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twostepstyless · 2 years ago

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Love Locks

A Valentines Day story from the Not Just For Christmas series

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Authors Note: Harry is a hopeless romantic and Y/N isn't but let's him get swept up in the Valentine's Day festivities anyway because it makes him happy. This is the gift Harry got Y/N if you're curious! X

Word Count: 3k+

SFW

———

Paris on Valentine’s Day was, for lack of a better, a fucking nightmare. It was disgustingly busy as loved up couples were hanging off of each other at every turn. What was Y/N’s nightmare, however, was Harry’s dream come true. Harry Styles would be the first to admit he’s a hopeless romantic. He indulges in a romantic comedy film at least once a week, he has playlist after playlist containing endless love songs, and as January comes to a close and February eases in, he thrives on everything in the shops turning red and pink as he buys into all the novelty, heart-shaped rubbish they have to offer as the most important day of February creeps closer. Well, second most important day, after his own birthday of course. Valentine’s Day had become one of Harry’s favourite days, especially in recent years and his love for the day of love has only grown as he and Y/N celebrated their sixth one together this year. So yes, he’s a hopeless romantic. Love songs, movies, heart-shaped chocolates and all and is there anything more fitting for a hopeless romantic than whisking the love of his life off to the city of love to spend his favourite day?

-----

Vincent had his lunchbox and stuffed bunny packed and was off on a two-night sleepover at his day-care and boarders, ‘Barkingham Palace’ and Harry had swept Y/N off to the airport soon after they had bid goodbye to the happy golden retriever.

Now it wasn’t as if Y/N hated Valentine’s Day, she was fine with it, it was lovely but she didn’t need all the flounce and showmanship that came with the day. But Harry loved it, and she’d let him do whatever he pleased to mark the special day to see the smile and permanent pink blush that seemed to stain his face on days like today.

He had started their day in Paris by waking her gently. Crawling under the swathes of blankets that buried her in the hotel bed, his nose skimming the surface of her neck and alongside her cheek as he pressed whispers of kisses into her sleep-warmed skin until her eyelashes began to flutter as she stirred from her sleep. She could feel the warmth of Harry’s body as he held himself above her as his kisses began to press heavier on her skin.

“Mmm, g’morning,” she mumbled, wrapping her arms around his mid-section, pulling him down, revelling in the weight of him against her, “why’re y’dressed already?” she questioned with a pout when she felt his fully clothed body.

“Good morning, m’valentine,” he smiled before gripping her chin and kissing her soft lips, trying his hardest to deepen it but Y/N stopped him by turning her head away with a giggle.

“Nuh-uh, morning breath, plus m’not your Valentine, you never even asked me. Now answer the question, why are you dressed?” she shuffled them round so they were lying on their sides facing one another.

“I’m dressed because I’ve already been out this morning,” his finger booped her nose when it scrunched in confusion, thinking she would have heard him slip out or he would have at least told her he was popping out. “As for the Valentine thing, I sort of assumed it came with the territory what with being together for near enough six years” he quirked an eyebrow with a smirk.

“I still like to be asked, thought you were meant to be the romantic one?” she cuddled into the warmth of his chest.

“Oh, I’m very sorry, good thing I popped out early this morning then, eh?” Harry pulled himself out of her embrace and swung his legs back out the bed to go get something as she whined about him getting out of bed, “hush up, m’coming back,” he called back, with a teasing lilt in his voice, from the living area of the suite they were staying in. Y/N wriggled herself up in bed so her back was against the headboard, hands resting atop the puffy, white duvet of the bed as Harry reappeared back in the doorway. Y/N rolled her eyes playfully as a shy smile and giggle came from her when she saw the human embodiment of Prince Charming, with the twinkly eyes and showstopping smile to boot, crossing the threshold of the bedroom with a bouquet of the reddest roses you’ve ever seen paired with soft baby’s breath gypsophila and greenery, tied off with a silk satin ribbon in his right hand along with a card he was holding between his index finger and the bouquet. In his left hand was two boxes, one with branding she knew very well and another that was covered in plush velvet. “So, Miss Y/S/N, m’heart and soul and all that is good in my life,” Harry crooned as he approached the bed, sitting on the edge, “do me the honours and be my Valentine?” he asked as he handed her the bouquet.

Y/N eyes slipped shut as inhaled the perfume of the flowers before blinking them back open, “oh, I suppose so, I couldn’t take the heartache seeing your face if I said no,” she giggled before leaning forward and placing a delicate kiss on the corner of his mouth. A light blush tinged his cheeks as the hand that still had the card in it, punched the air and he let out a quiet ‘yes!’ under his breath.

“For you, my love,” he handed over the card and the two boxes as he took the flowers from her and went over to place them in the vase of water he had set up on the sideboard while she slept this morning. Y/N opened the envelope to reveal a delightfully tacky Valentine’s card that described her as wonderful, and special, and lovely, and delightful in the curly font of the printed poem on the front. She opened the card to see Harry’s handwriting with a much more personal note inside, as he wrote about what she meant to him and how she was the perfect Mum to their dog and how he can’t wait for as many Valentine’s days together as she’ll give him.

“Christ,” Y/N croaked out, her voice thick with emotion as she fanned her glazed over eyes with the card, Harry whipped round from his flower arranging with a look of worry on his face, as Y/N waved her hand trying to insinuate that she was fine. “Y’should try this writing stuff out professionally, you’re quite good at it,” she joked, placing the card on the bedside table next to her.

“Yeah? I’ll think about it, pretty,” Harry smiled as he perched on the edge of the chest of drawers where the flowers now sat pretty in the middle. “Want to open your gifts?” he nodded towards the two boxes.

“Ladurée macarons? Y’know the way to my heart, don’t you?” Y/N opened the box pulling out a pink tinged treat, biting off half of the raspberry flavoured macaron before handing the other half off to Harry who chewed it down quick.

“Try m’best,” Harry shrugged, “got one left,” his eyes glanced to the velvet covered box by her leg, as Y/N picked up the box with a deep breath, “don’t shit yourself now, m’not proposing in Paris, I know I’m a romantic but I’m not that predictable,” Harry smirked, “jus’ something pretty for my pretty.”

Y/N cracked the box open to see a golden bracelet fastened to the cushion of the box, with heart shaped precious stones in multi-colours fastened to the band of the bracelet. “Fuck off, Harry,” Y/N gasped, her fingers tracing the purple amethyst heart before running over the peridot stone next to it.

“That’s the one, right?” he asked, slightly unsure, she had mentioned the bracelet once in a passing comment when she it online, just a quick, ‘look how pretty this is’ while shoving her phone under his nose.

“Yeah, this is the one,” she breathed out, unable to tear her eyes away from the pretty jewellery.

“Thank Christ,” Harry laughed as she thrust her wrist and the box out towards him, silently demanding he fasten it on her. He stood at the edge of the bed as he pulled the bracelet from the box and wrapped it around her wrist, “like it, then?”

“Love it, too expensive though, H,” she chastised as the cool metal slinked against her skin.

“Eh, worth it,” he shrugged with a smile.

“You’re trying really hard to get your leg over, aren’t you?” Y/N giggled.

“Is it working?” he flirted, raising an eyebrow.

Y/N flopped the duvet that had been covering her open, “c’mere and find out,” and Harry didn’t have to ask twice before pouncing on top of her as she shrieked in laughter as his mouth attached to her neck. “I love you,” she breathed, combing her fingers through his hair as he peered into her eyes.

Harry’s smile burst across his face like the morning sunlight in the sky, crinkles appearing by his eyes, “and I love you” he said sincerely before sealing his lips over hers.

-----

With Y/N dressed and Harry redressed, Harry had her by the hand and was pulling on her hand through the streets of Paris, seemingly on a mission.

“Slow down, y’going to rip my arm out it’s socket and I don’t think that’s very romantic,” Y/N huffed out a breath trying to keep up with his long strides.

“Sorry, m’heart, jus’ want t’get there before it’s proper busy,” he slowed down slightly, not enough to make much of a difference. Y/N was grumbling, keeping her hand latched onto Harry’s as she dodged a couple who apparently just couldn’t wait and had to stop directly in front of her in order to suck the face off each other in the middle of the pavement.

“Get where?” she hurried after him before slamming into his back as he stopped dead at his destination with no pre-warning, “eh ow?” she complained, rubbing her forehead and then the back of Harry’s coat where her makeup had slightly transferred onto the fabric.

“Sorry, baby,” he tried not to laugh as he pressed a kiss to her forehead.

“Yeah, you will be. Fuck, I feel like I’ve walked into a romcom or somethin’” Y/N looked around them, “there’s couples smooching everywhere,” some of them could definitely get in trouble for indecent exposure the way they were going at it on a busy street at 10:30 in the morning.

“Are you implying something?” Harry’s arms settled around her waist, pulling her close, his arms clasping at the base of her spine.

“Well, y’know I’ll never say no to a kiss,” she clapped her hands down on his shoulders and reached up on her tiptoes to press a series of kisses onto his lips. “Now, what did you bring me all the way to Paris for, hm?”

“For this,” he stood back and through his arm out, revealing a bridge that crossed the Seine.

“Y’brought me to Paris for a bridge?” Y/N gave him a look from the side of her eye, “I mean it’s a nice bridge, H…”

“Not just a bridge, it’s the bridge,” he laced their fingers together again as he began to walk them across the wooden slats that for a bridge had a remarkable amount of people, couples, lingering on it. “This is the Pont des Arts,” Harry said proudly.

“Oh, is this the padlock place thingy?” Y/N asked, and she now could see the beginnings of padlocks of various sizes, colours and shapes, locked onto the bridge.

“‘The padlock place thingy,’ really? Yeah, lovie, it’s where the Love Locks got popular,” Harry spoke, a dreamy sort of smile on his face as he looked at all the tokens of peoples love attached to the panels. As they said, he’s a hopeless romantic.

“You want to put one on, don’t you?” Y/N grinned, she knew him too well, he’s a sucker for this type of thing.

“Why else would I bring you to Paris?” he asked as if it was obvious.

“Alright then,” she sighed, “let’s pick a spot, yeah?” as Harry tugged her to one side of the bridge and began looking for a little space.

-----

“It’s a shame they get cut off by the city council after a little while,” Y/N spoke, watching Harry as he was crouched down reading the engravings on every lock he could see, every so often he’d go, ‘look baby, this one has been here since 2008!’ or ‘look they’ve put their baby’s name and birthday on it too, maybe we could come back and add another if we have a baby.’

“Humour me, yeah?” Harry stood back to his feet beside her and began shuffling through the tote bag he had on his shoulder before pulling out a bronze padlock and a sharpie from the depths of the bag.

“Yeah, sorry,” she looked at him as he took the cap off the sharpie and began writing, his tongue poking out the edge of his mouth in concentration, “what are y’writing on it?”

“Hm, hang on, I’ll show y’when m’done,” he mumbled before blowing on the wet ink, trying to dry it down before flipping the lock in his hand to write on the other side too.

“All these locks are corroding and destroying the bridges you know, years old architecture, not even just here, all over the world,” Y/N said as she watched a couple, clearly still young enough to be school students fasten a lock to the bridge, they’ve probably only been together a week, Y/N thought to herself, snapping her eyes away from them as they started a very awkward, wet, sloppy looking kiss.

“Baby, stop,” Harry whined.

“Sorry! I’m sorry, ours won’t do that, we’ve got a special lock,” Y/N giggled as Harry rolled his eyes playfully. “Do you know at some bridges; they are arresting and fining people for doing this?” Y/N piped up again without thinking.

“Oh my God, Y/N/N,” Harry capped the sharpie, tossing it back into his bag before looking up at her, “you’re like Valentine’s Day Satan, the grinch of love languages,” Harry chuckled pulling her under his arm as they faced the sea of locks.

“Sorry, my love, I’ll stop, know it’s important to you,” she squeezed his side before pointing out a gap on one of the railings, “how about right there?”

“That’s perfect, sweets,” Harry pressed a kiss to the top of her head as he unlocked the padlock.

“Gonna show me what you wrote first?” she nudged him with her hip to remind him as he passed the lock into her free hand. There, in the nicest handwriting Harry could muster up given the size restraints and writing tool, read H.S and Y/N’s initials, with the date of the 1st of September 2017, the date they made it official, scrawled underneath. Y/N smiled up at Harry’s bashful looking face, the pink blush she loved so much tickling his cheeks again, as she flipped the lock over. On the back, in tiny writing, read ‘Vincent Styles, 15/6/20’ his birthday in the middle of June. Y/N pouted at their dog’s name as her thumb rubbed over the tiny paw print Harry had drawn on in the corner. “Our baby,” Y/N smiled.

“Had to include him, he’d somehow know if I didn’t and wouldn’t talk to me when we pick him up tomorrow,” Harry said as Y/N laughed at how true it was, he really was a Mummy’s boy of a dog. “Gonna help me lock it on, m’heart?” he asked as he crouched down in front of the railing, as Y/N nodded, bending down next to him. Together the hooked the latch round the railing and pressed it firmly into the lock, pulling the keys free.

Y/N hummed as she looked at it, as much as she wasn’t as big a romantic as Harry, there was something about seeing it locked on there for the foreseeable future that made her tummy feel fizzy. In a good way. It felt permanent, the couple knew they were forever, but it was nice seeing something physical that proves that.

“Knew I’d get you on side,” Harry laughed, nudging her, making her lose her balance as they remained crouched in front of the lock.

“Oh, fuck off, you got me, it’s a nice idea alright,” she rolled her eyes as Harry helped her back to standing by the hand. “What do we do now? Toss the keys in the water?” Y/N peered over the edge of the railing into the murky water of the Seine.

“I think that’s what your meant to do, but a fuck load of keys in a river doesn’t scream eco-friendly does it?” Harry asked, twirling the key ring around his finger.

“Want to just shove them in the bin? It’s a bit less romantic but I suppose still does the unsalvageable idea? That is unless you dump me and want to go metal detecting through landfill to get the lock off?” Y/N joked.

“I’m positive there’s more chance of you dumping me,” Harry said as he began walking over to the nearest rubbish bin with her hand still in his.

“How about none of us do any breaking up with the other? I don’t think I could co-parent Vince, he’d also hate it and would be packing his lunch bag and bunny to run away,” Y/N giggled.

“Yeah, Vinnie is dramatic like that,” he agreed.

“He’s your son, of course he is,” Y/N teased.

“Oi!” Harry looked at her in faux shock, “thank you for doing this with me,” he then said, almost shyly.

“I’ll do anything y’want with you, you know that. Plus, this was actually pretty nice. You’ve got me locked down forever now, Styles, literally,” she nodded towards the section of the bridge where their lock was tied on. Harry smiled down at her, a soft look in his eyes. “My hopeless romantic of a boyfriend, eh?” Y/N grinned back, before reaching up and combing some of his loose curls back.

“Keys in the bin, then?” Harry asked.

“Keys in the bin,” she confirmed as Harry slung the keys into the metal bin hearing them land in the bottom with a clang. The symbol of their everlasting love for each other and their dog now attached to the Pont des Arts forever. Or until the city council cuts it off in a month.

———

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spicykaraage · 1 year ago

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Tenipuri Complete Character Profile - Kaoru Kaidoh

[PROFILE]

Birthday: May 11th (Taurus)

Blood Type: B

Relatives: Father (Shibuki Kaidoh), mother (Hozumi Kaidoh), younger brother (Hazue Kaidoh)

Father’s Occupation: Company employee (banker)

Elementary School: Tamakawa Central Elementary School

Middle School: Seishun Academy Junior High School

Grade & Class: Second Year | Class 2-7 | Seat 4

Club: Tennis Club (regular, future captain)

Committee: None

Strong Subjects: English

Weak Subjects: Math, science

Most Visited Spot at School: Training room

Favorite Motto: “In for a penny, in for a pound.” ➜ “Slow and steady wins the race.” [23.5]

Daily Routines: Long distance runs, cleaning his room

Hobbies: Marathoning, collecting bandanas, rock climbing [TP]

Favorite Color: Blue

Favorite Music: Japanese traditional instrumental music

Favorite Movie: Japanese films

Favorite Book: Japanese literature from the Meiji Era

Favorite Food: Tororo soba (zaru style), yogurt, 100% fruit juice (white peach flavor [TP])

Favorite Anniversary: Father’s Day, Mother’s Day

Preferred Type: A girl who eats food with gusto

Ideal Date Spot: Zoo (he wants to see the polar bears) ➜ “A cat café—I mean, going cycling.” [TP]

His Gift for a Special Person: Imabari towels

Where He Wants to Travel: “Nowhere.” (a magazine featuring Malta is visible in his bag)

What He Wants Most Right Now: New training equipment ➜ For Seigaku to win the national tournament again [23.5]

Dislikes: Monsters, ghosts ➜ Supernatural things, konjac [TP]

Skills Outside of Tennis: General housework (particularly cleaning and sewing [TP]), can quickly grab beans with chopsticks [TP]

Spends Allowance On: Training equipment

Routine During the World Cup: Sending postcards to his family

[DATA]

Height: 173cm | 5’8” ➜ 174cm | 5’8.5” [23.5]

Weight: 57kg | 125 lbs

Shoe Size: 26.5cm

Dominant Arm: Right

Vision: 1.5 Left & Right

Play Style: Counter Puncher

Signature Moves: Snake, Boomerang Snake, Short Snake, Tornado Snake, Gyro Laser

Daily Running Distance: 25km

Equipment Brands:

Racket: HEAD (Ti.S7)

Shoes: PUMA (Cell Factor PTO634)

Fitness Test Results:

Sidesteps: 58

Shuttle Run: 140

Back Strength: 122kg

Grip Strength: 54.5kg

Backbend: 62.8cm

Seated Forward Bend: 49.6cm

50m Run: 6.74 seconds

Standing Long Jump: 224cm

Handball Throw: 33m

Endurance Run (1500m): 4:47

Overall Rating: Speed: 3 / Power: 3 / Stamina: 4.5 / Mental: 3 / Technique: 3 / Total: 16.5

Kurobe Memo: “His unyielding personality and endurance are all part of his charm. I’m sure he’ll grow into bring the type of player that can strip off an opponent’s control as the match goes on. His match with Tezuka was a great learning opportunity for him to stop being so reserved with others.” <Official Description>

[POSSESSIONS]

What’s in His Bedroom [10.5]:

TV and audio equipment: Various equipment along with a DVD player and collection of DVDs

Glass table: Used for studying, it’s always clean and not a single fingerprint can be found on it

Japanese-style bed area: A spacious area in his bedroom with Japanese motifs. He uses it strictly for his bed and has a double-size futon laying out

Training area: An area where he keeps various training equipment including a bench press. He trains hard everyday even in his bedroom

Full-length mirror: He had bought it to check on his form, but he doesn’t use it much

What’s in His Bag [10.5]:

Bandanas: He always has two or three of them with him so he can replace one if it gets dirty

Writing supplies: He doesn’t use mechanical pencils and only takes notes with a ballpoint pen

Notebook: He uses a spiral notebook so important sections can easily be taken out and filed

Bento: Made in luxurious, lacquered jubako (tiered lunch boxes) and furoshiki wrapped. He also brings chopsticks and a chopstick rest with him

Sewing kit: Along with nail clippers. He always maintains his nails before practice

Handkerchief and tissues: He is particular about staying clean and tidy

Pass case: He keeps his student ID in it. His photos are said to be frightening…

[TRIVIA]

The Prince of Tennis 10.5 Fanbook | Publication Date: 11/02/2001

He is described to have large, upturned eyes and slightly big lips

He is secretly compassionate and easily moved

He prefers girls with big eyes and who can trust him with her heart and soul

He loves yogurt and eats it to stay healthy, he particularly likes the Morinaga brand

He does a great amount of daily training, including intense strength training unbeknownst to the other members

He glares at people who approach him and exudes an aura that keeps them at bay. In reality, it is because he is nervous over his appearance and is not good at interacting with others

His hissing is a habit of how he breathes, Konomi wanted him to give off an eerie feeling by doing it

He is Konomi’s favorite member of Seigaku

He is one of few characters who wear no show socks

He wears bandanas to help motivate himself

He trained and mastered his Snake Shot after losing a rookie match in the fall when he was a first year

He will stay silent and glare when asked personal questions, he usually is not angry, however

He does not mind being called by his first name, but gets angry when people call him “viper”

His sharp, arching eyebrows are natural

His unnerving aura tends to scare off animals as well

He believes he is stronger than Momoshiro and could easily beat him

He does tennis training and long distance runs (morning and evening) even on off days

He secretly loves animals, especially cats

He is described as someone who is misunderstood and frightens others because of it, but is actually kind and afraid of hurting others more than anything else

Konomi describes him as “hardworking” and that he’s not just unpleasant, he’s a hard worker who happens to be unpleasant. An “I am who I am” type of character

The Prince of Tennis 20.5 Fanbook | Publication Date: 12/04/2003

He is described as stoic and tenacious, and would be suited for event planning

He has a temperament of never giving up, which gives him leadership qualities

He will go on runs even after matches

His secondary sport would be boxing

The Prince of Tennis 40.5 Fanbook | Publication Date: 12/04/2007

He tends to let his emotions overtake him and is considered a “troublemaker” because of it

He is very just, moral, and will get angry when someone disrespects his teammates or rivals

He has a hard time accepting people and tends to clash with them, which puts a strain on his relations. He does however, have a strong sense of camaraderie and exhibits a cooperative nature with his friends

He is described to have a jealous side to him and has a tendency to want to control his friends and/or lovers

His daily running distance is 25km, and he will continue to run even further until he reaches his physical limits

He has been popular with the older women in the area of the national tournament. He was spotted at the shopping district surrounded by women trying to feed him

Konomi had been inspired to give him a Devil Mode from commercials of the film Spider-Man 3, depicting the titular hero wearing a dark version of his suit

The Prince of Tennis II Official Character Guide: PairPuri Vol. 3 | Publication Date: 01/04/2010

Yagyuu had given him a handkerchief and told him to keep it since he had been injured during a training session

The Prince of Tennis II Official Character Guide: PairPuri Vol. 6 | Publication Date: 06/03/2011

He wants next year’s tennis club to be unbeatable and win the national tournament again, stating it would be pointless otherwise

He hates being called “viper” and even hates saying it

He does not ask his parents for gifts

When asked random questions, he becomes outwardly annoyed and frank

He is described as being a “strict” upperclassman

Konomi states that he does not remember how he came up with his name, but wanted there to be a contrast between his “cute” name and “cool” face

Konomi came up with his Snake Shot since a senior member of his tennis club had used it. When Konomi had drawn his match with Ryoma, he wanted convey the power of tennis without any dialogue since he was Ryoma’s first serious opponent

Konomi is particular about drawing the shape of his mouth and under eyelashes. He wanted to make his eyes look angry and give off a sense of hunger

Konomi gradually began showing off his good side, but wants to show off the same “hunger” he had when he faced off against Tezuka

One of His School Days:

5:00am - Wakes up, goes on a run

6:00am - Breakfast (handmade soba with homemade fruits)

6:50am - Arrives at school, attends morning practice

8:20am - Cleans the teacher’s desk, etc. for morning duties

8:40am - 1st Period: Science II (astronomy)

9:40am - 2nd Period: PE (sprints)

10:30am - Runs around the schoolyard during break

11:00am - 3rd Period: Japanese (modern Japanese)

12:00pm - 4th Period: Home Economics (sewing aprons)

12:50pm - Lunch, jubako bento (lobster with hollandaise sauce)

1:00pm - Strength training in the training room

1:20pm - 5th Period: Math II

2:20pm - 6th Period: Social Studies (civics)

4:00pm - Club activities (basic training)

6:00pm - Returns home, has dinner, bathes

7:00pm - Cleans his room, irons his shirts

8:30pm - Watches the DVD “The Arctic: The Life of Polar Bears”

9:00pm - Goes on a run after training in his room

1:00am - Takes a quick shower, then goes to bed

The Prince of Tennis II Official Character Guide: PairPuri Vol. 7 | Publication Date: 07/04/2011

He and Gakuto had been frightened and mistook Inui for a mummy since the latter was asleep in the cave covered in bandages

He and Momoshiro had found a natural hot spring near the training camp and invited Ryoma to join them

The Prince of Tennis II 10.5 Fanbook | Publication Date: 09/04/2013

He and Hiyoshi get into constant fights with Kirihara and Zaizen since the former two like going to bed early while the latter two like staying up to play video games

The Prince of Tennis II 23.5 Fanbook | Publication Date: 05/02/2018

He recently visited a family-owned candy store for the first time and was impressed by the old-fashioned sweets

The Prince of Tennis 20th Anniversary Book: Tenipuri Party | Publication Date: 08/02/2019

Since he is afraid of spirits and ghosts, when he runs at night he thinks he’s being chased by a ghost, so he doesn’t slow down

#tenipuri #tenirabi #profile #my post #seigaku

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capaldiera · 1 year ago

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i think quantum of solace's biggest pitfall is that it doesn't look good. and also that it's short for a bond film. if it didn't have that yellow-orange filter over everything and had better use of cinematography (the editing is so jumpy it's genuinely difficult to follow the action) and took up a little more time. maybe then people would think it was good. if it didn't get stitched up by the later movies making it basically superfluous rather than a notable part of the overall story.

i think it's such a shame that camille and fields were in the same movie. the way they wrote fields was probably the worst part of the movie and it sucks that her death wound up being one of the most memorable visuals in the film. the fact that camille has her own story and motivations and doesn't revolve around bond is unfortunately rare for the series. and i think it's nice that there are multiple scenes where bond connects with her emotionally and shows respect for her experiences and it's not all a part of a seduction plan.

i do feel like this movie was at least trying to say something about something, much more than the others? how successful it was is a different matter but it Thought it was having meaningful discussions. (i mean i guess some of the others were at least exploring james' feelings lol. spectre was just nothing lol) but like qos seems - to an extent - interested in engaging with the problem of treating "for queen and country" as a worthy cause? not that it's uncommon for bond to defy orders (and i'm aware his motive for doing that in this movie was mostly personal revenge) but in the other movies you don't really get exchanges as critical as "I was wondering what South America would look like if no one gave a damn about coke or communism. It's always impressed me the way you boys have carved this place up." "I'll take that as a compliment, coming from a Brit", or both a cia section chief and the british foreign secretary openly admitting they're fine working with the people backing a military coup in bolivia if it means their countries get oil, "morals don't come into it"

(i'll note here that spectre also features the main characters working against orders and the government's wishes but that's.... completely different. aside from the fact that the whole plot comes off as a handwavy "this is just like 1984" concept (which is pretty much a line they have mallory say), both skyfall and spectre spend a lot of time defending the righteousness of... sending guys out there to kill people?)

none of this is to say that qos is a successful deconstruction of the bond series (you only have to look at fields' body laying on that bed to see that when this movie dropped the ball and fell back on doing classic bond shit, it really did), or that it's a consistent critique of imperialism—or really any of the issues it engages with, but it does seem to want to actually engage with something rather than just give the impression of it

of course the movie ends with basically bond's answer to the film's questions being to get back to work (for an empire that sees to it's own interests at great cost to innocent people worldwide). on a personal level for bond this is essentially a repeat of the end of casino royale – getting back to work and putting vesper behind him – which probably contributes to people seeing the whole movie as forgettable and insignificant. the thing is that this sets the tone for the rest of the series. skyfall and the rest proceed from that point. but they don't really show the kind of self-awareness about it that this movie does (at times). skyfall makes some half-hearted attempts to criticise m and mi6 (mostly in terms of the emotional impact on her agents) that are immediately undermined by giving her heroic inspirational speeches, and spectre and no time to die both just sort of have some things happen so there'll be a plot.

quantum of solace feels like about half of it had actual thought put into making it a story with something to say, and the other half was just umm this is what happens in a james bond film right? (i think skyfall had thought put into making it a good movie but the only thing it wanted to explore was james' feelings. and also propaganda i guess.) anyway imagine if qos was edited well and didnt suck half the time

#why is this the thing i write out and post my thoughts about when no one else cares.#actually it's probably specifically bc i'm not seeing other people discuss it #me.txt #quantum of solace #skyfall is sooo good visually. and it's more impressive and just easier to watch. and has more symbolism and longer more complex action seq #uences that you can actually follow. and it's longer.#i understand why people say it's the best one bc it is definitely executed better than qos #though when it drops the ball it really is just as bad as when qos does. the way they handled severine was definitely as bad as fields #though it's maybe not as obvious to most people. largely bc there's less attention paid to her death!! which is not really better Lol #btw i definitely know there's problems in qos other than with fields but it was just.

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viewfromplanetx · 2 years ago

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Samurai film reviews part 3 (spoilers)

Six String Samurai - Loosely based on a novel called The Stand by an obscure writer named Steve King. This movie depicts what could happen when too many retards survive the apocalypse (in whatever form it takes, in this case nukuler). The Dark Man is played by zombie Elvis. Mother A is a hooker with a heart of gold. The main protagonist is a retard with a guitar and a sword who somehow despite his shortcomings manages to kick ass and spill guts with honor. So, they call him a “Samurai” even though he never has to eat millet.

Samurai Trilogy 1 - Historical drama about some forgotten dingus named Musashi something. Washed out colors, no vibrancy, cheap tricks like fog, dark shots. Boring philosophy and commentary on war. MILFs but not really many retards. He did have to eat some millet, so points for that. Couldn’t watch the whole thing. No inclination to watch parts 2 and 3. Probably more of the same.

The Twightly Samurai - This is your mom’s samurai flick. The main character is a handsome single dad who works as an accountant at the castle. He used to be a samurai but he sold his sword because, you know, guns. He spends his days counting beans—green beans, red beans, soy beans, all the beans. There’s no action, one retard, one hot chick and no ninjas. Boh-ring themes of pointless loyalty, duty, exploitation and oppression yada yada ya. He struggles to stay groomed while raising two daughters until he meets a young divorcee. They live happily ever after for three years, then he is ironically killed by a bullet in a pointless war.*

Sword of Doom - I’ll never get those two hours back. Typical Orson Wells flick about a crazy motherfurker who gets an evil mind and kills everything in sight. I mean everything, old men, ladies, furniture, drapes—holy cow. It’s much easier to watch the anime remake Scooby-Doo and the Samurai Sword. Not so much killing, but you do get ninja robots, shuriken, a lady sensei, force powers, force ghost, the usual hot chicks and morons, and of course Scooby-Doo ending, but it comes in the middle of the show. Go figure.

Ugetsu - “One of the most beautiful films ever made.” they said. Pffft! That’s another hour-and-a-half I’ll want back on my death bed. This movie is so French, I’m surprised there wasn’t more smoking. Waa, waa, life is all sucky illusion.

Namakura Gatana (The Dull Sword^) - When a man gets to a certain age, he reaches a square figure. That is, his pants size is 34x34 for example, not picking anyone in particular. This means my, err his cross-section cut would be his inseam over Pi. It helps to think of it visually. I know, it’s gross to think about your cross-section visually.

Star Wars SC 38 Reimagined^ - A documentary about the greatest sword fight that ever was. The duel is fought between the champions of two armies. It has everything—cutting, slashing, stabbing, punching, kicking, force pushing, dudes catching fire. It’s a bit long, but worth the payoff in the end to see the evil villain get justice right thru his cross-section.

Romeo + Juliet - This timeless tale of star-cross'd lovers from opposing clans takes place in a modern, but fantastical Verona Beach, CA. The knight/soldiers of each house all have unique sword/guns. They are constantly showing off and looking lovingly on their sword/guns and even name them. Soon, just as you’d expect (duh) sword/gunplay breaks out instigated by thumb biting. But, eventually the lovers hook up and live happily ever after …NOT! Spoiler alert: they all die.

One Cut of the Dead - See what they did there? The producers were too cheap to pay for an editor, so they just kept the camera rolling. They film the actors and crew whether or not they are acting. It gets real confusing, real fast. Lots of good Samurai sh!t tho--blood, guts, severed limbs, gore, puke, creepy locations, drunken retards, hot chicks, etc etc.

Footnotes

*See there’s the difference between irony and satire. Irony is created by the situation. Whereas, you have to work really hard yourself to create satire.

^video on Wikipedia

^video on Youtube

#samurai #movie review #satire #spoiler

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geminisecrets · 2 years ago

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Gemini Secrets' Fic Recs (updated Oct 25, 2022)

Here's an ongoing list of authors and fics that we've really been loving :) *in no particular order!!!*

Please note that most, if not all of these authors are 18+ so please be respectful and DNI if you're underage. Also, disclaimer, we are forbidden twin lane so most of these are going to be Sam and or Jake. PLEASE READ THE WARNINGS!!!

Authors:

@sinners-go-to-drink-the-wine

@dharma-divine

@garbagevanfleet

@godlygreta

@gretavanlace

@arcaneblaine

@jrvanfleet

@alwayzthere

@gretavanfleetposts

Fics:

JAKE

Purity Ring (This ones for anyone who wants to work out some religious trauma. Or just anyone that’s wanted Jake to finger them till they cry. I don’t judge.)

Fuck Buddies (the kiszka’s were your childhood best friends. one of whom just so happened to become a liiiiiitle bit more than that.) this is part one of the series

Chambers of the Heart (Pretending to be in love is probably easier than the real thing, right?) you and Jake are the leads in Josh's film

Virgins Never Die (Jake is your childhood sweetheart who turns out to be a serial killer, knife play with criminal Jake)

Roses (SMUT, murderer jake, mentions of stalking, possessive behaviour, jake is crazy, but also so is y/n sooo, knife play, blood, graphic content.)

Guitar Fingers Fav Jake fic we've read, we talk about this one all the time! It also has a part 2 :)

Champagne Smiles (Jake’s pre-show ritual is thrown off and improvisations must be made.)

Pool Daze (you spend a summer afternoon in the pool with Jake before he leaves for another leg of touring.)

SAM

Turning Page (Stuck with a seemingly monotonous book as the subject for a final project, you quickly find that the prolific tale of two unlikely lovers is just what you need to pursue your romantic interest in your longtime classmate and beloved friend.)

Seven (Aren’t you a little old to be playing seven minutes in heaven?)

Dirty Little Secret (college au!Sam Kiszka x fm!reader, danny wagner x fm!reader (platonic), rivals to lovers) Part 2 of this one is a Danny/ Sam/ Reader threesome and... oh my god.

My (fake) Boyfriend's Brother (You were the perfect candidate to be your childhood best friend’s date for the weekend with his family… That is until you ran into his brother.)

Clementine Daydreams (sam? eating a clementine? drop dead sexy)

Angel, Straight From Hell

DANNY

Hush a little friends to lovers one shot starring Danny

I’m Yours this was so unbelievably hot

JOSH

Retrograde (You come back to your childhood home to find that your next-door neighbors never left)

Confession (alt au ;), rivals to lovers, fake dating) I am such a sucker for the fake dating trope...and alt josh.

Missing Buttons Fav Josh fic I've ever read! There's also a part 2 :)

Jake / Sam

Royal Secrets (after gaining the throne, queen y/n of altea is arranged for marriage to solidify an ally, prince jacob kiszka of greta just so happens to be next in line for the throne. however, the kiszka boys have grown up since you last saw them. while getting close with jacob, you also got close with prince sam as well. what happens when close becomes too close?)

Jakenstein (The idea behind this is basically that I wanted dark romantic, Victorian era, penny dreadful Jake and this was born.)

Jake / Josh

DISKOURI (a sultry, satanic slow burn, inspired by Greek mythology and witchcraft.) Not so patiently waiting for this one ;)

The Gemini Report (Writing your capstone report seemed to be an intimidating feat to conquer. Who better to study than your favorite twins: the lead singer of a punk band and the football star.)

Sam / Danny

Rhythm Section (there was a reason why everyone called them the rhythm section, right?) we've all had this dream just admit it

All

Unforgettable (a series of unforgettable birthdays) the title says it all. when is it my turn ��

An Indecent Proposal (The boys are arguing over who is the best in bed. The reader decides to help them solve the argument once and for all.) The entire Indecent Proposal universe Em created is unreal.

We will continue to update :)

(last updated December 21, 2022)

#greta van fleet fic #greta van fleet #gretavanfleet #sam kiszka #jake kiszka #greta van smut #great van fic #jake gvf #greta van fleet fan fiction #great van fleet smut #greta van fleet fanfiction #greta van fleet smut #greta van fluff #danny wagner #danny gvf #josh kiszka #josh gvf

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shotorozu · 4 years ago

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Hiii how's your day?

Can you do Shoto, Tamaki, and Katsuki where their s/o hides under their bed and scare them to see their reaction? I saw this on tiktok and here is the link https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSJLpvqrn/

Btw I really admire your works and I'm always excited for your new posts🥰

Keep safe! Love youu

hiding under their bed

(tiktok prank)

character(s) : bakugou katsuki, amajiki tamaki, todoroki shouto (bnha)

legend : [Y/N = your name] they/them pronouns, quirk not mentioned

headcanon type : crack (x reader)

note(s) : SWEARING obviously bc of bakugou, anyways— i wrote this bc i was fixing up the 5 character post i was making. (i hope you guys actually read it, otherwise i’ll be really really really sad /hj)

will edit later!

»»————-　♡　————-««

bakugou katsuki

okay, you must be INSANE

pretending to be a monster, under the bed you share with KATSUKI BAKUGOU?? what more if it was his bed 💀

you decided to do this prank for what again 😭❓ unless it’s for a bet/money, WHY?? JUST WHY?? you’re very ballsy. its impressive

you actually decided to pull this prank on katsuki, because you and mina wanted to see who could get the most views out of this prank 💀

you then hide under the bed— phone in hand, and you’re left to wait patiently for his expected return from training.

i can practically see your life span decreasing by 10 years, because he is not going to take things lightly.

he enters the room, aspirated from training, and obviously very sweaty— he just wants your touch at this point.

katsuki was always jumpy when it came to ‘spooky’ things, like that time he jumped during the test of courage in the training camp arc

so when he sees a slipper getting CHUCKED out from under the bed, exactly when he comes in the empty room— he JUMPS

“HOLY FUCKING SHIT” he jolts back, his hand making mini explosions— almost tripping over his feet.

c’mon, katsuki knows it’s probably not the paranormal— which is wHY HE’S GONNA CHUCK EVERYTHING OFF THE BED, AND LIFT IT UP TO INVESTIGATE

uh oh. you’re met with a set of glaring irises, wanting to fight whoever was down there— doesn’t matter if it was dunce face, or a nameless intruder.

“it’s you,” he sighs, rolling his eyes as he puts down the bed— dragging you out of the bed, “what the fuck are you doing down there??” he shouldn’t be surprised

you gotta hope the tiktok blows up (which it does, by a lot) because katsuki will scold you for a while, snuggling you close to him while he mouths you off

he’s glad it’s not actually an intruder though

amajiki tamaki

poor, poor tamaki.

it’s so similar to most of the pranks that get pulled on him— intentional or unintentional.

you probably didn’t even mean to scare him like that, but mirio wanted you to do it— because it would’ve been very predictable if he did it

you saw his reaction coming, but you still pushed through anyway.

hesitating, you sneak under the bed— your phone in hand to record tamaki’s reaction and a slipper in the other hand, and you wait for tamaki’s return back

when he walks in, he’s surprised to not see you there— but he IS surprised to see a slipper sliding out under bed

for the dramatic effect, you also managed to bring a SPEAKER down there, and you also prepare sound effects

you press the play button of the recording’s menacing laugh, and you can literally see him jump slightly

tamaki’s there like 😟 scared shitless— because he wasn’t expecting to hear a laugh under the bed. sliding slippers? sure! but,, a laugh? 😟

“u-uh,, hello?” he shakes, stuck in place as he listens to the sound of menacing laughter bouncing off the walls

you’re gonna give him a heart attack i swear

i don’t know if i should laugh or be concerned, since tamaki’s reaction is to immediately runs to the corner of the room

he’s now rocking back and forth— rambling and hoping you’d just miraculously make an entrance

it’s sad bc he’s not normally THIS scared but please— he wasn’t expecting this in HIS room, out of all of the places

laughs out of fear relief when you come crawling out from the bed, laughing hysterically at his reaction.

cuddle and give him kisses afterwards, just do it. you almost made him faint— and that wouldn’t have been good, nuh uh.

mirio laughed HARD, but you promised yourself not to post it— since you didn’t feel like getting clout over a prank you filmed for mirio specifically 💀

todoroki shouto

he gradually start expecting tiktok pranks coming his way— ever since he got with you, of course

shouto will have to get used to it, if he wants to spend his life with you

but this still managed to make him shook to the core, he’s heard of the usual traditional pranks— but this?? this is new

tbh this wasn’t even planned on your behalf. you decided on a whim to hide under the bed and scare him— just to see how he’d react.

you hide under the bed when makes a quick trip to fetch some water, snickering when you start filming the tiktok.

shouto’s confused when he comes back to an empty bed, and when he moves towards the bed— he’s surprised to see a slipper flying from the bed

to the point he DROPS the plastic cup of water he was holding— backing up towards the wall.

“oh.” so he’s going to play it off casual, huh? it’s hilarious seeing how he tries his absolute best to avoid the sides of the bed.

then, you see him quickly jumping onto the bed— and when his legs are still dangling off the bed’s ledge, you grab his ankle

he ends up freezing your hand 💀 and he apologizes to you while your laughter cuts through the silences, unfreezing your hand in the process.

“you startled me, love.” he sighed in relief as he embraces you for comfort, thankful it wasn’t actually something paranomal. “though, i should’ve expected this.”

the tiktok blows up in a short amount of time, and the comment section is CLOWNING him— shouto can only stand there like 🧍 “i see.”

thankfully, you’re happy so— he’s pretty pleased by the tiktok’s results too! just,, try not to shorten his life span. or he’ll get you back 10x harder

»»————-　♡　————-««

likes and reblogs are appreciated, thanks for reading!

i do not own bnha/mha and it’s characters. boku no hero academia/my hero academia belongs to horikoshi kohei, i only own the writing and i do not profit off of my hobby

do not plagiarize, reupload, translate, or use my works for audio readings without permission

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liaromancewriter · 3 years ago

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Stay a Little Longer

Premise: Max hadn’t expected to like Cassie’s fellow dolphin, but fate had other plans.

Book: Open Heart Pairing: Sienna Trinh x Max Valentine (M!OC). Feat. Cassie Valentine Rating/Category: General. Fluff. Words: 1,855

A/N: This is a story that I’ve wanted to write since talking about it in a reblog comment on Thankful. The fic looks back at the moment when Max and Sienna first start to become friends. Set just before section 2 of New Beginnings.

Submission for March @choicesmonthlychallenge Day 6 prompt “Family”

It was after five o’clock in the evening when Max Valentine parked his car on the street outside his sister’s apartment building in Beacon Hill. Rain splattered on the windshield and fog descended, wrapping around the streetlights to bathe the residential street in mystery.

Max thought the view outside could have come straight out of a noir film. The only thing missing was a femme fatale waiting in the darkness with a gun and an excuse.

Pulling up the hood of his jacket, he exited the car, coming around the front to step onto the sidewalk. He inserted his credit card in the parking meter and snatched up the ticket as soon as it stopped printing.

He placed the ticket stub on the front dash before reaching into the backseat for the picnic basket he’d packed with leftovers from the family Thanksgiving dinner in Newport.

It wasn’t the first Thanksgiving Cassie had missed as her schedule had been iffy during the last two years of med school. But unlike the distance between Baltimore and Newport, the one between Boston and their family estate was minimal.

As far as he was concerned, an hour and a half on the I-95 was nothing as long as he got to spend what was left of the holiday with his favorite person, particularly since he had several work trips booked after this and wouldn’t see her at Christmas.

Getting off the elevator on her floor, he made his way towards the apartment, knocking loudly on the door with his knuckles. He was earlier than he’d told her he would be, but hoped she’d still managed to get enough rest after working a double shift.

He was about to knock again when he heard the lock click, and the door opened a crack. A pair of confused brown eyes peered out at him before recognition dawned.

“Hi,” said Sienna, her voice gruff before she cleared it. “Sorry, I’m still half asleep.”

She swung open the door, stepping aside to let him in. “Cassie’s in the shower and will be out shortly.”

“That’s okay,” he said following her into the living room. “I’m an hour early. Figured it would take me that long just to get her out of bed, you know.”

She giggled at that, having lived with Cassie long enough now to know how true it was. She envied her roommate’s ability to fall asleep on a dime, while it took Sienna time to wind down after a long shift.

She covered her mouth as a yawn escaped, her body heavy from fatigue. The short nap she’d taken earlier had not been enough after spending almost thirty hours on her feet. She played with the belt on her robe, shifting on her feet as she struggled with wanting to lie down and being a good hostess.

“You’re tired and swaying on your feet,” commented Max, setting the picnic basket down on the coffee table. “Go back to bed. I can wait out here by myself.”

“’Tis okay,” said Sienna, biting back another yawn. “I have to meet my boyfriend at his place for dinner. Just need to find my second wind.”

“While you’re doing that, please sit. I can’t unless you do as well,” he added with a grin. “You don’t want to be a bad hostess, do you?”

“I suppose not,” she replied, smiling gratefully as she sat down.

“Long shift?” he asked, twisting slightly to face her as he sat down on the other side of the couch, stretching his arm wide along its back.

“The longest,” she nodded, running her hands over her face and gently massaging the bags under her eyes with the tips of her fingers.

“I spent most of it running around the ED,” she continued. “My resident warned me Thanksgiving was a dangerous holiday, but I thought she was exaggerating. Not even close! My feet hurt and the thought of wearing any kind of shoes right now feels like torture…”

She trailed off at the amusement on his face. “I’m sorry. I’m going on and on and you couldn’t care less.”

“Not true,” he assured her. “I was smiling because you reminded me of my sister just now.”

Before he could continue, they heard the bathroom door open and Cassie came into view, wearing a bathrobe, wet hair wrapped in a towel.

“You’re here!” she exclaimed, rushing over.

“I couldn’t wait,” said Max, coming around the couch to engulf his sister in a warm hug.

Sienna watched the siblings, a wistful smile on her lips at the love between them. She made her excuses, giving them privacy as she closed the bedroom door behind her.

Sitting down at the edge of her bed, she gave serious thought to getting back under the covers again. She would have too, but Wayne was expecting her for dinner. And after his comments yesterday, she didn’t want to give him another excuse to complain.

It would take her at least an hour to get to his place, she thought with a loud groan, possibly more since the T would be packed with Black Friday shoppers and those returning from family visits.

Still, she was looking forward to having a meal she didn’t have to cook. That alone was worth the minor inconvenience of getting dressed and making the trek across town in the rain.

A short while later, she checked her reflection in the mirror hanging on the back of her bedroom door and adjusted the folds of the sleeveless green velvet dress before pulling on a black cardigan.

Slipping her feet into leather booties, she unplugged her cellphone and shoved it inside a crossbody messenger bag, which she looped over her head and across her front.

She’d just reached the kitchen entrance when her phone signaled a text. Most likely Wayne checking to see if she was on her way, she thought as she slowed her pace to unzip the bag and fish inside for her phone.

Sienna was unable to hide her disappointment as she read Wayne’s message canceling their plans. His friends from work had invited him to an online gaming session and he’d call her on the weekend.

“What’s wrong?” asked Cassie.

Sienna glanced up from the screen as her friend walked over, a glass of wine in one hand. She’d changed into jeans and a black turtleneck, her hair still damp and curling down her back.

“Wayne’s meeting up with friends tonight,” said Sienna with dismay. “I guess I got our wires crossed.”

“I’m sorry, Si,” said Cassie, sympathy coating her voice. “I know you were looking forward to it.”

“It’s okay,” said Sienna, smiling ruefully as she shook off her disappointment. “It is what it is. At least now I don’t have to battle the Black Friday crowds on the T and can catch up on my sleep instead.”

“Why don’t you stay and join us for dinner?” said Max, coming to stand beside Cassie. “We have a ton of food and even Cassie would be hard pressed to finish it all in one sitting.”

He laughed when Cassie huffed in annoyance and tried to hip check him, only to have him hook his arm around her waist, holding her locked against him.

“I’m not that bad,” complained Cassie.

“Yes, you are!” Max and Sienna said in unison before they paused to stare at each other as they realized what just happened.

Then all three of them burst out laughing, the boisterous sound echoing across the quiet apartment.

“Okay, yes, I am,” admitted Cassie, wiping at the tears spiking her eyelashes, swallowing the rest of her laughter. “Still, the offer holds, Si. The others are welcome to join us too. It’s super casual. Leftovers and really good wine.”

“I think we’re the only ones here,” said Sienna. “Jackie went out earlier. Elijah is spending the night at the hotel with his parents and Landry picked up an extra shift.”

“Why don’t we have a picnic in the living room?” suggested Max, shifting to stand in the middle and offered them his arms.

He waited until they both looped their arms through his on either side of him before leading them back to the couch.

“The two of you get comfortable, take a load off,” he said, “and I’ll bring everything over.”

Alone, Sienna glanced over at Cassie, catching her eye to silently ask if she was really okay with her crashing the party. She relaxed when Cassie nodded, smiling softly as she covered Sienna’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

“Sienna, what would you like to drink?” called out Max from the kitchen where he was unpacking the food on the counter. “We have a Pinot Grigio, or Merlot if you want red, as well as sparkling water.”

“Pinot, please,” said Sienna, reaching down to take off her shoes, setting them aside along with her bag before drawing her legs up beneath her.

She smiled up at Max when he handed her a glass of the chilled white wine before returning to the kitchen.

Feeling the weariness fade, she sank into the cushions, her head resting on the back of the couch next to Cassie’s. They sipped their wine and exchanged desultory conversation as they waited for the food.

Later that night, Sienna was sitting up in bed, massaging her face with night cream, and reflecting on the fact she hadn’t laughed that much or that hard since her residency started. It had been nice to have a conversation that wasn’t about the hospital or patients or the fellowship competition.

She had enjoyed getting to know Max and marveled at how similar the twins were while also being their own person. The only other time she’d met him had been so brief and their text exchange even more so. But, tonight had felt different, like they could become friends.

At least that’s what she had sensed from their camaraderie earlier. She wished he could have stayed a little longer, but both she and Cassie had early morning rounds tomorrow. He’d cleared up the remnants of their picnic, put the kitchen to rights and told them to get some sleep before leaving for his hotel.

The ping of an incoming message broke through her scattered thoughts. Thinking it was likely Wayne and, not in the mood to deal with him, she almost ignored it but then curiosity got the best of her.

She had tried to save face earlier by saying she had gotten their wires crossed, but she knew she hadn’t. Wayne had confirmed their dinner date in the afternoon only to cancel last minute because something better had come up than spending time with his girlfriend.

Fired up, she quickly grabbed the phone from her bedside table only to calm down when she saw it was actually a message from Max.

Sienna was smiling as she put away her phone and lay back down in bed, tucking the covers around her. She hadn’t been wrong earlier. Looks like she had made another friend tonight.

And she could use all the friends she could get.

@choicesficwriterscreations @openheartfanfics

Tagging in reblog

#open heart #open heart choices #sienna trinh #sienna trinh x oc #open heart fanfics #choices fic writers creations #cfwc fics of the week #choices monthly challenge #playchoices fanfiction #choices open heart

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dreamescapeswriting · 4 years ago

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Almost ~ JJK [Request]

WORD COUNT: 3.2

GENRE: Angst, fluffy, established-relationship, jealous, happy ending

PAIRING: Jungkook x Fem!Reader

A/N: Hope this is okay, I took a different approach with it, rather than a huge fight I did a calmer one? Hope you like it!

The sun felt as though it was burning your skin even through the layers of clothes you were wearing and the vast amount of suncream you had on didn't feel as though it was doing its job. You knew that Australia was going to be hot but you had no idea it was going to be this hot,

"You okay?" Jungkook chuckled as he stepped back to walk with you, you hummed at him taking the bottle of water he was holding out for you.

"You sure?" He knew that you didn't handle the heat well but he didn't want to leave you behind while he and the boys travelled to Australia for Bon Voyage 5. This season was one of their more relaxed ones, just like season four when they were in their own place the boys had been offered their own small b&b to film the fifth season in. Whilst in Australia they could do whatever they wanted to do, including travelling around, touring the famous places and doing whatever it was that the boys wanted to do.

"Yeah, just out of breath." You giggled as you all came to a stop at the museum the boys had been travelling to. It was Namjoons day to pick what they were going to do and he had picked The Nation Gallery Of Victoria to go to which was why you'd walked most of the way. It was only a 30-minute walk from where the boys, crew and you were all staying so it wasn't a big walk. The heat however was making it a little harder on you.

"Once we're inside and they have enough shots we can walk around together sound good?" He questioned you as you all waited for the crew to go and get your tickets and make sure that the museum was clear for the boys to head inside.

"Sounds perfect to-"

"Jungkook! Make-up!" His personal make-up artist called out to him making him look away from you and over at her. That was how it always seemed to be, whenever she saw you and Jungkook getting close to one another she would give some excuse for him to leave you alone or go to her. At first, you figured it was because of the show, he needed his makeup on for the cameras but even when the cameras weren't rolling and you and Jungkook were finally having some alone time she would come up with something to get him away from you.

"I'll be back soon," He quickly kissed your forehead before going over to her. Lee Bomi was one of the most beautiful makeup artists that BigHit had to offer, she was also the most talented one too. She'd worked with a lot of the BigHit artists before being settled with BTS and becoming Jungkook's number one. Sitting down on a wall you watched the two of them interacting with one another. Deep down you knew that there was nothing going on between them since Jungkook and you were engaged but you still always had that sinking feeling inside of you. The jealously always bubbled up inside you whenever you got to see how close they were with one another. They'd known one another for so long there was no surprise that they were as close as they were with each other but it didn't stop you from getting jealous. Watching them laughing amongst one another with their inside jokes, watching how she could always get close to him physically without being pulled away. Even though you and Jungkook were engaged you were never allowed to have PDA unless you were alone, alone. BigHit had made it a rule when they realised how serious Jungkook was about you, you figured it was just to keep fans at peace.

"Cat got your tongue?" Hoseok asked as he sat down next to you on the wall and followed your gaze, smiling when he saw what you were looking at.

"You know they're just friends." He reassured you as he held out some dried fruit for you to munch on,

"I know but I still can't help it...She gets to be around him all of the time..." Hoseok sighed softly as he nudged you playfully, it wasn't as though your relationship wasn't known amongst fans. BigHit had announced it months ago but you still weren't allowed to be overly physical with him.

"She's a makeup artist, she has to be around all of the time," Hoseok told you as he got up and held out his arm for you to take. Everyone was starting to head inside for the tour of the museum and Hoseok didn't want you to wait outside and overthink every little detail about Jungkook's friendship with Bomi.

"I have these tickets for a small getaway, do you think he would want to go?" You questioned as you and Hoseok stood in front of a display case not paying attention to anything that was inside of it, Hoseok turned to you with a smile and nodded.

"He loves spending time with you and a getaway after being cramped up with the crew and the boys will probably do him some good." He chuckled at the thought of it and you smiled, feeling reassured that you and Jungkook would finally get some time alone together.

Later in the night, you were staying up late with Jungkook, sitting on the sofa with your head on his shoulder while some boring movie played on the TV. Neither of you was paying attention to it, you were too busy talking to one another and then kissing to bother looking at the screen.

"I think," You started as you laid down with your head on his thighs, moving so that your legs hung over the arm of the sofa and looked up at Jungkook.

"You think what?" He questioned, moving some of your hair from your face and smiling happily at you.

"That when we head back home, we should go on our own mini-holiday? I've seen this amazing b&b just outside of Seoul, I've got some tickets that I got from a while ago..." You'd been wanting to ask him to go with you for a while but you never knew when to ask. Now seemed like the right time since he'd been working so hard lately. The break would be perfect, just the two of you on a mini getaway,

"It'll be romantic, we can just hide out together. Doing whatever we want," He told you as he bent down to kiss your lips softly,

"I can't wait, babe. I'll talk to Sejin about it tomorrow morning," He promised you as he looked into your eyes, cupping your face in his hands.

"Talk to Sejin about what?!" Bomi's voice called out as she forced herself down onto the sofa behind Jungkook making you move out of his lap so you could all sit on the sofa together.

"Y/n and I are going to take a romantic break together, just the two of us when we get back to Korea," You smiled brightly as Jungkook told her the plans and then held onto you tightly, you snuggled your head down into his shoulder.

"Oh...What about our plans though? I thought we were going to binge-watch Demon slayer and then start working out," Bomi sounded disappointed as she said this to Jungkook, you turned to look at her and she had the puppy dog eyes out trying to convince Jungkook not to go with you.

"We can do that when I get back, I just miss spending time with Y/n-"

"You're always spending time with Y/n! What about me?!" You frowned as she raised her voice at him and then spoke about you as if you weren't in the room, you stared at her as she got up from the sofa. Acting as though she was some child whose parents had just told her off for something she shouldn't have been doing.

"She's my girlfriend if I want to spend time with her, I can?" Jungkook was confused as to where all of this was coming from with Bomi,

"You can go and spend time with Kai?" He suggested as he thought back on Bomi's boyfriend back home but she began shaking her head and crying hysterically,

"He broke up with me! That's why I was looking forward to hanging out with you so much." As soon as the tears began to roll down her face Jungkook turn to give you a sympathetic look and you knew you'd lost the romantic trip to her.

"Fine, Y/n and I can always rearrange the dates?" He asked as he stared at you but you shook your head at him not wanting to talk about it now or ever in front of her.

"Whatever." You mumbled before storming out of the living room, ignoring his calls for you to go back to him as you walked towards your room in the crew section of the B&B, locking the door behind you.

Jungkook knocked on the door over and over again throughout the night trying to get you to come out and talk to him but you weren't going to. You kept the door shut and pretended to be asleep so that he would just go away, all you wanted to do was spend some time alone with him and yet you never seemed to get that. Bomi would always come into it and ruin it somehow.

The next morning Jungkook waited outside your room for you to come out but you hadn't, he'd been sitting there since he woke up and you were nowhere to be seen.

"Y/n left, she said she was going to go to the beach alone today," Yoongi told Jungkook when he walked down the hall to see him knocking on the door over and over again.

"When?!" Jungkook was up on his feet in a flash and Hoseok came down the hall to see why the youngest member was yelling so early in the morning. It wasn't even 9 am yet so no one had expected him to be out of bed. Bomi followed Hoseok and they all stared at Jungkook,

"She was leaving at 6? I got up to make coffee and she was going out of the door. Said she needed to think things over," Yoongi explained but this only earnt a scoff from Bomi as she folded her arms over her chest and pouted out her bottom lip.

"It's a desperate cry for attention for Guky. He said no to going on a romantic get away with her," Hoseok frowned looking at Bomi and then to Jungkook who was already pulling out his phone to call you and find out when you would be coming back.

"He said no? I thought he would have loved it, I told her to go ahead and ask him." Hoseok sounded upset for you at the thought of Jungkook saying no but then he looked at Bomi who was staring at Jungkook.

"Guky, can we go and play video games?" She whined pulling on his arms as he looked at his phone, ignoring her while he tried to call your phone.

"Guky. You promised you'd make me feel better after Kai," That was when it started to sink into Hoseok that maybe Jungkook hadn't said no to you but that Bomi had convinced him otherwise.

When you came back that night Jungkook was curled up on the sofa with Bomi's head in his lap, he was asleep with his head on the back of the sofa.

"Hey, where have you been?" Hoseok questioned when he looked up from his phone, he'd been calling you all day to find out when you were coming home and what had happened with Bomi but you ignored everyone. Turning off your phone and just exploring the city on your own for a while,

"Went out. That's a new development..." You whispered as you looked at your fiancé being used as a pillow, jealously beginning to bubble again but this time Hoseok didn't stop you from feeling jealous. In his eyes, you had every right to feel upset with how the two of them acted around one another. Bomi treated Jungkook as though he was her boyfriend and not your fiancé. All-day he'd had to watch Bomi cling onto Jungkook and try to steer him away from calling you but it was as if Jungkook was blind to it and Hoseok was torn between telling you or letting it go on.

"Babe! I've missed you so much!" Jungkook mumbled as he woke up and saw you standing there staring at him but you made no attempt to go close to him.

"Looks like it." You mumbled sarcastically, turning to Hoseok with a smile and going towards your room.

"Babe! Wait!" Jungkook whisper-yelled as he slowly moved Bomi off him and chased after you. You thought you were safe in your room but he walked straight inside and stared at you,

"You've been ignoring my calls all day, I was worried about you." He said as he tried to wrap his arms around you but you stepped away from him and shook your head.

"You didn't look worried, it looked to me as though you'd been cuddling up with Bomi all day." You snapped as you began packing up your suitcase. Throughout the whole day of being on your own, you'd thought about how better it would be if you just headed home for the rest of the stay.

"No, I haven't, I've been non-stop calling you. You would know if you bothered to check your phone," Scoffing at his statement you continued to pack while Jungkook un-packed everything you were putting inside.

"What are you doing?" He questioned as he continued to watch you try and pack,

"Leaving. You're clearly having more fun with Bomi here, I'll go home." You said dryly as your head continued to throw the image of them on the sofa together but he shook his head.

"Bomi just needed comforting, Kai and her-"

"Kai and her broke up four months ago. I asked him while I was making coffee this morning," You interrupted him as you waited for the next excuse to come from him but he said nothing. Just standing there staring at you in silence,

"Can't you see why she's doing it? She has a huge crush on you, it doesn't take a genius to see it." You told him as you finally got everything into your suitcase and zipped it up, turning to leave when you saw Bomi standing there. Tears streaming down her cheeks,

"I-I had a nightmare and you weren't there," You rolled your eyes and laughed as you turned to see Jungkook falling for it all over again,

"See. Just like that, you're putty in her fucking hands." You dragged your suitcase off the bed and began to leave the room when Jungkook took hold of your hand.

"She doesn't have a crush on me, she's just upset and lonely," He tried to defend her but you weren't going to stand for it anymore, you'd reached your breaking point.

"I'm lonely too but I don't go around clingy to other people's fiancé's." This time you stared at Bomi as you said it to Jungkook, waiting for her to finally crack and tell Jungkookt he truth as to why she was always clingy onto him but she just smirked at you.

"That's insane, you're not lonely," He told you as he let go of your wrist but you just walked away from him, ignoring his yells after you as you put your suitcase into the trunk of the rental car you'd gotten.

"You can keep the tickets for the romantic getaway, you and Bomi might need them." You mumbled as you opened the driver's door but Jungkook slammed it shut,

"Enough! What is your problem?!" He called out as he stared at you waiting for some kind of explanation as to what you doing.

"I already told you. She's trying to come between us because of her crush on you and you're too blind to see it." You tried to open the door but Jungkook leant his back against it so you didn't have a chance to.

"Bomi is a friend-"

"Does she know that?" You questioned turning around to see her watching you from the front door of the b&b, arms folded across her chest as she waited for all of this to be over.

"You're being ridiculous," Jungkook grumbled as he looked at you but this time you didn't have a chance to say anything. Hoseok stepped in,

"Jungkook all day Bomi has done nothing but stop you from calling Y/n, clinging onto you as though you were the couple." Your head snapped around to Bomi who was now smirking even more while tears rolled down your face,

"No she hasn't, s-she's been upset over Kai and I wanted to comfort her like a good friend." You stared up at Jungkook as he spoke and it hit you that he really didn't see what Bomi was doing, that he was just an innocent party in all of this.

"You don't see it, do you? You don't see the way she clings onto you and pulls you away from me?" Your hand on the car door dropped as you realised he really hadn't seen what she was doing to the two of you.

"See what?" Jungkook sighed as he looked at you,

"She's manipulative, she'll push a wedge between you both until she can slot herself in until she can finally get Y/n out," You turned around when you heard a new voice come into the conversation and Kai was standing there watching everything. Bomi moved out of the way and headed into the b&b while Hoseok looked at you and smiled weakly before leaving. After seeing Bomi and Jungkook all day he went to speak to Kai about everything to see if he could speak to Jungkook for you.

"You cheated on her, you'll do anything to make her seem-"

"She cheated on me. Starting sleeping with one of the other crew members...Also engaged. That's what she does, she loves chasing after things she knows she's not supposed to...Jungkook don't throw away what you and Y/n have." Jungkook looked back down at you as he heard Kai speaking and it hit him. Everything she had been doing since before the trip to Australia. Everything hitting him as if he'd been driving and hit into a wall.

Jungkook convinced you to stay that night and he laid in bed with you, holding you close to him as you both spoke over everything to do with it. He was going to remove Bomi as he makeup artist and put forward that he was switched to someone else. It wasn't just to make you feel better but also himself, he felt awful for not seeing what she was doing until it was almost too late.

"I can't believe I almost lost you," He whispered as he noticed you were nodding off to sleep

"I-I don't want to lose you," He whispered again as he began to draw small patterns into your skin, you hummed against his chest as he spoke to you about it.

"I love you too much to let you go," He said to you again as you hummed tiredly in agreement with him. Yawning as you tried to speak to him,

"I love you too...N-Not going anywhere." You whispered tiredly before drifting off to sleep in his arms, Jungkook holding onto you tightly throughout the entire night.

Tagline: @lyoongx @mitzwinchester @kneel-begyourpardon @taestannie @rjsmochii @fan-ati--c @bisexualmess007 @sweeneyblue1 @sw33tnight @innersooya @jin-from-the-block

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bobbiethepunkkid · 3 years ago

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okay so i love bedknobs and broomsticks. if you don’t know, bedknobs and broomsticks is a lovely 1971 disney film about believing in yourself, believing in magic, and telling the n*zis to fuck off. also it’s a musical, and partially animated. i love it to death, and i just saw the new theatre production on it and i have a lot of thoughts and i need to tell them to someone. this ended up being quite long, so it’s below the cut. also, spoilers for both the film and the play, please go and watch them.

where do i even begin? 90% of it was delightful (and i’ll get to the disappointing 10%)

the singing was absolutely stellar. i loved all the songs they added (i actually really like that they filled in the weird gap of no songs in the first part, before age of not believing). i was skeptical about mr browne, as he's played very differently that how he is in the film, but i warmed up to him quickly.

charlie! let's talk about charlie. i'm not sure if aging him up was actually their choice, or because they cast everyone and then had to wait for covid issues, but i love it. the charlie in the film always seemed a little too young (i just checked, he’s 11). him not wanting to travel on the magic bed to london because that's where the bombs are dropping and where his parents just died, instead of "oh he just doesn't believe in magic" makes so much more sense. in the film, he only gets on the bed because the cat scares him. now he gets on the bed because his siblings need him. i also love how he gets his own song now! in the film they make a point of him, use him to tell the audience to believe in magic, and then it never really comes up again. here they give him so much more of a character. negociability is a great song. they gave this 13 year old some trauma (sorry kid), and it makes his character so much better and more interesting.

why did they rename the island of naboombu to napipo? is it just so they could make the "no people" joke? because i can't call it that. i grew up with naboombu. not really a complaint, i'm just confused.

the fucking EFFECTS. DUDE. they were so good. everything is so clever, and the section in the sea and on the island were so fun.

i ADORED the reprise of the age of not believing, where charlie sings it to ms price. i was so happy.

okay let’s get into what i didn’t like.

the film has flaws. the play fixed those flaws (and added some more fun stuff while they were at it), and then created another huge flaw.

the end of the film is a really straight forward, "the n*zis are gone, ms price and mr browne are in love, let's all live happily ever after" and it’s lovely. so when charlie started yelling about how it’s not real, magic isn’t real, mr browne isn’t real and ms price isn’t real, i was a little upset. when the stage shifted to the kids in the museum after just being evacuated, implying that the WHOLE STORY DIDN’T HAPPEN, i was very upset. i just don’t get why they would spend the whole time telling us to believe in magic and that all it takes is some faith, they would turn around and tell us that it didn’t even matter.

i keep going back and forth between “they were toning it down for the kids” and “they made it more intense”. and i don’t understand why they couldn’t have just done one or the other. they no longer say the word “n*zis” or even “germans”? just “the enemy”. in the film we just start with the kids in the country and it’s real vauge what happened to them, no mention of parents, but now the parents are confirmed dead. it’s just these three kids alone now. they also took out a huuuge chunk of the film with the n*zis invading the home. i thought maybe they'd made it less n*zi-heavy for the kids, but that ending makes me think they didn't have kids in mind? i can't get my own head around it.

but i can’t hate it. the first 90% was just too good. i just wish i could take the best bits from this and jam it together with the best bits from the films. but hey, i guess that’s what happens with most adaptions.

#bedknobs and broomsticks #don't mind me just losing my shit over a musical

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disgruntledspacedad · 4 years ago

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The White Room

The Better Love Series || Join My Tags

a sequel to Shit Hits the Fan

pairing: Javier Peña x Fem!Reader (Ears). Part of the Better Love ‘verse.

summary: Bill Stechner makes his move. You never even saw it coming.

words: 6.1k

warnings: 18+, plot, a little angst, a little fluff.

notes: unbeta’d. this is a big one. notes at the end.

<< Shit Hits the Fan || These Hands are Magic >>

MASTERLIST

You take the embassy steps two at a time, wishing you’d have been notified about the change in your schedule just half an hour earlier.

You’d gotten a page just as you were headed out the door of the apartment. Stechner has decided to pull you from Centra Spike’s night flight over Medellín. He wants you at headquarters this evening instead. He didn’t say why.

Part of you isn’t sorry. Escobar has been getting desperate lately, and between the outbreaks of violence in Medellín and the continued bombing campaign in Bogotá, you’ve been burning the candle at both ends. Javi, too. He’s been spending more and more time at the base in Medellín, and you’ve been spending more and more time in the skies, pulling random shifts through all hours of the day and night.

It hasn’t put a strain on your relationship, exactly. In fact, in some ways, the little moments that you steal with Javi when your schedules just happen to mesh are all the more precious because of it. You’re both exhausted and a little cranky, but there’s been an underlying desperation to your recent interactions that’s only served to stoke the flame that flickers between you.

It’s a bittersweet feeling. You cherish the time you get together, but on the other hand, it seems like even when Javi’s right there next to you, you miss him so much that your chest aches.

Which is why you’re miffed that Bill couldn’t have shuffled you around a little sooner. Javi’s been in Medellín for the past two days. He’d caught an early flight back to Bogotá just as you’d been finishing up another late shift flyover. You’d just happened to run into him at the embassy airstrip, a perfect coincidence. Your eyes had met over the tarmac, and like a pair of magnets, you’d crashed into one another. Javi had wrapped you into a fierce hug, and you’d pulled him into a heated kiss, and the two of you had spent a good five minutes canoodling in a hidden corridor near the water fountains, kissing and whispering and grappling for position as he’d pinned you against the wall. He’d breathed you in, and you’d reveled in the taste of him on your lips, each of you pressing frantically against the body of the other as if it had been weeks and not mere days since you’d been together.

“I’ve got to go,” Javi had apologized into your mouth, breathing the words between a series of soft, desperate kisses. “Fucking… fucking early meeting with Martinez.”

“It’s okay, baby,” you’d reassured him, feeling very much like it wasn’t okay. You hardly get enough of him as it is. This tiny little taste had only deepened your aching need, and you’d felt your heart splitting in two as he’d pulled away from you, a small little grimace of frustration twisting his face.

“I’ll see you soon,” you’d called as he’d hurried away, and he’d responded with a tight lipped smile and another dark look of longing.

Now, you round the corridor toward the DEA office, walking as quickly as you can without drawing attention to yourself. Javi is working late again. If you hurry, you’ll have twenty five uninterrupted minutes with him before your night shift starts.

“Ears!” You stop in your tracks, a little shudder of resentment flashing down your spine at Bill’s overeager greeting. “Just the lady I’ve been waiting to see.”

You school your face into a neutral expression of polite interest. Most days, you like Bill just fine, despite the fact that you really don’t trust him for shit.

Today, damn him straight to hell.

“What’s up?” you ask, quirking your lips into an intrigued little grin. There’s a certain informality and blasé banter that Bill’s grown to expect from your encounters, and he’s sharp enough to sense that something’s off if you don’t perform.

“Oh, loads and loads,” Bill says, leaning casually against the corridor wall with his arms folded.

You bite back a sigh. You really, really don’t have the patience to dance around him today. “Oh, really?”

Bill arches a questioning brow at you, and you remind yourself to be convincing, dammit. Usually, this isn’t an issue. Most days, you like your job, and your boss, just fine.

Most days.

“You’re bored, aren’t you, Ears?” Bill continues, pitching his voice deep, those probing eyes piercing straight through you.

“I -” you start. Bored isn’t how you’d describe it, lately.

Tired, more like.

“No, no,” Bill’s expression is patient, endearing. “Don’t deny it. I’ve been watching you. I know that hungry look when I see it. You want more. You came to Colombia to do something important with your life, I can tell.”

Six months ago, hell, even three months ago, Bill’s words would have been true. Now, the very thought of more is enough to send you crawling into bed and sleeping for a week.

‘Isn’t tracking down Pablo Escobar pretty fucking important?’ you’re half tempted to ask. You hold your tongue.

Obviously, it’s not to Bill Stechner.

“What do you have for me?” you say instead, hoping you sound intrigued, carefully not confirming or denying Bill’s suspicions.

“Real work,” Bill says with a sharp smile. Something cold jolts down your spine at the his use of the word ‘real.’

As if everything until now has been a sham.

“Follow me,” he beckons, and you have no choice but to obey.

Bill leads you past the DEA offices. You catch a glimpse of the top of Javi’s head from the corner of your eye. He’s hunched over his desk, pouring over an open manilla file. You can barely see the deep furrow in his brow. He doesn’t notice you pass by, and you don’t pause to acknowledge him.

Something throbs in your chest at that.

You follow Bill through a few more winding corridors, down into the basement, past Centra Spike’s room, right up to an unassuming little bookcase built into a nondescript wall in the middle of nowhere.

Bill pauses here, turning to look at you with shining eyes.

You meet his stare, giving away nothing.

With an enthusiasm that borders on theatrical, Bill huddles over a little keypad that’s tucked away at the edge of the bookcase. He punches in a series of numbers, glancing over to confirm that you’re still watching.

You definitely are.

Bill steps back, and like something from an Indiana Jones film, the entire fucking bookcase slides aside, reveling a reinforced steel door built into the wall.

“Whoa,” you can’t help but breathe.

Bill’s eyes glitter. He’s eating this up, impressing you.

And truly, you’re impressed. That little spark of interest that had died in the past months of your burnout has flared with a vengeance.

This is the shit that you joined the CIA for, and Bill Stechner knows it.

“Welcome to the white room, Ears,” Bill announces lowly. It’s the soft, knowing voice of a man sharing a deeply guarded secret. He opens the steel door with a flourish, and it swings slowly aside, heavy and creaking, as if its weight alone could announce the gravity of what you’re about to see.

Carefully, you step inside the room, ducking a little to avoid knocking your head against the low hanging doorway, crawling past the steel corridor entrance before you can straighten.

You blink, astounded at what you’re seeing.

Of course, you’ve heard whispers of CIA’s fabled “White Room,” a repository of classified files tucked away somewhere in the embassy basement. Even Javi’s mentioned it a couple of times, always with a hint of resentment, like he’d give his left arm for even a glimpse inside. Rumor is, Steve Murphy’s been in here before, but just once, and he was heavily supervised the entire time. It’s a fucking goldmine of intel, stacks upon stacks of carefully organized file folders, all at the fingertips of the few individuals who are important enough to be need-to-know.

“Okay,” you whisper beneath your breath, taking it all in. Reality is a little different than you’d pictured. The entrance is impressive, sure, but what you’re staring at is even more so. Box after carefully labelled box is packed atop one another, stacked six deep on a never-ending series of steel shelves.

You could spend an eternity here learning all of the secrets of Colombia. The implications are mind-boggling, and distantly, you wonder how many other well-hidden rooms the CIA has tucked away across a spread of foreign countries, a never-ending fountain of secrets related to god-knows-what.

Your brain stutters at the thought.

You realize suddenly that Bill is watching you carefully from the corner of his eye, observing your reaction as if he’s surreptitiously taking notes on every thought that flits across you brain. Again, you school your expression, reverting to that practiced, dead-eyed stare of careful neutrality.

“Cool,” you say, a little breathlessly, knowing that Bill’s eager to wow you, and not seeing any reason not to acknowledge the fact that, yeah, you’re pretty fucking wowed. You turn to face him, ignoring the temptation to sweep your gaze over the many, many labeled files at your eye level. “So, what are we doing here?”

Bill laughs. “I’ll show you.” He leads you past the shelves, and now that you’re behind him, you can’t stop your eyes from tracking over the labels at your eye level. You’re appalled by what you see.

Shelves upon shelves devoted to Escobar, and even more to the Cali Cartel, all broken down into sections of the individual godfathers. Rodriguez, Herrera, Bejarano, Moncado are all names that catch your eye. There are folders on each major sicario that you recognize from Javi’s info board: Mosquera, Lucumí, Vásquez, Gaviria... the list goes on. Even more files files are labeled Castaño. There’s a whole series of boxes on M-19, and a little past that, an entire shelf devoted solely to FARC.

It’s more than your mind can possible comprehend in one quick sweep, and hell, that’s just what you could catch at eye level.

It occurs to you that this is what Steve and Javi are always bitching about. Sure, you’re aware of the ever present pissing contest between the DEA and the CIA, but it’s always been peripheral information to you. Steve in particular is pretty vocal about his frustration with the ‘fucking CIA.’ “Goddamn file’s so redacted that it might as well be scrap,” you can just hear him muttering.

Christ, if this is the kind of intel that the CIA has open access too, you can kind of see his point.

Bill stops at a table in the center of the room, indicating it with a sweep of his hand. Reluctantly, you sit, a little annoyed that you’ve got your back to him now, but not feeling comfortable enough to twist around to track what he’s doing. Your instincts are screaming at you that this is a test. A big one. So you wait demurely in your tiny plastic chair, your hands folded primly in your lap, listening intently as Bill shuffles for something behind you.

After a long moment, Bill leans his hip heavily against the table, just a hair too close to your shoulder for you to be totally comfortable. You don’t have time to think on that, though, because he’s sliding a black and white photograph under your nose for you to view.

The man that leers up at you has a pinched face beneath a deep brow. His nose is long and lopsided, as if it’s been broken at least once. His thinning, limp hair hangs low over his eyes, giving him a mysterious, almost rebellious look. His mouth is wide, crooked teeth exposed in an open-mouthed grimace. He’s angling toward the camera, obviously unaware of its existence, leaning forward with a machine gun cradled to his chest.

“Feo,” you say instantly, your mouth working before your brain can catch up. You recognize him from the evidence board in the DEA office, and even more from your conversations with Javi.

Feo is a low level sicario, one that’s just now caught the attention of Search Bloc, mostly due to the recent chatter that Centra Spike has picked up. You’ve yet to get a positive ID on his voice, but he’s been mentioned in several conversations lately, always in reference to ‘drops.’

Javi’s been working deep in the night to decipher these conversations, eager to learn what ‘drops’ Escobar and his sicarios are so desperate to come by.

“Feo,” Bill drawls, a hint of something sharp licking at his tone. You glance up at him, curious. “That’s an unfortunate nickname.”

He’s staring down at you with eyes that are too aware. Probing, assessing.

Fuck.

“I’ve seen him on the DEA board,” you explain, grateful that you can provide an answer so quickly. You don’t like the way Bill is looking at you, like he’s daring you to confess a sin.

“I didn’t realize there were many photos of him floating around,” Bill says casually. But you aren’t stupid. You read the threat in his statement, loud and clear.

“It’s a new one,” you reply automatically, feeling as if you’re scrambling to claw yourself out of a hole.

But this is also true. Feo has been an ongoing mystery to Search Bloc, one that they haven’t taken seriously until recently. You wonder what it is about this man that’s got Bill so on edge.

Bill hums. “Good eye.” He hunches over the photograph, so close that you can feel his body heat against your neck.

“This is Raul Manriquez.” Bill taps the forehead of the man in the photograph, then turns to leer at you. “Apparently, he’s known to his friends as Feo.”

He’s watching you for a sign. You refuse to give it.

“So,” you ask after a beat. Bill folds his arms across his chest, waiting for you to continue. He’s not giving any signs either, the dickwad. “What does the CIA want with Raul Manriquez?”

Bill has never behaved this way with you before. There’s a certain weight to the way he regards you that hints at paranoia. He’s deeply, almost obsessively interested in this man, and it doesn’t make sense.

Feo is a sicario, sure. But sicarios are far, far below Bill’s pay grade. The thought is laughable, even.

Something drops in your stomach. If Feo is more than a sicario, as it seems he must be, then it is far, far above your pay grade to be this involved.

Bill pulls out a chair beside you and sits heavily. He leans on his elbow, swinging his legs so that his knees brush your thighs.

You echo him, carefully positioning yourself so that you’re facing one another, but no longer touching.

“We have intel to suggest that Raul Manriquez is connected with a Russian weapons ring,” Bill starts. You notice for the first time that he looks tired, too, his eyes a little bloodshot, heavy bags dropping darkly beneath them.

Something clicks in your brain. “He’s Pablo’s weapons guy,” you breathe. The pieces fall together with startling clarity. The drops that the sicarios had mentioned. The fact that Feo seems to stay at the periphery of things, not nearly as involved with the day-to-day bullshit that other sicarios seem to thrive on. “He’s running guns.”

“Among other things,” Bill drawls, seeming thoroughly bored by the turn in the conversation.

You ignore that. Your thoughts are spinning wildly, forging connections, solving problems. Escobar’s got to get his weapons from somewhere. In the back of your mind, you’ve always sort of known this, but the significance of it has stayed firmly out of sight, swamped by other things that, at the time, had seemed far more important.

But if you could catch Feo… If you could choke off Pablo’s lethality directly at the source…

“We could end this,” you whisper, sitting up to look Bill directly in the eye. Your voice rises. “Bill, if we neutralize Feo, Escobar’s lost his access to his guns.” Something swoops in your heart, and you feel brighter, more energized than you have in weeks. “We can end this war!”

“Oh, the fucking drug war.” Bill scoffs, waving his hand in a casual gesture of lazy dismissal. He looks frustrated, disappointed. “Ears, broaden you horizons a little, sister. Escobar is on the run. When he’s gone,” Bill leans in, the glint in his eye damned near dangerous. “And he will be gone, Ears, trust me.” He huffs a deep sigh, shaking his head as he pitches away to balance on the far feet of his chair, rocking back and forth in a way that reminds you of a restless kid in a elementary school classroom. His eyes are sharp, possessive as they pin yours. “What then?”

You stare at him flatly, a little miffed to have nearly a year of your life’s work brushed aside as if it’s just petty bullshit.

You shake that emotion away, blinking hard, reminding yourself of where you are, of who your boss is. With the lines as blurred as they are in Colombia, and your unique position dancing between Centra Spike, the DEA, and the CIA, and Search Bloc, it’s easy to forget that ultimately, it’s Bill Stechner who owns you.

For the first time, that thought deeply unsettles you.

Bill falls forward heavily on his elbows, looking at you with a furrowed brow, and you remind yourself for the umpteenth time that this meeting is a performance, one that you’ve utterly and completely bombed until now.

You brain spins, processing the little bits and pieces of information that you’ve been given. Bill sees Escobar’s fall as in inevitability, inconsequential, even. He’s concerned about Feo in the context that he’s connected to the weapons trade in Colombia.

Quickly, you consider what you know about Bill Stechner. A CIA big wig with a shady-ass military background. A man who’s mind lives in the future.

A future without Escobar. He’s made that much clear.

“You’re looking to fill a power vacuum,” you announce suddenly, knowing instinctively that you’re not far off the mark. Bill Stechner is a man who is always thinking ahead, studying the political chessboard to analyze his next move, and the one after that, too.

And that truth bomb jars free even more thoughts that have been floating untethered in the back of your mind. When he’s not skulking around his office, Bill is gone for weeks at a time, supposedly off in depths of the amazonian jungle, brushing shoulders with his right winged military buddies.

Commie hunting.

The pieces fall perfectly into place, painting a sobering picture, and all the while, Bill watches, a sharp little grin playing at his lips as you connect the dots.

“Bill,” you say, refusing to accept any bullshit. You thump your finger hard against Feo’s leering smirk, pinning Bill with a dark stare. “Is this guy connected with FARC?”

Both of Bill’s brows arch skyward, and he leans back, looking at you with a new light in his eyes. You get the impression that once again, you’ve impressed him.

You’re not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing.

“I don’t know, Ears,” Bill admits, glancing away to his hands, which are suddenly curling into fists in his lap. You can tell it really grinds his gears, the uncertainty. “That’s what I want to find out.”

You consider him carefully, keeping your face expressionless. This is the most open response you’ve ever gotten from Bill, and you file away that information along with everything else you’ve learned today.

It’s a lot.

“What do you need from me?”

It’s a valid question. Part of you, the part that is equally intrigued and enraptured by Bill Stechner and the CIA as a whole, genuinely wants to help.

The rest of you is just desperate to get out of this room.

Bill’s lips slide into a knowing smirk. “Well, Ears,” he drawls, eyeing you in a way that makes something sink in your gut. “I’m glad you asked.”

“I’m listening.” You deliberately leave off the ‘sir,’ that you’re tempted to tack on to the end of that statement. Damn your army background.

“This is the moment that we’ve put you in place for,” Bill confesses, hunching forward on his elbows. Again, you get the impression that he’s trying to reel you in, seducing you with a show of honesty.

You brace yourself.

“The DEA is interested in this man, too,” Bill starts, shooting you a pointed look that says ‘I know you already know this.’ You keep your face carefully blank, so Bill continues. “I know that they’ve been working to track his location.”

Something cold coils in your heart. “Are you asking me to spy on Search Bloc?” you ask point blank.

Bill shakes his head. “No, no, no, Ears,” he chides with an expression of extreme patience, as if you’re a child to him. “That would be counterproductive. We’re all on the same team, after all.” He pins you with a dead-eyed stare that sends a shiver down your spine. “I’m asking you to fully engage in your position with the CIA.” Bill stresses the last point, again reminding you of who you are, who you answer to. “You’re a liaison.” He hums a little, all casual disinterest, disarming you, reinforcing the bonds of loyalty that he’s forged with a simple shrug of his shoulders. “So, liaise.”

You realize with a starling, icy jolt of clarity that Bill Stechner has tolerated your relationship with Javier Peña for this very reason, that he’s garnered your favor - accepting your transfer request, giving you a raise, buying you drinks, playing your buddy - all in preparation for using you as his own personal mole in the ranks of Search Bloc.

And you’d fallen for it, hook, line, and sinker.

Your throat works hard to swallow against a suddenly dry mouth. “I understand, sir.”

For the first time, Bill doesn’t correct your formality. You hardly notice the shift, though. You’re still reeling from the implications of what he’s asking of you, of how he’s exploited you, taken advantage of all of your vulnerabilities. Suddenly, you feel as if you’re choking, like a noose is tightening, tightening around your neck. You have to stop yourself from reaching to massage your throat, clenching your hands into tight firsts into your lap instead.

Bill watches it all in cool amusement. “Atta girl,” he praises, and you swear you taste bile. He stands, and you copy him absently, feeling detached and awkward, walking on legs that require all of your attention to keep from trembling.

Bill claps a heavy hand on your shoulder. His eyes flash with something like pride, and you decide in that moment that you hate him, this motherfucker, almost as much as you hate yourself for falling for his bullshit.

Goddammit, you’re so fucking stupid.

“Good talk,” he says, and you nod in a way that you hope is contemplative without being telling.

You follow Bill out of the room on wooden legs, your mind spinning with the implications of your conversation. He nods to you as the bookshelf slides shut behind you, and you nod back, relieved to see that he turns to head the opposite direction from the DEA office.

You glance down at your watch. You’ve got ten minutes if you hurry. With all your heart, you hope that Javi is still working.

You need to see him.

You push past his glass door, swinging it open hard enough that it bangs ominously against the wall. Javi is still slumped over his desk in the exact same position as before, studying a jumbled series of papers, a half-spent cigarette dangling from his lips.

Your breath catches at the sight of him.

His head snaps up at your noisy arrival, dark eyes narrowed at the intrusion. His expression softens when he sees that it’s you.

“Ears.” His voice is a sigh, a release of that same tension that you feel leaking from you own bones, and you dart forward, heedless of who might be watching beyond the glass walls.

“Hey,” you say, shoving aside an opened manilla folder to create a bare space for you to lean against. Javi doesn’t seem to mind that in the least, so you flop up onto his desk, pressing your thigh against his elbow, enjoying the feeling of just sharing the same space.

Javi glances at you, and your something lurches in your chest as you take him in. He looks haggard, exhausted, dark bags gathered beneath his bloodshot eyes like he hasn’t had good night’s sleep in far too long.

“Another little chat with Stechner?” he grouses, peering up at you with narrow gazed suspicion.

Your heart sinks, and you have to blink hard against the onslaught of his ire. Javi’s always been grouchy when he’s tired, and there’s nothing that drives him into a funk faster than any mention of Bill Stechner. It’s as if he has a sixth sense in that regard, like he can smell Bill on your skin.

And that’s a gross thought.

Until now, Javi’s attitude had irked you, and you’d written it off as petty, just another brand of that delightfully obnoxious possessiveness that he’s continuously displayed since your apartment was bombed.

But dammit, you’re the moron here, not Javi. He’d been right not to trust Bill.

You shut your eyes tightly. You wonder if Javi should even trust you, given your most recent assignment.

“Please don’t,” you whisper, not knowing how to put your many worries into words, and Javi must read your conflicted mood, because he lets the subject drop. He huffs, his attention falling back to the open file on his desk, his long fingers working little tapping patterns into its intricate woodgrain.

You follow his gaze, noticing that he’s been pouring over the same photograph that Bill had shown you in the white room. Feo’s ugly mug leers back at you, a knowing, secretive smirk playing at his upturned lips, like he’s mocking you, the motherfucker.

A flood of emotions swamp you. You’ve watched Javi squinting down at this same photo for days, his mind spinning as he attempts to tease out connections, completely stumped as to how this unassuming, ugly man fits into the bigger picture of Pablo Escobar and his sicarios.

And now you know, but there’s not a damn thing you can say about it. Bill’s going to be watching you. Hell, he’d admitted as much today. Verbatim. If he thinks that his little spy is sharing classified CIA intel with her DEA boyfriend…

Well, honestly, you’re not sure what would happen. You just know that it would be bad news for you, and probably even worse for Javi.

You release a deep, broken sigh, exhaling though your nose. You wonder how you’re going to balance it all, working for Bill without betraying Javi.

Well, you absolutely refuse to do that. Fuck Bill Stechner for even asking.

But now, watching Javi huddled over his messy desk, squinting in the dim light because he refuses to wear his fucking glasses, frazzled and careworn and a little cranky, something pulls at your chest.

Refusing to share this intel feels a lot like a betrayal already, and suddenly, you’re desperate to confess it all to him, to crawl into Javi’s lap and spill your guts and cry and beg for his forgiveness for blowing off his concerns about Stechner, for even entertaining the thought of withholding information from him.

Just as you feel like you’re ready to burst, Javi sighs deeply, flopping the file shut. He grinds out his cigarette and turns to glance at you, his eyes dark with need.

Your breath catches.

Then, without a word, Javi pitches forward to rest his head against your thigh. He nuzzles there for a moment, and you find yourself carding your fingers through his hair, helpless against the temptation to touch him, comfort him.

“I’m sorry,” he murmurs after a long moment.

“Shh,” you whisper. Guilt gnaws at you. You’re the one who should be sorry.

But Javi huffs a hot little breath against your leg, and you brush aside all thoughts of who should trust who, of loyalty and ethics and treason and chain of command. Right now, your entire universe is resting his head in your lap, and you’re determined to enjoy this moment, fallout be damned.

“Baby,” he murmurs into the rough denim of your jeans, and your heart flutters. You bring your opposite hand to rest at the back of his neck, savoring the softness of his skin there, winding your fingers through the curls that brush against his collar.

Javi shudders at your touch, and you remember belatedly that you’re stroking at his number one erogenous zone, teasing him mercilessly without meaning him to.

Reluctantly, you pull away, resting your palm at the slope of his shoulder instead. “Whoops.”

Javi snorts, craning his neck just enough to arch his only visible eyebrow in your direction. The rest of his face is squished into your thigh.

It’s fucking adorable, and it reminds you all over again how little you deserve him, this precious, perfect man.

“What’s wrong?” Javi asks, like he’s sensed the direction of your thoughts. He twists further to frown up at you. One hand comes up to rest at the juncture of your hip, his thumb pressing deeply into your skin.

It’s a comfort.

“Nothing,” you mutter, because you can hardly say ‘everything.’ You busy yourself with working little circles at the base of Javi’s ear, hoping it’s enough to distract him from his line of questioning.

It’s not. Javier Peña has a mind like a steel trap, and he notices everything. “Bull,” he breathes, shutting his eyes despite his best efforts. “You’re worried ‘bout something.”

God, he looks wrecked.

“I just…” You struggle for the right words to to offer him, come up empty. “God, I hate this.”

That one dark eyes flutters open again, soft with concern.

“I miss you,” you blurt before he can dig any further. And oh, god, that’s not a lie. You miss Javi so much it fucking burns, even with him nuzzled right here in your lap.

Javi draws a deep breath, rolling over to expose the entire left side of his face. His opposite arm comes up to wrap around your waist so that he’s almost hugging you, his fingers digging gently into your flank. “What time is your shift over, baby?” he mumbles, his one visible eye glinting, nearly feverish with need.

“Mmm,” you hum, your pulse hammering away in response to the how he’s looking at you. “I can probably be home by eight,” you say sadly.

And really, that’s pushing it. It all depends on what you hear over the frequencies, and how quickly you can vet it. Anybody’s guess at this point in the game.

Javi blusters a deep sigh that prickles hotly at your inner thigh. “Dammit,” he groans, clenching his eyes shut in frustration.

“What’s your morning like?” In the craziness of the past few days, you’ve completely forgotten his schedule.

“Early,” Javi mutters darkly. He doesn’t look at you.

“Fuck.”

“Hardly,” he pouts against your jeans.

And god, you can’t blame him. Resentment wells hot in you. You just want a break, dammit, just a single fucking day to spend with the man you love.

Is that so much to ask?

Suddenly desperate for more contact, you bend down to drop a gentle kiss at his temple.

Javi inhales sharply as your lips meet his skin, and you lay there like that, contorting over him in a way that makes your sides ache and probably displays half of your bare back to anybody who happens to walk past the glass walls of the DEA office right now.

You don’t fucking care. You need this.

“Can I meet you for lunch tomorrow?” you ask as you finally pull away. You haven’t bothered glancing at your watch, but instinct is telling you that you’re already running late for your shift, and your back is killing you.

Javi sits up, slumping against his office chair with his legs splayed sideways. He’s all wild hair and furrowed brow, and if you weren’t at work, you’d be tempted to crawl into his lap and kiss that contemplative look right off his face.

“That might work,” he says slowly, licking his upper lip a little in that way that means he’s thinking hard. Something coils deep in your belly, and you have to shake your thoughts away from those lips and that tongue, and what all they’re capable of.

Javi cocks a brow at you, tilting his head a little. “What are you thinking?”

Fuck it, it’s late. You slide off his desk, planting yourself in his lap with your legs spread across his, grinding subtly against his thighs. His belt buckle digs into your belly, but you don’t give a shit. You tilt his face to yours, reveling for half a second in his confused, awestruck expression before you plant your lips on his for a deep, gentle kiss. Javi moans a little at the contact, plaint and responsive against your advances, his hands coming to graze at your back reverently.

“I was thinking I’d ride,” you whisper against the stubble at his lower jaw just as you lean in to suck at it.

Javi twitches against you, a tiny jolt of his hips, like he’s tempted to take you right here in his rickety office chair, damn the glass walls.

“I need to see your face,” you continue, pulling his hands up to rest at your ribs as you rock gently against him, a subtle preview of tomorrow’s menu.

Javi shudders beautifully beneath you. “What, this ol’ thing?’ he teases, nuzzling against your breastbone. You can tell that he’s pleased by the thought.

“This pretty thing,” you correct, working your way back to his lips.

Javi bites back a groan as you kiss him. “Was asking about food,” he murmurs against your mouth. “But this is better.”

“Don’t worry about food,” you say, falling forward to nuzzle against his neck. “I’ll take care of it. And it will be perfect.”

Javi snorts. “Better be takeout, then.” He gathers you against his body with strong arms, cradling you close. You breathe him in, reveling in the distant smell of coffee and stale cigarette, all mixed in with a hint of musky sweat and something smoky and dark that is uniquely Javier Peña.

“God, baby, I’m looking forward to it,” he confesses against the hollow of your throat, and you throw your head back, shut your eyes and let him ravage you there, just for a moment.

Javi pulls away far too soon, and you shudder at the loss of him, your body damn near trembling with need.

He rolls back in his chair, glancing up at you with an apology in his eyes. “It’s eight oh five,” he tells you somberly, and you wince, disentangling yourself from him, stumbling out of his chair and straightening your shirt and threading your fingers through your wild hair in an effort to smooth it down.

“How do I look?” you ask after a moment, backing up enough to give him the full effect of you.

Javi’s eyes are burning as he takes you in, damn near shimmering with want and exhaustion and pent up emotion, and you curse Bill Stechner once again for butting his big nose into your relationship, for complicating things that should be so fucking simple.

“Perfect,” Javi says lowly, his lips pursed into a thin line, his eyes glittering with some thought that you can’t name. “Fucking perfect.”

Something wrenches in your chest, and you catch your breath, feeling tears prickle at your eyes. You suck them down, frustrated at how often life in Colombia seems to draw your emotions to the forefront.

Nobody needs that.

You lean forward, unable to resist dropping one last, chaste kiss to Javi’s forehead. “Go to bed, Javi,” you whisper against his skin. You pull away, a gentle, teasing smile spreading across your face. “Seriously, baby. It’s just getting stupid now.”

You wink at him, and Javi huffs a little laugh. “Get out of here, Ears,” he grouses, waving a lazy hand at you, but his smile is gentle and soft, and you know that he’s recognized the reference for what it is.

Feeling lighter than you have in days, you shoot him one last cheeky wave. Javi blows a little kiss at you in response, and your heart stutters at the gesture.

God, he’s such a sap.

You damn near dance to the Centra Spike office, slipping into your headphones a full ten minutes later than you really should. Nobody bats an eyelash, though, and you busy yourself with the normal nightshift bullshit, sipping your coffee and switching to the proper frequencies, the promise of tomorrow glowing in your heart.

♠

notes/confessions:

I struggled so hard with this. I still don’t love it, but I’m sick of looking at it, so here ya go. Enjoy.

Okay, I know I have thrown some massive plot things at you this week. I know it’s complicated, and I know it’s a lot. Feel free to ask me questions. I’ve tried to make things as clear as possible, but I’m only human, Narcos is complicated af anyway, and Better Love is even worse, probably.

Look for updates to slow back down again, because a) I actually do have a job, and b) we’re getting close to the point where I’m going to have to start posting If I Fall, and I want to have my chapters outlined a little better and maybe even a few deep before I do that. Look for a few little fluffy one-shots scattered between then and now, but guys... for the most part, the pieces are in place, and we are in the home stretch - of the setup, that is.

Holy fucking shit.

Tags: @jedi-mando, @perropascal, @hotspacepilots, @mostly-megan, @starlight-starwrites, @thirstworldproblemss, @knittingqueen13, @yespolkadotkitty, @lv7867, @pascalisthepunkest, @sarahjkl82-blog, @corrupt-fvcker, @artsymaddie, @leonieb, @justanotherblonde23, @princess-and-pedro

Javier Peña tags: @magpie-to-the-morning, @tiffdawg, @danniburgh, @1800-fight-me, @mandoandgrogu, @hybrid-in-progress, @va-guardianhathaway, @speakerforthedead0, @feminist-violinist, @herefortheart, @dontmindifidontt, @blo0dangel

#Javier Peña #Javier Peña x reader #pedro pascal #narcos #narcos fanfic #Javier Peña fanfic #pedro fandom #pedro fanfic #reader insert #fluff #narcos netflix #narcos fanfiction #Javier Peña fanfiction #Javier Peña imagine #better love #fanfic #fanfiction #pedro pascal fandom

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angstyaches · 4 years ago

Note

Ooooh you have a delicious writing style- it's so descriptive! I'm afraid I'm quite new so don't know your characters much yet, but if this scenario could fit I bet you'd write it amazingly! Perhaps Character A is down on their luck, longterm or short-term wise, and is walking through town, having not eaten since the morning prior. Suddenly a store window catches their eye, displaying all sorts of amazing baked goods or meat cuts, and they can't help but stare while their hunger pains have them wincing openly. Character B notices them staring before Character A even realises what they're doing.

Agh, what a beautiful prompt. I think this is actually the first hunger fic I've written on request, so thank you, anon! I hope it’s okay that I used fancy pizza; I really wanted to use Payton for this and pizza is one of the few foods they would genuinely go weak over.

Pre-Payton and Autumn Getting Together

CW: hunger, hunger pangs, stomach noises, mentions of character unable to afford (decent) food, stress, overwork (it's Payton, what did we expect?), food mention

___

Payton sighed as they felt the drizzle start to fall around them. They stepped under a deserted bus shelter and stared out, wondering if the rain was going to get worse before it cleared up.

It was a fitting end to the day – or rather, the week – they’d been having. They couldn’t wait to get home and take off the stifling shirt they’d worn to a job interview that morning and then worn all the way through their shift at the café. They just wanted soft clothes and their bed and maybe a podcast to fall asleep to.

It all seemed so far away still, their energy sapping by the second and leaving them stranded five minutes away from the tram stop. Their feet stopped moving, rooting them to the pale grey concrete.

A gorgeous smell turned their head. Frantic interview prep, snooty employers, and stuffy clothes all faded from Payton’s mind. They were stopped across the street from the city’s most expensive food store. Built into a complex from the late 1800s, it was the kind of place where a sandwich cost €12. The kind of place that sold imported goods and “foodstuffs”.

An elaborate window was positioned behind the delicatessen section of the shop, where a chef was artfully piecing together a pizza on top of a copper paddle while another sat in a brick oven. The smell of the crisping dough must have been piped out deliberately onto the street, to entice those with money to burn, and to tease those without.

Payton fell into the latter category lately. With all the time they’d been spending on interview prep and assignments, they’d been taking shorter shifts at the café. Rent was going to clean them out this month. Today’s shift hadn’t even been long enough to warrant a full lunch break; they’d only taken fifteen minutes, and had spent thirteen of them taking a nap at the break room table.

Only now did they feel the twists of hunger in their stomach, the shakiness in their legs. Payton didn’t even realise that they had edged closer to the bus stop so they could sit down on the bench, one hand resting on their belly. Their stomach hurt, and it really was no wonder when they thought about it.

The last thing they’d eaten had been a bowl of cereal at seven a.m., the same cereal they were planning to have for dinner when they got home.

Payton’s stomach groaned unhappily at the prospect, and Payton groaned too; I’m right there with you, they thought miserably, rubbing at their stomach and continuing to watch the pizza chef through the window.

They didn’t know how long they grimaced and gazed across the street before they were interrupted.

“Payton? Hi!”

Payton jumped, head snapping up to see who’d said their name, and their heart skipped a beat.

A navy polka-dot umbrella sat over her shoulder. She was wearing tight leggings and an oversized sweater, her shoulder-length hair thrown into a lazy side-bun. She was wearing no makeup and looked a little sweaty, like she was heading home from the gym or dance practice.

She was a sight to behold, as always, even as she fumbled with her umbrella.

“H-hey,” Payton stammered, stumbling to their feet and trying to appear as though they weren’t so light-headed they were seeing stars.

Autumn glanced across the street, her eyes lingering there for a moment. “Uh, you don’t take this bus, do you?”

“I – no,” Payton admitted, glancing at the timetable and list of stops. “I was just sitting. Long day. Spaced out a bit.”

“Yeah, I could see that,” Autumn said, glancing across the street again. She let out a little laugh, though she seemed to consider holding it in for a moment. “I thought you were going to start drooling.”

“What?”

“The fancy pizzas.”

Payton’s heart dropped. Their face was feeling hot under their bangs. “Oh, I, uh, I didn’t even realise I was… staring.”

“Don’t be embarrassed! I watch them all the time when I’m waiting for the bus,” Autumn laughed.

Payton still blushed deeply, since they’d had no reason to sit down at the bus stop except to stare through the shop window. They were suddenly hyper-aware of their hand resting on their belly. They felt their stomach quiver under their palm, a low growl working its way through.

“You doing okay?” Autumn sat down on the bench, nodding for Payton to join her. She didn’t seem to hear the complaint from Payton’s belly. “Feels like forever since we last talked.”

“Y-yeah, sure does,” Payton half-laughed. Their shaky legs and dizzy head were thankful for the relief as they sank back down, leaving what they hoped was a healthy number of inches between the two of them. “I’ve been, um… I’m okay? I think. And – and you?”

“I’m actually… I’m great,” Autumn grinned, tucking some hair behind her ear. “I, um, I just found out today that I’m going to be Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors.”

“Are you serious?” Payton smiled, their mood genuinely lifting a bit at the sight of Autumn’s proud, shy little smile.

They often envied her for her absolute passion for musicals and acting, since they were failing so spectacularly at finding their place in the film world, but right then Payton was happy just knowing she was happy.

“Yeah! I still can’t really believe it.”

“I can.” Payton extended a long arm to pull Autumn towards them. “You’re brilliant.”

“Agh – ew, P, you don’t want to hug me!” she laughed, pulling her shoulders up tightly. “I’m all sweaty and damp!”

“I don’t care!” Payton wrapped their arms around her and pulled her close, so that their cheeks were just inches apart. “Your news deserves a hug.”

Autumn gave a deep, happy sigh as she leaned into the hug, probably unaware of the fact that the contact was setting Payton’s heart racing. It almost felt selfish, holding her like this when they were clearly getting more out of it than she was. They went to remove their arms from her, their chest fluttering as she buried her face deeper in their shoulder and kept her arms firmly around their waist.

It was lovely.

And yet, for the first time in a while, Payton felt a pang of loneliness, their core aching with the knowledge that they couldn’t hold her like this all the time. Deep in their bones, Payton wanted to kiss her hair, tickle her sides, and whisper happy little declarations of affection in her ear.

They didn’t whisper anything to her, though. They didn’t say anything as they held her. But their empty stomach was still twisting itself into shapes, and it clearly didn’t get the memo on holding Autumn quietly. A sharp growl had Payton wincing and trying to clear their throat (to cover up the noise) all in the same breath.

“Whoa, is that your stomach?” Autumn asked, lifting her head from Payton’s shoulder.

Payton’s body stiffened. “It… might be.”

“Are you okay? You must be starving.”

“I’m… Yeah.” Payton swallowed hard, letting a hand rest on their belly again.

Autumn moved back to give them some space. She was staring like she expected an explanation, eyes wide and eyebrows furrowed. Payton’s stomach rumbled under their hand again, bringing a twist of pain, and they didn’t know if they wanted to laugh or to cry.

“I guess I haven’t been taking care of myself too well.” They flinched again at the crack in their own voice.

Lifting her umbrella from where it had been resting against her leg, Autumn got to her feet. “Come on.”

Payton looked up at her, blinking behind their bangs. Exhaustion weighted them to the bench. “Come on where?”

A little hum escaped Autumn’s throat as she jerked her head. Her umbrella popped open and she stepped out of the bus shelter. The rain pattered against the fabric, a little heavier than it had been before.

“We’re gonna go eat pizza. Not – not there,” she clarified, gesturing towards the expensive deli. “I was thinking top floor of the Greene Centre. They sell by the slice and it’s super cheap.”

Payton swallowed again, guilt piling itself on top of the embarrassment. They felt as though they’d somehow coerced Autumn into offering to buy dinner, and the thought made them physically shudder. They got to their feet and moved a little closer to Autumn so she could hear them.

“I probably still can’t afford it,” they mumbled, staring at the ground.

“It’ll be my treat today, okay? You can pay me back by letting me ramble about my show.”

Payton gave her a shaky smile. “Are you sure?”

“Hundred percent.” That shy smile crossed Autumn’s face again. “It’s gonna sound weird, but when I found out I got the part… You were the first person I wanted to tell, Payton.”

“I... Really?” As they chewed their lip, a deep rumble came from Payton’s tummy. They frowned and folded their arms around it, noticing how Autumn's gaze drifted towards it too.

"Come on, I can't listen to your poor belly complain anymore." She lifted her umbrella a little higher with one hand – Payton was a few inches taller than her – and stuck out her elbow for Payton to link their arm through hers. “Shall we go?”

#hunger #hunger fic #OC hunger #stomach ache #stomach ache fic #hunger kink #belly kink #stomach kink #OC fic #stomach noises #Lucyverse #Lucyverse Payton #Lucyverse Autumn #fic #fic length

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latte-fairytaekwoon · 4 years ago

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𝓣𝓱𝓮 𝓓𝓲𝓪𝓻𝔂 𝓞𝓯 𝓙𝓪𝓷𝓮 (𝓨𝓪𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓻𝓮!𝓚𝓪𝓷𝓰 𝓨𝓮𝓸𝓼𝓪𝓷𝓰) 𝓡𝓪𝓽𝓮𝓭

𝑃𝑎𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔: 𝑌𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑒! 𝐾𝑎𝑛𝑔 𝑌𝑒𝑜𝑠𝑎𝑛𝑔 (𝐴𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑧)/ 𝐴𝑐𝑡𝑟𝑒𝑠𝑠! 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟 (𝐹𝑒𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑒)

𝐺𝑒𝑛𝑟𝑒: 𝐴𝑛𝑔𝑠𝑡, 𝐹𝑙𝑢𝑓𝑓, 𝑆𝑚𝑢𝑡, 𝐻𝑜𝑟𝑟𝑜𝑟/𝑃𝑠𝑦𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑙𝑜𝑔𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙 𝑇ℎ𝑟𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑟, 1930'𝑠 𝐸𝑟𝑎.

𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑑 𝐶𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡: 4.3𝐾

𝑊𝑎𝑟𝑛𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠: 𝑌𝑎𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑏𝑒ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑜𝑟 𝑠𝑢𝑐ℎ 𝑎𝑠 𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑙𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑜𝑏𝑠𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑜𝑛, 𝑠𝑒𝑥𝑢𝑎𝑙 𝑓𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑠𝑖𝑒𝑠, 𝑝𝑠𝑦𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑖𝑠, 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑖𝑎, 𝑔𝑜𝑟𝑒/𝑏𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑑𝑦 𝑠𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑠, 𝑠𝑢𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑑𝑒, 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ, 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑠 𝑟𝑒𝑓𝑒𝑟𝑟𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑎𝑠 '𝐽𝑎𝑛𝑒'.

𝑇𝑎𝑔 𝐿𝑖𝑠𝑡: @hanatiny @yunhofingers @multidreams-and-desires @aixy-hpsa

"𝐴𝑠 𝐼 𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑛 𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑝𝑎𝑔𝑒, 𝐴𝑠 𝐼 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑤𝑎𝑦, 𝐼 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑡𝑟𝑦 𝑡𝑜 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑚𝑦 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒, 𝐼𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝐽𝑎𝑛𝑒..."- 𝐵𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝐵𝑒𝑛𝑗𝑎𝑚𝑖𝑛

ೋ❀❀ೋ═══ •• ═══ೋ❀❀ೋ

The dark and eerie dense fog that shrouded around the somber and serene graveyard felt as cold as the lifeless bodies that now layed under the soft brown earth. Sculpted angels, white crucifixes, and even bells served as ornaments for some of the tombstones and burial grounds that were meticulously scattered throughout the cemetery. Underneath shadow of the clouds that darkened the daylight, with only slight slivers of rays from the sun piercing through slight cracks as his guide, the handsome male with skin as pale as death itself and a face that seemed to be sculpted in heaven took slow and heavy steps, ignoring all other distractions around him, including the rustling of leaves, a tiny woodland creature scurrying past him or even the distant noises of the groundskeeper......or body snatchers.

None of that mattered to him, his gaze was only focused on the magnificently sculpted stone that he was now standing in front of. He let out a heavy sigh, tears held back as his hand gently grazed upon the letters that had been beautifully engraved into the hard block.

Jane Bryan~ 1917-1939

Sinking to his knees, he stared at the cold hearted reality that he was now living in, unable to feel anything but a hollow and aching void inside his body as his dearly beloved soulmate had been merciless torn apart from his side, before he ever got the chance to confess his deep love and admiration for her.

Reaching into the inside of his dark grey trenchcoat, he pulled out a crimson red journal, the sides of the pages that had once been white, were now more of a light beige color that had come as a result of time, the once smooth pages now somewhat wrinkled up from the constant use it had been given. He skipped all the meaningless first entries, having already read and re-read them many times in the sanctuary of his and comfort of his home, it wasn't anything that most of the public didn't already know. The motivation and driving force of why she chose her career path in the first place, the struggles and poverty she faced at the beginning, and finally her sudden breakthrough and rise to fame. Although many would argue that had it not been for that, he would have never found out about her and would have never even spared a glance at her.....

But Yeosang knew that was all blasphemous accusations that had absolutely no foundation. From the beginning, probably even before his own birth, he already desired and yearned for her. He was destined to be with her....

But alas, fate was cruel to strip him of his hope and chance at happiness, with nothing more than a few pages to help him endure these past days that were nothing but a torment to him.

Finally, coming to the section that truly mattered, he began recounting all the events and scenes that had elapsed over the past year......

One that ended in tragedy.

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"My lady, these just arrived for you."

Looking at her sharply dressed maid through her vanity mirror, the diva smiled and gesture for her to place them on the dresser next to her. After dismissing her maid, the girl put down the hairbrush that had been thoroughly combing through her [insert color] hair, the locks at the very end slightly turned outward from the previous curling session they had endured the day before. Scanning through the series of letters and gifts her charming and adoring fans had sent to her, a bright smile was plastered on her face, enthusiastic about getting to open them and read their comforting and heartwarming words they had to say for her.

As she came across the last stack, her heart dropped when she felt the familiar feeling of the yellow parchment envelope that she had been so used to receiving by now. As per custom, two rose buds had been carefully tied to it, one pure white and the other crimson red. Her thumb brushed across the seal that had the letters "KY" imprinted on it, waiting to be broken off so she could peer into the nearly poetic phrases of adoration that would often spill out from the page.

Taking a deep breath, and against her better judgment, she broke off the seal and with shaky hands, she held up the paper and began reading it aloud:

"My dearest Jane,

You looked absolutely ethereal in your latest film. As soon as it was released, I was sitting in front of my television, watching in earnest every little detail, every wave of your hands, every step your feet took and every smile you had. Words alone cannot fully describe how incredibly beautiful and mesmerizing you are..........

In short, to this day I still remain your most loyal and greatest admirer.

-KY."

It would have been nothing more to another love letter to her, had the postscript at the bottom of every page not sent shockwaves coursing down her spine.

"P.S, have you considered wearing more light blue? The chiffon blouse and skirt set you wore last week while walking through the gardens looked ethereal on you love."

Her hands dropped the paper, letting it fall directly onto the marble floor. With shaking pupils, her gaze wandered across her room, inspecting every nook and corner, delusion setting in as she felt as though she were being watched by a pair of eyes she could hardly make out. Cautiously standing up, one of her hands wrapped around the yellow silk robe she was wearing, fingers delicately tightening the belt that held it in place. Through dragged out steps, she went to the large and lonely window that looked directly out into the grounds of her enormous house, the many rose bushes and apple trees could still be seen from the moonlight cascading down on it.

As she looked out into the night view, her eyes scanning around for any unusual sightings. She could swear there was somebody moving across the fields, slowly getting closer and closer towards her......she was certain she could make out a slim yet powerful silhouette of an unknown male charging straight at her, hands soon to be pressed against the cold glass....

With a sharp gasp, she quickly drew the long curtains to cover the window, nearly falling backwards onto the floor from how fast she backed away from the window. Through shaky breaths, she quickly pulled back the covers and practically jumped into the mattress of her king sized bed. Tucking herself under the warm embrace of the cotton blankets, she looked over at the lamp by her bedside table. Hesitantly, she reached out to turn it off, but then decided against it. Instead, she opened the drawer in the dresser and pulled out her most trusted and confidential friend, accompanied by its black inked partner. Opening up to the next blank page, she began scribbling down words in an effort to calm her mind and hopefully ease her into a deep slumber.

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The snowy haired male writhed around in his bed, tossing and turning constantly, eyes shut tight with a burning desire to drift off into one of his many dream escapades so he could see his beloved soulmate once again. It was the only thing keeping him sane during the days he had to spend locked up in his home, unable to go wander off into the great estate and spend his day accompanying his beautiful lady as she strolled through her gardens, often attending to the flowers herself because she couldn't trust anyone else to treat them with the tenderness that she meticulously bestowed upon them.

Letting out a pained whimper, he turned his head and coughed slightly into his mouth. His throat was sore, chills running through his body and a tiny trail of mucus sometimes needing to be wiped off his nose, all a result of the the nights he spent outside her window, watching it intensely until the light inside turned off, and even after that, he'd still stay an hour or two more, just in case she was awoken by another one of those terrible nightmares that often frightened and terrorized her, unwilling to let her rest.

He was in agony, he hadn't seen his love in 4 days and it was excruciatingly painful for him not knowing any news about her. Perhaps it was the hours without sleep he had gone through, perhaps his fever was making him get a lucid dream, or perhaps his mind was drifting off in vivid imagination, eyes finally closing......

The cold feeling he had endured was suddenly replaced by a warm body laying next to him, gentle fingers running themselves through his soft hair, earning a groan out of his lips. Opening his eyes, he was blessed by the sight of the most dazzling eyes known to mankind, plump and luscious lips curled into the most breathtaking smile that was aimed for him and only him.

"Jane......my dear Jane..."

One of her fingers pressed against his lips, hushing him quietly.

"I've missed you so much my darling." She admitted, eyes looking sad as her mouth formed into a tiny pout.

Cupping her face, he brought his own face close to hers, his nose nuzzling against hers, foreheads pressed against each other.

"I've missed you too my love."

Unable to hold back any longer, his lips hungrily sought after hers, his body shifting so that he was now hovering above hers. Her hands grasped at his neck, mouth parting to allow his wet muscle entrance inside. Once having been satisfied with that, he moved to her neck, planting wet and desperate kisses across her jaw, down her neck where a chain of purple blotches began to take form like one of the many chokers she was often donning. His hands kneaded at her soft and tender breasts that were covered by her silk nightgown, the pale blue color looking ethereal on her skin. In a rather flimsy manner, his veiny hands pulled the straps off her shoulders and began to remove the article of clothing from her body, the nightgown getting lost somewhere underneath the blankets covering them. He looked backed down as his eyes beheld her in her most beautiful form, completely bare and nude, nothing hidden away from his eyes that were practically ravishing her body already.

Stripping himself out of his own garments, he leaned back down, elbows resting on each side of her head as he sought out her lips once more, faint moans and gasps getting caught in his mouth as he slowly began to enter her, her walls stretching out to accommodate and welcome his thick length into her warm and velvet sanctuary.

"Yeosang..."

He let out a soft groan everytime she mentioned his name, prompting his thrusts to get faster and have her chanting his name over and over like a mantra until she was spilling herself all over his cock, his own sticky release following soon after, leaving them both in a state of bliss and ecstasy.

"I love you so much." His deep and husky voice whispered into her ear.

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Holding up the torn off page, his other hand lit one of the corners with the lighter he had brought with him, watching it slowly become engulfed in flames until it was nothing but nothing but another blackened ruin that now layed on the dirt underneath him, surrounded by many other companions that had been blazed up by the same fate. He let out a sigh and looked back at the tombstone in front of him.

"Why didn't you tell me? Why hide all your pain and suffering from me?........"

He stilled before speaking out the last part.

"And why could I not see it?"

He who watched over her constantly and studied everything about her, how did it never cross his mind that his sweetheart was living in constant fear and agitation from some unknown force that seemed to haunt her inside the walls of her own home? The very place where she was supposed to feel protected and safe? It made absolutely no sense. No matter how many times he read over the last few pages, he could not find one clue or detail alluding to the cause of her phobia.

"The place I once called my haven, has now become my hell, my place of torment. I can't eat, sleep, lounge around nor do any other activities without feeling trapped......I see them....hear them... even as I drift off into the night, the times where I can sleep for at least an hour or two, I can feel their very presence, watching over me. It's truly frightening..........

Where are you? And what do you want from me?"

He cursed himself for not seeing it sooner. Maybe he could have done something to help her, the lord and devil himself knew he'd do anything and go to any lengths for her. He'd live for her, die for her and even kill for her..............

And that was not mere talk, it was the honest truth.....

ೋ❀❀ೋ═══ •• ═══ೋ❀❀ೋ

"Miss Jane, I have drawn your bath and even added a few drops of the lavender scented oil to help you relax."

The old woman gently touched the girl's shoulder, her touch almost motherly like.

"Please miss....you haven't looked well lately...." Her maid was practically begging at this point.

Realizing she was right, the young woman got up from her couch.

"Thank you Grace. I'll be in in a minute." She assured her.

Her maid excused herself, dreading having to leave her alone for a few hours due to having to go out and fetch a few items for dinner. She was particularly apprehensive about leaving the dear girl alone given how fidgety and anxious she had been, her stress making her more and more agitated as the days went by.

Once she heard the front door shut, it seemed to resonate through her ears, realizing she was all alone.....

And yet she wasn't.

Stepping inside her luxurious bathroom, she untied her bathrobe, letting it drop onto the floor. For a moment, she had been refusing to bathe completely bare, uncomfortable at the thought that someone watching her. So she slowly dipped her foot inside, followed by the other, allowing her expensive nightgown to become soaked inside the bathtub. The lavender scent seemed to relax her body slowly as each minute passed. Her eyes started to get drowsy, all those sleepless nights finally getting to her as a deep fatigue took over her body, making her mind shut down immediately...

She woke up with a sudden gasp, eyes flying open. She was still inside her bathtub but for some reason, the water was all gone and she was completely dry, as if she had never taken a small soak inside.

Her home felt off, it was chillier than usual, and a very dark ambient seemed to be surrounding it. Cautiously slipping out of the tub, she walked out into the corridor and headed straight to her bedroom. She was about to go lay down on her bed, but something made her halt her steps and walk back. Turning her head, she looked over at her vanity dresser. Her eyes furrowed in confusion as her mirror no longer had the glass in it, it was nothing but a mere frame with wood where the reflective material should be.

"That's odd..." She thought to herself as her fingers touched the panel.

Reaching inside one of her drawers, she took out her hand held mirror and discovered it had been tampered with in the same manner as her vanity mirror. The glass was also missing.

Feeling a surge of panic at her home being invaded, especially after all the fretting about someone watching her at all hours of the day, she bolted out of her room and began ransacking through every guest room, bathroom and corner, but all the other mirrors in them were completely removed. Running down the stairs, she nearly tripped from how fast she was coming down them. Going towards the front door, she tried opening it, but it was bolted shut, the door handle wouldn't budge. She began to mercilessly pound on it, screaming for help as tears began fall down her face.

She felt a shadowy presence loom over her.....

Not daring to turn around, she started running down the other corridor that would lead her into the living room where she'd usually attend to her guests. Slamming her hands on it, it opened with absolutely no resistance. As she stepped in, she noticed all the missing mirrors were all placed around the room. Walking closer and closer to them, she inhaled sharply as she stood in front of them.....

And her reflection was nowhere to be seen at all.

Her hand came up to touch her cheek, then forehead and other facial features. Her hands traveled down her neck then to her shoulders as she made sure she was definitely there. Her hand reached out to touch the mirror, confusion overwhelming her as she did not understand why there was no reflection of her at all.

"Don't worry, you may not see yourself, but I see you....and you're extremely beautiful."

She whipped her head around, trying to figure out where the voice came from.

"Who..who's there?" She demanded to know.

"Awww my dear little flower, do you not recognize me? After all the letters I sent you? I am after all your most loyal and greatest admirer."

Hearing those words sent her into a frenzy, nearly knocking down one of the mirrors when she stepped back so abruptly.

"Still don't know? Let me remind you..."

From out of the corner of her eye, she thought she caught sight of some figure moving through the room, reflected only by the mirror beside her.

"So nice of you to help the injured bunny that was in the garden, you truly are a kind hearted soul."

Her heart dropped as she recalled those words from a letter she had received months ago.

"Remember the necklace you were so sad to have lost while out in the gardens? I found it and am returning it to you."

Her body swiftly turned as she felt a gusty of wind past behind her, but there was nothing except the same mirror with both reflection of her, but instead a hand holding up the lost item that had been sent back to her along with the same two roses that were always sent.

"Is your wrist better now? I saw you pricked it while attending to your rose bush."

She let out a yelp when she felt something scratched along her skin. Looking down, she trembled as she saw blood pouring out from her wrist, much like the time she had accidentally cut herself, only this time the wound was deeper and the liquid pouring out was not red but instead a black color that had her turning pale.

"Stop! Leave me alone!" She cried out, making way back towards the door only to find that it wasn't there anymore, she was trapped inside that room of mirrors that still reflected nothing of her figure, but had a shadow silhouette pass through them from time to time.

"Remember when you actually wrote back to me? I still have the letter, your handwriting was so delicate, I could faintly smell the scent of that perfume you always wear."

"Shut up!" She begged the voice, feeling frantic as she began pushing over all the mirrors, letting them smash to pieces on the floor.

"You wrote 'please let it be the last time you write to me such contents.'......I couldn't imagine it, you actually wrote to me! To me, directly from you! The very first love letter you replied to me!" The voice let out a tiny giggle.

"Well then let this be the last reply! I hate you!" She declared.

There was silence for a brief moment, then the voice let out a tiny chuckle.

"Honestly? I don't mind if you say this love is the last time-"

"There's a fine line between love and hate, don't you get it?!" She cut them off, before her hands reached above her head, clutching her ears as she didn't want to hear anymore.

"As I said....I don't mind....I like that." They seemed to taunt her, their voice dangerously close to her now.

Whimpering in fear, she shut her eyes tightly, hoping to wake up out of the nightmare she was living.

"So now I'll ask....do you like that?" She felt someone's breath right on her skin.

"No!!!!"

Yelling as loud as she could, she punched her fists into the mirror in front of her, slicing more cuts into her skin as she shattered the glass in front of her, but not completely ruining it. Wheezing harshly, she looked up and saw a reflection in the mirror, but it wasn't her own.........

It was someone else's figure behind her, face as ethereal as an angel, but his eyes looked void of any emotions. Lips curling into a slight smile, she gasped as he wrapped a hand around her neck.

"I like that."

Before she knew it, a cold blade was swiftly dragged across her throat, slicing it open with blood splattering all over the mirror and onto the floor underneath her. She could no longer feel anything, her breath being taken right out of her....

The man's eyes were the last image she ever saw....

ೋ❀❀ೋ═══ •• ═══ೋ❀❀ೋ

Not being able to take it anymore, Yeosang managed to pry the window lock open. He was thankful that it was spacious enough to allow him to easily crawl inside. Landing with a soft thud, he ignored the pain on his right hip as he stood up, carefully looking around hoping to spot his dear beloved somewhere. He had neglected her for far too long, his illness consuming him for nearly a month and he was restless to see her again. Walking through the corridor, he went inside what he discerned to be her bedroom, already familiarized with the outside structure of the house. He did not find her there, but stumbled across a crimson red book that was placed on top of her dresser. Picking it up, he turned to the first page and immediately realized what it was. This was it, her most treasured secrets were now in the palm of his hands. He was about to start skimming through the first pages when he noticed the adjoining room's door was left ajar. Curiosity getting the best of him, he peeked inside and noticed it was a bathroom. He briefly scanned inside, not particularly amazed by anything...

Until his heart dropped when he saw familiar hair and an arm poking out of the bathtub.

He nearly busted the door down from how harsh he pushed it open. Dropping the diary onto the floor, his arms scooped up the frail and colorless body that was submerged inside the now cold water.

"Jane! Jane!"

He desperately called out to her, his hands shaking her rather forcefully, but to no avail. He looked at the woman he was holding with despair, his heart breaking as he realized she wasn't going to wake up anytime soon.

"No.....no my love!"

He cried in earnest as he held onto her lifeless body, unwilling to let go for a long time. His hand caressed her wet hair, lips placing small and gentle kisses across her face. He just couldn't believe that the love of his life was now gone...forever.

Hearing the front door open and her maid calling out, he looked back at his beloved one last time, placing a desperate and longing kiss first and last kiss on her lips.

"I love you.."

He whispered those words before letting go of her. Making sure to not leave the diary behind, he quickly snuck out of the window, carefully landing on the grass beneath him, running out into the woods surrounding her home and waited....

Waited to see what would happen next.

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His brown eyes looked over the newspaper article that was published not long after that horrible day:

"Famous celebrity actress found dead in her own home by her maid. Investigators say victim fell asleep in her bathtub and accidentally drowned. No foul play is suspected."

Tearing the article apart, he threw the ripped shreds onto the ground before picking up the torn pages he had removed from the diary. Burning the last of the pages he didn't want in there, he stood up and looked back at the tombstone in front of him. Placing the diary on top of it, he turned it to the last page and placed one of his favorite photos of her, followed by one of his own.

Finally now, he had a place in her diary.

Closing the diary, he finished by placing a white and a red rose, bound together with a black ribbon on top of it. Stepping back, he fell to his knees in front of the grave, his eyes glassy from the tears he was holding back. With no hesitation, he reached into his pocket and took out the revolver he had brought with him, specifically because he could not live without his Jane any longer.

"If I have to, I will put myself right beside you.."

Holding up the barrel next to head, he kept a calm and collected stare as his eyes never left the name engraved on the stone.

"Would you like that?"

Saying those final words, his finger pulled on the trigger..........

ೋ❀❀ೋ═══ •• ═══ೋ❀❀ೋ

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becomewings · 4 years ago

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The Most Beautiful Moment in Life <I’M FINE>

BTS Universe Story Highlights, pt. 4 / 4

« pt. 3 | start at the beginning

Introduction

The final sections for TaeHyung’s arc and the Epilogue are 4.3k and 4.4k, respectively. As with earlier parts of the series, I have included “tl;dr commentary” at the bottom of the post after a section of additional thoughts (specifically devoted to an interesting MV location parallel!). This commentary summarizes the parenthetical asides I made throughout the summaries and may be of interest as standalone reading to those who have already played the game yet would like to review its connections to the BU texts and MVs.

Content warning: contains references to death, suicide, suicidal ideation, child abuse, domestic violence, blood, homicide, depression, trauma, PTSD

This guide contains major spoilers and includes references to other BU media

Do not repost, copy, or quote without permission

Heart’s Distance

TaeHyung’s story opens with a short cutscene. In his apartment (with the calendar on the wall open to May), TaeHyung smiles at a photo of his father holding him as a baby. (The image looks similar to the photograph he holds at 1’48” in the HYYH On Stage: Prologue short film.) Remembering his father’s drinking and violence, he crumples the photo with a sigh. SeokJin then narrates over a series of shots explaining the latest developments in the loops. By this 15 May Year 22, he has saved NamJoon, ensured that JungKook and YoonGi saved each other, prevented HoSeok’s accident in the hospital, and borrowed everyone’s help to free JiMin. Everyone is gathered outside NamJoon’s container that night, smiling and giddy from saving JiMin. “How long has it been since we’ve all laughed together?” SeokJin asks. (This is a reference to the recurring phrase “we can laugh when we’re together” present throughout the Notes and occasionally this game.) He wants to relax and enjoy the moment too but knows this isn’t over yet. TaeHyung is laughing radiantly next to JiMin. “What drives this happy and innocent TaeHyung to commit such an unspeakable act?” he wonders.

SeokJin’s reflections on the coming days in previous loops present the crux of his challenge and this story: on 19 May, TaeHyung is arrested for vandalism while painting graffiti on the streets. (The bus stop depicted in the shot is the same as the one in Highlight Reel.) One thing SeokJin has learned through the loops is that TaeHyung and his sister live under the constant threat of domestic violence. On 20 May, TaeHyung goes home after spending the night at the police station. The situation gets especially bad for his older sister, and TaeHyung makes a choice that he can’t take back. (In the shot in the game, TaeHyung approaches his father from behind and the sound of glass occurs on a cut to black. We know from the I Need U MV and Save Me webtoon that he fatally stabs his father.) SeokJin’s inner thoughts relate that he has tried to stop this event by preventing TaeHyung from going home this day or even involving NamJoon—but all of his attempts have ended in failure.

While SeokJin is mulling over this challenge during their gathering on the night of 15 May, HoSeok approaches and asks what he’s thinking about by himself. “Oh, nothing much,” SeokJin dismisses. HoSeok remarks that it’s nice to be there with everyone. “It makes me think of the old days…” While HoSeok happily chats, SeokJin’s attention stays on TaeHyung as he approaches NamJoon. The player is given the choice to “get closer to eavesdrop” or “listen to what HoSeok has to say.” In the first path, SeokJin excuses himself to make a phone call and only pretends to pick up the phone as he nears TaeHyung and NamJoon. In the second path, HoSeok jokes about eating too many snacks in high school thanks to SeokJin. SeokJin is a little distracted, but HoSeok notices that TaeHyung has snacks. “Huh? What’s that? I want some too!” SeokJin uses this opportunity to follow HoSeok and join their two friends. The paths converge with SeokJin overhearing TaeHyung and NamJoon’s conversation. TaeHyung says he doesn’t want to go home and asks if he can spend the night at the container. SeokJin remembers that TaeHyung often mentioned not wanting to go home in high school. Back then, they thought it was because he enjoyed being with the group, but now SeokJin knows that he was probably avoiding his father. He wonders why TaeHyung insists on going home on the 20th since he hates it there so much. Maybe learning the reason will be the key to stopping—and saving—TaeHyung. “Do whatever you want. You can sleep over,” NamJoon replies. TaeHyung brightens visibly at this answer. “Do you want to stay up doing something? We can play a card game, or…” HoSeok chimes in too that it sounds like a fun idea, but NamJoon says he has work tomorrow and can’t stay up late. “Let’s play until I have to go to bed.” TaeHyung’s phone vibrates. His face is already grim when he peers at it. “Actually, I think I have to go home.” Surprised, NamJoon asks why, but TaeHyung leaves without answering.

SeokJin leaves the gathering and follows TaeHyung, shadowing him carefully to avoid detection. He wonders what was in the text that changed TaeHyung’s mind and notices that they’re heading in the opposite direction of his home. After purchasing snacks at a nearby store, TaeHyung stands at a bus stop. SeokJin wonders if he’s waiting for someone since he lets several buses pass by. Eventually, a disembarking figure approaches TaeHyung. SeokJin recognizes her as Kim Eunhye, TaeHyung’s older sister. She asks why he is waiting for her since he said he’d be home late. “I was about to head in, so I thought I’d wait for you,” TaeHyung replies. “You should’ve gone ahead. Dad probably hasn’t had dinner yet…” she trails off. TaeHyung says he ordered delivery to the house for their dad. “Did you eat yet? Here.” He hands her a hot dog. SeokJin follows at a distance when they begin walking home. “Do you think dad will be drinking?” Eunhye wonders. “Is that even a question?” TaeHyung returns. They go back and forth about how he has been drinking less these days, goes to work every day, and doesn’t get as angry. “I hope things stay like this,” Eunhye finishes. “...It won’t last,” says TaeHyung. From his sigh, SeokJin senses how little TaeHyung trusts his father. He is surprised to hear that his father goes to work every day. In previous loops, he wondered if the cause for TaeHyung’s accident was an external force and went to observe his father’s workplace, but the man was not at the construction site and apparently hadn’t shown up for several days.

“I better check it out,” SeokJin decides. He calls Uncle JunHo, his father’s assistant, to ask for a favor. The two meet later in SeokJin’s bedroom. “You wanted to go on-site for practical training, right? This is the form you need,” says JunHo. He dismisses SeokJin’s thanks. “The Assemblyman seemed to be interested, too. He said he’ll be keeping an eye on things.” “Father said that?” SeokJin checks. “Make sure to use this opportunity to take a thorough look around. It’ll all be helpful to you later,” JunHo advises. (It’s helpful to know that Kim ChangJun is involved in some shady business with a construction company—this is revealed in The Notes 2.)

On 17 May, SeokJin visits the construction site. The foreman tells him that they’re busy and won’t have time to pay any special attention to him. SeokJin is glad for the lack of watchful eyes because it gives him the opportunity to observe TaeHyung’s father, Kim SungHoon. He is working silently, and SeokJin can’t see anything wrong on the surface. “Why does he get so violent at home?” he wonders. The foreman has apparently been watching too and yells at him. “Oi, you! Why aren’t you working?” Kim SungHoon points out that there isn’t any scaffolding. The foreman orders him to use a ladder instead. “You can’t get any work done being all careful.” Kim SungHoon tries to protest, but the foreman won’t hear it. “Are you going to pay for it if the schedule gets delayed, Mr. Kim? Hurry it up!” A look appears on Kim SungHoon’s face as though he’s been wronged, but he uses the ladder to begin working. SeokJin’s concern must be visible, for the foreman makes conversation with him. “Ahem. Don’t get the wrong idea. You might not be well aware of it yet, but it’s hard to always follow the rules on site. We can’t stay on schedule if we’re not flexible.” “I see…” murmurs SeokJin.

Another laborer shouts, drawing their attention: Kim SungHoon has fallen from the ladder and lies groaning on the ground. The foreman curses and rushes over, demanding how he could be so careless and shifting the blame to him for not paying attention. With a hurt back, Kim SungHoon cannot continue working. Trying to downplay the accident, the foreman gives him a few bills and advises him to stop by the hospital. TaeHyung’s father seems to have something to say, but he withers under the foreman’s stare and accepts the money in resignation. The foreman then assures SeokJin that this happens occasionally on a rough worksite and hands him money too. “You’ve worked hard, so here’s a little something for you to get a nice snack. Forget about everything that happened today. You know what I mean, right?” His brazen, selfish attitude angers SeokJin, but he smiles and leaves to follow Kim SungHoon. He is shocked to witness TaeHyung’s father purchase alcohol at a convenience store rather than go to a hospital. Worried about what will happen if he drinks while injured, SeokJin tries to call TaeHyung, but he doesn’t pick up. The episode ends with a small scene of TaeHyung finishing graffiti on a wall. He doesn’t know why he painted what he did, but the “dumb, ugly-looking graffiti” represents how he feels. He rubs the still-wet paint, yet it doesn’t go away. Picking a new color, TaeHyung sprays over the existing layers like he’s pouring and emptying out all of himself.

On 18 May, TaeHyung deals with his third rude customer of the day at the convenience store. The man demands why he must pay for a bag, even though the law has changed so they can no longer be given freely. TaeHyung either relents and gives him the bag without charge or stands firm. In the first path, he gives in, knowing that he probably won’t restrain his anger if they argue further and that he’ll have to cover the cost with his own paycheck. In the second path, the customer flings the money at him before leaving. TaeHyung clenches his fists and holds in his anger. The paths rejoin with him reflecting that this isn’t a good day. He greets the next customer and realizes that it’s SeokJin. “How come you’ve been stopping by so often these days?” TaeHyung asks while ringing up his bottled coffee. “Huh? Just. I have some things to take care of around here,” SeokJin answers. TaeHyung doesn’t know whether or not to believe him. SeokJin keeps asking how he’s doing, and it makes him a little uncomfortable. Today, SeokJin asks more meaningless questions as always, until: “How’s your father?” TaeHyung can’t stop himself from responding sharply. “Why do you ask about him?” Taken aback, SeokJin stammers, “N-No reason, really. I was just wondering if he was well… Uh… Never mind.”

A rich-looking father and son enter the store, interrupting the awkward silence. The way the father looks after his son and buys him what he wants to eat plunges TaeHyung into memories—he once felt the same as the boy about his own father. He remembers asking his dad who the baby is in the photograph we see at the beginning of the story. Kim SungHoon said it was him. “Don’t you think you look just like dad, TaeHyung?” An incoming phone call shakes TaeHyung out of his memories. The food deliverer informs him that no one is home to accept the order of hangover soup. “Huh? My father should be there…” TaeHyung confirms that the deliverer can leave the food outside the door, but he worries about his dad, who was passed out drunk and groaning in his sleep when he left for work. “SeokJin. I need to run home really quickly. Do you think you can watch the store for me?” TaeHyung leaves as soon as SeokJin gives a startled affirmative. The episode ends in SeokJin’s perspective. He’s curious and concerned about what is going on with TaeHyung, as he couldn’t overhear the phone call. Since leaving the store alone to follow TaeHyung may just create more trouble for him, SeokJin decides to stay put and look for clues.

Arriving home, TaeHyung brings the hangover soup inside and finds his father slouched in the corner. More soju bottles are lying out than when he left this morning. “Your lunch is here.” TaeHyung shakes him when there’s no response. “Wake up and eat.” Kim SungHoon mumbles something unintelligible, so TaeHyung nudges him again. His father shudders and cries out. “You bastard! I’d just gotten comfortable!” “Oh… I just wanted you to eat before the soup gets cold…” says TaeHyung. Kim SungHoon calls him a bastard for not listening. “I just told you to leave that damn thing here!” “Hah… Anyway, eat your lunch.” TaeHyung touches his shoulder again, and his father shoves him away. “The pain is killing me. Get lost, bastard!” TaeHyung yelps. The back of his neck burns from something he hit, but he doesn’t feel the pain over the rage brewing inside him. He can’t stand to look at his father for another second and kicks the door open to rush outside. “But of course. Why did I run over here to make sure that miserable geezer ate something?” he thinks bitterly. TaeHyung’s temper cools as he walks back to the store, and he remembers the pain in his neck. His fingers come away with blood when he touches the spot. He trudges onward, planning to bandage it at work. The memory of the rich father-son duo comes to mind: the man holding his son’s hand so tenderly, and the kid smiling brightly up at him. It makes TaeHyung even more miserable, and he fights to suppress the feelings that threaten to overflow.

Alone in the convenience store, SeokJin feels anxious not knowing when TaeHyung will return but decides to poke around, hoping to learn something like he did when observing NamJoon’s room at the gas station. He either looks through TaeHyung’s backpack or a full box near the register. The box is only a makeshift lost-and-found with customers’ forgotten items. Despite his discomfort at rooting through someone’s belongings, SeokJin finds the crumpled photograph of TaeHyung as a baby with his father in the bag. “He wouldn’t be carrying it around if he truly hated his father. But it wouldn’t be crumpled if he liked him, either. Is it… love and hate?” SeokJin wonders. He also finds a post-it stuck on the counter with a note left by HoSeok: “I packed this for myself but Auntie invited me over for dinner. There are two patties inside. Make sure to enjoy it and write me a full review at least one page long!” SeokJin realizes they’ve spent all this time looking out for each other. He’s glad to see the signs of HoSeok taking care of TaeHyung and TaeHyung being grateful enough to keep the note.

When TaeHyung returns, SeokJin is concerned to see blood from a cut on his neck. “Are you okay, TaeHyung? What happened to your neck?” But TaeHyung avoids looking at him and doesn’t answer, instead putting on a bandage and continuing work. SeokJin ignores a call from Uncle JunHo, deciding it’s more important to look after TaeHyung. “Are you sure you can stay here all day like this, SeokJin? Aren’t there people at home wondering where you are?” TaeHyung speaks up at that moment. SeokJin smiles sheepishly. But with the incident looming ahead on the 20th and no solutions yet to avert it, he has no choice but to stick close to him. After TaeHyung’s shift ends, SeokJin asks what he’s doing now. The red seeping through the bandage worries him. “I’m just… gonna go paint some graffiti,” says TaeHyung. He reluctantly agrees to allow SeokJin to tag along. His phone vibrates before they leave. “Sis? What’s going on? What? The emergency room? Why is Dad there? Hold on. I’ll be right there!” TaeHyung runs out. SeokJin catches up to offer him a ride, which he accepts after a moment’s hesitation.

The perspective switches to TaeHyung when they arrive at the hospital and find his sister waiting with an uneasy expression. She thinks that their father was injured at work. When she tapped him lightly to wake him up for dinner, it caused him a lot of pain. TaeHyung remembers the incident at lunchtime and wonders if he felt like that earlier, too. Eunhye notices SeokJin, and TaeHyung introduces them, noticing that her hand seems to make her uncomfortable. “Did you hurt yourself, sis? What happened to your hand?” “Oh, it’s nothing. I… tripped before we came to the hospital.” TaeHyung knows she’s lying but doesn’t argue. He pretends not to see her injuries, and she pretends not to see the one on his neck—like they always do. Eunhye voices concern about the high bill, which the hospital wants them to pay before discharging their father tomorrow. “The company will take care of it if he was injured at work,” SeokJin assures. TaeHyung finds the construction foreman’s number in his dad’s cell phone and calls him. Reporting the situation, he asks if his father’s injured back can be processed as an industrial accident. The foreman denies that they can help. “How can we cover an accident where Kim SungHoon was drunk on the job and failed to follow safety protocol?” The foreman informs him that he already gave Kim SungHoon money to see a doctor. “There’s nothing else to say, so I’m going to go. And I’m telling you—don’t try to pull anything.” TaeHyung swears when the call ends. Eunhye wonders if the foreman is mistaken because she doesn’t think their father drank that day. TaeHyung purses his lips shut instead of replying, filled with rage at the patronizing foreman and their incompetent father. He hates that he can’t say his dad isn’t the kind of person to drink on the job, and his body shakes with indescribable emotion.

“They won’t cover it as a workplace accident?” SeokJin asks, the perspective shifting to him. He knows the foreman is lying but is unsure how to help TaeHyung and his despairing sister. He could pay the hospital fee himself, but that was counterproductive when he tried it for NamJoon in an earlier loop. Noticing a text from Uncle JunHo asking where he is, SeokJin postpones his decision for later and bids TaeHyung a quick farewell. “I’m sure there’s a way to take care of all of this. Don’t worry too much. Take care of your dad. I’ll be back tomorrow.”

On 19 May, TaeHyung and his sister exit the hospital room with twin sighs. Their father called the foreman back after hearing about the first conversation and let loose, only hanging up when his supervisor agreed to speak in person at the hospital. He also demanded alcohol all night and only recently fell asleep. TaeHyung notices that Eunhye looks exhausted and suggests that they take a nap before the foreman arrives that evening. Later, the foreman arrives with some workers and a box of drinks. TaeHyung stands in the corner, not wanting to butt in since this is his father’s business. The foreman asks how Kim SungHoon is doing, advises him to rest, and then adds, “We’re here to say that you shouldn’t bring up compensation since it’s your fault you were injured.” The foreman accuses him of drinking on the job, and the coworkers Kang and Seo nervously agree. Kim SungHoon argues back about being denied the scaffolding and drops the box of drinks, a “token of their sincerity,” on the floor. While the other works avert their gaze, the foreman looks down on him and clucks his tongue. “You bastard! You call yourself a man?!” Kim SungHoon roars. The foreman bristles. “What? Bastard? Watch your mouth punk!”

Eunhye tries to intervene, pleading for her father to calm down and apologizing on his behalf. The foreman accepts her actions like it’s the obvious thing for her to do. His arrogant attitude reminds TaeHyung of how he probably deals with his underlings. “Sir. My father wasn’t drunk,” he speaks up. The foreman’s arrogant air dissipates. “What are you saying? I have witnesses here.” TaeHyung explains that his dad did not drink that day or the previous one. The foreman scoffs. “Look at this kid. Where’d you learn your manners? He probably drank on the way to work even if he didn’t at home! Who do you think you are, raising your voice like that?” TaeHyung’s hands tremble with rage at the injustice, but he has nothing to retort. Suddenly, SeokJin appears. “I also saw everything. Remember me? I was there on site for practical training that day. I watched him work and he definitely wasn’t drunk.” The foreman grows flustered as SeokJin reveals the truth of the site’s dangerous work process and makes it clear that he coerced Kim SungHoon into not following the correct procedure. He glares between SeokJin and TaeHyung. “I don’t know how you both are putting up this united front… But you think it’s going to change things? We already paid him. It’s a done deal. Understood?” Fuming, the foreman leaves with the other workers in tow. “It’s alright now, TaeHyung.” SeokJin gently taps his shoulder. TaeHyung realizes how tense he has been when he loosens his grip and sees little crescents of his fingernails cut into his palms. (His wounded palms are a recurring motif.)

The perspective shifts to SeokJin while TaeHyung stares blankly at his hands. He decides to come clean about his payment of Kim SungHoon’s hospital bill, since the problem with NamJoon was that he paid it secretly. “You can think of it as borrowing—” “Thanks, SeokJin,” TaeHyung interrupts. “I’ll pay back all of it. Thank you.” SeokJin is a little shocked by his response—it is the first time he’s heard “thank you” from TaeHyung. He hopes that this is the beginning of solving TaeHyung’s problems and bids farewell for the day. Outside the hospital, SeokJin runs into HoSeok, who correctly guesses that he came to visit TaeHyung. “How’d you know?” “I stopped by TaeHyung’s work and didn’t see him, so I called him right away,” HoSeok explains. SeokJin expects him to ask about Kim SungHoon, but instead HoSeok worries about his friend first. “Is TaeHyung alright? He must’ve been so shocked. He cares a lot about his dad…” “TaeHyung does?” SeokJin checks. “Yeah. Even though he says that he doesn’t want to go home all the time, he always makes sure his dad gets a real meal every day. Even if he just eats convenience store snacks himself.” This is new information to SeokJin, who wonders if this is why TaeHyung is determined to go home on the 20th. HoSeok seems more familiar with TaeHyung’s sincerity than anyone else. SeokJin is still braced to explain how he knew about Kim SungHoon’s injury, but HoSeok is more focused on contacting TaeHyung and continues on towards the hospital. Overcome with exhaustion as his tension ebbs, SeokJin trudges home to plan his next move.

Later on 19 May, TaeHyung helps his father walk home after he is discharged from the hospital. He is grateful that SeokJin paid the bill but even more so that he intervened to verify Kim SungHoon’s unjust treatment. “SeokJin might be a better person than I thought.” No words are exchanged as TaeHyung supports his father. His arm is thin, but the weight that presses down on him is burdensome. “It’s the weight of the wheel that I can’t escape. The weight of reality—that I’m always going to be responsible for my father. A person that I wish I could let go, but can’t, and the contradictory feelings of hating my father but wanting to protect him.” In a perspective switch, SeokJin watches at a distance with bated breath. Even though TaeHyung seems accustomed to helping his father walk, Kim SungHoon raises his voice every time he almost falls. SeokJin guesses that TaeHyung is adamant about going home on the 20th because he is worried about his father, who is just out of the hospital, but all he sees is violence against his sister when he arrives. “I’m going to stop it this time, no matter what,” he vows.

On 20 May, SeokJin stands at the bus stop and touches the graffiti for which TaeHyung was arrested the previous night. (It’s the “I’m Fine” message depicted at the same location in the Highlight Reel.) He wonders what TaeHyung felt when he painted it and feels uneasy that he may not be handling this sequence correctly. SeokJin shakes away this premature doubt. There’s one thing that has changed from the previous loop: him. He has protected Kim SungHoon after his injury, paid the hospital bill, and built up enough credibility with TaeHyung to earn his thanks. This time, he reassures himself, his words will get through to his friend. Later, SeokJin follows TaeHyung when he leaves the police station. They walk in silence, but TaeHyung does not push him away or ask why he’s following. “Thanks for walking me here, SeokJin,” he speaks up when they arrive at his house. SeokJin waits a few moments before heading inside after him, entering a familiar situation he has seen far too many times: TaeHyung lunging toward his father, who looms near Eunhye. “TaeHyung! No!” SeokJin dashes to grab his arm. “Let go!” TaeHyung snarls and flails. SeokJin holds tighter, pleading for him to calm down. TaeHyung yells and shoves him away. SeokJin slams into something and falls, pain blooming in his skull. TaeHyung spins around with an expression of shock. The voices calling SeokJin grow fainter, and his vision blurs. “Tae… Hyung…” The glass shatters, marking another failed loop and concluding the story. (This is not the first time TaeHyung has caused SeokJin grave or mortal injury during his intervention: in the Save Me webtoon, he accidentally stabbed SeokJin with the broken bottle instead of his father.)

Nightmare: Epilogue

Throughout the <I’M FINE> series, we have witnessed SeokJin’s trials and failures in the earlier time loops. These experiences culminate in the Epilogue, titled “Nightmare,” as in The Notes 1. This arc spans his efforts to save each of his friends between 11 April and 22 May rather than focusing on one or two characters. SeokJin’s decisions and their consequences here closely follow The Notes 1, so now we have a more detailed picture of his journey between the Save Me webtoon and the first book. The Epilogue fills in some gaps and provides greater depth to these events. For the sake of clearer context, I have still summarized the moments that parallel The Notes 1.

On 11 April Year 22, SeokJin opens his eyes to the familiar bedroom ceiling, the events of the previous loop replaying in his mind. Will he be able to save his friends this time? Uncertainty, horror, and the fresh pain of failure plague him, but he looks at the photo of his friends by the sea. Once, he believed that saving them would be straightforward. But while obsessing over only the problems that he could see, SeokJin lost his way and had to learn from his mistakes. The “signal fires” that helped guide him back were the times spent with his friends, the moments they began to truly understand each other, and the memories he wants to treasure. As he leaves his room, he reflects: “We’re all connected together by a single string, and we’re fated to save one another. And the person to finally put an end to all of this… has to be me.”

In his car, SeokJin encounters a scene at the school crosswalk that he always runs into around this time. He sees a downcast-looking JungKook crossing the street among a group of students. The player is given an option to get out of the car to greet him or pass him by. Regardless of the decision, SeokJin knows that he can’t let his emotions steer his actions. In a previous loop (depicted in JungKook’s arc), he brought JungKook to see the cherry blossoms blooming on the university campus. SeokJin wonders if the JungKook from that loop enjoyed it at least a little. But ultimately, it was just a day and JungKook ended up alone with nothing changed. Not wanting to repeat his past mistakes, SeokJin drives by without stopping.

Later that night, SeokJin pulls into Naeri gas station. NamJoon greets him with a now-familiar look of surprise. “Oh. SeokJin?” “It’s been a while.” SeokJin is determined to make this the last time they repeat this conversation. (As mentioned in part 1, this sequence parallels their moment at the end of the Blood Sweat & Tears Japanese version MV.) As they move to a corner of the station to continue their conversation, the perspective shifts to NamJoon. Something seems a little weird to him, and SeokJin looks like he has a lot to say, but he manages to gloss over it. NamJoon is about to invite him to the meetup with the other guys after work, but his boss yells for him to do his job. An expensive foreign car pulls up to the gas pump, and the customer drops the money on the ground when NamJoon reaches for it. “Ah, butterfingers. What are you doing? Not gonna pick that up?” the man sneers. The player is presented the choice to pick up the money or not. In both paths, NamJoon unconsciously clenches his fists. “You don’t want it?” asks the customer. The paths converge with SeokJin easily picking up the bills and handing them back to the driver. “You dropped this.” Hands shaking, NamJoon is mortified by the situation that caused SeokJin to react, yet his friend continues to stand there between him and the customer. The man demands who he is, but SeokJin advises, “You must be busy… So you should leave.” Out of steam, the customer drives off. NamJoon thanks SeokJin. “It’s nothing. What were you going to tell me earlier?” NamJoon forces his mouth to move. “Ah. I’m meeting up with TaeHyung and HoSeok today after work. Do you want to come with me?”

Back in SeokJin’s perspective, these are the words he’s been waiting for. Nerves dry his mouth, but he tries to speak naturally and inquires about the others. NamJoon doesn’t really keep in touch with them, but offers to call HoSeok, who still talks to YoonGi. SeokJin knows that YoonGi will call JungKook after hearing from HoSeok—this is how he saves JungKook tonight. His phone buzzes with a call from his father. “Oh, I’m sorry… But I need to leave.” NamJoon’s expression reflects disappointment yet understanding. “That’s too bad. Let’s hang out another time.” “Yeah. Tell the guys hello for me.” SeokJin turns back as he arrives at his car. “NamJoon. If we can get everyone together… Let’s all go to the ocean.” NamJoon looks puzzled by the suggestion. “The ocean?” SeokJin smiles in lieu of an explanation.

The third episode begins with JungKook fighting a group of thugs in a covered alley. (The date is unspecified, but this is a continuation of the night of 11 April.) They kick his stomach and spit on the ground as they walk away, a sight that reinvigorates him even though he can barely sit up. He either says something to provoke them or hurls his bag at them. Riled up, they beat him again as he laughs, vision blurring. They’re gone by the time everything comes back into focus. JungKook got what he wanted: he deliberately provoked them, and when he laughed, they called him crazy and hit him harder. He watches a breeze flatten a tuft of grass in the pavement, just like him. JungKook forces himself to laugh again because he’s afraid he may cry. Where does he go now? He feels like a ghost at home: he’s never a priority for his mom, and dealing with his stepfather is a pain. JungKook closes his eyes, hoping that when he opens them, he won’t be here.

The scene that follows appears to be a memory of 7 April, although it is not specified as such and is written in present tense. (This encounter occurs in The Notes 1 as well as episode 4 of JungKook’s story.) While wandering the streets at night, JungKook is drawn by a familiar piano tune to a music shop with broken showroom windows. He sees YoonGi, for the first time in two years, playing within and looking like he will crumble at any moment. JungKook can’t muster up the courage to follow when he leaves and instead sits at the piano. The keys feel cold like no one has touched them. By memory, he stumbles through the song that YoonGi played this night and back in the classroom hideout. YoonGi appears beside him and corrects the notes like he did in their school days.

The story cuts to YoonGi in the present, possibly in the classroom. He ignores his ringing phone partly because of his drunken stupor and partly because he doesn’t want to talk, but he finally relents and answers. HoSeok offers that NamJoon wants to hang out later. “I’m not going,” YoonGi says immediately. “Hey, don’t be like that. SeokJin’s here, too. Do you want to talk to JungKook? I called him earlier, but he didn’t pick up.” HoSeok encourages YoonGi to call instead because JungKook may pick up for him. YoonGi hangs up, thoughts complicated as he remembers a time when he watched JungKook play piano. “Looking back, that kid was my shadow. I couldn’t ignore him, even if he wasn’t speaking to me. And I kept looking out for him… because it seemed like he’d fall apart if he was ignored.” He considers leaving it be, but his fingers are already dialing.

The perspective switches again: on a rooftop overlooking Songju, JungKook grows dizzy and stumbles. Darkness grasps his ankles, and his mind empties. “I don’t want to leave anything behind. This will just be the end.” At that moment, his phone rings. He sees YoonGi’s name, and everything sharpens, as though he’s awoken from a dream. “What took you so long to pick up?” asks YoonGi. When JungKook doesn’t answer, he continues, “Everyone’s meeting up later. Do you want to go?” After a pause, JungKook says, “YoonGi. Please come get me.” (From the thug beating to the rooftop, this is how his 11 April entry plays out in The Notes 1, but it ends before their phone conversation.) Waiting for YoonGi down on the street, JungKook recalls when they all used to hang out in the classroom. “I have a place to go. People to be with. Right now, that’s enough.”

On 2 May, SeokJin sneaks into YoonGi’s workroom, which is filled with oil-soaked papers as though he intended to set it on fire. (It’s dark, so as the later part of the episode occurs in the daytime, it must be past midnight or in the early morning.) There is no foolproof way to save YoonGi since he acts unpredictably between the loops, but SeokJin has determined that YoonGi needs someone who can tie him to the world—someone whom he won’t push away. Once, NamJoon told SeokJin that JungKook still carried the photo they took at the beach. (The photo depicted in the game is the one of the boys on the wall by the sea.) While NamJoon probably relayed this to show that JungKook hasn’t forgotten about SeokJin, it stirs a different memory for him. In high school when they ditched and went to the beach, hunting for a boulder that supposedly made dreams come true, SeokJin noticed JungKook ask YoonGi an important question while their voices were drowned out by construction noise. He has now realized that both JungKook and YoonGi have the same desperation in their eyes. JungKook knows that YoonGi is like him: a person who needs a string to hold him here. Therefore, JungKook is the key to saving YoonGi.

SeokJin places his copy of the photograph next to the mirror in the workroom, hoping it will lead to saving them both. Before he can leave, footsteps grow closer. Flustered, he chooses to either explain himself honestly or hide. In both paths, YoonGi stumbles inside and collapses on the sofa, too drunk to notice that someone else is in the room. In the second path, some extra information is presented when SeokJin notices a little water dish and paper cup with breadcrumbs as he hides beside the piano. “He must’ve looked after it again.” In another loop, SeokJin saw a small, weak bird that got mistakenly trapped in the workroom. YoonGi looked after it, most likely thinking of JungKook. (This particular episode is called Small Bird, so the title may only be meaningful to players who choose this path or are familiar with the bird from The Notes 1.)

SeokJin escapes undetected while YoonGi sleeps. Later in the day, he watches the workroom from his car. The most difficult part starts now: JungKook must follow the hints SeokJin has left to save YoonGi. After staring up at the second floor for a while with an unhappy expression, JungKook seems to make up his mind and enters the building. The story cuts briefly to YoonGi’s perspective. In the workroom, the mirror shatters. (The reason is unspecified, so we are left to wonder if a confrontation unfolded like the one depicted in the Run MV and implied in The Notes 1, or if something else occurred.) Dizzy, YoonGi falters but manages to stand up. (Again, standing up from what? Possibly because JungKook hit him.) “YoonGi…” JungKook is rooted to the spot in surprise. YoonGi runs, leaving him behind. Back in his perspective, SeokJin starts the car as soon as he sees JungKook dash out of the building. He hopes that leaving “a sign” will guide JungKook to the correct motel. (In The Notes 1, it is a bloody tissue that SeokJin drops by the entrance gate because YoonGi fled his workroom with busted lips. The game episode closely follows how this scenario proceeds in Notes 1, so I’m not sure why it is so cryptic around the details implying that a fight occurred between YoonGi and JungKook.) Inside the motel (once again matching the I Need U MV), YoonGi lights the bedsheets on fire. He regrets having JungKook by his side because the people close to him get hurt. The memories of his childhood burn along with the flames: fragments of the day he arrived home and found it collapsing in a fire. YoonGi hears JungKook shouting. “I’m sure… He’ll be sad because of me. But he won’t be unhappy anymore,” he thinks. JungKook shouts for him to get up, and YoonGi finally looks at him. His last view of the room encompasses the red flames, the air wavy with heat, and JungKook’s crumpled face. The episode ends with sirens playing over a black screen.

Episode 5, “Connecting Threads,” picks up on 12 May with SeokJin preparing to set events in motion for saving his next pair of friends. At the hospital, he waits for JiMin to show up and overhears a conversation between a nurse and doctor. If SeokJin stays where he is, they notice him and postpone their discussion, but if he steps out of sight, they continue. The nurse mentions “patient Park JiMin” who has “transferred down from the 9th floor.” She reports that he keeps roaming the hallways at night and wonders if they should stop him “just in case.” “He’ll be headed back up in about three days or so. Just leave him be. If it really bothers you, check with them,” advises the doctor. SeokJin moves to his precalculated spot when they leave, planning to lead JiMin to the stairs so that he’ll run into HoSeok on his way down. In his perspective, JiMin is troubled by his stiff wrist as he waits for the elevator. A familiar voice suddenly calling his name draws him to the stairwell, but the light makes it difficult to see its owner.

The story cuts to HoSeok wrapping up a consultation with the same doctor from earlier. The doctor states that they haven’t noticed any huge issues and that he’ll be discharged soon. “Do you have any discomfort still?” “Nope, I’m fine!” HoSeok answers energetically and even strikes an exaggerated pose, feeling that he needs to. “Please take care to avoid any future collapses,” the doctor adds. This comment makes HoSeok either recall the last time he collapses or the last moment he spent with his mom. In the first memory, he collapses on the bridge as he thinks about his sick Auntie leaving him alone after she has always been at his side. In the second, he stands at the merry-go-round and wonders if his mom will be standing there when he finishes counting. “Sir… Sir? Are you alright?” The doctor’s questioning shakes HoSeok out of the past. He wants to say hello to JiMin before he leaves the hospital, but JiMin’s bed has been empty for a while. Worried, HoSeok heads to the elevator to look for him. A woman dressed in a long skirt and hat passes by with her child. “Mom!” Convinced that she’s his mother, HoSeok chases after her. He shoves past people, breathing ragged and heart pounding. Afraid to lose her, he either yells out again or goes to the stairs. The results are ultimately the same because she doesn’t respond to his shouts and disappears into the stairwell. HoSeok skips steps down the stairs in his haste. “Mom!” His foot suddenly slips, throwing his weight forward. He flails, but there’s nothing to grab onto—and suddenly, his fall is arrested by someone grabbing his arm. “HoSeok?” “JiMin? How are you here…?” JiMin looks equally surprised. HoSeok realizes it’s obvious that the woman isn’t his mom. Though he can’t remember her face anymore, he still can’t let her go. “Are you alright, HoSeok?” JiMin asks. HoSeok figures that JiMin doesn’t inquire about what he was doing or why because he already knows. “I wonder if JiMin is like me… living trapped in the past. If he’s unable to get better and move on, stuck inside the memories that bind him…” “JiMin,” HoSeok says aloud. “Let’s get out of here.”

From JiMin’s perspective now, he notices that everything about HoSeok in this moment is different from normal. “Get out of here?” JiMin echoes. Outside is unfamiliar and scary, and he knows that even if he escapes the hospital, he will still have to return some day. “JiMin, I’ll come back for you.” HoSeok leaves without waiting for an answer. Not wanting to say goodbye, JiMin follows him secretly as he’s discharged from the hospital. He stops at the line where the hallway ends up on the ninth floor, watching the bright sunlight filter in through the open door. JiMin turns away, believing that the place to which he needs to return isn’t outside but the ninth floor. “Because… I’m a patient.” The rest of episode 6 follows the events in his 15 May Year 22 entry of The Notes 1, with only minor dialogue changes. HoSeok pulls JiMin out of his hospital bed the night before he is scheduled to return to the psychiatric ward. SeokJin and NamJoon meet them in the elevator, while JungKook, TaeHyung, and YoonGi are waiting for them in the first floor lobby. A nurse finds them and sees through YoonGi’s flimsy excuse that they’re having a birthday party. Throwing snack bags and plastic bottles, they all run toward the exit. (This sequence is likely the one depicted in the Euphoria MV, although in the video it’s staged during the daytime instead of at night.) JiMin unconsciously slows as he nears the invisible boundary in the hallway, but HoSeok’s urging grants him the courage to cross the line. Passing through the door, he draws in a breath of fresh air and feels on the verge of crying.

The beginning of episode 7 follows SeokJin’s preparations to prevent TaeHyung’s incident on 20 May in the same fashion as The Notes 1. He waits at the park on the hill behind TaeHyung’s apartment building until HoSeok escorts TaeHyung home from his night at the police station. With careful timing, SeokJin calls HoSeok after he sees the two part ways and asks him to invite TaeHyung to their beach trip in two days. HoSeok turns around toward TaeHyung’s apartment.

The next sequence provides more details of the confrontation (and notably unfolds a little differently than what is depicted in the I Need U MV). TaeHyung arrives home to a familiar stale odor of mold and stench of alcohol. “Where the hell have you been all night?!” TaeHyung turns to see his father’s bloodshot eyes and his sister standing behind him, face swollen. Defiance surges through him, but the desperation in Eunhye’s eyes roots him to the spot. “TaeHyung, tell Dad you’re sorry and go to your room.” TaeHyung either apologizes, holding his anger in, or tries to go straight to his room. In both paths, Kim SungHoon yells that a beating should set him straight. He seizes TaeHyung by the collar. Something bursts and rages inside him. “What have I done wrong?! You’re the one who needs to get things straight!” His father stammers in shock, “W-what did you say?!” while his sister calls his name in warning. TaeHyung chooses to shake him off or hold still. In the first path, he shoves his father to the floor. “Why are you doing this? How long? How long do we have to keep doing this?!” In the second path, Kim SungHoon snarls that he has a lot of nerve to look him in the eye and strikes his cheek. “Why do I need a beating?” TaeHyung thinks.

The paths converge with Eunhye begging their father to stop. The voice continues thundering in TaeHyung’s head: “Why does my sister need a beating? How long are you going to do this?” “You two are a double dose of pain in my ass today!” Kim SungHoon swings at Eunhye, who has thrown herself between them, and she sways at the rough blow. The injustice of it all stokes TaeHyung’s rage. “What have we done wrong? Why do we have to live in fear like this?” Heart pounding, he notices that the cold bottle he’s somehow picked up grows warmer from the heat of his hand. He roars and charges forward. A shattering sound plays over a black screen, and someone cries, “No—! TaeHyung, stop!” TaeHyung comes to his senses. HoSeok is hugging his midsection, his sister is crying, and his father is nowhere to be seen. He wonders whose blood is on his hand. HoSeok stands there silently, looking like he has a lot to say but holding back. “I’m sorry, HoSeok. I’m okay… So you can go now,” TaeHyung says, calm voice belying his inner turmoil. “I want to cry, to scream, to kick, break, shatter everything. I want to fall apart, but I can’t do any of the things I want.” The world spins as he closes his eyes. Mind blank, TaeHyung craves NamJoon’s presence and wants to talk to him—to tell him that he almost killed his father.

The eighth and final episode, “The Pier,” closely follows the version of 22 May in The Notes 1, with the addition of SeokJin’s perspective providing greater depth to the events. The boys make it to the same beach they visited in high school. The observation platform strikes TaeHyung as familiar. As the sun sets, he remembers this all occurring in a dream, except that SeokJin climbs the platform instead of him. Atop the platform, SeokJin is fearful and full of emotions. Memories flash by of their suffering and loneliness, his failures and desire to give up as the misfortunes repeated. He is relieved that TaeHyung does not follow him. At nightfall, they head to where they’re staying. (In The Notes 1, this location is simply called their lodging, and in The Notes 2 it is referred to as a lodge by the beach that SeokJin reserved under his name. In the game, the room appears like the one in the Run MV party scenes (0’57”, 3’00”, etc.), down to the same string lights and sconces—more on this in the Additional Commentary section below.) As the others dance and laugh, SeokJin realizes that this is the first time they’ve made it this far. “It’s something I hoped so desperately for… and a day I thought would never come. We were all lonely once. We hid our own scars and lived through it alone. But it’s different now. We’re all by each other’s sides. We’ll never be alone again.” Despite these thoughts, he has a nagging feeling because he hasn’t told them the truth. SeokJin is afraid of their reactions, but this will be the only way “to really see them properly.” He announces, “I have something to say.” Only TaeHyung turns to look at him through the chaos.

TaeHyung balls up his prickling hand, wondering if this is about the dream he asked SeokJin about several days earlier. (The location of this conversation is unspecified in The Notes 1, but the game provides a flashback shot of it at the bus stop.) His frustration grows when SeokJin begins to mention high school instead. TaeHyung interrupts sharply, believing that SeokJin is still cowardly avoiding the truth. “Are you talking about when you spied for the principal in high school and told him everything we were up to? Or were you going to mention how, because of that… YoonGi got expelled?!” The mood in the room chills. “I’m sorry.” SeokJin drops his head, while the others look away or stare in surprise. But TaeHyung doesn’t want to be unhappy without knowing why, even if the truth is worse than the nightmare. “Is that all? Or are you hiding more from us?”

The perspective switches back to SeokJin. He guesses that TaeHyung is asking about the dream but can’t reveal that the tragedies he experienced were real, believing that no one else should have to suffer with that knowledge. NamJoon approaches and tries to calm TaeHyung, but TaeHyung pushes him away. “Stay out of this, NamJoon. Why does it matter to you? You’re not my brother.” (In the album Note from Her and as a flashback in The Notes 1, TaeHyung overheard NamJoon talking on the phone while they walked to their lodging. NamJoon was speaking to his parents about his younger brother being old enough to take care of himself, but TaeHyung apparently took this to heart as something about himself. It hurt and angered him deeply.) “TaeHyung, I’m sorry,” SeokJin attempts to plead with him. “Stop it, Kim TaeHyung!” NamJoon warns. TaeHyung demands again that SeokJin explain everything. The interrogation unleashes all the memories of his friends’ tragedies that he has tried to forget. SeokJin feels like his nightmares are going to become reality, and his mind goes blank as TaeHyung and NamJoon continue to argue. “I repeated so many moments of suffering… for you… Why are you doing this to me?! I only wanted to be able to laugh together.” A little flame grows within SeokJin, an indescribable feeling cresting like a wave. This is what his countless attempts have led to? “What’s so great about being together?” Shaking off NamJoon’s arm, TaeHyung yells, “Who are we to one another? We’re all alone in the end!” “Alone…” The thing SeokJin has desperately been holding onto breaks away, and the shaking in his hands now consumes his entire body.

SeokJin hits TaeHyung. He remembers TaeHyung’s sudden jump off the seaside platform—a time he thought he saved them all. “I even kept that from happening—and he says we’re all alone in the end? The hopes I had for all of us to be happy, and for us to face coming days together… It all feels like it was for nothing. I thought I left my repeating misfortunes behind me, but I now see them again, taunting me from just ahead.” This concludes the Epilogue and the <I’M FINE> series. Notably, the glass does not break, suggesting that this loop continues from this event (as it does in The Notes 1) without yet resetting.

Additional Commentary

The only point I want to touch on here is the depiction of the boys’ lodging on 22 May after their beach trip and its potential implications. In The Notes 1, this location is simply called their lodging, and in The Notes 2 it is referred to as a lodge by the beach that SeokJin reserved under his name. In the game, the room appears like the one in the Run MV party scenes (0’57”, 3’00”, etc.), down to the same string lights and sconces.

As a standalone MV set, this location felt (to me) more metaphorical than concrete. It’s introduced after NamJoon opens the door of a train’s shipping container, a little film editing trick as though it’s a world inside—and it does feel like a space away from the real world where the boys are free to let loose, revel in their youth, and be themselves. While it seemed to serve as a more glamorous substitute for NamJoon’s shipping container where they often gathered, this location also appeared to stand in for the location of JungKook and YoonGi’s confrontation (2’24”-2’55”). An altercation between them is heavily implied in SeokJin’s 2 May entry from The Notes 1, but it occurs in YoonGi’s workroom. Since Run is an MV rather than one of the short films, which always present BU events and locations more literally than their song counterparts, it doesn’t seem too unusual that these sets are condensed to one in this video. YoonGi’s workroom isn’t portrayed until Highlight Reel, so we can kind of excuse one of the earliest MVs for artistic license.

However… the inclusion of this location in the game considerably changes the circumstances! Since it is both canon and animated, the creators had the ability to design the settings as they are truly intended to appear (within the general limitations of the game’s engine and visual style). It must have been a very deliberate choice that led to the reuse of the Run MV’s set for the 22 May beach lodging. (For what it’s worth, I have always interpreted SeokJin’s and TaeHyung’s fight in the Japanese MV for Blood Sweat & Tears to represent the fallout of that night, and that is staged in a different set.)

To further complicate matters, a date has been explicitly attached to one of the scenes in Run because it is matched shot-for-shot in the BU Story trailer Map of the Soul—and it is neither 2 or 22 May.

24 July Year 22 is not reached in <I’M FINE>, but in the Notes, this is the date the boys plan to gather at NamJoon’s container to celebrate JungKook’s discharge from the hospital. So far in The Notes 1 and 2 (and various album-accompanying Notes from MotS: Persona and 7), this event has hardly manifested as the celebration it is intended to be. This particular shot maps a little better to the circumstances in Notes 2, as not all of them even show up in Notes 1. But again, this gathering occurs at the container—so what, and where, is this shot really depicting? How is it linked to the beach lodging they visit in some loops on 22 May?

BU has been in development for years now, so I believe there is intentionality behind this location’s depiction in the game, even if it raises more questions than it answers. Perhaps it is foreshadowing a very different version of 24 July in which they return again to the beach lodging. This is my best guess for now, and it’s exciting to think that there are still hints embedded in the older MVs for aspects of the plot that have yet to be fully revealed in The Notes.

What do you think? Did you notice the location parallels if you played the game, and did they inspire any new theories for you?

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As mentioned above, the following “tl;dr” commentary summarizes the parenthetical notes I provided in the summaries in case you want to review them on their own.

Heart’s Distance — tl;dr commentary

In the opening cutscene, TaeHyung’s photograph of his father holding him as a baby looks similar to the one he holds at 1’48” in the HYYH On Stage: Prologue short film.

During the gathering at NamJoon’s container after everyone freed JiMin from the hospital, SeokJin asks, “How long has it been since we’ve all laughed together?” This is a reference to the recurring phrase “we can laugh when we’re together” present throughout the Notes and occasionally this game.

On 19 May, TaeHyung is arrested for vandalism while painting graffiti on the streets. The bus stop depicted in the shot is the same as the one in Highlight Reel.

In the shot in the game illustrating TaeHyung’s choice on 20 May that he “can’t take back,” he approaches his father from behind and the sound of glass occurs on a cut to black. We know from the I Need U MV and Save Me webtoon that he fatally stabs his father.

When SeokJin asks Uncle JunHo for a favor to visit a construction site for practical training, JunHo expresses that SeokJin’s father seems to be interested, too. “Make sure to use this opportunity to take a thorough look around. It’ll all be helpful to you later,” JunHo advises. It’s helpful to know that Assemblyman Kim ChangJun is involved in some shady business with a construction company—this is revealed in The Notes 2.

After the foreman leaves his father’s hospital room, TaeHyung realizes how tense he has been when he loosens his grip and sees little crescents of his fingernails cut into his palms. His wounded palms are a recurring motif.

On 20 May, SeokJin stands at the bus stop and touches the graffiti for which TaeHyung was arrested the previous night. It’s the “I’m Fine” message depicted at the same location in the Highlight Reel.

The story ends with SeokJin losing consciousness after TaeHyung shoved him away and he slammed into something, marking another failed attempt while preventing the homicide. This is not the first time TaeHyung has caused SeokJin grave or mortal injury during his intervention: in the Save Me webtoon, he accidentally stabbed SeokJin with the broken bottle instead of his father.

Nightmare: Epilogue — tl;dr commentary

SeokJin and NamJoon’s conversation when they reunite at the gas station on the night of 11 April begins with 2 familiar phrases: “Oh. SeokJin?” “It’s been a while.” As mentioned in part 1, this sequence parallels their moment at the end of the Blood Sweat & Tears Japanese version MV.

In episode 3, the scene of JungKook finding YoonGi playing piano at the music shop appears to be a memory of 7 April, although it is not explicitly stated as such. This encounter occurs in The Notes 1 as well as episode 4 of JungKook’s story.

From JungKook’s beating at the hands of thugs to the rooftop, this is how his 11 April entry plays out in The Notes 1, but it ends before his phone conversation with YoonGi.

SeokJin reflects on a time NamJoon told him that JungKook still carried the photo they took at the beach. The photo depicted in the game is the one of the boys on the wall by the sea.

Episode 4 is called “Small Bird,” yet the bird is only referenced in one of the choice’s paths (SeokJin hides behind the piano in YoonGi’s workroom). The title may be more meaningful to players who choose this path or are familiar with the bird from The Notes 1.

The game is even more cryptic than The Notes 1 about JungKook and YoonGi’s apparent altercation on 2 May in his workroom. When the perspective cuts to YoonGi, the mirror has already been shattered. The reason is unspecified, so we are left to wonder if a confrontation unfolded like the one depicted in the Run MV and implied in The Notes 1, or if something else occurred. The “sign” that SeokJin leaves to guide JungKook to the correct motel is also unspecified, but in The Notes 1, it is a bloody tissue because YoonGi fled his workroom with busted lips.

The motel room that YoonGi sets on fire in this loop once again matches the I Need U MV.

JiMin’s escape sequence from the hospital is likely the one depicted in the Euphoria MV, although in the video it’s staged during the daytime instead of at night.

TaeHyung’s confrontation with his father on 20 May unfolds a little differently than what is depicted in the I Need U MV.

Some notes/thoughts on the 22 May post-beach trip lodging are included in the Additional Commentary section above.

TaeHyung has a flashback to several days prior to 22 May when he asked SeokJin about his recurring dreams. The location of this conversation is unspecified in The Notes 1, but it’s depicted at the bus stop in the game.

TaeHyung pushes NamJoon away physically and verbally when he tries to interrupt his interrogation of SeokJin at the lodging. “Stay out of this, NamJoon. Why does it matter to you? You’re not my brother.” In the album Note from Her and as a flashback in The Notes 1, TaeHyung overheard NamJoon talking on the phone while they walked to their lodging. NamJoon was speaking to his parents about his younger brother being old enough to take care of himself, but TaeHyung apparently took this to heart as something about himself. It hurt and angered him deeply.

Notably, the glass does not break at the end of the Epilogue, suggesting that this loop continues from this event (as it does in The Notes 1) without yet resetting.

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This brings us to the end of the BTS Universe Story <I’M FINE> highlights! This series turned out a little different than I originally envisioned, but I hope you found these summaries helpful and worthwhile to read. If you have any questions, important details that you felt I overlooked, or theories of your own that you would like to share, feel free to send me an ask!

For more informational storyline content, please check out the Timeline project, currently in development!

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