramas and stevie needs more love in his life. THEREFORE, reader is like an OFC but not really, i say that bc there are a few mentions of her family. ALSO bc this is based on taylor townsend reader has some interesting characteristics but i love that character so much and idk i think it would be pretty cool to see a different kind of reader :)) so anyway if you made it this far...HOPE YOU ENJOY ILY

READ PART 1 HERE

It's been 3 days. 3 days since Steve last saw Y/N and he was feeling confused, to say the least. After that kiss, it's pretty much like what Y/N described. Arriving at Oz and everything popped into technicolor. It's a little cliche for his liking but even he had to admit it was pretty fucking weird that a simple kiss could make you question absolutely everything about a person. Because the truth is, 3 days ago Y/N was just the original not as cool babysitter, now…she was still that, but little things Steve noticed about her before started to be more present. He basically started to remember her existence and just the whole situation was killing him, he didn't know exactly what to do, so of course, he went to Robin. But since Robin wasn't home as in home in Hawkins due to some high school band trip, he was now faced to deal with the impossible task by himself.

Until…Dustin Henderson knocked on his door.

“Hey man,” said Steve not even fully acknowledging his presence, he had bigger things on his mind if you know what I mean...

“Well, well I couldn't help but notice you wanted to talk to Robin,” Dustin mentioned mocking offense.

“Uh-huh so?” Steve of course didn't realize he was kidding, he just started to think about Y/N and--

“Well, since she's out of town and she's probably gonna be moving out the next semester you're gonna need a new Robin. So, I thought I would audition for the job.”

“Oh, uh, yeah that's uh very thoughtful.” Steve didn't fully know if he was joking so he didn't try to say much about it.

“So, how does it work? do I ask you what's on your mind?”

“Uh, usually you just listen to me talk, and then I solve my problems on my own.” Steve deadpanned. That really is how it worked.

“Huh. Well, I couldn't help but noticed that you've been spending time with Y/N.”

Dustin of course loved her. She was the older sister he never had and if Steve and she ended up dating? Are you kidding me? That would be a dream come true for the kid.

“Really? Have I?” It started to feel like the universe was against Steve and the fact that he wanted to stop that growing pull towards Y/N.

“If we're gonna talk about girls, I am a far more knowledgeable resource than Robin. You know…because I have Suzie? I should pretty much give you advice all the time.”

“Okay. But you can't repeat this. Because if the real Robin found out I was telling the substitute Robin, a real secret…”

“It's in the vault.”

“Okay. I kissed Y/N. Or she kissed me. Anyway, there was a kiss and…”

“And now you can't stop thinking about her.”

“That is so cute.” Dustin couldn't help but laugh which caught Steve by surprise. What the hell?

“Pretty much.” Steve was waiting for Dustin to mock him. For some reason, he just seemed to find it hilarious whenever he talked about girls and tried to score them.

Steve narrowed his eyes trying to make sense of what was so funny. “Okay, Robin never does that.”

“Sorry, but it is. And so is she.” Why lie?

“Yeah, I know, just…me and Y/N?”

“After everything you've been through over the last few months, if something good happens, shouldn't you embrace it or at least be open to the possibility?” Hell, Dusty had some advice alright.

Steve couldn't believe he would be taking advice from a 15-year-old that spends most of his time playing D&D, not that there's anything wrong with that but you know…

“Yeah, yeah. I guess. Thanks.”

-----------------------------

It's been 5 days since Steve and Y/N last saw each other. Y/N was still on Steve's mind most of the time, but he decided to push the thoughts behind. He could name a million reasons on why this was a bad idea. But again, the universe seemed to not care about Steve and his reasons when he went to pick up coffee after his shift in the next-door establishment that had a bunch of little shops.

Pulling him out of his thoughts Steve heard her voice. The voice he so badly wanted to hear yet tried to forget about.

“Hi Steve.” said Y/N like nothing happened between them, like two regular friends saying hi to one another.

“I'm-I'm not here to see you. I'm just covering for Robin while she's gone.”

Steve's eyes widen, not here, not now, not anywhere to be perfectly honest. He didn't want to face her, so he did the most jerk thing to do in this situation and ran away, but not before answering her. He had that much decency.

“I gotta go. Can't talk.” he said putting his hand over the side of his face like trying not to see into those beautiful Y/E/C eyes of hers. Fearing that if he did, he wouldn't be able to leave.

“That's nice.” said Steve still walking away, hoping Y/N would give up the conversation.

“Sorry that I kissed you.” after those words came out of her mouth it's like that was all that Steve could now hear. All the background noise disappeared in a matter of seconds leaving him to face her once and for all.

“What? No, it's cool.” he said not even convincing himself.

“It's obviously not okay. You're totally uncomfortable around me now.”

“No, no. It's-- The kiss is not a problem.” At least that was true.

That seemed to relieved Y/N, like even though she was acting as if nothing happened, there was still something spinning at the back of her mind.

“Really? Good, because usually when I kiss a guy, it ends in tears. His, not mine. Because I'm a bit of a lip-biter. And, you know, sometimes I draw blood and...” and she started to ramble again.

“Y/N?”

“Yeah?” she cringed at herself for not learning when to stop talking or when it's too much information for that matter.

“What are you doing tonight?” said Steve in a moment of weakness and sincerity.

Y/N didn't seem to notice what his last statement truly meant.

“Oh, I'm updating my journal. It's kind of a collage really but with these--”

“Y/N, tonight. Are you busy?” Even though he liked to see her excited about these random things he was in kind of a you are making me nervous trance.

“ls that a yes?” Steve asked confused.

Holy shit thought Y/N. Was this actually happening?

“Oh.”

And with that it was like she finally completely reacted to what was happening. Not that was a good thing per se.

“Yes! it is a yes squared...in all caps with an exclamation mark and a smiley-face.” She said way too excited.

“A simple yes will do.” Steve smiled at her. How did he not notice before how cute she was when she got excited?

“Yes.” she answered more calmed now yet giving him one of the most bright and warm smiles he had ever seen. He wanted to capture that look on her face. Truth is she looked gorgeous and he wonder why she didn't smile more often and if he could make her smile more...

“Great, I'll see you tonight.”

“Do you just wanna come up to the comic bookstore?” said Y/N before Steve got to walk away. “There's a big TV, surround-sound, and many VHS.”

Steve thought that sounded perfect. A low-key night. The two of them. That should clear his mind. “All right. See you then.”

----------------------------------------

It had been 5 days since Steve and Y/N saw each other and, on this day, day 5, they were going on a kind of date, Steve's idea by the way.

Y/N couldn't help but tell her sister all about it and with that she decided to help her with her outfit. Sure, it was a casual date thing, but she still wanted to look presentable yet this time in her own style, not unconsciously copying Nancy Wheeler's outfits. No, this time around she would stay true to herself in every way possible. So, with that in mind she decided to wear this brown turtleneck with her washed denim levis that fitted her like a glove. She put on her favorite pair of snickers and did her hair in a casual style. As for makeup, a little blush and mascara never hurt anybody.

Steve showed up at the comic bookstore Y/N told him about earlier without knowing what to think, was this a date? was he trying something out? it was all just too confusing.

Meanwhile, Y/N was putting the VHS on after Steve told her she could choose the movie. He was hoping for something fun, something that would make his thoughts slow down, but it would probably be a chick flick if he was being honest.

At least that's what he thought. Because it was much worse.

“I mean, did you ever think that time travelling could be so beautiful?” said Y/N after Marty McFly got in the famous DeLorean.

Yeah, Y/N didn't know Steve had already seen this movie. Kind of at least. July 4th, 1985. One of the many days he almost died but this time around mainly because of the Russians and that trip him and Robin were in. What a day... anyway. Steve didn't want to mention it because that's not really something you bring up at a date. Or is it a hang out? Either way he wasn't really paying attention. Too many thoughts on his mind, he did have to seem present though.

“How many times have you seen this?” Steve asked trying to make small talk.

“I watch it every night. Helps me relax.” she said way too quick to be perfectly honest. Her eyes were glued to the TV and had one hand in and out of the popcorn bowl.

“Right.”

Steve was slowly losing his mind, he was not only watching the movie that was ironically playing on one of the most traumatic days of his life but aside from that, he couldn't stop thinking on his next move. Should he grab her hand? Put his arm around her shoulders? He went with the latter. And even though he couldn't really tell, Y/N was watching his every move from her side view. They finally locked eyes and started leaning towards each other to share one more kiss.

It was going great. Y/N closed her eyes feeling Steve's hot and minty breath until she didn't anymore. While she was waiting for the kiss, Steve was analyzing her and mentally thinking along the lines of what the hell am I doing? Kissing Y/N again? She’s cute and all but-

“Is everything okay?” Y/N spoke up after realizing that nothing was happening, and that Steve was still looking at her lips. She was feeling pretty self-conscious by now.

“I'm sorry.” Steve left his trance and got up from the couch feeling like he needed some space between the two of them right now.

“So that's a no.” Y/N was confused but mostly hurt. Now it was her turn to overthink, what had she done wrong? Was this a game to him? Or-

“I can't do this.” Steve started feeling overwhelmed. He basically wanted to run out of there, but he knew that he had hurt her bad enough already.

The sadness in Y/N face suddenly washed off and changed to confusion after a little thinking. “Okay. I've done my fair share of misreading signs in my life. But you asked me to hang out. You sat next to me. You leaned in with a slight tilt of your head.”

“I know, I know, and I'm sorry. You're a great girl. It's just, this is too weird.” Jeez Steve. Kill her with kindness?

“That makes me feel so much better.” Y/N stood up, ready to leave the place and avoid the guy as much as she could.

Steve eyes widen at the realization of what he just said and how wrong it sounded. “Me! Not you, me. I'm....weird.”

But by then Y/N was one foot out the door and probably pissed off so that went out great.

----------------------------------------

Day 6. Steve's fail date aftermath. He was hanging in his room going through does books Y/N had given him last week trying to get some work done when someone knocked on his door. Again.

He was expecting Dustin begging him for a ride when in reality it was one Eddie Munson. Now that, he wouldn't expect.

“Hey man. So, Dustin told me he came in yesterday and applied for the job of substitute Robin.”

“He may have.” Steve knew where he was going with this. It was no secret Steve and Eddie became friends after the Vecna situation, but he never expected him to actually care.

“Well, you know…if anyone's qualified, I think we all know it's me. I'm thinking the reason you didn't ask is because no interview was necessary.”

“It turns out. I may not have to fill the position. I handled the whole Y/N thing. Although it may be a little awkward for a while.”

“What happened?” Eddie's voice became a little defensive. He liked Y/N, she has always been nice to him, and she had killer music taste so, even though Steve and himself might be friends now, he might need to smack some sense into the boy if he hurts her in any way.

“Nothing happened.”

“Which was the problem for her.” Eddie could also read Y/N like the back of his hand so, of course it would be a problem for her, he knew about the little crush she had on Harrington.

“Yeah. But now I don't know. At first, I thought I was caught up in the whole Nance thing. Then I thought the problem might have been Y/N because she can be a little weird.”

That made Eddie laughs a little. He wasn't completely wrong but who wouldn't love a chick like that? “She's a touch eccentric.”

“But now I think the problems me. Maybe it's too soon.”

“So, keep it casual. You know, just tell her you need to be friends for now.”

“Yeah, that's a line every girl loves to hear.” Steve's mind went back to that fancy party they went to last week where he said he liked her as a friend. Beautiful words really.

“Well, if it's the truth, she'll understand.”

Steve let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding. “Well, I don't have any other choice. So, I'll give it a shot.”

----------------------------------------

It was day 7. Officially one week after the kiss that started this whole mess. Steve went to visit Y/N at the gift shop where she worked part time. Hoping he would find her, give her the best explanation possible and maybe go and get some coffee if he was lucky that is.

“Y/N.” Steve entered the store all hopeful. One could almost see hearts in his eyes.

“Steve.” Y/N said dryly. Steve hated not hearing the honey-like voice that would come out of her mouth whenever she said his name before. But he gets it. He would be pissed too.

“Boo!” said Y/N mimicking a scary pose.

Steve was confused but gave her a warm smile remembering what Eddie said about her been eccentric.

“Didn't run away that time, so you must not be that scared of me.”

“Brad, Steve. Steve, Brad.” Of course, his name was Brad.

Oh. “Alright, look, I just wanted to come by and apologize about last night, and... And I didn't know you had company.”

This whole time Steve was focusing on the sound of her voice or how cute she looked in that outfit that he didn't notice the blonde standing next to her who was probably a jock.

“Brad.”

“Steve.”

Well, it definitely was awkward.

“I've been helping Brad track down this Michael J. Fox biography. It turns out that he watches Back to the Future every night before he goes to bed too.” said Y/N with a proud grin.

“Wow, that's--” again with Back to the Future, awesome.

“Kismet? I know. Maybe it's too soon to talk about fate, but...” Y/N was using all the dramatic romance tactics that she has seen on TV. The talk about destiny and soulmates. But that was all it was, talk. Not that Steve realized that.

“Yeah, anyway, I just wanted to see if you needed a ride home or anything.”

“Oh, I got my bike, thanks.” said Brad. How cute.

“Not you.”

“Well, that is very friendly of you, Steve. Since I'm assuming that's what you want us to be, just friends.” she's always one step ahead of him he had to give her that.

“Well, if you're cool with that.” mumbled Steve. He didn't know if he was jealous or nervous, but neither were a good option.

“All right, well, you know, I'll see you, then.”

“Steve Harrington, mon ami. Sounds terrif.” Y/N gave her hand to Steve to shake and get this over with. She wanted to seem like what he did, didn't affect her. That she had moved on.

“But Brad and I were just gonna hang out and order some takeout...so if you don't mind…” she was basically kicking him out. Not that he could blame her.

“Bye, friend.” said Y/N in that dry tone again. A tone that Steve got to hate.

“Bye, Steve. Nice to meet you, man.”

“Bye, Brad...”

----------------------------------------

It's been an entire week and Steve still couldn't get Y/N out of his mind. Which sucked for him, but the good news was that Robin arrived that day too, so at least he was excited to discuss different things with her again.

“So, the good news is, I think she likes me. Bad news is, I'm not sure if she still has a boyfriend.”

She must mean Vickie.

“What?” Steve had spaced out again.

“Vickie was at the trip. Stuff happened. I'm about to head over to her house.”

Then it clicked. Vickie and Y/N were neighbors.

“Can I come?” said Steve with this tone of anxiety all over him.

“I appreciate your interest, but I think this is a conversation just for the two of us.”

“ls Y/N gonna be there?”

“I assume so...”

“I like her.” Steve didn't hesitate this time. He had no excuses either.

“Say what now? Why would you even think that?” Robin was surprised. She was gone a week and suddenly he liked her back?

“Because I keep imagining her on roller skates…and washing windows with a big bucket of soapy water.”

“Dude, your fantasies are so pedestrian. A sudsy girl? That's so average.”

“Doesn't mean it's not hot.”

“I guess they call them classics for a reason.”

“Do you wanna drive or should l?”

---------------------------------

Steve entered Y/N's house which was full of teenagers. Was Y/N L/N having a party? Nope. Soon he realized it was her sister's birthday party. Still, that meant she must be in the house somewhere.

“Y/N? You here?” Steve decided to check the rooms, maybe she was hiding in there or watching Back to the Future again. He wouldn't be surprised but as soon as he opened the door to the next room, he heard a familiar voice under the covers of the bed next to some laughter.

“Steve?” Brad's head popped out of the duvet to take a better look at him.

What the fuck? “Brad, hey. Keep doing what you're doing. I was looking for Y/N, but clearly, she's--”

“Who's Y/N? Is this your boyfriend?” that's when another guy showed his face under the covers.

Steve was just confused by now but the larger issue at hand was, “Y/N isn't in there with you guys, is she?”

“Nope.”

“I barely even know her. She told me if I pretended to like her, she'd give me her employees discount at the shop. It's extremely rare.”

With that Steve felt the biggest relief. He wasn't too late.

“Okay. Um, what are you doing, man? I mean, I think Y/N really likes you. And your kind of leading her on.”

“Wait, she paid you to pretend to like her? Huh. That sounds like Y/N. All right, well, carry on.”

--------------------------------------------

Finally, after what felt like hours, he found Y/N in the kitchen, and he cursed himself for not checking there sooner.

“Y/N.”

“Steve.” That dry tone again.

“What are you doing?”

“Someone wrote I love poop on this poor guy's face. That kind of thing can scar you for life.” she said as she rubbed his forehead with a sponge hoping the sharpie would come off.

“No, what are you doing paying your gay friend Brad to pretend he's in love with you?”

“It's a little strange.” he couldn't help but say.

Oh, that.

“Well, what if I did hmm? What if I did rent a homosexual for the evening? And pay him with rare gifts from my employee discount? What difference does it make to you?” Y/N was now standing at his eye level making a serious face because she in fact was genuinely curious.

Y/N tossed her hands to her sides with desperation. “Well, so am l. Which is why you ran away from me last night.”

“No, it wasn't because you're strange.”

“You don't find me strange?” Y/N narrowed her eyes. That would be a first.

“No, I do, but it's not why I took off.” Well, never mind.

Might as well rip off the band-aid. “Look, I'm not really ready for a relationship right now. Or a girlfriend.”

“Girlfriend? Cart, horse. Aren't you getting a little ahead of yourself there?” Y/N scoffed.

“Well, I mean, just because I wanna spend time with you...doesn't mean that we have to get married.”

“I see.” Steve couldn't help but smile, it was like she was reading his mind.

“Look, you're a sweet, smart, great guy, Steve Harrington. And hot. Did I mention hot?”

Okay so now she got him fully blushing, his cheeks were turning red and he had that little smirk that could melt the hearts of a thousand people.

“So, whatever happens, happens.” look at her being all smooth.

“Y/N, that's--”

“Normal? Yeah. I have my moments.”

And with that they were going for the next kiss, the first kiss since last week. Their faces were so close together--

“You know, this is my first college bash. Have you ever played Seven Minutes in Heaven?” Poor Y/N didn't realize those weren't the games they played at a university party but Steve found it so adorable that he didn't want to burst her bubble of the world.

---------------------------------------

She drew him toward her with her eyes, he inclined his face toward hers when suddenly but surely their lips touched, this kiss felt more eager but passionate at the same time. They were fully making out by now and Steve was filled with the warm and fuzzy feeling he had the other day that he saw her smile. He thought—

“Okay, seven minutes are up. Said you wanted to take it slow.” said Y/N in a mocking but sweet tone.

“Yeah, well, I don't think eight minutes would be rushing it. Nine seems like a good pace. And- and ten is a nice, round number.”

Steve started to realize about the power she was slowly having over him, she could lure him back anytime she wanted he just had to be honest about it.

There will be a part 3 bc I want relationship progress! 😊 love you guys thank you so much for reading. Should I start a tag list? Comment if you would be interested! Okay bye! Have an amazing weekend and see you next week

FEEDBACK IS GREATLY APPRECIATED <3

#steve harrington #steve harrington imagine #steve stranger things #steve harrington x reader #joe keery #joe keery x reader #joe keery imagine #stranger things #stranger things x reader

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